12 stories
The Baklava Kiss
At a sweets shop in East Jerusalem, assistant Sami catches the owner's daughter Hana stealing baklava—and offers to keep her secret for a price sweeter than honey.
The Debka Teacher
American-born Nadia joins a dabke troupe in Bethlehem to reconnect with her roots—and finds herself falling for instructor Kareem, whose steps are as precise as his passion.
The Hookah Lounge
In a hidden hookah lounge in Ramallah, Dina escapes her family's expectations—and finds Rami, whose smoke-ring conversations lead somewhere dangerous and sweet.
The Midnight Baker
Insomniac Layla discovers a bakery open at 3 AM—and baker Khalil, whose nocturnal rhythms match hers in more ways than one.
The Nablus Nights
American photographer Zara documents Nablus nightlife for a magazine—and finds DJ Tarek spinning more than just records at the city's hottest underground club.
The Resistance Poet
At an underground poetry slam in Haifa, Sana meets Amir, whose verses cut like resistance and whose touch heals like rain.
The Nikah Loophole
They've been 'halal dating' for a year—a secret nikah that makes everything permissible. No one knows they're technically married. And every weekend, in his flat in Manchester, they explore exactly how much 'permissible' covers.
The Mosque Caretaker's Daughter
She grew up in the apartment above the mosque in Whitechapel. He's the new assistant her father hired. They shouldn't meet at night in the empty prayer hall. They do anyway.
The Language Tutor
She's learning Somali to reconnect with her roots. He's the tutor her mother hired—too young, too handsome, and way too patient. When the lessons move from vocabulary to something more physical, she discovers some things don't need translation.
The Student Accommodation
She's a Somali fresher at Queen Mary, sharing a flat with five strangers. He's the final-year student next door who helps her when she's locked out. The thin walls mean nothing is private—including what they do when they stop pretending to study.
Study Partners
She's struggling with organic chemistry at UCL. He's the Somali PhD student who tutors undergrads for extra cash. Their study sessions run late, their notes get mixed up, and somewhere between benzene rings and late-night coffee, they find something they didn't expect.
Summer Suds
She works summers at her uncle's car wash in Southall. He's the customer who comes every Saturday—same dusty car, same lingering looks. The day the hose breaks and soaks them both, they stop pretending they're strangers.