🌙 Chapter 1: Anjaana Rishta
Raat ke theek 2 baje the. Shehar so chuka tha, lekin City Care Hospital ki ICU abhi bhi jaag rahi thi. Safed deewaron par padti tube light ki halki si peeli roshni, machines ki lagataar "beep… beep…" aur disinfectant ki tez smell—ye sab milkar ek ajeeb sa sannata paida kar rahe the.
Anaya ne apni wrist watch dekhi. "Bas 4 ghante aur…" usne dheere se khud se kaha. Uski aankhon me neend thi, lekin uske haath abhi bhi active the—ek patient ka IV drip adjust karna, doosre ka temperature note karna, teesre ki file update karna. Yeh sab uski aadat ban chuki thi.
Anaya ek simple ladki thi. Na zyada bade sapne, na koi flashy lifestyle. Uski duniya uski job, uski maa, aur uska chhota sa rented ghar tak simit thi. Lekin uski aankhon me ek ajeeb sa determination tha—jaise wo zindagi se haarna nahi jaanti.
ICU ke glass ke bahar khadi Anaya ne ek gehri saans li. "Life bhi na… kitni unpredictable hoti hai," usne socha. Kabhi sab normal, aur kabhi ek second me sab badal jata hai.
Tabhi achanak…
BANG!
ICU ka darwaza zor se khula.
"Emergency case!" ek compounder zor se chillaya.
Anaya turant active ho gayi. "Stretcher andar lao jaldi!" usne command di.
Do ward boys ek aadmi ko stretcher par lekar aaye. Uska poora shirt khoon se bheega hua tha. Haath par gehri chot thi, aur maatha bhi phata hua lag raha tha. Lekin ajeeb baat yeh thi ki uska chehra bilkul shaant tha—jaise usse dard ka koi ehsaas hi na ho.
"Vitals check karo!" Anaya ne bina time waste kiye kaha.
"BP low hai madam… pulse weak…" ek nurse ne jaldi se report diya.
"IV line lagao. Oxygen mask do. Jaldi!"
Room me achanak se tezi aa gayi. Har koi apna kaam kar raha tha. Lekin Anaya ki nazar baar-baar us aadmi ke chehre par ja rahi thi.
Uski jawline sharp thi, skin wheatish par clean, aur aankhen band hone ke baad bhi unme ek strange sa confidence dikh raha tha. Jaise wo aadmi normal nahi tha.
"Naam kya hai iska?" Anaya ne pucha.
Ward boy ne sir hila diya. "Pata nahi madam. Road ke paas mila tha. Police ko inform kar diya hai."
Anaya ne halki si frown ki. "Unknown patient…"
Usne gloves adjust kiye aur patient ke paas jaakar uska haath pakda. Haath thanda tha… lekin grip strong thi.
Achanak…
Us aadmi ki ungli halki si hili.
Anaya ka dil ek second ke liye ruk gaya.
"Wait… isne move kiya!" usne kaha.
Sabki nazar us par tik gayi.
Us aadmi ki aankhen dheere-dheere khulne lagi. Gehri, dark aankhen… jaise andhere me jalte hue diye.
Anaya uski aankhon me kho si gayi.
"Sir, aap sun pa rahe ho?" usne softly pucha.
Wo aadmi kuch seconds tak bas use dekhta raha. Jaise uski aankhon ke peeche kuch chal raha ho—kuch yaadein, kuch raaz.
Phir usne bahut dheemi awaaz me kaha—
"Tum…"
Anaya aur paas jhuki.
"…mujhe bachane wali ho… ya meri zindagi barbaad karne wali…?"
Anaya ka dil zor se dhadka.
"Kya?" usne confused hoke kaha.
Lekin us aadmi ne phir aankhen band kar li.
Room me phir se silence chha gaya.
"Strange…" Anaya ne dheere se kaha.
"Madam, shayad shock me kuch bhi bol diya hoga," ek nurse ne kaha.
Anaya ne sir hila diya, lekin uska mann maanta nahi tha.
Yeh sirf random words nahi the… uski awaaz me ek ajeeb sa yaqeen tha.
Jaise wo usse pehle se jaanta ho.
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2 ghante baad…
Patient stable ho chuka tha. Dressing ho gayi thi, bleeding control me thi. Doctors ne temporary relief de diya tha.
Anaya ne apni file band ki aur us patient ke paas jaakar khadi ho gayi.
"Tum kaun ho…" usne dheere se kaha.
Usne uske chehre ko dhyan se dekha.
Us aadmi me kuch alag tha.
Na sirf uski personality… balki uska presence.
Jaise wo kisi aam duniya ka hissa hi nahi tha.
Tabhi ICU ke bahar halki si halchal hui.
Do police officers andar aaye.
"Kaun hai duty nurse?" unhone pucha.
"Main," Anaya ne jawab diya.
"Patient ki condition?"
"Stable hai abhi. Lekin unconscious hai."
Ek officer ne patient ko dekha, phir Anaya ki taraf mudkar bola—
"Is aadmi ka naam shayad Kabir hai… Kabir Malhotra."
Anaya ne naam repeat kiya—"Kabir…"
Naam sunte hi uske dil me ek ajeeb si feeling aayi.
Jaise usne yeh naam pehle bhi kahin suna ho.
"Kaun hai yeh?" usne pucha.
Officer thoda hesitate hua, phir bola—
"Better hoga aap isme zyada involve na ho. Yeh normal case nahi hai."
Anaya ki curiosity aur badh gayi.
"Matlab?"
Officer ne seedha jawab nahi diya.
"Bas apna kaam kijiye, nurse. Baaki hum handle karenge."
Police wale chale gaye.
Lekin Anaya ke dimaag me ab sirf ek hi naam ghoom raha tha—
Kabir Malhotra...
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Subah hone lagi thi.
Anaya ki shift khatam hone wali thi.
Wo apna bag lekar ICU se bahar nikalne hi wali thi… tabhi usne ek baar phir mudkar us patient ko dekha.
Kabir bilkul shaant so raha tha.
Jaise raat ki wo baat kabhi hui hi na ho.
Anaya ne dheere se kaha—
"Tum kaun ho Kabir…?"
Usse khud bhi nahi pata tha ki yeh sirf ek patient nahi tha…
Yeh uski zindagi ka sabse bada mod banne wala tha.
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Hospital ke bahar aakar Anaya ne fresh hawa me saans li.
Suraj ug raha tha.
Nayi subah… nayi shuruaat.
Lekin usse bilkul andaza nahi tha…
Ki uski zindagi ab normal nahi rehne wali.
Kabir Malhotra ke aane se…
Sab kuch badalne wala tha.
Pyaar bhi…
Dard bhi…
Aur ek aisa sach…
Jo uski poori duniya hila dega.
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To be continued…