Their love was like a wildfire. Once spread, there was no stopping them. What started as an innocent glance became the magnitude of their flame.
* * *
In a country, where justice had no value and freedom was suppressed, lived two souls. Lies tore...
Without hesitating, she quickly filled their empty bowls with sets of parched hay. The cows dipped their heads down, munching and swallowing the endless amount of food she provided.
Rabiya decided to refill their watering bowls. Sighing, she realized she would have to use the wells.
The rusty, old well had not been renovated, thus requiring immense amounts of strength to pull the heavy buckets up with water. As a child, Rabiya had always avoided wells, thinking of Prophet Yusuf (peace be upon him) and how his brothers left him in one out of jealousy. She did not want the same fate.
The flashback tugged her under her own despair. Her uncle used to promise her his iron-gated protection whenever she expressed her fears. Oh Allah, will this pain ever go away? Will this ache ever cease?
Rabiya pulled at the knobbly rope. As she lowered the bucket, she heard a sneeze from somewhere nearby. She tensed.
Across the stoned well, Adar sat against a tree, fervently writing in his notebook again. Leaves danced around him in a soothing melody, his scribbling a rhythm to nature. The scene before her was breathtakingly beautiful.
There sat a boy of mysteries and riddles, a man of charisma and smiles. His hair mirrored the midnight sky, inky waves tousled on his head while his focus lay elsewhere. Adar's jaw was set, brown eyes staring deeply in concentration, unwavering from his writing.
Rabiya watched unblinkingly, losing herself in the gentle aura that surrounded him. Every time she gazed at him, her heart would flip a little, her body ignited, and her eyes could not tear away from Adar.
Under the dappled light, Adar's skin illuminated in golden rays, proudly boasting his tanned skin as if he were royalty. For a moment, Rabiya forgot the sorrow that lurked behind her and focused on the man who promised her a peaceful bliss.
Life blossomed behind him, joy filling her insides and opening her darkened mind. Even when she did not realize, Adar had always pushed her towards an optimistic future, towards her aspirations, towards her happiness.
As if noticing her gaze, Adar's eyes flickered towards her.
Rabiya felt the rope slip out of her hand, breaking their locked gazes as she desperately tried to catch a falling bucket. It tumbled downward until the thump echoed off the stoned walls. She huffed a frustrated breath, lips pursued.
A deep chuckle drifted into her ears.
She lifted her eyes, shyly at first, peeking through the sheer ends of her hijab. Adar had smiled at her, cocking his head to one side as he observed her from a distance. His writing was long forgotten.
Rabiya blushed.
A quiet shuffle followed after, footsteps soft against a bed of moss. Each step he took, her breath quickened. Rabiya felt her legs wobble and she gripped the wooden stand beside her for balance as he neared. Seeming oblivious to his effect, Adar simply smiled at her warmly.
"Could I offer some of my assistance?" he asked, hands stuffed into his jean pockets.
She nodded, averting her gaze.
"Just a bucket of water?"
She nodded once more. Why is he here?
Without a word, Adar pulled at the coarse rope, tugging it higher and higher. His muscled arms moved with every movement. He inhaled deeply, pulling the bucket back up from the well and detaching it from its knot. Water spilled from its edges, falling in drops between them and soaking into muck-covered lands.
"Here," he whispered, placing the bucket on the ground. Adar straightened, dark eyes holding her still. "Do you need anything else?"
She shook her head, not trusting her voice.
He narrowed his eyes. "You seem distressed."
"I'm not," she mumbled before cringing at the small crack in her voice.
Adar grinned widely. "Ah, my princess finally bestows upon me her lilting voice."
"W-What?" she asked nervously.
He only smiled.
"Stop that," she said, feeling some of the tension leave her body.
"What?" he chuckled. "I just smiled at you, nothing more."
Rabiya could not help but feel the fire inside her ignite at his presence, no matter how hard she tried to suppress it. His smiles were contagious. Her own lips tugged upwards in a grin.
Under the palm of nature stood two souls intertwined with one another. The cold winter vanished from barren lands, leaving in its wake a warm spring of multiple colors. Adar managed to pull Rabiya from her darkness, making her heart sing with delight. There never was a moment where he reminded her of despair.
He introduced joy back into her eyes with only a couple of words and foolish laughter. Rabiya did not think about her deceased uncle or grandfather. She did not think about Aunt Tania and Tahmid's argument. She did not think about life and death.
As the two laughed near the cistern, Rabiya only thought about Adar.
----
It's finally summer! It's been a hectic few weeks. I have to start thinking about college now and my future, so it's a bit overwhelming at times. But hey, that's why I have my books :D
This took a while to write because I wanted to capture the emotions perfectly. What do you guys think about the moment between Adar and Rabiya? Anyone feel as shy as Rabiya while reading?
Eid Mubarak for my Muslim fans! Don't forget to vote, comment, and follow!
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