As the echoes of Selena's heels fade out of the library, he opens the notebook again. The dialog writings, the essays, the random doodles on the corner of the pages. He flips to a dog-eared page. The words are written in extremely small letters, some crossed out others marked with arrows to add new. And below it, her name is crossed out with the black pen, and Sapphire is written.

Sapphire. He looks at the library's exit with knitted eyebrows. Her phone flashes in front of his eyes. The Instagram account. She probably follows that person. But- He pulls out his mobile. There is no internet. He tsks. He walks up to the librarian to ask for the wifi password. He needs it. But the person refuses by saying it's only for the admin. Drumming his fingers on the desk he stands there for a moment.

He rushes back to The Ma'arif High where he had been given a password. His heavy breaths against the mask make his glasses foggy. He crashes into the seats near reception and Google loads the results. Nope. Just a bluestone. So he opens his Instagram and types Sapphire. A dozen Sapphires pop up. He looks up thinking, staring into the blank space. What was the profile picture? Some familiar Disney princesses. But which one? He can't recall? Gosh, he should have focused when Nuha forced him to watch Disney because of her stupid "the elder rules".

He cannot recall. So he scrolls for a mile scanning each pfp for something familiar. Something related to blue and purple. Black. Stop. He stops scrolling. Blue blouse and purple background. Black hair. There she is Sapphire. He taps to stalk her account. Not so famous. Around hundred aesthetic poems with 4-5 likes. Damn! His fingers involuntarily tap on the followers' list. Amelia is there but not Selena. Hmm... Something is fishy about this account.

He scrolls through her posts. An Urdu post. Pause. She is Pakistani. Okay. Scroll. Stop. This poetry is from the notebook. Sapphire. I know you. He marches out of the school and back to her school. He finds the principal entering her office.

The fingernails are too short to dig into Selena's skin when she curls her hand into a fist marching out of the library. What does he think of himself? Playing with her feelings. She needs to keep her guards up. Why did she even jump at him? What was she thinking? Thankfully she didn't trip onto him making a big scene in a small library.

"So Tara is waiting for me outside. Take care. Byeee.", Yelin hugs Selena but when she doesn't hug her back she realizes she has zoned out. She shakes her up. Selena returns to earth in the blink of an eye.

"Where are you?", Yelin knocks at Selena's head, "Wake up!"

Selena smiles, "I'll walk home. Amelia has probably gone back. I need to clear my mind. You leaving?"

Yelin nods and hugs her again knowing her friend would never confess to a guy she loves torturing herself with the feelings, "I know this guy is messing up with your head but just hang in there for a week. By the time he is gone everything will fall back into place. Also good luck for the upcoming comprehensive.", she whispers before releasing Selena from her grip.

Selena nods. Both of them turn around to walk in different directions for they will be using different gates. The sun is dipping down to the horizon. Selena's eyes follow the migrating flock of birds as they spread their wings across the orange-pink sky.

"No, don't leave her behind.", she whispers, seeing a bird left behind as the flock flies into the horizon. But as the flock moves closer towards the sun the more of them scatter away. The left behind joins one of the scattered groups and the scattered groups come back together again flapping their wings in the direction of the horizon because they know no horizon but the ever shining sun.

"Screw Aariz. I desperately need to catch up on work.", Selena's eyes are still fixated on the setting sun ignoring the cars rushing past her on the road with no pavement. Just the yellow demarcation for the cars.

"Excuse me... Where is Selena?", he almost shouts as he paces into the reception area. His coat flapping behind him.

"She left. It's almost dark.", the principal nods at him and walks into her office.

He turns around. It is. The blue-purple sky saying goodbye to the world of today. Aariz drums his finger on his thigh. His eyes reflect the skies he is staring at. Today is not yet over. He needs answers. Why would she write anonymous poetry when she has an amazing supportive circle around her? The circle that doesn't include him but everyone else. The people she loves the most.

Forgetting his car parked in The Ma'arif High's parking lot, his footsteps speed up. He can see a shadow moving ahead of him. His feet come into motion. The baby snakes on his head spring back and forth.

"Selena, slow down. I want to talk.", he shouts.

Selena stiffens, "This piece of shit.", she mumbles and pulls out her mobile to play the pretend game. She taps her Amboss app open.

