Almost Love (pt 5.)

Between What Was and What Might Be

Inayah’s POV

The soft chime of my alarm woke me before the sunlight could touch my room. I stretched out a hand, silencing it before rolling out of bed. My head was heavy, still caught somewhere between sleep and the remnants of the dream that refused to let go.

I paused to gather my thoughts, the cool floor against my feet grounding me. Then, without hesitation, I moved to the prayer mat already laid out by the corner of my room.

The stillness of Fajr prayer was always my sanctuary, a moment to disconnect from the world and find peace within myself. I whispered the words softly, letting them flow through me like a soothing river. But even in the quiet, my mind betrayed me.

Ayaan.

The name floated to the surface, unbidden, unwanted, yet persistent. My pulse quickened as fragments of the dream came rushing back. His face, calm and steady, lingered in the back of my mind like a shadow I couldn’t shake.

I finished my prayer with a sigh, sitting on the mat for a moment longer than usual. “Why am I like this?” I muttered under my breath, pressing my palms to my face.

The morning passed in its usual rhythm, the bustling chaos of my siblings rushing to get ready blending into the faint aroma of breakfast. I hurried out the door, my bag slung over one shoulder, and let the cool breeze of the early day wash over me.

By the time I arrived at school, the courtyard was buzzing with energy. The notice board was a swarm of students, their voices a chaotic blend of excitement and speculation.

“Class placements came out yesterday after you left school,” a classmate, Sonia said to me as I walked past.

I tightened my grip on my bag and headed toward the board. I’d already guessed where I’d be, but there was always that small, irrational flutter of nervousness.

I scanned the list, my finger trailing down until it stopped at my name. Inayah Awwal. A Class.

A small smile tugged at my lips. No surprises there, well except my girls weren’t me and that stings.

The classroom was already filling up when I got there. Sunlight streamed through the large windows, the faint scent of chalk dust hanging in the air. I slid into my usual seat at the front, the wooden desk cool against my arms as I leaned forward to arrange my books.

The familiar hum of the school day started to lull me into focus. My pen tapped softly against the page of my notebook as I listened to the teacher, letting the routine pull me back to normalcy.

But, of course, it didn’t last.

The door creaked open, and the sound cut through the room like a ripple in still water.

I glanced up without thinking, and there he was.

Ayaan Abdullah stood at the doorway, his bag slung lazily over one shoulder, his expression unreadable. For a moment, he didn’t move, his eyes scanning the room as if searching for something or someone.

I froze, my heart lurching in a way that made me almost angry at myself. Why was he here?

The teacher looked up briefly, her tone brisk. “Ayaan Abdullah, right? Transferred to A Class?”

“Yes ma’am,” he said, his voice steady but quiet.

The teacher gestured toward the back of the room, her attention already shifting back to the lesson. Ayaan moved, his footsteps deliberate but unhurried as he passed by the rows of desks.

And then he passed me.

I stared straight ahead, gripping my pen so tightly it pressed uncomfortably into my fingers. But I couldn’t help the faint pull of my gaze, the way my eyes followed him out of the corner of my vision.

He sat at the very back, the scrape of the chair loud in the quiet room.

I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding, my focus snapping back to the front of the room.

“Why do I keep seeing him everywhere?” I whispered under my breath.

But before I could force myself to concentrate, I felt it. A shift.

I turned my head slightly, and there it was. His gaze locked on mine.

The world seemed to slow, the distant sounds of the classroom fading to a hum. His expression was calm, almost unreadable, but there was something in his eyes, again something searching.

Heat rose to my face, and I quickly looked away, focusing on the open notebook in front of me. My pulse raced, the words on the page blurring together as I fought to keep my composure.

Ayaan’s POV

The clamor of J Class grated against my nerves. It always had, but today, it felt worse.

I sat in my usual spot, staring out the window as Zayan and his friends crowded the back, their laughter and shouting forming a chaotic symphony I wanted no part of. My brother’s voice rose above the noise, teasing and relentless as always.

“Oga Ayaan!” Zayan called out, his grin practically audible. “Are you just going to sit there and brood all day, or what?”

I ignored him, my mind somewhere else. Somewhere quieter.

“Do you guys know what classes our girls, Amal and Huda, got moved to?” one of Zayan’s friends asked, dragging my attention back to their conversation.

“Yeah, Amal and Huda are in C Class now,” another replied, his tone smug. “At least they’ll still be together. Lucky us.”

Zayan chuckled. “What about Inayah?” he asked, his voice laced with a peculiar edge. “She’s the only one from their little clique still in A Class. Poor girl got separated.”

The mention of her name made my chest tighten. I kept my face turned toward the window, but my ears were fixed on the conversation.

“She’ll be fine,” one of them said dismissively. “She’s tough, right?”

Zayan hummed in agreement, but when I glanced over, I caught him looking at me. His grin widened as if he knew something I didn’t, and he leaned closer to his friends, his voice dropping slightly. “A Class is going to be lonely for her. Someone better keep her company.”

Heat crept up my neck, and I looked away, gripping the edge of my desk.

I didn’t know why her name had this effect on me. I barely even knew her, and yet, the thought of her sitting alone in A Class, separated from her friends, lingered in my mind like a faint echo.

Before I realized it, my feet were carrying me out of the classroom.

The admin office was quiet, a stark contrast to the chaos I’d left behind. The words tumbled out before I could think twice. “Good afternoon ma, I’d like to request a transfer to A Class.”

The administrator looked at me, surprised. “Any particular reason?”

I hesitated, my palms slightly damp. “I just think... it’ll be better for me.”

She didn’t press further, scribbling something down before nodding. “Alright, it’ll take effect tomorrow.”

---

The next day, when I walked into A Class, the atmosphere was different. Calmer. The light streaming through the windows felt softer, the voices quieter, more subdued.

And then I saw her.

Inayah sat at the front, her head bent slightly as she wrote something in her notebook. Her hair caught the sunlight, framing her face in a way that made my chest tighten.

I hadn’t expected this.

I walked past her, every step feeling heavier than the last. I told myself not to look, but I couldn’t help it. My gaze flickered toward her, just for a moment.

When I reached the back of the room, I let out a breath, sliding into an empty seat.

But my eyes betrayed me, drifting back to her. She was focused now, her pen moving steadily across the page. There was something about her calm concentration that drew me in, like watching a quiet river.

And then she turned.

Our eyes met, and the world seemed to tilt.

It was brief, just a second, but it felt like a lifetime. She looked startled, her gaze wide and questioning, before she quickly turned away.

I leaned back in my chair, exhaling softly.

I didn’t know why I was here, why I’d been drawn to this class, to this girl. But something in me told me I’d made the right choice.

For the first time in a long time, the noise in my head felt quiet and I’d like that to last forever.



P.S: This chapter is made in the honor of my blog hitting 2,000 views. Cheers to more🥂