I arrived a few minutes late to the bookshop and quietly took a seat towards the back as to not draw attention to myself. Nevertheless, our eyes locked immediately, and she flashed me a smile that indiscreetly greeted me ‘salaam’ as she spoke to the full room. Although we had corresponded virtually for a couple years now, this was the first time that we met face-to-face. I had to contain the fangirl in me as I sat and listened to New York Times best-selling author Sajidah Ali