Everywhere the eye wandered, blossoms bloomed in vibrant colors. In the heart of that enchanting garden, birds sang sweet melodies, their voices dancing through the air. Amidst it all stood a girl, smiling softly, her eyes lit with wonder as she gazed at the sea of flowers around her. Her eyes sparkled with joy, as if they were smiling too. Her hair fell gently to her shoulders, and dressed in a long, flowing yellow frock, she looked nothing less than a beautiful fairy.
Just then, a butterfly fluttered out from the flowers and came near her. Laughing softly, she ran after it, trying to catch it. But in the playful chase, she lost her balance and fell gently to the ground. As she tried to get up, a sharp pain struck her foot. She stumbled again.
And then, through the golden light, a figure appeared — a man on a white horse, riding toward her. His face was hidden by the sun's dazzling glow, making him seem like a dream. He stepped down and extended a hand. Just as she reached out to take his hand, a butterfly landed on her wrist — delicate, weightless. She smiled and looked up to see his face...
But instead of a face, there was a loud, blaring alarm clock staring back at her.
Startled, she blinked — and just like that, the garden, the flowers, the butterfly, and the mysterious rider all disappeared.
It had only been a dream.
Her eyes flew open. The alarm rang beside her.
It was 8 o'clock.
⸻
Anabiya scrambled to get ready, her heart still racing — part from the dream, part from the fact that she was late. She tied her hair in a ponytail, dashed to the washroom, changed into a loose green shirt and tuck in with white trousers, threw on her ID card, grabbed a cold pizza slice, slipped on her joggers — and ran.
She barely caught the bus. As soon as she sat down, her phone buzzed.
Company Group Chat:
"Anabiya, why are you always late?"
Rolling her eyes, she replied:
"Good morning to you too."
But instead of heading to the office directly, Anabiya stopped at the coffee shop. She ordered five cups, took a photo of them, and sent it in the group chat:
"It's your coffee addiction that's making me late. You're welcome."
She grabbed ten candies on the way out,gave one to the security guard with a cheerful "Salaam" — and entered the office with flair.
She handed out coffee like a queen:
• Umer got one with a look that said Seriously?
• Leila got one with a fake smile
• Moiz got his with a little extra charm
With a little flair, she opened her phone camera to check herself — smoothing her hair, adjusting her expression. Just before putting the phone away, she caught Moiz looking at her.
"You look nice today," Moiz said quietly.
Anabiya's face lit up.A soft smile forming as those words quietly made her morning. Without replying, she picked up the last coffee. She walked straight into Musa's office — no knock. When she entered
Musa, still focused on the file in front of him, didn't even look up "How can someone be this handsome? 'Why doesn't someone just gift this man to me already?" When she is thinking Musa's voice came her into reality. He said in an irritated tone, 'Anabiya, how many times have I told you — knock before you enter.'
Anabiya nodded with a mock-serious face and placed the coffee cup in front of him. With a sweet smile, she replied, 'Wa Alaikum Assalam, Musa sir.'
Despite himself, a small smile tugged at the corners of Musa's lips. At that moment Anabiya told herself " Oh how can I don't fall this beautiful smile ?"He looked up at her and shook his head, saying, 'Anabiya, this is not your home. Try showing a little manners to your boss. What if someone else walks in and sees this?'
Then, as if trying to shift back into work mode.He handed her a file. Check this. No mistakes."
Anabiya returned to her desk, file in hand. Before she could even sit properly, Leila leaned over and said with a smirk, "Oh Anabiya, how hard you try to impress the boss. But he doesn't even notice you."
Anabiya smiled calmly. "If I really wanted to impress him, I'd come with layers of makeup plastered on my face... like you."
Umer and Moiz burst out laughing. Leila's face turned red.
Anabiya worked at an architecture company with a team of twenty employees, but she, Moiz, Umer, Minahil and Leila were considered the core team. Their desks were placed just outside the head office — close to the boss, close to the pressure, and definitely close to the drama. Musa sir stood near the window, talking on his phone, his voice calm, posture confident. From her desk, Anabiya couldn't take her eyes off him — she stared almost dreamily, completely lost for a moment.
"Stop staring," Umer whispered. "You'll fall off your chair."
"I'm in love," Anabiya said out little loud. "Umer! I'm in love!"
Moiz groaned. "Another one? Wah." He still focused on his screen, he added, 'Go on, Umer, distribute sweets in the whole office. This time, Moiz pulled his eyes away from the screen and looked directly at Anabiya. With clear teasing tone, he said, 'You say the same thing every day. Don't you ever get tired of it? Why don't you just go and tell him. Moiz added. "Spare us to this torture."
Anabiya's smile faded. "I wish I had that kind of courage..."
A rare silence fell.