04
HALF TRUTHS

Some truths just needed to be hidden,
Just to remove curtains at the right time.

Hande talked a lot that night to make Elayne comfortable but still she couldn't get the courage to ask Elayne the reason for her sadness. Somewhere she was also feeling guilty of something inside. But to her surprise Elayne's sadness vanished while talking about their beautiful memories they spent together and some of the interactions they had with strangers. Suddenly, silence took the whole place under its ownership. Just a sweet melody of rain drops was audible to them with its scent; 'Petrichor'. That silence was soothing for them and somehow Elayne got the courage and decided to tell Hande about her thoughts. Some words come out of her mouth getting Hande's total attention, the-undivided-attention, "You know what Hande?"

Hande looked at her while being confused, eyes squinted, she whispered politely with barely audible voice enough for Elayne to listen and answer her back, "No" she paused and took a breath. She acted like she didn't want to bother her but deep inside she wanted to know the reason for her sadness. "Is there anything you want to share with me? Do you wanna tell me something? Is there something you wanna ask me or just tell me?" She asked her what she wanted to know in a way she wouldn't be forced by her. A better trick.

"Sometimes, I think it's just my dreams but then I found that it's not just my dreams or visions but they are something tha- that, I mean umm", her voice faded like some of her memories, at the last when her minds says her that, "Hande could be sick of you, listening to your meaningless dreams." Elayne turned her face on the other side while fighting with her own thoughts. The-fight-between-her-heart-and-mind.

"What happened? Why did you just stop? I am all ears.", she asked her about her sudden silence but Elayne didn't even murmur a single word, seeing an invisible point in the space.

"Elayne, look at me!", at her words which were an order to her she faced towards Hande and nodded to satisfy her that everything is okay. But Hande knows her more than her own self. Hande insisted on seeing her eyes which were getting teary.

Elayne felt she could see into her soul, she didn't want to hide anything. "I think you would be sick of my words. So, umm- I just-", her words were cut off by Hande.

"How dare you think this? how could you even think this, man! I never have ever gotten sick of you. Oh my dear! Don't think about it again. Ok! Now, Tell me, what's it?"

Elayne smiled at her words with tears filled in her eyes, she rolled her eyes so tears didn't flood out yet Hande was aware of her this habit so, she wiped her tears with her sleeves.

"Hande!!! I don't know but I sometimes see a vision of a man whom I can feel is around me but when I saw at the side where I felt him, he's not there. And the last time, I saw a woman 'a pretty woman' and a man in my dream sitting with me, talking to me and giving advice. It all felt real but when I want to tell them anything my voice doesn't support me. They both were beautiful." She admired them. "I have seen them many times in my dream but every time it feels like I'm seeing them for the first time. And you know I have flashbacks but my mind says it's my folktale, it's all just I imagine the whole day meeting my parents again in Pakistan but you know it's not any kind of folktale or any imaginations. I listened to someone calling me by my name. You know my name- when only you know it and no other than you here know it. But I listened to it. And I know my name but the voice. The voice is of someone I don't even know. But I felt I knew. Where am I stuck? And the thing that happened last night really scared me a lot. I don't know what to do now. And my desire- my desire is to meet that beautiful couple that always comes in my dreams, and I had visions of, I wanna know about the man who calls me by my real name. You remember that guy in black outfit with black cap and black mask even his eyes were behind the black glasses. Do you remember him?"

"Yah! Yah! I remember who was talking to you... And you said you don't know what he was talking about", she immediately reminded her too about her words.

"Yah! That person called me by my name... Isn't it scary??? He told me to be careful of my surroundings and I can't understand his words, he talked to me in Urdu. I couldn't see his eyes, I couldn't see anything of him so that I could find him. If i had seen his eyes i could easily find her. I can ask him who he is. But whatever he said is still unknown to me. I want to meet him too. And the least I want to give that box to the rightful owner of it but who is it I don't know.", she couldn't get more courage to explain and asked Hande "What should I do?" Almost in a cracky voice.

"Elayne! don't get tired. I will figure it out for you but you have to be patient. We will together, with God's will, find the man whose box is that and probably Allah will lead us to the right path where once we will meet that man too who comes to you that night. But about your dream and vision I am not sure who those three figures and the voice are but Allah will guide us. So, don't worry much about it. Now get up, you should sleep now but remember to pray Isha."

"But Ha..."

"No, But. Just listen to me carefully, once I have read this somewhere that

'Allah Is the Best Protector

Don't think for a single moment that al-Wakīl will abandon His true slaves,

Or that al-Mawlā will fail to protect His servants who glorify His Name,

Or that al-Fattāḥ will not open pathways and avenues for His sincere servants,

Don't think for a single moment that al-Nasīr will not grant victory to His unwavering servants.'

And you know what, from there my faith became unbeatable. At that time, I realized that we don't need anyone but Allah and if we have Allah's guidance then we have everything. And he's all seeing, all knowing. He knows you, he knows your inner self is suffering a lot and he will give you the happiness, the peace you want. Don't think about it, let it be what Allah has written."

Elayne was somehow totally satisfied with her words while Hande handled the situation and asked her to sleep.

Who knows what she knows,

Who knows what she was hiding,

Who knows what she was bearing,

But her Creator knows it well.

As they bid each other goodnight, the rain abated, leaving behind a dew-kissed world. Hande stood up with a mesmerizing energy not letting Elayne say a single word, she whispered "İyi geceler!"

(Good night!)

With eyes twinkling like the stars that were hidden in the sky behind the clouds. Even without waiting for her answer, she firmly walked to her like it was today her victory or today she won something special but it was Hande. Hande whose whole night spent out making her pillow wet.

An invisible force of rivalry was felt to her. She wants to destroy what hurts the most. She couldn't until the right time. until Elayne comes to know her. At her own wild thoughts, a smirk took over her face.

"İNTİKAM!!!" (REVENGE!!!)

"Elayne her şeyi öğrenecek ve ben de bunun intikamını alacağım.", a small chuckle left her mouth.

(Elayne will know everything and then I'll take revenge over it...)

As the night passes with time, they both venture into the night, carrying with them the warmth of their memories and the promise of new moments yet to be created.

Whose victory will be

Whose revenge will be

Who's gonna win

And whose gonna lose everything

Let the time decide it...

"Özür dilerim sevgili Ely!", a small smile occupied her face. (I'm sorry, my dear Ely!)

One with hope and one with determination...

The rainy evening had washed away their worries and rejuvenated their spirits, a testament to the profound power of friendship amidst the enchantment of a nostalgic downpour.

♡♡♡

Happy Reading!

Browneyedsoul ♡
Binte Naeem (Zefanya Gul)