Author POV

The Khan Mansion was finally quiet.

The clock read...

1:08 AM.

Everyone was asleep.

Or...

Almost everyone.

Inside her room...

Roohi slowly opened one eye.

Then the other.

She looked toward the couch.

Zayan was asleep.

One arm resting over his eyes.

His breathing calm.

Roohi carefully sat up.

Trying not to make a sound.

"...Chocolate..."

She whispered to herself.

She remembered exactly where Rayyan had hidden the chocolate box.

Inside the second drawer of the study table.

"Just one..."

She mumbled.

"I won't tell anyone."

She quietly climbed out of bed.

Wrapped the blanket around herself like a tiny ghost.

And tiptoed toward the drawer.

Creeeak...

She froze.

Zayan didn't move.

Roohi smiled proudly.

"I still have my ninja skills."

She whispered.

She opened the drawer.

There it was.

The chocolate box.

Her eyes sparkled.

"You beautiful thing."

She quickly unwrapped one chocolate.

Just as she was about to take a bite—

"...Roohi."

She froze.

The chocolate stopped halfway to her mouth.

Slowly...

Very slowly...

She turned around.

Zayan was awake.

Still sitting on the couch.

Watching her.

His expression...

Completely unreadable.

"...Hi."

Roohi said with the most innocent smile possible.

Silence.

"What are you doing?"

He asked quietly.

Roohi looked at the chocolate.

Then hid it behind her back.

"...Nothing."

He raised one eyebrow.

"Nothing?"

She nodded very quickly.

"...Absolutely nothing."

He stood up.

Walked toward her.

Held out his hand.

"The chocolate."

"...What chocolate?"

"Roohi."

She slowly placed the chocolate in his hand.

Head lowered.

"...Sorry."

Zayan looked at the chocolate for a moment.

Then at her.

"I asked you yesterday."

"You promised."

"I know..."

"And you still broke your promise."

Roohi's eyes filled with guilt.

"I only wanted one."

She whispered.

"You still have a fever."

"I thought..."

"...it wouldn't matter."

"It does."

His voice wasn't loud.

It wasn't angry.

It was...

Disappointed.

That somehow hurt even more.

He quietly threw the chocolate into the dustbin.

"Go back to bed."

Roohi nodded silently.

She climbed back under the blanket.

Without another word.

For the rest of the night...

Neither of them spoke.

(The next morning...)

Roohi woke up feeling worse.

Her fever had climbed again.

103.8°F.

Aleena sighed worriedly.

"It went up again..."

The doctor shook his head.

"I told her to avoid cold foods."

Roohi quietly looked down.

She already knew why.

Across the room...

Zayan stood silently.

He didn't scold her again.

He simply walked out.

The silence...

Somehow hurt more than any lecture.

Throughout the day...

He barely spoke.

Not because he stopped caring.

Because every time he looked at her...

He remembered her promise.

And how easily she'd broken it.

Still...

He noticed everything.

When her water glass became empty...

A fresh one appeared.

When the room felt cold...

Someone quietly adjusted the heater.

When her medicine time arrived...

It was already placed beside her bed.

He never asked if she'd eaten.

But every plate she received...

Was checked first.

Roohi noticed.

He wasn't ignoring her.

He was...

Taking care of her from a distance.

And somehow...

That hurt even more.

She missed him.

She missed hearing...

"Take your medicine."

She missed his quiet reminders.

Even his tiny lectures.

By evening...

Her fever rose again.

This time...

104°F.

She lay curled beneath the blanket.

Head in Aleena lap

Eyes watery.

She whispered softly...

Almost to herself.

"...I don't like it when he's angry."

Aleena heard her.

She gently stroked Roohi's hair.

"Then tell him."

Roohi's lips trembled.

"...What if..."

"...he doesn't forgive me?"

For the first time all day...

The silence between them felt heavier than ever.

The house felt...

Different.

Not because of Roohi's fever.

Not because of the medicines.

Because of the silence.

Zayan hadn't spoken a single word to Roohi since last night.

He spoke to Aleena.

To Rayyan.

To Daniyal.

Even to the staff.

But whenever Roohi entered the room...

Silence.

Roohi noticed.

Every single time.

At breakfast...

She quietly sat down. in her light green suite

"...Good morning."

She whispered.

Zayan simply gave a small nod.

Nothing more.

Roohi's heart sank.

The dining table felt unusually quiet.

Even Rayyan...

The loudest person in the house...

Didn't dare crack a joke.

After breakfast...

Roohi coughed.

A soft, tired cough.

Without saying a word...

Zayan picked up the glass of warm water beside him...

And placed it in front of her.

Then he walked away.

No eye contact.

No words.

Just...

Care.

Roohi stared at the glass.

"...Thank you."

She whispered.

He kept walking.

By afternoon..

Roohi's fever rose again.

She curled up on the sofa in the family lounge.

Wrapped in a blanket.

Looking smaller than ever.

The room was chilly.

Without anyone noticing...

Zayan walked past.

Picked up the remote.

Turned the air conditioner off.

Then left.

Still...

Without saying a word.

Roohi watched him leave.

"...He's still angry."

She whispered to herself.

Her eyes filled with tears.

In the evening...

Aleena entered Roohi's room with dinner.

"Eat a little, beta."

Roohi shook her head.

"I'm not hungry."

Aleena sighed.

Before she could convince her...

A knock sounded at the door.

The maid stepped inside.

Holding another tray.

"Sir sent this."

Aleena looked down.

Fresh soup.

Warm bread.

The exact fruit the doctor had recommended.

And the medicine...

