Just like the weather Kiara was sulking around her dorm room with her dark brown hair splayed around the polished floor and brown eyes looking out of the window, which was bigger and more luxurious than any other room on the campus with huge walls and floor-to-ceiling windows, king size bed, a huge TV and a room specially built for studying with various shelves holding all the books, a double door fridge and what not, all thanks to her parents who can only make their existence acknowledge by providing luxurious things for her. They wanted to buy her an apartment but she refused as that would also be lonely. Her parents work in LA and are never there. And here is she at the University of London studying. Even when she was a child she lived with her grandmother in Yorkshire. While she got all the financial support from her parents, her craving for affection was fulfilled by her late grandmother. She passed away when Kiara was only fourteen years old. And now she is twenty years old. She spent those six years with many strangers appointed to look after her but neither could give her the emotional stability and support she internally pleaded for. She would just wander in the hallways of her grandma's mansion saying hi to all the workers and asking if they would play with her but everyone just politely declined saying they have to work. Then she would just give out a defeated sigh and curl up into her Grandma's lap, after she died Kiara would just sit on her rocking chair pulling her knees to her chest and letting its creaking sound to lull her to sleep. She knows her parents are working to provide for her and she doesn't even blame them, she knows they love her through frequent calls to check up on her but sometimes she just gets upset and lonely. The loneliness feeling never left but it soothed when she made friends in the university. She was home-schooled most of her life till the university so making friends wasn't an option.

Speaking of the devil, here is she, Inaya, an Indian Muslim girl looking at her with a disappointed expression. Her hair was in a nice long braid, usually, she would just wear a hijab, and look as pretty as ever but today she was busy. Very busy indeed.

"You can't just just lie here on the floor all day when we are on our winter break. Come on we just fought the hardest battle and thankfully came alive out of it. We should celebrate !!" Inaya dramatically exclaimed

Kiara sat up and chuckled

"ohh my my a life-threatening battle which others call exams wasn't that hard. You dramatic girl" said Kiara light-heartedly.

Kiars is thankful for her best friend in many ways. Her chirpy and bubbly personality and caring nature do the work that the sun should be doing. Lighting up the environment with her big sparkly hopeful eyes and heartwarming words. She was always fun to be around and easy to talk to. She could be a shoulder to cry when the situation calls for it. She understands Kiara and tries to make her loneliness fade. And it works sometimes.

People would doubt that Inaya is with Kiara just for her money but that's not true because she is also loaded but just chose to stay simple not doing anything extravagant.

"Those were indeed life-threatening." Inaya deadpans.

Kiara just laughs.

"Anyway, I thought you were busy packing. Why are you here humoring me then ??

Kiara said

"It's not funny. Besides yes I was busy packing and but it's done now. I came here to pack one more thing that I just remembered" said Inaya looking at me with an expectant look.

Kiara gave her a confusing look

"What do you mean?" Kiara asks

"That you are coming with me to India. Yeeyyyy" she cheers with a blinding smile

"What? " Kiara asks, her eyes widening.

" Sorry, I forgot to ask before. But I just can't leave you here. Besides, I think we should tour India together. It's our home country after all and I haven't seen any of it. I want to see all the majestic ancient things. I want to go to the Nenital and do river rafting."

"River rafting? aren't you afraid of water? As far as I remember you were the one who stayed behind when we were going on a ride on The gondola last year in Venice on our education trip to Italy because you were afraid of water."

Kiara said smirking

Inaya sends her a glare and then continues describing her imaginary itinerary.

Kiara laughs

"Then have a camel ride in Rajasthan after finding all the mysteries about its forts. All those ghost stories that I've read online." she ends with a spooky voice

"Ghost stories ?" asks Kiara, who was listening with a fake understanding expression and nodding at all the right times, with a sudden interest.

"Yes. Now don't interrupt me I was gonna say something beautiful about the types of peculiar dances and food in India. You just ruined it" she said with an exasperated look.

"What are those ghost stories??" Kiara asks very intrigued

"Oh just look up the internet. There are loads of them. You just interrupted my description rudely and I'm taking offense."

Inaya said frowning and fake pouting.

Kiara chuckled. Then asked "Why do you think I'll come with you? Hun??"

"Because it will be fun. So much fun and I just can't leave you alone here when you could be exploring right beside me" she answered genuinely

"That's very caring of you but I'm not coming. Sorry," Kiara says with an apologetic look because her best friend cares so much about her makes her heart swell with adoration but as much as she despises her loneliness she has grown addicted to it like Stockholm syndrome.

