REMARKABLE

1

'Baba! What you suggest is preposterous.' Ardashir's loud voice boomed against the large glass windows of his father's room, rattling them.

'You don't talk me in that tone, boy and you'll do what I will tell you to do.' Hamza hissed at his son's reluctance as he glared at him, Allah had blessed him with a son but a weak one and He had taken his wife too early in his life.

'I wish I had a daughter, I bet she would have been stronger than you.'

Hamza walked to his son who stood erect adjacent to the poster bed, he kept a 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 not right.' Ardashir beseeched his father but when had Hamza ever moved from his decisions. They were always ineffaceable like a line engraved on a stone. Ardashir should have known better than to try changing his father's mind.

'You should know better than to test me, Ardashir.'

Hamza glanced down at the vintage wristwatch. 'You're going to go see her, right now. Now get out of my sight.' Hamza dismissed Ardashir as he paced to the large shelf.

Ardashir nodded as he briskly walked out of the room, colliding with a vase on the entrance as 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,

Megan Jones

Director, Human Resources

cc: Asghar Nawab

Armineh read and reread, her eyes skimmed every letter on the screen of her laptop. A megawatt smile adorned her face as she read the email of yet another achievement. She was where she wanted to be, as her father had dreamt her to be and her mother had prayed her to be.

She glanced at the 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 landline disturbed the peace of her room and Armineh scrambled to pick it up from under all the scattered papers around her desk.