“Perhaps, I need to learn to love you the way the earth loves the moon: fondly, but from a distance.”

Imagination~

Summers in Mussoorie, 'The Queen Of The Hills', weren't as hot as it was, in most of the other places in India. Which makes it a perfect hill station, situated at foothills of the Garhwal Himalayan Range.

Visitors in summer vacations, increased the crowd in the town, for a month or so. Otherwise it had all qualifications to be called a 'Piece of Heaven on earth'. Peaceful and Beautiful, forever, for the locals.

It was 10 O'clock and The small kitchen of 'Dream Home', which was situated on Mall Road, near Gun Hill, was once again filled with hustle and bustle.

Other residents of home were prohibited in kitchen, as 'Mifa: The Baker' got busy with her favorite work, 'baking', yet again, just like any other sweet normal day.

Today, she was baking Rose Meringue Cookies, an order from an old customer, which she had to deliver till 5 O'clock. Not wanting to come across any sudden problem, she started baking from morning itself.

No, she didn't call her brother Shoaib, a 'Problem'. Though he might have been behaving like one, since forever, but she was too sweet too call him A problem.

This twenty four years old beautiful young lady named, Mifa was as sweet as the cookies she used to bake. For which she was famous, in her whole town.

She was busy with baking, wearing her flowery print apron which had 'Love At First Bite' painted on the front pocket. Whilst, her mother was busy reading newspaper, sitting on dining table and her brother, busy roaming around the kitchen, impatiently waiting for the cookies to be ready.

"Mamma, ask him to go away or I'm not giving him a single cookie!" Occasional shouts from Mifa and sweet words in the name of scoldings from his mother couldn't stop him from peeking in kitchen every now and then.

"I'm telling you, you're just wasting time and resources, just like every other day. I would have baked better cookies, but I don't know how to trap customers with sweet words, like you do!" Same old dialogue was heard from outside the kitchen window, infuriating her no less than other days.

Soon enough, an angry candy came flying and hit him on face, which Shoaib unwrapped and ate happily.

Now, she was expertly whipping the egg whites and sugar together in a big glass bowl. Her long wavy hair was tied in a messy bun so the hair won't disturb her. Her one earphone was plugged in her right ear playing a melodious song which she would sing along occasionally. Other earphone was dangling on her left shoulder which had slipped from her ear, but she couldn't plug it back in, as her hands weren't free.

Thus, she had to tolerate her brother's blabbering about how all her cookies were tasteless and burnt mostly. She added the Rose water in the Meringue while her elder brother was successfully distracting and disturbing her.

Their mother's phone rang loudly from above the refrigerator and he ran to pass it to their mother, much to Mifa's relief.

"Aunt's call! " saying he picked it up for her and put it on speaker, just as his mother liked.

Their mother's elder sister's voice boomed from other side of line, which now has taken half of their attention, not whole.

Greetings were done and then the topics were both sisters' health issues, family matters etcetera. Mifa was sure, this conversation would last for next 40 minutes.

Mifa was now very carefully and tenderly trying to pipe the perfect rosettes on parchment lined baking sheet, with her Wilton 1M nozzle tip in her piping bag.

"Bhoooo!" Her ghost of a brother shouted from behind and the rosette was, no more like a rosette.

"You......" she left everything on kitchen slab and ran after the culprit with the meringue covered spatula, in her right hand.

Both of their shrieks disturbed their mother's conversation as they ran around the dining table. Aunt who was listening all these noises from others side once again covered her ears.

"Seriously, Afeera, your home is too noisy!
And here my home is all empty, I've two sons but I get to see them barely twice a year. Your brother in law and I are left alone here." She sounded sad.

Mifa and her brother stopped running on both sides of Dining table and looked at each other proudly, grinning at the compliment they got for their mischief. They knew no matter how much she scolds them, their mother enjoyed their banter as well.

