SEEKER OF SOLITUDE

Picking up his smartphone, Shaheer answered the call that came moments ago, disturbing the flow of his newfound Qi channeling throughout his body.

"Aren't you coming for swimming? I've been waiting for you outside for quite some time now," a familiar voice spoke out from the phone.

"Today is not a good time for me," Shaheer replied with a carefree voice.

"At least inform me when you call it quits!" the voice said, sounding annoyed.

"I will keep that in mind, although I've never asked you to wait for me," Shaheer said, reminding him that his request was absurd.

"That's true, but still... Well, if you're not coming, then I'll be going ahead. Bye!"

Shaheer canceled the phone call as he also canceled his routine swimming because he decided to go to a library. Shaheer occasionally visits the library whenever he feels he needs a break. In addition, he is a knowledge maniac. He knows that knowledge is not a product of schooling but of the lifelong attempt to acquire it.

Sorting out his plans, he went downstairs and called out to Jiya to tell her that he would be leaving. Shaheer also informed the babysitter they hired to look after Jiya day and night, as there are times when both adults in the house are out, just like in this situation.

After that, he excused himself, promising Jiya that he would have the pastries when he comes back home. Jiya was giving him a hard time to leave, telling him they would be ready soon.

Shaheer started his bike, wearing the helmet that completely fits his style, zooming down the roads like a fish swimming in water. He chose a motorbike as his personal vehicle, as this experience for him was the calmest of all. He often took off on a road trip with his bike to focus or get inspiration. While riding down the roads with unimaginable speed, he felt calm, and the moment became vivid and clear, like seeing the world from a different perspective. The experience Shaheer was having now was calmer, and he could see a lot more than he used to. He was focusing on all the things, even the slightly unbalanced roads, taking in the information, zipping between the cars. It was a feeling that cannot be described in words and could only be shared with the motorbikers when they enter the zone while driving. The clearer perspective and calmer experience than before were all because of a notification Shaheer canceled when he started his bike's engine.

Ding!

[The skill Bike Riding has gained +1 level.]

He came to a halt in front of the Defense Central Library and took off his helmet while locking the bike in the parking lot.

Shaheer has always felt good buried in books, gaining knowledge. He had an extremely good memory, close enough to the ability many called photographic memory. He can remember a lot from the book he read once but cannot actually recall it word by word. This being the reason he was not crowned with the title of a photographic memory holder. This did not bother Shaheer, as he never started to read to be good at memorizing. It was more like a hobby he developed due to his curious nature for worldly stuff, which he fulfilled with books and books filled with knowledge.

He entered the library after showing the guard his membership card, which he held on to since he was ten years old. That makes this card seven years old itself.

The thing he admired the most about this library was that it was constant and never changing. They have kept their interior the same as when he first came here, with a few non-visible changes. The only change that ever occurred around here was the people and the new library books. This provided Shaheer with a nostalgic feeling that he couldn't experience anywhere else, as his life has been ever-changing.

He went around the reception and started to walk around the bookshelves, trying to search for a good read. He went to the encyclopedia section, as these books were the most relaxing to read and extremely knowledgeable, he found out of all. He was going through the books, most of which he had already read. After surfing around a bit, his eyes caught an imbalance. A book, which was extremely thin, as if it could only be a ten-pager, was placed between two huge books called "Encyclopedia of Sociology" and "Governance."

The book was placed in a way that only someone actively searching for this particular book would be able to notice it. Shaheer had already visited this aisle and had even read one of the books called "Encyclopedia of Sociology," so the chances of him missing this book were very slim. But there was always a possibility of it being a new addition, although his instincts told him otherwise.

He drew the book out and read the title, which he found interesting: "Meditation."

'Why is it here?' Shaheer practically had no use for this, as he had more proficiency in meditating than most of the monks who meditate for almost their whole life. However, his curiosity was at its peak, and his instincts were telling him to read this book. So, in the end, he sat down, deciding to give this book a chance to prove itself worthy.

He opened the book with expectation in his eyes, but it felt as if the world had pranked him and was holding in its laughter because of the silent sign hanging everywhere in the library. It was the basics of the basic manual provided to kids in meditation classes. After two pages, Shaheer even looked back to see if there was an author for this book, but there was no name to be found, neither at the back nor in the front.

"This library is not a place where they would keep books without an author's name. Even if they did take a book like this due to its increasing popularity, they would at least make sure that 'anonymous' is written under the author's name. However, there was not a single word of the author, as if it was a brochure of meditation for kids."

Shaheer was not ready to believe that this was all there was to it. When he first saw the book, the first thing he noticed was that it was planted in a way that would become an irritation for a person with a keen eye, and they would eventually notice it. Also, his instincts had never failed him before, and he was still sure there was more to this somehow, so he continued from where he left off.

Throughout the book, his face had a disappointed look, which anyone could clearly point out, until he reached the last line. Before reading the last line, Shaheer noticed that it was a quote.

"Remember, 'The goal of meditation isn't to control your thoughts, it's to stop letting them control you.'"

After a few seconds of comprehending those lines, realization struck him, and a face that screamed 'I knew it' came into view. Shaheer had been looking for this cliché moment from the start. It was obviously the words of someone with deep profound knowledge about meditation. His mind went numb and clear at the same time. In his head, the whole book was revised again with a new and different perspective. It became clear to Shaheer why the book was based on the basics of meditation as he connected the dots because after reading that quote, anyone would gain enlightenment and would like to review meditation from the very start, disregarding whatever they already knew.

After the flashback of the book, a familiar sound went off in his head.

Ding!

[You have deciphered the true meaning of meditation.]

Ding!

[Your wisdom has increased by +10.]

Ding!

[You have unlocked a new skill: 'Meditation.']

Ding!

[The passives of the skill 'Meditation' have been activated.]

Ding!

[You have completed a hidden quest.]

Ding!

[Your level has increased by +1.]

Ding!

[Would you like to see the rewards of the hidden quest, "The Seeker of Solitude"?]

A series of notifications came crashing towards Shaheer, who had a carefree smile on his face as he looked at the notifications one by one.