Ijazat_€_Ishq

Chapter : 7 Competition

Zayden Islamabad Janey Ka program chancel karty aaira Kay office Janey Ka program banata ha or fresh hokay gari ki chabi uthaye ab uska rukh sultan industry ki taraf tha ...

Sultan Industry — Next Morning

Aaira apne office mein kuch documents check kar rahi thi ke secretary ne darwaza knock kiya.

"Ma'am, ek guest aapse milna chahte hain."

Aaira ne file se nazar uthaye baghair poocha:

"Kaun?"

Secretary kuch kehne hi wali thi ke darwaza khula aur Zayden andar dakhil ho gaya.

Aaira ki nazrein foran us par ja tikin.

"Aap?"

Zayden ne bilkul pursukoon andaaz mein kaha:

"Good morning, Miss Sultan."

Aaira ne file band kar di.

"Aapko kisi ne bataya nahi ke bina permission kisi ke office mein dakhil nahi hote?"

"Bataya tha." Zayden kursi ki taraf barhte hue bola, "Lekin mujhe laga aapke paas meri permission se zyada important kaam nahi hoga."

Aaira ne aankhein sikor kar usay dekha.

"Aapki khush-fehmi hai."

Zayden saamne wali chair par baith gaya.

"Khush-fehmi nahi. Yaqeen hai."

"Aap yahan aaye kis liye hain?"

Zayden ne apne haath mein pakri file table par rakhi.

"Business."

Aaira ne file ki taraf dekha.

"Hospital project to aap jeet chuke hain. Ab kya chahiye?"

"Tumhari attention."

Aaira ne foran uski taraf dekha.

Zayden muskuraya.

"Business attention, Miss Sultan. Itna gussa kyun?"

Aaira ne aankhein ghumayin.

"Aap baat ko ghumana band karein."

Zayden ne file kholi aur kuch papers uski taraf sarka diye.

"Ye Sultan Industry ke upcoming tender ki details hain."

Aaira ka chehra serious ho gaya.

"Aapko ye documents kaise mile?"

"Mujhe jo business mein zaroori hota hai, uski information rakhna meri aadat hai."

Aaira ne papers uthaye aur jaldi se un par nazar daali.

"Aap is tender mein participate karne wale hain?"

"Exactly."

"Sirf mujhe tang karne ke liye?"

"Nahi." Zayden ne seedha jawab diya. "Tumhein competition dene ke liye."

Aaira ne file table par rakhi.

"To phir tayyar ho jaiye. Is baar main aapko jeetne nahi dungi."

Zayden kursi se halka sa aage jhuka.

"Kal bhi tumne yehi kaha tha."

"Aur kal aapne project jeet liya tha. Lekin iska matlab ye nahi ke har baar aap jeetenge."

Zayden ke honton par halki si muskurahat aayi.

"Mujhe tumhari ye zid pasand hai."

Aaira ne foran jawab diya:

"Mujhe aapki ye overconfidence bilkul pasand nahi."

"To phir barabar ho gaya."

Aaira kuch kehne hi wali thi ke Zayden khara ho gaya.

"Main chalta hoon."

"Shukriya. Darwaza udhar hai."

Zayden do qadam chala, phir ruk gaya.

"Ek baat kehni thi."

Aaira ne be-dili se poocha:

"Ab kya?"

Zayden ne palat kar uski taraf dekha.

"Is baar bidding sirf paise ki nahi hogi."

Aaira ki bhawein sikur gayin.

"Matlab?"

Zayden muskuraya.

"Is baar dekhte hain kiski strategy behtar hai."

Aaira ne bina dare jawab diya:

"Challenge accepted."

Zayden ne sir hilaaya.

"Good."

Woh office se bahar nikal gaya.

Darwaza band hote hi Aaira ne saamne rakhi file uthayi aur dheere se kaha:

"Tumhein lagta hai tum mujhe hara doge?"

Uske chehre par halki si muskurahat aayi.

"Ab maza aayega, Zayden Shah."

Zayden ke jaane ke baad Aaira kuch der tak darwaze ko dekhti rahi.

Phir us ne gehri saans li aur apni secretary ko intercom par call ki.

"Legal team ko conference room mein bhejo. Aur Baba ko bhi kehna ke mujhe unse zaroori baat karni hai."

Kuch hi der mein conference room mein sab log jama ho gaye.

Aaira ne Zayden ki chhori hui file table par rakhi.

"Shah Group is tender mein participate kar raha hai."

Haris Sultan ne file uthai aur papers dekhne lage.

"Mujhe andaza tha ke Zayden chup nahi baithega."

Aaira ne foran kaha:

"To phir hum bhi chup nahi baithenge."

Haris ne uski taraf dekha.

"Aaira, kal hum already ek bohot bara project lose kar chuke hain. Is baar koi risk nahi lena."

"Baba, risk nahi lenge... planning karenge."

Uski awaaz mein pehli baar gusse ke bajaye poora confidence tha.

"Zayden Shah ko lagta hai ke woh har baar paison ke dum par jeet jayega. Lekin is baar hum usay strategy se jawab denge."

Legal team ke ek member ne kaha:

"Ma'am, agar Shah Group ne bidding aggressive rakhi to—"

Aaira ne baat kaat di.

"To hum unse zyada smart bidding karenge. Lekin bina company ko unnecessary financial pressure mein daale."

Haris Sultan ke chehre par halki si muskurahat aa gayi.

"Ye hui na meri beti wali baat."

Aaira ne file band ki.

"Aur Baba..."

"Haan?"

"Kal jo hua uska mujhe afsos hai. Lekin main aapko yakeen dilati hoon, agla project hum kisi bhi haal mein nahi haarenge."

