The final day of August dawned, the sun's rays already promising intense heat. Yusuf arrived at the office early, but his mood was decidedly gloomy. He sat heavily at his desk, his thoughts consumed by a single question: why had Kirana been absent yesterday? 🤔
Was she sick? Did something happen? The questions looped in his mind. Kirana was the epitome of reliability; her unannounced absence was utterly out of character and gnawed at him more than he cared to admit.
Unable to concentrate, he finally called the HR manager to his office. When the man arrived, Yusuf inquired, his voice carefully neutral, about the reason for Kirana's absence the previous day. The manager explained that she had applied for a day of personal leave, citing private reasons, with no further details. 🔎
The vague "personal reasons" did nothing to quell Yusuf's unease; if anything, it amplified it. What personal matter could be important enough for her to take sudden leave? Though his heart was unsettled, he maintained a stoic, professional facade. With a curt nod, he instructed the manager to have Kirana report to him immediately upon her arrival.
After the manager left, the professional mask slipped slightly. Yusuf remained at his desk, the paperwork before him forgotten. His mind was no longer on publishing schedules or editorial deadlines, but entirely on the unexplained void left by Kirana's empty chair and the unsettling mystery of her "personal reasons." The lack of knowledge felt like a small, persistent thorn, disrupting the orderly rhythm of his workday and his own carefully guarded composure.🙇