🌙 Chapter 4: Faisla
«Author’s Note:
“Kuch decisions zindagi badal dete hain…
aur kuch decisions… zindagi barbaad kar dete hain.”»
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ICU ka darwaza zor-zor se peeta ja raha tha.
“Door kholo!” bahar se ek aadmi ki khatarnaak awaaz goonji.
Anaya ka dil itni tez dhadak raha tha ki use apni saans bhi sunai de rahi thi.
Riya darr ke maare Kabir ke paas chipak gayi thi.
“Kabir… please kuch karo… ye log yahan tak aa gaye…”
Kabir bilkul shaant khada tha.
Jaise ye sab uske liye normal ho.
Uski nazar sirf Anaya par tikki thi.
“Ab decide karo, Anaya…” usne dheere se kaha.
“Tum meri taraf ho… ya unki?”
Anaya ke liye ye sab bahut sudden tha.
Ek taraf uski duty… uska profession…
Aur doosri taraf… ye aadmi… jo clearly kisi dangerous duniya ka hissa tha.
Door phir zor se hila.
“Last time bol raha hoon—door kholo!”
Anaya ne ek gehri saans li.
Usne Kabir ki aankhon me dekha…
Wahan darr nahi tha.
Sirf challenge tha.
Aur pata nahi kyun…
Anaya ne decision le liya.
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“Lights off karo!” Anaya ne turant kaha.
Riya aur ward boy shock ho gaye.
“Kya?” Riya ne pucha.
“Trust me,” Anaya ne firmly kaha.
Kabir ke lips par ek halki si smile aayi.
Jaise wo pehle se jaanta tha ki Anaya kya karegi.
Anaya ne ICU ki main lights band kar di.
Room me sirf emergency blue light reh gayi.
“Sab log side me raho,” Anaya ne kaha.
Phir wo dheere se door ke paas gayi.
Uska haath handle par gaya…
Dil zor se dhadak raha tha…
Aur usne door khol diya.
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3 aadmi andar ghuse.
Kaale kapde… rough look… aankhon me gussa.
“Kaun hai Kabir?” ek ne seedha pucha.
Anaya ne bilkul calm tone me kaha—
“Yahan koi Kabir nahi hai. Yeh ICU hai.”
“Jhoot mat bolo!” dusra aadmi gusse me aaya.
“Hume pata hai wo yahin hai!”
Anaya ne unki aankhon me aankh daal kar dekha.
“Patients critical hai. Agar disturb kiya to police case banega.”
Ek aadmi ne uska collar pakadne ki koshish ki—
Tabhi…
Peeche se Kabir ki awaaz aayi—
“Unhe chhod do.”
Room me ek second me silence chha gaya.
Sabki nazar Kabir par gayi.
Wo dheere-dheere aage badh raha tha.
Weak hone ke bawajood… uski presence itni powerful thi ki wo log bhi ek second ke liye ruk gaye.
“Tum log mujhe dhoond rahe the na?” Kabir ne thandi awaaz me kaha.
Riya shock me thi.
“Kabir, tum kya kar rahe ho?!”
Anaya ka dil dubne laga.
“Yeh kya kar diya maine…” usne socha.
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Ek aadmi aage badha.
“Aakhir mil hi gaye tum… Kabir Malhotra.”
Kabir ne halki si smile di.
“Milna to tumhe mujhse pehle hi chahiye tha… jab tumhare boss ne deal tod di thi.”
Unke beech ki baat Anaya samajh nahi pa rahi thi.
Lekin itna clear tha—
Yeh normal dushmani nahi thi.
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“Is baar bach nahi paoge tum,” ek aadmi ne gusse me kaha.
Kabir bilkul paas aa gaya.
Itna paas ki Anaya uski saans feel kar sakti thi.
“Tumhe lagta hai main akela hoon?” Kabir ne dheere se kaha.
Aadmi thoda hesitate hua.
Tabhi bahar se police siren ki awaaz aayi 🚨
Woh log ek dusre ko dekhne lage.
“Chalo yahan se!” ek ne jaldi me kaha.
Jaate-jaate ek aadmi ne Kabir ko dekha—
“Game khatam nahi hua hai…”
Aur wo sab bhaag gaye.
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Room me phir se silence chha gaya.
Sirf Anaya ki heavy breathing sunai de rahi thi.
Riya ne Kabir ko pakad liya.
“Tum pagal ho kya?! Tumhari condition dekhi hai?!”
Kabir ne usse gently hataya.
Uski nazar sirf Anaya par thi.
“Thanks…” usne dheere se kaha.
Anaya shock me thi.
“Thanks?” usne almost gusse me kaha.
“Tumhe idea hai kya hua abhi? Yeh hospital hai, koi battlefield nahi!”
Kabir uske paas aaya.
“Phir bhi tumne meri help ki,” usne softly kaha.
Anaya ka gussa aur badh gaya.
“Main nurse hoon! Maine patient ko protect kiya hai… tumhe nahi!”
Kabir ne halka sa smirk kiya.
“Difference samajhne me time lagega tumhe…”
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Anaya usse door hat gayi.
“Tum jaise log…” usne gusse me kaha,
“…sirf problems create karte ho.”
Kabir ka expression thoda serious ho gaya.
“Tumhe lagta hai main choice se aisa hoon?”
Anaya ruk gayi.
Yeh pehli baar tha jab Kabir ki awaaz me thoda emotion tha.
“Har insaan ki ek kahani hoti hai, Anaya…”
“Bas farq itna hai… meri kahani thodi dangerous hai.”
Anaya uski aankhon me dekh rahi thi.
Wahan ab sirf danger nahi tha…
Kuch aur bhi tha…
Dard.
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Riya beech me boli—
“Kabir, enough. Hume yahan se jaana hoga.”
Kabir ne sir hila diya.
Lekin jaane se pehle wo Anaya ke paas aaya.
Itna paas ki Anaya ka heart phir fast ho gaya.
“Yeh sirf shuruaat hai…” usne dheere se kaha.
“Ab tum is kahani ka hissa ban chuki ho.”
Anaya ne turant kaha—
“Main kisi kahani ka hissa nahi hoon.”
Kabir ne uski aankhon me dekhte hue halka sa smile kiya—
“Tumhe lagta hai tum choice kar sakti ho…”
“Par kuch rishte… bina permission ke ban jaate hain.”
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Kabir wahan se chala gaya.
Riya uske peeche.
Anaya wahi khadi reh gayi.
Uska dimaag blank tha.
Usne apne haath dekhe…
Jo abhi bhi halka sa kaanp rahe the.
“Yeh maine kya kar diya…” usne dheere se kaha.
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ICU ke bahar khadi Anaya ne aasman ki taraf dekha.
Sab normal lag raha tha…
Lekin uski zindagi ab normal nahi thi.
Kabir Malhotra…
Ek naam…
Jo ab uske dil aur zindagi dono me jagah bana chuka tha.
Chahe wo chahe ya na chahe.
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Door kahin…
Kabir car me baitha tha.
Usne aankhen band ki…
Aur dheere se bola—
“Game ab shuru hua hai…”
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To be continued…