"Hey. You are not alone anymore. You have me now. Swipe that look off your face because your reason is painted on your face and that allows me to read you like a book. Please come with me. Let yourself feel alive. Please" Inaya says then giving her best friend the best puppy eyes

"You know I've grown immune to those fake innocent puppy eyes. They don't work on me anymore." Says Kiara

"Ok do it for the food."

"Nothing wrong with the food here"

"Yes, it is. It's so bland. I don't know why British people still eat bland food when they exploited India for its spices"

"That's a good point. I'll give you that"

"So you are coming?" Asked excitedly

"No," said Kiara

"I already informed my family you are coming with me. They are so excited to meet you. Now they'll be heartbroken" she said softly not looking at her best friend.

Kiara gave out a defeated sigh and gave in. "Okay, I'll come with you if my parents allow me to. Happy?".

Inaya cheered loudly.

So that's how Kiara ended up mounting a camel and screaming her lungs out when it rose from a kneeling position. It felt like giraffes were summersaulting inside her belly with butterflies banging on the walls of her stomach asking to be let out.

"Let me down," Kiara yelled from above.

Inaya who was filming the whole scene from the ground on her phone yelled in return

"Don't let me down, Kiara. You can do this "

"If I fall then you are gonna pay for this I'm telling— "She was cut off at an abrupt because of the sight before her eyes when the camel stood up all the way and she could see how high she was. But it wasn't as scary as it seems. She could see far away landscape of endless sand and the sun going to sleep beautifully.

"What's got you speechless, drama queen?"

When Kiara turned her head towards her best friend she was surprised to see her on another camel next to her.

"Oh I got it, the sunset is beautiful in desserts " Inaya answered her question looking forward to the sunset.

When they landed in India earlier this morning at about 4 am. Inaya insisted that they should tour first and said that their last stop would be Delhi, her home. It's not that she doesn't want to see her family but she said when you are home it's harder to leave for any other thing because you want as much time as you can get before going back to London. Kiara agreed and was just happy to see the sun shining on them again as it was a rare occasion back in London.

So their first destination was Rajasthan.

Kiara was awestruck by its beauty. Everything thing is so vibrant in color. Women are wearing ghaghra (long skirt), kanchli (top), and bold metallic jewelry from head to toe. The traditional outfit for Rajasthani men is dhoti and angarkha, or pyjama-kurta. The dhoti is a long piece of cloth tied around the waist and wrapped around like a loin cloth between the legs. It is paired with angarkha, a type of robe characterized by an inner panel that covers the chest. And it's all so beautiful.

They ate daal bati churma and laal maas.

It was very spicy. Spices just go straight to your mind and give you an electric spark. It was much more tasty than the bland food they eat. The most remarkable thing was that it was so hot here but still, people are working so hard here.

They learned a bit about the history of Rajasthan's fort and decided to visit them the next day. For now, Inaya exclaimed she wanted to ride a camel so badly. So here they are riding a camel with nerves and excitement getting the best out of them. Laughing because their bellies tickle from inside. We could see far off to where the women were doing a dance which was called ghoomar, wearing golden laced ghagras and balancing a tower of colorful earthen pots on their heads.

Maybe touring and knowing India was the best decision they could have taken.

"Hawa Mahal was built by Rajput Sawai Pratap Singh in 1799. The palace is constructed with red and pink sandstone and has a blend of Mughal and Rajasthani styles of architecture. The artistic carvings and the structure of Hawa Mahal stand in the middle of the Jaipur in its elegance." Inaya read aloud from her phone.

"Ohh," Kiara said taking in the palace in front of her.

She thought that elegant was the only word she would use to describe this majestic-looking palace. It spreads wide. It almost has a crown shape with uncountable windows. The facade of the building is structured like a bee hive.

We went in to explore the palace.

There was a group of people crowded around a man who was speaking something about the palace.

"Hawa Mahal means the 'Palace of Winds' or the 'Wind Palace'. It has 953 small windows (Jharokas), they were built to keep the wind blowing inside the palace.

It was a summer retreat for many Rajput families during olden times. Hawa Mahal is one of the major attractions in Jaipur.

The intricately designed windows allowed the royal women to watch the bustle of the city, without being visible to the public. As you can see Hawa Mahal doesn't have a direct entrance; one has to enter from the side of City Palace. Hawa Mahal was built as a part of the City Palace, so there is no entrance from outside" he finished.

They moved further into the palace. There are no stairs to reach the upper floors, instead there are only ramps to reach the top floor. From the inside, it has a water fountain, windows with colored glass, etc.

