Meeting ke baad main apna bina kisi expression ka sapat chehra liye boardroom se
bahar nikal gayi thi. Uske baad maine na kisi baat par sawal kiya, na kahin par
apni raye di. Main bas khud par qaabu paa rahi thi, warna na jaane main us
khadus insaan ka kya karti. Pura waqt maine usey poori tarah ignore kiya tha.
Parking mein apni safed car mein baithte hi main kisi volcano jaise phat pari.
Gusse ki shiddat se mere hath kaanp rahe thay aur maine steering wheel ko zor se
jakar liya.
"Uski himmat bhi kaise hui?! Usne mere baare mein aisa soch bhi kaise liya?!
Khadus! Bakra! Akdu! Khud-parast! Main... aur impractical?! Maine apni zindagi
ke itne professional saal kya bina practicality ke guzare hain? Isko to ab
Samrah Khan ka asli roop dikhega!"
Isse pehle ke main gusse mein gaari mein kuch tor-phor deti, maine apne phone se
apne sab se bare emotional support system (apni behnon) ko conference call
milayi aur unhein apne cafe bula liya. Haan, mera ek cafe bhi tha aur ek
interior design company jo main khud chalati thi. Dono hi cheezein bilkul
barabar mein theen, aur wahan se kuch hi doori par Zariya ka boutique bhi tha.
Yeh sab hamare ghar se kuch hi faasle par tha.
Main apne bole gaye lafzon par ab andar hi andar sakht pachta raha tha. Main
meeting ke baad se thori-thori der mein apna matha mal raha tha, dil ki bechaini
barhti ja rahi thi. Jis tareeqe se Samrah boardroom se nikal kar gayi thi, mujhe
achi tarah andaza tha ke aage to pata hi nahi kya hoga. Aisa lag raha tha ke woh
do-chaar logon ko apni gusse bhari aankhon se hi maar degi. Clients bhi hum dono
ke beech ki us khamosh aur tanaao-bhari jang ko saaf mehsoos kar rahe thay.
Maine ye keh kar sab ko jaane ka ishara kiya ke baaki sab next meeting mein fix
kar lenge, aur ek khushk professional muskurahat ke sath main bhi bahar nikal
gaya.
Neeche parking mein, main apni kaali car mein aa baitha. Ab main apne bole hue
unkaat-edar alfaaz soch soch kar khud par hi gussa nikal raha tha.
Haan... thora kadak rehna hai, lekin Arham, itna bhi nahi ke woh hurt ho jaye.
Yeh to main soch raha tha ke woh hurt hogi, magar ab aage to meri khair nahi
thi!
Khair, mere khayalat dhere dhere phir bhatak gaye. Uske hath kitne chhote aur
naram hain... bilkul nazaakat se khile phoolon jaise. Tulip jaise? Ya sunflower
jaise? Ek halka sa blush mere chehre par aa gaya aur maine car start ki. Shaam
ke kuch 6 baj rahe thay. Ab main ghar ja raha tha. Bas aaj main aur kuch nahi
kar paunga, siwaye apne uss phool ke baare mein sochne ke.
Main cafe ke ek kone wale table par bethi thi. Table par kuch pastries, cookies,
donuts aur coffee ke do khali cups rakhe thay. Pura table bhara tha aur
takreeban har cheez main gusse mein khatam kar chuki thi.
Itne mein hi Sheiza, hoodie aur cargo pehne, ek kandhe par apna college bag
liye, cafe mein kisi toofani aandhi jaise dakhil hui.
"Batayein, Samrah Aapi! Kiski itni himmat hui ke woh meri Aapi ko 'impractical'
bole?! Uska muh hi na tod doon!" woh mazakiya magar ghussay wale lehje mein
boli.
"Sheiza! Mujhe is pastry ka wasta, abhi woh shakhs mere saamne hota to main uska
qatal hi kar deti!" Meri aankhon mein to jaise gusse se khoon utra hua tha. "Wo
khud ko samajhta kya haiiii?!"
Sheiza apni muskurahat rok hi rahi thi ke Zariya bhi aa gayi. Hamesha ki tarah,
long coat, white shirt, formal pant, ek professional bag, khule straight kaale
baal, thori simple si jewellery aur uske honthon par matte brown lipstick. Woh
aakar baith hi paayi thi ke Duha bhi aa gayi. Bilkul kisi cutie pie jaise, sky
blue color ka halka kaam kiya hua suit pehne, halki si lipstick, ghungrale baal
khule hue, bilkul pariyon jesi lag rahi thi. Ek kandhe par dupatta aur uske
jhumke hawa mein hil rahe thay.
Ab jab sab aa hi gaye thay, to hamari meeting shuru hui. Zariya mujhe samjhati
hui bol rahi thi, "Tum apne kaam par dhyan do, lekin agar woh line cross kare,
to chhorna nahi."
Jabke Duha apni masoomiyat se boli, "Ho sakta hai bhai pehle se Aapi ko dil hi
dil mein chahte hon?" Usne ek pyari si muskurahat ke sath kaha.
