[Scene opens: Alvira seated quietly in a crowded, noisy college lecture hall. She clutches her plain notebook, keeping her head low.]
Narration (Alvira's thoughts):
"New place… new people… yet I still feel like I don't belong. How do I fit in, when my mind is still dreaming of someone who doesn't even know I exist?"
[The professor enters; students shuffle to attention. Alvira finds herself seated beside a girl with a friendly vibe--wearing a subtle BTS pin.]
Zaina (cheerfully):
"Hey, you're new here too? I'm Zaina. Mind if I sit next to you?"
Alvira (softly):
"Sure... I'm Alvira."
[They sit through class. Zaina notices a faint sticker peeking from Alvira's notebook--it's of the idol.]
Zaina (whispering with a smirk):
"Wait… Is that who I think it is?"
Alvira (slightly startled, hiding it quickly):
"Um… just a random sticker."
Zaina (teasing):
"Random? Please. My sister is OBSESSED with that band. Especially Tae... she thinks he's a walking dream."
[Alvira's eyes light up just slightly. She turns toward Zaina for the first time with genuine interest.]
Alvira (nervously):
"Really? Your sister too?"
Zaina (grinning):
"Yeah! I mean, I don't get the obsession, but I've picked up more Korean than I ever wanted to, thanks to her!"
Narration (Alvira's thoughts):
"Was this… the sign I was looking for? A thread of connection. Something-someone-to share my unspeakable world with."
[Days pass. Zaina and Alvira start sitting together more often. The walls slowly come down.]
Alvira (whispering during lunch):
"I don't really talk about this to anyone… but I fell for him. Not when he was famous-famous. But when he had that awkward baby face. That's when I knew it was real…"
Zaina (gently, surprised):
"You mean... not just as a fan?"
Alvira (looking down, fiddling with her dupatta):
"Not just. It's been years, Zaina. He doesn't even know I exist, and I… I've made du'as for him. I cry sometimes. It's insane, isn't it?"
Zaina (after a pause, softly):
"It's not insane. It's rare. But you gotta promise me something....don't lose yourself to someone who might never turn around."
Narration:
And just like that, the girl who once only cried in sujood now had a voice beside her… A friend who didn't just understand...but cared.
[Later: They sit by the window after class, books open but ignored.]
Zaina (laughing):
"You seriously hide his pictures in an app lock folder?"
Alvira (blushing):
"Don't judge me, okay! I even talk to his live streams like we're on a video call."
Zaina (teasing):
"A whole relationship going on and the man doesn't even know."
[They burst out laughing. In that moment, something shifts. Alvira's loneliness feels just a little less heavy.]
Narration:
"This place still feels unfamiliar. But maybe… maybe it's not all dark corners. Maybe light can shine in, little by little."
TO BE CONTINUED