Doodles has a Facebook page...

And yes now you can follow up on all the news and start discussions on the Doodles' facebook page. 


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Here's the link to the page, it'd be absolutely awesome if you could pay it forward and get those silent readers to like the page as well. 


Oh for those who are waiting for a new chapter. I will hopefully be posting on Sunday next week, as I'm pretty overwhelmed with a lot for now. 


So click like on the top right of the webpage, for now... 

Rummy's Doodles on Y-Magazine

And the blog made it to Y - Magazine, the biggest exposure I've gotten so far. I have to give big Thanks to Karima Farid for seeing the potential in me and giving Rummy's Doodles the chance to get known. I'm glad that the blog is getting what it needs, more readers and fans of the characters. 


For those who joined or started reading the blog or heard about it from Y. A very big welcome and hope you enjoy the stories and get attached to them, the way I am to them. 


With no further a due, the article <3 

*If it's not clear you can click on Y-Magazine at the top, to take you to the link

Sun & Moon: Chapter Nine

'I Still Love You' 

She read it over and over again. She remembered his voice and the way he used to repeat it near her ear as she blushed and moved away shyly. She remembered his accent, that captivating Eastern accent which managed to always make her smile. She recalled how stylish he wore his dishdashas along with the Omani Kemma tilted to the side. She reminisced on how exquisite he always smelt; the typical heavy Arabian perfume mixed with the manly Hugo Boss for men; his signature scent. She took a deep sniff only for her to take in the musty dry air in the library. Sanaa felt lost in between fantasy and reality. She found herself astray, her defenses were breaking down one at a time the moment she saw the confession wall. Sanaa was speechless unable to comprehend why her life had to be so cruel. She didn’t understand why she had to let him in her life. She didn’t know why she allowed him to step on her soul and spirit. She couldn’t get how he still had power and reign of her heart. She smiled as she read it, but soon enough the grin changed into anger. ‘How dare he?’ she told herself as she pushed back the flap and rolled up her sleeves. It was time for the confrontation she never gathered the courage to have. It was time for her to erase what she had tried years to reduce to nothing. Placing her perfectly manicured claret ruby painted nails on the keys; she took a deep breath and began typing.

Throughout life, I never was happier than I was with you. It was good times, happy times. Times that I wished would never end. But now? Now there’s nothing but hatred and bitterness left. How dare you say that you love me when all you tried and strived to do in years was hurt me. We have no future together, that was your words and that was your choice. You can’t do this to me anymore. I won’t end up crawling back to you like I have over and over. Not when I have forgotten about you and your filthy ways. After all that has been said and done, I have forgiven you but would never forget and will always thank you for making me stronger, braver and fearless. Good luck with your life.

Pressing Enter, an immediate relief and weight was lifted off her shoulders. It was the very first time Sanaa conveyed what she wanted to say after that dreadful horror night. It was two years since it happened, and Sanaa never seemed to forgive herself on why it did. It was a night that changed the way she was forever. She could see him responding and writing a message for her, but Sanaa wasn’t interested in knowing what he had to say. She had had enough of his sweet talk and it was time to wipe him out of her life for good. She was meant for great things, and being bitter and sour wasn’t an obstacle she wanted to face anymore. ‘I am destined for great things. I am destined for remarkable things. I am destined for noble things’ she told herself as she clicked on the delete contact icon. She smiled a wide grin as the pop up read CONTACT DELETED. For once in her life, she never bothered on what the other person had to offer or say. She felt in control of her situation; a power that she rarely had. She felt lighter, jovial and tranquil. Sanaa never felt such liberation that it felt extraordinary. She was free like a bird. Stretching her hands, she looked up to the gold decorated ceiling and released a loud laugh. She laughed louder as if she was a child being showered with glitter. ‘Thank You’ she thanked the power above for giving her the strength to do what she couldn’t ages ago. 

Sanaa stayed looking up for what seemed another hour; content and relaxed while contemplating on the artwork of the library’s ancient ceiling. Beautiful drawings of horses and epic landscape painted in gold, green and brown. It was a peaceful sight, a sight that was perfect to indulge in after what she has been through. ‘A new chapter’ she thought, ‘A new life’ she smirked as if the ceiling was a human being watching over her.  It was growing darker and even the lights were going off. It was the librarian closing off all the lights before clearing his throat, indicating it was time for them to close. ‘Ready to leave beautiful lady? ’ his voice made absolute serenity so close by as she looked into his eyes. She smiled nodding her head. ‘Let me help you out’ Bastiaan said in a soothing voice. Smiling Sanaa handed over the now shut laptop to him, so he would pack it back into the black leather laptop bag.

