I can’t stop looking at her.
That’s why today will be the day that I put a stop to this.
She sits twenty feet away from me at her desk on my right, her head bent slightly as she is deeply absorbed in her work. Every few minutes, I can’t resist sneaking a glance—just to see what she’s up to.
Maybe she is tapping her fingers lightly on the keyboard or being her charming self to help a client. It’s almost like everything comes to her effortlessly.
Sometimes I get the feeling our eyes meet just for a split second, which ends up with me looking away quickly.
Her name is Hayley, a teller, and I’m Aziel, a probationary officer at Star Bank. I am in love with her.
I remember when I first saw her. It was my first day here, settling into the abyss that’s work. She was walking by the lounge, wearing an off-white top and tailored pants; it seemed she was sliding on.
There was an effortless elegance about her—tall, slender, with a hint of curiosity in her eyes. As she walked by, it felt like she was the only one in the room.
I was introduced to her that very day, and to the rest of her team, as I was one of the newest hires who were getting acquainted with everyone at the office.
I tried to be calm, but the moment she looked at me and introduced herself as Hayley, I kind of froze and just barely blurted out my name hurriedly and said it was nice to meet her.
Star Bank at Dhaka isn’t exactly a high-rise skyscraper kind of office, but more a small branch of a bigger bank. At 2,000 square feet, the small office is buzzing with clients, and we all are sitting close enough to hear every conversation, every laugh or groan when a printer decides not to work.
Desks are arranged neatly, forming a semi-circle where customers can approach any teller or officer, which luckily for me puts me in a direct view of Hayley’s desk.
The walls are painted a soft beige, decorated with corporate slogans and posters, but my favorite part of this place is the lounge. It’s tucked into a back corner, with a round table, some rickety chairs, and a kettle that always seems to be blowing steam.
Hayley is a superstar here, popular among colleagues and always the center of conversations as she’s always surrounded by them; it’s difficult to approach her.
My first real conversation with Hayley happened quite randomly when an elderly client mistakenly came to me and asked for a teller. I looked over the teller section, and everyone was busy except Hayley.
“Excuse me, ma’am,” I said to the lady, “Let me take you to a teller.”
I led the lady to Hayley’s desk and mentioned that she was here for her. Hayley looked up, her eyes meeting mine with a smile that made my heart skip a bit.
“Oh, thanks a lot for bringing her over,” she said, her voice all warm and bright.
“No worries,” I replied casually, “I’m Aziel, we spoke once before.”
“Yeah, I remember meeting you, and I have seen you around,” she said, with a particular emphasis on the word ‘seen’.
“I guess I am quite visible then,” I laughed; on the inside, I was like, what the hell am I even saying!
She laughed back and said in a sharp tone, “Yeah, you have quite the reputation as a workhorse here.”
“Really? I’ll take that as a compliment,” I replied, grinning.
She nodded, and as I walked back to my desk, I felt the thrill of finally breaking the silence between us.
Over the next few weeks, my hesitancy to talk to her went away, and I approached her whenever I saw her, whether just a quick hello in the lounge or a fleeting smile from across the room.
Then, one day, I spotted her in the lounge, frowning at the electric kettle, clearly struggling with it. I saw my chance and decided to offer a hand.
“Kettle not kettling?” I asked, internally horrified at my attempt to sound cool.
She looked up, “Yes, please! It’s impossible to get it to work!”
“Maybe it’s just scared; it’s not every day it gets attention from a capable worker like you.”
She chuckled, “Smooth talker, is that how you will repair it?”
“Might as well try,” I teased, managing to fix the kettle by refilling it with clear water then twisting the power cord slightly, and then restarting it.
“Look at that, it works! Thanks,” she said.
As we started to interact more, I got to hear more about Hayley’s life. She came from a middle-class background and landed this job entirely on her own. I really admired that she was hardworking, independent, and unafraid to go after what she wanted.
She had earned her place here, respected and loved by her teammates, always surrounded by a steady stream of laughter and conversation. It made finding time alone with her a rare gift.
On the other hand, my life had been quite different. I came from a very privileged background, could live a comfortable life and just watch over the family business. But I always felt a thirst to prove myself, and banking seemed to offer just the right amount of challenge.
