Glory of the Midnight Sun √

Fifteen

Carefully, gently, immaculately. We choose our own destruction

Six Years Ago

The weather was beautiful with blue and golden coloured sky. Wind hovered over his head and promised with great secrecy the fall of the rain. Birds chirped merrily as they flew above the city of Murree, some returning back to the houses they built with endless love and affection.

Omer walked with a raised head, his eyes scanning the path he was walking on. With dark blue jeans, white t-shirt and brown leather jacket fixated on his body, the strands of his hair were falling on his forehead and his hands were shoved in the jacket's pockets.

Omer made his way up towards the top of the hill, his breath become slightly uneven. He had climbed half of the hill when his mobile phone went off. Halting his steps, he fished the mobile from his pocket and answered the call.

"I've climbed half of the hill. I'm not coming down." Omer irritatingly said over the line.

"I'm done with the meeting, Omer. Come down and we can go somewhere to get lunch." Bilal said and Omer's brows furrowed.

"You can come up here. The view from up here is spectacular." Omer tried to convince him but Bilal only huffed in annoyance.

"I'm hungry and I'm sure the sight won't fill my appetite. Are you coming down or not?" Bilal asked, his voice final this time.

"I'm not. I didn't start climbing it just to return in mid way. You go have some lunch. I'll be back at the Hotel around 9pm." And without hearing anything else, he cut the call.

He had always been like this, losing the interest in the conversation as soon as his point was delivered, not giving a care if the other person understood or not. Shaking his head, he shoved the phone in his pocket and glanced upwards towards the top of the hill.

Taking a deep breath, he resumed the movement of his legs and started climbing the rest of the hill. It took another half an hour before the slope evened out and the land cleared right in front of his eyes. Smiling to himself, he sniffed the smell of the wet mud and closed his eyes only to open them again after a second.

Still smiling, he continued moving ahead, the land a little rocky beneath his shoes. He reached the end and his eyes shone with wonderment at the sight they took in. The sun was drowning far away, the red flecks of light spread over the horizon. The wind gushed around him and he smiled widely as he tilted his head a little and gazed ahead.

The scene of the setting sun and blowing wind had him completely mesmerised and he just stared, his background going back in the dark. The sun fall and moon were his weaknesses, his strengths. Still smiling, he tore his gaze away from the enchanting beauty and looked around him, his eyes scanning the land around him for a large rock.

Luckily, he found one right beside the place where he was standing. After sitting on the large rock, he again fixed his gaze on the view ahead, peacefulness rushing in his body like blood. He had always loved climbing but it was not the climbing he actually loved, it was the view afterwards which was always worth it.

He was still immersed in his soothing meditation when a voice yanked him out of the spell which was spread around him. Turning his head almost abruptly, he looked sideways and what caught his eyes was a woman, probably in her early twenties, standing a few metres away from him.

From where he was sitting, Omer couldn't clearly see her face, her hair shadowing the face which will turn his life upside down. Omer stared at her hair which were tied in a ponytail, the loose strands falling on the face which was hidden from his eyes.