Ijazat_€_Ishq

Chapter : 9 Family Secrets ~

Sultan Industry mein meeting khatam ho chuki thi, lekin Aaira abhi tak conference room mein akeli baithi thi.

Table par tender ki files phaili hui thin.

Uski nazrein saamne laptop screen par tiki hui thin, lekin zehan mein baar-baar sirf ek hi naam aa raha tha.

Zayden Shah.

Kal tak uske liye Zayden sirf ek arrogant businessman tha jo har baat mein usay challenge karna jaanta tha.

Lekin aaj...

Uske andar ek ajeeb si bechaini paida ho gayi thi.

Zayden ki baat—

"Is baar bidding sirf paise ki nahi hogi."

Aaira ne gehri saans li.

"Ye aadmi aakhir chahta kya hai?"

Usne laptop band kiya aur chair se uth khari hui.

Office se nikalte waqt uski nazar apne Baba ke office ke darwaze par padi.

Darwaza band tha.

Aaira kuch pal wahin khari rahi.

Phir uske zehan mein ek khayal aaya.

Purane business records.

Usne dheere se darwaza khola.

Office khaali tha.

Aaira andar dakhil hui aur ek nazar poore kamre par daali.

Haris Sultan ka office hamesha ki tarah bilkul munazzam tha. Books shelf mein seedhi lagi hui thin aur desk par sirf zaroori files rakhi hui thin.

Aaira dheere-dheere bookshelf ki taraf badhi.

Usay yaad tha ke Baba purane documents aksar isi room mein rakhte thay.

Usne ek ke baad ek files check karna shuru ki.

2018...

2019...

2020...

Phir uski nazar ek purani, dhool jami file par ruk gayi.

File ke kone par sirf itna likha tha:

Sultan Industries — Confidential

Aaira ne file uthai.

Jaise hi usne pehla page khola, uski nazrein ek naam par ja kar ruk gayin.

Shah Group.

Aaira ka dil ek dum se dhadka.

"Shah Group?"

Usne foran agla page palta.

Kuch business agreements, meeting records aur project documents thay.

Lekin phir usay ek purani date nazar aayi.

10 years ago.

Aaira ke chehre ka rang badal gaya.

"Das saal pehle..."

Usne file ko aur qareeb kiya.

Ek document par do signatures thay.

Haris Sultan

aur

Abdul Rehman Shah

Aaira ki aankhein hairani se phail gayin.

"Ye kaise mumkin hai?"

Usay kabhi nahi bataya gaya tha ke Sultan aur Shah families ka das saal pehle koi business agreement hua tha.

Woh agla page palatne lagi.

Lekin page aadha phata hua tha.

Sirf kuch alfaaz nazar aa rahe thay:

"Project cancellation..."

"Financial loss..."

"Misunderstanding..."

Aaira ne page ko gaur se dekha.

"Misunderstanding?"

Usne dheere se khud se kaha.

Tabhi uski nazar file ke aakhri hisse mein rakhe ek sealed envelope par padi.

Envelope par black ink se likha tha:

DO NOT OPEN.

Aaira ka haath envelope ki taraf badha.

Lekin jaise hi usne envelope uthaya—

"Aaira!"

Haris Sultan ki awaaz sun kar woh ek dum se palti.

Baba darwaze par kharay thay.

Unke chehre par woh sakhti thi jo Aaira ne bohot kam dekhi thi.

"Baba..."

Haris ki nazar uske haath mein pakri file par gayi.

Kuch seconds tak dono ke darmiyan khamoshi rahi.

Phir Haris dheere se andar aaye.

"Maine tumse kaha tha ke mere office ki purani files ko mat chhedna."

Aaira ne envelope table par rakh diya.

"Main sirf documents dekh rahi thi."

"Ye documents tumhare liye nahi hain."

Aaira ki bhawein sikur gayin.

"Kyoon?"

Haris ne jawab nahi diya.

Aaira ek qadam unki taraf badhi.

"Baba, is file mein Shah Group ka naam kyun hai?"

Haris ki aankhon mein ek pal ke liye pareshani ubhri.

Lekin unhon ne foran khud ko sambhal liya.

"Purani business dealings thin."

"Kitni purani?"

Haris khamosh rahe.

Aaira ki nazar dobara file par gayi.

"Das saal purani?"

Haris ne gehri saans li.

"Aaira..."

"Baba, mujhe sach batayein."

Uski awaaz mein ab gussa kam aur bechaini zyada thi.

"Shah family aur hamari family ke beech das saal pehle kya hua tha?"

Haris ne nazrein pher lein.

"Jo hua, woh guzar gaya."

"Lekin kya hua tha?"

"Aaira, kuch baatein jitni purani hoti hain, utni hi behtar hota hai ke unhein wahi rehne diya jaye."

Aaira ne hairani se unhein dekha.

"Matlab aap mujhse kuch chhupa rahe hain."

Haris ne foran kaha:

"Nahi."

"To phir ye file kyun band hai?"

Haris ne file uthai aur envelope ko uske andar rakh diya.

"Kyuki kuch sach waqt se pehle saamne aa jayein to woh sach se zyada nuqsan karte hain."

Aaira chup ho gayi.

Haris ne file shelf par wapas rakh di.

"Promise me, Aaira. Is mamle ko yahin khatam kar do."

