A journey to home.

“Remind me—how did we end up here again?”

Sara Khan closed her phone, looking lost towards the road sign which seemed to be pointing out in any direction but the right one.

Sabine Hansen groaned from where she had lain sprawled in the grass,  “we’re so lost” she seemed to mutter under her breath, swinging dramatically her arm over her head. The exhaustion was deep into her voice; echoing the strain of walk they had endured.

Elyse Blackwood, who was drinking water turned to look towards her, “I think it all started when we decided that venturing into the wild would be a good idea” She retorted dryly, amusement shining upon her tired eyes.

At first, their idea had been pretty simple; travel by car over the land of Gilgit and then, after arriving at the valley of Hunza; walk by road through the forest Black, which would take them towards the lake of Attabad. There, they would spend the night at the resort, and after that, they would make their way to their destination, which was quite near, Karimabad.

But the forest was tremendous, and as the map they had bought was pretty old, they had ended up on what seemed to be the main road to the town of Aliabad—a village three hours away from the original destination.

They were supposed to have reached the resort hours ago.

The girl sighed, raising her fingers to massage her forehead; a headache was beginning to grow. She looked towards Sabine, but her best friend only gave her a tired sigh. Slowly, her eyes wavered over the horizon.

The wind hummed, softly pushing through, flowing past her hair. The trees rustled. The evening had dawned since they had made their way from Gilgit, and now, the sun was softly bidding its farewell.

Sara chuckled softly as she looked towards the sky, shaking her head as she pushed herself forward. “At least the view is pretty,” she muttered, walking closer towards Elyse, who stood along the deserted road.

“It’s not going to get us to the cabin, though” Sabine muttered, even though she couldn’t help but soften at her way of lightening the mood.

Elyse shook her head at her but before she could utter a response, a faint sound caught her attention. She looked towards Sara, as she spotted a red truck approaching in the distance. “Do you see that?”

Sara nodded quickly, realization settling in. “Over here” she shouted, waving her arms. Sabine looked towards them and instantly pushed herself up.

The truck slowed down as it approached, finally coming to a stop beside them. A woman, in her fortes, leaned out of the window, her expression serious but not unkind.

“Are you going towards the lake of Attabad?“ Elyse questioned.

The women nodded, and the three girls sighed in relief. After a quick conversation, she was ready to take them along, and soon, they were all taking their bags to the car.

Her name was Azra, she was one of the locals. She was her father’s only daughter and thus, the only one to inherit the little land in that area. And with the passion she had for the land itself, she had decided to build a cabin. Azra had five kids, but they all lived in the city, so she devoted her time to managing the cabin and showing the tourists around.  

The journey to the resort was fast, as they all reached by night. Azra invited them as guests, but they were quick to refuse. Though after much insistence; and with the exhaustion dawning upon them, they weren’t able to decline.

The house was grand, a four-story building. It was painted red, a lot different from the major cities in the south. The first floor was for reception, and the rest for guests. She gave them the rooms that belonged to the fourth floor, which had four bedrooms, a living room, and access to the terrace.

The rooms themselves were grand, and they were decorated in such a way, that they felt much like home. Wooden bed, a soft mattress, even softer white blankets, a coffee machine, little candles, and heater to keep the warmth. Thanking her profusely, they all fell asleep before their heads hit the pillow: everyone but one Sara Khan.

Despite the exhaustion, the nervousness and the anxiety still kept tugging her bones. Even after the whole mishap, the excitement of finally going to the place her mother had once called home kept her awake at night.

Night rose to morning, and while turning right, left, right again; she had given up after the third attempt. Sighing, and keeping her yawn at bay, she wrapped herself in a shawl and stepped out on the little balcony that was conjoined with the room.

The sun was rising as she took her seat. Her soft features had already begun to tint red as they battled against the cold air, but the shawl kept her body warm. She breathed in, her eyes turning from the distant sun, towards the letter in her hands. Her heart clenched in her throat, as she opened it once again.

“A few months should have passed by the time you see this. You’ll probably be in a cabin in Hunza, sitting in the bedroom; awake in the early morning, eager to watch the sun shine its rays for the first time upon the lake of Attabad.”

