The next day felt different, though nothing had really changed.
Arohi woke up with the same room, the same ceiling, the same routine waiting for her—but something inside her had shifted. She didn't have a name for it. She didn't know what love was supposed to feel like, didn't understand the depth or danger of it.
But she knew one thing—
whatever this feeling was… she liked it.
No, she liked him.
More than she was ready to admit.
There was a strange lightness in her chest, like something fluttering—restless, alive. The kind of feeling that stayed even in silence, even when she tried to ignore it. At night, it didn't let her sleep properly. Thoughts of him came and went, again and again, like waves she didn't know how to stop.
And then came the smiles.
Zafar wasn't someone who talked much. He didn't try to. He didn't need to.
Every time she went to tuition, there would be that one moment—
just one—
when his eyes found hers.
And he would smile.
That was it.
No words. No gestures. Just a look… and a smile.
But for Arohi, that was enough.
Days passed like that. One look. One smile.
Again. Again. Again.
A whole week went by with nothing happening—
and yet, everything happening.
That Sunday, Arohi made an excuse.
It wasn't planned perfectly, nor was it completely accidental. It was something in between—like her feelings.
She quietly took some money from her father's wallet, informing him in a soft voice that she was going out to buy a packet of chips. Her father, half-asleep and distant in his tiredness, simply nodded without asking much.
That was enough.
Her steps felt quicker than usual, her heartbeat louder than it should've been. She told herself it was nothing. Just chips.
Just a normal visit.
But when she reached the departmental store, she paused for a second before entering.
And then—
Zafar looked up.
Their eyes met.
He smiled.
"Arohi… how are you?" he said softly. "You look very good."
Her breath hitched for a moment, but she managed to respond, a small smile forming on her lips.
"Yeah… you look good too," she said, then added, almost without thinking,
"You are… excellent to look at."
For a second, he paused.
Not shocked—just… observing her.
Then he smiled again.
"Do you need something?" he asked.
She nodded quickly. "Two packets of chips."
But that wasn't why she was there.
Not really.
What started as a simple purchase turned into something else entirely. Arohi began talking—about herself, her likes, random things, little details that didn't seem important.
But she kept going.
And going.
Zafar didn't interrupt. He didn't rush her. He just listened—quietly, attentively, as if every word she said mattered.
As if she mattered.
Five minutes passed before Arohi suddenly became aware of herself—of how much she had said, how easily she had opened up.
It felt like too much.
A faint embarrassment crept in.
"I should go," she said quickly, stepping back.
He nodded, still calm. "Okay."
She turned to leave, her steps slightly uneven now, her thoughts tangled.
But halfway down the road, something made her stop.
She turned around.
And there he was.
Still looking at her.
Still smiling.
She smiled back.
And in that quiet distance, he placed a hand over his chest, lowering his gaze for just a second as he murmured something under his breath.
"Fida…"
She didn't hear it.
Didn't understand it.
Didn't realize what it meant—
My heart is yours now.
Arohi simply turned back and walked away.
Unaware…
that with every step, she was walking deeper into something she didn't yet understand.
Not love.
Not danger.
But something that felt like both.
And somewhere behind her—
Zafar watched.
Still smiling.