The Moment She Saw Him

Part 25

I had sent the "goddess" a message around 1 in the afternoon, right after I woke up from my long nap. As I rubbed my tired eyes, Sona walked up to me."Did the goddess send you a request on Instagram too?" she asked."Yeah, she did. Why? Did she send it to you as well?" I replied, still groggy. My eyes were sore and barely open."Not just us," Sona said, taking out her phone. "She sent it to the whole group." She showed me her screen—she had already accepted the request. Actually, everyone had, except for me and Ziya.We only had one more lecture before we could finally leave for the day. I realized I hadn't even had lunch because I'd been sleeping for nearly four hours. None of my friends had bothered to wake me up, apparently because I had been, as Yami put it, "sleeping peacefully like a baby with no worries." I went to the restroom and took a look at myself in the large oval mirror on the wall. I gasped—I looked awful. My hijab was all messed up, and strands of hair were sticking out. My eyes were small and red from sleep. I sighed and muttered to myself, "I look terrible!"Ziya was standing nearby, busy texting Raza, her face slightly flushed and smiling. She glanced at me and said without even looking up, "You don't look terrible, Sehar. You look cute, like always."I wasn't convinced. I turned to Yashi, who had just stepped out of one of the restroom stalls. "Do I look awful?" I asked.Yashi smiled. "Not at all. You just look like you've woken up from a long nap. Just fix your hijab, and you'll be fine."

I smiled back at her. She left the restroom, but Ziya was still glued to her phone, furrowing her brows now. Something was off."Everything okay?" I asked, noticing the sudden change in her expression.Ziya looked up at me, her eyes filled with uncertainty. "Raza just proposed to me," she whispered, her voice shaking. It looked like she was on the verge of tears.Without thinking, I hugged her tightly. "On text? Wow, that's so unromantic," I joked, trying to lighten the mood. "Why are you scared, though?"Ziya pulled back slightly and wiped her eyes. "I don't know. Things are moving so fast, and I'm not sure about my feelings yet. If I say yes and things don't work out, I'll hurt him. But if I say nothing, he'll hold onto false hope, and I don't want that either. I'm so confused."I hugged her again, realizing how heavy the situation was for her. Ziya had always been so strong, but right now, she seemed so vulnerable. I didn't have the perfect answer, but I knew she needed support, and that's what friends were for."You don't have to decide right now," I whispered. "Just be honest with him and with yourself. You'll figure it out."Ziya nodded, still looking uncertain, but at least a little comforted.

After the final class ended, we all left together, chatting about random things as we headed toward our buses. My phone dinged, and I pulled it out—it was a text from Hamza. I hadn't spoken to him properly in three days, just the occasional small talk because I had been so busy studying.

Hamza: What's up with Ziya and Raza?
So, he knew too. I smiled to myself.
Me: He proposed to her over text! I think you need to give your friend some relationship advice. He's so unromantic, XD.

Hamza: I know! I already gave him a hard time about it. Anyway, is she happy?

Me: She's confused. She wants to take things slow. Don't tell Raza any of this though—let her talk to him when she's ready.

Hamza: Of course. You out of college yet?

Me: Yeah, just left. Walking to the bus now. How's Maa?

Hamza: She's better. She misses you and your cooking. She's been asking when you'll come by again.

Me: Really? That's so sweet! I'm so glad to hear she's doing better. I'll probably come over this weekend—five more days until exams are done.

Hamza: Can't wait!

Me: Me too. I'll text you when I'm free.

Hamza: Sure, talk later. Bye!

I boarded the bus, noticing that Ziya was still deep in thought. She had her headphones on, listening to music, so I decided not to disturb her. Instead, I pulled out my novel and started reading, letting her have her space.Once I reached home, I went straight to studying for tomorrow's exam. I managed to wrap things up by 8 p.m., feeling a bit more confident about the test. "Didi, come out for dinner!" Safiya called from the kitchen. "Coming!" I replied, packing up my study materials for tomorrow. After dinner, I checked my phone—and saw a new text from the "goddess."My heart raced a little as I opened the message. What now?