Mahi hadn't eaten, hadn't slept, hadn't even moved properly since last night. Her eyes were swollen from crying. Every few seconds, she unlocked her phone, no message. Locked it again. In her heart, she was arguing with Allah, begging, complaining, loving Him all at once.
On the other side, Zavian slowly opened his eyes in the hospital room. His head felt heavy, his chest still hurt but the first thing he did was look for his phone. His friend Muneeb handed it to him.
Without thinking, he texted Mahi he knew she must be worried,
"Begum jaan?"
Mahi was sitting on the prayer mat, her phone lying beside her, locked. Her hands were still raised in dua when a soft notification made her heart skip a beat. She didn't even wipe her tears she grabbed the phone with shaking hands.
"Begum jaan?"
Just two words but her world felt alive again. She burst into tears, tears of relief. She typed back,
"Zavian where are you? are you okay? Please say you're okay"
Zavian smiled weakly at her worried messages, imagining her face, her tears, her worried eyes. He typed back slowly,
"I'm okay, Chanda. I'm at the hospital. Don't cry now. Doctor said I just need rest. I'm so sorry I scared you"
Mahi replied instantly,
"I hate you, I was dying here why didn't you tell me before? You don't love me. You scared me so much, Zavian"
He closed his eyes, a soft smile on his pale face, he replied her,
"I love you more than anything. Stop crying. If you cry, I can't heal. Okay? Just smile for me, my strong girl"
Mahi wiped her tears with the back of her hand,
"Okay just come back to me soon. I need you, Zavian. I can't do this without you"
He stared at her message, then typed
"Always yours, begum jaan. I promise"
He went to change his clothes, he was still in his Eid kurta, which now felt heavy after everything. After slipping into a fresh, comfortable shirt & trousers, he sat back on the bed, brushed his hair back with his hand & smiled faintly at his phone.
He clicked a quick picture of the goat (son of goat bourgour ladizz) & sent it to Mahi.
"Your qurbani, begum. Kesi hai?"
(Your sacrifice animal, wifey. How is it?)
A moment later, her reply came with a little pout emoji,
"Zavi, bht acha hai" (Zavi, it's very nice)
He chuckled, feeling his heart soften.
"Pasand aya?" (Did you like it?)
She typed back instantly, in her sweet baby tone,
"Han but yay qurban ho jaye ga? 🥺"
(Yes but will it be sacrificed?)
Zavian paused, staring at her text questioning his existence, questioning life itself. How could someone be this cute even while talking about qurbani?
He smiled, shaking his head & replied:
"Chanda, yay qurban hony ke liye hi aya hai na"
(Chanda, it's here exactly to be sacrificed)
She replied again like an innocent kid,
"Yay ziba ho jaye ga? 🥺"
(Will it be slaughtered?)
Zavian couldn't help but laugh softly. He quickly texted her back, imagining her baby face:
"I'll buy you another one, my baby. This one is for qurbani, Chanda"
She read his text & pouted even harder, typing back quickly:
"But mujhy yay wala chahiye, mujhy nai qurban krwana isko🥺"
(But I want this one I don't want it to be sacrificed)
Zavian laughed quietly, he replied, teasing her softly:
"Then how will we get the blessings of sacrifice, Chanda?"
She sent him a voice note this time, her voice babyish,
"Mujhy nai pata mujhy nai chahiye iski qurbani, tum dusra ly lo"
(I don't know, I don't want this one to be sacrificed, you buy another one)
------------------
Zavian went for the qurbani, got her animal done first just like he promised & then came back home. He sent her a picture of the meat with a laughing emoji & teased her,
"Apka cutie😂" (Your cutie)
She rolled her eyes & replied back:
"Zavian Ubaid ghayab ho jao wrna bht marun gi"
(Zavian Ubaid disappear right now or I'll beat you up badly)
He smirked, enjoying her fake anger.
"Acha? kesy? choty sy hathon sy?"
(Oh really? How? With your tiny little hands?)
She typed quickly, trying to sound scary but sounding more adorable,
"Mujhy na tum bht light ly rhe ho. Mai ghundi hun"
(You're really underestimating me. I'm a gangster)
He chuckled & teased her more:
"Acha?" (Oh really?)
"Acha Zavi suno na, mujhy na drive krna hai. Travel krna hai."
(Okay Zavi, listen I want to drive. I want to travel.)
He teased her right back:
"Do you even know how to drive?"
