Episode: 5
scene 1
The night was turning into evening. Everyone was heading home. Maryam was placing food on the customers' tables in the restaurant, and Zarmina was cooking in the kitchen. Slowly, the lights in the restaurant grew brighter against the darkness.
Abaan walked in from the door toward the kitchen. Miss Zarmina was busy with her work. Whenever he came there, one could guess from his appearance that he was wealthy, yet his charm remained intact.
Zarmina: "Oh my God! What am I seeing? The one my heart has been longing for is right in front of me."
She smiled seeing Abaan.
Abaan: "I feel like you were thinking of me. Am I right?"
He spoke with a slight smile.
This meeting felt like that between a mother and son, full of affection and care.
Maryam: "Please prepare this order, it's for this table."
She placed the order book in front of Zarmina and said.
Abaan stood to her left. On Maryam's words, he remained silent without looking, turning his gaze elsewhere as if it didn't matter. Zarmina focused on preparing the order.
"Shall I help you?"
She stood with her hands on the table.
Suddenly Abaan's gaze fell on her hands. The wounds were clear against her fair skin. His eyes paused… then slowly moved up to her face and stayed there.
He was startled.
Customer: "Excuse me! Please…"
The customer signaled Maryam. She immediately turned and went to him.
Customer: "Please, I want this, coffee and a burger."
Maryam was noting down his order.
Maryam: "Yes, I'll bring it right away."
She walked back toward Abaan.
Zarmina: "Take this, the first order."
She handed the tray to him.
Abaan's heartbeat kept racing.
It wasn't that she was the only one in the world, that never happens.
A person completely unknown yet appearing repeatedly in different forms…
Who are you, really?
Who said the world is so big?
It felt very small to me.
Or maybe… someone is just perceived that way.
Zarmina: "Are you okay? I made this for you, your favorite."
She placed the bowl of soup on the tray and handed it to Abaan.
Abaan looked at her, smiled suddenly, and sat on a nearby chair.
Abaan: "Does this girl work with you?"
He pointed toward Maryam, who was busy serving food.
Zarmina: "Yes, I forgot to mention. This is Maryam. She needed a job, and I agreed. She's a very good girl."
Abaan: "Is she the same girl who helped you?"
Zarmina: "Yes, absolutely… Oh Maryam! Meet her—"
(She gestured)
Abaan: "Hello! I'm Maahir… uh—"
As if his words got stuck, he quickly added: "She's my aunt."
He pointed toward Zarmina.
Maryam: "Oh…"
She spoke in surprise.
Zarmina also looked at Abaan worriedly.
Zarmina: "Maryam, I made soup for both of you, it's cold outside."
As if she wanted to hide the lie further.
Maryam: "Thank you."
She took the soup and sat on a chair a little away.
Scene 2:
She reached home. The house was engulfed in darkness.
She turned on the light, placed her purse… checked the money inside.
"Who was he? Where should I search? He didn't even tell his name… How will I return his money?"
There was a knock on the door.
Maryam: "Afrah! You?"
Afrah (breathless): "Maryam, today I have to tell you something very important!"
Maryam smiled. "Me too!"
Afrah immediately asked: "What! Did you get a job?"
Maryam nodded with a smile.
Afrah: "Today, not one but two happinesses!"
Then she suddenly became serious and emotional.
"Maryam… today I saw my mother."
Maryam felt like stone.
"R…really?"
Afrah's eyes filled with tears.
"She stepped out of a big house and got into a car. I just kept watching. But… I will find her."
Maryam hugged her.
"We will find her together. Promise."
Scene 3:
Abaan lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling fan.
"Why did I lie?
Why?
Anyway… I won't meet her again.
Name… Maryam, Maryam, Maryam."
His heartbeat quickened.
He drank water… yet nothing felt right.
Scene 4:
He was in a deserted, dark house.
The curtains swayed in the air.
Sounds echoed.
"Abaan… Abaan…"
At the turn of the winding stairs, a 7–8-year-old child was sitting and crying.
Abaan went closer.
That child… was Aban's own childhood.
Abaan screamed and woke up.
Drenched in sweat.
He often had such dreams.
The night passed just like that.
Scene 5:
At nine in the morning, Maryam was cleaning the restaurant.
Maryam: "Oh! God…"
She entered a room with sofas. Coming closer, she saw Abaan curled up on a sofa. She was startled.
Maryam (thinking): "Is he lying here? In such cold?"
She tiptoed around. Then she found a small blanket. She gently placed it over him. At that moment, he looked like an innocent child. She quietly left the room.
Maryam: "Did I do something wrong? Maybe I shouldn't have."
She cleaned the table while talking to herself. Then she tiptoed back to remove the blanket and left again.
