40: Shattered

7.9K 1.1K 152
                                    

11th May, 2017.
Ubud, Bali.
Muhsin stared at his reflection in the full length mirror as he hitched the buttons of his chambray shirt. He was staring at himself, yet he was lost in his thoughts. He was so lost thinking about what ifs that he didn't hear Hanan's endless salaams.

She analyzed him for short while before shaking her head and heaving a sigh. She closed the distance between then, standing just a step away from him.

"What is wrong?" She asked, helping him fasten the two upper buttons.

He closed his eyes and swallowed before opening them directly into hers. "Nothing." He answered softly.

She slowly blinked, her hand resting on his chest. "I am not that dumb anymore. So tell me."

That made him flash his pearly whites. "I am fine Hanan, I was just thinking about work. Trust me."

"Are you sure?" She asked with a small pout.

He nodded slightly, cupping her face with his palms. "Very sure my Queen. Come." He pulled her to his chest, wrapping his arms around her.

They stayed quite for a while, enjoying each other's warmth. As the saying goes, home is a feeling, and to both of them, that was home.

"I have something to tell you later on." Hanan mumbled, her head still rested on him, she could feel the sound of his heartbeat.

"We are both here and I am sure there is no one around to pry, you can tell me." He said, her head supporting his chin.

"Nope, later In Shaa Allah. Don't insist."

"Yes ma'am. I will patiently wait. I just hope it's good news."

"You will find out later." She uttered, closing her eyes.

"Later it is." He kissed her head before reverting back to his previous position. It was a moment of pure bliss. With her, everything was serene.
*******

Taro village, Ubud.
Bali has so much to offer, be it the pristine beaches, the iconic rice paddy fields, the rich cultural heritage, the stunning natural sceneries or the safari parks. The elephant safari park and lodge located in the mountain village of Taro, just north of Ubud in Bali's central highlands, is home to the largest herd of rescued Sumatran elephants in the world. And that was the second to the last place the family were staying for one day, one night before heading to Nusa dua where they were taking the flight back to their homes.

Hanan peeked through the window as their car made an entrance into the elephant safari park lodge. With all the outstanding buildings and greeneries, the place was a sight to behold. The ladies were so excited to get down and tour around while petting and admiring the gigantic beasts. But first, they had to check in and pray before any other thing. That didn't stop Hanan and Sameer from capturing some of the elephants that were standing few feet away from them with their phones.

Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Endless Summer🌞Where stories live. Discover now