In the Depth of the Heart - Chapter 25: Chapter 25
You are reading In the Depth of the Heart, Chapter 25: Chapter 25. Read more chapters of In the Depth of the Heart.
The university auditorium is filled with warm lights and soft music that drifts through the air. Yellow and white lights catch the eye, casting a glow on the faces of the students. Some chat and laugh, others fix their appearances, waiting for their turn on stage.
Off to the side, beneath a long wall known as the Chai Lounge, Zuhra and Kamal sit together — just the two of them. It feels like a dream — peaceful, undisturbed.
Zuhra is dressed in a glittering golden gown, radiating quiet confidence. Her face glows, as though she’s been waiting for this moment for a long time. Kamal wears a white t-shirt under a dark jacket. His eyes are fixed on her like someone who’s found the light after a long search in darkness.
Kamal (smiling, whispering):
“Honestly, I never thought you’d actually sit and listen to me like this… feels like this is only the second day since creation.”
Zuhra (smiling softly, looking down):
“You talk like we’ve known each other for years… But to be honest, I feel a strange calm when you’re around.”
Kamal (closing his eyes briefly):
“I’ve felt that way for a long time. I always watch you from afar, wondering how your beauty walks hand-in-hand with such composed grace. But today… with you sitting beside me, I feel weightless.”
Zuhra lifts her gaze. Their eyes meet. Silence follows.
Not the silence of sadness — but the kind that makes the heart beat to a rhythm, like music with no player.
Zuhra (in a low voice):
“Today I felt like my heart finally stopped running. I’ve been hiding for so long… afraid of the world. But you… you didn’t come with force. You came with words.”
Kamal leans in slightly, his gaze soft, as though he’s reading her soul.
His hand twitches, almost reaching for hers — but he pulls back. His heart speaks to him:
“Don’t rush, Kamal… don’t scare her.”
Suddenly, they hear the rumble of military vehicles.
Bam! Bam! Bam!!
The school grounds echo with the roar of heavy trucks. Sirens wail, and the stomping of soldiers’ boots fills the air.
Zuhra (stands quickly, fear in her eyes):
“Wait… that sound… it’s like Daddy’s car!”
Kamal (alarmed):
“That’s a military vehicle… didn’t you say your father’s a soldier?”
Zuhra (heart pounding):
“Yes… and if he finds out I’m here—”
Kamal:
“Stay calm… sit down… or hide—”
Zuhra:
“No. If I hide, it becomes two sins.”
Kamal:
“Zuhra—”
Zuhra (looking him in the eye):
“Thank you… for these ten minutes where I lived like a free woman. Whatever happens… today my heart finally breathed.”
She turns swiftly and walks away, leaving Kamal frozen, heart filled with uncertainty — and a heavy chill:
Has he just lost the chance he was beginning to have?
Off to the side, beneath a long wall known as the Chai Lounge, Zuhra and Kamal sit together — just the two of them. It feels like a dream — peaceful, undisturbed.
Zuhra is dressed in a glittering golden gown, radiating quiet confidence. Her face glows, as though she’s been waiting for this moment for a long time. Kamal wears a white t-shirt under a dark jacket. His eyes are fixed on her like someone who’s found the light after a long search in darkness.
Kamal (smiling, whispering):
“Honestly, I never thought you’d actually sit and listen to me like this… feels like this is only the second day since creation.”
Zuhra (smiling softly, looking down):
“You talk like we’ve known each other for years… But to be honest, I feel a strange calm when you’re around.”
Kamal (closing his eyes briefly):
“I’ve felt that way for a long time. I always watch you from afar, wondering how your beauty walks hand-in-hand with such composed grace. But today… with you sitting beside me, I feel weightless.”
Zuhra lifts her gaze. Their eyes meet. Silence follows.
Not the silence of sadness — but the kind that makes the heart beat to a rhythm, like music with no player.
Zuhra (in a low voice):
“Today I felt like my heart finally stopped running. I’ve been hiding for so long… afraid of the world. But you… you didn’t come with force. You came with words.”
Kamal leans in slightly, his gaze soft, as though he’s reading her soul.
His hand twitches, almost reaching for hers — but he pulls back. His heart speaks to him:
“Don’t rush, Kamal… don’t scare her.”
Suddenly, they hear the rumble of military vehicles.
Bam! Bam! Bam!!
The school grounds echo with the roar of heavy trucks. Sirens wail, and the stomping of soldiers’ boots fills the air.
Zuhra (stands quickly, fear in her eyes):
“Wait… that sound… it’s like Daddy’s car!”
Kamal (alarmed):
“That’s a military vehicle… didn’t you say your father’s a soldier?”
Zuhra (heart pounding):
“Yes… and if he finds out I’m here—”
Kamal:
“Stay calm… sit down… or hide—”
Zuhra:
“No. If I hide, it becomes two sins.”
Kamal:
“Zuhra—”
Zuhra (looking him in the eye):
“Thank you… for these ten minutes where I lived like a free woman. Whatever happens… today my heart finally breathed.”
She turns swiftly and walks away, leaving Kamal frozen, heart filled with uncertainty — and a heavy chill:
Has he just lost the chance he was beginning to have?
End of In the Depth of the Heart Chapter 25. Continue reading Chapter 26 or return to In the Depth of the Heart book page.