After 6 years:
"Mother! My dearest mother! Where's my bag? I'm getting late for interview." She was calling her out loudly from her room wearing her black sandals in her feet. She was in black cotton frock and capri pants with her dupatta on her shoulder. Her midback length hair were tied in braid.
"It's hanging on your clothes hanger stand." She replied from the kitchen.
"You should have kept it on her bed or anywhere she can find easily." She smiled at the concerned voice. Her mother said some incoherent words causing the man to laugh.
"Father! She's not caring for me these days. Her son is coming back and she's preparing for him, ignoring me and the house." She complained exiting from her room. They were both sitting in the yard on the charpayi.
"We're in the same boat my dear daughter." He said side hugging her and pecked her head as she took her seat by him. She pouted and made a puppy face.
"I'm not ignoring you but he's coming back after many years so I've to do some preparation for him like his favorite dishes." Mother got up from the charpayi and went into the kitchen.
"Here's your breakfast." She came out holding a tray of a cup of tea and toast with homemade butter.
"Thank you for such great and special breakfast." She said taking the tray from her mother's hands, kissing her cheeks. She took bread in her hand and taking a large bite poured the lukewarm tea down her throat.
"Your documents are in your bag and don't make mess at interview." Mother said as she was about to cross the outer gate with toast between her teeth like kids.
"May allah be with you. Did you recited prayers and blew on her face? Hurry, do it." Father asked in a panicking voice. Mother laughed lightly and slapped his shoulder.
"I did it and don't worry, she'll be alright."
It was the same house they came 6 years ago with her. Then they decided to stay there. They asked her to call them as father and mother. She agreed at once. They prepared her documents as their own daughter after discussing with their village head and she got higher education in the nearby government college. Then she attended university in the city.
She couldn't recall her past still. But she was having some weird dreams and trouble sleeping. She made friends with the girls from the village and was spending simple life like them, taking swings in the village garden and getting water from the well. When its wheat harvesting season, she took food with them for their family members working in the fields. It was close to the nature.
Now she just did her masters in economics and was trying to get a job as father was getting older and her pension was not enough to support their little family as prices of goods were going up. Today was her interview and after many failures she could see some hope in getting job here.
"Madam! Your stop!" Loud voice of the conductor of the bus snapped her out of her daze and she stood up from her seat. Saying 'thank you' she got down from the bus that started and left soon after. She checked out her surroundings fixing her clothes and dupatta to cover her head. There was a large billboard by her side saying, "khan industries". That was the place she came to get interviewed for the job of secretary of the industry's owner. It was all blue glass and was prominent in the area for its architecture.
She entered the building after proper security checking and looked in an awe at everything. The owner had a great taste. But style was somehow familiar to her. As she had scene it before. Jerking off the thoughts she reached to the receptionist's desk and asked for the interview.
"They're in the waiting room. Right hand first room, please." She said gesturing at her right side to a room with glass walls on all sides, saying "waiting room". She nodded her head and went there. There were many other candidates. She took a chair at one corner. She didn't like to be attention of a crowd so it was a good spot for her.
"Please stop talking. Interview will start in half an hour. Double check your documents please. And calm yourself." A man with glasses came out of a room inside and ordered in a loud voice. She tried to have a good look at him as the voice was familiar but failed due to many heads in the way. She sighed and slipped down into her chair.
It was about after waiting for almost hours when she was called in. She entered the interview room and sent greetings softly. Then after the permission she sat on the chair for the candidates. There were two men sitting there. One was immersed into hers documents and other was a younger than her, looking at her with his mouth wide open. Her eyes moved back to the one on president seat and got stuck in his thick hair. She wanted so badly for him to look at her. But he was completely into the files in front of him.
"I am Nimra Noor. My father's name is Nasir Khalid. He's a retired govt. Teacher. I'm from village....." she was going to say further when she was cut off by a word,
"Iman!" She was surprised at that. She heard that name in her dreams several times but it couldn't be coincident. Nothing in this world is coincidental. She looked in the surprised eyes of both of them. The one on the president's seat wearing grey coat and black shirt with gray tie holding her file and a pen, his eyes were filled with shock and he lowered his eyes then again looked at her face. Her eyes followed his gaze to the table and her then stopped at the thing.
It was her picture wearing cowboy hat and sunglasses standing by the beach in loose pink long floral shirt and trousers, showing victory sign to the camera smiling brightly. Her short hair and dress were flowing with the wind.
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