Days passed quickly but hardly. Each day felt like a weight on the heart. The excitement of being married, the softness of love it was all still there but now wrapped in pain & distance.
Zavian was alone in the house he built with his dreams but every wall, every corner echoed with silence. He missed her voice, her laugh, her presence. His mornings started with
"Good morning, begum sahiba" but the screen wasn't enough anymore.
Across the border, Mahek lived the same ache. She was in her parents home, yet her soul had already left, it was with him. She was someone's wife now. In a pure, halal bond still waiting to feel the warmth of that relationship beyond a screen.
Zavian's father had quietly started working on getting him a foreign nationality through all the means he could manage. He knew how much his son's heart ached. He knew how important it was now, not just for Zavian but for Mahek too, now she was his daughter. Some doors had started opening. Some papers were moving. It was slow but it was something. Zavian, on the other hand kept himself buried in work, everything looked normal on the outside.
But his thoughts were bothering him.
"What if the contract ends before I get the chance?"
"What if I can't go to India in the next two years?"
"What if Mahek keeps waiting like this?"
That what if, it never let him sleep peacefully.
Every time Mahek called & said, "I miss you, Zavian" he smiled back but a piece of him broke quietly. He didn't tell her the whole truth. He never wanted her to worry but this wait it was burning him slowly.
Still, every night before sleeping, he whispered the same thing in prayer:
"Ya Allah, make a way"
That night, Zavian couldn’t take it anymore, he needed to hear her voice, see her face. He called Mahek on WhatsApp, a video call.
She picked up.
And the moment he saw her, his heart sank.
Her eyes were red. Her face was tired. She had clearly been crying.
He straightened up immediately, worry filling his voice,
“Mahek what happened??”
She tried to hold it in for a second but as soon as she heard his voice, that hold broke. Tears silently rolled down her cheeks. Her lips shivered. She couldn’t speak. Just cried.
Zavian froze. His eyes didn’t blink.
“Mahi…” he whispered.
He raised his hand & touched the screen softly, wishing it was her skin. He wanted to wipe those tears, kiss her swollen eyes, wrap his arms around her & tell her nothing could hurt her anymore.
But there was only glass.
His throat tightened. His eyes filled up but he didn’t let the tears fall. He couldn’t. Not in front of her. One of them had to be strong.
He spoke softly,
“Mahek, please don’t cry your tears break something in me. Just talk to me I’m here Chanda”
She started crying like a child, those painful hiccups... Zavian’s soul cracked.
He leaned closer to the screen, his voice was soft, shaken
“Mahi”
“Mujhy btao kya hua hai?”
(Tell me what happened?)
Mahek shook her head, tears falling down, lips shivering she couldn’t speak, just kept crying.
He moved even closer to the screen & whispered with all the gentleness in the world,
“Tell me, Mahi kisi ny kuch kaha hai? Kuch hua hai? Ap thk ho?”
(Did someone say something to you? Did something happen? Are you okay?)
She didn’t answer. She couldn’t, she just cried harder.
A tear finally slipped from Zavian’s eye. He hurriedly wiped it away He didn’t want her to see him fall apart too. He had to stay strong, for her.
And then through her hiccups, her broken voice whispered,
“Zavian mujhy tumhare pas ana hai, I can’t anymore please take me with you…”
(Zavian I want to come to you)
She looked at him through the screen with eyes filled with tears but even more than that, filled with hope.
Hope that he would make everything okay.
Hope that he would take her away from this pain.
Hope that he was her peace & always would be.
Zavian looked into her eyes through the screen, as if trying to reach into her soul & hold her in the silence.
He parted his lips to say something but the words, they just didn’t come. Instead, he tilted his head a little, voice soft, heart full & said softly,
“Ap royein toh nai na esy, It hurts na, Chanda”
(Please don’t cry like this)
“Ap roti ho, khamosh hoti ho toh meri puri duniya khamosh ho jati hai”
(When you cry & go quiet it’s like my whole world goes silent)
“Ap meri zindagi ki wahid ronaq ho agr ap esy udaas rho gi, ro gi, toh mai toot jaun ga na”
(You’re the only light in my life, if you stay sad like this, if you cry, then I’ll fall apart too)
And then gently, lovingly he leaned forward & kissed the screen, right where her face was.
A kiss full of comfort.
Mahek let out a soft laugh through her tears.
“Eww, Zavian cringe” she said, wiping her tears with the edge of her dupatta, finally smiling a little.
Zavian chuckled back, his eyes finally catching some peace in her smile.
“Toh phr hasi aa gai na meri Chanda ko” he whispered.
