As they stepped into Class 10, the atmosphere was electric. The seniors were now the ones guiding them, and they felt a sense of pride and responsibility. The school corridors buzzed with new energy—crushes blooming, friendships shifting, and futures quietly forming.
Zia and her friends had grown even closer, their bond strengthened by shared laughter, whispered secrets, and late-night study sessions.
Their tuition classes were a regular affair now, where they'd gather to tackle challenging subjects like math and science. The room would be filled with the scratch of pens on paper, the occasional burst of laughter, and the sound of pages turning. Sometimes they'd argue over formulas, sometimes they'd laugh until their stomachs hurt. But in the middle of that noise, a quiet shift was about to happen in Zia's world.
One evening, as they sat buried in their books, Ruqayyah's phone buzzed.
Zia glanced at the screen and rolled her eyes good-naturedly. Her eyes sparkled with amusement as she leaned in close to Ruqayyah. "It's him," she whispered, nodding toward the phone.
Ruqayyah smiled and handed over the phone. "I'm solving math; you talk to him, Zia," she said with a grin, focusing back on her equations.
Zia took the phone and began typing, her fingers moving quickly over the screen. The message read: "Hey Ruqayyah, do you have the math notes from last week?"
Zia hesitated, then typed back with a playful grin: "I don't have any notes."
There was a pause, then a reply: "Why not? You're Ruqayyah, right?"
She smiled, then typed: "Nope. I'm not Ruqayyah."
Another pause.
"Then who are you?"
Zia bit her lip, thinking. Then she sent: "Someone smarter than her in math."
A few moments passed. Then: "That's impossible. She's already Einstein."
She laughed. For the first time, they really talked. She told him her name and that Ruqayyah was too busy doing math to reply.
He laughed, and she did too. It felt easy and natural, unlike the silent staring from years ago.
Zia told the boy that she would inform Ruqayyah about his message, and once she reached home, Ruqayyah would give him the notes he had asked for.
Later that night, when Ruqayyah finally sent him the notes, he texted again: "Can you give me her number?"
Ruqayyah messaged Zia, "Should I give him your number?"
She froze. Her heart started thudding in her chest like it wanted to escape. Her fingers hovered over the keyboard.
Then she typed back: "Yeah... give it."
And that was it.
He messaged her. Just like that.
At first, the chats were simple—about school, homework, teachers. Then slowly, they moved to favorite songs, silly jokes, dreams for the future.
He sent her memes. She replied with gifs. They started saying good morning. Then good night. Then things like, "Don't forget your tiffin tomorrow" or "Math test? We're doomed."
She found herself smiling at her phone like a fool. Laughing at his voice notes. Waiting for his name to pop up on the screen.
Until one day, he asked: "Let's go somewhere. Just us."
She paused, her heart racing with excitement, while her mind screamed caution.
She typed back: "Why do you want to hang out with me? I'm not your girlfriend."
His reply left her stunned: "Because I want to propose to you."
She stared at the message, her fingers trembling as she typed her response: "You propose to the one you like."
The seconds ticked by like hours, and then his reply arrived:
"Because I love you."
Her breath caught. The room fell silent around her. The world stopped spinning for a moment.
Her heart skipped a beat. "Because I love you."
The words danced on the screen, filling her with a mix of emotions – excitement, nervousness, and a hint of disbelief.
She felt like she was floating.
She thought about her feelings for him and realized she had developed strong feelings too. But was it love? Could it be?
After what felt like forever, she typed: "I have feelings for you too, but I'm scared. This is all so new to me."
His message came back:
"I'm scared too, but I know what I feel. And I want to take this chance with you."
His message was a promise. A quiet vow.
She read it again and again. And in that moment, something inside her shifted. A wall that had always stood tall within her heart finally cracked.
She typed: "Then let's take the chance. Together."
They decided to keep their relationship a secret, hidden from the prying eyes of their friends, family, and classmates. Only a few trusted souls knew.
Their chats now had coded messages. Emojis that meant more than they looked. A certain line from a poem. A quote from a song. All became their language.
They exchanged playlists. She made one called "For Him." He sent her one called "For Her Eyes Only."
They talked at midnight, whispered their dreams, even fought over silly things like favorite ice cream flavors. But they always made up.
Their first fight happened over a missed message. She had gone offline during a class, and he thought she was ignoring him. For two hours, they didn't speak. Then he apologized. She did too. They promised never to overthink.
Another day, he said: "If we were birds, I'd always fly beside you. Even in storms."
She smiled and replied: "Then promise me, no matter what happens, you'll never vanish without a goodbye."
He typed: "Never. Even if we drift, you'll always have my last word."
Their bond was no longer just love. It was trust. Vulnerability. A soft place to land.
Sometimes, she would write his name in her diary, draw little hearts around it, and then blush at her own silliness. She never imagined a simple text would change so much.
And sometimes, real love doesn't need grand gestures or big confessions.
Sometimes, all it takes is a message that says:
"Because I love you."
And a reply that dares to believe it.