Maham ke liye aaj semester ka teesra din tha, aur wo apne BS Biotechnology ke classes ka maze se intezaar kar rahi thi. Pehle din se hi usay apne field ka intehai shauq tha. Aj jab wo apni class mein chali gayi, toh wahan uski mulaqat naye classmates se hui.
Nimra, Ammara, Dua, aur Alisha—sab larkiyan bohot friendly aur milansaar thi. Har kisi ke chehre pe muskurahat thi, aur wo sab Maham ko dekh kar foran usse ghul mil gayi. Fawad aur Shehriyar bhi uske classmates thay. Fawad ko daadi aur thick glasses lagi thi, uska andaz thoda serious tha, lekin wo bohot sharif aur masroof insaan lag raha tha.
Shehriyar, jo doosra larka tha, bohot confident aur lively shakhsiyat rakhta tha. Uske jokes se class ka mahaul hamesha mazeedaar rehta tha. Maham ko yeh sab classmates achay lag rahe thay, aur usay lag raha tha ke inke saath semester maze ka guzray ga.
"Tumhara favourite subject kya hai, Maham?" Nimra ne poocha, jab sab larkiyan break mein baithi thi.
"Mujhe genetics aur molecular biology bohot pasand hain," Maham ne muskurate hue jawab diya. "Waise tum logon ko kaunsa subject pasand hai?"
Ammara ne excited ho kar jawab diya, "Mujhe microbiology pasand hai. Mera hamesha se shauq tha microorganisms ko study karne ka."
Sab apne apne subjects par guftagu mein masroof thi. Fawad apni seat pe chhup chaap baitha tha, lekin uska serious andaz dekh kar Maham ke chehre par ek chhoti si muskurahat thi.
Break ke baad Maham ne ek free lecture milte hi socha ke apne purane doston se milne jaye. Naurez ka aaj koi free period nahi tha, kyunke wo MLS (Medical Lab Sciences) mein thi aur aaj uski classes poori din chal rahi thi. Nain aur Kainat MIT (Management and Information Technology) mein thi aur Maira ne to aakhri lamhay pe apna department badal kar CS (Computer Science) join kar liya tha. Yeh sab thodi si ajeeb baat thi, lekin Maira apne faisle mein confident thi.
Maham free lecture ke doran apne doston se milne chal di. Jab wo university ke lawn ke qareeb pohnchi, toh wahan usne dekha ke Nain, Kainat, aur Maira ek larki ke saath khadi thi. Us larki ne blue shalwar qameez pehna hua tha, lambi si zulfein uske kandhon par gir rahi thi, aur wo bohot khoobsurat lag rahi thi. Lekin uske chehre par ek thandi si expression thi—jaise wo duniya se door, apne andar hi masroof ho.
Maira ne Maham ko dekh kar hath hilaaya aur muskurai, "Maham, tum kahan reh gayi thi? Yeh Shehreen hai, fashion design ki student aur nayi ayi hai."
Maham ne Shehreen ko dekha aur muskurate hue usse milne ke liye haath barhaya, "Assalam-o-Alaikum, main Maham hoon."
Shehreen ne dheere se muskurate hue jawab diya, "Wa-Alaikum Assalam." Uska andaz thoda reserved tha, lekin Maham ko usmein ek achi shakhsiyat nazar ayi.
Kainat ne foran apna munh banate hue kaha, "Mujhe lagta hai Shehreen ko apne HOD se milna chahiye. Naurez ne kaha tha ke wo usay sir Junaid tak le jayegi, lekin usay class thi, toh ab tumhe jaana padega Maham."
Maham ne Shehreen ki taraf dekha aur phir dheere se haan mein sir hila diya, "Theek hai, chalo Shehreen, main tumhe sir Junaid se milwa deti hoon."
Shehreen ne zyada baat nahi ki, bas sir hila kar Maham ke saath chal pari. Dono ne university ke administration block ka rukh kiya, jahan sir Junaid ka office tha.
Raaste mein Maham ne Shehreen se thodi si baat karne ki koshish ki. "Tumhe fashion design kaise pasand aya? Yeh field toh bohot creative hoti hai."
Shehreen ne dheemi si muskurahat ke saath jawab diya, "Mujhe bachpan se hi designing ka shauq tha. Main kapdon ke designs, colors aur patterns se hamesha mutasir hoti thi."
