The fading light casted long shadows at the park.
Ishan and Kifayat walked along the quiet paths of the park, none of them said anything just waiting for other one to talk.
"Kifayat"
"Ishan"
Both of them said at the same time.
"You say it first."
"You say it first."
"Hahaha." Both of them could help but smile.
" I am going to miss this moments." Kifayat said with a little sadness.
"I am going to miss this...miss you,"
Kifayat smiled, there was a soft nostalgia in her eyes, "I will miss you too Ishan. But we will keep in touch, right?"
"Yeah, of course. How can I not....?" Ishan said, pausing as if to say something more.
They both became quiet again. After a while, Kifayat asked first, "What are you thinking? You look like you want to say something but couldn't say."
Ishan laughed, "I am thinking of Saba's words. Maybe she was right."
Kifayat asked with confusion. "Right about what?
Ishan looked at Kifayat's smiling face quitely as if to engrave this face in his heart. The little crush that fluttered in his chest, he finally acknowledged but couldn't say it.
Ishan shook his head and said nothing. But instead, he stretched out his hands intending to do a handshake. Kifayat looked at him with confusion but still did a handshake with him.
"Congratulations on beginning a new journey of life. Best of luck for your future."
Kifayat was stunned hearing this words. She remembered the first time Ishan talked to her he also said something similar.
A few years ago, Kifayat just transferred to their school, Ishan was the topper of their class. As Kifayat heard of Ishan's fame before, she was quite curious about him. Kifayat was flabbergasted by how hardworking Ishan was.
She felt crisis in her heart and also studied her best. As a result at their mid term exam Kifayat topped. She even got 5 marks more than Ishan. Similarly Ishan was also very surprised to see that someone surpassed him in class. Ishan was not really sad that someone took his first place instead there was a hidden pleasure in his heart that he had found an oponent. So he went to look for the opponent of him.
Thus Ishan and Kifayat first officially met. At that time Ishan also stretched out his hand to Kifayat for a handshake and said, "Congratulations for getting the first place. Try your best next time too otherwise you will be surpassed by me."
"Thank you but I am not going let you surpass me."
"Best of luck then"
"You too." Kifayat replied to him.
Now at present, Kifayat replied the same way. "Thank you. All the best for your future too."
They smiled. All the past memories of them together flash backed before their eyes. After a while they went back to others.
"Ishan, Kifayat, come here soon." Asif shouted. "Saba and Lia are pestering me to take pictures of them. I took so many photos they didn't like even one."
"Don't listen to him Kifayat, he is such a bad photographer, Asif did not take one picture properly."
"Okay stop complaining. Let's take pictures together."
"Okay."
Ishan and Kifayat rejoined the others, the night coming alive with the sounds of their laughter and shared memories. As they said their final goodbyes, Ishan looked around at his friends, their faces alight with joy once more.
It was a perfect end to a beautiful chapter, and the beginning of many new stories yet to be written.
Ding- Dong, Ding Dong~. The calling bell rang early in the morning.
"Kifayat dear, can you go and see who is there at the door?" Said Kifayat's mother, who was busy in the kitchen.
"Okay, mom."
Kifayat went downstairs to open the door and saw an unfamiliar face.
"Hello, miss. I am from the post office. There is a letter for you."
"Oh, I see." Kifayat took the letter and signed on the paper.
Kifayat's mother came to see who it was. Kifayat gave the letter to her mother and asked, "Mom, it was a person from the post office, you have a letter."
Kifayat was about to go upstairs after giving the letter to her mother. When her mother was looking through the letter, she saw it was not for her. "Kifayat it is your letter. Look there is your name."
"My letter?"