It was 7 p.m., and Anabiya was lost in her movie marathon. The film wasn't technically a horror movie, but the dark scenes and sudden murders were enough to make her feel uneasy. And then — snap! The entire house plunged into darkness.
Her breath hitched, and panic instantly clawed at her chest. The silence, the sudden stillness, the suffocating blackness — it felt as if someone had stolen the air from the room.
Tumbling for her phone, her shaking hands turned on the torch. She quickly typed a frantic message in the group chat, then stood and slowly stepped out of her room.
Stay calm, Anabiya, she told herself. It's just a power cut.
But in the pitch darkness, her foot hit something hard. She stumbled, and her phone slipped from her hand, sliding under the sofa.
"Shit," she whispered.
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.
Her heart leapt. Urhaan?
She walked to the door cautiously, each step heavy, and opened it — only to throw her arms around the boy standing there.
"Oh, thank God, Urhaan!" she cried, tears stinging her eyes. "I thought I was going to die alone in this creepy dark house!"
The boy froze. Then… coughed.
That cough jolted her back to reality.
She pulled away, blinking — and froze again.
It wasn't Urhaan. It was Mahir.
"Oh my God!" She stepped back in shock, but her foot slipped on the slick floor. She would have fallen hard, but Mahir instinctively grabbed her by the waist, steadying her.
The plate in his other hand crashed to the floor, scattering food everywhere.
She looked up at him with wide eyes, her heartbeat is fast as rollercoaster,her voice trembling.w"W-was this your plan? To scare me? You cut my power, didn't you? Because the outside lights are still on!"
Her lips wobbled, and in a small, pleading voice, she added, "I swear I won't mess with you again. Please… don't kill me…"
Mahir stared at her, stunned — and then burst out laughing.
His laughter burned her.
"Stop laughing!" she snapped, though her voice lacked any real anger. She was too shaken to fight properly.
"I'm sorry," Mahir said between chuckles. "I didn't mean it. But honestly… what are you even saying? Why would I cut your lights? And…" He tilted his head, confused. "What are you doing here, anyway?"
Anabiya blinked at him. "What do you mean, what am I doing here? This is my house!"
Mahir froze, then realization dawned. "Wait… you're Biya? Dado's Biya?"
Anabiya's jaw dropped. "And you're… Chotoo?"
And just like that, the tension broke.
Anabiya's eyes, still rimmed red from tears, suddenly lit up with laughter. Mahir stared at her. In that moment — he didn't feel the sharp sting of dislike.
Just then, another door in the hallway opened.
Miss Momina stepped out, staring at the two of them — at the mess on the floor, at the biryani spilled everywhere.
But before she could ask a single question, Anabiya darted forward and hugged her tightly. "Dadoooo! My lights went out! I was so scared!"
Dado immediately forgot the mess. She wrapped Anabiya in a comforting embrace, murmuring, "There, there, beta… it's alright. You'll stay with us tonight."
Mahir followed them quietly into Dado's house.
Anabiya, now calmer, handed him a sheepish look. "Um… could you get my phone? It fell behind the sofa."
He retrieved it easily and handed it to her. "It's been ringing," he said.
She quickly answered. "I'm at Dado's house ," she said hurriedly into the receiver, then hung up.
Moments later, there was another knock at the door.
This time, Mahir opened it.
Urhaan and Zaki stood there, their faces tight with worry. Without hesitation, they rushed inside.
"Biya!"
The moment Anabiya saw them, tears she didn't even know she'd been holding back spilled over again. She ran into Urhaan's arms, sobbing, "I was so scared…"
Zaki joined the hug, pulling both of them close. "You almost gave us a heart attack, Biya! Don't ever do that again!"
Dado, watching this display of friendship, whispered, "Mashallah… may everyone be blessed with such loyal friends."
"Ameen," the three of them said together, smiling through their tears.
"Where's Mishal?" Anabiya asked, glancing around.
Zaki shook his head. "I sent the driver for her, but you know her mom… strict as ever. No going out after six.
