~|-|-●-○-D-€-D~ ✔

Being a successful editor for five awarding years, motivating and supporting young bibliophiles, to have a chance to author themselves made me complete in my career.

Oh! It's my intro right. Well, I'm Inayat, Editor of Tiny Crinkles publication & me a writer myself. I inspire others as much as I could. A night owl and all little sarcastic abouts of me could only be countenanced by my three friends: Zayn, Zoya and Yaris.

Amidst the soothing gusty humid morning in the early working hours of the city, I rushed through the roads of Mumbai to reach my world. Yes of course my work and my friends are my world & being a late birdie was never so easy for me to be on my time. Yet my driving skills saved me though...
Glad to see my watch struck to the exact time of office start-up & me on my desk with hot lemon tea on my grip, watching out the drizzles made me feel that it's going to be a great start of the month.

Brushing through my what abouts of the day & doings in order, I started my usuality with love.
Everything was the same as any day until I got a gaze of a |-|●○d€d figure that sends me chills down my spine & all I could do is: dodge it...
I could still spot him thereafter 15 mins and him staring at me made it to a perfect halt completely.

Yet I mustered up my courage and resumed to shift the glance, at which I noted him pointing to me so clearly as I could grasp and I started gasping as deep as I could.

I suddenly held Yaris and told her the happening & heard her,
'Is it ?... Where?'
And me spotting the direction,
Yaris: 'What? There's nothing there.'

Her words just made that gasp deepen even more. When I was about to throw a look, Zoya patted me & looked blank at my miotic eyes and Yaris explained to her. She said
'Don't worry Ina! our building has windows that are masked on another side. Don't bother dear.'

I didn't even allow her to finish. I just squeezed her out and they both comforted me then on...

Later that night I could sense the snaps repeat on my clumsy mind, yet l brushed it aside and chose to watch Harry Potter 3 to put myself calm. But, the scene of Harry & a Dementor on the Hogwarts Express just clenched my thoughts so tight & a lump heavied my throat... I started to shrivel up like a nut and I could not even stand it when it started to buffer and repeated the scene on and on.

I felt the urge to move out, fetch some water but all I could do was try to control my shaking phantom... Shit! I never thought I would get this worse.
On my way to the table, I could see.
...
..
Yes!!
..
...
Another |-|○●d€d figure...
And that's it.
Ready 1... 2... 3...
I just fell to the ground ready to scream. All I could witness is that what I saw was my own shadow. Kudos! For this brainless act of mine.

I mustered up the courage and got to my table and grabbed some water for myself and when I gulped down some of it, I could witness again something like a whisk of black smoke and a person with a hood rose out.
The next thing was,
CRICK...!!
My glass fell and water spilt and I sweated with loads of thoughts running on my mind.

I cursed myself for not able to see what's real & felt like I'm hacked on my brain but suddenly I ran to my switchboard to turn on the light.
Ufff..! It burst... 😰
Then I could see so many gleams of hooded people on my walls from each direction.

What? Is this my end? What am I going through? Why me? Out of so many people out there! What have I done?

I could not get on my next move. I couldn't even dare to speak or get my adrenaline rush to save me.
Shit! It should never happen to anyone else, I thought.

My heart burst when a hoody squeezed me tight from my back.
So that's it. I started to lose my grip on my nerves but could sense the warmth that's not new to me.
With that little strength of knowledge, I gave a twisted turn and locked the person and suddenly.

I couldn't see anything else because of the full flash of all my home lights been turned on at that very moment. When I dared to open my lids I could see people with smiles gifts and giggles there in front of me. People that I know, people who are meant to be mine were standing there.
It was Zoya, the one who tugged me tightly. Oops..! Should that be too scary?

I cried out don't know whether it's fear or anger or sorrow or happiness...I just cried but this time with relief and a real warmth...
I could see all my dear friends & colleagues shouting out to me

🎉🎊🥳🍺🥳🎊🎉
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY INAYAT..!!"
🎉🎊🥳🍺🥳🎊🎉

I thanked them and hugged my people. The celebration went really well with paper-pops, cake and candle, of course, my people singing for me.

💗...Happy birthday to you...happy birthday to you...💗
🎉🎊🥳.....🥳🎊🎉

After that, I opened all presents that were lined up with loads of sweets on my mouth and enjoying my blissful day, well yeah it's night though.
I couldn't still connect any of my dots.
So I collected my bunch to the corridor and asked them what was their exact plan.

They kept mum. So was I.
Then Zayn gave me a parcel asking me to open it. In a suspenseful moment, I opened it in no time to feel a black thing folded in it. No. Not now...

But yes..! It was a black |-|●○d, same as the one I saw on that day, at my first counter. Gripping it, I threw them a blank look.

Then,
Yaris: 'Ah! Little baby, we know that you fear dark and mystery even if you were a bold chunk so... we thought we would make you get out of your fear and that's it. Chill na. But, never thought you would jerk on the projector thing. I mean, that smokey thingie and it was Zayn, the one you saw that day!'

Me: Well!! not so funny. Who's plan is this?

Together all gave a twisty look and exclaimed...

'...It's us!...'🤯

All I could do was huddle them and feel the togetherness and let my happiness fill me on.

So true!! I have these idolizing friends as mine. The best gift ever. I'm still not sure whether I'm out of my fear.
Yet I have my strength and all I could feel is,
I have people who will face it along with me.

Above all, it's the real strength that we need in our lives...✍
Isn't it?

♋🔅❤🔅♋