A NEW DAWN

Episode 9

"Hmm, ab batao main kaisi lag rahi hoon?"

Shanze ne dheere se aankhein upar uthai. Aisha ne halki surkh frock ke saath churidar pajama pehna tha, aur baal khule the jo kamar tak aate the.

"Achi lag rahi hain aap, boss..." Usne halki awaaz se kaha.

"Tum mujhe boss kehna toh band karo, Shanze. Kya main tumhe naukar kehti hoon?" Aisha ne bezar ho kar kaha.

"Aap meri boss hain, main aur kya kahoon?" Woh bukhla gayi thi. Itni mushkil se sab sahi hua, ab woh dobara uska yun naaraz hona afford nahi kar sakti thi.

"Acha theek hai. Yeh dress pehn kar aao." Aisha ne halkay gulabi rang ki kameez uski taraf badhai.

"Yeh toh aapka hai, main kaise pehnun?" Shanze ne use dekha, wahan abhi bhi sanjeedgi thi.

"Aray, kuch nahi hota. Jao, yeh pehn aao, humein late ho raha hai." Aisha ne ghari ki taraf dekha aur phir Shanze ki taraf jo sehmi hui si khadi thi.

"Ji, main pehenti hoon." Shanze ne kaanpte haath uski taraf badhaye, woh bas uska mood pehle jaisa karna chahti thi. Thodi der mein woh kapde change karne chali gayi. Aisha ke phone par messages aa rahe the.

Aisha ne ek par click kiya: "Ab aur kitni der lagegi? Zara jaldi karo, sab tayariyan ho chuki hain. Bas tum logon ka intezar hai." Usne chat band ki aur kitchen se kuch le kar khane lagi. Saath saath woh bechaini se udhar dekh rahi thi jahan abhi Shanze gayi thi.

Lock khulte hi Shanze bahar aayi. Gulabi joda us par kaafi acha lag raha tha. Woh bahar nikal kar Aisha ke samne aayi jo ek ek kar ke messages ka jawab dene mein lagi thi.

"Boss..." Shanze ki awaaz par Aisha ne nazar utha kar dekha aur phir dekhti reh gayi. Uske haath se phone neeche gira. Shanze ne jaldi se use uthaya.

"Nahi, main utha leti hoon, tum rehne do..." Aisha abhi bhi hairani se use dekh rahi thi.

"Uh huh, yeh hijab bhi utaaro." Aisha uske paas aayi aur hijab ki pins kholne lagi.

"Rehne dijiye na, boss. Aise theek hai." Aisha uski pins kholne mein masroof thi, usne jaise suna hi nahi.

Hijab khula toh sunahare baal gir kar kandhon se neeche jaane lage.

"Wow..." Aisha ke honth gol hue. "I wish ke yeh baal mere paas bhi hote."

Shanze ko saanp soong gaya. Use samajh nahi aa raha tha ke kya kahe. Aisha uske baal chhoo kar dekh rahi thi.

"Chalo, ab ise jaldi se kanghi karo, phir nikalna hai." Woh masroof se andaz se kehti hui bahar nikal gayi. Albata apna mobile table par hi bhool gayi thi.

Shanze sheeshe ke samne aa kar apne baal sahi karne lagi. Use Aisha ke chehre par chhayi sanjeedgi kaatne ko daud rahi thi. Woh chaah kar bhi uska mood sahi nahi kar paa rahi thi. Isse pehle ke Aisha dobara kamre mein aati, Shanze tayyar ho kar bahar jaane lagi toh message ki notification ne use chonka diya.

"Oh, boss apna phone bhool gayi hain. Chalo, main le jaati hoon." Woh phone pakde bahar nikli jahan Aisha gaadi bahar nikaal chuki thi aur gate band kar rahi thi.

"Boss, yeh aapka phone."

Shanze ki awaaz shayad usay sunai nahi di thi, woh be-dihani mein bahar nikal gayi.

Shanze jaldi se bahar nikli aur peeche baithne lagi.

