Adam's Eye : Chapter Thirty-One

Zaharah looks at the clock on the wall and it was already almost quater to twelve but she was unable to shut her eyes to sleep. She tossed and turn in the bed. Her mind seems to be whirling and drifting away...thinking hard about that strange painter Rheyan. At last Zaharah sat on her bed and faces the window which shows the view of the magestic bridge. She stood up and walk closer towards the window seal and place her palm on the glass panel. The night skies soon begins to show some heavy clouds and it seems it's going to be a cool night with the blessed rain falling from it. Zaharah stared hard towards the bridge and it seems she can feel him there..but she's afraid to get close. Zaharah took her coat and keys as she decides to get herself a cup of coffee at the twenty four hours cafeteria which was located near by the hotel. As she was buttoning up her blouse suddenly there was a knock on her door. She opens the door and she was surprised it was Zaki.
"I can't get myself to sleep." said Zaki while standing at the door.
"Yah me neither." replied Zaharah. "I'm thinking about having a cup of nice latte at that near by cafe..Will you like to join me?" asked Zaharah with a smile cause she felt glad at least she had Zaki to keep her company.
"That's sounds great..we shall get ourselves drunk with coffee then," cried Zaki coyly. Zaharah giggles upon hearing his remarks.
They were both just in time upon reaching the cafe as the skies begins to drizzle it's rain bringing in the soft wind along. "If it's keep on pouring I guess we have to overnight here." exclaimed Zaki as they both took the seats which was nearby the window. There were not many people in the cafe that night and propably due to the rain. After their coffee has been served they begins to take few sips.
"This is good." cried Zaki as he stirs the coffee while looking at Zaharah who seems lost in her own thoughts. And Zaki knew, Zaharah's anxiety and restlessness is due to that painter Rheyan. Zaki was afraid..not because of losing her but he was afraid that Zaharah will breaks again if that Rheyan is not Adam. "Zaharah, I know what you are thinking right now. It's about Rheyan isn't it?" asked Zaki looking intensely at Zaharah.
"I just can't get my mind of him. It's just like I've been pulled into this pit to fall and it's kind of scary." replied Zaharah with tears in her eyes. "I'm afraid...what if he was not Adam..? But yet I feel him so close to me...just within my reach but yet it seems so far."
"Zaharah, I don't want to see your heart breaks again..it pains me." utter Zaki and he held on to Zaharah's hand. Zaharah looks at Zaki's hazel brown eyes and smile faintly.
"I know some things about him..and where he lives." said Zaharah. "And I'm going to find out more about this guy." continue Zaharah again.
"Zaharah..I was hoping that he was Adam too...but don't pin our hopes too high on that or else it will brings in more dissapointment." replied Zaki with concerned.
"I take my chances...and see how it goes." replied Zaharah and she was determined to set her goals straight.
"Let me come with you." requested Zaki.
"No..let me do this on my own...please." pleads Zaharah with tears in her eyes. Zaki nodded with a faint smile. They stayed at the cafe until it was almost half past one in the morning and the rain had eventually stops..but bringing in the cold dew instead. Zaki sent Zaharah to her room as he felt it is not safe for her to be walking all alone at the hotel lobby despite there's some securities making their rounds.
"Zaki..thank you for keeping me company tonight..I really appreciate it." said Zaharah as she looks into his eyes. Zaki walk closer towards her reaching out his hands to caress her hair and touching her face. Zaharah stood frooze by the door as she was mesmerized by his hazel brown eyes and his intense look. And then Zaki bring his face closer towards Zaharah's holding her slender body close to him and gently kisses her lips. Zaharah close her eyes and had her arms around his neck.....suddenly she picture Adam in her mind and she pulls herself away from Zaki and hit her back by the door.
"I'm sorry Zaki...I can't. Maybe you should leave now?" exclaimed Zaharah without looking at him. Zaki let his hands off Zaharah. "Please forgive me." exclaimed Zaki as he walks back towards his room. Zaharah close the door behind her and wept.
The next morning Zaharah did not realised that she had overslept until she heard the knocking of the door. She looks at her watch and it was almost ten in the morning. Zaharah walk towards the door and it was Zaki.
"Good morning lazy bum..!" cried Zaki cheerfully.
"Nice words..you've got there Zaki. You want to taste my fists." replied Zaharah as she brush her hair from her eyes and smile. Zaki chuckles upon hearing her remarks.
"I need to have my shower now...so you being here will only drags time." replied Zaharah again as she took her towel and walk towards the shower room.
"Alright, I shall wait for you at the restaurant for breakfast then. And do hurry up..or we might not left with anything but salads." cried Zaki as he shuts the door and walk towards the elevator which lead towards the restaurant. Zaharah smile to herself. She loves Zaki...but more like a brother nothing else. She had lost her brother Izaldeen, but she had found that affection from Zaki. After she put on her simple t-shirt and three quater pants, she headed straight towards the restaurant and there she saw Zaki was waiting for her. It seems that he had scoop some breakfast for her too from the buffet which was provided by the restaurant.
"You will never get this...if you were to be late." said Zaki. "Puntuality is my main priority."
"Oh my...this is not your office..so don't nag." replied Zaharah with a grin. Zaki shakes his head and smile. And then he looks at her solemnly. "About yesterday, I'm so sorry. I know I should not have done that. Please forgive me."
"Zaki, infact I was thankful that you understand..about how I feel." replied Zaharah as she looks at him.
"That latte which we had yesterday..might have cause me to get drunk." giggles Zaki.
"Yah...you have got the point there. I supposed so." cried Zaharah as she ties her hair in a bun.
