| Hawaaon Ke Paighaam | Messages Of The Wind

| The HQ |

Khwahish ki baarish koi, barsi huwi to hai

Phir bhi meri zindagi, tarsi huwi toh hai

Tu rahay aashna, ya rahay ajnabi

Meri har saans hai, tujhse bandi huwi...

Opulence; it was the only word to describe the sheer grandeur of the office Omar Maktabi occupied. The wide-eyed newly appointed secretary gulped hard and adjusted her glasses. The managing director at the employment agency had warned her that this client was VVIP and to be treated with utmost care. He'd also said that though she would have one official boss, there would also occasionally be another important man. 

'He'll come and go, but he's the one to look out for. He's Asian, dark-eyed and dark-haired, probably Pakistani. I've heard he's the type who makes grown men cry by just raising his eyebrows. Be careful around him Liza'. 

The words kept bouncing around in her head, trying to put words to a picture.

The man in-front of her was dark-haired and his eyes the colour of warm honey. He'd welcomed her into the office 20 minutes ago and since then had smiled seven times and cracked exactly three jokes. He looked powerful no doubt, but making grown men cry? Alpha male or not, he seemed too nice to make anyone cry.

A phone rang outside the office door and in the next 20 seconds five things happened. The air outside the office door became strangely charged, murmurs flooding the place. People speed-walked back to their desks and started fussing around; men straightened their ties and the ladies, they all but mimicked a female bird priming herself for a mating ritual. The floor-to-ceiling blinds, usually at half-mast were pulled up to let the Qatari sun filter in. The executive assistant ran off towards the executive kitchen and lastly, the thundering sound of a helicopter landing on the rooftop helipad directly above could be heard.

Mr Maktabi straightened and cracked his knuckles "He's here" he muttered.

Exactly a minute later, footsteps sounded on the Italian marble floors outside, echoing because the sudden silence outside was thundering.

And then he came into view. Dressed in black from head to toe. His dark-haired head to his gleaming leather covered toes. In a seemingly simple outfit of a black dress shirt, black trousers and a black blazer buttoned with a single button at his abdomen. Just above that button was a tantalising v of bronzed skin, with a smattering of dark hair peeking through the three opened buttons. Higher still was his crowning glory. A lightly tanned face accentuated with a sharp jaw, light stubble and a full, dark moustache.

Too primal to be called beautiful, but with features too lovely to be anything else.

Liza realised in that moment that the saying 'the clothes make the man' was actually not for all men apparently. This man could be covered in rags and still radiate supremacy.

She was jolted out of her thoughts when she saw him turn his head, give her a once-over and move his lips. Was he talking to her? While she'd been staring at that bronzed chest peeking out? Where was a shovel and a hole when you needed one? He turned his head back to Mr Maktabi and she realised the question had been about her, but for him.

"This is Liza, my new secretary, fresh from the agency" Mr Maktabi chuckled

With a slow nod of his head, the vision in black turned to her again, gave tiniest half smile and nodded his head in greeting. Then he turned, unbuttoned his coat and sat down elegantly on one of the plush beige couches in office. The executive assistant walked in with the cup of espresso she had ran off to prepare and then signalled Liza to follow her out. In a daze, Liza could only follow suit.