Heading out of the library, the sky was an amazing deep shade of indigo; shadowy and dark, with the orange yellow street lights illuminating the streets and canal. The breeze blowing in Sanaa’s face felt like it was washing off all those tears she once cried because of a broken heart. She felt fresh and lively, Sanaa smiled the widest smile she had in a very long time; it was a genuine happy smile and not the one she expertly pulled off to show that she was at ease and content. As they walked side to side with their laptop bags hitting each other, they enjoyed the music coming from a familiar place to him. It was his favorite spot to enjoy some hearty food and soulful jazz music. Bastiaan smiled as the tempo changed to something that would alleviate him in an instant; a Coldplay song. ‘Oh’ Sanaa grew in shock as her mind registered that her favorite song was playing. Sanaa grew with joy. ‘It’s a sign’ she said out loud to him. Bastiaan surprised tried to understand if what she was trying to say was what he had in his mind the whole time. ‘It’s a sign that life will be great from now on’ she said as she picked up pace walking past him. ‘EVERYTHING WILL BE OKAY’ Sanaa screamed at the top of her lungs as she rushed to the inn. Bastiaan followed her but soon paused. He was petrified. He had heard of how most women in Oman wouldn’t accept to go out with a foreigner. He had heard all the rejection stories his brother went through while in the GCC, and he surely knew his fate would be the same one. But Sanaa came back as if she realized what was in his head. She approached him and reached out for his hand. She looked up to his face and said ‘See I usually don’t do this but…’ she paused as Bastiaan’s hopes felt like they were getting flushed away.  ‘But…’ she paused again as she looked at his shoes, keeping him in suspense ‘ But… I am over the moon right now, so would you join me for dinner?’ she beamed like a beacon as she saw his face lighten up. Bastiaan’s nervousness was somewhat gone, he then was certain of what he kept telling his friends all along; that the Omani girl was different, unique and a breath of fresh air. 

Sun & Moon: Chapter Eight

The oud music at the background was amusing her senses, she felt stuck in a time zone as the music tingled her ears. She felt as if she was in her grandfather’s living room when he played the oud serenading his wife. It was a daily feast whenever they visited them. Her grandmother used to smile and always blush as her love took the wooden instrument into his hand and started moving his fingers against the strings. It was heavenly as Sanaa looked at the pure love they both shared; it made her always hope for such a union to comfort her like a cushion on the sofa. She smiled as the chattering increased and took her back to where she was. It was the entertainment segment of the poetry night, which was captivating. The heavy Arabic lyrics to their even magnificent grand meaning shook her to the core, it was all about love, passion and devotion; the themes of the night.

'I play the oud you know?'

Her phone buzzed in her hand as she read the message. She frowned as the sender was a phone number and not a registered contact in her phonebook. She tried asking her friends if they knew the phone number only for them to have the same surprised reaction. ‘I think he’s mistaken’ they told her confidently as they carried on with their conversations. Shrugging her shoulders, she decided to put her phone back into her backpack only for it to vibrate before she had the chance. As she took a look at her old borrowed Nokia phone, the one she got from her mother, she noted all the scratches her phone screen had, and secretly wished if she would break it into two. ‘Maybe then, they’d get me the Bluetooth colored screen phone I want’ she thought but for her thoughts to get interrupted again with the vibration. 

‘Sanaa don’t ignore me please’ 

She felt her heart skip a beat. She grew silent as she looked at her phone again. She tried to see if what she understood was indeed correct. Is it a guy? Does he want something from me? What is it that he wants? ‘No no’ she said it out loud convincing herself that it must be a prank her friends are pulling on her. While the oud music still played, the tempo shifted to a song which got her to look at the musician. It was the one her grandfather always played, her favorite oud piece from Abu Bakr Salim. She felt uplifted; her heart at ease and at peace, it felt like a warm blanket engulfed her, keeping her safe and sound. It made her forget what she was thinking of as she travelled yet again to that place, to that living room with the yellow sofa set, the small old television from the 70s resting on wooden high table and the antique furniture which was timeless. It took her to where she always used to sit, on the floor leaning on the cold beige oil painted wall. Sanaa remained there at the front of the stage for the entire duration of the song. She never took note on how she walked from the seats away from her friends to the front of the podium.  And suddenly the music stopped, it was quiet with only chattering of a few people. Sanaa got burst out of the bubble she was in. She was back to reality to where she really was; on the green grass clasping her dry rough hands. She was smiling as she reminisced on her late grandmother's memory but now she was laughing out hard as she looked at how everyone else were pointing at her. It was her embarrassment mechanism; she would laugh to tears just to lighten up the tension she felt in her head. Walking back to her friends’ seating area, the phone vibrated yet again.  

‘Momkin net3araf?’ 

It felt like music to her ears, like her prayers were answered, like the song was a sign that someone would love her the way she saw her grandmother adored.

‘It's pretty intense eh?’ he interrupted her thoughts while resting his hand on her shoulder. He could feel her pain; he could sense that something horribly wrong happened to her as she gazed on the letter H. She brushed her fingers on it, as goose bumps began crawling onto her skin. She couldn’t help but linger on the inscription at the very end of the right corner.

I’ll love you to eternity H. 

She said those words before. She meant every letter and every word which made it impossible to bare the truth that she always will. She closed her eyes shut in an attempt to block the Abu Baker Salim song which now carried nothing but bitter memories. She walked away pressing her hand against the wall, the cold harsh wall. The wall that awoken senses she tried hard to forget about; the wall that reminded her about the cruelty of passion and love. The confession wall which made her reality for today far worse than she would have thought it would be. She walked away wishing she could just demolish the walls she built inside because of him. She hoped and prayed, as tears started stinging her eyes, for the feelings to go away.

It was increasingly quiet and dim as more people left the designated study cubicles and called it a day. The cubicles were wooden and very old fashioned like. It would be the perfect accessory had it was featured in a nineteenth century themed movie. The wooden chairs that matched the desk only missed a pot of ink and a feather pen to look epic. At the very far corner of the room was the only spot which had its lamp lights on. Scribbled sheets of paper and yellow post-its covered the entire desk along with two laptops that were placed at the very end. Bastiaan engrossed in books and papers was almost a light year away as his face came together in a manner where several fine lines shaped on his forehead. He was busy scribbling away and jotting down methods and ideas for his research topic. Sanaa on the other hand, just sat and stared at him working. She was retired for the day and was simply awaiting Bastiaan to finish off and rest his brain. She so wished she could interrupt him and beg him to leave but seeing him engrossed into the subject reminded her how rude it would be if she simply did. She remembered how her mom would barge into her room when she tried to concentrate or when her dad would call her out of the blue asking if she needed help studying. She remembered how hard it would be for her to regain the momentum of coming with ideas and words. She remembered how she despised such people who never thought of others and interrupted, so she decided to pull her laptop close to her and dig up what the cyber world had to offer, just to kill time.

