Mumin is asleep.
Yet even inside his sleep, he hears sounds. At first faint. Then louder. Then very loud.
Something is breaking. Water is falling. Somewhere fire is burning. Screaming. Crying. Allahu Akbar-from far away. From nearby.
Mumin turns from side to side in bed. But he does not wake. His body moves, but his eyes do not open.
The sounds grow louder. They enter his head. Where is Musa? Can Musa hear it? Musa is silent. Only sound. Only sound.
Then suddenly all the sounds stop.
Silence. So silent that it rings in the ears.
Mumin slowly opens his eyes.
He is lying in bed. The room is dark. The tube light is on-it is always on. But light from outside should be coming through the curtains. It should be afternoon. The sun should be high.
Mumin looks at the clock. 4:10 PM.
But outside is darkness. Thick darkness. So dark it feels like night has already fallen.
Mumin sits up. Goes to the window. Pulls the curtain aside and looks outside.
The road is empty. Houses. Trees. The dog is gone. The sky is black. No clouds. Just black. As if the sun set long ago.
Mumin takes his phone. Checks the time-4:10. Checks again-4:10. Again-4:10.
Time is frozen.
He stands by the window. Waits.
Five minutes. Ten minutes. Half an hour.
Still dark outside.
Mumin begins to feel afraid. He recites dua. Ayatul Kursi. Again and again.
Musa whispers, "What is happening?"
Mumin says, "I don't know. Time has stopped."
Musa is silent.
Then-suddenly.
Light.
The sun rises. But not slowly. In one leap. As if someone pressed a switch. The brightness blinds him. So strong that Mumin closes his eyes.
When he opens them-earthquake.
The ground shakes. At first lightly, then violently. Mumin grabs the wall. The window glass shatters. Books scatter. The laptop rolls onto the floor.
Musa shouts, "Get outside!"
But before he can go, he hears a roar. A massive roar. The sound of water.
He looks out the window. In the distance-a tsunami. A gigantic wave. Touching the sky. Not green, but black. As if the ocean is angry.
The wave is coming closer. Toward the house. Toward the field. It will swallow everything.
Mumin runs. Toward the door. But cannot open it. His hands shake. He tries again and again. It won't open.
The wave comes closer. Its sound reaches his ears-boom boom boom.
Mumin closes his eyes. Screams, "Allah!"
Right then-another sound.
Mountain.
The ground in front of the house splits open. Rocks. Earth. Massive stone. Rising. Higher. Higher. Trying to touch the sky.
The tsunami crashes into the mountain. Stops. Recedes.
Mumin opens his eyes. Sees-in front of the house now stands a massive mountain. So huge it blocks the sun. Bigger than Mount Everest. Touching the sky.
Mumin falls to his knees. What is happening? Where is this? Is he dead?
From behind, Musa shouts, "Get up! Run! Escape!"
But there is nowhere to escape. Mountains everywhere. Only mountains. And darkness. The sun is blocked.
Mumin kneels. Trembling. Closes his eyes.
"La ilaha illallah..."
He repeats it. Again and again.
Then-
Someone places a hand on his shoulder.
Mumin opens his eyes.
In front of him stands an old man. White beard. White clothes. Kind eyes.
The old man says, "Wake up, son. It's time for prayer."
Mumin looks behind him. No mountain. No tsunami. No earthquake. Only his room. His bed. His window. Outside, afternoon light is appearing.
He realizes-it was a dream. All a dream.
Mumin looks at the old man. The old man smiles gently. Says, "What you see in dreams is not reality. But dreams tell you who you are."
Mumin wants to say something. But the old man leaves. Fades away.
The adhan begins-the Asr call to prayer.
"Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar..."
Mumin sits on the bed. Panting. His body soaked in sweat. Hands trembling.
He looks at the window. The sun is in the west. A normal sun. Slowly descending. Red. Beautiful.
There is no mountain in front of the house. Only road. Only trees. Only afternoon.
Mumin takes his phone. Checks the time-4:55. Time for Asr.
He exhales. Goes to make wudu. Water falls on his hands. Cold. Real.
Musa is silent. Has the horror of the dream touched Musa too?
Mumin prays. In sujood he cries. Says, "Ya Allah, what was this dream? What are You trying to show me?"
No answer comes. Allah is silent.
But Mumin knows-the dream tried to say something. Time freezing, the sun not rising, tsunami, mountain-everything is a symbol. Of his fear. His loneliness. His Musa.
He finishes prayer. Sits on the bed. Looks outside the window. The sun now in the west. The day ending.
But Mumin feels-the day has not ended. That dream has not left him.
The phone rings. Imolodia.
Message-
"How was the dream? We saw it. Your fear, your hope, your mountain. We know everything. Wait."
Mumin throws the phone away.
Inside his head, Musa slowly begins to laugh.
Musa says, "They won't leave you. They won't leave me. We belong to them."
Mumin closes his eyes.
Recites dua.
Outside, the sun is setting. The world is moving.
But Mumin's world is still trapped in that dream. Beneath that mountain. In that darkness.
He does not know-when he will return to reality.
Maybe never.