Kabir meets Mahira

Kabir walked towards the room. He saw Mahira sitting on the bed with Sofi in her lap, putting her to sleep. Mahira was very beautiful. She was 5 feet 3 inches tall, with big eyes and a slim body. No one could guess that she was the mother of a 5-year-old child. Kabir quietly went closer to Mahira and whispered in her ear, "Happy Anniversary, sweetheart." But Mahira didn't respond. Kabir asked, "Did you receive the gift I sent for you?" Mahira gestured for Kabir to be quiet so Sofi wouldn't wake up.

Kabir whispered, "Sofi went to sleep early today." Mahira gently lifted Sofi from her lap and laid her down on the bed. Mahira then got off the bed, grabbed Kabir's hand, and led him to the balcony. The balcony was quite large, with a sofa set and some plants in pots around it. Once inside, Mahira closed the door to keep the noise from reaching Sofi.

Kabir asked, "Are you angry?" Mahira sarcastically replied, "No, you don't even have time for your family! And I can't even be angry." Kabir said, "You can be angry, but don't you want to know why I haven't been able to come home?" Mahira continued, "Kabir, do you think this is how a married life or a family works? You haven't come home for the past three days. You could at least come for Sofi's sake, not for me. Do you know how much she misses you? She calls you on video, but you don't even pay attention to her."

Mahira added, "I'm managing both the company and the house, but you're not even coming home for three days. I need support, Kabir. Even though we work in the same company and the same building, we haven't seen each other in a month." Kabir stood there, listening to Mahira. He knew she was right, and it had been a wake-up call. He had been spending too much time at the office, neglecting his family.

Mahira said, "Now, are you going to say something?" Kabir replied, "I'm sorry, Mahira. I got so caught up in the project that I completely forgot about the family. But you know how important the work is." Mahira responded, "Kabir, every problem has a solution. Maybe you didn't even try to make time for the family." Kabir said, "Forgive me today, and I promise I'll spend at least two hours a day with the family from now on."

Mahira said, "Forgiveness? What have you done to deserve it? Today is our wedding anniversary." Hearing this, Kabir quickly responded, "Yes, I remember. I sent you a gift. Didn't you receive it?" Mahira said, "I feel like killing you right now." Saying this, Mahira went inside the room, came out with a box, and placed it in Kabir's hand. "I expected a nice gift from you, but you've disappointed me again. Who gives condoms as an anniversary gift?" Kabir quickly opened the box and found packets of condoms. Kabir thought to himself, "This Plato has killed me. I ordered something too romantic."

Kabir explained, "It's all that Plato's doing. He was trying to send a romantic gift and ended up ordering condoms. I was going to order a face mask for you." Mahira looked at Kabir as if he was mocking her. "Oh, now you can't even choose a gift yourself?"

Kabir said, "Mahira, the truth is, I miss all of you too, but I'm forced to focus on work. But this won't happen again. Do you know what we've achieved today?" Mahira replied, "I know exactly what's going on in the company, from top to bottom. I know everything." Kabir said, "I'm such a fool, I forgot you're the CEO of USRC."

Mahira said, "But I think I should resign from the company." Kabir was stunned by this and replied seriously, "No! You can't punish me with such a big decision for my mistake." Kabir knew that since Mahira became CEO, the company had grown rapidly. Since she took over, projects were completed on time, unlike before when they were delayed for days or weeks.

Mahira said, "I'm not angry with you, but I think it's better for Sofi's future. There's nothing better for her upbringing than this."

Kabir took Mahira's hands and said, "Mahira, if this is a joke, please don't do it. USRC is what it is today because of you. It's running because of your strength. If it were on my shoulders, I would have closed it long ago." Kabir continued, "Mahira, you've always said that every problem has a solution. We'll find a better solution. I can't think of all this without you, so please don't even think about resigning from USRC. We'll give Sofi the best upbringing."

"After Dad left, the one who supported me and USRC the most is you," Kabir said, feeling a bit emotional. Mahira also felt emotional after hearing this. The wall of anger between them had broken down. Their foreheads touched as if they had realized their mistakes. Both of their eyes filled with tears. Slowly, their lips met in a kiss, as if they had found a treasure. They embraced each other, lost in the moment.