Pressing the typical Alt, Shift, and Delete button, she unlocked her computer and typed in her password, the window brightened up as she clicked on internet explorer to check her hotmail account. There was nothing interesting in her eyes since most of them were forwards she received from her aunt; amateur beginners in cyber space who recently learnt the meaning of the forward button. Hearing grunts and groans from Bastiaan as he disapproved some article he was reading, she looked up to see him consumed and focused. His hair screamed out for help from the constant finger combing and his eyes seemed tired and smaller than they usually were. She giggled silently as she was bemused by his appearance; it was priceless. She couldn’t help contain her laugh when he started biting his tongue as if he was chewing gum, it was his focus mechanism, the way he got things done, by rolling his tongue left and right and savoring on its hardness when he chewed. Overhearing her giggles, he looked into her eyes sharply and furiously. He didn’t appreciate that Sanaa was making him lose focus, he wanted to be done with his literature research for the day and her laughs weren’t helping. ‘Please’ he said in a way his eyes popped out of their socket urging her to be quiet, and if that wasn’t enough he started motioning for her to keep it down and remain quiet. ‘Sorryyy’ she said in a desperate attempt to curb her laughter. Turning her attention to her metallic black laptop, her obvious grin subsided remarkably and got replaced with a pale complexion. She sensed shivers as she saw the pop up Instant Messaging window. She felt her heart throb out of its place as her eyes grew wider. With her breathing growing deeper, the feelings came back rushing again; her resentment, her anger, her sadness, and her pain; they crawled back and found its place again in her heart, in her being. She couldn’t get her head around what was happening. Why now? She wondered. Why after all this? Her head kept searching for answers to keep her calm and get her to understand, but she couldn’t find any when she looked at the sky blue window and the email address at its top. She remembered how once upon a time catching a glimpse of the email address gave solace and peace, she remembered how once upon a time her smile would grow wider as the pop up greeted her whenever she signed in, she remembered how her day would revolve around her being in front of the laptop consumed by sweet beautiful thoughts of a bright colorful future. Her future was now dull, dim and lacked the luster she always hoped she’d have when she was 25. Sanaa spent what seemed like an eternity just reading each single character from hell_boy83@hotmail.com . She felt a pinch of sharp pain as she swallowed and read the three lettered nickname HAS.

9aba7 el kheir ya 7elow

9aba7 el noor

So how was class today?

It was pretty cool, super informative, I just loved class

Right, I wouldn’t for the life of me find class pretty cool

Lol

Not funny am serious

And I didn’t laugh, just surprised

Aha okay, so any plans today sweetness

No not really, the usual stuff

Don’t even complete the sentence.

Haha why not?

I know you’ll go to the library the entire day, I don’t even know why I asked that question

Hahaha you’re funny

Okay I gotta go now, will text you once am free

Okay good luck with management class

Wow you already memorized my schedule

Well what can I say, I have a super high processing brain

Lol now that was funny

She remembered how casual her conversations with him were, how a calming effect would overcome her whenever she felt low or down, and how her stomach would be filled with butterflies every single time he typed down her name.  A sudden nudge got her to yet again face that hurt which surfaced after her long attempt of burying it.

‘So you won’t talk to me?’ The second line of the conversation read and Sanaa couldn’t help but for the salty drops gathering at the corners of her eyes to release and crawl down her cheeks. She tried to ignore, she wanted to, heck she had to. ‘No never will I talk to you’ she said to herself quietly and ignoring him. Reaching out to the top flap of her laptop, she had the intention of closing off everything and leave, but fate had other plans for her. Like the way it had destined her to be sitting on the wooden chair in a foreign country, facing someone engrossed in his books which she knew nothing about. It was fate that lead her to this life. The same fate which broke her to pieces, and cry her eyes out. The same fate that brought the one typing her an instant message into her life.   

‘But I still Love You’ the message popped out in a large black Arial font; the way Sanaa liked her IMs to be.  

