30 Rupees to Feeling at Home!

- By Swathi

They say some people cross your path by accident. But looking back now, I know better.

Harini, Kani, Nivetha, and Janapriya didn’t just appear in my life, they were meant to be there. I didn’t know the why back then, but life has a way of revealing meanings slowly, like light pouring through a crack.

With Harini, the evenings grew warmer. We’d sit and chat about everything and nothing, letting our voices echo through the corridor like lullabies for a weary heart.

And Kani, with her straightforward spirit and bright eyes, joined us for dinner. It was not a grand affair, just simple, messy food, made magical with our little ritual: the legendary 30-rupee Roja Chicken.

Oh, the excitement when we opened that small packet, greasy, spicy, humble. We didn't just tear apart chicken pieces; we tore open the joys of our day, shared the flavors of our laughter, sprinkled in the spice of secrets.

Three hours would pass like whispers, one bite, ten stories. And when it ended, we’d carry our full hearts and empty plates back to our rooms, lock our doors, and lock away another memory in the diary of our days.

By the fifth day, something in me shifted.

The silence didn’t feel heavy anymore. The walls of the hostel didn’t echo loneliness, they echoed laughter. The corridor didn’t feel endless, it felt lived in. And this place, which once frightened me, slowly softened into something else.

Home.

Not because of the room, the food, or the routine, but because of them.

Because sometimes, it takes a little chicken and a lot of love to turn strangers into sisters.

Comments

Anonymous said…
What is Roja chicken?
14 April 2025 at 11:26
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