Metanoia | ongoing

1 | him

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03:00 am

AUTHOR-

Arham Syed is a man who speaks little and appears distant but is fiercely loyal and dedicated to his work. He is a workaholic and values his family and friends deeply. He can be strict but is never unfeeling. Despite challenges at work, he remains calm and composed, never taking impulsive actions.

He often works late, and on this particular night, he found himself buried beneath a pile of papers. However, he decided to call it a night at exactly 3 AM.

Arham is a person who has been labeled with various names such as 'workaholic', 'ruthless', and 'heartless' by some people behind his back. However, these tags are not accurate as they don't reflect his true character. Arham is someone who can maintain a clear separation between his personal and professional life, which has earned him admiration from his colleagues. He is highly professional and takes his work seriously, which might make him appear as a workaholic to some people. However, his dedication to his work has helped him achieve his goals and progress in his career. Despite being focused on his work, Arham is not a ruthless or heartless person. He is empathetic and considerate towards others but knows how to keep his personal and professional life separate to avoid conflicts or confusion. His colleagues appreciate him for his professionalism, and he has earned their respect and trust.

Arham is different around his family. He can appear to be two different people, with an intense seriousness at work and a joyful demeanor around his loved ones. He is a loving brother, who enjoys teasing and making his siblings laugh. He is a capable and devoted son and brother, and those who know him well recognize his true nature.

The elevator dinged and the doors opened, signaling he was on the main floor and had to get off. As he turned a hallway, he spotted his secretary stirring a hot cup of coffee whilst walking toward him, not having noticed his presence yet.

"Assamualaikum sir. Are you leaving?" the latter asked, with hope in his eyes when he caught a glimpse of his boss. "Walaikum assalam. Yes, Rayan. I thought you'd left already, what are you doing here?" He asked, not expecting his secretary to be here. "I had some paperwork to finish, sir." Rayan gave him a tired smile, eyebags visible below his eyes.

"That's not important, Rayan. We don't allow our co-workers to stay back this late here. Health comes first. That's one of our company's policies, you know that." He nodded, looking at his wristwatch. "I'm aware sir. It won't happen again. Thank you for the concern, I'll be leaving soon." Rayan smiled warily.

"No, no. You're going to leave now. I'll drop you off, take it as an apology from the company." He convinced. "Oh no sir, I really can't have you do that. I don't want to inconvenience you..." Rayan trailed off. "You're coming with me, Rayan. Come now." Arham declared, turning his back to his subordinate and walking.

The secretary beamed and nodded, speed-walked to his desk and started packing his stuff. He was ready to go within a few minutes and trailed behind Arham.

"I appreciate this, Arham sir. Jazakallah hu Khair, may the Almighty bless you with good in life!" (may God bless you) the boy exclaimed. "It's nothing Rayan, I appreciate the effort you're putting into our company, even though we strictly do not allow pulling all-nighters here," Arham said with a straight face, nonchalantly.

The drive home was quiet, with Rayan quickly dozing off in the passenger seat. Arham glanced at his secretary's peaceful face and couldn't help but feel a sense of responsibility. "Poor kid," he thought, "working so hard, just like I did when I was his age."

It was 3:45 am when he finally reached the comfort of his home. The gates of the Syed Haveli opened as he handed the car keys to the driver. He walked through the lawn and to the haveli, his home. As he turned the handle of the door, he saw his beautiful mom, waiting for him with dinner ready for the boy. That little act made him all warm and soft. He thanked the Lord for this blessing that was his mother.