"That's why I'm asking you to come and visit us. Stay here with us for some days, you'd feel good." Their mother suggested her elder sister, while Mifa regained her position in kitchen and restarted her work.

"I'll think about it.
Ohh, Yes!.... This reminded me, Afham is coming to your town today!"

Mifa's hands stopped on their track, in middle of piping another rose. Her big honey brown eyes turned more bigger and moved frantically, blinked unbelievably. Her whole concentration was now taken by their conversation.

Afham.... He was coming!?

Here!?

Did she hear it right!?

Or, it's an illusion!?

"It's a tour from his college. I've asked him to visit your home too. " Mifa could hear, her Aunt talking further about her younger son.

"That's great. It's been so long since he came here. Had you told before, I'd have prepared something of his choice.... Anyway, I'll manage that. You just tell him to have lunch with us." As always, her mother started panicking with sudden news.

Mifa wetted her dried lips with her tongue and started moving her hands in circles, above parchment paper, with piping bag, pretending that it was just like any other normal conversation.

But, was it a normal conversation? It was a big NO, which her heart screamed. Her heart felt like....like it to pop out of her dry throat and mouth.

He was coming here, to their home!?But why, suddenly? Wasn't he busy anymore!?....After so many years, he wants to meet them. Though, they have met a few times in these years, but either at their Aunt's place or their grandmother's place. 'Meeting'? It couldn't be called that.

Last time when they went to Aunt's home, on 27th November 2021, they had met. And mustering so much courage, Mifa had decided to greet him. Which, he had replied with a mere murmur, shattering all the courage she had built in a week's time.

She didn't dare to speak anything else after that. She decided to hide herself in another room and kept staring at him secretly from window, whenever he came out of his room for important matters like food and water. He was too busy with his studies, Aunt had told her mother.

They knew he studies whole day, since long, but what was this behavior, couldn't he spare at least one hour for them? She didn't like that. But, realised soon, that it was better if they don't come across only. Things would be less awkward.

Before that as well they met, when they had gone to Aunt's home, on 14th June 2019. Yes, she remembered all the dates. In that so called 'meeting', she didn't even greet him. Her ego and her fear, both didn't let her talk to him. He too didn't say anything and she only looked at him when he wasn't looking. Maybe he also did that, but her strong instincts never got feeling of being watched.

Before that, they met at grandmother's home, on 9th January 2018. That time she had talked to him. 'Talked'? That word could be used only if it was a joke. Because, the actual scenario was such that, she came outside in Portico, where he was standing and almost saved herself from bumping into his tall frame as he just turned around hearing some noise behind him. Telling him that "Aunt is calling you inside" she immediately went back inside, as he just nodded briefly. So, it wasn't a so called 'talk' either.

Before that, they probably met when he came to visit their home for barely 1 hour, in 2016, with his elder brother. She didn't remember that date. She only remembered that, it was kinda embarrassing situation for her as she was cleaning her home that time. His presence only made her clumsy and hesitant.

She didn't remember meetings before that one, as those were the times when they were like best friends, spending whole day with each other whenever they visited each other's place. She didn't need to remember one particular date or time for those memories, they were uncountable.

"What should we prepare for Afham!?" The call was disconnected and their mother was now asking them suggestions for food, bringing Mifa's attention back to the current situation.

"Whatever you wish would be fine, Mamma!" Mifa tried to look as normal as she could.

"Chicken Curry!" Shoaib suggested with glitter in eyes and Mifa scrunched her face. Not again.

"No. Your Aunt had told me once, Afham have become pure vegetarian, since last year. We cannot make that." Afeera told and Mifa heaved a sigh of relief.

Ever since she got to hear this news, she felt as if it was a....a signal!? A signal to her. Or was she overthinking once again?

On asking why he became Vegan, Afham had told that he saw an animal being slaughtered and his heart didn't allow him to eat that anymore. But, the reason seemed strange to Mifa. Was it first time in his life that he saw that? Obviously no. Her heart denied to believe it completely, creating a tiny mini hope inside her that maybe....maybe he did it, for her. Only he would know that.

