I have moved in with Maelle and in correlation had to also say goodbye to Prashant, Heyma, Jyotsna, and their parents. Yesterday was also Friendship Day. Heyma asked if I could come to their shop for a few minutes before I took off. She said something to her father in Hindi but I understood the word "gift." "Pick one of these fabrics," she told me, indicating towards a big pile of different materials on the shelf. There were bright colors, tan colors, blue colors, polka dots, stripes, and flowers. I invited her to choose for me, and we both settled on a pretty teal fabric with gold dots. I was already imagining the dress I could ask the shop's designer to create for me. "It's our going away present to you," Heyma said, cutting two and
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