The Nyzers were the biggest patrons of the east market. The coffees and the teas of the north found permanent place in the royal kitchens. The intoxicating dry cakes graced the dining tables everyday. The surprising savouries defined evening snacks. And the delightful pastries made for perfect desserts.
The end of the Nyzer kingdom sparked a cultural revolution of sorts, the claws of which dug deep into the east market. The traditional foods of the north wedded the newer foods of the time, and the east market discovered a whole new world of taste of its own.
Sashi knew what she was looking at. Not only had she tasted every one of the biscuits and the pastries and the dry cakes on display, she had even academically studied the long tales of how each came to be. The professors at the university were impressed, but Anad couldn't keep from feeling that she was obsessed. Although he hadn't spoken with her family, he was by her side when Sashi spoke to them over her phone. And from what he gathered, her family thought the same as him.
"Of all the things to obsess over, biscuits and cakes are the best, I guess," he had said.
He didn't repeat himself. Only smiled. If Sashi was looking at him, she would probably get it. But she wasn't. Not even he could tear her eyes away from the pretty showcase displaying the delicacies. The yellow bulbs inside did well keeping warm, and also made everything taste prettier.
Sashi had one of everything. Her plate was a pretty pile. She looked like a hungry child who was having biscuits and cakes for the first time in her life. It was up to Anad to get a glass of red date tea so she wouldn't choke on the dry delicacies. It was the tea she favoured with cakes.
Yorhan sent over a couple of crab meat buns, which Anad sat enjoying at the same table as Sashi. If it wasn't for her delightful biscuits and cakes attracting her, she would have been screaming at Anad. He even got himself a glass of cardamom tea with milk and sugar. The tea she loved on every occasion except when enjoying cakes at the eatery. The most she did was give him a stinky eye at how distasteful he was being.
After the light brunch, they went shopping. First stop was grandpa Fain's. The old man recommended a new coffee from the Nirigiri forests of the southwest. He was sure the coffee would leave a strong impression.
Then, they went shopping vegetables and freshly prepared noodles for dinner. They returned home in the evening with everything needed, including several bottles of their favourite sodas.
He got started immediately. She needed to shower first. Every time they returned home after a day out, she needed to shower. She said it was because she wanted to leave the outside on the outside, and feel like home at home. He didn't agree. It was just an excuse for her over cleanliness. He never said it out, though. Until today.
"Clean enough?"
Her hair was still wet. She was shimmering under the white light of the kitchen, like she did after a shower. She air dried her hair. For some reason she seemed to like air drying her skin too. She looked at him confused, not sure about what he meant.
"Sorry?"
He shook his head while smiling. He continued cooking. She sat on the counter, looking at him. Their relationship had always been as such. He cooked. She watched. Stole a few vegetables, to keep her mouth busy. He let her, because he preferred cooking without distraction. She flinched when the pan sizzled as he threw the vegetables in. She covered her nose as the stinging fragrance filled the air when he poured the sauces in. She gulped as he stirred the noodles. She glared as he had the first taste. And finally, her eyes glowed and her mouth watered as he served the noodles.
They ate in the kitchen, with her sitting on the counter and him standing by her side. They drank the soda directly from the tall bottle. It tasted better that way, she said. He agreed happily, since washing the plates was also his responsibility. She was the queen who did nothing, he was her servant who did everything.
"You get better each time," she complimented. "This is really yummy. Like, proper chef level. Well, there's at least one thing we can do after college, if we don't get a job. We can sell noodles. I think we'll make real money."
"I'm glad you like it. But you don't have to worry. We wouldn't be reduced to selling noodles in the east market or anywhere else. I'm rich, in case you've forgotten."
"So, you're saying what's yours is mine?"
She wore a teasing smile. He saw a different smile though.
"Yeah," he answered. "We are in love, aren't we? So, what's mine is yours. And vice versa. Know what that means? You've got to keep you heart safe, since it's pretty much mine now."
"What the heck are you talking about?"
She didn't understand. He didn't explain.
She felt he had changed, like he was a different person. Was it since yesterday?
"Just saying," he said, smiling at the joke he told only himself.
"What's gotten into you? You're being so weird. So not like yourself. Are you aiming to lose your head or something? And why do you keep saying that? You've been at it since yesterday. Your heart is mine. Of course my heart is yours. I told you I love you. You're just being so weird."
And that was dinner. Wasn't as long as they said it would be. Wasn't as affectionate either, owing to the argument near the end. But dinner wasn't truly done until they were done drinking. And they wouldn't be done until the soda was gone. There were too many bottles to finish too quick. They could gobble down the noodles, but the soda was a different story entirely.
They went up to the terrace with the remaining soda. Sashi pulled up a chair to the parapet. She enjoyed getting drunk on soda to the expansive view. Anad sat on the ground next to her, leaning against the parapet. The beauty of the violet light of night was that it didn't require conversation. Sashi and Anad were perfectly happy enjoying the voice of the night in the company of each other. In that moment, they felt more together than they did all day doing things together.
"I'm sorry," he said suddenly. "To stain this beautiful moment. I just had this thought that I just had to voice. This is so beautiful, isn't it? So, us. I wish it would be just this. I wish nothing would change."
He didn't speak the words, but she heard them anyway.
"I wish your heart would be mine."
Then, the silence returned. The night remained beautiful. They were together. The soda tasted the same. They were happy. And yet, everything was changed.
Sashi felt like she was having an out-of-body experience. She was with Anad on the terrace, happy. She was also somewhere else, she didn't know where, looking at the terrace Anad and she were on. She remembered Anad calling her blind. She didn't understand why the words sounded so true.
They spent the night on the terrace. The sky was faintly brighter when they welcomed the new day, and walked down to their rooms. They fell in their beds, and closed their eyes.
He woke late in the afternoon. The house was quiet. The door was closed, but he knew she wasn't in her room. She wasn't anywhere else in the house either. Must have gone to college, he told himself. He made himself a mug of Nirigiri coffee, winced at the first sip, cursed the distasteful coffee, and continued drinking while he waited for Sashi to return. The wait stretched into the night, and then into the next morning. He didn't feel like attending class. As the day turned to noon, he was struck by the likeness. He knew Sashi would walk in any moment now. He knew the expression she would have on her face. He knew what she was going to say. He knew what was going to happen.
"Is it inevitable?"
As he asked himself the question, the door pushed open and Sashi walked in.