"I'll make Palak-Paneer. Go and bring Paneer from market." Afeera sent Shoaib to market immediately and started the preparation.

Mifa was done with her work now and she set the Rose Meringue in oven, on 200° F, for 45 minutes. And helped her mother to prepare lunch.

All the while, her mind wondered in the memory lane, lonely.

From childhood, Mifa and Afham were close, reason was that there was none else in their age group in their family so they had only each other to spend time with.

As kids, they had found perfect partner in each other for their games. Deal was made that She'd play cricket with him while he had to play with doll house with her. None had problem with it.

They would visit each other's home in vacations. He taught her how to play games on a cell phone. While she taught him how to play chess. Soon she left behind his high score and made a new high score which he couldn't cover again. And he? He was too cunning to play chess with. She remembered, if they would play 10 rounds of chess in a day, he'd defeat her 8 times of 10 and she would be so irritated And throw away his king, not believing that she was the one who taught him. Huh.....Couldn't he respect his chess teacher?

But now, everything has changed. They, who used to talk with each other about everything in this universe, from the stars in sky, to flowers in fields, talked no more to each other. Talking is far, had even acknowledging each other's presence become so difficult for them?

Mifa had realised her feelings, long before. When she realised how his presence could make her happier than ever, even if he didn't speak a word, and stayed silent. She had realised, how his absence would make her sad, making her feel a void, an emptiness, even if she was lost in crowd of hundred people.

And how badly she wished that, he too felt same about her. But she knew, she might never get to know how exactly he felt, about her.

She often wondered what has gone wrong suddenly between them and felt terrible. They didn't even fight or had any argument, she was sure. Then what had pulled them apart so much.

Maybe, the distance. When they met after a long time, they were grown up and didn't really know how to start a conversation and, about what topic.

Afham was always the shy and silent type but he was close to her, she was damn sure, he was closer to her than anyone else. He used to share everything with her. Probably, as they didn't get to meet for long, he made a wall between them too. She had seen him studying so keenly. He won't even raise his head from book even if 4 people were chatting beside him, such was his dedication towards studies. She sometimes used to be speechless seeing his concentration.

Mifa wasn't bad in studies either, she had been topper of her class for many times but she could never study as hard and focused as he does, she knew. It would be boring for her. She always felt, they had a kind of competition regarding studies between them. She always used to compare their marks in her mind.

She was the talkative and chirpy girl of the family, from childhood but as she grew up, she grew more silent. Though still she was more talkative than Afham who as if only knew nodding. He talked to none except his mother, that too very less. That was one of the reasons why there was only silence left between them.

Mifa wanted to leave behind both her fear and ego, and talk to him but she couldn't gather enough strength.

Fear, of not getting a proper reply from him and getting dejected.

And ego, of being 4 months elder than him.... No, 3 days less in 4 months. That's why she thought, he should talk to her first, not the other way around.

Now that they were going to come across once again, she wondered if anything will change or it would be same.

Will he talk to her?

Or, should she take the initiative and talk to him?

Would she looked desperate and weak if she started first?

Mifa found herself Stucked in a pile of conundrums. Now knowing how to behave in front of him. She wanted to be presentable and impressive as well. She kept wondering all this....

While waiting for her Rose Meringue, to be baked!

And for Afham, to arrive!

~~~~

So, here I'm publishing a short story on my Birthday, coincidentally! ....Yayyy!
The idea popped up in my mind day before yesterday. Maybe, 3 updates it'll take to finish it. Which I'll do soon.

I googled a name with a sweet meaning and got to see 'Mifa'. It means, 'Sweet as Heaven'. I don't know someone having this name, do you know? Also, it's rhyming with my name, so I liked it. (๑•ᴗ•๑)♡

Okay, Bye!

Bunny!𓃹

30.05.2022