Chapter 108: The Broken Necklace and the Man in the Mist
The Philosophy of the Necklace of Love (A Preface on Heartbreak):
Love is like a golden necklace placed around the neck of life; as long as it is whole, one feels its beauty, but the moment a single bead is lost, all the other beads scatter. Once, Diari had bought a necklace for Rina, intending to put it around her neck in the future when they had a home and children, saying: "This is the sign of the chain that binds our souls together." But now, that necklace is broken, just like Rina's heart. How cruel life is when you see the person who was your entire world become only a shadow within your memories. Jealousy is not just a wound; it is the fire that melts the necklace of trust.
Diari's Wounded Run and Weeping Among the People:
Diari left the house, not normally, but like a madman who had been set on fire. Barefoot, without feeling the cold or the sharp stones on the road, he sprinted. His feet were wounded by the rocks; blood dripped from his toes, leaving a trail on the ground, but the pain in his heart was so immense that he didn't feel the burning of his feet.
The village people, men and women, watched this tragic scene from their doorways. They saw the powerful warrior whom everyone feared now weeping and pleading in the middle of the street. "Rina... please forgive me!" The people's hearts ached for him; some said: "How can love break such a great man like this?"
The Old Man and the Invitation to Peace:
From a distance, an old man named "Haji Arab," whose back was bent and whose eyes were filled with bitter experience, watched Diari. Haji Arab understood immediately; those red eyes, those bloody feet... only love can destroy a human being like this. Because he, too, had once tasted the same joy and pain.
He ran to Diari and took his arm.
Haji Arab: "My son... my beautiful boy, stop! Don't do this to yourself!"
Diari: (With an incredibly heavy sob) "Leave me alone, Haji... she is gone... I am ruined!"
Haji Arab: "Come with me. I promise that she (Rina) will be yours again. Come, let me talk to you for a bit. I won't let you become food for the mist like this."
Diari, feeling that this old man was the only one who understood his pain, reluctantly and with a heavy heart agreed and went to Haji's small house.
Cleaning the Wounds and a Deep Conversation:
Haji Arab sat Diari on a chair. He brought a basin of water and kindly began to wash Diari's bloody feet. The water turned red with blood, but Diari stared at the wall, only shedding tears. Haji gave him some cold water to drink to calm him down.
Diari: (With a trembling voice) "Haji... I trusted her so much, but tonight everything was ruined. That girl (Lina) came and destroyed my whole life. Rina thought I betrayed her... how could she believe that? I, who died for her every single day!"
Haji Arab: (With a deep sigh) "My son... listen. I was just like you. 40 years ago, I had a wife named 'Nasrin.' She was delicate and an angel, just like your Rina. One day, due to a worthless suspicion, her heart broke and she left, just like Rina. I, too, ran like you; I searched for her barefoot..."
Haji Arab's Bitter Story and Advice:
Haji began to cry in a way that made Diari forget his own pain for a few moments.
"That night, Nasrin left and vanished. I searched for her for five years. I crossed every mountain and valley. I heard she was seen on a distant mountain, but when I arrived, I only received the news of her death. She had passed away alone with a broken heart. That wound is still in my heart to this day."
Haji Arab looked into Diari's eyes and said:
"A woman is delicate, my son... she is like glass. When she breaks, even if a thousand years pass, the mark remains. Right now, Rina's heart is burning like fire. My advice to you is this: Leave her be! Let her be alone for a year; let her sorrows pour out. If you go to her now, that fire will only increase. Let loneliness teach her that she cannot live without you, but do not go yet... do not let her become a victim of silence like my Nasrin."
When Diari heard this, he screamed and began to cry again. "A year? Haji, I cannot survive one second without her! How can I endure it?" From that night on, Diari changed. He became an incredibly cold person; he was no longer that young man full of energy. Laughter and comedy died in his life. Only sorrow and silence became his companions.
Conclusion:
Two lovers—one has fallen asleep in a cold room of an old house, crying even in her dreams; and the other, in the home of a heartbroken old man, is turning into a cold statue of silence. How beautiful love is when it begins, and how heartless it is when it ends in doubt.
Written by: Dlin_myth