A Million Mile Dream

By Arup Jyoti

 When I look back at my life, the only asset that I had was a different approach to thinking under critical situations. In this memoir, I have tried to represent my experiments with the art of beautiful thinking under challenging life situations. Besides, this memoir is written in a little unconventional way. The story of my life is narrated from my youth to childhood, unlike many others where stories are told from childhood onwards. Also, this book can be read either from first to last chapter or vice-versa.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Arup Jyoti
• Release date: Jul 19, 2020
• ISBN: 9781777217815

Book preview

Contents

A note to the reader

The Most Thrilling Week in Canada

The Journey of a Young Mind

In the Ocean of Unexpected Moments

I Still Love What I Did 

Love at Last Sight   

A Few Little Big Things 

Waiting for the Dawn of Happiness

A note to the reader

When I asked myself the question of what is something that I would like to share with the world the answer was this book. I always love doing something new. Therefore, I’ve tried to write this memoir in a little unconventional way. The story of my life is narrated from my youth to childhood, unlike many others where the stories are told from childhood onwards. This book can be read either from the first to last chapter or vice-versa.

The Most Thrilling Week in Canada

It was early noon, and I was taking a nap. It was all getting better. I have seen the campus, met some new friends, and got my university id. Suddenly, I noticed Jenna was knocking at the door.

Hi, the person who had booked the room is coming. You need to leave the room within half an hour. You may sit on the sofa in the drawing-room till you find another room. You will have to pay $ 20 extra for using the couch, she said and left the room.

The lightness of meeting beautiful people on the campus was replaced by the heaviness of tension she gave me with that news.  I didn't have a Canadian mobile connection till then even to book a hotel room.  I did not look for room for rent as she promised for the availability of the room in the morning. If I had signed a lease, it would have been different. Goddammit! I was crying deep in my heart.  Why had I come to Canada? Is it only to face such a situation in life! I had left no money to stay in a hotel. I had faced extremely difficult conditions during the journey from India to Canada. The only option I had was to remain calm and to think within the box to negotiate for rent! Once I am out of the house, I would be in real trouble.

Few days back

I was scared! It was 11 pm, the dark surrounding was in deep silence. The guy next to me was fully drunk. He looks like a person full-on drugs with red-eye facing me every five seconds because he was unable to stand properly on the elevator. I just wanted to tell him, Hello, I'm Arup. It's my first day in Canada. So, I looked at him. It seems even dangerous now, whatever portion of his body was uncovered by clothes probably was covered by snakes and vampires. Of course, those were some deadly combination of tattoos. He was bullying someone on the phone like a gangster. I felt as if he would take out his gun and ask for money and my passport. I was shaking from inside, thinking if he takes my passport, what would happen to me! He was so violent in his words that I felt the absence of the other three people in the elevator. We were the only members who got off the train coming from Montreal at Oshawa rail station. With the utmost fear, I was standing near to him. Every time he used to pause while bullying someone over the phone, he used to lean towards his handbag. I felt as if he would take out syringes from his bag and would start injecting drugs on every one of us. Finally, the wait was over that we reached the counters on the first floor. That drunk person continued bullying over the phone and waited just in front of the station. The other three had someone waiting for them and left the station. In this country, I have no relatives; neither I knew someone special for receiving me.

Like in India, I was expecting lots of people at the station. Because of my low budget rather than booking a hotel room, I was thinking of staying in the station till morning, which was a part of my schedule back in India. To my surprise, I could see only three new people at Oshawa station. That too, one employee in the counter and a couple was waiting for the next train. Then I asked the biggest question of my life that every other person asks a graduate: "What's next?’’ Seriously, only threeee people! I step out of the station. I saw two other people talking a little away in front of the station, including the drunk person behind who was still bullying someone. In India, once you step out of the station, there are lots of taxi drivers waiting at least to greet you to their vehicles. At Oshawa, no one! Except for the freezing cold outside. So, I again went to the station.  While I was at one of the stations in Montreal, there was free Wi-Fi.  It didn't work here. I went to the counter.

Hello, sir. I am an international student. This is my first day in Canada.

"O, welcome to Canada. How can I help you?'' he asked.

Wi-Fi is not getting connected!

O, sorry! We don't have free Wi-Fi here.

Where is the waiting room? Can I stay there till morning?

Sorry, we're closing by 1 am.

It was shocking to me because, in certain YouTube videos, people were speaking that Wi-Fi is available even in small restaurants in Canada, which is indeed true.  I was uncomfortable because if I had to wait outside, I would have to wait with the drunk person who was still busy bullying someone. Then I remembered that I met a very good person on the train. He was one of them who greeted me to Canada with love and care after Air Canada. The Wi-Fi on the train was not that good; then also he kept looking for a hotel for me using his laptop. After around ten minutes, he found all the hotels near Oshawa station. I just remembered his suggestions and asked the person at the counter.

How far is the hotel Comfort Inn from here?

Oh, it’s near to the station. Just take a right turn and keep going, he replied.

Thank you, sir!

It was around 11:40 pm when I headed towards the hotel Comfort Inn from the station. It was dark around, and I was following my destination. The street lights were the only hope, but I was not alone, an offline google map was providing unconditional support at that moment. Indeed, I was scared a little! Still, the thought as if the drunk man at the station was following me was in my mind. Somehow, I arrived at the hotel. There was no one in the reception!

Hello, is there anyone here? I asked.

After around 2 minutes, a beautiful girl came to the reception. Her beautiful blue eyes were saying one thing that she was taking a nap. The lovely back-to-school hairstyle, few hairs were covering her eyebrows and touching the lips from aside. She moved her hair towards the ears with her hands and smiled at me. I was so relaxed. But she was so beautiful that I became nervous!

I-I-I I was loo-loo-looking... I was loo-loo-looking for... I was mumbling.

Are you looking for a room?

Ye-e-s, I was looking for a single room.

Sorry, we've double bedroom available for $ 107.

Now, here comes the difficult part of traveling in a developed country from a developing country at a low budget. That CAD $ 107 was equivalent to around 6000 Indian rupees at that time. Something that our family of five members in India would be able to eat for one and half months taking three meals a day. But, it would also be comparatively difficult to earn 6000 rupees in India for many families like that of us. There is more to the story that I already had two education loans! Every dollar I spent would bounce back with huge interest