Suraj, who normally had more moderate reactions to most jokes people made, actually laughed. They had made up some expectations about the gif that Adiya would share with them, and this was not at all what they expected, but they could somehow see it all happening in their head. From the sight of Adiya writing the message, to someone receiving it. “That’s wise,” they agreed. “Though the idea you had was pretty funny,” they said.
They chuckled as Adiya spoke, dictating her email before completely letting it go. Suraj’s fingers worked to fill in the rest, ending with the send off that she wanted to use, whether or not she actually wanted to keep it in her message, they couldn’t be sure, but because this was Adiya, and they liked Adiya, it seemed like it would be a good joke. They checked the four lines again - having learned to keep it short, though because Adiya wanted to keep the door open, they also put some sympathy in there - as the questions were directed their way.
They had planned on staying longer than it would take to write this message, it wasn’t like reading someone’s essay. Suraj saw the situation between them as kind of normal, Adiya kept some distance, though instead of her talking, she was asking questions. Which was new, but appreciated. “Uhm, I guess I do, though I wouldn’t say making burgers and fries is something I do at home as well,” they said with a smile. “I like to make the dishes my mom makes, so more traditional Massari things,” they said. “I can make you some if you’d like to try some day?” They asked. They bit their lip at the question about the alcohol, it wasn’t a straightforward answer, but it wasn’t a straight-forward question. The reason they were so comfortable around Adiya was perhaps also because in some way they shared a culture. “Kind of,” they said. “It used to be, when I would only be allowed to drink at religious occasions. Now I just don’t… like the idea of losing control to it.”
she leans closer, only slightly, just enough to get a peek at what they were typing, and as an impressed hm hums from her mouth, she sits back. “ see, i knew you’d be the right person to ask. you’re like the linus pauling of words, except less about synthetic plasma and more about articulation. ” she’s convinced she’d still be typing up the subject if it were left up to her.
there’s a surge of energy that courses through her, not like she lost any since they knocked at her door but a new sense of excitement when something as minimal as cooking for her came up. “ yeah ? ” perhaps cooking food for another isn’t inherently romantic, they do it for work after all, but the future possibilities, the second wind of WE SHOULD DO THIS AGAIN: that’s what excited her. “ i’d love that, we can swap dishes. like a two person potluck. ” in an attempt to play it cool, she spoke too soon. cooking had never been her strong suit. “ or you can cook for me and i’ll judge it like i’m gordon ramsay. ” better. a fake accent and performance felt more up her alley.
“ that makes sense, drinking is shit anyway. ” the irony wasn’t lost on adiya but it shined a spotlight on their differences. a mild loss of control for someone whose high school was filled to the brim with a rigid study schedule and inflexible revenge plan was exactly why she did like to drink. suraj, on the other hand, seemed to be a lot more put together in that way. she was the loose thread on the end of a shirt sleeve and they were a perfectly hemmed piece of fabric. “ i think my parents would kill me if they knew i drank. i love them but we live by a very strict don’t ask, don’t tell policy. it’s more comfortable that way. ” there’s ease in the way she sits now, still keeping a safe distance but this time she wasn’t tensed up while doing so. adiya had never considered herself an outright selfish person but it’s fair to say she spent most of her relationships talking instead of listening. it’s not the same with suraj.
“ tell me about your family, are you close with your parents ? are they still in mumbai ? ”