03
RAINY TRANQUIL NIGHT

Some memories never left your mind,
They may fade but never be forgotten.

Her eyes opened when the sound of Fajr Adhan hit her ears. She felt calm after that terrible night because of the sweet voice of Muezzin. She got up over her elbows to examine her room when she felt something was behind her. Maybe someone was behind her. So, if you remembered, Hande was there. Maybe-

She froze there merely for a single second and the time became so slow for her that she recalled the whole scenario of the last creepy night. She dismissed her thoughts while tricking her own mind by the false statements that "There is no one", which was her fault, not her mind. She gets the gut feeling of something strange. She moved back with the cold and pale expressionless face while answering Adhan under her lips, minding processing the way to exit for the savior. Just ran away girl!

Tiny buds were formed on the crown of her cold head shining with the little light coming from the window breaking all the blockages. She gets all her courage to turn with confidence and bravery so whoever would be, her worry should not be showcased to them through her face. But when she turned back she found a glimmering face covered with a black hijab, shining enough to make her eyes blink twice with confusion, "who is she..." the only question that came out of her mouth talking to her own self in the bare minimum voice.

It was not a person sleeping with calm but a person watching her in admiration, with a wide charming smile. At her smile, she felt she was seeing herself in the mirror. Cherry on the top, she wasn't panicked now, she wasn't afraid now, she wasn't fearing from her. It was out of blue that she was totally normal, throughout she found calmness while gazing at her.

A beautiful voice of that woman sitting behind her made its way to her ears.

"Don't worry for anything that comes to trigger you from the right path, all you have to believe Allah, He will never let you down. If your faith will be strong, you will be rewarded by the best... Maybe you would be rewarded here in Dunya or could be in Akhirah", she stopped for a second to let the air in and again continued while Elayne was still freezed on the spot. Something was up to her.

"And don't think your wait is gonna waste, you are answered but you'll know it in the divine's right time."

Her tears blurred the vision of that pretty woman rolling sweet words to her. All she could feel was love in her words, she opened her mouth to say but she couldn't find a single word to explain the feeling that was pooping up in herself. She immediately hugged her without waiting for another second before she disappeared from there.

That woman who seems to be in her 30's softly caresses her back for a moment and holds her arms moving her back to the place with a little force. She found out that Elayne's eyes were filled with tears, a few fell off and rolled over her Rosy cheeks making her face shine in the darkness. She rubbed Elayne's face with her thumb after wiping her tears.

"Ahh my child!!! you have to be strong, my life-", these words come out of her mouth like she was telling a 4 years kid to be careful, she held her hands and kissed her forehead. When Elayne bend forward in a peaceful way, she feels like she belongs to her, she wants to tell her a secret but Elayne get distracted by the voice coming from behind, somewhere from her own room she turned her face and see the room from the corner of the eye, she found a handsome man standing on the door of her room. She saw her with such admiring eyes holding the hands of that woman tightly. Goosebumps took all over her body when she listened to his words, "Wake up, Noor... It's time to pray... You have to go..."

Not letting them go away again she ran towards the man but she fell on the floor near him causing her dream to end. The only view that hit her eyes was the blank white roof that was visible enough to be seen in the darkness. Like a-white-canvas-who-wants-a-stroke-but-there-are-no-brushes thing. Her face was expressionless just like a blank canvas. Those faces were popping up in her mind. Somehow, she knew, she knew them but how, this was the problem. All she wanted was to see them again when she didn't even know who they were. It was familiar to her, something precious to her. She sat up on the bed and turned her face back to the place where she saw that simply gorgeous woman, thinking she would be still there waiting for her to get up but all she saw was the white headboard of her bed. She moved her face slightly to see the door where that man was standing, a few seconds ago in her dream, felt to be known but she couldn't find him there either.

She was staring at the door when a figure appeared again from the door of the bathroom, surprisingly seeing her awake, she asked "Ah! You wake up earlier... That's great. I was thinking today that I have to struggle again between letting you sleep or awakening you but Allhumdulillah! you are already awake."

Elayne smiled at her words without letting her know about the worries taking place in herself. Hande nodded and asked, "Did you sleep well?" Rather than answering her in satisfying words she only nodded in acceptance but her smile was still on her face which was not bearing a single feeling but was numbed. She looked out of the window still sitting over the bed and she asked her the same question in low tone hardly audible to Hande.

"What about your night?"

"Ummm... It was tough for me to sleep... Everything was really weird from last night, especially tha-" She was talking about last night but then she just changed the topic so as not to make her worry again but Elayne didn't even move her head.

"I think you should get up to pray. Come on hurry up, I'm warning you not to sleep again. I am going to pray now."

A glimpse of last night flash in front of her, while defeating her thoughts she lay back again on the bed. Watching the blank white roof, she decided to get up for Tahajjud but she felt an invisible force against her, stopping her from Salah. Some words echoed in her mind with a strong energy,

"اٹھ جاؤ، نور۔۔۔ صلاح کا وقت ہے۔۔۔ تمھیں جانا ہے۔"

She felt like they said, "sweetheart, we're not strangers."

It was not something just from her dream but also somewhere from the past echoing the words and some humble laughs in her currently unresponsive mind.

