THREADS OF LOVE

NEW JOB

All the way to Sharjah back in bus i kept thinking about Faruk and the prospect of having a new job , and the events of today. We drove in silence and reached Mleiah at around 7 in the afternoon. Zesmina and I got down from the bus and parted our ways at the bus stand.
It took me half and hour from there and i reached home around 7:30 I thanked God that Bhaiyaan was not home yet. He would be furious if he knew i went to Sharjah to look for a job.
"Maam!", said the maidservant, "do i serve supper to you or will you will wait for the master?".
"I will have supper, serve it to my room please!". She nodded.
I went to my room and plopped on my bed tired, when my phone rang. I picked up it was khala.
"ASALAAMOALIKUM SHAHISTA!" , why didn't you called once, i was so worried about you."
"WALAIKUMASALAAM KHALA!" "I am sorry i was busy today".
"Its okay beta, but at least call me once please,", she said with worry in her tone.
I smiled , oh! , how much i miss her warmth and love, said I to myself.
"So beta!, did you meet Ahmed Saheb ?"  My mood went sour listening to his name.
"I met him and he wanted me back so that i could become an eligible woman like babhi and live upto the family name!". "I don't wanna talk about him khala ."
"Beta ! , he is your father  don't speak like this. Okay leave it, tell me something else did you get a job ?" I kept quiet for some time , i can't tell Khala about Sharjah , she would worry even more than bhaiyaan. "Yes .. , i got, its nearby only!", i lied. "Mashallah !, that is very good.", said khala . I hated lying to her i felt horrible.
"And how is Zesmina and farhaan?". "They are good khala !", said I.
We continued to talk about various topics till i saw it was nearly 8:30. Then i said goodbye to her and put down the phone.
Bhaiyaan hadn't arrived yet, but i was very tired and i had to wake up early tomorrow . Tomorrow i can't be late , so i decided to go to sleep.
I set my alarm for 5 am and went to sleep.