Urhaan's eyes flickered toward Mahir. Something unreadable passed over his face.
Anabiya leaned close and whispered teasingly in Urhaan's ear, "Chotoo…"
Urhaan and Zaki turned sharply, staring at her.
"Chotoo?!" Zaki exclaimed. "This is Chotoo? Dado's Chotoo from all the childhood stories?!"
Mahir glared at Dado, muttering, "How many times have I told you not to call me that?"
Dado smiled fondly. "You can grow as tall as you want, Chotoo. You'll always be my little one."
Mahir groaned and rolled his eyes.
Later that night, Dada announced, "What a lively house tonight. Let's all eat together. Chotoo, order pizza for everyone!"
Anabiya beamed. "Thank you, Dada!"
The meal was warm and noisy — but Mahir remained unusually quiet. He barely spoke, lost in thought.
Zaki eventually leaned toward him and said, "Thank you, Mahir. You don't know how big a favor you did tonight. We'll never forget it. And now… we're friends, right?"
Mahir stayed guarded. "It just happened. There's no need for thanks."
But then he looked at Anabiya and said quietly, "And… sorry. About the chair. I shouldn't have accused you. I checked later—it broke on its own."
Anabiya's face lit up. "Aha! See? I told you, if I do something, I own it!"
Urhaan smirked. "She does."
⸻
Later, Urhaan stood. "Biya, come stay at my place tonight. The lights will be fixed by tomorrow."
But Dado shook her head. "No, beta. She'll stay with me. We'll talk and catch up properly tonight."
Urhaan hesitated. His protective instincts screamed not to leave her, but Dado's voice was final.
Zaki, sensing the conflict, stepped in. "Okay, Dado. Then we'll also stay. Can't leave our new friend here alone, right?" he said, clapping Mahir on the shoulder.
Anabiya groaned. "Yaar, why are you guys staying too?"
Zaki smirked. "We're just… building a better understanding with our new friend. What's your problem with that?"
Anabiya rolled her eyes but said nothing.
Deep down, though, she felt safe.
Zaki was busy laying out mattresses in the living room when Urhaan quietly stepped up to Mahir, who was standing near the window.
"Thank you," Urhaan said softly. "You have no idea how big a favor you've done tonight."Mahir looked at him, a little taken aback by the sincerity in his voice. But before he could respond, Urhaan's tone hardened. But I haven't forgotten the way you spoke to Anabiya… or the things she had to hear because of you. Just… try to make sure it doesn't happen again."
Mahir's jaw tightened. "How are you to decide how I talk?" he asked coldly.
Urhaan didn't flinch. He took a step closer, his voice low but firm. "That's exactly what I'm telling you. She's not alone, Mahir. You can't just walk in and hurt her whenever you feel like it. We're here for her. We protect her."
For a moment, Mahir didn't respond. He just stared at Urhaan, caught off guard by the fierce loyalty in his eyes.
Protect her? Mahir thought. She's not a child… why are they so overprotective?
Finally, he nodded once. "Fine. I'll be careful next time."
Urhaan stepped back, satisfied. "Good. That's all I wanted to hear."
From across the room, Zaki had been listening quietly while fixing the bedsheets. Without looking up, he suddenly said, "Good. You're a smart guy, Mahir. Learn to understand us. We're not just protective… we're overprotective about each other. That's how it is with us."
Mahir glanced at Zaki. At first, he'd thought this "protective" streak was just Urhaan. But seeing Zaki's quiet agreement, his certainty wavered.
They're all like this? Mahir wondered. So deeply loyal… so protective… of someone who isn't even blood? How?
He didn't understand it. But something about it… impressed him.
As Mahir lay down on the makeshift bed later that night, the house was filled with quiet laughter and the faint sound of Dado's voice telling Anabiya one of her bedtime stories. Mahir stared at the ceiling, hearing their voices from the next room, warm and unguarded.
I don't belong to this world, he told himself. But… maybe I want to.
And with that unfamiliar thought tugging at his heart, Mahir closed his eyes.