It was very nice to see this type of architecture and just admire it. They feed monkeys and langurs also. India is a place of many things like this. Many forts with designs different from each other were built by different empires, kings, and Sultans. Each one of them has their own back story and facts. To say India is a diverse country would be an understatement.

The next destination can easily be called heaven because it's Kashmir.

We landed in Srinagar.

"It isn't December yet so it's not snowing," said Kiara

"How do you know? I thought someone wasn't interested in it ." Inaya said teasingly.

She loves that her best friend is enjoying their tour. Kiara never does much on campus apart from studying. That's the reason to go to university in the first place but you gotta live more. You should have some shenanigans to tell. Some mistakes to learn from. Some sights just to capture in your eyes. Some friends to make. Apart from her, she doesn't have any other friends. She just lounges around her room and studies, study, and study her brains out. She never goes out much. If she does then it's with Inaya or a short trip to the grocery store. Inaya wants to show her friend what really life is and India seems to be the best place for her purpose because people around here are so welcoming and can be called a social butterfly. Her plan seems to be working because she noticed her talking to people more and more in Rajasthan like asking local people about the place and she admitted to Inaya that she wants to do their dance. There is a soft glint in her brown eyes like she has galaxies behind them. She is more energetic rather than being lethargic.

"I never said I wasn't interested. Anyway, I'm having fun. I'm gonna record you crying while getting in a houseboat like you did when I was mounting on the camel, you rascal" Kiara says with a cheeky expression

"I'm not afraid of water anymore. We were more young back then." Inaya said in her defense

"It was a year ago. We weren't so young." Kiara deadpans

"Okay okay, you won but I will not cry today. You'll see Ms. Sloth" Inaya said determinedly.

"Okay let's see," Kiara said challengingly.

Both the girls glared at each other and erupted in loud laughter. Everyone looked at them. Too engrossed in their usual bickering and banter they forget that they are on the streets of Srinagar.

Jammu and Kashmir is beyond this world. Its lakes, valleys, gardens, and snow-covered mountains leave you speechless. Flowers, trees, waterfalls, and hills all create a landscape that an artist would dream they could paint. Photos on the internet do not do any justice to its reality. Nature won't let you take your eyes off itself. You expect to fairies come out of the flowers anytime because it seems like heaven.

They sightsee Srinagar just because nature has lured them. They met a very lovely couple who told them to visit tulip gardens and forts. And now it was time to ride on a houseboat and Kiara could see the sweat on Inaya's forehead. She reaches out to wipe it with a tissue.

"Some seem a bit tense I guess. Don't worry there are no lake monsters here." Kiara says jokingly

"The water is a bit scary" Inaya admits truthfully

"Aww, I won't let my only best friend fall" Kiara coos

"But what if we drown and die? I don't even know how to swim. " Inaya states her worries

"You know what someone taught me to sometimes let go of yourself and live for a bit and feel alive. This helped me a lot. I know you can do it because you are the one who taught me this" Kiara says encouragingly

Inaya smiles at her.

"I know I'm a genius," Inaya said jokingly

"Ohh so we are back to this. Then I'll just record you crying." Kiara continues the banter

They made their way to the houseboat and were awestruck. It's huge. It is painted green and red from the outside and looks like it is just straight out of a historical movie depicting the life of the Mughals.

Kiara took Inaya's hand and led her inside.

From the inside, it looks ravishing with its Mughal-style interior adorned with sofas and carpets with intricate designs, a chandelier hanging from the roof, floor to floor-to-ceiling windows with heavy curtains with golden lining. They enjoyed their time there. There were many people with them. There was one group that held many musical instruments like sitar, tabla, etc.

The girls join them and they sag together happily. Every pulled string makes a sound that makes a home in people's hearts. Every high note sung by the band was remarkable. India wasn't only rich in culture, seasons, and Flora and fauna but also music field. They all sang till the sun's shift in the sky was over and the moon took on its duty.

When they set foot on the ground, Inaya said " Thank you, Kiara. If you wouldn't be here then I would have missed all this. Thank you for helping me to face my fears"

"I am the one who should be saying thank you to you. If it weren't for you I wouldn't known how to live a life fully and not just exist in this world. I wouldn't have known that my country is so beautiful. If you hadn't insisted then I would still be wallowing in my room back in University and move like a sloth all day. Thank you for never leaving me alone" Kiara said truthfully

Inaya is caught off guard for a second then hugs her friend as if to say 'You don't have to be alone anymore'. Then they pulled back

"Ohh so you admit that I'm always right, don't you?" Inaya said cheekily to lighten the mood

"Yeah you are," Kiara said seriously

Inaya just looked at her best friend and smiled at her. They both smiled and their smile showed satisfaction.

