🧠 The Woman Who Forgot Her Own Name

🩺The Strong One

Everyone called her Nadia Baji.

She was a senior nurse in a busy hospital in Karachi — the kind of woman who never sat down, never complained, and never let anyone go unnoticed.

She was the one other nurses came to for help. The one who stayed overtime without being asked. The one who remembered birthdays, brought food for poor patients, and comforted crying mothers at 3 a.m.

At home, it was the same.

She took care of her father’s medicines. Her younger sister’s tuition. The house bills. The cooking. The cleaning.

Everyone relied on her.

And she never said no.

Until one day… her brain did.

🕳 The Blank Moment

It was a Wednesday morning when it happened.

Nadia was handing out medicine on the second floor when a junior nurse asked, “Baji, can you check this patient’s chart for me?”

Nadia took the file in her hands, opened her mouth to speak… and froze.

She looked at the name on the file. It felt like she had never seen words before.

She blinked. Tried to speak. But her mind felt… empty.

Like someone had turned off the light.

A doctor nearby noticed. “Nadia, are you okay?”

She looked at him with wide eyes.

And softly said, “What’s my name again?”

🚨 Panic in the Brain

They rushed her to Emergency.

Her blood pressure was high. Heart racing. Eyes darting. Hands cold.

For a moment, everyone feared a stroke.

Tests were run. CT scans. Bloodwork. Neurological exams.

Everything came back normal.

Physically, she was healthy. But mentally — she had crashed.

Later, a psychologist was called.

He gently asked, “Nadia, how much are you sleeping?”

“Three hours a night.”

“What do you do after work?”

“Cook, clean, take care of my father. I prepare my sister’s homework too.”

“When was the last time you did something for yourself?”

She stared at him blankly.

She couldn’t remember.

🪞 The Mirror Without a Face

That night, in the hospital bed, Nadia looked in the mirror.

Her uniform was off. Her hair untied. Face pale. Eyes dark.

She looked like a stranger.

A nurse she trained brought her soup. “You always cared for us. Please rest now.”

Nadia tried to smile. But her lips trembled.

She whispered,

“I think I lost myself while trying to be everything for everyone.”

Her colleague held her hand and replied,

“You didn’t lose yourself. You just forgot where you placed your own heart.”

🌸 Remembering Nadia

In the weeks that followed, Nadia took leave — something she hadn’t done in years.

At first, it was hard. She felt guilty doing nothing. Felt selfish resting.

But slowly, she began to heal.

She went to therapy. She wrote in a journal. She slept more. She cried — really cried — for the first time in years.

One morning, she walked into a café alone and ordered her favorite coffee.

The barista smiled and said, “Name for the order?”

She paused. Then said with a soft smile:

“Nadia.” And this time… she remembered.

💬 When the body stays strong but the mind gives up, that’s not weakness — it’s a warning.

We live in a world that praises the people who never stop.

Who do it all. Who sacrifice silently.

But even the strongest minds break when overloaded.

Nadia didn’t fall from illness. She fell from neglecting herself.

• This story reminds us:
• You can’t pour from an empty cup.
• Rest is not a luxury — it’s survival.
• Saying “I need help” is strength, not shame.
• If your body speaks through symptoms — listen.

Because sometimes… the person you're forgetting to care for

is you.