25th September, 2018

Shumail felt he was missing on something when he walked in his empty house after he had dropped off Eram. He felt a little sting in his heart when he entered his home. In his huge mansion he felt himself lonely for the very first time that night. His gaze went around the huge mansion to imagine what it would have been if his parents would have been with him.

He wouldn't deny it anymore but he wanted someone to accompany him, to wait for him to return from work, to cook him meals, to take care of him. He wanted someone for himself. He wanted a companion. He would deny it every time but he had started to agree with the fact lately that he wanted someone to enter his world and be his forever and ever.

"Being alone is not a good feeling at all. I should actually agree to Aunt Aasiya and let her select a girl for me." He muttered to himself as he remembered Shahmeer's mother telling him that she was going to select a girl for him to settle down. He had denied it back then but he felt he should agree to her and let her select someone for him. He let out a huff as he ascended the stairs taking two steps at a time and entered his room.

Placing his briefcase on the couch, he walked to the bathroom and freshened up changing into some casual clothes. As he walked back in his room, he got his laptop and sat on the couch to continue working on the final structure of the smartphone model to be launched at the year end. In the middle of designing the structure his cellphone began ringing. He connected his earphones and answered the call and continued working on the model alongside.

"Good evening Mr. Chang. How are you doing?" Shumail spoke as soon as he answered the call.

"Very Good evening Mr. Ibrahim. I'm doing perfectly fine. I hope you're doing good too!"

"Of course Mr. Chang. I'm doing good as well. Thank you for asking."

"Well Mr. Ibrahim I apologise for last time once again for cancelling the meeting at the last moment but I hope we can do the meeting again?"

"That was no problem at all Mr. Chang. I understand and yes we can surely do the meeting again. When should we have the meeting then?" Shumail asked as took hold of a notepad and jotted down some points that needed consideration in the model of the new smatphone, his eyes fixed on his laptop screen.

"I was thinking if you could visit me here at my home town in Japan and we have the meeting. I fear I might not be able to come to Canada for I'm conducting all my business from my home. Will that be fine with you?"

Shumail's eyebrows knitted together as he did a mental calculation of all the things that he have to take care of if he would go on this business trip. He finally analysed the situation and decided that it won't be of any harm.

"Sure no problem Mr. Chang. I'll prepare for the meeting." Shumail spoke as he emailed his secretary about the meeting and asked her to arrange his schedule according to the trip.

"That will be great Mr. Ibrahim. I would accompany you to the manufacturing plant of our company then and you can have a look at the development process yourself. This partnership of ours will get us some good market share."

"Manufacturing unit? That will actually be great! I'm about to finish the final layout and structure of it. I'll mail you the design in an hour then."

"I'm looking forward for it. Good night." He cut the call and put his cell aside as he continued to work on the design.

***

It was a day before his business trip and Shumail found himself seated on a swing in the playground of his neighbourhood after he returned from his Zohr salah. The swing beside him and all the other slides were covered with a thin layer of snow and he saw a snowman rest in the middle of the playground that he assumed that the kids from the neighbourhood made, sticking two long sticks by it's side as it's hands and a carrot that made it's nose, the snowman had a scarf wrapped around it's neck as well. It brought a smile of his face as he saw the snowman and gave himself a push to swing.

"Praise be to Allah SWT for indeed his creations are the most beautiful." He muttered seated on the swing as the swing went back and forth slowly. He was going on the business trip the coming day and he suddenly had this strange feeling to meet Eram before that. It had been a whole month that they didn't meet. Whenever they had met in the past it used to be accidentally, neither have they exchanged their numbers nor have they decided to meet up but now he have this strong urge to see her.

He knew her workplace but it was sunday meaning the day care would be closed. He thought of driving to her place but it would be inappropriate of him to meet her at her home. Thinking of what her parents might think of him if he did so, he dropped the idea. His lips turned into a small pout as he sat there with his shoulders slumped thinking of ways to have a mere glance at her.

His eyes shone brightly as an idea struck his mind. He quickly got off the swing and made his way to his house and went straight to his room. Getting his laptop from his bed as he sat cross legged on the floor by the foot of the bed, he switched it on and was about to do run his fingers on the keypad when he stopped himself.

"How will she react if I call her directly? And what should I tell her how I got her number? Will she think of me a stalker if I'll tell her I hacked her workplace computer and got her contact?" Various questions raked Shumail's mind but the will to see her a last time before going on his business trip overpowered him and without a thought further he had hacked in the computer at her workplace and there he had her contact info.
He closed his laptop and stood up as he pressed the call button and walking to his balcony he waited for her to answer it.

"Hello?" Came her voice from the other end and suddenly his heartbeat accelerated on hearing her voice. Without a further thought he had cut the call as he placed his hand on his heart to calm down. He let out deep breaths and when he was certain that he could talk, he called again.

"Hello? Who is this?" Eram asked after she answered the call.

"Ms. Azam. Assalamualaikum." He greeted.

"Mr. Ibrahim!" She exclaimed in shock. "How did you get my number?" She asked in the same shocked tone.

"I have my ways Ms. Azam. By the way you didn't reply to my salam." 

"Umm Walaikum Assalam..." There was moments of silence between them, both of them hesitating to speak anything. Only their sharp breaths could be heard.

