A Lover's Light

Assalamualaikum, everyone!!

Well here is the sequel to "Match Made In Heaven".  My stories aren't that good and not many people read it anyway.  But thanks to those who know and read it.  Realy REALLY appreciate it.  Lots of my friends said that the story before this was good and asked if I was going to write more.  At first, I just wanted to write out of boredom.  But now..I dont know..  Sorry if the prologue is a bit disturbing and annoying.  It's the whole reason anyway.  I want you all to have that "Are they dead?" "What happens next?" kind of vibe and expression.  Hehe..

So...Enjoy! ;-)

~*~

His eyes were closed.  In a way Jaz didn't feel grounded.  Literally.  It didn't seem that he was actually standing.  Not even lying down anywhere.  Somehow, he felt like he was...Weightless.  Floating in the nothingness like what was in his head.  He couldn't remember anything.  What happened?  Where am I?  He thought.  Then he recalled hearing the honking of horns.  Screeching of tyres.  The shrieking of.....Nadhira

At the thought of his love, Jaz's eyes shot open.  Then he found out that he WAS floating.  "Who did - What the...  Where am I?  WHY am I..?  Since when can I...?  How can...?,"  all this were exclaimed when he found out he was levitating about 2 meters above the air, panicking and fluttering till he was upside down in mid-air, kicking and punching the air.

Ok stop moving...NOW!  He thought.  Still floating, he stopped, spinning and turning aimlessly.  After a few short breathes, he spun upright and tried to recall his name.  Jazlani.  His friends called him 'Lan', 'J'.  Most people called him 'Jaz'.  Jaz looked around.  People were walking around in scrubs, guys wearing labcoats with stethoscopes around their necks.  He was in a hospital, surely.  Jaz looked at his feet.  He was still wearing his workshoes.  But something wasn't right.  He can see through his feet.  Considering he was already floating, he didn't find that surprising.  "Oh well, I always thought I'd make a convincing ghost," he muttered under his breath.

~*~

In the room where he was, Jaz saw a man with his face full of cuts and bruises.  His leg hung in the air.  Broken leg he thought.  But he looked familiar.  Minus the injuries and the cast on his leg, he knew then and there.  It was him.  But the lady next to him wasn't any better.  Like the gentleman, eyes closed but more injuries.  Her left eye was swollen and barely visible.  Her right leg had shards of glasses still embedded in it and her left leg was in a cast.  It was clearly bent in an awkward angle even with the cast.

"What have I done?  How could I do this to her?  Why can't I be more careful?," he said to himself.  It all came back to him.  That fateful day......

~*~

Another day, another job well done at his office. Even though it was only desk work and making coffee for his boss. His life-long dream of becoming an audio engineer was already within reach. To him it's just a matter of time till he actually gets the chance. The boss did say that he always did a 'bang up job'. So he's keeping an optimistic mood.

Jaz  drove his 7 series BMW on the way back home. Who knew you could buy that kind of car by just being an assistant? It pays to work for a major engineering company. And of course, next to him was the love of his life, Nadhirah.  Dazzling and graceful as ever. It's odd that she can mesmerize him by just sitting there and looking out the window. It's more odd that they met for just about 3 months. And as they say, the rest was history.

It was raining cats and dogs and the air seems colder. And not just because they had the air-cond on. To keep their minds off it, she tuned the radio to the one station that they actually like. AR.fm was always their favourite. They play some "old-skool" tunes sometimes. Times when things were easy and the only thing to do was just study. "You think they'll like me? What if they don't?," she asked sheepishly. "What if they do?," he replied, smirking that crazy smirk.
"No fair. You can't answer a question with a question," she said, pouting.
"Stop pouting la. I know la you're cute when you pout kan," he said, joshing around.
"You still love me anyway," she cracked a smile.

Some friends just came back from the UK so he wanted them to meet his "partner". He was actually ecstatic. He couldn't remember whose house they were going to have dinner at. He searched his pant pockets. No phone. Then he saw it in a compartment in the middle.

"Dear, can you get my phone? Nak ask them whose house where going," he asked, eyes on the slippery road.
"Sure," she said, taking his phone and passing it to him.
He took it but it slipped from his hand and fell at his feet near the pedals.
"Aiyo, you ah," she said annoyingly.
"I got it. No worries," he said while reaching and rubbing the floor at his feet.
"No la. No need. You can use mine. Use my...SAYANG WATCH OUT!!," She shrieked as their car were going into oncoming lane.

Jaz looked up and turned the wheel with wide eyes. After that, everything went black. The last thing he heard were screeching tyres and screams of his beloved. And the last thing he saw....
Was his life. Flashing before his very eyes...

