It started like any other day. I had been working late in the university library, poring over equations for my thesis on chaos theory. Ironically, I thought I understood chaos better than most how it could be modeled, predicted, and tamed with the right mathematical tools. But the chaos I encountered after that was something no equation could quantify.

The burden of daily work to feed myself and running errands for the professor under whom I’m doing my thesis is making my life feel like hell.

After my part time job the walk back to my dorm was nothing special. I've been doing this for quite a time. The streets were quiet without any traffic.

It wasn’t a dorm to be honest. The uni dorm was filled to the brim, and as a guy with a full-paid scholarship, I found myself in a bit of a unique situation. The university, unable to give me a room in the dorms, arranged me to live in a small apartment near the campus. It was a decent place..clean, cozy enough, and close to all the university facilities. The catch, however, was that I had to cover half of the expenses, while the university would take care of the other half.

At first, it seemed like a fair deal, but as the months went by, I realized the cost of living was quickly adding up. Food, utilities, and maintenance started to weigh heavily on my budget. My scholarship covered my tuition, but the rest was on me, and I found myself constantly living in a paycheck to paycheck.

After weeks of thinking, I finally made a decision. The apartment, while cozy, was honestly too big for ne. It had an extra bedroom, and I barely used the living room except for studying or eating. It felt wasteful to keep all that space to myself when I could be sharing it. More importantly, having a roommate would cut my living expenses in half, which would be a huge relief. Which means i can work less and focus more on my studies.

So, I made the decision. I sent an application to the university housing office, requesting a roommate. I made sure to specify that I wanted someone who was in the same boat as me—preferably another scholarship student or someone with a similar major.

A few days later, I got an email from the housing office confirming that they had found someone. They didn’t share many details, only that the person would arrive soon and had been informed of the arrangement. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I hoped for the best.

That brings me to today. I was sitting on the couch, flipping through a textbook, when I heard a knock at the door.

This had to be my new roommate,the person the university had sent. I took a deep breath, stood up, and walked to the door. My hand hovered over the doorknob for a moment as I wondered what kind of person was waiting on the other side. Did i did the right thing or did i gave fairwall to my peaceful life.Would they be friendly? Easy to get along with? Or would this be a complete disaster?

With a final deep breath, thing already happened so there's no turning back. I finally opened the door.

The guy standing on the other side of the door was not what I had expected. He was shorter than me, probably around 5’6” or 5’7”. He had a full beard and thick hair, giving him a slightly rugged yet well-kept look. His complexion and features suggested he was a foreigner maybe Middle Eastern or Arab. There was an air of confidence about him, though he didn’t seem intimidating.

I took the lead, as the old resident of the apartment. “You must be the guy the university sent,” I said, offering a polite smile.

He nodded slightly, his expression neutral but polite.

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“Ah, sorry, I almost forgot to introduce myself. I’m Ted,” I added quickly, extending my hand for a handshake.

The guy took my hand and shook it firmly. “my Name’s Maaz,” he said, his voice carrying a slight middle eastern accent. Then, with a small grin, he added, “It means ‘safe,’ in case you were wondering. You know, like a safe place. Kind of ironic, huh?”

I chuckled at his attempt to lighten the mood. “Nice to meet you, Maaz. Come on in.”

I led him into the apartment, gesturing toward the dining room as we walked. “You must have traveled a lot to get here, so why don’t you freshen up first? We can talk about our arrangements later .”

I pointed to the rooms as we passed them. “This is my room,” I said, pointing ar the door on the left. “And this one here is yours. It’s empty for now, so you’ll need to buy whatever you need tomorrow. For tonight, though, I’m afraid you’ll have to crash on the couch. Sorry about that—it’s just how things worked out.”

Then I pointed to the door at the end of the hall. “And that’s the washroom. None of the room has an attached bathroom, so we have to share it.”

