The Incomplete

MEETING

HEY FRIENDS!! This is a story I wrote 2/3 years back and then I lost the draft. Few friends, whom I have let to read the story, liked it. So,Ii thought to rewrite it. Hope you like it too. :) 

Your comments, likes, sharing will be highly appreciated and inspire me more.

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The incomplete dream woke Ishana up from the afternoon nap. Just some rest and such a bad dream! She suddenly felt urgency for tea. Pushing away the bad dream thoughts, she called one of her ayaas for serving her tea. While waiting for tea, her eyes locked in the deserted playground outside her cabin. How lifeless it seemed without the kids! The deserted playground along with the wind made her nostalgic and she realized tea was not the only thing she needed; she needed to see a lively playground, needed to see children turning the playground into life, making her happy, strong, giving her a reason to live. She could tell without looking at the clock that it was time to wake them up from their nap.

Before being more philosophical, her phone beeped. That must be email notification- she guessed. She was right. Receiving emails from her clients has risen so much these days that she could almost see their pleadings. And the notification beeps gave her panics. She was in a fix. As much as her clients needed her, the orphanage she established needed her too. She wish she could trust someone....she pushed away the thoughts before they extend to more complicacy.

Someone knocked the door. Must be the tea. But the aya was without tea, "Someone came to meet you."

"Who?"

"Don't know. Never came here before. Seems like some office man."

First time came. Office man. Who could that be? she thought to herself.

"Okay. Send him in." She quickly said as she saw the aya waiting for her response.

The aya was about to leave when Ishana called her again, "And do wake up the children. It's their playtime."

The aya smiled in agreement and disappeared behind the door. Slightly after few minutes there was another knock on the door. "Come in" she said preparing herself to be formal. She expected someone with business talks but the man entering her cabin shocked her. She certainly didn't expect the formally dressed man to be her friend.

"Shafqat?!" she exclaimed, a little louder in excitement.

He seemed speechless and shocked too. Ishana could read his expression- shock, disbelief, pain, resentment and something she avoided. It was clear from his expression that he didn't know he was about to meet her. Before the silence became awkward, he shifted his expression into a smile and commented, "Look who's here....I'm confused. Should I be angry that you didn't contact all these years or should I just be happy to see you after so many years?" Sure, sarcasm was the right thing to avoid awkwardness.

"I like the second part more." She replied with a smile and gestured him to have a seat. "Besides," she added' "since you didn't know I'm the one you're meeting, so surprise!"

"Your surprises are shocking." his sarcastic tone vanished.

"So, how are you?" Ishana avoided the comment.

"I'm always good, busy, handling business and being formal all the time." He smirked, "What about you Miss Psychologist? Where the hell you've been?"

"I've been in London, studying, doing job."

"That's nice. The exact things you wanted to do."

"This is the exact thing I wanted to do." Ishana referred to the whole area.

"You own this?"

"Haven't you figured that out yet?" she answered with a huge grin.

"Dream comes true", He said dramatically.

"So, Mr. Rich businessman, what brought you here?" Ishana suddenly had the question in her mind.

Shafqat almost forgot the reason of his coming until she asked. He was certainly not prepared to answer the truth. He didn't want to lie either. He immediately took a decision. Clearing his throat he replied, "Umm...donation ofcourse."

"Why? To add an image to your reputation?"

He was shocked until her giggle assured her sarcasm.

He didn't let her know that he almost took her words seriously. Instead he played it like her, "No...for you." He winked.

She chuckled, "Thank you, I need it to run my orphanage."

How charming she still looked.

"But I think the kids deserve more than you...so I decided to donate to them, for them."

Shafqat expected a sarcastic response again but Ishana just strolled toward the window, stared at the cheerful kids outside. He stood beside her. Her eyes glittered with satisfaction, her smile shined. A true smile, smile from the heart like when a child gets a desired object and gets happy. She was beautiful yet she had an expression of an innocent child. Her innocent winsomeness never fails to attract him, makes him wonder if she was an angel with mere thoughts. A human with unbelievable humanity. How could she be so charming?

"You know Shafqat," she said, still staring at the kids, "It makes me so happy when people like you think about these orphans."

Another pure thought of hers, he thought to himself. He instantly took a decision, a very important one.