The interviewer asked, "Mr.hussain, forgive a simplistic question. What does A1 International do, exactly?"
Aahil gave his billion-dollar smile, "We are problem solvers. We figure out solutions to the problems that may lie ahead. Initially A1 International began as a laboratory, therefore, people tend to think that we only deal with drugs, but that isn't the case."
The interviewer whose name was Shridar Kumar requested, "Could you please elaborate it for us?"
"We do not concentrate on only one area as people generally think. Over the years, we have extended it to various fields like military, economics, environmental issues, biotechnology etc," He paused for some time and then continued, "We deal with communications, microbiology and national security too. A1 International functions as an independent analyst and critic of long-range global consequences for various governments."
"It makes us very proud that you are an Indian," Shridar Kumar added with a huge smile of satisfaction, "Can you tell us few things about your staff?"
"Eighty per cent of our research staff hold advanced degrees and more than seventy per cent hold Ph.D's," Aahil answered with ease.
"That's so impressive," Shridar Kumar hesitated for a second and then asked, "Didn't I read something about defence and attack weapons experiment you were doing for the sake of the military of our country?"
"Yes, It was one project that I most hoped would work out but unfortunately we had to stop the experiment. It's one of our few major failure's."
"What did the experiment actually deal with?"
"We were trying to expand the technological frontier by applying deep mathematics, inventing new chemistry, processes and materials, and harnessing quantum physics."
"What good would it do to the defence of the country?"
"We were dealing with Unconventional Processing of Signals for Intelligent data exploitation, which is commonly called as (UPSIDE). The experiment seeks to break the status quo of digital processing with methods of video and imaginary analysis. Instead of traditional metal-oxide semiconductors, we dealt with envisions arrays of physics-based devices."
Shridar Kumar gave a look of appreciation, "Are we talking about the project which was started internationally? A few years ago?"
"Yes, you have got it right. As most of us know that the UPSIDE program was launched in 2013 when participants from five corporate labs, thirteen universities and three government labs met to share their approaches and exchange ideas for a highly collaborative effort. A year later our brilliant scientists took a firm resolution to dedicatedly work on it and hand over the success of the defence department of our country."
"We all hope that we see this project becoming a success in the near future," Shridar Kumar replied with a positive smile.
"We hope the same too," Aahil exclaimed.
"Don't you consider it a misfortune that Mr.Ayaan aboobaker isn't here to guide the future projects?"
Aahil studied Shridar Kumar for a moment, "Ayaan aboobaker was not just an employee. He was a brilliant scientist who was about to solve problem's that would make our country proud, but it isn't inhuman power to fight destiny and I humbly believe that Almighty's plans are better than our's."
A lump developed in my throat and I tried my best to swallow it. I brought my lashes down like a dark veil over my emotions.
Aahil asked the interviewer to stop the filming and they knew better than to argue with him. He strode silently and knelt beside me gently squeezing my hand as he requested me to accompany him.
A little while later I entered the huge laboratory. The lobby was spacious and modern, furnished with sofas and tables, and half a dozen chairs.
We walked down a long, sterile corridor with tightly closed office doors on either side.
At the end of the corridor was Aahil's office. He held open the door to his office and asked me to enter.
I stopped to stare at the office with fascination. The huge office was crammed with modern electronic equipment, and the sound-proof walls were lined with paintings of nature.
Whereas, the other wall was lined with wafer-thin sets displaying live scenes from cities around the world.
Some of the views were of busy cities, offices, laboratories. While others showed conference rooms in which board meetings were in full-blown process. Even though each set had its own audio system and though the volume was barely audible, it was eerie to hear sentences of different languages spoken simultaneously.
Below each screen appeared a caption identifying the country.
Newyork...Italy...Australia...
"You look pale," Aahil observed, "Are you feeling all right?"
How did he sense my agony?
"I'm fine," I lied. The effects of his casual touch with that suddenly solicitous regard undermining my defences.
Aahil grimaced, "I am sorry that I brought you down here. I know it still hurts you to hear people refer to your dad's death."
But you aren't, I thought. I doubted if he had ever done anything that he was sorry for in his life. I knew all his care and concern was fake. It was a means to make me trust him enough to share with him the knowledge of the file.
The knowledge of something which I, unfortunately, did not possess. Now, I wasn't even sure if he was capable of experiencing real sympathy.
"Please continue with your interview," I blabbered.
"Don't want to talk to me?"
I tried my best not to let the tears flow, which had formed pools and was straining my eyelids.
"Sometimes, you tend to act childish and I have begun to like that character in you. You look like a schoolgirl too, with that pink dress and smudge on your face. Before I could avoid it he had brought his thumb across the dark smear on my cheek, "That's better."
