Some journeys begin with dreams.
Others begin with unanswered prayers.
Zoya's began with both.
The evening sky above Multan International Airport glowed in fading shades of gold and orange as the sun slowly disappeared beyond the horizon.
Inside the terminal, life moved in every direction.
Flight announcements echoed overhead. Suitcases rolled across the polished floor. Families embraced their loved ones while travellers hurried toward their gates, each carrying a destination of their own.
Some left with excitement.
Some with fear.
And some...
With hearts too heavy to understand what they were truly leaving behind.
Among them stood Zoya.
A medium-sized suitcase rested beside her, its handle still firmly held in her hand.
She had spent months preparing for this day.
Every document had been completed.
Every necessity carefully packed.
Every question from relatives answered with a smile.
She had convinced everyone—
Even herself—
That she was ready.
Yet now...
Standing only a few steps away from the departure gate...
Her heart felt heavier than it ever had before.
She slowly looked around.
Standing before her were the people she loved most.
Her family.
Her closest friends.
Every familiar face carried the same mixture of pride...
And silent sadness.
No one wanted to make this farewell more difficult than it already was.
So everyone smiled.
Even though none of those smiles truly reached their eyes.
Her mother stepped forward first.
Without a word, she gently took Zoya's hands into her own.
Warm.
Comforting.
Just as they had always been.
For a long moment, she simply looked at her daughter.
Then, with a soft smile, she spoke.
"Zoya..."
Her voice was calm, yet filled with the quiet love only a mother could carry.
"Take care of yourself."
"Eat your meals on time."
"Stay safe."
"And never forget your prayers."
The words were simple.
Yet they were enough.
A lump formed in Zoya's throat.
She lowered her gaze before forcing a small smile.
"I will, Mom."
"Don't worry."
But they both knew...
A mother never truly stopped worrying.
Not because her child was weak...
But because a mother's heart always travelled with her child, no matter how far they went.
Silence settled between them.
Sometimes...
A goodbye carried emotions that words could never fully express.
Beside them stood Tariq Bhai.
They weren't related by blood, yet life had written their bond differently.
He had always looked after Zoya like an elder brother.
Protective.
Patient.
Always encouraging her to think carefully before making difficult decisions.
His concern had never come from responsibility.
Only affection.
Zoya turned toward him with a faint smile.
"Tariq Bhai..."
She paused briefly.
"Pray for me."
He studied her face carefully.
There was something different in her voice.
Something deeper than the nervousness of someone leaving for another country.
"Of course I will."
He smiled reassuringly.
"But..."
"What do you mean by that?"
For a few moments, Zoya remained silent.
Not because she didn't know the answer...
But because she didn't know how to explain something she barely understood herself.
Finally, she took a slow breath.
"You know..."
"When I used to spend time with Baba..."
A gentle smile appeared on her lips.
"I always dreamed of pursuing a higher degree."
"I wanted to achieve something meaningful."
"I wanted to make him proud."
Tariq Bhai nodded quietly.
He remembered those conversations well.
"But..."
Zoya glanced at her suitcase.
"Sometimes..."
"Life quietly changes your direction."
She looked back at him.
"They all think I'm travelling for my education."
A faint smile crossed her face.
"Maybe I am."
She paused.
"But..."
"My heart is searching for something much bigger."
Tariq Bhai didn't interrupt.
He could tell there was more she wasn't ready to say.
Some answers could only be spoken when the heart itself understood them.
After a long silence, he finally spoke.
"Zoya..."
"You're stepping into a completely different world."
"A new country."
"A new culture."
"A new life."
"If you ever feel lost..."
"If this path ever becomes too difficult..."
He smiled gently.
"Don't ever hesitate to come back."
"Home will always be waiting for you."
For the first time that evening, tears filled Zoya's eyes.
She blinked quickly, refusing to let them fall.
Then she smiled.
"I promise."
Their bond had always been built on respect.
There had never been dramatic goodbyes.
No hugs.
No unnecessary words.
Instead...
