WHISPERS OF ENCHANTÉ

30: unspoken flutters

Kaduna State, Nigeria.

Siyama practically flew out of the classroom, her mind too preoccupied to wait for her friends like she normally would. She muttered something vague about meeting her supervisor, Dr. RF, even though she knew full well there was no such meeting today.

The truth was, she simply needed to be alone, away from prying eyes, so she could check her phone without interruptions. She feels like there is something sacred about her moment with Mahmud.

Descending the stairs with quick, purposeful steps, she made her way to the last floor of the building, finding a quiet corner where no one would disturb her. Though the school is usually full, it is a bit empty right now. Most people are in class by this time.

The relief that washed over her in the solitude was palpable, after all, she didn't have many friends in school, so this hiding spot would remain undiscovered until her friends finished up and headed to the mosque.

Settling down, her bag nestled in her lap, she glanced around furtively like someone guarding a prized secret. Heart racing, she unlocked her phone, holding her breath. She had sent that message, the one that could very well send Mahmud, the man who had steadily become a fixture in her thoughts, running for the hills.

But wait, is Mahmud really a part of her life? He might just be playing around, flirting for fun. Or maybe, worst of all, he has a girlfriend and she's just the friend on the side. Yet something in the way he had spoken to her that morning reassured her.

No, he doesn't have a girlfriend. He doesn't. Right?

The notification was there, waiting for her, his response patiently sitting unopened. She hesitated, unsure of what to feel. She almost regretted sending it earlier but thought, this is just the only way to push him away.

The message she had sent him, it was her standard move, a warning she typically gave to any man who tried to get too close. Usually, they'd promise they wouldn't leave, but sooner or later, they'd vanish anyway, intimidated by her walls.

She'd sent it during class, right when the lecturer walked in, her fingers flying across the screen before impulsively switching her phone to airplane mode.

Two hours had passed since then. Two hours of not knowing, not checking, until now. Her heart pounded louder in her ears as she finally read what he had written:

Siyama: I don't intend to, but I push people away. It's just how I am.

Mahmud: Oh? Well, there will be no pushing me away now. You push me, I'll grab you so we fall together. But don't worry, I'll take the blow.

A soft flutter erupted in her chest, completely uninvited. Her heart? Why was it betraying her? And—wait—was she... smiling?

Her lips had curled upwards, stretching into a grin so wide it almost reached her ears. Hastily, she locked her phone and forced a frown back onto her face, determined to smother whatever ridiculous feelings had just surged through her.

What in the world was wrong with her? Why would that the message of all things make her smile? He said he'd grab her and fall, who says that? That sounds dangerous! Shouldn't she be worried? Shouldn't she be running away, screaming that this man was out of his mind? Yet here she was, grinning like a fool.

Something was definitely off. This was the kind of moment she had always sworn to avoid —these butterflies, these silly grins, these swoon-worthy lines that seemed straight out of a romance novel.

She had seen her friends get lost in these "cute" relationships, swooning over texts and love notes, but Siyama had long decided that such things weren't for her. Love was frivolous. Pointless. A waste of time. She was done with it.