New Neighbors

Rafi adjusted his school bag and looked up at the tall apartment building. His family had just moved to Arvinda three days ago, and everything still felt strange. The city buzzed with car horns and street vendors calling out prices.

"Rafi, come help with these boxes," his mother called from the moving truck.

He hurried over and grabbed a box marked 'Kitchen.' As he climbed the stairs to their new third-floor apartment, he noticed the smell of spices drifting from the unit next door. Someone was cooking something that smelled like his grandmother's curry.

His phone buzzed with a text from his best friend back home. "How's the new place?"

Rafi typed back quickly. "Different. Really different."

Through the thin walls, he could hear soft humming coming from the neighboring kitchen. The melody was unfamiliar but somehow comforting. He paused outside his door, listening for a moment before his mother called again.

"Rafi! These boxes won't move themselves!"

The Dinner Invitation

The next morning, Rafi's mother announced something that made his stomach flip.

"The Sharmas next door invited us for dinner tonight," she said, stirring her tea. "They have a daughter about your age."

Rafi nearly choked on his breakfast. "What kind of dinner?"

His father looked up from his newspaper with a knowing smile. "The kind where families get to know each other better."

Through the thin wall, Rafi could hear that same soft humming from yesterday. Now it sounded different—less mysterious, more nerve-wracking.

His phone buzzed. A text from his grandmother: "Beta, wear your good shirt tonight. First impressions matter."

"How does everyone know about this dinner already?" Rafi asked.

His mother patted his shoulder. "We called your grandmother this morning. She's very excited."

The humming next door stopped suddenly. Rafi wondered if the girl could hear their conversation too. He imagined her probably feeling just as awkward about this whole thing.

"What if we don't like each other?" he asked quietly.

"Then you'll have learned something," his father said, folding his newspaper. "But give her a chance, Rafi. Sometimes the best friendships start unexpectedly."