I walked

I wonder
I wonder
If my heart keeps singing
Will my song go winging
To someone who'll find me
And bring back a love song to me

The lush greens bloomed listening to the melody as the expanse of mountains of Mussoorie tried to hide the beauty of the maiden strolling around the bushes.

Saharish Firdous stopped singing as she felt someone's presence followed by snickers and giggles.

"I know you are hiding in there."

She ran near the trunk of an old tree, a smile playing on her lips. Her surroundings filled with the sound of laughter as she found the kids. These orphan kids were her only friends and students too.

"What were you doing there?" Saharish asked coming near the blackboard placed on the lawn.

"We were hearing your song. You never sing in front of us."

Her student, Tenzing said looking at other students for support.

She giggled, "That's because it's not for you. It's for someone special." Saharish picked the chalk and started writing, "Now let's start our study."

That was her routine, spending some of her time with the kids, teaching them in the midst of mountains and trees. But they didn't know, apart from them, there was someone who was looking at them. Especially at Saharish Firdous.

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Zeyad Hadeed was sure. He never beheld such a beauty in his entire nineteen summers. The poise with she walked, those doe-like eyes, those red lips that shamed roses, and her beautiful voice. It was all enough to mesmerize him.

He was coming here from two months just to witness this beauty. The first time was just an accident when his horse, Steph turned an unknown corner but now he couldn't complain.

The air around him filled with laughter as Zeyad held his heart seeing her smile. Maybe he should come in front of her now. He wanted to know her more, spend the rest of his life with her. But he was scared. What if she left him? What if she stopped coming here?

Steph nudged his arm, gesturing towards the girl. Nobody could understand him like Steph. The girl waved her goodbye to the leaving kids and started wiping the blackboard.

"May I help you?"

The girl took a step back with a gasp as he noted the pink color that rested on her cheeks.

"Who are you?"

"The one for whom you sing your songs."

"Excuse me," She fixed her scarf some more around her blushed face, "You sir are a really blunt creature on this earth."

The thin sheath of summery air buzzed with his laughter as Zeyad watched her with amusement, "Can't help it."

She picked her things giving her back to him without any answers, "Lady you should at least gift me with your name."

"It won't happen ever."

"Or the address of your house?"

"You really are a blunt creature."

With that she was out of his sight, making him uneasy yet calm in so many senses. Zeyad Hadeed was sure. He would dream of her beautiful face now more than before.

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

Oh! Her cheeks were on fire. She stopped by the stream, shying away by her own reflection. Splashing her face with ample water, Saharish tried to calm down. She should hurry to her cottage where her aunts must be waiting for her.

But whatever she was doing, Saharish couldn't forget those black orbs and that pearly white smile. That man was surely out of her dreams. Hurrying down the creak she could spot her cottage surrounded by Oak trees.

"Rabia Khala..."

Saharish called her youngest aunt among aunt Yasmine and aunt Huma. Though thrice of them were special to her, she was closest to aunt Rabia.

"Ah, here she is."

Aunt Rabia welcomed her with a forehead kiss, taking the folded blackboard and other things from her hand.

Saharish quickly moved to the kitchen to fetch a glass of water. She needed to calm down after today's ordeal else Aunt Rabia had the power to know everything just with a look.

"Why are you so red, Saharish?"

"Stop it, Rabia, "Aunt Yasmine's voice saved her from more questioning but she could feel Aunt Rabia's gaze on her, "She must be tired."

"Indeed," Aunt Huma said with a smile, patting her head, "I know what you need. A great cup of tea. Go to your room, I'll bring you."

Saharish nodded in a hurry giving a smile to them, just to assure them that everything was alright when in reality her insides were tickling with butterflies.

This was her small family. Saharish never saw her parents but her aunts were always there for her. Aunt Yasmine taught her lessons of life with sewing and knitting. Aunt Huma blessed her with the art of cooking and baking. While aunt Rabia proved herself to be her best friend also teaching her words and housekeeping.

Just when she vanished inside her room, the three sisters came closer to a secret meeting.

"I don't think she got an idea." Aunt Rabia told.

"Still we have to be careful. She shouldn't know about the surprise."

The other two sisters nodded on Aunt Yasmine's advice. Saharish's aunts were planning a surprise for her eighteenth birthday but with this happiness, their hearts were breaking from inside because now they had to let her go.

Too many secrets were waiting to be revealed.

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

Maisah curled her fringe around her finger while admiring herself in the mirror. Her pet raven, Lim was back and this time she was successful.

The edge of her black gown rolled in the dust as she stood up tall and with gait, just like her name. Lim was back with the address, the whereabouts of the girl she was trying to find for seventeen years.

Didn't know how those three fat ladies hid that girl that Maisah's every magic went to the trash in the attempt to find her. But today, Lim spotted a young man talking to a maiden. It was rare to spot young girls in the dense forests and following her, they got everything they were looking for.

"Brilliant work, Lim!"

Her voice held the power to shake mountains as Lim crowed, flapping its wings.

Maisah came near the old and rustic spindle, her fingers grazing it, "The time has come. The morning would turn into a bleak night soon."

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•