Glory of the Midnight Sun √

Eighteen

Be sure there is something waiting for you after much patience, to astonish you to a degree that you forget the bitterness of the pain.

Fariya

The faint voices which seemed to be coming from a long distance invaded her mind, bringing her back from the peaceful abyss of slumber she had fallen in.

The voices grew louder and louder and Fariya tried to open her eyes slighlty but closed them not a moment after when sunlight peering in through the window stung her eyes. Sighing dreamily, she tried to knock out the voices and buried her face deeper in the pillow.

"Fariya!" Someone shouted in her ears and Fariya almost gasped before her eyes shot open and she hurriedly looked up.

Her eyes, bloodshot, took in the sight of Maida and Urwa confusingly for a long moment before her lids started to drop again and sleep encircled around her. A heavy and impatient shake prevented sleep from taking her in and her eyes again fell open, this time masking an emotion of anger.

"What the hell is wrong with you all? Let me sleep!" She all but shouted before pulling the covers up till her head, only to get it thrown away a moment later.

"Get up, sleeping beauty. You have things to answer." Saad's mischievous voice came and she opened her one eye to see him before dropping her lids again.

Cloudiness previously surrounding her mind, had evaporated and things started to make sense as her mind returned back to the real world.

"What is it?" Fariya mumbled weakly, her eyes still closed.

"Well, there is a conversation going on downstairs. Between the elders. About something really important." Urwa said, her voice creating an atmosphere of mystery and suspense.

"What important thing?" She didn't contemplate on Urwa's words and asked, now rubbing her eyelids with her fingers.

"We hoped you would tell us about that." Urwa said, smile clearly heard in her voice.

"Come clear, Urwa." Fariya's voice was laced with irritation.

"The discussion going on is about your Rukhsati." Maida unveiled dramatically and Fariya's eyes flew open and the next moment, she was sitting on the bed and staring at them with wide eyes.

"Woah! It got you out of the bed more quickly than we thought." Saad sarcastically remarked but Fariya only glared at him.

"Okay, now. Spill the beans. What's going on downstairs?" At Urwa's impatient words, Fariya swallowed the bile and moistened her dry throat.

"You'll know soon." Fariya said before she got up from the bed and faced them.

"We didn't waste our 15 minutes here trying to wake you up from the dead to hear this. Tell us right now." Maida angrily said and a smile touched Fariya's lips.

"But I just woke up, Madi. How would I know what they are talking about?" Fariya said humorously, her insides wanting to tease them a little more.

"Oh, we know that you know. How is it possible that the topic of your Rukhsati is under discussion and you don't know anything?" Saad broke in and Fariya smiled wholeheartedly as she looked at him.

"Well..." She created suspense which dried the throats of the two ladies standing beside her.

"Fariya, I'll kill you with my bare hands. Just spit it out." Urwa's impatience was on the edge and Fariya chuckled slightly.

"I have agreed to the Rukhsati." She said more quickly than she intended to but the reactions she witnessed spread a heartwarming smile on her face.