till luck brings us back

When the evening sun started its final descent, it witnessed a man clad in basic jeans and t-shirt pace the length of his room slowly. The lights filtering in from outside highlighted the tension of his jaw and anxiety of his eyes, making the wind known that Faris was worried.

Every few minutes, his hands shifted closer to the phone before he hurriedly turned it away. Too soon, Faris, he reprimanded himself. It had been a good few hours since he'd dropped Laleh in her hostel and all this while, worry had subconsciously swirled in him.

He shouldn't be worrying after a woman he didn't even know, someone he had met only last night but as of now, he couldn't help it. She was undoubtedly in danger, that much he knew and the mere thought was unsettling his heart. It was the truth in her eyes, he told himself.

"Call her." Mama spoke from the doorway of his bedroom, halting Faris' steps.

"Don't you think it's too soon? I don't even know her." Faris murmured, conflict dancing on his face.

"And how exactly do you plan on knowing her if you don't call?"

Mama made sense but the overthinker in him persisted. What if she's busy? What if she doesn't want to call? Worse, what if she doesn't even answer?

"Faris, for once, stop overthinking and call her. And give her my salam." Mama chided before turning back, shaking her head slowly.

Faris took a deep breath and pulled out his phone and this time, he didn't give himself the chance to overthink. Hurriedly finding her name in the contact list, he pressed dial. After  a great while, it was answered.

"Hello, Assalam-u-Alikum." Laleh's voice was soft, almost croaked, and a frown tilted his lips.

"Waalikum Assalam." He murmured, dropping himself at the edge of the bed.

"Oh, Faris," Laleh sounded surprised, her breath whooshing. "How are you?"

"I am fine but you don't sound fine. Is everything okay?" He asked, eyes fixed straight ahead on the white wall.

"Yeah, perfect." Laleh added hurriedly, too hurriedly, and the man's frown deepened.

"Are you lying?"

Silence filled the line, acute throbbing silence that made blood rush in his ears, before Laleh's sigh sounded. "Maybe."

"Laleh, where are you?" Faris questioned urgently, not liking the soft tone of her voice at all.

Laleh was fire.

She should sound like fire.

"Hostel." Another soft voice, barely reaching his eardrums and Faris hurriedly stood up from his place.

"I'm coming."

Faris knew a resistance was coming so he didn't stick around to hear that, already halfway out the door when the call ended. Mama was sitting in the lounge but she didn't stop him, only smiling in response to his, "I'll be back."

The drive that took him half-an-hour in the morning took a mere fifteen minutes this time, his foot pad pressing down on the accelerator. When he climbed out of the car and hurried to reach the front doors, a soft voice stopped her.

"Faris."

His head whipped in that direction, the voice reaching him despite the adrenaline rushing through his system. And what caught his sight had him skipping his steps towards her, eyes wide in alarm.

"You came." She whispered when Faris had reached close enough, clad from head to thighs in a large, black shawl that half covered her face.

"Laleh, are you okay?" He questioned, alarmed at the way she stood and talked.

"Why did you come?" She asked instead of responding, tone curious, her brown eyes narrowing.

"You didn't sound fine." Faris responded weakly, hazel eyes running across her half covered face desperately, as if to make sure she was fine.

"Why does it matter to you?"

"Why shouldn't it matter to me?" He asked instead, frowning. "But, seriously, tell me. Are you okay?"

Laleh remained silent for a great while, her eyes never leaving his before a terrible shudder wrecked through her body as she spoke. "They found me."

"What?" Faris gasped, eyes widening in fear.

"They were in my room when I got here." She tore her eyes away, turning her head around to stare blankly at the deserted road.

"Oh, God," Faris mumbled. "Did they hurt you?"

"They took the file." She responded weakly and Faris could hear moisture gathering in her voice.

"Please tell me you didn't resist, Laleh." He beseeched, taking a step to the side to stand in front of her again.

Laleh remained silent at that and in that dense absence of any sound, Faris found his answers. His arm extended at its own accord, reaching for her face. And when he pushed the shawl a little to the side, a painful gasp left his lips.

