CONNECTED HEARTS

16: The Green Eyed Friend

Adyan's POV

I actually enjoyed being away from China. Don't get me wrong it's a great place. But as they say, there's no place like home, and I couldn't agree more. It's been almost a month since I came back to study.

Afdal and Sara have been great company; they always seem to have a plan whenever we're free. Our studies are moving fast as we try to catch up with the scheduled timeline. Graduation is going to be a grand affair, mixing in some Chinese culture. The management is even renovating parts of the school which is wild, because it's already one of the best and most modern institutions in China.

It was a snowy weekend. I'm not a big fan of the cold, so I stayed indoors at the apartment I share with Afdal. He wasn't around claiming to have "important things" to attend to. As the son of a businessman, Afdal handles a lot of his family's affairs, just like me. Lately, he's been busy managing his father's cotton production firm, which has kept him occupied.

I've known Afdal since childhood; he's my cousin and best friend. He's a fine young man, naturally charming, and girls are drawn to him. He can be a flirt sometimes, but he knows his limits and keeps it under control. I often remind him to be cautious some girls are tricky, and he jokingly calls me the "haram police."

Mom, Dad, and Laila promised to attend our graduation, but Khairiya can't make it because of her exams.

I sipped hot cocoa my new obsession while working on the tasks Dad wanted me to finish by Sunday night. The fireplace downstairs had become my favorite spot during this weather. But after a while, I grew bored of work and decided to take a break.

And of course, that meant calling Kaltoom.

Her voice had become the highlight of my days. I couldn't deny the connection we shared. On the third ring, she picked up. The sound of her voice sent shivers down my spine, and I caught myself grinning like an idiot.

After our usual greetings, I heard her giggling with her friend Amani in the background. The way we talked... yeah, it sounded like people in love, though neither of us would ever admit it. Each day, I found myself growing fonder of her.

I was about to drop my mug in the sink when the doorbell chimed. Still smiling from something Kaltoom had just said, I opened the door only to find Sara standing there.

"Hey, come in, Sara," I said, caught off guard.

"Adeeey... we need to talk," she sang, dragging out the words.

I excused myself from Kaltoom and ended the call, trying not to feel irritated. "What is it, Sara?" I asked, a little tired already.

She rolled her eyes and leaned against the doorframe. "I just wanted to ask... who's this girl you're always talking to these days?"

The question threw me off. My eyebrows knit together. "Do you want tea or cappuccino? I know you prefer—"

"Please, Muhammad. Just answer me." She cut me short.

I raised both hands. "Why do you even want to know? It's my business."

Her mood swings lately made sense now. She'd acted weird a few times when I was on the phone with Kaltoom. But why was she this invested? We weren't even that close.

"It's my business too," she blurted out suddenly.

The words hung in the air. Both of us froze her just as shocked as me.

I laughed dryly. "That's funny, Sara. Last time I checked, you got along better with Afdal than me. And my business? Definitely not yours."

Color drained from her face, and silence fell heavy between us.

________

Afdal's arrival broke the tension. "What's up, bro? When did Sara get here?" he asked casually, dropping his keys on the counter. Adyan didn't answer, his face closed off as he walked straight to his room, leaving the two of them behind.

Sara stood frozen, her expression clouded with emotions she couldn't name. Afdal caught the look on her face and frowned. "What's wrong?" he asked, but she shook her head, forcing a small smile.

"I'm fine... I was just thinking maybe we could eat out. You must be hungry."

Afdal tilted his head, unconvinced, but decided not to press her. "Or we could cook. Something warm will be better in this weather."

Her face brightened slightly. "I can cook for us. Actually, I ordered cupcakes earlier—they should arrive soon."

He chuckled and followed her into the kitchen. The two busied themselves with chopping vegetables, the clatter of utensils filling the silence. It was Sara who broke it again, her voice casual, though her curiosity betrayed her.

"So... who's the girl Muhammad talks to all the time? He seems really invested. I just wondered."

Afdal smirked knowingly. "Why don't you ask him yourself?"

"I did. He said it was none of my business."

"That sounds like him," Afdal replied with a laugh. Then, leaning closer, he added in a teasing tone, "But if you must know, she's his wife-to-be. Or fiancée. Or girlfriend—whatever you want to call it. They're still figuring things out. Courting, they say."

Sara's face faltered, the smile she forced barely masking the sting of his words. "So, he's getting married?" she asked quietly.

"Not yet. He insists they're not in love. But we all see it—he's falling, head over heels."

Sara swatted him playfully, trying to cover her hurt. "That's enough, Afdal. You talk too much." Her laugh was light, but her heart felt heavier than before.

Later, when the food was ready, Sara offered to fetch Adyan. She paused outside his door, hesitating, her hand hovering over the knob. Voices drifted from inside—his low, steady tone on the phone, laughter breaking through now and then. She didn't need to wonder who was on the other end.

Afdal's earlier words echoed in her mind. Courting... wife-to-be... head over heels.

Before she could stop herself, she pushed the door open. Adyan looked up sharply, irritation flashing in his eyes. "Sara, what the hell..." His tone was harsher than she had ever heard directed at her.

Her heart thudded painfully. She had seen that look before—when Adyan dismissed Afdal's flings or scolded them for crossing boundaries. But never at her.

"I just came to tell you lunch is ready," she murmured, masking her vulnerability with practiced innocence.

Adyan exhaled, shoulders relaxing, and turned away as if she were no more than a passing distraction. Sara lingered at the doorway, her gaze tracing the lines of his back, the set of his jaw. He didn't see the way her eyes softened, or how she bit her lip to stop the tremor threatening her composure.

This was the man she had dreamed of, the one she believed destiny had carved out for her. To see his attention fixed on someone else—someone a thousand miles away—was unbearable.

She placed a box of cupcakes on his table with a small, shaky smile. "I'll just leave these here," she whispered, before slipping out.

A lone tear escaped, but she brushed it away quickly as she descended the stairs. Each step was heavier than the last, yet her resolve only grew. If Adyan couldn't see her yet, she would make him.

Downstairs, laughter spilled from the kitchen where Afdal was waiting. Adyan soon joined him, and the room filled with their easy banter. Sara sat quietly at the table, smiling when spoken to, but her gaze often drifted to Adyan. Every crinkle of his eyes, every unguarded smile, tugged painfully at her heart.

No matter how she tried to push it aside, one truth remained—she wanted him. And she wasn't ready to give up.

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