When the sun and moon collide

Who is this man?

DECEMBER 1st

Maha's pov

Dread filled me as the delivery truck pulled up to the cafe. I could see through the window that the back was overflowing with boxes, a precarious tower of plastic cups, baked goods, and syrups. My heart sank as the delivery driver rushed out, clearly in a hurry to move on to their next stop. With Aarish and Zafirah away at university, I was left alone to deal with the heavy load. As if things couldn't get worse, it had started snowing - the first snow of the year. The cold seeped through my clothes, making my fingers stiff and numb. But still, there were more boxes waiting for me in the car park. I trudged through the snow, trying not to slip on the icy ground, towards the remaining boxes. Just three more trips and I would be done. But my vision was blurred from the falling snow and I struggled to see ahead, making each step uncertain. Finally reaching the front door, I strained to keep a tight grip on the boxes, not wanting to drop them in the slushy mess below. Suddenly, I felt a presence behind me and my heart skipped a beat. My weary mind immediately jumped to thoughts of an attacker or thief. But then I heard a friendly voice calling out: "just a little to the left?" Relief flooded through me.

The familiar deep voice spoke, "Just a bit to the left." I couldn't place who it belonged to in my current state of trying not to drop the boxes. Their arms were outstretched on either side, creating a barricade to safely guide the boxes into their designated spot and avoid a potential crash.

"Thank you." I quickly set them down on the counter. But when I turned back around, he had already left. It was odd. I shrugged it off and began counting the items in the order on the side.

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Asir's pov.

Running in the cold. It might warm me up a bit, but I hate it. My coach insists that jogging will improve my stamina, so here I am, begrudgingly following his advice. At least it's better than the summer heat; that's unbearable. I kept jogging until I reached the cafe and saw Maha standing alone, collecting deliveries by herself. I know it was strange to linger there and watch her, but I wanted to make sure she didn't injure herself or drop anything. As she picked up the last few boxes, her view was obstructed. So, I moved behind her and quietly directed her towards the entrance.

"Just a little to the left," I whispered, hoping she wouldn't recognize my voice. With my arms stretched out to guide her safely into the building, I watched as she placed the boxes down without any issues. Once she was inside, I quickly made my way down the road before she could see me and realize it was me watching over her.