Gossip to secret

9.

He approached me, his gaze unwavering. At that moment, I found it difficult to decipher his expression, leaving me with a perplexing sensation that I couldn't quite grasp.

My heart raced, and I felt a fluttering in my stomach. What was happening to me? Why was I experiencing this peculiar sensation?

I sensed his proximity, even hearing the rhythm of his heartbeat. I was lost in my thoughts until he abruptly jolted me back to reality by playfully knocking my head with his hand, the pain jolting me from my reverie.

"Ouch! What was that for?" I winced, rubbing my head and scolding him.

"That's for staring at me so adoringly. You've been lost in your thoughts, and I had to bring you back," he quipped, hands casually in his pockets.

"Well, you were also gazing at my striking blue eyes," I retorted, my hand still on my throbbing head.

"Yeah, I was admiring your captivating blue eyes, but that doesn't mean I actually like them," he replied, avoiding eye contact.

"Guess what? You just admitted it. I do have enchanting blue eyes," I teased, sighing and rolling my eyes.

He seemed to enjoy when I rolled my eyes, as a warm smile crept across his face. It was as though he found it endearing, maybe that's why he did it.

He initiated a playful banter, and soon we found ourselves engaged in a heated argument. It was then that Hanifa's voice interrupted our exchange.

"Hey, guys, I'm still here, in case you've forgotten," she chimed in.

I sheepishly admitted that I had indeed forgotten about her. "This is Ashraf, by the way. Ashraf, meet Hanifa, my friend who lives with us," I introduced them.

"Oh, so this is the infamous Ashraf you've been talking about," Hanifa remarked with a sly grin, and I immediately sensed that she was going to tease me.

"Huh, she talks about me, does she?" Ashraf responded swiftly, with Hanifa nodding her head and sharing a knowing smile.

"Come,"  Ashraf said as he walked to sit on the couch. "sit with me and spill the beans on all the things she's been saying about me," Hanifa urged as she moved to the couch, making room for herself next to Ashraf. I suddenly realized that they were both conspiring to tease me.

"No, no, no, no, no. If you sit down with him and reveal anything, I'll kick you out of the house," I warned her.

"Hmm, alright, no problem. It's not as if you're the only person I know in this town. I have Khadija, and Musbahu, and now, of course, Ashraf," she said mischievously, casting a wicked smile my way.

"Yeah, you definitely have Musbahu, I know that," I retorted, rolling my eyes at her before retreating to my room. It dawned on me that I'd forgotten to inquire why Ashraf had come in the first place.

After our evening Isha prayers, we all gathered in the living room to share a meal of white rice and stew. We sat on the mat with Mama joining us after returning from the market just an hour earlier. She was elated to see Ashraf, and Mama kept sharing memories with Hanifa of how me and Ashraf used to argue a lot, which seemed to amuse them greatly. I couldn't quite understand why it was so funny to them.

Amidst the dinner conversation, I noticed Ashraf stealing glances at me repeatedly. Whenever I turned to look at him, he would feign interest in something beside me, trying to conceal his actions. However, the last time I caught him, a smile crept across his face as he realized that I had already noticed him; our eyes had met.

This shared, unspoken moment between us was quite amusing, and we both burst into laughter. This sudden laughter caught the attention of Mama and Hanifa, who had been engaged in their own conversation. They exchanged puzzled glances, clearly unaware of what had just transpired, as the topic of their conversation didn't seem humorous enough to explain our laughter.