Sins of the Heart

7

It was early morning, and Ayliz was sitting at the dining table, quietly sipping her tea while her father read the newspaper. The sunlight streamed in through the window, casting a warm glow across the room.

"Ayliz, jab tak doctor banogi, tumhare rishte ka line lag jayega," (By the time you become a doctor, there will be a long line of marriage proposals) Ahmed teased with a smirk, plopping down next to her. He loved to poke fun at his sister whenever the topic of marriage came up.

Ayliz rolled her eyes and shot back, "Mujhe shaadi wadi nahi karni, Ahmed. Main doctor banungi, pehle career, phir dekha jayega." (I don't want to get married, Ahmed. I’ll become a doctor first, then we’ll see.)*

Their father looked up from his paper with a small smile. "Ayliz sahi keh rahi hai, pehle padhai, phir shaadi ki sochna." (Ayliz is right, first focus on studies, then think about marriage.)*

Ahmed grinned and leaned in. "Lekin baba, doctor ho ya na ho, kuch log toh already Ayliz ko pasand karte hain...... He raised an eyebrow mischievously.

Ayliz froze, glaring at him. "Ahmed! Tumhari yeh fazool baatein kabhi khatam nahi hoti?" (Ahmed! Will your nonsense ever end?) she said, her voice sharp but amused.

Her father chuckled, shaking his head. “Ahmed, chalo tumhari behan ko tang mat karo. Waise bhi, she’s right—she should focus on becoming a doctor first.”

Ayliz shot Ahmed a victorious look. “See? Baba agrees with me.”

Ahmed laughed, raising his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay! But don't say I didn't warn you when proposals start flooding in!"

Later that morning, Ayliz arrived at college and joined her friends at their usual table in the canteen. As she sat down, she noticed her friend noor giving her a teasing grin.

"Ayliz, dekh kaun tumhe ghoor raha hai." (Ayliz, look who's staring at you.) noor nudged her, pointing toward a nearby table where Sameer sat, his eyes fixed on Ayliz.

Ayliz felt a wave of irritation wash over her. She shot noor a look. “Mujhe koi farq nahi padta. Let him stare. Allah ka khauf nahi hai logon mein.” (I don’t care. Let him stare. People have no fear of Allah.)*

Her other friend, layla, laughed. "Haan haan, par Sameer toh kabse tumhare peeche hai. Tumhari taraf dekhta hi rehta hai." (Yes, yes, but Sameer’s been after you for a long time. He keeps looking at you.)

Ayliz sighed, feeling uncomfortable under Sameer’s gaze. "Woh mujhe accha nahi lagta. Ye ghoorna, ye sab... it’s not right." (I don’t like him. This staring... it’s not right.)

Noor leaned in, still grinning. “Toh tumhe kaun pasand hai?” (So, who do you like?) she teased.

Ayliz blushed slightly but shook her head firmly. “Kisi ko bhi nahi. Tum log bas baatein banana band karo.” (No one. You guys just stop making things up.)

The teasing continued for a bit, but Ayliz’s mind was elsewhere. She felt uneasy, wishing people would respect personal boundaries. The way Sameer stared at her made her uncomfortable, and it bothered her that no one else seemed to notice how inappropriate it was.

_________^

Later that evening, Ayliz sat on her bed, her thoughts still wandering to the day’s events. Frustrated but wanting to stay true to her faith, she decided to post something on Instagram—a quiet statement of her identity and values.

She took a picture, fully veiled in her niqab, her eyes visible but serene, holding a cup of coffee in her hand. The caption she typed below the photo reflected her thoughts on modesty and self-respect:

“حَيَاء is my beauty. Modesty isn’t just about appearance; it’s about how you carry your soul.”

(Hayaa - Islamic concept of modesty, self-respect, and moral conscience.)

Satisfied, Ayliz hit “post,” feeling a sense of peace as the words settled into the digital world. It wasn’t for attention—it was a reminder to herself, and maybe to others, that beauty lay in the strength of character, not in the eyes of those who didn’t understand it.

_________^

Zyran sat in the college lab, working on his software engineering project. His focus was sharp as he typed away on his laptop, ignoring the constant buzz of notifications from his phone. He was trying to meet a deadline, and distractions were the last thing he needed.

Suddenly, another notification buzzed, this time catching his attention. After a moment of hesitation, he pulled out his phone from his pocket. It was a notification from Instagram.

"Let me just check this real quick..." he muttered under his breath, convincing himself it wouldn’t take long.

Opening the app, Zyran scrolled down to see a new post from Ayliz. She was fully veiled in her niqab, only her eyes showing, with a cup of coffee in her hand. The caption below it read:

"حَيَاء is my beauty. Modesty isn’t just about appearance; it’s about how you carry your soul." (Hayaa - Modesty)

Zyran smiled to himself, his heart stirring. "MashaAllah," he whispered, admiring not just her appearance but the message she had shared. It was deep, reflective of her personality—exactly the kind of thing that set her apart from everyone else.

Before he could dwell on it too long, Maya, one of his classmates, leaned over and grabbed his arm, noticing his distracted smile.

"Hey, Zyran, what’s up? Why are you smiling? Who are you looking at?" she teased, trying to peek at his phone.

Zyran’s expression immediately shifted, his smile fading. He pulled his arm away, locking his phone screen quickly. "It’s nothing. Just don’t interfere in my personal stuff." His tone was sharp, his usual cool demeanor replaced by a touch of irritation.

Maya blinked, taken aback by his sudden change in mood. "Whoa, sorry! I didn’t mean to upset you. I was just curious."

Before she could say more, Saif and Amir, who were sitting nearby, noticed the tension. Saif raised an eyebrow and nudged Amir. "What’s going on? Why’s he so upset?"

Amir shrugged, giving Zyran a playful look. "Come on, Zyran, it’s not that serious. Why are you so angry? Relax, bro."

Zyran closed his eyes briefly, taking a deep breath. He knew he had overreacted, especially with Maya. He glanced at her and softened his voice. "I’m sorry, Maya. I didn’t mean to snap at you. Just... some things are personal, that’s all."

Maya smiled weakly, still a little surprised. "It’s okay, Zyran. I didn’t mean to pry."

Zyran nodded and stood up, grabbing his bag. "I’ll catch up with you guys later." Without waiting for a response, he walked out of the lab, still thinking about Ayliz’s post and how it had caught him off guard.