I brushed my hair and tidied my bangs.
He usually wasn't home at this time, but I couldn't take any risks.
It would be odd to wear a hijab now.
He had already seen me at my worst.
From the corner of my eye, I noticed the makeup kit lying on the table.
"Should I wear some?"
Would that be too much?
I reluctantly picked it up and decided to put on a little.
Feeling embarrassed, I slowly opened my door.
Come on, Ariya. It's not like he's here-
"Good morning."
His voice suddenly reached my ears, and my heart nearly leapt out of my chest.
A chill ran down my spine as I slowly turned my head towards him.
He was placing breakfast on the table.
Wasn't he supposed to be at work?
Good thing I was wearing makeup.
I opened my mouth and replied in a low voice.
"G-good morning."
He sat down and quietly waited for me to join him without stealing a single glance.
I cautiously walked over to the table and began eating.
He ate quietly, making hardly a sound.
I wanted to ask why he was still here, but whatever courage I had left had been used up yesterday.
Once we were done, he gathered the dishes and headed towards the sink.
"Wait!"
He stopped in his tracks.
"I will do it."
He placed the dishes in the sink before walking towards the entrance and picking up his bag.
"Assalamualaikum."
Without turning back, he answered in a hurry.
"Waalaikumsalam."
Woah...
He was gone.
He didn't even look at me.
"Wait! The lunch!"
I quickly opened the door with the lunch in my hands.
He was just about to step into the elevator.
I froze.
I needed to call out his name.
The elevator doors were closing.
"H-Haider!"
His hand stopped midway before pressing the button.
For a brief moment, he froze.
His eyes widened slightly, and he turned his head towards me as if making sure he heard correctly.
It was the first time I had called him by his name.
My cheeks began to heat up as I walked towards him.
He was still frozen from hearing me call his name.
He must have been astonished.
"I prepared lunch..."
His gaze fell upon the simple tiffin in my hand, his lips slightly parted in surprise.
He gave a small bow before gently taking the tiffin from my hands and replying in his usual quiet manner.
"Thank you."
I let out a sigh of relief, a tender smile finally appearing as I lowered my guard.
"I hope you enjoy it."
He nodded twice, and the elevator doors closed, leaving me standing there with my overwhelming feelings.
My fingers brushed against the corner of my lips.
I was still in disbelief.
His name had actually left my mouth.
I felt a slight flutter in my stomach, an inner turmoil stirring within me.
I went inside, collapsed onto the couch, and buried my face in both hands.
I was completely undone.
My composure had shattered as a wave of panic rushed over me, painting my face red.
"Wow... that was so embarrassing."
****
On the other side.
Haider stared down at the tiffin in his hands.
The slightly warm container rested against his palms.
He remained still, a heavy blush slowly overtaking his face, leaving him looking utterly flustered and defenseless.
Such a small act...
Yet it was enough to shake him completely.
He took several deep breaths, trying to regain his usual composure.
He could not afford to look this flustered in front of his colleagues.
Still, the feeling remained heavy in his chest. His fingers gripped the tiffin tightly, trembling slightly as he walked into his office.
The pile of work before him continued to grow, yet his thoughts drifted elsewhere.
His mind was in complete disarray.
He struggled to focus, his ability to think and reason becoming clouded. To the point where he nearly missed his prayer.
KNOCK KNOCK
"Boss?"
He was pulled back to reality.
"Yes?"
"The meeting..."
"Oh. Right. Prepare the documents."
He cleared his throat and steadied himself, quickly sorting through the files before leaving for the meeting.
Some of the female staff whispered among themselves while glancing in his direction.
"Isn't Boss acting a little different today?"
"He seems distracted."
Later, during lunchtime.
One of the male staff members spoke to his friend.
"Should we invite Boss for lunch?"
"He never eats with us, though."
"That's because he never brings lunch. He usually goes out to eat."
"But isn't that a lunch box?"
One of the staff pointed out.
Haider sat alone in his designated office, separated from the rest of the workplace. However, the room had clear glass walls, allowing others to see what he was doing.
One of the braver employees gathered his courage and knocked on the glass.
"Umm... Boss, would you like to eat with us?"
Haider's gaze was mistaken for a glare, and the employee immediately stiffened under the pressure.
"Gosh, apologize! He looks angry!"
One of the panicked staff members whispered.
"I'll join."
"Eh?"
The entire office turned to look at him in surprise.
"You will?"
"Yeah... I prepared lunch today."