An hour into receiving his aunt's message Arham found out that Hooriya never left the country.
There was no passanger named Hooriya Ajmal on the list on the day she left or anytime in the next week.

"-find the taxi she took, the taxi driver would tell you where he dropped her off. Find her." Arham said cutting the call.

It was already half past six when he wrapped everything at office ready to go home. The recent matters had forced him to cancel his meeting scheduled for dinner, all he needed now was peace and some time to relax away from all his problems.

He picked up the phone connecting him to his PA.
"Ms Zafar tell the driver to get my car ready." He said.

"Okay sir. Will that be all ?" She asked.

"Check if Ms. Seher is still in the office ?" He asked.

"I'll check and get back to you sir." She said and disconnected the call.

Arham shut his laptop, sliding it into his laptop bag. He called in a peon and handed him the bag, sending it to his car. Shutting all the lights he stepped out of his office to see Ms. Zafar waiting for him.

"Sir, tonight's meeting has been rescheduled for tomorrow at lunch." She informed. "Also the Fashion department is working overtime today." She said.

"Alright." Arham said and took the elevator to the seventh floor.

Walking into the floor, the smell of fresh cloth and detergent hit him. He could see the buzz around though the glass walls.

A couple of moments later his presence was brought attention to him. The buzz around stopped.

"G..Good evening sir." A man wished him.

"Good evening, where can I find Seher ?" He asked.

"Beta room sir." The man replied and gained himself a small nod from Arham.

Arham walked towards the room on the far left labeled 'Beta.'

Pushed the door open he saw Seher sitting on a chair, she was busy going through some papers.
His eyes travelled across the desk to see women standing facing him, one of which was very, very familiar.

"What are you still doing here ?" Before Arham could stop himself the words left his mouth seeing his wife still in the office when she should have been home three hours ago.

The sudden loud voice made Meher and Zara look behind Seher to see Arham standing there. Seher to quickly turned around on her chair and on finding Arham in the room quickly got up on her feet.

Realising his mistake Arham shifted his gaze quickly from his wife and looked at Seher.

"Ms. Seher no request for an overtime use of office premises was sanctioned by me, why might I ask is your team work way past office hours." He said.

"Sir we..we were finishing off designs since not much time is left till -."

"Not my concern." Arham interrupted her. "Not everybody's life is limited to their work Ms. Seher."

Arham turned to face the others in the room and said. "You may all leave for the day, you can pick up rest of the work from here tomorrow. And Ms. Seher, I had come to let you know that I'm extending the dead line by a week." Arham once again looked around the room his eyes finding his wife's, he looked at her for a secind longer before turning around to leave.

•••

Meher could feel herself take a huge gasp of breath as soon as Arham left the room. Her heart had tripled its speed, she felt like her secret, their secret would come out, like people in the room would figure who Arham truly was for her.

Zara and Meher were halfway though their new design and so was her outfit for the party.

She quickly placed back all the stationery back in place and helped her friends tidy the room.

The three girls quickly took their bags and headed for the elevator to go to the underground parking.

Fahim and Arsal had already left.

"Thank God Mr. Butt decided to drop by Allah bless him, or I bet Seher would make us wait in the office till Fajr." Eira said pushing the button for the elevator.

"Eira, don't talk bad about Seher." Zara chided.

"I'm not talking bad about Seher I'm just talking good about Arham." Eira said dreamily.

"Of course you have hots for him." Zara said said entering the lift followed by a wide eyed Meher.

"Of course I do." Eira said imitating her sisters tone. "He's hot plus that sexy British accent uff Allah had he not had a wife I would -."

Meher could feel her heart stop for a second, did they know ?

"-Meher ?" Eira said placing her hand on Meher who had zoned out.

"Huh?"

"Parking level ?"

"2." Meher replied swiping her tongue across her bottom lip.

"Vaise talking about who has hots for who, Salman was asking me about you." Eira said bumping her shoulder onto Meher's giving her a naughty smile.

