fated hearts

chapter 2

Asiya emerged from the principal's office at the British International School, her heart fluttering with a mixture of excitement and nervous anticipation. Today was her first day, and the principal had kindly directed her to the staffroom to find Mr. Jimoh, who would guide her to her class. She ascended the staircase, her thoughts a whirl of apprehension and curiosity, when suddenly she collided with someone deep in conversation with his friend. The impact jolted her off balance, and for a heart-stopping moment, she felt herself teetering dangerously close to falling down the stairs.

Before she could even comprehend what was happening, strong hands caught her by the waist, pulling her back to safety. Her breath hitched, and time seemed to slow as she found herself held in place, her body trembling from the shock of nearly falling.

In a daze, she opened her eyes and looked up to see who had saved her. What met her gaze were the most captivating eyes she had ever seen—dark and full of depth, almost as if they were peering into the very essence of her being. The boy who had caught her had an undeniably masculine physique for someone his age, his face sharply defined with the proud features of a Hausa-Fulani heritage. He was, in every sense of the word, breathtakingly handsome.

"I-I'm sorry," he stammered, his voice deep yet flustered.

"It's fine," Asiya responded, still trying to regain her composure. She was painfully aware of the warmth of his hands as he released her. "Where is the staffroom, please?" she asked, her voice steadier than she felt.

He quickly pointed in the direction she needed to go, then hurried off down the stairs, his retreating figure disappearing around the corner before she could say another word. Asiya stood there for a moment, trying to steady her racing heart before continuing her way upstairs.

Fifteen minutes later, after Mr. Jimoh had shown her the location of her locker, Asiya found herself standing at the entrance of her new class. She felt a ripple of curiosity sweep through the room as Mr. Jimoh addressed the students.

"Hello, class. This is Asiya Muhammad. She will be joining you from today."

A chorus of greetings erupted from the class. "Hi, Asiya!" they echoed with friendly smiles.

Asiya, feeling slightly self-conscious but determined to make a good impression, greeted them in a calm, soft voice. "Hello," she said, nodding towards the sea of faces.

From the back of the class, a voice called her name. "Asiya?"

She turned in the direction of the familiar voice, and her heart skipped a beat—it was Fahad, her boyfriend. She hadn’t realized they would be in the same class, and her heart swelled with relief at seeing him.

She made her way over to him. "Hello, how are you?" he asked, a warm smile on his lips.

"I'm fine," she replied, taking the seat next to him. Her anxiety from earlier was starting to melt away.

The first lecture began soon after, and Asiya quickly took out her books, eager to immerse herself in the material. To her relief, she found herself genuinely enjoying the class, her hand flying over the paper as she took notes.

When the class finally ended, Fahad turned to her, his grin widening. "Let me introduce you to my clique," he said, standing up and gesturing for her to follow him.

They walked towards a group of students who were sitting together, chatting animatedly. Fahad began the introductions. "This is Rukayya, but everyone calls her Ruks, and Khadija—Kay for short. And these two are Ahmad and Ibrahim."

Asiya’s breath caught slightly at the mention of the last name. She glanced up and realized, with a start, that Ibrahim was the boy who had caught her earlier. "So his name is Ibrahim," she thought to herself, her heart giving an inexplicable flutter.