Doctor Salim ke cabin mein ajeeb si khamoshi chha gayi thi.
Aayan ab bhi report ko dekhe ja raha tha.
Uske haath halki si kaanp rahe the.
Aayan: "Doctor... kya iska koi ilaaj nahi hai?"
Doctor Salim: "Ilaaj hai... lekin sirf ek."
"Heart transplant."
"Operation jitni jaldi ho, utna behtar hoga."
"Der karna theek nahi hoga."
Aayan ne aankhen band kar li.
Uske zehan mein sirf Ania ka chehra ghoom raha tha.
Abhi to usne Ania ko muskuraana sikhaya tha...
Abhi to unki nayi zindagi shuru hui thi.
Kya ye sab itni jaldi khatam ho jayega?
Doctor ne uske kandhe par haath rakha.
Doctor Salim: "Himmat mat haaro."
"Medical science bahut aage badh chuki hai."
"Lekin humein jaldi faisla lena hoga."
Aayan ne dheere se sir hila diya.
Phir cabin se bahar nikal gaya.
Bahar...
Ania bechain hokar uska intezaar kar rahi thi.
Jaise hi usne Aayan ko dekha, woh turant uske paas aayi.
Ania: "Kya hua? Doctor ne kya kaha?"
Aayan ne jhoothi muskurahat ke saath kaha—
Aayan: "Kuch khaas nahi."
"Bas thodi weakness hai."
"Kuch medicines di hain."
Ania ne uski aankhon mein dekha.
Usse mehsoos hua...
Ki Aayan kuch chhupa raha hai.
Lekin usne us waqt kuch nahi poocha.
Dono ghar laut aaye.
Raat bhar Aayan so nahi paaya.
Ek taraf apni bimaari ka darr...
Aur doosri taraf Ania.
Usne chupke se soyi hui Ania ko dekha.
Uske baal uske chehre par aa gaye the.
Aayan ne bade pyaar se unhe hata diya.
Dheere se muskuraya aur dil hi dil mein bola—
"Ya Allah... agar meri zindagi kam bhi ho... to meri Ania ko kabhi takleef mat dena."
Uski aankhon se ek aansu nikal kar gir gaya.
Agli subah...
Ania almari saaf kar rahi thi.
Tabhi uski nazar hospital ki reports par padi.
Usne reports uthakar padhna shuru kiya.
Jaise-jaise woh padh rahi thi...
Uske chehre ka rang udta ja raha tha.
Aankhon se aansu behne lage.
Uske haath se report zameen par gir gayi.
Ussi waqt Aayan kamre mein aaya.
Usne dekha...
Ania ke haath mein wahi reports thi.
Dono ki nazrein ek doosre se mili.
Ania roti hui uske paas aayi.
Ania: "Aapne mujhse jhooth kyun bola...?"
"Itni badi baat mujhse chhupa kaise li?"
Aayan kuch bol hi nahi paaya.
Ania ne uska haath pakad liya.
Uski awaaz kaanp rahi thi.
Ania: "Aapko kuch nahi hoga..."
"Hum operation karwayenge."
"Main Allah se har roz dua karungi."
"Main aapko kuch hone nahi dungi."
Ye sunte hi...
Aayan ki aankhen bhar aayi.
Usne pehli baar Ania ko itna toot kar rote dekha tha.
Usne Ania ko apni baahon mein le liya.
Aur dheere se kaha—
"Jab tak tum mere saath ho... main har dard se lad lunga."
Lekin...
Na Aayan jaanta tha...
Aur na hi Ania...
Ki kismat ne un dono ke liye ek aur bhi bada imtehaan likh rakha tha.
To Be Continued...