After returning home, Anisa went straight to the bathroom and washed her face thoroughly, as if trying to rinse away the chaos swirling inside her mind. Standing in front of the mirror for a brief moment, she took a deep breath and then walked back to the kitchen. Picking up the paper on which she had written the recipe, she read through it again carefully, trying to fix each step in her memory. 😒
She began grating the carrots, the rhythmic sound filling the kitchen. Yet, no matter how hard she tried to focus, her thoughts kept drifting back to the incident at the supermarket.
Did Zayan betray me? No… that can't be true, she argued silently with herself. Her hands continued working, but her mind was restless, replaying Yugh's furious voice, his shattered expression, and the photograph that had changed everything. 😔
She followed the process step by step; sautéing the carrots in ghee, adding milk, stirring patiently, then sugar, cardamom, nuts, and raisins. Finally, after much effort, the carrot halwa was ready. The aroma filled the house, warm and inviting, sharply contrasting with the heaviness in her heart.
Anisa served the halwa into two bowls and carried them to Zayan's mother and sister. Zayan's mother tasted a spoonful and smiled gently.
"It's good, Anisa," she said kindly.
Anisa felt a flicker of happiness at those words. But it was short-lived.
His sister tasted it next and immediately frowned. 🗣
"It's too sweet," she said sharply. Then, with a mocking laugh, she added, "Looks like she wants to make us sick and kill us with sugar, just like she did my brother."
The words struck Anisa like stones. Though her heart felt unbearably heavy, she forced herself to maintain a calm expression.
But inside, she was breaking.
Yugh's angry face, his shouting, the shattered glass, and that smiling photograph kept flashing before her eyes again and again. No matter how sweet the halwa tasted to others, for Anisa, that evening was filled only with bitterness. 😫