I'm here. I'm back in Britain. I just can't believe it. She said to herself.

There was just something about arriving in a different country after a long plane journey that hit each of the senses full force with all the differing culture and heaviness of the atmosphere. It permeated the being. If one wanted to escape back to where one had just come from, it was more a case of 'fat chance, face reality, you're stuck here now, now deal with it.' Nobody would come to one's rescue if one was having a panic attack or facing some sort of perennial fear of what continuing with the journey would bring. No-one would have the time or the expense or the sympathy to spare. People were just too busy. Such journeys were usually made as a holiday, or for reasons of work, or reuniting with family. They were usually decided for well in advance, with months of preparation, and even if they were not, travellers were always advised to be covered by insurance.

Neela was organised, she had travel insurance, naturally. It was just that her insurance did not cover emotions. The anniversary of their parting had been and gone. Her emotional state had come as a result of the stress of the previous day and the journey she had just made. She would not feel better until she had a nice fresh cool shower and a good meal in her belly. Ideally perhaps a favourite meal cooked by her mother. But that was not the plan for today. She was going to meet with John, he was going to drive back to the Olympic Village and as a result, her mother's home cooked meal would have to wait at a later date.

She had chosen to stay with the team because she felt that it would bring her closer to the action and that with so many wise years of experience on her already, it was best to avoid unnecessary conflict with her family even though she knew they would welcome her to stay with them at any time. Of course she wanted to stay with them. But the past had proved that any unnecessary time spent in the presence of her parents inevitably ended up in some argument in one form or another. There was just no need to precipitate that inevitability.

So it was, she would stay at the Village, and then she would journey down to see her parents when she could, and maybe spend a night there. She had many friends to catch up with too, and there was no doubt that her parents would probably be on the ready for having already arranged some sort of 'function' in her honour. 'Function' was the Asian 'English' word for 'holding big get together' usually for some 'celebratory reason' or other. The Asian community had functions for the birth of a new born baby, for newly weds, on passing exams, for religious festivals, for getting the community together, 'you name it' and it would have been a good enough excuse for a nice big three course meal and plenty of traditional Indian tea and Sweets, with everyone trying to outdo themselves with the latest sparkly colourful outfits.

So there it was, Neela's 'being in London' would no doubt be the trigger for the next function. All her friends and relatives, and the family friends, and anyone who knew her would be invited to ignore the doctor's advice concerning individual cardiac and diabetic health risks with a evening of indulgence. Neela rolled her eyes up at the thought of it. She smiled, well if you can't beat them, join them right? All Neela had to do was make that phone call to her parents to let them know she had landed and they would automatically let her know of their intentions, date and time before anything else in her life could be planned such as the simple act of shopping.

Neela stared straight ahead of her. She could not be sure, but it was possible that the man with the dark brown goatee and knitted eyebrows in the distance was the man she had been looking for, figuratively speaking of course.

'John!' she called out to him, stopping in mid flow to wave at him. 'Hey!' she smiled at him as he waved at her from afar.

'Dr.Neela Rasgotra!' he cried back at her, teasingly. He knew he had just drawn the rest of the waiting crowd towards his line of sight. Same old Neela, he thought to himself as he saw her squirm from the consequence of his playful boldness.

Within seconds they were now stood face to face, John smiling at her. He knew what was coming next.

'John! I can't believe you! You haven't changed at all have you?' Neela berated him for making her so publicized. She broke into a grin from her moment of teacher-like authority.

Taking each other in momentarily, they followed their studious looks of each other with a firm embrace.

'Well, I do try Neela to annoy you,' he laughed.

'I know, I wouldn't expect anything less,' she argued back.

The two old friends could not stop looking at each other, trying to suss out any obvious changes between them. They were both grinning like crazy Cheshire cats.

'Long time no see Neela, its great to finally have you back where you belong, even though temporary!' the tall handsome fellow commented, genuinely happy to see her. John had missed Neela, not too much, but enough. 'Did you have a pleasant flight?' he asked her.

'Oh John, its so good to see you too, honestly, after all these years I know,' she agreed, and then continued, eyes returning with a little sadness and lips turning up in disgust, 'well the flight was as well as could be expected. It's called flying. Its not that great, but it will do.'

John could see that Neela was revealing only a part of the whole story, the rest of the truth she had been clearly harbouring in those tell-tale eyes of hers. He thought to himself that he would find out at one point what the deal was. In the meantime, it was best that they started to make their way down. Briefings were due to start early in the morning, and as such, it was already 8.30pm. Neela needed some good food and a peaceful sleep.

