Two days had passed quietly
The group chat was still active, but something had shifted. A few members two girls & one who handled a male character approached Mahek with an idea.
"We were thinking... maybe we should create a separate group. Just for the book characters. It'll be fun to build scenes, post character thoughts & keep things more entertaining"
Mahek nodded. It sounded helpful. After all, the original chat was getting a bit crowded and off-track. So, with a few clicks, a new group was made "Patar Patar".
But as the messages came in, she did sense something else.
Their excitement wasn't just about characters. The real goal, they wanted to add Zavian and his girl too. A little curiosity, maybe they wanted to "get to know them".
Mahek didn't say much. She watched, typed little, smiled where needed but inside, something felt a bit off.
It wasn't jealousy but it wasn't comfort either.
The characters came alive, everyone seemed to be enjoying it but with that, came her again , Zavian's girl. The same sharp tone, the same way of talking that felt less like confidence & more like attitude as if she thought she was better than everyone...
And again, she started sending her pictures. Just herself, nothing related to Zavian or their relationship. Just random selfies
Mahek still called her bhabi out of respect or maybe just out of habit. Zavian talked too, casually, trying to stay part of the conversation.
Then one evening, the three girls asked him about his love story.
"How did it all start?"
"Tell us everything! You've never shared the whole thing"
Zavian answered, slowly, piece by piece, he told them how it began in school, how long he waited to confess & how she finally said yes.
But Mahek noticed something different.
He wasn't smiling like he used to when talking about her. His tone, even in text, felt... tired. Like he was saying what was expected, not what he felt. He answered the questions, but there was no warmth in his words. No sparkle. No trace of the boy who once called her his future.
And for the first time, Mahek wondered
After that group chat ended, something wasn't right with Mahek. She couldn't ignore how off Zavian seemed the way his replies lost their usual spark.
So she messaged him privately.
"Bhai, everything okay? You seemed... a little off. Is everything alright between you guys?"
At first, he denied it.
"Yeah... everything's okay Mahi"
But she wasn't convinced.
"Are you sure?"
There was a pause & then, finally he lost control
"I'm tired, Mahi, tired of everything. I keep putting in all the effort in this relationship... but..."
He stopped typing
She stared at the screen, her heart was not okay
"But what, bhai? Are you okay? Please tell me what happened"
There was no reply for a moment
And she knew, somewhere deep down, that maybe this wasn't just a bad day maybe something inside him was breaking.
"Mahi, I don't know... I just don't feel the same with Eman anymore.
She ignores the fact that I love her & when I act a little childish or try to cheer her up, she just scolds me... shouts at me. She judges everything my clothes, my way of talking, even my face sometimes..."
His words came slowly, like they were heavy to type. Like he'd been holding them in for far too long
"She doesn't respect me, Mahi. Not me, not even my family. She makes male friends... & I know I have female friends too, but hers go beyond friendship. I'm a guy I can see what they're trying to do & the worst part? Eman knows it too. She knows it's wrong. Still..."
Mahek sat there, staring at her screen. Her fingers hovered over the keyboard, unsure of what to say. She could almost hear the weight in his voice, even through silence
"When I tell her it hurts me... that I'm not okay with it... She calls me insecure. Disrespects me & my family"
There it was broken & real. A boy who once believed in a forever, now doubting every piece of it.
Mahek wanted to reach through the screen & just sit beside him in silence, offer him peace that words sometimes can't. But all she could do... was reply.
Mahek took a deep breath before typing, her heart was heavy for him.
"Bhai, it's alright. I'll talk to Bhabi, okay? Just... relax. You love her & not just a little anyone can see how much. The way you talk about her it's clear"
She paused, then added softly:
"Sometimes people don't see the love they're being given bhai"
Zavian had quietly asked for some time. No long explanations just a simple request, heavy with silence & then he was gone
The group chats that once buzzed with laughter & late night chaos slowly dimmed. Mahek could feel his absence.
She stared at the screen for a while before opening Eman's chat. Her fingers hovered over the keyboard. This wasn't easy, it wasn't her place but for Zavian, for the boy who always lifted everyone's spirits & now sat somewhere quietly breaking, she had to try.
The message she sent was gentle but honest. She didn't accuse, didn't blame. She just said what Zavian had felt & what was slowly tearing him apart.
Eman replied. Not with the usual sharpness, but something else maybe guilt, maybe clarity & for the first time, Mahek saw a softer side of her.
"I didn't know he felt all that, I'll talk to him"
Mahek exhaled slowly. Maybe things would get better now or maybe not. But she had done what she could for him.
That moment hit like a storm sharp, fast & heavy.
While Mahek sat hoping her words might have helped, on the other side, Zavian's screen lit up with Eman's message.
"So you just told everyone about us? Seriously, Zavian?"
Each line cut deeper than the last...
"You can't even protect our relationship & now you're begging other girls for attention? You're telling them I'm a bad girlfriend so they'll offer you their shoulder?"
