Ashutosh picked Armaan up from the airport. When he came home and took him to Rahul’s room, both Nidhi and Siddhi were there. They greeted each other and Ashutoh introduced Armaan to Nidhi, “Nidhi. Dr. Armaan mere bachpan ke dost hain. Abhi WHO ke saath hain aur yahan usi ke silsile mein aaye hain. Hotel mein jane waale the. Last moment par kidnap kar ke main unhein ghar le aaya hoon.”

Nidhi laughed, “Ye to aapne bahut achchha kiya Dr. Ashutosh.”

“Aur ye hain Nidhi. Dr. Nidhi Verma. Kotnis mein intern hain. Rahul inhein din raat pareshaan kiye rahta hai. Khaas kar ke jab se bed-rest par gaya hai…”

“Aisa kuchh nahin hai, Sir.”

“Haan. Waise inhein bhi mazaa hi aata hai Armaan. Bachchon ke saath bahut enjoy karti hain. Aur ye hain Siddhi, Dr. Nidhi ki sister.”

Armaan shook hands with Nidhi and Siddhi. Then they turned their attention to Rahul.

“Aur ye hai hamara hero. Thoda pale hai aaj kal jaundice ki wajah se.”

“Lekin main jaldi theek ho jaunga, Papa.”

“Of course. Aapko Armaan Uncle yaad hain?”

“Nahin,” his childish frankness made everyone laugh.

“Kaise yaad hoga? Bahut chhota tha jab hum pichhli baar mile the,” Armaan said, “Chocolate to abhi main aapko de nahin sakta. To isliye aapke liye fruits laaya hoon.”

“Lekin main fruits kha-kha kar bore ho gaya hoon.”

It made everyone laugh again. But Nidhi chided him, “Rahul. Koi gift laata hai to aise nahin bolte. Thank you bolo.”

“Sorry Nidhi Auntie. Thank you Armaan Uncle.”

Armaan grinned, “Such a sweet boy. But don’t worry. Main abhi yahan kuchh dinon ke liye hoon. Jab aap theek ho jayenge, to hum aapko aapki favourite cheezein khilayenge.”

“Pastries bhi?”

“Haan Baba. Pastries bhi,” Nidhi assured him. Then turned to Armaan, “Dr. Armaan, aap baithiye na. Siddhi Hiraman Kaka se bol chai-naashte ka intezaam karein.”

Armaan looked at Ashutosh curiously, noticing Nidhi’s comfort at Ashutosh’ home, but Ashutosh avoided him. His own mind was riddled with questions. He didn’t want to face any from others.

Armaan was jovial by nature, and soon he had everyone in splits with his jokes and anecdotes. Suddenly he threw a question at Nidhi, “So, Dr. Nidhi. Aap aksar yahan aati rahti hain?”

“Ji?” Nidhi was embarrassed. Ashtutosh also fidgeted in his seat. Armaan observed both of them for a second, then diffused the tension, “Mera matlab hai ki agar aap aati-jaati rahti hain to mera bhi thoda man laga rahega. Warna is champu ke saath to mein bore ho jaunga.”

Siddhi and Rahul giggled at Armaan’s use of ‘champu’ for Ashutosh. Ashutosh glared at Armaan, while Nidhi grinned.

“Ji. Rahul ki tabiyat theek nahin hai aur bed-rest ki wajah se woh bore ho jaata hai. To main aur Siddhi kabhi-kabhi use company dene ke liye aa jaate hain. Siddhi aur Rahul ek hi school mein padhte hain.”

“Badhiya hai. Phir aisa kiijiye ki aap apna ye aana-jaana Rahul ke theek ho jaane ke baad bhi, jab tak main hoon yahan, zaari rakhiye.”

Nidhi threw a glance at Ashutosh and just smiled.

“Sir. Ab aap log aa hi gaye hain to main chalti hoon. Rahul ki shaam ki dawai de di hai. Ab bas sone ke pahle deni hai.”

