Chapter 8: Coffee? Coffee. 

*

"Love sought,

is good. 

But given unsought,

is better"

-William Shakespeare-

*

"Why are you giving them a hard time?" Islah looked up from the papers he was signing to his PA, barging into his office. He raised an eyebrow at Markos who glared at him. He then went back to the file in front of him. What? Who is giving them a hard time? I am giving them a good training!

"Don't ignore me, Islah! Why are you giving the poor interns a hard time?" Markos questioned him again. Islah looked up wearily.

"I am not" he stated and Markos rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest. Right. 

"Yeah no. Not going to work today, Islah. You usually steer clear of the interns. What's different now?" he questioned and immediately a pair of green eyes flashed in his mind. He let out a small chuckle, continuing to read the open folder in front of him. Little kid. 

"It is Yusra, isn't it" Markos said and this caught Islah's attention. He placed the pen in his hand on top of the papers and folded his hands on the table. He looked up to Markos with raised eyebrows.

"What makes you say that?" Islah asked and Markos rolled his eyes. He thinks others would not see that he is ultimately besotted with the hijabi!, Markos mused in his head. 

"She is really smart but the others are not of her caliber. If you keep challenging them like this, I am afraid they would think they are not good enough. Will you stop making this like judging a fish on its capability to climb a tree, Islah?"

Markos was furious and Islah knew that. In a way, Islah felt guilty. He has always prided his company on bettering individuals but this past three days, he had been doing exactly the opposite. 

He sighed.

"Fine. I apologize for being so harsh on them. The department chiefs can handle the rest, right?" he said and Markos nodded with a small smile.

"Thank you! Now that that's out of the way, lets talk about Miss. Yusra Uz-" Markos could not complete his sentence because Islah spoke.

"Good. Now get out" he stated and Markos rolled his eyes.

"You didn't even let me complete!" Markos told him and Islah shrugged, going back to his paperwork. Markos knew Islah was ditching the question so he let it be. He'll come around, he thought with a smirk while walking out of his office.

Islah stared at the papers in front of him, finding it hard to focus. Yusra. What is so special about you, little kid? He sighed and threw the pen in his hand onto the papers before leaning back on his chair.

"What is so special? What is it about you that keeps me up at night, thinking?" he muttered to himself. He picked up his bright yellow stress-ball and began playing with it. She is stressing me out even when she's not here.

He set straight on his chair and logged onto his company CCTV cameras. Okay this is stupid! Why am I spying on some little kid in my own company? He closed the CCTV window on his computer and let out a huff.

Okay so basically I cannot interfere with the interns. Now how else am I supposed to get to know her?

The message notification ringtone of his iPhone snapped him out of his existential crisis. He opened the message and frowned when he saw his mother had texted him to come home early. He sighed and placed his head onto his hands, supported by the elbows on the table.

"What now?"

-

Yusra felt the day fly away like a soft breeze. The CEO did not show his face at all during the day and she kind of, might have missed him? Not that she would admit anyway.

"Yusra?" she looked up from the program she was running on her computer. Another colleague of hers, Pritvi smiled at her from the other side of the desk.

"What is it?" she asked him and he held up his phone.

"There is a match going on downstairs between the programmers and the analysts. Let's go!" he said and Yusra noted the excitement in his voice. She looked around the place and realized most of them were gone, leaving Pritvi and her alone. She nodded at him.

"You go, I'll be there in a few minutes." She told him and he shrugged before walking away. Yusra turned back to work. After a few trials, she was done. That was a good experience. I guess. She logged off the computer and leaned back onto her chair. She picked up her phone from the desk and stood up. Dusting the dress she wore today, she began her walk to the second floor for gaming.

The second floor was filled with people, snacking and chatting with each other. Yusra spotted Zain, Jackson and Old Han at the counter and Old Han held his hand up to call her. She grinned and walked over to them.

Two players were battling it out at the play station section on Fifa20 while a few others were busy with x box and Nintendo.

Yusra took her seat at the counter and Zain pushed a cup of coffee towards her. No, her overly conscious mind screamed at her. So she politely smiled at him and declined. Instead, she stood up and walked over to the coffee machine.

But so did someone else.

Islah halted on his actions as soon as he saw another pair of hands moving towards the coffee machine. Yusra looked up to him and gestured him to go forward. He flashed her a smile.

"It's okay. You go ahead" he told her and she raised an eyebrow at him but proceeded anyway. The machine in front of her was larger than the one at home and she stood staring at it. Okay, how do I use this?

She tilted her head and stared at the machine as if it had murdered all her dreams. Islah let out a small laugh. She turned and raised yet another eyebrow at him and he coughed slightly. What is so funny about this, huh? 

"I'll do it" he muttered, stepping up and she grinned. He's not that bad.

"What do you want?" he asked her, bending slightly down to check the coffee machine's appearance.

"Cappuccino" she told him and he nodded his head. Yusra stared at him work with a small smile. He is wearing black. Again. Come to think of it, I don't think he has worn any other color besides black this week. Does he not like anything besides black?

She watched him fill water into the coffee machine and then the coffee beans. His blue-gray eyes were trained on the task itself and Yusra smiled at this.

She took a moment to actually observe her boss. He had dark hair and a slight subtle that gave him the handsome side. He was tall too. Ah ah Yusra. Stop. He is your CEO, woman! No haram thoughts about him- Those were not haram, her mind replied and she let out a small laugh at her thoughts.

The laugh caught Islah's attention and he turned to her with sparkling eyes, awaiting an answer. Yusra panicked.

"You are a joke- I mean I remembered a joke" she said, all too hurriedly. Islah rolled his eyes at her, muttering something in Arabic and Yusra only caught I make her coffee from it.

Ah great. Now he thinks I think bad of him- don't you? Her mind replied and she rolled her eyes. He turned to her and she raised her eyebrows at him. He placed the cup on the tiled counter and walked away silently. She watched him leave before turning to the cup on the counter. It had an  image on it and she grinned.

He is not so bad. 

****

As salaam alaikum my babies!! :) 

Sorry for the late one. I have been busy lately. Things going on hahhaa. 

How are you guys? Do stay safe! :)

| R - C - V |

xx, 

-Aalihha.