Sins of the Heart

9

Zyran woke up to the sound of his father knocking on his door. The sunlight seeped through the curtains as he groggily got out of bed. His father, standing by the door, was already dressed for the day.

Father: "Zyran, tumhare software engineering project ka kya bana? Kal tumhara meeting hai na?" (Zyran, what about your software engineering project? You have a meeting tomorrow, right?)

Zyran rubbed his eyes, trying to shake off the morning drowsiness: "Yes, Baba, sab ready hai. We've been working on it for weeks."

Father: "Achha, dekh lo, aur thoda zyada time invest karo. Yeh tumhara future hai." (Okay, just make sure you're investing enough time. This is your future.)

Zyran nodded, trying not to roll his eyes. "Yes, Baba, I know," he replied with a hint of sarcasm.

Just then, his younger sister, zainab, entered the room, grinning mischievously.

Zainab "Zyran bhai, abbu ke saamne serious ho jaate ho, warna social media par tum bohot cool bante ho na!" (Zyran brother, you act so serious in front of dad, but on social media, you try to be so cool!)

Zyran smirked at her: "zainab, tumhe kaise pata? Tum bhi mere reels follow karti ho kya?" (Layla, how do you know? Do you follow my reels too?)

Zainab giggled: "Nahi bhai, bas sabko pata hai. Tum famous ho, after all!" (No brother, but everyone knows. You're famous after all!)

They both laughed, and Zyran playfully ruffled her hair before heading to freshen up for the day.

_________^

Meanwhile, at Ayliz's house, the day had started with her quietly helping her mother in the kitchen. Her mother had been making chai, and the smell of freshly baked parathas filled the air.

Mother: "Ayliz, aaj Ahmed ko madad karo uske homework mein." (Ayliz, help Ahmed with his homework today.)

Ayliz smiled as she took a sip of her chai: "Ji ammi, Ahmed ab itna bara ho gaya hai, khud bhi toh kar sakta hai." (Yes, mom, Ahmed is big enough now, he can do it himself too.)

Just then, her younger brother Ahmed ran in, pretending to be offended: "Ayliz, ammi ko mat sikhao, waise bhi tumhara homework waala help mein nahi maang raha." (Ayliz, don't teach mom! And for the record, I didn't ask for your help with homework.

Ayliz laughed, shaking her head at her playful brother. "Ahmed, tumhara har kaam mujhe karna hota hai. Tum sirf bahane banate ho." (Ahmed, I have to do all your work. You're always making excuses.

After breakfast, her mother looked at her thoughtfully.

Mother: "Ayliz, tumhare liye phir se rishta aya hai. Humne mana kar diya, lekin tumhari shaadi ki umar ho gayi hai." (Ayliz, another marriage proposal came for you. We refused, but you're at the age of marriage now.)

Ayliz sighed, shaking her head gently. "Ammi, maine aapko kitni baar kaha hai, abhi meri padhayi zaroori hai. Main doctor banungi, shaadi wadi nahi karni." (Mom, how many times do I have to say, my studies are more important now. I want to become a doctor, not get married.)

_______^

It was Sunday, and both Zyran and Ayliz were at home. Ayliz spent most of the day doing chores and reading some Islamic books, while Zyran, after some work on his project, found himself scrolling through Instagram.

Sunday Afternoon in Ayliz's Room:

It was a quiet Sunday afternoon, and Ayliz was sitting on her bed, listening to an Islamic lecture on her phone. As the lecture ended, she put the phone aside and lay down, her mind wandering to last night's conversation with Zyran. She smiled, almost giggling to herself, remembering how their conversation had flowed so naturally.

Meanwhile, across the city, Zyran was in his room, creating another one of his reels. He had a habit of adding romantic captions to his posts, giving off a mysterious yet captivating aura that his followers seemed to love. After posting his reel, he tossed his phone aside, but soon, a notification popped up-it was Ayliz.

Ayliz had seen Zyran's latest reel and couldn't help but smile. She clicked on it and watched as he posed confidently, his hair perfectly styled, his expression intense yet charming. Without thinking, she left a comment:

Ayliz: "MashAllah, you always look so confident and composed. Allah tumhe hamesha khush rakhe (May Allah always keep you happy)."

Zyran saw the comment and, smiling to himself, quickly replied:

Zyran: "Shukran, Ayliz! (Thank you, Ayliz!) Your compliments always stand out."

Later, they began chatting, and their conversation took an interesting turn. Ayliz decided to bring up a topic that had been on her mind.

Ayliz: "Zyran, mujhe yeh samajh nahi aata... itni saari ladkiyaan tumse baat karne ke liye paagal hoti hain, lekin tum unse baat nahi karte. Phir mujhse kyu karte ho?" (I don't understand... So many girls are crazy to talk to you, but you don't talk to them. Then why do you talk to me?)

Zyran paused for a moment before replying:

Zyran: "Kyuki tum baaqi ladkiyon se alag ho. Tumhara attitude aur baatein bohot genuine lagti hain." (Because you're different from the other girls. Your attitude and the way you talk feel very genuine.)

Ayliz smiled, her heart fluttering at his words. They continued to chat, and as their conversation deepened, Zyran started sending her pictures of himself, casual selfies with a cool, relaxed vibe.

Ayliz: "MashAllah, tumhare baal bohot khoobsurat hain. Aur tumhari aankhein? Bohot expressive lagti hain, like they say a thousand words." (MashAllah, your hair is really beautiful. And your eyes? They're so expressive, like they say a thousand words.)

Zyran was surprised by how attentively Ayliz noticed every little detail about him. Her compliments were so specific that it made him smile wider than usual.

Zyran: "Wow, tum toh sab kuch notice karti ho!" (Wow, you notice everything!)

Ayliz: "Haan, kyuki tum waqai alag ho. Tumhare expressions, tumhari muskurahat... sab kuch itna unique hai." (Yes, because you're really different. Your expressions, your smile... everything is so unique.)

Zyran felt genuinely happy. No one had ever paid this much attention to him before, and the way Ayliz was pointing out these little things made him feel special. As they continued chatting, both of them felt a growing connection.

They spent the rest of the afternoon messaging back and forth, laughing, sharing thoughts, and becoming closer than ever. Zyran couldn't help but admire how Ayliz noticed the smallest details about him, and for Ayliz, Zyran's down-to-earth nature, despite his fame, made him even more appealing.