Raat dheere-dheere aur gehri hoti ja rahi thi…
Hospital ke corridor me sirf machines ki halki awaaz aur kuch logon ki dheemi baatein sunai de rahi thi.
Aarohi ICU ke bahar bench par baithi thi…
Uski aankhen sujh chuki thi, par aansu rukne ka naam hi nahi le rahe the.
Har minute wo bas ek hi direction me dekh rahi thi
ICU ka wo darwaza…
Jiske peeche Kabir zindagi aur maut ke beech lad raha tha.
"Please Kabir… ek baar aankhen khol do…" usne dheere se kaha.
Uska dil har second toot raha tha.
Usne apna phone nikala…
Kabir ka chat open kiya…
Ab waha "You unblocked this contact" likha hua tha.
Aarohi ke haath kaanp rahe the.
Usne purane messages scroll kiye
Kabir: "Please ek baar baat kar le…"
Kabir: "Itna ignore mat kar yaar…"
Kabir: "Mujhe tujhse kuch important baat karni hai…"
Aarohi ke aansu screen par girne lage.
"Main itni stupid kaise ho sakti thi…" usne apne aap se kaha.
Tabhi ICU ka door halka sa khula…
Ek nurse bahar aayi.
Aarohi turant khadi ho gayi
"Please… main usse mil sakti hoon?" usne hope ke saath pucha.
Nurse ne uski halat dekhi…
Aur kuch seconds sochne ke baad dheere se bola
"Sirf 2 minutes…"
Aarohi ka dil ek second ke liye ruk gaya.
"Thank you…" usne jaldi se kaha aur ICU ke andar chali gayi.
Andar ka scene dekhte hi uske kadam dheeme pad gaye…
Kabir bed par pada tha…
Machines se connected…
Beep… beep… beep…
Uski saanse machine ke saath chal rahi thi.
Aarohi dheere-dheere uske paas gayi…
Usne Kabir ka haath pakda…
Thanda tha…
"Tum hamesha bolte the na… ki main tumhe ignore karti hoon…" usne halki si muskaan ke saath kaha, par awaaz toot rahi thi.
"Dekho… ab main yaha hoon… please aankhen kholo…"
Uski aankhon se aansu ruk nahi rahe the.
"Kabir… please mujhe ek chance de do… main sab theek kar dungi…"
Wo uska haath zor se pakad kar ro rahi thi.
Tabhi…
Kabir ki ungli halki si hili.
Aarohi ekdum se freeze ho gayi.
"Kabir…?" usne shock me kaha.
Kabir ki aankhen dheere-dheere khulne lagi…
Bahut mushkil se…
Par wo Aarohi ko dekh raha tha.
Aarohi ke chehre par ek second ke liye hope aa gayi.
"Kabir… main yaha hoon…" usne jaldi se kaha.
Kabir ne bolne ki koshish ki…
Par awaaz bahut weak thi.
Aarohi uske aur paas gayi.
"Kuch mat bolo… main samajh jaungi…" usne kaha.
Kabir ne dheere se uska haath dabaya…
Aur bahut mushkil se kaha
"Tu… aa gayi…"
Aarohi ka dil bhar aaya.
"Ha… main aa gayi… aur kahin nahi jaungi…" wo roti hui boli.
Kabir ki aankhon me halka sa aansu tha…
"Sorry…" usne dheere se kaha.
Aarohi ne turant mana kiya
"Sorry mujhe bolna chahiye… sab meri galti hai…"
Kabir ne halki si naa me sir hilaaya…
"Bas… ek baar… baat karni thi…"
Uski awaaz dheere-dheere kamzor hoti ja rahi thi.
Aarohi ke aansu ruk hi nahi rahe the.
"Ab kar lo… jitni marzi baat karo… main kahin nahi jaungi…"
Kabir ne uski taraf dekha…
Jaise wo usse last time dekh raha ho.
"Late… ho gaya…" usne mushkil se kaha.
Aarohi ka dil toot gaya.
"Nahi… aisa mat bolo… sab theek ho jayega…"
Tabhi machine ki beep thodi irregular hone lagi.
Beep… beep… …beep…
Aarohi panic ho gayi.
"Kabir! Nahi… please aise mat karo…"
Doctors jaldi se ICU me aa gaye.
"Please bahar jaiye!" nurse ne Aarohi ko pakad kar bahar le aayi.
Aarohi bahar khadi ro rahi thi…
Andar doctors Kabir ko bachane ki koshish kar rahe the.
Har second uske liye torture jaisa tha.
"Please Bhagwan… isse bacha lo…" wo baar-baar bol rahi thi.
Usse Kabir ki wo last line yaad aa rahi thi
"Late ho gaya…"
Aur uska dil bas ek hi baat keh raha tha
👉 Shayad sach me wo late ho gayi thi…
"Kya Kabir is raat survive kar payega… ya Aarohi ke paas sirf yaadein reh jayengi?"
To be continued…