Scene One
ICU Corridor – 4:00 AM
The digital clock on the wall flicked from 3:59 to 4:00 AM.
Inside the ICU, alarms suddenly grew louder, sharper—no longer the soft rhythmic beeps that had accompanied the night, but urgent, irregular sounds that pierced straight into the heart.
Dr. Yousuf stood beside Hameed sahib's bed, eyes fixed on the monitor.
"Oxygen saturation gir rahi hai," a nurse said quickly.
Hameed sahib's chest struggled to rise. Each breath looked like a battle. His face had turned pale, almost grey, beads of sweat lining his forehead.
Dr. Yousuf leaned closer, checking the vitals again.
"He's not breathing properly," he said firmly. "Prepare the ventilator. We can't wait anymore."
The nurse nodded and moved swiftly.
---
Scene Two
Decision of the Ventilator
Outside the ICU, the family sensed something was wrong even before anyone spoke.
Imran stood up abruptly when he saw staff rushing.
"Kya ho raha hai?" he asked anxiously.
No one answered yet.
Inside, Dr. Yousuf gave clear instructions.
"Ventilator lagaya ja raha hai. Immediate support chahiye."
The tube was carefully placed. The machine hissed softly as it began assisting Hameed sahib's breathing. His chest now rose mechanically, no longer by his own strength.
Dr. Yousuf watched closely.
"Come on, Hameed sahib," he whispered under his breath, more as a prayer than a command.
---
Scene Three
Outside – Silent Fear
Rimsha stood holding Fatima close. The baby slept peacefully, unaware of the storm raging around her.
Kulsoom aunty sat frozen, her eyes wide open, lips continuously moving.
"Ya Allah… Ya Hafeez…"
Maryam sat beside her, one hand on Kulsoom aunty's shoulder.
"Allah behtar karega," Maryam said softly, though her own voice trembled.
Haroon stood slightly apart, hands clasped behind his back, his trained police instincts powerless here.
Ubaid and Irfan had finally fallen asleep on the bench, exhaustion overtaking fear. Ubaid's head rested on Irfan's shoulder. Little Fatima slept in Rimsha's arms, her tiny fist closed tightly.
The corridor smelled of antiseptic and fear.
---
Scene Four
The Waiting Continues
Minutes felt like hours.
The ventilator continued its mechanical rhythm. Inside the ICU, nurses adjusted drips, checked vitals, whispered medical terms that carried terrifying weight.
Dr. Yousuf looked at the monitor again.
Blood pressure: falling.
Pulse: weak.
He clenched his jaw.
"We're doing everything possible," he told the staff. "Keep monitoring."
---
Scene Five
Fajr Azaan – 5:05 AM
Suddenly, through the thick hospital walls, a familiar sound drifted in.
Allahu Akbar… Allahu Akbar…
The azaan for Fajr echoed softly from the hospital mosque.
The sound wrapped itself around the corridor, calm yet heavy.
Maryam's eyes filled with tears instantly.
"Fajr ka waqt ho gaya," she whispered.
Kulsoom aunty raised her trembling hands right where she sat.
"Ya Allah… iss waqt meri dua qabool kar le," she cried softly.
"Mere shohar ko bacha le."
Imran closed his eyes tightly, leaning his forehead against the wall.
"Abbu… please…" he whispered.
Rimsha felt tears roll silently down her cheeks, falling onto Fatima's blanket.
Haroon quietly spread a shawl over the sleeping boys, his eyes moist.
---
Scene Six
Inside the ICU – The Final Struggle
Inside, the monitor suddenly gave a long, sharp sound.
Dr. Yousuf looked up instantly.
"Cardiac arrest," a nurse said.
"Start CPR," Dr. Yousuf ordered.
They moved fast—compressions, injections, electric shock.
"Again," Dr. Yousuf said.
Nothing.
The monitor showed a straight line, then a faint flicker… and then flat again.
Dr. Yousuf checked the pulse himself.
There was none.
He looked at the clock on the wall.
5:58 AM
He closed his eyes for a brief moment.
---
Scene Seven
Time of Death
Dr. Yousuf removed his gloves slowly.
"I'm sorry," he said quietly to the team.
"Time of death… six o'clock."
The room fell silent except for the steady hum of machines that now meant nothing.
Hameed sahib lay still. No struggle. No breath.
A life of decades ended in quiet finality.
---
Scene Eight
The Doctor Comes Out – 6:00 AM
The ICU door opened.
Everyone outside stood up at once.
Dr. Yousuf stepped out. His face said everything before his lips moved.
Imran walked toward him, hope still flickering desperately.
"Doctor…?" he asked.
Dr. Yousuf took a deep breath.
"I'm extremely sorry," he said gently.
"Hum poori koshish kar chukay hain. Hameed sahib… hum mein nahi rahe."
For a second, no one reacted.
Then—
"NAHI!" Kulsoom aunty screamed.
She nearly collapsed if Maryam hadn't caught her.
"Mere shohar… mujhe chorr kar nahi ja sakte!" she cried uncontrollably.
Imran stood frozen, his world shattering in silence.
"Abbu…" he whispered, his knees buckling.
Haroon stepped forward, holding him firmly.
Rimsha's breath caught in her chest. She hugged Fatima tightly as sobs finally broke free.
Maryam cried silently, holding Kulsoom aunty close.
Ubaid and Irfan woke up at the sound of crying.
"Ammi?" Irfan asked, scared.
Maryam pulled them into her arms.
---
Scene Nine
A House Loses Its Pillar
Kulsoom aunty's cries echoed through the corridor.
"Main ab kis ke saharay jeeyun gi?" she sobbed.
Imran covered his face with his hands.
"Maine Abbu ko akela chor diya tha…" he said brokenly.
Rimsha placed one hand on his shoulder.
"Imran… Allah ki marzi thi," she said through tears.
Dr. Yousuf spoke softly.
"Aap thori dair baad unhein dekh sakte hain."
---
Closing Scene
Morning Without Him
The sun had risen outside.
A new day had begun.
But for this family, the world had stopped.
At 6:00 AM, Hameed sahib had taken his final breath—leaving behind a grieving wife, a shattered son, a weeping daughter-in-law, and a family bound now by loss.
The hospital corridor, which had held their prayers all night, now held their silence.
And the azaan of Fajr faded into a mourning dawn.