The time is money

" Wow! What a shot!"

"Fantastic! You've done an amazing job!"

Saim's friends gathered around him and praised him greatly.

Saim's mother called out to him from the window of his room as he was peeking into the garden.

"Saim, dear, come inside! It's time for your tuition."

Focusing on the ball, Saim replied, "I'll come in a little while."

His mother said, "You've been saying 'a little while' for so long now, come quickly!"

Ignoring his mother, Saim told his friend Nuaim,

"Let's continue playing."

All his friends looked at him in surprise, thinking he would soon listen to his mother and leave the game, forcing them all to stop playing.

Riyaz told Saim, "Come on, stop the game. Your mom has been calling you for a while, you should go. Obeying parents is a must."

Saim glared at him and, waving his bat in a batting stance, said, " Now, don’t lecture me.."

Saim's mother continued to watch him from the window, muttering,

" What's his future going to be?..."

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Saim, Saman, and their parents sat at the dining table at night.

Their mother served the food, and their father put his phone aside and said,

"Alright, let's begin."

Everyone started eating after saying the name of Allah.

Saman broke the silence, "Dad, Saim didn't go for tuition today, the teacher scolded me a lot for his absence."

Their mother said, "Yes, I was calling him repeatedly to go for tuition, but he kept saying 'just a bit' to avoid it."

Saim said, "Dad, my match was going so well today, I scored a century!"

Looking at him, their father took a bite from his plate and said, "Very well done, son, but also pay attention to your studies along with playing," he said in a calm manner.

Saman and their mother made faces.Their mother said, "You never say anything to him, sometimes he goes to school, sometimes he doesn't. He shows no interest in studies at all. Your pampering has spoiled him completely, I don't understand what he will become in the future."

Their father replied, " Why are you worried about him? It's normal. All skilled people are like this in childhood, they gradually understand. He is still at the age to play, Why are you stressing over him so much?"

Their mother and Saman looked at Saim with concern and returned to their food.

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Saman was completing her homework in her room when she heard the commentary of a cricket match outside. Looking out the window, she saw Saim lost in his mobile phone.

Saman went to him and sat beside him, but Saim remained engrossed in his phone.

When Saman offered him a pack of chips, Saim looked at her in annoyance and turned away, engrossed in his mobile again.

Saman snatched the phone from him and turned it off. He tried to grab it back.

Saman said, "As long as my brother is angry with me, I won't let him use this phone."

Saim replied, "Do you even care about my anger? You intentionally try to make Dad upset with me so that he gets angry with me."

Saman said, "Why would I want to embarrass you in front of Dad? I have no enmity with you."

She held Saim's chin and said.

Saim replied, "Then don't complain about me. If you love studying, then study well, but I don't need to study."

"What will you do then?" Saman asked, looking at him while eating chips.

Saim said, "I will manage Dad's business."

"Oh, really? Very good!" Saman laughed loudly.

"Now you mock me and say that you love me a lot!" Saim said, irritated.

Saman controlled her laughter and said, "Brother, managing Dad's business requires even more studying. Dad meets with highly educated people, so how will you converse with them? Haven't you seen how educated Dad is?"

"So I have also done my intermediate and passed with good grades, and I am continuing my studies," Saim said with a sideways glance.

Saman said sarcastically, " Yes, I know the reason for getting excellent marks without studying. It's thanks to dad's name and the magic of the cheat sheet!"

Saim made a face at her and said, "Just leave it, managing a business requires talent, and I have plenty of it."

Saman teased him, saying, "Oh really? What's the reason for this delusion?"

Saim carefree replied, "Yes, it's Dad's command."

 Saman covered her face with her hands.

Saman said: "Listen, Saim! Time is a wonderful gift from Allah. Like ice melting, it keeps passing by. We should value this blessing. When a person is healthy and has time, he doesn't prepare for the time when he will be deprived of them. When he loses those moments, he realizes how wrong he was and what should he have done? Our beloved Prophet ﷺ said:

'There are two blessings that many people do not appreciate: health and free time.'

We will lose this blessing if we keep wasting it on useless, unproductive activities. The only result of underestimating time is regret.”

Saman gave Saim back his mobile and headed towards her room.

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"Mashallah! Today my son has completed his MBA. With your prayers and love, my son will lead our business from today. The reins of this office are now in my son's hands."

"Mashallah! Subhan Allah! Congratulations!" Words of congratulations for Saim and his father echoed from all sides.

Seeing her son at the center of attention brought tears of joy to his mother and Saman's eyes.

The mother draped a garland around his neck and hugged him with joy.

"My dear child!" she said while stroking his face.

Saman, feeding sweets to her brother, said, "Many, many congratulations to you!"

Saim said, "Didn't I tell you that my place was already written?"

Saman smiled and said, " I am proud of your perfection. Now, by staying with papa, you will become even more complete. Add great value to the company through your brilliance."

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Everyone was gathered at the dining table for breakfast in the morning.

Saim began to sit next to Saman, pulling her cheeks.

Saman offered him a flatbread and said, "Here you go, Mr. Chairman, a sweet flatbread from the sweet person."

