Naurez ka dil aj ajib sa ghabra raha tha. Lecture room se nikalte waqt uski nazar ek ajeeb manzar par pari. Maira aur Shehreen chhupke chhupke parking area, jo university ke backyard mein tha, ki taraf ja rahi thi. Dono dheere dheere baat kar rahi thi, jaise koi secret discuss kar rahi ho. Naurez ne pehle socha ke unhe rok kar pooch le, lekin phir usne decide kiya ke thoda aage ja kar unko surprise karegi.
Jab wo unke qareeb pohanchi, usne dekha ke ek lambe qad ka mard, jiski peeth kuch familiar lag rahi thi, un dono ke saath tha. Is se pehle ke Naurez samajh paati, usne dekha ke wo mard achanak Maira aur Shehreen ke mooh par haath rakhta hai. Naurez ka dil ek pal ke liye ruk gaya.
"Yeh kya ho raha hai?" usne apne aap se kaha, jaise uski aankhon ke samne sab slow motion mein ho raha ho. Usne dekha ke Maira aur Shehreen ek dum se behosh ho gayi, jaise kisi ne unko koi drug diya ho. Wo mard Shehreen ko zameen par chhod kar Maira ko uthaye wahan se nikal gaya.
Naurez ka dimagh blank ho gaya. Usne jaldi se Shehreen ke paas daur lagayi. "Shehreen! Utho, Shehreen!" Naurez cheekh maar kar chhup gayi. Shehreen bilkul hil nahi rahi thi. Naurez ka dil aur tez dhadakne laga. "Yeh kya ho gaya? Yeh kaun tha? Aur Maira ko le gaya?"
Ek pal ke liye uske haath kaanp gaye. Usne jaldi se apne phone ka haath thaama aur Maham ko call ki.
"Maham! Jaldi aao, kuch bohot bura ho gaya hai!" Naurez ne ghabrahat bhari awaaz mein kaha.
"Kya hua? Tum theek ho? Sab theek hai na?" Maham ne jaldi se poocha.
"Nahi! Maira aur Shehreen... Maira ko koi aadmi le gaya hai aur Shehreen yahan zameen par behosh pari hai! Jaldi kuch karo!" Naurez ne panic mein sab kuch ek dum se keh diya.
Maham ne ek second bhi zaya kiye baghair jawab diya, "Tum tension mat lo, main abhi kuch karti hoon. Maira ko koi nahi le ja sakta."
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Maham ne jaldi se apne HOD Sir Sajjad ko phone milaya. Usne situation explain ki aur Sir Sajjad ne turant university ke gates band karwane ka order diya. "Koi gari ya insaan ab yeh university se bahar nahi ja sakta," Sir Sajjad ne strictly kaha.
Ek taraf Naurez ne Shehreen ko sambhalne ki koshish ki, doosri taraf Maham ne sab control karne ke liye apne network ko activate kar diya. University ke tamam guards aur security ko alert kar diya gaya tha.
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Jahan yeh sab ho raha tha, wahan se thodi door, Waleed apne plans ko execute kar raha tha. Usne Maira ko chhupa kar Math Department ke sports room mein lock kar diya tha. Maira ab bhi behosh thi, aur Waleed ne uska phone bhi apne paas rakh liya tha. Usne socha ke agar sab kuch planned tareeqay se gaya, toh koi bhi Maira ko dhoond nahi payega.
Waleed apne dastaan par maskharay khanake se nikal kar seedha university ke Main Building ke terrace par gaya. Wahan usne apne aap ko bilkul casual dikhaya, jaise kuch bhi unusual na ho.
Thodi dair baad, Amir bhi terrace par aa gaya. Uske chehre par pareshaani thi.
"Amir, tum yahan? Kya baat hai, tumhari shakal kyun utri hui hai?" Waleed ne bilkul masoomiyat ke saath poocha, jaise usay kuch pata hi na ho.
Amir ne ghabrahat ke saath jawab diya, "Mujhe Nain kahin nahi mil rahi. Wo waise apni friends ke saath thi lekin aj sab gayab hain. Abdullah se bhi abhi contact nahi ho raha."
Waleed ne ek fake concerned expression apne chehre par laate hue kaha, "Aray yeh to serious baat hai. Tum ne Maira ko kahin dekha?"
"Nahi, koi nahi mil raha. University ke andar sab dhoond rahe hain lekin koi pata nahi chal raha. Maira ka phone bhi off hai!" Amir ke andar ki ghabrahat ab uske chehre par dikh rahi thi.
Waleed ne andar hi andar ek victorious smile dabayi, lekin apne chehre par concern ka izhar karte hue bola, "Chalo, hum bhi dhoondte hain. Shayad kahin chhupi ho, ya koi mazaq kar rahi ho."
Amir ko Maira ki fiqar nhi thi laqin jis ki thi usko Amir ki fiqar nhi thi.
University mein har taraf halchal mach gayi thi. Sir Sajjad ne orders diye thay ke kisi ko university se bahar nahi jaane diya jayega. Security ne sab raaste band kar diye thay, aur har shakhs se inquiry ki ja rahi thi. Sab ko lag raha tha ke yeh sirf ek chhoti si investigation hai, lekin andar andar Maham aur Naurez ke dil mein dard barh raha tha.
"Maira kahan hai? Sirf us aadmi ko dhoondhna padega jo usay le gaya hai," Maham ne apne aap se kaha, jab wo Shehreen ke hosh mein aane ka intezaar kar rahi thi.
Shehreen ne dheere dheere aankhein kholi. Usne apni aas paas ki halaat ko dekha aur ek dum se uthne ki koshish ki.
"Maira... Maira kahan hai?" Shehreen ne ghabrahat ke saath kaha, jab usay yaad aya ke kya hua tha.
"Shehreen, relax. Tum behosh ho gayi thi. Tumhe kya yaad hai?" Maham ne dheere lekin steady awaaz mein poocha.
Shehreen ne apne forehead par haath rakha, jaise wo yaad karne ki koshish kar rahi ho. "Wo... ek mard tha... usne hum par attack kiya. Maira ko utha kar le gaya. Main kuch nahi kar saki," Shehreen ke lab se nikle har lafz mein guilt tha.
"Woh kaun tha? Tum usay pehchanti ho?" Maham ne jaldi se poocha.
"Mujhe sirf uski back yaad hai... wo familiar lag raha tha, lekin samajh nahi aaya ke kaun tha," Shehreen ne halat mein jawab diya.
Is dauran, Waleed ne apni game kheli ja rahi thi. Wo ek pal ke liye bhi relaxed nahi tha, lekin usne apne nerves ko sambhale rakha tha. Usay pata tha ke wo Maira ko zyada dair tak nahi chhupa sakta, lekin jab tak sab confused hain, wo apna fayda uthaye ga.
Usko, Maira ki Good books mai ane ke liay yay sab krna par raha tha.