S A R A

I pick up the towel from my bed before placing it where it belongs to and walk back into my room to approach the window. With a gentle tug, I pull back the heavy curtain, revealing the entire wall-sized window. The room is instantly flooded with light, casting a warm glow on everything it touches.

I stand there, motionless, my breath blending with the ambient sounds of the city. The energy of New York City seemed distant, as if a world of its own, yet so close. I look out the window and soak in the cityscape, with those massive buildings reaching for the sky.

Living alone all these years has changed me. I've become quieter, more introspective, and maybe even a little more serious. But standing here, taking in the breathtaking view every night, somehow always convinces me that this change isn't a bad thing. It's a part of my own personal journey, a metamorphosis of sorts.

The window has become my portal, offering glimpses of the world beyond. It gives me a kind of peace every time. Whenever I miss home, it has the power to make me feel better and chase away the homesickness.

Abruptly the doorbell rings and my focus gets instantly pulled in its direction, leaving no room for uncertainty regarding the visitor's identity. I make my way to the door and swing it open. And there she is, arms crossed, casually propped against the doorframe, exuding an aura of contained energy. But her eyes are enough to see how worn out she is right now.

Her footsteps make their way into my apartment, heading straight for the couch where she flops down. “Looks like someone didn't mention they only had a quick five minutes today and had to dash home again,” I tease, settling in beside her.

“Shut up” she retorts before inquiring, “Where's my cat?” 

“Sleeping in my room.” I respond. “Looks like you can finally sit down and have coffee with me,” I say as I head to the kitchen, while she remains sprawled on the couch, looking half-dead.

Well, it seems like I haven't properly introduced her yet. Let me rectify that. She is Inaya, the CEO of a famous fashion brand. Six months ago, when I found Bella in the street, I exerted every effort to locate her owner, only to realize my attempts had been in vain. Eventually, I decided to bring her to my own home.

For nearly a week, she stayed with me until Inaya reached out to me after coming across the lost cat post I had shared. As it turns out, Inaya entrusted Bella to her cousin while she was away on a business trip, only to have the cat go missing the same day due to her cousin's negligence. I can still remember the frustration and annoyance in Inaya's voice when she said, “I can't believe she managed to fool me for a whole week!” 

After Inaya took her cat back, I asked her if she could leave the cat with me whenever she's busy. And that's how our unexpected friendship started. When I say unexpected, I truly mean it because Inaya is not the kind of person who easily gets close to someone in such a short span of time. Her occasional visits to my home to drop off her cat while she's occupied gradually brought us closer. 

“Your wardrobe needs a serious upgrade. I can't even remember a time when I saw you wearing anything other than black.” I say, placing a cup of coffee in front of her while holding onto mine.  “Thanks,” she mutters with closed eyes. I settle back onto the couch. “It wasn't a compliment, you know.”

I see her lifting up her phone, and on the phone cover, it says ‘I don't care.’  I let out a chuckle. “Looks like someone's not in the best mood today. What's going on?”

Her eyes widen, and she sits up straight, as if she has something serious to say. “You have no idea the level of embarrassment I faced today. There's this new intern at my company, just starting today. And guess what my dad did? He actually brought that guy into my office and asked, 'Inaya, what do you think of him?' I can't even imagine the amount of gossip and ridicule that must have spread throughout the entire company. I mean, I don't really care what people think, but it was embarrassing!”

I take a sip from my cup. “Your dad is really determined to find you a husband.” Inaya flops back onto the couch and crosses her arms. “He likes every man who talks to him politely. And suddenly, they become the perfect potential husband that I can't seem to find anywhere else.”

I burst into laughter this time. “Maybe you should just go ahead and get married because I don't think this matchmaking thing is going to stop anytime soon.”

Our conversation gets abruptly interrupted by the ringtone of her phone. I bite my lip to stifle my laughter when I see Inaya's parents on the screen. “You should answer that call. It's probably about that guy.”

“You never know,” Inaya says, tossing her phone onto the couch. “It could be the same guy, or maybe they've found a brand new candidate,”

“Anyway, enough talking about me. What's the update on your patient, Mr. Kabir? You mentioned wanting to talk to one of his family members about his health. Have you had a chance to talk with them yet?"

I take another sip from my cup, sinking deeper into the plush cushions of the couch. “No, not yet. Like I told you, Mr. Kabir's son is the only family he's got around here. But he seems to always be occupied with work. I can't tell if he's genuinely busy or just dodging me,”

Inaya leans forward. “Who is this man really?”

“His name is Aryan Kabir. From what I've heard, he's a tech entrepreneur,” I respond.

Inaya slams her cup onto the small table nearby. “What's his name??”

“Aryan Kabir”

 “AK,” she exclaims, her eyes widening.

I mirror her action, placing my cup aside. “You know him?” 

She crosses her arms once again and settles back into the couch. “Who doesn't? He's one of the youngest entrepreneurs who totally blew up his company in just a few years. Some people can't even believe he's the actual founder of ‘AK’,”

“So, have you ever had the chance to meet him?” I ask.

She shakes her head. “Not exactly. I've seen him a couple of times. But he's not the type to engage in casual conversations unless there's some business at hand,”

I lean back, letting out a sigh. “So you're telling me the chances of meeting him are pretty slim now,” 

“Even if you don't have a chance, make your own chance. It's as simple as that!” Inaya exclaims, as if it's the easiest advice she's ever given me.

“But how?” I start to ask, my voice trailing off as a sudden realization hits me. “Wait... I just remembered something. Uncle Habib has invited me to his house this weekend. That means there's a chance I'll get to meet his son.”

Inaya's smile widens. “Bingo!” 

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The sound of the alarm drags me out of my sleep. The sun has not yet risen, but a gentle warmth paints the sky with a soft glow. As the melodious call to prayer echoes from my phone, I am reminded that it is time to perform my morning prayer, the Fajr Salah.

Without wasting a moment, I slide down my bed and begin my morning routine: Wudu (Cleansing specific parts of the body), followed by the serene act of prayer.

I am aware that I still have two hours before I need to prepare for work, and the allure of returning to the comforting embrace of my bed beckons me. Sinking my body on the bed once again, I drift back into a peaceful slumber.

I know that the bright light of the sun will wake me up, as I have forgotten to close the curtains the night before and even after praying namaz. Pulling the cover over my face, I try to sleep once again. However, it seems like my sleep isn't ready to cooperate with me.

My frustration grows even more when I realize that I have woken up just a minute before my alarm is set to go off. And this 1 minute seems like the most important thing in my life at this moment, as if it holds the power to fulfill my sleep completely!

Sitting up, I grab the hair clip from the nightstand and twist my hair into a bun before securing them with the clip. As I stretch my arms, a yawn escapes my lips as if it's reminding me it's time to start this new day.

Getting ready for my work, I step out of my bedroom and make my way to the kitchen. As a busy psychologist, I know that my mornings are often filled with appointments and clients waiting for me at the office. With limited time on my hands, I need a breakfast that is quick and easy to prepare. So, I decide to go for a simple bowl of cereal with milk.