Main gari chala raha tha, lekin meri rooh abhi bhi Khan family ke usi drawing
room mein hi atki hui thi. Baarish ab bohot tez ho chuki thi, aur windscreen par
wipers ki musalsal chalne wali monotonous 'swish-swish' ki awaaz mere dimaagh
mein barhte hue shor ko kam nahi kar paa rahi thi.
"Bohot acha faisla hai ye," mere Baba, Sabir Shaikh, ne muskurate hue kaha. Unka
lehja nihayat pur-itminaan tha. "Kashif ki beti talented hai, aur hamari firm ki
legacy is project ko aur bhi mazboot kar degi. A perfect partnership."
Maine unki taraf dekha aur khamoshi se apna sir hila diya. "Jee, Baba."
Perfect partnership. Mere liye ye do lafz is waqt kisi azaab se kam nahi thay.
Jaise hi hamari gari Khan Villa ki building ke gate se nikalne lagi, meri
nazrein be-ikhtiyaar upar ki manzilon ki taraf uth gayin . Ek apartment ki
khirki mein achanak roshni jali. Maine ek hi lamhe (moment) mein us roshni ko
pehchaan liya . Woh usi ki khirki thi. Woh khwab, woh haseen tasavvur jo
pichle do saal se maine apne zehen ke kisi kone mein bohot mehfooz rakha tha, ab
mere samne ek haqeeqat ban chuka tha. Ek roshan khirki ke peeche, ek
jeeti-jaagti haqeeqat.
Aur uss haqeeqat ne mere andar ek ajeeb sa khauf paida kar diya.
Pehle to mere dil mein ek khushi ki leher uthi thi, lekin ab uski jagah ek ajeeb
si wehshat (dread) le rahi thi. Main us ladki ka samna kaise karunga? Apne do
saal ke is junoon, apni is khamosh aur paak mohabbat ko uske samne kaise chupa
payega mera wajood?
Maine gari chalate hue hi apna faisla kar liya. Mera sab se bara defense meri
khamoshi hogi. Meri professional sanjeedgi. Main apne gird ek aisi deewar tameer
karunga, jo itni oonchi aur mazboot ho ke Samrah uske peeche chupe mere is raaz
tak kabhi na pahunch sake. Main uske samne sirf Arham Sabir Shaikh ban kar
rahunga. The Lead Architect. Bas .
Maine ek lambi angrai li aur apni neend ke khumar se jaagi. Mera kamrah meri
rooh ka aks tha cozy, kitabon se bhara hua, har balcony mein haseen plants, aur ek. Main abhi bhi apne
ghar ke aaram-deh kapron mein thi, aur mere lambe baal ek messy bun mein bandhe
hue thay jise maine jaldi mein ek pencil se hi secure kar liya tha.
Tabhi mere phone ki ghanti baji. Screen par 'Baba ❤️' chamak raha tha.
"Jee, Baba," maine apni neend mein doobi hui dheemi awaaz mein kaha.
"Meri sherni, uth gayi?" Baba, Kashif Khan, ki awaaz mein ek alag hi josh aur
khushi thi. "Tumhare liye ek zabardast khabar hai! National Arts Centre wala
project hamein mil gaya hai! Aur collaboration ke liye unhone Pakistan ki best
firm chuni hai Shaikh & Sons!"
Main, jo abhi tak aaram se bethi hui thi, ek dum se jhatke se uth kar baith
gayi. Mere roshan chehre par khushi ki jagah, ek ajeeb si dehshat (panic) phail
gayi . Shaikh & Sons? Wo log?
"Baba, please!" meri awaaz mein pareshani aur darr saaf zahir tha. "Aapne unke
designs dekhe hain? Khoobsurat qaid-khane! Har cheez grey, beige ya safed.
Be rooh (soulless). Main unke sath kaise kaam karungi? Wo mere har creative idea
ko reject kar denge!"
"Samrah beta, ye tumhare career ke liye bohot bara mauka hai," Baba ne mujhe
bohot pyar se samjhaya.
Main khamoshi se unki baat sunti rahi. Meri nazar mere desk par pare kaaghazon
ke dher par gayi pendings bills, mere staff ki payroll, aur dunya dari ki
zimmedariyan. Maine dheere se apni aankhein band kar leen. Main jaanti thi ke
main is project ko 'na' nahi keh sakti thi. Mujhe aisa laga jaise main kisi
bohot bare jaal mein phans gayi hoon.
Kuch dinon ke baad, project ki pehli official meeting client ke head office mein
rakhi gayi.
Main waqt se poore pandrah minute pehle pahunch gaya. Maine aaj ek dark grey,
sharp cut suit pehna tha mera zirah-baktar (armor). Main bilkul taiyaar tha.
Lead Architect ka woh role nibhane ke liye, jo sirf logic, structure aur facts
ki thandi zabaan samajhta hai.
Theek waqt par, meeting room ka darwaza khula aur Samrah andar dakhil hui. Maine
ek lamhe ke liye apni saans rok li . Usne ek chic, light cream color ka outfit
pehna tha jo professional bhi tha aur uski personality ki tarah fresh bhi. Do
saal ke lambe intezar ke baad, main usey apne itne qareeb dekh raha tha. Maine
foran apni nazrein jhuka leen, is darr se ke meri aankhon ki chamak mera raaz
sabke samne na khol de.
