stumbling upon a soul mate

One of the best lawyers at the most established law firm in the region; Mr. Galal was 45, tall with a built figure, handsome – and single. His kind colored eyes hid the worst temper the office had ever known, for when things didn’t go his way, people could hear his voice from down the longest corridor and they would do anything to get out of his way.

Quite old fashioned; constantly wearing a full suit – mostly dark colors, he was punctual and never smoked, though a very popular habit among lawyers. Always using a pen and paper, he rarely paid attention to his computer (his emails got printed and put on his desk every other hour). And the BlackBerry he got for his last birthday lay safe and sound in its box in the last drawer.

Galal’s secretaries didn't last very long; they couldn’t keep up with his shrewdness. People around the office had different feelings towards him. Some highly respected him, and some actually feared him, but most were just bewildered by his behavior and didn’t know how to deal with his moods – except for her. Despite what most people thought, Galal was not at all boring; but he was indeed lonely. She knew that. She could see it in his eyes; the roughness and sharp manner were only concealing a tender and lonely heart, one in need of kindness and understanding, nothing more.

She was from the finance department and didn’t mingle much with the lawyers. The place was full of gossiping women and she was a curious young lady (no stressing on “young” though, for she was approaching 36 and still single). She had heard a lot about him and decided that she had to talk to him soon. Knowing exactly how she was going to start a conversation and what she was going to talk about; and because she was one of the few people who could see through him, she knew it would be easy.

It happened one day that they were both sitting in front of the MD’s office, waiting for respective appointments. It took more time than they both expected, and she found this the perfect opportunity to start a conversation. She hesitated only for a moment before uttering; “Mr. Galal, I heard you were into hunting…”

His face lit and he smiled shyly, “Yes, that’s true. Are you into hunting too?”

“No, but I used to shoot at still objects when I was a kid. I never took it to the next level though”; she said, desperately trying to keep the flow.

“It’s too bad you didn’t continue, it’s a very interesting hobby! The hunting trips and the challenge of aiming at fast moving animals are just amazing.”

“Yeah, I’m sure they are.”

They both smiled. Awkward silence. A few moments passed.

Her eyes fell on a painting of the late founder of the firm. The portrait captured every detail of his beautifully wrinkled face; it was a true masterpiece.

“I love that painting” she muttered as if to herself, smiling faintly.

“I drew that”, he said, trying to hide his pride.

She knew that already. “Really? Wow! You’re very talented, I’m impressed!”

“Oh, it’s nothing. Do you wanna see my other paintings? Wait, I’ll show you.” He didn’t wait to hear her reply.

Her smile grew wider than ever when he went all the way to his office to show her his paintings. She regained her composure as he returned with an iPod full of pictures taken of his work (obviously it was used only for this purpose). He showed her one picture after the other, just like a child showing his first drawings to his teacher, with innocent pride and no hint of arrogance. They talked about each painting for a moment, and she stole a few glances to see that he had a shade of red in his cheeks, which she guessed was because of her compliments.

Little did they know; the MD had a conference call that he wasn’t going to finish any time soon, but they were both secretly glad he was taking his time. They sat on the comfortable couches in the waiting area discussing their interests and hobbies, surprised at what they had in common. Galal’s interest in the girl grew with every passing minute; she shared his views and opinions on issues that most people were not even interested in, and got his ideas the way no one else could.

He took the lead after a while and started asking her things about herself. She was more excited than ever, but never let it show. Twenty minutes passed without them noticing; and just when the questions started to get personal, she excused herself gracefully, saying that she had to get back to her work and would have to come meet the MD later.

He caught himself gazing after her and his face broke into a teenage-crush like smile. He had a feeling at the pit of his stomach that those twenty minutes were the start of something beautiful.

She was smiling with triumph as she entered her office. Yes, he was everything she thought he would be, and their talk went better than she imagined it would. She had a feeling at the bottom of her heart that those twenty minutes were the start of something beautiful.