Shahryar was in the meeting room of his office, finalizing business matters with a foreign delegation. He was set to receive a multi-million-dollar contract from this foreign firm. The terms, conditions, and all necessary details of the deal had been agreed upon. Only the finalization and signatures of the parties were remaining. This meeting had been called for that very purpose. Shahryar seemed extremely pleased with the deal.
Suddenly, Shahryar's mobile phone rang. He took the mobile from his pocket and looked at the screen. Upon seeing the caller's name, his forehead creased with worry. He reluctantly answered the call. After listening, the lines on his forehead deepened further. Then, as if interrupting the caller, he said, "But, I am busy in an important meeting right now." However, after hearing the other person's response, his face fell. It seemed as if the blood had been drained from his face and a faint "What?" escaped his lips. Although he was a man of steel nerves, the news had shaken him to the core. After listening for a little longer, he placed the phone on the table and became lost in thought, oblivious to his surroundings.
Eventually, he was startled by his secretary's voice. Taking a deep breath, he stood up. He placed both hands on the table and leaned forward slightly before addressing the delegation. "Gentlemen, I am extremely sorry, but I find myself compelled to postpone this meeting indefinitely." A wave of unrest and anger swept through the delegation. "Mr. Shahryar, what are you talking about? We've traveled a great distance and allocated valuable time to finalize the deal," a senior member of the delegation said in protest. Shahryar nodded in affirmation and replied, "Yes, I do agree with you. But it is more important to reach somewhere immediately." "But sir, you cannot leave this deal in the middle like this. If this meeting is postponed, the deal might be canceled," another person from the delegation added threateningly. "I don't care," Shahryar replied in a dry tone. There was a deathly seriousness in his manner. By this time, he had reached the door. "Sir, I am sorry, but who was the caller?" his secretary asked, who had run after him. "The homeland," Shahryar replied without turning back, and walked out. The secretary was left dumbfounded by his words.