So, it's been been 2 hours and the infant still hasn't stopped talking. Yeah, "infant" is the new name I'd be using for Saad inside my head.

He has been peeping into my laptop screen the whole time so that he could "watch and learn", commenting on everything that I do, telling me how great self-help books are and suggesting me a few to read, and the worst of all asking me to assign work for him.

James hasn't even talked to us about the new project yet. So, I was forced to share the logins of the company social media pages to keep him occupied until I find him some tasks to do, and trust me that was painful!

The social media pages I handle are like my own kids. It's like I was a single mommy to them all these days and suddenly they have a daddy and it's just too weird. Having to share them with someone else is just too cruel!

Apart from the undying inquisitiveness, another annoying thing about the infant is that though he's just 22, he keeps talking like an old soul. He thinks that it is maturity but it's downright funny to me.

However, no matter how annoying he is, in a way it's beneficial to have him around I guess — not because of work duties but because just like my niblings, he too keeps me busy that I hardly get an urge to text Sameer.

Maybe this is good after all. Maybe Saad and the new project will help me keep myself distracted. I hope so. I really do.

Since there isn't much work, I keep scrolling through Facebook. Maybe the office gossipmongers are right. Maybe I'm just getting paid to use social media. Ah but who cares! I peep into the infant's screen just to make sure he's doing the same. Oh yes! He is using office WiFi and watching YouTube videos. 'We are a perfect duo', I think to myself.

He is watching videos of someone who looks very familiar but I don't exactly recall. I kind of want to ask him who it is, but I also don't want to give him the impression that I was staring at his screen, so I go back to Facebook.

Oh all these sad quotes on Facebook just seem so relatable right now. So many posts about unrequited love. Though I have never fallen in love or had a heartbreak before I can always feel the sadness in such posts, so I share them on my timeline. My FB friends probably think that I'm an emotional wreck. It's alright. I'm sort of like that.

It's 2:00 pm. I'm bored and I want to go home. I yawn as my phone vibrates and oh it's Sameer!

Even before checking what it is, my heart starts beating faster. I hate this feeling but I can't seem to stop it. I unlock my phone and click on the message and I smile.

I smile because the message reads, "Hey, can we talk for a few minutes like yesterday? Kinda miss you 😋" Wait wait wait! Let me just process this first. He wants to talk to me like via an actual call and he misses me too? It's probably to call me a friend again and maybe he just misses me as a friend too. But who cares?

He is texting me with total boyfriend vibes! Is he my boyfriend already? I mean, technically he's a boy and he's my friend and he misses me too — so does that make him that? I don't know. But I can't stop smiling as my imagination keeps growing and the infant spots it.

"Is that your husband?" he starts and as I frown at him, he ends it with "or boyfriend?" I say, "Neither" and before he could speak, I continue, "just a boy who friend-zoned me though yes, I'm desperate to make him my boyfriend or husband". And I start feeling stupid as soon as I say that.

Why am I such a blabbermouth? Now, the infant is going to try and advice me as if I need it! I should've just cut him off saying that he shouldn't be prying in to my personal matters. I mean, that's what I would've done if this was one of the annoying dudes from Sales and that is the right thing to do.

The truth is it's hard to get angry with the infant like with the others. I feel sorry for him. But that doesn't mean I should just blurt out hurtful truths about my love life to him like that, right? Stupid blabbermouth me!

I wait for the infant to advice but surprisingly all what he says his, "Oh". Wow. I just misjudged him once more. Poor thing. He knows his limits after all.

There's a pause and he asks, "So, what's he saying?" Nope. I was wrong. This one clearly doesn't know what his limits are. Stupid inquisitive infant.

I open my mouth to warn him about privacy but somehow end up reading out Sameer's message about the call. What the hell? Why am I acting like this?

"So, you guys talk often over the phone?" he asks. "Not really. Yesterday was the first time and today he has asked for it" I reply. Alright, I'm mad at myself but I can't stop answering his questions. Anyway, now that he knows, it's okay for him to know everything.

"That's good" he says. I shake my head and say in frustration "I don't think so. He just wants to talk to me as a friend. But these calls will only make it worse for me. Maybe I shouldn't do it." The infant gives me a serious look and says, "No. You should call him. At least you will have a chance of finding out how serious he is."

"How?" I ask. This doesn't make any sense now. How can a call prove anything? "There's a way. I can help you if you want" he says. Help me? What now? Does the infant think of himself as a love guru? I laugh and ask him how he is going to help me.

"I will only tell you if you agree to share most of your work load with me from tomorrow. Deal?" he asks. What kind of psychopath is this? Who likes to get more work than what's already assigned to them? Must be another of his show-off acts. Or maybe he's trying to do all my work too and replace me here. Just as I doubted earlier. This one is not an infant. This is pure threat!