Mahi raised her right eyebrow dramatically while typing her savage reply:
"Am I not driving you crazy?"
He chuckled & replied,
"On my knees, mam"
Mahi replied back playfully.
"Shrm kr lein Zavian ap"
(Have some shame, Zavian)
He chuckled, teasing her with that soft flirty tone,
"Hayeee ap?"
She rolled her eyes, cheeks a little pink but kept her attitude:
"Ji ap"
Zavian wasn't done teasing her. His next text made her eyes go wide in shock,
"Let me sit on my knees, wifey. I just wanna kiss your pretty curves"
Her jaw dropped. She quickly typed back,
"Astaghfirullah, Zavian use some mouth filter"
But Zavian only laughed & teased her more.
"That's what I'm saying let me"
Mahi's face turned red. She furiously replied:
"Zavian, shut up. Chup bs chup"
He chuckled, loving every bit of her reaction & typed back.
"Zyada dramy na krein ap, acha?"
(Don't over dramatize now, okay?)
Mahi raised her eyebrows, challenging him.
"Mai toh kru gi. Kya kr lo gy?"
(I will do it. What will you do?)
Zavian smirked,
"Jo mai keh rha tha abi 2 minute pehly wohi kru ga"
(Exactly what I said two minutes ago, that's what I'll do)
Her cheeks turned pink instantly. She typed back quickly:
"Kuch nai kar skty tum"
(You can't do anything)
He raised his eyebrow in response,
"Agr mai chahun toh tumhein abi isi waqt apny paas ly aa skta hun"
(If I want, I can bring you right here, right now)
Mahi's eyes widened. Her heart skipped a beat. She typed with shaky fingers,
"I can't trust you alone so please, Mr Zavian, ego py mat lein mai yahin thk hun"
(I can't trust you alone so please, Mr Zavian, don't take it on your ego. I'm fine right here)
Zavian laughed softly & replied,
"Ap k samny kesi ego? Mai ny kaha na on my knees for you"
(What ego in front of you? Didn't I say I'm on my knees for you)
Mahi blushed & typed back:
"Acha bs bs mai chai bnany ja rhi hun Zavian Ubaid tum GC mei zyada hehe haha mat krna"
(Okay okay, enough. I'm going to make tea now. Zavian Ubaid, don't do too hehe haha in the group chat while I'm gone)
Zavian smiled at her cute warning.
"Yes, mam" he replied with a smile.
Mahi went to the kitchen to make tea while Zavian jumped into the group chat.
Everyone was online and they were playing question answer games, teasing each other like always. Their special gang:
Noor, Jannat, Nuraiya, Mehraj, Kashaf, Afifa (everyone called her Peepa), Zainab, Khushnuma, Hezel, Nauman Begum, Ghaniya, Mariya, Zem, Menaal, DJ & many more.
(Jis ka naam nai hai probably uska username mujhy yaad nai arha hehe) the whole loyal squad was there, laughing & chatting non stop.
Meanwhile, Mahi texted Zavian on WhatsApp but he didn't get the notification. He was lost in the chaos of the GC, busy laughing & teasing his friends.
Mahi kept texting him again & again:
"Zavian kidhr mar gaye ho?"
(Zavian, where did you disappear?)
"You again doing hehe?"
"Hadh hai kutty"
"Dfa ho ab" (Get lost now)
Then she got fed up & stormed into the group chat:
"Mera miya khn hai?"
(Where is my husband?)
Zavian's breath literally stopped in his throat.
Everyone in the group went wild:
"Bhai ab toh ap gaye" (Bro, now you're dead)
"Bhai ko belan lgein gy"
(Brother is gonna get beaten with a belan)
"Bhai maza aye ga" (Bro, this will be fun to watch)
Mahi glared:
"Zavian Ubaid, I hate you"
He quickly typed back:
"Esy toh na kaho" (Don't say that)
She said,
"Han, neechy baitho or maafi maango"
(Sit down & say sorry)
He obeyed instantly,
"Okay, baith gaya" (Okay, I'm sitting)
She teased more,
"Mai kesy manun? Kya pata bed py hi baithy ho tum"
(How should I believe you? Maybe you're just sitting on the bed)
So he actually sent a picture sitting on his knees on the floor.
The whole group went crazy:
"Bhai don't raise our standards"
"Bro, don't set the bar so high, We were already single, now you both are making it worse"
And Mahi was left staring at her phone, completely shocked.
