Chapter 5 — Old Wounds

Hospital ki white lights aankhon ko chubh rahi thi.

Pure corridor mein dangerous silence tha. Sirf machines ki beep aur doctors ke footsteps ki awaaz sunai de rahi thi.

Hours beet chuke the.

Ayaan hospital ke corridor mein khada phone par continuously kisi se baat kar raha tha.

“Main excuses nahi sunna chahta,” usne cold tone mein kaha. “Mujhe har attacker ki detail chahiye.”

Dusri taraf Zayden silently Noor ke room ke bahar khada tha.

Uski grey eyes baar baar room ke glass par jaakar ruk jaati thi.

Andar Noor peacefully unconscious thi.

Lekin uske pale face ko dekhkar ajeeb sa fear feel ho raha tha.

Jaise woh strong girl suddenly bohot fragile ban gayi ho.

Tabhi doctor emergency room se bahar aaye.

“Patient is awake.”

Teeno instantly alert ho gaye.

Old lady weak condition mein bed par leti hui thi. Shoulder par bandage tha aur face unusually pale lag raha tha.

Jaise hi unki nazar Ayaan, Zayden aur Noor ke empty wheelchair par padi… unki aankhon mein concern aa gaya.

“Noor?” unhone weakly poocha.

“She’s fine,” Zayden ne immediately jawab diya.

Lekin old lady unki aankhon ko dekhkar samajh gayi thi ke sab fine nahi hai.

“Woh phir royi na…?” unhone dheere se poocha.

Silence.

Ayaan ne slowly nazar neeche kar li.

Old lady ki aankhon mein pain aa gaya.

“Bachpan se jab bhi woh toot ti hai… sab kuch apne andar daba leti hai.”

Unhone weak smile di.

“Lekin jab Noor roti hai na… samajh jao uska dil sach mein toot gaya hai.”

Kuch seconds ke liye room completely silent ho gaya.

Zayden ki jawline tighten hui.

Shayad woh bhi exactly yahi soch raha tha.

Usne Noor ko saalon tak strong dekha tha.

Cold. Untouchable. Fearless.

Lekin aaj…

Woh completely broken lag rahi thi.

Doctor ne softly kaha, “Patient ko rest ki zarurat hai.”

Sab dheere se room se bahar aa gaye.

Aur jaise hi hospital room ka door band hua—

Atmosphere phir heavy ho gaya.

Ayaan ne cold expression ke saath Zayden ki taraf dekha.

“Tum uske room ke aas paas bhi mat rehna.”

Zayden ne sarcastically smirk kiya.

“Still obsessed with controlling everything?”

Ayaan instantly uske kareeb aa gaya.

“Main Noor ko tumhari darkness mein wapas nahi jaane dunga.”

Zayden ki eyes dangerously narrow hui.

“Too late.”

“Tum kabhi nahi badloge,” Ayaan growled.

“Funny,” Zayden dheere se bola, “yeh line usually main tumhe bolta tha.”

Ek second ke liye dono freeze ho gaye.

Kyuki woh sentence directly unke past ko touch kar gaya tha.

Flashback.

Teen chhote bachche rain mein football khel rahe the.

Ayaan aur Zayden phir kisi baat par ladne lagte hain.

“Cheater!” young Ayaan loudly chillata hai.

Young Zayden usse push karta hai.

Lekin next second—

“No fighting!”

Chhoti Noor dono ke beech mein aa kar gusse se unhe dekhti hai.

Dono instantly chup ho jaate hain.

Old man loudly hasta hai.

“Dekha? Sirf Noor hi tum dono ko control kar sakti hai.”

Flashback end.

Hospital corridor mein khade Ayaan aur Zayden ek dusre ko silently dekhte rahe.

Jaise dono ne same memory ek saath yaad ki ho.

Lekin iss baar…

Na woh bachche the.

Na woh simple days wapas aane wale the.

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