You're My Home | Complete ✔

Chapter 2

The linens had not been washed in quite a while, and she wasn't somebody who slept in bedsheets that hadn't been washed in over a week. As much as she hated admitting it, residency was tiring her out completely. She wasn't the same Samara anymore. The one who slept at a fixed time, ate at a fixed time, even watched television at a fixed time. Entertainment was not something she could afford to waste time on anymore.

She got up, still groggy and worn out from the shift last night, but thankfully, she was off duty that morning. Heading right to the kitchen from the washroom, she picked up the paper on the way along with some bills that arrived in the mail. Bills. Didn't ever seem to end. Her apartment was located in the south of Manhattan and came with an amazing view, and a crazy price.

"It is an investment," she had told herself. It was a two bed and one bath apartment, with a veranda that overlooked the Manhattan skyline. The apartment itself was not the best New York City had to offer, but for her it was home, and she invested in it both financially and emotionally.

That morning, she finally had the time to make herself some proper breakfast, which she usually missed owing to her tight schedule. She took out some bread, milk and eggs from a fully packed fridge, realizing that the groceries weren't used in a long while. French toast was the breakfast of choice that morning. As she picked up the sizzling piece of toast from the pan and placed it on the plate, her phone beeped. It was a text, a one she was unknowingly looking forward to.

'Lunch today at two at Red Lobster, don't forget.'

Armaan. That name brought a smile to her face. It was somewhat hard to believe they had met just four months ago, that too in the most unusual of situations. She still laughed about the incident where he asked her out for a coffee and she refused blatantly. But fate, oh god.

Just the day after, she had gone to grab a bite at the hospital cafeteria. It was a rush hour, so all the chairs were taken except a few, one of them being at the table where he was sitting. He noticed it too. She hated the idea of making him feel like she agreed to his offer, but the rest of the chairs were at tables with complete strangers. After much deliberation, she carried her tray and sat down with him.

"Don't feel too happy about this. I had no other option." She had a feeling she was going to regret her decision.

"Won't say a word about it don't worry." His smile was cheeky.

Surprisingly enough, she had ended up talking to him more than she had initially planned on. He told her he worked as a music director in one of the biggest advertising agencies in New York, shared some interesting stories about his grandma. Turned out, both had quite a few mutual friends and certainly a lot more common interests than they had thought. Familiarizing with each other wasn't a bad option after all. They even exchanged numbers, although neither of them had thought they would ever contact or meet each other afterwards. Both were proved wrong.

A few weeks later they met a mutual friend's wedding. Aminah was Armaan's chilhood friend and Samara's colleague. She was the one who had suggested him to take his grandma to Mount Sinai Hospital when she suffered from her first attack. Back then, Samara was just a first year resident.

The wedding was a grand affair, very traditionally conducted. That is where Armaan and Samara became friends. They might have started off on the wrong foot, but all awkwardness soon disappeared amidst the interesting conversations they shared with each other. It was these conversations both looked forward to the most when they occasionally met up, like that afternoon when they had decided to go for lunch together. Samara wasn't the kind of person who would go out to dine with somebody every now and then, neither did she have the time. But she had begun to find a sort of comfort in spending time with Armaan. After a long time, and probably the only time after she came to the US, she had found a friend with whom she liked to share things and he would understand them the way she wanted to. That what the most special part about their friendship. They understood each other the right way, and she couldn't be happier about it.