Bruises dotted her cheek – blue, red, purple – that had him panting for air, acute pain and sadness filling his veins. What still hurt him the most, however, was the look in her eyes. The Laleh he had met last night did not reside there currently, only a ghost of her left and the mere sight tightened his heart.

"Come." He only whispered, voice gentle, and Laleh shook her head as she took a step back.

"I don't need your pity, Faris."

"And I don't need your stubborn streak," he narrowed his gaze, glad that, at the very least, her fire was intact. "Besides, it's not pity."

"Then what is it?"

Care? Worry? Fear?

"Honestly, Laleh," Faris murmured, opening the front door of the car for her while looking straight in her eyes. "I don't even know myself."

He expected to find confusion in Laleh's eyes, for her to pull away. Instead, only understanding rested in there as a sigh escaped her lips and she slid in the passenger seat of his car. With a soft click, he shut the door and rounded the car, steps determined and taken with intent.

In that moment, only one thought mattered:

He needed to protect this woman.

Reasons be damned.

...

When the car rolled to a stop in front of his house, Laleh inhaled a heavy breath. All throughout the car ride, Faris had maintained his silence, only occasionally turning his head around to glance her way. Laleh he had always found staring outside, biting down on her lips.

"Come on." He murmured, getting out of the car.

With slowness to her actions, more from exhaustion than pain, Laleh stepped out just as Faris rounded the bonet and approached her. He extended a hand in her direction, eyes gazing at her questioningly but Laleh shook her head. "I'm fine, Faris."

He only pressed his lips while nodding, gesturing for her to walk forward. When she took a step in the direction of the house she had trespassed only last night, a smile filled her lips. How much can change in a mere day.

The door was pulled open from inside before Laleh could even reach it, his mother's face appearing. The broad smile on her face instantly dulled when her eyes landed on Laleh – whose shawl had slipped to reveal bruised cheeks – and she immediately adjusted the cloth, flushed.

"Laleh, what happened?" She asked, an arm holding her by the elbow when she crossed the doorway.

"Nothing, Aunty. I'm fine." She shook her head, smiling for the woman's sake alone.

"Rubbish," she scoffed. "This doesn't look fine. Did the men find you?"

"Yeah." She murmured, now being led to the lounge with Faris ambling closely behind.

"Oh, my child. I told you to stay here." The old woman frowned in sadness, her eyes a shade of gloom.

"If they had found me here, the same thing would have happened to you and Faris." Laleh mumbled, voice slow, and felt a sigh escape the mother-son duo.

"Come on, sit down," Faris spoke from behind. "I'll get the first aid box. Mama will bandage you up."

Laleh nodded, wincing softly while lowering herself to the couch. Just as Faris moved in the direction of his room, his mother spoke up. "No, Faris. You bandage her, you know my hands shake. I'll prepare something to eat."

"Alright, Mama." Faris spoke from somewhere inside the house just as the old woman moved in the direction of the kitchen.

"I'm sorry for bothering you again," Laleh spoke as Faris entered the lounge, the box already open in his arms. "I feel horrible right now."

"Stop it, Laleh. There's nothing to be sorry for." He chided gently, taking a seat at the edge of the coffee table in front of her.

"But I feel bad. You already helped me a lot last –"

"–no. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have let you go this morning even when I knew it was dangerous." When he spoke, there was nothing in his voice except concern and Laleh smiled sadly.

"It isn't your place to protect me, Faris."

"Well, someone has to do the duty when you take such low care of yourself." He glared at her, done with spraying the swab with antibiotics.

Extending a hand in her direction, he moved the shawl away from her face and placed it gently on the bruis. At the sting, she flinched, brows furrowing and Faris immediately pulled back.

"I'm sorry, I'll be gentle." He murmured, leaning closer with one hand holding her forearm while the other patted her cheek.

Courtesy to the speed with which he progressed, it took a great deal before her bruises were disinfected. By that time, his mother had returned to the lounge as well and now watched her son treating Laleh's wounds sadly.

"Are there any other wounds?" He asked, leaning back as his eyes raked over her body.

"My arms and back." Laleh replied and he immediately shifted his attention to her arms, pushing the sleeves of her shirt back.