Zavian's fingers were still, he didn't even know how to reply. There was no space to explain
"Come on, Zavian. You're just like your father Ruthless & honestly, I can't even call you a man anymore"
And then blocked. No goodbye, no space for his side of the story. He stared at the screen, eyes numb...
Zavian was still offline. Hours passed & Mahek couldn't stop checking to see if he'd come online. She was worried really worried now. Her heart felt heavy, like something wasn't right. She knew something must've happened after her talk with Eman, but she didn't expect this kind of silence from him.
"Bhai, are you okay? What happened? Did things go alright with bhabi?"
She stared at the screen, waiting for the typing dots to appear... but nothing.
She just wanted to know he was okay...
After a while, Zavian's reply finally came. Mahek quickly opened the message, holding her breath.
"I'm okay, things are okay now Don't worry & thank you for talking to her" with a heart emoji & a sparkle emoji.
Reading those words, Mahek let out a sigh of relief. It was such a relief to know that everything was okay. The tension she felt all day started to ease & for a moment, she could smile again.
They talked for a while after that just a few messages here & there, small talk, a little liter than before. Zavian thanked her again for her support & Mahek reassured him to take care of himself.
Zavian sat quietly, staring at the screen of his phone. He had just texted Mahek, telling her that everything was okay but deep down, he knew it wasn't.
He told her he was fine because he didn't want to burden her with his mess. She'd done enough already. She had tried her best to talk to Eman, to smooth things, to fix what had been broken. It wasn't Mahek's fault. She wasn't the one who had made him feel like this. She had only tried to help him & he didn't want her to see him like this broken, lost between love & frustration.
Zavian couldn't bring himself to tell her the truth. He couldn't tell her how badly Eman's words hurt, how deeply they did cut him. He couldn't tell her how much her coldness was slowly breaking him down. How much he missed the love they once shared, how everything felt like it was falling apart.
But instead, he typed the words she wanted to hear. "I'm okay. Things are okay now. Don't worry"
He couldn't risk putting all of this on her. Mahek had been there for him when he needed someone & he didn't want to drag her into his mess. He didn't want her to feel the weight of his pain, especially when she had already tried to make things right.
As he hit send, he told himself that maybe, just maybe, things would get better but he knew they wouldn't. Not unless Eman finally understood what he needed, what he deserved & that wasn't something he could change.
He knew Mahek deserved the truth, but for now, he chose to lie. Not to her, but to himself, hoping that, things would be okay again.
Zavian began texting Mahek every day. Simple messages
"Kesi ho?" (How are you?), "Mood thk hai?" (Is your mood okay?)
but they carried warmth and care. Mahek always replied with gentle words, full of love & respect, always with the same calm & grace she'd shown since day one. It had become a silent habit between them, this daily check-in where he'd ask & she'd answer, & somehow both felt a little liter.
On the other side, the Patar Patar group was more alive than ever. Eman was still there, still flexing herself posting selfies, dropping comments that drew attention, acting like everything was perfectly fine. But Zavian barely reacted. He'd reply if needed, but something in his tone had changed less excitement, more distance.
Mahek's reader group was doing great too. Conversations flowed, characters felt real & readers were active. Zavian hadn't forgotten his promise he handled the character account sincerely, keeping things moving, making sure the group stayed alive.
He was still showing up. Maybe a little tired, maybe hiding parts of himself but still there, still trying...
It was evening & the weather felt really nice, there was a little rain & a cool breeze was blowing. The group chat was active, everyone was chatting, laughing & sharing small moments. Everything seemed calm and good.
But then, something changed.
One of the members suddenly spoke badly to Mahek. Their words were rude & hurtful & even though it wasn't Mahek's fault, Mahek being the kind person she is, simply said, "I'm sorry."
She always did that, said sorry just to avoid drama, even when she hadn't done anything wrong.
Zavian saw everything & something inside him didn't feel right. Watching Mahek, someone who was always nice & respectful, say sorry when she was the one being treated badly it made him really angry. He felt anger growing quietly in his heart...
Zavian reacted in anger
His words came fast, sharp & full of anger.
"How dare you speak like that to my sister?" he said "Who do you even think you are? She's being kind to you & now you're crossing all limits?"
His tone was cold, serious that the whole group went silent.
Then he said:
"Say one more bad thing about Mahek & I swear, I'll rip your tongue off & bury you in the ground. Do you guys get that or not?"
That day, for the first time, everyone saw a side of Zavian they had never seen before. The calm, friendly guy was gone & in his place stood someone who looked truly scary when it came to protecting someone he cared about.
Mahek was shocked too. She hadn't expected Zavian to lose his temper like that. She kept trying to stop him, her messages coming one after another:
"Bhai, please don't." "Stay calm, bhai, don't fight" but Zavian wasn't calming down.
Those girls had crossed the line & even when they started misbehaving with him too, he still kept standing up for Mahek like a shield.
But Mahek didn't want drama. She didn't want the group to become a battlefield. So even though it hurt her, she made a choice.
With a heavy heart, she removed Zavian from the group.
The chat went silent after that. No one expected her to do it, not even Zavian. But she had to. For peace.
