The Next Morning
The next day arrived gently, like a soft whisper after a loud night
Zavian woke up with a calm heart &a rare smile on his face. The weight he had been carrying for weeks felt a little liter today. The night's conversation with Mahek was still in his mind, a reminder that not all connections are loud, some heal quietly.
He got up, freshened up & got dressed in his formal charcoal dress shirt, black dress pants & a black watch. His style was simple yet confident just like him. As he sipped his morning chai, a habit he never skipped, he opened the curtains & let the early sunlight come in. The weather was just right. Maybe it was going to be a good day.
He reached his office on time a modern, well-kept building that had seen years of effort & learning. His cabin held memories, plans, charts, & above all, his country flag on the table & his father's teachings. He still remembered the first time he walked into this office, not as a son but as someone learning to carry the family name forward.
He was only fifteen when his father started teaching him the basics of business. After school, while most kids played outside, Zavian would sit in his father's office, learning about profit margins, client relationships & the importance of patience. It wasn't forced, he wanted to do it. He admired his father not just as a parent, but as a man who built an empire with his own hands, his father was from Balochistan, where everything was horrible he moved out for his family & after years of hard work from bicycle to luxury cars he earned everything he ever wanted for himself & his family, even for bloodline...
Today, Zavian was a young businessman sharp, respectful & wise beyond his age. His employees looked up to him, not just because of his position, but because of how he treated them with kindness & fairness
As he walked into his cabin, a few team members greeted him
"Good morning, Sir"
He smiled "Morning. Let's make today count" , & just like that, he got to work focused, calm & silently thankful for the peace he was feeling inside.
On the Other Side
In the middle of a lively traditional home, Mahek's morning was starting in her own colorful way.
A desi girl at heart deeply in love with her words, colors & music. She was an art student & her world revolves around poetry, paint & playlists that held her emotions like secrets
Mahek was in a rush. Her room smelled like books & wet paint, brushes, canvas boards & open notebooks were witnesses to the world she created every day. She quickly got ready, blue jeans paired with a black kurti, her favorite black tote bag hung over one shoulder & khussa's on her feet. No makeup, just kajal lightly tracing her eyes. Her hair in lavender hijab.
If anyone paused to look at her in that moment, they'd agree she wasn't ordinary. She looked like the moon had come down to earth or like a wave from the ocean had taken human form clear, pure & deep...
She waved a quick goodbye at home & ran down to the street, stopping at the corner to find an auto. After a few minutes of convincing the driver, she finally hopped in & made her way to the university, lost in the thoughts of her next story scene.
By the time she reached campus, the sun was soft & the wind carried a little music of its own. She met her friends, laughed a little & soon found herself sitting in the lawn, her canvas in front of her. Paints opened, brush in hand, Mahek was in her zone quietly blending colors into stories.
That morning, her heart felt lite maybe because Zavian was okay maybe because she didn't lose him & maybe because chai, a little kindness & soft conversations really do heal more than we think
Evening Settles In...
After hours of meetings, calls & numbers on screens, Zavian finally returned home. The suit was off & now he was back in comfort a simple white kurta shalwar, sleeves loosely folded, hair a little messy from the long day. The air outside had cooled down & so had his thoughts. His room was quiet, he poured himself a glass of water, placed his phone on the table & sat near the window for a moment, watching the sky slowly dim.
On the other side...
Mahek had already come back from university. Her tote bag was lying at one corner of the bed, books stacked on her study table & paint still staining her fingers. She had changed into soft home clothes a simple kurti & shalwar, hair tied up loosely now. She was lying on her bed, one leg crossed over the other, scrolling through her phone lazily. Notifications blinking, some memes, some group messages & then, she opened their chat.
Her eyes paused on Zavian's last message from the night before his teasing, his calm, his laughter.
A soft smile appeared on her face, unknowingly & as the clock ticked slowly into the evening, both were in different corners of the world, in their quiet rooms, dressed in comfort but somehow, a small part of them was still with each other... in unread texts & unspoken thoughts.
Zavian sat near his window, legs stretched out, phone in hand. The sky outside had turned a sleepy shade of grey-blue & the wind carried a peaceful stillness.
He opened Instagram, just to scroll for a while until he saw her story Mahek's .
He tapped on it
It was a simple video. No filters, no heavy edits. Just a still black frame & a song playing softly in the background but not just any song.
It was Titli that old Bollywood song from Chennai Express, full of softness & emotion & this time... her voice was there too. Not loud, not clear just along with the song. Softly, like a secret only meant for the night.
Zavian froze.
His fingers stopped moving. His eyes didn't blink.
He didn't even realize when his breathing slowed, or when his heart quietly leaned closer to that voice
He replayed it once.
Then again & again...
There was something in that softness maybe her innocence, or her peace, or just the way her voice carried a quiet kind of peace. He couldn't explain it. He just kept listening
Again & again & again...
Until even he lost count of how many times he pressed replay. There, in that tiny piece of a story that would vanish in 24 hours... he found a piece of calm he didn't know he needed.
Or maybe... A piece of her he was slowly getting addicted to
He stared at the screen for a few seconds, still lost in her voice. No thoughts, just that soft song replaying in his mind like a memory he didn't want to let go of...
