Chapter 1
Chapter 1 — The Day Everything Changed
The morning sunlight filtered through Zara Ahmed’s bedroom curtains.
For most people, it was just another day.
For Zara, it was the day she had spent years preparing for.
MDCAT.
She stood in front of the mirror, adjusting her light blue kurta while silently revising Biology concepts.
“Zara!”
Uski Ammi ki awaaz aayi.
“Ji Ammi, aa rahi hoon!”
Dining table par uske Abbu chai pee rahe thay.
“Aaj bara din hai.”
Zara ne chair khainch kar baithte hue kaha,
“Abbu, bohat nervous hoon.”
Abbu muskura diye.
“Acha hai.”
“Acha hai?”
“Haan. Jo daray huay hotay hain woh mehnat bhi zyada kartay hain.”
“Mashallah, kya motivation hai.”
Zara ne mazaak mein kaha.
Abbu hans paray.
Ammi ne nashta uske saamne rakha.
“Pehle nashta karo.”
“Ammi, kuch khanay ka dil nahi kar raha.”
“Nahi. Khaali pait paper dene nahi jana.”
“Mera pait waise hi tension se bhara hua hai.”
Nashta khatam kar ke Zara uth khari hui.
Bag uthaya.
Admit card check kiya.
Phir darwaze ke paas ruk gayi.
“Dua karna.”
Ammi ne uske sar par haath rakha.
“Allah tumhein kamyabi de.”
“Ameen.”
Exam khatam hone ke baad...
Zara exam center se bahar nikli.
Chehre par halki si muskurahat thi.
“Alhamdulillah...”
Paper acha gaya tha.
Tabhi uska phone baja.
Ammi Calling
“Assalamualaikum Ammi.”
“Wa Alaikum Assalam! Kaisa hua paper?”
“Alhamdulillah, acha hua.”
“Mujhe pata tha.”
“Result anay do pehle.”
“Maa ko sab pata hota hai.”
Zara hans pari.
Call khatam hui hi thi ke uski nazar road ke paas khari ek aurat par padi.
Woh bohat pareshan lag rahi thi.
Zara foran uske paas gayi.
“Aunty, sab theek hai?”
Aurat ki aankhon mein aansu aa gaye.
“Beta, meri madad karo please.”
“Kya hua?”
“Meri beti ambulance mein hai... woh behosh ho gayi hai.”
“Kya?”
“Mujhe samajh nahi aa raha kya karun.”
Zara foran fikarmand ho gayi.
“Kahan hai woh?”
Aurat ne white ambulance ki taraf ishara kiya.
“Yahan. Bas ek minute ke liye aa jao.”
Zara ambulance mein chadh gayi.
Andar sab normal lag raha tha.
Lekin phir...
DHAM!
Door uske peeche band ho gaya.
Zara ka dil zor se dhadka.
“Aunty...?”
Usne mud kar dekha.
Aurat ke chehre se sari pareshani gayab thi.
“Yeh... kya ho raha hai?”
Tabhi ek dusri aurat peeche se aayi.
Aur Zara ke moonh par kapra rakh diya.
Uski aankhen phail gayin.
“Nahi! Chhoro mujhe!”
Sab kuch dhundla hone laga.
Awaazein door jaane lagin.
Aur phir...
Andhera.
To Be Continued... 📖✨
