Chandra looked at the person who had called her name, a beaming smile spread across their face. They looked incredibly familiar, but she couldn’t put her finger on where she had met them.

“Hi?” Chandra said, hoping she was still polite in her confusion.

The other person laughed, slinging the edge of their hijab over their shoulder. “Do you remember me, by any chance?”

Chandra wished she did. 

“I’m Nadira,” they said, propping a stack of books on their waist. “I was your junior when you were in your seventh semester!”

Chandra’s eyebrows furrowed together as she went through the Nadiras she knew in her mind. Nadira… Anthropology Nadira? Chandra’s eyes widened. The first-year student who had asked her questions about the Anthropology major during Chandra's last year.

“Ah—Nadira!” Chandra said, feeling sorry that she hadn’t recognized her from the start. “I remember you. How are you doing?”

“I’m doing well. Fancy bumping into you here,” Nadira grinned. “And how are you, kak?”

“I’m alright,” Chandra smiled in return. “It really has been a while, hasn’t it?”

“It has! Oh, I’d love to hear more about how you’re doing,” Nadira turned to look at the students studying nearby before dropping her voice to a whisper, “but would you like to go to a slightly louder part of the library to talk?”

“Oh yes, of course,” Chandra nodded, whispering back.

Nadira gestured for Chandra to follow her. They walked towards an area where the sound of students discussing homework and debating what to have for lunch filled the room, laughter weaving in and out among the tables. Nadira found two empty seats and invited Chandra to sit across from her.

“So!” Nadira turned to her senior after they had both sat down. “What have you been up to all these years?”

“Well, I’ve been working in the city for a while now,” Chandra grinned at Nadira’s enthusiasm. “I work at a dance center.”

“A dance center!” Nadira gasped.

“Yeah,” Chandra chuckled. “I started working there last year.”

“Working at a dance center sounds exactly like something you would do," Nadira grinned.

“Yeah?” Chandra asked, curious. “What makes you say so?”

“Well, that was what your undergrad thesis was about right? The role of dance in culture?”

Chandra looked at her in surprise. “How did you...?”

“I read it, duh!" Nadira laughed. "You were the coolest anthropology senior I knew, so I was curious what you wrote your thesis about."

Chandra wished even more now that she had recognized Nadira from the start. “Ahh, thank you for reading it," Chandra chuckled, embarrassed but still touched. “But what about you? What have you been up to?”

“Oh, I’ve mainly been doing school things,” Nadira patted the pile of books next to her. “I came back to do the anthropology master’s program and now it’s my last year.”

“Your last year?” Chandra said, shocked.

“Yup!” Nadira laughed.

“Wow, time really does fly,” Chandra scratched her head in astonishment that the shy first-year student she knew was about to graduate with a master’s degree. “The exciting yet dreaded thesis must be occupying your time.”

“Tell me about it!” Nadira playfully groaned. “I do like the topic that I’m writing about, but I get overwhelmed if I'm not careful. I’m actually meeting my advisor later to talk about it," Nadira looked up at Chandra. "Do you remember Professor Maria?”

Chandra’s eyes lit up. “I do. Is she your advisor?”

“Mhmm!” Nadira nodded. “She’s strict and I’ve revised my topic so many times, but she's honestly made my thesis a lot better," Nadira laughed. "Her attention to detail is no joke."

“She always has you on your toes, huh?” Chandra grinned.

“Honestly! I'm still really grateful for her, though. She's one of the best professors I've ever had."

Chandra nodded in agreement. "I feel the same way," she smiled. "It’s really nice to hear that she’s still teaching. I haven’t kept up with a lot of people from uni, so I always wondered if she was still here.”

“Oh, she's definitely still here and strict as ever!" Nadira laughed before tilting her head in curiousity. “What brought you back in town, by the way?”

The question, as soon as it was asked, sat quietly in the air as Chandra thought about her response. Nadira's smile was replaced with a look of worry as she seemed to notice her discomfort.

“Ah, well. My little sister’s getting married," Chandra offered Nadira a small smile.

“I see!" Nadira sat up straight. “Um—congratulations to your sister, kak!”

Chandra chuckled. “Thank you, Nadira.” 

“Is that book about anthropology and dance, by the way?” Nadira asked, politely changing the subject by pointing at the book in Chandra’s hand. “People usually read the more recent edition, but this older one is pretty good too! I’ve used it for my research.”

Chandra looked down in surprise. She hadn't realized that she had brought the book with the maroon cover with her from the bookshelf. “Oh, this!” She propped the book up on the table between them. “Yes, I used parts of it for my undergrad thesis too.”

"Then you must know,” Nadira smiled, leaning forward in a mock-whisper, “that in one of the copies of the book there are these little notes written in the margins, like academic-flirting on paper. It's so cute! I’ve always wondered who wrote them," Nadira proceeded to sigh tragically. “They might’ve been lovers.”

Chandra grinned. “I did hear about these notes.”

“Honestly, some people find them distracting, but I think they’re fun,” Nadira smiled as she glanced at the book. “They make reading for research a lot more interesting.”

“Yeah, I find it fun when people write little notes too,” Chandra brushed her hand across the maroon cover. “Though Ms. Lasma might think otherwise.”

“OH—she would be so pissed if she knew!” Nadira laughed before her phone started ringing in her pocket. She quickly apologized before taking it out and gasping at what was on her screen. “Oh, I have to go! My meeting with Professor Maria is in a few minutes. Sorry to leave you so soon, kak," Nadira rushed to stand, giving Chandra an apologetic smile. 

Chandra smiled in return and waved her hand in reassurance that it was fine. 

Nadira slung her bag over her shoulder before looking in her direction. “Actually, would you wanna have dinner together some time while you’re in town? I would love to catch up with you more."

Chandra smiled. “I’d love to.”

Nadira grinned. “Great! Let’s swap contact info, then.”

They exchanged phone numbers and Chandra waved Nadira a goodbye as she rushed towards the library doors, waving goodbye in return.

Chandra looked at the book in front of her. 

She opened the cover and began slowly thumbing through the yellowing pages, looking for the notes she had picked up the book to find. Her thumb stopped on a page, finding an exchange written in pencil, tracing each letter and punctuation mark within the margins.

The memories came flooding back to her.

Memories that sounded like unrestrained laughter, whispered discussions in the hallways, cups of coffee before class, and late-night philosophizing under the stars. Promises to chase after dreams, maintain integrity of the heart, and whispered things between the lines.

She flipped to the very back of the book and traced her fingers over the note she had been looking for, written by someone who she had yet to realize occupied a quiet place in her heart. A note full of kindness and well-wishes, written only for Chandra as the intended reader:

I hope all of your dreams come true!