Aaira ne dheere se poocha:

"Sirf is liye ke aap keh rahe hain?"

Haris ne uski aankhon mein dekha.

"Haan."

Aaira ne koi jawab nahi diya.

Haris office se bahar nikal gaye.

Darwaza band hua.

Aaira kuch der tak wahi khari rahi.

Uske zehan mein sirf ek sawal goonj raha tha.

Aakhir das saal pehle hua kya tha?

---

Shah Group — Islamabad

Usi waqt Islamabad mein Zayden apne office mein baitha hua tha.

Uske saamne market reports aur tender documents rakhe thay.

Assistant ne ek aur file uske saamne rakh di.

"Sir, ye Sultan Industry ke purane records hain."

Zayden ne file kholi.

"Purane records?"

"Ji. Market analysis ke liye."

Zayden ne pages palatne shuru kiye.

Ek purani report dekh kar uska haath ruk gaya.

Sultan Industry — Joint Venture Proposal

Neeche date likhi thi.

Ten Years Ago.

Zayden ki aankhon mein hairani ubhar aayi.

"Sultan Industry..."

Usne page dobara padha.

Neeche ek naam tha:

Haris Sultan.

Aur doosri taraf:

Abdul Rehman Shah.

Zayden ne foran apne Baba ko call milaya.

Doosri taraf se kuch seconds baad awaaz aayi.

"Hello?"

"Baba."

"Haan, Zayden?"

"Ye Sultan Industry ke saath das saal purana joint venture kya tha?"

Doosri taraf achanak khamoshi chha gayi.

Zayden ne phone screen ki taraf dekha.

"Baba?"

Abdul Rehman ki awaaz pehle se zyada sakht thi.

"Ye file tumhein kahan se mili?"

"Office records mein."

"Usay band karo."

Zayden ki bhawein sikur gayin.

"Why?"

"Main keh raha hoon na, us mamle ko dobara mat chhedna."

Zayden kuch seconds tak chup raha.

Phir usne seedha sawaal kiya:

"Us waqt hua kya tha?"

Abdul Rehman ne koi jawab nahi diya.

"Baba?"

"Zayden, kuch baatein business se zyada gehri hoti hain."

Call cut ho gayi.

Zayden kuch der tak phone ko dekhta raha.

Uska expression ab bilkul badal chuka tha.

Usne file dobara kholi.

Aakhri page par ek handwritten note tha.

Zayden ne note padha.

Sirf ek jumla likha tha:

"Agreement failed because of one decision."

Neeche kisi ka naam nahi tha.

Zayden ne dheere se kaha:

"One decision..."

Uski nazar dobara Sultan naam par gayi.

Ab usay Aaira ki yaad aayi.

Uski aankhon mein wohi challenge...

Wohi confidence...

Aur wohi zid.

Zayden ne file band kar di.

"To tum bhi nahi jaanti..."

Usne khud se kaha.

"Ya phir tumhein sab pata hai?"

---

Karachi — Sultan Haveli

Raat ka waqt tha.

Aaira apne kamre ki window ke paas khari thi.

Shehar ki lights door tak phaili hui thin.

Uske haath mein ek chhota sa folded paper tha.

Office se nikalte waqt usne file ke andar se woh paper chupke se nikaal liya tha.

Us par sirf ek line thi:

"If the truth comes out, both families will pay the price."

Aaira ka dil zor se dhadka.

"Both families..."

Usne paper dobara fold kar diya.

Tabhi uske phone ki screen roshan hui.

Unknown number.

Aaira ne call receive ki.

"Hello?"

Doosri taraf kuch seconds tak khamoshi rahi.

Phir ek aadmi ki awaaz aayi.

"Aap Aaira Sultan bol rahi hain?"

"Ji. Kaun?"

"Das saal purani file dhoondhna band kar dein."

Aaira ka chehra sakht ho gaya.

"Aap kaun hain?"

Call cut.

Aaira ne foran number dobara milaya.

Number switched off.

Usne phone dheere se neeche kiya.

Ab usay yakeen ho gaya tha.

Ye sirf purani business rivalry nahi thi.

Das saal pehle jo kuch hua tha...

Uska asar aaj bhi zinda tha.

Aur shayad—

kisi ko darr tha ke Aaira aur Zayden us sach tak na pohanch jayein.

Aaira ne window se bahar dekha.

Uski aankhon mein ab confusion nahi tha.

Sirf determination thi.

"Jo bhi hua tha..."

Usne dheere se kaha.

"Main sach jaan kar rahungi."

---

Shah Mansion — Same Night

Zayden apne room mein khara tha.

Uske haath mein wahi purani file thi.

Usne ek baar phir last page dekha.

Phir uski nazar ek chhoti si handwritten date par padi.

7 September.

Zayden ka chehra ek dum serious ho gaya.

"7 September..."

Usne dheere se kaha.

Ye wahi date thi jis din woh Karachi aaya tha.

Aur jis din—

Aaira bhi Pakistan wapas aayi thi.

Zayden ki aankhon mein ek ajeeb sa sawaal ubhra.

"Kya ye sirf coincidence hai?"

Usne file band ki.

Lekin is baar usne file shelf par wapas nahi rakhi.

Usne use apne saath rakh liya.

To be continued...