Iski baat par Sheiza apne mobile ki dunya se bahar aa gayi. Uske chehre par
ekdum se shararat bhari hasi chalki aur woh kood kar Duha ke kandhe par aa kar
boli, "Haan! Ye bhi to ho hi sakta hai!"
Maine bas in dono ko aisi ghurti hui nazron se dekha jo keh rahi theen, "Yahan
se dafa ho jao." Mera muh is waqt donut se bhara hua tha. Raat ke 8 baj chuke
thay, to hum sab ne aakhri baat yehi nikali: jab tak Arham apologise na kare,
usey maaf nahi karna. Is ke baad sab ghar ke liye rawana huin.
Main khana kha kar farigh hua aur apne bed par laptop le kar baitha, phir kuch
sochne ke baad main apni car keys lekar Arsalan ke restaurant ke liye rawana ho
gaya. Office ka time off ho chuka tha, to saare larke wahin maujood thay.
Kuch yahan wahan ki baaton ke baad Zaydin ne kaha, "Aaj kuch down down se lag
rahe ho, kya baat hai?" "Kya baat hai bhai? Kisi larki ne reject kar diya kya?"
Muhib ne mazakiya tone mein bola.
Maine usey aisi khunkhar nazron se ghoora ke Muhib ne apni muskurahat dabate hue
apna sar neeche jhuka liya.
Arsalan ne jab sanjeedgi se pucha, to maine unhein saari baat bata di. Sab se
pehle Zaydin bola, "Bhai! Aap ek khubsurat larki se itna rude ho sakte hain,
mujhe nahi pata tha! Aap kisi ki creativity ka aise mazaak banayein, toba toba!"
Muhib aur Zaydin mera chehra dekh kar apni hansi nahi rok paa rahe thay. Yahan
sab ko andaza tha ke main Samrah ko kitna chahta tha, halanki maine kabhi zabaan
se iska iqraar nahi kiya tha. Maine wapas un dono ko gusse se dekh kar apni
tawajjo Arsalan ki taraf ki, jo ab bol raha tha:
"Aage tumhein pura ek se dedh saal uske sath kaam karna hai. Project bara hai,
ye to tum jaante ho. Aur clients uska kaam pasand karte hain. Haan theek hai,
tum abhi usko apni feelings nahi bata sakte, jo uske sath hadsa hua tha uske
baad woh comfortable nahi hogi. Lekin phir bhi, narmi rakho apne lehje mein."
"Bhai, pehli baat to ye ke unka idea bohot acha tha. Natural light building mein
aati to bohot khubsurat lagti," Muhib ne ek hi baar mein sab bol diya. "Khair,
aap maafi maang lena, koi bari baat nahi hai," usne shaitani muskurahat ke sath
kaha.
"Maafi? Aur main?!" maine hairat aur gusse se pucha. "Ek creator ki insult karne
ke baad aap itna bhi nahi kar sakte?" Zaydin bol para, aur is par Arsalan ne bhi
haami bhari.
Main Isha ki namaz ada karne ke baad ja-e-namaz par baithi Surah Yusuf parh rahi
thi. Recitation ke dauran meri aankhon mein be-ikhtiyaar aansu aa gaye. Mere
aansu hamesha hi aise mere qaabu ke bina behte thay. Surah poori hone ke baad
main bed par laptop lekar baithi aur mail-box khol kar soochti rahi. Bohot se
mails likh-likh kar delete karne ke baad, aakhir-kaar maine ek mail likh kar
bhej hi di, aur phir sone ke liye lait gayi.
Main kuch 10:00 PM tak ghar aa gaya tha. Apne Ammi Abbu ke sath kuch der baithne
ke baad main apne kamre mein chala gaya. Maine apni formal white shirt utari aur
ghar ke kapde pehen liye ek black collar wali t-shirt aur loose sa grey track
pant.
Muh-haath dho kar jab main laptop lekar baitha, to screen par sab se pehle
'Samrah Khan' ka email dikha. Main kuch der tak khamoshi se us screen ko hi
dekhta raha.
Subject: National Arts Centre - Revised Concepts
Body: Mr. Shaikh, Please find attached the revised concepts as per our
discussion. Regards, Samrah Khan.
"Mr. Shaikh."
Yeh formal lafz mere dil par ja kar laga. Maine gehri saans li aur jawab type
kiya.
Subject: Re: National Arts Centre - Revised Concepts
Body: Ms. Khan, Noted. Will review and revert. Please ensure all future designs
account for the structural limitations discussed.
Maine email bhej diya, aur ek halki, afsos-bhari muskurahat ke sath sone ke liye
lait gaya.
Deewarein khari ho chuki hain! 🧱
"Mr. Shaikh" aur "Ms. Khan"... ye professional jung ab kahan tak jayegi? Aur kya Arham maafi maangega, ya uski ego jeet jayegi?
Lekin... Arsalan ne Samrah ke ek 'hadse' ka zikr kiya hai. Kya raaz hai uski muskurahat ke peeche? 🤔
Let me know your theories in the comments! ❤️
- S.J. Noor
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