“Dinner kar ke jaiye.”

“Nahin Sir. Hum ghar jaayenge.”

“Ghar waale intezaar kar rahe honge, right?” Armaan chipped in jovially.

Nidhi’s face fell, Siddhi also looked disturbed and Ashutosh became tongue-tied.

“Lekin Nidhi Auntie aur Sidhi ke ghar par to aur koi nahin hai,” Rahul spoke, incapable of realizing the sensitivity of the matter at his age.

Their faces and Rahul’s statement made Armaan realize his faux-pas. But before he could say anything, Rahul spoke again, “Ruk jaiye na Nidhi Auntie.”

“Aaj nahin beta,” Nidhi smiled at him and caressed his cheek, “Siddhi ko bhi homework karna hai na. Aur mujhe bhi kaam hai. Lekin main phir aaungi. Aur tumhare liye wooden cart bhi laungi. Okay?”

“Okay.”

“Bye Dr. Armaan, Dr. Ashutosh. Chal Siddhi.”

“Ashutosh. I am sorry, yaar. Dr. Nidhi ke parents nahin hain kya?” Armaan asked when Rahul was not around.

“Nahin. Unki death kaafi pahle ho gayi thi.”

“Oh God! I should apologize. She must be hurt.”

“Don’t worry Armaan. She is too tough to be hurt like that. Main baat kar loonga zaroorat padegi to.”

—

“Aap aayin nahin pichhle 3-4 dinon se ghar par?” Ashutosh walked into the common room. Nidhi was on the night duty and sitting there alone.

“Sir?” she stood up startled.

Ashutosh smiled, “Aap phir chaunk gayin? Abhi to maine koi mushkil sawaal nahin poochha. Rahul aapke liye poochh raha tha.”

“Nahin Sir. Bas… time nahin mila. Siddhi ke exams aa rahe hain. To uske saath baithna padta hai. Otherwise uska dhyaan nahin lagta padhai mein.”

“Woh manage karna to aap jaanti hain, I am sure. Apne exams ke saath bhi to aapne uske exams manage kiye honge.”

“Mujhe nahin pata aap kya kahna chahte hain?” Nidhi didn’t argue.

“Aapko Armaan ki baat ka bura lag gaya kya?”

“Nahin. Usmein bura maanne ki kya baat hai.”

“Phir kya hua hai?”

Nidhi sighed, “Dr. Armaan aapke ghar par ruke hain. Mera baar-baar aana ajeeb lagega.”

“Aur Rahul?”

“Mere paas ek wooden toy cart hai bachpan se. Maine use promise kiya tha ki uske liye le jaungi. Mere paas hai abhi. Aap woh le jaayenge please?”

“Promise to aapne use aane ka bhi kiya tha.”

“Main kya karoon? Aap hi bataiye.”

“Rahul aapko miss kar raha hai.”

“Main kya karoon, Dr. Ashutosh?”

“Mere baare mein sochna chhod dijiye.”

“Woh koi problem nahin hai.”

“Of course hai.”

“Kyon hai? Main aapse to kuchh nahin kah rahi.”

“Na kahne se koi cheez khatam to nahin ho jaati?”

“Insist karne se bhi khatam nahin ho jaati. Aur jab main aapko kissi cheez ke liye insist nahin kar rahi, to aap mujhe kyon kar rahe hain?”

“This is disastrous.”

“Aur hum ye baat kyon kar rahe hain? Aap to Rahul ki baat karne aaye the na?”

“Mujhe nahin pata,” Ashutosh sounded frustrated and got up to leave.

“Dr. Ashutosh!” Nidhi spoke softly now, “Aap please aise pareshaan mat hoiye. Aap jo kahenge main karoongi. Mere issues ki wajah se Rahul suffer kare, aisa main nahin hone doongi. Agar maine is wajah se kuchh kiya hota, to main pahle hi aana chhod deti. Lekin maine aisa to nahin kiya! Main wakai Dr. Armaan ki wajah se nahin aa rahi thi. Kyonki mujhe laga ki meri presence ghar par aapke liye awkward aur uncomfortable ho sakti hai. Lekin agar aapko aisa nahin lagta, to main Rahul ke liye zaroor jaungi.”