The Jammu and Kashmir tour didn't end there.

Their next stop was Gulmarg. Famously known as the ‘Meadow of Flowers’, Gulmarg is a treat to the eyes with its spread of vibrant flowers against snow-capped mountains as backgrounds. This region of Kashmir is also known as the adventurer’s paradise because of its vast options for skiing in the snow while enjoying the views around.

The girls did mountain biking and trekking. They wanted to go skiing but it wasn't winter yet so they couldn't. They went to the Gulmarg biosphere reserve and strawberry fields. Gulmarg Biosphere Reserve is home to many common and rare species of fauna, flora, and avifauna. In strawberry fields, they saw pluckers plucking strawberries. They offered some strawberries to the girls which they took gratefully. Strawberries were delicious.

This ends their Jammu and Kashmir tour. They know that they haven't seen many other beautiful places yet but time is limited and they have to visit Inaya's family too.

New Delhi is India’s capital and is one of the most widely known cities in the country. It is mostly famous for its rich and unique heritage and culture. The town has been growing continuously over the years. There are several unique and beautiful monuments present in Delhi.

"New Delhi is India’s capital and is one of the most widely known cities in the country. It is mostly famous for its rich and unique heritage and culture. The town has been growing continuously over the years. There are several unique and beautiful monuments present in Delhi.

Delhi is considered as one of the most important historical places. The diversity in the religion of the people is visible across the city along with the influence of the Mughal, the British, and India on its culture. Due to its incredibly vast culture and interesting historical background. This city has also been destroyed and built again around seven times. The ancient Delhi was present close to the Chandni Chowk and the Red Fort. Back in the ancient times, there used to be a beautiful lake situated near Chandni Chowk." Kiara read from the internet.

"Ohh you don't need the internet to know about Delhi. That's what I'm here for. After all, this is my home town" Inaya said proudly

". So you are saying you also know about its glorious history," Kiara said with a smirk looking at her best friend from her hotel bed.

" Yes, I know. After it's where I grew up. Past is gone but never forgotten so all we have is our present and it's in our hands to make good use of it. That's why we are going to my favorite places to have fun. We'll see Delhi as local people's eyes who lives or lived here like me. So I'm your tour guide ma'am." Inaya said in a feigned professional voice tilting her chin higher

" So what do you know about Delhi? Where are you gonna take me? " Asked Kiara impressed by her best friend's knowledge and wanting to test it.

" Delhi is a food hub. It has the best food."

" Your food and you. Is there a time your tummy isn't hungry? " questioned Kiara pinching her eyebrows pretending to be annoyed by her best friend but secretly loving it.

Inaya just smiled and said "I bet your wee little tum-tum would love Delhi's food too"

Kiara laughed and asked "What is this " wee little tum-tum" ?"

Then they both laughed.

First, they went to eat Pani Puri in Karol bagh and Inaya was practically salivating when they served them. And after eating the first Pani Puri Kiara was also a fan of it. Then they ordered chole bhatore and immediately started to devour it because first, it looked delicious, and second, they had a long day ahead.

" You know what there used to be a big wall surrounding Delhi. That is why we have these many gates called Ajmer Gate, Kashmiri Gate, and many more" Inaya said

"So you do know about Delhi's history. I was starting to doubt that." Kiara teased

"Don't ever doubt me again" said Inaya.

Both of the girls have a beaming smile on their faces.

"I used to think that with so many cultures, religions, and a very diverse history it's a bit impossible for people to live in harmony but that's not the case here. Although the people look different, wear different clothes, and practice different kinds of religion I think they share one thing in common that is their spirit of acceptance of each other." Kiara said seriously

"Bestie being observant, I see ." Inaya teased then continued seriously "But you are right spirit of India never fails to amaze me too. You know I grew up here. I've seen its development. How they went from never educating a girl instead making her learn all the various households to supporting them in the making of their career. How they went from fighting people with different religions to living in harmony. It was a long way and we are still on it. Taking baby steps."

"That's good" Kiara praised. " So what are we gonna eat next ? "

"We'll leave food to my family. Trust me they'll stuff you up till you physically can't eat more. My mum would say that I look like a stick. My grandmother would give me ancient hacks and would not let me leave her side for three hours. My father would just try to hide his tears forming in his eyes because fathers are always the most emotional ones, even more than our mums. And don't get me started on my siblings they will just tease me till mum shuts their mouths up with food. Honestly, they will tell you all of my embarrassing stories. Their way of welcoming me is very different. My mother and grandmother would love you. They will take you under their wings. My little cousin would try to jump on you so beware of them." Inaya completed her ramble about her family with an endearing glint in her eyes. Hoping her best friend and family to get along with each other.

