26.

Waleed ka chehra ek masoomiyat ka mask lagaye hue tha, lekin uske dil ke andar kuch aur hi chal raha tha. Wo ab Amir ke saath khada tha, jo bohot zyada pareshan tha.

"Yaar Waleed, Maira ka ab tak koi pata nahi chala," Amir ne ghabrahat mein kaha. "Agar kuch ho gaya toh? Nain bhi bohot pareshan hai."

Waleed ne ek lambhi saans le kar sir hilaaya. "Haan, mujhe bhi samajh nahi aa raha. Lekin socho, agar kidnapper ne usay kahin aise jagah le jaya ho jo secluded ho, jahan koi asani se na pohanch sake?"

Amir ne ek pal ke liye socha aur phir sir hilaate hue kaha, "Haan, tum theek keh rahe ho. Aise jagah jahan log asani se na ja sakein, wo zyada dur nahi ho sakti."

"Botany Department ka cafeteria ya terrace of Main Building, yeh jagah secluded hoti hain. Ya phir Microbiology ke lecture halls ya Math Department ka Sports Room," Waleed ne casually suggest kiya, lekin andar se wo apne hi jaal bunta ja raha tha.

Amir ne agree karte hue kaha, "Theek hai, hum groups mein divide ho jaate hain. Tum Anas aur Maaz ke saath Math Department ke sports room check kar lo, main doosri jagahon ka dhyaan rakhta hoon."

Waleed ne apne chehre par tension ka izhar karte hue sir hila diya, lekin andar se wo bilkul calm tha. "Theek hai, hum Math Department check karte hain," usne casually jawab diya, jaise sab normal ho.

Waleed, Anas, aur Maaz ne Math Department ke sports room ki taraf rukh kiya. Jab wo wahan pohanche, to room lock tha. Sab ne socha ke andar kuch nahi hoga, lekin jaise hi wo wapas jaane lage, unhe andar se ek awaz sunai di. Jaise koi cheez zameen par giri ho.

Anas ne turant ruk kar kaha, "Yeh awaz kahan se ayi? Kya andar koi hai?"

Waleed ka dil ek pal ke liye tez dhadakne laga, lekin usne apna chehra bilkul serious banaye rakha. "Andar kuch hai... humein yeh lock todna padega," usne jaldi se kaha.

Anas aur Maaz ne mil kar lock todne ki koshish ki, aur thodi der baad door khul gaya. Jaise hi door khula, Waleed ne tezi se andar daud lagai, jaise usay kuch bohot urgent ho.

Room ke andar Maira zameen par baithi thi, ghabrahat aur dar ke saath. Usne apni aankhon mein darr aur confusion ke izhar ke saath Waleed ko dekha. Jaise hi Waleed uske qareeb pohancha, usne dheere se uske shoulder par haath rakha, "Maira, tum theek ho? Tumhein kuch nahi hoga, ab hum yahan hain," usne calm karte hue kaha.

Lekin Maira ke andar ka darr itna zyada tha ke usne subconscious level par react kiya. Jaise hi Waleed ne usay touch kiya, uska haath achanak se utha aur usne Waleed ko ek zor ka thappad maar diya.

Room ek dum se khamosh ho gaya. Anas aur Maaz shocked the. Waleed ne apne chehre par bilkul bhi surprise ka izhar nahi kiya, jaise wo is reaction ke liye ready tha. Usne apna chehra bilkul calm rakha aur dheere se bola, "Koi baat nahi, Maira, tum ghabrao mat. Tum ab safe ho."

Waleed ne jaldi se apna phone nikala aur Amir ko call kiya. "Amir, humne Maira ko dhoond liya hai. Wo Math Department ke sports room mein thi."

Jab Amir, Nain, Maham, Naurez, Summayya, aur Shehreen ne yeh khabar suni, toh sab ne tezi se Math Department ka rukh kiya. Shehreen ab bhi thodi kamzor thi, isliye Nain ne usay sambhal kar chalne mein madad ki. Peeche se Awais, Fawad, Arslan, Usama, Uzair, aur kuch doosre larkay bhi wahan pohanch gaye, jo sab Maira ko dhoondhne mein madad kar rahe thay.

Jaise hi sab room ke andar pohanche, Maira ka chehra phir se dar se bhar gaya. Usne Awais ko dekha aur uski aankhon mein aansoon aa gaye. "Summayya, Naurez..." uski awaaz kaanp rahi thi.

Summayya ne usay dekha aur foran uske paas pohanchi. "Maira, tum safe ho, sab theek ho jayega," usne apne chehre par ek strong aur protective expression ke saath kaha.

Maham ne Maira ko dekha aur uske qareeb jaa kar kaha, "Maira, tumhein kaise yahaan laya gaya? Tumhe kuch yaad hai?"

Maira ne thoda confuse hote hue apne sir ko hilaaya. "Mujhe sab kuch blur lag raha hai... sirf itna yaad hai ke kisi ne humpar attack kiya tha, phir main behosh ho gayi thi," usne dhundhle shabdon mein jawab diya.

Naurez ne thoda socha aur phir Waleed ki taraf dekha, jo ab bhi apne calm attitude mein tha. Lekin Naurez ke dimaag mein ab kuch questions uthne lage thay. Usay Waleed ka ye calm attitude kuch zyada hi unusual lag raha tha.

"Waleed, tumne kaise pata kiya ke Maira yahaan thi?" Naurez ne direct question poochha.

Waleed ne ek subtle smile ke saath jawab diya, "Hum bus har jagah check kar rahe thay. Jab sports room lock tha, to humein laga ke andar kuch ho sakta hai, isliye door todna pada."

Amir ne Waleed ki baat par sir hila diya. Usay ab tak Waleed par koi shak nahi tha. "Maira ko ab rest karne ki zarurat hai," Amir ne calmly kaha. "Ab humay usay safe jagah le jaana chahiye."

Sab log Maira ko wahan se le jaane lage. Shehreen ab bhi thodi weak thi, lekin usay sambhal kar chalaya ja raha tha. Sab ke chehron par relief tha, lekin andar andar Maham aur Naurez ke dimaag mein questions bharte ja rahe thay.

"Kuch to ajeeb hai," Maham ne dheere se Naurez ko kaha. "Waleed ne jo bhi kaha, usme sab kuch normal tha, lekin phir bhi... kuch to gadbad hai."

Naurez ne thoda confuse hote hue sir hilaaya. "Haan, mujhe bhi kuch ajeeb lag raha hai. Wo bilkul bhi stressed nahi lag raha, jaise usay pehle se sab pata ho."

Maham ne thoda aur socha, phir kaha, "Humein Waleed par nazar rakhni padegi. Agar wo is sab mein shamil hai, to wo koi na koi galti zaroor karega."

Jab sab log wapas aa rahe thay, Maira ab thodi relaxed lag rahi thi. Lekin andar andar usay ab bhi darr mehsoos ho raha tha. "Kya wo aadmi mujhe wapis dhondhega?" Maira ne apne dil mein socha. Usay sab kuch yaad nahi tha, lekin itna zaroor pata tha ke wo safe nahi thi.

Summayya ne usay dekha aur phir kaha, "Maira, tumhe ab aaram karna chahiye. Hum sab tumhare saath hain, tumhe kuch nahi hoga."

Maira ne dheere se sir hila diya. Lekin usay andar se kuch samajh nahi aa raha tha.