Then, as the soft morning light began to spread across the room, Salar slowly opened his eyes. He glanced at the clock — it was ten in the morning. He got up, freshened up, and stepped outside the room, only to see Azam already waiting for him near the door. Their eyes met, and both smiled unconsciously.
"Good morning," Azam said softly.
Salar smiled lightly in return. "Good morning."
"Did Edward and the others come back?" Salar asked.
Azam smiled faintly. "I don't think their morning has started yet."
That made Salar smile as well.
After a while, both of them headed downstairs. Since they were staying in the coastal area of the Hamptons, Azam decided to take him to a famous nearby halal restaurant.
The two arrived at Hamptons Gyro & Halal Grill, known for serving one of the best halal breakfasts in the area. Sitting at the breakfast table, they enjoyed a simple yet delicious meal of hot omelets, fresh bread, honey, olives, cheese, and aromatic coffee. The cool sea breeze and the quiet morning atmosphere carried a strange kind of peace.
With a faint smile, Salar said, "Azam, one thing has always surprised me… you people even turn food into a matter of belief. Why are the boundaries between halal and haram so strict?"
Azam looked at him calmly before replying, "The issue isn't strictness, Salar… it's wisdom. Islam didn't come to make life difficult for people; it came to make it easier. But ease doesn't mean a person should be allowed everything."
He paused for a moment, then spoke softly.
"Islam isn't just the name of worship… it's a complete way of life. It teaches what a person should eat, what they should avoid, what is good for the body and soul, and what is harmful."
"For example, alcohol… outwardly it gives people pleasure, but in reality it weakens the mind, ruins judgment, and makes a person lose control over themselves. That's why Allah says in the Quran:
'O you who believe! Indeed, intoxicants, gambling, idols, and divining arrows are filth from the work of Satan, so avoid them so that you may succeed.' (Surah Al-Ma'idah 5:90)"
Salar listened silently.
Azam continued,
"In the same way, pork has also been forbidden in Islam."
Then he recited the verse:
'Forbidden to you are carrion, blood, and the flesh of swine.' (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:173)
He continued, "According to science, pork can contain certain germs and parasites harmful to the human body. But the real reason isn't only medical… the real reason is that Allah knows better what is best for mankind."
Azam looked at Salar for a moment, then a slight smile touched his lips.
"Salar asked, 'Fine, the philosophy of halal and haram has its place… but why is music considered a problem too? What's wrong with it?'"
Azam silently looked at him for a few moments before replying in a serious tone,
"Look, Salar… Islam doesn't suffocate life. It protects the human heart and soul. Anything that distracts a person from the remembrance of Allah is discouraged."
He paused slightly before continuing, "Music affects the brain through frequencies. Loud beats and certain types of music can intensify emotions. They may give temporary pleasure, but internally they increase restlessness."
Lifting his cup, Azam said,
"That's why Islam teaches people to stay away from things that lead the heart toward uncontrolled desires and heedlessness. In contrast, the recitation of the Quran, the Adhan, and the remembrance of Allah bring peace to the heart."
Then he softly recited:
أَلَا بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ الْقُلُوبُ
"Surely, hearts find peace only in the remembrance of Allah." (Surah Ar-Ra'd 13:28)
Azam smiled lightly.
"The real point is this, Salar… Islam wants to give a person peace, not just temporary pleasure."
Salar remained silent for several moments, as though for the first time he was truly absorbing those words into his heart.
After listening to Azam, the uneasiness inside Salar only deepened. It was a strange feeling — something even he couldn't understand. Silently, he stared out the car window at the endless sea and sky stretched before him. On the other hand, Azam observed him quietly for a few moments, but said nothing.
After some time, both of them headed back to the hotel.
When they returned, Edward, John, and some of their friends were already there. Kathy stood dressed in an extremely bold outfit, laughing and chatting freely with Edward and John as usual. The other girls surrounded them as well. The moment Kathy saw Salar and Azam, her eyes sparkled.
As usual, Salar greeted everyone with a faint smile, while Azam instinctively turned his face away after noticing their inappropriate dressing and behavior.
At that moment, Kathy stepped forward gracefully and slipped her arm through Salar's.
"Come on, Salar, we are getting late," she said playfully.
Salar glanced at Azam for a moment, then shrugged indifferently and walked outside with Kathy.
After taking a few steps, he turned back and called out,
"Azam... come fast."
Azam lightly shook his head, as if inwardly disgusted by the environment, then silently followed behind them.
The evening in the Hamptons had now fully awakened, and their car moved toward that world filled with noise and chaos — a world ruled by music, lights, and carelessness.
That night, Salar and his friends remained at the gathering for a long time. Glasses of wine kept getting refilled over and over again, while laughter, music, and noise consumed everyone in their own intoxication. Edward and John, as always, were the center of attention, while Kathy and the other girls hovered around them in drunken half-consciousness.
But Azam… even while being part of the gathering, somehow remained separate from it. His eyes silently observed everyone, as though he did not belong to this world but to some other world filled with peace.