Sun & Moon: Chapter Seven

'Come beautiful.  I'll show you around' he whispered in her ear. Nodding her head, she carried her embroidered laptop bag with the front flap reading her name, in beautiful silky silver threading, and followed him. 'Okay, I'll show you a secret place where no one can disturb you' his deep voice made its way to her ear drum. Taking her by the hand, she walked behind him and followed him to the stairs. 'This is where all the goths meet up' he pointed out while rolling out his eyes to an area near the stairs. Sanaa imagined how the empty seats and tables would be occupied by black dressed girls with heavy black eyeliners and those pair of skinny jeans the men would adorn; those super popular skinnies back home. She shook her head on the thought of skinny jeans pressing tight against the nonexistent thighs of those men, and the obscene over the top hairdos. She shook her head again trying to shed off the thought and continued walking behind Bastiaan. With one step after the other, Sanaa took a glimpse of how fashionable his shoes were; mosaic cappuccino brown shoes with hints of black velvet fabric. The silence along with the gush of warm air from the heating made the atmosphere comfy and pleasant. The fragrant musky auburn wood stairs were glossy and polished. As Sanaa climbed the stairs, a sense of comfort came over her, not only because she made the perfect choice of wearing her suede flats but as the day progressed, it was turning out to be a lovely one as she predicted.  'I'll show you a place that's very secretive' he pulled her to him with an assuring smile as their solid shoe heels clucked against the hard wooden surface continuing their way to the top. Getting to the top, after several flights of stairs, the place was too quiet that it felt daunting and scary. A sudden panic overcame Sanaa as she tried to let go off his hand and run out the other way as fast as possible. Turning around and looking into her eyes, Bastiaan tried calming her down by saying those two precious words every single cartoon or romantic movie abused; ‘Trust me’. Sanaa tried to find the tranquility she once felt but only for her to become jumpy and scared even more. It seemed dark for a moment around her until the rays of light managed to peep in between to brighten the room. It suddenly seemed less intimidating than it was. She felt herself struggling with her inner self; she wanted to let loose and trust that nothing would happen but she couldn’t allow herself to go through those emotions again. As she stood frozen still, she noticed a bookshelf which was distinct from the others.  It seemed older than the rest; its oak dark wood chipped shelves, and the aged rustic color giving warmth that only an old person would give out. It seemed to talk to her, to tell her that it had stories to share and tales she would love to hear. There was something she couldn't describe, a chemistry, that pulled Sanaa towards the bookshelf. There was something secretive about it, and she felt compelled to find out what it was.

As the air around her became alluring, Sanaa made her move to the old bookshelf at the very back end of the room. The silence was overwhelming; she only could hear her breathing and the soles of her shoes tapping on the surface. Bastiaan remained still as he watched her discover what he wanted to show her all along. The way her hair bounced and rested on the small of her back got him to remember how beautiful her scent was and how her eyes made him feel lost. The corners of his mouth made its way into a smile; his eyes grew brighter, his smile lines and crow feet were evident and his teeth were as flashing as they always have been. He wanted to tell her the story behind the old bookshelf but decided not to after seeing her vanish from his sight; she was at the back of the standing oak wood.  Walking past it, she saw the books; the fiction books that not many people were interested in anymore, the philosophy books that weren’t appealing, and the unpopular novels which had a small audience to none. But that wasn't what got her consumed; it was the wall behind the bookshelf. It was the off white manila patchy wall which was in a serious need of a paint job. It was the wall which was interesting as it was. She noted how colorful it seemed to be when she grew closer; hints of black, blue, red, pink and so many other colors occupying the wall. She walked even closer to have a clear picture of what those colors were.  Taking a deep breath, she composed herself grasping her chunky jacket belt and started making out what those colors were. Frown lines started gathering on her forehead as she started to read; writings, doodles and scribbles of different colors, fonts and handwritings.

I love you

A loves T

You are the reason I breathe  <3

Ik Hou Van Jou

Mijn schatje is Dan

I had a dream and you were in it

 I wish I could tell you how I feel

I hate you for making me feel the way I do

RIP my love. You’ll always be in my heart forever

I LOVE YOUUUU

Those were some of the writings on the wall. She started reading and some were poems, some were simple reasons as to why they fell victim to those sensations and some were about heartbreak. Sanaa's heart sunk from pain, when she realized the grand magnificent wall was a confession wall; confessions of something she once had, something she once cherished and something she lost. They were confessions of love.

Black and white was filling the space, crowded flocks of people were surrounding the clear area in between the two buildings. The water flowing in beautiful shapes and forms from the fountain made the view even more spectacular. The beige contrasts of the building around along with the colorful peach tiles gave an added abstract to the afternoon's events. The sky was clear and the sun was bright, the light breeze gave solace to the ever growing crowd. White Dishdashas and black abbayas fluttered with the wind and the loud music gave the previous static silence life. Chattering could be heard in between musical pauses here and there. Green, red, metallic grey were some of the colors of the cars placed around. The shouts from the Taekwondo team filled the air while displaying their acrobatic talents. It was one of those rare moments when all walks of life came together to relish on the annual Marketing Group Open Day in Sultan Qaboos University. The marketing group always made it impressive no matter how big the previous year’s event was. It was the event of all events for the university’s students.

Sanaa along with her friends were around enjoying the atmosphere, taking in the delight of having the attention of a few men. Sanaa was definite that those flirting were looking at her  strikingly pretty elegant friends and not on her. She always envied their sense of style; beautifully curled lashes, striking defined lined eyes, rosy cheeks and an effortless hint of bronzer along with sheer gloss. Their outfits and abbayas were top notch and absolutely chic to perfection. And the heels were the ones she always wished she could have only for her mother to put her down and buy her those plastic cheap sandals from Muttrah souq. She hated how she looked and how she stood out like the ugly duckling from the rest of her friends. It made her wonder what really made her part of this glam group when she literally stood out as different. With her short abbaya showing her longer than usual cheap torn jeans at the bottom, she clasped her backpack and fixed her headscarf which she never knew how to wear along with the 1 Rial sunglasses she got as a bargain from the local shop next door to their house. She still felt incomplete and ungraceful, so she opted to do something she always did to diminish those thoughts of being shabby; finishing off her look by wearing her confident smile, the one feature that never let her down. Moving around the crowd, they headed to the cars exhibition which involved different famous brand names. Sanaa along with some of them headed to the Mistubishi brand just to look around since it was the least crowded. ‘Let’s finish this area first then head to Mercedes’ they all seemed to agree that it was the wise decision to do at that point.

