On Friday, the day for the dive
shoots arrived, and Haifa was still unsure if she wanted to actually go through
with it. Saira had bailed the moment they had come home after the live show. It
turned out she had actually been listening to Haifa and Zishan's conversation.
Although she didn't comment on what else she had eavesdropped on, she still
made Haifa uncomfortable with the love songs she kept singing until she went
into her own room.
They were scheduled to catch the
boat sent by Rasdhoo at 9 am, and Zishan had said he would pick her up. She had
woken up at dawn, had a quick breakfast, and excused herself from the dining
area. Everyone else had barely begun when she left.
Haifa prepared by wearing a
long-sleeved t-shirt and leggings, opting for dark and thick attire in case she
decided to go into the water. She wanted to ensure that nothing would stick to
her body or appear see-through.
She also found her sports head
covering and secured it with hijab pins, giving it a few tugs to ensure it
wouldn't come undone. When she was ready, she looked at herself in the dressing
table mirror. Essentially, she had her own makeshift burkini. She
double-checked the bag she had packed, which included a change of clothes for
when they were done. The dive center had assured her they had facilities for
her to change into dry clothes after the dive.
She had informed Aseel about her
dive trip, just as she had told him about every other project-related journey.
He had assumed she was going with Saira, and she hadn't corrected him. Haifa
was growing weary of repeatedly explaining her motivations to him. She felt
like she was constantly justifying her choices, and she was fed up.
Haifa had a clear vision of what she
was doing, and it was all for Aseel and their future together. The quicker she
succeeded, the sooner she could return to her true home. Aseel's constant
questioning made her feel as though he didn't believe in her chances. His lack
of interest when she discussed her work was disheartening. It was as if he
didn't view it as a legitimate career choice for her. She hoped that once she
actually achieved her goals, people, including Aseel, would begin to take her
work more seriously.
As Haifa emerged from the house, her
backpack in tow, she found Zishan sitting on the joali, patiently waiting for
her. He greeted her with a warm smile and stood up, saying, "Good
morning." Zishan sported a dark blue rash guard and khaki board shorts, attire
similar to what surfers typically wore.
"Good morning. Why didn't you
call or come inside?" Haifa questioned him.
Zishan casually shrugged and
replied, "We had time, and besides, you're quite punctual. I didn't have
anything to worry about."
She frowned and asked, "You're
not taking any extra clothes? Did I forget to mention we can change
there?" Zishan, with a hint of a smile, responded, "You didn't
forget. This is quick-dry material; I won't be needing anything."
Show off, she thought. “Okay then, let's
go,” she said out loud.
They reached the boat sent by
Rasdhoo, which was a modern dhoani. Traditionally used for fishing, it was now
fitted with a motor, rendering the once-used sails redundant. As they climbed
aboard, they found several other passengers, mostly tourists, sitting on the
benches, wearing straw hats and oversized sunglasses.
Once they settled into their seats,
Haifa discreetly moved to create a little distance between them and sat rather
rigidly. On the other hand, Zishan leaned back, a relaxed smile playing on his
lips as the breeze tousled his hair. She was pretty sure he had his eyes
closed.
Haifa made a face.
"What?" Zishan inquired
without moving a muscle.
Haifa blinked and replied, "I
didn't say anything."
Zishan chuckled. "I can tell
you're tense."
Haifa stared at the side of his
face. "How can you tell?" she asked
“You are fidgeting and moving away” How
perceptive can this man be? “So, what’s wrong?”
Haifa crossed her hands over her
chest, "You men have everything handed to you. You just put on a T-shirt
and shorts, and you're good to go. We have to cover up from head to toe, make
sure everything is secure, and then spend the rest of the time worrying if
anything has blown up or if any skin is showing."
Zishan laughed, “Life is pretty amazing
for a man, isn’t it?” He turned to her, a mischievous smile on his face.
"I can just push you off the
boat," Haifa threatened, feigning annoyance.
Zishan grinned and flexed his
biceps. "Go ahead, pro swimmer here."
She narrowed her eyes at him,
clearly not impressed. "Pretty proud of yourself, aren't ya?" she
asked.
Zishan chuckled and pushed his
Ray-Bans lower on his nose, looking at her over the sunglasses.
"Guilty." He laughed, "Have you decided?" he asked pushing
the sunglasses back on.