Salar, too, had drunk several glasses of wine as usual. Strangely, despite drinking so much, he barely looked intoxicated. He sat there calmly, as though none of it had any effect on him.
And suddenly, Aizal's face appeared before his eyes.
Those same innocent eyes… that same quiet dignity.
Around him echoed loud laughter, music, and shameless boldness, yet for some reason, in that moment everything began to feel hollow to him. A strange restlessness rose inside his chest — a restlessness whose cause even he couldn't understand.
He sat there for a few moments, then suddenly stood up and quickly walked toward the washroom.
Suddenly Aizal's face flashed before him again.
"Why can't I forget this girl? Why? Why is she taking over my mind more and more every single day?"
Helplessly, Salar stared at himself in the mirror and repeatedly splashed cold water onto his face, as though trying to wash away the memory that had sunk deep inside him.
But the very next moment, Aizal's voice echoed in his ears.
"Life is not an adventure… when the reality of life reveals itself to you, then you'll understand."
The moment those words echoed in his mind, an unbearable tightness rose inside his chest. It felt as though the air in the room had suddenly vanished and breathing had become difficult. His heartbeat became uneven.
He stood there for a few moments, then hurried outside, desperate for fresh air — as if only the open sky could save him from this strange anxiety.
As soon as he stepped outside and took a deep breath, he saw Azam standing there. Azam instantly noticed the unusual restlessness spread across Salar's face.
"What happened, Salar?"
Salar looked at him silently for a few moments before replying shortly,
"Azam… I need to go back to New York right now."
Azam studied his face carefully but didn't ask any questions. He only nodded slightly.
Just then, Edward, John, and Kathy also came outside.
"Salar! What happened? Why are you leaving? The party just started!" Edward asked in surprise.
Kathy, swaying lightly in intoxication, stepped closer to Salar. "Come on, Salar… things were just getting fun."
The moment she tried to grab his arm, Salar jerked his hand away sharply.
A dangerous hardness appeared in his eyes.
"Can't you understand? I said I'm leaving. If you people want to stay, then stay."
The harshness in his voice silenced everyone for a moment.
Everyone knew about Salar's temper, but even for them, this sudden shift in his mood was shocking.
John hesitated before speaking. "Salar… everything was fine just now. What happened to you?"
But Salar gave no answer.
He turned directly toward Azam.
"Let's go, Azam."
Azam silently walked beside him.
A short while later, they were all heading toward the jet. Eventually, Edward and John also joined them.
The entire journey passed in strange silence.
No one spoke, but the same question echoed in everyone's minds —
What suddenly happened to Salar?
After reaching New York, everyone went their separate ways.
Azam came to drop Salar home.
As soon as they reached the entrance, Salar walked inside without saying a word, while Azam remained standing there for a few moments.
Azam had rarely visited Salar's house — perhaps only once before…
and that too with Zaheer.
After dropping Salar home, Azam left as well, but Salar's restless condition refused to improve. The strange suffocation and anxiety inside his chest kept increasing.
Suddenly, severe nausea hit him, and he quickly rushed toward the washroom.
This was strange even for him. He had drunk even more wine countless times before, yet whatever was happening to him tonight was beyond his understanding.
The entire night passed in agony.
Sometimes nausea… sometimes restlessness… sometimes it felt as though his heart was weighed down by some unknown fear. He spent the whole night turning restlessly in bed, suffering silently.
The next morning, he woke up late again. Until almost eleven o'clock, he remained in deep sleep.
When Miss Maria checked the time, she immediately realized Salar had returned, because his car had already been seen parked in the garage that morning. As usual, she instructed Mehmet to prepare breakfast.
But when it was almost noon and Salar still hadn't come out of his room, Miss Maria grew worried.
She personally went toward his room.
The moment she stepped inside after opening the door, her footsteps froze.
Salar lay unconscious on the bed. His face was flushed red, and his body burned with a dangerously high fever.
"Oh God…" escaped her lips involuntarily.
She immediately called out to Mehmet.
Mehmet came running, and the moment he saw Salar's condition, he instantly picked up the phone and called Zaheer.
The second Zaheer received the news, he wasted no time and rushed there immediately.
The moment he saw Salar in that condition, even he panicked. Salar had fallen sick before too, but today his condition was unusually severe.
Zaheer immediately examined him, gave him injections, and administered medicine.
But surprisingly, the fever refused to go down.
Zaheer stood there silently for several moments, watching him.
Only one question echoed in his mind.
What had disturbed Salar to this extent?
He was the kind of person who outwardly seemed unaffected by anything. No pressure, no worry, no problem in the world could shake him.
But today…
today his body seemed burdened by some deep inner turmoil.
Being a doctor, it didn't take Zaheer long to understand that this fever wasn't merely physical illness…
it was the result of intense emotional and mental unrest.
A person searches for peace in this world… but where true peace lies is only understood when the heart calls upon its Lord for the very first time.
"Sometimes, a single moment arrives in a person's life that changes everything… perhaps that moment was now very close in Salar Shah's life."
Please share your thoughts in the comments. Your feedback truly motivates me to write this story even better. Thank you.