Chapter 3

In the chaos of championships, between the pressure to win and the fear of losing,

Malek and Jana’s souls moved along parallel lines not yet touching, but getting closer… moment by moment.

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Malek

Today was tough.

A tournament isn’t just a game , it's a mental war.

I stood in front of the table, cue in hand, eyes fixed on the white ball,

but my heart was exploding with tension.

Then I looked at the crowd… and saw her silhouette.

A smile came to my mind her silence was playing a soothing melody.

I didn’t know her,

but I felt something strange like she was present without being there.

You know that feeling?

Like a breeze brushing your skin you feel it, but you can’t see it.

The match ended, and I felt a new energy inside me.

Maybe that was our first encounter.

No words, no eye contact but her presence made the whole atmosphere lighter.

---

Jana

I had the most important tennis match of my career.

My heart was racing, my head filled with thoughts,

but my feet moved with a steady rhythm.

In the middle of the practice, I looked up and saw a silhouette in the back rows.

A guy in a black jacket, standing calmly,

watching the match with intense focus.

I’d seen him before,

and I felt something different about him.

I can’t describe the strange feeling that passed through me.

It wasn’t words or a long gaze but there was a presence.

After the match, I looked again but he was gone.

Like a dream,

a small moment lost in a vast ocean.

---

Malek

I was training with my friend when I got a message from Lina:

"Jana’s here, watching the match."

My heart sank.

Not because I knew her,

but because her name was beautiful… and in Arabic.

I started imagining her face, her smile, her voice.

In my mind, I began to draw her.

---

Jana

I returned to my room after the match,

trying to calm myself down.

But my heart kept repeating one word: Malek.

Why?

Why did that name echo in my mind like that?

I know I’m not alone…

and I won’t be alone.

Maybe this is the hope I’ve been searching for.

---

Malek

You and I both know the path isn’t easy.

But when you look around, you see shadows starting to meet,

even if they don’t know each other yet.

And sometimes,

a heart begins its journey in a moment of silence.

Today’s match wasn’t easy.

The opponent was strong and skilled.

The pressure didn’t just come from the audience it came from my own inner battles.

But I stood in front of the table and told myself:

"Malek, this time, it’s your turn."

I focused on every movement, every shot, every inch.

But in the middle of it all, something else was in my mind…

There was a shadow in the crowd sitting quietly in a corner, almost hidden.

My eyes kept drifting toward her between the balls and the motion,

and my heart was watching from afar.

I don’t know why,

or who she is,

but there was something comforting in her presence.

The match ended. I won—barely—

and stepped outside for some air.

The cold wind hit my face as I tried to calm down.

And I saw her again…standing near the entrance of the hall,

her eyes sparkling under the streetlights.

But we didn’t speak.

Still, I felt like we had met before maybe in a dream,

maybe in some unexplored part of my heart.

---

Jana

This match was harder than any before.

The competition wasn’t just on the court it was in my head.

I was trying to focus,

but my thoughts wouldn’t let go.

Then, among the crowd,

I saw someone standing calmly,

watching the match as if he was seeing something deeper than the game.

The stillness around him made my heart pause.

After the match, while walking past the coaches,

I felt a look still trying to say something to me.

But I didn’t know what to say,

or even where to begin.

I went back to the hotel, opened my laptop,

and started searching his name, his photos, anything.

I wanted to understand more.

But it was like there was a wall around him.

---

Malek

After the match, I found myself walking through the city streets,

trying to process what had just happened.

I always told myself,

"Malek, this isn’t the time to talk. It’s time to play."

But her presence made me think about something else something called “connection.”

I tried to recall her voice,

her laugh,

or even the color of her eyes…

But all that remained was a blurry image in my mind.

And then suddenly, I heard footsteps behind me.

I turned quickly but no one was there.

Yet my heart was still racing as if I was seeing her everywhere.

---

Jana

Every day, I found myself thinking about him more.

I started following the tournaments he was in,

listening to his interviews,

watching his movements.

It was something new for me to be this drawn to someone I didn’t even know.

One night, before my next big match,

I sat alone in my room,

scrolling through photos of him and other players.

I felt a knot in my chest…and asked myself: “Is this how it begins?”

Could he be the one

my heart has been searching for all along?

---

Malek

The preparations for the big match were taking over my days.

I felt a heaviness in my legs,

a coldness in my chest,

But I had to be ready.

The night before the match, I sat alone in the hall, staring at the table—feeling a strange ache.

Suddenly, I felt someone standing by the door.

I turned no one was there.

Maybe it was just my imagination.

Maybe it was just hope.

But believe me, my friend…Hearts searching for each other always find unexpected ways to meet.

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