ICU mein sab kuch wapas normal dikh raha tha, lekin woh normal sirf surface tak tha. Kiara ki heartbeat ab stable pattern mein chal rahi thi, oxygen level controlled tha, doctors ne officially declare kar diya tha ki she survived the critical episode. Lekin jo cheez kisi report mein mention nahi hui, woh thi us pal ki khamoshi jab uska heart do minute ke liye almost ruk gaya tha. Woh do minute sirf medical emergency nahi the. Woh ek boundary thi—life aur death ke beech ki boundary.
Kiara ki aankhen ab khuli thi, lekin woh zyada bol nahi rahi thi. Uska body weak tha, par uski gaze disturbingly steady thi. Jab bhi koi room mein enter karta, woh directly us insaan ko nahi dekhti thi. Uski nazar unke aas-paas ke space ko scan karti thi, jaise woh kisi aur ko search kar rahi ho. Nurse ne casually poocha, “Aap theek feel kar rahi hain?” Kiara ne sirf ek line kahi—“Yahan bahut bheed hai.” Room mein sirf teen log the.
Kiansh ne usse gently poocha, “Kaun?” Kiara ne seedha jawab nahi diya. Usne bas ceiling ke ek corner ki taraf dekha aur dheere se kaha, “Woh mujhe wapas nahi aane dena chahta tha.” Uski awaaz weak thi, lekin usmein darr nahi tha. Jaise woh statement kisi fact ki tarah bol rahi ho. Doctors ne ise post-trauma hallucination label kar diya. Brain hypoxia ke baad mild disorientation common hota hai. Sab logical tha. Sab explainable tha.
Lekin us raat jab Kiara so rahi thi, monitor ne 3:03 AM par phir ek pattern show kiya jo pichle chaar din se repeat ho raha tha. Heartbeat normal thi, par brain activity spikes unusual the. Jaise woh deep sleep mein nahi, kisi intense interaction mein ho. Monitoring staff ne casually note kiya. “REM fluctuation.” Par iss baar ek aur cheez record hui—Kiara ka pulse suddenly slow hua exactly 33 seconds ke liye. Phir normal.
Next morning Kiara ne pehli baar clear sentence bola. “Mujhe paanch din ka time diya gaya tha.” Room freeze ho gaya. Kiansh ne turant poocha, “Kisne?” Kiara ne seedha uski taraf dekha. Is baar uski aankhon mein pehchaan thi. “Maut ne.”
Doctor ne awkwardly cough kiya aur kaha, “Severe trauma ke baad symbolic thoughts common hain.” Lekin Kiara ne head slightly shake kiya. “Deal hui thi. Main wapas aa gayi. Par poori nahi.”
Kiara bach gayi thi, lekin kahani ab sirf survival ki nahi rahi thi. Uski saansein chal rahi thi, heartbeat stable thi, reports hopeful thi, phir bhi hawa mein ek ajeeb sa bojh latak raha tha. Sabko mehsoos ho raha tha ki uska wapas aana simple medical miracle nahi tha. Jaise kisi ne use chhod diya ho, lekin bina reason ke nahi. Jaise koi adhoora hisaab baaki ho. Room mein sab kuch normal tha, phir bhi har chehra cautious tha, har nazar us par tikti thi aur phir turant hat jaati thi. Kyunki asli sawaal ab yeh nahi tha ki Kiara zinda hai ya nahi. Asli sawaal yeh tha ki jo usse wapas aane diya… uska irada kya hai.
The Price of Returning
Hospital ka environment surface par calm tha, lekin andar hi andar sab kuch shift ho chuka tha. Kiara physically recover kar rahi thi, burns heal ho rahe the, vitals stable the, doctors optimistic the. Lekin uski aankhon mein ek ajeeb si depth aa gayi thi, jaise woh kuch dekh kar aayi ho jahan se wapas aana aasaan nahi hota. Woh zyada bolti nahi thi. Kabhi kabhi bas chup reh kar saamne ke space ko dekhti rehti thi, jaise wahan koi invisible presence khadi ho. Jab Kiansh uska haath pakadta, woh halka sa smile karti, lekin us smile mein warmth kam aur acceptance zyada hota.
Teesri raat discharge se pehle Kiara ne achanak poocha, “Agar kisi ko wapas aane ke liye kisi aur ki jagah leni pade toh?” Room mein silence chha gaya. Kiansh ne turant jawab diya, “Koi kisi ki jagah nahi leta.” Lekin Kiara ne uski taraf seedha dekha aur dheere se kaha, “Har balance ka ek exchange hota hai.” Uski awaaz calm thi, almost detached. Jaise woh kisi philosophy ki baat nahi, kisi experience ki baat kar rahi ho.
Usi raat 2:29 AM par ICU ke adjacent ward mein ek elderly patient ka sudden cardiac arrest hua. Doctors ne full effort kiya, lekin 2:37 par unhe death declare karni padi.
Coincidence simple tha. Hospital mein deaths hoti rehti hain. Lekin exact us moment par Kiara ka monitor ekdum steady ho gaya, bilkul perfect rhythm mein. Nurse ne casually note kiya ki aaj pehli baar uski heartbeat itni balanced lag rahi hai.
Next morning Kiara visibly stronger thi. Uski voice clear thi, uski breathing stable thi. Sab relieved the. Par jab Vivan ne usse gently kaha, “Tum wapas aa gayi beta,” Kiara ne bina blink kiye jawab diya, “Haan… par koi gaya bhi hai.” Kisi ne us baat ko seriously nahi liya. Trauma, medication, stress—sab explanations ready the.
Discharge ke din jab wheelchair par use hospital ke main exit ki taraf le jaaya ja raha tha, Kiara ne ek baar peeche mud kar ICU corridor ko dekha. Uski gaze seedha us ward par ruki jahan raat ko death hui thi. Usne kuch nahi kaha, bas halki si saans andar kheechi. Kiansh ne us moment ko notice kiya, par ignore kar diya.
Car ke andar baithte hi Kiara ne aankhen band kar li aur dheere se kaha ki ab countdown uska nahi hai. Kiansh ka haath steering par ek pal ke liye freeze ho gaya aur usne almost fusahat mein poocha ki phir kiska. Kiara ne dheere se aankhen kholi aur seedha uski taraf dekha. Uski nazar mein pehli baar wapas aane ke baad halka sa darr tha, aur usne shaant awaaz mein jawab diya ki jo use wapas laaya hai, ab waqt uska chal raha hai.
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