Manira /Damar Scouts

Episode 30's

Short episode version of the novel “Senandung HOMESU under the Broken Moon Wings”

Damar Jurors

By: Elmira Arasy Rahman

Episode 30's

After the carriage passed, Gibran opened his eyes and saw Manira lying in his arms. Manira just kept quiet, petrified. His eyes were open but said nothing. He was just crying, expressing a deep sadness. He was like someone who was so desperate for something that he decided to end his own life. This beautiful woman in white, looked like a wooden doll that was only speechless with wet eyes.

Gibran was silent. Until almost evening, Gibran remained sitting on a bed of dry leaves mixed with thatch. He won't ask anything. Just hope Manira gets up or says something. The one thing Gibran could catch from a Manira was despair. Something that has controlled his heart and mind to make his body like an undead for losing his life. The life that has been taken away by his lover who now knows where.

Foolish, one word that comes to Gibran's mind, describes how foolish Manira can be toyed with and mastered by love to the point of destroying herself. Love's. Why would such an intangible word be so devastating and controlling to one's life that one is powerless and unable to do anything for oneself. Love is a killer.

Gibran has not forgotten how love destroys everything. Due to a wrong love, Juragan Damar destroys his family. Because of love, Hasan's father languished in his life. Because of love, her mother died. For love also Juragan Damar died in vain. It all starts with love. He himself was a victim of that love. Everything was destroyed only he left who was now a trash. Until now he has not stopped regretting it but now in front of him there is one more fool who can be mastered and played by love. Gibran feels angry, pity and annoyed to see Manira destroying herself out of love.

They just sit next to each other on a stretch of dried leaves and grasshoppers dancing with the evening breeze. They were silent with their respective daydreams, without saying anything. Towards the magrib, as dusk grew black, Manira stood up and left Gibran without saying anything. He looks very broken. As well as knowing the contents of Manira's heart, Gibran hummed singing a song that Manira used to play while waiting for her lover, who was,

I spent all my days waiting for you

All my breath I breathe to wait for you

Nothing hurts more than missing you

I don't know why I can't stop loving you...

I don't know why I can't replace you with anyone...

It was like suicide...

It was like dying between life and death...

My love.

My love.... I miss you so much...

Manira stopped her steps hearing a strand of poetry that Gibran took from the lyrics of a song she often played. He looked back, surprised to hear the madman could convey it so heartily as if he were the one in the song. Manira looked at Gibran, as if capturing another melancholy, soulful figure of Gibran. In Manira's eyes, the madman who had never bathed suddenly turned into a poet who was good at expressing his heart through lines of poetry. For a moment Manira questioned who this man was? Who could read his heart so clearly was like reading a book whose pages were open.

Seriate...