Leyla & Majnuna

It's so quiet that not even the occasional cough or creak of a restless patient turning and tossing disturbs the hush of the small hours. The ward's in darkness apart from the soft-edged beam of a single desktop lamp. The pallid yellow beam falls on a sleepy nurse sitting at an old grey painted steel desk cluttered with books and folders. It illuminates her uniform dress, casting indigo shadows on the royal blue material; gives her bare brown arms a dark-golden glow. It gleams and glints on the plastic of the nametag pinned to her breast and the lenses of her glasses but hides the dark smudges of weariness beneath her eyes. She yawns, stretches, feeling her breasts shift inside the fabric of her bra, a pleasant kiss of satin against half-risen nipples.

She squeezes her eyes shut and clenches her fists, straightens her back slowly savouring the feeling of her muscles tensing. Her mind follows the sensations from her balled fists up through her arms, shoulders, and down into her back enjoying the feel of her body. She peers hazily at the swell of her out-thrust breasts and slowly, wantonly lifts her pelvic floor. She holds the tension until a small shudder of pleasure licks at her womb. She glances over the top of the desk and sees only still and silent shadows against the gloom. She smiles to herself; it's a quiet Thursday night and her last shift of the week, better still she's just given her notice in. Leaning back she closes her eyes, slowly crossing her legs, feeling the warmth and the slinky slide of nylon on nylon, she begins to rock gently to 'n' fro, wishing herself into her lover's arms.

Leyla Imagines tiger-stripes of silvery moonlight and charcoal-grey shadow falling across a carelessly draped bed, warping over the curled body of a woman dreaming nude beneath a thin satin sheet. She lies on her side, a raven's wing of black hair laid across her face. Leyla's hand stretches out stroking it away like a cobweb to gaze lovingly on her face, which nestles in the angle of her elbow. Jinni's naked shoulders are wide, sculpted and sleek, her arms slim and smoothly muscled. The rest of her is subtly flowing curves swathed in a cocoon of pooling satin that rises and falls, shimmering with each breath. Leyla's own breath catches in her throat. Soft fluttering things detach themselves from her insides and begin to tug at her womb as she lets her eyes and fingertips glide and swirl, tracing the warm hollows and contours of her lover's flanks and haunches. Jinni's warm fluid curves melt into her fingertips, flow under her palms then rise between her spread fingers as she writhes like a wisp of smoke from her dreams. Her eyelids flutter, her mouth stretches into a sleepy yawn as she raises her arms to draw Leyla down. Leyla lightly kisses her nose and then as their lips brush and cling, she lets herself be drawn into the bed and wrapped snugly in the sleepy warmth of honey-gold limbs and swift seeping desire.

Their arms enfold each other, fingers stroking and fluttering across upper arms and flanks as Jinni's hand slips under the hem of her lover's uniform dress, caressing the exquisitely soft skin of her inner thighs. Her body awakening, lips swelling and parting, she returns the kiss, letting her tongue probe and play for a few seconds. Her palms stroking lightly over belly and breasts, she begins to breathe quicker as her lips trace the curves of Leyla's cheek and neck. She can smell Leyla's excitement, feel the little shudders of pleasure crawl over her skin and warmth of her breasts pressing against her shoulder. She runs her tongue around the shell of her ear; takes the lobe between her teeth nipping it delicately as her slender fingers tug at the buttons of the dress. In seconds, it's off her shoulders and the weight of those warm curves spills them from her bra. They're beautiful, Leyla's breasts; just right; somewhere between unobtrusive and a nice cleavage, they're fine tight cones of tawny-gold silk with scratchy- stiff nipples the colour of milk chocolate. Jinni bites lovingly.

Hours later, against a backdrop of cracked and missing wall tiles and flaking paint, the two drowsy women lie huddled together in their peacock blue bath. Between islands of drifting, clinging foam, the steamy scented water laps at their throats and shoulders. Jinni's curled up at the end furthest from the taps, legs drawn up against her breasts. Leyla rests her chin on her lover's knees, gazing up at her languidly. Her fingertips caress Jinni's mouth with the same circular smearing touch that she uses to coax her pearl from its swelling liquefying grotto. The pointed tip of Jinni's tongue flicks at one of Leyla's fingertips. She takes it delicately between finger and thumb and presses her nail into it just hard enough that Jinni shudders convulsively. Leyla grasps one of her lover's small perfect breasts and after an affectionate lingering squeeze, begins to stroke at it rhythmically. Her fingertips working lightly into the fullness then trailing away toward the swollen nipple to pluck the stiff little teat between finger and thumb with each stroke. Jinni makes a soft noise in her throat and her fingernails dig hard into Leyla's shoulder leaving four dull red semi-circular marks set in a rough crescent.

