Arham bhai ke jaate hi, kamre mein ek aisi khamoshi chha gayi jo lafzon se zyada shor kar rahi thi. Bari Ammi ne hum dono ko ek sakht nazar se dekha. "Zariya, tum apne Bare Abbu ke saath baitho. Aur haan, jab tak Sabir bhai chale na jaayein, usse pehle tum dono kahin nahi jaa rahi ho, samjhi?"
"Lekin, Bari Ammi..." Duha kuch kehna chahti thi, lekin Bari Ammi ki awaaz ne uske lafzon ko hawa mein hi qaid kar diya.
"Bas! Mujhe kuch aur nahi sunna hai. Duha, chalo mere saath, khane ki table tayyar karo."
"Jee, Bari Ammi." Duha ne haar maan li, aur woh dono chali gayin.
Main drawing room mein wapas chali aayi. Mera badan bukhar ki shiddat se meri haddiyon ka saath chhor raha tha. Mera halq dukh raha tha, aur saans lena bhi bhaari lag raha tha. Maine apne chehre par ek kamzor si muskurahat sajayi aur sofe ke ek kone mein simat kar baith gayi.
"Chalo, theek hai Kashif, hum chalte hain ab," Sabir Chacha ne uthte hue kaha.
"Arre nahi, bhai! Itni jaldi thori na jaane doonga. Khana kha kar jaana," Bare Abbu ne israar kiya.
Bohot kashmakash ke baad, Sabir Chacha wapas baith gaye. Sab baaton mein masroof ho gaye, aur mera sar kisi lattu ki tarah ghoom raha tha. Maine paani piya.
"Chacha, washroom kahan hai?" Arsalan bhai ki awaaz mere peeche se aayi.
"Zariya beta, Arsalan ko washroom bata do, jao."
"Jee." Maine apne kamzor jism ko uthne par majboor kiya. Unke "ruk jao" kehne se pehle hi, main chalne lagi thi. Hum kamre se bahar aa gaye.
"Tumhari tabiyat theek hai?" Drawing room ka darwaza band hote hi unke lehje ki saari formality hawa ho gayi.
"Jee. Washroom wahan hai," maine apne kamre se kuch doori par ishara kiya.
"Zariya, tumne dawai li? Mujhe tumhari haalat theek nahi lag rahi." Unki awaaz mein ek ajeeb si fikr thi, jo mujhe chubhne lagi.
"Agar aap ko kuch aur nahi poochna hai, to main jaati hoon."
"Zariya!" Unki awaaz ne mujhe rok liya. "Maine bahana banaya tha, kyunke mujhe tumhari... haalat theek nahi lagi."
"Maine aap ko bol diya, meri tabiyat bilkul theek hai. Aur aap mere liye pareshan hone ka haq, kisi bhi rishte se, nahi rakhte hain." Mere alfaz teer ki tarah nikle.
Woh kuch pal ke liye khamosh ho gaye. "Theek hai. Lagta hai, itna rishta kaafi nahi hai ke humari families mein bohot achi dosti hai, ke hum bachpan mein saath waqt guzaar chuke hain."
"Mujhe aisa kuch yaad nahi."
"Theek hai. Phir main bhi dua karunga, Allah humare beech ek aisa rishta bana de, jisse main apni pareshani haq se jata sakoon." Unki chamakti hui brown aankhein bohot narm theen. Ek lamhe ke liye main lafz dhoondna bhool gayi.
"Bare Abbuuu!!! Zariya Aapi!!!"
Duha ki roti hui cheekh ne hum dono ko chaunka diya.
"Kya hua, Duha?" maine pareshani se poocha.
"Aapi... Aapi... woh Bari Ammi... woh upar se aa rahi theen aur gir gayin... bohot khoon hai, Aapi..."
"Kis taraf hain woh?" Arsalan bhai ne jaldi se poocha.
"Kitchen ke paas... Ammi aur Chachi bhi wahin hain," Duha ne jawab diya.
"Tum Bare Abbu ko batao!"
"Duha, jaldi gate khulwao!" Arsalan bhai ki awaaz kamre mein goonji.
Main Bari Ammi ki taraf jaane ke liye kuch hi qadam barha paayi, lekin mere chakrate hue sar ne haar maan li. Kamre ki deewaron ne ghoomna shuru kar diya, aur sab kuch dhundhla ho gaya. Aakhri chehra mujhe Duha ka yaad raha, aur ek awaaz... us shakhs ki, jiske haath mere tapte hue gaalon par thay. "Zariya... Zariya! Duha, jaldi karo! Zariya ko itna bukhar hai, yeh kisi ko kaise nahi pata tha?!"
Aur phir... khamoshi.
Aaj mujhe jitni jaldi thi, traffic utni hi sakht thi. Ya Allah! Maine apna sar seat ki pusht par tika diya. "Usne taxi kar li hogi." Na jaane kyun, Aunty ki baat mere zehen mein ek kaante ki tarah chubh rahi thi. Agar aisa kuch hota, to Samrah kam se kam mujhe bata deti, taake main keys direct office ja kar de deta. Tabhi mera mobile baja.