Kiara just listened to her with a small smile ghosting her lips just realizing what it's like to have a family so close. She contemplates talking to her parents all the time about their absence but never finds the guts to have such a conversation. But hearing her best friend talking about her family so fondly makes her want to give it a try in the future, hopefully.

When they went to Inaya's house, they were all welcomed with hugs given by her mother and siblings. They instantly make Kiara to be a part of their family. They adored her and said every Inaya's friend was a part of our family. After the greetings, they were presented with an enormous amount and variety of food. As usual, Inaya's mother was fussing about how thin and unhealthy they both looked so she kept stuffing their plates with Aloo paratha, biryani, butter chicken, korma, mutton kababs, and what not. They both moaned at the taste of homemade food.

"I've missed this so much" exclaimed Inaya

"And I'll miss this," said Kiara sadly. She can't stop thinking about her family. If they were any normal family who spends time with each then how great would that be? She keeps thinking about a family who doesn't only just provide you financially but also gives you emotional stability. After seeing his best friend's family and the way they accepted her as one of them so fast, her eyes began to well. She hasn't felt like this for a long time since her grandmother died. It felt like warmth on a bitter cold night full of storms. It felt like cool Rohafzah, she just drank, after completing all of your daily duties in a flaming hot summer. It was a bittersweet feeling.

She turned her head towards her best friend and saw her eyeing her siblings suspiciously.

Kiara asked, "What's wrong?"

Inaya just shrugged and said "They are behaving like normal grown-ups. No pranks pulled on me at the door. You know last year they greeted me with whipped cream. As far as I know, I'll say they are up to something"

Kiara just nods

Kiara was on the verge of a breakdown when she met Inaya's grandmother after spending some time with her siblings and small cousins, they are adorable and funny. But now she is seeing her beloved grandmother in Inaya's grandmother and she is about to lose it because she has the same kind of vibe, a very strong comfort vibe like chocolate, hugs, and cuddles. Inaya's grandmother saw unshed tears in Kiara's eyes and motioned her to come and hug her. Kiara just fell into her embrace and let out a silent sob but grandmother noticed it and whispered sweet nothings to her to comfort her with her raspy and sweet trembling voice. Inaya joined the hug after some time. That night both the girls slept on either side of Grandmother. And after a long time, Kiara felt at home.

The next day the whole family took the girls to Humayun Tomb.

"Located in the Indian capital New Delhi, the Tomb of Humayun is a mausoleum constructed in 1569-1572 for the second Mughal Emperor Humayun. The tomb was the first of its kind, in fact, it was the first tomb surrounded by gardens, ever constructed on the Indian Subcontinent by the Mughals." Inaya said

"Stop reading it from the internet," Kiara said "Tell me what you know"

"Humayun's tomb was built thanks to the initiative of his widow Hamida Banu Begum, who commenced the construction of a mausoleum for her deceased husband in 1565. The architecture of the tomb is strongly influenced by Persian architecture." Inaya said

"That's like my bestie" Kiara beamed at her.

The whole family had a nice picnic there with homemade food and mouth-watering Indian sweets like rasgulla, kheer, gulab jamun, barfi, saon cake, and many more decorated with dry fruits.

At night they went to India Gate.

"India Gate, an important monument of the city, is a memorial built in commemoration of more than 80,000 Indian soldiers who were killed during World War I."

Kiara already respects India Gate so much.

Inaya's suspicions came true when all her siblings and small cousins ganged up on them with water guns.

"What do we do now?" Kiara asked feigning seriousness

"Dangerous situations call for dangerous solutions. So we run now" Inaya said tilting her chin up.

Then they both bolt out away from water guns and laugh till they are completely drenched.

As Shakespeare said, "Violent delights have violent ends".

Now they are both back to their university with an emotional goodbye. Kiara thanked Inaya a thousandth time but still, it didn't feel enough.

Finally, Kiara conjure up the strength to call and talk to her parents.

" Hey mum, hey Dad," she said timidly, almost vulnerable. After a lot of crying and heart-wrenching confessions, they sought it all out and decided to have a well-deserved vacation in India.

So here they are on the infamous beaches of Goa just relaxing under the sun. Both the girls' families get along with each other so well. And Kiara gets to have a normal family, her real home

" India is my favorite country" Kiara whispered to Inaya's grandmother who was cuddled to her side. Inaya and their grandmother both agreed. 

.    .    .