"Why was I now doing things that I never ever had intentions of doing?"- Hisham Hosseini.

Imagination!

Reality!

Imagination followed by good old reality!

The latter was exactly what was faced by both Isma and Hisham.

They both ended up being...

Late!

Hisham being more late simply by choice and that too by just a mere few more minutes only and only because his heart had simply made him do so.

He had seen her!

Seen her hurriedly getting out of a taxi or to be much more specific, he had seen her literally fly out or should he say zap out of it almost as if her entire life solely depended on it.

Seeing her scramble her way towards the building's front entrance at a pace faster than that of lightning caused his entire body to immediately lurch forward and he too sprinted a few steps only to come to a very much abrupt halt.

Why the halt?

He himself did not know!

As much as he obviously wanted to make it before her, deep down for some whatsoever reason, his heart kept whispering for him to stop.

To stop and watch!

Watch very keenly!

He chose to do exactly that...

No matter how hard his heart and mind continuously kept conflicting over it.

Him being what one would say to be only a few considerable metres away her, enabled him to very much quickly and very much easily take in each and every single detail of hers...

The hot crimson-red puffed up cheeks.

Which he guessed were of course due to her almost Olympic style of running, sprinting or whatever.

The beautiful light blue tasselled ends of her dark blue hijab...

They matched perfectly with his shirt.

The...

He quickly looked away while loudly clearing his throat, his heart ferociously fluttering against his chest as the most weirdest of all feelings settled deep down within the pits of his stomach.

Wait!

Were those freaking butterflies?

What?

No!

Never!

He hadn't had breakfast, remember?

He was hungry!

That was it!

Full stop!

Looking back up, he caught her zooming past old James- their doorman for as long as time could tell and soon as he caught the very last of her glimpse, his feet immediately shot forward only for him to once again come to a sudden stop when he noticed her rush back and from what he could best decipher from where he was, was that she came running all the way back just to wish old James a very much breathless though very much needed 'Good Morning'.

A simple 'good morning' that seemed to light up the old man's face way brighter than the brightness of a hundred multi-coloured fireworks combined.

That!

It was nothing but it was something!

That!

It made him smile.

A small smile!

Walking in through the building's large glass doors, he stood still on the side as he patiently watched her hurriedly get into an elevator and as soon as its doors closed on her face, an unprecedented feeling of pride and happiness immediately surged through his heart with only one thing continuously coursing through his mind...

"You still need to buy her more time, Hisham! You still need to buy her just a little bit of more time!"

"She needs to make it before you, Hisham! She really does!"

Okay! Fine but why was he out of all people doing this for her?

He himself did not know...

Yet again!

His thoughts were cut short when he heard James let out what could be said to be a very much fake cough and Hisham couldn't help but quickly clear his throat as he looked away after which he said...

"Ummm...Good morning James!"

"Good morning, Sir!"

"Ugh! Please, don't call me Sir!"

"You're the CEO now, Sir. I simply cannot call you by first name basis anymore."

"Says who?"

"Sir I..."

"Ummm, the last time I checked, it was my name, therefore my rules and I...I...I don't really...I mean...I mean to say that..."

He greatly struggled with what he was trying to say because with literally every single word of his, his eyes would involuntarily drift towards the elevator and it wasn't long before his eyes were only but permanently fixated on it.

James followed Hisham's eyes with his own and a small knowing smile instantly crept up his lips and he couldn't help but quickly ask...

"There is something about her. Something quite different. Isn't it, Sir?"

"Sorry what? Who?"

Seeing Hisham pretend to act all kinds of dumb made James want to chuckle out loud but instead he just but slightly smiled and then said or more like whispered...

"I am talking about the only one other person who had the courtesy of wishing me a 'Good Morning' apart from you, Sir!"

"REALLY?! Was SHE the only other one?"

"I thought you didn't know whom I was talking about, Sir!"

Hot blood furiously rushed up Hisham's cheeks and he quickly looked away while clearing his throat and then said....

"Ummm...I mean like...my...umm...I mean my brothers! Didn't they...you know..."

Having seen Khaleel's car in the car park earlier, he very well knew that both his father and his brothers had ironically made it to work before him which actually not forgetting to mention was another highlight of his morning because of the way Khaleel had DELIBERATELY parked his car right in front of their father's hence blocking it.

Meaning that Baba would be at Khaleel's mercy and grace whenever he meant to go home.

Leave it to Khaleel to get as petty as one could ever get!

LOL!

"Well Sir, your brothers did pass by today and trust me when I say that they never ever fail to stop and greet but today they, ummm..."

"What about today?"

"Let's just say that they were a bit way too engrossed in a highly heated argument over some CHICKEN MAYO SANDWICHES!"

One of the most beautiful laughs escaped Hisham's lips and he palmed his face while shaking his head in disbelief and then asked...

"Why was I even expecting anything else other than that? I mean what else could it even be?"

"Exactly, Sir! It's your brothers we are talking about here!"

That made Hisham laugh even harder and nothing and I mean nothing could ever be deemed more priceless than the permanent smile that had formed on James's face upon seeing Hisham being a much more happier person than he was just a day before.

Taking over a minute or two to sober up, Hisham let out a long loud happy sigh and with quite a small though quite radiant smile glued to his face he said...

"I guess that's just their other way of saying 'Good morning', you know? 'Good Morning' the Hosseini way!"

"How I wish Sir that it could be the ONLY way of saying 'Good Morning' but then again, that would mean that I wouldn't be able to receive 'Good Mornings' from people like the pretty young lady that just ran by for instance!"

"Why ever not?"

"She is not a Hosseini, Sir! She wouldn't know how it works..."

"She can always learn!"

"Sorry?"

"I mean they! The other people! They can always learn!"

