Chaos in the Canvas √

24 | conference

"I will be," Hemayal tried to smile but wasn't too sure so she quickly dropped it, pressing her lips tightly instead. "I should get going now; I have a flight to catch."

"Yes, yes. Do hurry along." Shahriyar Khakwani nodded just as Hemayal vacated her chair, hoping for the fleetest of seconds that he'll stand up to bid her goodbye but she knew she had to guard her heart.

So before he could even if he had planned to, she hurriedly swiveled in her place and after a quick goodbye, left the room with brisk steps. Chanting in her head not to look back, she kept her face straight and exited the room, saving herself from the final heartache.

Because he didn't stand up.

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Friday - 9:41pm

Karachi was beautiful that evening.

Lights lit the crowded streets of the city as flux of people in the bazaar added motion to the city of lights. The skies above promised a pleasant weather as the month of October neared its middle; the heat wave broken as the clouds took permanent residence. Stagnancy was not known to the inhabitants of the city, if the bustle of traffic and noises outside her car were any indication.

"So, you liked the idea?" Arsala questioned from beside her and Hemayal whose head was leaning against the headrest as she gazed mindlessly outside came back to her senses with a startled gasp - tiredness already getting the best of her.

"Yeah, I did," Hemayal sighed as she turned her head towards Arsala. "We'll have to work a little bit more regarding the plan of expansion in the villages, though. It isn't as easy as it looks."

Hemayal, Arsala and her boss, Sarim were to attend the annual conference this weekend related to awareness campaigns that were being launched countrywide, addressing wide range of issues from pedophilia to domestic violence and the psychology behind them, mainly aiming at studying and rectifying the sharp increase in mental health issues over the past few years.

"I agree, rural people will need a lot more convincing." Sarim said, seated beside the driver's seat in the front while Hemayal and Arsala occupied the backs seats.

"But they'll come across one day, hopefully," Arsala sighed. "I just hope that this campaign bears some real results, not like previous conferences we have attended - more talk, less action."

After her words, a union sigh escaped everyone's lips ad silence soon filled the cabin, everyone lost in their own thoughts. After attending the first day of the event, the trio was returning back to their hotel. The day had proved to be very tiring for Hemayal, mentally and physically. After her talk with her father in the morning with Ibrahim's words from last night still lingering in her mind, Hemayal had landed in Karachi with an even more tiring day to look forward to.

All day, she was kept busy with different meetings with NGOs, private companies and finally the main conference. To say that she was tired by now would be an understatement - all she wanted to do right now was to fall back on her bed and slip into a deep slumber, one she wasn't blessed with last night.

"We've come." Arsala shook Hemayal's arm who had again slipped into her peaceful reverie of thoughts and both ladies followed by their boss, Sarim, entered the gallery of the hotel a few seconds later.

Hemayal's stroll was casual as she walked deeper into the reception area towards the elevator, already having checked in in the afternoon saving her a few extra breaths and energy. The hospital she worked in had arranged separate rooms for all the attendees - which happened to be just three of them though.

The boss, the assistant and the psychiatrist.

Walking through the lobby, she let her eyes wander aimlessly across the interior, admiring the designs with the eyes of a woman whose sister was an interior designer and happened to talk a lot. Chuckling to herself at the thought of her cousin, Hemayal walked deeper towards the elevator.

As she walked between Sarim and Arsal to her destination, her phone rang. Tiredly, she pulled it out of the clutch and glanced down at the caller ID, having all the intentions of rejecting the call but one look at the caller and her plans changed.

Mehmal.

"Assalam-u-Alikum, Hami." Mehmal began, the energy in her voice curving Hemayal's tired frown into a smile.

"Waalikum Assalam. You seem happy." Hemayal commented with a grin on her face.

"I am. Work related so you won't understand but let's just pretend that you do and we can both be happy." Mehmal replied and a laugh left Hemayal's lips just as the three of them stopped in front of the closed door of elevator - typical Mehmal.

"I'm good at pretending so no problem." Hemayal replied, the smile on her face widening as the cheekbones rose higher.

"That you are!" Mehmal replied before adding. "When are you getting back, though?"

"Sunday night. Why?" Hemayal replied with a question of her own as she tilted her head to a side.

"We need to talk." Mehmal replied and Hemayal's heart missed a beat - as it always did when anyone said these four words.

"Ahh, you know how much I hate these words." Hemayal groaned, expecting a laugh from Mehmal but when only silence welcomed her, a frown marred her forehead, filling her with anxiety. "Should I be worried, Mehmal?"

"No, I don't think so. It's about Danyal." Mehmal replied softly and Hemayal's frown deepened just as the elevator doors opened and she followed her two companions inside.

"What about..." Hemayal query was cut short as Arsala, standing by her side, shook her forearm slightly. "What about him?"

Turning to her friend while still holding her conversation with her cousin, with a frown still filling the edges of her face, she saw Arsala looking straight ahead instead of at Hemayal and Hemayal's eyes followed Arsala's. With a gasp, she came to a halt as numerous beats in her heart missed.

"Isn't he the one who showed up in front of the hospital the other day? The one you were arguing with?" Arsala asked curiously as Hemayal watched, with wide eyes, a man coming to stand a few feet away from the elevator, directly in front of Hemayal and she swore to God, her heart stopped functioning along with her brain when a small smiled lifted his lips.

"Ibrahim?" Mehmal all but cried from the other side, having heard Arsala's question and Hemayal winced as her jaw tightened and eyes hardened.

"Yes." Hemayal replied slowly just as the elevator door shut, the man's serious face the last thing her eyes witnessing before metal door was all she could see.

Her father was right.

Her kidnapper was here.

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