"Why did everything always seem so MAGNETIC every single time we were around each other?"- Isma and Hisham.

"The conference room!"

"The conference room!"

Just where exactly was this conference room and could someone please care to explain exactly how many rooms there were in this building and that too on just one particular floor?

Half walking and half running through the numerous hallways, Isma stopped to catch her breath with only one thing bothering her to the very max.

No, it wasn't the fact that she was late...

Again!

Neither was it the fact that she was lost.

It was only and only that...

She kept thinking as to what he would be thinking...

The Personal Assistant!

Yeah! She meant the CEO!

He...ummm...

Never mind!

Let's just choose to go back to much more important things like...

Where exactly was this conference room again?

***

Amusement!

An expression of great great amusement!

That was the only thing etched all over Hussein's face as he watched Hisham walk into the conference room, the biggest carton of all times safely tucked within his arms.

Inquisitively quirking one of his eyebrows as high as it could go, Hussein wasted absolutely no time in saying...

"I am hoping Hisham, hoping against hope that; that humongous carton is carrying nothing else other than reference files from all our previous projects!"

"Oh, yes those! Well unfortunately Baba, there was ABSOLUTELY no space at all left for them!"

"Is it now? Then whatever is that mammoth like carton carrying?"

"Stuff!"

"Stuff like?"

"Stuff! Stuff! You know..."

"Yeah! I mean, after your overly overwhelming and highly detailed response, how could I NOT be knowing? Plus, thank you! I probably wouldn't have been able to do even a minute more without the enlightenment!"

"Why, your welcome! I mean, no need to even mention it!"

Sending Hisham one of the most exaggerated eye rolls and hardest of glares ever, Hussein shook his head disbelievingly while deep down he couldn't help but feel greatly elated over the mere fact that as much as it was always just for a second or a minute, there were already a great deal of tiny winy glimpses of the 'Old Hisham' wishing to get caught.

Wondering as to what was taking Isma so terribly long, Hussein glanced at his wrist watch way too many times over the span of a minute and as much as he knew that Hisham was probably the last person on earth from whom he should be asking for Isma's whereabouts, he just couldn't help it...

"Hisham?"

"Yes, Baba?"

"Could you...I mean...could you by any chance be knowing where Isma is?"

"Isma?"

"Yes!"

"Isma? Isma who?"

"Really now, Hisham? Really?"

"What?"

"I am just but genuinely ask..."

"Ooooooh! I think you probably mean to say Cinderella! Well, it's not TWELVE yet! Unfortunately, we will have to wait for the clock to strike MIDNIGHT so that she can grace us with her timely presence!

A small laugh escaped Hussein's lips which was immediately replaced with a long loud sigh because in all honesty, he did not know what to expect in the very least, when it came to how things would probably go down between Isma and Hisham, the very second she would walk in...

LATE!

That too for or a second time!

Or probably the third -According to Hisham's version - A version he Hussein, didn't at all believe in!

Raking his hand frustratedly through his beard numerous times, the only thing he ended up replying with was...

"Simply give her a break, Hisham. It's only but her first day!"

"Well, can it also simply be her LAST? Il pay you!"

"What? Hell no!"

"Twenty-four chicken nuggets?"

"No!"

"They will be EXTRA SPICY! I promise!"

"Oh please!"

"A head massage?"

"I really could do with that but still, NO!"

"Well, how about I tell you that I know the NAME of the girl Khaleel has been waiting for!"

"WHAT?!"

To say that all air was instantly sucked out of Hussein would be a complete and utter understatement and both father and son ended up staring at each other for the next few seconds, an open challenge lying deep within their eyes with Hussein's mind working in nothing but complete overdrive.

The Girl Khaleel Had Been Waiting For!

Yes!

He very well knew that there definitely was someone!

Someone special!

Someone worth waiting for!

Someone worth waiting for, for FOUR years and counting now...

Over the past years, Khaleel had only but always respectfully declined all the marriage proposals that had come his way, decent or not and every single time, he always had only and only one thing to say...

"I am really very sorry but I already have someone else in mind and at heart!"

The one statement that would always end up leading to an overly repeated conversation; a conversation whose questions and answers, Hussein by now had learnt very much by heart....

"Who is she Khaleel? Only but tell me her name! Only her name!"

"I...I...I simply cannot as YET, Khalo!"

"Why not? I mean, why ever not?"

"I just can't!"

"Then allow me to at least talk to her Wali!"

"NO! Not as yet! She...she is still studying. I want her to complete her education. I simply do not want to be a distraction!"

"This is wrong, Khaleel! Entirely wrong!"

"No, Khalo. I will never allow it to be wrong. I promise to keep it Halal. I promise to never ever approach her. I promise with all of my heart and soul!"

"But...But...What if you lose her? What if you lose her after waiting this long?"

"Well then I will just take it in my stride! I will just take it in my stride, just like the way I did with Yumnah!"

"But Khaleel..."

"I will just know that it wasn't meant to be! I will just know..."

Hussein had never ever agreed with Khaleel's reasoning and no matter how many times he had tried, Khaleel was just never willing to let slip even but the first letter of her name.

Here now however, was this Brainless Banana claiming to be very much knowing her name and that too at a much heavy price!

Did he really know or was he, just being Hisham? The old Hisham!

On a seriously serious note, it had barely been a year since Hisham had come back and yet he knew this delicate bit of information which Hussein had been trying to dig out, shovel and spade, for the past four years.

Like Ugh! Double ugh!

Could someone please kindly invite him to wherever and whenever the three brothers were having their Confiding Conference?

Thank you!

Staring at Hisham for the longest time ever, Hussein slowly weighed down his options afterwich he ended up doing what he never ever thought he would do...

He ended up strangling the name out of Hisham!

Or so he wished he could!

However, on kind of a much lighter note, he chose to choose...

His eldest son over his third!

In short...

He chose Isma over Khaleel!

You all probably know how the eldest son comes in!

Clearing out his throat as loudly as possible and while trying to pull off the best type of sober face he could, Hussein said...

"Well, if that brother of yours has made all possible arrangements of wanting to die SINGLE, then I simply cannot do anything about it! I really have zero interests in knowing as to who this girl is and more so her in name!"

Hisham immediately cracked up and as he exclaimed, his eyes couldn't have shined any brighter.

"OH PLEASE! I mean just look at you! Just look at your face! You're literally dying to know..."

"SHUT..."

"Come ooooon..."

"UP!"

Their banter was cut short when they heard loud shuffling near the room's huge glass door and for the next entire minute or so, both father and son watched in great astonishment as Isma literally and I mean literally began to...

PULL ON THE HUGE PUSH DOOR!

To Be Continued...

****

PLEASE DO VOTE AND COMMENT.

HOPE YOU LIKED THE CHAPTER.

I WASN'T GETTING ENOUGH FEELS FOR THE SECOND PART SO I DECIDED TO SPLIT IT INTO TWO PARTS.

AT LEAST SOMETHING BETTER THAN NOTHING, RIGHT?

I HOPE THAT I CAN UPDATE IT BY TOMORROW THOUGH, IN SHA ALLAH!

UNTIL NEXT TIME,

ASALAM ALEIKUM AND RAMADHAN MUBARAK!