"The water's getting cold and you haven't surrendered to me yet." Jinni whispers.

Leyla looks down at the vivid nail marks on her shoulder and says slowly, "I love you." She looks into Jinni's half closed eyes and says it again.

"I don't think I care today." Jinni says, pouting theatrically and pushing her away. They stare longingly at each other from opposite ends of the bath. From outside the window, the rising sound of Hanifa's voice distracts them. She calls loudly to their cat in Turkish. Their friend the widow lives in the flat downstairs and looks after Rafi during the day. As her garden door shuts with a bang, they turn their attention to each other again.

"Apologise." Leyla demands, looking fierce as she caresses Jinni's calves and thighs with her toes. Jinni wrinkles her nose then begins to giggle and splash water at her lover. Leyla lunges for her and they slide beneath the surface of the water sending a tidal wave over the edge of the bath.

Under the rippling, lapping water they wreathe together, tracing the contours of each other's necks and backs and haunches in small smooth circles, oil-smooth curves flowing beneath their fingers as they kiss with slow determined passion. Leyla's tongue flows smoothly into Jinni's open mouth flickering gently as she tries to wedge her knee between Jinni's thighs.

"We'd better get out of here before we wrinkle up and freeze to death." Jinni says.

As they stand hip to hip, breast to breast, Leyla's fingertips trail lightly up Jinni's body, leaving a lingering trail of foam on her stomach and down into the silken black hair at the joining of her thighs. Leyla's long fingers curl around the soft curves of a ripe stiff-nippled breast as Jinni stretches to reach the big sunshine yellow towel. Faces flushed, eyes bright with excitement they dry one another brusquely. They're practised at this little ritual, familiar with each other's curves and hollows so soon they're kissing passionately again, their fingers smoothing and stroking.

The doorbell rings, a long discordant jangling, that blots out the thumping of their racing heartbeats and the whispering of their feathery moans and gasps. They listen saucer-eyed, like two small startled animals, frozen in their embrace, mesmerised by the sound of the key grinding and clicking in the front door lock. Jinni puts her finger to her lips as Leyla frowns quizzically at the sounds of the door opening and Hanifa's footsteps moving up the hall and past the bathroom.

"It's ok_lah, she's just come to get the cat food for Rafi, I said she could take some of the Poh Pia and noodles as well." Jinni whispers.

The two of them kneel huddled under the bath sheet for several minutes, their ears pressed to the door listening to the familiar domestic noises, the dull sound of the fridge opening and closing, then the kitchen cabinet doors banging and the sound of a can being opened. As Hanifa calls the cat, rattling the spoon on the bowl they look at one another wide-eyed and giggling silently. Leyla's fingers curl around a warm damp breast and as they squeeze, Jinni's own hand covers hers as they kiss.

In the midday quiet of the flat, the sudden loudness of the TV makes them jump. They stare into each other's eyes momentarily confused by the new turn of events; Hanifa's going to watch the lunchtime soaps! Leaning over her lover, Leyla looks at her with those gorgeous Chinese eyes and her sultry mouth pouts.

"You said you'd take her TV to the repair shop days ago and you didn't did you?" She accuses.

"I was going to do it this morning but you seduced me tercinta yang." Jinni replies smiling.

"Well, she's going to sit there all afternoon now and it's your fault init stoopid Minah?" Leyla whispers forcefully, poking her hard in the side.

They melt into a smoothly undulating heap beneath the yellow towel, kissing passionately with long tongues and sharp teeth. Leyla's greater strength and weight soon pin Jinni to the carpet like a butterfly. She rubs her nose over Jinni's, kisses it again and gazing intently into her moist brown eyes, begins to worm her knee between those sleek pale gold thighs. "Spread." She whispers working her knee in with brutal efficiency. Their hips rock and squirm in perfect synch, squishing their tingling, swelling mounds together with deliciously rhythmic friction until the bones of their pubic arches are rolling against each other while their tongues slither and slide deep in Jinni's mouth. Still writhing, Leyla bends her lover's knees up, folding her into a shuddering ball of supple-soft brown curves with a swelling, leaking coral centre. She shimmies down through Jinni's twitching, clutching fingers to crouch between her thighs, moistening her lips as she bends, the still damp wings of her jet black hair sweeping across the satin-soft skin of Jinni's inner thighs making her shudder with delight.

