“Theek hai. Main dekhti hoon. Kuchh solution nikal aayega. Tu rona band kar. Aur bahut raat ho gayi hai, so ja,” Ashutosh heard Nidhi talking on the phone when he walked into the common room. They were both on the night duty.

“Kya hua?” he asked after she disconnected the call.

“Sir?” she hadn’t noticed him and was startled. Both of them laughed as the usual incident of her getting startled by Ashutosh repeated.

“Kyon ro rahi hai Siddhi? Usse hi baat kar rahi thi na aap?”

“Haan. Uski Maths ki problem solve nahin ho pa rahi hai. Tuition mein bhi pachaas se zyada students hain ek class mein. Aise mein kaun personal attention de sakta hai kissi par. Woh abhi koi model test paper solve kar rahi thi, aur passing marks ke bhi solve nahin kar payi. To ghabra gayi ki exam mein fail ho jayegi… Ab main kya karoon? Kahan se personal tutor dhoondhoon uske liye?”

“Main try kar sakta hoon. Meri Maths kabhi itni buri nahin thi.”

“Aapki Maths to buri nahin rahi hogi. Lekin aapke paas kahan time hai, Sir?”

“Jab aapke paas time hai sab cheezon ke liye, to mere paas kyon nahin hoga?”

“Mujhe bas ward duties karni hoti hain. Aapke oopar itne saare administrative kaamon ka bhi pressure hai.”

“Ye bahas to hum poore din kar sakte hain. Lekin abhi bottomline ye hai ki main Siddhi ki help kar sakta hoon. Aap bas time coordinate kijiye jisse jab main ghar par houn, woh wahan aa kar padhai kar sake.”

“Theek hai. Jis din aapki shaam mein duty nahin hogi, main use bhej doongi.”

“Waise Siddhi aapko apni saari problems batati hai, nahin?”

“Haan. Aur kise batayegi woh?”

“Mujhe kabhi-kabhi aapki closeness dekh kar jalan hoti hai. Main kabhi kissi ke itna close nahin tha. Mere koi siblings bhi nahin the. Khair. Aap apni problems ka kya karti hain? Siddhi to itni chhoti hai. Aap use to nahin batati hongi?”

“Kuchh dinon pahle tak khud hi joojhti rahti thi. Ab aapko bata deti hoon. Lekin aap kya karte hain apni problems ka?”

“Meri problems aap mere bina bataye hi samajh jaati hain.”

“Maine aapki kaun si problem samjhi hai?”

“Aapne samjhi hi nahin hai, solve bhi kar di hai. Chahe woh Rahul ko school se laana ho, ya uski jaundice ka diagnosis, ya uski zindagi mein ek mother-figure ki kami poori karna. Meri aur koi chinta nahin hai, koi problem nahin hai, siway iske ki Rahul ki parwarish mein koi kami na rah jaye.”

Nidhi sighed and averted her eyes. How was she to respond to those emotions? He found her the perfect mother for Rahul, the perfect companion for himself. But he wouldn’t accept her. Because he worried for her. What was she to do?

“Nidhi,” he spoke again in a solemn voice, “Meri aur Rahul ki bahut saari duayein tumhare saath hain. Tumhein zindagi mein woh sab kuchh milega jo tum deserve karti ho. Kabhi apni nazarein aasmaan se neeche mat rakhna. You deserve the best and you will get it.” In the grips of his emotions, he got up and caressed her head as if blessing her. Then he left immediately. Nidhi looked on and could not stop tears from filling her eyes.

—

“Wow! This is a nice place Dr. Ashutosh!” Siddhi exclaimed when they arrived at the picnic spot. It was a quiet place beside a lake.

“Waise ye picnic ka idea kaise aaya tujhe Ashu?” Armaan asked.

“Siddhi ki zidd thi,” Nidhi offered the answer.

“She did so well in her Maths exams. Maine use promise kiya tha,” Ashutosh defended Siddhi.

“‘So well’ to nahin kiya hai. She managed to pass all right,” Nidhi opposed playfully.

“Not fair Dr. Nidhi. Baaki subjects mein she did so well. Maths problematic hai uske liye. Lekin usne bahut mehnat ki and got well above 60%.”

“Theek hai. Aap use indulge karna chahte hain to yahi sahi.”

“Excuse me,” Siddhi interrupted finally, “Ye saara blame mere sar par kyon aa raha hai. Aap log bhi to enjoy karenge.”

“Of course!” Ashutosh supported her.

“Yahan paani mein jaana allowed hai, Dr. Ashutosh?” Nidhi asked.

“Haan. Kyon?”

“Di ko swimming bahut pasand hai,” Siddhi said.

“Aur tumhein?” Ashutosh asked her.

“Mujhe paani se dar lagta hai.”

“Maine ise sikhane ki kitni koshish ki. Lekin ek number ki darpok hai ye, Dr. Ashutosh,” Nidhi teased her sister.

“Haan meri bahan. Tum ho na Jhansi ki Rani, hum dono ke badle.”

“Koi mere saath kuchh khelega?” Rahul complained.

“Of course,” Armaan volunteered, “Main hoon na. Siddhi. Tum bhi aa jao. Dr. Ashutosh aur Nidhi ko swimming karne do. Chalo. Wahan par thoda khula sa maidaan hai. Wahan chal kar frisbee khelte hain.”

