30th October, 2018

Silence.

Awkward silence.

And none of them was making any effort to end it.

After Shumail had ran behind Eram chasing her, she couldn't react spontaneously. She ran in any direction to not let Shumail catch her, both their laughter booming and both were happy in that moment.

Eram ran as fast as she could, in any direction she could and taking a turn as she turned around to look at him, she saw he was just a few steps away from her, running behind her. Unknowingly a shriek left her lips and as she turned back to run, she slipped. A scream left her lips and she closed her eyes shut ready to feel the impact of the hard surface beneath her but she didn't feel any pain.

She opened her eyes in slits, unsure of her surrouding and her gaze met directly with the hazel ones. Utterly embarrassed and speechless, she looked at Shumail who was slightly bend forward holding her in his arm securely. In that split second they felt as if the time stopped with just the two of them lost in each other's eyes.

Clearing his throat uncomfortably as he made her stand on her two feets, he couldn't help but feel his heartbeat increased as if it would pop out any second. She adjusted her hijab as she looked away, trying to avoid his gaze.

"Sorry." He apologised as she nodded her head slightly, still looking away. "We should..umm.." He stuttered, unable to form any sentence and turned away as he placed his hand on his hammering heart to control it. "Let's go to some other ride." He spoke not looking her way and leaving her behind, started to walk ahead. She followed behind him with baby steps, still embarrassed with the events.

Strolling from one ride to another, the tension in the atmosphere slowly subsided as they both enjoyed the rest of their time having fun on the rides and eating something or the other, time and again.

It was nearly evening when the both finally got down from the roller coaster, after riding it for like 7 times! Though Shumail was fearful at first and had denied to get on the ride but on her insistence, he got on it. Screaming like crazy and yelling all the surahs he knew he completed his first round. When they got down from the roller coaster after their first ride, they looked at each other and burst out laughing on how silly they both were being on the ride.

"It was fun!" Shumail exclaimed. "You should have seen your face! You were screaming your lungs out." Shumail teased as he took in a deep breath, while he was bent holding his knees.

"Oh please!" Eram exclaimed, denying his prior comment. "You were the one reciting every surah and aayat you knew!" She laughed as he looked at her through narrowed eyes.

"I wasn't."

"Then let's ride it again! Will see who's the chicken among us." She spoke as she gave him a smirk giving her shoulders a shrug and flipped her hijab.

And like that they rode the roller coaster for 7 times and every time they both went crazy on the ride, screaming and yelling.

After a light snack, they both headed to the exit doors and walked to where Shumail had parked his car in the parking lot. Driving silently and enjoying her company, he finally stopped the car in front of her apartment. The both kept seated silently as they looked ahead in distance, no words spoken.

"I'm going on a business trip to Japan tomorrow." He finally muttered, still looking ahead, his heart feeling heavy. Her face turned to him as she looked him with an unknown emotion in her eyes and then looked down in her lap.

"For how many days?" She asked fidgeting with her fingers, her gaze fixed on her lap and a heavy feeling in her heart.

"Don't know! Maybe a couple of weeks or a month!" He replied, gripping the steering wheel tightly in his hands. Her face snapped upto him and her lips turned in an O shape as she whispered a small "oh!"

"Sorry for calling you all of a sudden today. I just wanted to meet you once before I go on the trip." He spoke as he too turned and looked at her. She looked at him with longing in her eyes and without a word, she took her bag and got out of the car and ran towards the entrance of her aprtment.

"Ms. Azam!" Shumail shouted her name getting out of the car behind her but she didn't stop and disappeared behind the doors of the elevator. Shumail kicked the tire of his car in frustration as he bent on the hood of his car. He hadn't thought she would react this way. He waited for a few minutes expecting she would come back to say a goodbye but she didn't.

With a heavy feeling in his heart and a frown on his face, he got in his car and drove off.

The whole night he waited for a single message from her but he got none. The next day, he had his bags packed and kept in his car already. He ate his breakfast reading the newspaper but time and again his gaze kept travelling to his mobile placed beside his plate on the dining table and everytime it beeped he quickly checked if there was any message from her.

Half heartedly, he was heading to the airport. Zaid, Aahil and Shahmeer had came to see him off and after the usual well wishes and hugs, he bid them goodbye and headed to the private area of the airport along with his technical team and his secretary.

It was a good 12 hours flight from Toronto, Canada to Tokyo, Japan and as soon as the jet has took off, he has went to his room and fallen flat on his stomack on the bed and dozed off.

Thinking about why Eram has reacted that way and expecting a message from her he had spent most of his night on his mobile so it didn't took him a minute to fall in peaceful slumber.

When he woke up after a good 8-9 hours sleep, he felt fresh as he stretched his hands and yawned. He again checked his cell phone but there was no message from her. He was going crazy and when he couldn't wait any longer, he decided to message her himself.