~*~

The only thing that Jaz remembered was his car getting overturned and seeing blood running down Nadhirah's face like a leaky faucet.  He groaned and grunted.  His arm was bent in a strange way.  He kept his eyesight away from it.
"Nadhirah..Ya Allah..Nadhirah..Hang on, Nadhirah..Hang on," he said to his love assuringly, determined to save her.  He saw her twitching for a moment.  Alive...Alhamdulillah, he thought.

A man came running, trying to pull him out.  He shook the man away.
"No!" he yelled.  "Dia lagi penting.  Saya tak apa.  Keluarkan dia dulu.  Please," he begged to the man with pleading eyes.
The man started to shout, "Tolong saya keluarkan diorg ni!  Call ambulance!"

After what seemed like an eternity of pain and rivers of blood and tears, they were able to bring them both out.  Jaz was in bad shape.  But Nadhirah was worse.  He caught a glimpse of her, still unconscious.  Her head scarf was taken off.  The tudung he gave her as a present.  What was precious like the person who wore it, is now stained with blood, pieces of skin and most importantly...Guilt.  How can he be so distracted?  So absent-minded. 

He looked at himself.  Blood drenched his S.E.E.D.S shirt.  His dress pants torn to shreds, exposing his thighs that were filled with glass, piercing through his skin.  What Jaz saw lower was worse.  His leg was in a shape of a banana.  A very, VERY....CURVED...Banana.
"Now that's something you don't see everyday," he remarked and passed out.

~*~

As he was in the room, Jaz just noticed that, in his freaky and crazy ghost form, he was still in his bloodied work clothes.  He saw her parents by her bedside.  Her mother had obviously been crying.  The father paced around with a grim expression.  His parents were also there.  He floated closer to them.  "Ayah?  I'm ok.  See?  I'm fine," he said.  But somehow his parents couldn't hear him.
"Kesian, kat J...Macam mana sampai boleh jadi like this?" his mother sobbed.
"Sabar la.  Insya-Allah he'll be fine.  The doctor said he'll be fine kan? 
So no need to worry sangat la," his father consoled his mother.

"Ibu?  Ayah? I'm right here la.  Can't you hear me?  Or see me?  Kat sini," Jaz said, awaiting a response.

"But how about Nadhirah?  How is she?," she questioned her husband.
"The doctor said that...There's a slim chance.  Very slim..Allah je yg boleh tolong," his father said.
His mother broke into tears and said through choked sobs, "Kesian dia.  BOTH of them.  She makes him very happy.  He'll be devastated nanti when he wakes up.

Hearing this shook him to his core.  Jaz floated away from them.  She was dying and it was all his fault.  If ghosts couldn't cry, he was the first to do so.  Priceless pearls shed uncontrollably from his eyes.  He never felt so small..So insignificant.  So alone..

"You're not alone," a voice suddenly came from behind.
Scared out of his wits, he ran (or floated) straight through a wall.  It was a good thing that he was a ghost now.  Otherwise he could've gotten a new injury.

~*~

Jaz came back into the room from the wall and saw Nadhirah.  But she was dressed in white and not like him, in bloodied clothes.  White baju kurung and white shoes.  White head scarf.  Everything she wore was white.

"Nadhirah..Sayang..I'm sorry..SO sorry..I was careless.  I should've borrowed yours," he floated closer to her, kneeling at her feet in mid-air.
"Sayang, no.  It's ok.  I tak salahkan you pun.  Ok?" she caressed his cheek.
"Still.  I'm sorry," he nuzzled her hand.
"Well, I have to go now.  They'll be coming soon.  But remember that I'll always be with you ok?" she floated away, smiling.
"What? No!  Don't leave me alone!"

Her parents panicked when she went "flat-lined".  "Nurse!! Nurse, tolong!" her mom screamed.  "Code blue!  Doctor!"  The nurse came in, screaming.  It was havoc all over the room.  People in scrubs rushing in.  A doctor shouting orders.  All he could do was try to float to her but she already went inside her body.  The last thing he saw was her smile.

"Charge it up! Clear!" The doctor was using the defibrilator now.  No response. "Again!  Higher!  Clear!" Charges of electricity went through her body but still no response.  In the end, silence.  Nothing but sobs and a long beep.  Nadhirah was gone.  All he could do was stare at the lifeless body.

And then his real body started to show some signs.  He was dying too. "Kenapa ni? Doctor!  Nurse!" his mother yelled.  The doctor and nurse came quickly to the other bed, putting shots of adrenaline in his system.  He floated back to his body, still stunned.

