Usne aankhein kholin, aur wo saamne khari thi.

Ek pal ke liye, Arham ko laga jaise wo abhi tak apne khayalon ki duniya mein hi hai. Samrah. Kisi khubsurat khwab se kam nahi. Aaj usne ek printed silk shirt aur off-white pant pehni thi, wahi light brown scarf uske sar ke gird lipta hua tha. Uski maujoodgi se office ki be-rang lobby mein jaise rang bhar gaye thay.

"Mr. Arham?"

Samrah ki awaaz uske kaano mein gunji, aur wo haqeeqat ki duniya mein wapas aa gaya.
"Jee... jee!" wo jhat-pat khara ho gaya, "Assalamualaikum."
"Walekumasalam," Samrah ka jawab aaya, uski aankhon mein ek ajeeb si hairat thi. "Aap yahan kya kar rahe thay?"

"Wo... actually meri 10 baje ki meeting hai, to bas... fresh air lene aaya tha," Arham itni bechaini mein shayad pehli baar kisi se baat kar raha tha. Uske alfaaz bhi uska sath chhor rahe thay.
"Acha. Meeting to meri bhi yahin hai, aur 10 baje ki hi," Samrah ne kaha.

Dono ne confusion mein ek doosre ko dekha.

Isse pehle ke wo dono kuch aur keh paate, Ali Asaf aa chuka tha. "Sir, Mr. Haadi is here."
"Okay. Also, bring the documents to the meeting room," Arham ne apne professional lehje mein wapsi ki. Ali Asaf isbaat mein sar hila kar jaa chuka tha.

Arham ne Samrah ko aage jaane ka ishara kiya aur khud uske peeche chalne laga. Meeting room tak ka safar khamoshi mein guzra. Ek aisi khamoshi jo hazaar baaton se bhari thi.

Meeting room mein, Mr. Haadi ne Samrah ko dekhte hi khare ho kar salam kiya. Peeche se Arham bhi aa chuka tha. Mr. Haadi ne Arham ki taraf haath barhaya. "Have a seat, please," Arham ne ek professional muskurahat ke sath kaha.

Teeno beth 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?" Arham ne pure professional tareeqe se apni baat shuru ki.

"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 se apni baat Arham ko batayi.

Arham ne ek nazar Samrah ki taraf dekha, jo khamoshi se bethi 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, Samrah ki taraf dekhte hue kaha.

Aur bas. Uss ek naram nigaah ne, uss ek "we know each other" wale jumle ne, Arham ke dil mein jaise aag laga di. Ek ajeeb si bechaini.

Project ki saari details, terms and conditions, aur contract sign hone ke baad, teeno lobby mein khare thay. Arham aur Mr. Haadi ne haath milaye. Mr. Haadi ke jaane ke baad, Samrah bhi jaane ke liye aage barh hi rahi thi ke Arham ne usey roka.

"Aap please pehle mere office mein chaliye, kuch baat karni hai," Arham ne bina aankhein milaye kaha. "Main bas paanch minute mein aaya."

Wo is baat se to khush tha ke Samrah aur wo ek hi project pe kaam karenge. Lekin koi aur Samrah ko Arham se zyada jaanta hai... aur jis tarah Haadi muskurakar Samrah se baat kar raha tha... usey kuch to ho raha tha. Aise, jaise koi uska dil lagatar cheere jaa raha ho.

Samrah ek chair pe bethi thi. Usey aaj Arham kuch zyada hi serious dikha. Shayad kaam ki tension hogi, wo soch hi rahi thi ke Arham office mein daakhil hua.

"Aap kuch khaayeingi?" usne pucha.
"Nahi, mujhe bhook nahi hai."
"Lekin lunch ka time ho chuka hai."
"Nahi nahi, main theek hoon. Aap ko kuch baat karni thi?"

"Lekin main theek nahi hoon."

Arham ke chehre ke ta'asurat ko Samrah uss waqt koi naam nahi de paa rahi thi. Uski aankhon mein ek ajeeb si gehrai thi, ek an-kahi baat. Samrah ne kuch pal ke liye Arham ko dekha, phir apni seat se uth kar apna purse uthane jaa rahi thi.

Isse pehle wo handle pakad paati, Arham ne uska purse utha liya tha.
"Aap chalein aage."

______________________________________________________

"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