Night Shift

Jinnah Hospital ki emergency mein subah ke chaar baje waqt ruk jata hai. Stretcher ke pahiye, monitors ki beep, aur kahin door se kisi bachay ke rone ki awaaz: sab kuch ek hi lay mein chalta rehta hai.

Dr. Aleena Siddiqui ne pichle chhattis ghante se neend ki shakal nahi dekhi thi. Uske scrubs par chai ka daagh tha aur baalon mein ek pencil phansi hui thi jise woh do ghante se dhoond rahi thi.

“Dr. Aleena, bed number saat,” nurse Shazia ne awaaz di. “Naye registrar sahib ne chart dobara likhwaya hai. Teesri dafa.”

Aleena ne aankhein band kar lin. Naya registrar. Dr. Faraz Ahmed, jo London se wapas aaya tha aur jise lagta tha ke har cheez ka ek sahi tareeqa hota hai, aur woh tareeqa hamesha uska hota hai.

Woh bed number saat par pahunchi to Faraz wahan pehle se maujood tha, chart haath mein, bhanwein tani hui. “Aap ne dawa ki dose mein point lagana chhod diya,” us ne kaha.

“Aur aap ne salaam karna,” Aleena ne jawab diya.

Faraz ne pehli dafa uski taraf dekha, sach mein dekha. Phir, bohat aahista, us ne chart neeche kiya aur kaha, “Assalam-o-alaikum, Dr. Siddiqui. Dose theek kar dein, please.”

Aleena ne dose theek kar di. Lekin jab woh wapas mudi, to use mehsoos hua ke uske gaalon par halki si dhoop utar aayi hai, aur emergency ward mein to khidki bhi nahi thi.