Ereti Rhidil Rahman

There is a restaurant I have frequented for 8 years now. Almost unrecognizable now, it began as a small hole in the wall, unassuming, yet, somehow, captivating. A place so cozy, you just never want to leave.
Although 8 years sound like a long while ago, it all feels like it was yesterday that my friend and I had stumbled upon this place for the first time. We had just shifted our classes to a new coaching centre, a decision that had left our schedules stretched to their limits. With classes running from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. four days a week, our lunch breaks felt like they had been given to us as alms- as meager respites bestowed upon us with the opportunity to live. So, on one fateful day, when we had stumbled out of, what felt like, never-ending classes, bleary-eyed and famished, we set out on a mission to fill our stomachs. Just as we were about to surrender ourselves to yet another uninspired meal, we spotted it- the ramen shop of our dreams. From that moment, the rest was history.
Amidst the chaos of our hectic schedules, we had all our tiny moments in this quaint restaurant. We celebrated our successes and failures here. Regardless of whether our English scores soared to an 89 or Math scores plummeted to a 29, this particular restaurant remained our usual spot. Even as the relentless grind of consecutive coaching sessions grinded our lives out of us, we found sanctuary unwinding over slurps of steaming bowls of broth with strands of delicate, al dente noodles, tender slices of beef, and an egg, soft-boiled to perfection.
In the hour we got as lunch breaks, we delved into the discussion of all the pressing matters of our lives, from airing frustrations about our teachers, drowning in piles of homework, enduring commutes to and from multiple coaching institutes, to navigating the turbulent growing pains and discussions about the antics of our school friends. Amidst conversations about which of our friends did what, we often slipped back to the days when our lives were even simpler- regretting taking them for granted. We often found ourselves reminiscing of a time when we were even younger, only to erupt into fits of laughter, that at times, resulted in us spitting out our drinks.
Those days, however, abruptly drew to a close the moment our O’levels ended. Yet, by some fortune, they were seamlessly replaced by newer days. The restaurant saw me through it all, accompanying me as I navigated my way through my teenage years into adulthood. It bore witness to my evolving social circle as I visited it with new friends. In fact, it was this very restaurant that that I hung out with many of my friends outside the confines of classrooms, watching them become integral parts of my life. It is where I caught up with my school friends, and celebrated some of my birthdays too. It was within these walls that I grew up, surrounded by four or five friends, including the one I had discovered this place with, that I decided to keep in my close circle, a crowd larger than my 14-year-old self could have ever imagined.
Just as the restaurant has seen me grow, I have observed it undergo its own transformation. What I had once known as a cozy spot has now blossomed into an aesthetically pleasing, Instagram-worthy Japanese-style eatery. While their prices have slightly hiked up to contend with the ever-increasing inflation, I am just relieved that it has still managed to retain its charm. Scrolling through their Instagram feed tells me that they have introduced new items to their menu. Even the broth in my beloved ramen bowl now boasts a different hue than I recall- perhaps they changed the recipe. Discovering whether these new flavours will settle with my tastebuds promise to be a bittersweet revelation indeed. Unlike my carefree days when I could spontaneously visit the restaurant, now I find myself eagerly making plans to visit the next time. Knowing I will return within the embrace of those familiar walls with my closest ones excite me, welcoming the countless memories woven into the fabric of the place to seep into me as I savor each slurp of ramen, each bite tinged with a whisper of nostalgia for days gone by.