"Yahan aage aa kar baitho, Shanze."

Shanze ne chonk kar use dekha aur bhaagti hui aage aa gayi. "Yeh aapka phone." Usne mobile uske samne rakh diya.

"Oh, main toh bhool hi gayi thi. Khair chalo, shukar hai tum le aayi." Ab uske chehre par halki si muskaan aa gayi.

Shanze uski muskaan mein kho gayi.

"Aise kya dekh rahi ho, Shanze? Maine aisa kya keh diya?" Woh ab dobara serious ho gayi thi.

"Nahi woh..." Shanze abhi bhi use dekh rahi thi.

"Woh kya? Bolo!" Aisha ne mobile side par rakha aur uski taraf mutwajeh hui.

"Woh... aap muskurate hue bohot achi lagti hain. Aise hi raha karein na."

Shanze ne bilakhir usse dil ki baat keh di thi.

Aisha sakte mein aa gayi.

"Sorry..." Shanze ko laga shayad woh ghalat bol gayi hai.

"Mujhe aaj tak aisa kisi ne nahi kaha." Aisha ne afsos se uski aankhon mein dekha jahan dher saara pyaar tha uske liye. "Saima sahi kehti thi..."

Shanze bhi use dekhne lagi. Aisha uske qareeb aayi aur use seene se laga liya.

"Shukriya, Shanze..."

Woh ab use bosa de rahi thi.

Shanze ka poora jism sun ho chuka tha. Usay laga tha ke woh kuch nahi sunti ya dekhti, lekin woh toh sab kuch sunti thi. Woh toh uske dil ki baat tak sun leti thi.

Shanzay ne dheere se apne haath us ki kamar par rakhe to wo aur us ke paas aa gayi.

Phone bajne par wo alag hue. Ayesha ne dheere se use pakra aur kaan se laga liya.

"Haan haan, hum bas aa gaye. Wo tum karo tayar sab."

Us ke munh se toote phoote alfaaz nikal rahe the.

Shanzay ab ek kone se lag gayi. Us ke andar ab Ayesha ko dekhne ki himmat nahi thi, bas us ki awaaz kaanon se takra rahi thi.

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As the night grew darker, Shanzay stepped outside — she had just heard Aisha's car. She opened the gate, and Aisha drove in. Aisha had taken off her coat and was holding it on her arm. Her face looked fresh and bright. She stepped out of the car and walked in with Shanzay.

Shanzay helped her take off her shoes and reached for her coat.

"shanzay, did you cook today?" Aisha finally spoke after a long silence.

Shanzay froze. This morning, Aisha had said they were going out. She was about to answer when Aisha looked at her and said:

"I know what you're thinking — that we were supposed to go out, right?"

Shanzay looked at her, keeping quiet, just staring at her face. "Yes... I was..."

She tried to explain, but Aisha didn't let her.

"Shanzay..." Aisha said again, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Yes, boss."

"We're going out in a little while, okay?" she said as she started walking inside.

"But what will I do there? I mean, I've never really..." Shanzay looked at her from behind.

"What do you mean 'what will you do'? You'll do what everyone else does. Anyway, forget it."

Aisha's phone rang. She smiled and said, "Yes... I was waiting for you. I just stepped in and you started calling. Can't you wait a little?"

After setting Aisha's shoes, Shanzay went to the kitchen to finish her work. Aisha seemed really different today.

"Should I tell Najma? No no, she's finally getting better. I don't want anyone to jinx my boss."

She smiled to herself and kept working.

"Should I make food? What will Aisha eat if we're going out?"

Her mind was filled with questions.

Before, when Aisha didn't talk much, Shanzay would get anxious.

But today, even her talking felt strange — unfamiliar.

She was so lost in thought that she didn't notice when Aisha came in.

"Shanzay..." Aisha's voice made her drop a dish.

"What happened, Shanzay? Are you okay?" Aisha walked up to her.

"I'm fine. Would you like to eat? I can serve dinner?"

"No, no, we're leaving. We'll eat out. You... get ready."

