Chapter 1: Pakeeza Shuruaat
Lahore ki thandak bhari fazaon mein, 9 October 2001 ki subha ek aisi mutabarrik kirn lekar aayi jisne Joseph aur Mary ke angan ko hamesha ke liye roshan kar diya. Mary, jo peshe se ek zameer-shinaas doctor thi, aur Joseph, jo ek muaziz school teacher thaa, dono ke ghar shaadi ke dastaar-khawan par sab se badi khushi aayi thi. Unke ghar ek beti ne janam liya thaa.
"Mary, dekho... hamari beti bilkul ek farishte ki tarah lag rahi hai," Joseph ne masoom bachi ko apni goad mein lete hue num aankhon se kaha.
Mary ne muskurate hue bachi ke maathe par pyar diya aur boli, "Iska naam hum 'Sunjana' rakhenge. Sunjana... jiski soch, jiski rooh is duniya ki bheed se hamesha alag hogi."
Waqt par laga kar udta raha. Joseph aur Mary ne apni choti si gudiya ko palkon par bithaya. Sunjana aam bachon se bilkul mukhtalif thi. Uske chahre par ek aisi pakeezgi aur sukoon thaa jo har dekhne wale ko uski taraf kheench leta. Jab wo teen saal ki hui, to uski gol-matol aankhon mein kitabon aur parhai ke liye ek ajeeb sa shauq jhalakne laga.
Ek shaam, jab Lahore ki hawaon mein khunkhi badh rahi thi, Joseph ne Mary ki taraf dekhte hue kaha, "Mary, hamari Sunjana ab teen saal ki ho gayi hai. Mujhe lagta hai ab use school bhejne ka waqt aa gaya hai."
Sunjana, jo paas hi apne khilono se khel rahi thi, 'school' ka naam sunte hi uchhal padi. Uske chehre par ek barri si muskurahat fail gayi. "Papa! Main school jaungi? Main bhi aapki tarah parhungi?"
"Haan meri jaan, tum bilkul school jaogi," Joseph ne use gale se lagate hue kaha.
Agle hi din, Lahore ki ek khoobsurat subha mein, Sunjana ne apna chota sa school bag uthaya. Mary ne use bade pyar se tayar kiya thaa. Jab Joseph use sath lekar school pohncha, to wahan ka har shakhs thamm sa gaya. Safed baraf jaisa rang, nili jheel jaisi gehri aankhein aur masoom si muskurahat—Sunjana school mein kadam rakhte hi sab ki tawajja ka markaz ban gayi. Teacher se lekar bachon tak, sab ke dilon se bas ek hi baat nikli, "Ye bachi to bilkul ek Angel hai!"
Magar koi nahi janta thaa ke is masoom angel ki takdeer ke panno par zindagi kya ajeeb aur sangeen safar likhne ja rahi thi...








