Were All Stars to Disappear

The story drew me in completely; I couldn’t put it down. Halfway through, I heard my inner voice: “It’s time for meditation.” Yet another voice whispered, “Forget meditation for now — this story is its own meditation.” I gave in and kept reading.

The quiet bond between Morteza and Leila—built through tea, poems, silence, and unspoken understanding—touched something deep within me. The tenderness wrapped in restraint, the loneliness beneath dignity, the ache of exile and belonging — all felt achingly real. When the story ended, so suddenly and beautifully, I sat in silence, caught behind that familiar wall of nothingness, feeling its somatic echoes through my body.

This story didn’t just capture my attention; it reached into my soul.