Heartbeats [ON HOLD]

four | windchimes

✧❀ windchimes ❀✧

☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ:⠀ *⋆.*:･ﾟ .: ⋆*･ﾟ: .⋆☽

Medha doesn't know how she ended up here.

It's been three days since she last saw Noor at the market, three days since she last saw anyone at all, three days since she stepped out of the house because of her period that left her unable to move, but now, she's finally out of the house again.

Out of the house and right back into Elderwich Avenue.

In the time that she spent at home, she didn't speak to a single person— not because she didn't want to, but because she's always been one to sleep the day away when she's on her period. She didn't shower, didn't collect the newspapers that get dropped off at her doorstep every morning, didn't step out of her room.

That is, until someone knocked on her door.

In Farmond, no one knocks. If they have something to give you, they leave it at your doorstep. If they have something to say to you, they say it when they see you in public. If they need something from you, they either ask you in person or ask someone to convey the message.

No one knocks. 

Other than Noor, apparently.

At first, Medha didn't know who it was knocking at her door, so she left it alone, choosing to curl up under her blankets instead, warm tea melting away the ache in her stomach as she let the pain pass, as it always did. But then, the knocking grew more and more persistent, until Medha just huffed and begrudgingly stuck her head out of her window.

Only to find Noor excitedly waving up at her. 

Doing nothing but grinning from ear to ear, Noor had just said, "Don't worry, you don't have to get out of bed! I just wanted to say hello. So... Hello!"

To which Medha had croaked out a weak, "Hi?", her mind still catching up to her eyes which were staring directly at Noor's wide, toothy smile, refusing to shift their gaze to anything else.

"I'm leaving a..." Trailing off, Noor had frowned, holding up a single frayed envelope between two of her fingers. "I guess it's a letter? I just haven't spoken to you in a long time— if three days can be considered a long time— and I'm going to the mosque today, your house is on the way, so I thought I'd just pop by quickly!"

I can't read, Medha had wanted to say, had wanted to scream so desperately. It's not a matter of learning. I've tried to learn, and I wish it came as easy to me as baking or singing or knitting does, but it doesn't, so I don't think I can read your letter.

Still, she didn't say anything about it to Noor.

Not because she was ashamed, she's never really been embarrassed of this— she can't be when it's something that she has virtually no control over— but because the smile on Noor's face was so child-like and so full of glee that she couldn't possibly say anything that would wipe it off her face.

So, despite not being able to read much at all, she had replied with a small, "Thank you!" and an even smaller wave in response, wishing so desperately that she could get out of bed so that she could go see Noor in her entirety, and not just have to rely on her voice to imagine how her hands were fluttering around when she spoke.

"It's late, so I'll just—" Noor had paused, raising her hand up again, such that Medha could see it, and gesturing to her left. "I have to leave. But— feel better soon! And let me know what you think! Uh, about the letter, I mean. Bye!"