Maaz didn’t say much in response. He nodded, his eyes scanning the apartment as if he were taking in every detail. He walked slowly, his gaze on the furniture, the walls, and even the small decorations I’d put up to make the place feel cozy. At first, I thought he was just getting a feel for his new living space. Maybe he was the type to analyze his surroundings, or maybe he had OCD. Either way, I didn’t think much of it at the time.

After scanning the room like a detective, his gaze locked onto something behind me. His eyes widened briefly, he quickly composed himself, his expression returning to normal as if nothing had happened.

Curiosity took the better of me, and I turned to glance over my shoulder, expecting to see something out of the ordinary. But there was nothing just the same room I've been living for few months, with no apparent reason for such a reaction.

What on earth could he have seen? My mind raced, trying to piece together his strange behavior. Was he imagining things, or was there something I missed? The way his demeanor shifted so quickly left me unsettled.

"What the hell is this guy looking at?" I muttered under my breath, feeling a mix of unease and frustration as I turned back to face him. His calm facade only deepened the mystery, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to this moment than met the eye. I was about to ask him a question but without saying anything he carried his bags into his room, which was completely bare except for a bed frame and a small wardrobe. Without a word, he placed his things down and headed toward the washroom to freshen up.

When he came back, he had changed into a casual t-shirt and sweatpants, looking much more relaxed than when he’d first arrived. I was already sitting on the couch, flipping through channels on the TV. He joined me, sitting at the opposite end of the couch.

“So,” I started, turning to face him, “Where are you from originally?”

Maaz leaned back,. “It was long,” he said simply. “I’m from Morocco. Even though it's technically in north Africa but most people are from arab origin. Ever visited that side of the world?”

I shook my head. “Nope. Closest I’ve been is watching travel vlogs on YouTube. What’s it like there?”

He smiled faintly, his expression softening. “It’s different. Beautiful, in its own way. The history, the food, the people—it’s something you have to experience to really understand. But it’s not all deserts and camels like some people think.”

I laughed. “Yeah, I figured as much. So, what are you studying here?”

“physich,” he replied. “Specifically, astrophysics. And you?”

“ mathematics,” I said. “I guess we’re both in fields that involve a lot of problem-solving.”

He nodded, and for the first time, I noticed a flicker of amusement in his eyes. “Yeah, I guess we are. So, tell me, Ted, Anything I should know about living here?”

I shrugged. “It’s pretty straightforward. Quiet neighborhood, close to campus, decent i say to be honest. Just don’t expect a five-star experience. The walls are thin, so you might hear the neighbors sometimes. And the heating can be a little finicky in the winter, but nothing too bad.”

He listened intently, nodding occasionally. The conversation flowed easily, and before I knew it, we were talking about everything from our favorite foods to our goals for the future.

“We’ll divide everything by half,” I said as we continued our conversation. “Rent, utilities, internet—all the bills. But food expenses are separate. You’ll handle your own groceries and meals, and I’ll handle mine. That way, no one’s stepping on anyone’s toes.”

Maaz nodded without hesitation. “That’s fine by me,” he replied, his tone calm and matter-of-fact.

I leaned back on the couch, relieved that he wasn’t going to make this arrangement complicated. “Good. Glad we’re on the same page. Makes things a lot easier, don’t you think?”

He gave a slight smile. “Yeah, it does. I’m not picky about stuff like this. As long as we’re clear about the rules, I’m good.”

That straightforward response made me feel a little more optimistic about having a roommate. No drama, no fuss—just a simple agreement between two people trying to make things work. I could live with that.

“Well, I guess we’re off to a good start,” I said, offering him a small grin. “Let’s see how long we can keep it that way.”

Maaz chuckled softly. “I’ll do my part. Don’t worry about that.”

And just like that, we had laid the foundation for our living arrangement. Simple, fair, and hopefully drama-free.

By the end of the night, I had a feeling that this guy and I might actually get along. Sure, he was a bit reserved, but there was something about him that felt trustworthy. Maybe this roommate situation wouldn’t be so bad after all.