The Dark Shade Of Beirut

Ineffable Coincidence

Seeing her was just like seeing a masterpiece for the first time and knowing it would be my 
favorite… 
 
    I did not want to chase love, not at all, but at one point her eyes glowed up, and she totally ruined it.     
    When she looked at me, it was as if my heart skipped a beat, and when she laughed, it felt like the world stopped, leaving just the two of us to enjoy the earth together. 
 
     This is what falling in love was, like a story you never wanted to end. Now, I can't bear to lose it - lose this thing that made me feel so complete.  
 
   I started to go to that little cafe every day. Maybe I could find the girl who stole my mind and my heart from the first sight. 
    My foot had recognized the place more than my eyes did for the last ten days. It was approaching it day by day, to find the girl that I never wanted to lose. Yet she wasn’t even mine. I was so sad. I couldn't find her anymore.  
 
     I went out of the café sad, disappointed and hopeless, then walked back home. I felt like the world was unkind today, and  I wished I had someone to make it up for me… 
 
    I threw the keys on the sofa and closed the door of my apartment with a very exhausted mind. I went to my room, turned the music on, and laid down on the bed closing my eyes. 

  
     I feel like I'm haunted by the ghost of her beauty that is eating me inside.
    I feel that everything stopped moving... everything became lifeless ... boring and gloomy. 
 
     I opened my phone, and called my friend Zackaria to meet up in the evening, and he answered kindly, like usual.  
- “Heyyy Murad!!” 
- “Hey Zack, let's meet up at the evening.”
- “Sure, I will introduce you to my friends, so you meet new people here. Just be ready
around 8:00.” 
- “Okay, see you there!” 
 

    Around 8:00 pm, I was all ready by now. Wearing some fit pants, with black shirt and black leather jacket above it, I fixed my hair real quick at the mirror and grabbed my stuff to leave.   
 
    Twenty minutes later, Zack and I were at that same coffee shop I visit, seated with the company of his friends who were lovely just like him. We were exchanging random funny topics, but my mind was taken away, far away.  
 
   
     I laughed with them and pretended I was all ears, but in fact I was in my own little world. I looked around and spotted the place where that princess was sitting in back then. 

    I could recall the moment when her lips broke apart to laugh, when the expression on her face was all passionate and smiling tenderly to her friend, but mostly when her bright blue eyes met mine.  
 
    I shook my head with a small smile and raised my head up to see her in front of me, fingers intertwined with other man’s fingers. 

     My eyes winded and my lungs tightened inside me begging for air, for life to come back to them! She greeted us, all of us, including me.  
She stretched out her hand and said : 
- “I'm Mariya, nice to meet you!” 
- “I'm M…Murad, same as to you!” 
    But what that matters now. She’s in front of me holding hands with a guy that was supposed to be me?! 
 
    I acted like I didn't care, but inside I was melting, and continued as if I've never seen her 
before… 
 
    
    Few minutes later, a billow of laughter  filled the place when Mariya threw a joke. I laughed loudly, making those who were sitting there to look at these happy boys and girls.  
 
    Then, they were all listening to me while I was telling them my story about leaving my village and coming to Beirut. 
    Mariya said while looking at me with her gorgeous eyes:  
- “You're so weird, you left your family chasing your dreams here?!” 

I smiled at her and said:
- “Weird, yeah I am.” 

Then she said, looking at me in a charming look:  
- “And what do you do in life ?”