Shehar ke sab se pur-waqar ilaqe me Ali Shan Haveli subha ki halki roshni me kisi khamosh badshah ki tarah khari thi. Unchi unchi deewarein, safed marble ki seerhiyan aur sheeshe ke darwazay is baat ka saboot thay ke yeh ghar sirf rehnay ki jagah nahi, balke asrat aur raub ka nishan tha.
Seerhiyon par halki qadam ki awaz goonji.
Ek aurat, jiske chehre par sakhti se zyada fikr aur mohabbat likhi thi, upar ki manzil ki taraf barhti chali ja rahi thi. Uske haath me subha ki chai ka cup tha jo dheere dheere bhap chhor raha tha.
Wo aik kamray ke bahar ruki…
Darwaza khola.
Kamra pur-sukoon tha, parde aadhe khulay hue thay aur bistar par aik jawaan mard gehri neend me dooba hua tha. Blanket uske chehre ka aadha hissa chhupaye hue tha, lekin uski personality phir bhi kamray par haavi thi.
"Zayan…"
Uski maa ki awaaz narmi se goonji.
"Beta subha ho gayi hai, uth jao."
Bistar par halka sa harkat hui. Zayan ne blanket mooh se hataya, aankhein aadhi khuli aur aadhi band. Uski awaaz me neend aur shikayat dono shamil thi.
"Mom… please… thori dair aur sonay dein."
Uski maa ne ghoor kar dekha.
"Zayan Ali Shan," uski awaaz ab thori sakht ho chuki thi,
"tumhein pata hai main dair bardasht nahi karti. Foran fresh ho kar dining table par pohanchna."
Bina jawab ka intezar kiye wo palat kar chali gayi.
Kamray me phir se khamoshi chha gayi…
Lekin sirf chand lamhon ke liye.
Zayan ne gehri saans li, bistar par baith gaya. Uski aankhon me neend kam aur soch zyada thi. Ye sirf subha nahi thi…
yeh uski zindagi ka aik aur din tha,
zimmedariyon se bhara hua.
Wo uth khara hua…
Aur bathroom ki taraf barh gaya.
Doosri taraf shehar ke markazi ilaqe me Anaya Collection apni poori raunaq ke sath jaag chuki thi. Sheeshe ki bari bari khirkiyon ke peechay ek mustaqil harkat thi — keyboard ki halki awazein, papers ki sar-sarahat aur focused chehray.
Office floor par har taraf computers ke samnay masroof log nazar aa rahe thay. Kisi ki aankhein screen par jami hui thin, kisi ke haath tez raftari se keyboard par chal rahe thay. Ye sirf aik office nahi tha…
yeh mehnat aur khwabon ka ghar tha.
Ek konay me do larkiyan baithi thin.
Un me se ek, jiske chehre par shokhi aur baaton me zinda dili thi, dheemi awaaz me boli,
"Ayeza…"
Ayeza ne screen se nazar hatayi. Uski aankhon me sanjeedgi aur confidence ka khoobsurat imtizaj tha.
"Hmm?"
Mehak ne apni kursi uski taraf ghumayi aur muskurate hue kaha,
"Boss ne file mangwayi hai. Kapron ke naye designs wali."
Ayeza ne file haath me li.
"Main ja kar de aati hoon."
Wo apni kursi se uthi. Simple sa outfit, baal seedhe kandhon par, aur chalne ka andaaz — pur-sukoon lekin pur-aitmaad. Uske qadam jaise office ke har corridor ko pehchan'tay hon.
Boss ke office ke bahar ruki.
Ek gehri saans li…
Aur darwazay par dastak di
Ayeza ne darwazay par halki si dastak di.
"Ma'am, may I come in?"
Sheeshe ki deewar ke paas khari aurat ne palat kar dekha. Uski aankhon me sanjeedgi aur tajurba saaf nazar aa raha tha.
"Aa jao,
Ayeza andar aayi.
Office ka mahaul pur-sukoon tha. Sheeshe ke paar shehar ki tez raftaar zindagi chal rahi thi, jab ke andar sirf focus aur faislay the. Ma'am apni chair par baith gayi aur Ayeza ko bhi baithne ka ishara kiya.
"File le aayi ho?"
Ayeza ne file aage barhate hue kaha,
"Ji ma'am. Naye designs, fabric details aur cost estimation sab complete hai."
Ma'am ne file kholi. Kuch lamhon tak pages palat'ti rahi, phir nazar utha kar Ayeza ko dekha.
"Tumhari mehnat nazar aa rahi hai. Designs simple hain, lekin classy."
Ayeza ne narmi se jawab diya,
"Ma'am, maine koshish ki hai ke kapray sirf khoobsurat na hon, balke pehnay walay ko comfortable bhi feel karwain."
Ma'am ne halki si muskurahat ke sath sar hila diya.
"Market trend ko achi tarah samajhti ho tum. Is project ki zimmedari main tumhein dena chahti hoon."
Ayeza ke chehre par khamosh itminaan ubhra.
"Thank you, ma'am. Main poori koshish karungi."
Ma'am ne file band kar ke kaha,
"Good. Anaya Collection ko tum jaise logon ki zaroorat hai."
Ayeza uthi, ijazat li aur bahar aa gayi.
Shehar ke mehngay aur numaya ilaqe me bara aur shandaar ghar apni poori khamoshi ke sath khara tha. Unchi deewarein aur bhari gate is baat ka ehsaas dilatay thay ke is ghar ke andar sirf sukoon nahi… hukmrani bhi rehti hai.
Kitchen me maid kaam kar rahi thi jab wo aurat andar aayi.
"Nashta table par laga do," usne bay-niyazi se kaha.
Phir usne ghari par nazar daali.
"Anaya bibi ghar par hain ya chali gayi?"
"Wo to waqt par hi office chali gayi hain," maid ne dheemi awaaz me jawab diya.
Aurat ke chehre par halki si sakht muskurahat aayi.
"Achha… theek hai. Tum nashta laga do."
Maid chali gayi.
Aurat kitchen ke kone me rakhi glass shelf ke paas ruki. Usne apna haath shelf par rakha. Aankhon me soch ka saaya gehra hota chala gaya.
Usne dheemi awaaz me, jaise khud se kaha,
"Office jaana aasaan hai, Anaya…
lekin wahan tikna har kisi ke bas ki baat nahi hoti."
Aur uske honton par ubharne wali muskurahat ne bata diya ke
khel abhi shuru hi hua tha.