Chapter 50: Decisions
All the women remained inside the carriage, motionless, staring through the windows as they watched Aziz walk away step by step. The sight of him growing smaller and more distant made each of their hearts ache, as if time had frozen for them in that instant.
Aziz walked on, steady, without looking back, determined in his new journey — a journey in which none of them had a place, at least not at that moment.
Silence dominated the carriage—deep and heavy. Not even the sound of breathing could be heard. It was as if the air had been sucked out of that space, leaving only the void of his absence.
Astrid was the first to recover. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes for a moment before turning her gaze away from the window. Upon opening her eyes again, she silently examined each of the women still standing. Their minds seemed frozen, trying to grasp what Aziz’s departure truly meant.
*Clap!*
With a subtle gesture, Astrid clapped her hands, drawing all attention to herself. Her action was so unexpected that it shattered the silence and brought them back to the present.
"Well, now that my dear is no longer here, what do you girls want to do? Any suggestions?" she asked in a soft yet firm voice, laced with authority and lightness.
Silence returned. The women exchanged glances, confused, unsure how to respond. In each of their minds, thoughts raced in different directions.
Zia and Sofia thought almost in unison: maybe they could go to a restaurant and eat something. It wouldn’t be a bad idea, after all. A moment to relax, to try and distract themselves from the painful feeling of Aziz’s absence. But as they imagined the scene, a sudden wave of apathy washed over their bodies. Their appetites vanished, and their faces lost their glow, turning gloomy.
Stella and Sylvia, on the other hand, quickly considered returning to their routines — to the never-ending piles of paperwork. The idea of going back to the monotony of office life seemed, at first, like a comfort. After all, they knew exactly what awaited them there.
But the more they thought about it, the more uncomfortable they felt. They didn’t want to just return to that monotonous life, sitting for hours, staring at documents and reports. It felt like an invisible prison.
That’s when Stella had a flash of memory.