We were preparing for a meeting which was going to start in the next forty-five minutes. It was really important to us. The CEOs of some well-known companies were coming for business deals of mutual interests. Interestingly, none of us had met before, we had just interacted on the phone.

The preparations had started two weeks ago. Even now, my employees still had some work left to do. I couldn’t help, but scold them. After all, today was very important and nothing had to go wrong.

I was sitting in the meeting room, waiting when the manager entered with three people. They were decent and well-educated, exactly as I expected them to be. My director and I stepped forward to greet them.

The manager introduced all three of them, “Mr Hamza, Mr Saqib and Ms Noreen!”

“A warm welcome to you all! I sincerely hope that today gives us great opportunities to work together!” I said.

The director asked them to take a seat. All of us sat down and talked casually, easing the formality between us. After proper introductions, I proceeded towards formally beginning the meeting.

I powered on the projector and started to explain the different details. All our stocks, clients, markets as well as my company’s aims and the purpose of organising the meeting would be shared here. I would also be given a briefing by my colleagues.

I was half-way through when a bell rang. It was my phone. I excused the CEOs and came out to receive it. The call came from and unknown number so I asked who the person was on the line. The reply blew my mind. It was Mr Saqib!

How could he be simultaneously talking to the director and calling me? The situation seemed extremely fishy.

I attended the call to learn that the Mr Saqib inside wasn’t the real Mr Saqib I was supposed to be meeting. The one who had to come was apologising on the phone for not being able to come.

After the call, I went in and asked Mr Saqib, the fake one, and my director to come out for a moment. With him standing in front of me, I called the cops, “Officer, there is a man in my office pretending to be Mr Saqib, CEO of Concept Enterprise…”

Hearing this, Mr Saqib, the fake, made a run for it in an attempt to escape. The guards ran after him immediately, and I dismissed the meeting as I told the others about the situation.

By the time, the police arrived, the fake Mr Saqib had already been caught and taught a lesson by my employees. They handed him over to the police who then told me about the intruder.

He was a spy from our rival company. They had not only tried to get some valuable information about our company, but they had also tried their level best to prevent this meeting from happening. This man had dressed up as a wealthy business tycoon, only to fool us.

Considering his luck, I’d say the odds were in his favour as Mr Saqib did not come that day. I am also glad that I didn’t share all my data, otherwise the impostor would have been able to fulfil his mission.

I admit, I am also a bit disappointed. I had been really looking forward to this day. Nevertheless, it was my luck how the events turned out.

But this one incident cannot stop me from rearranging the meeting. We are prepared, so I just have come up with a new meeting date. This time, I will make sure know who is really who!

Published in Dawn, Young World, March 20th, 2021