"Assalam-o-Alaikum," Samrah ki narm awaaz room mein goonji.
Maine dobara apni saans roki.
Yeh do saal pehle wali university ki larki nahi thi. Yeh ek mukammal aur
ba-himmat aurat thi. Uske qadmon mein ek ajeeb sa pur-waqar confidence tha, uski
heels ki halki 'click-click' ki awaaz room ki gehri khamoshi ko tor rahi thi.
Usne off-white rang ka ek nafees kurta aur pant pehna hua tha, jiske upar light
brown color ka hijab uske sar se gardan tak ko bohot saleeqe se dhake hue tha.
Uska roshan chehra... maine mehsoos kiya ke uske chehre par kuch naghawari
(annoyance) thi, ek aisi posheeda thakan jise shayad koi aur notice na kar pata.
Phir bhi, uski dark brown aankhein hamesha ki tarah chamak rahi theen. AC ki
hawa ke ek jhonke se, uske hijab se kuch zulfein bahar nikal kar uske gaal par
lehra rahi theen, aur mera dil be-ikhtiyaar zor se dharka.
Is sab par bhi sab se khubsurat uske honth thay. Main sahi se pehchaan to nahi
paa raha tha, lekin unpar baby pink jaise kisi combination mein lip gloss laga
tha jo unhein chamka raha tha. Uska gol chehra aur muskurate honth... aur phir
wo dimple. Hayee. Muskurane par uska dimple dekh kar, be-ikhtiyaar mera mann
kiya ke aage barh kar uske gaal kheench loon.
Main apne khayalon ki us dunya mein itna dooba hua tha ke mujhe pata hi nahi
chala ke Samrah kab mere samne aa khadi hui.
Main thori jhunjhunahat se apne khayalon se bahar nikla, khud par ghussa karte
hue ke maine apna control kaise kho diya. Maine foran apne chehre par
professional sanjeedgi ka cold naqaab charaya aur usse haath milane ke liye apna
haath aage kiya.
"Arham Shaikh."
Jaise hi uski narm ungliyan mere haath se takrayin, mujhe laga jaise mere jism
mein ek current sa daur gaya ho. Maine dar kar foran apna haath peeche kheench
liya.
Lekin main ek baat nahi samajh paa raha tha. Samrah ki woh udaasi... mera wehem
tha ya sach mein woh udaas thi? Halanki woh bohot khush-gawar ho kar bethi thi,
muskurate hue sab se baat kar rahi thi, lekin mere dil ki bechaini thi ke band
hone ka naam hi nahi le rahi thi. Mujhe lag raha tha jaise is chamakti hui larki
ke andar koi an-kaha, gehra bojh hai.
Main usse poochun to poochun kaise? Mera kya haq tha?
Isi kashmakash mein meeting shuru hui. Maine apni vision sabke samne pesh
ki structure, function, aur clean lines. Phir Samrah ne apna core concept pesh
kiya an emotional journey, warm colors, aur soulful spaces.
Sab theek ja raha tha, jab tak Samrah ne mere blueprint par ek jagah apni ungli
nahi rakhi.
"Ye central area bohot band lag raha hai," usne kaha. "Mera khayal tha ke agar
hum is deewar ko hata kar yahan ek open atrium bana dein, to natural light aur
life building mein aa sakti hai."
Maine uski taraf dekha. Mere samne wahi larki bethi thi jiske gaalon ko
kheenchne ka main abhi soch raha bha, jiski aankhon ki khamosh udaasi mujhe
bechain kar rahi thi. Aur ab, mujhe apna professional naqaab pehenna tha. Mujhe
woh deewar khari karni thi.
Maine bina kisi jazbaat ke, bilkul sapat aawaz mein kaha, "That is a
load-bearing wall. Ye structurally integral hai aur isey hilana namumkin hai."
Main ek pal ke liye ruka, aur phir maine woh lafz istemal kiya jo agle kuch
arsay tak humare darmiyan ek deewar banne wala tha. "Your idea is impractical."
'Impractical'.
Lafz hawa mein tairta raha. Samrah ka chehra ghusse aur be-izzati se surkh ho
gaya. Maine sirf uska idea reject nahi kiya tha maine sabke samne uski
professional qabiliyat par sawaal uthaya tha.
Hum dono ne ek doosre ki aankhon mein dekha. Main apne sard authority ke naqaab
ke peeche apne dil ki bechaini chupaye raha. Aur Samrah, jiski aankhon mein ab
mere liye sirf ghussa tha.
Building ki rooh ke liye is jung ka aaghaaz ho chuka tha.
__________________________________________________
Takraar shuru! 🔥
Arham ka 'impractical' wala defense mechanism aur Samrah ka ghussa... kaisa laga aapko ye pehla aamna-saamna? Comments mein zaroor batayega!
For updates and behind-the-scenes content, connect with me here:
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Email: noorsj.0708@gmail.com
Love,
S.J. Noor
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