A Whisper Calling To Follow Your Dreams
Sara
had everything she ever wanted—a simple, peaceful life. Every morning, she woke
up to the golden sunrise that painted the rooftops of her quiet village. She
would always tie her long, dark hair into a neat braid before getting dressed and
then slipped into her modest working dress. She ran a small café, serving tea
and warm biscuits to familiar faces. Sara’s life was steady. Predictable. Safe.
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| Image generated in Leonardo.ai |
One morning, she woke up as usual. After putting on her clothes, she headed to her small café. The day flew by in an instant as she served her customers.
The sun had set, and night had fallen. She lingered for a few hours before shutting the café, but then a sudden clap of thunder sounded. And the heavy rain started to pour. Therefore, she remained at the café since her home was a bit far away.
Thunder cracks. The storm roars outside. The cozy village café flickers with candlelight. Sara, wrapped in a shawl, sips tea behind the counter. A cat sleeps near the fireplace. The clock ticks slowly. Peaceful. Then—
DING.
The door creaks open. Rain pours in. A figure stands in the doorway—soaked in shadows, heels clicking on the wood. Lightning flashes—she's beautiful, too beautiful. Luxurious coat. Diamond earrings. Eyes that shimmered… unnaturally.
SARA (looking up,
surprised)
We’re about to close. The storm’s getting worse.
AMANDA (smiling slowly)
Storms don’t frighten me.
She walks in, the wind closes the door behind her with a bang. The fire dims slightly. Amanda sits, crossing her legs with elegance. She doesn't blink much.
Amanda was just another traveler stopping for tea. But there was something about her—something mysterious. The way she spoke, the way she carried herself, the way her piercing black hooded eyes held Sara’s gaze. Amanda’s arrogance made Sara uncomfortable yet curious, as if she were standing at the edge of a world she never knew existed.
Amanda started conversing….
“Is this truly all there is? Life must be more thrilling than this, right?” AMANDA said, settling into the chair with a theatrical sigh.
Amanda continued after a pause….
“Don’t you think a straightforward life is a bit... dull?” she added, half-seriously.
Sara grinned as she poured the tea. “A simple life doesn’t equate to dullness. It’s serene. No stress, no chaos.”
Amanda scrunched her face in distaste. “Oh, please don’t give me tea in that filthy cup,” she said, recoiling in disgust.
Amanda surveyed the little café and snorted.
“Honestly, Sara. This tiny spot in this tiny town... don’t you ever contemplate if your life even matters? I mean, people must express thoughts like that. Don’t they?”
Sara: “You are lucky.” “You should be grateful for what you have. Being content is the key”. Sara said politely.
A pause. Then—
AMANDA (low, intense)
Do you think this was luck? That life handed me this?
(She takes a step closer. Voice rising like a storm.)
SARA (nervous, Stammering)
No… I, I don’t know.
AMANDA
I chose this life. Every moment of pain, every victory—I carved it with
my own hands.
(Beat)
AMANDA
I didn’t wait for fate to decide who I’d be. I became her.
(Her voice drops, rich with emotion but burning with fire.)
AMANDA
That’s Why I am Me. And You are You……
(leans in, voice like thunder)
Sara hesitated, the cup still in her grip.
No one had ever articulated it like that before. The idea of choosing which life you wanted to live had never occurred to her. Sara felt a spark ignite from Amanda’s words. She could see that Amanda’s personality was quite different from hers. And she thought to herself, “Amanda chose her Destiny—so can I.” Such words were never spoken to her.
And until this moment, she hadn’t posed those questions to herself. But something about Amanda’s words... felt sharp.
Amanda leaned closer to Sara, a gentle smile dancing on her face.
“I mention it because I care. You possess more potential, Sara. I can see it". "You’re destined for great things". She lowered her voice to a hush.
“Allow me to assist you. Just say yes.” Amanda said with Affection.
A flicker ignited within Sara. A subtle shift, like a whisper of wind in stillness. She’d never experienced it prior. Could there be more? And for the first time, she contemplated... Can she desire more?
Amanda offered her a taste of another world.
“Come visit me in the city,” she said, slipping a business card into Sara’s hand. “Just for a day. See what’s possible.”
Sara should have said no.
But she didn’t.
The city was intoxicating. It was loud and bright, a place that never slept. Amanda took her to lavish restaurants, extravagant parties, introduced her to Wealthy people. Sara was licking this experience. She had never felt so alive. She traded her modest clothes for silk and diamonds, her quiet life for a whirlwind of ambition.
But success had a price.
Amanda’s lessons weren’t just about business. They were about power.
“People are pawns,” she’d say with a smirk. “Use them before they use you.”
Sara listened. She changed. She cut ties with old friends. She made ruthless decisions. She followed Amanda’s every word. She got so intoxicated by the materialistic life that she lost the capacity to think for herself.. Amanda did all Sara’s thinking. And the café—the only home she had ever known—she sold it. She sold it without a second thought, trading it for a high-end restaurant in the city. More money. More power. More hunger.
But the higher she climbed, the colder it became.
Amanda’s words became orders. The luxury, the thrill, the sense of invincibility—it all came with chains.
“You owe me,” Amanda reminded her one evening, her voice silky but sharp.
Sara realized, but it was too late now, that she was no longer in control.
Everything was going well as she had desired. But one day, reality struck her. Sara’s world crumbled. The business failed. The people she once impressed turned their backs on her. The money vanished like a dream upon waking. She had built an empire on quicksand, and now she was sinking.
And then, Amanda disappeared.
She tried to search for her. But she couldn’t find her. She asked with Amanda’s close friends. and insisted on taking her to see Amanda. But the woman they led her to was different—her face completely unfamiliar, her eyes cold, though everyone called her Amanda. She spoke with the same confidence, held the same power, and even wore Amanda’s signature ring, but deep inside, Sara screamed: This is not her.
And she asked Sara: “Do I know you”????
This made Sara Scared.
With nowhere else to go, she returned to her village. But the place she once called home was no longer hers. The café was gone, and the villagers no longer welcomed her with warmth. She was a stranger now, a lesson told in whispers.
Sara stood in the place where it all began, staring at the space that once held her happiness.
She had followed a devil.
And lost everything.
Author: Hajira Umrani
Image taken by Anonymous