The Window

The Window (Khidki)

Khidki is the urdu term of the word "Window"-

This evening when I went up to my building's rooftop terrace, I was greeted by a soft, mellow and endearing breeze blowing my way. With a shawl draped over my shoulders, and a few roasted peanuts in my palm, I was quietly enjoying the onset of winter.

Time passed me by and it was getting late. The events that followed were not out of the ordinary, but were unexpected. Nothing special, but quaint - and rather charming. I pictured myself as the lead actor of a romantic drama, who had unknowingly just witnessed his soulmate..

My story won't keep you long from whatever it was that you were doing before you stumbled upon here. My building's terrace was attached to the opposite building's terrace. This apparently was really common among residential areas built during the 70s' in this part of the world. When I looked over to the window on the right hand side, on the first floor of the opposite building, what I saw left me gaping. This night, I saw a beautiful girl standing by her window. It was as if the clocks stopped ticking, and time came to a halt. I know I know.. It all sounds too dramatic and old- fashioned, or "filmy" as my brother would put it. Maybe it was the magical weather, or maybe I was just high on peanuts - you may never know.

Standing against the bright white light illuminating from her room, striking against the darkness of the night and adorning a crimson red traditional dress, her beauty was magnified ten folds. Donning golden loops in her ears, and jade green bangles on her delicate wrists, it occurred to me that she might have returned home from a wedding. I had come out here to welcome the oncoming season of winter after a long and hard summer. Little did I know that fate would be this generous towards me - to the point that I wouldn't be able to stop myself from uttering SubhanAllah and MashaAllah, and praising the Lord above.

I know it's bad manners to peer into a stranger's window, but I couldn't bring myself to stop. My eyeballs were glued to a certain angle, my breath caught in my throat, and my heartbeat was staggering at the speed of Internet Explorer when suddenly she pulled down the curtains.

I stood there wondering as to how I could take our story further when I realized that the bright lights in her room were casting her shadow onto the window's curtains. I could admire her winsome face without ever looking at her.

I saw her enter and exit the room numerous times. Her enters lit me up like Dubai on New Year's Eve, whereas her exits left me longing to catch another glimpse. Suddenly the lights in her room were flicked off. It had gotten quiet late, and it dawned on me that I should retire for the night as well.

I turned around and walked over to my home, a little sad but reminiscing the events of the day when suddenly I tripped over a vase full of yellow marigolds. I heard someone calling me and realized I fell because the same voice had cried out earlier.

I got up, brushed myself off and turned around only to see an elderly woman holding a black cane in her hand. I grew a little alarmed assuming that she had witnessed me staring at what I assumed was her granddaughter. However, she called out to me and said, "Dear! What time is it?"

At first, I was confused as to what could she be doing at the terrace at this hour of the night, and was flustered about whatever she had just said.

When she repeated herself in a loud and quavering voice, I replied: "Fifteen minutes to Two." I felt a little surprised, and heard the old lady mutter to herself, "That's weird.. A power cut this late has never happened before." I felt relieved then as I understood that the light in that beauty's window hadn't been switched of voluntarily, but rather it was the result of a power cut. There wasn't a light source present on my rooftop which is why I didn't realize the power cut earlier.

This night was something else.. Some unexpected event kept happening one after the other. First, me coming out onto the terrace. Second, me peering into a girl's room. Third, the girl turning out to be gorgeous. Fourth, power cut. I was only beginning to comprehend all of this when the elderly lady called out "Sakina!" in a firm voice. I assumed she was calling the red dressed beauty, and had a private joyful moment as Sakina - an Arabic word which means peace and tranquility - also happens to be one of my favorite female names.

Subsequently I heard somebody's footsteps on the stairs that led to the rooftop terrace. I may sound a hopeless romantic, but the delicate khan khan of her anklet made me picture her as angel who had descended onto the earth from the heavens above.
I will never to able to explain my heart's condition when Sakina stepped onto the rooftop, but it felt as if Almighty was showering me with His blessings.

The cool and gentle wind against my face felt like a heavenly breeze, and the lady on the opposite rooftop appeared as an angel to me. At that moment, for the first time ever I understood the meaning of a phenomenon that was nonexistent in my life until now: Love at first sight.

Sakina probably hadn't given any thought to whether someone apart from her grandmother would be present here at this hour of the night, which is why she came onto the rooftop without a dupatta or scarf. I took one look at her, and was swept off my feet into another galaxy, and kept looking at her the same way a mouse looks at cheese.

Her grandma requested her saying, "Do make two cups of tea dear."
I didn't occur to me as to why did her Grandma ask her to prepare not one, but two cups?

Anyhow, I didn't quite like how Sakina was sent away to make tea, as it meant she would go away from my sight and into the kitchen.

Anyhow, it all fell into place when Sakina's grandma asked me to introduce myself in her shaky and quivery voice. After introducing myself, the elderly woman spoke to me about various things. I deduced from the information she presented that she belonged to older parts of India's capital, Delhi - also referred to as Puraani Dilli. The tea was brewing away, meanwhile the woman fished out a Paan - a preparation of betel leaf with various fillings - out of a small silver box, and placed it in her mouth. My assumption was right. She kept talking about other things, which were totally irrelevant to me, but I kept quiet and nodded along with respect to her age and seniority.

After a bit, Sakina reappeared holding a tray with two cups of tea placed on it. I still hadn't quiet realized that her Grandma had silently invited me for tea when she picked up a cup from the tray for herself, and offered the other one to me, and then my brain went, "Oh! The second cup was for me."

It felt like a nice gesture, however my attention wasn't directed at the cup of tea in my hand, and rather it was focused on the beauty standing nearby. I drained the teacup in a hurry, profusely and gently blowing into it to cool the drink down. Meanwhile her Grandma told me that Sakina was about to appear for her finals and was studying B.A. She appeared to be in her early twenties, but it would have been considered rude if I inquired about her age as our families weren't quiet familiar.

It is said that there are 7 stages of love. I wasn't aware what stage would a love at first sight be awarded, but I knew one thing: For the first time I was in love - not only with Sakina, but with myself as well. I fell in love with this world and with its creator. But it all came down to this silly little question: What now?

Anyhow, I handed back the teacup to Sakina, praised its taste, and saw her retreating. I then thought I should as well excuse myself and retire for the night because:
a- My eyes were getting heavy
b- The weather had gotten colder
c- Time had flown by and it had gotten very late

I couldn't make out whether or not the power was back, and then her Grandma too departed towards her room. I took a deep breath, turned around and headed home.

Upon entering my room, I noticed my window too was open and cool air was finding its way in. I lay down on my warm bed in such a way that my head was towards the window, and I could view the beautiful night sky through it. I was marveling at the starry sky, when sleep took over and drifted me to a world full of dreams. However, this night wasn't any different from a dream, and I shall forever regard it as one of the most beautiful incidents of my life.

The End !

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