"Hi!" He typed and pressed the send button.

"How are you?" He then typed and sent.

He waited for a few minutes but didn't got any reply from her so keeping aside his cell phone he walked up to the bathroom and freshed up. Eating snacks and playing xbox in his room, he spent the rest of his time on the flight.

His flight landed in Tokyo and as he headed out of the airport, the cars were waiting for him which Mr. Chang has arranged. The cars took him to his hotel and he was given the best of the suite in the hotel. Mr. Chang has instructed the hotel staff to take very good care of Shumail and his team and hence he was getting a lavish treatment.

When he has reached his hotel it was already past midnight and since he had spent his whole journey sleeping, he wasn't feeling sleepy anymore so he headed to the bathroom to make his wudu and using the mobile app for direction of the qibla, he prayed his Isha salah and all the salah he missed on the flight. Later as he was finished with his salah, he decided to do some work.

Getting his laptop from his bag and making himself comfortable on the fluffy bed, he began working on the graphics of the new video game. In the middle of designing, he ended up playing games on his xbox and with all the papers scattered over the bed and his laptop placed on his thighs and the controller of the xbox in his hand, he fell asleep.

The next day was quite busy for him. Immediately after his breakfast he has left his hotel suite and headed to meet his client Mr. Chang at his house. Mr. Chang was a middle aged person, a well known businessman of Japan. His company 'Dai Zhong' being the brand in the field of technology and gaming.

They first attented a meeting in which both their representators and technical team presented the idea and designs of the new model of the cell phone, pointing errors in the design and working on the correction of it, the meeting being held at Mr. Chang's house. Both the designs of the cell phone model were similar to some extent and were prepared keeping in mind the demands of the market. Both the ideas were combined and a final design was created and was signed by both the parties and sent to the production department to start on the productions of it.

It was nearly evening when they were done with the meeting, everyone tired and hungry as they had skipped lunch while working. Shumail didn't wanted to risk eating at Mr. Chang's house, fear of it being halal or haram so he politely excused himself and along with his team and his secretary headed to the hotel.

He wanted to treat his team with lunch so he searched for a halal restaurant along his way and he found one just on their way to the hotel. He instrusted the driver to head to the restaurant and all the 3 cars stopped at the restaurant for lunch.

"Please order whatever you guys wish. Treat's on me." He said and as everyone cheered and sat on the long table, he too joined them and sat along with them. All the team members grew uncomfortable with their boss sitting with them and having lunch as they looked at him with shocked expressions. Shumail's gaze travelled to every horror filled eyes which were looking at him.

"What? Have I grown two heads?"

"No Sir. Sorry Sir." Everyone replied together.

"Then I ain't a human to be having lunch with you guys?"

"No Sir. You can." Everyone replied together, yet again.

"Then please stop staring at me like you guys have seen a ghost! And enjoy yourselves!"

"Thank..."

"And no 'Thank yous' or 'sorrys'." He spoke in an ordering tone, cutting everyone off as everyone let out a short laugh and placed their orders. The food arrived and everyone dig in, enjoying the delicious delicacies after long day of work. Pizza being Shumail's love, he ordered a mexican cheese burst large pizza and dig in. If he would have been alone, he would have let out fake dramatic tears on the amazing taste of the pizza but he kept his composure normal, not wanting others to see that side of him.

Finally he was in his suite and after praying his salah which he has missed during the day, he jumped on his bed to relax. He took his cell phone and checked for any message from Eram but there was none. He let out a deep breath and rolling on his stomach, he opened her chat and decided to leave another message for her.

"I have reached Japan safely Alhamdulillah. Sorry couldn't contact you earlier. I was busy with work and stuff.... -_-'." He typed and added the tired face emoji and pressed send.

"What are you doing? And how was your day?" He typed the next message and pressed send.

He waited for a couple of minutes for her reply but he didn't got any. He saw she read the messages and was online. He thought to make a call and talk to her but he found it inappropriate so he dumped the idea and gave her some time.

With the wish of listening from her soon, he fell in deep slumber with his cell phone placed on his chest in his grip.

Heyya guys!!

I know I'm late but sorry couldn't help it.. ):

Anyways How was the chap?

Shumail's gone...now how do you think the story will unfold??

Your thoughts on her reaction to his trip? Why did she reacted that way?

Comment down below and lemme know

Umm I wanted covers for all my three stories and was thinking to host a competition for it...Any one here who's interested??
Just post a comment beside this text with "I'm in"
Whoever takes part and makes covers I'll post the respective cover in the respective story and then you guys can vote for the best cover and help me select the winner...what say??
I'll write about the rules in more detail in the next update :D
Lemme know..I'll be waiting (:

Until next time...hoşçakal!