Description

My finger lingering over the worn-out, rust-stained calling bell. I hesitated a little. The plastic casing was cracked, as if it too had weathered a storm or two. With a deep breath, I finally pressed it.“Who’s there?”A muffled voice floated from inside, tired and impatient.Seconds ticked by—ten, fifteen, twenty—and just when I thought she wouldn’t answer, the lock clicked. The door creaked open.She stood in the doorway.Ayesha.Her brows furrowed, eyes scanning me with an initial flicker of irritation—until recognition struck her. Her face changed like a curtain lifting after a long intermission.“Oh! It’s you!” Her voice softened, touched by something