“Sir. Main nikalti hoon. Siddhi ko pick karna hai.”

“Woh to khud aa jaati hai ab.”

“Use tution classes jaana hai. Thoda door hai, woh pahle kabhi gayi nahin.”

“Tuition kyon? Aap to use khud padhati hain na?”

“Use Maths mein problem ho rahi hai. Aur woh meri bhi thodee kamzor thi. Ab higher classes ke liye main nahin padha paati use.”

“Hmm… Theek hai. Aap rahne dijiye. Main driver ko gaadi le kar bhej deta hoon.”

“Nahin Sir. Uski zaroorat nahin hai…”

“Zaroorat to aapko kissi cheez ki nahin hoti. Lekin night duty kar ke aayi hain. Phir subah yahan aa gayin. Ab phir bhaag-daud karengi…”

“Aap to aise describe kar rahe hain jaise main majdoori kar rahi hoon. Mujhe aadat hai, Sir. Aur phir tuition mein fees bhi deni hai, to…”

“Aap driver ke haath bhijwa dijiiye. Bharose ka aadmi hai. Hamare bhi kai kaam karta hai.”

“Aap koi option hi nahin chhod rahe.”

“That was my intent.”

“Ek aur problem hai. Main uske liye lunch le jaane waali thi.”

“Hiraman Kaka se bol dijiye. Woh bhijwa denge.”

Nidhi smiled and gave in.

“Siddhi bura to nahin maanegi, aap nahin gayin to?” Ashutosh asked.

“Nahin. Uski to dili tamanna poori ho jayegi. Car se school se nikalne ki.”

“Phir to badhiya hai.”

“Main use message kar deti hoon.”

“Waise kaafi chhoti umra se phone dila rakha hai aapne use.”

“Convenient rahta hai. Main hamesha uske paas rah nahin sakti. To tasalli rahti hai ki kabhi bhi baat kar sakti hoon. Aur use bhi koi problem ho to call kar sakti hai.”

“Nidhi… Lunch par kahin chalna chahogi?”

“Ji?” Nidhi was caught unawares.

Her reaction made Ashutosh awkward and nervous. “Maine… lunch… ke liye… poochha bas,” He stuttered.

“Haan. Lekin… abhi… aise?” Nidhi was equally awkward.

Ashutosh mentally chided himself. Then tried to do some damage control, “Nahin. It’s okay. Maine to aise hi poochh liya. Agar aap nahin jaana chahti to…”

“Aisa nahin hai Sir,” Nidhi also chided herself for throwing away a chance she should have cherished, “Main to… bas… ye kah rahi thi… Haan… ki Rahul uth jayega to hamein dhoondhega.”

“Hum abhi niklein to early lunch kar ke wapas aa sakte hain, uske jagne tak. Aur main Rahul ki maid aur Armaan ko bol ke jaunga ki mujhe phone kar de woh uth jaye to.”

“Phir… theek hai…”

“Kahan chalein?”

“Mujhe nahin pata…”

“Koi to favourite jagah hogi aapki?”

“Siddhi ko Pizza Hut jaana pasand hai.”

“Pizza Hut?” Ashutosh laughed slightly, “Woh to bahut crowded hogi.”

“Aap hi decide kijiye na, Sir. Main bahar kam hi jaati hoon.”

“Theek hai. Main abhi aata hoon.”

—

“Aapko kya pasand hai khane mein?” Ashutosh asked Nidhi once they were seated in a fancy Indian restaurant.

“Siddhi to apne doston ke saath hamesha chicken tikka kha kar aati hai…”

“Main Siddhi ki nahin, tumhari pasand ki baat kar raha hoon.”

“Meri?”

“Ji haan. Aapki.”

“Mujhe pata nahin.”

“Come on Nidhi. Kucch to pasand hoga. Bhale hi aapne bahut dinon se khaya na ho…”

“Kofte. Malai kofte pasand hain mujhe,” Nidhi spoke suddenly and looked very sad.

“Kya hua Nidhi?” Ashutosh was concerned.

She shook her head, “Kuchh nahin. Bas yaad aa gaya… Mummy banati thi. Jab khush rahti thi… Bas khush rahti hi bahut kam thi…”

“Kyon? Kya problem thi?”