Without thinking too much, without adding anything else he opened her DM & typed just one word:
"Mesmerized"
Then he hit send.
Simple, honest, raw. He didn't know how she would react but for once, he didn't care because that one word held everything he felt in that moment peace, wonder & maybe something more he wasn't ready to name yet...
Zavian leaned back in his chair, the last sips of chai still warm in the cup beside him. His eyes stayed fixed on the screen, but his mind had already wandered far away from the present
Back in time. Five… maybe six months ago
He could still remember that evening clearly. It wasn’t anything special. He was just sitting in his room, scrolling through random messages & muted group chats. Everything felt heavy back then. Life was noisy outside, but inside him? Quiet, restless, empty.
That’s when he texted her.
He didn’t expect much. Just thought maybe it would kill some time, distract his mind a little but when he started reading Mahek’s words honest, raw, soft like late-night thoughts something shifted. Her story wasn’t just a story. It felt like a quiet conversation.
After finishing few chapters, he just stared at his phone for a while, he had felt relief, a strange kind of peace. Like the chaos in his head had finally paused, even if just for a little while.
It wasn’t about falling for anyone. It was just… comforting.
The girl who was always calm, always quiet, always kind she had a storm inside her too & she had learned how to turn it into art. Into words, into something beautiful.
Zavian blinked, pulled back into the present by a notification.
He smiled a little
"It all started there" he whispered to himself
Back then, Zavian was still in college. Life was a rush classes, assignments, business responsibilities & Eman...
Yes, she was there too. He had loved her, truly. With everything he had. The kind of love that makes you wait all night just for one reply, the kind that forgives a thousand times, hoping maybe the next time things will be different.
But Eman maybe she never loved him the way he did.
She was always angry, always complaining. Her words? Sharp like knives.
She used to disrespect him, sometimes even his family, taunts & things that no one would say to someone they loved but he stayed every time.
Until one day, something broke. It wasn’t a big fight not louder than the others but this time, something inside Zavian just gave up.
He had told her calmly, clearly:
"Bs Eman, ek bar or agr tum ny is trh baat ki na then don’t expect me to stay. I love you, but I can't keep begging to be respected"
(Eman, just once more if you talk to me like this again, then don’t expect me to stay. I love you, but I can't keep begging for respect.)
And that was it. He meant it
Eman’s words cut deep:
“I curse your love & your so called kindness. You’re someone who never got love from his family or anyone else. That’s why you don’t know how to handle it. You’re such a jerk”
Zavian stared at the screen for a moment, silent. Her words hit like a storm, louder in his mind than on the screen
Then, he typed with heavy heart:
“Enough, Eman just leave”
No more arguments, no more trying.
Eman blocked him & in the middle of all the noise his heart held, she left him sitting in silence alone, again...
Zavian tried to keep himself busy.
He kept reading Mahek’s book & focused more on his work. He didn’t want to think about Eman, but deep down, he was still hurt. Four years is not a small amount of time. No matter how it ended, no matter how much pain she gave him, those memories didn’t just disappear overnight.
But with every conversation he had with Mahi, something inside him felt calmer, peaceful & a little healed.
She never forced him to speak, never judged, never crossed any line. She was just there. Like a soft breeze in a suffocating room. Like chai on a heavy day & Zavian? He was slowly starting to realize where this bond was heading. He wasn’t sure what it was but he knew it was something.
Time passed just like that.
Zavian wasn’t part of that group chat now, but he & Mahi had built a little nice convo of their own. They talked maybe twice a week sometimes more, sometimes less but those conversations were always warm, calm & full of comfort.
Ramzan, the holy month arrived. It brought a sense of peace with it. One night, after returning home from praying Taraweeh, Zavian lay down on his bed, on his stomach, arms crossed under his chest, face half buried in the pillow.
His phone buzzed, a notification.
@authormahek is live
Without thinking much, he tapped on it & joined the live session.
There were two girls, Mahek & her friend. Their cameras were off, only audio was on. They were laughing, casually chatting, answering questions from people who had joined. Viewers were asking about the next chapter of Mahek’s story, bits about her life, her thoughts.
Zavian was silent, just listening maybe Mahi noticed his presence in the list of viewers maybe not...
Suddenly, his earpods died
For some reason he didn’t know why it made him restless, desperate He needed to hear her. Not miss a single word. He quickly removed the headphones, turned up the volume to max & placed the phone right next to his ear, lying there still just listening to the sound of laughter & voice, he didn't know who is Mahi from them.
Zavian’s first message in the live chat popped up:
"Ap mei se Mahek kon hai?" (Which one of you is Mahek?)
Mahek noticed the message & laughed softly. Then, in her cheerful voice, she replied:
"Ary Zavian bhai kesy hain?" (Oh Zavian bhai how are you?)
And right at that moment, as her voice reached him through the speaker, playful & warm
Zavian felt it...
For the first time, clearly & without doubt
He had truly fallen in love with that girl.
He kept listening to her for an entire hour her laugh, her voice, the way she replied to everyone with warmth & love. It felt like a melody he never wanted to pause.
