During their second year of PG, Alan's schedule became even more demanding due to his increased time in the operating theater (OT).

Fiza, on the other hand, found herself with comparatively more free time. Despite their busy schedules, they tried their best to spend time together whenever Alan had a lighter day and Fiza was off from her duties, which ended up being about once or twice a month.

When time permitted , they worked on their music, nurturing their creative outlet and played basketball together.

One Saturday, Fiza let herself into Alan's apartment with her spare key, finding Faisal in the common space.

"Oh hi, Faisal!" she greeted him with a smile.

"Hi, Fiza!" Faisal responded, his face lighting up. "I got our research approved. We can start working on data collection," he informed her.

Fiza couldn't help but make a face at the mention of the task ahead. "You mean poop collection," she corrected herself.

Their research involved collecting stool samples from children with typical and atypical development to analyze the microorganisms present.

"I worked on our study design, the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Do you want to go over it? Alan's going to be here pretty late, so I have time," Fiza suggested.

Faisal agreed, "Yes, that sounds good." As they settled down to discuss the research, Faisal's mind wandered. He had become accustomed to seeing Fiza with Alan and had accidentally walked in on them in compromising situations a few times.

While he had accepted their relationship, he couldn't help but harbor his own feelings for Fiza deep down. Even though he tried to be supportive and understanding, there were moments when he wished things were different, that Fiza could be his partner.

He found himself occasionally wondering if Fiza had feelings for him and was only held back by her commitment to Alan.

Today, Faisal found Fiza exceptionally attractive. Her hair was gathered in a messy bun, she wore her glasses, and she was chewing on a pen as she delved into the revised study design. He struggled to focus on their work, his gaze repeatedly drifting toward her.

"Yeah, I think it looks good now, Sir," she remarked, looking up and noticing his intense gaze. A blush adorned her cheeks.

"Fiza, I think you can just call me Faisal now. I'm not your senior anymore," he gently suggested.

"Okay, Faisal," she replied, smiling at him.

The sound of his name on her lips sent a thrill through him, his heart racing at the intimacy of it.

"Faisal, you okay?" Fiza asked, concern evident in her voice. She had noticed him staring at her quite a bit today, and it made her slightly self-conscious.

Faisal cleared his throat, trying to regain his composure. "Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry, I just got a bit lost in thought." He offered her a sheepish smile.

"Fiza, can I ask you something personal?" Faisal inquired, his nervousness betraying his attempt at nonchalance.

Fiza met his gaze, her eyebrows slightly furrowed.

"Is Alan your first boyfriend?" he ventured, his voice a mix of curiosity and anxiety.

"Yeah," she responded simply, leaving the statement hanging there without further elaboration.

"How do you know he's the one?" Faisal asked, his heart pounding in his chest. He hoped his question wouldn't push her away.

"I just know it," she replied with a serene certainty. But her gaze dropped to her fingers, as if she were lost in contemplation.

"Fiza, before you met Alan, did you have an idea of what you wanted?" Faisal probed, his concern for her pushing him to delve deeper.

To his surprise, Fiza's laughter filled the air, causing him to tilt his head in intrigue.

"Actually, Faisal, I had a list," she admitted, amusement dancing in her eyes.

"Oh, really? What were the qualities you were looking for?" Faisal leaned in, eager to see if Alan fit the criteria she had once laid out.

"The usual stuff," she began, her voice tinged with nostalgia. "Muslim, smart, no substance abuse, ambitious, honest, kind, good looking, athletic, musical..." She paused, her cheeks flushing slightly. "And I wanted physical intimacy to mean something to him," she confessed in a single breath, as though reciting a long-held secret.

"Wow!" Faisal exclaimed, his words slipping out before he could filter them. "Alan meets about 30%?." He immediately regretted his response. In his mind, Alan was everything Fiza's wishlist wasn't but he didn't really have the right to say that.

Fiza regarded him, a soft smile playing on her lips. "No, that list was before him. Now he is everything I want and everything I want is him." Her gaze held a depth that went beyond words. "Alan is my happily ever after." She shrugged.

"I sing a little myself. And I played cricket for the under-16 Kerala team," Faisal shared, feeling the need to showcase his own qualities, as though vying for a place in her heart.

