"Why are you crying?" Aliyah asked again
"I can't" Mrs. Paul replied sobbingly
"You think you can't make it to the top?" Aliyah asked
"I am not thinking, i know i Can't"
"Well, since you already believe you can't make it, you are bound to fail even if you try. You have to believe in yourself, believe you can, and keep pushing forward no matter the pain, no matter the tears. There are only two things that you can't do, that which you didn't try and that which you give up on. See you at the top Mrs Paul" Dr. Mike did his job.
"Here is the water" her husband came back. After taking the water they continued to walk. It was a very tough journey for the obese couple but at last they were finally at the mountain top.
Being the last group to make it to the top, Aliyah's group were welcomed to the top with applause it was for the Pauls though. There were flags hosted on the mountain each having names of adventures that made their way to the top.
"Mrs Paul, do us the honor please" Dr. Claire handed the flag to Mr. Paul, it was an achievement worth celebrating for them.
"With pleasure" she collected the flag, she then stuck the flag into the ground feeling same way an astronaut does when he lands on the moon. People began to write their names one by one, clicking pictures and admiring the nature from the top of the mountain.
It was a beautiful sight to behold, a rare one of course. Coming down the mountain was easier but more dangerous, as such they carefully climbed down and headed for their camps. When they reached the plain land the guide convinced them to go to a waterfall nearby before going back to the camp. Well, they were tired but, they agreed anyway. Many jumped into the water on arrival, while others were removing their shirts ready to jump in while some showed no interest in testing the waters.
"I can't undress here, not with so many men around" Zeenat said
"Well, we can't do that either" a lady beside her agreed
"Unless if we jump in dressed, but i am really tempted to jump" Aliyah said
"We'll get wet, but the camp isn't far away" another lady suggested
"You are right but we might catch cold wearing wet clothes for about 20-30minutes"
"Well it's not like this is the first time i get drenched in water" Aliyah joked.
"Wanna gamble it??"
"Yea!"
"Okay then, let's go. However I don't want to mingle with the guys" Zeenat said
"It's okay, we can just stay at one side of the water"
Aliyah removed the clip of her viel, letting her hair loose to rest perfectly on her back. She bent down to untie the laces of her shoe, but then she had the feeling of being stalked.
"He is at your nine o'clock" Zeenat said before walking to the waters. Aliyah could already guess who it was, but she still looked and of course it was Sameer.
"What?" Her eyebrows asked.
"I am sorry, I didn't intend to stare" he said from a distance and then turned away.
"Silly, he hasn't changed a bit" she smiled to herself unconsciously. "What! Did you just smile? This is treason" she said to her lips.
She tied her hair into a single bun centered at the back of her head and covered it to avoid getting it wet. Reaching the edge of the water she used her leg to measure the temperature, finding it ideal, neither too cold nor too warm she jumped in, they played in the water. Splashing water on each other, she paused a bit and looked on he rocks beside the spring. There Sameer sat alone on a rock, lost in toughts he didn't want to join.
He almost caught her staring at him but she looked away, not knowing that he too was stealing glances at her.
On another rock stood Dr. Mike and Claire, they were glad to see these people forget all their problems and enjoy life.
"It was worth it" Dr. Mike said
"Oh yes, it is. Don't you want to join?"
"Of course i want. Let's go".
Back at the camp
"Today was fun" Aliyah said "hatchuuu!" She sneezed.
"Ooh' Should i make some ginger tea for you?" Zeenat asked.
"I would love that"
"Right away"
"Don't you miss your baby?"
"I do, a lot to be precise"
"Well, we will see her tomorrow."
"Sure." She went to make the tea while Aliyah wrote.
✍️
Dear Diary,
The beauty of nature is contagious.
It's makes you beautiful, that is if you are concious.
It's sad that modernisation made man rebellious,
He destroys nature, his assault is continuous.
Well...may the merciful lord forgive us all.
Forgiveness, hmmm i am glad to tell you that i have finally forgiven myself, for all of my mistakes. I have forgiven me for all the scars,all the tears I've wasted and all the times i forgot my worth.
I have forgiven myself for not choosing happiness and for embracing sadness.
Also, I have forgiven each and every soul that ever hurt me,
from that girl that stole my candy in nursery,
to this man who threw my soul into mysery.
