It was a warm, sun-kissed morning when Kifayat''s mother entered her room, gently pulling back the curtains to allow the golden sunlight to flood in. The bright rays danced across Kifayat's beautiful face, causing her to squint momentarily against the sudden exposure.
"Enough sleeping, get up now." Kifayat's mother urged.
"Mom, just five minutes more." Kifayat murmured. Her voice sounded like a delicate plea.
"If you don't wake up now, you'll be late on your first day of university," her mother chided gently.
Kifayat, still enjoying the comfort of her warm bed, fidgeted for a moment before hurriedly getting up to freshen up. Her mother laughed and told her to come downstairs for breakfast.
After getting ready, Kifayat went downstairs and sat at the dining table. Her mother, worried, continued to nag her about what to do and what not to do in a new place, how to get along with others, and so on. Kifayat's father also advised her to be more careful.
Kifayat's perfunctorarily nodded. Her younger brother Zarin, visibly unhappy about her departure, his eyes werered and puffy. He sat quietly at the dining table without touching the food. Kifayat knew why. They were inseparable, and the thought of her leaving for university weighed heavily on him.
In order to cheer him up, Kifayat teased him, making faces and playfully poking him. "Don't put such a long face. You will become ugly."
"Hmph!" Zarin ignored Kifayat.
Kifayat said gently, pulling out a chair next to him. "You know what I have been thinking. Maybe it would be better if I stayed home. What if I fall out of favor and you became the favorite. Besides I can't bear to see my little brother so sad. Should I just cancel the admis..."
Kifayat didn't finish her sentence but Zarin interrupted, "This can't be. You should go. You've worked so hard to get into that university. But it's just..hurts to see you leave."
Kifayat smiled, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. "I promise, Zarin. I'll call you every day. And during vacations, I'll be back home. We'll have movie nights, play games just like we used to."
His teary eyes met hers. "Really?"
"Really," Kifayat affirmed. "And you know what? I'll even bring you all the delicious foods that they're famous for and also the toys. Deal?"
Zarin sniffled, wiping his nose with the back of his hand. "Deal." Kifayat finally managed to coax him to eat. Their watched the siblings interaction and felt warm in their hearts.
Suddenly, the doorbell rang. The servant opened the door to find a postman standing there. Calling out to Kifayat, the servant said there was a letter for her.
Upon hearing this, Kifayat hurried to the door, taking the letter from the postman. She rushed back to her room to open it, despite her mother's call to finish her breakfast first.
"I'm already full, Mother!" she yelled back while running upstairs. This scene had become quite common in their household lately, with letters arriving frequently.
Kifayat's's mother muttered helplessly, "I don't know when did the girl grow up so much. She is even going to University now."
In her room, Kifayat opened the letter and began reading it. It said, "Welcome to the university! Congratulations, dear junior, on getting into the biotechnology department. I will wait for you."
Kifayat chuckled. How did he always know everything? After her visit to the university and sending Arbaz that initial letter, they had exchanged letters frequently.
The topics were usually ordinary, asking about her health, study progress, preparation for the admission test, and offering encouragement. Kifayat didn't realize when those words of concern and encouragement started warming her heart, and she began replying eagerly.
Time passed, and Kifayat took her admission test, successfully getting into the A university as she had wished. Even before she could send Arbaz the good news, he had already sent her a congratulatory message. She wondered how he knew beforehand, and Arbaz arrogantly replied that he could find out anything he wanted to know.
Kifayat made a bet with him, challenging Arbaz to guess which department she would choose. As a result, he accurately guessed it. She suspected that he might have been investigating or had a spy around her.
Her mother called out, reminding her to prepare soon, as they needed to set off for the university.
Meanwhile Arbaz was sleeping soundly in his dorm. For the past few days, he hadn't slept more than two hours a night, juggling his own exams and fulfilling the bet he made with Kifayat. As a computer science student, it wasn't difficult for him to find out which department she applied for. He was too excited, thinking about Kifayat and didn't sleep well the previous night.
While Kifayat with her backpack slung over one shoulder prepared to leave for the university, She was both nervous and excited to embark on a new chapter of her life - the university life.
And Arbaz dreamed peacefully, hoping that their paths would cross again soon.