1. (Hamza's POV)

                                    

                                          
          
                          
'Hamza, I still don't think you should...' My mother started to speak but I heard my dad's voice in the background telling her to stop.
                          
'Dad it's fine...Mama, I am okay...really. I am doing this for me. Don't stress it okay? Boarding is about to start, I'll call you once I get there' I ended the call, picked up my bag and made my way inside the plane. I was on my way to offer a prep course to a group of business students who were about to take part in an advanced business development program. I had been denying this offer for so long because I never really wanted a getaway, until now.
                          
I closed my eyes and tried to sleep but failed. Every time I closed my eyes, I thought of her as if the only thing I was capable of thinking about was her. Why was this so hard? I have been trying to erase her from my mind, my life...my heart for almost a year but the heartbreak still felt fresh. Why did it have to be this way?
                          
To quiet down all the unnecessary thoughts that were running in my mind, I took out a book from my bag and started reading. Page after page, and finally it was done. The book and the journey.
                          
'Welcome Sir, how was the flight?' Karim, the organizer of the event came to pick me up from the Gilgit airport. We were on our way to Neelum Valley, where I'd be staying for three months.
                          
'Please, don't call me sir. Hamza is fine...I am not too fond of flying but it wasn't too bad. How long will it take us to get there?' I asked him.
                          
'We'll be taking the highway so probably 12-13 hours long' He casually said.
                          
'I'll drive halfway' I told him.
                          
'No sir...I mean Hamza...I do this almost every other week...it has become almost a second nature for me. I'll be okay' He confirmed. Karim looked just a few years older than me but the bags under his eyes showed how tirelessly he worked.
                          
'So, tell me about the group? Anything I should know about these students apart from the what was on the application you sent me?' I asked him. I had a total of five students in my group, I'd be training them and preparing them for the business world since they were about to graduate and after the three months, I'd be offering one of these students a full-time position at my firm and the rest will be doing their advance program elsewhere.
                          
'To be honest, I know about them as much as you do. There are five students, three guys and two of them are girls. You'll see them at the orientation tomorrow morning. All five students are from different business backgrounds. Some of them are interested in marketing, others are into management and there is one who is interested in non-profit management' He gave me a brief.
                          
After being on the road for almost half of a day, we finally reached our destination. It was a small apartment that Karim found for me to rent out during my stay here. It was close to campus and as well as the main market.
                          
'This isn't big, but it has got all the facilities. Plus, the view is pretty nice' Karim commented as he helped me to bring the rest of my luggage into the living room. I opened the window and saw the mountains peeking through the mist and a ting of orange glow on the horizon.
                          
'It's great, thanks Karim' I thanked him and after showing me around the apartment and giving me some important contacts information and directions for the tomorrow's orientation, he left. He was all business, wasn't much of a talker. I liked that. 
                          
After taking a quick shower and boiling a cup of noodles. I picked up a phone and called home. After one ring, my mother answered the call.
                          
'Hello, beautiful.' I greeted her.
                          
'We were waiting for your call' She said.
                          
'I know, it was a long drive and the network isn't that great either' I told her.