Salamoalaykum, I am a muslim convert. For the past 4 years alhamdullah, I have been learning Islam and struggling as a new muslim. Recently, alhamdullah, I am faced with a great thing. At work there is a muslim gentleman who I have become particularly found of, my modesty and shyness causes me to not even look at him more than what is necessary during work and to just as seldom speak to him. Yet, in these past weeks that I have known him, I have fallen deeply in love with him (well atleast that is how my heart feels), I found out he attends an Islamic university overseas and has memorized the entire quran. His manners are immaculate. I am completely intrigued by him and wish to pursue a relationship, however, it must be purely Islamic. I am afraid that my shyness and extreme modesty has made him think that I am uninterested in him. After we greet eachother I do all that is possible to avoid him because of I am so nervous around him. How can I send him the right message without it being 1) haram and 2) culturally wrong (he is egyptian) or 3) strange? And what type of interaction is permissible between him and me? To what extent, if any, are we allowed to engage in conversation?