Walking to the Mistubishi stand which had a few spectators, the girls opened the door to one of  the cars and made themselves comfortable inside. ‘Ya Allah what car is this? ’ Sanaa bluntly said. ‘Shu? It’s a car’ her friend replied back. ‘Can we just go? It’s an awful car and I can’t stand it’ Sanaa voiced her opinion loudly. It was the same exact car, her family owned and she hated how the air conditioner never cools in this dessert heat. She hated how the color would just chip with a simple scratch. Most of all, she hated all the fights that happened between her parents because of the car. ‘I’m leaving’ she said as she tried to open the door.

‘Laish kel hatha?’ a white dishdasha started approaching her.  Sanaa in surprise turned around to look at her friends shocked. They motioned to leave the car but Sanaa got stopped with questions. ‘Why don’t you like the car? It didn’t do anything to you’ he stood in between her and her escape from the vehicle, which did nothing but rejuvenate those memories of the car in her head. ‘Bes. I don’t like it’ she replied back uninterested. ‘7aram 3alaish there should be a reason’ he said opening the door for her. ‘NO. I just don’t like its air conditioning’ she paused as she noted how frustrated, annoyed and loud her voice raised while getting out of the car. ‘It never cools’ she said lowering her voice politely as she stood in front of him. A huge shadow was blocking the bright sun from hitting her eyes; she noticed how she seemed like a dwarf compared to him. He was of average height but Sanaa was 4 feet 9 inches making most average height men seem like giants in her eyes.  Sanaa felt the heat flushing her cheeks; she never understood why she suddenly felt shy. Was it his towering frame over her or was it the Eastern accent of Sur that rolled out from his tongue when he said ‘Mashallah’ in admiration of her beautiful rounded eyes as her loose sunglasses dropped before she was able to catch them. Looking away, she bent quickly to pick them up before he was able to do the gentleman gesture of picking them up for her.  

With a quick maneuver, her sunglasses remained back intact blocking out her eyes again. Sanaa managed this time around to catch a glimpse of the almond shaped eyes of his and the long striking nose. He had chubby cheeks which looked adorable on his round shaped face and his smile, even though small, was sweetening to the air of her lungs. She smiled back and abruptly walked away urging her friends to leave. ‘Wait’ he screamed out as they started making their way to the Mercedes stall. ‘Do you girls drive?’ he asked as they turned around to face him.

‘Yes I do’

 ‘Yeah I drive’

 ‘Aiwa akeed’

‘Duhhhh of course’

One by one they all replied back with affirmative answers. But when it came to Sanaa she became mute with only a nod as a reply to the question. She officially lied in university campus for the first time. ‘Really? You drive?’ her friends looked at her surprisingly.  She didn’t have any other alternative, when all she wanted was to seem cool and acceptable. She silently kept blaming her parents who always postponed getting her the learner's permit by telling her the usual response ‘Inshallah’. 

‘Great, you can fill in these forms for the raffle draw and as well an opportunity for you to enjoy a test drive tomorrow’ he started giving out the raffle coupons. ‘Here are some pens, you can fill them now’ he said. They started filling in the coupons which asked for their name, phone number and email address.  A few minutes later and Sanaa and her friends went ahead enjoying the rest of their day with blissful music and an even serene poetry night.  

Sun & Moon: Chapter Six (Part II)

Getting up suddenly from her bed, her breathing was shallow. She was petrified from what she saw, her hands were shivering, and her heart was beating like the sound of the drum. Tears made their way to the corner of her eyes; the pain which haunted her wasn't something she was able to heal. Taking a deep breath, she walked away from her nightmare and decided to embrace Saturday morning like she always did.

Sliding off the door, she got jolted with the coldness freezing surface of the tiles. They were frosty white and flawless. The white bathroom was spotless, pallid with hints of rosy ornaments adding a subtle tranquil feeling. The pink roses on the white shower curtains seemed to invite her, to take her in for that hug and embrace she needed. Reaching out to the left tap, Sanaa was ready to drown all her worries and anxiety away. The warm water soothed her as the hard drops hit her skin, it was therapeutic and consoling, making her sigh in relief. She grabbed her hot pink loofa to wash it all away. ‘A fresh morning, a lovely day and a fantastic evening’ she kept repeating it to herself as she felt purified from the dirt she once upon a time felt. With a towel wrapped around her petite body, she looked at herself in the mirror and barely recognized who she was; the bags under her eyes were obvious, the dark circles were taking over her flawless complexion and her bloodshot eyes would tell anyone that she has had rough nights without sound sleep. Reaching out to the mirror, she tried to block the view; she couldn't tolerate how she looked like. It reminded her of how she used to be and asserted, even more, the reason why she chose to leave everyone behind to start anew. The water was still drizzling, creating puddles around her now clean and dewy body; Sanaa started thinking of a solution. Looking at the cherry wooden desk which doubled as her dressing table, she hurriedly grabbed her expensive Dior foundation and dabbed a heavy amount on her face; she wanted to look bedazzling, stunning and breathtaking. She wouldn't accept anything less than that.  She smiled as those signs, which would make anyone pity her, almost disappeared from her face. Sanaa was positive she was going to wear and show off her confidence like she would when she carried a Chloe bag or strutted in her classic Zara heels.   