That’s why I joined Star Bank, and starting as a probationary officer, my journey has just begun.
It was becoming harder to talk to Hayley, as she is either absorbed in her work or when free her teammates seem to hang around her all the time. I was feeling restless as if I just had to do something instead of just longing for her.
So today was the day I decided to put an ending to that longing.
After work, I went to her desk, feeling all nervous. I rehearsed my words again in my head, but they all straight up vanished as soon as I saw her.
Hayley looked up, noticing me curiously, a smile forming on her lips.
“Hey Aziel! How’s it going?” she greeted.
“Hey, uh… Hayley.” Her name felt different when I said it out loud.
“I was wondering…” I forced myself to look straight into her eyes, even as my heart was racing, “There’s this new bubble tea place at Dhanmondi, would you like to check it out with me sometime?”
She tilted her head, a playful smile at the corners of her mouth. “Bubble Tea, huh?” She leaned back in her chair, arms folded, watching me with a look that was half amused, half challenging.
“You know, Aziel, I’ve noticed you staring at me… more than once.”
Her words sent a jolt through me, heat rising to my face. I just stammered out “I..uh.. didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable or anything…”
She let out a soft, amused laugh that surprised me. “Relax, I didn’t say I was uncomfortable.” Her voice had a teasing edge, and with a knowing look, she said, “ Not uncomfortable, but certainly interesting…”
I let out a nervous laugh, trying to keep my voice steady. “So… will you go?” I asked, rather tepidly.
She didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she kept looking into my eyes, her smile turning thoughtful, almost mischievous.
“Maybe I’ll say yes, Aziel,” she replied, “but only if you admit something first.”
I blinked, caught off guard. “Admit what?”
She leaned forward slightly, with an intense gaze sizing me up.
“This charade is never going to last,” she said softly.
“All this glancing my way, then pretending not to notice—it’s going to stop, right? Because eventually, you’re going to have to be more open with me.”
I felt my pulse quicken.
“This… charade?” I repeated, my voice barely more than a whisper. She had seen right through me as if she’d been waiting for this to happen.
She smirked, raising an eyebrow.
“Yes. This charade,” she said, her eyes still holding me in place. “I mean, if you want to pretend this is just about bubble tea, that’s fine, but…” she let the words hang in the air, her gaze steady and piercing. “I think we both know it’s more than that.”
My heart was beating even faster. “You’re right,” I admitted, as there’s no going back from this. “It is more than that.”
Her expression softened, a warm, genuine smile emerging, carrying a hint of vulnerability. She glanced down for a moment, almost shy, then met my eyes again.
“Good,” she said, her voice a little breathless. “Because I’d hate to think you went through all that just to check out a bubble tea place.”
I laughed, feeling the tension going away, replaced with a lightness I hadn’t felt in weeks. “So… is that a yes?”
She looked away for a moment, letting the suspense build, before finally turning back to me. “Yes, Aziel,” she said in a calm and certain tone, “I’d love to check that place with you.”
As soon as she said yes, I couldn’t hide my smile. This was it, finally, I took the step that I dreaded for a long time, and it played out positively, for now at least.
The next day, we met at a cozy bubble tea spot a few blocks away from the office, placed neatly into a lively street corner. The place was brimming with energy, as the walls were splashed with colorful murals, cheerful neon signs with quirky messages, and string lights casting a bright white glow. Soft instrumental music played, filling the air with an upbeat, welcoming vibe.
I arrived a bit early, can’t be late for my most important date! I decided to not go overboard and just put on a denim jacket over a plain white tee and black jeans. My eyes kept drifting to the door, watching, waiting, until finally…there she was. Hayley.
She stepped inside, looking around for a moment before spotting me. She was effortlessly chic, dressed in a flowing cream blouse that hugged her shoulders and drifted down in soft waves, neatly tucked into high-waisted jeans that accentuated her tall, slender frame.
Her hair fell loosely, just enough to reveal a pair of gold earrings in her ears. She looked like she belonged in a painting, and I was captivated.
When she reached our table, I greeted her, stumbling over my words a bit and managed to say, “Hey, you look… amazing.”
“Thank you,” she replied, her eyes twinkling while she took her seat. “You’re looking quite good yourself, Mr. Cool Denim Jacket!”
