Ashutosh was lost in his thoughts sitting on an arm-chair. He had just come back after finishing his night duty.

“Papa!”

“Rahul. Beta aap kab jage? Aur apne kamre se kyon aa gaye?” He picked up his son and sat down with him on his lap.

“Papa! Nidhi Auntie se baat ki aapne? Woh kab aayengi?”

“Aaj unki bhi night duty thi beta. Aaj ya kal mein woh zaroor aayengi. Aapne brush kiya?”

“Nahin.”

“Chaliye. Main karwaata hoon. Aur aaj hum breakfast bhi saath mein karenge.”

“Okay Papa.”

“Aapko Dr. Nidhi bahut pasand hain?” Ashutosh asked while feeding him his breakfast.

“Haan.”

“Kyon?”

“Kyonki woh bahut achchhi hain.”

Ashutosh sighed. It was so simple with kids. People were either good, or bad. You want good people around and you don’t want bad ones. Only if life was so simple for adults too. What do you do with good people of wrong age?

“Ashu!” Armaan’s voice brought him out of his reverie. Rahul’s breakfast was done.

“Rahul. Beta aap jao apne kamre mein. Auntie ko bolo aapko nahla kar taiyaar karwa dein.”

“Okay Papa,” Rahul went away.

“Armaan. Tu kab utha?”

“Saaf-saaf bata de mere bhai, ye Dr. Nidhi Verma ka chakkar kya hai?”

“What?”

“Ashu, Maana ki kai dinon se hum mile nahin hain. Lekin bachpan se jaanta hoon tujhe. Rahul ne Dr. Nidhi ki kahaaniyan suna suna kar bore kar diya hai mujhe. Kuchh to teri bhi kahaani hogi, mere dost?”

“Aisa kuchh nahin hai Armaan.”

“To phir ye purane zamaane ki filmon ke heroines ki tarah nazarein kyon chura raha hai?”

Ashutosh laughed, “Tu kabhi nahin sudhrega Armaan.”

“Sudhre hue log agar aap jaise hote hain, to bade hi boring hote hain. Sudharna bhi nahin mujhe. Ek baat bata, jo ladki tere bachche ko itna chahti hai, teri itni care karti hai, uske baare mein itna confusion kyon hai tujhe? Rahul se kyon sawaal poochh raha tha?”

Ashutosh sighed and decided to come out clean, “Kyonki woh ladki mujhse solah saal chhoti bhi hai Armaan.”

“Lekin pyaar to woh tujhse karti hai.”

“Use aisa hi lagta hai.”

“Tujhe kaisa lagta hai?”

“Mujhe dar lagta hai. Khud ke liye nahin, uske liye. Marrying me can’t be fair to her Armaan. I am too old for her. Phir Rahul ki zimmedaari uske oopar daalna fair nahin hoga.”

“Lekin mujhe to aisa lagta hai ki woh already zimmedaari utha rahi hai uski.”

“Zimmedaariyan uthana uska second nature ban gaya hai. Khud satrah saal ki thi jab uske ma-baap ne suicide kar liya tha. Uski aankhon ke saamne. Lekin apni chhoti bahan ko khud hi paala hai usne. Apni padhai bhi ki hai…”

“You are obviously very impressed with her.”

“I am.”

“To phir bharosa rakh. Usne apne liye sahi hi faisla liya hoga Ashu.”

“Mera man nahin maanta.”

“Man to khoob maanta hai. Dimaag zyada chala raha hai tu.”

“Rahne de Armaan.”

Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of door-bell.

“Dr. Nidhi aayi hain,” Hiraman Kaka announced after opening the door.

“Dr. Nidhi?” Ashutosh was surprised. Nidhi had entered the hall by then. “Aapki to night duty thi na. Aapko aaraam kar lena chahiye tha,” Ashutosh fussed over her. Armaan had difficulty suppressing his grin.

“Siddhi ko school bhejna tha Sir. To main soyi nahin. Maine socha ki Rahul se mil loon.”

“Breakfast kar lijiye.”

“Ghar par kar liya hai, Siddhi ke saath. Main Rahul ke kamre mein jaati hoon.”

“Apni sister ko ye akele hi paal rahi hain, right?” Armaan asked after Nidhi went away.

“Haan.”

“Aur woh abhi school mein hi hai. To abhi near future mein ye zimmedaari to khatam hone nahin waali. To tu bhi to inki madad kar sakta hai Ashu. Unki sister ki responsibilities uthane mein. Bura mat maanna, lekin even financially. Is zimmedaari ko share karne waale kitne log milenge Dr. Nidhi ko?”

Ashutosh was startled. He had never thought of it from that direction. Wasn’t Armaan right? He should help Nidhi with Siddhi’s responsibilities the way she was taking care of Rahul. This should happen irrespective of whether their relationship went anywhere or not.

—

Ashutosh went to Rahul’s room after freshening up. He saw both of them lying on his bed. Nidhi had fallen asleep with a story book lying on her side. Rahul was also silently lying down. But he wasn’t asleep. Ashutosh went to him and asked silently about what happened. Rahul gestured him to be silent and whispered, “Maine Nidhi Auntie ko sula diya.”

Ashutosh had to try hard to suppress his laughter. Then he whispered back and asked, “Kaise?”

“Story suna ke.”

Ashutosh grinned and hugged his son affectionately. He picked him up and brought him out of his room.

“Hum Dr. Nidhi ko sone dete hain aur mere kamre mein khelte hain. Okay?”

“Okay Papa.”

Nidhi woke up after a while and got nervous to not see Rahul around. She sprang out of the bed. She met Rahul’s maid outside the room and was relieved to know that he was with Ashutosh. She decided to say ‘bye’ to both of them and leave if Ashutosh was going to stay with Rahul. So, she went to Ashutosh’ room.

The door was open and both of them were lying on Ashutosh’ bed. Nidhi went closer and saw that Rahul was not asleep. She whispered, “Kya hua?” Rahul whispered back, “Maine Papa ko sula diya.” Nidhi laughed out loud before she realized that it would wake Ashutosh up.

“Kya hua?” Ashutosh asked still confused after his nap.

“Rahul bol raha tha ki usne aapko sula diya. Sorry. Mujhe hansi aa gayi aur aapki neend khul gayi.”

“Koi baat nahin. Aaj hum sab ki duty Rahul se exchange ho gayi hai. Usne aapko bhi sulane ka daawa kiya tha.”

They all broke into a laughter at this. Nidhi sat down on the bed and affectionately pulled Rahul in an embrace. Ashutosh could not help imagining a happy and complete family right there.

“Ab hum dono mil kar Rahul ko sulayenge, right Nidhi?” Ashutosh said.

Nidhi hesitated for a moment, then smiled.

“Mujhe abhi nahin sona.”

“Subah se aap khel rahe hain na beta. Abhi aaraam ka time ho gaya hai. Phir Auntie aapko khane ke waqt utha dengi. Okay?”

“Lekin mujhe abhi khelna hai.”

“Bas kuchh dinon ki baat hai Rahul,” Nidhi spoke this time, “Phir tum theek ho jaoge aur jitna chaho khel sakte ho. Abhi so jao please.”

“Theek hai,” Rahul was disappointed, but acquisced to Nidhi. He lied down as Nidhi gently patted his head to put him to sleep with Ashutosh lying on the other side of the bed.

—