BROKEN

chapter 13

   I had been trying to avoid usman since our last meeting. I looked at the heap of files on my table wondering where to start working from.

  Knock knock

"come in"i said, then looked up from the table as Blaire entered the office.

  "usman wants to see you in his office"she said then I suddenly felt nervous, my heart skipped a bit. I just didn't want to see him, probably not now or even forever. I didn't know how to face him since the last time. I also felt like I overreacted the last time too.

   "you know you can't avoid him forever, I always knew something like this was going to happen"she said smiling sheepishly. "I always noticed how he looked at you even when he tried to be modest"

  "stop it you!"I said getting up from the chair and picking up the files to go to Usman's office.

"come in please"usman said after I had knocked on the door.

I entered slowly then I stood in front of him as I lowered my gaze feeling shy.

  "Mr yusuf wants us to do the presentation today, I hope you're ready"

  "yes, I just finished with it now"

"that's perfect, I will just see you at the meeting then"he said then excused me.

   I was surprised that he didn't mention anything about what had happened the other day and he looked pale..
 
  "wait"he said as I was about going out. "can we just go now to the conference,but I will stop at somewhere first since there is still time"he said

  "okay, I will just get my things"

*******************************************

  We walked through the hospital hallway, usman had told me his mother had a severe case of diabetes and needed to be operated on immediately.

  We reached the room soon and then I saw a woman in her 50s lying on the bed,there was no one with her and I wondered if usman was her only child but usman once said something about his sisters one who was the mother of Khalid.

  "mother"usman said then she opened her eyes gently and smiled.

  "usman, how are you doing"she asked

"Very well mother, I should be the one asking you that"

  "this is zeenat, a friend of mine and we also work  together"he said then he and his mother turned towards me.

  "how are you dear and how is everyone at home doing"she asked smiling at me then I wondered how she could manage to smile even in such a situation.

"fine ma"i smiled back.

Few minutes later I decided to leave the two of them alone to talk.

  "I will just use the bathroom"i said excusing myself.

Usman

  "you like her,isn't it"mother asked after zeenat left the room.

"mother!! Am I so obvious"i said smiling at her question.

  "just a little bit but I know you well enough"she said then I sat on the chair next to her.

  "yes mother,I really do"

"then talk to her about how you feel" she advised.

  "mother I have but I just want her to be ready,i want it to be what we both want, I am just waiting for the right time"

  "I hope you two will never end up being like me and your father"she said and then I suddenly remembered when both of them had announced to us that they where going to get a divorce.

  "I am not like him mother, i will never do to a woman what he did to you"i said furiously.

  "did faoziyyah drop by" I asked trying to change the topic.

"your sister said she will be here soon"

   Minutes later faoziyyah dropped by with Khalid.

"Hello everyone"she said to I and zeenat who had just gotten back.

  "hey"

"where is mother"she asked then I pointed to the room but before she left I had introduced zeenat to her.

   I and zeenat then decided it was time to go to the conference.

ZEENAT

  I looked at him time to time as he drove, there were some questions I just wanted to ask him but before I could stop myself I spilled it.

  "where is your dad, you never talk about him"i asked and his expression changed. I always hated myself for being  too inquisitive,it had gotten me into more trouble than it had saved Me.

  "sorry, it's okay if you don't want to talk about it"

"no,it's alright"

   "my dad and my Mom separated when I was just six and my  sister was eight and since then we had not seen him, I and my sister were curious about why they had separated because mother had told us it was because they just fell out of love for each other and realized things were not going to work but when we grew up we realized that my father cheated on my mother"he said furiously "oh my, I am so sorry"i said

  "it's no one's fault but his fault because he even had a child with his mistress"he said and then I realized how hard his child hood must have been.

  I got home pretty late after the conference,i laid on my bed then thought about what usman had told me about his family and how his mother was doing.

  I picked up my phone,then scrolled through my contacts to Usman's number,after much debating with myself I decided to text him.

  How is your mum doing??

I asked,even though I also badly wanted to ask how he was doing.

  she is better since the operation had taken place this evening.

  My phone beeped then I immediately checked what he had sent. Few minutes later he sent another text.

  Thank you

He said amd then I smiled a bit, I laid back on the bed staring into space then I realized something. For the first time in seven years, I cared about someone apart from my self and family. I cared about usman. There was something I was feeling that I didn't understand.  It was strange but it felt good though.