Author's POV:
Two or three months had passed since Zavian & Mahek's nikkah. Life was not perfect there was distance, there were hardships, little misunderstandings & sometimes silent tears too but one thing never changed, their love for each other.
This morning, Zavian woke up early. He got ready with extra care today because he had important work. He wore a crisp white shirt, the sleeves neatly rolled up to show his watch. His black trousers, checked with white lines. He paired it with brown loafers. His hair was set back neatly, beard trimmed.
He checked the time on his watch, slightly leaning back on the car, lost in thoughts of her. Even dressed so sharply, his eyes carried softness, the softness he only had for his wife.
Zavian drove through the city streets, the soft morning light reflecting on the polished black surface of his car. Today wasn't an ordinary workday he wasn't heading to his own office but to an important meeting at another company. It was about a new project. He parked his car, adjusted his watch & stepped inside the building with his team. Confident, calm & focused like always.
Inside the conference room, he stood in front of the screen, presenting slides, explaining strategies, answering questions sharply. His team backed him up perfectly it all went well, exactly how he wanted. But even while talking about numbers & growth plans, one part of his mind was always somewhere else. As soon as the meeting ended, he walked out with his phone in hand, his eyes searching for just one name Mahi.
On the other side:
While Zavian was busy with his meeting, Mahek was on the other side of the border in her small cozy room, lost in her own little chores. She had texted Zavian earlier in the morning, asking him about his health & how his day was going.
Like always, he had replied softly, full of love & between work & meetings, he had said
"I love you" to her at least fifty times.
With a shy blush on her cheeks, she was cleaning her cupboard, folding her clothes neatly while his words echoed in her mind like a warm hug.
Outside her room, the whole house was busy too. Eid-ul-Azha was only five days away. The smell of fresh cleaning, new bedsheets & the sound of her mother's voice calling her again & again filled the house. She tied her hair in a messy bun, laughed softly at Zavian's messages & helped her mother with the chores cleaning the floor, wiping the furniture & putting up new curtains.
In the middle of this, her phone buzzed again
"Stop working so much begum, rest a bit. I love you"
She giggled & shook her head, replying
"Let me finish, Mr Husband. I love you too"
Her phone buzzed again while she was folding her clothes.
"Mahi eid ka kya scene hai?"
(Mahi, what's the plan for Eid?)
She replied quickly, smiling
"Kya scene hai?" (What plan?)
He texted back
"Bara janwar lena hai ya chota?"
(Are they going to buy a big animal or a small one?)
She chuckled softly & typed
"Woh toh baba hi dekhein gy"
(That's up to Baba. He'll decide)
He texted back immediately, as if he was waiting for her reply:
"Meri biwi k naam ki qurbani ka janwar Baba q decide krein gy?"
(Why should Baba decide the animal for the sacrifice on my wife's name?)
Her eyes widened. She stared at his message for a second before quickly typing:
"What do you mean, Zavian?"
His next reply made her heart flutter & stop all at once:
"Ap k naam ki qurbani kru ga, is liye puch rha hun"
(I'll offer the sacrifice on your name, that's why I'm asking)
Her heart skipped a beat, her cheeks turned pink. She typed back,
"Q???" (Why???)
And even before he replied, she already knew this man always found ways to make her feel loved in the most beautiful, pure ways.
He replied without wasting a second his words were soft yet full of authority, the kind only her Zavian could have,
"Biwi ho meri. Farz hai mera, haq hai apka"
(You're my wife. It's my duty & it's your right)
She bit her lip, her fingers trembled as she typed back:
"Zavian, mai paas nai hun abi. Jb aungi tb kr lena"
(Zavian, I'm not there with you right now. Do it when I come to you)
His reply came almost instantly, leaving her no room to argue:
"Dur ho pr meri biwi ho, mere nikkah mei ho, mujhy mukammal krti ho. Ab chup kr k btao"
(You may be far but you're my wife, you're in my nikkah, you complete me. Now be quiet & just tell me)
She hided her face in her hands & smiled cheeks pink, heart beating fast. With him, even miles apart, she felt entirely his.
She typed back quickly, her lips curved into a shy smile,
"Bakra, cute sa"
(A goat a cute little one)
His reply made her roll her eyes but smile even wider,
"Meri jaan, cute sy bakry ki qurbani jaiz nai"
(My love, sacrificing a cute little goat isn't permissible)
She let out a soft laugh, shaking her head as she typed,
"Han han, urha lo mazaq mera"
(Yeah, yeah, go ahead, make fun of me)
He read her reply & a soft smile spread across his face.
"Meri majaal?"
(Do I even dare?)
She blushed on her side of the screen & quickly typed back,
"Bs bs ab, drama mat kro"
(Enough now, don't start your drama)
He couldn't help but tease her more.
"I love you, jaan e Zavian"
(I love you, Zavian's life)
She squinted her eyes at the phone & typed back with tease & seriousness,
"Shukriya" (Thank you)
He chuckled, shaking his head, replied:
"Begum sahiba, chup chap jawab dein"
(My lady, answer properly, quietly)
She bit her lower lip to hide her smile & wrote back:
"Kaam hain bht janab, apki saas mujhy maar dein gi"
(I have a lot of work, sir, your mother in law will kill me)
He read her words & laughed softly to himself, imagining her busy yet still teasing him in between chores.
