"Do you like the way of life here? How are you feeling in the new environment?" Nina asked, picking up a napkin, unfolding, before placing it on her lap; with the fold facing her body.
Mian swept a finger on the table, then examined it closely, checking whether her finger could pick up any dust. Satisfied with the result, she shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly and said, "I'm fine anywhere as long as-"
"As long as It's neat and clean." Nina, who saw Mian's doing, completed the sentence for the latter; resulting both of them in giving a cackle of laughter, aloud.
After the laughters subsided, Mian dropped her gaze on the table, and leaned back.
"Tell me something new about you Nin, apart from being busy in your career?" She asked with a serious face.
Nina's face fell; she tried to ward off the obvious question, blinking away the familiar pain, on the verge of resurfacing and forming a deeper wound.
"Watching Netflix, shopping, exploring new food items..."
"Oh, come on Nin." Mian urged, the skin between her eyebrows tensed in ingenuous concern.
She was aware of the incident which shook her sister's life in disarray. Although everything seemed absolutely normal from the surface, she could sense the missing in Nina. It was just, she couldn't pinpoint it.
"I know what you want to hear, but I can't date anybody ever again. It's just something impossible for me. I can't replace him." The constantly recurring heartache within the teal depths of Nina's eyes, was about to start tears.
Mian could sense the sadness in Nina's voice, which was about to get caught. She wanted to say more, however, Nina held her right hand with both of her hands. She was cognizant, Mian was just worried about her.
"Mian, I know where you are coming from. You are saying this keeping my best interest in heart. But, you have to believe me, I'm happy the way I'm right now. We are conditioned by society to think we can't live single lives forever, but I'm brave enough to do what is in the different pocket."
Mian kept staring at Nina silently, willing her gaze to discover the things hidden in her sister's eyes. Nina appeared happy whenever she was with the family, and it wasn't like she was faking it. Nevertheless, perhaps her happiness lacked the genuineness, which passed away with him six years ago.
Albeit, Nina didn't resign to be an ordinary part of the common masses, instead stood up high to shine above all, showing deference to his wish; she lost a huge part of her.
Thousands of questions were running marathon on Mian's mind, yet she didn't press on that matter further, as she didn't want to sound imposing to Nina. She wanted Nina to date, so that she could come out of the abyss, the dark room she created for herself.
Mian herself never liked dating or relationship stuff. Personally, she found it time consuming and problematic.
However, unlike her, Nina had always been fond of marriage, husband, and kids. In their childhood, more than often, Nina used to prattle on in an inconsequential way like the chatterbox about a grand wedding, prince charming husband, and their nest of love.
===
Next morning...
Mian curled up with an unfinished book on the daybed beside the window in her library.
It took three or four ringing for the doorbell to penetrate her concentration. "Is it my cheeky neighbor again? What does he want this time?" She closed the book, got up, then opened the door.
As expected it was Mu Yuhaan.
"Good morning, Mr. Mu! Do you need anything?" Mian said with a small smile, while reminding herself, this man's mental age was five.
Mu Yuhaan wore a white shirt, which had its first two buttons left open and who knew how much of rush he was in to knot the tie in such a messy way.
Mian could see the tie hanging loose around the disheveled collar with slight creased appearance, however, all parts of his attires was absolutely clean.
Mu Yuhaan was the possessor of a head, full of thick and softly-waved black hair, which was now in a little unruly state. He had the mind to dress up for Mian, then again his urgency to see her was stronger than the desire to dress up.
"Yes. It's you." Without greeting Mian back, Mu Yuhaan blurted out.
Mian's presence slapped a happy smile on his mouth. The desperation of seeing her took root deep inside him and became an unbuttoned exigency. His condition was no different than a thirsty traveler in the desert seeing the oasis after countless kilometers of walk.
Now, all his restlessness automatically calmed down. He was feeling a strange happiness, as if finally he had found his lost treasure after a long time. In a spur of impulse, he extended his hands and took Mian in his embrace.
"I missed you, Mian."
Mian, on the flip side, was completely caught off guard when Mu Yuhaan hugged her abruptly. Certainly, she didn't see it coming! Before she could fully register what was happening, she heard him murmuring another set of unexpected words.
It took twice of normal required time for Mu Yuhaan's last words to sink in Mian's brain, as it was busy sending signals to her body being hugged abruptly. Then again, it didn't help anything, instead, confused her clear mind.
He just said, he missed me?
Mian broke free from Mu Yuhaan's warm embrace, and looked at him, only to be faced with a pair of black phoenix eyes staring at her longingly. Her mind was muddled in the longing gaze of the man, as if they were attracting her like some magnet.
His eyes..why staring at her so sincerely?
After regaining half of her composure, Mian asked, "Why did you miss me, Mr. Mu?"
"Last night you weren't in your apartment and this morning, you didn't go to the gymnasium so I couldn't see you." Mu Yuhaan replied honestly, still holding Mian in his half embrace.
Mian heard his beautiful voice rang above her, she was momentarily stupefied. She lost her tongue for a few seconds.
Mu Yuhaan's one hand was circling around Mian's thin waist, while another one was resting on her back. Initially, he hugged her just because he felt like; however, now that he got the taste of her buttery soft body in his hard one, he didn't want to let her go at all.