A Midsummer Weekend (The Extended Version)

1. Saying Goodbye

"How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard" - A. A. Milne, 'Winnie The Pooh'

Kamran

People tend to have a problem with Mondays. I, on the other hand, always hated Sundays. Because that was the day you knew that your time for fun and relaxation was over, and the entire day was spent in preparing for the coming week.

This particular Sunday, as our group strolled the garden outside our resort after a hearty breakfast, was no different.

Except, now I was preparing to say goodbye to a woman that I had spent the last 36 hours with, and who I had concluded wasn't like anyone I had ever met before. And even if our paths never crossed again, I was absolutely sure that I would never, ever forget her.

"Quit it!", I felt a slap on the back of my head, and my sister's voice in my ear.

"Quit what?", I turned towards her, peeling my eyes of Farah who was standing near the rose bush, smiling at my mother as they discussed something I was too far away to hear.

"Staring at the med student", Komal nudged her head towards the only medical student in our group.

"I am not...", I started to defend myself.

Or maybe I should have said, I have been trying my darndest to not stare at her, but good God there is something about her that I just cannot get enough of.

"Yeah right", my sister rolled her eyes, "Kya love at first sight ho gaya hai uss se? Pooray weekend puppy ki tarha uss kay peechay peechay phir rahai thai" (Have you fallen in love with her at first sight? You've been following her around like a puppy the whole weekend)

Love at first sight. What a crap load of romantic nonsense that was, or so I had always thought. But then I saw this woman standing at my doorstep with a shy smile and bright eyes, a window into her soul so full of passion and vigor, that she enlightened my night even without looking at me.

So, what does one call the emotions that followed that moment on a warm summer night. That instant attraction, the intense need to find out more about her, and the sudden urge to brush my hair and straighten my shirt. What was all of that? Love at first sight, or just an infatuation? I suppose, only time would tell.

But at 24 I had lived long enough to know that relationships are not built overnight, or over a weekend for that matter. And whatever I felt for Farah was irrelevant if it didn't last beyond the 2 days I had spent with her. So, in the interest of not making any rash decisions, I lied to my sister.

"Ji nahi...you are mistaken. We have just been talking about her studies. That is all", I told her emphatically. (Absolutely not)

"I am your twin sister. I can literally read your mind", Komal replied, placing her hands on her hips and frowning at me.

She wasn't wrong about reading minds. Despite not being identical twins the two of us had this uncanny ability to read between the lines and sift through each others excuses, as if we really were the same people. Or maybe it was the fact that we had no choice but to band together since our older two brothers never ceased to make fun of us. Either ways, it was no surprise that despite my attempts to remain discreet, she had picked up on what was going through my mind.

She straightened up, "Behave yourself before her mother complains to our mother, and Abu finds out. You're not a kid anymore. If you like her, talk to Ami and get married to her or something"

"She is 18!", I replied quickly.

Given what little I knew about Farah, she would never agree to get married at that young an age.