"A mistake of innocence stolen away,
Withered petal of a flower flown away,
Searching for you in the crowd,
Knowing; you never belonged in my crowd."

♤

Sun peaked slowly. Basking the clouds in the perfect shade of dawn. Enchanted orange hues spread out in the dark blue, setting the clouds in the. The small houses now appeared bigger in their sight as they walked more closer side by side.

"So, you disappear to no where, just like that." A different feeling surge into her veins as she walked into the different place. Cold and fresh breeze making her shoulder relax.

"I don't disappear. I escape." Silence followed after his words. His eyes shined like pure golden sand under the sunlight.

Layla was starstruck by the beauty around her. Women adorned with veils amd men adorned in long, intricate thobes. Head covered with hand made keffiyeh.

Sense of awareness hit her and she stopped walking. Baraq sensed her shyness and walked steadily to the front.

"المرأة التي تقف هنا هي ضيفتنا، توفر لها كل الضروريات
وتعتني بها بعناية."

"The woman standing here is our, guest provide her with every necessity and look after her with care."

Saying he gestured her to walk as the women and girls guided here to another place. Her eyes wandered from place to place. Drinking every sight. A part of her screamed to turn behind to look at him but knowing it would be awkward, she jerked away the thought.

Eyes held trust in them as he saw her walking away with other women.

Jealousy rose like a volcano in someone's heart but she hide it with a smile and walked with Layla.

"كايف يتجول منذ الليل. لا تدعوا بناتكم يخرجن بعد المساء."

"Kaif has been roaming since night. Don't let your daughters go out after evening."

His voice held the power of command as he alerted every male around him. They nodded and began to talk about how Kaif has been kidnapping their daughters and selling them away to the seas and oceans.

The old man walked near Baraq. His steps shaky amd weak as he walked near him.

"وماذا عن كهف الجن؟"

"What about the Jinn's cave?"

Baraq took in a deep breath at his hushed voice and let out the horrible words which stopped his breathing.

"تم إعادة فتح الكهف."

"The cave has been reopened." Baraq stared straight, unfazed with his cry of plea and help.

Baraq began to walk in the market. Seeing the hustle bustle began with the morning. Caravan camels been readied for the goods to be supplied. The village was out of the city in the out skirts of town. People have to travel miles, miles away to feed their people and survive in the work. Women helped with clothes and intricate sewing designs. Men helped them to sell the products out in the town. Men, women, children form family.

A bitter chuckle escaped, family. The people stared at him with fear and some with pitty. Was it hard to grow without a family? Let's reverse the question. What fun it had to grow up without a family? For whom to achieve? What to achieve?

In his peripheral vision he saw, Layla wandering with girls on the other side of the market. The market was separated with a woven cloth hanging from the either sides of the market's end. Her eyes shining with amusement and appreciation as she roamed around the colourful patterns of the intricate carpets. Her fingers her grazing the fabric from one to another. Her eyes smiled as she walked from one shop to another.

Something beat aloud in his lungs, he could hear it. No matter how much he want to chase that feeling away, it returns back just with a glimpse of Layla. Layla. Even her name sounds like music he is dancing to.

His gaze penetrated into her soul. Sensing his fiery gaze boring holes into her soul, she caught his glance and looked away; shyness coating her cheeks. His gaze setting her soul on fire.

"After all he is a man." Muttering under her breath she turned to the girls not understanding any word they were saying.

A woman showed her a piece of stone arched into the shape of a star and a soft chain of silver hanging with it. Not knowing how to thank her, she softly enclosed the locket in her palm bringing it near to her heart she smiled at the woman and hugged her gently.

His stomach churned, setting his soul on fire seeing her behave so gently with his people, even without communicating, she said out the words aloud. Jealousy enclosed within his heart's walls. Why was she so kind to his people? Jealousy churned his feelings, he tried to shove them back.

"Naive girl, she is. Haven't had yet a taste of this world." Muttering roughly under his breath he moved on into a small hut.

"One bowl of chicken broth." Saying to the man who looked was stirring up the hot pot, he sat on the cot and waited for his meal.

His arms stung when jerked them and washed his hands. A soft hiss escaped through his lips and her eyes caught his closed eyes. Shaking away the mere thought of his pain, she pointed at different stalls and began to wander around in the market. Like an excited child, who never saw the brightness of world. Like the one who has been distant like the moon, like the one who is lost found and water in the desert. Like the one who is so brown and grainy like desert, so arab, like the one whom he has craved since ages. Like the one whom he has craved since ages. Like the peace he never experienced.

If he had a chance to make only a single prayer, he would have prayed for peace. Peace, flickering in her eyes. How could she be at so much peace, after losing absolutely everything? But there was the truth infront of him, neither he prays, nor he experienced any peace; so he be himself, a wanderer in the lost desert.

A jerk of thought, and he stopped. Cursing himself for even thinking about, he strolled to another corner of the market. Chasing away the feelings, that has kept him alive.

A lone shiver of danger crawled into his bone and without knowing his eyes searched for Layla's. She was not there anymore. Something dropped into his gut and something shattered. What dropped? What shattered? Feelings? Heart? Mind? What? He doesn't know. He only knows Layla wasn't there and the time screamed danger. So this time, he ran. Again. Ran into the mist trying to think of Layla where she can be? The room she was staying in was empty. Standing upon the tallest roof he assessed the whole village with his keen eagle eyes.

Crowd in the market made his mind go hazy and he searched for the specific back coloured silk abaya. It wasn't there. The silk abaya, neither was she. His breath got struck in his throat and he forgot how to breath.

"She can't do one thing right?"

"Is it so hard stay alive?"

A harsh mutter escaped from his throat as he jumped down and pushed every one aside, making his way to the huge olive trees. Sucking in a sharp breath, he stepped harder onto the muddied ground, splashing away the mud.

Tbc......