Chapter 28 - Our Version of Forever

Chapter 28: Our Version of Forever

Time didn’t ask for permission.

It simply moved.

It moved through calendar reminders and morning train rides. Through promotions, heartbreaks, awkward career shifts, first apartments, and conversations left on read. It didn’t rush—but it never paused.

ABIX didn’t resist the change.

They adapted.

No longer four students scrambling between classes—but four adults who knew what kind of nasi lemak stall to trust, who carried reusable bags out of habit, who messaged each other less frequently—but with more meaning.

And now, the last of them was getting married.

Aleem’s Wedding

The final one.

Crystal had tied the knot two years earlier—an intimate seaside affair with too much dancing and the wrong cake (she laughed it off, of course). Ivan followed next, a modest ROM with Amanda and only fifteen guests. Isabelle’s ceremony was quiet, held in a garden under soft white lights. Daniel teared up before she did.

And now it was Aleem.

The one who always stood slightly apart during weddings, quietly proud, quietly watching.

Now he was the one in the spotlight.

The ceremony was held in a mosque tucked between old shophouses in the east. Modest. Sincere. A blend of traditions—Malay rituals, simple vows, and a fusion reception that somehow featured both sambal goreng and mushroom risotto.

Shei Er stood beside him in a cream baju kurung, soft curls framing her face, her expression equal parts serenity and joy.

Their journey had been quiet. Steady. No dramatic arc. Just long conversations. Shared values. Mutual trust. A bridge built slowly, with respect and care.

Crystal cried three times.

Isabelle brought three different types of angbao in case she messed up the etiquette.

Ivan, in a tailored batik shirt, was unusually soft-spoken all evening.

ABIX stood beside Aleem as he signed the papers.

The last to marry.

The last to “settle.”

The one they always joked would end up an old man in NTU’s alumni chat groups, still talking about system architecture over teh peng.

But here he was.

Content.

Not changed—just grown.

The Moment at the Table

Later that night, in the middle of a crowded banquet hall, the four of them found themselves alone for a moment. One table. Four chairs.

No plus-ones.

Just ABIX.

“Did you ever think we’d make it this far?” Isabelle asked, looking down at her half-finished dessert.

“Not past FYP,” Ivan replied.

Crystal raised her glass. “To the last one down.”

Aleem grinned. “I took my time.”

“You always do,” she said, gently.

There were no long speeches. No dramatic toasts.

But the silence between them was rich.

Because even though they were each part of new chapters now—spouses, families, careers—this table was still theirs.

Their version of forever.

What Came After

They didn’t meet every week.

Sometimes, months passed.

But birthdays were never forgotten. Neither were job changes, firstborns, losses.

The group chat remained.

Quieter. But sacred.

Photos. Voice notes. The occasional meme. Reminders of the version of themselves they only truly shared with one another.

When people asked them—”Are you all still close?”

They always answered:

“We’re ABIX.”

Like that explained everything.

Because it did.

[End of ABIX Chronicle – Book I]

Some stories don’t need sequels. But they live on—in laughter, in voice notes, in one word sent at midnight: “You.”
And the reply that always comes: “Still here.”