Tariq Bhai slowly raised his hand...
And gently placed it on her head.
A silent prayer.
A silent blessing.
One that carried far more meaning than words ever could.
Zoya quietly closed her eyes.
Accepting it with all her heart.
Just then, a boarding announcement echoed through the terminal.
"Passengers travelling to Thailand are kindly requested to proceed to Gate..."
The moment had arrived.
Zoya tightened her grip on the suitcase handle.
She looked at every familiar face one last time.
Trying to memorize every smile.
Every voice.
Every prayer.
Because she didn't know...
How long it would be before she saw them again.
She took a slow, steady breath.
Then turned toward the security gate.
Each step carried her farther from home...
And closer to a future she couldn't yet see.
As she disappeared into the crowd, only one thought echoed quietly inside her heart.
This wasn't just a journey for education.
It was a journey her heart had chosen long before she ever did.
The moment Zoya stepped through the security checkpoint, she instinctively turned around one last time.
Beyond the glass barrier stood the people she loved most.
Some smiled.
Some waved.
Her mother quietly raised her hands in prayer.
Zoya smiled back, hiding the tears threatening to escape.
Then she turned away.
There was no turning back now.
•••
A few hours later...
The aircraft lifted smoothly into the night sky, leaving Pakistan behind.
Zoya sat by the window, watching the city lights fade beneath the clouds until nothing remained but darkness.
Only then did it truly sink in.
She had left home.
Not for a few days.
Not for a short trip.
She was stepping into an entirely new chapter of her life.
She rested her forehead lightly against the cool window.
Somewhere far below...
Her family was probably on their way home.
Knowing her mother...
She was already wondering whether Zoya had eaten anything.
A faint smile touched her lips.
It disappeared almost as quickly as it came.
The journey felt longer than she had imagined.
Long enough for excitement to settle...
And silence to take its place.
•••
Several hours later, the plane landed in Thailand.
The airport buzzed with travelers from every corner of the world.
Different languages echoed through the terminal as passengers hurried from one gate to another.
For a brief moment, Zoya simply stood still, taking it all in.
It was the first time she truly realized how vast the world was.
Her layover was short.
Soon, she boarded her connecting flight to Busan, South Korea.
Once again, she settled into a window seat.
Outside, the runway lights stretched endlessly into the distance.
Inside, passengers slowly filled the cabin.
Some chatted quietly.
Some immediately closed their eyes.
Others stared absentmindedly through the windows, lost in thoughts only they understood.
The cabin carried dozens of stories...
Each traveling toward a different destination.
Zoya had no idea...
That someone connected to her own story had just taken the seat directly in front of hers.
As the aircraft climbed into the night sky, the cabin lights gradually dimmed.
One by one...
The conversations faded.
Only the steady hum of the engines remained.
Zoya continued looking out at the endless darkness.
Whenever her heart became restless...
It always returned to the same place.
She lowered her gaze.
Closed her eyes.
And quietly began to pray.
Her voice was barely above a whisper.
Soft enough that only Allah needed to hear it.
اللَّهُمَّ اهْدِهِ وَاغْفِرْ لَهُ وَارْحَمْهُ وَاجْعَلِ الإِيمَانَ فِي قَلْبِهِ نُورًا وَهُدًى
Allāhumma ihdihi waghfir lahu warḥamhu waj'alil-īmāna fī qalbihi nūran wa hudā.
"O Allah, guide him, forgive him, have mercy on him, and place in his heart the light and guidance of faith."
A single tear slipped silently down her cheek.
She brushed it away before anyone could notice.
But the ache inside her heart refused to fade.
For a long moment...
She simply watched the darkness beyond the window.
Then, almost unconsciously, words escaped her lips once again.
"I'd rather be lost in the dream..."
She paused.
"...than wake up to reality."
The passenger seated directly in front of her slowly lifted his head.
Those words...
He knew them.
For a brief moment, he remained completely still.
Then another sound reached him.
Her voice.
Gentle.
Soft.
Yet carrying a sadness he couldn't explain.