“Mere Mummy-Papa ne apne ghar waalon ki marzi ke khilaaf shaadi ki thi. Papa ke rishtedaaron se to phir bhi baat hone lagi thi baad mein. Kuchh log meri aur Siddhi ki responsibility lene ke liye bhi taiyaar the. Mummy ke yahan ke log to unki death ke baad bhi nahin aaye. Shaadi to unhone apni marzi se ki, lekin unki kabhi bani nahin. Pardon ke color se le kar, khane mein kya banega aur bachche kis school mein jayenge – har cheez par unka jhagda hota tha. Lekin bahar waalon ke saamne accept nahin kar sakte the ki unke beech problem hai. Shaan se ghar waalon se jhagda kar ke shaadi ki thi. Phir alag ho jaate to unki izzat par daag lag jaata. Aur phir gaye tab jab unke sar par do bachchon ki responsibility thi. Hamare baare mein nahin socha unhone. Aur jo izzat alag na ho kar bachane ki koshish kar rahe the, woh kya suicide karne se bach gayi? Unhein nahin jhelna pada, hamein unki izzat ki keemat chukaani padi. Agar alag ho jaate to kam-se-kam…” she choked on her words.

Ashutosh saw the waiter approaching them for taking their order. He gestured him to wait and shifted his chair closer to Nidhi’s. He held her hands and pressed them. “Calm down, Nidhi.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Why should you be sorry?”

“Main apni life ke issues mein aapko kyon involve karti ja rahi hoon!”

“Kyonki main involve hona chahta hoon.”

“Kyon? Sirf isliye ki maine kabhi apne hosh kho kar aapse kuchh aisa kah diya tha jo aapko kabhi manzoor nahin hoga…”

“Nidhi…”

“Aap obliged nahin hai mere liye kuchh bhi karne ke liye. Kyon kar rahe hain aap ye sab? Kyon baithe hain hum yahan? Kyon aapne gaadi bheji Siddhi ko lene ke liye. It doesn’t make sense.”

“Kyonki shayad koi connection hai hamara.”

Nidhi looked up at him in surprise.

“Nidhi. Mujhse ye mat poochhna ki main is connection ko kya naam doon. Lekin ye hai, isse main inkaar nahin kar sakta. Kya hum friendship aur trust ka rishta nahin rakh sakte? Ek doosre ki zimmedaariyan share nahin kar sakte? Please!”

Nidhi just nodded.

“Ek kaam karo. Washroom jao aur munh dho kar aao. Tab tak main khaana order karta hoon.”

“Ji.”

When Nidhi came back, she saw a plate of Malai Kofta at the center of the table. She smiled at Ashutosh.

“Aapki favourite dish kya hai, Sir?”

“Meri?”

“Haan. Aapki?”

He smiled, “Woh restaurant mein nahin milegi. Main aapko ghar par khilaunga kabhi.”

Rahul was sitting on a sofa with Armaan in the hall when they came back from lunch.

“Armaan. Tune phone nahin kiya, Rahul jag gaya tha to?” Ashutosh asked him.

“Ab itne bhi bekaar nahin hai hum ki thodee der apne bhateeje ka khayaal na rakh sakein. Rahul bore nahin hua aap logon ki absence mein. Kyon Rahul?”

“Papa. Armaan Uncle ne mujhe ek song sikhaya.”

“Achchha. Kaun sa song?”

“Sunaun?”

“Zaroor.” Ashutosh and Nidhi both said in chorus and sat down on another sofa.

“Na umra ki seema ho,
Na janm ka ho bandhan.
Jab pyaar kare koi,
Tab dekhe kewal man.
Nayi reet chala kar tum,
Meri preet amar kar do.

Hothon se chhoo lo tum
Mera geet amar kar do….
Aage kya tha Armaan Uncle?” Rahul forgot the lines after this.

“Koi baat nahin Rahul. Itna kaafi hai,” Armaan grinned.

Ashutosh was glaring at Armaan. While Nidhi bit her lips and looked nervously from Ashutosh to Armaan. Suddenly she noticed Rahul looking expectantly at them.

“Rahul ne bahut achchha gaaya,” she said and embraced Rahul.

“Haan beta,” Ashutosh also realized that he needed to talk to Rahul, “Aapne bahut achchha gaaya. Bas Armaan Uncle ka song selection thoda kamzor hai.” Ashutosh was obviously angry at Armaan’s prank.