Haris ne uske sar par haath rakha.

"Mujhe tum par yakeen hai."

---

Doosri taraf — Shah Group

Zayden apne office mein baitha laptop par kuch documents dekh raha tha.

Uska assistant andar aaya.

"Sir, Sultan Industry ki taraf se response aa gaya hai."

Zayden ne nazar uthai.

"Itni jaldi?"

"Ji. Unhon ne tender ke liye apni proposal team activate kar di hai."

Zayden ke honton par halki si muskurahat aa gayi.

"Mujhe isi ki umeed thi."

Assistant ne poocha:

"Sir, ab next step?"

Zayden ne file band ki.

"Abhi kuch mat karo."

"Sir?"

"Unhein pehle apni strategy banane do."

Woh kursi se uth kar window ke paas chala gaya.

"Kabhi kabhi saamne wale ko jeetne ka ehsaas dilana zaroori hota hai..."

Us ne dheere se kaha:

"Taake uski asli strategy saamne aa sake."

Phir us ne phone uthaya aur ek call milai.

"Mujhe kal subah tak complete market report chahiye. Sultan Industry ke competitors ki bhi."

Call band kar ke us ne saamne shehar ki roshniyon ko dekha.

Uske zehan mein phir wahi chehra ubhra.

"Miss Sultan... tumhein lagta hai ye sirf ek business competition hai."

Uske chehre par halki si muskurahat aayi.

"Lekin tum abhi mujhe jaanti hi kitna ho?"

Sultan Industry — Conference Room

Conference room mein ek lambi table ke gird legal team, finance team aur senior management ke members baithe hue thay.

Table ke head par Haris Sultan baithe thay, jabke unke bilkul saamne Aaira laptop kholay poori tawajjoh se presentation dekh rahi thi.

Haris ne room mein nazar daali.

"Theek hai. Ab sab apni apni reports saamne rakhein. Humein emotions ke saath nahi, numbers ke saath decision lena hai."

Finance manager ne foran ek file Aaira ki taraf barhai.

"Ma'am, Shah Group ki wajah se competition expected se zyada tough hoga. Agar hum aggressive bidding karein to company ke funds par pressure aa sakta hai."

Aaira ne file kholi.

"Kitna pressure?"

"Agar hum maximum bid tak jaate hain, to upcoming projects ke liye hamara reserve fund kaafi kam reh jayega."

Room mein khamoshi chha gayi.

Aaira ne kuch seconds tak figures dekhe.

Phir us ne kaha:

"To hum maximum bid tak jayenge hi nahi."

Sabki nazrein uski taraf uth gayin.

Haris ne poocha:

"Phir?"

Aaira ne laptop screen par ek chart open kiya.

"Hum unki bidding ko follow nahi karenge. Hum unhein apni bidding follow karne par majboor karenge."

Legal head ne hairani se poocha:

"Kaise?"

Aaira kursi se seedhi ho kar baithi.

"Shah Group ka sabse bara advantage unka capital hai. Agar hum paison ke muqable mein paisa lagayenge, to hum unki field mein khelenge."

Us ne screen par doosra point khola.

"Isliye hum unki field mein khelenge hi nahi."

Haris ke chehre par dilchaspi ubhar aayi.

"Explain."

"Hum tender ki technical requirements ko detail mein analyse karenge. Jahan doosri companies sirf price par focus karengi, hum quality, completion timeline aur operational cost ko apna advantage banayenge."

Finance manager ne kaha:

"Lekin final decision to price par bhi depend karega."

"Bilkul." Aaira ne jawab diya. "Isliye price competitive hoga. Lekin hum apni company ki limit cross nahi karenge."

Haris ne sar hilaaya.

"Good."

Aaira ne legal team ki taraf dekha.

"Mujhe tender ki har condition ki line-by-line analysis chahiye. Koi clause miss nahi hona chahiye."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Finance team..." Aaira ne agla point khola, "mujhe teen proposals chahiye. Conservative, competitive aur aggressive. Lekin aggressive proposal bhi approved financial limit se bahar nahi jayega."

"Ji, ma'am."

Phir Aaira ki nazar marketing team ki taraf gayi.

"Aur hospital project ke liye hamari previous performance, completed projects aur client satisfaction reports ki ek professional presentation tayyar karo."

Marketing head ne poocha:

"Ma'am, Shah Group ke against?"

Aaira ne seedha jawab diya:

"Nahi. Apne haq mein."

Room mein ek pal ke liye khamoshi chha gayi.

Haris Sultan ke chehre par fakhr ki halki si muskurahat aa gayi.

"Ab tum meri beti nahi, ek proper businesswoman ki tarah soch rahi ho."

Aaira halka sa muskurayi.

"Aapki beti hoon, Baba. Kuch to seekha hoga."

Room ka mahaul halka hua, lekin Aaira ki nazar dobara screen par chali gayi.

Us ne aakhri slide open ki.

Us par sirf ek naam likha tha:

SHAH GROUP

Aaira ne dheere se kaha:

"Zayden paison se jeetna chahta hai..."

Us ne laptop band kar diya.

"Lekin main usay strategy se jawab dungi."

Haris ne table par rakhi file uthai.

"To phir faisla?"

Aaira ne pur-aitemaad lehje mein kaha:

"Hum tender se peeche nahi hatenge."

"Aur Zayden?"

Aaira ki aankhon mein ek nayi si chamak aa gayi.

"Usay competition milega."

Haris muskuraye.

"Meeting adjourned."

Sab log apni files samet kar uthne lage.

Lekin Aaira ab bhi wahi baithi thi.

Uski nazar window ke bahar thi.

"Ab dekhte hain, Mr. Shah... kiski strategy behtar hai."

To be continued...