The week felt strangely different without Zaki's constant chatter. He had flown to London with his father for a few days because of family business matters. The group felt incomplete. Even Mishal wasn't around—she was running a high fever, tucked in bed at home, leaving only Anabiya, Urhaan, and Mahir at school.
Anabiya hated it. She tried to act normal, laughing with Urhaan, poking fun at Mahir every now and then, but something inside her felt hollow. The absence of her closest friends pressed on her heart like a weight.
During break time, she stood in the corridor, sipping juice, when she noticed a group of girls whispering and glancing her way. Their giggles were sharp, mocking. Anabiya raised an eyebrow, pretending not to care, but their words carried across the hallway.
"She thinks she's so special… always hanging around the new boy."
"Exactly. Did you see how Mahir looks at her sometimes?"
"She acts like she owns the place. Let's see how bold she really is today."
Anabiya ignored them, brushing it off with a smirk. But deep inside, her chest tightened. She hated when people twisted things, when her presence became a reason for mockery.
During Game Period The sun burned bright on the school ground. The sports teacher handed out balls, and girls rushed into groups for a dodgeball game. Anabiya joined in half-heartedly,
Urhaan and Mahir stood at the edge of the field, not too interested in the game. She didn't notice the group of jealous girls exchanging glances, forming a silent plan.
It started subtly—one of them threw the ball a little too hard, aiming near Anabiya. She dodged, laughing lightly.
The second came closer, hitting her shoulder. She flinched but forced a grin.
By the third, her smile was fading.
Urhaan and mahir , busy on the other side of the ground, didn't catch what was happening. But one quiet, timid girl—Samreen—saw it all. Her face twisted in guilt, and after a long pause, she ran toward where Mahir and Urhaan stood.
"They're targeting her," she blurted out breathlessly. "Those girls… they're hitting Anabiya on purpose."
Urhaan's eyes widened in anger. "What?!" He turned sharply toward the field.
Mahir's gaze followed automatically. His eyes narrowed when he saw Anabiya stumble as another ball hit her ribs. This time she winced, clutching her side.
The next ball came fast—straight toward her face.
Anabiya froze for a split second, her body too tired to react after repeated hits. And just when she thought it would strike a shadow flashed before her.
Mahir.
His hand shot out, catching the ball inches before it hit her. His jaw clenched, eyes burning with a fury she hadn't seen before. For a second, he looked terrifying.
But Anabiya didn't see it. Her vision blurred. The pain, the dizziness, the exhaustion—it all crashed over her.
The last thing she felt was the warmth of someone's arm catching her as the ground slipped away.
School Clinic
When she opened her eyes again, the ceiling fan whirred above her. The faint smell of antiseptic hung in the air. She realized she was lying on the narrow bed of the school clinic, her head heavy.
She shifted slightly, and that's when she noticed—Mahir was sitting right beside her, elbows on his knees, his usual coldness gone, replaced with something else. His hand still rested protectively near her arm, as if making sure she wouldn't slip away again.
Urhaan stood by the door, arms folded tightly across his chest,Urhaan was furious. He kept asking Samreen for the names of the girls who had thrown the ball at Anabiya, and he was already preparing what punishment they deserved. How could he just let this matter go? The thought troubled him deeply — what face would he show to Mishal and Zaki? In their absence, was he not even able to take care of Anabiya?"
Anabiya blinked weakly, her voice barely above a whisper. "Babaaa…?"
It slipped out instinctively, that soft name she used for her late father in moments of weakness. She didn't even realize she had said it aloud.
Both boys froze. Mahir's expression shifted—confusion, then something softer, almost aching. Urhaan's glare melted into worry.
Urhaan and Mahir leaned closer, Mahir said with his voice low, almost careful. "You're okay… just rest."
For the first time, his tone wasn't distant.
Anabiya, still half-conscious, gave a faint smile. "Don't look so serious guys … you'll scare me more."
Urhaan said with worry u scared us my little princess. Mahir don't say anything but his eyes didn't leave her face, not for a moment.
And in that moment since he'd arrived, he wasn't the boy who kept his distance. He was the boy who had caught her before she could fall.