Zavian was deeply hurt by Mahek's action.
He hadn't expected her to remove him like that, not after everything. It felt like a betrayal, even if her intentions were good. Without saying a word, he quietly left the Patar Patar group chat too. A few minutes later, his account disappeared. He had deactivated it.
Everyone in the groups noticed. Members were asking where Zavian went, what happened why he left so suddenly. Mahek just stared at her screen, her fingers frozen above the keyboard. Her chest felt heavy. She wanted to keep the peace, not lose him. But now he was gone & all she could think was:
"I pushed him away" , She had done what she thought was right but it still broke something...
In a hurry, Mahek opened Eman's chat, asking for Zavian's number. Her heart was worried about him, full of guilt, fear. She prayed silently, "Please Eman, just this once... give it to me"
Eman replied with his number.
Without wasting another second, Mahek saved it & opened WhatsApp messages. She started typing & all that came out was:
"Bhai Bhai"
"Bhai"
"Bhai Bhai Bhai"
"Bhai?"
"Bhai bhai bhai..."
She didn't care how many times she typed it. She just wanted him to know that she was there. That she was sorry. That she needed her bhai back.
Zavian unlocked his phone & opened WhatsApp after hours of silence. Among the many unread notifications, messages from an unknown number. The number had an Indian code. Curious & a bit hesitant, he opened the chat
The screen was flooded with one word, repeated again and again "Bhai". He stared screen for a moment & it took him just a second to guess It was Mahek.
A soft breath left his lips, somewhere between a sigh & a smile. After a pause, he typed back:
"Yes, Mahi... don't worry I'm totally alright"
But deep down, he wasn't. He just didn't want her to worry. He could feel the sincerity in her words. He knew she was struggling between her loyalty to him & the pressure from the others. He took a deep breath before typing back:
"Mahi, You're my sister & I'll always stand by you. I just don't want you to get hurt, that's all"
Mahek typed quickly:
"Bhai, you can't go like this. I was so afraid everyone is asking about you & I just didn't know how to explain. I know you were right & you were defending me, but bhai, I don't know, I just can't see another drama. I don't want to hurt anyone. They're my friends & I don't know they hurt me, but I can't lose them, bhai"
Zavian's understood her situation & typed back:
"Mahi, they're so dumb & please don't allow anyone to control you or your emotions. I get that they're your friends, but still, they're not authorized to hurt you"
Mahek paused, reading his message again & again. It made sense, but the thought of losing her friends, even though they had hurt her, made her heart ache. She understood his point, but her sensitive nature couldn't let go of the fear.
She quickly typed back, her fingers were shivering:
"Sorry, bhai. Please come back, I need you... I don't want to lose you"
Her heart shivered as she sent the message. She was hoping Zavian would understand & return to the group, to her...
Zavian's response popped up on her screen & for the first time in a while, Mahek couldn't help but smile...
"Mahi, you are targeted by self-esteem. Come on"
His teasing tone was like a breath of fresh air, breaking through the tension she had been holding onto. Mahek felt a little liter...
She laughed softly & replied, her fingers typing quickly:
"Self-esteem? Seriously, bhai? Don't tease me, I'm trying to be serious here"
Zavian smiled at her message, his heart feeling a little liter now. He couldn't resist teasing her again.
"Seriously? You get serious too? Hahaha"
He laughed out loud, the sound echoing in his room & for a moment, everything felt normal again...
Mahek rolled her eyes but couldn't help the smile spreading on her face. He was annoying her, but in the best way possible. He was trying to cheer her up & it worked, she felt better
"Bhai, you're too bad, I don't want to talk to you", she typed, still smiling even though she was pretending to be mad
Zavian laughed again, his mood was much liter than before
"Come on, Mahi You can't stay mad at me, You love me so much" he teased, making her smile even more
Mahek smiled & typed:
"Okay, fine You're lucky you're my bhai"
Even though things were complicated, for now in this moment, they could laugh & just be there for each other & that was enough.
Mahek ended the conversation with a final smile, feeling liter than she had in days. With a deep breath, she added Zavian back to both group chats, knowing that things will get okay & peaceful. She turned off her phone, setting it aside & reached for her hot chai. The warm steam filled the room as she took slow sips, the comforting heat soothing her soul.
On the other side, Zavian sat in his quiet room, his phone still resting in his hand. A smile tugged at the corners of his lips, a genuine one that reached all the way to his heart. He felt calmer, more at peace. Despite everything, the little moments with Mahek teasing, laughing & sharing those simple thoughts had put his mind at ease. He too shut off his phone & picked up his cup of chai, taking slow sips, the warmth wrapping around him...
For the first time in days, both of them felt a sense of calm, brought by their shared moments, their shared understanding & the quiet connection they had.
Chai was something they always had after their calm & sweet talks like a quiet ritual that brought peace again & again...
There were borders between them, yes, but even from far across those borders, both of them found a strange kind of peace in each other's presence...
I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Stay tuned for the next part...ā¤ā¤ā¤
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