Her hands clutched her dress as she looked down. I placed my both hands each side of her head on the wall and caged her. She was terrified to be in that position. "Move back. What are you doing" Turning her face to a side she pushed me with both han...
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✈️ Arrival in Turkey
The soft jolt of the landing gear made Shafiyya's heart jump. The private jet slowed against the runway, its engines humming low and steady. She sat stiffly in her seat, hands still clutching the armrest, her wide eyes glued to the small oval window beside her.
Outside, the sky was painted with hues of pink and gold. The early sun was just rising, spilling light over a glittering stretch of water. Beyond it, domes and slender minarets pierced the horizon, their silhouettes majestic against the morning sky.
Her lips parted, the breath she didn't know she was holding slipped out. This doesn't look like home...
Slowly, she turned to Arsh. He was calm as ever, reclined in his seat, one hand draped lazily on the armrest, the other resting on his thigh. He hadn't taken his eyes off her since the jet began its descent. Watching her awe-struck face gave him a strange sense of satisfaction he couldn't name.
Shafiyya swallowed and asked in a small, hesitant voice, "W–where... where are we?"
Arsh's lips curved into a faint smirk. He leaned closer, his deep voice steady, carrying a weight of certainty. "Turkey."
Her eyes widened. "T–Turkey?" she whispered, as though repeating the word might make it less impossible.
He nodded once, his gaze locked with hers, amused at her disbelief. "Three days. That's what I told you. And this," he gestured casually towards the grand cityscape coming into view through the window, "is where we'll be spending it."
Shafiyya blinked rapidly, her chest tightening. She had never even dreamt of stepping outside her own country — and here she was, thousands of miles away, in a city that looked like it was stitched from fairy tales and history.
Her hands trembled slightly in her lap. Why is he doing this? Why bring me here? For what reason?
The jet rolled to a slow stop. The pilot's voice announced their arrival, but Shafiyya barely heard it over the thundering of her own heartbeat.
Arsh rose first, unhurried, pulling his coat over his arm as though this was routine. He extended a hand towards her — not demanding this time, just there, waiting. Shafiyya hesitated only a second before placing her hand in his, letting him lead her down the narrow steps of the jet.
The air that rushed against her face was crisp, carrying the faint scent of sea salt. Her eyes darted everywhere — to the wide runway, the sleek black cars lined up in waiting, and then back to the endless stretch of blue water glimmering under the morning light.
Her lips moved without realizing, a whisper escaping, "It's... beautiful."
Arsh's eyes flicked to her, catching that unguarded awe in her expression. For a moment, his chest tightened. He said nothing, only gave a small tilt of his head toward the waiting car.