Almost instinctively, he turned slightly, trying to look over his shoulder.
From where he sat...
He couldn't see her clearly.
Only the faint outline of a young woman sitting quietly behind him.
After a moment, he faced forward again.
He didn't understand the prayer she had whispered.
He didn't know who she was.
Yet somehow...
The sadness in her voice lingered in his mind.
Behind him, Zoya remained completely unaware.
She looked out of the window once again, watching the endless night stretch across the sky.
Neither of them realized...
That this quiet journey through the clouds had already become the beginning of a story neither of them had chosen...
Yet one they were both destined to live.
Several hours later...
A gentle announcement echoed through the cabin.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we will be landing shortly at Gimhae International Airport, Busan. Please ensure your seatbelts are securely fastened."
The aircraft slowly descended through the clouds.
Zoya turned toward the window.
For the first time...
South Korea came into view.
The city lights stretched across the darkness like tiny stars scattered over the earth.
A strange feeling settled in her heart.
I'm here.
She didn't know whether to smile...
Or feel nervous.
Perhaps...
She felt both.
A gentle jolt ran through the cabin as the aircraft touched the runway.
Within moments, the familiar sound of unfastened seatbelts filled the cabin.
Passengers reached for their bags.
Some switched on their phones.
Others quietly waited for the doors to open.
The peaceful silence that had accompanied the flight slowly disappeared.
Zoya remained seated for a brief moment.
She closed her eyes.
Silently asking Allah to make this new beginning easy for her.
Only then did she stand.
She adjusted her headscarf.
Straightened her coat.
Picked up her handbag.
And patiently waited for the line ahead to move.
The passenger seated directly in front of her reached for his carry-on bag and stepped into the aisle.
Without looking back...
He walked toward the exit.
Zoya followed only a few steps behind.
Neither of them knew...
That only a few feet separated two lives whose paths had already begun to cross.
•••
After completing the arrival formalities and collecting her luggage, Zoya finally stepped into the arrival hall.
The automatic doors slid open.
A sudden wave of loud cheers filled the terminal.
People were calling out excitedly.
Phones were raised high above the crowd.
Camera flashes lit up the hall again and again.
Security officers quickly formed a path through the growing crowd.
At first...
Zoya paid little attention.
She assumed a celebrity had arrived.
Adjusting the strap of her bag, she continued walking.
Then...
Something made her stop.
She couldn't explain why.
Perhaps it was curiosity.
Perhaps it was the overwhelming excitement surrounding one corner of the terminal.
Slowly...
She turned.
The crowd had grown even larger.
People stood on their toes, trying to catch a glimpse of whoever was passing through.
For a moment...
All she could see were raised phones...
Security guards...
And endless camera flashes.
Then...
The crowd shifted.
Just for a second...
She saw him.
A black cap.
A black mask.
Surrounded by security.
Walking with calm, effortless confidence.
Her breath caught.
Her heartbeat skipped.
Jeon J.
Everything around her disappeared.
The cheers.
The flashing cameras.
The crowd.
It all faded into silence.
Her mind refused to believe what her eyes had just seen.
How...?
How is he here?
This was my flight...
Questions rushed through her mind one after another.
Before she could gather her thoughts...
He stepped slightly away from the security circle.
The crowd erupted into even louder cheers.
Camera flashes became almost blinding.
Zoya remained rooted to the spot.
Unable to move.
Unable to think.
Unable to look away.
She had imagined meeting him countless times.
But never like this.
Never without warning.
Never in another country.
She didn't know how long she had been standing there...
When a gentle tap landed on her shoulder.
She flinched and turned around.
A middle-aged man stood before her, holding a small placard with her name neatly written across it.
"Miss Zoya?"
For a brief moment, she simply stared at him.
His voice pulled her back to reality.
"I'm here to receive you."
His words barely registered.
Her thoughts were still trapped in the crowd behind her.
Almost without thinking...
She asked the very first question that came to her mind.
"Where is Jeon J?"
To be continued...
Regards,
ZK 💌