'Don't you worry about that Neela, we should make a move, get you fed and rested. Here, let me take that for you,' he motioned to her luggage.

'Thank you John, I'm really tired, I can't wait to just crash.'

Neela let John lead her to the car park, her green two-piece luggage set being wheeled about by him this time. The smell of fuel-filled air from the cars and the planes hit her senses momentarily. She felt a little high, thinking that the sooner they left, the less sickly she would feel. Stuffing her belongings in to the trunk, they seat-belted in, and were soon driving on the motorway. Through her passenger window, she looked up into the evening sky. It was British Summertime at its best. The hostess had been right, it was blue for miles. Sunset was not due for another hour. By the time they were to arrive at their destination, it would most likely be twilight. She could not wait for the next day to start. She had to remember to ring her parents once she got to her room. For the moment though, she could just fall asleep in the car while John acted as chauffeur for the rest of the way there. She closed her eyes and let the sound of the Classical music on the radio that John had just put on, lull her into a deep sleep. If it was Ray driving, she thought briefly, this would have been Rock.


Neela was not to have any notion that when she followed John straight in to the British Team's quarters for want of a better word that Ray was in fact in the next block over, dining with his fellow Americans.

'There you go Neela,' John had just finished wheeling the luggage into her room. 'It's late I know, but I was going to suggest that maybe you take a shower, and I'll bring some take out to your room,' he paused observing her tired form move towards the bed, 'what do you say?'

Neela was not sure really what she wanted to do, the bed did look a little enticing but she still technically was several hours behind on British Time. Perhaps, she might do as John suggested.

'Sure John, that sounds fine,' she answered back. She was about to ask what take out when John smiled and said that he would return with a curry and some naan-bread to make her feel right as rain. Quickly leaving her to be, he shut the door behind her. Neela was once again left alone in her room with her thoughts.

She studied the room in which she stood. There was huge bed in the room, with both a bedside table and lamp on either side, a desk and chair, a mirror and a wardrobe and the door to the en-suite bathroom on the right-hand side. It had been decorated with matching warm cream coloured carpets, curtains, walls and bedspreads. A colourful piece of abstract art hung on the wall above the bed tying in with the Olympic theme. The window was not a window but rather a double-sliding door that opened out onto a balcony overlooking the rest of the Village and the Thames River in the distance. She was in the British Home team accommodation, and as she moved to the outside, standing on the balcony, she had a sense of how immense this event really was, and how privileged she was to be amongst all these skilled foreign athletic individuals. She scanned the area in the twinkling starry sky beneath her, and could see several lights switched on in the different blocks around.

It was like a little Village indeed. Roads that ran between the short buildings. Every so often, she could see a building or a balcony with a Flag denoting which country was resident there. In the block to the right, she saw the American Flag. She smiled. They were still awake she thought to herself. Well, why wouldn't they be? On the way over, she had heard about their swimming team's latest conquest of gold medals from John. And where were the British team? she thought to herself, we're probably going to get bronze again. She chuckled. Silently, she cheered on both countries, happy that one out of the two did win something. She could not help feel that affinity to both nations, after all she had spend a third of her life now in America.

Just as she was about to turn away, she heard a roar of laughter from their direction.

She shook head at them with a smirk on her face, and then she walked back into her room. She needed to ring her parents, take a shower and be ready in time for food. So she began to move about purposefully.

Just as she thought, after she had put the receiver down. Date set already. She ran into the bathroom. This shower needed to be her fastest shower ever. She had already spent twenty minutes talking to them. John would be due back anytime soon. Lathering up the soap all over herself with the hot jet spray against her tired form, she was soon rinsing off ten minutes later. Hair wet and dripping as she stepped out onto the bathroom mat, wrapping herself in the long fluffy bathrobe as she did so, she stepped into the bedroom away from the steamy air.

She wrapped a towel in her hair quickly, as she heard a knock on the door.

Opening the door, she saw John standing there with what seemed to smell like a curry. Her curry. She smiled at him. The time to eat had come. She let him in, and before they knew it, they were tucking away into a Chicken Jalfrezzi and washing it down with a Mango Milkshake. No chance with the alcohol for either of them that night, as they both had to be awake in time for the morning meeting.


Hello everyone, thank you again for your comments and reviews, very much appreciated. Again, this should have been longer, but I'm writing between breaks at the moment, and I have to say all I'm thinking about unfortunately for my study, is this story, I can't wait to get Neela and Ray together, but you'll all have to endure some angst before then. I'm so sorry! I love angst. Anyway, thank you again, and as usual if you spot any mistakes, let us know! J. Hope you enjoyed.