Yea, i forgive him!. Dont give me that look, Even i think it's a mystery.
But forgiveness doesn't mean i am back to our chemistry.
I just chose to set my heart free.
To the door of happiness alas forgiveness is the key,
Forgive everyone but don't forget their sin, i repeat do not forget. Cause no matter how i try i Can't forget what that witch has done to me...
"Tea is ready" Zeenat announced
"Thank you for taking care of me. You know, you make me wish i had an elder sister"
"Oh c'mon don't make me emotional. It's our duty as humans to treat everyone good irrespective of caste, age, gender or religion we are all human after all. But you are right, i do feel like you're my little sister. I miss her"
"Where is she?"
"Dead"
"Oh i am sorry. May her soul rest in peace"
"Amen."
"The tea is better served hot you know"
"Ohh...it is your fault. Have yours please. I will just take these to Mr. Paul"
"Okayyyyyy"
Meanwhile somewhere outside the tent Sameer sat alone, hurling stones down the cliff ahead.
"She hasn't talk to you yet, did she?" Cathy asked him but no response came from him.
"She hasn't, then why don't you forget her and move on" their conversation began to heat up.
Raising his head to look at Cathy who stood before him,
"How do i move on?" He asked
"Just look somewhere else, someone but not her." She raised her voice
"Where do you suggest i look" he was a bit enraged
"Look at me!" She said loud
"You? I dont...i don't understand"
"I love you" she confessed
"No! No! No! It can't be true" he said after a moment of shock and silence
"Why then do i miss You? Why do i feel happy around you? How can you explain the sense of security i feel around you? I ..." And she began to cry
"Well, may be you misunderstood your heart!"
"I know what i feel you don't have to tell me!"
"I am sorry for misleading your heart, you know i..." She cuts in before he completed his sentence.
"You love her, I know. but don't you see she is no more into you"
"That's not true, She is just mad at me" he quivered
"Move on, let's build love together"
"I can't! I can't build anything on this guilt. It's not about her, it's me. I am tied to this guilt and only Aliyah can set me free"
"Fine! Keep chasing her like a fool" Cathy went off.
"Cathy...Cathy..." Even after calling her numerous times she didn't look back. She went to her tent and kept crying while he sat there confused, thinking of how things turned out this way.
Time flew and fast came the night, the stars began to glitter up in the dark night sky while silence began to descend upon the world. The bonfire was lit and out came it's admirers, the story teller came once again to tell the tales of the brave.
Sameer was there Aliyah too, they secretly stole glances at each other, deep inside dying to talk to one another. But circumstances are as such that he was too guilty to be heard, while she needed a proof that his words were worthy of being heard, she needed to be sure that she was not being a fool again.
After the story ended, people were having conversations with one another. Aliyah was on her way to her tent when Sameer tried to talk to her once again.
"Aliyah" he called from behind, she halted her steps and turned.
"What do you want from me Mr....ahm, you didn't even tell me your name"
"Aliyah i am sorry all i ask for is Your forgiveness"
"My forgiveness?" She asked, memories of how he humiliated her flashing in her head.
"That's all i ask for, i know i have done..."
"Stop!" Aliyah cut in. "Have you ever asked yourself if you are worthy of my forgiveness after all that you have done?"
He tried to speak up but Aliyah didn't let him speak. "Are you worthy?" She asked again, he didn't utter a single word as she turned away and left him standing there, leaving him to ponder if he really deserve forgiveness.
On reaching their tent Aliyah and Zeenat all lied on their bed.
"I know what regret looks like, i saw it in his eyes" Zeenat said.
"Hmmm?" Aliyah asked.
"Sameer, his regret is real, and it seems that girl isn't his girlfriend"
"I know, i might forgive him for the scars he gave me, for betraying the name of love. But right now my heart refuses to trust him again"
"I'm not saying you should trust him, or love him again. Set him free from his guilt not for his sake but because it's in your nature to be pure"
"I already did" Aliyah said
"Well, let him know"
"Good night"
"Goodnight Aliyah"
Aliyah was about to drift off when Pinky called her, they talked for long before finally hanging up and off to bed she went.
Take a moment and forgive all those that have wronged you, you owe your self the purity and freedom of soul.
____________________________________
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