"Am I not fine like this?" Shanzay asked nervously.

"No, not at all. Come with me, I'll show you." Aisha held her hand and took her to the room. Shanzay followed slowly.

As soon as they entered, Aisha closed the door.

"Hmm... now tell me, how do I look?"

Shanzay looked up slowly. Aisha was wearing a soft red dress with churidar pants. Her hair was open and fell all the way down her back.

"You look really nice, boss..." she said softly.

"Stop calling me boss, Shanzay. Do I call you a maid?" Aisha said with irritation.

"But you are my boss... what else should I say?" Shanzay got nervous again. Things were finally better, and she didn't want to upset her again.

"Okay fine. Here, wear this." Aisha handed her a light pink dress.

"This is yours, how can I wear it?" Shanzay looked at her. Aisha still looked serious.

"Oh come on, it's fine. Go change quickly, we're getting late." Aisha looked at the clock and then at Shanzay, who stood there quietly.

"Okay, I'll wear it." Shanzay took the dress with trembling hands. She just wanted to keep Aisha happy. She went to change.

Meanwhile, Aisha was reading messages on her phone.

One message said:

"How much longer? Everything's ready. We're just waiting for you all."

She closed the chat and went to the kitchen to grab a snack. While eating, she kept looking toward the direction Shanzay had gone.

As soon as the door clicked, Shanzay came out. The pink dress suited her really well. She stepped forward toward Aisha, who was busy replying to messages.

"Boss..." Shanzay spoke softly. Aisha looked up — and froze.

Her phone fell from her hands. Shanzay quickly picked it up.

"No, I'll get it... you leave it." Aisha was still staring at her in surprise.

"Umm... take off the hijab too." Aisha stepped closer and started unpinning it.

"Please leave it, boss. It's fine like this." But Aisha didn't listen.

As the hijab opened, golden hair fell down her shoulders.

"Wow..." Aisha's lips parted slightly. "I wish I had hair like this."

Shanzay froze. She didn't know what to say. Aisha touched her hair gently.

"Now quickly comb your hair. We need to leave." Aisha said while walking out. But she left her phone on the table.

Shanzay stood in front of the mirror and brushed her hair. She could still feel Aisha's serious look in her heart. No matter how much she tried, she couldn't make Aisha smile like before.

Just as she was about to leave the room, a message notification popped up.

"Oh, she forgot her phone! Let me take it to her." She picked it up and went outside.

Aisha had already brought out the car and was closing the gate.

"Boss! Your phone!"

But Aisha didn't hear her. She had already walked out.

Shanzay quickly followed and sat in the back seat.

"Come sit in the front, Shanzay."

Shanzay was surprised but moved to the front.

"Here's your phone," she said, placing it in front of her.

"Oh! I totally forgot. Good thing you brought it." Aisha smiled a little now.

Shanzay got lost in her smile.

"What are you staring at, Shanzay? Did I say something strange?" Aisha became serious again.

"No, I just..." Shanzay kept looking at her.

"You just what? Say it."

Aisha put the phone aside and looked at her fully.

"You look really beautiful when you smile.

Please stay like that more often."

Shanzay finally said what was in her heart.

Aisha went silent.

"I'm sorry..." Shanzay thought maybe she had made a mistake.

"No one's ever said that to me before," Aisha said quietly.

She looked into Shanzay's eyes — they were full of silent love.

"Saima was right..."

Shanzay looked back at her. Aisha came closer and hugged her tightly.

"Thank you, Shanzay..."

She was now kissing her softly.

Shanzay's whole body froze.

She always thought Aisha didn't see or feel anything.

But Aisha had felt everything... even what was in her heart.

Shanzay slowly placed her hands on Aisha's back — and Aisha came even closer.

Then the phone rang.

They pulled away.

Aisha picked it up and softly said:

"Yes, yes... we're almost there. Just be ready."

Her voice was breaking a little.

Shanzay moved to the corner.

She didn't have the courage to look at Aisha anymore...

Only her voice echoed in her ears.