Saaya-e-imaan (سایہ ایمان)

CHAPTER 6: UNVIELING FAMILIARITY

AUTHOR'S POV~

After an engaging class with his fashion design students, Professor Hassan sat down in his office to review the identity forms of his new batch. It was a routine task, but one he found necessary to better understand his students. The pile of forms on his desk seemed endless, each representing a different story, a different background.

He picked up the first form and scanned through it quickly. Name, age, previous education-it all blurred together. He placed it aside and reached for the next one. As he worked his way through the stack, his thoughts wandered back to the brief encounter with Amina. Something about Amina intrigued him, though he couldn't quite place what it was. He can't shrug off the unvieling familiarity he felt.

Hassan was seated at his desk, eyes glued to a stack of documents that seemed to have no end. The day had been long and tiresome, and the only sound in the room was the occasional shuffle of papers. His concentration was broken by the sudden ringing of his phone, the vibration startling him slightly. He glanced at the screen and saw Faris his bestfriend's name flashing.

With a sigh, Hassan picked up the call, already bracing himself for whatever Faris had in store.

"Hello?" Hassan answered, his tone reflecting the exhaustion he felt.

"Lagta hai kisi ka mood aaj bohot kharab hai," Faris's voice came through, cheerful and teasing as always.

"Kya hai, Faris?" Hassan replied, not in the mood for Faris's antics today.

"Hassan, mere bachon ke walid, tum kahan the itne din?" Faris's voice was overly dramatic, dripping with mock concern.

Hassan rolled his eyes, "Faris, yaar, phir se yeh shuru mat kar."

But Faris was on a roll, clearly enjoying himself. "Arey, ab toh tum se door rehna mushkil ho gaya hai, meri zindagi ka sahara!"

Hassan let out an exasperated sigh, leaning back in his chair. "Faris, tum kabhi serious nahi ho sakte kya?"

"Serious toh hoon, mere baccho ke walid-e-majnu! Tum mere dil ke qareeb ho, aur yeh documents ke saath apna waqt zaya kar rahe ho?" Faris laughed loudly, the sound of his amusement echoing in Hassan's ears.

Hassan couldn't help but sulk even more, his irritation evident. "Tu kya chahta hai? Kya karoon main?"

Faris, still laughing, responded, "Tu apna kaam chordh aur mere sath bahar chal."

"Main theek hoon, Faris," Hassan replied rolling his eyes mentally, his tone softening despite Hassan's eyes widened "Wait! What? Tune kya kaha tere sath bahar chalne ka?."

Faris's laughter died down, but the smile in his voice was still there.Faris chuckled before replying "Haan of course mere sath nhi to kya bhabhi ke sath jayega" Faris teases Hassan knowing that he never liked this type of talk.

"Matlab tu new york me hai?" Hassan asked being amused.

Faris couldn't help but smile slightly "Haan aaj hi land hua Italy se"

Hassan chuckled despite himself, shaking his head. "Theek hai, theek hai. Aaj raat milte hain!."

Faris grinned on the other side of the call, "ohoo raat ko, Yeh hui na baat! Chal, main tujhe pick karne aata hoon. Tab tak apni documents ko bye bye keh do."

"Alright, Faris. Milte hain," Hassan said shaking his head in disbelief cuz of his friend's antics, finally feeling the weight of his work lift a little.

As the call ended, Hassan set the phone down, a small smile playing on his lips. Faris always had a way of making even the most exhausting days a bit lighter.He was also excited to meet Faris as faris had landed today from Italy.

And with that thought, Hassan turned back to his documents, but this time with a little less burden on his mind, knowing that a night of Faris's antics awaited him.

Finally, he got back to his work till Faris comes,he picked up Amina's form. His eyes scanned her details until they landed on her mother's name: SAYDA ALI. A jolt of recognition ran through him. The name seemed familiar, tugging at a distant memory. He paused, letting the pen in his hand hover over the paper.

"SAYDA ALI," he murmured to himself. The name echoed in his mind, stirring faint recollections. Where had he heard it before? He shook his head, trying to clear the fog. "It's a common name," he reassured himself. "Many people share it."

Yet, the feeling of familiarity persisted, nagging at him as he continued his work. He placed Amina's form aside and tried to focus on the next one, but his mind kept drifting back to the name.

After finishing the last form, he leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, allowing himself to delve into his memories. He thought of his childhood, his family, and friends. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't pinpoint the connection.

The clock on the wall chimed, bringing him back to the present. With a sigh, he gathered the forms and placed them neatly in a folder. "It's probably nothing," he told himself, though a lingering curiosity remained.

As he prepared to leave his office, his thoughts returned to Amina. There was something about her, something beyond the name that felt significant. He decided he would keep an eye out, perhaps learn more about her background when the opportunity arose.

For now, though, he had to focus on his responsibilities. He picked up his briefcase, turned off the lights, and left the office, his mind still swirling with questions about the mysterious connection to SAYDA ALI.

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