Lisa and her siblings are driving to their new home in Thimphu which is located below Royal Thimphu College. Lisa is excited and she smiles obliviously about what will happen next in her life. She is sitting at the back seat of the cab with her younger sister and her younger brother who have come to drop her at a new home. Her older brother, Sonam Wangyel is sitting in the front seat and he talks to the house owner via mobile phone in the polite way that he uses to talk with elders. Her twelve years old younger brother, Jigdrel is as excited as her because it is their first home in Thimphu. Lisa's elder brother has rented the house near the college so that it will be easier for Lisa.
Seventeen years old Lisa, finds Thimphu, the capital city of Bhutan beautiful and exciting like she has expected. The last time Lisa came to Thimphu is two years back with her parents for a vacation. She has always wished to study in Thimphu and fortunately, she got a scholarship at Royal Thimphu College, one of the best colleges in the country.
With her eyes gazing through the car window, Lisa feels a warm breeze gently touching her face, and her heart dances to the rhythm of the wind. Filled with excitement, she embarks on a new journey of her life, away from parents, away from siblings, and away from her family traditional norms.
When Lisa reach her new home, her excitement vanishes in the air as she finds her house on the outskirt of the town. She sees a handful of huge buildings surrounded by forest and bushes.
Doomed by the location of the house, Lisa with her siblings walks up the stairs wishing that there was an elevator. When they reach their apartment, all of them take a long breath with an exhausted face.
"I am gonna loss weight if I walk these stairs every day," says Lisa entering a small living room disarrayed with furniture and boxes.
"Two rooms with a living room and a toilet and kitchen...You don't have to share the bedroom anymore, you can have two bedrooms now. I envy you, Lisa," Lisa's fifteen years old sister Yangzom says to Lisa plumping herself on the heap of clothes on the sofa.
"I thought you are going to take that bigger room so, I kept your stuff there," tells Wangyel to Lisa his hand pointing to the room next to the toilet.
She enters the room and finds it bright with mint wall paint but it looks messy, disarrayed with boxes and other stuff.
"I need to arrange everything," mumbles Lisa with a long sigh.
Lisa looks out from her bedroom window and she sees a huge mansion with a beautiful lawn. She goes to another room and looks from the window which is smaller than her bedroom window. All she sees are trees and bushes and hears the sound of a gushing stream but she doesn't see the stream.
She sits on the polished wooden floor looking at her elder brother Wangyel giving fire to the cigarette dangling on his month. Lisa watches her brother puff the cigarette as he has been longing for the smoke to get into him to give him life.
“Do you like the house?” Wangyel asks Lisa with the smoke coming out of his mouth.
“I love it,” Lisa says her eyes moving around the room.
"Don't you feel uneasy to smoke in front of your younger siblings?" Yangzom smirks at Wangyel walking in.
"You better don't come here if you hate the smell," says Wangyel grinning.
Yangzom ogles at Wangyal for a while and walks to Lisa's room.
"Don't you dare tell mommy and daddy that I smoke in front of you guys," Wangyel yells at Yangzom with a playful smile.
Lisa is born to a conservative family. Lisa and her siblings are not allowed to date anyone before they complete college although it's not true for Lisa, they are not expected to go out at night especially girls. Their parents don't encourage befriending the opposite sex and especially girls are expected to be home before 10 pm if they need to go out of the house.
Brought up by strict parents, Lisa has never experienced the world beyond her school and neighborhood. She has never known what is bunking class, trying booze and cigarette with friends, dating someone you like, and hanging out with friends late at night.
Just like a fresh flower bud, Lisa is just sprouting her petals into the world she is yet to see. Everything is bliss for her, she has just fallen in love with her secret boyfriend three months ago and she is enrolled in one of the best colleges in the country. A dream come true for an ordinary girl who has lived a modest life.
***
Back at home, Lisa and Yangzom share the bedroom while Wangyel and Jigdrel have their own bedroom. Wangyel and Jigdrel used to share the bedroom until Wangyel graduated and started working with his father at their Pizzeria. Lisa doesn't have privacy at her home, everything she does concern her family. Her so-called personal diaries will be read by her siblings and her so-called personal diary becomes siblings' diary. However, it never bothers Lisa because she never had secrets to hide.
To be born in a conservative family with strict rules and regulations never bothers Lisa until her life steps out of her comfort zone, her hometown where she spent seventeen years of her life.
She enters into a new realm of college life with excitement and apprehension unaware of what her future has stored for her.
***
Lisa's cell phone beeps and she reads the message. A coy smile creeps on her fair pale face. She feels Wangyel looking at her smiling.
Little does she knows that things will be no more like before.