Summayya ka dil ghabrahat se bhar gaya tha. Maira gayab thi, aur kuch samajh nahi aa raha tha ke wo kahan gayi ho sakti thi. Usne jaldi se apna phone nikala aur Awais ko call ki. Awais ne phone uthaya toh Summayya ki awaaz mein intehaayi ghabrahat thi.
"Awais... Maira missing hai. Usay koi le gaya hai!" Summayya ki awaaz kaanp rahi thi.
Awais ne ek pal ke liye chup raha, lekin phir usne apni usual calm awaaz mein kaha, "Summayya, ghabrao mat. Main yeh sab samajh sakta hoon. Tum pehle khud ko sambhalo."
Summayya ne ek lambhi saans li, lekin uski ghabrahat ab bhi waisi hi thi. "Lekin, Maira... woh kahan gayi ho sakti hai? Hum sab university mein dhoond rahe hain."
Awais ne phir se tasalli dene ke lehje mein kaha, "Main abhi university aata hoon. Tum kuch nahi karo, main sab dekh lunga. Maira ko kuch nahi hoga, main waada karta hoon."
Summayya ne phone band kiya, lekin ab bhi uska dil ek ajeeb si ghabrahat mein tha.
Doosri taraf, Nain ne finally apne aap ko sambhal kar Amir se pehli baar baat ki. Wo kabhi itni ghabrati nahi thi, lekin aaj ka din alag tha. Jab Amir ke paas gayi toh uske chehre par fikar saaf dikhai de rahi thi.
"Amir... main tumse pehli dafa baat kar rahi hoon, lekin yeh zaroori hai," Nain ne halki si sharam ke saath kaha.
Amir ne surprise se Nain ki taraf dekha. "Haan, bolo, kya baat hai?" Amir ne dheere lekin serious lehje mein kaha.
"Maira gayab ho gayi hai. Hum sab usay dhoond rahe hain lekin koi pata nahi chal raha," Nain ne jaldi se keh diya.
Amir ka chehra aik dum se pale pad gaya, lekin usne apni awaaz mein calm banaye rakha. "Nain, tum tension mat lo. Maira university ke andar hi hogi, main sab ko kahin ke usay dhoondhein. Koi bahar nahi ja sakta, gates band hain."
Nain ka dil thoda halka hua, lekin ab bhi wo uneasy thi. "Tumhe lagta hai ke wo safe hai?"
"Haan, mujhe yaqeen hai ke hum usay dhoond lenge. Tum apna khayal rakho, main bhi dhoondne mein madad karta hoon," Amir ne usay tasalli di. Uske lehje mein ek calmness thi jo Nain ke liye unexpected thi, lekin usay sukoon de gayi.
Is dauran, Fawad tezi se Pharmacy room ki taraf dauda. Jab usay pata chala ke Shehreen bhi attack hui hai, uska dil ghabra gaya tha. Jab wo pohancha, toh Shehreen ek stretcher par leti thi aur Summayya uske saath call par thi. Fawad ne jaldi se andar ghus kar poocha, "Shehreen, tum theek ho? Kya halat hai tumhari?"
Shehreen ne apne aap ko thoda utha kar kaha, "Main ab theek hoon. Sirf behosh hui thi, aur chakkar aa rahe thay. Lekin tumhe Maira ko dhoondna hai."
Fawad ka chehra serious ho gaya. "Maira? Tumhara kya matlab hai, Maira gayab hai?"
"Haan, wo aadmi usay le gaya. Tum madad karo Fawad, Maira ko dhoondna bohot zaroori hai," Shehreen ne thoda dard se kaha.
Fawad ne sir hilaaya. "Main sab karunga jo karna hai. Tum tension mat lo, abhi sab ko pata chalega. Maira ko kuch nahi hoga."
Is waqt tak, Maham apni puri koshish kar rahi thi ke kuch saboot mile. Wo university ke SVL team ke saath thi, aur un sab ko CCTV footage ko dekhna tha. Maham ke chehre par concentration thi, jaise wo kisi bhi chhoti si cheez ko miss nahi karna chahti thi.
Footage ke frames dheere dheere guzar rahe thay, jab Maham ko ek ajeeb si harkat nazar ayi. "Yeh dekho!" Maham ne ek dum se awaz lagayi.
Footage mein ek lambe qad ka mard tha jo parking area ke qareeb tha, aur kuch daer ke baad Maira ko uthaye le ja raha tha. Maham ne footage ko zoom karne ki koshish ki, lekin uska chehra clear nahi tha.
"Yeh kaun ho sakta hai?" Maham ne apne aap se poocha. Usne footage ka clip apne phone mein save kiya aur jaldi se Naurez ko call ki.
"Naurez, mujhe kuch mila hai. Tum wahan area mein ho na? Kuch clues check karo," Maham ne jaldi jaldi kaha.
Isi dauran, Naurez parking area ke aas paas dhoond rahi thi. Uska dimagh har taraf ghoom raha tha, lekin koi solid clue ab tak nahi mila tha. Jab wo wahan pohanchi jahan Maira ko last dekha gaya tha, usay sirf kuch random cheezein mil rahi thi – kuch papers, ek pen, lekin kuch bhi unusual nahi tha.
Phir, ek dam se usay wahan Waleed dikhai diya. Waleed ka chehra serious tha, aur wo phone pe baat kar raha tha, lekin uska andaz kuch ajeeb lag raha tha.
"Waleed... yahaan?" Naurez ne apne aap se kaha. Wo thoda curious thi, lekin usay kuch zyada shak nahi aya.
Waleed ka phone call khatam hone ke baad usne apne aas paas dekha, jaise wo bhi kuch dhoond raha ho. Lekin Naurez ka dimaag ab uss taraf nahi tha. Achaanak usay Maira ka phone ring hota sunayi diya.
"Yeh phone kis ka hai?" Naurez ne hairan ho kar kaha.
Usne dekha ke Waleed ne jhat se neeche jhuk kar kuch uthaya – Maira ka phone. Uske chehre par ek strange si expression thi, lekin jab usay phone uthane ke baad dekhne laga, toh uski aankhon mein aansoon dikhayi diye.
Naurez ne apni aankhon ko thoda narrow kiya. "Waleed... yeh phone kyun utha raha hai? Aur yeh aansoon kyun?" Usay yeh sab ajeeb laga, lekin abhi wo confuse thi. Usne socha ke shayad Waleed bhi Maira ko dhoond raha hai, lekin kuch samajh nahi aa raha tha.
"Waleed, tumhe Maira ka phone kahan mila?" Naurez ne finally bold ho kar poocha.
Waleed ne apna chehra seedha kiya aur tears pochhte hue kaha, "Yahin ground pe pada tha. Mujhe kuch samajh nahi aa raha. Yeh sab kaisay ho gaya?"
Naurez ke dil mein ab bhi kuch shakk tha, lekin usay is waqt Waleed ka intezaar karna zaroori nahi laga. Usne decide kiya ke sab ko ye baat batani hogi ke Maira ka phone mil gaya hai.
Jab Maham ko yeh khabar mili ke Maira ka phone mil gaya, toh uska shak aur barh gaya. "Agar phone yahaan hai, toh Maira door nahi ho sakti," Maham ne apne dil mein faisla kiya.
Sab larkiyan aur boys ab Maira ko dhoondne mein aur bhi zyada active ho gaye thay, lekin waqt guzar raha tha aur Maira ka koi pata nahi chal raha tha.