It was a fresh Saturday morning, the dew drops sat beautifully on the leaves and grass just waiting for the perfect amount of heat to vaporize it. The town was quiet, everyone chose to retreat and relax on Saturday. It was time to recuperate and relax from the week's exhaustion. It was time to spend with family and friends or just stay lazy in bed all day. But that wasn't anything of what Sanaa did on a Saturday morning. She would grab her expensive Nikon camera which she bought from her first saving after school; her most prized possession. She wouldn't leave a Saturday without catching the early morning in all its glory. She craved to portray every single thing she would feel here through photographs. Sanaa wanted to safe keep each and every memory of this place before she left. It was only a couple of years and before a blink of an eye, time could pass us all by.

Grabbing her long lens, she focused all her attention to the iris flowers; her latest obsession. They were bright and purple, refreshing and as vibrant as she felt after the long hot shower and therapeutic makeup. She reached out to the stem and felt its draftiness; she touched the flowers and felt the softness. She saw in it adventure, risk taking and even more the blossoming of a new chapter in a life cycle. It represented everything she wanted to be at this moment of time. Smiling an effortless smile, she started clicking and snapping as many pictures of these beautiful flowers as she could.

'Yes take as many as you can because come next week, they'll all be gone' his shadow covered the perfect lighting and darkened the view. 'You are mean' she responded back annoyed. She didn't want to think how it would turn out to be when winter officially begins. He laughed loudly as he knelt down to smell the flowers. 'They smell beautiful' he said looking into her eyes. 'But not as beautiful as you right are now' Sanaa smiled and was content that all the makeup that made its way to her face managed to capture her beauty. She wanted to tell him about her nightmare, about what she saw and what she struggled with every night since she came here 'He’ll think I'm so into him if I tell him' she thought to herself and dismissed the thought in her head. 'So Sanaa are you free to head to the library later on?' he asked as she froze in her place. 'Errrrm, okay' she said to him smiling. 'I'll pass by later then?' he asked as she nodded her head vigorously till her earring fell on the grass. 'I’ve never seen someone excited to go to the library before' Bastiaan laughed as he picked up the earring from the ground and gave it to her. 'See you later beautiful' he winked at her and left Sanaa to continue enjoying her photography.

Knock knock…

The whiff of Arabian oud made its way to the door's opening at the bottom; it smelt different, exotic and intoxicating. He stood at the door sniffing, he couldn’t explain what it was he was inhaling in.

‘Just a sec' she said behind the door with an incense burner in her hand. Sanaa finally had the beauty sleep she deserved after the fresh morning. She felt super refreshed and now it was time for her to have a lovely day. As she moved her hand over the smoke from the bukhoor she brought from home, she closed her eyes enjoying the smell as it scented her hair; a ritual she always does when she washes her hair. Satisfied with the amount and time she spent on scenting her hair, she threw the burning charcoal to the sink and washed it over with cold water; putting it out. Spraying her Chanel No.5 all over her clothing and hands, she grabbed her laptop bag and headed to the door.

The exotic smell was even more powerful as she walked out of the door; she looked beautiful with her wavy hair resting loosely on her shoulders. Sanaa seemed to have Bastiaan under a spell with no word escaping his mouth and only a shocking stare resided in its place. 'Hello?' Sanaa waved at him but Bastiaan still stood in his place. Touching his arm, Bastiaan looked at Sanaa and said 'What's this amazing smell?' he sniffed as he walked into her room possessed with the mysterious aroma he never had came in contact with before. Sanaa laughed and walked past Bastiaan to her wardrobe. Opening her two door wardrobe, she started searching at the back of her stacked clothes on the shelves, to take out a Tang jar that had hard brown rocky substances inside; she slid the jar open and took off the covering lid. 'This is similar to incense sticks but much more stronger and smells better. It’s made of sugar and perfume' she handed it to him to smell. 'Wow. This is absolutely amazing' he said taken aback from the existence of such a glamorous unusual smell. ‘This is pretty heavy stuff, but I like it’ he looked at her with a smirk on his face making its way to Sanaa’s being. She smiled coyly looking down at her suede beige shoes to avoid contact to his eyes. 'Okay sorry shall we?' he handed the jar back and motioned for them to leave. With a quick split of a second, Sanaa placed the lid on the jar and back to its place in her wardrobe to join Bastiaan for the walk to the library.

It was windy and chilly; the clouds were covering the sky which made it darker. The streets were filled with people enjoying their weekend. The smell of coffee, wet grass and perfume, all mixed up, gave the sense of belonging. Bastiaan walked beside Sanaa silently enjoying the aroma of her scented hair every time the wind blew. The canal was even crowded with tourists enjoying a tour around the city. The vibe was active and lively making Sanaa content with her choice of being here. 'So what is exactly your major' she tried making small talk. Taken by surprise Bastiaan realized that he never explained to her much about who he was 'I am a philosophy and ethnics major, so basically I am one of those critical thinkers’ he said jokingly but eager to know what her next question was. 'Oh okay that's interesting' she smiled and continued walking. He still continued to wait but for no question to be asked. Bastiaan felt disappointed as he continued the walk with only the occasional audible sounds of their sighs keeping them both company.

Reaching the library, she settled with the first table she saw. 'Hey no, not here’ he whistled to her and raised his voice; the librarian looked at Bastiaan in anger pulling out a cardboard that read silence in Dutch. Bastiaan gestured to the librarian showing him how apologetic he was and walked to where Sanaa was. ‘Come beautiful. I'll show you around' he whispered in her ear.

