A.S. Enterprises ki building andar se kisi mahal ki tarah thi. Zoya ne kabhi itni chaka-chond nahi dekhi thi. Receptionist ne usey ishaara kiya ke wo 10th floor par chali jaye. Zoya ke hath ab bhi halkay se kaanp rahe thay, magar usne apne darr par qaboo paya aur lift mein sawar ho gayi.
Jab wo Ariz Shah ke bade se office ke bahar pohnchi, to uska dil zoor se dharak raha tha. Usne darwaza khatkhataya.
"Andar aa jao," andar se wahi sakht magar dilkash awaaz aayi.
Zoya andar dakhil hui. Ariz ek badi glass ki deewar ke samne khara bahar shehar ka manzar dekh raha tha. Usne murnay ki zehmat nahi ki.
"Baitho, Zoya," Ariz ne kaha.
Zoya hairan hui ke Ariz ko uska naam kaise maloom tha. "Aap... aap ko mera naam kaise pata?"
Ariz ne dheere se rukh mora. Uske honton par ek makhsoos sard muskurahat thi. "Main jis ke liye gaari rokta hun, uske baare mein sab kuch jaan leta hun. Tum ek private school mein teacher thi, aur tumhari maa beemar hain. Sahi kaha na?"
Zoya khamosh ho gayi. Usey bura laga ke uski zindagi ki talashi li gayi thi. "Agar aap ko sab pata hai, to phir interview ki kya zaroorat hai?"
Ariz ne uske qarib aakar desk par hath rakhe. "Mujhe ye jaanna hai ke tumhare us purane register mein kya hai? Baarish mein bhi tum usey apne seene se lagaye khari thin, jaise wo koi khazana ho."
Zoya ne sakhti se apna bag pakra. "Wo sirf meri zaati baatein hain, sir."
Ariz uski ankhon mein dekhte hue bola, "Yahan kaam karne ke liye mujhe apne employees par poora yaqeen hona chahiye. Kal se tum meri 'Personal Assistant' ke taur par kaam shuru karogi. Salary tumhari soch se zyada hogi, lekin ek shart hai..."
Ariz ruka aur Zoya ke chehre ke utaar-charhao dekhne laga. "Tumhe wo register har waqt apne paas rakhna hoga, aur jab main kahun, mujhe dikhana hoga."
Zoya uljan mein par gayi. Ariz Shah us ke adhoore dukhon aur us register mein kyun dilchaspi le raha tha? Kya ye sirf ek naukri thi ya koi naya khel?
"Mujhe manzoor hai," Zoya ne himmat karke kaha.
Ariz ne ek file uski taraf barhayi. "To phir kal subha 8 baje yahan hona chahiye. Dair mujhe pasand nahi."
Zoya office se bahar nikli to usay aisa laga jaise usne apni azadi ka sauda kar liya ho. Magar maa ke ilaj ke liye uske paas koi aur rasta nahi tha. Usay nahi maloom tha ke Ariz Shah ke dil mein kya hai, magar wo ye zaroor janti thi ke uski zindagi ab badalne wali hai.