My Dearest Nik

Chapter 4

As soon as I saw the light of day, I ran for my bag where I kept the letter Nik gave me. I opened it in hurry but also kept myself steady from tearing it away,

"Good morning Raya, I hope you slept well."

This was all he wrote on the front side of the paper, I turned it around and there was a whole paragraph written at the back.

"Raya, I know you have a test today and I wish you good luck. I just want you to know that I believe in you and you will do great. Last night was better than I expected and when your lips met mine, I cannot explain the feeling that I had, it was something out of this universe. I wanted to feel you again Raya but, I didn't want to scare you, and when we danced even when there were no notes to be heard your laugh sounded like one, and I will never forget what you said when you accepted me for the dance. It was one of the funniest yet romantic things I ever heard 'cause it came from you.

Tonight, come with me to this art gallery Raya, I will be outside at half past nine. I will wait for you and long for you until I see your face again."

I clutched the letter embracing it as I closed my eyes. This man is going to be my happily ever after or someone who will break my entire trust in love because letters like these are only exchanged when one has some feelings, feelings that surpass the emotion of being just friends.

I open a wooden box where I kept the letter he gave me yesterday and placed it in it, the one which I held today.

I was wandering around the corridors when someone hugged me from behind 'Raya!' I knew who this voice belonged to.

'Sahiba'

She was my best friend, my only friend. I met her last week, she was also a refugee here but her lives and mine were similar. She went back to India for her brother's marriage.

'I brought you something' she had the widest smile on her face as she passed me a big box covered with a khaki paper wrap, we walked to the background and took our seats on the public bench there. As I started to open it, she stopped me abruptly juggling her words as she held my hands

'Wait, wait, wait

If the word haste had a human form, it would be Sahiba. Her black burkha had uneven plaits on it and as much as I can confirm, she woke up late....again. Some of her brown curls hung out of it from the rush hour she might have had during the morning. 
She took out another metal box this time, the sun reflected itself on it and then on her round face. She twitched her full lips closing her hazel eyes as she passed the metal box to me.

'There is kheer in it. I know you like eating sweets therefore I asked Ammi to pack some for you.' What did I do to meet people like her and Nik in my life 'What?'

'What?'

'Well, eat it, Raya.'

'Sir, yes sir.'

I gave her a small smile opening the lid and the sweet fragrance of milk, almond, resins, and, cashews made its way around me giving me the nostalgic feeling of when I used to stand beside mother as she prepared kheer stirring the milk again and again until it had the lightest shade of pink.

I took a spoon full of it and let the sweetness of kheer take over me.

'This is so good, Sahiba.'

'Well, you should come to my home. We have a lot of it.'

'I will, but tomorrow.'

She gave me a skeptical look 'What is it, Raya?'

'It's a long story.'