“Aap swimming karenge?” Nidhi asked Ashutosh after others had gone to play.

“Nahin. Aap kijiye. Main thodee der yahan baith kar kuchh padhoonga.”

“Okay.”

Nidhi changed behind a clump and got into the water. Ashutosh watched her swimming for a while, then got engrossed in his book. When he looked up next, he could not see Nidhi anywhere. He panicked.

“Nidhi!” he shouted, but got no response. He rushed towards the lake, took off his shirt and jumped into the water. He looked for her underwater for a couple of minutes, when she suddenly surfaced on her own.

“Kya kar rahi ho tum?” he shouted angrily and swam towards her.

Nidhi was confused. “Kya hua?” she asked as he held her tight.

“Tum theek ho?” His anger suddenly turned into concern, “Niklo yahan se.”

He hugged her tight as soon as they got out of the water, taking her by surprise. Nidhi was conscious of their completely wet bodies, Ashutosh’ bare chest and her wearing only a swimsuit. She was in the arms of the man she loved madly. She could not resist for long. She hugged him back and did it passionately. As if she wanted to get the maximum out of this moment and feel him enough for the rest of her life. Ashutosh wasn’t in control of himself either. His protective embrace also turned passionate. They caressed each other roughly, rubbing their cheeks and necks against each other and pulling each other even closer if that was possible. Suddenly they heard Rahul cry out in excitement. He had apparently won a game. They separated hastily and stayed silent in embarrassment.

“Main change kar ke aati hoon,” Nidhi broke the silence and walked away to the place behind the trees, where she had changed earlier. Ashutosh watched her walk and tried to control his heart-beats. How long will he be able to control himself? He loved her, he wanted her, he needed her. And obviously she did so too. When she had disappeared from his sight for a while, he had felt like life had been drained out of him too… And then this passion he felt… There was no point in fooling himself, denying himself. If she was too young for him, so be it! This must be their destiny.

“Papa. Aap kaise bheeg gaye?” Rahul’s question brought him out of his reverie. Rahul, Siddhi and Armaan had come back.

“Haan bhai. Aur Salmaan Khan bana ghoom raha hai yaar Ashu?” Armaan could not help teasing him.

Nidhi came back after changing out of her swimsuit.

“Nidhi suddenly nazar nahin aa rahi thi lake mein. To main dar gaya tha…”

“Aha! Aur kood gaye paani mein use bachaane,” Armaan whistled.

“Di underwater swimming kar rahi hogi,” Siddhi explained increasing Ashutosh’ embarrassment even further.

“Dr. Ashutosh ko nahin pata tha Siddhi,” Nidhi came to his rescue, “Lekin Sir. Aapke kapde to bheeg gaye. Aap change karne ke liye kuchh laye hain?”

“Haan. Ek pair pada hoga meri car mein. Hospital ki emergencies ke liye rakhta hoon. Main change kar ke aata hoon,” Ashutosh was happy to be out of everyone’s inquisitive eyes.

“Waise kaafi filmy tha Di,” Siddhi grinned, “Unfortunately damsel distress mein thi hi nahin.”

“Shut up Siddhi,” Nidhi glared at her and Siddhi did not say anything more on this.

—

Ashutosh was in a quandary. Having insisted for so long that they were not suitable for each other, how was he now to take an about-turn and propose to her?

“Coffee!” he thought and almost jumped out of his chair. Coffee was the best way to give an hint to her that he had changed his mind. He looked at the clock. It was 5 in the evening. The right time to ask her out for a coffee. He came out of his office and looked for her in the ward and the common room. She was not there. Desperate he went to the canteen. She was having her evening tea with her colleagues. He was about to ask her right there, but came to his senses in time. It would be scnadulous for him to ask her before so many people. He came back disappointed. May be tomorrow. But when he thought about it later, it seemed like a stupid idea. Coffee? As if he was asking a stranger out! They were already too close for that. And for all that mattered, they might already have had too many coffees and lunches together. It was hardly going to give her any hint, even if he asked.

He was browsing Internet for nothing in particular when an ad caught his attention. Some company in the US was providing custom paint job on iPads. He recalled their conversation while she was buying an iPad for Siddhi. “Red would have been nice,” she had said. He clicked on the ad and the company looked genuine. Getting the custom-painted iPad shipped to India would be costly, but he ordered it anyway. And waited for it to come. It would take at least 5 weeks, but he checked his order status everyday.

Meanwhile his efforts continued.

“Rahul aapke liye poochh raha tha. Agar pareshaani na ho to aap aur Siddhi aaj shaam ghar par aa jaiye. Wahin dinner karte hain,” he told her when she came to his office for some work.

“Ji.”

“Aapko movies dekhna pasad hai?”

“Ji?” The topic came from nowhere and Nidhi was surprised.

“Movies? I’m sure aap jaanti hain ki movies kya hoti hain.”

That made her laugh. “Of course. Main aaj-kal zyada dekhti nahin hoon. Siddhi apne friends ke saath jaane lagi hai. Waise bhi jo movies woh dekhti hai, woh mujhe pasand nahin hai.”

“Kya pasand nahin hai aapko?”

“Sugary rom-com. I prefer sci-fi, or action. Main mostly ghar par dekhti hoon.”

“I see.”

A sci-fi or action movie was hardly going to convey his romantic intentions!

—

To be continued