The Weird Tales Of ChangMang

Chapter 1- The First Meeting.

Hey Everyone! I’m Changu and since its day one, we’ll get the boring introductions out of the way quickly. It all begins way back, (not so way back) when I shifted homes from a slightly larger place to this dump I live in now. But hey what can I say? Home is where your heart truly lies and mine is here, in this dump.

I'm honestly grateful to have moved here because I found my soul mate, Mangu. I shifted here in 2015 and boy did my life change drastically. I met this really cute, funny, stupid, annoying girl who is unfortunately also my neighbor.

Picture this- I was 18 when I moved here, a teenager at her peak, with mood swings and personality disorders on another level. I left my childhood home behind and most importantly, my best friends and came here to live in this place. So like any normal annoying teenager, I was self-punishing, not going out, keeping to myself, reading, and just staying home. (Well this is how I usually am on normal days too)

So this place where I live now is a series of Independent houses clubbed together to form a society and is the epitome of community living. Everyone likes to come out each evening to sit together, gossip and chill. Now my mom adapts quickly so she got used to this too. My dad and I on the other hand, not so much.

We lived in a building before, where everyone minded their own business, (usually) the doors were locked, (mostly) and we never asked our neighbors for sugar or milk or gave each other food from our homes on a daily basis. This new kind of community living scared the living shit out of my dad and I. (While my mom was enjoying herself) So I was most shocked when people just randomly walked into my home and bedroom, (I seriously had to start wearing decent clothes at home because of this) while my front door was literally always wide open for the neighbors to walk in whenever they pleased. (I told you my mom was getting too comfortable and this was annoying me!) And on top of all this, my old woman wants me to make friends with the neighbors!

We moved to our new home in September and for nearly a month I avoided my mom’s demands and my neighbors. But suddenly on the 10th of October 2015, someone started banging on my front door loudly.

You all must be wondering, but changu isn’t your door always open at all times? Yes, it is, smartypants but it was late at night and my parents were at work (Night shift) so I had total rights to close the door and windows and lock them, draw the curtains and switch the bell off as well. (Which I did) Hence, the banging at my door. And lo behold! It was my neighbor, who was screaming my name at the top of her lungs and demanding that I come out. (My mom gossips about me to the neighbors a lot so they all know I’m at home even when I pretend I'm not.)

 Now since I was a teenager, I automatically thought that I was in trouble. Were the curtains open? Did she see me masturbate? (Just kidding I don’t do that) I was reading a really kinky book though and right at the most interesting part, the neighbor lady had to bang on the door and ruin my fun.

I got up, opened the door, and didn’t even get time to say anything when she grabbed my hand and pulled me out of my house. (Thank God I was wearing a bra. This new house was teaching me a lot of things) She dragged me to her house and told me, (in Hindi) “It’s my daughter’s birthday today and we are cutting a cake. She’s going to be here in 10 minutes. Wait till she cuts the cake and I’ll give you a slice to take home.”

Now I know she was trying to be nice to me, but this was awkward as hell and I honestly didn’t need a cake that desperately or at all for that matter. I didn’t know a single soul in the room or even the name of the birthday girl and I was in my nightgown!

And that was when she walked in- the birthday girl. I really wish I could tell you she was ugly, or mean, or rude but she was not. I was so uncomfortable standing there, and she didn’t make me feel weird at all. Just said hi with a cute smile on her face, like meeting strangers her mom dragged into her home was a daily occurrence to her and cut her cake.

After she finished the ritual of feeding everyone the cake, (myself included) she thanked me for coming and gave me a huge slice of cake to take home with me. I felt like an utterly humiliated 5-year-old kid but in my heart, I knew that it was a life-altering moment because this is how, ladies and gentlemen, I first met my Mangu.