Maha

Soon, the resort provides small white vehicles to transport us to our respective cottages.

I make a beeline for the backseat of the buggy, the only seat that faces backward and gives the sensation of moving in reverse.

The luggage is loaded onto a separate buggy, and everyone takes a seat wherever they can.

Nayel sits directly opposite me, his back facing mine, while Isahaq takes the remaining seat beside me, deliberately avoiding eye contact.

As the buggy begins to move, I feel the familiar sensation of the wind brushing against my face. The trees around me blur, making it seem as though everything is moving in the opposite direction. I've always loved riding in the backseat for this exact experience. However, there's also the risk of falling face-first onto the road if we're not holding on carefully, as this seat is fully exposed to the surroundings.

I pull out my phone to record a video and send it to Amna, who has been persistently texting me, eager for updates.

She had been wanting to visit this resort for a long time but had suddenly fallen ill.

"Maha, take a selfie with everyone too; we need to capture memories," Ammu says from behind, and I reluctantly raise my phone, searching for the perfect angle to include everyone in the frame.

"Give the phone to Isahaq; his arms are longer," Nayel's mom advises.

Isahaq gently takes my phone, leans slightly towards my side to get everyone in the frame, and clicks the round button, capturing the moment.

He hands the phone back to me and returns to looking the other way, undoubtedly still feeling awkward about what had happened on the ride over. But it's good that he isn't avoiding me because of it.

I send the selfie to both my mom and Amna.

"Call me immediately. But make sure Isahaq bhaiya or that demon isn't near you." I scrunch my eyebrows at Amna's message. What demon?

The buggy comes to a stop in front of a row of cottages, and we all disembark. Isahaq helps carry our luggage into our cottage and then jogs down the steps to assist the others.

The resort is unique for having separate cottages for each visitor instead of typical rooms in a building.

I notice Isahaq's family entering the cottage next to ours and Nayel's mother going into the one after that.

A family has already occupied the cottage on the other side of ours.

I initiate a video call with Amna as I step through the gate of our residence for the next two days.

"Wow—this is so cool!" My cousin's surprised voice comes through the phone as I show her the interior.

A comfortable king-sized bed rests in the middle, while a few artistic wooden pieces of furniture are arranged around the room. There's a small connecting backyard with our room. We can see the backyards of our neighboring cottages, but each space is demarcated by white fences.

I open the bathroom door and pause. The marble floor exudes luxury, and the room is larger than my own bedroom at home. A huge sauna occupies the center, with the ceiling open to the sky, and a few tree branches encroaching into what should have been the roof.

"Dang! This is like the perfect honeymoon resort," Amna comments.

A certain face crosses my mind, and I mentally reprimand myself. This is not the time!

"Anyway, the reason I called—wait, is anyone near you?" Amna asks, her face hidden behind a comforter pulled up to her nose.

I step outside to the backyard and close the door, shaking my head. "Nah, continue."

"This resort is in a mountainous area, right? So there are plenty of hilly spots nearby. I just need a small favor. Please accidentally push Nayel off one of those cliffs, okay? I mean, he probably won't die, but even a few broken bones would be good enough."

"Amna! Why would you say that?" I stare at her, my mouth agape in shock.

"Api, please. He's a living nightmare. Ughh—so you know how Isahaq is my school senior, right? And that Nayel is unfortunately my demon of a classmate. He's the absolute worst! He threw a volleyball right at my face and that too in front of my crush! Then he had the audacity to laugh instead of feeling guilty. I'm damn sure he did that deliberately. He's also the one who stole my winning spot in the science project and constantly annoys me. In a nutshell, Nayel is the demon who's been ruining my life forever." Amna huffs, venting her frustrations. "Please, just a little push is all I'm asking for."

Realization dawns on me. "So this is the guy you're always complaining about! Okay, I get why you're annoyed with him, but I can't just randomly throw him off a hill. What if he actually dies?"

"He won't. He's too stubborn to die so easily. At worst, he'll get a few injuries, but no worries—Isahaq bhaiya is there to treat him. Honestly, I would have probably asked him to do the deed, but I can't because Nayel used to be in the same football club as him, so they're kinda friends."

"Oh, but Amna, how can I just push the guy—"

"Okay, fine. Maybe a little food poisoning—oh shoot, he's there." Amna's eyes widen at something behind me, and she immediately cuts the call.

I slowly turn around to see Isahaq and Nayel walking in the adjacent backyard. I just hope they're far enough not to have overheard anything.

Isahaq lifts his hand in a friendly wave, and I return the gesture before rushing back inside the cottage.

The last words I hear are, "Too much love in the air!"

I briefly glance back to see Isahaq putting Nayel in a headlock after his last statement.

✨

Isahaq is absent during lunch, and Maria aunty informs us that he had fallen asleep. "I didn't feel like waking him up."

"You did the right thing; he needs to rest," Ammu agrees, passing me a dish.

Somehow Nayel has ended up sitting to my right, but we both remain silent.

Amna's words replay in my mind, but I push them aside. Of course, I wasn't going to harm a 17-year-old just because he had issues with my sister!

✨

Before I know it, evening has arrived, and there's no sign of Isahaq.

The mothers have gone to the spa, while the kids have gathered in the entertainment corner.

The younger children are busy playing arcade games, while the older ones have decided to spend the evening in the movie theater.

I sit beside some strangers as the screen lights up, beginning the movie.

A few seconds in, I regret my decision to come here. It's a horror movie.

The room is completely dark, and I can't muster the courage to go outside alone.

A few more minutes pass, and just as a girl in a white dress starts walking onto the screen, an eerie melody playing in the background, I decide I've had enough.