Fiza's laughed and Faisal found himself captivated by the sound.

"If I had met you in college, I probably would have tried to get your attention," she admitted.

Her directness caught him off guard, and he felt a rush of emotions he struggled to put into words. As their eyes locked, he found himself saying, "You are everything I've wanted."

"Sir?" Fiza's voice brought him back to reality, and he realized she had reverted to her more formal address.

He cleared his throat, trying to lighten the moment. "I just meant that I had my criteria too, and you check every box. Except, you know, the one that says the girl should be available," he added with a chuckle, attempting to inject a sense of humor into the situation. But Fiza's unwavering gaze made him feel exposed, as though she saw right through him.

"Alan should be here by now," Fiza mentioned, her tone thoughtful as she reached for her phone. "Let me call him and see if he's almost done."

She moved over to Alan's bed, dialing his number and bringing the phone to her ear. As the call connected, she listened attentively.

"Hey, I'm waiting for you," Fiza greeted him.

Alan's voice came through, slightly muffled. "Yeah, I'll be there in thirty."

"Okay, can you pick up dinner on the way? Or do you want me to order something?" Fiza inquired.

"I'll order something now so it's ready when I get there," Alan responded promptly.

Fiza nodded, even though he couldn't see her. "Order for three. Faisal hasn't eaten either," she added.

A brief pause followed, and then Alan's voice returned. "Okay."

"Do you need the restroom for the next 30 minutes?" Fiza inquired of Faisal, who shook his head in response.

Fiza took a quick shower, applying some light makeup and drying her hair afterwards. She noticed that the bathroom was a bit messy and swiftly tidied it up. She changed into her pajamas and emerged from the bathroom.

As Faisal glanced at her when she exited, he felt a deep sense of longing. He believed that they were destined to be together and that Alan was wrong for her in every way.

However, Fiza threw her arms out in excitement as Alan entered the room, enveloping him in a tight hug.

Alan laughed softly, placing a gentle kiss on her cheek. As he proceeded to freshen up, Fiza set about serving the food onto plates, keeping an eye on the time.

Once Alan was ready, they all sat down to eat, with Faisal included in the small dinner gathering.

"So what did you guys do when I was gone?" Alan asked interested.

"We were just working on our research but Alan!" Fiza exclaimed, gripping his arm. "Remember that checklist I had?"

Alan nodded, curious about where this was heading.

"Faisal ticks all the boxes, can you imagine?" she said with a smile, forgetting the implications of her statement in her eagerness to share her discovery with Alan.

Faisal shifted uneasily in his seat, clearly caught off guard by her openness with her boyfriend.

Alan forced a smile, not entirely sure how to respond. He had come to realize the compatibility between Fiza and Faisal after they became roommates, but he hadn't brought it up with Fiza.

"Too bad you're mine," he quipped, attempting to lighten the mood, but it fell flat amidst the underlying tension.

An awkward silence settled over them for a few moments until Fiza steered the conversation toward their research project.

"Our project got approved - the poop one," she clarified when Alan raised an eyebrow in question. "I'm going to have all my patients submit their kids' dirty diapers to me. Faisal maybe we can do a sniff test instead of sending it to the microlab," joked Fiza.

"Fiza! I'm eating. Please," Alan protested, still a bit irritable from their previous discussion.

Faisal however chuckled at their banter. "That's one way of doing it. I was thinking of just swabbing the kids if they cooperate."

Alan sat quietly, listening as Fiza and Faisal delved into the details of their project.

They cleared up after dinner, and Fiza settled into Alan's bed.

"Oh! You're sleeping here?" he asked, his voice tinged with a hint of frustration.

Fiza looked at him, a bit puzzled.

"I thought maybe you'd be sleeping in his bed," Alan continued, his eyes narrowing slightly.

Fiza felt her cheeks redden, embarrassed by his reaction. "Shhh..." she hushed him, glancing at the partial wall that separated them. "He can hear us," she whispered in a hushed tone.

Alan rolled his eyes but didn't get into bed with her.

"Come on, Alan," Fiza pleaded with her eyes, patting the space next to her.

Alan settled in lying on his back, arms crossed over his chest.

Fiza placed her hand on his arm, but he jerked it away. Determined, she leaned close to his ear and whispered, "My sweetheart is jealous."

