Arham gari chala raha tha, lekin uski rooh abhi bhi Khan family ke drawing room mein hi atki hui thi. Barish ab tez ho chuki thi, aur wipers ki monotonous aawaz uske dimaag mein chal rahe shor ko kam nahi kar paa rahi thi.

"Bohot acha faisla hai ye," uske baba, Sabir Shaikh, ne muskurate hue kaha. "Kashif ki beti talented hai, aur hamari firm ki legacy is project ko aur bhi mazboot kar degi. A perfect partnership."

Arham ne bas "Jee, Baba" keh kar sir hilaya. Perfect partnership. Uske liye ye lafz ek azaab ki tarah tha.

Jaise hi unki gari Khan Villa ki building se nikli, Arham ki nazrein be-ikhtiyaar upar ki manzilon ki taraf uth gayin. Ek apartment ki khirki mein roshni jali. Usne foran pehchaan liya. Uski khirki. Wo khwab, wo tasavvur, jo do saal se uske zehen mein mehfooz tha, ab ek haqeeqat ban chuka tha. Ek roshan khirki ke peeche, ek jeeti jaagti haqeeqat.

Aur uss haqeeqat ne uske andar ek khauf paida kar diya.

Pehle dil mein ek khushi ki leher uthi thi, lekin ab uski jagah ek ajeeb si wehshat le rahi thi. Wo is ladki ka samna kaise karega? Apne do saal ke junoon, apni is khamosh mohabbat ko kaise chupa payega?

Usne faisla kar liya. Uska defense uski khamoshi hogi. Uski professional sanjeedgi. Wo apne gird ek aisi deewar tameer karega, itni oonchi aur mazboot, ke Samrah uske peeche chupe raaz tak kabhi nahi pahunch payegi. Wo Arham Sabir Shaikh hoga, The Lead Architect. Bas.

Samrah ne ek lambi angrai li aur apni neend se jaagi. Uska apartment uski rooh ka aks tha—cozy, kitabon se bhara, har kone mein plants, aur ek deewar par ek khubsurat sa, chaotic mood board. Wo abhi bhi apne ghar ke araam-deh kapron mein thi, aur uske lambe baal ek messy bun mein bandhe thay jise usne shayad pencil se hi secure kiya tha.

Tabhi uske phone ki ghanti baji. 'Baba ❤️' screen par chamak raha tha.

"Jee, Baba," usne neend mein doobi aawaz mein kaha.

"Meri sherni, uth gayi?" Kashif Khan ki aawaz mein ek ajeeb sa josh tha. "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!"

Samrah, jo abhi tak araam se bethi thi, ek dum se uth kar beth gayi. Uske chehre par khushi ki jagah, ek ajeeb si dehshat phail gayi. Shaikh & Sons? Wo log?

"Baba, please!" uski aawaz mein pareshani saaf thi. "Aapne unke designs dekhe hain? Khubsurat qaid-khane! Har cheez grey, beige ya safed. Be-rooh. 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," Kashif Khan ne usey pyar se samjhaya.

Samrah khamosh ho gayi. Uski nazar apne desk par pare kaaghazon ke dher par gayi—bills, staff ki payroll, zimmedariyan. Usne apni aankhein band kar lin. Wo jaanti thi ke wo 'na' nahi keh sakti. Usey laga jaise wo phans gayi hai.



Kuch din baad, project ki pehli official meeting client ke head office mein rakhi gayi.

Arham waqt se pandrah minute pehle pahunch gaya. Usne ek dark grey, sharp suit pehna tha—uska zirah-baktar (armor). Wo bilkul taiyaar tha. Lead Architect ka role nibhane ke liye, jo sirf logic aur facts ki zabaan samajhta hai.

Theek waqt par, meeting room ka darwaza khula aur Samrah andar dakhil hui. Arham ne 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 baad, wo usey apne itne qareeb dekh raha tha. Usne foran apni nazrein jhuka lin, dar se ke uski aankhon ki chamak uska raaz na khol de.

"Assalam-o-Alaikum," Samrah ki aawaz room mein goonji.

