"A Silent Wait beneath My Eyes"
Mehmat's encouragement had certainly helped. Outwardly, Ramish seemed better—stronger even—but his inner world remained unchanged. His words no longer matched the expression on his face, and perhaps… his heart was even more shattered than before. Loneliness, sorrow, and the sharp pain of separation—he hid them all behind a practiced smile. He laughed sometimes, yes, but his eyes often seemed hollow, searching every face, every corner… for only one face. Richer.
Each night, after work, Ramish would walk alone toward the sea. Sometimes, he would whisper to the waves. Other times, he'd sit atop the building roof, listening to the storm that roared quietly within his soul.
One evening, when the day had been slow and peaceful and he was free from all tasks, he made his way up to the rooftop. The sky was wrapped in clouds. Cool winds moved like silent melodies—foretelling the arrival of rain.
There was something sacred in the air tonight—as if the universe was waiting to listen to Ramish's heart.
He slowly pulled a photograph from his pocket—the one where Richer was smiling. He placed it in front of him gently, as if setting a mirror to his soul. And then he began to speak… softly… as though Richer sat there in the stillness, listening to every word.
"Richer"…
My breath is breaking under the weight of waiting for those innocent eyes.
My beloved, how long will I keep looking down your road?
My Carefree, Come now...this restless eyes…they've grown weary searching for you.
Without you, my heart knows neither peace nor patience.
And yet your beautiful face… never leaves my vision.
Do you know, Richer?
The intensity of my love has forced my soul into screams.
Every day, How we mourn and lament in your memory.
Come back to me—end this distance between us.
Don't stay away from me anymore.
This noise inside me, Richer… it never stops.
Tell me—when, and how, will it ever quiet down?
My heart calls to you in every moment.
Doesn't its voice reach you?
These eyes, starved for your sight, ache endlessly.
And without your presence… what will quench this hunger?
These eyes rain like the monsoon when they remember you.
Every drop… a cry, a prayer, a desperate longing to be near you.
This dampness in my lashes is the unspoken testimony of my love.
Neither daylight dries them,
Nor does night's darkness erase their ache.
Richer… this quiet pain, this unrelenting longing,
It's the proof that I cannot forget you.
These eyes are waiting, Richer…
Desperate to see you. Come now.
Their strength of waiting is fading in these eyes.
How long will this waiting go on?
What do you want me to do, to burn in your waiting room like this?
Are you testing me?
To see if I'll break in your absence?
Then fine…
You've won.
I surrender.
Just come back."
The wind grew heavier with moisture. Thunder echoed through the sky—mirroring the anguish inside Ramish. His eyes began to rain… like the skies above. Each tear carried the weight of separation. The sound of his sobs softened, as if the sky itself was listening with tender compassion.
After a while, when his heart had emptied some of its pain, Ramish whispered:
"Richer… the days of hope are slipping away.
Even my tears are growing tired.
My days, my nights—they pass consumed by thoughts of you.
You beat within me like a second heartbeat, yet… you never come.
Your absence has hollowed me out.
Time passes. My youth fades. But still—you don't return."
He stared at the picture in silence, then spoke again, voice shaking:
"Tell me, Richer… who will share my pain?
Everything feels lifeless without you.
Every second poisons me with your absence.
Nothing in this world brings my heart any joy.
My heart—like a madman—keeps calling your name…
Has our separation still not ended?
Richer… living without you has become unbearable.
Your absence doesn't let me live.
This world feels like a deserted jungle without you."
He let out a deep sigh—one that seemed to come from the very bottom of his soul.
"How much longer must I cry for you?
My prayers… they carry no weight anymore.
I'm no longer the man I was…
Not since you left."
Ramish clutched Richer's photo to his chest and went quiet—as though his words had finally run dry, and only feelings remained.
Above him, the sky listened.
And then—like a whisper from the heavens—raindrops began to fall.
Ramish stayed there… sitting in the rain… letting it soak him, cleanse him, and carry his prayers upward.
"O God," he whispered through the drizzle…
"The love that has consumed me…
"Either show me his face…
"Or grant me peace..."
Don't stay away from me anymore.
Ramish's voice trembled as he spoke to himself,
"I can no longer bear the pain of this separation... Ramish! Why did you make the mistake of falling in love? Now, even the pain of waiting is becoming unbearable."
He looked silently towards the sky, eyes brimming with tears, heart heavy with sorrow, and lips whispering a prayer.
"Ramish, stay strong... The same God who brought you together once, will surely bring you together again."
Suddenly, he broke down. His knees gave way and he fell into prostration.
"O my Lord! You are capable of everything. Unite me with Richer. Nothing is difficult for You. Place balm upon my burning heart, bring peace to my aching soul. Let me see him once more."
As soon as these words left his lips, lightning lit up the sky and heavy rain began to pour.
It felt as though nature itself was consoling Ramish, as if the universe was responding to his cries and prayers.
That day, the rain fell more heavily than it had in years.
A kind of rain that made the entire city seem to drown in sorrow—
As if the sky had wept with Ramish,
As if it too had felt the tremble of a broken heart's lament.
When Ramish finally came back downstairs,
his friends looked at him in astonishment.
His clothes were soaked through, water dripping from his hair, and his face wore a hollow, distant expression.
"Ramish! Where were you?"
one of them asked,
"Look at this storm, the rain hasn't stopped… and you're completely drenched!"
Ramish lowered his gaze and quietly replied,
"I was on the rooftop."
Everyone was startled.
"On the rooftop? In this storm? What were you doing up there? And who were you with?"
His voice was faint, like it was drifting with the wind,
"I was alone… just watching the rain."
The friends exchanged puzzled glances. Then one of them gently said,
"Didn't you see how heavy the rain was? Why would you go up there alone, in this weather?"
Ramish lowered his head in silence.
One of the friends then said kindly,
"Ramish, go change your clothes—you're soaking wet."
Ramish returned after changing, and one of his friends handed him a cup of tea.
"Ramish, never before has it rained like this in our area. It's strange… almost as if the cries of a shattered heart were heard by the sky today."
Ramish lifted his eyes to the heavens.
He wanted to say something, but the words stopped at his lips.
Ramish smiled softly and recited a verse:
"In the pouring rain or in the biting winds I wandered,
Your name alone echoed in my every whisper.
Though I've known many souls deeply in life,
Only your face ever lived in my prayers."