(So my Chanda finally smiled, didn’t she?)
She looked at him through teary eyes, her voice was soft
"Zavian I wanna come to you. I hate touches, you know that but I just want to be in your arms. I wanna feel loved & safe"
Her voice cracked a little on the end.
Zavian smiled gently, the kind of smile that holds both love & helplessness.
"I’ll be there with you, begum. Just keep praying, okay? Baba is trying his best, Chanda"
She lowered her gaze for a second, then looked back at him, eyes full of hope.
"I need you, Zav. I can’t stay here anymore. I just, I wanna be with my husband"
Zavian looked at her like she was his whole world wrapped in a single screen. His voice dropped into that soft, deep tone he always used for her.
"I love my wife"
She gave a small smile tired but full of love.
"Wifey loves you more"
Zavian was wearing a blue shirt, the sleeves folded neatly up to his forearms, hair slightly messy in the way Mahek secretly loved.
Mahek raised her brows & gave a playful smirk.
"Oh wow blue shirt, why are you looking so good today?"
Zavian chuckled softly, leaning back a little.
"Bs apko impress krny ki kohshish hai, begum sahiba"
(Just my daily struggle to impress you, wifey)
Mahek narrowed her eyes playfully.
"Blue color toh meri weakness hai, tumhara pura plan hai mujhy pagal krny ka na?"
(Blue is my weakness, this is your full plan to drive me crazy, isn’t it?)
He chuckled, running a hand through his hair.
"What can I do, when my wife has such royal taste?"
She laughed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, cheeks slightly pink.
"Zav stop being this cute. It’s unfair"
He leaned closer to the screen, eyes were soft.
"You married me. That means you signed up for all of this, Mrs Cute"
Mahek smirked, she leaned a little closer to the screen.
"I’ll make you wear pink one day, just wait"
Zavian’s eyes widened.
"Eww, begum no never. Not pink"
She burst out laughing.
"Why? What’s wrong with pink?"
He shook his head, making a cute pout face.
"It’s just it’s too pink. Mujhy dekh k log kahein gy, dekho pyar mei pagal ho gaya hai"
(People will look at me & say he’s gone mad in love)
She smiled proudly.
"Exactly That’s the whole point, Mr Zavian. I want the world to know you’re madly in love"
He sighed, putting a hand to his heart.
"Bs begum, izzat ka janaza nikalna hai toh chlo pink b pehan leta hun"
(Fine, if my honor must be sacrificed, then I guess I’ll wear pink too)
She laughed harder.
"That’s the spirit & don’t worry you’ll look cute"
He narrowed his eyes with a teasing glare.
"Ap mujhy husband rehny dein, cartoon mat bnaiye"
(Please keep me as your husband, not as a cartoon)
They both laughed together, her giggles soft &melodic, his chuckle deep & soft. The kind of laughter that wrapped itself around their hearts & held on, making the distance feel just a little easier.
Mahek smiled, her cheek resting on her palm as she looked at him through the screen.
"You know, Zav these little silly talks make me feel close to you. Even when we’re so far"
Zavian's expression softened. He leaned a bit closer, eyes were gentle.
"That’s because you live here" he said, placing a hand over his heart.
She smiled with tearful eyes,
"I really can’t wait for the day I can push you in real life when you tease me like this"
He laughed.
"I’ll let you push me, annoy me just come to me, begum"
She softly nodded.
"Soon, InShaAllah. Very soon"
Zavian looked at the time, then at her.
"Now I guess it's chai time again?" he asked with a smile.
Mahek’s eyes lit up.
"Always Chai is my love language, mister"
Zavian made a pout,
"I thought I was your love language"
She smiled, she loved his pout
"You are but you & chai together? Irresistible"
They sipped their chai quietly for a moment.
Zavian leaned back in his chair, taking a deep breath, watching her smile between sips.
"You know," he said softly, watching her sip her chai,
"if you were here, I would’ve made that chai just the way you like it"
Mahek chuckled & raised an eyebrow.
"Acha? And you think you'd make it right?"
He smiled.
"I’d try every day till I do"
She looked at him warmly.
"Even if it turns out bad, I’d still drink it. Just because it's from you"
He leaned in slightly toward the screen, his voice was gentle.
"And I'd sit right next to you, watching every sip just to see you smile"
Then Mahek gently asked,
"Zav koi update?"
(Any update?)
Zavian’s smile faded a little. He nodded slowly.
"Baba’s trying every possible way. Papers are moving, it’s slow but it's happening. Just keep praying, Chanda"
She looked at him, holding her cup close to her lips but not drinking.
