Caffeine & Company

Mahmoud returns to his seat on the doorstep, but this time with a different feeling, a strange feeling he hasn't felt in a long time. The image of Fatima never leaves his imagination, her eyes, her smile, even her confusion was beautiful in his eyes. He takes his phone out of his pocket and aimlessly browses social media, trying to distract himself, but to no avail.

"Are you still sitting there, Mahmoud? Go find yourself a job, son. Sitting around won't do you any good." Mahmoud's father came out of the house and looked at his son with a mixture of reproach and pity. "I've looked everywhere, I swear to God, but it's no use. The country is at a standstill," Mahmoud replied wearily.

"Don't despair, son. Keep trying and God will provide for you. I'm going to go look for work. Take care of the house." His father leaves Mahmoud alone, wrestling with his thoughts and trying to get the image of Fatima out of his head.

Meanwhile, Fatima arrives at her class and tries to focus on the teacher's explanation, but her mind is elsewhere. The image of Mahmoud appears before her every time she closes her eyes. "What's wrong, Fatima? Why aren't you paying attention?" her friend Sarah whispers to her. "Nothing, Sarah, I'm just a little distracted," Fatima replies, trying to hide her confusion.

The class ends, and Fatima leaves with Sarah. They walk in silence, each lost in her own thoughts. "He seems like a nice guy, Fatima." Sarah surprises Fatima with her comment. "Who is he?" Fatima asks, pretending not to understand. "Mahmoud, the one I bumped into this morning. He seems like a respectable guy from a good family," Sarah replies, a mischievous look on her face.

"Sarah! What are you talking about? I'm not thinking about that at all. All I care about right now is my studies," Fatima replies sharply, trying to convince herself before convincing her friend. "Whatever you say, Soso, but I'm telling you, that guy is hot." Sarah ends her conversation with a sly laugh, leaving Fatima confused.

On the other side of the neighborhood, Samia sits in her small shop, which she finally managed to open after years of hard work. She carefully arranges her merchandise and enthusiastically cleans the place, feeling overwhelmed with happiness. "Congratulations, ma'am. May God increase your sustenance," her neighbor, Umm Karim, congratulates her.

"May God bless you, Um Karim, and grant you the same," Samia replies with a broad smile. "I heard that your son Mahmoud proposed to Hajj Salem's daughter. Is that true?" Um Karim asks curiously. "No, Um Karim, that's not true. Mahmoud hasn't said anything yet. First, he has to find a job, and then we'll think about marriage," Samia replies, trying to hide her concern.

"May God guide him and help him find the right girl who will make his heart happy," Um Karim prays for Mahmoud. She leaves the store, leaving Samia to think about her son's future. Samia hopes to see Mahmoud happy and settled in his life, but she realizes how difficult that is under the current circumstances.

As the sun sets, the neighborhood youth gather at the café, playing backgammon, talking about various topics, laughing, and commenting on passersby. Mahmoud sits with his friends, trying to join in the conversation, but fails. He looks out at the street, searching for Fatima, hoping to see her, even if only for a few seconds.

"What's wrong, Mahmoud? You're not with us." Ahmed, Mahmoud's friend, notices his distraction. "Nothing, Ahmed, I'm just thinking about work," Mahmoud replies, trying to hide his feelings. "Don't worry, my friend, you'll see, just be patient," Ahmed tries to reassure his friend.

At that moment, Fatima walks past the café. Mahmoud sees her, jumps up, and tries to talk to her, but hesitates at the last moment. Fatima looks at him, smiles slightly, and continues on her way. Mahmoud stands rooted to the spot, watching her walk away, feeling hope creep back into his heart.

As Mahmoud watches Fatima, he is bumped into by Sayed, a young man from the neighborhood known for his reckless behavior. "Are you blind, man? Can't you watch where you're going?" Sayed yells at Mahmoud. Mahmoud tries to avoid trouble. "I'm sorry, Sayed, I wasn't paying attention." But Sayed insists on picking a fight. "No, you're just looking for a fight. You want to get beaten up." Sayed pushes Mahmoud hard, almost knocking him to the ground. The neighborhood youth intervene, trying to calm the situation, but Sayed insists on fighting. The tension escalates, and the café turns into a battlefield. What will happen?