After that, many days passed… but there was no call from Aizal.
Salar buried himself even deeper in work. Meetings, new projects, investments — as if he wanted to bury his restlessness beneath endless busyness.
One day, Zaheer came to his office. There was seriousness on his face.
"Salar, did you send Aizal the divorce papers? For God's sake, that girl helped us and you're taking advantage of her."
Salar cut him off coldly, "In return for saving my life, I helped her too. As for the divorce… if she really needs it, she'll call herself and I'll send it. Besides, you know I hate these kinds of complications. And the marriage… I only did it as an adventure, right?"
Zaheer's voice rose sharply. "Salar, how can you stoop so low? What do you even know about her? Maybe she had no other choice. She married a complete stranger… and you're calling it an adventure?"
A hardness appeared in Salar's eyes.
"No compulsion can justify a girl running away from home to marry someone who doesn't even value her. Girls like that disgust me — the ones who pretend to be religious and innocent on the outside."
Zaheer stared at him in disbelief.
"Today I'm ashamed of your thinking. How can you question someone's character without even knowing them?"
At that very moment, the mobile phone in Salar's hand — which was still on call — remained unnoticed by both of them. Salar had answered it absentmindedly when he saw Zaheer enter, and then forgot about it during the conversation.
And then…
A soft sob was heard from the other side.
Both of them froze.
For a moment, Salar's heart felt as though it had stopped. He looked at the screen — the call had already disconnected.
"Aizal…" he whispered inwardly, closing his eyes.
Why did it suddenly hurt him so much? He had only said what he believed… then why was there this strange ache in his chest?
Zaheer glared at him angrily.
"Was that Aizal? Did she hear everything?"
Salar snapped irritably, "Are you my friend or hers?"
Zaheer shook his head in disappointment.
"Salar, are you out of your senses? Talking to you is pointless."
With that, he walked away.
For a few moments after Zaheer left, a strange suffocation rose inside Salar… but he quickly composed himself.
Just then, Edward called.
"Salar! Today we're going on a trip with Christian and some college friends. Be ready. You seriously can't miss this trip — best spot ever!"
Salar simply replied, "Okay," and went to get ready.
Freshened up and dressed in a black shirt with a light jacket, he looked as dignified as ever. Edward arrived, but Salar chose to drive separately — he disliked chaos and noise during travel.
At the private airstrip, Salar's private jet was already prepared. Edward and John were there, along with Kathy and a few other girls — regular parts of the gatherings Salar and his friends were used to.
At that moment, another figure stepped forward — Azam.
Azam, their old classmate, a Pakistani Muslim-American who was now living in New York.
The jet had already taken off into the sky. Soft music and laughter echoed inside. Edward and John, as usual, were the center of attention, while Kathy entertained everyone with her playful charm. Her gaze kept drifting toward Salar, but Salar sat there as always — serious and detached.
Among all of them, Azam's personality stood out completely differently.
Balanced. Calm. Deep dark eyes against fair skin.
After some time, he quietly checked the time, placed his phone aside, and moved toward a quieter section of the jet to pray.
Despite such a busy and glamorous life, he never neglected his prayers.
Salar's gaze unconsciously fixed on him.
For some reason… seeing the peace on Azam's face stirred something strange inside him. As if Azam belonged to another world entirely. No restlessness. No inner conflict. No desperate need to prove himself.
And suddenly, another beautiful face flashed before Salar Shah's eyes — a face he immediately tried to push away.
After finishing his prayer, Azam remained seated for a few moments, making dua. There was a serenity on his face — the kind that wealth and fame could never buy.
Salar looked away.
He didn't want to question himself… yet somewhere deep inside, a small uneasiness emerged.
Was peace really this simple?
Or had he himself made it unnecessarily complicated?
Azam returned to his seat and smiled lightly.
"It's quite a beautiful view from up here, isn't it?"
Salar replied briefly, "Yes… it is beautiful."
Salar and his friends were actually heading toward the famous coastal area of New York — the Hamptons. This peaceful yet luxurious part of Long Island was where the wealthiest people came for summer houses and private parties. Salar's private jet would land there within a few hours, where enormous mansions stretched along silent beaches like a completely different world.
Salar liked Azam's composure. For some reason, from the very beginning, he had always felt an unexplainable familiarity toward him. Azam came from a middle-class Pakistani family and had arrived in America on scholarship, yet through his quiet nature, hard work, and extraordinary abilities, he had achieved at a very young age what many people failed to achieve even in decades.
