Aakhirat

Dard-e-Mohobbat

Early in the morning, birds were chirping in the distance, indicating a beautiful day with a foggy breeze and snow all around. Everything was quiet and peaceful, enough to make anyone fall into that sweet slumber we used to feel during our childhood at our granny's place in winters.

The abandoned old building was slowly being restored to its former state. As the workers arrived at the site, they prepared to resume their work from where they had left off the previous day.

The distant sounds of nature, mixed with the noises of the workers on the ground floor, disrupted someone's peaceful sleep. The woman realized it was already morning, and she wasn't dreaming anymore. As she stirred, she became aware that she had been sleeping on someone's shoulder.

Haseena pulled herself away, knowing exactly whose shoulder it was. She glanced at the owner, who was still deep in her slumber, her mouth slightly open, one hand draped around Haseena's shoulder as if protecting her from falling during the night, while the other hand supported her head.

Haseena removed the book from her chest, realizing that they had both fallen asleep while reading the previous night. She gently lifted the woman's arm from her shoulder and placed it carefully on her chest. For a moment, she found herself admiring Karishma, once again getting unknowingly drawn to her strange but endearing antics.

After a moment, Haseena decided it was time to get downstairs and start the day. She put on her winter coat and tied her hair into a bun, preparing to get off the wooden bench where they had spent the entire night sitting.

But before she could move, Karishma grabbed her hand, pulling her closer. The sudden tug caused Haseena to fall onto the bench beside her. "Yeh kya batmee..." Before she could finish her irritated outburst, she noticed that Karishma was still asleep.

Karishma pulled Haseena's hand to her chest and mumbled, "Aa... aap ha... humein chhod kar nahi ja... sakte, Ms. Malik!"

Haseena thought to herself, "Sapne mein bhi ched rahi hai humein! Ya Allah, kahaan phas gaye hain hum!" But before she could get any angrier, she noticed tears slipping from Karishma's closed eyes.

Karishma tightened her grip on Haseena's hand, squeezing so hard it actually started to hurt. It was as if Karishma was truly terrified of losing her. Despite the freezing temperature, Karishma's body was sweating and shivering, as though she was trapped in a nightmare where Haseena was leaving her.

"Karishma..." Haseena whispered, gently placing her other hand on Karishma's shoulder. As a doctor, she knew that waking someone up from a nightmare suddenly wasn't the right thing to do.

Leaning closer, Haseena endured the pain in her hand from Karishma's tight grip. She gently pulled Karishma's head towards her and hugged her, cradling her head on her chest. She could hear Karishma's faint whispers.

"H... hum... mar jaayenge... aa... aap aise humein chhod kar nahi ja sakte, Dr. Malik! Uth... uth uthiye... humne kaha... uthiye!!"

Haseena had a sense of what this might be related to, but she refused to believe it. She softly whispered, patting Karishma's back, "Ssshh... Karishma Singh, koi aapko chhod kar nahi jaa raha hai. Hum yahi hain, aapke saath, aapke paas... Dekhiye, hum yahi hain."

In her dream, Karishma saw a figure approaching, bathed in a bright light. She squinted against the sudden brightness that contrasted with the darkness she had been sitting in. As the figure spread their arms, inviting her into an embrace she had longed for, Karishma realized who it was.

Still half asleep, she whispered, "Aap... aa gaye... hum jaante the... ek din aap zarur laut kar aayenge."

Haseena didn't argue. Instead, she softly kissed Karishma's forehead and hugged her back. "Ji, Karishma Singh. Aur ab hum aapko chhod kar kahin nahi jaayenge."