Raat dheere-dheere hospital par phir se haavi ho rahi thi. ICU floor par lights dim thi aur machines ki awaaz aur zyada tez mehsoos ho rahi thi. Kiara abhi bhi unconscious thi, lekin uske vitals pehle se zyada stable the. Doctors ne likh diya tha ki wo danger zone se thodi door aa chuki hai, lekin hosh mein aane ka koi exact time batana abhi possible nahi tha.
ICU ke bahar Kiara ki maa kursi par baithi thi, haathon mein dupatta bheenche hue. Wo baar-baar glass ke us paar dekhti, jaise har saans ke saath apni beti ko yaad dila rahi ho ki wo akeli nahi hai. Papa thoda door khade the, bilkul shaant. Lekin unki aankhen baar-baar ICU ke door par ja rahi thi, jaise wo kisi cheez ka intezaar kar rahe ho—ya kisi cheez se bachna chahte ho.
Isi beech Kiara ke heart monitor par ek halki si irregular movement aayi. Nurse ne turant notice kiya aur doctor ko inform kiya. Medical terms mein ye koi emergency nahi thi, lekin timing ajeeb thi. Jaise kisi ne jaan-boojh kar system ko touch kiya ho.
Usi pal Kiara ke chehre par pehli baar ek spasht reaction aayi. Uski bhonhein halki si sikudi, jaise wo sapne mein kuch dekh rahi ho. Uske hoth thode se khule, par koi awaaz nahi nikli. Monitor par heartbeat thodi tez ho gayi. ICU ke andar hawa achanak thandi pad gayi.
Maa ne apne haathon par goosebumps mehsoos kiye. Usne dupatta aur kas ke lapeta aur aas-paas dekha. Corridor khaali tha, phir bhi use laga jaise koi unke bilkul paas se guzar gaya ho. Papa ne bhi achanak peeche mud kar dekha, lekin wahan koi nahi tha.
ICU ke kone mein ek saaya ubhra—itna halka ki agar koi dhyaan se na dekhe toh miss ho jaaye. Wo saaya dheere-dheere ghoomne laga, jaise room ko dekh raha ho. Kisi ko uski maujoodgi ka ehsaas nahi hua, siwaay Kiara ke. Kiara ki ungli phir se hili. Is baar zyada spasht.
Uski band aankhon ke neeche aankhen tez ghoomne lagi, jaise wo kisi aur jagah ho. Uske dimaag mein ek tasveer ubhri—jalti hui zameen, dhuaan, aur ek aurat ka chehra jo aag ke beech khadi muskura rahi thi. Chehra pehchaan mein nahi aa raha tha, lekin nazar… wo nazar Kiara ko dekh rahi thi.
Achaanak Kiara ke muh se ek bahut halki si awaaz nikli. Nurse jhuk kar paas aayi, lekin shabd saaf nahi the. Sirf ek naam tha—adha, toota hua.“Apra…”
Nurse ne socha shayad sedation ka effect hai. Doctor ko bula liya gaya. Maa ne glass ke us paar ye sab dekha aur uska dil zor se dhadakne laga. Use samajh nahi aa raha tha ki use khush hona chahiye ya darr jaana chahiye.
ICU ke kone ka saaya dheere-dheere peeche hat gaya. Jaate-jaate jaise hawa mein koi fुसफुसahat reh gayi ho—abhi nahi…
Kiara phir se shaant ho gayi. Heartbeat normal range mein aa chuki thi. Doctors ne situation ko stable likh diya. Sab kuch control mein tha—kam se kam reports mein.
Lekin raat ke us sannate mein ek baat clear thi.
Kiara sirf hosh ki taraf nahi badh rahi thi…
wo kisi aur cheez ki taraf bhi khinch rahi thi.
Raat ka waqt dheere-dheere aur gehra hota ja raha tha. Hospital ke ICU floor par ab ginti ke log hi bache the. Lights pehle se zyada dim kar di gayi thi aur corridor mein chalne wali har aahat ka echo alag hi lag raha tha. Kiara abhi bhi unconscious thi, lekin uski body restless ho chuki thi. Kabhi heartbeat tez ho jaati, kabhi achanak normal ho jaati, jaise uska dil kisi cheez par react kar raha ho.
ICU ke bahar Kiara ki maa ne aankhen band kar ke chupchaap dua karni shuru kar di. Uske hoth hil rahe the, par awaaz nahi nikal rahi thi. Papa paas hi khade the, lekin unka dhyaan baar-baar ICU ke kone par ja raha tha. Unhe baar-baar aisa lag raha tha jaise koi unhe dekh raha ho. Jab bhi wo palat kar dekhte, corridor khaali hota, phir bhi bechaini kam nahi hoti.
ICU ke andar Kiara ke sapne aur gehre hone lage. Usne khud ko ek andheri jagah par khada dekha. Zameen jali hui thi aur hawa mein dhuan bhara tha. Door kahin aag jal rahi thi. Us aag ke beech ek aurat khadi thi—uska chehra abhi bhi poori tarah saaf nahi tha, lekin uski aankhen bilkul nazdeek aa chuki thi. Wo Kiara ki taraf dekh rahi thi, bina palak jhapke.
Kiara ne kuch kehna chaha, par awaaz gale mein hi atak gayi. Us aurat ne dheere se haath uthaya aur Kiara ke seene ki taraf ishara kiya. Us pal Kiara ko apne seene ke andar ek ajeeb sa bojh mehsoos hua, jaise koi bandhan uske dil ke saath jud raha ho.