He didn’t even realize when the live session ended.
His eyes slowly closed, his phone still beside him…
And just like that, he slept with her voice in his ears & one thought in his heart:
His Mahi , Yes she was his Mahi...
After that day, Zavian made sure to always talk to Mahi nicely, softly, kindly without ever letting her know what he truly felt inside. He smiled through their chats, joked with her, listened to her, & made her laugh... but inside, he was restless.
She was from India.
He was from Pakistan.
Two hearts, two souls divided not by feelings, but by borders, by history, by distance & she was so innocent, so pure, that he couldn’t dare hurt her in any way.
Not even with the truth of his feelings.
He tried to focus on work, friends, life... but Mahi she stayed, quietly, in his heart and in his thoughts.
He kept thinking, "What if this doesn’t end well? What if it hurts her?"
And in that moment of helplessness, an idea came in his mind.
He decided to go back to Eman
Not out of love.
Not out of hope.
Only for Mahi’s peace...
A notification brought Zavian back from his thoughts & the weight of old memories,
It was a message from Mahek
“Thank you bhai ”
Simple, lite hearted, just like her
He smiled gently and typed back:
“It was really mesmerizing”
She didn’t say anything after that just liked the message.
Zavian looked at the screen for a few seconds, then softly whispered
“Bhai…”
A soft laugh escaped his lips, tired, bittersweet
He locked his phone, placed it aside & lay down on his bed.
The room was dark now & slowly, as the silence grew & shadows deepened, everything blurred his thoughts, his worries, his memories…
And just like that,
the day came to an end...
Days kept passing like that. One day, Mahi texted Zavian privately:
“Bhai, I want to share something”
Zavian replied after few minutes:
“Yes, Mahi What happened? Sorry, I was in the office”
She quickly replied:
“No problem, bhai Do your work, we’ll talk when you get free”
Zavian smiled & typed softly:
“Mahi, I always have time for you. Go on, tell me what happened”
Just reading those words made Mahek feel a little lighter like someone was there, like someone truly cared.
“Bhai… actually…”
Mahek paused. She was hesitating.
Zavian noticed it & replied gently,
“Hmm?”
Like saying, I’m listening, Mahi
She took a deep breath & finally said:
“Bhai… actually, there’s a guy who likes me… but…”
Zavian suddenly felt something in his heart like a soft crack, a small break but he kept his calm. He had to act like a brother. He had to be strong for her happiness.
He asked softly:
“But Mahi?”
Mahi replied, after a small silence:
“Bhai… he’s Hindu”
Zavian replied softly, his words gentle but his heart slightly heavy:
“Mahi… what about you? Do you like him too?”
Something inside him was quietly hoping, hoping her answer would be no.
Mahi sighed & said,
“Bhai… I don’t know, He’s Hindu, he says he can revert to Islam… but bhai, no I’m not ready for all this”
Zavian felt a little sad hearing that, not because of the boy but because she sounded confused & tired.
Still, he asked again:
“But Mahi… do you like him?”
Mahi replied quickly, almost frustrated:
“Bhai, I don’t know… I just want you to talk to him. Ask him not to contact me, please he annoys me now”
Zavian stared at her message.
He didn’t say it, but something about her relying on him trusting him to protect her peace, meant more than she could ever know.
Zavian replied calmly, holding back thousand of thoughts running through his head:
"Okay, Mahi I'll talk to him. Don’t worry about anything"
He didn’t ask more questions.
He didn’t let her hear the weight in his voice.
Because this wasn’t about him, this was about her peace & for Mahi, he could carry his silence like armor...
In that moment, he knew one thing:
Even if she wasn’t his to hold, he would always stand like a wall between her & anything that made her feel uncomfortable
Mahek felt a strange peace after sharing it all with Zavian.
It was like a weight had been lifted.
Someone finally understood. Someone finally listened.
Her phone buzzed.
It was him again, that boy.
She stared at the message for a moment & sighed deeply.
With a tired heart, she began typing a reply…
On the other side, in a dimly lit room, Zavian lay quietly, staring at the ceiling.
He felt numb, not angry, not hurt… just empty.
Mahek’s words were still echoing in his mind & somewhere deep inside, something felt like it was slowly breaking.
Suddenly, his phone buzzed Eman.
He closed his eyes for a moment & sighed, the kind of sigh that carried years of tiredness.
Still, he started typing a reply...
Zavian, with a heart full of unspoken feelings, was trying to hold onto pieces of himself he didn’t even recognize anymore. His silence was louder than his pain & his smile the rare one, held weight no one could see.
Mahek, soft & brave, was caught between her kindness & her chaos. She wanted to protect everyone, even if it meant tearing herself apart quietly. She felt safe with Zavian, yet the storm inside her didn’t seem to calm down.
Life… life doesn’t wait for anyone to catch up. It moves, it changes & it never asks if you’re ready.
While destiny was carefully laying out the next chapter with gentle hands, the ones living the story were being pulled into directions they never thought they'd have to face, quietly, painfully, & beautifully all at once...
I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Stay tuned for the next part...❤❤❤
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