Hospital ke ICU corridor me raat ka sannata aur bhi bhari lag raha tha. White lights tezz thi, par unki roshni me bhi ek ajeeb si thandak thi, jaise yeh jagah zindagi ke liye nahi balki maut ke intezaar ke liye bani ho. Kiara aur Kiansh dono alag-alag ICU beds par the, lekin unki halat bilkul ek jaisi thi. Dono ke haath seedhe, ungliyan dheeli, aur chest monitor par chalti hui lines dheere-dheere ek hi rhythm me chal rahi thi. Doctors ne notice kiya—un dono ki saansein ek saath uth-baith rahi thi, jaise koi unhe ek hi dhaage se baandh kar chala raha ho.
Doctors confused the. Aise cases unhone pehle kabhi nahi dekhe the. Kiara ke body par koi visible injury nahi thi, phir bhi uska temperature unnatural level tak gir chuka tha. Kiansh ke saath bhi wahi tha—na bleeding, na external trauma, lekin pulse dheere-dheere kam hoti ja rahi thi. Ventilator ka sound ICU me ghoonj raha tha, par dono ke lungs apni poori koshish ke baad bhi hawa ko pakad nahi paa rahe the. Nurse ne dheere se kaha, “Sir… dono ka vitals sync ho raha hai.”
ICU ke glass door ke bahar khade logon ko sirf machines ki awaaz sunai de rahi thi. Surbhi ke pair kaanp rahe the. Uski aankhon me aansu the, par usse zyada darr. Usse yaad aa raha tha woh sapna—woh parchai, woh aurat, aur woh awaaz. Usne apna sir pakad liya jaise dimaag phat jaayega. “Maine roka tha… maine mana kiya tha,” woh apne aap se hi bol rahi thi. Sid ne uska haath pakadne ki koshish ki, par Surbhi ka jism thanda pad chuka tha.
ICU ke andar achanak monitors beep karne lage. Ek saath dono beds ke monitors par heart rate neeche girne laga. Doctor ne shout kiya, “Prepare for resuscitation!” CPR shuru hua, injections diye gaye, shocks diye gaye—lekin sab kuch ek ajeeb delay ke saath ho raha tha. Jaise koi invisible force har action ko rok rahi ho. Kiara ki chest hilti thi, phir ruk jaati thi. Kiansh ke lips halki si movement ke baad bilkul shaant ho gaye. Dono ke monitors par lines dheere-dheere seedhi hone lagi.
Usi pal ICU ke temperature me achanak drop hua. Lights ek second ke liye flicker hui. Ek nurse ne peeche mudkar dekha—glass ke reflection me use laga jaise koi teesra shaks dono beds ke beech khada hai. Jab usne dobara dekha, wahan koi nahi tha. Par uski saans atak chuki thi. Doctor ne finally woh shabd bole jo koi sunna nahi chahta—“Time of death… same minute.” Dono ke charts par ek hi waqt likha gaya. Ek hi second. Ek hi khaamoshi.
Bahaar corridor me Surbhi ki cheekh goonj uthi. Uski awaaz me sirf dukh nahi tha, balki pehchaan thi—jaise woh pehle se jaanti thi yeh hona hi tha. Sid bilkul chup tha. Uski aankhon ke saamne sab andhera ho chuka tha. Do bodies… do zindagiyan… ek hi pal me khatam. Doctors ne white sheets dheere-dheere dono par daal di. ICU ka darwaza band ho gaya, par andar ka sannaata aur bhi bhaari ho gaya.
Lekin kahani yahin khatam nahi hui. Hospital ke ek kone me, jahan CCTV cameras ka blind spot tha, ek aurat khadi thi. Uske chehre par halki si muskaan thi—na khushi ki, na dukh ki—balki jeet ki. Usne dheere se kaha, “Ab raasta saaf hai.” Uski aankhon me kuch aisa tha jo sirf shaitani iraade rakhne wale logon ke paas hota hai. Woh palte bina awaaz kiye andhere me gayab ho gayi, jaise kabhi wahan thi hi nahi.
Aur upar ICU ke andar, dono bodies bilkul shaant padi thi. Monitors band ho chuke the. Par ek pal ke liye—sirf ek pal ke liye—Kiara aur Kiansh ki ungliyan ek saath halki si hिलीं. Jaise maut ne bhi abhi apna faisla poori tarah nahi liya ho.
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