The place must be kind of a rare find. Maybe that’s why it’s called Seven Wonders, because it seems to be a wonder of its own. Only a dozen or so seats are squeezed into the tiny space, brimming with beautiful decorations. There are pictures of wonders of the world all over the walls: gushing waterfalls, lush rainforests and jungles, ancient buildings brimming with history. Each of the booths is parted from the others with a curtain of beads that clink together almost harmoniously. The music—Arabic from the sounds of it—is somehow both melodious and calming.
“How did you find this place?” I lean forward to whisper to Ishu. I don’t know why, but it seems wrong to do anything except whisper in this place.
She shrugs. “I have my ways.”
“Table for two?” The waitress greets us with a smile. She’s wearing a black vest and trousers that almost feel out of place here.
“Yes, we have a reservation. Dey.”
“Oh … this way.” Surprisingly, the waitress brings us away from the dozen tables stuffed into the room and to a set of stairs at the very edge. The staircase is almost completely hidden from view. Downstairs, the restaurant is even calmer and quieter. The waitress leads us to a booth toward the very back and hands us both menus as we slide into our seats.
“Wow,” I mumble, opening up my menu and taking in the choices. It’s all Middle Eastern cuisine.
“I mean, there were a lot of Indian restaurants when I was looking for halal places, but … I figured we both have enough of that at home,” Ishu says. “Not that you can really have enough of, like … really good biryani, but you know.”
Ishu is fumbling with her menu when I look up at her. She opens it and closes it, and her leg is firmly tap tap tapping away on the floor. I realize that she’s actually a little bit nervous, and I’m not entirely sure why. Maybe because she was tasked with finding a place? Maybe she’s not sure what I think about it?
All I know for sure is that in all the time I’ve known her, I’ve never seen Ishu nervous. It’s strange to see. She usually carries herself with such unflinching confidence.
“I really like it,” I say. Ishu looks up to meet my gaze and the ghost of a smile appears on her lips.
“Well, don’t say anything before you’ve had the food,” she says.
After we’ve ordered, I tell Ishu to sit down on my side of the booth. Taking out my phone, I fix my hair in the camera.
“What?” I ask, when I notice her watching me with pursed lips.
“Nothing.” She shakes her head. “It’s just weird … pretending.”
“And we haven’t even started yet.”
She takes a deep breath and says, “It’ll be worth it,” and it sounds as if she’s trying to convince herself rather than me.
I settle into the crook of her arm and lift the camera above our heads. Ishu moves farther away from me the closer I get to her.
I turn to her with a frown.
“What?”
“We look like we barely even like each other,” I say. “Nobody’s going to believe we’re dating if you sit like that.”
“How do you want me to sit?” she asks, like she really imagines people in relationships have a gap the size of an ocean between them when they take a picture together.
“Well, for starters, you could actually sit next to me instead of having this gaping space between us.”
“This is barely any space!” Ishu’s voice rises a pitch.
“Another whole person could fit in here. Maybe even two.”
She rolls her eyes and slides a little closer.
“You could also look a little less disgusted at the prospect of being in proximity to me,” I offer.
“I have resting bitch face, I can’t help it.” She shrugs nonchalantly. I reach over and give her a light slap on her shoulder. It changes her expression from her usual dead and bored one to something a little more expressive—though it’s not exactly happiness.
“I’ve seen you smile,” I say. “I saw you smile a few minutes ago.”
She smiles like someone is pointing a gun to her head and making her.
“I guess I’ll just tell people I’m dating a robot who hasn’t learned human facial expressions yet?”
She groans and takes a deep breath. “Okay, okay. I’ll act like I’m in love or whatever.” She rolls her eyes as if being in love is the most preposterous idea she’s ever come across.
She does smile a little softer, and even snakes an arm around my shoulder.