Hospital ka mahol hamesha ki tarah bhagam-bhag se bhara tha, par Neha ke liye aaj ki raat kuch alag hone wali thi.
Raat ke do baje rahe the jab ambulance ka hooter poore premises mein goonja.
"Emergency! Ward 4 ko khali karo!"
Neha bhagte hue casualty ward pahunchi. Stretchers par ek chota bacha tha, shayad mushkil se 7-8 saal ka. Road accident tha. Bacha khoon se lathpath tha aur uski maa peeche cheekh rahi thi, "Doctor sahiba, mera ek hi sahara hai, ise bacha lo!"
Neha ne kaanpte haathon se stethoscope lagaya. Dhadkan bohot dheemi thi. "Jaldi OT (Operation Theater) ready karo! Oxygen do!" Neha ne chillakar kaha, par uski awaaz mein ek dar chupa tha.
Teen ghante tak Neha aur uski team ne apni jaan laga di. Machines ki beeping sound poore kamre mein goonj rahi thi. Neha ke gloves poore laal ho chuke the. Wo baar-baar bache ka dil pump kar rahi thi, "Come on, beta... saans lo. Please, saans lo!"
Lekin kismat ko kuch aur hi manzoor tha. Monitor par jo lines up-down ho rahi thi, wo achanak seedhi ho gayi. Ek lambi, chubhne wali awaaz... Beeeeeeeeeeep...
Sannaata cha gaya.
Neha wahi jam gayi. Usne ghadi dekhi. "Time of death: 5:12 AM."
Jab wo OT se bahar nikli, wahi maa deewar se lag kar baithi thi. Neha ke paas shabd nahi the. Wo 'doctor' toh ban gayi thi, par aaj uski 'masoomiyat' ne use tod diya tha. Usne us maa ki aankhon mein dekha aur bina kuch kahe rone lagi.
Ek doctor ko rona nahi chahiye, par Neha ko laga jaise usne bacha nahi, apni hi umeed kho di ho. Us raat use samajh aaya ki har marz ki dawa nahi hoti, aur har ladayi jeeti nahi jati.