When Fire Meets Ice - Completed.

38. E N C O U N T E R

I N A Y A

The meeting went by smoothly.

I just had to fire the manager and hire a new one.

Bloody traitor!

He thinks he'd mess with my finances and my Zee wouldn't figure it out!

So so naïve!!

In the conference room, I was already tired and ready to leave when someone knocked on the door.

"Enter". I spoke and the most unexpected person entered the room.

A face I hadn't seen in years!!

A smile erupted on my face as I walked down the lane of memories.

Hassan Raza.

"Assalamu'alaikum, gunpowder!" He greeted me, smiling goofily and I chuckled.

Ugh! That name...

"Walaikum'assalam, Circus ke ringmaster". I bit back teasingly and we burst out laughing.

"You didn't change even a bit!!" He exclaimed, taking a seat across from me. I grinned back, "Neither did you! Where did you disappear all of a sudden and now, this dramatic entry?"

He chuckled, leaning back on the chair, relaxed as he mused, "A lot happened in these years! I got to know that you're here, so I thought of meeting you..." He trailed off and I smiled. "You stay here?", I asked.

"Yeah! I shifted here three years ago, due to a project I've been handling". He said and I nodded in appreciation.

The talk continued and we discussed old times. I found myself laughing as I felt nostalgic. Hassan Raza was my school friend!

Our trio: Hassan, Ananya and me were known for the chaos we'd cause in school everyday. The friendship that vowed to never end, but he had to move away due to some personal reasons he didn't mention.

"How's Anu?" He asked and I smiled, "She's the most inevitable challenge for all the culprits out there you know! A secret agent". I whispered secretly and his brows raised as he grinned, "Wow! She'll kill me for always teasing her about becoming a beggar". We laughed again.

"Let's go to the nearest cafè and then talk?" He asked and then it hit me, Ahad! I had promised him that I'd return early.

"Oh I'd love to but my husband might be waiting for me! Why don't you join us for dinner tonight?" I declared and he gasped audibly, his jaw ready to touch the ground.

"What the hell? You got married?? This is some stupid prank right Inu?" He fired questions one by one and I chuckled, "No it isn't.."

"Who's the poor guy?" He winked and I laughed, "Ahad Qureshi".

"Oh! You've got someone of your competence!! I thought you weren't into any such things?" He asked and I sighed, "Don't ask, It's a really long story.. I wasn't actually into this, Dad forced me and now we're kinda better! You know, neither friends nor strangers.." I said, keeping most of the details to myself.

"But we've met after such a long time, your Husband can wait right?" He pleaded with those puppy eyes and I huffed, "Wait, let me talk to him about this".

I dialled Ahad and he received it quickly. "Yes, sweetheart?" He asked and I smiled involuntarily at how easily that name slips out of his tongue and how cute it sounds..

"Ahad! I've actually met a friend after a really long time, can I stay back for... like an hour?" I asked and he stayed quiet for a while before speaking, "Of course! Take your time. No issues". He said and hung up.