Demit Firdous pichle saadhe teen saal se hotel ke malik ki personal secretary thi. Uska ohda saadhe teen bars mein wahi raha tha, halanke uska boss ek dafa zaroor badla tha. Jab woh taza taza Azmir (Turkey ka ek shehar) chhod kar Istanbul aayi thi aur kai jagah naukri ke liye dhakke khane ke baad use Istanbul se door is jazire par yeh job mili thi, tab Demit ka boss Abdul Rahman Pasha nahi tha. Us waqt woh uske chhote bhai ki secretary thi, magar in pichhle teen barson mein bohot kuch badal gaya tha.
Us narm si subah mein apni desk ki kursi sambhalte, purse utar kar mez par rakhte hue bhi woh yehi soch rahi thi ke Hotel Grand ab bohot badal gaya tha. Uska pichla boss bohot khush ikhlaq aur sade loh sa aadmi tha. Aisa aadmi jis mein koi banaawat nahi hoti. Woh hotel ka malik hone ke bawajood aksar neeche restaurant ke kitchen mein kaam karta paya jaata tha. Uske aam se hulye ko dekh kar koi keh nahi sakta tha ke yeh shakhs Buyuk Ada ke raeeson mein se hai. Phir waqt badalta gaya. Demit Abdul Rahman Pasha ko pehle kabhi kabhaar aur phir aksar hotel mein apne bhai ke saath aate dekhte rahi. Yahan tak ke aahista aahista hotel ka control aur woh office Abdul Rahman Pasha ki dastaras mein chala gaya. Abdul Rahman Pasha ne kaise sab kuch apne qaboo mein kiya ke koi chon bhi nahi kar saka aur uska bhai kahan chala gaya, woh kabhi nahi jaan saki thi. Woh uski secretary ho kar bhi apne aur uske darmiyan mojood faaslay ko nahi paat sakti thi. Use Abdul Rahman Pasha ke siwa chhote mote daftar ke kaamon ke ilawa kuch bhi karne ko nahi diya jata tha. Kabhi kabhi Demit ko shakk guzarta ke ARP ne apni koi aur secretary rakhi hui hogi, jo uske mamoolat se bakhabar hogi, warna uske power office mein kya hota hai woh usse qatan nahi jaanti thi. Yeh alag baat hai ke pichle chand maahon mein usne mehsoos karna shuru kar diya tha ke Hotel Grand mein kuch aur bhi ho raha hai, kuch aisa jo ghalat tha. Kuch aisa jo ek zimmedar shehri hone ke nate use kabhi hone nahi dena chahiye tha, magar kya... woh samajhne se qaasir thi aur khoj lagane ki himmat us mein nahi thi. Apni daraz se ek file nikalte hue usne yunhi ek sarseri si nigah samne us band darwazay par daali, jis par ARP ki takhti lagi thi, aur thithak kar ruk gayi.
Darwazay ki nichli daraz se roshni jhank rahi thi. Kya Abdul Rahman wapas aa gaya hai? Kab? Use pata hi nahi chala. Woh khushgawar hairat mein ghiri jaldi jaldi apni cheezon ko tarteeb dene lagi. Duniya chahe jo bhi kahe, woh Abdul Rahman Pasha ki sab se badi parastaar thi. Usne zindagi mein kabhi itna seher angaiz aur shandaar aadmi nahi dekha tha. Baat handsome hone ya na hone ki nahi thi. Baat us waqar aur maqnaat ke thi jo us aadmi ki shakhsiyat ka khaasa thi.
Usi lamhe intercom ki ghanti baji. Usne jaldi se phone uthaya.
"Yes Sir."
Demit bring me a coffee!" apne bhaari aur rob andaz mein keh kar usne phone rakh diya tha. Woh apna sara kaam chhod kar nihayat mustaidgi se coffee tayar karne lagi. Uska boss teen mahine baad India se lauta tha. Woh bohot khush thi.
Coffee ki tray uthayi, usne darwaza zara sa baja kar khola.
Abdul Rahman Pasha ka office nihayat shandaar aur pur-tashan andaaz mein aaraastah kiya gaya tha. Apni sheeshe ki chamakti satah wali mez ke peechay revolving chair par tek laga kar baitha, woh khidki se bahar par sochting nazron se dekhte hue cigarette labon mein rakhe dabaye hue tha. Halki halki badhi shave mein woh pehle se zyada bawaqar lag raha tha. Duniya ko woh achha lage ya bura, Demit ko us jaisa koi nahi lagta tha.
Usne coffee mez par rakh di. "Assalamualaikum sir, and welcome back." Woh muskurakar apne boss ka khush aamadid keh rahi thi. "Hmm thanks!" Abdul Rahman ne ek sarseri nigah us par daali aur phir aage hote hue cigarette ungliyon mein pakad kar ashtray mein jhatka. Wahan raakh ke bohot se tukdon ke upar ek aur tukda aan gira. Pasha ke mutaaliq ek baat woh jaanti thi, woh itni be-tahasha smoking shadeed pareshani aur tafakkur ke aalam mein karta tha.
"Sir! Aap kuch aur lenge?" Woh modeb khadi pooch rahi thi. "Mere coat par daag lag gaya hai, ise saaf kar lao." Usne mez ke doosri taraf rakhi kursee ke kandhon par dale coat ki taraf ishaara kiya. Khud woh tie ki knot dheeli kiye, grey shirt ke cuff khule baitha tha. Uska libaas bhi uski shakhsiyat ki tarah hota tha. Nafees aur shandaar.