Sun & Moon: Chapter Six

First of all I apologize for not updating, I have been caught up with exams and publishing a scientific paper that not enough hours of the day were enough to squeeze in everything

Anyhow, this is a short prologue if it may be, I'll further continue it during the Eid vacayyyy inshallah. Eid Mubarak to all of you and hope you and your respective families enjoy it to the max.

It was dark and gloomy, the air was dry, she felt she was about to choke only she coughed so hard her ribcage felt it was going to rub against her insides vigorously. She felt pain; sharp hurtful shocks around her chest made her turn to the other side only she couldn't. She was stuck; she struggled even more only to feel extra weight on top of her. She couldn't see what was around her, she couldn't see what was in front of her; it was pitch black. She was trying to scream for help but her voice was mute.


The air around became dewy and moist, she heard breathing sounds which made her panic. ’Who are you? She wanted to ask but her voice to still remain mute. With a palpating heart she shivered scared of what was going on around her. She could now sense the weight shift to the top of her, she could smell the cologne which mixed with the smell of his breath; she knew who the person was. Feeling her hope of escaping sink, she gave up fighting and simply chose to remain still. 'You think u can leave it all behind?' He shouted at her, piercing her ears. She sobbed quietly knowing she’s trapped, she cried regretting what she once chose, what she once did and what she once believed was her destiny.


Ah, ha, ha, ha,
Stayin' alive.
Stayin' alive.
Ah, ha, ha, ha,
Stayin' alaaaaaiiiiiiiii


Loud music came from the next room; it was so loud for a Saturday morning. The sun was out of its hiding place and bright. The fields were getting filled with picnic baskets and mats. Sanaa was still in deep sleep, she was tossing and turning. She looked as if she was suffocating, like she was in trouble. She was trying to break free. Loud moans and screams filled her warm blue room. 'Nooooo' she opened her eyes in tears. She wept in shock of her nightmare. It was recurring every night. She was quivering in fear as her heart raced. She sobbed even more remembering how that nightmare was actually true.


Sanaa felt she was in need of comfort of a crying shoulder; she needed a protector who would shed all those horrible dreams and dissolve her haunting past, her closest friend who would make her laugh. Getting up from her bed in her bugs bunny pajamas, she grabbed her keys and rushed out the door to find him. Getting into the elevator pressing 2, she waited as the doors opened to her destination. Looking for the number 218, she slammed on the door with her two hands waiting for him to open. Opening the door she screamed out his name 'Bastiaan' only for a blonde Amazonian like tall girl to emerge from behind the door.

Sun & Moon: Chapter Five

It was 6 am. The light was peeping from the dark curtains. She grabbed the pillow to help in blocking the light; she didn’t want to wake up yet. She tried to squeeze in more sleep as possible. It was difficult for her to get sleep. It was still a strange alien place; she wasn't used to not having the air conditioner mask all the noises outside. Even though she was in the sixth floor, she could hear the bus pull over at the bus stop at 5 am, she could hear the drunken students sing a long loudly at the wee hours of the morning, she was even able to hear the footsteps and stomps of those who lived upstairs. Sleep became like a precious commodity to her; she was only able to sleep for a few hours per night only when she was absolutely exhausted and in deep sleep.

The light still managed to peep through the pillow, so she grabbed her duvet and covered her head with it. Sighing in relief she started being carried away by sleep until 'Oh MY God'. She got up as quickly as she could. It was the first day of orientation week, which was scheduled to commence at 7 am and she was already running late. She forgot that she would have to walk to campus rather than drive herself everywhere as she was used to. It slipped her mind that it was kicking off today, pulling herself from bed to get ready. There weren’t any housemaids to service her or a mother who would make sure to drag her out of bed and remind her how much time she got left before class was to start. She was alone and in a mess trying to get her uncooked breakfast ready while ironing her clothes. All the while expecting that her traditional black kohl liner and MAC nude lipstick would magically make it to her face and draw patterns to wow whoever looked at her. After what seemed eternity, she rushed towards the stairs knowing the elevator would take ages. But then with six inch killer red heels on; the ones she was used to wearing for college back home, she still ran late struggling to walk fast in shoes that weren't designed for comfort.

It was windy and cold with fluffy dark clouds gathering around. The canal nearby seemed so peaceful and serene and the occasional birds flying in made it even more picturesque. The small waves moved harmoniously as people from all walks of life rushed with their bikes to their workplace, school or just to catch coffee. She was shocked to encounter so many people this early. 'Does everyone wake up that early?' she wondered as she started making her way to the university's main building. Trying to clasp her bag from flying off, she got angered at this unpredictable weather. Ever since being locked outside, she has been keen on following the weather forecast so she could dress accordingly. She specifically recalled that the weather forecast mentioned that it was expected to be sunny with clear skies. It wasn't sunny at all. It was extremely windy, cloudy and dark. She still felt sleepy and her legs were already aching from the walking. 'Definitely not the perfect day for my first day' she yelled at her soaring feet only to get distracted on how beautiful of a fit those red shoes were; it complimented her feet and elongated her short legs perfectly. It was the exact pop of color she needed for her monochrome outfit with the black buckle strap settling beautifully on her feet. Feeling a sudden outburst of more pain, she scolded herself not to wear heels ever again if she were to walk on the jagged pavements across town which were anything but smooth.

Ring ring ring....