At the first playful flick of fingertips against her lover's taut pearl, Leyla looks up at her with a wolfish grin then starts to stroke her with deft fingertips before doodling her tongue over the tingling tumescent folds. Her swirling tongue leisurely explores the fullness of pouting dusky brown and coral pink until Jinni's trembling, sobbing in time with the pounding of her heart and the fluttering of her pulse. Leyla's fingers squeeze and pull at the throbbing bud while her tongue nudges the lips apart, nibbling, caressing with long upward strokes, sweeping into the hollow wetness at her core before spiralling up against her clit again like a soft flickering flame. She lets it linger there until she feels the tremors shake Jinni's body and hears her explosive gasps. Jinni shivers uncontrollably and sobs into her palm as she comes.

The theme song from 'Neighbours' drifts through the flat, announcing the commercial break. The sound of Hanifa's footsteps and then the hissing rush of water into the coffee jug, from just the other side of the bathroom wall, barely distract them from their kiss. Lying on their sides against the door, fingers twined in each other's hair, thighs scissoring together, they breathe the scent of jasmine bath-oil, the smell of warm skin and the musky aroma of hot Minah. The taste's there too, fresh on their lips and fingers. As their tongues dart and slither over lips and teeth, Jinni slips her hand down and runs the flat of her thumb over the swollen nub of Leyla's pearl, making her shudder uncontrollably. "I love you" she whispers, sliding her fingers in. Leyla's thighs tremble and gape, her hips swivel against Jinni's plunging fingers as she clings sobbing, waves of pleasure running together into a tide of smooth shimmering rapture.

They lie happily, contentedly wrapped in each other's arms for a few minutes, listening to slowing heartbeats and the soft gasps of their breathing slowing to normal. Jinni sniffs her damp fingers, inhaling with a sigh, then looking up into Leyla's dreamy brown eyes, draws her fingers slowly across Leyla's lips letting her savour the piquant flavour. She rubs her cheek against Leyla's and whispers.

"We'd better go and make Hanifa feel welcome now but later..."

"Peppermint green satin sheets and new batteries Ai?" Leyla giggles as her lips brush Jinni's temple.

They smile and quietly slip apart to tidy each other's hair. Jinni rummages through the laundry and slips on yesterday's black cotton trousers and sweatshirt. Stealthily, silently she opens the bathroom door and slips out carrying a rolled up towel. Wrapped in the damp yellow towel, Leyla sits quietly chuckling as the front door slams and Jinni calls out her cheerfully surprised hello to Hanifa. A few minutes later when Leyla also bangs the front door and wanders into their living room dressed in jeans and tee shirt, Hanifa looks up and asks benignly,

"Did you have a pleasant swim Leyla dear?"

They sit on either side of Hanifa, chattering, sipping fresh black Javan coffee and passing around a rapidly emptying box of Indian sweets as they watch cartoons on the TV. They like Hanifa and she likes Cartoon Network so the afternoon passes in a pleasant blur of gossip, Tom and Jerry's antics and pistachio flavoured candies. Rafi struts, preens, and winds his long pewter body around Hanifa's calves looking for more food. Occasionally their eyes meet over Hanifa's head and little smiles and twinges of desire sizzle between them but there's no urgency.

After tea as Hanifa prepares to leave, Jinni asks if she's sure she wouldn't like to spend the evening with them. Hanifa's black eyes twinkle as she says with a wide smile, "I think I should go now because I have things to do and anyway you'll be wanting to play that loud record again." She looks at their puzzled frowns and says softly.

"You know... the record you always play over and over again after you've spent the day in bed together... wicked girls."

As she stands at the door, she puts her hand on Leyla's arm and chuckles. "I know... I always knew but today I only realised you were in the bathroom because Rafi was rubbing himself on the door frame when I went out to the kitchen to make coffee." Hanifa smiles and squeezes both their hands in hers. "Have a good night but please enjoy yourselves quietly, the walls are quite thin."

Grey blades of morning light are slicing through the windows as Leyla shakes herself out of the warm glow of her reveries and blearily looks at her watch; only another forty minutes until the end of the shift. She wanders round the ward, makes herself hot chocolate and watches the dawn unfold with a gentle but insistent throb in her lower abdomen. She looks at her watch again and feels the throb grow stronger; like a storm racing towards her from a far horizon. She imagines the leather-rimmed steering wheel sliding through Jinni's fingers and the sharp thrust of her hand on the short gearshift as the car swings out of their cul-de-sac onto the main road, accelerating hard. Leyla smiles as she imagines Jinni driving fast through the early morning drizzle towards the hospital.

"Para sa iyo ang bida ito Zahirah. Kung ako'y may bulaklak tuwing kita'y iisipin, Walang hangang hardin ang aking lalakarin."

(Translation: If I had a flower for every time I thought of you Zahirah, I could walk through my garden forever.)

~~~ August '98 ~~~