"Faslay aur Silsilay"

Apex Corporation ke legal department ki fiza mein hamesha ek dabao sa rehta tha. Us waqt khirki ke paas khada Zain, jo 28 saal ka ek pur-waqar aur 6 feet 1 inch lamba kabil lawyer tha, apne bhai ke case ki file ko ghoor raha tha. Uski sanjeeda ankhon mein ek hi zidd thi—sach ki talaash. Achanak darwaza khula, aur wahan Mira aayi. Sirf 19 saal ki umar aur 5 feet 1 inch height ki malika, white and gold attire mein malboos Mira ke ghane curly baal aur neeli aankhen pehli hi nazar mein sab ki tawajjah khech rahi thin. Uski masoom surat ke peechhe ek gehra khauf aur raaz chupa tha, jo Zain ne foran mehsoos kar liya. Zain ne apne hathon ko sambhalte hue sangeeda lehje mein pucha, "Aap... Mira hain na? Nayi intern?" Mira ne apni neeli aankhon se Zain ko dekha aur dheere se boli, "Ji. Aur mujhe lagta hai ke aap jis haqeeqat ki talash mein hain, uska rasta sirf mere paas hai." Dono ke darmiyan pehli hi mulaqat mein ek anjaana sa khauf aur kashish ka silsila shuru ho chuka tha. Cabin ki khamoshi mein sirf AC ki halki si sar-sarahat sunai de rahi thi. Zain ne apni 6 feet 1 inch ki lambi qamat ke sath apas mein ungliyan jorti huin, 28 saal ke is kabil lawyer ne apni teekhi nazrein samne khadi 19 saal ki us larki par tikayin. 5 feet 1 inch height ki Mira, jisne white and gold dress pehna hua tha, apni neeli aankhon se usey baghaur dekh rahi thi. "Tumhein kaise pata ke main kis haqeeqat ki talash mein hoon, Mira?" Zain ki awaz mein thodi sakhti aur hairangi dono thi. Mira ne apne curly baalon ko kandhe ke peechhe karte hue bina kisi khauf ke jawab diya, "Kyunki jo files pichle saal Apex Corporation ke archives mein seal kar di gayi thin, Zain... unka taaruf sirf aapke bhai se nahi, balki mere maazi se bhi juda hai." Zain ka dil ek pal ke liye doob gaya. Wahi seal-shuda files! Jise poora idara ek hadsa keh kar radd kar chuka tha, jiske bare mein sirf usey ya uske bhai ko pata hona chahiye tha. "Woh files aam logon ke liye nahi hain, aur na hi kisi intern ke liye," Zain apni kursi se uthte hue thoda qareeb aaya, unke darmiyan ka fasla aur kam ho gaya. "Yeh khel bohot khatarnak hai." "Toofanon se darne wale raste nahi badla karte, Mr. Zain," Mira ne palat kar aisi baat kahi jisne Zain ko souchne par majboor kar diya. Zain ne apne hathon ko apni pant ki pockets mein dala aur khirki ki taraf mooh pher liya. Bahar Islamabad ka mausam tezi se badal raha tha, bilkul waise hi jaise uski aur Mira ki zindagi ka rukh mod chuka tha. 28 saal ka Zain, jo hamesha apne faislon mein sakht aur pur-sukoon rehta tha, aaj ek 19 saal ki larki ke samne khud ko be-bas mehsoos kar raha tha. "Agar tumhara yeh daawa sach hai, Mira, toh tumne ab tak yeh baat police ya board ke samne kyun nahi rakhi?" Zain ne achanak palat kar pucha, uski neeli aankhon mein ek sawaliya nishaan tha. Mira ne apni white and gold shawl ko durust karte hue, 5 feet 1 inch ki apni choti si qamat ke sath thoda aage qadam barhaya. Uski curly zulfon ki lutt uske chehre par aa giri thi. "Kyunki police aur board sab is dafter ke baray afsaran ke haathon bik chuke hain, Zain. Wahan sach bolne ka matlab maut ko dawat dena hai." Zain khamosh ho gaya. Uske dil ki gehrai mein kahin na kahin yeh تلخ (bitter) sach pehle se maujood tha, lekin usey zuban par lane ki taqat kisi mein nahi thi—siwaye is be-khauf larki ke. "Theek hai," Zain ne qareeb aakar ek sangeen faisla sunaya, "Agar un files tak pahunchna hai, toh tumhe mera har hukum manna hoga. Bina meri ijazat ke koi qadam nahi uthaogi." Mira ke labon par ek halki si pur-asraar muskurahat ubhri. "Manzoor hai, Mr. Lawyer." Raat ke is pehar Apex Corporation ki building bilkul sunsan ho chuki thi. Sirf floor 4 par Zain ke cabin ki light jal rahi thi. 28 saal ka Zain apni desk par jhuka hua computer screen ke zariye archives ki digital