Noor e Mehtab || MOONLIGHT ||

• Comforting Warmth •

•_____________•

“And inside us there is a talk, that doesn't need an ear to hear it, but a heart to feel it”

_Nizar Qabbani_

•_____________•

“Do you think we would have judged you for that, Shanzu”?

The echo of Ayat's low whisper penetrated the silent air, scattering across the the room as it reached her ears.

As if the words hadn't panged her heart enough, Manahil spoke in that usual soft tone of hers,
"Out of all the people, Shanzay, we would havebeen the last ones to do that".

Shanzay had no doubt on that. She knew her friends more than anyone else. She was as familiar with their hearts and souls as she was with her own ones.
Because they were part of eachother.
Because they were soulmates.

A soft shaky sigh trespassed her lips as her head bowed more and the hand holding the soft white pillow moved closer to her chest.

"Bus ab tum mujh say dobara baat bhi mat kerna, Shanzay"!
Waniya huffed turning her face to other side as she remained settled on her desk chair.
This time, she hadn't bothered dragging it towards the bed as she sat on it gazing outside the window with visible lines marring her forehead.

Shanzay raised the golden brown canopy of her eyelashes, sweeping it past the air, as the sadness brimmed cups found Waniya's frame who kept gazing  outside like the stubborn soul she was.

"Chup karo, Wanu! Wo pehlay hi itni pareshan hai. Tum aur pareshan karo usay".
Ayat scolded turning her warmth filled orbs back towards Shanzay as she picked her hand from the pillow and gave it a gentle squeeze,

"It's not your fault, acha? We understand what it hadbeen for you. What you would have felt all along. The agony of being forced into something like that and have your whole life planned by someone else can't be described in mere words, chanda".

Her words did something to her insides.
Uncoiled the tightly knitted almost tense tissues of her heart making them soften, almost melt immediately.

Manahil nodded as she gave her a comforting smile,
"My Shanzu was so strong throughout. She didn't break down, she didn't collapse. It was her first time going through all this, facing all this yet she didn't stumble, didn't lose her sanity. They can call you weak, but they have no idea of what you went through, what you faced. You outdid yourself, you were so brave na".

These words.
Shanzay breathed.
These words, she had already heard from her father,
only from her father.
But hearing them from these precious people, they instilled something in her causing even the fingertips of hers to quiver and a sudden wetness to coat her lashes.

No one other than her precious father had said that.
Nobody told her these words.
The words that at the moment had warmed up the deepest pits of her heart.
The words her soul had craved to hear during the whole time.

Words that weren't just words.
They were an assurance, an appreciation and a gesture of understanding of her pain, her turmoil and her heartache.

There weren't many people that you'd come across, that'd be in your life who'd actually understand you.
Who'd actually motivate and comfort you.
Who'd actually tell you out loud that you were strong and brave and gave your best despite what the circumstances were.
That understood you and your pain in literal sense.
That didn't judge you.