The next morning i woke up exactly at 5, without wasting my time i quickly got up . I offered my prayer and then went to the washroom and took a bath , i got out soon and went to get dressed. Checking the mobile for time i saw it was 6 am, i messaged Zesmina and found out that she left for the bus stand .
I quickly went down to grab some breakfast. "Maam, what would you have tea or breakfast?"
"Breakfast", i replied. "Where is bhaiyaan ?".
"Maam sir has gone to gym., she said.
I would not see him again today,it was good in a kind of way i didn't have to face his questions again. I quickly ate and left for the bus stand.  It took me 20 minutes to reach it and i saw my friend standing there, i called out.
"Zesmina!".
She waved back, "come on bus has almost come."
I nodded and went to her just then the bus arrived. We boarded the bus and took our seats.
I don't know why, but my eyes searched for Faruk on the bus. However he was nowhere to be seen.
"Hey!, do you think this address is authentic na?", said Zesmina eyeing the piece of paper on which address was written.
"I think it is,"said I. "Do you trust him?", said Zesmina. I nodded , it was strange but i somehow trusted Faruk.
The rest of the journey was uneventful and we reached Sharjah at 8:30. We got down the bus and took out the address slip. But there was one thing that we hadn't thought about and that was navigating to this place. Sharjah was huge while the general hospital being famous was very easy to find this small nursing home didn't showed well in any GPS.
We followed the GPS to a little distance soon it failed us.
"Shahista!, we have been walking around this lane for hours i don't think so it is the correct path."
"Just a second Zesmina i am trying to add a different address in the GPS." said I.
"Shahista it's already 8:50,i don't wanna be late again," She sighed, "Why don't we ask someone?" Then she stopped and asked a shop owner.
"Sir, do you know this place," she says showing the address.
He looked at her for sometime and then said, "! Min ant?"
"Oh crap how can i forget this is Sharjah there is very few people who know English here. ", said I.
"Great now we are lost not to forget we are about to blow up our only chance at a job. Call your brother Shahista.", said she.
"No way i am not calling bhaiyaan, if he gets to know i am lost in Sharjah he will ground me."
Zesmina looked at me angrily," then you propose ma'am how do we here our off here," said she.
"I...I..",i was lost for words when i heard a voice behind.
"Shahista!, what are you doing here?". I Turned to see Faruk standing there, i had never been this happy to see anyone before .
"Hal toha rofo um ( do.. you know them) ?", said the shop keeper speaking Arabic
"Ana a rofo um," said faruk speaking fluent Arabic . The further conversed in Arabic which i couldn't understand at all. "What!, are you doing here Shahista, the nursing home is two blocks away."
"We got lost," Zesmina blurted out.
Faruk looked at me and laughed a long hearting laughter . I may not accept this but my heart warmed a little hearing him laugh, it was a beautiful melodic voice.
"Come on , lets go , i will take you there!", finally he composed himself and started walking.
We nodded and followed him. He led us down a narrow alley, around two blocks away when we finally came to a halt in-front of a small red and white coloured building name Sharjah nursing home.
"This is what i was talking about!, now come in," said Faruk and went inside pushing through the double doors. We and Zesmina followed him in. Once inside i saw the usual hustle bustle of a hospital, for a small nursing home that place was bursting a lot with patients. We're followed Faruk down a long white corridor. On my way i noticed that the patients belonged to different communities of the world, they were being treated by a team of  doctors and nurses alike. The one thing that i noticed was most of the doctors were young and many looked Indians.
"Here we need to take the lift", said Faruk reaching the end of the hallway.  We nodded and he pressed the lift button.
"So where are you talking us?",i said.
"To meet my father!", he said casually.
I started at him with started eyes.  He looked at me and smiled, "Don't worry my father will take you in. Its just a formality," he reassured still i was doubtful about this whole event. "Come on lets go", he said as the lift came down. The doors opened and out stepped a very cute looking young man. 
"Hey Faruk!,where are you going dude, said the young man, "and who are these two beautiful young women with you?, he said looking at us.
Zesmina giggled whereas i just rolled my eyes, "FLIRT!", i have met a lot of boys like him.
"These are new recruits as junior doctors, i am taking them to meet dad.", said Faruk.
"Oh then!, bye see you at lunch and you too ladies.", he said smiling at us.
Now it was Faruk turns to roll his eyes. Anyways we three entered the lift and fall pressed the button for 3 floor. The doors closed, then he said, "sorry about him."
"No problem!", said I and smiled. The doors opened and we walked out , Faruk led us to a big chamber at the end of the hallway. It was a elegantly decorated room with an old man looking a lot like Faruk sitting on it.
"Hey dad," said Faruk. "These are the two women i was speaking about."
Faruk's father remove his spectacle and looked at us, "What are your good names, maam?"
"Shahista", said I. "Zesmina", said her. "Here is my resume sir," said I handing him our files.
"Ah..na!", he said refusing, "that won't be needed."
Me and Zesmina looked at each other unsure of what to do.
"Just tell me about yourself and your work experience.", he said smilingly.
I started and told him about my undergraduate degree my little job experience in India and my plan of doing postgraduate here.
He didn't say anything just nodded.
Next Zesmina told him her story which was pretty much identical to mine. He again listened it with a black face.
"Just one question to you Shahista," he said after listening to everything.
"Yes sir!", I said.
"If you live in Mleiah, why don't you work there!"
"Uh... I..", i hadn't expected this question. "I.,.", i stammered.
"Actually dad since there are very few coaching institutes for postgraduate exam in Mleiah, shahista came to Sharjah to complete her study as well as work.", said Faruk.
His father didn't say anything just nodded.
"Faruk,", he finally said. "Yes dad!", said him. " Pitch them up with Abdul and friends!", said he. Faruk nodded and started walking towards the doors. We just stood there not knowing what was happening. "Come, aren't you gonna follow me?", said Faruk walking ahead of us.
"Wait...! What is happening?", said I confused. 
Faruk said walking outside the doors "you have been appointed."
I was shocked he's didn't even saw my qualifications and gave me ask job.
I looked at Zesmina who was as surprised as me. Still shocked we followed Faruk towards the lift.
We went and he pressed the button of second floor. "Let me show you your place of work.", he said.
"Faruk seriously?", i said unsure . "Your father really appointed us without even asking about our qualifications?".
Faruk smiled at us and continued, "You are from India, my dad is from India, he has a special connection to India especially delhi where he has graduated from."
"And don't worry, you will under observation for a month and then your job will be finalised.", he said.
"But still!, i mean this all is a bit overwhelming. I don't know how to thank you Faruk."
"Hey!", he said staring at me with his intense green eyes. "Never thank me Shahista i am more than happy to help you always!".
There was so much emotion in his eyes, that i got lost in them. All of a sudden the lift doors open, and i was thankful for this distraction as things were getting awkward.
"Come on! This way", he said. And me and Zesmina followed him down a corridor. It was a bright well light corridor cream white walls. There were rooms on the both sides with Drs name written on it. The corridor was full of patients from whereas parts of the world, and  i noticed a vast majority were children. Nurses were helping them fill in form and do the other prerequisite needful things. Faruk stopped in front of a room at the end of the hallway turned the knob on the doors to walk in. Before me or Zesmina even went in i could hear cheerful laughter coming from inside.
Nevertheless i followed Faruk inside the room with Zesmina tagging behind me. They first thing that i noticed about the room was it was very comfy and cute for a hospital chamber. There was a light green colour carpet on the floor that matched with the dark green curtains on the large windows present on the back wall. The whole room was decorated with flowers and had and amazing smell to it. There on the center was a beautiful wooden desk with comfy leather chairs on which three people were sitting on it two boys one of which i recognised earlier as Abdul and a girl about my age. The one thing they all had common was that they were all bursting with laughter, and that's how i met the moose amazing set of friends i had in my entire life.