"Woah, who are those people holding hands?"
"Doesn't it look like the student from the medical facility?"
The students passing by whispered amongst themselves while glancing at the couple with their hands intertwined.
Ariya was growing flustered with every passing second, her whole face being painted with a deep red hue. The man she was holding onto was oblivious to such concerns and stares.
After the gate came to sight, Ariya quickly jerked his hand away before taking a few steps away from him.
Her gaze remained on the ground and her fingers were clutching the ends of her sleeves. Eventually she worded out.
"Then! See you later. Assalamualaikum!"
With that remark, she bolted towards the large building leaving Haider to himself.
He gaped with confusion but soon he broke down completely. He clutched his shirt, squishing it before falling to his knees.
His legs had given out. He exhaled a large sum of air and stared at the ground with an unexplainable expression plastered onto his face.
It was wonder, fear and desire all in one human, growing wings to let these emotions conquer the sky.
The tips of his fingers trembled and he recalled his hasty behaviour.
As he got to his feet, a thought swirled past his mind.
Her hands were tiny...
...
Her panting echoed through the hallways as she pressed against her tummy. She swallowed the lumps of saliva stuck to her throat and pondered for a brief moment.
It was bewildering and also audacious.
Two opposite emotions surging inside her veins and at last the immediate realisation hit her.
She held his hand.
"Ariya!"
"Ariya!!"
Suddenly- a face popped up in front of her, causing her to flinch.
Naima waved her hand over Ariya's face, a concerned look lodged onto her.
"You okay?" She asked "Your face is hot, are you sick?"
"Ah-!"
Ariya rapidly shook her head, unable to voice out her thoughts. She was left speechless by her own actions and her mind could only wonder about what the future held.
How would she face him?
Naima, losing her patience grabbed hold onto Ariya's wrist before dragging her to class.
They were almost late.
After the class, both her friends had their arms wrapped around their chests. Their fierce scowls were piercing through Ariya, while she could only awkwardly bite down on her lips.
"So?" Ireen uttered. "What is all this about?"
One of her brows lifted as she tilted her head.
Instantly-
Ariya jolted from her chair and intertwined both of her arms with theirs.
"Come on! I said nothing happened. Let's go eat out!"
She announced amidst an anxious laugh.
Though the fleeting moment echoed constantly in her heart, she was determined to distract herself instead of dwelling on it.
One fact that needed to be noted was-
Haider's workplace was only five minutes away from her university. A setting so coincidental, it was very fortunate.
However, that would also result in sudden appearances or meet-ups.
Alas, for the flustered woman, today was the day for such encounters.
"Ah- isn't that your wife, Haider?"
A familiar raspy voice called out.
Haider's gaze flew towards the noticeable presence, and immediately, his pupils widened.
Ariya, as well, was left stunned, while the two girls snickered behind her.
They had coincidentally crossed paths in the nearby restaurant, where, along with university students, some workers from the nearby company also visited.
With that reason in mind, it came as no surprise that the restaurant was packed with customers today of all days.
Naturally, they had no choice but to share a table.
Three men sat across from three women, each seated in accordance with the person facing them.
Haider found himself seated directly across from his wife in the middle, while Zayne sat opposite the mature yet rather silly Naima.
And then there was Ireen- the eldest yet somehow the silliest of the three- seated directly across from the hot-tempered man, who wore an annoyed frown that seemed permanently inscribed upon his face.
The table was as silent as it could possibly be, the suffocating atmosphere almost stealing their chances to speak.
Zayne, unable to bear the silence any longer, decided to break it.
"I haven't introduced myself, right? I'm Zayne, his childhood friend."
His smile eased the tension around the table. After a brief moment, the ladies followed his lead and began introducing themselves.
"I'm Naima."
She offered a polite smile before pointing towards the woman beside Ariya.
"And this is Ireen."
Ireen lifted her hand in a small wave.
"Nice to meet you."
Her voice carried a casual warmth, completely contrasting the tense atmosphere that had settled around the table.
Zayne nodded pleasantly.
"Nice to meet you both."
For a moment, the conversation seemed to have found its footing.
Then Ireen's gaze shifted towards the man sitting opposite her.
She studied him for a few seconds.
He had barely spoken since they sat down, his arms folded across his chest and his expression remaining as sour as ever.
Ireen tilted her head.
"And you?"
The man's eyes shifted towards her.
"..."
Silence.
Yusuf didn't even consider baiting an eye towards the woman's. His extreme discipline enabling him to. For his stubbornness, Zayne introduced him on his behalf.
"He is Yusuf, he isn't the most sociable person."
Yusuf clicked his tongue and looked away, his jaws clenched in a fit of rage.