I grinned, “Figured I’d make an effort. Can’t let you take all the spotlight, right?”
She raised an eyebrow, a mischievous smile playing on her lips. “Oh, really? I didn’t realize this was a challenge,” she said, leaning forward with a playful glint in her eyes.
“Good luck trying to keep up.”
I couldn’t help but smile to see her rather playful tone, “I probably will,” I said, even though it was in vain, she clearly had the upper hand.
There was something about the way she looked at me, in a sharp yet inquiring manner, that made it impossible to look away.
We got to talking, and we talked a lot. I could always feel that if we could just hang out, we would be having a great time, and looking at how our conversation was flowing so effortlessly, I was right.
After a while, she tilted her head, with a hint of curiosity in her eyes. “So,” she began, almost thoughtfully, “why banking? I mean, it doesn’t seem like the first choice for someone so…thoughtful?”
I hesitated, perhaps a bit surprised by her perceptiveness. But the way she asked, not intrusive, just genuinely interested, made me want to open up.
“Honestly?” I said, “I value clarity, and I always thought I must do something on my own than just go the ‘safe’ way, and this felt like the way to go.”
She smiled and gave a small nod. “I get that,” she replied, her voice carrying an unexpected depth. “You want to create your own path, and this is where I feel very relatable with you, as I want to control my destiny by myself.”
I really loved that she was starting to open up to me.
“It’s one of the things that I admire about you Hayley, you are relentless, headstrong and always seem to make the right choice.”
She looked down, her cheeks flushing slightly, “Woah that’s out of nowhere…but thank you, Aziel. That… that means a lot,” she murmured, clearly taken aback by my sudden praise.
For a moment, silence settled between us, heavy and uncertain, until she broke it with a soft laugh. “You know,” she said, her eyes glinting with mischief, “if you keep saying things like that, I might start to think you have feelings for me.”
“Well, that’s because I do. I like you, Hayley,” the words blurted out of my mouth even before I could think.
She tilted her head, her eyes narrowing just a bit as if assessing me. “Well you are certainly brave, Aziel,” she replied, “And maybe a little reckless.”
“Yeah well, everything is fair in love and war, right ?.”
She gave a small, amused shake of her head, but her gaze lingered, her eyes telling me something I couldn’t quite read.
“Well, confessing like that can get you into all kinds of trouble. Are you ready for that?”
“Ready and willing!” I replied, looking at her, it felt like suddenly I could say whatever was on my mind, as if a shroud that was keeping my mind blanketed, had been removed.
She bit her lip, looking away, and for a moment, I thought she might just not respond to my feelings.
But then she surprised me, saying in a soft voice “You know, this… it’s not something I was expecting.”
She glanced up and looked into my eyes, “But I can’t deny… it feels… different.”
“I don’t just want a few dates with you, but want to know the real you,” I said.
Her gaze softened, and she let out a breath she’d been holding, her hand squeezing mine lightly.
She laughed softly, “It’s just… I don’t want this to be something that fades.”
“Me neither, that’s why I am going all in, for you,” I said.
For a brief moment that felt like ages, we simply looked at each other, like we found something we hadn’t expected. Then she pulled her hand back gently, but her eyes stayed on me.
“I’d like that, Aziel,” she finally said, her voice barely above a whisper. “ Do your best, let’s see where it goes.”
“So… are you saying yes to me?” I asked, my voice carrying a hint of excitement.
She laughed, rolling her eyes, but her smile was soft, almost shy. “Well, why the rush, we have a lot to look forward to, but don’t worry, I won’t leave you hanging…”
When we finally stepped out into the night, the air was cool and the city around us was calm, we stood there, not quite ready to part, our words lingering in the quiet.
“Well, I had an amazing time, and can’t wait to see you again, Hayley,” I said, barely hiding my happiness.
Her eyes sparkled as she looked into my face, “Me too, Aziel. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but…” She hesitated, then continued, “You surprised me.”
As we said our goodbyes, I couldn’t help but greet her, saying her full name, “See you tomorrow at the office, Lamia Ahmed Hayley.”
She laughed, her eyes bright as she replied, “See you tomorrow, Faiyyas Hossain Aziel.”
Leave a Reply