"Sir, aap kahan hain? Mr. Shahzain Khan aur Mr. Bilal Farsi, dono hi aaye hue hain," Asaf ki awaaz aayi.
"Un dono ko 'Mr.' bolne ki zaroorat nahi hai. Main raaste mein hoon, traffic hai. Kuch der aur roko, bas," maine ghusse se kaha.
"Jee, sir."
Maine waqt dekha, 2:30 baj rahe thay. Ya Allah, ab yeh dono kis maqsad se aaye hain? Maine ek lambi saans li. Kuch der baad traffic kam hui, aur maine gaadi ko accelerator par daba diya.
"Ya Allah, Samrah ko apne hifz-o-amaan mein rakhna. Woh bas kisi mushkil mein na ho, bas."
Lekin mere dil mein be-chaini barhti jaa rahi thi. Use sabr nahi hua. Maine Samrah ko call kiya. Switched off. Phir uske office call lagaya.
"Assalamualaikum, I am Safiya from AKS Interiors." "Walekumasalam. Where is Miss Samrah right now?" "May I know who you are, sir?" "Arham Sabir Shaikh." "Sorry sir, lekin Ma'am nahi aayin aaj. Kuch baat hui hai kya, sir? Sab theek hai na?" "Kya matlab kuch baat hui hai?" maine foran poocha. "Kuch waqt pehle unki cousin, Duha, ka bhi call aaya tha. Aur unhone bhi yahi sawaal kiya tha." "Acha, theek hai. Lekin maine call kiya, yeh kisi ko pata na chale." "Jee, sir."
Phone cut ho gaya. Mere haath be-ikhtiyaar steering wheel par jakar gaye. Gaadi ki raftaar pehle se aur barh gayi. Maine Asaf ko call lagaya. "Asaf, apni ek team ko yeh number track karne par lagao. Aur saath hi saath, shehar ke har hotel aur hospital mein call karke Miss Samrah ka poocho."
"Theek hai, sir. Lekin kya hua? Sab theek to hai na?"
"Main tumhein baad mein batata hoon."
"Jee."
Office pahunch kar, maine car park ki aur seedha andar ki taraf chal para. Sab ke salam ka jawab dete hue main elevator ki taraf barha. Asaf mere saath tha.
"Maine jo kaam bola, woh shuru hua?" "Haan, sir." "Woh dono kahan hain?" "Waiting room mein."
Maine ek haath se apne baal theek kiye. "Un dono ko mere office mein bhejo."
"Okay, sir."
Office mein jaate hi maine apna coat utaara. Samrah ka mobile phir try kiya. Abhi bhi switched off. Ya Allah, yeh kya ho raha hai? Aunty ka jhoot... Duha ka pareshan chehra... Zariya ki be-haal aankhein...
"Assalamualaikum, mere yaar Arham! Kaisa hai, bhai?" Do awaazein aayin.
"Walekumasalam. Main yahan khair-khairiyat lene nahi baitha. Apna matlab batao aur niklo yahan se."
"Arre, arre Arham! Hum purane dost itne saalon baad mil rahe hain, aisi mehmaan-nawazi karoge humari?" Shahzain bola.
"Apna kaam batao," maine table par haath rakhte hue kaha.
"Woh to hum yahan tujh se milne aaye thay. Lekin khair, tum utne hi ziddi ho abhi bhi," Shahzain ek chair par baithte hue bola.
"Yahan cigarettes mana hain," maine Bilal ko toka, jo apni cigarette jalane hi wala tha. Usne mujhe ek pal ko dekha, aur cigarette rakh di.
"Suna hai, tumhari Turkey ki branch ki kuch haalat theek nahi hai?" Bilal ne poocha.
"Toh...? Tumhara isse koi lena-dena nahi hai."
"Toh yeh, mere dost, ke dost hone ke haq se, humne socha tumhari kuch madad kar dein. Ek contract saath sign karke."
"Tum dono aur mere beech koi dosti nahi hai. Rahi baat contract ki, mujhe zaroorat nahi hai."
"Haan, lekin..." Itne mein hi Shahzain ka mobile baja. Uske chehre ki muskurahat ulajh gayi. "Is sab ko hue kitna waqt ho gaya hai?! Aur tum ab mujhe bata rahe ho?! Tumhari aqal kya ghaas charne gayi hai?!" Shahzain chillate hue office se nikal gaya.
Tabhi mera mobile baja. Screen par 'Arsalan' ka naam flash hua.
"Arham, City Hospital aao! Jaldi! Bohot masla ho gaya hai!" Arsalan ki saans phooli hui thi. Phone cut ho gaya.
Mere dil ki be-chaini aakhri hadd tak pahunch gayi. "Mujhe tum dono ke saath koi contract nahi karna hai. Tumhari achai ke liye bol raha hoon," main office se Bilal ko bolte hue nikla.
Mere qadam elevator ki taraf nahi, seedhiyon ki taraf thay. Main bhaag raha tha.
Chapter khatam... magar sawaal abhi baaki hain! 👀🖊️ Kya lagta hai aage kya hoga? Mujhe batao! Instagram: @s.j.noor_0708 | Snapchat: noorsj0708. Agle chapter mein milte hain — jaldi! 🥹✨
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