security ko bypass karne ki koshish kar raha tha, jabke 5 feet 1 inch ki Mira khirki ke paas khadi bahar pehra de rahi thi. "Zain, jaldi karo. Guard ki patroling ka waqt ho raha hai," Mira ne dheemi lekin sakht awaz mein kaha, uske white and gold attire ki chamak andhere mein halki si roshni bikher rahi thi. Zain ne apne maathe ka paseena saf kiya aur ek lambi saans li. Uski teekhi nazrein screen par tiki thin. "Bus ek code aur... ho gaya!" Ek click ke sath hi screen par woh files khul gayin jinhe pichle ek saal se gayab ya seal shuda qarar de diya gaya tha. Wohi files jo Zain ke bhai ki maut aur is dafter ke andar chalne wale kisi bohot bare illegal network ka sach samne la sakti thin. Mira tezi se aage barhi aur screen par nazar dali. Uski neeli aankhon mein hairat aur gusse ke milay-jule jazbaat ubhre. "Maine kaha tha na Zain... sach hamare samne hi hai." Lekin achanak corridor mein kisi ke qadmon ki aahat sunai di. Darwaze ke bahar guard ki torch ki roshni floor par parti dikhi. Zain aur Mira dono ke dil ek sath ruk se gaye. Corridor mein guard ke qadmon ki aahat tezi se qareeb aa rahi thi. Darwaze ke shishe par torch ki roshni ka ghoomna saaf mehsoos ho raha tha. Wahan chupne ki koi aur jagah nahi thi. Ghabrahat ke is aalam mein 19 saal ki Mira ka qadmon ka tazawwul bagra, aur woh sidha piche ki taraf girne lagi. Lekin usse pehle ke woh zameen par girti, 28 saal ke Zain ne apni 6 feet 1 inch ki mazboot baahon se usey foran kamar mein thaam liya. Waqt jaise wahin tham gaya. Zain ke seene se lagte hi Mira ki saansein ruk gayin. Uski neeli aankhen seedha Zain ki gehrai se bhari ankhon mein dekh rahi thin. Unke darmiyan ka fasla itna kam ho chuka tha ke Zain ke dil ki dharaknen Mira saaf sun sakti thi. Uski white and gold dress ki khushboo aur uske ghane curly baal Zain ke chehre ko chhu rahe the. Zain ne apne ek haath se Mira ko mazbooti se pakad rakha tha, jabke dusra haath usne Mira ke honton par rakh diya taake uski saans ki aahat bhi bahar na ja sake. Uski teekhi nazrein Mira ki palkon par tikin thin; is waqt dafter ka khatra, seal-shuda files aur dunya ki har fikar unke liye maayne kho chuki thi. Guard ki aahat darwaze ke bilkul paas se guzarti hui aage nikal gayi. Door ki kadi aahat dheere-dheere door ho gayi. Lekin woh fasla jo khatam hua tha, unhone abhi tak woh qareebi halat nahi badli thi. Zain ki sangeen ankhon mein ek anjaani si kashish ubhri, aur usne. dheemi, sarsarati awaz mein kaha, "Tum hamesha khud ko khatre mein kyun daal deti ho, Mira?" Mira ne halka sa palak jhapkaya, uske honton par ek madham si muskurahat aayi, "Kyunki... is khatre ke bina shayad mujhe yeh qareebi silsila kabhi milta hi nahi." Guard ke qadmon ki aahat aakhirkar dheere-dheere door ho gayi aur corridor mein phir se sannata chha gaya. Zain ne apne hathon ki girift ko thoda dheela kiya aur Mira se thoda peeche hate. Unke chehron par ek anjaana sa khichaav tha, jo sirf khatre ki waja se nahi tha balki us qareeb-tareen lamhe ke asar ki waja se tha. Mira ne apni neeli aankhon ko jhukaya aur apne white and gold dress ko theek karte hue saansein durust karne ki koshish ki. "Humein... humein abhi yahan se chalna chahiye," Mira ne dheemi aur thartharati aawaz mein kaha, lekin uske lehje mein pehle jaisa khauf nahi balki aik ajeeb si zid thi. Zain ne computer screen ki taraf dekha jahan woh seal-shuda files abhi bhi khuli thin. Usne foran ek USB nikal kar data copy karna shuru kiya. "Data transfer ho raha hai. Agar yeh file safe ho gayi, toh phir Apex Corporation ke directors ke paas bachne ka koi rasta nahi rahega—khaas taur par us shakhs ke paas jisne mere bhai ke sath kiya tha." Mira ne Zain ke kandhe par apna haath rakha, uski ankhon mein yakeen aur fikar dono thhe. "Hum sach tak zaroor pahunchenge, Zain. Chahe raste mein kitne hi khatrat kyun na hon."