Mahi said,
"Zavian, utho foran mai toh bas tung kr rhi thi yar"
(Zavian, get up right now I was just teasing you)
He laughed softly & replied,
"Anything for you"
She quickly said,
"WhatsApp aao"
(Come to WhatsApp)
And without wasting a second, Zavian left the group chat & jumped straight to her WhatsApp.
------------------
Mahi asked softly,
"Zavi, let's hear songs together,?"
He smiled immediately,
"Sure, sure anything you say"
Mahi opened Spotify & so did Zavian. Within seconds, they were on a video call both lying comfortably, sharing headphones through the screen. Song after song played. Mahi sang along in her soft, sweet voice, sometimes shyly looking away when she caught him staring.
Zavian couldn't take his eyes off her. He didn't care about the lyrics, for him, her face was the sweetest melody.
Finally, the last song started 'Wanna Be Yours'.
Mahi hummed the words & Zavian, with a soft smile, whispered along with her. His voice was low, almost like a secret.
If you like your coffee hot
Let me be your coffee pot
You call the shots, babe
I just wanna be yoursSecrets I have held in my heart
Are harder to hide than I thought
Maybe I just wanna be yours
I wanna be yours, I wanna be yoursWanna be yours
Wanna be yours
Wanna be yours...
She noticed him staring at her through the screen. She raised her eyebrow & asked playfully,
"Kya dekh rhy ho?"
(What are you looking at?)
He smiled,
"Apni biwi ko"
(At my wife)
Her cheeks turned pink. She complained cutely,
"Gg kaam kr kr k haal dekhein mera"
(Look at my condition after handling the work)
He chuckled, eyes tracing her face & neck,
"Wohi toh dekh rha hun, pyari pyari neck, dupatta phir bhool gai?"
(That's exactly what I'm looking at your cute neck forgot your dupatta again?)
She rolled her eyes, then looked straight at him & teased,
"Ab farq nai prta"
(It doesn't matter anymore)
Zavian laughed softly, leaning closer to the screen,
"Mera asar ho gaya hai begum py"
(My effect is showing on my wife)
She giggled shyly,
"Han toh shohar ho mere"
(Of course, you're my husband)
He looked at her, a gaze full of love, lips curling into a soft smile. Then in a low whisper, he sang just for her,
"Wanna be yours..."
She bit her lip to hide her smile & whispered back,
"I love you, Chomu Laal"
He looked deep into her eyes through the screen, his voice soft & filled with love,
"I love you more, Chanda"
She blushed even harder, hiding her smile behind her hand but he saw it all & fell for her all over again...
He was still looking into her eyes through the screen, said
"Promise me you'll always be mine?"
She smiled, her cheeks pink, eyes sparkling.
"Forever yours, Mr Zavian Ubaid"
He chuckled, leaning a bit closer to the camera as if he could touch her.
"I'll hold you for real like this, so close that even this distance won't dare to come between you & me"
She bit her lip shyly & said
"You always know what to say"
He whispered, a teasing shine in his eyes,
"You always know how to make me fall in love again & again. Say it na, say you love me"
"I love you Zavian"
His smile widened, eyes turning soft.
"I love you more, Mrs Zavian & remember only mine, forever"
She looked at him, laughing softly,
"Zavian, your lips are so pouty so cute"
He smirked, leaning closer to the camera.
"Yours"
She blushed instantly, hiding her face.
"You still look like a baby, Zavian my cute baby"
He chuckled, eyes twinkling.
"Han toh adopt me"
She giggled, biting her lip.
"Already adopted, Mr Baby Husband"
His heart melted, he touched the screen gently with his fingers.
"I wanna touch my wife right now"
She whispered back, eyes locked on his
"Yours"
He laughed softly, cheeks turning pink.
"My dialogues against me? Naughty begum"
She flipped her hair dramatically.
"Kya karein jalwa hai hamara"
And they both burst out laughing together, their screens echoing with love & giggles...
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A year ago, when Zavian first entered Mahi's group chat as his character account named Azael, he had proudly said to someone, "Jalwa hai hamara" It became an iconic line for him because the funniest part was that Instagram suspended his account for three days over a copyright claim because of that one line.
Since then, "Jalwa hai hamara" turned into a precious little inside joke & memory for both of them, a reminder of how it all began & how Mahi fell for his bold, playful attitude from the very first day.
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I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Stay tuned for the next part...🤍📚
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