When Stars are Hidden

Chapter 27

Naima was done with her last lecture for the day at 1pm.
Hasia had not come back with her to their room but rather went straight to her parents house. So again, she was alone in the room getting ready.

It was almost 1:30pm when she had finished bathing and dressing.

She left the school premises towards the famous Ice cream slash coffee shop; Sweet Taste Coffee Shop.
It was primarily a coffee shop but they had the best ice creams ever in Boston, not that she had tasted all the ice creams in Boston but you get her point. And besides, Hasia had attested to it as well.

Naima wanted to get there before him. She brought along a shopping bag which contained a foldable chessboard and pieces.

It would be like Deja-vu.
Truth be told, she almost forgot today was the anniversary like 4 times already from how nervous-ecstatic-she was to meet Tawfiq.

Just hoped she wouldn't break down in tears in front of Tawfiq.

She stopped at a men's store and bought a nice pair off cufflinks and a wrist watch for Tawfiq.
She didn't want to get him anything over the top.
Nothing special like the 'supposed' real gold bracelet he had given her.

Her eyes landed naturally on her wrist and she saw the bracelet. She was wearing it today. . .Okay, maybe she wore it every day but still. . .It was pretty, though his statement about it being a promise wasn't lost on her.

She had just decided not to think about it too much. Maybe he was just fooling around like always.

Naima still didn't believe it's gold.
Even though Hasia kept reminding her everytime she saw Naima wearing it so casually.

"You can't be walking around campus with a 24karat gold on your wrist. What if someone steals it? You need to keep that baby in a secured safe deep underground."

Hasia was very insistent on it being gold and even offered to call her goldsmith uncle and ask his opinion. Naima politely declined the offer.

Gold dust? Maybe.

But real gold? Impossible.

No uni student could just go round affording to buy a gold bracelet for someone else.

Even someone who is able to transfer people to far away lands?

Her mind taunted.
That was different.

Having connections and knowing people didn't make one a billionaire, you know?

Naima replied to herself. 
Perfect. Now she was talking to herself.

That's a good sign, Naima.

Note the sarcasm.

She paid for the cufflinks and watch in a small gift bag and the woman at the cash register gave her a small smile. She smiled back politely.

The cufflinks were really beautiful, just as beautiful as the watch too and Naima hoped he would like it. All she had to do now was to find a way of giving it to him without him suspecting anything.

When she arrived at the ice cream shop, she glanced down her dress to see if she was overdressed for ice cream.

It was just ice cream. She shouldn't be dressed like she was going to do a fashion show.
She shouldn't even be meeting Tawfiq alone in the first place but he was her good friend and he hadvalways been there for her. Even if she proved stubborn.
Today was his birthday. She'd be there for him.

When she had promised - sort of- Tawfiq that she wouldn't cry any more, she had mostly kept my word.
Okay, maybe not. She cried in the shower in the morning. But that was it.
That was really it.