Remarkable

1

"Baba! What you suggest is preposterous," Ardashir demurred, loudly as he deserted his chair.

"You don't take that tone with me, boy," Hamza hissed, glaring at his reluctant son from his seat behind the mahogany desk."You will do what I have asked of you."

Hamza added as an afterthought, "I wish I had a daughter, I wager she would have been stronger than you."

Hamza limped to his son standing beside his poster bed, he put his hand on Ardashir's shoulder and squeezed."I have been holding your hand for as long as I could. It's about time that you start walking on your own, son."

"Baba, I can't do this. It's-It's not right," Ardashir beseeched. He should have known better than to try changing his father's mind. Hamza Hassan Omer's decisions had always been ineffaceable like a line engraved on a stone.

"You should know better than to test me, Ardashir," Hamza warned his son, glancing at his wristwatch."You're going to go see her, this minute. Now, get out of my sight."

Ardashir nodded and briskly walked out of the room, bumping into a vase sitting at the threshold of his father's bedroom.

It broke and shattered into a million pieces like himself.

Hamza cursed his son's bad luck that had made him stumble across that China vase a hundredth time.

◇

Dear Ms. Armineh Zain Ahmed

Congratulations on your promotion to the position of Assistant Vice President, Finance effective immediately.

The annual salary package for this position is hereby attached.

You will report to Asghar Nawab, Vice-president, Finance. He is looking forward to working with you as you transition into your new role at our company.

Again, congratulations on the new position. Please let me know if you have any questions regarding your compensation and benefits package.

Sincerely,

Maddy Jones

Director, Human Resources

cc: Asghar Nawab

Armineh read and reread, her eyes skimmed every letter on the screen of her laptop and a megawatt smile stretched on her lips. Another feather in her cap. She was where she'd always wanted to be, as her father had dreamt her to be and her mother had prayed her to be.

She glanced at the opposite wall, the frame that held the famous quote of the Marketing Guru, Seth Godin.

'Being noticed is not the same thing as being remarkable. Running down the street will get you noticed but it will not accomplish much. It's easy to pull off a stunt but not useful.'

And Armineh was remarkable.

The ringing landline disturbed the peace of her room and derailed her train of thoughts. Armineh scrambled to pick it up, the papers scattered all about her desk hindered her.

"Good evening, Miss Armineh! Sir Asghar Nawab requests your presence," The secretary spoke with fake enthusiasm.

Armineh tucked the phone in the crook of her neck as she gathered the mess of spreadsheets around the table and arranged her pens and paperweights.

"Give me a few minutes, I'll be there."

The orange hues painted the sky when she looked from the 27th floor of the high-rise building to the setting sun, dipping into the Arabian Sea on the horizon.

Armineh picked her bag from under the table and shouldered it, tucking the sheets in it. She closed her laptop and hastened out of the room. First impressions mattered a lot so it was natural she didn't want to be late when her boss had requested to meet her.

"Hold the elevator doors, please," Her shrill voice echoed in the vacant hallways of her floor. She ran to the elevator and caught the doors in time before they closed right in her face. Once inside the elevator, Armineh fanned her heated cheeks, shifting from one foot to another as it emptied on every floor. Her eyes flitted to the man in a dark suit beside her, his arms were crossed on his chest. He dozed against the wall without a care in the world and no one had tried to wake him up, Armineh patted his shoulder and he visibly flinched away from her, his eyes alarmingly wide. She watched a bead of sweat trickle down the side of his face, he quickly dabbed it with the crumpled tissue.

"I am sorry. I didn't mean to scare you, are you okay?" Armineh asked, putting extra distance between them, at least as much as the enclosed space of the elevator allowed her.

The man's steely glare greeted her, he didn't speak to her allowing the other guy to engage him in a small conversation.

"Sir, wouldn't you attend the meeting? We have crossed the 13th floor."

Armineh recognized the other guy from the IT department but not the man in a dark suit.

"I know and I am not going to be in attendance," The man replied in a tone Armineh could only identify as rude.

He only replied for the sake of civility and he was anything but in peace. Only a few moments ago, he had lost control of his haywire nerves.

As the elevator pinged the 6th floor, Armineh got off and made her way to Asghar Nawab's office, sparing no additional thought to her encounter with the strange man.

Armineh knocked thrice and took a deep breath to calm her racing heart before she entered her boss's office. She found two sets of eyes fixed on her person.

She was glad she didn't wear her heels to work that day, the clacking would have embarrassed her, mightily.

"I am Asghar Nawab and you are Miss Armineh, I suppose?" An unfamiliar man introduced himself.

"Yes."

Asghar Nawab wasn't young like the man beside him but he stood just as tall. Perhaps, slightly taller had it not been for the slight hunch in his back. His forehead was covered with deep, worry lines. White whiskers dusted his jaw. His hair silver-white, Armineh could see a bald spot on the top of his head.

