š Chapter 2: Naam Jo Dil Me Basa
Subah ke 8 baj chuke the, lekin Anaya abhi tak so nahi paayi thi.
Uska dimaag baar-baar usi ICU ke scene par jaakar ruk jaataāwo khoon se bhara aadmiā¦ uski gehri aankhenā¦ aur uske woh ajeeb alfaazā
"Tum mujhe bachane wali hoā¦ ya meri zindagi barbaad karne waliā¦?"
Anaya ne apni aankhen band ki, lekin uski awaaz jaise abhi bhi uske kaano me goonj rahi thi.
"Bas ek patient haiā¦" usne khud ko samjhaya.
"Main unnecessarily overthink kar rahi hoon."
Lekin dil maan hi nahi raha tha.
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Dopehar ke kareeb 12 bajeā¦
Anaya wapas hospital pahunchi. Aaj uski evening shift thi, lekin wo thoda jaldi aa gayi.
Kyun?
Shayad wo khud bhi nahi jaanti thi.
Jaise hi wo ICU ke paas pahunchi, uske kadam apne aap slow ho gaye.
Usne dheere se glass ke through andar dekhaā¦
Kabir ab hosh me tha.
Wo bed par half utha hua tha, haath me IV drip lagi thi. Uske chehre par ab bhi halki si chot ke nishaan the, lekin uski personality ab aur bhi powerful lag rahi thi.
Doctor usse kuch pooch rahe the, lekin Kabir sirf chhote aur seedhe jawab de raha tha.
Jaise wo zyada bolna hi nahi chahta.
Anaya ne ek gehri saans li aur andar chali gayi.
"Good afternoon," usne professional tone me kaha.
Kabir ki nazar turant us par tik gayi.
Wahi aankhenā¦ wahi intensityā¦
Jaise wo usse pehchaan gaya ho.
"Tumā¦" Kabir ne dheere se kaha.
Anaya ek second ke liye freeze ho gayi.
"Mainā¦ nurse Anaya," usne normal rehne ki koshish ki.
Kabir ke lips par halki si smile aayi.
"Naam achha hai," usne kaha.
Anaya ne nazar hata li. "Aap kaisa feel kar rahe ho?"
"Zinda hoonā¦ abhi ke liye," Kabir ne halka sa sarcasm ke saath jawab diya.
Doctor ne intervene kiya, "Mr. Kabir, aapko rest ki zarurat hai."
"Main theek hoon," Kabir ne seedha jawab diya.
Uski awaaz me itna authority tha ki room me ek pal ke liye silence chha gaya.
---
Kuch der baadā¦
Doctor chale gaye.
Room me sirf Anaya aur Kabir reh gaye.
Anaya uska BP check karne lagi.
Kabir usse bina blink kiye dekh raha tha.
"Problem kya hai?" Anaya ne irritate hoke pucha.
"Main dekh raha hoonā¦" Kabir ne calmly kaha.
"Kya?"
"Tumhe."
Anaya ka haath ek second ke liye ruk gaya.
"Patient ho aap. Thoda behave karo," usne strict tone me kaha.
Kabir halka sa hansa.
"Tum hamesha itni hi serious rehti ho?"
Anaya ne jawab nahi diya.
Lekin uske dil ki dhadkan fast ho chuki thi.
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"Tum yahan kaam kyun karti ho?" Kabir ne achanak pucha.
Anaya ne uski taraf dekha. "Kya matlab?"
"Matlabā¦ itni intelligent aur strong hoā¦ koi aur life choose kar sakti thi."
Anaya ne halki si smile di, lekin usme dard tha.
"Har kisi ke paas choice nahi hoti, Mr. Kabir."
Kabir ki aankhen thodi narrow ho gayi.
"Interestingā¦" usne dheere se kaha.
---
Tabhi ICU ka door phir khula.
Is baar ek stylish ladki andar aayiāhigh heels, branded clothes, aur attitude.
"Finally!" usne loud tone me kaha.
"Kabir, tum yahan ho aur mujhe kisi ne inform tak nahi kiya?"
Anaya thodi confuse ho gayi.
Kabir ka expression instantly change ho gaya.
"Riyaā¦ tum yahan kya kar rahi ho?" usne thodi irritation ke saath pucha.
"Of course, main aungi! Tum mereā" wo ruk gayi, phir Anaya ki taraf dekha.
Uski nazar me thodi jealousy thi.
"Who is she?" Riya ne seedha pucha.
Anaya ne professional tone me kaha, "I am his nurse."
Riya ne usse upar se neeche tak dekha.
"Hmmā¦ nurse," usne thoda sarcastically kaha.
Kabir ne thoda gusse me kaha, "Riya, behave."
Room ka atmosphere suddenly tense ho gaya.
---
Anaya ne file band ki aur bola, "Main bahar hoon. Agar kuch chahiye ho to call kar lena."
Wo jaise hi bahar nikli, usne ek ajeeb sa heaviness feel kiya.
Kyun?
Wo khud nahi samajh pa rahi thi.
---
ICU ke bahar khadi Anaya ne ek baar phir andar dekha.
Kabir Riya se baat kar raha thaā¦ lekin uski nazar baar-baar Anaya ki taraf aa rahi thi.
Jaise uski kahani abhi khatam nahi hui.
Jaise yeh sirf shuruaat thi.
---
Anaya ne dheere se khud se kahaā
"Door rehna hoga mujhe isseā¦"
Lekin usse bilkul nahi pata thaā¦
Ki kuch rishton se door rehna itna aasaan nahi hota.
Aur Kabir Malhotraā¦
Sirf ek naam nahi thaā¦
Wo ek toofan thaā¦
Jo uski zindagi me sab kuch badalne wala tha.
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To be continuedā¦