CHAPTER 5-- LITTLE THINGS

The weekend brought with it the promise of freedom. After a long week of assignments and lectures, a group of classmates planned an evening out — nothing extravagant, just snacks from the corner café and a long walk back through the crowded streets near campus.

Ayla was there, of course, her laughter always leading the group like a thread weaving them together. She walked with two of her friends, animatedly telling a story that made them double over with giggles.

Aariz trailed behind, half-listening to the chatter, half-lost in his own silence. No one noticed him much — which was how he preferred it. His eyes, however, never strayed far from her.

The streets grew dim as twilight folded into night, streetlights flickering alive one by one. The group began to split at the crossroads, each friend peeling off toward their homes. Soon it was just Ayla, her close friend, and Aariz walking along the quieter stretch of road.

Her friend’s house came first. With a cheerful goodbye, she darted inside, leaving Ayla to continue the last short distance alone. Aariz hesitated for a heartbeat, then fell a few steps back, letting her walk ahead without realizing he still lingered.

Ayla hummed softly to herself, clutching her tote bag as she turned into the narrow lane that led to her house. She never once looked back. Why would she? She had no idea someone’s footsteps matched hers at a distance, steady, patient, protective.

Aariz’s gaze flicked to every turn, every shadow, every stray dog that stirred from its corner. He wasn’t paranoid — just careful. Careful in ways Ayla would never know.

When she finally reached the gate of her house, she fumbled for her keys, pushed it open, and disappeared inside. A faint glow from her porch light spilled onto the street, then dimmed as the door shut.

Only then did Aariz allow himself to pause. His shoulders relaxed, and for the first time that evening, his steps slowed. He turned back, retracing his path in silence.

No one saw. No one knew. Not even her.

And that was how Aariz wanted it — love stitched not with grand gestures, but in little things that never asked for acknowledgment.

The next morning, campus buzzed with its usual chaos — the rush of footsteps on tiled corridors, the scrape of chairs, the low hum of voices before lectures began. Ayla breezed into the classroom, hair slightly messy from the morning wind, yet her smile bright enough to brighten the dullest Monday.

Spotting Aariz at his usual seat near the window, she walked over casually.

AYLA: “You disappeared so quickly yesterday,” she said, setting her bag down. “Did you even make it home safe? Or did you just teleport?”

Her tone was playful, teasing — as if she truly had no clue he had been the one lingering behind her all the way to her gate.

Aariz glanced up from his notebook, pen twirling between his fingers. For the briefest second, something flickered in his eyes — the urge to tell her, I was there. I waited until you got home. But instead, he gave the smallest shrug.

Aariz: “Yeah, I got home fine.” His voice was calm, unbothered. “Wasn’t a long walk.”

Ayla leaned on the desk, squinting at him with mock suspicion.

Ayla: “Hmm. You’re too quiet sometimes, Aariz. Makes me think you’re hiding something.”

He looked at her then, and though his expression stayed composed, there was a faint smile tugging at his lips.

Aariz: “Not everything needs to be said.”

She tilted her head, amused by his cryptic reply, then laughed and went back to rummaging through her notes. The conversation slipped into the noise of the classroom, but Aariz’s chest felt strangely lighter.

Because in truth, she was right — he was hiding something. Only it wasn’t a secret meant to be revealed. It was the kind of quiet care he carried alone, stitched into the unnoticed spaces of her life.

And that was enough for him.