She stared at her plate, perplexed.

“What’s wrong?” her father asked, munching on his food.

“I’m just not hungry,” she said, getting up from the table.

Back in her room, she closed the door and jumped onto her bed.

Why do I feel this way?

She thought, but shaking off her thoughts, she grabbed a novel from her bag and started to read.

Engrossed in the story, she imagined each sentence vividly. After finishing the novel, she lay down on her bed.

When she closed her eyes, she saw Malik's face. Startled, she opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling.

She tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Closing her eyes again, she found no trace of slumber.

She sighed and hugged her pillow tightly, burying her face in it.

What's happening to me?
Why am I thinking about him?
Was he right when he said he couldn't eat or sleep?
Why am I feeling like this?
Sleep... sleep, Inaya. Don’t think too much.

Eventually, she managed to drift off.

The next morning, as she prepared for university, she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and recalled Malik again. Sighing, she grabbed her bag and rushed outside. She sat in the back of the car while the driver took her to university.

“Hey! I was waiting for you for ten minutes!” her friend Mina exclaimed, glaring at her.

“Sorry, I woke up late,” Inaya said, giving an innocent smile.

“Don’t give me those puppy eyes. Let’s go or the professor will kick us out of class!” Mina exclaimed, grabbing Inaya’s hand as they both dashed toward class.

“I want to tell you something,” Inaya said as Mina scanned the canteen for something to eat.

“Wait, I’m really hungry!” Mina replied, and Inaya chuckled at her friend's eagerness.

“Alright, now tell me,” Mina said while munching on her burger.

Inaya shared everything, and Mina listened intently, as if watching a movie.

“I can't believe he asked you to marry him! He must be crazy, or maybe he’s in love with you!” Mina said, laughing.

“I don’t know... what if he comes back?” Inaya asked, hoping Mina would have an answer.

“What can I say? What’s his name?” Mina crossed her arms over her chest.

“Malik Awan,” Inaya answered, her expression blank.

“Wow, impressive name!” Mina said, curious about his appearance.

“Well, he might just be a stalker from a fictional book,” Mina giggled, making a playful compliment.

“He didn’t seem like a stalker... he looked well-educated. He doesn’t have that playboy vibe,” Inaya said, but Mina interrupted her.

“Let’s check his Instagram!” Mina exclaimed, pulling out her phone.

As they both scrolled through their phones, Inaya joked, “We’re acting like stalkers right now.”

Mina smiled and kept looking until they finally found his account. Mina jumped in excitement.

“He doesn’t follow any girls or even celebrities—just one person named... Zainyy. What a strange name!” Mina said, her voice filled with excitement.

“Oh, you mean Zain? He’s his best friend,” Inaya explained, recognizing the name.

“Zain... your mother’s nephew?” Mina asked, and Inaya nodded.

“You should give him a chance,” Mina encouraged, but Inaya rolled her eyes.

“Don’t get too excited. How can I trust someone so easily?” she replied as they started to walk toward the university gate.

“Hmm. Does he know about your father? How strict he is?” Mina asked, looking at Inaya closely.

“I’m not sure,” Inaya admitted, noticing her driver was there to pick her up.

“Okay, bye! Take care!” Inaya said as she got into the car.

“Text me later!” Mina shouted, blowing Inaya a kiss.

“Drop me at the library, please,” she said politely to her driver.

After a while, she arrived at the library to return the novel.

----

𝑽𝒐𝒕𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕.
𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒌 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒐 𝒎𝒖𝒄𝒉💖