She immediately sat and looked around the room. She felt those figures were calling her again and again but were invisible. She took it as an order and frequently stood up with her trembling feet and carefully walked in the washroom for ablution.

Just a few minutes later, she was laying on the floor in sujood (prostration) position. She sensed the footsteps coming toward her room, she knew who she was. She was already known to her, her soulmate. She got up from the prostration and sat calmly with empty hands open and silent tongue with speaking hearts.

Hande slightly opened the door, watched Elayne making dua, examined her room and went back to her own room. Elayne's face was in the opposite direction of the door and in front of the window. She crossed her legs while still sitting over the prayer mat with her name sewn on the right corner of it, her eyes letting the waterfall come out not by the name drawn there but by her thoughts with that name 'Noor'. Her every single tear was her Salah. She was remembering the dream. It was a continuous series of dreams that was disturbing her. The only thing she even never told Hande.

Thinking about the dream's her ears hit with the sweet voice of Muezzin which made her recall the same scene of her dream. Her eyes searched for someone in her room.

She stood and prayed to Fajr Salah. She thanked Allah for giving her another day to live. Still lost in the moment.

Every day that passed away,

Brings near the truth to her

She sat there until the sun rose. The sun rays hit her eyes making her eyes shine brighter but sadness was still there.

Sun rises with the whimsical prayers sung by the sparrows. Nature was purely in its own world of joy. The cold breeze reminds everyone of winter's existence.

She went to the university, Boğaziçi Üniversitesi Güney Kampüsü. yeah! the vintage one. She just survived the whole day. She came back with Hande after having a really boring day in university. The weather was indicating the slight signals of rain, of heavy rain. As the breeze became colder than the morning breeze, dew covered the grass, making it glow like diamonds scattered all over the bushy ground. In such a short time the sky gets darker as they hear the Maghrib prayer call.

They both prayed together outside under the wooden roof. When they both finished the Salah, Hande went inside to make coffee. If they were present in Pakistan obviously, they would prefer making chai and fritters (pakorai) with sauces over 'coffee' yes-over-this-elite-thingy-called-coffee.

Hande easily figured out that Elayne was silent all the time and seemed to be disturbed by something triggering. She wants to ask but couldn't get the pickup lines to jump into the conversation on her sadness. She set the fire on the fireplace which was quite near to Elayne. Elayne felt the warmth in that cold weather. Elayne gets up from the floor and opens all the windows of the lounge to welcome the breeze so it can fill every corner of the house with the lovable scent of petrichor or just letting it in her heart.

Sometimes the one we trust the most, hurt us,

Sometimes the one we love the most hurt us,

And sometimes you get hurt by both...

So, let me tell you the enchanting scenario of the scene being plotted which i always love to. As on that serene and tranquil rainy evening, Elayne and Hande, the two dear friends or maybe something more than friends kinda-soulmates-who-can-understand-the-unspoken-words sat beside a crackling fireplace with ashes flying upward, their hearts nostalgic and their souls yearning for or the past. One for the past to be known and other for the past to be hidden. The raindrops cascaded down the windowpane, painting a picturesque scene outside their cozy abode, which they called home. Yeah! Home; the place of peace. Yet, the soft pitter-patter of rainfall created a soothing rhythm that always remains ideal for evoking memories all over the precious lives in history and unraveling stories that had been tucked away, somewhere around.

Under the warm glow of the dimly-lit room, Elayne found solace and comfort in Hande's company, as did Hande. And they always found it. One-to-one. With each crackle, memories flickered in their minds. The evening rain served as a softening barrier between Hande and Elayne that was present and their shared past. The shared past which is unknown. Every drop that kissed the ground seemed to forge an even more beautiful scent that let their memories dance. Like a painter dipping their brush into vibrant hues, the rain breathed life into the forgotten chapters of their lives. The chapters they never paid much attention to.

All was presenting the sovereignty of the Almighty over the entire whimsical universe.

The smell of rain filled the air, yet some of the specific moments they were reminiscing about - the summer adventures, the hearty laughter, and the bittersweet goodbyes they always prepared for but never actually happened. Maybe the goodbyes that were written in their fate were without actually saying them. The memories surrounded them, wrapping their hearts in warmth and familiarity.

Every now and then, lightning flashed across the dark sky, briefly lighting up the room with an otherworldly glow. In those quick moments of brightness, the friends exchanged knowing looks, silently acknowledging the importance of the memories they were sharing. That's the speciality of a good friend when they are near, you don't even feel the need to talk, you can spend the whole time in silence smiling at eachother dumbly.

As the night went on and the rain continued its soothing rhythm, the friends realized that their memories were more than just passing fragments of the past. They were interconnected threads that bound their lives together. They understood how deep and the unbreakable bond they formed over time. Over time, over 8 years. These memories would always be a treasured keepsake, capturing their friendship and reminding them of the beauty found in rainy evenings spent talking from the heart.

They started discussing some random topics from time to time like they both were philosophers like-i-know-the-best-of-living-not-you, they always did this, telling each other the meaning of life according to their own point of view.

Talking to friends we really become philosophers but who knows that philosophy is not for the world we live but for the place we want to live.

"Jealousy and Avenge is the worst thing..."

♡♡♡

Happy Reading!

Browneyedsoul ♡

Binte Naeem (Zefanya Gul)