Maham ne uski baat ko appreciate karte hue kaha, "Waise tumhare taste se lagta hai ke tum bohot achi designer banogi."
Shehreen ne thoda sa hansi dabate hue jawab diya, "Dekhte hain, abhi toh shuruat hai."
Jab dono sir Junaid ke office ke qareeb pohnchi, toh Maham ne dheere se darwaza knock kiya. "Sir, andar aa sakte hain?"
Sir Junaid, jo ek bohot happy-go-lucky shakhsiyat ke maalik thay, ne jaldi se jawab diya, "Haan haan, bilkul! Andar aao."
Jab Maham aur Shehreen andar gayi, toh sir Junaid ne apni usual muskurahat ke saath unka khush aamdeed kiya. "Aray Maham, tum kaise ho? Sab theek chal raha hai na?" Sir Junaid wo shakhs thay jo Maham ke admission ke waqt unke madadgar thay, is liye unka andaz bohot friendly tha.
"Ji sir, sab theek hai. Yeh Shehreen hai, fashion design ki student. Isay apne HOD se milna hai, toh hum soch rahe thay aap madad kar den." Maham ne formality se jawab diya.
Sir Junaid ne Shehreen ko dekha aur muskurate hue kaha, "Aray wah, fashion design ka toh future bohot bright hai! Chalo, tumhare HOD ka office yahan se thoda door hai, main tumhe batata hoon kaise jana hai."
Unhone ek paper nikaal kar Shehreen ko directions samjha di. Shehreen ne shukriya ada kiya aur Maham ke saath wapas chal pari.
Jab dono wapas chal rahi thi, Maham ne dheere se kaha, "Sir Junaid waqai bohot achay insaan hain, mujhe bhi admission ke waqt unhone kaafi madad ki thi."
Shehreen ne halke se sir hila kar jawab diya, "Haan, lagta hai woh bohot achay hain. Waise tumhara yeh semester kaisa ja raha hai?"
Maham ne muskurate hue jawab diya, "Abhi tak toh sab achha ja raha hai. Har cheez nayi hai, lekin doston ke saath sab kuch maza ka lagta hai."
Dono ne wapis lawn ka rukh kiya, jahan Nain, Kainat aur Maira ab bhi baithi thi. Jab Maham aur Shehreen wapas ayi, toh Maira ne foran kaha, "Toh kaisa laga Shehreen ko sir Junaid?"
Shehreen ne halka sa smile kiya aur kaha, "He's nice. Bohot cooperative lagte hain."
Maira ne haan mein sir hila kar jawab diya, "Haan, woh toh hain." Phir wo Maham ki taraf dekh kar boli, "Shukriya yaar, tumne madad ki. Naurez bhi hamesha busy rehti hai apni classes mein."
Maham ne muskurate hue jawab diya, "Koi baat nahi, aakhir hum sab aik dosre ke liye hain."
Shehreen, jo pehle thodi thandi thi, ab dheere dheere sabke saath comfortable mehsoos karne lagi thi. Uski reserved personality ke bawajood, wo un larkiyon ke group mein adjust ho rahi thi. Thoda waqt guzarne ke baad, Maham ne mehsoos kiya ke Shehreen ke chehre ki thandak dheere dheere kam ho rahi thi, aur wo sab ke saath thodi relaxed ho gayi thi.
"Toh Shehreen, tumhare favourite designers kaun hain?" Kainat ne interest lete hue poocha.
"Main Coco Chanel aur Alexander McQueen ki designs se bohot inspired hoon," Shehreen ne thoda sa shauq se jawab diya. "Unka andaz bohot unique aur bold hota hai."
Nain ne halki si muskurahat ke saath kaha, "Waise tum khud bhi bohot stylish lagti ho. Tumhare kapde bohot decent hain."
Shehreen ne sharmate hue jawab diya, "Shukriya, main simplicity ko zyada pasand karti hoon."
Maira ne dheere se Maham ke kaan mein kaha, "Shehreen waise to reserved lagti thi, lekin ab dheere dheere ghul rahi hai."
Maham ne sir hila kar jawab diya, "Haan, dosti mein waqt lagta hai, lekin woh zaroor achi larki hai."