Sins of the Heart

5

It was 10 PM, and Zyran was lounging on his bed, mindlessly scrolling through Instagram. He came across a familiar name—his old friend, who had moved to another city for her studies. They used to chat occasionally, but life had taken them on different paths.

As he continued scrolling, he noticed that this friend had recently become friends with a girl named Ayliz. Intrigued, Zyran clicked on Ayliz’s profile and was immediately captivated by her bio, which read:

“In pursuit of knowledge, seeking Allah’s guidance in every step.”

He appreciated her Islamic caption; it reflected a deep sense of purpose and faith. Zyran thought to himself, “This could be an interesting connection. She might be a good friend to my old friend.”

Without overthinking, he sent Ayliz a friend request, hoping for the best. Moments later, Ayliz received a notification on her phone. Curiously, she opened it and saw a request from Zyran. Remembering his name from her friend’s stories, she decided to check his profile.

When she saw Zyran’s face and noticed he was following her friend, she accepted the request without hesitation. As she browsed through his profile, Ayliz couldn't help but notice how handsome he was. “Fitna to yahi hota hai, na? Saitan behka deta hai!” she thought to herself, trying to shake off her flustered feelings.

Zyran, on the other hand, received a notification that Ayliz had liked several of his photos. He loved the attention and the compliments that came with it. Seeing all the likes brought a smile to his face, and he couldn’t help but laugh.

Feeling a surge of excitement, he clicked on Ayliz’s profile again. He noticed she had only one post, which featured a powerful quote about faith:

“True knowledge is when you realize that your knowledge is nothing without the knowledge of Allah.”

Zyran was genuinely impressed. The quote resonated with him, and without thinking twice, he liked the post instantly.

However, Ayliz, who had just seen the notification of his like, felt a wave of anxiety wash over her. Flustered, she quickly set her phone down, unsure of how to react. “What did I just get myself into?” she wondered, her heart racing.

Later that night, Ayliz was lying on her bed, feeling sleepy. She decided to scroll through Instagram one last time and stumbled upon a funny reel featuring little kids. She chuckled at their antics and watched the video a couple of times before putting her phone aside.

Suddenly, her phone buzzed with a notification. Curious, she picked it up and saw that Zyran had liked her story. He had also added a comment with a laughing emoji:

"Tum Zoya ki friend ho!"
("You are Zoya’s friend!")

Ayliz's heart raced. “How does he know Zoya?” she wondered, suddenly feeling anxious. She thought for a moment about how to respond. Should she reply or just ignore it?

After contemplating for a while, she finally typed back, “Jii, mai Zoya ki friend hu.”
(“Yes, I am Zoya’s friend.”)

Zyran quickly replied, “Oh, really? That’s cool! I hope you guys stay in touch.”

Ayliz felt a bit relieved but still curious. “Haan, wo kuch saal pehle shift hui hai. Hum dono friend h baat karte hain,” she responded, intrigued by the conversation.

Zyran replied, “That’s great! It’s nice to have friends like that.”

Ayliz smiled at his words, enjoying the flow of their conversation. “Definitely! It’s nice to keep connections,” she typed back.

Zyran found her confidence appealing. “You have a nice way of talking,” he complimented, trying to gauge her reaction.

Ayliz raised an eyebrow, feeling a mix of flattery and caution. “Thank you. I believe in being respectful, even with new acquaintances.”

Zyran admired her perspective. “I appreciate that. It’s refreshing to meet someone who values respect.”

Ayliz felt a warm flutter in her heart. “It’s important, especially when it comes to relationships,” she replied, her thoughts drifting to how important it was to maintain a balance between being friendly and respectful.

Their conversation continued to flow, with Ayliz maintaining her composed demeanor while Zyran couldn’t help but feel a connection forming. As they exchanged messages, Zyran found himself more and more drawn to her unique blend of confidence and grace.

“I’d love to hear more about you, Ayliz,” Zyran typed, a hint of curiosity in his message.

Ayliz smirked, feeling a little playful. “Maybe if you’re lucky, I might share some secrets. But remember, respect is key!”

Zyran chuckled, feeling intrigued. “I can definitely respect that!”

As they continued chatting into the night, both felt a spark of something special growing between them, a bond that was just beginning to unfold

Zyran, sensing that the conversation was going well, decided to share a bit about himself.

"You know, in school, I was always the troublemaker," he said, recalling a funny memory.
"Once, I swapped all the teachers' chairs in class with the squeaky ones. The whole day, it was just... squeak, squeak. No one could figure out who did it, but I managed to keep a straight face the whole time."

Ayliz couldn’t help but chuckle at the story. Despite herself, she was beginning to enjoy the conversation more than she should.

"Mischievous," she replied, a slight smile forming.
"I never really got involved in school pranks. I was more of the quiet type."

Zyran smiled at her response. "Really? I can’t imagine you blending into the background. You seem like someone who would stand out even without trying."

Ayliz’s heart skipped a beat at the compliment, but she quickly reminded herself of the boundaries she had always upheld. Talking to a non-mehram like this—laughing, joking—it wasn’t something she normally did. Her smile faded as the weight of her actions hit her.

"You know," she typed, pausing to gather her thoughts,
"This is wrong. Talking like this with a non-mehram is not something I should be doing."

Zyran, sensing the shift in her tone, felt a twinge of guilt.
"I understand, Ayliz. You’re right. I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable."

Ayliz let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding.
"It’s not about being uncomfortable. It’s about my Deen. I made a mistake when I created this Instagram account. I wasn’t thinking clearly."

Zyran respected her honesty. He had never met someone who held their faith so close and was willing to admit their mistakes so openly.
"We all make mistakes," he replied sincerely.
"But acknowledging it is the first step. It shows strength, not weakness."

Ayliz was silent for a moment, reflecting on his words.
"Maybe. But this—talking with you—it’s something I need to reconsider. I didn’t create this account to have conversations like these."

Zyran nodded, though she couldn’t see it.
"I get it. I won’t push you into anything. If you want to stop talking, I’ll respect that."

Ayliz appreciated his understanding. "Thank you. I just need to focus on what's important."

As the conversation ended, Ayliz felt a heavy sense of guilt but also a strange connection to Zyran. It was a mistake to open this door, but now that it was open, it felt harder to close than she thought.