Maryam (thinking): "In such cold, what if something happens to him? If something serious happens… would I be a criminal too? Oh Maryam! What are you thinking?"
She glanced toward the room, picked up a glass, and accidentally dropped it. Abaan, without opening his eyes, just made a face, as if nothing mattered.
Maryam: "He's sleeping like a horse. He should get up to protect himself. My glass is also broken… oh!"
She kept talking to herself.
Zarmina's voice came: "Maryam! The vegetables have arrived too. First, we cook for ourselves, then wait for customers!"
Zarmina spoke loudly, and Maryam returned to the kitchen.
Scene 6:
Abaan quickly sat up on the sofa.
"Did I come here at night? I need to leave quickly."
He scratched his head, talking to himself.
Straightening his coat, he moved toward the restaurant door.
"Oh my God… oh! How beautiful you are, so tiny!"
Maryam was trying to catch a cat shivering in the cold on the window. Abaan paused while leaving.
Maryam: "Come here… come… well done! You're truly innocent. Where is your mother? Don't you have one? It's okay, maybe no one is there for you. I'm just like you, I have no one.
You must take care of yourself, or you'll get sick."
She held the cat in her arms as it meowed.
Abaan: "Maybe I'm like you…"
He stopped midway.
Maryam was so absorbed in the cat that she passed by without even noticing Abaan. He didn't want to face her after lying, but it didn't seem to bother him. He followed her quietly.
Zarmina: "Where did you find this? And she's shivering from the cold! Give it to me, I'm leaving."
She spoke to Maryam, looking at the cat.
Maryam: "Yes, of course."
She called the cat lovingly.
Zarmina: "I'll be back soon, you take care, okay?"
Maryam: "Okay."
It was ten in the morning.
Abaan sat on a chair, perhaps wanting Maryam to know he was still there.
But Maryam worked as if she were completely alone in the world.
Scene 7:
"Madam, we have many customers. We never inquire about each one like this."
A girl in black uniform spoke to Afrah at the counter.
Afrah didn't give up:
"But you yourself said big customers come here. But how do they come?"
She kept arguing.
"Oh… fine, come with me."
The girl moved forward, and Afrah followed. Then suddenly, she stopped.
"Madam, can you buy this?"
She pointed at a purse.
"This purse costs twenty thousand. And this dress? Its price is forty-five thousand. Tell me, can you buy it?"
She spoke to Afrah.
Afrah remained silent.
"Can't you buy? Rich people come to buy all this… very rich."
Saying this, the girl walked away.
Afrah quickly tried to stop her:
"If I buy all this… will you tell me what I want to ask?"
The girl replied without pausing even a moment:
"If you could afford all this… I don't think you'd need to ask me anything."
She walked on without stopping.
Afrah stepped out slowly.
Scene 8:
An unusual silence filled the meeting room. Front chair, Nosherwan, stared at the clock hands. All senior employees sat as if awaiting an important storm.
Nosherwan, hiding unease, asked:
"Where is Abaan?"
Secretary Shamir quickly came near:
"Sir… he's not answering the phone."
Nosherwan furrowed his brows inwardly.
Looks like… he'll come with Liana. he thought.
The door opened, Liana's high heels breaking the silence.
"Hello! Sorry, I'm a little late…"
She adjusted her breath and entered the meeting room.
Nosherwan immediately stood out of respect.
"Welcome, Liana!"
Warmth was clear in his tone.
"This is talented Liana, she will work with us… we will fully assist her as long as she's here."
Liana smiled lightly:
"Thank you, Mr. Nosherwan."
She sat down. All eyes still on the door… waiting for Abaan.
Scene 9:
The restaurant was at its peak rush. Chair sounds, clattering dishes, customers' orders… all had become a storm for lone Maryam.
She ran from one table to another, breathless, hands trembling, yet the work didn't stop.
Suddenly, a chair fell at her feet.
"Ah…"
A wave of pain shot from her calf to her heart, but she bit her lips and suppressed a cry.
When a customer called, she swallowed the pain and moved forward.
Her face clearly showed the struggle… and Abaan saw it all.
Maryam hurried into the kitchen. The noise of orders, loud voices, clanging dishes… it overwhelmed her. Zarmina wasn't back, and she was alone…
Abaan saw, then slowly got up.
He moved toward the kitchen, taking off his coat, throwing it on a chair, wearing an apron… like he was the head chef of a hotel.
He held a knife, cut vegetables neatly, then turned the chicken in the pan skillfully.
Maryam watched him in amazement.
For a moment, she felt… she wasn't in a restaurant but standing in a film scene.
Maryam placed the order list before him, then ran back outside.
Gradually, the rush decreased, and both were left in the kitchen.