Already arranged beside the bowl.

Roohi bit her lip.

"He... sent it?"

The maid nodded.

"He said to make sure it's warm."

Roohi looked away before anyone could see the tears gathering in her eyes.

"...Why won't he just talk to me?"

She whispered. and start eating without arguing because he don't want to make him more upset

Late that night...

The mansion was asleep.

Roohi finally drifted into an uneasy sleep.

The bedroom door opened quietly.

Zayan stepped inside.

He thought she was asleep.

He walked over.

Carefully placed his hand against her forehead.

Still warm.

He frowned.

He adjusted her blanket.

Moved a strand of hair away from her face.

Checked if she'd finished her medicine.

Then...

He quietly turned to leave.

Just as he reached the door...

A weak voice stopped him.

"...Mr.khan..."

He froze.

Roohi hadn't opened her eyes.

She was talking in her sleep.

"...I'm sorry..."

She whispered.

"...I won't eat chocolate again..."

"...Please..."

Her voice cracked.

"...Don't be angry..."

Zayan closed his eyes.

His grip tightened around the doorknob.

For one brief moment...

It looked like he might turn around.

Might walk back to her.

Might finally speak.

But he didn't.

Instead...

He quietly whispered, so softly that only the empty room could hear:

"...Get well first."

Then he walked out.

Closing the door behind him.

Roohi never heard those words.

But outside the room...

Zayan leaned against the wall.

Ran a tired hand over his face.

And for the first time since yesterday...

He admitted something to himself.

Remaining silent...

Was hurting him just as much as it was hurting her.

Author POV

Another morning...

Another day of silence.

The Khan Mansion no longer echoed with laughter.

Even Rayyan...

Who usually couldn't stay quiet for five minutes...

Had stopped joking.

Because everyone could feel it.

Something wasn't right.

Roohi hadn't smiled properly in two days.

And Zayan...

Hadn't spoken a single word to her.

(Later)

Roohi slowly walked downstairs.

Her fever had reduced...

But her body still felt weak.

She held the railing carefully.

Each step felt heavier than the last.

As she entered the dining room...

Everyone was already seated.

Aleena smiled warmly.

"Come, beta."

Roohi nodded softly.

Then...

Her eyes searched for only one person.

Zayan.

He was reading the morning newspaper.

As calm as ever.

Roohi slowly sat beside him.

For a few moments...

Nobody spoke.

Then...

Very quietly...

Almost in a whisper...

"...Good morning."

She was talking to him.

The newspaper lowered slightly.

For one tiny second...

Their eyes met.

Then...

Zayan simply gave a small nod.

And returned to reading.

Not a single word.

Roohi felt something inside her chest ache.

"..."

She quietly looked down at her plate.

The breakfast suddenly had no taste.

A few minutes later...

The maid served everyone tea.

As she reached Roohi...

Her trembling hands accidentally slipped.

The hot teacup tipped over.

"Oh!"

Before anyone could react...

A strong hand caught the cup.

Not a single drop touched Roohi.

Zayan had caught it.

Without saying anything...

He placed the cup safely back on the tray.

Then looked at the maid.

"It's alright."

He said calmly.

The maid apologized repeatedly before leaving.

Roohi looked at Zayan.

"...Thank you."

She whispered.

He didn't answer.

Instead...

He quietly folded his newspaper.

Finished his breakfast.

And walked away.

"I am done" he say flatly

Roohi watched him disappear.

Her appetite disappeared with him.

Author POV

By afternoon...

The weather changed.

Dark clouds covered the sky.

Roohi sat alone in the balcony.

Wrapped in a shawl. that he give him

She watched the rain begin again.

She didn't even notice...

The cold wind growing stronger.

Inside...

Aleena frowned.

"Where's Roohi?"

Before anyone answered...

Zayan looked toward the balcony.

She was sitting there.

Still recovering.

Still weak.

Without saying anything...

He walked outside.

Roohi looked up.

Hope flickered in her tired eyes.

"...Mr khan..."

He gently placed another shawl around her shoulders.

Making sure she was covered properly.

Then...

Without looking at her...

He turned around.

And walked back inside.

No words.

Not one.

The tiny hope in Roohi's eyes disappeared.

A single tear rolled down her cheek.

She whispered to herself...

"...I miss you. and I am sorry"

Author POV

That evening...

Roohi's fever rose again.

Not as high as before.

But enough for the doctor to frown.

"She's physically recovering..."

He said thoughtfully.

"But she's under emotional stress."

"She needs peace."

Aleena's eyes immediately shifted toward Zayan.

He stood near the window.

Hands in his pockets.

Jaw clenched.

Without a word...

He left the room.

Zayan POV

I stood on the balcony outside my room.

The rain had started again.

I could still hear the doctor's words.

"She's under emotional stress."

I knew why.

Because of me.

Every time she looked at me...

I wanted to talk.

To tell her...

That I wasn't angry anymore.

That I had forgiven her the moment she cried.

But...

She had broken a promise.

And I wanted her to understand...

That promises mattered.

Still...

Watching her smile disappear...

Was becoming harder than staying silent.

I closed my eyes.

"...Just a little longer."

I whispered to myself.

"I'll talk to you soon..."

"I promise."

He didn't know...

Standing just inside the hallway...

Roohi had heard only the last two words.

"...I promise."

She looked toward the balcony door.

Her eyes filled with hope.

But before she could step forward...

A wave of dizziness hit her.

Everything around her blurred.

"...Za..."

She whispered weakly.

Her knees gave way.

THUD!

The sound echoed through the hallway.

To Be Continued... 🤍🥀