Mahek got busy with her chores dusting, helping her mother in the kitchen, folding washed clothes yet her mind kept going back to Zavian's texts, his smile & his sweet stubbornness. Every now & then, she'd smile to herself, remembering how he called her Jaan e Zavian.
On the other side, Zavian finished his meeting, wrapped up the leftover paperwork & finally left the office building. He sat behind the steering wheel & while driving back home, his mind played only Mahek's shy smiles, her soft "Shukriya", her scolding, her teasing.
Both were wrapped in their little world of love remembering their small fights, silly teases, sweet confessions all of it was their strength & comfort while miles apart. Distance was hard but these thoughts kept them going.
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It was Chand Raat, the night before Eid & they were on a video call, their favorite part of a day.
Mahek, lying on her bed with her hair loosely tied, asked softly,
"Zavian, send me some mehndi designs na"
He chuckled,
He quickly searched & sent her a few simple & elegant designs.
She scrolled through them, her eyes shining,
"These are nice but can I make this one?"
She turned her phone to show him a slightly more detailed pattern she had saved earlier.
Zavian looked at her through the screen, a soft smile spreading on his lips. His voice dropped to that loving, warm tone that made her heart melt every time.
"Ap jo chaho lagao, begum mai toh har haal mei ap k hath chumun ga"
(You can put on whatever you want, my love I'll kiss your hands no matter what)
Her cheeks turned pink instantly. She glanced up at him through the camera, her lips curling into a shy smile, then lowered her gaze, hiding her blushing face behind her hand.
Zavian just watched her, his heartbeat calm & restless at the same time thinking how this Chand Raat too was incomplete without her by his side.
He smiled, eyes locked onto hers through the screen & said softly,
"Pyari lg rhi ho"
(You look so beautiful)
Mahek raised her eyebrows playfully,
“Really?”
Zavian tilted his head a bit,
"Wesy begum aj ap dupatta pehnna bhool gai hain"
(By the way, my love today you forgot to wear your dupatta)
Her eyes widened in shock, she quickly looked down at herself, panicked & began searching around for her dupatta.
He watched her, a soft chuckle escaping his lips,
"Relax relax I’m your husband. I can see you like this"
She froze, her hands pausing mid search. She looked back at him heart racing, cheeks warm, lips parting as if to say something but no words came out.
He leaned a little closer to the camera, his voice lower, more possessive,
"Only I can, right?"
She nodded slowly, unable to hold back the shy smile forming on her lips. Butterflies fluttered wildly in her stomach & in that moment, even the screen between them couldn’t dull the pull of his love.
He was still looking at her, his eyes tracing her face, her neck, the way her hair fell softly over her shoulders.
She caught his stare & narrowed her eyes playfully,
“Stop looking at me like this”
He raised an eyebrow, biting back a teasing smile.
“Like what?”
She rolled her eyes dramatically, her cheeks warming.
“Like this, Zavian” She pointed at her face & neck, shy but unable to hide her smile.
Zavian chuckled, voice dropping to that husky softness that always made her heartbeat faster.
“Oh I was just admiring those beautiful curves”
Her eyes wide open,
“Astaghfirullah, Zavian”
He burst out laughing, loving how she hid her face behind her hands, scolding him but secretly blushing harder than ever.
He smiled, eyes still locked on her shy face.
"I love you"
She hid her smile behind her hand, cheeks red.
"I love you too but stop looking at me like this"
He chuckled,
"My wife is beautiful, I have every right to see her like this, hmm?"
She shook her head, trying not to smile but her heart was already fluttering.
He leaned a little closer to the camera, pointing playfully with his finger.
"That mole, it’s nice" he said with a smile, eyes dropping to the tiny beauty mark near her collarbone.
She looked down at it, then back at him, her eyes widened in shock. Without wasting a second, she grabbed her blanket & wrapped it tightly around her whole body.
"Astaghfirullah, Allah save me from this shameless man" she whispered dramatically.
He burst out laughing, his eyes shining.
"Don’t wrap yourself up like this, I’m jealous now I can’t see my beautiful wife properly"
She replied softly, her voice almost a whisper,
“Don’t make me blush, Zavian”
He smiled,
“I can do this with my wife,” he said, gently running his fingers over the screen as if he could really touch her.
She looked down shyly, her cheeks turning pink.
“I can feel this shut up now,” she mumbled, closing her eyes as her heart raced.
Then she threatened him playfully,
“I’ll cut the call, Idiot”
He burst out laughing, his heart full of love.
“I love you, Mahek”
She replied quickly, hiding her smile,
“I love you too, Mr Shameless”
He smiled, eyes soft with love.
And just like that, their call slowly blurred into the sweetness of that beautiful night, a night full of quiet love, soft smiles & unspoken promises.
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I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Stay tuned for the next part...🤍📚
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