"I'll take care of her back." His mother spoke once he was done, standing up and Faris nodded.

Handing her the supplies, he walked to the kitchen and closed the door. His mother shifted closer and Laleh turned her back to her. When she felt her shirt being lifted, cool air hit her sensitive skin, making her flinch.

"You will stay the night, alright?" She spoke and Laleh smiled while hissing in pain.

"Okay." She accepted easily, in no mood to deprive her soul of the care this mother and her son showed for her.

Once done with her back, she stood up and gathered up the supplies, telling Laleh to lean back and relax when she wanted to help. "Thank you so much."

The mother only smiled, shaking her head while walking to the kitchen door. When it opened, Faris peered outside, looking at her questioningly. Laleh smiled weakly, nodding her head.

Turning around, he exited the kitchen a little while later with a tray in hand. Laleh straightened a little, accepting the tray with a small thank you.

She wasn't a fan of instant soups but could always make an exception, especially when it smelled so heavenly. Faris dragged the chair from the dining table and lowered himself on it, his mother coming to sit beside her just as she swirled the spoon in the soup.

"It smells good." She smiled at the mother, grateful for all things these two human beings have done for her.

While she ate, Faris switched on the television plastered above the fireplace and the sounds eased her tense muscles. He turned the channel to a random Hollywood movie and soon, all three of them were watching the thriller sequence currently showing.

She had no idea how much time passed but the silence in the room broke only when a yawn escaped her lips, making both their heads turn to her immediately. Faris immediately switched off the screen, standing up.

"You should sleep. You must be tired."

Even if Laleh wanted to find out the end of the movie, she held her tongue, knowing the exhaustion that settled deep in her bones. Sleep would be good, she knew. Sleep would be therapeutic. So, with a deep sigh, she stood up from the couch, taking the tray along with her.

Faris instantly took it from her, despite Laleh's objection, and walked to the kitchen. And as Laleh watched his back while his mother caught her by the elbow, gently guiding her to the room, she knew that some good deed of hers was paying now.

And that is how life is – in the most troubled of times, it gives you hope; in the darkest of hours, it shows you the light.

...

Evening lights of the next day bore witness to a crowd of three sitting around the dining table, a heavy silence filling the air between them. Occasionally, it was broken by the dogs that barked nearby or the cars that drove past but other than that, it was complete silence.

"You... you have to go back?" It was Faris who broke the silence, voice grave.

"Yes, I talked to my mother. She also thinks that I should come back now. Staying here is pointless." Laleh explained in a calm voice, her energy returned after a day spent resting and eating.

"Your wounds aren't healed completely." Faris pointed out and a sigh escaped her lips.

"They're better, I guess. I can travel." She fixed her gaze on him, murmuring her words.

Faris remained silent, nodding. He seemed conflicted – anxious – and Laleh had no words left to put him at ease. For here, in her heart, similar anxieties brew, similar tensions were sprawled.

This was a goodbye.

"It's okay, we understand," his mother spoke up, placing her hand gently on Laleh's arm. "And you must be missing home as well. After the kind of few days that you had, you must need your family next to you."

"I do," Laleh nodded with a small sigh. Although these two people hadn't given her the opportunity to miss them, a part of her heart still wanted the comforting scent of her mother around. "I miss my mother."

"She must miss you too," She spoke sadly and Laleh nodded. "When do you have to leave?"

"Tomorrow morning."

"Faris will take you," She said and before Laleh could open her mouth in protest, hurriedly added. "I wouldn't hear it, Laleh. He will take you and drop you safely home."

"Aunty, it's okay. He must have work tomorrow." Laleh turned her eyes to Faris, urging him to speak up but he only shrugged.

"I can take a day off. Doesn't matter."

Laleh continued to stare at him for a second before slowly nodding her head, not understanding the part of her that didn't mind the idea of a six-hour car drive with him. Not in the slightest.

"Alright." She nodded, her nod filling the older woman's lips with a full smile.

Gosh, she would miss them.

And in that moment, what Laleh didn't know, was that this was not a goodbye. This was the mere start.

...