"Zaki, maybe this afternoon, I'm intend to go over his place to find out more about him but I'm going to make sure that he was not around." said Zaharah as she took a bite on her sandwich.
"How are you going to find out more about him if he was not around then?" asked Zaki curiously.
"I get this info from a nice lady selling sweets at the corner of that bridge. This Rheyan guy..he lives with an old man at that old apartment right across of that bridge." replied Zaharah with full of hope and determination on her looks written all over her face.
"Zaharah, are you sure about doing this? Cause I don't want to see you get hurt again..not anymore." exclaimed Zaki with concerned.
"Yah...wish me luck!" cried Zaharah with a wink.
"Alright...I'm shall be right behind you then." replied Zaki and he knew he has to let her go..to let her chase the falling stars.
Zaharah stood by her window and looks at the bridge for a moment. It was half past two and she already had make up her mind about her task. She put on her simple white dress with small pastel blue pantern on it. And then she put on her favourite lavender scent perfume. She looks at her own reflection on the mirror and begins to brush her hair. And then she put on her eyeliner and mascara...to makes her eyes stands out. Next she gloss her lips with the natural colour lipgloss and smile to herself. "This is it..! I'm all set."
As she was passing through the bridge, there she saw him busying himself with his paintings and talking to a customer. Zaharah quickly walk pass his mini shop hoping that he would not notice her. Just like what the lady owner of the sweet shop had told her, she headed towards the old department and stood by the elevator. Zaharah was hoping that old man will be around and hopefully this Rheyan won't be back too early or her plans will be foil. Finally she enters the lift and press the third floor button. She was nervous and anxious...but she needs to stay calm and relax. Zaharah turn to her right and walk pass the other doors and coming towards the corner of the corridor. The door which she was dying to knock on...but it seems her courage is slipping away from her soul. Zaharah clench her fist and pick up her spirit. And then she begins to knock on the door. There was silence...nobody was around it seems. Zaharah knocks again but still..all she could hear is the echo of her knocking. Zaharah was dissapointed and decides to leave when suddenly, she heard someone was opening the door.
"Looking for someone missy?" asked the old man as he looks at her with his glasses.
"Good afternoon sir, do you know if there's any painter artist living around this area?" asked Zaharah as calmly as she could.
"Rheyan..yah..he's staying with me. If you need to see him..he's propably be at his shop right now." exclaimed the old man.
"I did went over but he was not around." said Zaharah with a tinge of guilt about that white lies.
"Oh! I see..maybe he's buying his supply somewhere or maybe he's coming back home for his break." replied the old man. "Come on in, who knows you might got the chance to meet him here." said the old man as he invites Zaharah into his home. As Zaharah enters the house she saw so many beautiful paintings of scenaries and abstract been neatly arrange against the wall.
"Are this all his works?" asked Zaharah as she phase around the paintings admiring them.
"Yah..such a talented fellow." replied the old man." Here I hope you drink coffee."
"Thank you sir for all the trouble. Actually, I'm opening a shop which only sells paintings and arts and what I saw right now..is amazing. I'm intending to have Rheyan to be part of my term." "That will definately be a good news to him." said the old man with a smile.
"You are one lucky man to have such a talented son like him." exclaimed Zaharah.
"No..Rheyan is unfortunately not my son." replied the old man as he took his glasses off from his eyes and place it on the table. And then there was a solemness written all over his face.
"Oh..your nephew then?" probe Zaharah again curiously as this getting more interesting.
The old man shake his heads and the he continues."Rheyan..he's such a poor chap. When the first time the authority found him being drifted towards our shore...they thought he was an illegal immigrant. He was hospitalised due to his head injuries with a cuffs around his hands. Actually I was one of the cops who had to detain him. After he regain his conciousness..he seems to be lost. He can't recall anything about his past..and the worst part is he had no identification documents on him which really had complicated this case further. He was put in a lock up for almost six months but there is still no news about him. Some of us decides to put news about this strange guy on the newspaper but our superior was not keen about this idea as he felt that maybe this Rheyan was just making excuses to slip onto our country by pretending to be sufferring from amnesia. We were upset about this cause..what we see in Rheyan..is he's a nice chap. At last, I decide to bail him out and allows him to stay at my place right until today..almost five years now."
Zaharah listen with full of anticipation and tears begins to well in her eyes but she tries to control her emotion. "He paints well doesn't he? asked Zaharah as she regain her compose.
"Yah, after a week he's been with me and then I notice he took my full-scape paper and a pen ..and then begins sketching..I was impressed by his skills and I knew he was not an ordinary guy. There was something special about him." said the old man.
"Yah he is special." utter Zaharah as she looks at his paintings.
"There's another strange thing about this guy." cried the old man. "In his sleeps..he seems to be calling out a girl's name...Zaharah. When he wakes up and as I probe about this girl..he look confused and upset as he was trying so hard to recall all that was lost." continues the old man sadly.
This time Zaharah let her tears falls on her cheeks as she knew....this Rheyan is Adam.
"You have taken care of him so well...and I pray that may God Bless you with abundance of enlightment spirit for your good deeds." said Zaharah with she smile. The old man was surprised by her remarks and nodded.
"Well, it's pretty late now..I guess I need to go." said Zaharah as she stood up.
"Don't you want to wait for him?" asked the old man.
"It's okay maybe some other time. Nice meeting you sir. By the way may I know your name?" asked Zaharah.
"I'm Mirza...what's yours missy?" asked the old man.
"Zaharah." she replies with a smile before she left...leaving Mirza stood frooze by the door.