Episode 3: Naqaab ke peehay

Episode 3: Naqaab ke Peechay

VIP suite ki khamoshi mein, Anaya ne apna chhota sa travel mat zameen par bicha diya. Usne na luxury bed ko chhua, na minibar khola. Iske bajaye, apne Rab ke saamne Tahajjud mein khadi ho gayi, shukar ada kiya, aur un do sadme-zada bacchon ke baray mein sochte hue neend mein doob gayi jinhe usne bachaya tha.

Subah, jab halki dhoop khirkiyon se andar aayi, Anaya ki aankhein Fajr ki azaan par khud khul gayin. Namaz ada karne ke baad, jab usne apna mat samet-na chaha, achanak ek bhaari thakawat ne usay jakad liya. Kal ki chotein, be-had thakawat — sab kuch ek sath uske jism par hawi ho gaya, tez bukhar ke sath.

Theek 8:00 baje, darwaze ki ghanti baji.

"Kaun hai?" Anaya ne dheere se poocha, darwaze ke qareeb jaate hue.

Ek chhoti, masoom awaaz aayi: "Main hoon... khana laya hoon."

Security monitor par usne dekha — Haru khada tha, ek breakfast trolley pakde, uske peeche Seo-Jun khamosh khada tha. Anaya ne fauran apni hijab theek ki aur niqab kaskar bandh liya.

"Kya chahiye?" usne darwaza khol kar poocha, awaaz mein wahi purani dooriyan.

Seo-Jun aur Haru dono ne izzat se sar jhukaya. Anaya ne bas itna kaha: "Assalam-o-Alaikum."

Jab Seo-Jun ne nazrein utha kar dekha, uski nazar Anaya ke kandhe se guzar kar poore suite par gayi. Bara, bilkul saaf bed — un-chhua. Iske bajaye, zameen par uska mamooli sa travel mat pada tha.

Seo-Jun ek pal ke liye ruk gaya. Ye larki duniya ki har luxury ko thukra kar zameen ki izzat chunti hai... usne khud se socha, dil hi dil mein uski self-respect ka qayal hokar.

Haru ne khushi se trolley andar dhakela, aur pehli baar, is pardesi shehar mein, Anaya ne ek bacche ke sath sukoon se breakfast kiya.

Do Alag Talaash

Jabke andar ek shanti bhara breakfast chal raha tha, Seoul ki sadkein ek khatarnak bijli se gunj rahi thin. Do bilkul mukhtalif giroh ek hi saaye ko dhoond rahe thay.

Apne corporate office mein, Min-Ho apni khirki ke pass khada tha, phone kaan se lagaye. "Mujhe koi farq nahi padta kitna kharcha lagta hai," usne apne security chief ko hukum diya. "Us Pakistani larki ko dhoondo. Airport ki CCTV check karo, qareebi hotels check karo. Wo zakhmi hai aur is shehar mein akeli hai. Usne meri family bachai, aur uski hifazat meri zimmedari hai. Abhi karo."

Magar Min-Ho akela dhoond nahi raha tha.

Ek dhundhle office mein, smuggling gang ka leader apni mutthi lakdi ki mez par patakh raha tha. "Wo black veil wali larki..." usne apne aadmiyon se garaaya. "Usne ek canister spray se hamara multi-million dollar operation barbaad kar diya. Hamara aadmi police custody mein hai uski wajah se. Pata karo wo kis hotel mein chupi hui hai. Wo South Korea se zinda nahi nikal sakti. Police se pehle usay dhoondo!"

Jaal dono taraf se kasa ja raha tha, aur us jaal ka markaz VIP hotel suite thi.

Bill aur Rukhsat

Andar, breakfast khatam ho chuka tha. Chota Haru ne udaas aankhon se Anaya ko dekha, jaise usay pata ho ke ye ajeeb sukoon aik waqti cheez hai.

"Kya aap ja rahi hain?" Haru ne aahista se poocha.

Anaya ghutno ke bal baithi. "Haan, Haru. Mujhe apna safar poora karna hai," usne narmi se kaha.

Akeli ho jane par, Anaya ne ek pal bhi zaya nahi kiya. Wo be-had thaki hui thi, bukhar shiddat par tha, magar kisi ka ehsaan lene se inkar uske jism par hawi ho gaya. Usne har luxury item wapas rakh diya — sabun, robes, sab kuch bilkul waisa hi jaisa mila tha.

Writing desk par jaakar usne ek kagaz par likha: "Panah ke liye shukriya. Maine sab kuch waisa hi chhoda hai jaisa tha."

