Aisling [A one shot collection]

The Unsaid

Iman Khawar|  Araiz Mustafa

The November morning hue was surrounding the whole city in its charm. It was warm and cozy like a perfect start of winter morning would be. The sun has just risen from the east and was now, bathing the whole area in its golden rays.

The morning was telling it was a start. Every morning is, but this one in particular was a start of something new.

She gripped her cardigan tightly and closed the window. She had never been an early riser but today was different. She couldn't sleep well all night and by dawn she was standing in the window looking at the incoming morning with so much written on her face. The morning was the same, an indication that not everything was going to change today. Some things were staying the same. This sun, the morning light, the warm cold of November.

With a sigh she left the window and turned around only to witness the chaos her room was in. The bed was a mess where two of her cousins were asleep. The Henna cones on the side table, and the open closet of hers from where almost all her belongings were in a suitcase close by. The room smelt of something like roses, henna and gloom. The gloom only she could feel.

How different this part of window was from the other one? The outside was the same but the inside was summons to how changed her life was going to be from today.

Her eyes darted towards the dark henna on her hands. She didn't blink. Just kept on staring. Tonight everything was going to change and she'll need as much time as these hours would provide her to let this sink in.

Leaning against the headboard of her bed, she looked at the sleeping forms of her cousins and decided against waking them up. These moments of solitude were needed because heaven knows she couldn't do without those.

___________________

A cold shower in the cold morning wasn't the ideal choice but for last many days, he hadn't made many ideal choices anyway. The sparks of cold water ran down his thick hair and beard making him close his eyes. He was overworked and over stressed. But could he blame anyone for this? He couldn't even blame himself. He had always been self-assured, in a positive way. Taking responsibilities for the things he wasn't responsible for in first place had never been his trait.

But this time the ever confident and sure of himself man was feeling like a failure. If he could, he'd change everything from the scratch. Wishful thinking.

Once getting dress in his sweats and hoodie he made his way downstairs. His morning run was needed because he had so much on his mind but the state of lounge made him swear under his breath.

"You aren't supposed to curse, bro. That's really un-groom behavior."

Omer, his cousin commented. He was sitting on the couch and seemed like he had slept there as well. All other assholes were still enjoying their sleep.

"Where's everyone else?"

"In their rooms. We all decided to camp in here."

"Yeah, I can see. I'm going for a run."

"Trying to ease off before your big night?"