Like Chalk And Cheese [Completed]

Make up to it

Some time after that, Amir had come knocking at the door to my room once again, though this time he wanted to inform me that his Agha called, telling him to relay the information of the tour to me. It was scheduled for today, at 3:30.

Miserable as I was, I felt like not giving a damn about the stupid tour, not really thinking about it at all. I told Amir that much, and turning the side on the bed to face the large windows, I stared into the lawn, the leaves of the plants swishing under the wind.

All sorts of images from the past swam in front of my vision, my heart further constricting sulkily as I made no effort to shrug them off.

---

HASAN

Since I liked to make sure that we got the best of staff that would never come out as a hindrance to our collective success as a team, I had the portfolios of the applicants spread out in front of me, as I scrutinized them personally. We were hiring fresh employees this time of the year, for the first time in the last three years. That was a huge success for our company, because given was the fact that our management, services, insurances, work environment and the nature of the work itself wasn't too much for those who had chosen to join us. Therefore, nobody wanted to step off and resign, and neither was anyone - consequent to my severe scrutiny - was fired.

The portfolios were sent to me as the final step in the hiring process, and I needed to be done within today's office hours, so that the ones selected would be informed of their new employment.

Perhaps, today was supposed to be a bad day at work, because I got a call mid task from the upper management of LUMS itself, informing me with mild apprehension that the special solo study tour arranged on my request was ditched by the student.

I hadn't seen that coming for keeping in mind last night's dinner, the girl seemed quite eager for her University admission. The reason for her sudden change in the mood didn't immediately strike me, and hence I felt a little pissed off for the embarrassment I had to face on her behalf.

I had met the person in a formal dinner to exchange a very brief introduction and that was the only time I'd come to know him. I remembered though that he worked as a representative of the prestigious college, and since favors in the elite community are considered as a golden egg, I thought I had to dare in for the girl's sake.

The person obviously grasped the opportunity without any sort of hesitation. I wasn't asking for too much anyway. A tour of the campus for a single individual could easily go unnoticed.

Going out of the way for one person has this drawback to it; if others happened to know they'd barge in like flies demanding fair treatment. And if you're a man of conscience, you'd have to go through the trouble of ensuring just that.

So this person from the upper management might be worried about the news getting leaked. In esteemed institutions - the likes of the one mentioned - things work in a systematic way, they have rigid rules and regulations, they don't bend that easily. So if the tour was arranged for today's date, it had to be attended today.

For a man who never let deadlines approach, I was extremely embarrassed in front of the person for such carelessness in character.

"As much as I want to prove of assistance to you, Mr. Hasan, I am afraid I cannot help you further in this regard. It cannot be arranged any other day. I had already scheduled it after a close observation of the event calendar. You might be aware there's a lot to look over for someone on my post." He spoke over the intercom when I asked him if he could transfer it to some other day.

After some more apologies from both sides and expressing the hope of getting in touch once again, I hung up, pinching the bridge of my nose in mild frustration over the matter.

After a short while, I got back to work half-heartedly, resisting the urge to go home and demand some answers. But of course, the task at hand was more important than easing my mind from the severe irritation and maybe a little of apprehension.

---

When I did get home, I couldn't completely shrug off the seething, so I found myself knocking on the door to her room, before getting into mine and change.

Like the previous time, she slid it open only a few centimetres and peaked through it with her large doe like eyes. That ticked me off a little more.

Shoving my hands into the pocket of my dress pants, I regarded her with a cold stare.

"What disaster struck that you couldn't have bothered to attend the tour?"

I thought I saw her eyes glisten as she held the door apart a fraction more, and then lowered her gaze.

"I had asked someone a favor. You embarrassed me."

Her head drooped. "I'm sorry."

"You should be." I pronounced.

Her hand then moved up to her face and she wiped her cheeks.

Shit. Was she crying?

I sighed, swallowing some of the harshness away. "It cannot be arranged again now. Did Amir get you the forms and your documents?"

She gave a slow nod of her head.

"Did you fill them?"

This time around it was a no.

"When you do, go to the college yourself to submit them, got it?"

Affirmative.

I turned to leave, because her cowering figure and the tears that glistened on her face was upsetting me, increasing my guilt for being unnecessarily harsh on her. When I came to my room and closed the door, then it occurred to me what the reason behind her sullen mood could possibly be - resulting in my guilt to increase tenfold.

I had to make up for it.

---
WARDA

I decided I hated him as I came to the bed and flopped down, gasping out a sob. Tears died pretty soon though. I thought he should at least try to be a little sympathetic, I was freaking thrown out of my house by my own father after all, breaking my engagement without warning and marrying me off to the last person I wanted to be tied with. And now here in this house I had to live alone for the entire day, no one to kill the time with.

Should he not be the person who can not understand what it felt like? I mean, he had been living alone for the past eight years since his mother died . . .

God . . . They sure are a lot of years! How must he have managed it. If it hurt me like that, God knows how he coped with it.

If he was giving me shelter and not demanding anything in return, I shouldn't be mean to him. He had arranged that tour for me after all, and there was nothing he was getting out of it. I shouldn't have damned it like that.

I'd apologize again.

---

A/n: Once again, not much, but trust me I'm trying. There's so much to do!!