Tum hi ho | Only you. The love story based on real events. Inna Derechey-Shukla

Our «national enchantedness» by each other could probably be called something like a mutual pleasant culture shock.

      On that memorable day, going to Diwali celebration, I was so impressed with what was happening that I even forgot where Vishnu was from. And then I asked him:

      «You’re from the US, aren’t you?» He laughed a lot:' No, I’m a local, I live here’. Many people think that all Hindus speak English like Rajesh Koothrappali from «The Big Bang Theory», but Vishnu had no accent, so it made me think that he was from the USA. Only then I found out what a traditional family he was from and who his parents were.

      After walking along the main street and watching evening Puja ritual, Vishnu offered to go to a cafe, climb to the roof top and listen to the tabla – a kind of a drum, an Indian national instrument. That time everything was new for me – from sounds and smells to emotions and people.

      We sat on the pillows on the floor (it is quite a common thing for Indians – Vishnu says, this way more guests would fit in). He sat facing the musician and with his back to me, it felt as if Vishnu – so kin, familiar and close, had always been there (perhaps it is true – we could have known each other in our past lives, and now we simply have met again).

      After the concert and a lovely walk through the old town we returned to the hotel. I certainly couldn’t sleep that night. First, the Diwali celebration was in full swing: with all the boys and girls around celebrating all night long, starting firecrackers, blowing up petards over Ganga, fireworks lit up the skies and all the sounds and the lights were like a colourful rain falling down. And secondly, I couldn’t help thinking about Vishnu. «Inna, have you fallen in love?! And with whom? A Hindu? No, don’t even think about it, you seem to have lost your mind,» I was convincing myself. After all, I have known him for just a few hours (since Diwali is a family holiday, it was natural that we didn’t get to spend a lot of time with Vishnu on that day). As it seems, after all, you can’t escape your destiny and even though a few hours don’t feel like a lot of time it may, in the end, be enough.

      The next day we decided to see the sunrise on the river: take a boat to get to the other sandy beach of the Ganga, to sail and watch how the «Golden Apple», the sun, is rising above the waters. At about five in the morning Vishnu picked us up at the hotel and took us to the boat station. He helped me to get on the boat. With his every touch (rather innocently, only meaning to give me a hand to get on the boat) I felt how fondly he treats me, how he tries not to make a mistake, being afraid that I would perceive his actions as something inappropriate. A few moments into the boat, the boatman’s son, a seven year old boy, hopped in, and Vishnu all of a sudden started to beatbox, and everybody around, clearly appreciating his beatboxing skills, joined in the jam, each in their own way.

      All the way through our journey Vishnu took pictures of me, and I even felt a little embarrassed in front of the others.

      India, Varanasi. November 2013. Diwali.

      Varanasi. Autumn 2013

      After that, my friends and I continued our journey, and a week later I returned home, to Moscow. We agreed that we would definitely return to India for the New Year’s to celebrate it in Goa. I bought round-trip tickets almost immediately. Winter holidays and the continuation of the wonderful adventures were only a month away but I was in for a surprise.

      Back in Moscow, everything went back to normal, of course, and I was sucked into my busy life immediately but memories of India (and especially about the two days in Varanasi) made me get in touch with Vishnu first – under the pretext that I am looking forward to getting the photos of the Ganga. He replied quite promptly and sent the pictures. We began to correspond periodically-we would talk about anything, it was simply pleasant (and we really felt like it) to stay in touch.

      The thought of having tickets to India warmed me in the uncomfortable Moscow, but just a week and a half before the New Year’s my friends said they had to change their traveling plans. What was there for me to do? Going there on my own? But then I don’t know much about this country, let alone Goa. Nobody seemed to be able to join me for this trip, and the tickets were non-refundable. I asked Vishnu if he could help with refunding tickets for the local flights. And here’s a coincidence: he and his friends from Germany were planning to celebrate New Year’s in Goa, but they also, literally at the last moment, had to change their plans. «I’ve never been to Goa, but I’ve always dreamed to go there. I’ve already bought the tickets to Vasco da Gama, I am arriving on the 29^th of December… you know what? Let’s go together? I will meet you at the airport,» he wrote.

      I didn’t know what to do then. I wanted to celebrate the New Year’s by the sea, alone or with Vishnu who I became rather fond of! But, on the other hand, I did not know him at all, besides, he was a foreigner… Fear outweighed: I decided that I was not going anywhere, and even handed over my ticket from New-Delhi to Goa, even though I still had my tickets to go New-Delhi. Meanwhile, Vishnu continued talking me into coming along:

      «Don’t worry and don’t be afraid. If you suddenly find it uncomfortable being in my company, I’d understand it, and you would just continue having rest on your own».

      Once my mother and I were walking around Moscow. Sitting in a cafe, I shared my thoughts with her, and told her about the tickets I still had, and my thoughts of going to familiar places if it wasn’t Goa. I told my mum about my encounter with a young man, a Hindu, from Varanasi, whose holiday situation was similar to mine, and who was eagerly talking me into coming to India for the winter holidays to enjoy rest and the ocean. My mom asked me to show her a picture of him, and I opened my Facebook. As soon as she saw him, she said: «A good guy. Go and have a great week, relax, get away from everything!» I made up my mind. I messaged Vishnu, and told him that I was coming, and asked him to help with local tickets. He was very happy and did everything the same evening. So preparations for a totally adventurous trip began.

      The following week and a half we talked every day – it seems, we just couldn’t go without writing to each other.

      MAGIC OF THE INDIAN NEW YEAR’S EVE. GOA. 2013/2014