Part 86- Where two oceans meet…

“I can’t do this anymore!” I said to Laeeka and Maariah at the bottom of the long flight of stairs at Cape Point.

Laeeka was quiet.

Maariah: patience Nemo it’s not going to be easy…

Me: Mari the look on her face…the hurt in her eyes…was because of me! And I couldn’t even tell her that I was sorry!

Laeeka: Mari is right Nemo, if you want Aara to miss you and to want to spend time with you unfortunately you’re going to have to do this. I mean I love Aara a lot and I don’t want to see her get hurt but if this is the only way to bring you both together then…

Me: and what if she doesn’t feel the same way then what?

Mari: you’re her first love Nemo and first love is something you don’t forget…

Me: I get what you’re saying but before being the woman I love she’s my best friend and I am HURTING my best friend! I can’t do this!

Riza: unbelievable!

And the three of us turned around to see Riza behind us.

Riza: what do you guys think you’re doing?

Mari: Riza let me explain please

Riza: we’re here to see something so beautiful on our second last day here and you 3 have time to make panchaat!

He didn’t hear what we had said…

Riza: come on man move now start walking…the others are already almost at the top!

My legs were finished!!! I am fit but uh uh this was torture! I took a deep breath in when I reached the top and joined everybody else.
Aara was busy writing away in a little book. She lifted her head stared at the ocean infront of her for a few seconds then wrote something in her book again.

Zoheb,Zainab and Arshad were having what looked like (by the looks on their faces) a very interesting conversation. Uncle Irshaad and Aunty Sawleha had Maariah take pictures of them posing in different angles! ℓ☺ℓ!

Riza and Laeeka were hand in hand and talking.

My Aara was alone…

I silently stood next to her and kept telling myself to stay in character. What was she writing??? She didn’t even know that I was right next to her that’s how engrossed she was!

I looked at her and her hair gently flew across my face. I closed my eyes…taking it all in.

I tried to peep at what she was writing when finally….

Aara: what are you doing?

Me: (caught offguard) what are you doing?

Aara: fishing! What does it look like I’m doing?

Me: (shrugging my shoulders…and I turned to look ahead..this was so hard!)

From the side of my eye…I could see that she was still staring at me.

Aara: have I done something to you Nemo?

I ignored her and continued to stare ahead of me. Okay two oceans met wow can we go now?

Aara: I’m asking you a question…have I done something to you?

I turned to face her while leaning against the wall and I didn’t take my shades off..

Me: no…why do you ask?

Aara: because…you’re ignoring me

Me: I’m talking to you now aren’t I ?

Aara: see! That’s it! You’re not like this…you behave like this only when…you’re angry or upset…and you don’t ever talk to me like this

Me: (forcing out a laugh) you’re so over dramatic Aara! I don’t talk much as you say for the past two days and you think something is wrong?

Aara: because something IS wrong

Me: we.are.on.holiday.woman give me a break will you

Aara: ok Nemo…

I felt like punching the wall so hard….I could see she was hurt and I had hurt her! How is this ever supposed to work?? I was now ready to give it up I can’t keep up this facade anymore!

Zoheb: (walking upto Aara and standing next to her) done?

Aara: (softly) almost…

Zoheb: (noticing me next to Aara) what do you think Nemo?

Me: about?

Zoheb: dude…the sight infront of us

But that’s the thing…the sight infront of us was Aara!!

Zoheb: two oceans??

Me: oh…yeah its cool…

Zoheb: (staring at the ocean) it’s more than that…it’s.. unbelievable bro….the two are so different in colour and temperature…yet both are just water…Allah’s miracle…its like life…like people…two people can be so different yet when they join…they become something so beautiful

And I looked infront again…and let it all sink in…he was right, it was beautiful…

Aara carried on writing….I was so curious…what was she writing??

Riza: guy group photo!

And everyone gathered together and Riza got a tourist to snap a picture of us together. I was pushed next to Aara and she looked at me as my hand touched hers. Everyone put their hands around each others shoulders…I put my right hand around Riza and my left hand…into my pocket. I swallowed hard as I felt Aara’s eyes on me…and click…the photograph was taken.

Zoheb’s arm around Aara’s shoulder and Aara looking at me…with so much of hurt in her eyes…and her eyes asked my eyes so many questions…

——————————————————–
What Aara wrote:

From two different places…yet from one common source,
Bursting with energy, charging in fury,
Each with its own treasures…each with its own turmoil,
Moving forward to find its place of rest…

Seemingly never ending…witnessing so many storms…
The sun rises and falls…
Dusk after dawn…dawn after dusk..
An endless pursuit…endlessly engulfing everything inside it…

Hoping to find a place where it stops…a shore to be its breaking point…

After journeying on for years on end…with no sight of any shore ahead…
Something happened…
A familiar yet unfamiliar feeling…
He was the same as me…yet different

He embraced me with his warm hands and pulled me into his world…
A fantastic fusion of a different kind….
As we finally met…as we finally merged…as our worlds stood side by side and our doors lay open to each other…
Like waves overlapping each other…with each others treasures and turmoils…in an embrace so vivid that the whole world could see it…

As I look ahead…where two oceans meet…in wonder and glory…
I realise that…our story is the same
A never ending journey of a life filled with happiness and pain…
Still moving forward…holding onto a shred of hope…
That one day…one day…our journey alone will end
And we will also find the warmth of love and acceptance to engulf ourselves in…when the oceans of our souls and hearts meet..