Haifa hesitated, her expression more
serious now. "I don't think I can do it," she admitted.
Zishan's tone softened. "Are
you afraid of the water?" he asked gently.
"I can swim, but it's the idea
of being underwater with just a tank that's making me nervous. I keep thinking,
what if I want to get out?"
Zishan nodded, understanding her
concerns. "I get it," he said reassuringly. "How about we don't
think about the actual dive for now? We're just going to learn about it.
They'll show us how the equipment works, the signs for communication
underwater, and how to clear the mask. Then, they'll take us to shallow water
for some practice."
Haifa contemplated his suggestion.
The way he explained it made it sound much less intimidating. After all, if she
wanted to be a photographer, she needed to be open to adventurous
opportunities. She couldn't always expect to shoot things on solid ground.
"I guess I can do that,"
Haifa replied.
He smiled, “Then we can try swimming
with the gear, and figure out how much weight we need to stay submerged,"
he continued, explaining things in a way that made it feel like a joint
adventure. She tried not to laugh. She especially loved the way he explained
things using “we”, like they were in it together and it did make her feel less
frightened.
Upon reaching the island, she found
Zishan's description of the experience to be spot on. They were welcomed by a
group of divers who provided a thorough explanation of all the equipment,
teaching them hand signals and ensuring they understood the ins and outs. As
they were already at the beach, they practiced wearing the gear, which included
the Buoyancy Control Device (BCD), the tank, the mask, and fins. Haifa couldn't
help but wonder how she'd be able to move with all this equipment on.
After the initial practice, they
waded into the water with the full gear, walking backward since moving forward
with fins was a bit tricky. They continued to practice in the water, and as
Haifa immersed herself further, she began to gain confidence. She even
successfully removed her entire gear underwater and put it back on in the first
attempt. Her trainer applauded her once they came out of the water to wait for
others. He said she was a natural and much faster learner than he had expected.
Haifa couldn't hide her pride as she
beamed at Zishan when he emerged from his own practice. "You liked it,
didn't you?" he asked teasingly.
"I did," she nodded,
smiling brightly. She wasn't sure if she felt good because she had managed
everything so easily or because she never thought she'd be brave enough to
scuba dive.
"Is that a go for the actual
dive?" Zishan asked expectantly.
"I believe so," she said
with a laugh. She was genuinely excited. Not only was she going to capture
stunning underwater pictures, but she was also embracing a newfound sense of
adventure. She couldn't remember the last time she had done something so
daring. Haifa had always considered herself a mild, sporty kind of girl.
"That's my girl," he
cheered.
Once everyone had completed their
practice sessions, and the trainers were satisfied, they returned to the boat
with their gear. Haifa felt ridiculously excited, scared a little, but more
excited. They reached the designated dive spot, where the instructors explained
they were at the Miyaru Faru. It was a wall dive starting from the atoll
barrier reef, to the north of the atoll. Divers frequently encountered
white-tip reef sharks resting there. Along the reef, they could spot creatures like
moray eels, lionfish, and scorpionfish.
Her instructor turned to her, "This
is a SeaLife SporDiver Smartphone Housing. You can insert your phone into it to
take photos. First, you'll need to download the application." Haifa gazed
at the equipment in amazement.
She had assumed she'd be using a
heavy camera rig for the underwater photography, but the housing was
surprisingly lightweight and had a user-friendly grip. What excited her even
more was the prospect of using her own phone, which she was intimately familiar
with, to capture the images. Haifa swiftly installed the recommended app and
placed her phone into the housing.
As she prepared to take her phone
underwater, Haifa couldn't help but offer a silent prayer, hoping that her
precious phone wouldn't get damaged during the process. The thought of her
phone getting ruined was a significant concern, but in this situation,
desperate times indeed called for desperate measures. She gently patted her
phone, hoping for the best.
Observing her worried expression,
her instructor offered reassurance. He explained that the equipment had a dual
leak alarm system to monitor the waterproof seal's integrity. He patiently
guided her through its operation, alleviating some of her concerns.
Zishan gave her an encouraging thumbs-up
before gracefully plunging into the water. Haifa decided not to let her fears
consume her thoughts, and she took the leap herself. Submerged in her full
gear, she sank for a few moments before the buoyancy brought her back to the surface.
Excitement welled up inside her as she formed the 'OK' signal by joining her
hands above her head.