A small smile tugged at the corners of Alan's lips despite his earlier mood. "Should I be?" he asked, his tone serious. He turned on his side to face her.

She shook her head slowly, her eyes earnest. With that, she snuggled into his chest, seeking his warmth and comfort.

Alan wrapped his arms and legs around her in a bear hug, holding her close.

"I belong right here," Fiza mumbled into his chest, her voice soft and filled with affection, "with you."

As the months rolled by, Alan's routine became increasingly unpredictable due to his demanding schedule. This often led Fiza to spend more time with Faisal in their shared room while waiting for Alan.

Fiza found herself growing attached to Faisal as a friend, enjoying his company and finding solace in their conversations. However, unbeknownst to her, Faisal's feelings for Fiza were deepening despite his efforts to suppress them.

During this time, Fiza also developed a close friendship with her roommate, Bharti.

Bharti opened up to Fiza about her own situation - she was engaged to a man chosen by her parents and had genuinely fallen in love with him.

"It's complicated," Bharti had confided, "Living together as a couple is already challenging, and when you add differences in upbringing and culture to the mix, it can amplify the problems. It's better to control as many variables as possible."

Bharti harbored suspicions about Alan, though. She was still convinced that he had been cheating on Fiza with Aradya.

***

"What's got you in a bad mood?" Fiza inquired, settling down opposite to Faisal one day at the table in the common area.

"Just work stuff," Faisal replied, his tone dismissive.

"What happened?" Fiza prodded further, sensing his mood.

"Some trauma during a scope. The kid is really uncomfortable now," he explained, his expression growing troubled.

"Do you know why it happened? Was it something you could have prevented?" Fiza's concern was evident.

"No, I guess not," he conceded, his gaze shifting to her. Her presence seemed to ease the burden he was carrying. The incident involved a child who had been experiencing stomach pain and weight loss.

Faisal had performed an endoscopy and unintentionally caused some trauma during the procedure. The child woke up feeling uncomfortable and was refusing to eat.

Faisal had been blaming himself and feeling disheartened. However, Fiza had a way of making him see things more rationally and boosting his self-esteem.

"I wish..." Faisal began to say, but his words trailed off. He had almost confessed that he wished she could always be there to support him.

Caught in the intensity of his gaze, Fiza blushed and quickly changed the topic. "I know how to cheer you up!" she exclaimed. "Let's dance." With that, she turned on music on her phone and started dancing around, jumping with her arms raised and singing along, determined to lighten the atmosphere and lift Faisal's spirits.

But I keep cruising
Can't stop, won't stop moving
It's like I got this music in my mind
Saying it's gonna be alright
I never miss a beat
I'm lightning on my feet
And that's what they don't see
That's what they don't see
Players gonna play, play, play, play, play
And the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate (haters gonna hate)
Baby, I'm just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake
I shake it off, I shake it off
Heartbreakers gonna break
Fakers gonna fake
I'm just gonna shake
I shake it off, I shake it off

Fiza made sure their dance was light-hearted and free from any sensuality or romantic undertones. She laughed at her own moves, with Faisal finally standing up and moving in an awkward dance. They continued to "dance" to a couple more songs, sharing laughter and a playful spirit.

Amidst their dancing, Fiza realized that Alan had tried to call her several times. "Oh no!" she exclaimed, picking up her phone and quickly dialing his number. "Alan! I missed your call. When will you be home? I miss you."

"I got called into another case. You go ahead and have dinner. I might be a bit late," Alan's voice came through the phone.

Faisal packed pasta from a nearby eatery, and the two of them decided to have their dinner in a park. As they settled down to eat, Faisal looked at Fiza and hesitated for a moment before speaking, his heart racing. "Can I ask you something personal, Fiza?" he started, his gaze earnest.

Fiza could see the tension in his expression. His brows were furrowed, his jaw clenched. He chose his words carefully.

"If you had met me in college, would you have chosen me over Alan?" He asked, his voice husky.

**********************************************

Author's note

If your friend falls in love with you, do you stay friends? Do you distance yourself?

Link to Taylor Swift's "Shake it off".
Say "I" if you've danced to this song a thousand times ( in the hostel maybe?) 🤗

Please vote and thank you for reading

- Faiza