"Umm can we meet Ms. Azam?" He asked hesitating as he scratched his beard and waited impatiently for her answer. There was no reply from the other end and he checked if she cut the call. "Ms. Azam?"

"Yeah? I'm here. I'm just wondering...." She trailed off at the end and his heart suddenly fell.

"It's absolutely fine if you don't want to. I understand. It's not like we are friends or something." He spoke as his hold on the railing of the balcony loosened. "I'll see you around then. Fee Amanillah."

"Mr. Ibrahim." He was about to cut the call but her voice stopped him. "Umm can you pick me up?"

"Sure. Just text me your location." He heard her humming in response and he quickly cut the call before he grabbed his car keys and stormed out of his bedroom, descending the stairs as he jogged to the parking lot, a smile plastered on his lips on the thought of meeting her.

Getting in the car as he started the engine his cell phone pinged and he opened it to see the text message from Eram. He quickly read the location which was 15 minutes drive from his place as he quickly got the car out of the driveway and started driving to the place.

He spotted her standing waiting for him as he stopped the car directly in front of her and got out.

"Salam." He greeted with a smile as soon as he neared her. She replied to the salam. He opened the car door for her and made her sit and he himself got in the driver's seat as he started the car.

"Where are we going?" She asked as she looked at him.

"You'll see when we'll get there." He spoke looking at her for a moment and fixed his gaze back on the road.

"So? Why you wanted to meet?" She raised her eyebrows at him with an amused smile making him tongue tied.

"I was getting bored and had no company today so thought to meet up with you." He answered and her jaw nearly dropped hearing his reply.

"Oh I see. You mean I'm just your past time?" She then asked after she composed her features.

"Of course! What did you thought? You are someone special to me?" He questioned adding to her anger. She looked at him through narrowed eyes and turned to face the other side.

"Stop the car I wanna get down. I ain't a toy for your pass time." She spoke and Shumail could see imaginary white smoke coming out from her ears because of anger. He laughed out loud making her look at him with a shocked expressions plastered on her face.

"Of course not Ms. Azam! I was just teasing you." Shumail clarified as he gave her a smile. She still gave him angry looks and turned her face to look outside the window. "I guess you're offended. Don't worry the place I'm taking you will make it up for this." He grinned at her and finally stopped the car. She looked out of the window and turned back to look at him.

"An amusement park? What are we? 10?" She asked raising her eyebrows at him.

"Come on! It will be fun!" He said as he got out of the car and rounding the car, held the door open for her. She looked at him in the eye feigning anger and got out. She was excited too but kept a straight face as she walked behind him in the huge gates of the amusement park.

"You need not spend your money for me. You should have let me pay for myself." She argued in a soft tone when they left the queue after getting their tickets.

"Can you beat me in Go karts?" He asked instead, raising his eyebrows at her as he gave her a smirk. "I bet you can't."

"Test me!" She challenged as he nodded his head giving her a mocking smile.

"Why don't you first catch up with me?" He asked as he started running backwards while facing her. She ran after him as well but he beat her to it reaching the go-karting area first as she appeared a few minutes later, her breaths coming out in pants from all the running. He laughed at her and went in.

They both got in the cars and aligned at the starting line, waiting for the whistle to blow. On the whistle Shumail was the first to take off with full speed while Eram was still at the starting line.

"How does this damn thing works!" She exclaimed frustrated. The staff present there guided her to press the accelerator and she felt stupid at that moment but brushing off all the thoughts she pressed the accelerator and sped off. Shumail had already crossed half the play area while Eram was still behind him. She tried her best to match up to his level but failed everytime for he was so fast and skillful.

By the third lap she still was way behind him but Shumail reduced his speed for her to match his and that's when she finally could match his speed.

"What was it that you were saying? Test me?" He mocked as he let out a laugh making her look at him through narrowed eyes. She tried overtaking him but he blocked her every move. "Naah! Not so easily Ms. Azam."

"This is too early for you to be celebrating your victory Mr. Ibrahim. I'm sure my the end of this two laps I will beat you."  She shouted from her car and tried to overtake yet again.

Shumail gave her car a hit with his own making her go off track as he laughed out loud and sped off. Their racing finished as they both got out of their car, Shumail with a grin plastered on his face while Eram with a grumpy expression. He bit his tongue stopping himself from laughing out loud at her expressions and kept walking behind her, his hands stuffed in his pant pockets.

"Wanna take up another round Ms. Azam? I'm sure you will beat me this time!"

"No thank you!" He finally burst out laughing as he pressed his fist on his mouth making her whine. "You're so mean Mr. Ibrahim!"

"Haww! How is it my fault that you couldn't beat me in racing? I'm being accused!"

"It is your fault! Entirely yours!"

"Take back your words quickly!"

"What if I don't?" She challenged folding her hands in front of her as she looked him in the eye.

"I'll make you pay!" Saying this followed by an evil laugh, he ran after her as she shrieked and made a run in the other direction.

Salam guys!!

Ohk so amidst all the chaos going in my house due to the renovation+painting(I can't recognise my house lately) this is what I would come up with...It's a late update I know but I hope you guys understand how work increases tenfold during these times😥

How was the chap??

Comment down below your thoughts...believe your comments make my day ♡_♡

Untill next time...hasta la vista babies!! *flying kisses*