Phir usne apna phone nikala, hotel ki online application khol kar poori booking ka bill khud apni jeb se clear kar diya.

Apna bag kandhe par utha kar, niqab theek karke, wo chupke se staff exit se hotel se nikal gayi.

Shak aur Police

Thandi subah ki hawa Anaya ke chehre se takrayi jab wo ek tang gali mein daakhil hui. Uski taang ka zakham har qadam par dard kar raha tha, aur bukhar ki wajah se duniya thodi ghoomti si mehsoos ho rahi thi.

Achanak, police sirens ki teez awaaz gali mein goonj utthi.

Do gaadiyan aakar uska raasta rok chuki thin. Anaya jam gayi.

Ye smugglers hain? uska dimagh chalne laga.

Magar jab darwaze khule, uniform mein police officers nikle, uske charon taraf ek tang gher bana liya.

"Wahin ruko! Hilna mat!" ek officer angrezi mein garaaya.

Anaya khadi rahi, uski sakht posture uski kamzori chupa rahi thi. "Iska kya matlab hai?" usne pucha, awaaz mein sakhti thi. "Main ek tourist hoon."

"Aap airport ke waqiye mein person of interest hain. Aapko station chalna hoga," officer ne sard lehje mein kaha.

Bukhar apne khatarnak level tak pohonch chuka tha. Kaale dhabbay uski nazron ke saamne naach rahe thay. Magar uska ghamand na-toota. Wo chupchap police gaadi mein baith gayi — bekhabar ke door se Min-Ho ke scouts aur syndicate ke qatil dono uski giraftari ko hairat se dekh rahe thay.

Interrogation Room

Anaya police station ke andheray interrogation room mein baithi thi. Uska jism bukhar se jal raha tha, magar uska sakht andaz bilkul be-asar tha. Officer ne mez par haath maar kar chillaya, "Bolo! Iss smuggling gang se tumhara kya taluq hai?"

Anaya ne sar bhi nahi utthaya. Uski khamoshi ne saaf paigham diya: agar tum mujhse is tarah baat karoge, iske natayej sirf tumhare zimme honge.

Doosri taraf, Detective Kang-Dae ko pata chala ke local precinct ne us hijabi larki ko giraftar kar liya hai. Uska chehra fauran pila pad gaya. "Kisne isay giraftar karne ki ijazat di?!" wo cheekha, apni jacket uthate hue apni gaadi ki taraf bhaagta hua.

Isi waqt Min-Ho ko bhi khabar mili. Bila der karte hue usne apni poori corporate legal team mobilize kar li.

Seo-Jun ke team ne suite khali paayi. Usne fauran CCTV footage manga, aur uska dil dooba jab usne dekha ke local police Anaya ko le ja rahi hai. Mutthi bhinch kar, wo apne managers ko chhod kar seedha station ki taraf bhaaga.

Naqaab ka Girna

Kang-Dae ne room ka darwaza zoor se khola, ghusse mein bhare hue local officer ko room se nikal diya, aur khud Anaya ke saamne baith gaya, awaaz narm karte hue.

Anaya ne aahista saans li. "Wo aadmi theek se investigation karna nahi jaanta tha," usne mustaqil angrezi mein kaha. "Isliye maine usay kuch nahi bataya. Aapko main jawab dungi, Detective."

Usne apna passport aur travel documents mez par rakh diye. Phir, legal protocol ke tehat apni pehchaan verify karne ke liye, usne aahista apne niqab ki dorriyan khol din.

Theek isi lamhe, darwaza zoor se khula. Min-Ho aur Seo-Jun apne wakeel ke sath andar aaye. "Anaya! Tumhe bolne ki zaroorat nahi—" Min-Ho ki awaaz gale mein hi dam tod gayi.

Ek bhaari khamoshi ne poore kamre ko jakad liya, jaise waqt khud ruk gaya ho. Kang-Dae, Min-Ho, aur Seo-Jun — teenon bilkul jam gaye.

Pehli baar, wo us raaz ke peeche ka chehra dekh rahe thay. Ek aisa chehra jo duniya ke ghamand se bilkul paak tha — nirbhay, khalis, aur ek ajeeb noor bikher raha tha. Tez bukhar ne uske gaalon par ek halki gulabi jhalak de di thi, jo uske tez, khoobsurat naqsh-o-nigar se milkar ek ajeeb kashish paida kar rahi thi.

Ek lambe, saans rok dene wale lamhe ke liye, teenon aadmiyon ke dil ek dhadkan ke liye ruk gaye.

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