ICU ke monitor par heartbeat phir se tez ho gayi. Nurse ne readings dekhi aur doctor ko inform kiya. Medical point of view se situation abhi bhi control mein thi, lekin ye normal recovery jaisi nahi lag rahi thi.
Usi waqt ICU ke ek kone mein hawa halki si ghoomi. Curtains bina kisi wajah ke dheere se hil gaye. Kisi ne dekha nahi, lekin ek saaya wahan maujood tha. Wo saaya sirf Kiara ko dikh raha tha.
Kiara ke hoth dheere se khule. Is baar shabd zyada saaf the, lekin awaaz bahut halki thi.“Tum… kaun ho…”
Doctor ne socha ye semi-conscious state ka effect hai. Maa ne glass ke us paar se ye dekha aur uska dil zor se dhadak utha. Ye pehli baar tha jab Kiara ne hosh ke kareeb aakar kuch poocha tha.
Saaya dheere se aage badha, lekin jaise hi nurse ne Kiara ke paas movement ki, hawa phir se normal ho gayi. Saaya peeche hat gaya, par poori tarah gaya nahi. Jaate-jaate usne jaise koi nishaan chhod diya ho.Kiara phir se shaant ho gayi. Heartbeat stable thi, saansein normal lag rahi thi. Doctors ne likh diya—patient responding.
Lekin us raat ek baat badal chuki thi.Ab Kiara sirf dekh nahi rahi thi. wo sawal pooch rahi thi. Aur kahin na kahin, koi uske jawaab ka intezaar kar raha tha.
Kiara ko jab dobara hosh aaya, toh is baar andhera utna gehra nahi tha. ICU ki lights dheemi thi aur machines ki awaaz pehle se zyada familiar lag rahi thi. Uske dimaag mein ab bhi confusion tha, lekin dil ajeeb tareeke se shaant tha, jaise kisi ne use bharosa diya ho. Usne aankhen khol kar idhar-udhar dekha aur phir apni maa ko paas baitha paaya. Maa ki aankhon mein aansu the, par is baar darr kam aur umeed zyada thi.
Doctor ne bataya ki Kiara ki recovery expected se better ho rahi hai. Body response positive hai, lekin kuch cheezein unusual hain. Kiara ke vitals kabhi-kabhi bina wajah fluctuate kar jaate hain, jaise kisi aur rhythm ke saath sync ho rahe ho. Doctor ne ise stress response kaha, par andar hi andar wo bhi poori tarah sure nahi tha.
Kiara ne dheere se apni aankhen band ki. Is baar koi jalti hui zameen nahi thi. Usne khud ko ek shaant si jagah par mehsoos kiya, jahan hawa halka sa garam thi. Uske saamne koi khada tha. Chehra dhundhla tha, par presence strong thi. Use lag raha tha jaise wo is insaan ko jaanti ho, par yaad nahi aa raha tha kaise.
Us pal Kiara ke haath ki ungli mein halki si jalan mehsoos hui. Jaise koi nishaan wahan ho. Usne aankhen khol kar apna haath dekha. Wahan kuch bhi nahi tha, phir bhi dil ne maana jaise kabhi wahan kuch pehnaaya gaya ho. Maa ne notice kiya ki Kiara apni ring finger ko baar-baar dekh rahi hai, par usne kuch poocha nahi.
Usi waqt dusre ICU room se nurse ka call aaya. Kiansh ki condition mein bhi improvement ho rahi thi. Doctor ne casually bataya ki dono patients ke vitals ka pattern phir se similar ho raha hai. Jab Kiansh ke readings stable hote hain, usi waqt Kiara ka heartbeat bhi calm ho jaata hai. Ye baat medical record ka hissa thi, lekin explanation ka nahi.
Kiara ke dimaag mein achanak ek aur tasveer ubhri. Ek mandir, band darwaaze, kam roshni aur do log khamoshi se ek-doosre ke saamne khade. Chehre ab bhi saaf nahi the, lekin ehsaas bilkul clear tha. Wo koi sapna nahi tha—wo yaad bhi nahi tha. Phir bhi uska dil zor se dhadak utha.
Usne apni maa se dheere se poocha ki kya yahan koi aur patient bhi hai jiska haal uske jaisa hai. Maa ne sirf itna kaha ki haan, ek ladka hai jo usi raat admit hua tha. Kiara ne kuch aur poochna chaha, lekin shabd hothon tak aakar ruk gaye. Jaise koi nahi chahta ho ki wo abhi sach bole.
ICU ke kone mein hawa phir se thodi thandi hui. Kisi ne kuch kaha nahi, lekin ek presence wahan thi. Aprajita sab dekh rahi thi. Uske chehre par koi gussa nahi tha, balki ek gehri si tasalli thi. Jaise bandhan sirf zindagi aur maut ka nahi tha, balki kisi vaade ka bhi ho.
Kiara ne aankhen band ki aur pehli baar uske dil mein ek ajeeb si certainty aayi. Wo akeli nahi thi. Aur jo bhi uske saath juda hua tha, wo sirf accident ya kismat ka khel nahi tha.
Kahin na kahin, koi rishta tha jo yaad se zyada gehra tha. Aur wo rishta ab dheere-dheere jag raha tha.
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