A Turkish Delight☆

Chapter 20: Round Three

Song: Love Me Like You Do-Ellie Goulding

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Saif:

25th December 2022

So you're probably wondering who I am. Well let me introduce you to myself, I am Saif, and currently I'm in a complicated relationship with my best friend who basically rejected my proposal but right now is lying next to me as I run my fingers through her hair. Well its not as complicated as it seems. I guess she accepted my proposal? Anywho, I look at her lying next to me and she looks so innocent while she sleeps. Haha its so cute though. Anyway, coming back to the point.

I'm just another average desi guy. A Software Engineer by profession, who's probably had a fair share of troubles and mishaps in his life, but hey, what's the fun without all these ups and downs? I'm not complaining. I won't bore you with all the long details about my background and my past. Onto the more important stuff, I have known, and probably crushed over Nadine since the day I first met her, in Kindergarten. Yes, Kindergarten. You've heard it right. Childhood crushes you know. After kindergarten, our paths separated, kind of. We weren't in touch because, well, we didn't have Facebook back then, and I forgot that I had a friend named Nadine, and she probably forgot about me too. But then fate brought us together in college, and I couldn't believe my luck when I saw a familiar face on the first day, and immediately recognized who it was. To be honest, it seemed like a miracle.

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1st August 2011

"Oh my God! Is that her? Is that really her?" I said to myself when I saw her on the day of the orientation. Would she even remember me? Nah, she probably won't remember me but that's because I've changed so much since kindergarten. I'm not the same old, chubby, crybaby that I was 12 years ago. But she, she hasn't changed at all. She has the same chubby baby face, and so much innocence. She does not look different, she's just a bigger version of her old self, haha.

As I didn't really know what to say to her, because I'd seem really stupid if she wouldn't remember me, so I awkwardly approached her and asked her for her name and introduced myself.

"Saif here, nice to meet you."

"Hey Saif, nice to meet you too." She replied, "you know I do know another Saif from somewhere."

"Oh that's really cool, I'd love to meet him haha." I blurted out a laugh.

"Haha, well he was with me in Kindergarten, I don't know where he is now, though." She said.

"Oh that's sad." I said with a frown.

"Anyway, it was really nice meeting you Saif," she continued, "we'll surely be seeing each other around."

"Haha yes we will."

Well, I was wrong but right too. She did remember a friend named Saif, but she couldn't recognize me, well hopefully she can in the next few days, or it'll be super embarassing for me.

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I gave out a laugh at that thought, she still doesn't remember we were together in Kindergarten. But that's okay. I tried to be more careful in not trying to wake Nadine up. She is a very light sleeper, and right now she was sleeping like a baby, and I just loved seeing her that way. So calm, so peaceful. I've seen her go through a lot of shit with her ex. The way he used to mistreat her, the way he practically broke our friendship because of his jealousy. I stayed with Nadine, not because I knew they would break up, but because I knew she'd need a shoulder to cry on, and I wanted to be there for her, even if I wasn't that shoulder.

I remember the day she broke up, for good, she drove to my place to apologize and made me my favourite, chocolate fudge brownies as an apology. I remember we went on a long drive after that, and we sat near the sea view looking at the stars, talking about stars and comets and meteorites and shiz that we didn't understand, just for the sake of it. It was a great day. But this day was greater. Because after all that struggle, after all the patience, she finally let her guard down for me. And I was glad I was the person she chose. I loved her so fucking much she had no idea, probably because I myself had no idea. I kissed her on her forehead and tried to get out of bed to find my boxers lying on the ground trying my best not to wake her up. But I failed.

"Was that an earthquake? What happened? Why'd we move?" She asked in a state of confusion.

"Haha relax girl, its nothing, I just got out of bed, sorry about that" I continued, "go back to sleep, you still have 6 hours to your flight."

"Ah" she yawned, "what time is it."

"4 p.m." I answered.

"Oh, lets go out then!"

"Haha, no you should rest, you have an 8 hour long flight to catch." I tried to reason out with her.

"But I don't want to spend your birthday in bed, when you clearly gave me the best birthday gift ever Saif!" She complained. "Lets make the most of it!"

"Hmm. How about we stay inside for a round three? What do you say?" I winked at her as I made my way towards her, and I could see her face turn pink, its so cute when she blushes.

"Ufh Saif, stop it you're making me blush."

"Haha, come on, you were the one who said we should do something other than spending the rest of the day underneath our covers, then why shouldn't we make the most of it?"

"You're crazy Saif." She replied with a giggle.

"Well, I am crazy. Crazy for you my love." I said as I kissed her on her cheek.