At just twenty-eight years old, he already owned hotels across different states in America. That was why Edward and John had only accepted him into their circle because of Salar. Otherwise, neither of them particularly liked him. Perhaps Azam's serious, religious personality made them uncomfortable, or maybe it was because he was so different from their carefree lifestyle.
When Salar first arrived in New York, Azam had been around sixteen years old — a quiet scholarship student. His intelligence and reserved nature quickly caught Salar's attention. Over time, an unspoken understanding formed between them.
Later, during college days, Zaheer also became close to them. Initially, Salar and Zaheer shared the stronger friendship, but with time Azam became part of their circle too. During those college years, the friendship between Salar, Zaheer, and Azam grew even deeper.
Yet despite all of that, there was always something mysterious about Azam's personality. He spoke little, revealed almost nothing about himself, and mostly observed everything in silence. Perhaps that was why Salar and Zaheer often felt as though Azam carried some untold story hidden within him.
They trusted him. They were close to him. Yet somehow, one side of Azam always remained a mystery to them.
A little while later, their car stopped outside the famous luxury resort in Montauk, the coastal area of the Hamptons — The Surf Lodge.
The beautiful hotel stretched beside the ocean, looking breathtaking beneath the dim lights of the night. Excitement was visible on everyone's faces. Edward, John, and the others looked especially thrilled, while Salar remained detached as always.
Seeing him, a faint smile touched Azam's lips. Perhaps he knew that behind such indifference, countless stories were hidden. Salar, too, unconsciously returned a small smile.
Soon laughter and noise filled the atmosphere. Music and conversations echoed around them. Edward and John once again became the center of attention. Kathy kept trying to get closer to Salar, but the irritation on his face was obvious.
Azam silently observed everything for a moment before moving away from the crowd and sitting in a quieter corner.
Meanwhile, Salar had already consumed more drinks than usual, though he still appeared perfectly in control of himself.
When Azam approached him to tell him to slow down on the drinks, Edward smiled lightly and said,
"Bro, this is just Salar's usual routine. Look at him, even after drinking this much he's still perfectly fine."
Even after drinking so much, Salar didn't seem intoxicated at all. He remained calm, as if none of it affected him.
But for a brief moment, the depth in Azam's eyes filled the atmosphere with strange seriousness.
Azam gave Edward a sharp and unpleasant look. The gaze was so deep and intense that Edward unconsciously stepped back. Even he didn't know why Azam's dark eyes always made him feel an unexplainable fear, despite the fact that Azam had never shown anger or harshness toward anyone. Perhaps it was simply the effect of his silent seriousness and mysterious personality.
Without saying anything further, Azam grabbed Salar by the arm and led him away.
At that same moment, their college fellow Harley Watson approached confidently.
"Hello boys… we meet after a long time."
Salar smiled faintly at Azam. Azam returned the slight smile toward Salar, but gave Harley only a serious glance before walking ahead without another word.
Even during college days, Harley used to hover around Azam constantly, but Azam had never shown interest in her — and that fact had always bothered her.
In beauty and attraction, Azam was no less than Salar. His composed seriousness and deep eyes made him exceptionally captivating.
Yet Salar, Azam, and Zaheer — all three were entirely different from one another in personality and priorities.
Without another word, Azam took Salar toward the hotel nearby and brought him into the room.
As soon as they entered, Salar sat down on the sofa while Azam took the chair opposite him.
Today there was a strange mixture of exhaustion and restlessness on Salar's face — something Azam noticed immediately.
For a few moments, silence lingered.
Then Azam said lightly, "If Zaheer were here, he would've already lectured you badly by now."
Salar smiled faintly.
"I wanted to bring him along… but Doctor Zaheer hardly gets any free time."
Azam nodded.
"And besides, you know how much he dislikes Edward and John."
Salar laughed softly.
"To be honest, it's probably better he didn't come. Otherwise Edward and John wouldn't have survived seeing them in this condition."
Azam's gaze lingered on Salar for a few moments before he smiled unconsciously.
There was something strangely attractive about Salar's personality. When he smiled, he truly resembled a Greek god.
And yet… there were many habits of Salar that Azam absolutely despised.
Azam looked away.
🌙
Then he broke the silence again in a serious tone.
"Is everything alright today? I don't see the same Salar who used to make the whole world dance on his fingertips."
Salar first looked at him in surprise, then immediately curved his lips into a faint smile.