Just as I close the theater door behind me, an ear-splitting shriek emanates from inside. Phew, got out just in time.

With nothing else to do, I walk toward a bonfire blazing in the corner.

I wrap the shawl tightly around my body, shielding myself from the freezing weather. I adjust the silk skirt I'm wearing before taking a seat by the fire.

A variety of pithas are arranged on a platter on the table. My mouth waters at the sight of the sweet pancake-like desserts made from dough. Pithas are usually made during winter in our country, and every year I eagerly anticipate December to enjoy these treats.

But I only like a particular type of pitha, rolled up like crepes with a layer of cream inside. I notice there's only one piece of patishapta pitha left on the plate.

There's a live concert nearby, and soon a song from one of my favorite bands starts playing over the speakers.

I retract my hand reaching for the food and get up, looking for the source of the music. I'll come back for this pitha later.

Turning the corner, I find a garden with a small stage set up in the center, huge speakers flanking its sides.

It's an open stage for performances, and currently, they're just playing random songs to attract an audience.

I grin at the familiar voice of my new favorite band, Enhypen. After making a short video of the stage setup with the song playing in the background, I decide to return to my patishapta pitha.

Just as I turn around, my eyes fall upon a guy in a black hoodie, who is staring at me with a surprised expression.

My eyes widen, and the same expression crosses my face.

Seconds pass as we take in each other's presence, and his lips eventually curl into a knowing smile.

I remain rooted to the spot, too shocked to even greet him or move forward.

He slowly approaches me and extends a hand. "Wow—I didn't know you were going to be here. It's been a long time, huh?"

I can feel myself breathing heavily, my mind racing with memories of the past. "I didn't know you were back in Dhaka," I manage to say.

The last I knew, he had gone to Canada for his bachelor's degree.

Sensing my hesitation, he retracts his hand. "Right, I forgot you don't do handshakes anymore. And I just came back for winter break." He laughs nervously, awkwardness filling the air around us. "It's good to see you, Maha."

I can't say the same about him. His face has changed with time. He's gotten taller, his previously lanky arms now sporting a bit of muscle. He's still clean shaven but he's lost his glasses. Maybe he likes wearing contacts now. I don't know.

He's talking easily, not at all bothered by my presence , and suddenly I'm  transported back to high school.

This is the guy whose face I once used to look for in crowded hallways. His bright smile lit up my days. But eventually I started hating that sight and after a few years I felt nothing at all.

Years worth of memories rushes through my mind . From late night texts, to evening walks in the park. Sharing tiffin during lunch break and  gossiping about everything and nothing. He used to be the one I rushed to tell if anything exciting happened. We would talk for endless hours not knowing when the darkness of the night slowly made way for the day. He knew all my deepest secrets until one day he stabbed me in the back with the same insecurities I had told him about. I still didn't know whether he even realized what he had done or not, but it didn't matter. He turned out to be the same as others.

"So how's everything going?" I shook off my  thoughts and decided to opt for a civil conversation. The past is in the past after all. I didn't know what to feel about him anymore.

We exchange formalities and catch-up . He asked me a question and I couldn't hear clearly so I leaned forward , "What?"

He repeats his words but the music is still too loud, I go even closer straining my ears to hear properly, "What are you studying now?"

"Oh- computer science."

"Dang shei. You were always amazing in whatever you did anyway. Future plans? I thought you would go abroad. I mean with a talent like yours-" he shrugs his shoulders.

"Yeah, I wanted to but life got in the way " I gave a vague answer, suddenly feeling nervous to elaborate.

I feel grateful when he doesn't prod further for details and just as I'm thinking everything's normal, he says, "Don't tell me you finally got sucked up into some kpop fandom too? You were one of the only girls in school who didn't like kpop."

The ending note of the song plays in the background and I smile at my ex best friend , " Well, I'm not the same person you used to know."

"True." Ahaan just laughs, his face devoid of any emotions as if we are just old acquaintances catching up after a sudden encounter. As if we didn't have countless memories together. A few years back his reaction would have stung like hell,  filling up my heart with sorrow. But today, I was at peace. Not least bothered about his nonchalant attitude.

Now the guy standing before me was neither a friend nor an enemy. Just a stranger with whom I shared a whole lot of memories.

Maha's diary entry from four years ago -

10th September, Sunday

Today, I saw Ahaan for the first time in months since he graduated. With it being my final year and not attending school regularly unless for a mock exam, I've barely crossed paths with him. I noticed him standing in the corridor of the tuition center as I was leaving after a class. He had probably finished one himself. We didn't acknowledge each other, and the same thing happened when I passed him again while leaving through the gate and onto the road. He didn't even bother to say 'Hi' while I walked by right beside him. A few months ago he would have grinned widely and greeted me with enthusiasm, asking about how my day was going.

How can someone change so much in such a short time ? I'm left wondering what went wrong or what I might have done to cause this shift. Losing friends is painful and maybe that's why I don't bother trying to make new friends nowadays. After all, it seems like one day or the other, everyone eventually drifts away or changes, leaving me behind to cope with the heartache that follows. Losing friends sucks.

Author's Note

Double update :D

First of all- some of you may have gotten notifications of me dedicating chapters to you. There's no particular pattern or reason, I just wanted to do this to show how much your support means to me. Thank you for reading and showering my story with your lovely comments 🤍

If I haven't dedicated any chapters to you yet and you're reading this book, please leave a comment here to let me know  -

Now, thoughts on Ahaan ?
More will be revealed about him in the next chapter.

You're also getting Isahaq's pov next! So that's definitely exciting 🤭

Silent readers, you don't get dedication cuz you're silent 😶
How am I supposed to know who you are if you don't even vote at least lol