One Waiting in Silence, Another Found at Last
1127 Words
As soon as Sheerin returned to the engineering department, Sanam approached her, practically bouncing on her toes.
“Ms. Sheerin,” she asked eagerly, “what happened? What did he say? Can I meet him now?”
Sheerin offered a gentle, apologetic smile.
“Mr. Muheeb is very busy right now,” she replied. “But he said you can meet him after his meetings are done.”
Sanam’s face didn’t fall; it lit up.
“Really? That’s amazing! I can’t wait!”
With renewed energy, she hurried back to her desk, determined to complete her work perfectly so she would be ready the moment he was free.
Hours passed. The sun began to dip below the horizon.
After finishing all her tasks, Sanam made her way toward Muheeb’s office. But the meeting was still in progress. Not wanting to miss her chance, she sat on a bench outside the conference room.
I’ll just wait a few minutes, she told herself.
But minutes stretched into an hour. The exhaustion of her first day, combined with the emotional excitement, began to weigh on her. Her eyelids grew heavy. She leaned her head back against the wall, just to rest her eyes for a moment… and drifted into a deep sleep.
When the meeting eventually ended, Muheeb stepped out, surrounded by his executives. He was deep in conversation about software development, walking briskly past the bench.
He didn’t look down. He didn’t see the girl sleeping peacefully just a few feet away.
He walked straight to his office, leaving destiny sleeping on a bench.
Back inside his office, Muheeb buried himself in paperwork again. It was his only escape from the memories. He was midway through a file when the door opened and Sajid entered, looking annoyed.
“Wait—you’re still working?” Sajid asked in disbelief. “Why? Aren’t you exhausted?”
“These are important for tomorrow,” Muheeb muttered. “I’ll leave once I’m done.”
Sajid crossed his arms. “Don’t work too late. Your back pain will return.”
Muheeb chuckled softly. “Alright, alright. Happy now?”
Just then, Sajid’s phone buzzed. He glanced at the ID and his face softened immediately. He stepped aside to answer.
“Hello, honey!”
Tanya’s playful voice responded, “Honey? You’re getting sweeter every day.”
He laughed. “What can I say? You bring it out of me. So, what’s up?”
“You know my brother Sanjay got promoted, right?” Tanya said. “So, I’m throwing a party tonight at Hotel Starlight. You have to come—and you are bringing Muheeb with you. No excuses.”
Sajid froze. “Wait… what? Bring Muheeb to a party? You know he doesn’t—”
“I don’t care,” she insisted. “If you don’t bring him, don’t bother coming yourself.”
Sajid sighed in surrender. “Fine. I’ll bring him.”
He hung up and turned to Muheeb. “Pack up. We’re leaving.”
Muheeb raised an eyebrow. “Where?”
“Tanya’s brother’s promotion party. And before you say no—I don’t have a choice. If I don’t bring you, she’ll kill me.”
Muheeb sighed, then smiled faintly at his brother’s plight. “Alright. Let’s go.”
They left the office together, the lights flicking off behind them.
A while later, Sanam woke with a start, jolted by a hand on her shoulder.
“Miss?”
She blinked rapidly, seeing a janitor standing over her.
“Who are you? Why are you sleeping here?”
Sanam rubbed her eyes, panic setting in. “I… I’m waiting for Mr. Muheeb. Where is he?”
The janitor frowned. “Mr. Muheeb? He left a long time ago. Didn’t you see him go?”
Her heart sank like a stone. “He… he left?”
She had waited for hours. She had missed him. Fighting back tears of disappointment, Sanam gathered her bag and walked out of the empty building.
Fate, it seemed, was playing a cruel game.
She received a call from a friend inviting her to dinner to cheer her up. Sanam agreed, needing a distraction. She freshened up and headed to Hotel Starlight.
Inside the hotel, the party was in full swing. Muheeb sat at the bar, nursing a drink, looking utterly alone in the crowded room.
“Ten years,” he muttered into his glass. “Ten years have passed… and still silence.”
“Muheeb!”
He turned to see Tanya approaching with her brother, Sanjay.
“Hey, Tanya. Congratulations, Sanjay,” Muheeb said, masking his pain with a polite smile.
Sanjay beamed. “Thank you, Muheeb. Honestly, it’s all because of you. If you hadn’t helped me back then…”
Tanya nudged her brother. “Okay, go mingle, Sanjay.” As he left, Tanya studied Muheeb’s face. The sadness there was impossible to miss.
“You haven’t given up yet, have you?” she asked gently.
Muheeb shook his head. “No. I haven’t.”
“It’s been ten years, Muheeb. Are you really still waiting?”
“Yes,” he replied simply.
Tanya sighed, her heart breaking for him. “I hope you find her soon. You deserve peace.”
She walked away, and Sajid joined her.
“Why are you looking at him like that?” Sajid asked.
“Because,” Tanya whispered, “he is living a life he doesn’t deserve. He’s trapped in the past. It breaks my heart every time I see him.”
Sajid nodded solemnly. “I know.”
Feeling suffocated by the noise, Muheeb stepped out of the party to get some air. He walked toward the parking lot, calling his uncle to check in.
“Yes, Uncle, I’ve eaten…”
Suddenly—
“Thief! Thief! Help!”
Muheeb spun around. A man had snatched a purse from a woman and shoved her hard. She fell, her head cracking against a stone planter with a sickening thud.
Muheeb didn’t think. He sprinted, chasing the thief away, then rushed back to the woman. She lay unconscious, blood trickling from her forehead.
He knelt beside her. “Miss? Can you hear—”
He brushed the hair from her face.
The world stopped. The sounds of the city vanished. His heart hammered against his ribs like a war drum.
It was her.
“Sanam…?” he whispered, his voice trembling. “Sanam!”
She didn’t move.
Panic flooded his veins. He scooped her up in his arms, ignoring the blood staining his suit.
“Hold on,” he choked out. “I won’t let anything happen to you. I found you. I finally found you.”
He drove to the hospital like a madman, praying every second of the way.
- Writer