A bike bell rang from behind her while the wind blew off her hair in all directions. Trying to get her hair strands away from her eyes seemed to be an ordeal as the bike bell rang again. She chose to ignore whoever it may be. It might be an Indian worker asking if he could be her porter, was all she could think of. She forgot for a tiny moment that she was in Europe. After getting her henna dyed hair tamed and into a ponytail she suddenly heard 'Can I give you a lift?' from a deep husky voice which sounded familiar. 'Right' she rolled her eyes and chose to walk away ignoring the one behind her. 'Need a ride?' the voice was even much clearer and way more seductive than the last time she heard it. This time, she couldn't help but stop and turn around. It was a habit of hers that the first thing she would notice in someone was the pair of shoes adorning their feet, and this time was no exception; she took her own sweet time examining the spotless black and white converse pair. They would have looked absolutely brand new if it weren't for a tiny black streak at the right side of the left shoe. The black pair matched up with the dark vintage denim he had on, which in turn matched the green hoodie he was wearing. It was him again, with that lethal smile. The smile that was so contagious it would make you smile back. She still couldn't help but stare at his white teeth. It was too fascinating to miss out on. 'So?!' he interrupted her thoughts on how possibly could he maintain such a set of teeth. 'Need a ride?' he patted the back of his bicycle signaling for her to hop on.

With her feet screaming out for comfort, and the distance she still had to walk was a fairly long distance. Her heart wanted to say yes but then her mind took control of her tongue as she politely declined and said no with a smile which was nowhere close to how breathtaking his was. 'You sure?' he asked her again and she nodded in agreement. 'Well you give me no choice but to walk you to campus' he said as he came off his bike and started to drag it to his side walking towards her. 'Wabooy' that typical Omani accent accidentally escaped from her mouth shocking her; she wasn’t expecting his reaction to be so.

 

With the golden rays of the warm fuzzy sun taking its rightful place on the greenery around, the darkness of the clouds got dispersed, the coldness was replaced with warmth and the wind drew to a halt. The birds chirping and bike bells ringing made their way into their ears. For a moment, she was glad she picked the French midi dress she wore. They walked silently for a while. The silence was to him a sign of her bashfulness while to her it was more of bliss. She was still angry at his awful way of talking to her the other day. 'Why did I stupidly agree to let him walk me?' she started getting angry with herself. 'Stupid idiot' she said it out loud. Baffled at her revelation, she looked at him wanting to explain why she said so but eventually chose not to explain herself. 'Whatever, I don't owe him an explanation. He's not even a friend' she told herself and continued enjoying the scenery. The coffee shops just opened and the chairs and tables were getting more occupied. The aroma of coffee mixed with the fresh breeze; she could smell those buttery breakfast delights along with the coffee, whipped cream and fruits. The sounds of the coffee machines mixed with people's talking making the atmosphere even cozier. The red bricked buildings shone even more as it got busier. The town became more inviting as the sun became warmer. She enjoyed the view, and she started to enjoy the town after not liking it for being too dead and empty during the weekends. But she still had one thing in her mind that she couldn't overlook; how rude he was a few days ago.

'Look I am very sorry' he said sincerely pulling his bicycle close while walking next to her. She looked at him shocked, it was as if they talked telepathically and he exactly knew what was still bothering her. 'I wasn't having the best day the other day, and I am very sorry if I sounded harsh' he explained. It took a simple apology to get her to forget any wrong doing a person might have caused her. After all, she knew how hard 'I'm sorry' was to utter. 'It's okay, I have temper issues anyway' she chuckled trying to ease what she now felt awkward. 'So yeah, apology accepted only if you accept mine as well' she told him as she smiled. 'Phew now that's a relief, and you don't have anything to apologize for doll' he said it in the cutest accent in her opinion; an accent which makes you certain that he isn't a native English speaker, that particular accent she adored. She couldn’t help but blush from the way ‘doll’ made it out of his mouth. Drawing his glossy flawless chocolate hand to hers 'I am Bastiaan' he said catching her off guard. 'Huh?' she paused and stood puzzled. Looking at his eager eyes, he actually wanted to know her name. 'Well, errrr' she tried recalling her name. 'Ohh, my name is Sana'a' she took a deep breath that she actually was able to remember her name and grasped his rough skinned hand into her small olive one and she shook it firmly. 'Wow what a hand shake and might I add a nice lovely name. So where are you from?' he asked her in an attempt to get to know her.

'I come from the Middle East? Oman?'

'Ahhhh Jordan I see, it's very beautiful'

'No no not Jordan. I don't come from Amman but from The Sultanate of Oman'

'Ohh OoomAan'

'You know where it is?'

'Yes yes it is where the country Dubai is ya?'

'Errrm well Dubai isn't a country, it's just a city'

'Oh so you come from Dubai yes?'

'Well no I come from Muscat'

'Why didn't you say that before?'

'What?'

'That you come from Muuuscat'

'I said I came from Oman. Muscat is the capital of Oman'

'Yes yes you have the king who has the white beard yes?'

'Haha yes exactly'

'Okay now I know where it is. My brother works for Shell so I know a little bit about countries here and there'

'Oh that's fantastic. Oh so you are Dutch?'

'Yes of course, but I originally come from Suriname. It's a wonderful place.'

'Aha, so you migrated here?'

'Oh no Suriname is a Dutch colony? So I am Dutch by birth'

'Ahhh okay, that's interesting'

Sana'a felt at ease; she finally had someone she knew by name in a foreign strange country. She felt safe as they took steps forward walking side by side and exchanging simple conversation. She smiled yet again; she felt content and knew that good things were to come her way. She would be happy once more without remembering what haunted her every night.