In the late afternoon of a late November government holiday, Yusuf spotted Kirana in a coffee shop. With the office closed, he had come for a quiet coffee and to lose himself in a novel. It was while waiting at the counter that he saw her, seated at a corner table, her face illuminated by her laptop screen, a look of intense concentration making her features seem both severe and beautiful. ☕
Carrying his coffee, he approached her table slowly. For several minutes, she didn't notice him, utterly absorbed in her work. He didn't disturb her, content to simply watch. The sun streaming through the window caught the dark waves of her hair, giving them a warm, chestnut hue.
Finally, she looked up, and her eyes widened in surprise to see him standing there. She rose from her chair hastily.
"Sir...you're here," she said, her voice flustered. 😲
"Yes, just spending the holiday quietly. I saw you when I came in," he replied with a casual smile.
"Oh, sir, I didn't even notice. I was finalizing some articles for the upcoming issue," Kirana explained, gesturing to her laptop.🙄
"That's perfectly fine. Your dedication is one of your best qualities," Yusuf said. "May I join you? Unless... you're waiting for someone?"
"Oh, no, not at all, sir. Please, have a seat. It's fine," she said, her manner softening.🙂
"You look lovely in that," Yusuf said, the words escaping almost before he realized he'd thought them.
For a moment, Kirana wondered if she'd heard correctly. She searched his face, and the sincerity in his eyes confirmed it.
"Sir...thank you. It's... it's not even new. It was a Christmas gift from my family last year," she said, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. 😊
"Oh... from a boyfriend, then?" he asked, the question coming out with an uncharacteristic tremor.
"No, sir," she said calmly, meeting his gaze. "From my mother." 😶
He felt an inexplicable wave of relief at her answer, a reaction that puzzled even him.
Glancing at her watch, Kirana's professional demeanor snapped back into place. "Sir, I'm sorry, but I should go. I need to catch the next bus. I don't like being out after dark." 🗣
Yusuf bid her a quick goodbye, and she hurried out, her mind on her schedule.
Left alone, Yusuf pondered the strange acceleration of his heartbeat that had occurred in her presence. Long after she had left, long after her bus had surely departed, her image,framed by the afternoon sun, looking up at him with surprised, intelligent eyes, remained vividly etched in his mind, refusing to fade. It was more than professional admiration; it was a quiet, personal awakening he hadn't anticipated on this quiet holiday. 🌇