Our Dreams

Meet Again

One week after their first meeting at the Istiqlal
Mosque and Cathedral Church, Shan and Ara met
again at the park as they had promised. This time,
Shan brought his guitar, and Ara brought her favorite
book.
"Hi, Ara! Nice to see you again,
" Shan greeted.
"Hi, Shan! I'm glad to see you too,
" Ara said.
They sat under a shady tree, enjoying the cool and
beautiful atmosphere of the park.
"How have you been all week?" Shan asked. "Just
fine. I've been thinking a lot about what you said
about serenity," Ara said thoughtfully.
"Oh yeah? What are you thinking?" Shan asked.
"I think you're right. Peace does come from within
ourselves. I try to focus more on myself and look for
things that make me feel peaceful,
" Ara said
seriously.
"That's very good, Ara. I'm sure you'll find it." Shan
said excitedly.
Shan took out his guitar and started plucking the
strings. A beautiful melody floated through the air,
mesmerizing Ara. "You play the guitar very beautifully, Shan." Ara
praised
"Thank you. Music is one of the ways I find peace,
"
Shan said with a blush.
"Can I try?" asked Ara.
Shan handed his guitar to Ara. Ara hesitated, but she
wanted to try. She plucked the strings slowly, and a
simple melody came out of her fingers. Ara had
dreamed of becoming a musician when she was a
child, but time went on and led her to change her
dream.
"You are talented, Ara. Keep practicing, and I'm sure
you'll become a great guitar player,
" Shan praised her
Ara smiled. She felt happy to get a compliment from
Shan. They continued playing music and talking for
hours. They felt more comfortable with each other
and found many things in common.
"Shan, I'm so happy to meet you. I feel like I've
known you for a long time,
" Ara said.
"I'm happy to meet you too, Ara. I feel like we have a
special connection." Shan said.
"Shan, can I ask you something?" asked Ara
suddenly.
"Of course, Ara. What is it?" said Shan "I'm curious; what is the dream you want to achieve
in this life?" said Ara seriously.
Shan was silent for a moment, pondering Ara's
question.
"Actually, I want to be a musician. I love playing
music and creating melodies. Music is a way for me
to express myself and connect with others." Shan
said.
"That's a beautiful dream, Shan. I'm sure you can
achieve it,
" Said Ara, reassuring Shan
"Thank you, Ara. But my mom doesn't support my
dream. She wants me to be a pilot because she thinks
it's a more promising job and can raise our family's
status." Shan said as he bowed his head.
Ara felt sorry to hear Shan's story. She knew what it
was like to have a dream that was not supported by
her parents.
"I understand how you feel, Shan. I've been through
the same thing. I wanted to be a doctor, but my family
wanted me to be a prosecutor like them. However, I
don't want to give up on my dreams." Ara said,
recounting how her dreams had also been rejected by
her parents.
"How did you convince them, Ara?" asked Shan.
"I kept showing them my passion and determination.
I studied hard and showed them that I was serious
about my dream. Eventually, they started to support me." Ara said Shan was inspired by Ara's story. He
started thinking about how he could convince his
mom to support his dream.
"Thank you for your story, Ara. I will try to be more
assertive and show my mom that I am serious about
my dream,
" Shan said excitedly.
"Cheer up, Shan! I'm sure you can achieve it.
Remember that dreams are important, and never give
up on them,
" Ara said happily.
They smiled and encouraged each other. Shan and Ara
knew that they were not alone in fighting for their
dreams. Their friendship was a source of strength and
inspiration for both of them. As the sun began to set,
Shan and Ara had to go their separate ways. They
promised each other to meet again the next time.
"Bye, Ara," Shan said.
"Bye, Shan," Ara said.
They smiled at each other and waved goodbye. Little
did Shan and Ara know that their friendship would
blossom further, leading them into unexpected and
meaningful adventures.