"Right! I am sure they could!"

DAMN!

Whatever in the world was he even blurting out?

A pin drop silence immediately reigned between them with Hisham frustratedly raking his hand continuously through his ebony black hair and in a bid to break the very much awkward though very much enjoyable silence, James cheekily said...

"I guess you have to get going, right Sir?"

"YES! I mean yeah! I...I...I am busy. I.... ummm...see you around James?"

"Sure, Sir. Also, before I forget, all the very best for today."

"Thank you. I really needed to hear that."

"You're welcome, Sir! Have a great day!"

"You too, James! You too!"

Sheepishly rubbing his now quite red neck, Hisham slowly walked away only to once again to come to a dead standstill, the very second he got to the elevator.

Should he take it or should he not?

I mean...

He had already given her quite the head start.

Then why still the contemplation?

Just why?

Not at all being able to understand his much conflicted self, he passed his hand over his dark stubble numerous times only for him to eventually let out a very much loud and defeated sigh after which he finally decided to take the staircase.

The six flight staircase!

Why?

Again, he did not have the answer to that question.

With his mind fully clouded and with each and every single step he took, he couldn't help but wonder to himself as to why he was doing what he was doing and every single time he would close his eyes just for a second in order to try figure himself out, little Minha's words would came floating back...

"You're a rainbow, Amo Hisham! A rainbow!"

Fine! Then what colour was this of his?

Still feeling as greatly confused as ever before, he made it to the sixth floor quite effortlessly only to find his father and Ism...he meant Miss Taib, standing right in the hallway.

Both Isma and Hussein immediately turned to look his way, with Isma choosing to quickly shift her gaze to everywhere but him and with nothing but surprise etched all over Hussein's face, which was instantly replaced by great amusement as he tried to figure out as to why his eldest son would choose to take the stairs yet all the six elevators in the building were working just fine the last time he checked.

Feeling an already growing strain in the air, Hussein stylishly shoved his hands into his pockets, leaned back on his heels and with a cheeky looking smile on his face and not like it mattered at all to him, pointed out...

"You're late, Hisham!"

"Yeah! Baba... I...umm...I got..."

"That's okay! Isma was late too!"

Great!

Just great!

So much for trying to make it look like she had made it early!

That!

That's exactly what irked him!

Why did he so badly want her to feel as if she had made it to work before him yet he had left home as early as possible and with all intentions whatsoever to make it before her?

Why?

Just why?

I mean he had even missed breakfast!

Staring at her most briefly, their eyes met for what could be a fraction of a second and the only thing he ended up blurting out was...

"Well, that's not new! She was late yesterday as well!"

"No, I was not!"

"Yes, you were!"

"No, I was not!"

"Yes, you were!"

"UGH!"

"UGH, right back at you!"

Hussein passed his hand over his beard as he tried to the best of his ability to hide his smile with only one thing continuously coursing through his mind...

Boy could he watch them all day!

Letting out a few fake incessant coughs and as much as he didn't really feel like interrupting their little bicker, he said...

"Guys! It's okay..."

"What matters is that you both finally made it! Together! Like what were the odds to make it at the same time..."

"Plus, I am guessing that you both must have been stuck in the same traffic?"

"NO!"

They both replied in unison.

Not at all being able to hide his smile, Hussein lightly pinched the bridge of his nose as he silently chuckled to himself and then while looking at only Hisham, he said...

"It's the different routes you know. It's definitely the DIFFERENT routes but the usually the SAME traffic. Many at times, we tend to take the wrong routes..."

His eyes then slowly shifted to Isma as he continued...

"Whereas sometimes we might be on the right route but they make no sense so tend to feel lost! We tend to feel stuck..."

His eyes then settled on the both of them as he finished...

"The only thing that matters greatly is the final destination! It doesn't matter which route you took; it doesn't matter how long it took you to get there! As long as you're there. TOGETHER!"

Seeing that he had left both Isma and Hisham feeling greatly confused and lost in deep thought over his double meaning of words made Hussein want to laugh out loud and in the very end he cheekily ended up saying...

"Guys! Your final destination was the OFFICE! Mabrook! You guys made it! Now if you both could meet me in the conference room twenty minutes later, it would be highly appreciated!"

He then turned to look at Isma, sent her the warmest and most encouraging smile ever and then said...

"Come Isma. I will show you to your very much well DESERVED office!"

Immense happiness immediately coursed through each and every single fibre of Isma's body and she just like a little girl who had been promised Disney, excitedly followed Hussein but not before sharing with Hisham...

One last eye-lock!

Just one or two metres away, Yasir and Khaleel stood silently as they 'watched' everything unfold in front of them while at the same time enjoying CHICKEN MAYO SANDWICHES which Yasmin has specially and SPECIFICALLY packed for Hisham since he had missed his breakfast.

Taking the very last of the six sandwiches that had been there, Khaleel took a huge bite out of it and then asked Yasir...

"Bro! Did you see that?"

"Yep! Every single bit of it!"

*Note the sarcasm*

"Riiiiight? Gosh! Like what in the world of flying fishes even..."

"Khaleel...

"Like morning drama CHECK!"

"Khaleel..."

"I still can't..."

"Khaleel, seriously?"

"What?"

"I'm blind?! REMEMBER?"

"Oh yeah! Sorry!"

"It's okay. Now care to explain what you just saw?"

"Yeah! I saw...I saw..."

"What did you see Khaleel?"

"I saw tension, Yasir...

"THICK TENSION!"

***

PLEASE DO VOTE AND COMMENT.

HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE CHAPTER.

I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE SOME PATIENCE WHEN IT COMES TO UPDATES PLEASE.

UNTIL NEXT TIME,

ASALAM ALEIKUM.