Islamabad ki sard, barasti hui shaam Arham Sabir Shaikh ke minimalist office ke floor-to-ceiling glass par ek dhundli si chadar bana rahi thi. Har cheez apni jagah par thi—desk par akele akele akele rakha hua laptop, deewar par lagi hui ek abstract painting, aur blueprints ka wo stack jo uske kaam ki tarah hi, bilkul aala darjay ka aur perfection ke sath tarteeb diya gaya tha. Yahan sab kuch control mein tha. Siwaye uss bechaini ke jo pichle do saal se uske dil mein aag ki tarah sulag rahi thi.

Uski siyah ankhein samne pare National Convention Centre ke naye wing ke design par tiki theen, lekin wo unhein dekh nahi raha tha. Uska dimaag, uski rooh, sab do saal peeche uss university ke auditorium mein atki hui thi.

Flashback

Wo apne firm ki taraf se ek design competition mein bator guest judge shareek tha. Auditorium students, professors aur ajeeb si khamoshi se bhara tha. Ek ke baad ek student aata, nervous aawaz mein apni presentation deta aur chala jaata. Arham bore ho raha tha, apni ghari ko dekhte hue soch raha tha ke ye sab kab khatam hoga.

Aur phir wo stage par aayi.

Entry number 27, Samrah Kashif Khan.

Uske qadmon mein nervousness nahi, ek ajeeb sa confidence tha. Uske lambe, dark brown baal ek taraf se uske chehre par aa rahe thay, jinhein usne beparwai se peeche kiya. Uski dark brown aankhon mein ek aisi chamak thi jo auditorium ki aadhi-adhuri roshni mein bhi saaf nazar aa rahi thi. Usne mic set kiya aur jab bolna shuru kiya, to Arham, jo ab tak apni chair par araam se betha tha, ek dum seedha ho gaya.

Uski aawaz mein ek jadoo tha. Wo sirf design ki baat nahi kar rahi thi; wo ehsaas ki, jazbaat ki, aur is baat ki baat kar rahi thi ke ek ghar sirf deewaron ka naam nahi, balke ek aisi jagah honi chahiye jahan rooh ko sukoon miley. "A space should feel like a hug," usne pure conviction se kaha tha.

Arham, a man of structure and logic, uss ek jumlay par achanchay mein reh gaya. Uske liye, design ka matlab tha aql, function, aur perfection. Aur yahan ek larki ehsaas aur "hugs" ki baat kar rahi thi. Wo usey dismiss karne hi wala tha ke ek judge ne us se koi ajeeb sa, tehcnical sawal pucha. Samrah ek lamhe ke liye khamosh hui, usne ek gehri saans li, aur phir usne muskurate hue jawab diya.

Aur uss ek pal mein, sab kuch badal gaya.

Jaise hi uske lab muskurahat mein dhale, uske dono gaalon par ek gehra, khubsurat sa dimple par gaya. Ek aisi muskurahat jo pure auditorium ko roshan kar gayi. Arham ko laga jaise kisi ne uske dil par achanak se ek garam roshni daal di ho. Wo uski passion, uski aag, uski zahanat se pehle hi mutasir ho chuka tha, lekin uss ek dimple ne uske structured dimaag mein aisi chaos paida ki jise wo aaj tak tarteeb nahi de paya.

Us din, competition Samrah Kashif Khan ne jeeta tha. Aur Arham Sabir Shaikh, bina kisi se kuch kahe, apna dil haar gaya tha.

Flashback ends

Office ke darwaze par hui halki si dastak ne Arham ko apne khayalon se bahar nikala. Uska assistant file le kar andar aaya. Arham ne file li, lekin uska dimaag abhi bhi usi dhund mein tha. Do saal. Pure do saal ho gaye thay.

