Chapter Two

Four days passed

Mahek kept checking her phone, hoping to see his name light up her screen again. Maybe he'd message

But there was nothing.

No message. No update.

She told herself not to overthink it. It was just a conversation... just a reader.

But somewhere between the silence and desperation, it had started to feel like more...

On the fifth day, her phone buzzed

"Are you free, author sahiba? Can we talk for a while about your book?"

A smile came onto her face before she could stop it.

So he hadn't disappeared after all...

She waited a few minutes before replying to make it seem casual, not like she was hoping for his message all all four days

"Yes yes sure" , she typed back

His reply came quickly, full of excitement

"You know when I read the first chapter, the Jhumka scene & your female lead Noor, it was soooooo fascinating & It reminded me of someone"

She read his words slowly with a pure smile, until that last line...

It reminded me of someone.

Her heart dipped, just a little

She kept smiling at the screen, but it wasn't the same

He was talking with such warmth... about someone else.

Still, she typed nothing, just listened & let him speak.

She asked softly:

"Who did you remember?"

He didn't hesitate "Love of my life," , he said "My girlfriend... no, not just girlfriend, I see her as my wife"

Her fingers got froze for a second

"Your chapter literally reminded me of her. Damn... it was so fascinating"

She kept listening, smiling politely at her screen, even her heart felt heavier

There was something in his excitement that made her feel empty inside.

Still, she managed to type:

"You look so much in love with her"

He kept saying, his words filled with warmth, love & something pure

"I fell in love with her in school, never had the courage to confess but when I finally did, she started liking me too, we are together for three years now"

Mahek didn't know what to say, she replied:

"Wow"

That was all she could manage...

On the other side, something in her tone or maybe the silence between lines must have reached him

He typed:

"Sorry author... I think I wasted your time with my fuzul si baatein"

The shift in his tone was clear, from warmth to hesitation, from excitement to guilt.

She looked at his message

He didn't mean to hurt her. He was just being honest

She quickly typed back, not wanting him to feel bad.

"Na na, it's alright. I'm enjoying it", she said

She added a smile at the end, hoping it would soften the awkwardness

His next message came after a small pause:

"Can I show you the love of my life?", he said

She stared at the screen, she wasn't ready to see

But her reply came, simple and calm:

"Sure"

A few seconds later, the pictures came, one pic of his love & other of them holding each others hand with love...

Mahek stared at them for a long moment, she felt something dipping in her sad and sweet all at once...

"She's so beautiful... your love of life, i really hope you both get married soon. I'll pray for you guys"

He replied with a small thank you and a heart emoji

A few more polite messages passed between them lite, respectful, nothing too deep

Not cold just gently closed, like a chapter

Days passed, Mahek started to focus on her book

The world of words, her characters, the stories...

She uploaded a new chapter and posted it on her author account

In the evening, her phone buzzed

He had messaged again...

"The chapter was really nice"

Her heart skipped a beat, the familiar warmth of his words bringing a small smile to her face

It had been a while since they'd spoken, but somehow, the conversation started again...

He was sad at that time & again mentioned his love life, he texted:

"I can't marry her, I guess...Her parents aren't allowing it, maybe she doesn't want it either. I don't know... it's just... really hard"

The sadness in his text was too much, & for a moment, Mahek wasn't sure what to say

She paused, letting the silence between them settle before responding...

"I understand, Bhai. I really do & I know it's tough, but... maybe things will work out. I'll pray for you, don't worry about Bhabi, Bhai she loves you"

It felt strange calling him Bhai, but she had to, Bhabi for his girlfriend, felt right in the moment too

She took a deep breath before sending it

Zavian's response came with a small thanks with heart emoji...

With every new chapter Mahek uploaded, Zavian continued to read & every time, he messaged her with the same praise:

"That chapter was really nice, Well-written the story is going really nicely"

His words never failed to brighten her day & with each review, she could feel herself growing more connected to him...beyond the boundaries of just author & reader

It wasn't just the compliments, though

It was the way he'd always take time to share what he liked about the chapter

One day, Mahek texted him with a small request:

"Bhai, I'm gathering people to handle my book's character accounts. Can you handle one? Azael's account (he was kinda dark character, a red flag type)"

There was a pause before Zavian replied, his response coming in gently:

"Yes, sure I can I'll create the account for you"

She smiled at his message, feeling grateful for his help. Zavian was always there when she needed him, and now he was doing it again

A few moments later, Mahek thought of something else...

"Bhai, can I add you to my group chat? My readers are there, along with the character accounts."

She waited for his response...

Zavian's reply came almost immediately:

"Yes yes sure why not?"

Mahek smiled, She quickly added him to the group chat and introduced him to the others

"Everyone, meet Zavian bhai. He's handling Azael's account for us. Please welcome him"

He greeted everyone warmly, and it was clear he was respectful, polite as he addressed the girls in the group:

"Hello, sister I'm Zavian from Pakistan, glad to meet you all"

He asked them about their cities, their interests, the chat was buzzing with conversation. The energy shifted, the quiet messages of the readers & characters

Mahek watched the chat come alive, a smile spreading across her face. She hadn't realized how much the group needed someone like Zavian someone who could bring that extra warmth & spark to the conversation.

For the first time in a while, the group chat felt alive again. It felt real & it was all because of him...

Mahek reached out to him privately. She didn't want him to feel pressured, so she typed carefully:

"Thank you so much for doing this, bhai but if you ever feel uncomfortable or get too busy, please let me know. I will hand Azael's account to someone else"

His reply came almost instantly, that made her smile

"Don't worry, author sahiba I'll keep in touch & handle it I promise"

And he did...

Over the next few days, the account he created started to get attention, Views, comments, and messages came flooding in. The readers began to fall in love with Azael's character, crushing over his mysterious, dark personality. The posts and interactions, conversations creating a hype Mahek never expected.

She checked the account one evening and found the numbers rising, more love, more people getting involved in Azael..

She sat back, a little surprised at how quickly it had all taken off. She never expected it to grow like this, especially with a character as complex as Azael.

She smiled, feeling a strange mix of happiness & pride.

"He's really doing it..." she whispered to herself...

Her heart warmed. Zavian's involvement was turning into something bigger than just managing a character account.

As the days passed, Zavian continued to interact with the group in the same respectful, warm way. He talked to the girls in the group, always calling them sisters, engaging in friendly chats. His kind nature & friendly humor made everyone in the group attract towards him.

But as much as Mahek tried to stay focused on her work, a part of her couldn't ignore the growing attention he was getting. The girls in the group started to get more involved with Azael's account, leaving comments & compliments on every post. Some even started texting him privately, though Zavian never responded to them, Mahek couldn't help but always felt jealous.

She felt jealous as she saw their messages filled with laughter & emojis. It wasn't that she didn't want Zavian to have friends or she was doubting on Zavian that he is a bad guy, it was just she didn't expect to feel this way...

I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Stay tuned for the next part...❤❤❤