Hospital ki emergency lights poori raat blink karti rahi. ICU ke bahar khade logon ko waqt ka andaaza hi nahi raha, kyunki andar waqt jaise ruk chuka tha. Kiansh aur Kiara dono alag-alag beds par the, par unki halat dekh kar lag nahi raha tha ki yeh do alag zindagiyan hain. Dono bilkul same position me lete hue the, seedha badan, chehra upar, aankhen band. Jaise kisi ne jaan-bujh kar unhe ek jaise sula diya ho.
Monitors ki awaaz kamzor hoti ja rahi thi. Beep… beep… dono machines ek hi rhythm follow kar rahi thi. Doctors ne baar-baar vitals check kiye, lekin har baar result same aata. Heart rate, oxygen saturation, pulse — sab kuch bilkul match kar raha tha. Sabse zyada dara dene wali baat yeh thi ki **dono ki saansein ek saath upar-neeche ho rahi thi**, dheere, bhaari aur beech-beech me rukti hui. Jaise agar ek saans ruk jaaye, toh doosri bhi zinda na rahe.
Senior doctor ne chart band karte hue kaha ki yeh normal medical case nahi hai. Unke shabdon me confidence kam aur bechaini zyada thi. “Hum ek ko stable karne ki koshish karte hain,” unhone kaha, “toh doosra unstable ho jaata hai. Jaise dono ek hi system se connected hon.” Nurses chup thi, kyunki unhone bhi pehli baar aisa kuch dekha tha.
Achaanak Kiansh ke body me tez jhatka aaya. Monitor par line neeche girne lagi. Doctors turant active ho gaye, lekin usi pal Kiara ke monitor par bhi bilkul wahi change dikhne laga. Uski saans bhi utni hi kamzor padne lagi jitni Kiansh ki. CPR shuru hui, injections diye gaye, par jaise hi Kiansh ka heartbeat thoda sambhalta, Kiara ka girne lagta. ICU me ek ajeeb si khamoshi chha gayi — sab samajh chuke the ki yeh dono alag nahi hain.
Room ka temperature dheere-dheere girta gaya. AC normal chal raha tha, phir bhi hawa thandi aur bhaari ho rahi thi. Glass panels par halki si dhund jamne lagi. Ek nurse ne dhyaan diya ki jab bhi Kiansh ke monitor ki beep slow hoti, usi pal Kiara ke muh se halki si saans ki awaaz nikalti, jaise koi usse door se kheench raha ho.
Usi waqt Kiara ke chehre par ajeeb sa expression aaya. Aankhen band hone ke bawajood uski palkein kaanp rahi thi. Uska haath thoda sa hila, aur Kiansh ke haath ne bhi bilkul wahi movement repeat ki. Doctors ne ek dusre ki taraf dekha, kyunki yeh coincidence nahi lag raha tha. Jaise dono ek hi sapna dekh rahe hoon, ya ek hi jagah phanse hue hoon.
Surbhi ICU ke bahar bench par baithi thi. Uske haath thand se kaanp rahe the, par use pata tha ki yeh thand hospital ki nahi hai. Uske seene me bojh sa mehsoos ho raha tha, jaise kisi ne uski saans par haath rakh diya ho. Achaanak uske kaan me ek dheemi, jali hui awaaz goonji — “Ab maa sirf dekhegi.” Surbhi ne apne kaan band kar liye, lekin awaaz uske andar goonjti rahi.
ICU ke ek kone me, jahan roshni poori tarah nahi pahunch rahi thi, ek parchai kuch der ke liye ruki. Woh parchai bilkul shaant thi, jaise yeh sab uske liye naya nahi tha. Usne dono beds ki taraf dekha, phir monitors ki blinking lights par nazar daali. Uske chehre par halki si muskaan aayi — woh muskaan jo tab aati hai jab plan bilkul sahi direction me chal raha ho.
Doctors ne finally decision liya ki dono ko alag treat karna bekaar hai. “Agar ek ko kuch hota hai,” doctor ne dheere se kaha, “toh doosra bhi usi pal react karega. Yeh case ek nahi, do nahi… ek se zyada bhi ho sakta hai.” ICU ke bahar red light aur tez chamakne lagi, jaise warning de rahi ho.
Raat dheere-dheere subah me badalne lagi, lekin ICU ke andar andhera aur gehra hota gaya. Kiansh aur Kiara ki saansein ab bhi ek saath chal rahi thi — kamzor, toot-ti hui, aur maut ke bilkul kareeb. Yeh sirf zindagi aur maut ki ladai nahi thi. Yeh faisla tha ki kaun kis ke saath bandha rahega… aur kaun kis ke haath se chhoota jaayega.
Thank u for reading ❣️
Stay tuned everyone 🎀
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