Arham ne saans rok li.

Ye do saal pehle wali university ki ladki nahi thi. Ye ek aurat thi. Uske qadmon mein ek ajeeb sa confidence tha, uski heels ki halki 'click-click' ki aawaz room ki 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 dhake hue tha.

Uska roshan chehra... Arham ne mehsoos kiya ke uske chehre par kuch naghawari thi, ek aisi posheeda thakan jise shayad koi aur notice na karta. Phir bhi, uski dark brown aankhein chamak rahi theen. Hawa ke jhonke se, hijab se kuch zulfein bahar nikal kar uske gaal par lehra rahi theen, aur Arham ka dil be-ikhtiyaar dharka.

Is sab par bhi khubsurat uske honth thay. Wo sahi se pehchaan to nahi paa raha tha, lekin uspar baby pink jesa koi combo mein lip gloss laga tha. Uska gol chehra aur muskurate honth... aur phir wo dimple. Hayee. Muskurane par dimple to theek hai, lekin Arham ko be-ikhtiyaar laga ke uske gaal khichne ka mann bohot karta hai.

Wo apne khayalon mein itna dooba hua tha ke usey pata hi nahi chala ke Samrah kab uske samne aa khadi hui.

Wo kuch jhunjhuna ahat se apne khayalo se bahar nikla, khud par ghussa karte hue ke usne apna control kaise kho diya. Usne foran apne chehre par professional sanjeedgi ka naqaab charaya aur usse haath milane ke liye apna haath aage kiya.

"Arham Shaikh."

Jaise hi uski narm ungliyan Arham ke hath se takra yin, Arham ko laga jaise uske jism mein ek current sa daur gaya ho. Usne foran apna hath peeche kheench liya.

Lekin wo ek baat nahi samajh paa raha tha. Samrah ki udasi... uska wehem tha ya sach mein wo udas hai? Halanki wo bohot khush-gawar ho kar bethi hai, muskurate hue sab se baat kar rahi hai, lekin Arham ke dil ki bechaini hai ke band hone ka naam hi nahi le rahi thi. Usse lag raha tha jaise is chamakti hui ladki ke andar koi an-kaha bojh hai.

Wo usse puche to puche kaise?

Issi kashmakash mein meeting shuru hui. Arham ne apni vision pesh ki—structure, function, aur clean lines. Phir Samrah ne apna core concept pesh kiya—emotional journey, warm colors, aur soulful spaces.

Sab theek ja raha tha, jab tak Samrah ne Arham ke blueprint par ek jagah ungli 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."

Arham ne uski taraf dekha. Uske saamne wahi ladki bethi thi jiske gaalon ko kheenchne ka wo abhi soch raha tha, jiski ankhon ki udasi usey bechain kar rahi thi. Aur ab, usey apna professional naqaab pehenna tha. Usey wo deewar khari karni thi.

Usne bina kisi jazbaat ke, bilkul sapat aawaz mein kaha, "That is a load-bearing wall. Ye structurally integral hai aur isey hilana namumkin hai." Wo ek pal ke liye ruka, aur phir usne wo lafz istemal kiya jo agle kuch arsay tak unke darmiyan ek deewar banne wala tha. "Your idea is impractical."

'Impractical'.

Lafz hawa mein tairta raha. Samrah ka chehra ghusse aur beizzati se surkh ho gaya. Arham ne sirf uska idea reject nahi kiya tha; usne sabke samne uski professional qabiliyat par sawal uthaya tha.

Dono ne ek doosre ki aankhon mein dekha. Arham, apne sard authority ke naqaab ke peeche apne dil ki bechaini chupaye. Aur Samrah, jiski aankhon mein ab sirf ghussa tha.

Building ki rooh ke liye jung ka aaghaaz ho chuka tha.

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Takraar shuru! 🔥

Arham ka 'impractical' wala defense mechanism aur Samrah ka ghussa... kaisa laga aapko ye pehla aamna-saamna? Comments mein zaroor batayega!

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S.J. Noor