Echoes of Dawn

An unfathomable spark

A hush had fallen over the three of us. Najah, her brow furrowed in confusion, darted her gaze between Rayyan and me. "So," she began tentatively, "any plans for today?"

Silence continued to hold us captive. Had we heard her question? Or perhaps we were waiting for the other to break the quiet spell?

Najah's question hung unanswered in the air, forcing her to repeat it with a touch more impatience. "Are you two listening? Where are we even going?"

The silence stretched, thick and heavy, until I finally stepped in to break the spell. "Cafeteria?" I suggested.

Najah, however, shook her head. "Rayyan already spoiled me with a hotdog while you were in class," she said, patting her stomach with a playful smile. "I wouldn't be able to handle another bite."

Insisting on a sweet treat, I countered, "But they have kulfi! You can't resist their kulfi, can you?" With a playful tug on her arm, I coaxed Najah towards the cafeteria, Rayyan trailing close behind us. The promise of the cold, creamy kulfi seemed to have broken the dam of indecision.

As we pushed through the cafeteria doors, the murmur of conversation and clatter of utensils washed over us. "Any updates on your PhD applications? Any new acceptances?" I asked, nudging Najah with a gentle elbow.

Najah sighed, a shadow flickering across her face. "Not really," she admitted. "Alabama's the only one with a confirmation so far, funding included. But I just got rejected by UC Berkeley."

The conversation took a backseat as we reached the counter. Needing to lighten the mood, I nudged the conversation forward. "So, what are we having?"

Najah's eyes lit up at the mention of food. "Kulfi!" she declared. "What flavors do they have?"

I scanned the menu hanging above the counter. "Hmm, they've got a whole list," I replied, then pointed to a couple of options. "I tried the malai and pistachio ones," I offered, scrolling through the list. "Both were delicious, but the malai kulfi takes the cake – er, I mean, the kulfi."

A small smile touched Najah's lips. "Alright, I'll take the malai then," she decided.

Just as I turned to ask Rayyan about his choice, he piped up, "And I'll have the kheer, please!"

"Sure thing," I replied, placing the order. "Just the kheer for you, Rayyan?"

He nodded curtly. "That's all."

"Alright then," I said, reaching for my wallet. "You two grab a table, there's a bit of a rush. I'll settle the bill and be right over."

No way, let me get this," Najah protested, reaching for her wallet.

I gently squeezed her hand. "Remember what you said about me being a guest in your department? This treat's on me. Now scoot! Seats are disappearing faster than ice cream on a hot day."

Najah hesitated, then sighed in defeat. "Fine," she conceded. "But you definitely owe me one."

A smile tugged at my lips as I watched her nudge Rayyan towards a table. He seemed to shrink back a little, perhaps wondering how he'd gotten himself into with these two bickering friends. Wisely, he chose to stay out of the fray, leaving the battle over the bill to us.

With a triumphant jingle of coins hitting the cash register, I snagged the kulfi and kheer. Weaving through the crowd, I caught snippets of Najah's animated rant.

" ... and my thesis supervisor? One of these days he's going to be the death of me! It's been ages since I last met with him, and I haven't even finished the tasks he assigned. I can just hear him say, 'Forget the thesis altogether...' "