Chapter 1
Morning sunlight slipped gently through the curtains, filling the dining room with a soft golden glow. The smell of fresh parathas, chai, and fried eggs lingered in the air — the kind of morning that felt peaceful before the world could interrupt.
Sadaf walked in quietly, her hair still slightly damp, tying it into a loose braid as she took her seat. Her mother, Farah, stood near the stove, flipping parathas with practiced ease.
“Finally, madam woke up,” her younger sister Aisha teased, v halfway through her breakfast. “We thought you’d skip and call it ‘dieting’ again.”
Sadaf rolled her eyes, hiding a small smile. “At least I don’t wake up just to eat.”
Her father, Imran, looked up from his newspaper, adjusting his glasses. “Let her eat in peace, Aisha. Not everyone wakes up with your level of energy.”
“Because not everyone sleeps at 3 AM scrolling,” Aisha shot back playfully.
That line lingered for a second longer than it should have.
Sadaf reached for her phone lying beside her plate. The screen lit up for a brief moment — a notification she quickly swiped away. For anyone else, it was nothing. For her, it felt like a door she had been trying to keep shut.
Once, late nights and endless scrolling had led her to him. A random profile. A simple swipe. A conversation that started casually… and somehow became everything.
She blinked, pulling herself back.
“Enough, both of you,” Farah said, placing a hot paratha on Sadaf’s plate. “Eat while it’s warm.”
Just then, the doorbell rang, and Aisha jumped up. “That must be Zoya apa!”
Within seconds, the room filled with a new kind of warmth as Zoya walked in, her presence carrying comfort and familiarity.
“Sadaf!” Zoya smiled, pulling her into a quick hug. “You didn’t even call me yesterday.”
“You were busy with your perfect married life,” Sadaf teased softly.
Zoya laughed, sitting down beside her. “Perfect? Come live with me for a week, then we’ll talk.”
Imran folded his newspaper, smiling at the sight of all his daughters together. “Now this feels like a proper morning.”
Farah poured chai into cups, handing them one by one. “Zoya, eat first. I made your favorite.”
Zoya took a bite and closed her eyes dramatically. “Ammi, no one cooks like you. I swear, I only come here for the food.”
“And not for us?” Aisha gasped, placing a hand over her heart.
“Of course for you too,” Zoya said, pulling her cheek gently. “But mostly for the food.”
Everyone laughed.
“By the way,” Aisha suddenly leaned forward, mischief in her eyes, “my friend just joined Tinder yesterday. She’s already talking to like five guys.”
Sadaf’s hand froze for a split second.
Zoya raised an eyebrow. “Aisha, don’t start that here.”
“What? It’s normal now,” Aisha shrugged. “People meet, talk, see where it goes.”
“Not everything that’s normal is right,” Farah said calmly, though not harshly.
Imran cleared his throat slightly. “Focus on your studies first.”
The conversation moved on quickly, laughter replacing the moment… but for Sadaf, time had slowed.
That’s exactly how it started, she thought.
A swipe.
A message.
A stranger who didn’t feel like one for long.
She remembered how easy it had been to talk to him… how safe he had felt through a screen… how her world had slowly started revolving around a name that once meant everything.
“Sadaf?” Zoya nudged her gently. “Where are you lost?”
“Hmm? Nowhere,” she said quickly, forcing a small smile.
Farah noticed it the way her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. She didn’t say anything, just quietly placed another piece of paratha on her plate.
“Eat more,” she said softly. “You’ve become too weak.”
“I’m fine, Ammi,” Sadaf replied, but her voice was softer now.
Aisha leaned back in her chair. “You know what? We should plan something. A movie night or maybe go out this weekend.”
Zoya nodded immediately. “Yes! And no one cancels this time.”
Imran chuckled. “As long as I’m not dragged into some loud cinema.”
“You will be,” Aisha grinned. “No escape.”
The laughter returned, louder this time.
And Sadaf smiled too… this time a little more genuinely.
Because sitting there, surrounded by love, noise, and warmth she felt safe.
But deep inside, somewhere she couldn’t show…
a small part of her was still stuck on a simple swipe that had changed everything.
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Thankyou for the People who reached until the end of this chapter ✨️ a huge hug from my side......
Stay tuned for what's coming next 🤍