"Let's go in my car.", he almost catches up with her but her footsteps pick up the pace. They are almost reaching the signal. If she crosses the road there is no stopping her. He catches up with her and walks in front of her. She stops in her tracks aimlessly looking down on the screen. The fog crawls its way onto her glasses.

She pinches her mask on her nose to minimize exhaled air moving up in her glasses. But when she couldn't she simply removed them finding Aariz doing the same. The two blind enemies stare at each other's blurred faces. Aariz removes his mask and puts his glasses back because he cannot stop seeing her. Their breathlessness makes them heave for air.

"Aariz.", she closes her eyes and puts her glasses back. Her glasses fog up again making her growl and pull her mask down. The lack of oxygen is suffocating her. She inhales, "Move out of my way. I have a lot on my mind right now and you would be the last person I would want to talk to," she switches the screen of her mobile off.

"We can walk together. I'll just zip it. I can ask the question later.", he notices her eyeliner. The wing. It's not a black pencil. It is blue gel eyeliner drawn to perfection.

She pushes past him, "I am not in the mood."

His footsteps whisper behind her. The schools' area is almost dark and eerie now. Just the street lights on the main roads. Selena can see Aariz walk in the rearview. The blood boils in her vein. Why do they keep on walking into each other's life? What does she have to do to get rid of him forever? Maybe she should tell him to stop not just being all nice to her but being an ass too. Just stop being whatever he is right now.

Aariz's eyes follow Selena's hijab fluttering in the wind. The words. The post. Can she write all of them down and yet be the most outrageous bitch he has ever met? He may sail around the world, and fly across the continents but will still come back here. In the heart of Dubai - the sand dunes and the glimmering buildings standing proudly at Jumeirah. He will come back to these scalding sand grains where he lost his heart. Maybe he should tell her how much he likes her words. Not just the ones she writes but also the ones she attacks him with. He must. He must before the sand grains of Dubai slips through his fingers.

Selena stops in her tracks. It takes Aariz a few minutes to comprehend that she stopped. When she swings around with finger-pointing in his direction he flinches back. Her stomping feet in his direction tells him this may not be the right time.

"Stop with this game.", she hisses.

"What game? Why do YOU look edematous?", he looks perplexed but then smiles.

"This personality shifts from being an ass to being all nice."

"I know you like it.", he smirks and runs his hand through his hair. The baby snakes follow his finger but recoil back in their position. His forehead.

Her eyes try to ignore his hair, "You better stop messing with my head. I simply need fresh air from everything. From you. From everyone. Is it too much to ask for?", she cries glaring at him in fury. Her slightly pursed lips try their best at preventing her from spewing her mind out. The mind that is begging Aariz to return her heart that he has been carrying around the entire week.

"Okay... But you know we can talk and clear this out.", he doesn't want her to walk home alone despite her area being hustling and bustling with Desi people coming around the clock to various restaurants in her area. He doesn't want her to leave him or be asked to leave. And to be asked to leave forever? Maybe they can talk things out.

"I said whatever I had to say.", knowing at some point she will eventually have to let him go she turns around to walk away.

"So you aren't so different from others. Talking to reply. Not to understand. I see. So much for high expectations from Dr. Sapphire.", this freezes Selena. The secret that she has kept from everyone is now going to be presented to the world. She doesn't wanna share her words. They are too precious. The thoughts of people mocking her work make her eyes swell with tears. She blinks them back.

"Yes. I am. I am replying not to understand you because if I ever start understanding you I will become too attached to you.", she bolts around. Her voice echoes in the darkness between two patches of orange lights. "Would you please stop trying to make me understand you because I can't...", the tears drip down her face. Her hushed voice struggles to suppress her anger within herself. Her wobbly legs walk her up to him. Her fingers tremble. She needs her heart back. Her mind overrides her mouth commanding her to zip it up.

Her words seep through the cracks in his outer shell. The shell of denial. The shell that refuses to believe he could ever be romantically involved with not just someone but Selena Asad, the great. His eyes dare to blink. If it's a dream so it be. The sweetness of this dream might be lost if he closes his eyes even if it's just for a millionth of a second.