Abaan saw Maryam's exhaustion, pain, and silent endurance… and somehow felt worthless himself.
He deliberately put his hand on the hot pan to show the pain.
"Ah—"
A soft sigh escaped.
Maryam immediately turned.
She said nothing, just quietly took balm from her coat pocket… and placed it near Abaan silently.
She didn't look up, didn't speak…
Then returned to deliver orders.
Abaan saw the balm… and for the first time… genuinely smiled.
A small grateful smile—perhaps lingering on his face even after Maryam had gone.
"Sorry, I'm late, I had to remember something urgent."
Zarmina entered the restaurant quietly.
"You're here?" She approached Abaan, eyes lowered.
"But you should be at the office at this time." She spoke softly so no one could hear.
Abaan only nodded.
"You let me, I'll do it." Zarmina gestured.
Maryam was busy with customers.
"Do you know cooking?" Zarmina asked Abaan with slight curiosity.
Abaan laughed: "I've learned a bit from you."
Taking off his apron, he said, "I should go. And remember, you can call me an expert, right?"
Saying this, he slowly moved toward the restaurant door.
All orders were completed. Maryam told Zarmina, then quickly left.
"Wait, please!" Maryam ran after Abaan.
They were both standing on a deserted road. Abaan turned to look at her.
"Today I might not manage alone…"
"Thank you." Maryam said softly, heartbeat racing.
"You cook well. Maybe this skill is rare in eastern boys."
Her praise was genuine and pure.
She was breathless, hands trembling, yet her gaze was fixed on Abaan.
Abaan softly said: "I think you need it more than I do."
He took out balm from his coat pocket and gave it to her.
Suddenly, a loud crash echoed. From afar, a car collided with a truck at high speed, flipped over, and chaos erupted on the road.
Abaan and Maryam froze for a moment. It was such a huge accident, like a storm of calamity had struck the street.
A shiver ran through Maryam's body. She squeezed her eyes tightly. Hands and feet trembled, heartbeat so fast it seemed to echo in her ears.
She often panicked at small accidents, but this… this was huge.
Abaan immediately took off his coat and draped it over Maryam's head, shielding her from the disturbing sight. She sat on the ground on her knees.
"Maryam, Maryam… are you okay? We should leave. If all this frightens you, let's go."
Abaan tried to support her, though he too felt some fear.
Maryam mustered courage and glanced at the accident from under the coat.
A small child cried in the overturned car, probably uninjured because in the mother's lap.
In front of him, the driver and a woman were badly hurt.
Seeing this, Maryam suddenly ran. Her fear became her strength, as if running to control herself.
Abaan was astonished. He saw how fear, courage, and human emotion can change a person in a moment. At that moment, his heart beat only for Maryam. Every second his concern focused on her, every breath paused for her safety.
Cars passed by at high speed, each moment carrying danger, each moment a shadow of fear hovered over them.
Maryam pulled the trembling child out of the path of the car, and at that very moment the police and an ambulance arrived as well.
The ambulance staff immediately examined the child and got busy checking the condition of the injured.
Abaan came closer to Maryam, fear in his eyes, and softly asked,
"Are you okay?"
Then, without any hesitation, he held her hand. He was wearing gloves, yet even through them, that touch sent a strange mix of comfort and fear through her heart.
It was the first time in his life he had held a girl's hand… and that too like this—at such a moment, caught between fear and concern.
Maryam silently walked behind him, while Abaan's heart was beating fast, as if every heartbeat were melting into the air like a melody:
> We were a little empty, you were a little empty too,
Under one sky, we are the same question.
Two travelers meet, and become companions on the journey.
Scene 10:
"Sir, may I come in?"
A girl stood at the door of the villa, about 18–19 years old. She was wearing jeans and had a hijab draped over her head.
On the sofa sat a man with an air of luxury, turned away. Inside, there was nothing except two sofas and a few paintings. Opposite him sat another man, engaged in conversation on some interesting topic.
As the girl entered, both men paused for a moment, and silence filled the room.
Without turning around, the man on the sofa said,
"There will be no class today. You may leave."
The girl stepped back and quietly walked out.
The man stood up and went to stand before a beautiful painting.
"My reality is something like this…" he thought.
Then he picked up different boxes of colors and began throwing them onto the painting, distorting his own image. The elegant lines of the building blurred.
"I've grown used to this now; even my hands have learned the craft."
With the skill of his hands, he reshaped the painting into something new.
The man sitting on the sofa was watching and listening to everything, yet he could not understand what had been created.
He narrowed his eyes and looked closely… and before him appeared the painting of a beautiful girl, smiling.
There was silence in her smile, but within it lay a story—a secret that came to life through colors and skill.