"Come." It resounded in the large room as Asghar Nawab gestured her closer to the meeting table.

"Since you have been promoted to this position, I would like to think you are well suited for this job and you know your work. I would hate for you to disappoint me, Miss Armineh. I very well hope you won't," Asghar Nawab said, without ever looking up from the pages while the other man scrutinized her face.

"Sir, "Armineh replied, resolutely.

"This is Ardashir Hamza Omer and Ardashir, this is the newly promoted assistant vice president, Finance, Miss Armineh Zain Ahmed," Asghar gestured to the young man while he stood halfway between the two of them.

She might not have the experience as the two men standing before her shared but she was just as capable.

"Armineh, Ardashir here is born with a silver spoon in his mouth but he has done well to deserve it," Asghar complimented the son of his good old friend. Ardashir huffed, objecting to the debatable introduction. Armineh passed a small smile when Ardashir offered her an apologetic one.

Asghar turned sober soon after, briefing Armineh about their new challenge and incoming project, "We'll be assisting Ardashir with the joint maneuver over the next few months. The details will be on your table come tomorrow, I would appreciate if you could get started on it as soon as possible. I would also like to hear your take on this first thing tomorrow, yeah?"

Armineh affirmed, this was her first test and she ought to pass it.

"Is that all, Sir?"Armineh asked after a few minutes of silence as Asghar busied himself with writing figures on his floor-length windows.

"Sure. One more thing, arrange a meeting with Ardashir and coordinate the days he'll be present in the country," Asghar told Armineh. Then, he looked at Ardashir to confirm his next words. "Son, you are out of the country for first the ten days of every month, right?"

"Yes, uncle. I have a few contracts to supervise overseas," Ardashir explained, shifting his eyes to Armineh. He gave her his Business card.

Armineh flipped the card in her hands, "Anything else, Sir?"

"No. You may go, now," Asghar dismissed her, turning to his numbers.

"It was nice meeting you, Armineh," Ardashir said seeking her attention when she was about to leave, his hand splayed on his chest. He gave her a warm smile.

"Likewise," Armineh nodded, any hint of a smile that she adorned earlier, lost on her face.

Armineh heard profits, market, and shareholders before she closed the door behind her.

She played with Ardashir's business card in her hands, running her meeting with Asghar Nawab in her head to reminisce the younger man.

Ardashir. His curly brown hair and crooked nose. The pleasant smile that seemed to beckon her and his honey eyes that had seemed to drown her on her way out. Armineh shook herself out of her improper thoughts. They have only met once, she couldn't be infatuated with him when they'll be meeting again. The mere thought of seeing him again thrilled her despite her reservations.

◇

He sat in his car just across her house as the moon rose high in the sky. His head tilted back against the headrest, his eyes fixed on the windows that gave him a clear view of her, gently rocking her daughter in her arms while she paced back and forth, unaware that he was watching her.

It had been one of his favorite past times, lately. He'd come here once in a while when his heartfelt too heavy, other times he'd send a man who'd look after her for him. It was the least he could do for the woman he loved and he could afford it so why the f**k not?

He didn't know if he should laugh at his predicament or die crying.

He never in his wildest dreams imagined, a time will come when he'd have to sit and watch her from afar like a creep that he was and try to be content with the arrangement as much as he wished- prayed it was different. He pulled the loosened tie from his neck and threw it on the passenger seat, angry at himself for being such a besotted fool when the woman didn't even care if he lived to see the morning sun, tomorrow.

He hoped she'd think of him even if it was just once in a long while. Anaam smiled, bitterly, she had such a beautiful family. A baby girl, a husband who must care for her. Why would she waste a thought on him? Who was he?

"Alizeh!" Alizeh heard her husband calling out for her in the corridor and cursed under her breath, bringing her daughter closer to the chest when she stirred in her numb arms.

She shushed her husband as soon as he entered the living room and Imad slowed down in his steps when he found his wife cradling their sleeping daughter to her chest.

He smiled at her, softly and extended his arms, "Let me carry her."

Alizeh nodded passing the sleeping baby into her father's strong arms. Imad didn't miss the opportunity, he took full advantage of his height. He bent over Alizeh to kiss the crown her head when she stepped closer to him.

"Imad," Alizeh reproved, playfully. Imad chuckled.

She took a step back and flexed her tired arms over her head.

Anaam clenched his eyes shut and grated his teeth, it f*****g hurt to see her with him. He might as well have driven a knife through his heart.

"Aagh," Anaam punched the steering wheel, breathing harshly. He rested his forehead against the steering wheel and put his balled fist on his mouth, a dull ache rising in his knuckles.

Alizeh breathed a relieved sigh watching Imad's retreating figure. She put a hand over the beating organ in her chest, willing her heart to calm down.

All this time and he still didn't know she'd give anything- everything to give up her place. Give up this illusion of a perfect family for a dysfunctional one.