She is cold at the periphery but at the core blazing, "I cannot risk loving in this phase of my life," her frequent sniffing fills the silence between them.

Aariz's heart could have stopped at a sudden unseen confession right in the middle of the road in front of the bustling city of Dubai where he can hear the thunderous voice of airplanes taking off behind him. But her tears warmed it back into place. His head hangs low.

"Say something!", her hissing makes him look up. She searches his honey eyes that have turned coffee brown with the sun setting on the horizon.

"I-", he tries to speak. All those feelings. He tries to gather all the emotions into a humanly formed structured sentence. The feelings that he has been treasuring for the entire week. But nothing comes out of his dry mouth.

Her eyebrows knit in sadness pulling herself away from him. She knew it. It will hurt. She knew one sided love hurts like a backstabbing knife. Yet she was stupid enough to follow her craized heart. Her hands motion Aariz to stay in his place as she backs out of the place, "You know what! Just forget I ever said. I am stupid.", her hand flies to her heart, "While you are the new star of our family, Aariz Hafeez. Congratulation on that!", her broken smile and glistening eyes urge him to speak, "I end the war here," she points at the ground and shrugs before turning away.

"I have ended the war way before you did," he adds slowly and paces to close the distance. She halts, "You are amazing, Selena Asad. And no one should convince you against that. I held back because I thought I hallucinating the sparks between us.", he pauses, "Guess, it's not true," he whispers walking up to her. He inches closer but she steps backward.

"There is no spark!", she moves her head in negation and she gulps. The mucous and salivary glands hyperactively pour secretions.

"If there ain't any sparks then why are you crying over me? Sapphire...", this word, Sapphire, makes Selena look back into his eyes. She could have denied everything. But now he knows. He knows too well, "you are the one. The one who introduced me to challenges, the driving force keeping me on my toes, you were the one hurting the most yet you were so persistent on me making peace with my past.", he rubs his hand behind his ear, "Also- I... Kinda like Taylor Swift because of you."

The tears blind Selena's vision. She looks away, mumbling, "You don't understand. Do you?", her eyes return back to him, "It's complicated," she whispers.

"It is. But why would you get so worked up over me if you never had feelings to start with?", he takes her ice-cold fingertips in his hand. She sniffs and looks at his hands with glassy eyes but then the thought of him leaving makes her pull her hands away from him.

"This ain't gonna work. Forget it. You are a WHOLE continent away! Also, I am not getting into anything haram. And I am not ready for the marriage.", she sniffs again and wipes the trails of tears off her face.

"We can always try."

"And what? Get a heartbreak? You know love is the most painful hope.", she raises her voice pushes past him. He starts walking beside her.

"There is no hope. There is a firm belief. Love is a belief. And I love you, Selena Asad," his hand fly to his chest, "Ice cream?.", his eyebrow furrow then arches as offers her his arm, "Does it not hurt?.", he points at her heels. She looks back at her ankle and smiles.

"Your car?", Selena asks shifting her eyes back to his face.

"You want me to drive. Wait here I'll come with the car.", he almost jumps to run back to his parked car but she wraps her hand around his arm making him recoil back into the position.

"I need some fresh air. So much of my time lost over your stupid existence.", Her fingers clutching onto the coat sleeve. She smiles looking ahead at the junction approaches. A thin bead of sweat trickles down her back. She squirms pressing her lips together. They are moving fast. This is getting into the haram department. She uneasy hand clutches his arm tighter not knowing whether to hold him close or to let go. And if she lets go will he understand?

"And you like this existence.", he smiles, staring down at her arm snaked around his.

"Oh very much.", she rolls her eyes and snorts. They both pull their masks up blushing beneath them.

"It's okay. You can let go.", he taps his other hand on her wrist wrapped around his arm. She slowly lets her hand slip off his bicep not looking him in his eyes. Why does it not feel painfully awkward?

She is showered in his sandalwood aura making her thoughts run wild.

(Selena's POV)

Love is a flame
Hate is a flame
But which is what
That's a finding game.

She smiles.

---

THEY CONFESSED.

AND I AM SICK WITH BLOOD TINGED SPUTUM.

NO, IT'S NEITHER COVID NOR INFLUENZA.

Me dancing.

(No this ain't me)
I am in bed.