It was the month of April when Mahira, a beautiful twenty-two-year-old girl, set out on a trekking trip with a few of her college friends. The trek had been planned by her friends; she had no idea what awaited her ahead, nor did she know who exactly would be joining them. All she knew was that dense forests always promised a new adventure—and she had arrived with a heart full of excitement.
She packed her belongings and reached the forest campsite. Everyone seemed cheerful and thrilled. That was when her eyes fell upon a stranger—a tall young man who appeared to be around her age. There was something unusual about him. His face was hidden behind a mask, revealing only his eyes—eyes that seemed different, almost mysterious. She had never seen him before and could not recognize him.
There were only eight people in the trekking group, four of whom were couples. The couples were mostly engrossed in their own conversations. Mahira had come with countless dreams of enjoying the trip, yet suddenly she felt as though she might have made a mistake by coming.
Soon, they all decided to set up their tents. Everyone took responsibility for a task. Mahira was assigned to gather dry wood for the campfire. The masked boy volunteered to help her.
As Mahira walked deeper into the forest in search of firewood, he followed her and asked, "You've come alone into the forest. Aren't you afraid?"
The moment she heard his voice, her heart stilled. She had heard that voice before—somewhere—but she couldn't place it.
Turning around, she asked, "Do I know you?"
He replied with a soft laugh, "What do you think?" His smile was visible even through his eyes, which narrowed gently as he smiled.
"It's hard to recognize someone behind a mask," Mahira said.
"You'll see my face without the mask this evening," he answered. "Then tell me if you know me."
Mahira found herself focusing intensely on his voice, while he could not stop looking at her—as if he had rarely seen someone as beautiful as she was. She finally said, "We should collect the wood." And so they began gathering firewood together. He helped her, stealing glances at her whenever he could, while she remained lost in thoughts about his familiar voice.
When they returned with the wood, the tents had already been set up—four tents for eight people: five boys and three girls. They were all close friends. Only one among them seemed to know the masked boy, yet no one asked much about him.
Mahira was restless with curiosity. She longed to know his name and waited for someone else to ask about him—but no one did.
As evening descended, excitement rose among them to light the bonfire. They first lit a fire to prepare their meal—a classic barbecue ritual of trekking. Later, they all sat together around the flames.
Mahira's gaze remained fixed on the masked boy.
As everyone picked up their barbecue sticks, he slowly removed his mask.
Suddenly, all eyes turned toward him. The firelight flickered across his face, illuminating features that seemed almost unreal. His eyes, glowing in the golden flames, looked as though they hid a treasure within them. He was breathtakingly handsome. Mahira could not help but think that he was blessed—not only with a mesmerizing voice but with a face equally enchanting.
Everyone teased him for taking so long to remove the mask and insisted there had been no need for it. He explained casually that the scent of certain forest trees bothered him, so he preferred wearing it.
When his eyes met Mahira's, he offered her a faint smile. She felt herself blush.
Her friend nudged her and whispered, "Do you know him?"
"How would I know him?" Mahira replied quickly.
"You both went to gather wood together, didn't you?"
"We went to collect firewood, not to get to know each other," Mahira said, hiding her feelings.
A little later, the boy approached her and asked softly, "Did you recognize me?"
All expression vanished from Mahira's face. Her mind had finally connected the voice she knew so well.
"You're Jihan… aren't you?"
Jihan—the famous singer who had never revealed his face to the world. Every song he released trended instantly. His voice alone was enough to stir warmth in Mahira's heart—a warmth she had been trying to ignore for years. He had always been her favorite singer. Yet she had never been curious about the man behind the voice; she believed an artist should be known for his art, not his appearance.
Jihan smiled gently. "So, it seems you do know me."
"That's quite a question," Mahira replied, trying to steady herself.
Both of them knew that their meeting was no coincidence. Yet neither spoke of it. They talked softly, learning about each other. It took them very little time to become friends, for there was already a quiet attraction between them.
Throughout the trek, they stayed together. While others were busy with their partners or best friends, Mahira and Jihan chose each other as companions. They laughed, explored, and created memories side by side.
And from that moment, a new chapter of Mahira's life began.
She did not yet realize that while she had made her favorite singer her friend, her journey with him was destined to be far longer—and far more painful—than she could ever imagine.
They promised each other that their friendship would remain forever.
But neither of them knew what forever would demand in return.