Hall ki woh raat khatam hone se pehle hi sab kuch aag mein badal gaya tha. Ab antiseptic ki tez smell aur machine ki regular beep… beep… ki awaaz ke beech hospital ka ICU room thanda aur safed dikh raha tha. Kiara ka jism bandages se dhaka hua tha; kuch jagah par jalne ke nishaan itne gehre the ki doctor ne “critical but stable” keh kar bhi aankhon ka bojh chhupa liya tha. Oxygen mask ke neeche uski saansein halki aur toot-ti si chal rahi thi, jaise har saans ek ladai ho. Kiansh glass ke us paar khada tha, haath muthi mein band, aankhen us par tikki hui—woh aadmi jo kabhi dara nahi, aaj bilkul chup tha.
Corridor mein nurses ki halki daud, trolley ke wheels ki kharash aur distant announcements ke beech ek ajeeb sa tension latak raha tha. Vivan ne doctor se sawaal pe sawaal kiye, par jawab wahi the—“Agle 24 ghante crucial hain.” Yuvika ki aankhen laal thi, par woh ro nahi rahi thi; usse lag raha tha ro dene se kuch toot jayega jo abhi mushkil se juda hua hai. ICU ke monitor par heartbeat ki line kabhi seedhi hone ko hoti, phir halki si upar uth jaati—jaise Kiara maut ko aankh dikha kar wapas kheench laati ho.
Raat gehri hoti gayi. 2:17 AM par—bina kisi wajah ke—ICU ki lights ek pal ke liye dim hui. Bas ek pal. Par us ek pal mein Kiansh ne clearly dekha ki Kiara ki ungliyan zara si hilli. Nurse ne kaha reflex hoga, par us movement mein kuch aur tha—jaise koi invisible haath uska haath pakad kar chhod gaya ho. Monitor ne ek second ke liye irregular pattern dikhaya, phir normal ho gaya. Doctor ne screen check ki, kuch samjha nahi, bas “observe karte hain” keh kar chala gaya.
Kiara behosh thi, lekin uske band honton ke beech se bahut halki si phusphusahat nikli. Itni halki ki sirf Kiansh ne suni—“Woh… yahin hai…” Uska dil ek second ke liye ruk sa gaya. ICU mein sirf machines thi, doctors the, sterile safedi thi. Phir bhi usse mehsoos hua jaise bed ke paas koi khada ho. Usne dheere se room ke kone ki taraf dekha. Wahan sirf shadow thi. Par shadow ka shape seedha nahi tha. Woh thoda sa jhuk kar Kiara ki taraf badh raha tha.
Tabhi monitor ne achanak ek lambi si continuous tone di. Nurse daudi. Doctors andar aaye. “Pulse drop ho raha hai!” kisi ne chillaya. Kiansh ko bahar kar diya gaya. Glass ke us paar woh sirf dekh sakta tha—shock paddles, commands, hurried breaths. Aur us sab ke beech, ek second ke liye, Kiara ki aankhen khul gayi.
Seedha chhat ki taraf dekhte hue.
Jaise woh kisi ko dekh rahi ho jo baaki kisi ko nazar nahi aa raha.
Phir uski heartbeat line ek baar phir seedhi hone lagi… aur doctor ne zor se kaha, “We’re losing her!”
Par ussi pal, bina kisi logical reason ke, line wapas upar uthi.
Ek beat.
Do beat.
Teesra beat thoda strong.
Room mein sab ne chain ki saans li, par Kiansh ka dil abhi bhi bhaari tha. Kyunki usne glass ke reflection mein dekha—Kiara ke bed ke paas ek extra shadow khadi thi. Aur jab usne palat kar actual room dekha… wahan koi nahi tha.
Psychological Suspense – Between Life and Death
Hospital ka ICU unusually quiet tha, lekin woh silence normal hospital wali shaanti nahi thi. Yeh woh wali thi jo kisi bade decision ke pehle hawa mein latakti hai. Kiara white sheets ke beech bilkul still leti thi, uska aadha jism bandages mein dhaka hua, machines uski saanson aur heartbeat ko measure kar rahi thi. Fire ke baad doctors ne kaha tha ki woh critical phase cross kar chuki hai, lekin uska body abhi bhi shock mein hai. Stable word use hua tha, par stable ka matlab yeh nahi hota ki khatra khatam ho gaya.
Kiansh ICU ke bahar khada usse dekh raha tha. Uski aankhon mein darr kam tha, lekin ek ajeeb si calculation zyada thi, jaise woh situation ko samajhne ki koshish kar raha ho. Usse fire accident par bharosa nahi ho raha tha. Wiring report clear thi. Gas line normal thi. Koi external entry ka sign nahi. Phir blast ka source exactly Kiara ke aas-paas hi kyun tha? Yeh coincidence zyada perfect lag raha tha.
Room ke andar 2:46 AM par monitor ne ek second ke liye irregular beat show kiya. Nurse ne usse body stress reaction kaha. Lekin ussi waqt Kiara ki fingers thodi si move hui, jaise woh kisi invisible surface ko feel kar rahi ho. Uski eyelids band thi, par unke neeche movement clearly visible tha. Jaise woh sapna nahi, kuch aur dekh rahi ho.
Vivan ne dheere se ek baat kahi jo kisi ne notice nahi ki. “Fire sirf bahar nahi lagi thi… spark pehle se tha.” Kiansh ne uski taraf dekha, lekin Vivan ne explanation nahi diya. Bas uska expression serious tha. Kyunki pichle do din se Kiara ne do baar mention kiya tha ki use kisi ki presence feel ho rahi hai. Tab sabne usse stress maana. Ab woh baat itni simple nahi lag rahi thi.
ICU ke camera feed monitoring room mein ek pal ke liye flicker hua. Sirf ek frame. Us frame mein Kiara ke bed ke paas ek shadow extra dikh rahi thi. Technician ne use glare issue bola. Recording dobara check ki gayi toh frame normal tha. Shadow gayab.
Andar bed par leti Kiara ne achanak bahut halki si saans andar kheechi, thodi gehri. Oxygen mask ke neeche uske hont move hue. Sound barely audible thi, par Kiansh ne glass ke us paar khade-khade lips read karne ki koshish ki. Usne clearly dekha — “Mat aane do…”
Mat aane do kisko?
Monitor phir se steady ho gaya. Sab kuch normal jaisa lagne laga. Lekin iss baar problem yeh thi ki abnormal cheez prove nahi ho rahi thi — bas feel ho rahi thi.
Aur sabse zyada unsettling baat yeh thi… Kiara behosh thi, phir bhi uski aankhon ke kone se ek single tear nikal kar side mein gir gaya.
Jaise woh kisi se lad rahi ho.
And shayad woh ladai abhi khatam nahi hui thi.
Thank u for reading ❣️
Stay tuned 😈
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