They waited patiently until everyone
was submerged before descending deeper into the water. Once she got the hang of
balancing her body horizontally, Haifa's world transformed. Her complete focus
shifted to the breathtaking beauty surrounding her. The utter silence of the
underwater world heightened her senses, making the experience even more
enchanting.
With wide-eyed wonder, Haifa
observed the deep mysteries of the underwater world, a part of the world she
had never before had the privilege to explore. The water was exceptionally
clear, allowing her to discern the vibrant shades of blue, red and silver on
the small fish that swam before her. Her instructor guided her toward the reef,
but Haifa had lost track of her surroundings. She couldn't see anyone else who
had descended into the water. Her only concern was to stay close to her
instructor, and she was too engrossed in the mesmerizing sights to notice the
whereabouts of others. Plus, navigating underwater wasn't easy, and she was more
cautious about maintaining her balance.
While she maintained even breaths
into the mouthpiece, Haifa's focus remained on the pressure gauge, even though
she was aware that her instructor would signal when it was time to resurface.
Her primary concern with the gauge was to know how much time she still had
underwater since she had barely begun exploring the reef.
What astounded her the most was the
magnification effect her instructors had explained. Despite her vague
recollection of the complex technical details involving the refractive index of
water and light rays. She did not know the sizes of the fish she had spotted since she had nothing to scale for size. It
was only when she saw a Ye Ye coffee packet wrapper that her eyes widened in
amazement. She was taken aback by the size it had multiplied.
Once they reached the liveliest part
of the reef, Haifa had already noted the spots she wanted to capture. When the
instructor handed her the camera, she wasted no time and sprang into action.
The experience of doing something she had mastered on solid ground, but now in
the depths of the ocean, was exhilarating.
At around 15 meters deep in the
shallower waters, there was still plenty of natural light available for her
photography. Her first subjects were a school of silvery fish set against the
vibrant backdrop of the coral reef. She recorded several videos using the
cinematic mode and tried her best to remain still while her instructor provided
additional support to help her capture the photos without excessive movement.
One after another, her instructor
signaled to move as she gave the okay with her hand for the next scene. By the
time her instructor indicated that the session was over, Haifa had captured
images of a lionfish, an eel, and a variety of colorful fish, many of whose
names she didn't even know. While she had hoped to come across a turtle or a
manta ray, she was more than satisfied with the incredible shots she had taken.
Once back on the boat, Haifa eagerly
shared her pictures with Zishan. He was amazed by her work and shared her
excitement. "Wow, these are great. I need that housing thing for my next
dive. It's very handy," he commented as they prepared to disembark on
Rasdhoo to return the gear and for Haifa to change before heading back to
Vavathi.
"I know, right?" she
responded happily. "I can't believe I actually did it."
"I knew you could. I can't wait
for the drone shoot. Are they going to arrange that for the morning too?"
he asked as they walked back to the center.
"No, they initially suggested the
morning, but I switched it to the afternoon. For aerial shots, the afternoon
offers the best directional light," she explained. "I've read that
drones provide around 25 to 30 minutes of flight time, so it's crucial to make
the most of that limited window. Lighting is the key element in every photo.
It's best to shoot with a fast aperture to achieve a quicker shutter speed and
lower ISO for cleaner shots," she continued as they reached the center.
Zishan gazed at her with an adoring
expression, “God, you are so sexy when you talk photography to me.” He said
with a lazy grin.
Haifa's heart stopped as she gasped
at his words. Her mouth hung open, and her face turned several shades redder.
Zishan's eyes widened, and he
clapped a hand over his mouth. "I'm so sorry! That just slipped out; I
didn't mean to say it out loud. I mean, I don't think you're sexy, I mean you
are!" He rambled, his entire face flushed with embarrassment. "I
should probably stop talking now. I'll be right over there," he stammered
as he retreated with his hands raised.
Haifa's initial shock gave way to
laughter. It was adorable to see Zishan flustered for once. She chuckled as she
headed inside to change.
On the boat ride back, Zishan still
appeared nervous, so Haifa concealed her smile. When he dropped her off at her
house, she entered almost humming to herself. It took her a moment to recall
that she had forgotten to mention she had a boyfriend to him.
Did you love the chapter, please let me know your thoughts
in the comments.
Have a wonderful day!
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