At first, I think of ignoring his offer but after a while, I decide to agree with the deal because, after all, this is about Sameer and if the infant could really help, I should take it. So, I say, "Sure. More work for you. Done."

"Thanks! So, this is the plan. You are going to text him, asking him to call you. And when he does that, you will not answer" he says and before he could finish speaking, I interrupt him, "What the hell? Why am I even asking him to call me if I'm not going to answer? This is lame!"

He frowns at me and says, "Listen! Don't talk in between." Okay, now I'm a little offended but it's fine. I will bear it up for Sameer's sake. So, I nod my head and let him continue speaking.

"You will not answer his call because you will be busy" says the infant. "But I'm not busy" I say realizing that I'm interrupting once again.

"Shhhh! Just listen aunty!" says the infant. What the hell? Did he just age-shame me? I mean, literally that's what I did to him when I called him a kiddo but calling a girl an aunty is an offense, isn't it? Wait till I address this issue to James. But for now let him help me.

The infant continues, "I will answer the phone and tell him you're busy. Now, if he's even a little bit interested in you, he will feel upset about another dude having access to your phone. So sooner or later he will end up asking you who I was and that's when we confirm his real intentions with you. See, simple?"

I laugh and say, "Nah! This idea is too antique. You sound like an old movie. It's not going to work with Sameer. That guy is too tough to fall for something stupid like this. Also, he knows I'm at office right now. If I'm busy, some coworker of mine answering my call is perfectly normal. So, he is just going to assume the obvious and ask me nothing." And I sigh.

"It will work. I'm a man and I'm telling you, it will. Now, stop being a cranky old woman! Just text him. There's nothing to lose. If it works, it works!" says the infant and somehow convinces me. I text back Sameer and we wait.

It's been 10 minutes and there is still no call. The only thing that has happened so far is that I've been staring at my phone from time to time and the infant has been constantly assuring me that Sameer will call. Nothing else!

I'm sick of it by now. I'm mad at Saad for his stupid suggestion. I'm mad at Sameer for playing with my emotions. Above all, I'm mad at myself for being so stupid.

I keep cursing myself when my landline rings. It's James. He asks me to come and I leave my mobile with Saad, just in case Sameer calls.

As James explains to me about the new project, all I think of is whether I would've got the call from Sameer or not. I try to push away that thought but it's so hard. Luckily James gets a call from someone and he asks me to leave, saying that he will be talking to me about something else a little later.

I walk back to my spot and I see everything looking normal and my heart sinks. The infant is watching YouTube and my phone just lies on the desk. 'Probably Sameer will never call' my heart says.

Anyway, I ask, "Did he call?" Saad looks up and nods as if to mean yes. "What did you tell?" I ask and he says, "Whatever that has to be said of course." Seriously infant, not a time to give me replies like that. My blood pressure is already increasing!

"Okay, now what?" I ask again. The infant puts on a serious face and says, "Send him a text and start a conversation. Let's see by when he mentions me. The sooner he does that the more interested he is in you."

Now, I know this is silly but I pray to God and text Sameer, "Hey sorry, I couldn't answer your call. Was in a meeting with my boss 😬" And I immediately get a reply from him, "Yeah got to know that."

Oh, so he is not mentioning about Saad. He is not interested in me after all. I sadly keep staring at that message when I receive another one, "your boyfriend told me 😉" I start smiling like a fool the moment I read it. If Saad's theory is right, Sameer likes me!

"Stop flashing all your teeth. What's he saying?" asks Saad and interrupts my dream sequence. I show him the texts and he says with a chuckle, "Nice! Wink emoji. He's indirectly asking you whether I'm your boyfriend. Kind of desperate."

"What do I tell him?" I ask. He gives me a strange look and asks, "Am I your boyfriend?" I reply at once, "No, you are not!"

"Then say that!" he says and shrugs his shoulders. I thank him and start typing the reply. My fingers are shaky as I do it as if Sameer just said I-love-you to me when the landline rings and it's James again. Ugh! Why can't James just let me enjoy this moment?

I walk into James' cabin and he says, "Come in and take a seat, Ilhaam." I do it. I'm mad at him though. I couldn't even reply to Sameer's text yet. Why is he ruining this moment for me?

"I want to talk about Saad" says James. "What about him?" I ask. "Do you like him?" he asks and before I could answer his question, my phone vibrates and it's a text from Sameer that reads, "Oh leaving me on read? So busy with your boyfriend lol? 😉"

Wow. Saad was right. Sameer is kind of desperate to find out whether he's actually my boyfriend or not. I mean, he is stressing it for the second time with a wink emoji. Obvious, right?

My thoughts get interrupted when James says, "Ilhaam, answer me." And this time, I reply, "Like him, James? I love him!" and I hear James say, "Wow, that was fast!"

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What do you think about the growing friendship between Ilhaam and Saad? 😂
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