Pink

The attendant led Aisha and Maya to the corner most section of formal clothes. The first thing that the attendant pulled out was a pink blazer and pants along with a crop tube top.

"It's pink," Aisha said as soon as she looked at the dress.

"Yes." The Attendant smiled unable to get what Aisha meant.

"Pink, is a girly color. How can that make you look confident and bold?"

"Madam, all these are stereotypes. Women in pink look confident and a man in pink looks cute." She softly replied.

"Is that so?" Aisha always thought that all shades of pink and light blue, the only colors she had were meant to show her weak side as a woman. A color that defines women. She never knew that Pink is not the color that defines women as weak but as strong. "I'll take that. Do me a favor. I want all the best formal and casual clothes you have in your shop. I'll buy them all."

"What?" The Attendent's eyes sparkled on hearing that. Who would have thought that a simple-looking girl in a simple roadside dress would buy every best clothes in the shop?

"Also can you pack clothes matching the style of the dress in my friend's hand." She showed her Maya's dress. "For her."

After that Aisha look ed around the whole mall entered many shops and bought many things from them. Makeup, that she had never used, jewelry designs that she had never seen, clothes that she had never worn. To Aisha, it felt like she was living in a completely different Era. As if she was in the past all this time and had just time-traveled into the future.

"I never knew the world outside was so different." Aisha said grasping the cup of coffee." This place, everyone here, everything is so different. It feels as if I am still an infant who has yet to learn a lot about this world. "

Maya placed her hand on Aisha's which had been tightly clenching on the mug. She rubbed it softly, helping Aisha let go of her grasp. "There might be many things you haven't seen. However, many people are sitting in this cafeteria who have no idea of the cruelty of the world that you have seen." Aisha looked at her hot coffee that was letting out hot steam on her face. "You are not an infant. You have grown in your own way. You know the world better than most of us present here."

Aisha smiled gently and looked back up. "Anything, you love to eat the most, Maya? I want to try your favorites. Since I didn't listen to your choices in other things, I feel guilty."

"No, Miss. You should buy clothes, jewelry, make-up and everything else, also your food according to your liking. You don't need to listen to my preferences or anyone else's." Maya said finding it burdensome.

"I love the dress I'm wearing right now. " Maya immediately got out of her seat and rushed to the counter behind them, to get her favorite food for both of them.

Slowly, Aisha took the first sip of the coffee." It's different." Was the first thing that came out of her mouth after the dark, yet sweet coffee landed on her tongue. This was not her first time trying that coffee. She had it before with her mother-in-law in her third life. That coffee was rather bitter in comparison to the one she was having right now. It had no milk or sugar in it and definitely didn't taste like this one. It was black and made of water. Aisha hated that coffee but didn't have the guts to refuse to drink it.

Maya pulled the chair and placed a circular object in between them, then sat down in her place. Aisha picked up the object which had a huge red semi-circle in between.

" It's like a buzzer. When the food we ordered is ready, it will start ringing and we'll have to go grab it from the counter we ordered from. " Maya knew what Aisha was wondering. " Oh my! Miss. You are done drinking your coffee. Did you like it? Would you like some of mine too? "

" No. How can I—" Before Aisha could finish, Mayas laid the coffee cup in front of Aisha.

" I don't like coffee. But miss, this will be the last cup for today, no more after this. Coffee is not that healthy, you see. " By the time Maya completed speaking her mind, Aisha was already done drinking the next cup.