Wave and Horizon

One afternoon, as Istanbul breathed the scent of salt and roses, Zerrin and Ufuk met in a small bookstore by the sea. Their first seemingly accidental encounter was meant to happen right here, right now.

Zerrin, a young blonde woman with a confident gaze capable of captivating any business partner, walked briskly, intent on quickly skimming through the latest economic releases. Yet today, her pace was slightly quicker, or perhaps slower, she seemed more reflective. She stopped by a shelf filled with books on mysticism and life. Unlike other days, her mind was not focused on strategy or numbers. Today, something had drawn her to a place that reminded her that beneath the surface of everyday life flows a river of invisible forces.

At the same shelf stood Ufuk, a mature brunette man. His gaze was like an ancient library, full of secrets and wisdom, a place entered with reverence where one always finds an answer to questions, they didn’t know they had. His fingers gently brushed over the pages of a poetry book he was reading. He was unlike anyone Zerrin had ever met, quiet, gentle, yet his presence carried a depth that immediately captivated her. When their eyes met, it was as if the world held its breath.

“Do you believe that books choose us, not the other way around?” he asked in a soft yet penetrating voice.

Zerrin smiled, though a sudden wave of unexpected emotions stirred within her. “Perhaps. But today, I feel like this place has chosen me.”

Their conversation continued over coffee, as if an invisible force had drawn them to the table. They spoke of everything and nothing, of stars, of life, and of how often people live without truly feeling. Ufuk fascinated her; his words carried colours and tones Zerrin had never experienced. In return, he saw through her polished exterior as a manager to the soul of a child who longed to play and laugh.

“You’re like a wave,” Ufuk said suddenly. “Sometimes gentle, sometimes tempestuous, and always impossible to contain. A wave, a ripple, a tsunami, or calm waters, you have so many shades.”

Zerrin paused for a moment. She had never imagined that anyone could see her true essence. “And you?” she asked. “Who are you?”

“Me? I’m just the horizon, waiting for the wave that will one day reach me.”

As they parted, Zerrin noticed something unusual. On the table where they had been sitting lay a tarot card, the King of Cups. It hadn’t been there when they arrived. Zerrin smiled. “It’s a sign,” she said. Ufuk only shook his head, though his eyes held an unexpected understanding.

Thus began their journey of discovery, or so they thought at the time. Getting to know each other was not just about words but also the silences between them, where their deepest conversations seemed to unfold. One day, Ufuk spoke of his love for poetry. “Writing poetry is like catching the wind, you can’t hold it, but you can feel it. I think you’re my poem.”

Zerrin, who had never taken the time to appreciate the beauty of such words, felt her mask of strength slowly begin to crumble.

As if their connection had started long before their first meeting, coincidences and signs began to multiply. They slowly started to believe in something beyond the laws of the world they knew, something that existed long before the light of this world.

One day, Zerrin happened to open the book Ufuk had held during their first meeting. On the second page, she found a handwritten poem in Turkish, words that felt strangely familiar. Ufuk noticed her expression and said, “I wrote those words years ago. They are my soul’s refuge, a safe space where I can be myself. I never thought anyone would see or understand them.”

Zerrin replied, “I feel like they were written for me. Even before you knew me.”

On another day, Ufuk found an old, seemingly dried-up rose in the sand. He picked it up and handed it to Zerrin without hesitation. “I think it’s waiting for you,” he said. As Zerrin looked at the rose, its petals softly unfolded as if awakening to her presence.

“It’s a sign,” she whispered. Though Ufuk remained skeptical, his eyes revealed a flicker of faith he couldn’t explain.

They visited a place where Zerrin often meditated with her candles. Ufuk, usually skeptical of her rituals, quietly observed as she lit a candle. The flame burned brighter than usual, as if capturing the energy of their connection. “Do you see it?” Zerrin whispered. Ufuk nodded, and for the first time in his life, he believed in things beyond explanation.

One evening, as they strolled through the old streets of Istanbul, a mysterious voice led them to a fountain inscribed with the words, “Love is like water, it always finds its way.” They both knew it was no coincidence.

Later, in a small café, an elderly man began playing a melody on the piano that brought tears to Zerrin’s eyes. “I heard this song as a child,” she said, “but no one ever knew what it was. It was my song of hope.”

Ufuk whispered, “I knew it too. It used to calm me as a boy.” They realized that the melody had accompanied them through their lives and had now brought them together.

On the last day of their first month together, under the magical glow of a full moon, they climbed to the hilltop where an old observatory stood. The stars seemed closer that night, as if the universe itself embraced them. Zerrin whispered, “When soulmates meet, time melts into a single moment. One day becomes a year, one month an entire lifetime. And I feel that we’ve lived a whole life in this month.”

Ufuk took her hand, his gaze filled with quiet truth. “And before us lies infinity. Because true love has no boundaries. It exists in this moment and endures beyond it.”

A meteor crossed the sky, its light briefly illuminating their faces. Zerrin smiled. “Maybe the stars know more than we think. They’ve always watched us, waiting for us to lift our eyes. Like water that always finds its way.”

“And now they are our poetry,” Ufuk replied softly. “And we are their verses.”

And so they stood, Wave and Horizon, two souls that had found each other. Their connection was more than chance; it was a gift of the universe. Soulmates always find each other when they are ready. Their bond proved that love is not just a feeling, but a state of being, eternal, intangible, and infinitely beautiful. And when it happens, every moment becomes eternity, every day an endless story, and even the shortest time can become a whole lifetime.