Awais ka chehra ghusse se laal tha. Maira ka iss tarah se kidnap hona aur university management ka kisi bhi tarah ka proper response na dena usay bilkul qabool nahi tha. Usne Summayya se kaha tha ke wo ab university director, Sir Iqbal, se seedha baat karega aur unse jawab maangega.
Summayya chup chap Awais ke saath chal rahi thi. Awais ke andar ka ghussa aur jazbaat unke har qadam se zahir ho rahe thay. Wo apne ghar walon, apni behan Nain, aur doston ka bohot zyada khayal rakhta tha. Maira ke saath jo kuch hua tha, wo usay bardasht nahi kar sakta tha.
"Summayya, yeh sab kuch unacceptable hai. Humare dost ko kidnap karne ki koshish hui, aur yeh university chup hai? Agar yeh dobara hua to kya?" Awais ne gusse se kaha, jaise usay kisi ki fikr nahi, sirf haq ka izhar karna tha.
Summayya ne dheere se kaha, "Awais, please, shayed wo log is waqt tension mein hain. Sir Iqbal aik samajhdaar insan hain, wo zarur kuch karenge."
"Samajhdaar? Agar yeh log itne samajhdaar hote, to yeh sab hota hi nahi. Maira aur Nain, dono kaafi close hain. Agar Nain ke saath kuch ho jata, to main kaise chup rehta? Maira bhi hamaari zimmedari hai." Awais ka lehja thoda aur sakht ho gaya.
Dono jab Sir Iqbal ke office ke qareeb pohanche, to unka maqsad bilkul clear tha. Awais ne knock kiya aur jaldi se andar daakhil hua. Sir Iqbal, jo apni calm tabiat ke liye mashhoor thay, ne unka puri tehqiqat ke saath welcome kiya.
"G bache, aap dono yahan aaye. Kya baat hai?" Sir Iqbal ne unka intezar karte hue kaha.
Awais ne apni awaaz ko control karte hue kaha, "Sir, mujhe ek hi baat ka jawab chahiye: aapki management itni kamzor kyun hai? Agar Maira ko kuch ho jata, to uska zimmedar kaun hota? Aapko lagta hai ke yeh masla sirf ek chhoti si inquiry se solve ho jayega?"
Sir Iqbal ne apni calm aura ko barqarar rakhte hue kaha, "Dekhiye Awais sahab, humne security ka system bohot strong banaya hai, aur yeh jo incident hua, wo ek unusual case tha. Humare paas CCTV footage hai, hum investigation kar rahe hain."
"Investigation? Aur agar yeh phir se hota hai? Aap yeh guarantee kaise de sakte hain ke dobara aisa kuch nahi hoga?" Awais ne bilkul blunt tareeqay se sawal kiya. "Humare liye yeh sirf ek incident nahi hai, yeh hamaari family ki safety ka masla hai. Nain aur Summayya bhi issi university mein hain. Mujhe koi compromise nahi chahiye."
Sir Iqbal ne ghabraaye bagair jawab diya, "Awais sahab, aapki baat theek hai. Lekin aapko yeh bhi samajhna hoga ke humari taraf se puri koshish ho rahi hai. Humne gates lock kar diye thay jaise hi humein issue pata chala, aur humne Maira ko dhoond bhi liya. Yeh sirf ek planning issue tha, jisko hum ab resolve karenge."
Summayya, jo chup chap sun rahi thi, dheere se boli, "Awais, please, thoda relax ho kar baat karain."
Awais ne ek pal ke liye apne ghusse ko control karte hue kaha, "Summayya, yeh log samajh nahi rahe ke kitna serious tha."
Sir Iqbal ne phir se apna calm approach rakhte hue kaha, "Awais sahab, aapki concern genuine hai. Hum is baat ko ignore nahi kar rahe. Main personally ensure karunga ke aise koi bhi security lapse dobara na ho. Lekin humein time chahiye taake har aspect ko properly investigate kar sakein."
Awais ne finally ek gehri sans li aur kaha, "Main bas yeh chah raha hoon ke yeh aakhri dafa ho. Dobara aisa kuch nahi hona chahiye."
Sir Iqbal ne sir hila kar tasalli di, "Aisa hi hoga. Hum sab kuch dekh rahe hain. Aapka dard samajhta hoon."
Is dauran, Maham, Naurez, Abdullah, aur Amir ab bhi CCTV footage ka analysis kar rahe thay. Unho ne har jagah check kar li thi—Math Department, Main Building, aur Botany Department ke cafeteria tak. Har jagah ke clips dekhe ja rahe thay, lekin ek ajeeb baat samne aa rahi thi.
"Kya yeh possible hai ke yeh aadmi bas kahin se ghayab ho gaya?" Maham ne frustration ke saath kaha. "Na koi clear footage, na koi proper exit. Yeh sab kuch itna confusing kyun hai?"
Abdullah ne bhi footage ko closely dekhte hue kaha, "Lagta hai jaise wo aadmi ek second ke liye aaya aur phir bas disappear ho gaya."
Amir ne apni aankhon mein fikar ke saath kaha, "Yeh jo kidnapper hai, wo bohot zyada smart tha. Usne apne har qadam ko carefully plan kiya hai. Lekin hum kuch na kuch zaroor dhoond lenge."
"Math Department ka sports room ka footage dekho, jab hum wahan dhoond rahe thay, to Maira ka phone wahan pada tha," Naurez ne suddenly suggest kiya.
Unho ne sports room ka footage dobara dekha, lekin jo kuch samne aaya, wo bilkul unexpected tha.
"Dekho, Waleed yahaan khara hai," Maham ne point out kiya. Footage mein clearly dikh raha tha ke Waleed ne room ke bahar apna waqt zaya kiya tha, jaise wo kisi ko wait kar raha ho.
Abdullah ne ek pal ke liye footage ko pause karte hue kaha, "Iska matlab hai ke Waleed pehle se wahan tha, jab hum sab Maira ko dhoond rahe thay."
Amir ne ek ajeeb si chhupayi hui ghabrahat ke saath kaha, "Kya tum log Waleed par shak kar rahe ho? Wo toh humare saath tha, usne help ki."
Maham ne sir hila kar kaha, "Main bas itna keh rahi hoon ke kuch na kuch toh gadbad hai. Tum dekho kaise wo pehle se wahan tha, lekin usne humein bataya nahi. Mujhe lagta hai ke humay Waleed se aur sawal karne padenge."
Doosri taraf, Maira ab sick room mein Shehreen ke saath baithi thi. Dono kaafi had tak theek lag rahi thi, aur ab wo relax ho rahi thi. Fawad ne un dono ke liye juice laya tha, aur wo unhein rest karne ko keh raha tha.
"Tum log ab bilkul theek ho, thoda rest karo jab tak bus aati hai," Fawad ne soft lehje mein kaha, jab wo unke paas baitha tha.
"Mujhe to lagta hai yeh sab ek nightmare tha," Shehreen ne halki muskurahat ke saath kaha. "Ab lagta hai sab wapas normal ho raha hai."
Maira ne bhi thoda relaxed hoti hui kaha, "Haan, ab jab sab theek ho raha hai, to aisa lagta hai jaise kuch hua hi nahi tha."
Fawad ne sir hila kar tasalli di aur kaha, "Tum dono safe ho, yehi sabse zaroori baat hai. Tumhein ab bas thoda rest chahiye."
Fawad phir se bahar nikal gaya, taake wo un dono ko araam se chhod sake.