Hawa ab aur bhi thandi ho chuki thi…
par Anand ke sharir me jalan rukne ka naam nahi le rahi thi।
Wo dheere-dheere wapas kamre me aaya…
uska dimaag sirf ek hi baat soch raha tha—
"Life time…?"
Usne turant apni saari reports bed par phela di।
Ek-ek karke wo sab dekhne laga—
Kidney reports…
Blood sugar levels…
BP readings…
Hemoglobin…
Aur tab…
ek ajeeb sa pattern saamne aane laga।
"Ye kaise possible hai…?" Anand ne dheere se kaha।
Diabetes… BP… Anemia… Kidney…
Itni saari problems… ek saath… itne kam time me?
"Ye naturally nahi ho sakta…"
uske andar se awaaz aayi।
Tabhi… phone achanak fir se on ho gaya।
Wahi unknown number…
jo ab tak gayab ho chuka tha।
Message aaya—
"Ab tum sahi direction me soch rahe ho…"
Anand ka gussa ab darr se bada ho chuka tha।
"Seedha batao! Ye sab ho kya raha hai?!"
Is baar reply turant aaya—
"Ye sab hua nahi hai… karwaya gaya hai."
Anand ki saanse ruk gayi।
Usne aankhen faila kar screen ko dekha—
"Matlab…?"
Phone fir se chamka—
"Tumhari body me jo ho raha hai… wo ek plan ka hissa hai."
"Slow… controlled… aur permanent damage."
Anand ke haath kaanpne lage।
Uske dimaag me turant doctor ka chehra aaya…
reports… medicines… baar-baar tests…
"Doctor…?" usne likha।
Kuch second tak typing dikhayi di…
Phir message aaya—
"Wo akela nahi hai."
Anand ka dil zor se dhadka।
"To fir kaun hai?!"
Is baar reply aane me thoda waqt laga…
Jaise koi soch raha ho…
Phir dheere se words screen par ubharne lage—
"Tumhare bahut kareeb ka koi…"
Anand ka gala sookh gaya।
Usne dheere se ghar ke andar dekha…
har cheez normal thi…
Par ab… sab kuch alag lag raha tha।
Har chehra… har rishta…
shak ke ghere me aa chuka tha।
Phone par last message aaya—
"Jis par tum sabse zyada bharosa karte ho…"
"Wahi tumhe dheere-dheere khatam kar raha hai."
Anand ke haath se phone gir gaya।
Uske kaan me sirf apni dhadkan sunayi de rahi thi।
Wo dheere se baitha…
aur usne apni aankhen band kar li…
Uske dimaag me ek chehra baar-baar aane laga…
Par wo yakeen nahi kar pa raha tha।
"Ye nahi ho sakta…"
usne dheere se kaha।
Tabhi…
kamre ke kone se halki si awaaz aayi—
"Sach accept karna sabse mushkil hota hai…"
Anand ne dheere se sir uthaya…
Aur uski nazar uss direction me gayi…
Par wahan…
koi nahi tha।
Sirf ek cheez thi—
uski latest report… jo khud-ba-khud khuli hui thi।
Aur uske neeche… kisi ne pen se likha tha—
"Next dose pending…"