The next morning, the waters receded. They buried Fatimah under a gray sky. When Haji Salim stood by the fresh grave to recite the talqin once more—this time into the earth—Rizki noticed that the old man’s voice was softer, almost a whisper.

“She has answered,” the old man said. “Her soul has been reminded. She will not be alone tonight.”

Haji Salim sat by the head of the body. He closed his eyes, and the room fell into a profound silence—so deep that Rizki could hear the rain hammering the roof as if trying to break in.

The talqin was a sacred whisper, a reminder to the departed as they lay in their grave: “Remember the covenant. Remember your faith. Say: Allah is my Lord, Islam is my religion, Muhammad is my prophet.” It was the last compass for a journey no living could see.