Chapter 1 : The First Encounter
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đ Chapter 1: The First Encounter
Dua wasnât expecting anything special that day â just a simple girlsâ outing.
Nihel had been begging her all week, âPlease! I need to shop, and youâre the only one with taste that isnât dangerous to society.â
They laughed, shared a warm chai, and set off â first for a quiet shopping spree, then dinner at Nihelâs favorite spot. It was meant to be a peaceful night. But as always, plans had a habit of turning.
While waiting for food, Nihelâs phone buzzed.
She looked up guiltily. âMy brother wants to join us. Just for dinner. Please donât be mad.â
Dua blinked. âShahzan?â
Nihel nodded. âHeâs⊠complicated. But heâs not rude. Just⊠distant.â
Dua offered a soft smile. âItâs okay. Allah knows who He brings into our day.â
And minutes later⊠he arrived.
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Shahzan.
Tall. Quiet. Dressed in black like he was trying to match his attitude.
He barely glanced at Dua at first â just nodded at Nihel, sat down, and scrolled his phone. His presence filled the table like a storm cloud. Dua stayed polite, sipping her water quietly.
But Shahzan finally looked up.
âYouâre the one who prays a lot, right?â he asked, voice low and unreadable.
Dua blinked, caught off guard. âI do.â
âWhat do you get from it?â
She didnât falter. âPeace. Something I hope you find.â
There was silence after that. He didnât smile. She didnât waver.
And that was how it began â not with warmth, not with loveâŠ
But with quiet fire between two hearts that didnât understand each other â
yet somehow, couldn't stop listening.
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