"Ahem." Meher cleared her throat. "Please tell him in not interested." She replied giving Eira a small smile.

"I did. I know you have a hot man on your heels why-."

"Eira." Zara snapped at her insolent sister.

"Zara." Eira copied her.
Before Meher could ask about Eira's last remark the elevator dinged and the doors slid open.

"See you tomorrow gorgeous." Eira said before walking out.

Zara looked at Meher and smiled. "Bye, Allah hafiz." She said.

"Allah hafiz ." Meher replied as the doors shut back taking her a floor lower.

A few seconds later the elevator stopped again. Meher stepped out into the parking lot. The sudden drop in temperature in the basement made her wrap her hands around her frame.

Not a lot of cars were there as it was pretty late already. Meher spotted her black sedan and walked towards the car quickly. She pulled open the back door and quickly sat inside glad the warmth of the interior.

"Sorry I got stuck with some important work today Kareem bhai I hope you aren't upset as you had to wait for so long." Meher said immediately apologising to the driver.

"Kya hua Kareem bhai ?" She said when she didn't earn a response from the usually chatty driver. (What's wrong ?). A couple of moments passed in awkward silence.

"What's wrong ?" Meher asked. "Why aren't you starting the car ?" She fidgeted nervously with the hem of her dupatta.

"Start the car Kareem bhai." She said meekly.

"No."

"No ? What has gotten into you ? Why won't you -."

"Because I'm not your driver." Said the voice. "Come to the front seat."

"Arham ?" Meher asked surprised and some what relieved.

"Come ahead Meher, I've already been waiting for 30 minutes and I'm dead tired." He said.

•••

Yusuf got out of his car and gave the keys to the valet to park his car. Straightening his collar and buttoning his cuff he stepped into the restaurant.

"Hi, I had a table booked under the name Yusuf Choudary." He said to the receptionist.

"Yes, this way sir."

Yusuf was guided towards a table where a beautiful lady sat in an elegant ruby red dress.

He walked towards her with a smile on his face. The scene was all too familiar, how many times had this same scene taken in his past.

She was always early and he was always late.

"Assalam Walekum." He said looking down at her beautiful face, her big eyes and her small nose and her plump lips painted velvet red.

"You are late. Again."

"You are early Alia." He said sitting down on the chair opposite here's.

"Bilkul." She rolled her eyes playfully.
"Kyuki jab bhi mai aata hu voh waqt sahi waqt hota hai." The two said simultaneously repeating Yusuf's old dialogue. (Ofcourse. Because when I walk in, that time is the right time.)

The two looked at each other for a second before they burst out laughing earning questionable looks from others.

"How was Maya and Daniyal's wedding ?" Yusuf asked remembering her reason to be in Lahore.

"It's next week, they had to push it forward because bade abbu is stuck in Canada." She informed. "When I told Danial bhai about my visit to the hospital he first gave me an earful and then told me to invite you to their nikah so that he can thank you personally." She said.

"I..I'm not sure Alia, my schedule is so full I'll -."

"It's.. it's no problem." Alia said with a small smile. He had changed but not for her, his work was still his first priority, maybe his second now.

As on cue to break the awkward moment, the waiter walked in to take their order.

"Sir ma'am would you like to place your order ?" He asked.

"Have your preferences changed over time or -."

"The same." Alia said with a genuine smile.

"A sea food Thai curry and a Karachi dum biryani." He said placing order for the two.

The two couldn't be any more different. If one was the sun the other was the moon.
But as they say 'you'd be surprised how much you have in common with someone completely different from you'.

Alia looked at Yusuf, he was the man who had stolen her heart. She had spent the best time of her life with him. She looked at his honey coloured eyes she had lost herself into, she had lost herself to him.

"-and two glasses of Diet Coke." He said placing their order. He handed over the menu to the waiter and turned to look at alia who was looking at him as if in daze.

