Hospital ki subah unusually heavy thi, jaise hawa ko bhi pata ho ki waqt limited hai. Doctors ne officially announce kar diya tha ki agle paanch din critical observation mein rahenge, kyunki Kiara ka body burn trauma se recover kar raha tha aur internal shock unpredictable ho sakta hai. “Next five days decide everything,” doctor ne seedha Kiansh ki aankhon mein dekh kar kaha tha. Ye line simple thi, par ismein ek hidden weight tha—jaise kisi ne countdown start kar diya ho.
Kiara ab bhi unconscious thi, lekin uska brain activity pattern normal coma jaisa nahi tha. Reports mein irregular spikes aa rahe the, especially raat ke waqt. Din mein woh bilkul stable lagti, lekin midnight ke baad monitors pe unexplained fluctuations record ho rahe the. Technician ne kaha stress response hai, par problem yeh thi ki body rest mein thi, stress ka source kya tha?
Dusre din raat ko 2:03 AM par Kiara ne achanak apni aankhen aadhi kholi. Puri nahi. Bas itni ki white portion dikhne laga. Nurse ne socha reflex hai. Lekin Kiara ki gaze seedha room ke left corner par fix thi. Wahan sirf wall thi. Koi insaan nahi. Phir bhi uski heartbeat slow hone lagi, jaise woh kisi cheez ko pehchaan rahi ho. Nurse ne turant doctor ko bulaya. Jab tak doctor aaya, Kiara ki aankhen wapas band ho chuki thi. Report mein likha gaya — “Transient neural reaction.” Lekin CCTV footage mein clearly dikha ki us moment par room ka temperature 3 degree drop hua tha.
Teesre din Vivan ko ek anonymous envelope mila. Hospital reception par drop hua tha. Andar ek burnt photograph thi. Photo mein Kiara thi — fire se kuch seconds pehle ki image. Lekin shock yeh tha ki photo ka angle upar se tha. Jaise koi ceiling se dekh raha ho. Hospital staff ne bola kisi ne prank kiya hoga. Lekin us ward mein koi camera us angle par installed hi nahi tha.
Chauthe din Kiara ki condition outwardly improve hone lagi. Doctors hopeful tone mein baat karne lage. “She’s responding.” Lekin usi raat usne neend mein ek sentence repeat kiya — “Paanchva din mat aane do…” Ye line teen baar record hui. Voice weak thi, par clear. Kiansh ka face us waqt bilkul blank tha, lekin andar panic settle ho chuka tha. Kyunki aaj chautha din tha.
Aur ab paanchva din shuru hone mein sirf kuch ghante baaki the.
Midnight se thoda pehle ICU ki lights ek baar flicker hui. Monitor steady tha. Staff normal tha. Sab controlled lag raha tha. Lekin Kiara ke haath ki grip bed sheet par dheere dheere tighten ho rahi thi. Jaise woh kisi invisible edge se latak rahi ho.
Countdown officially last 24 hours mein enter kar chuka tha.Aur sabko andaza tha — paanchva din sirf recovery ka test nahi hoga.Woh decision ka din hoga.
Life… ya death.
Day Five – The Edge of Survival
Paanchva din ajeeb khamoshi ke saath shuru hua tha, jaise ho ki aaj kya decide hone wala hai. ICU ke andar sab kuch surface par normal lag raha tha—machines steady rhythm mein chal rahi thi, oxygen mask se halki fog ban rahi thi, doctors reports ko dekh kar cautiously hopeful the. Officially Kiara recovery zone mein thi, lekin unofficially sabke dimaag mein uski woh line ghoom rahi thi jo usne neend mein kahi thi—“Paanchva din mat aane do.” Raat ke kareeb 11:48 par Kiansh ICU ke andar gaya aur usne dheere se Kiara ka haath pakda, jaise woh usse reality se bandhe rakhna chahta ho. Usne halki si awaaz mein kaha, “Bas ek din aur…” aur bilkul us moment par clock ne 12:00 strike kiya. Paanchva din officially shuru ho chuka tha.
12:07 AM par monitor ne halki si irregular beat di. Nurse ne use normal fluctuation samjha, lekin 12:09 par heartbeat thodi aur slow ho gayi. Doctor ko call kiya gaya, par abhi panic ka reason nahi tha. 12:11 par oxygen saturation achanak drop karne laga, bina kisi visible cause ke. Kiansh ka grip tight ho gaya aur usne Kiara ka naam thoda zor se liya. Uski eyelids tremble hui aur dheere dheere uski aankhen aadhi khul gayi. Is baar reflex nahi tha; uski gaze fixed thi, seedha Kiansh ke peeche ke khali space par, jaise wahan koi khada ho. Mask ke neeche se uske honton ne move kiya aur bahut halki si awaaz nikli—“Woh aa gaya…”
Uske baad heartbeat gradual slide par chali gayi, jaise koi invisible force use dheere dheere kheench raha ho. Doctors ne immediate intervention start kiya, oxygen badhaya, medication push ki, par 12:16 par monitor ne ek sharp dip diya. Kiansh ko bahar kar diya gaya aur glass ke us paar woh sirf dekh sakta tha. Shock prep hua, “Clear!” ki awaaz aayi, defibrillator use hua. Line ek second ke liye uthi, phir phir se seedhi hone lagi. 12:18 par monitor ne continuous tone di.
CPR start hua. Doosra shock diya gaya. Is baar do teen weak beats aaye, phir silence. Doctor ne clock ki taraf dekha aur “Time of—” kehna hi tha ki monitor par ek single beat flash hua. Sab ruk gaye. Phir ek aur beat. Phir irregular pattern.
Pulse weak tha, lekin present. Kiara clinically wapas aa gayi thi. Room mein relief tha, lekin woh complete nahi tha.
Kyunki jab usne dheere se aankhen kholi, unmein pehle wali softness nahi thi, na hi darr. Bas ek gehri, thandi si pehchaan thi. Jaise woh maut ke kinare tak jaakar wapas aayi ho. Aur shayad kuch saath lekar aayi ho.
Thank you for reading ❣️
Stay tuned 😈
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