Was it?
I could feel my pulses skittering out of control.
"What's the matter?" He enquired.
"Safwan thinks that you married me for ulterior motives," The words were out of my mouth even before I had time to register it on my own.
"And what do you think?" A wary emotion darkened his eyes and he laughed to himself, "I thought you were different from others. You always seemed to have an unbiased opinion about people, and recently, even I had started to view the world with a new perspective."
"I still believe that you are trying to make this marriage work so that you can benefit from it," I replied in haste. Wanting him to prove me wrong. Expecting him to give me hope.
"I never said that I married you for love. I even agreed that my attitude towards you wasn't like a gentleman and day by day I was learning, trying my best to build a new foundation. But thank you for bringing me back to the harsh reality. I will not sit around and clear doubt's of strangers regarding our marriage," A nerve throbbed in his jawline, "Now, please excuse me, will you? I need to finish the interview, you could follow me or stay right here."
A silence punctuated by the audible hiss of my quickened breathing. He had got it all wrong, "Aahil..please listen to me. I did not mean to hurt you."
He was, however, at the door before I was, those broad shoulders blocking out everything else. He raised his hands in mock gesture, "It appears that we have nothing more to discuss."
I frowned in bemusement, "But.."
Aahil elevated a winged brow, "You have made up your mind that I have ulterior motives and I'm not going to defend myself. If you wish for a husband who has no backbone then you will have to look somewhere else."
His reply made all the flush from my cheek's drain away, leaving me as white as his shirt-front.
I stood there alone staring at the swiftly-changing, world wide pictures on the profusion of television sets. But everything looked blurry as the dam had broken and my vision was blurred.
I could not believe that I had clumsily exposed myself to that level of rejection. Like an insecure little girl, I had flung my fear and insecurity at him in the hope of drawing a reassuring response.
But Aahil did not appreciate being put on the spot and he had no inhibitions about brutally matching my foolish candour.
Anguished pain weighted me as I walked back towards the lobby, shoulders square, chin high. Maybe, it was just as well that I had been so painfully and naively frank, I told myself heavily. At least I knew where I stood.
I might not have enjoyed having my worst suspicions confirmed but the knowledge was protection...wasn't it?
When I reached outside, Aahil was already in his chair and the interview had resumed.
"So do we expect to see Mr.Haroon Faizal, leading the team from now on?"
"Haroon Faizal is a brilliant physicist and I assure you all the experiments taking place in that department will be handed over to him," Aahil replied with a robotic tone.
"Did we not come across a news that his son named Isaac Faizal was handed over to the police? What do you have to say on his behalf?"
"I believe in the statement that says Innocent until proven guilty, so I have no comments to make," His gaze landed momentarily on me before he resumed his task.
"Could you please share with us the information relating to the new medicine you are developing?"
"It is misfortunate that most of the drugs which are available in the market cannot be consumed by pregnant or lactating women due to the side effects it could cause."
"Therefore, our brilliant Chemists are working tirelessly to create a wide range of drugs which would be safe for their use."
"We wish you all the luck in the world and hope that all your dreams come true," Shridar Kumar ended the interview after few other formalities and Aahil was handling everything with ease.
Now, people gathered around him to make small talk and he got vanished from my view.
"Mrs.hussain?", I was lost in thought, and the man had to call out my name several times before I realised that someone was speaking to me, "Would you like some coffee while you are waiting?"
"No... Thank you," I offered him a rather wan smile. Still regretting what I couldn't help decide was a total lack of common sense on my part in coming here at all.
"Come on. Aahil could take some time," The man informed me, who seemed to be in his sixties.
The coffee was hot and tasted good and I was glad that the man had talked me into it. He had introduced himself as my father's good friend and was named Fredrick.
"I hope you will be a regular visitor here. The place could do brightening up a bit. Your father's death and Mr.Abdullah Hussain's paralysis has sucked all the happiness from the place."
"Your dad always found time to look into how things were going. Not to forget how sympathetic he was towards the less fortunate. I always admired the way he never failed to pay the annual charity that you Muslims have to give."
I simply asked, "So how long has it been that Aahil is handling things over here?"
"Why don't you ask him yourself?"
Hearing the deep, familiar voice, I whirled around wincing as hot coffee slopped over my hand.
"That was rather careless," Aahil remarked as he pressed a clean white handkerchief into my hand.
"Th--thanks," I stammered, feeling awkward, unable to look at him, in the eye.
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Recently, so many of you have added this book to your reading list that I haven't been able to thank each one of you personally. But it has made me so very happy.
I love all the positive comments that drop in my inbox.