My entire body stiffened, and I whipped my head around.
There was no mistaking it.
It was him.
The moment our eyes locked, we both froze.
Haider stood motionless by the doorway, equally taken aback to find me inside his room.
Meanwhile, my mind desperately searched for an explanation.
No.
I couldn't panic.
If I panicked, I would only make myself look guilty.
He quietly stepped inside, tilting his head ever so slightly in confusion.
My back rested against the bookshelf.
The book I had tried to pull free remained exactly where it was.
I pressed my lips together before forcing myself to speak.
"T-The alarm was ringing..."
I stammered, quickly pointing toward the alarm clock resting beside his bed.
His gaze shifted toward it for a brief moment before returning to me.
His white shirt had become slightly wrinkled after a long day at work. Both sleeves were rolled neatly to his elbows, while his loosened black tie hung casually around his neck. His work bag rested in one hand.
He slowly walked toward me.
One step.
Then another.
His eyes carefully observed the room before settling back on me, as though silently piecing everything together.
Before he could ask a single question, I hurried toward the door, keeping my head lowered to the grey carpet.
Suddenly-
A gentle hand closed around my wrist.
My heart skipped.
I turned back.
Haider looked just as startled as I felt.
For a fleeting moment, it seemed as though even he hadn't expected himself to stop me.
Yet his gaze never left mine.
A few loose strands of his hair had fallen over his forehead. He usually kept them neatly combed back, but the long day had clearly undone the styling.
Neither of us spoke.
The silence only made my heartbeat louder.
I braced myself for questions.
Instead...
He spoke in an unusually gentle voice.
"...If it's alright with you..."
He hesitated, the corners of his lips twitching with nervousness.
"...would you like to go somewhere with me this weekend?"
Hope quietly flickered within his eyes.
Caught completely off guard, I answered with the first words that came to mind.
"...This weekend?"
He nodded.
Then, almost as though he had only just realised he was still holding my wrist, he quickly let go.
I seized the opportunity.
"O-Okay..."
I nodded hurriedly before reaching for the doorknob.
"Assalamualaikum."
Without waiting for his reply-
I slipped out of the room and practically hurried toward my own.
The moment I closed the door behind me, I leaned against it.
My face burned with embarrassment.
And my heart refused to slow down.
***
The bedroom door clicked shut.
Only then did Haider allow himself to collapse onto his bed.
A long, weary sigh escaped him as both hands slid down his face.
Simply asking her had taken more courage than he cared to admit.
He rubbed the back of his neck, a faint blush quietly spreading across his cheeks and the tips of his ears.
Unable to contain the sudden warmth rising within him, he covered the lower half of his face with both hands. Through the narrow gap between his fingers, he stared blankly at the ceiling, still trying to process what had just happened.
Countless thoughts crowded his mind.
Yet one lingered more stubbornly than the rest.
His gaze slowly drifted toward the hand that had instinctively caught her wrist.
A flustered frown settled on his face.
The lingering sensation refused to disappear.
His heartbeat still hadn't returned to normal.
She looked beautiful...I almost lost myself.
The memory replayed itself against his will.
Her pink hoodie.
Her rosy lips.
The loose strands of hair framing her face.
Everything about her quietly lingered in his thoughts.
Yet none of it overwhelmed him as much as the very first day he had seen her without her hijab.
Back then...
It had felt as though the entire world had fallen silent around him.
Looking back, he was almost proud that he had managed to keep a composed expression.
Only Allah knew the storm that had raged within his heart that day.
Tonight...
Sleep would not come so easily.
...
The weekend arrived far sooner than Ariya had anticipated.
Today was the day.
She and Haider were going on their first outing together.
Ariya stood in front of her wardrobe, pulling one outfit after another onto the floor.
Her room had become an absolute mess within minutes.
She clenched her teeth in frustration before letting out a muffled groan, careful not to be loud enough for Haider to hear.
"I have nothing to wear!"
With a defeated sigh, she hurriedly pulled out her phone and opened the group chat.
Ariya: Girls, I have nothing to wear for today!
Almost instantly, replies began pouring in.
Naima: WHAT?! Calm down. Show us your options- we shall judge.
Ireen: Wear something cute! First impressions matter.
Ariya glanced around her room before taking a quick picture of a simple dusty-pink abaya and sending it.
A few seconds later...
Her phone practically exploded with notifications.
Ireen: Absolutely not.
Naima: If you wear that, I'm disowning you as my friend.
Ariya blinked.
Ariya: Then you two choose for me.
Ireen: Stand back. Leave this to the professionals.
Naima: Don't worry. We'll have him so stunned he'll forget how to speak.
Ariya stared at the messages before covering her face with left hand.
"...I'm starting to regret asking them."