Saim picked up the flatbread with a smile. He felt very pleased being the center of everyone’s attention.

Everyone was happy. Father, who had been silent for a while, stopped laughing and sat up straight.

He perhaps felt some change within himself.

He got up and started to go outside.

Mother said, "Hey! What happened? At least finish your breakfast."

"No, I'm done. You finish yours," he replied as he moved toward the room.

Saim and Saman looked at their mother with worried eyes.

Their mother said, "You have breakfast, I'll manage."

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"Saim, Saman, hurry up!"

As soon as their mother entered her room, she called out to Saim and Saman.

They all rushed in.

In the room, their father was in a state of faintness, and their mother was trying to bring him to consciousness. She immediately called the doctor, and they all took him to the doctor.

At the hospital, the doctor examined him and said, "He has had a heart attack, and his condition is quite critical."

Everyone began to pray for him.

After a while, the doctor returned and said, "Despite our best efforts, we could not save your father. He has gone to his Creator."

Everyone began to faint in shock, and everyone was in a bad state.

All the relatives gathered. Everyone was upset by the news.

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"Mr. Iftikhar! Saim has no understanding at all. how will he discuss the project?"

Suhail, the director of Saim's company, said while sitting in the chair facing Iftikhar's seat in his office.

"Sitting in a big seat is easy, but fulfilling its responsibilities is hard. I don't think he’ll be able to handle this matter." Iftikhar casually replied.

"Oh, he has no understanding of business, simple projects remain incomplete, they are exactly where his father left them!" Suhail expressed his concern.

"Now, the company is in its final moments!" Iftikhar looked at him with a sarcastic smile.

"What will happen to this new project? The city's biggest businessman, Mr. Afnaan, is coming tomorrow to deal with Saim. who knows what they will do?"

Suhail expressed his worries.

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Saim sat in his office with his head in his hands, his past circling grotesquely before him.

"I wish I had studied then, I wish I hadn't wasted my time in useless games and entertainment. If I had worked with my father, spent some time, or done any work, I wouldn't be in this difficulty today."

Tears rolled down his cheeks like pearls.

Suddenly, the office door rang, Saim quickly wiped his tears and pressed the button on his chair.

The door opened, and his sister Saman was standing there.

"What happened, Saim? You look very sad?"

Saim tried to smile, "No, everything is fine, I'm completely happy."

Saman pulled up a chair and said, "Okay, but I feel sadness hidden within you!"

Saim took some papers in his hand and fixed his gaze on them, saying, "No, I'm fine, everything is okay!"

"Alright, well, I need your help!"

"What kind of help?" Saim asked softly.

"I want to be your assistant!" Saman said calmly.

"Oh?" Saim was surprised.

"No, you don't need help managing the office. your mother needs you, take care of her," Saim said in a dull tone.

Saman took Saim's hands and said, "Look, Saim, I know the company's situation, I am well educated and have trained in these matters, and I've spent much time with Dad, this is not a big issue for me.

Saman kept deep breath, Whenever I need help, you help me completely, but today, my brother needs me, so can't I help him?"

Saim replied, "No, I'll manage, look, I'm trying hard, and I will continue to do so. I want my sister to get married and have a grand send off."

"First, the sister will help her brother solve his problems, and then she will happily get married, what joy is there in leaving her brother in sorrow during her wedding?" Saman said, swinging on her chair.

Saim fell into deep thought.

Saman said, "As long as you are not settled in the company's affairs, we will both lead this company together. Working together will surely advance our company beyond where it is now. We are not late yet, nothing has been lost, the situation is manageable, so don't worry."

Saim took Saman's hand and began to cry, saying, "If I had listened to you and not wasted my time, I would certainly be successful today, I wouldn't have to see this day!"

"Don't worry!" Saman said, calming him down,

"Better late than never. Now stand up with new enthusiasm. Forget that you wasted your time. We should not think like this, remembering the worries of the past, wishing things could have been different. The beloved Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

'The strong believer is better and more beloved to Allah than the weak believer, and there is good in both. Strive for what benefits you and seek help from Allah, and do not lose heart. If something harms you, do not say: If only I had done such and such, rather say: What Allah has decreed has happened, because "if" opens the door for Satan's work.'"

If you remain lost in the worries of the past, you will forget the pleasures of the present. Yes, the time gone does not return, but if we dwell on its memories, we will ruin the present, too. There is still not much lost. If the company has not benefited, that does not mean it has suffered losses. Your father made you the chairman to teach you how to run this company. This is your time to learn. You still have age on your side. There is no fixed time for acquiring knowledge. Knowledge should be sought until the grave. You should resolve today that I will not let my future become like my past. Start compensating for everything lost from today.

Saim listened to Saman's words, staring at her.

Saman smiled and said, "Come on, now we will run the company together and make our future valuable, and we will grow Dad's business beautifully. When work is done together, Allah's special help is granted."

Saman extended her hand toward him, saying, "Now let's begin our new life through this deal!"

Saim took her hand, and both stepped outside with renewed determination.