She cleared her throat, blinking away the glistening eyes as she set her eyes upon the lake. The sun had started to set, but as the words of her mother rang through, she could notice now the slight shape of the lake.

I always loved its scent, and how it called on to me. Especially after it rained. I hope it has. A mix of earth, sand, and water; or perhaps sandalwood. If you probably take a detour, you’ll find a little sitting area too, Adhara and I went there, whenever we needed a break from the town.

She chuckled softly, taking her eyes away from the paper towards the lake. I'll ask Azra.

Keeping the thought for the latter, her eyes wavered over the familiar name. The one she had heard and heard, from her mother’s lips. Something sparked in her heart as if she had known her all her life.

"Adhara must be working there still; in Dhaba. The cafè is on the edge of the town, away from the central area. I told her many times that it wouldn't draw many people, but your aunt always preferred the silence rather than the chaos. And yet to our surprise, when she would open every day at six am, a lot of locals would line up. I guess they loved the serenity as much as she did."

She blinked, her furrowing eyes setting over her watch.

6:00.

Azra had mentioned that she was going to the town in the morning, and she had offered as well. And Haya knew well that she couldn’t sleep now, the excitement wouldn’t let her. Her friends wouldn't wake up until noon, and they would probably end up going to the town the next day. And besides, she needed a cup of coffee, didn’t she?

She stood up, and taking all the necessary things she quickly made her way to the reception. Azra was still there, so she quickly shot a text to her friends.

They didn’t take the truck this time, rather, they took a jeep. The ride from the resort to the actual town was not long, but between the narrow pathways of the mountain, it did lengthen. By the time they had crossed the mountain, the sun had risen.

The sky was a canvas, with hues of rose, orange, and yellow. Colors that softly melted onto each other; a painting. The weather was not as warm as expected, the cold was still there. And the air, the air-

"-it hums onto your hair, doesn’t it? Hunza was always called a place of serenity. And for me, it was. It was home."

She breathed in the air, she felt it whisk past her. And when her eyes opened, -that had closed unconsciously- she let out a gasp.

The towering peaks of the Karakoram mountains, the lush rivers that flew past, and towering trees, and it between Karimbad.

A sight for sore eyes.

"The locals are kind people. Their features may be hardened by the time, but their hearts are as soft as a feather. They’ll show you if you ask them.  Don’t resist their warmth, welcome it."

Azra took her to the center and dropped her by. It was a mess, but through broken English, Kharzan, a seventeen-year-old boy brought her and guided her through the streets. She thanked him profusely, her breath stilling as her eyes wavered to the shop.

"And when you see her, don’t hesitate."

Hands clenched into fists, and she rubbed them gently against her dress. She breathed in, and taking the door by its handle, she entered.

She was instantly hit by the scent of the warm coffee. It whisked past her, unknowingly calming her in the process. The bell rang softly, announcing the entrance of a new guest. A woman, probably in her fifties looked up towards her as she neared the counter.

She breathed out.

Emerald eyes, black curly hair with hints of white. And a hint of a soft smile. She had heard a lot about them.

“Are you Adhara? —Adhara Roy?” she questioned, the nerves crawling at her. The woman squinted her green eyes, -“I’m Sara—Sara Khan”

"When you see her, she’ll know. She’s like that, you know? Adhara is me. I always wanted to introduce her to you, to see you grow, and to call her family. I am glad that I did, even if it's like this. Because she is to me --my family-, and I hope that she can be yours as well."

Something clicked in Adhara's eyes. As If there was something in her name that she had found, that perhaps made her feature soften. And suddenly, a soft smile tugged upon those lips.

“You look like your mother” Sara choked out a laugh, her shoulders wavering in relief. Sun-kissed eyes glistened.

“Yeah,” she breathed out, “I’ve been told that a lot,” she said softly.

Adhara’s eyes eased, like ice in the rays of the sun. And as her arms wavered over her, Sara didn’t feel any strangeness at all. It was as if she was transported back there again, back to her. As the familiar warmth swept in, as if it had never left; It felt like home.

"Be brave, take the courage that resides in you. And live, my darling. Live as yourself, and don’t settle for anything less. Don’t let anything hold you back, because I would want you to live the best version of you. And know that you have not lost me. I am still here; with you, by your side.

I’ll always be.

For I have never left."