Back in the therapeutic room, the sudden clap of thunder outside made Ababeel flinch, dragging her back into the memory of that chaotic night. The rain pounded against the windows, mirroring the storm that had raged in her mind as she lived through those hours again.
The young therapist, sitting across from her with a notebook, poured warm tea into a cup. The steam curled upward, carrying a comforting aroma. She lifted it slowly, savouring the warmth against her cold fingers, letting the familiar taste anchor her to the present.
"So, what happened after that?" he asked, his pen hovering over the notebook. "I'm intrigued. Did they find you guys?"
I shook my head. "No… Habeel went straight to the driver's seat and drove us away before anyone could get to us."
Ababeel added, her voice quiet but steady, "While I was fascinated by the fact that people like Habeel still existed… even while there were those who take advantage of one's weakness. The same world could harbour both cruelty and kindness at the same time—it's like looking at two mirrors, one showing the worst, one showing the best."
I could still see it in my mind: Habeel driving frantically, eyes darting at every turn, heart pounding, mind locked on finding a safe place. He was consumed by the gnawing fear of running out of gas, of leaving us stranded in a world that seemed to feed on chaos. And yet, when I looked at him with Janneh by our side, the child asleep against him, his complaints, his inner storm, seemed to vanish. In her presence, he became calm, composed, almost… human in the gentlest sense.
I chuckled lightly, shaking my head, and the young therapist nodded. "Fascinating indeed," he said.
Ababeel continued, her thoughts spilling out like she had to put the pieces together aloud. "Is it really a primal urge of a man to provide safety?"
"Perhaps," the therapist said pensively.
"It is," Ababeel said, her voice tightening, "how God has placed two contradictory powers on the shoulders of a man. One is the power to protect, to create a shelter, to defend those smaller and weaker than him. And the other… the same hands can destroy in the blink of an eye, as those soldiers did. They were me,ntoo, but so contradictory. The same nature that can nurture life can also take it away without hesitation. It's terrifying, but it's real. And seeing Habeel… seeing how he chose to use his power to shield a child and a friend instead of crushing them… it was almost like watching a force of nature bend toward mercy."
Her hands wrapped around her cup, knuckles white. The memory was vivid, almost burning through her thoughts like wildfire.
As they drove for probably three hours through the desolate streets, a glimmer appeared on the horizon—a half-collapsed pharmacy, its shattered windows reflecting the sinking sun. Habeel's eyes lit up, a rare, unguarded smile spreading across his face.
"I guess it's our lucky day," he said, his voice holding a note of relief that surprised even Ababeel.
She glanced at him, the corners of her mouth twitching. "Lucky… or maybe fate just decided we deserved a little mercy. Either way, we'd better be careful. Who knows what else is waiting behind the next corner?"
The truck rolled closer to the pharmacy, the wind rustling through the broken streets, carrying with it a silence heavy with anticipation. For a moment, the world felt suspended, holding its breath along with them, as if even the ruins around them paused to witness whether safety or danger would greet them first.