Zayaa had no idea how simply the mentioning of the word “rancher” reminded her of such
distant memories. She could not be missing home already. It had been merely a day. Besides, she
was living the life of her dreams, there was no reason for her to not be enjoying every minute
of it. She brushed aside her emerging uneasiness and focused on Askaa. He was wonderfully
handsome. And he had escaped from his family, just like her. And they came across each other, on
this vast piece of deserted land. Oh fate. What a nice acquaintance on her first day of expedition!
She was contented again. How she adored her independence! Life was good.
Along with Ja and Askaa’s camel, they wandered along the sand dunes till night. Just
as Zayaa relished her time in the wild with Askaa, she couldn’t process the other part of her
heart. Flashbacks haunted her. Her mother cooking for the clan. Her brother getting married.
Enkhtuyaa’s death. How her father told her she was his only daughter left…
As the stars rose above their heads, Zayaa couldn’t bear it anymore. She took out her tsuur
and started playing - what she always did when she needed to clear her mind. The notes came out
thin and shaky, like a dying infant’s wail. This had never happened before. Sadness always made
her songs forceful, not weak. The pipe’s hum was fading, fading. And it lifted again! She was
startled when she heard Askaa played the morin khuur, the iconic Mongolian string instrument.
It was firm and virile, for a moment Zayaa thought she heard an army of warhorses taking off
above her. Her pipe’s hum was riding on the string’s solid base, and they hovered and spiraled and
circled, and soon they were soaring around desert basin!
All was still. How she loved playing music in the wild!
Zayaa had never found herself more powerful.
The desert glowed eerily under the moon. It was more tranquil than Zayaa could ever have
imagined. They sat down on the crisp sand and emptied her wine bottle. Askaa’s hand brushed
against hers. Her heart fluttered so hard that she could barely breathe. Was that falling in love?
His eyes met hers, Zayaa saw herself in his glistening irises.
“Go with me Zayaa, go with me!” Zayaa couldn’t comprehend. “We can see the world together!
The mountains, the seas, everything! Isn’t that what you’ve always wanted?” She couldn’t catch
her breath. “We can be together forever! You never have to return to your family!”
Forever? Seeing the world with the man she loved? Yes, yes, that’s what she had always
wanted! She almost nodded. But no. She could clearly see her parents’ faces when Enkhtuyaa
died. Were they to lose another daughter? And how would their neighbors see her father after
knowing her flight? “Oh, Bataar, what great man he is! Can’t even make his daughter obey.” How
disappointed would they be? What disgrace would she bring? No. Zayaa wasn’t brave enough.
How she savored the day! How she loved the man beside her! How she enjoyed deciding her life!
But no. she couldn’t bring herself to do it. It’s her fate, her destiny. Mongolian daughters belonged
to their families. She felt small.
Zayaa gazed at Askaa, those eyes! Her eyes were flooded with tears.
* * *
* * *
* * *