The next morning, around six o'clock, Kabir went to his mother's room. She had already woken up, as she usually did around five a.m. Kabir's mother was a teacher, but she had retired from teaching. Kabir sat down beside her and asked, "Mom, are you feeling okay?" She replied, "Yes, I'm fine. I'm good." Then she asked, "Is Mahira angry?" Kabir said, "No!"

His mother continued, "You should come home straight from the lab. You know how hard she works, right? She was so happy yesterday, but she became sad when you didn't come home." Kabir replied, "Mom, you could have called, too. You didn't call either. You know how much she scolded me yesterday."

Kabir's mother said, "I thought you would come anyway." She then added, "Kabir, building relationships is easy, but maintaining them is difficult. Relationships also need time. Giving time when the other person asks isn't enough; you need to think about giving time on your own." Kabir talked with his mother for a while before heading to Sofi.

It was around seven a.m. when Kabir went to wake Sofi up. Her school started at eight. "Sofi, Sofi, Sofi, wake up, it's morning," Kabir called out. As soon as Sofi saw her father, she jumped up and hugged him. "Where have you been, Dad? You don't know how much I missed you!" Kabir replied, "Okay, Dad has decided to visit his little princess every day."

Kabir told Sofi, "Your school time is approaching. Today, I'll get you ready for school." Sofi excitedly responded, "Yay!"

Kabir gave Sofi a quick wash (which you could call a dry bath) and got her ready for school. Mahira said, "Kabir, you also have to go to the office, so you should get ready too." Kabir said, "Yes, ma'am!" Mahira was also getting ready for the office.

Breakfast was ready, and Nakul's voice came from downstairs. Nakul had been working in the house for the last eight years.

During breakfast, Kabir said, "Today, I'll take Sofi to school." Hearing this, Sofi excitedly shouted, "Yay!" Mahira told Sofi, "Eat quietly," and to Kabir, "You're giving too much attention to Sofi today." Kabir responded, "Okay, I'll quiet down."

Kabir's mother smiled while having breakfast. After finishing, Kabir got in the car, and Mahira and Sofi followed. Plato greeted him, "Good morning, Mr. Kabir." Kabir replied, "Good morning, Plato." Plato asked, "How did you like the gift?" Kabir said, "You're a hidden treasure! But the gift you sent is really amazing. How did you know?" Plato said, "I keep up with the world."

Kabir added, "But don't say anything in front of Mahira." Plato replied, "As you say."

Sofi and Mahira got into the car, and Kabir started driving. Within ten minutes, they reached Sofi's school. They put on their face masks. Kabir and Mahira walked Sofi to her classroom, said goodbye, and returned to the car.

On the way to the office, Kabir asked Mahira, "How much would a health booster injection cost?" Mahira replied, "Around 2 billion dollars. But why are you asking?" Kabir said, "I'm thinking about getting one, but I'm also thinking that I should wait. I still have to grow old and annoy you." Mahira responded, "You should be taught how to make excuses."

Changing the topic, Kabir asked Mahira, "Do you think we can make this world a better place? Whenever I think about this world, my soul shudders. Our Earth is not at all safe to live on." Mahira replied, "Kabir, no matter what, no matter how bad things get, there's always a solution. There's always something that can fix everything. We just need to look for that solution."

Kabir said, "When we're at home, the whole world seems as good as home, but when we actually see the outside world, all our comfort feels like a lie. Do you feel the same way, Mahira?" "Yes, absolutely," Mahira replied.

Kabir asked, "How do you stay so positive and focused?" Mahira said, "Because that's just who I am." Kabir said, "There must be something behind your approach." Plato said, "Shall I tell you?" Kabir replied, "Yes." Plato said, "Because she doesn't waste time thinking like you." At this, Mahira burst into laughter. Kabir quietly continued driving, and after a while, they reached the lab. Kabir and Mahira went their separate ways to their offices. Mahira asked Kabir...