Mera Ishq, Meri Ibadat"

Aalishan bungalow ki khamoshi mein faqat aik hi aawaz goonj rahi thi—ghari ki suiyan jo waqt ke guzarne ka ehsaas dila rahi thin. Zoya ne jaise hi tasbeeh ke aakhri daane ko chhua, us ki aankhon se aik aansu nikal kar us ke resham jaise chehre par beh gaya. Shaadi ko kee saal guzar chuke the. Aahil shahar ka sab se bara aur kamyab businessman tha, us ke paas daulat thi, shohrat thi, aur Zoya ke liye be-panah mohabbat thi. Lekin un ka aalishan ghar aik aesi khamoshi ka gharz tha jo kisi ke qahqahon ki mohtaj thi.

Aahil ne Zoya ke shaanon par hath rakha aur dheere se muskura kar bola, "Zoya, Khuda par yaqeen rakho. Hamari mohabbat agar sachhi hai, to hamara aangan zaroor aabaad hoga."

Aur phir, woh din aa hi gaya. 15 August 2003 ki woh subah aesi thi jaise aashman se saari raahmatein zameen par utar aayin hon. Zoya aur Aahil ke ghar aik beti ne janam liya. Woh koi aam bachhi nahi thi, balki bilkul aik pari ki tarah masoom aur haseen thi. Us pari ke qadam kya pade, Aahil aur Zoya ki khali duniya khushiyon se bhar gayi.

Dono ne apni is jaan se pyari beti ka naam 'Anna' rakha. Zoya Muslim thi aur Aahil Christian, aur yeh un ki love marriage ka sab se haseen phool thi—aik aesa naam jo dono ki dunya ko jorhta tha.

Waqt par laga kar guzarta gaya. Anna thodi badi hui to us ki aqalmandi aur zehanat pure khandaan mein mashhoor ho gayi. Parhai mein woh itni tez thi ke har koi us ki tareef karte thakta nahi tha. Us ka shant chehra aur suljhi hui shakhsiyat dekh kar Aahil aur Zoya garv (prakhar) mehsoos karte the.

Lekin kismat ke panno par kuch aur hi likha tha. Zoya aur Aahil jis masoom pari ko naaz-o-nakhre se paal rahe the, unhein kya maloom tha ke aane wale waqt mein us ke is shant chehre ke peeche aik aesa janoon karwat lene wala hai jo duniya ke saare dastoor badal kar rakh dega. Anna ki kismat aage kya morh lene wali thi, is se har koi be-khabar tha...

Waqt apni raftaar se guzarta gaya aur masoom si dikhne wali Anna ab 18 saal ki ho chuki thi. Us ki college ki zindagi ka aakhri saal chal raha tha aur ab us ke samne university ki ek nayi duniya thi. Woh bahar se jitni suljhi hui, khamoshi aur parhai mein tez dikhti thi, koi nahi jaanta تھا ke us ke andar ek anjaan toofan janam le raha tha. Ek aesa toofan jo waqt ke sath gehra hota ja raha tha, lekin us toofan ka rukh kis taraf tha, is se abhi khud Anna bhi be-khabar thi.

College khatam hote hi Anna ne ek aisa faisla kiya jis ne Aahil aur Zoya ko hairan kar diya. Us ne parhai ke liye apne mulk se bahir jaane ka socha. Woh parhai ke bahaane ja to rahi thi, lekin kismat us ke andar ke toofan ko ek naya morh dene wali thi.

Ek shaam, jab aalishan lounge mein sab baithe the, Anna ne thairay hue andaz mein kaha, "Papa, main apni aage ki parhai ke liye mulk se bahir jana chahti hoon."

Aahil aur Zoya pehle to thore pareshan hue, lekin apni jaan se pyari beti ki khushi ke aage unhein manna hi para. Aahil ne pyar se us ke sar par hath rakha aur poocha, "Theek hai meri jaan, tum jahan jana chaho ja sakti ho. Lekin tum ne kaun sa mulk socha hai?"

Anna ki aankhon mein ek ajeeb si chamak ubhri aur us ne kaha, "Hong Kong! Main Hong Kong jana chahti hoon."

Aahil ne muskura kar haan kar di. Lekin is waqt koi nahi jaanta tha, yahan tak ke khud Anna ko bhi maloom nahi tha ke Aahil ka boht bara business Hong Kong mein bhi phaila hua hai, jise wahan Aahil ka ek purana aur nihayat qareebi dost sambhalta tha. Kismat ke panno par Anna ka safar shuru ho chuka تھا, aur Hong Kong ki woh sarzameen us ke janoon ki pehli gawaah banne wali thi...