Maine dheere se apni aankhein kholin... aur woh mere bilkul saamne khari thi
Ek pal ke liye to mujhe aisa laga jaise main abhi tak apne khayalon ki dunya
mein hi bhatak raha hoon. Samrah. Kisi behad khubsurat khwab se kam nahi thi
woh. Aaj usne ek printed silk shirt aur off-white pant pehni thi, aur wahi light
brown scarf uske sar ke gird nihayat nazaakat se lipta hua tha . Uski is
achanak maujoodgi se mere office ki is be-rang aur khushk lobby mein jaise
rangon ka ek sailaab bahar aaya tha.
"Mr. Arham?"
Samrah ki woh dheemi awaaz mere kaano mein gunji, aur main ek dum se haqeeqat ki
dunya mein wapas lout aaya.
"Jee... jee!" Main jhat-pat apni jagah se khara ho gaya . "Assalamualaikum."
"Walekumasalam," Samrah ka jawab aaya, magar uski aankhon mein mere is ajeeb
ravaiye par ek gehri hairat bichi hui thi. "Aap yahan kya kar rahe thay?"
"Wo... actually meri 10:00 baje ki meeting hai, to bas... thori fresh air lene
aaya tha," main apni zindagi mein shayad pehli baar kisi ke samne itni bechaini
aur iztrab (restlessness) mein baat kar raha tha. Mere apne alfaaz bhi jaise is
waqt mera sath chhor rahe thay.
"Acha. Meeting to meri bhi yahin hai, aur 10:00 baje ki hi," Samrah ne kaha.
Hum dono ne ek ajeeb si confusion aur khamoshi ke sath ek doosre ko dekha.
Isse pehle ke hum dono kuch aur keh paate, Ali Asaf tezi se hamari taraf aaya.
"Sir, Mr. Haadi is here." "Okay. Also, bring the documents to the meeting room,"
maine apne usi khushk professional lehje mein wapsi ki koshish ki. Ali Asaf
isbaat mein sir hila kar chala gaya.
Maine Samrah ko aage jaane ka ishara kiya aur khud uske peeche-peeche chalne
laga. Meeting room tak ka woh chota sa safar hum dono ke darmiyan ek gehri
khamoshi mein guzra. Ek aisi khamoshi... jo hazaar an-kahi baaton aur sawalon se
bhari hui thi.
Meeting room mein dakhil hote hi, Mr. Haadi ne Samrah ko dekhte hi khare ho kar
salam kiya. Peeche se main bhi dakhil ho chuka tha. Mr. Haadi ne meri taraf
haath barhaya.
"Have a seat, please," maine apne chehre par ek professional muskurahat sajate
hue kaha.
Hum teeno ab table ke gird baith chuke thay.
"Yes, Mr. Haadi. Based on the information you have given me, you want to build a
building which is in Islamabad. Also, your building flats will be for sale,
right?" Maine nihayat professional aur thos tareeqe se apni baat ka aaghaaz
kiya.
"Jee, Mr. Arham. Also, after completing the project, you and Miss Samrah will
get a flat for each of you. It's a policy of our company," Mr. Haadi ne bohot hi
tahammul (patience) aur naram lehje se apni baat mere samne rakhi.
Maine ek khamosh nazar Samrah ki taraf dekha, jo chup-chaap baithi hui thi.
"Okay. So... Miss Samrah is appointed as an interior designer, if I am right?"
"Jee. Actually, we know each other from college, so I know how capable and
creative she is," Mr. Haadi ne bohot hi narmi se, seedha Samrah ki taraf dekhte
hue kaha.
Aur bas. Uss ek naram nigaah ne, uss ek "we know each other from college" wale
jumle ne, mere dil ke andar jaise aag laga di. Ek ajeeb, na-qabil-e-bardasht
bechaini aur jalan mere seene mein uthne lagi.
Project ki saari details, terms and conditions, aur contract sign hone ke baad,
hum teeno ab office ki lobby mein khare thay. Maine aur Mr. Haadi ne hath
milaye. Mr. Haadi ke jaane ke baad, Samrah bhi wapas jaane ke liye aage barh hi
rahi thi ke maine usey rok liya.
"Aap please pehle mere office mein chaliye, kuch baat karni hai," maine uske
chehre ko dekhe bina, khushk lehje mein kaha. "Main bas paanch minute mein
aaya."
Main is baat se to khush tha ke Samrah aur main ek hi project par sath kaam
karenge. Lekin... koi aur Samrah ko mujhse zyada jaanta hai... aur jis tarah woh
Haadi muskurakar Samrah se baat kar raha tha... mere andar kuch toot raha tha.
Aise, jaise koi mere dil ko lagatar apne hathon se cheere jaa raha ho.
Main Arham ke office mein rakhi kursi par khamoshi se baithi unka intezar kar
rahi thi. Mujhe aaj Arham kuch zyada hi serious aur khushk dikhai diye thay.
Shayad kaam ki tension hogi, main un ke is ravaiye ke baare mein soch hi rahi
thi ke Arham tezi se office mein dakhil huye.
"Aap kuch khaayeingi?" unhone aate hi pucha. "Nahi, mujhe bhook nahi hai."
"Lekin lunch ka time ho chuka hai." "Nahi nahi, main theek hoon. Aap ko kuch
baat karni thi?" maine un ke is achanak bhed ke baare mein pucha.
"Lekin main theek nahi hoon."
Arham ke chehre ke ta'asurat (expressions) ko main uss waqt koi naam nahi de paa
rahi thi. Unki kaali aankhon mein ek ajeeb si gehrai thi, ek an-kahi aur bechain
kar dene wali baat. Maine kuch pal ke liye unhein hairat se dekha, aur phir is
gehri ghutan se bachne ke liye apni seat se uth kar apna purse uthane lagi.
Isse pehle ke main uske handle ko pakad paati, Arham ne zatar-dar harkat ke sath
mera purse khud utha liya tha.
"Aap chalein aage," unhone nihayat sapat aur qata'i lehje mein kaha. Main unhein
dekhti reh gayi.
"Lekin main theek nahi hoon."
Arham ke is ek jumle ke peeche kya raaz chupa hai? Ghussa, jalan... ya kuch aur? 🔥
Aur Mr. Haadi... unki entry ne to aag mein ghee ka kaam kar diya hai! Aage aage dekhiye hota hai kya. The 'Tameer' is about to get very, very complicated. 😉
Aapko kya lagta hai, ab Arham kya karega?
- S.J. Noor
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