The sweet atmosphere of the cabin reminded Onik of a day that changed the course of their lives.
One day in a .
Onik entered the room, bursting with excitement. Ira was on the phone, talking urgently. Onik gestured for her to stop, but she was busy.
Onik (Excitedly): "Ira! Listen! There is great news!"
Ira tried to wrap up her call quickly.
Ira (On the phone): "Okay, I'll talk to you later. I'm hanging up now."
She turned to Onik, surprised by the triumph in his eyes.
Ira: "What happened, Onik? Why are you so excited? What is the good news?"
Onik took her hands and pulled her close.
Onik: "Ira, we are going to Japan! I passed the recruitment exam for that high-ranking officer position! My posting is directly in Japan!"
Ira was speechless with joy. In their difficult times, the chance for a new beginning abroad was like a dream.
Onik: "Wait, that's not all. There is more good news."
He gently placed his hand on Ira's stomach, which was just beginning to show a tiny bump back then.
Onik: "The doctor confirmed today that our baby is perfectly healthy. We aren't just going to a new country; we are taking the greatest gift of our new life with us!"
Returning to the present, Onik looked at Ira in her blue saree. That dream from the past was now a reality.
Present: A Moment of Laughter
Hearing Onik's words, Ira paused for a moment and then burst out laughing at his silliness. The gravity of the cabin vanished instantly.
Then Ira continues to laugh.
Ira (Looking at Onik): "Have you gone crazy? The baby is already born! This little fairy lying in my lap—did she fall from the sky? Where did you get 'new' news about a baby?"
Onik looked confused for a second, then realized his mistake and laughed heartily, rubbing his head. In his excitement, he had mixed up the past and the present!
Onik (Laughing): "Oh no, I mean... I went back into a flashback! I was talking about when the news of Japan first came. You just laughed me off!"
Ira (Still laughing): "You are such a child! I have a baby in my arms, and you're telling me there's news. Listen, our greatest news is right in front of us. We will go to Japan, but this time, it's not just the two of us—we are going as three."
The Call to Mother
Ira decided to share this joy with her mother. She smiled at Onik and picked up her phone.
Ira calls her mother.
Ira's Mom: "Hello, Ira? Are you okay? Is my granddaughter sleeping?"
Ira (Beaming): "Ma! I'm fine. But listen, Onik has great news. He's gone crazy with joy!"
Onik took the phone and turned on the speaker.
Onik: "Ma! Listen, I passed the officer exam! Our posting is in Japan! We are all going to Japan very soon!"
Ira's mother was silent for a moment, tears of joy filling her eyes. The couple who once had to run away in fear were now going abroad with honor.
Ira's Mom: "Alhamdulillah! I knew you could do it. My granddaughter has brought luck! Ira, are you wearing the blue saree? That color was your father's favorite; he would have been so happy today."
A Peaceful Afternoon
Ira hung up the phone, her heart feeling light.
Ira (To Onik): "Onik, hold my daughter for a moment. She is sleeping peacefully. I'm going to the kitchen to make tea and some snacks for us."
Onik (Smiling): "Of course! But don't rush. Your body hasn't fully recovered yet."
Ira carefully got out of bed, her blue saree casting a serene glow in the room. In the kitchen, she carefully prepared light snacks and tea.
Then Ira prepares snacks and puts them on the table.
Ira (Calling from the kitchen): "Onik, snacks are ready! Come here."
Onik came to the table, still holding the baby.
Ira (Smiling): "Here, eat. And now, give the baby to me, I will breastfeed her. I think she's hungry; she's started moving."
Onik very carefully handed their little princess to Ira.
Then Ira feeds her baby.
As the baby began to drink peacefully, a divine peace appeared on Ira's face. All the struggles of the world seemed to fade away.
Ira (Softly): "Look, Onik, she is so peaceful. After all the storms in our lives, we deserved this peace."
Onik sat right next to her, placing his hand on Ira's shoulder and gently touching the baby's forehead.
Onik: "In Japan, our life will be different. No one will question our past or try to separate us using religion. It will be just you, me, and our little one."
Ira smiled. The baby's tiny hand was gripping the edge of Ira's saree. That little fist was now the strongest bond in their world. Onik hugged Ira and the baby together. Outside on the veranda, the colors of the sky were changing in anticipation of a new dawn.
The dark night of their lives had ended, and a new morning had begun.It was now nighttime.
A large, bright moon had risen in the sky, casting its silvery glow directly onto their balcony. Ira was sitting on the balcony. Her blue saree appeared even deeper and more elegant under the soft light of the night. She was reclined in a comfortable chair, and from the exhaustion of the day and the weight of new motherhood, Ira was in a deep sleep.
In her lap, the baby was sleeping in her mother's arms, resting with ultimate peace. This intimate bond between mother and child, combined with the serenity of the night, looked like a living painting.
At that moment, Onik came out from the room.
He had brought a light shawl so that Ira wouldn't feel the night chill. Onik stepped onto the balcony and paused. He saw his entire world sleeping there in total peace. Onik's gaze then drifted toward the horizon.
From there, he could see the sea. The moonlight was hitting the waves, creating silver ripples across the water. Onik stared at that vast body of water—the same sea where they once met in secret, and where they had dived beneath the surface to take their lifelong vows.
Very gently, Onik draped the shawl over Ira's shoulders. He gave a long, soft kiss to her forehead and sat down silently in the chair beside her. He thought about how the same sea that once threatened to witness their separation was now singing the song of a new chapter in their lives.
Before leaving for Japan, this final night bestowed upon them an eternal peace. The blue of their love had merged today with the blue of the sea and Ira's saree, becoming one.