The latter part of October arrived, and for Yusuf, it was a special day;his birthday. In the morning, he received warm wishes from his mother, father, and brother. But his heart held a secret expectation: a gift from Kirana, as she had given him one the previous year.
He arrived at the office early. From his upstairs office, he watched the street below, waiting for her, his mood lifting just at the thought of seeing her. đ
Finally, around 7:55 AM, he saw her get off the bus and walk toward the building. His spirits soared.
About an hour later, there was a knock on his door. Kirana, he thought, his heart leaping. "Come in," he called out. đ
But it wasn't Kirana. It was Fareena, a colleague who sat near Kirana.
"Fareena? Is there something you need?" Yusuf asked, unable to hide his surprise. đ
"Yes, sir. First, happy birthday!" she said cheerfully.
"Thank you. You remembered?" he asked, puzzled. đŻ
"No, sir, forgive me. I only remembered after Kirana reminded me this morning," she explained honestly.
"Oh, she reminded you?" he said, a flicker of hope mingling with his disappointment. đ
"Yes, sir. Actually, I came to give you the gift she asked me to deliver," Fareena said, holding out a neatly wrapped present.
"She asked you to give this? Why didn't she come herself?" Yusuf asked, his curiosity piqued. đ
"Sir, she said she had some urgent work to attend to, so she asked me to give it to you," Fareena replied.
"Alright, Fareena. Thank you for bringing it," he said, accepting the gift. âš
After Fareena left, Yusuf sat alone with the wrapped box. The joy of receiving a gift from her was instantly overshadowed by its method of delivery. Since that incident in the storeroom, is she avoiding me? The thought was a cold weight in his chest.
"Did I ruin everything? Does she dislike me now?" he murmured, resting his head on his desk, wrestling with the fear that his confession had not opened a door, but had firmly closed one. The birthday gift felt less like a token of affection and more like a polite farewell, delivered from a safe distance. đ