The morning sunlight slipped through the classroom windows, landing on her desk. Arshiya rubbed her eyes and sighed, listening to the familiar hum of students chatting and the distant squeak of shoes on the corridor floor.
Her phone buzzed. One new message.
"Reached school?"
It was him.
She smiled and typed back:
"Just got here. You?"
A few seconds later, he appeared in the staffroom doorway, pretending to check his phone, but his eyes immediately found hers. No words, just a small nod. That was enough to make her heart feel lighter.
The first period was chaos as usual. Students shuffled in, some forgetting their homework, some giggling at silly jokes. Arshiya tried to focus on her lesson plan, but her thoughts kept drifting to him — the way he'd quietly hand her a paper or nod at her across the staffroom. Small things, but they mattered.
During lunch break, the two found a quiet corner near the library. He handed her a small packet.
"Your favourite samosa," he said softly, looking away.
She raised an eyebrow. "Since when do you remember my favourite?"
He shrugged, a tiny smile tugging at his lips. "Since always."
For a moment, their eyes met. Nothing dramatic, no slow-motion feelings — just that quiet, warm connection where words weren't necessary.
The bell rang for the next period, and the school corridors filled with the echo of students' footsteps. As Arshiya turned to leave, he called softly:
"Hey… you're staying this time, right?"
She looked back, her smile gentle.
"Yeah… I'm not going anywhere."
The sound of the bell mixed with students' chatter, but somewhere between it all, a quiet understandings settled between them — simple, unspoken, and exactly what they both needed.