"Come on, Maya."
"Just one more minute."
Maya lifted her phone and captured a photo of the maple garden glowing under the soft autumn light. Crimson leaves drifted lazily through the air, painting the world in red and gold. When she stood beside Arif, another maple leaf began to fall directly above them.
Maya reached out instinctively—but Arif caught it first.
She looked at him, then at the leaf between his fingers.
"Do you know something?" she said softly. "If two people stand together like this and one of them catches a falling maple leaf… they fall in love. And it becomes their first love."
Arif raised a brow, clearly amused. He twirled the leaf in front of his face, examining it with mock seriousness.
"And who told you that nonsense?"
"I saw it in a movie," Maya replied proudly.
Arif smirked. "So let me guess—you were trying to catch the leaf because you want to fall in love with me. Right?"
Maya froze. "What? No!"
"Then what?"
"I have no interest in falling in love with you. And why would I? Married couples don't 'fall in love.' They're already married. Don't you know that much?"
Arif leaned slightly closer. "Then let's do what married couples do."
Maya's eyes widened. This man truly had no filter. Words failed her. Anything she said would only make things worse.
She muttered under her breath, "Unbelievable…"
Arif tilted his head. "If you want to say 'I love you,' just say it properly. Why whisper?"
"I did not say that!"
"Oh? I clearly heard, 'I love you, Arif.'"
Maya stared at him in disbelief. "Are you doing a PhD in lying?"
Arif placed a hand dramatically over his chest. "I love you, my little bird."
For a split second, something shifted in her heart. His tone had changed—lighter, but somehow deeper.
"Not interested," she snapped quickly, snatching the maple leaf from his hand and walking away.
Behind her, Arif pressed a hand to his chest and sang dramatically,
"Oh girl, don't come closer… don't take my heart and fly away…"
Maya didn't look back.
But she didn't stop smiling either.
Later, Maya walked toward her classroom corridor. She silently prayed one specific person wouldn't call her name.
"Maya!"
Too late.
She quickened her pace, but Ethan followed closely behind.
"Maya, why aren't you answering me?"
She ignored him.
Ethan had liked her since the first day. According to him, she was simple, kind, and innocent. He followed her everywhere, constantly trying to talk.
"Maya, are you and Professor Arif really married?"
No response.
"Maya, please say something!"
Finally, annoyed, she turned. "Ethan, why you are alone-alone talking with me? Are you going crazy-ing?"
Ethan blinked. "Maya… please speak in English."
"I am speaking English! If you not understanding my English, then you learn better English!"
He scratched his head, completely lost.
"Maya, please…"
"Fine. Then… go away."
She marched into the classroom.
Meanwhile, Arif sat in his office chair, feet on the desk, scrolling through his phone. A knock interrupted him.
"May I come in, sir?"
"Come."
Luna entered without waiting for further permission and sat across from him.
Arif's jaw tightened.
She leaned forward slightly. "I need you, Arif. Do you need me?"
His expression hardened instantly.
"Luna, I've told you many times to stay away from me."
She reached for his collar.
"I want you. Even if it's just for one night."
That was the final line.
In one swift movement, Arif stood and pushed her hand away, his voice dangerously calm.
"Don't mistake silence for weakness. Leave."
For a moment, tension crackled in the air. Luna's confident smile faded.
"You'll regret ignoring me," she said quietly before storming out.
Arif exhaled sharply.
Some people never understood boundaries.
And some games were far more dangerous than they appeared.
When Arif entered the mathematics class unexpectedly, students immediately stood.
"Good morning, sir!"
"Sit."
Whispers filled the room. Arif rarely followed schedule rules. Sometimes he taught math. Sometimes English. Occasionally something completely unrelated.
Yet everyone liked him.
He made learning fun. He organized tours. He treated students like friends—but only to a limit.
Today, he wrote on the board:
1 + 2 = 4
5 + 5 = 12
10 + 10 = 23
Confused murmurs spread.
Arif turned slowly. "Mrs. Arif. Stand up."
The entire classroom gasped.
Maya shot up from her seat, face burning red.
Suspicion had existed among students—but now confirmation had arrived publicly.
"I don't like inattentive students," Arif said calmly. "Tell me the answer to 12,638,590 + 173,940,575 + 293,747 – 19,379."
Maya stared at him in horror.
"That's not fair!"
"Speak English."
"You speak Bengali, I understand. I speak Bengali, you don't understand? That not fair!"
Laughter erupted across the room.
"Who invented mathematics?" Arif asked.
Maya scratched her head. "When math was invented… I was not even near Earth. My birth token was not processed. So how I know who invented?"
The class burst into louder laughter.
Arif tried to remain serious—but it was difficult.
"Stand outside."
"Sir, please!"
"Out."
Maya walked outside, holding her ears dramatically as punishment. Students giggled from inside.
Her loose hair covered her face.
After a moment, Arif stepped out quietly. He adjusted her hair gently, clipping it back neatly.
"Raise your head," he murmured.
For a brief second, their eyes locked.
Students inside whispered excitedly.
"Cute couple…"
Maya looked away first.
But her heartbeat refused to calm down.
Evening arrived with sharp cold wind. Snow threatened to fall. Students wore thick coats as they left campus.
Maya stood near the gate with Ethan, who was still asking the same question.
"Are you really married?"
"Yes."
"I don't believe it."
She sighed and put on her headphones.
Music filled her ears.
Suddenly, someone pulled the headphones off.
Luna.
"So… you're really Arif sir's wife?"
Maya studied her calmly. "Yes."
Luna's eyes flashed with anger.
Without warning, she grabbed Maya's hair.
Pain shot through her scalp.
Gasps spread around them. No one moved.
Before Ethan could react, Maya twisted and grabbed Luna's hair back.
The tension snapped.
"Stay away from me," Maya said coldly. "I'm not the simple girl you think I am."
Luna tried to slap her—but Maya blocked her wrist smoothly.
Students began recording.
Luna stumbled backward, furious and humiliated.
"You'll regret this!" she hissed.
At that moment, Arif's car approached.
Maya released Luna and stepped back calmly, fixing her hair.
Ethan stared at her in shock.
"You're… different," he muttered.
Maya adjusted her bag. "Sometimes you show soft side. People try to show fire. So today… I show little fire."
Ethan blinked. He barely understood—but somehow he felt the meaning.
Arif stopped the car.
Maya walked past Ethan and slid into the back seat without a word.
Arif glanced at her through the mirror.
"You okay?"
"Perfect."
But her eyes carried something deeper.
Fire.
And Arif knew very well—
Fire always spreads.
As the car drove away under the falling maple leaves, neither of them noticed the phone screens capturing everything.
Nor did they realize that Luna's humiliation would not end quietly.
Some wars begin with whispers.
Others begin with a falling leaf.
And this—
This was only the beginning.
To be continued…