"There's nothing like that. What thing in this world could possibly change Salar Shah?"
Azam watched him quietly for a few moments, as though trying to read something hidden behind his face.
Then he said softly,
"You should rest… I'll pray. If you don't mind, I'll offer it here in the room."
Salar answered immediately, "Why would I mind?"
Azam nodded slightly, as though he had expected that response already, and silently took out his prayer mat.
For a few moments, an unusual peace spread through the room.
Leaning back against the sofa, Salar watched him… and for some reason, the strange serenity on Azam's face amazed him today just as much as always. ✨
For some reason, today there was a strange restlessness and unease inside Salar, as though some unseen emotion was awakening in a hidden corner of his heart — an emotion he himself could not understand.
Salar sat there silently, watching Azam pray.
There was an extraordinary peace on Azam's face… the kind of peace Salar had perhaps never seen on another human being.
After finishing the prayer, Azam raised both hands and made dua for a long time. When he finally rose from the prayer mat, Salar's eyes were still fixed on him.
A faint smile appeared on Azam's lips.
"Do you want to say something?"
Salar was startled.
"How did you know?"
Sitting down on the chair, Azam replied,
"The questions are written all over your face… questions that perhaps even you don't fully understand yet."
Silence lingered for a few moments.
Then Azam spoke softly,
"Peace of the heart does not come from wealth, power, or freedom, Salar… it only comes from the remembrance of Allah."
Then he recited the verse of the Qur'an:
"Indeed, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find peace." — Surah Ar-Ra'd 28
Salar listened carefully.
Azam continued,
"And Allah says about prayer:"
"Seek help through patience and prayer." — Surah Al-Baqarah 45
He paused briefly before continuing,
"When a person is troubled… confused… or restless… Allah has given us prayer as support."
Then he recited another verse:
"Indeed, prayer restrains from immorality and wrongdoing." — Surah Al-Ankabut 45
The seriousness on Salar's face deepened.
Azam spoke gently,
"For the Prophet ﷺ too, prayer was the greatest source of peace. Whenever there was difficulty or worry, he would say:"
"O Bilal, give us comfort through prayer." (Abu Dawood)
Then Azam's voice softened even more.
"And in another hadith, the Prophet ﷺ said:"
'The coolness of my eyes has been placed in prayer.' (Sunan An-Nasa'i)
Looking toward Salar, Azam said,
"Prayer is not just worship, Salar… It is the closest meeting between a person and his Lord."
Then he added softly,
"When a servant goes into سجود (prostration)… that is when he is closest to Allah."
A strange feeling stirred inside Salar's heart.
Finally, Azam said,
"True peace is neither in wealth nor in power… True peace lies in complete faith, دعا (supplication), and a connection with Allah.
When the heart becomes attached to Allah… all the restlessness of this world begins to fade away on its own."
Salar remained silent.
For some reason…
For the first time in his life, he felt as though there was an emptiness inside him.
When Azam finished speaking, silence filled the room again for a few moments.
And suddenly, an image appeared before Salar's eyes.
That same moment…
When Aizal had been praying.
Her figure bowed in سجود, innocence and peace spread across her face…
Exactly the same peace Salar had just seen moments ago on Azam's face.
A crease appeared on Salar's forehead.
He sat there silently for a few moments before suddenly snapping out of his thoughts.
He looked toward Azam, who was still sitting there calmly.
Taking a deep breath, Salar slowly lay down.
Azam watched him for a moment, then silently got up and walked toward his own room.
After the door closed, complete silence spread through the room.
But inside Salar, there was chaos.
Azam's words… the Qur'anic verses… the mention of prayer…
And above all, Aizal's face.
Unconsciously, he murmured,
"Why this girl…?"
Turning to his side, he stared at the ceiling.
And suddenly, he remembered Aizal's words from one day, spoken with complete seriousness:
"Salar Shah… life is not an adventure, it is a reality. And when that reality reveals itself to you… then you will finally understand."
Salar closed his eyes involuntarily.
"Why are you taking over my mind…? Why…?"
"Prayer is the ascension of a believer. It is guidance, it is the path toward peace of the heart.
But we have lost ourselves so deeply in the glitter of this world that we have distanced ourselves from our Lord.
And perhaps that is why restlessness and pain continue becoming part of our lives.
Is peace really so far away… or have we ourselves moved away from it?"
I hope you all liked today's part. Your opinions mean a lot to me, so please follow me and share your thoughts in the comments. Don't forget to write "present." Thank you.