"Every prayer of mine starts & ends with us being together, Zav"
He gave her a weak but hopeful smile.
"Same here, begum. Every effort I’m making, it’s all for us. So that one day I can finally come to you, to home Mahek"
A tear slipped from her eye. She quickly wiped it.
"And I’ll run into your arms when you do" she whispered.
Zavian looked at her
"Just the thought of that, gives me strength"
Zavian smiled as Mahek gently held her warm cup, both silent for a few seconds, just listening to each other’s breath through the call.
"You know, sometimes," she said quietly
"when I can’t sleep, I imagine your arms around me. I wrap my own arms tight & pretend it’s you"
Zavian’s heart sank, softened & swelled all at once. She said
"Sometimes I wonder what your hug feels like. Is it warm? Safe?"
"It's home" he said simply.
There was a pause. A soft silence that felt like a hug itself.
Mahek smiled.
"One day, InShaAllah your arms won’t be far"
Zavian looked at her, a softness in his eyes.
"And that day, I’ll hold you for all the nights you cried alone"
She wiped the corner of her eye & giggled like a kid.
"Stop stop, you’re making me emotional. Now say something stupid, quick"
He smiled.
"Okay if you were a cup of chai, I’d sip you slowly & burn my tongue but still keep drinking"
She burst into laughter.
"Zavian What even... that’s terrible"
He said in laughter,
"But you laughed"
Mahi tried to control her laugh & said making a serious face
"Because it was so bad"
They both smiled, faces glowing through the screen.
Moments later, Mahek yawned softly.
"Sleepy?" he asked.
"A little"
"Then sleep, Chanda. I’ll stay on the call till you do"
She nodded, lying down with her phone propped.
"You always make things feel easier, Zav"
Zavian smiled, came closer to screen & whispered,
"That’s what husbands are for, Mrs Zavian"
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Zavian’s POV:
When I saw her crying, my heart? It left my body.
I swear, I couldn’t breathe for a second. There she was, in front of me not physically but enough for my soul to feel every drop that rolled down her cheek.
I just wanted to hug her tightly. To hold her so close that all her pain could melt into my arms.
To whisper, “I’m here, Chanda nothing can hurt you now”
But I couldn’t & that’s the worst part.
I saw her lips shaking, eyes swollen, voice stuck somewhere between a sob & a scream & I was stuck too, behind this stupid screen.
My hands reached out on their own, brushing the phone as if I could wipe her tears.
Allah, I wanted to kiss away that hurt. Take every worry from her heart & carry it in mine.
I’ve always known she’s strong but today? She looked like a little girl, breaking & it broke something inside me too.
And I hated myself for not being there, for not being able to pull her into my arms, for not being able to just be her peace.
Sometimes love hurts but this distance?
It stabs, over & over.
I don’t know how much longer we have to wait but I swear on every breath I take the day I hold her, I’ll never let her cry alone again.
Never...
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Mahek’s POV:
I don’t know what happened. I was just sitting in my room, painting something random…
But then just like that Zavian hit my thoughts & my heart? It sank.
And before I knew it, my eyes, they got teary.
I don’t even remember what I was thinking.
But I cried & cried.
Quiet at first Then like a baby, with hiccups, holding my brush tight like it could fix what I was feeling.
I couldn’t stop & when I called him, when I saw his face, I cried even more.
But you know what?
He didn’t panic.
He didn’t get angry.
He just looked at me with those eyes full of care, full of pain too & stayed.
He didn’t try to fix me with words.
He just stayed.
And in that moment, even though I was the one crying,
I looked at him & I forgot my pain.
Honestly.
I looked at that man, my husband & just fell in love with him again.
Not because he was perfect but because he was mine.
And he knew exactly how to hold my heart even from miles away...
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Author’s POV:
They both tried to hold onto each other not just with emotions but with strength & hope.
Because love like theirs needed more than just “I miss you”
It needed patience.
It needed faith.
And most of all, it needed one of them to be strong always.
Sometimes, it was Mahek.
When Zavian panicked because of family, pressure, the pain of distance, she became his calm his peace. All he had was her, her words, her soft voice whispering “I’m with you”
And sometimes, it was Zavian.
When Mahek lost hope, when tears took over, when her thoughts became storms he didn’t leave.
He stayed. Even when he was tired himself, he stayed because she needed him more.
It wasn’t easy.
But it was theirs.
This bond it wasn’t just a love.
It was a fight.
A promise.
A gentle kind of forever that they chose every single day.
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I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Stay tuned for the next part...🤍📚
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