Ramadhan Muslim [COMPLETED]

Chapter 21: Perfect

That night

Farra had always loved the sunset. The reddish orange rays of sunlight bathed the Earth, touching the sand with its last rays of shine. The Sun was off for the day, and it's "goodbye" just as beautiful as its "hello". Yet, it still tries to lighten the sky with it's last rays of light, blessing earth dwellers with its love and mercy before the darkness of the sky falls.

Overlooking the sunset, a strangely familliar sillhoute stood at the edge of the lake. His back was turned away, facing the lake, as though he was trying to breathe in the calmness of the lake. His skeleton-like structure blocked the light from the Sun, just like his presence, which sucked away the peace from Farra's life. He ran his right hand through his thick, brownish hair, ruffling his soft mane.

As Farra inched closer, she stepped on a dead, fallen twig. Wrong move. The "scrunch" which escaped from beneath her feet startled the figure standing with his face turned away. He slowly turned, coming face-to-face with her. A small smirk formed on the edge of his lips, as though his eyes just spotted a prey.

His brown, intense eyes, held a venomous gaze. You would not guess how dangerous he was if it was not for his eyes. The innocence he tries to portray on his face opposes the raging fire in his eyes.

His eyes spat out venom of dominance. He was here, to show who was in control. To show who was in power. To show that he would do absolutely anything to keep her in his clutches.

But this time, Farra did not freeze in fear. She did not feel her fingers trembling, nor did her heartbeat quicken. She was calm and composed, ready to face the enemy staring right into her eyes.

"Hello again, Jo. I was waiting for this day," his gruff voice escaped his vocal cord.

She remained quiet, waiting for his next words. She stared straight at him, her gaze empty.

"Ready to be mine?"

"I will not, in million years, be yours, Vicky," she spoke, clear and firm.

"You did not realize it, do you? You have fallen into my trap, long before you knew it."

Farra's eyebrow scrunched in confusion. Her brain was reeling, with nerve impulses shooting across her skull, trying to make sense of his words.

His laughter broke the sheet of silence blanketing the sky. His voice rang in her eardrum, travelling through her cochlea, sending impulses to her brain.

She could feel red, neon light bulbs blinking in front of her eyes, sending signals translated as "WARNING, DANGER AHEAD!"

ARGHHHHHH!

She woke up from her sleep, panting and puffing. Her heart was beating in a pace too fast, it could jump out of her rib cage anytime. She tried to catch her breath, inhaling slowly, trying to calm her rushing nerves.

"IN, OUT, IN, OUT"

Slowly, her breath became even, and it even felt a tad bit fresher her lungs filled with oxygen. She tapped her iPhone, on which the picture of a timepiece appeared.

4.00 a.m.

Her mouth felt like cardboard. It needed some liquid to hydrate the taste buds hiding in plain sight. She stepped into the toilet, washed her face and brushed her teeth.

"Perhaps I could just do sahur now," she thought to herself.

She walked towards the wooden side table and grabbed her shawl. She draped it around her head. She traced her steps towards the refrigerator, and pulled at the door. She wrapped her fingers around the handle of a mug, and poured some cold water into the mug. Her throat felt refreshed after being bathed by a stream of chilled water.

"AHH, water tastes the best," she thought to herself.

Suddenly, her eyes noticed a shining, plastic cup. The cup held a beige-coloured liquid with small, pearly bubbles sitting at the bottom. A purple cloud which read "tealive" embellished the middle of the cup. A purple straw stuck out from its center. She could not resist the sight of the drink, although she was acutely aware of the sugar content of the drink.

Boba

As if on impulse, her fingers snatched the drink from the belly of the fridge and slurped it.

Damn, it was amazingly delicious.

At that instant, her brain snapped at something. She tried to recall how was there a cup of Boba in the fridge. Yesterday, they had their meal at Mohd Chan Seafood Restaurant. Then, they rode back home. On their way, they came across a boba shop. Eiden wanted a cup of boba for himself, though he knew he stomach could not take it. After a round of bashing from Bella, he got himself a cup of Signature Pearl Brown Milk Tea.

As they expected, he could not finish, and proceeded to chuck it in the fridge instead.

"Did I just drink Eiden's cup of boba? Ewwwwwww," Farra thought to herself. Her face scrunched up in disgust, while she slowly put the cup where it belonged.

EWWWWWWW!

Farra chose to not eat sahur, instead headed straight to her room. While walking, her ears caught a very familiar voice floating in the air. It was the soft voice of a man reciting the Quran, slow and steady. His soft voice held a rhythm so sweet, it was music to the ears of anyone listening. His recitation matched the beauty of the voice of Sheikh Mishary Al-Afasy, and that voice was reciting Surah Ar- Rahman.

"Ar-Rahmaaannn. 'Allamal Quraaannn."

Farra felt something melting. Then she realized it was her heart. (CHEESYYYY!)

Farra turned to see who's heavenly voice belonged to, and noticed that it came from the door left ajar, right next to her own door. She could not help herself from stepping closer to the door, and peep inside.

She shouldn't have done that.

That was because Eiden was inside, standing on a prayer mat, wearing an orange Baju Melayu top and a sarong. His back was turned away from Farra, but his silhouette is surely that of Eiden. His head was lowered, and his hands were in between his chest and belly.

"Khalaqal insaana 'allamahul bayaannnn"

His soft, soulful recitation floated through the air, just like a soft melody from the keys of a piano drifting through the air. Farra was captivated by the voice, for it held magic like no other. The sweet, subtle voice melted Farra's heart, just like a scoop of ice cream, melting from the heat of the Sun, dripping through the fingers holding it.

It took her some time to realise that this voice, was the same voice that recites Quran at the mosque she goes to. It was the same voice that belongs to the Imam who conducts the Taraweeh prayers.

It was the same voice.

The revelation shocked her, because neither Bella nor Imam Amir mentioned anything about it to her. That was perhaps why Eiden would always be on time for Taraweeh prayers, and would not step out of the mosque without finishing twenty rakaah.

How amazing!

Farra did not expect the person who showed her much care and concern, was also the person who is virtually perfect.

In her eyes.

Farra slowly walked back into her room, closing the door behind as slow as possible, as to not disturb Eiden. She did not expect Eiden to be an Imam. She did not expect the owner of the voice whom she silently adored lived right next to her.

She did not expect it at all.

Love strikes at the wrong time
In the wrong place, the wrong person
But when it strikes
It strikes without warning

And when it strikes
It leaves you in a daze
And brings you to a land
With much magic
Enough to hypnotise you
With its beautiful voice