Yusuf snapped his finger in front of her making her snap out of her thoughts.

"Am I that boring that you prefer the company of your thoughts ?" He said with a smirk.

"Yusuf Choudary be glad that I didn't fall asleep." She said playfully rolling her eyes making Yusuf chuckle.

Alia smiled hearing the sound of his laugh.
"Now tell me, what was that you wanted to talk about?" She asked.

Yesterday Yusuf had called her up out of the blue. To say that she was shocked would be an understatement. He had asked her to meet him for dinner, which she had readily agreed upon. Bringing them to tonight.

"Yes. Yes." She saw Yusuf visibly gulp, his playful mood had turned serious. "There is a patient I wanted to discuss with you." He said opening a tab on his phone, he pushed the phone towards Alia containing Hooriya's reports.

"Can you do something Alia please." Yusuf said his voice pleading. Alia looked up at him, she saw his eyes moisten but he quickly rubbed his eyes.

"Do..do you know the patient ?" She asked looking at him. Hooriya's name had been hidden due to confidentiality.

"She's family." He said swallowing the lump in his throat.

"I'll go through them, just send them to me." She said giving him a small hopeful smile. If anyone could, it would be Alia Ali who could help Hooriya, she was one of the best Oncologist on the country.

After their rather pleasant dinner Yusuf insisted to drop Alia back home.

The temperature in Lahore had dropped further. Yusuf rolled the windows of his car as he drove towards Alia's house. Their silence was filled with the radio playing Bollywood hits.

'Ladies and Gentleman the next is dedicated to all those people in love, voh log jo apni dil ki baat apne dil me dafan kar baithe hai. Ye waqt kisi ke liye rukta nahi janab, yahi sahi waqt hai apni mohabatt ko izhaar karne ka, ye waqt dubara nahi aayega, bolna hai jo bol de, dil ke raaz khol de, kyuki kehte hai na, na jaane kal ho na ho.' The radio jokey's voice faded into the song.

(Ladies and gentlemen next song is dedicated all those people in love, to those people who bury their love in the deep recesses of their heart, to them I say, this is the time to confess, to profess your love, this time my friend won't ever come back this is the right time, because what you have today you won't tomorrow.)

Har ghadi badal rahi hai roop zindagi
Chaanv hai kabhi kabhi hai dhoop zindagi
Har pal yahan jee bhar jiyo
Jo hai samaa kal ho naa ho

Alia turned her head looked at Yusuf.
His eyes were trained on the road. She watched his soft features in the soft glow of street light entering through the car window. A train of thoughts were running in her head, lot of what ifs, what if they never broke up, what would have been their future be today, what if she had held on to him that day, fought for him, for their love, what if.

Chaahe jo tumhe poore dil se
Milta hai woh mushkil se
Aisa jo koi kahin hai
Bas wohi sabse hasin hai
Uss haath ko tum thaam lo
Woh meherbaan kal ho naa ho
Har pal yahaan jee bhar jiyo
Jo hai samaa kal ho naa ho

Yusuf kept his eyes on the road. The lyrics had hit him hard, no he had never been a majnu, yes he had been in love before, in love with the girl sitting next to him, but all he could think about the girl who had his heart. He had never been in love like this before.

Baat yeh nahi hai ki zindagi guzarne ke liye koi nahi milta , mil jata hai. Masla sirf yeh hai ke jo dil mangta hai sirf voh nahi milta .
(You'll always find a companion to live your life with, that's not a problem, the problem is you don't get the person your heart desires)

AN: hey, it was a long chapter. It was a mixture of a lot of scenes, forgive me. The next chapter is just Arham and Meher will be competitively shorted but a lot musher.

Early Chapter for all those who voted, you guys keep me motivated ♥️

The clue to the next chapter is in this. So find it if you can 😏

• chapter target 170

Stay safe till then
Lots of love
xoxo