“Kyon itna karti hain aap Rahul ke liye?”

“Pata nahin. Siddhi ke drama group mein main aur bhi bachchon se mili. Lekin nobody else took to me like he did. Maine to bas reciprocate kiya,” she laughed slightly and added, “Koi connection hoga hamara – agar aisa kuchh hota hai to.”

“Meri wajah se woh connection too na jaye,” Ashutosh looked thoughtful.

“Sir. Main Rahul se aapse pahle mili thi. To aapko is baat se darne ki zaroorat nahin hai ki hamari complications se kabhi mere aur Rahul ke rishte par farq padega. Aisa nahin hoga.”

“Mujhe kabhi-kabhi samajh mein nahin aata hai ki mujhe kiski chinta zyada hoti hai. Aapki ya Rahul ki?”

“Meri chinta kyon kar rahe hain aap? Main koi pyaar mein ruswa ho kar jaan nahin de rahi. Mere oopar Siddhi ki responsibility hai.”

“Mujhe bhi aapke jaan dene ki parwaah nahin hai. Aapki zindagi ki parwaah hai. Aaj Sidhhi aapki responsibility hai. Kal ko woh badi ho jayegi, apne raaste jayegi. Kya tab aap akeli nahin rah jayengi?”

“Ye to aapke saath bhi hoga na, Sir? Rahul koi hamesha aath saal ka bachcha to nahin rahega.”

“Yahi farq to aapko samajhne ki zaroorat hai. Aapke saamne aapki poori zindagi hai. Aapke saamne possibilities. Mere liye woh samay nikal gaya hai, Nidhi.”

“To main kya karoon? Apni umra ke kissi bhi ladke ko pakad kar usse shaadi kar loon?”

“Nahin. Main ye nahin kah raha. Ek to abhi itni jaldi shaadi karne ki zaroorat nahin hai aapko. Doosre jab bhi karein, apni umra ke kissi bhi ladke se karne ki zaroorat nahin hai. Usse karein jiske saath aap identify kar sakti hain. Lekin us insaan tak pahunchne ke liye aapko apne raaste khule rakhne honge.”

“Aur main apni umra ke logon ke saath identify nahin karti. Immature lagte hain mujhe sab ke sab.”

“Woh understandable hai. Mostly aapki umra ke logon ne itni responsibilities nahin uthayi hoti hai.”

“Wajah jo bhi ho. Lekin main jo ban gayi hoon, woh ban gayi hoon Dr. Ashutosh. Mummy-Papa ka suicide, ya Siddhi ki responsibility, jo bhi wajah ho… main apni umra ke aur logon ki tarah nahin hoon. Aur nahin ban sakti. Kyonki innocence aur inexperience bazaar mein nahin milte. Kya ismein koi burai hai? Aur agar hai to kya ismein meri koi galti hai? Bataiye mujhe?”

“Nahin. Na hi ismein koi burai hai, na hi aapki koi galti.”

They silently stared at each other for a few moments. Tears came to Nidhi’s eyes. Then she blinked them back.

“Dr. Ashutosh,” she averted her eyes and spoke slowly and deliberately, “Main aapko apni zindagi aur apni zimmedaariyon ke liye zimmedaar nahin banana chahti. Agar mere aas paas hone ki wajah se aap pareshaan hain to iska kuchh karne ki zaroorat hai. Shayad hamein Rahul ko samjhaane ki zaroorat hai…”

“Nahin,” Ashutosh interrupted, “Kuchh bhi karne ki zaroorat nahin hai. Aap please Rahul se milna band mat kijiye. Main use bol doonga ki aap uski wooden cart ke saath usse milne aa rahi hain.” Ashutosh walked out of the room without giving Nidhi a chance to say anything.

—

To be continued