Nidhi decided to let the friends deal with it and took Rahul to his room.

Ashutosh came there after a while with two cups of tea. For himself and her.

“I’m sorry about Armaan,” he said in a low voice, when Rahul was busy with a puzzle.

“Doston ke pranks par itna pareshaan hone ki zaroorat nahin hai. Ab ye baatein mujhe aapko to nahin samjhaani padni chahiye,” she replied with a smile.

Ashutosh also smiled looking relieved.

—

“Main car se school aaungi-jaungi?” Siddhi was surprised.

“Haan!” Nidhi was excited. Her eyes were shining.

“Lekin kaise?”

“Dr. Ashutosh ki car Rahul ke saath-saath tujhe bhi school se pick-up aur drop kar degi.”

“Aur tuitions?”

“Wahan bhi.”

“Lekin kyon Di?”

“Tu aam khane se matlab rakh, ped mat gin. Tujhe car mein school aana-jaana tha na. Dr. Ashutosh ne offer kiya to maine accept kar liya.”

“Lekin Di. Tum to kissi se help lena nahin pasand karti?”

“Dr. Ashutosh ki baat alag hai Siddhi.”

“Aur main tumse kuchh aur poochhongi, to tum gussa jaogi?”

“Haan. Kyonki kuchh aur poochhne ko hai nahin. Bas tu khush rah.”

—

“Dr. Nidhi!”

“Dr. Armaan. Aap? Yahan?” Nidhi was surprised to see Armaan in the hospital.

“Kyon nahin aa sakta kya?” Armaan teased her.

“Aisa kuchh nahin hai. Dr. Ashutosh apne office mein hi honge.”

“Main Ashu se nahin aapse milne aaya hoon.”

“Mujhse?”

“Ji. Thoda time hai aapke paas.”

“Haan. Zaroor. Priyanka. Main thodee der break le rahi hoon. Tu mere liye cover kar lena.”

“Sure.”

“Chaliye Dr. Armaan. Canteen mein chalte hain.”

—

“Main aapse maafi maangna chahta tha. Us din woh song waale prank ke liye…”

“Aap uske liye aaye hain? Iski koi zaroorat nahin hai Dr. Armaan. Maine us baat ka bura nahin maana.”

“I thought so. Aur main jaanta hoon ki aapne bura kyon nahin maana.”

“Ji?”

“Kyonki woh maane-na-maane, aap Ashu se bahut pyaar karti hain. Aur aapke oopar is baat ka farq nahin padta ki woh umra mein aapse kitna bada hai ya woh ek aath saal ke bachche ka baap hai.”

Nidhi’s face flushed, “Main Dr. Ashutosh ki bahut izzat karti hoon. Isse zyada main kuchh nahin kah sakti.”

“Main aapse kuchh kahne ko kah bhi nahin raha. Lekin aapne meri baat ko deny bhi nahin kiya. Isliye main maan kar chalta hoon ki main sach kah raha hoon.”

“Aap mujhse ye kahne aaye the?”

“Nahin. Main aapse ye kahne aaya tha ki Ashu bhi aapki bahut kadr karta hai, aapko bahu pasand karta hai, bhale hi woh umra ke faasle ki wajah se accept na kare, lekin aapse bahut pyaar karta hai. Aur use aapki bahut zaroorat bhi hai. Woh bahut akela hai.”

“Agar ye sab sach bhi hai, tab bhi… Jab woh mujhe accept nahin karte, to main khud ko unpar thop to nahin sakti?”

“Nahin. Lekin ho sake to give up bhi mat kijiyega. Aadmi apni zarooraton se, apni kamzoriyon se kab tak door bhagega? Aaj na kal use accept karna hi padega.”

Nidhi laughed slightly, “Aap to aise kah rahe hain ki unhein haar maanni padegi mujhe accept karne ke liye. Phir to woh bahut bura din hoga unke liye. Main us situation ke liye wish karoon ya na karoon?”

“Nahin. Woh uski zindagi ka sabse achchha din hoga. Aap dil se dua maangiye aur main bhi maangoonga. Abhi main chalta hoon. Aapko duty par wapas jaana hoga.”

—

To be continued