Bahar baarish tez ho rahi thi, bilkul Zoya ke dil ki halat ki tarah. Shehar ki sabse badi building, 'Malik Enterprises', ke 50th floor par khadi Zoya apne haath mein thame purane briefcase ko zor se pakde hue thi. Uske kapde thode geele the aur chehre par darr saaf dikh raha tha.
"Sir aapka intezar kar rahe hain," Secretary ne bina kisi expression ke kaha aur ek bada sa darwaza khola.
Zoya andar gayi. Cabin itna bada tha jitna uska pura ghar. Saamne deewar ki taraf peeth karke ek shakhs khada tha, haath mein coffee ka mug liye bahar ki baarish dekh raha tha. Woh tha Aryan Malik—shehar ka sabse kamyab aur sabse beraham (ruthless) businessman.
"Baitho," Aryan ki awaaz mein ek thandak thi jisne Zoya ko andar tak kapa diya.
Zoya kursi par baith gayi. "Mr. Malik... Mere abbu ki halat bahut kharab hai. Hospital ka kharcha aur woh karz..."
Aryan palta. Uska chehra kisi movie star jaisa tha, par uski aankhein pathar ki tarah sakht thi. Usne ek file Zoya ke saamne phenki. "Isme 5 crore ka cheque hai, Zoya. Tumhare abbu ka saara karz khatam ho jayega aur unka ilaaj best hospital mein hoga."
Zoya ki aankhon mein umeed chamki, par Aryan ne turant agla panna palta.
"Lekin... badle mein, tumhe ek saal tak meri patni ban kar rehna hoga. Ye ek Contract Marriage hai. Duniya ki nazar mein hum ek perfect couple honge, par band kamre mein, hum ek dusre ke liye ajnabi (strangers) honge."
Zoya ka gala sookh gaya. "Shaadi? Par kyun?"
Aryan uske kareeb aaya, uski aankhon mein dekhte hue bola, "Kyunki mere dadaji chahte hain ki main shaadi karoon tabhi woh mujhe company ka pura control denge. Mujhe ek aisi ladki chahiye jo meri zindagi mein dakhal (interfere) na kare. Aur tum... tum majboor ho."
Zoya ne kaanpte haathon se pen uthaya. Uske paas koi raasta nahi tha. Ek taraf uske abbu ki jaan thi aur dusri taraf uski aazadi.
"Signature yahan karo," Aryan ne hookum diya.
Zoya ne sign kar diya. Use nahi pata tha ki ye sign sirf ek contract nahi, balki uski zindagi ki sabse badi mushkil aur shayad... ek anokhi mohabbat ki shuruat thi.