"Clear!" Electricity jolted through his body.  No movement.  "Put it on full!  I tak nak lose this kid also!! Clear!"

~*~

Jaz woke up with a start.  Beads of sweat glistening on his forehead.  He looked beside him.  A body laid there, sleeping soundly and peacefully.  "Just a dream..Just a dream," he told himself.  He got up and sat on his bed.  The same dream.  The same nightmare.  That accident was years ago but it still haunted him till this very day.  He cost someone her life.  He cost two parents a daughter.  The "spider of guilt" crawled up and down his throat everytime he remembered that day.

"It's ok, Jiji.  It wasn't your fault," a soothing voice pierced his ears, washing his anxieties away.  "Jiji".  Syiqin's the only person who calls him that.  And he liked the name.  It's got a ring to it.  She woke up and sat next to her Jiji.  His wife's warmth always calmed him down.  Syiqin knew what he always dreamed about.  What made him muttered in his sleep.  The nightmares.  He often said her name.  Nadhirah....  It made her sad at times that he had dreams about his ex-girlfriend.  But it was a nightmare.  And he was suffering in a way.  As if he might go into deep depression and lose his mind.

Syiqin leaned her head on his shoulder.  Both of them were looking out the window now.  Apparently they forgot to shut them.  The moonlight was streaking into the room through the window.  They can see the streets, houses and all around the neighbourhood.  The stars were barely visible because of all the the street lights.  If there WAS a star, it's like a miracle.

"I'm sorry, sayang.  I tahu that you know I still dream about her," he said.  It was like his mouth was filled with sand.  The words were hard to come out as it was a touchy subject.  He felt his shoulder getting wet.  It was then he realized that she was crying.  Even though this had happened sometimes, he just couldn't bare seeing his love crying.  It felt worse than losing Nadhirah.

"Hey, hey, what's wrong? Hmmm?" he cupped her cheeks and wiped her tears with his thumbs.
"Nothing, sayang.  I just feel that..You could've gotten married with her instead of me.  It bugs me a bit that you still have dreams or nightmares about her," she confessed, nuzzling his hands.
"Sayang, I did love her.  Ok?  I won't lie.  But Allah lagi sayang dia.  His love towards His Servants are greater than anybody's love towards someone else.  I don't want these nightmares.  But they remind me to always be careful.  I married YOU.  I love YOU," he said reassuringly, staring deep into those mesmerizing eyes.  A blend of joy and hope.  Joyful to find a heart, a soul so pure to be loved.  And hopeful of spending the rest of his life with his soulmate.
"I love you too, Jiji," she replied.

He kissed her forehead lovingly and pulled her head close to his chest, breathing the scent of her hair.  Lavender..  Soothing as always.  She smiled and it wasn't surprising that the hearts were beating at the same time.  As many times as his and her hearts were beating, their love was a million times more.

~*~

"Feeling better? Hmm?" he asked, lips breaking into a smile.  "Mm-hmm," she nodded against his chest.
"Good.  The moon's bright today.  Jom tengok?," Jaz offered.
"Ok."

They sat side by side on their bed, looking out the window.  A few moments later, a star started to appear.  It shined so brightly.  It's the brightest that both of them have ever seen.  It was a magical night.  The light reminded him of his wife.  A resemblance to her name.

Nurul Asyiqin.  "Cahaya Pencinta".  "A Lover's Light".

"Hey, I know we shouldn't believe in things like wishing upon a star, but just for the fun of it.  You know?  You take it la.  Make a wish," he said.
"How about you?" she asked.
"I've got all I want already.  Right here," he chimed.
She blushed, saying, "You always tahu how nk buat I melt kan?"
"I'm your husband la.  It's my job and my pleasure.  C'mon.  Go ahead," he said.

After a moment of silence, he asked, "What did you wished for?"
"To spend the rest of my life with you," she whispered loud enough for him to hear.
"So you have wished it, so shall it be," he said, kissing the top of her head.

The night passed by.  Their arms around each other, looking out the window.  And only one thing came to their minds : I'll always love you....

~*~

That's that.  I'm not sure if it's good.  Or as good as the first one.  Not as much words compared to the other one.  But I'm open to criticism.  I think.  Hehe...I might be taking a break from writing any stories in the near future cos my final exam's in 4 weeks.

Hope all of you like it.  Read and review please.  If any of my ideas for this story offend anybody in any way, I do apologize.

See you guys on the flip side!!

P/S : Kudos to those who helped me in many ways possible.  You know who you are  ;-)