In do saalon mein, usne apne baba ke dost, Kashif Khan ke ghar jaane ke liye har mumkin bahana banaya tha. "Baba, club ke charity event ke liye Kashif Uncle se milna zaroori hai." "Baba, main uss area mein hi tha, socha Aunty ko salam karta chalun." Har baar ek nayi umeed ke sath jaata, aur har baar nakaami uske hath aati.

Kabhi uski hassi ki aawaz kisi band kamre se aati, aur wo dehleez par hi khara reh jaata.

Kabhi uski Ammi muskurate hue kehti, "Beta, tum bas paanch minute pehle aate, wo abhi abhi nikli hai."

Aur sab se zyada takleef-deh jumla: "Samrah bechari aaj bohot thak gayi thi, aate hi apne apartment mein so gayi."

Usne ek aisi larki ke gird apne khwabon ka ek poora jahan bana liya tha jo shayad uska naam tak theek se nahi jaanti thi.

Tabhi uske phone ki ghanti baji. Screen par 'Baba' ka naam chamak raha tha.

"Jee, Baba," Arham ne apni aawaz ko professional rakhte hue kaha.

"Beta, kahan ho? Main Kashif sahib ke ghar ja raha tha. Unhe club ke annual dinner ke hawale se kuch discuss karna tha," Sabir Shaikh ne kaha.

Arham ke dil ki dharkan ek dum se tez ho gayi. Wahi jaani pehchani umeed aur nakaami ka darr.

"Baba, main bas office se nikal hi raha tha. Main bhi aap ke sath chalta hun. Mujhe bhi Kashif Uncle se ek chota sa kaam tha," usne foran ek jhoota bahana banaya.

Gari mein, baarish ki boondein windscreen par ek ajeeb sa rhythm bana rahi theen. Arham khamoshi se bahar dekhta raha. Aaj, shayad aaj wo nakaami ki lakeer toot jaye. Shayad aaj wo usey dekh le.

Khan family ke building mein dakhil hote hi ek garmahat ne unka istaqbal kiya. Kashif Khan ne hamesha ki tarah, bari muhabbat se unhein welcome kiya. Arham ne adab se unhein salam kiya, lekin uski nazrein aur uske kaan kisi aur ki talash mein thay.

Samrah ki Ammi coffee le kar aayin. "Aur Arham beta, kaam kaisa ja raha hai?" unhone pucha.

"Alhamdulillah, Aunty, sab theek hai," usne jawab diya, ek umeed ke sath unke chehre ko dekhte hue.

Aur phir wahi hua.

"Samrah bechari aaj ek client meeting mein bohot late ho gayi. Aate hi apne apartment mein aaram karne chali gayi," unhone muskurate hue kaha.

Arham ke kandhe maamuli se jhuk gaye. Usne apne chehre par ek zabardasti ki muskurahat sajai. Chalo, aaj bhi nahi. Ek aur nakaami.

Jaise hi wo uthne lage, Kashif Khan, jo ab tak khamosh the, Arham ki taraf mure. Unke chehre par ek ajeeb si sanjeedgi thi.

"Arham beta, ye to Allah ka karam hai ke tum aaj yahan ho."

Arham ne sawaliya nazron se unhein dekha.

Kashif Khan ne aage kaha, "Meri Samrah ki firm ne abhi abhi National Arts Centre ke interior design ka contract jeeta hai." Unki aawaz mein fakhar tha. "Lekin project bohot bara hai. Board chahta hai ke architecture ka kaam koi aisi firm kare jiska naam ho, legacy ho. Unhone khas taur par Shaikh & Sons ka naam liya hai."

Wo ek pal ke liye ruke, aur Arham ka dil uske halaq mein aa gaya.

"Wo chahte hain ke tum dono is project par sath kaam karo. As a lead architect."

Arham bas unhein dekhta reh gaya. Hawa mein coffee ki mehek, baarish ki aawaz, sab kuch achanak se ajeeb lagne laga.

Do saal. Do saal se wo ek lamha hasil karne ki koshish kar raha tha.

Aur qismat ne abhi abhi uske hath mein ek poora mustaqbil thama diya tha.

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