[Lusty_bOOz]

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             CHAPTER 10 — ACHANEK AAYI VIPATTI
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Bangley ko sajane aur rasoi sambhalne wale din ko beete abhi do hi hafte hue the. Zindagi apni aam raftaar se chal rahi thi, lekin ek shaam iss shaanti par achanak musibat ki ek kaali chhaaya mandrane lagi.

Raat ke kareeb 11 baje the. Ghar ke sabhi log sone ki tayyari kar rahe the. Sonam rasoi ki aakhri safai karke apne kamre mein aayi, toh usne dekha ki uske pati bed par baithe hue the aur unka haath apne seene par tha. Unka chehra pasine se tar tha aur saans lene mein behad takleef ho rahi thi.

"Sonam... seene mein bohot tezz dard ho raha hai... saans nahi aa rahi," unke muh se adhoori aawaz nikli.

Sonam ke haath se kapda chhut gaya. Uske chehre ka rang ud gaya. Usne turant aage badhkar unhe sambhala, "Kya hua? Aap theek toh hain na? Suno! Bada beta! Jaldi aao!"

Sonam ki aawaz sunkar bada beta aur Nana ji daudte hue kamre mein aaye. Pati ki halat dekhkar ghar mein afra-tafri mach gayi. Bada beta turant pados ke doctor ko phone milane laga, lekin raat ke iss waqt koi phone nahi utha raha tha. Gali mein auto ya taxi milna bhi mushkil tha.

Pati ki halat har minute ke saath bigadti ja rahi thi. Nana ji ke haath kaanpne lage aur saas kamre ke kone mein baithkar rone lagi.

Sonam ka dil ghabrahat se zorse dhadak raha tha, lekin usne khud ko sambhala. Usne dekha ki waqt haath se nikal raha hai. Aise waqt mein use sirf ek hi cheez yaad aayi.

Usne turant apna phone uthaya aur kaanphte haathon se Vikram ka number dial kiya.

Phone par pehli hi ring mein Vikram ne call uthaya. Uske bolne ka tarika ekdum alert tha—

"Haan Sonam ji? Sab theek toh hai?"

Sonam ki awaaz ruyin se bhari thi, "Vikram ji... inki tabiyat bohot kharab ho gayi hai. Seene mein tezz dard hai, saans nahi mil rahi... humein samajh nahi aa raha kya karein..."

Vikram ne ek second bhi zaya nahi kiya. Uski awaaz ekdum gambhir aur aatmanirbhar ho gayi—

"Sonam ji, aap bilkul mat ghabraiye. Unhe seedha leta dijiye aur pankha chala dijiye. Main paanch minute mein ambulance aur sarkari hospital ki cardiac unit ko alert karke pahunch raha hoon. Aap bas shant rahiye."

Call cut hote hi Sonam ko ek aisi taakat ka ehsaas hua jaise koi majboot chatthan unke saath khadi ho.

Kareeb saat minute mein hi ghar ke bahar siren ki aawaz sunai di.

Vikram apni sarkari car ke saath advanced cardiac ambulance lekar pahunch chuka tha. Uske saath hospital ki trained medical team bhi thi. Vikram daudte hue andar aaya, uske chehre par zaroori gambhirta thi lekin koi pareshani nahi.

"Doctor, check timeline immediately!" Vikram ne order diya.

Paramedics ne turant Sonam ke pati ko stretcher par liya aur oxygen support lagaya. Vikram ne khud aage badhkar stretcher ko gaadi tak pahunchane mein madad ki.

"Uncle ji, aap aur bada beta mere saath gaadi mein baithiye. Sonam ji, aap ambulance mein inke paas baithiye," Vikram ne bohot hi tezz aur sateek faisle liye.

City ke sabse bade Heart Institute mein Vikram ne pehle se hi emergency ICU aur senior cardiologists ko tayyar rakha tha. Jaisey hi ambulance hospital pahunchi, medical team ne pati ko turant ICU mein shift kar diya.

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ICU ke bahar ka corridor behad shant tha.

Nana ji bench par baithe hue the aur bada beta unke paas khada tha. Sonam corridor ki khidki ke paas khadi aasmaan ki taraf dekh rahi thi, uske haath prarthna mein jude hue the. Uski saree ka pallu thoda bikhra hua tha aur chehre par gehri chinta thi.

Vikram doctor se baat karke Sonam ki taraf badha. Uske haath mein paani ki botal aur do cup garam chai thi.

Usne paani ki botal aur chai Nana ji ko di, aur phir ek cup chai lekar Sonam ke paas aaya.

"Sonam ji..." Vikram ne behad narm aawaz mein aawaz di.

Sonam ne mudkar dekha. Uski aankhon mein aansu thin.

"Doctor ne kya kaha Vikram ji?" Sonam ne kaanphti awaaz mein pucha.

Vikram ne chai ka cup meez par rakha aur behad aadar se kaha, "Minor attack tha Sonam ji. Time par hospital pahunchne ki wajah se koi gehra damage nahi hua hai. Doctor ne abhi medication de di hai, woh bilkul khatre se bahar hain."

Yeh sunte hi Sonam ke ghotne jaise jawab de gaye. Uski saans mein saans aayi aur woh khidki ke sahare tik gayi. Uske gaalon par se aansu beh nikle.

Vikram ne ek step aage badhaya, lekin apni maryada mein rehte hue ruk gaya. Usne behad gehri nazar se Sonam ko dekha.

"Aapne bohot himmat dikhayi Sonam ji. Agar aap sahi waqt par call nahi karti, toh mushkil ho sakti thi," Vikram ne kaha.

Sonam ne Vikram ki taraf dekha. Uski aankhon mein sirf shukriya nahi, balki ek aisa ehsaas tha jo lafzon se pare tha. Raat ke do baje, jab poori duniya so rahi thi, yeh aadmi unke parivaar ke liye ek dhal ban kar khada tha. Unke liye saari sarkari machinery, doctors aur ambulances ka intezaam karna... yeh sab sirf ek farz nahi tha, yeh uska gehra apnapan tha.

"Agar aaj aap nahi hote Vikram ji... toh pata nahi kya hota," Sonam ne rotay hue kaha.

Vikram ne apni jeb se rumal nikala aur Sonam ke haath par rakh diya—bina uske haath ko chhuye.

"Main hoon na Sonam ji... aapko kabhi akele nahi padne doonga. Main aakhir kis din kaam aaunga?"

Sonam ne rumal se apne aansu ponchhe aur Vikram ki taraf dekha. Unn dono ke beech koi prem-patra ya shabdon ka aada-pradan nahi hua tha, lekin iss sankat ki shaam ne unke rishte ko itna majboot aur pavitra bana diya tha ki duniya ki koi taakat use tod nahi sakti thi.

Subah ki pehli kiran hospital ki khidki se andar aayi, toh Sonam ke pati ko ICU se private ward mein shift kar diya gaya. Vikram poori raat corridor mein jaagti aakhon se khada raha, ek majboot chhaon ki tarah.