Prince from Paradise | ✔

XXVII. Shipwreck

Rabiya

It was all too surreal for her to fully grasp into the palm of her hands, a fleeting dream in the wind like feathers that dusted the serene sunrise. Hues of orange, golds, and vibrant pinks bloomed like the Japanese cherry blossoms that she had heard stories about. Her mother's tears were still wet on her cheeks even though they had bid their farewell hours ago.

She could still feel her mother's sorrow etched across her features, could still feel the painstaking heartache that ripped her chest apart till she could not breathe. Though their lives had taken a drastic turn as they ran away, deep down she had faith that Allah would save them somehow, someway.

Allah never abandoned her, not even when she thought her family would be torn apart, or when she believed her husband was another fantasy of hers that ceased to exist. 

Allah was always there for her, and she trusted Him to do what was best. 

Adar grasped her hand as Miraj and another friend of theirs drove them away to the ports. He brought her cold, shaking hands to his lips, the warmth spreading through her body in waves as he peered at her from his dark, alluring lashes, gaze capturing hers with ease. 

A deep crimson flushed her cheeks, red as the apples that her grandfather once brought for her. "Adar," she whispered. 

"I promised you that we would start a new life together," he said to her lowly so that only her ears would hear. "And that is a promise I intend to keep."

"But we left everything behind."

His arm wrapped around her, pulling Rabiya close to the heat of his body, burning the icy ache into a pool of worries that swarm against each other like a rocking current. The ship would embark soon after they arrived, and fear grew more rapidly than she expected. 

"I know," her husband whispered, tucking her under his chin. He released a deep, long breath. "I wish the circumstances were different." 

She clutched onto the fabric of his jacket, choosing to stay silent instead of deepening their wounds. Rabiya could not guarantee that she would be able to stitch their fragmented lives together again, but she knew someday Allah would reunite her family. 

Miraj shifted in his seat from the passenger side, turning to face them, expression as soft as the hues of morning touching his skin like a dewdrop of sun.

"We should be at the docks in a few more minutes," he said, voice firm even though Rabiya could hear the small breaks in his tone as if he could not bear the thought of leaving his friend. Miraj inhaled a deep breath before continuing. "There are a few precautions you both must take. Only the captain of the ship and a few of his closest members know of your departure. The rest of the crew is not to be trusted and were told that Adar is a merchant traveling with an ill mother."

Rabiya lifted her head, brows furrowed. "Mother?" 

Miraj handed her a face mask and veil. "You need to keep these on at all times unless directed otherwise by the captain. If at any checkpoints, they ask to speak to Rabiya, remember that your illness is contagious and therefore it would be unsafe to remove the mask. This way no other crewmates will approach Rabiya or be suspicious," he explained. 

"And what's my disguise? Will they not have pictures of me from my..." trailed off Adar as sadness etched his visage. "My family." His voice was barely above a whisper, and the burn of tears glazed over his eyes. 

Rabiya sought his hand, gripping it tightly in her own. He sacrificed just as much to be with her. 

"The captain of the ship will give you the essentials to fit in as a merchant. I will take care of your parents," promised Miraj. "There is no need to worry. Only focus on arriving to Sri Lanka alive."