Siddhi went to see if Rahul was awake when she woke up in the morning and found Nidhi sleeping there. Nidhi woke up while Siddhi was still there. “Siddhi,” she called her.

“Tum yahan so rahi ho?” Siddhi asked awkwardly. Had she been too presumptous? What she did last night had felt right, even if a bit naughty, then. But now she wasn’t so sure.

Nidhi looked at Rahul before responding. He was fast asleep.She got down from the bed and came near Siddhi.

“I am sorry, Di. I was…”

“Siddhi. Tu sab samajhti hai. Main tujhse khul kar baat kar sakti hoon, right?”

Siddhi nodded.

“You were very sweet Siddhi. Aur main kuchh aisa claim nahin kar rahi ki tune jo mere aur Dr. Ashutosh ke rishte ke baare mein socha woh galat tha. Aur main personally zyada kuchh society ke rules, shaadi ke rituals wagerah mein bharosa nahin rakhti. Lekin Siddhi… Rahul abhi chhota hai. Sab nahin samajhta. Ghar ke andar koi problem nahin hai. Lekin agar ghar ke bahar apni maasoomiyat mein hi usne kissi ke saamne hamare rishte ke baare mein kuchh kaha aur use kuchh ulta-seedha sunne ko mil gaya to ye sahi nahin hoga, right?”

“Maine itna socha nahin, Di…”

“Itna sochne ki tujhe koi zaroorat bhi nahin hai. Tune jo socha, galat nahin socha. Lekin kuchh pretenses dooron ka khayaal kar ke hi sahi, hamein banae rakhne pad sakte hain.”

“I know. Tum mujhse gussa to nahin ho?”

“Nahin pagli. Lekin please. Jab hum agli baar yahan rukein, to mujhe apne kamre mein sone dena. Rahul ka bed thoda chhota hai.” Siddhi smiled. “Ab chal,” Nidhi added, “Jaldi se taiyaar ho ja. Ghar chalna hoga. Tere school ka saaraa saamaan yahan nahin hai. Mujhe bhi ghar jaana hai hospital jaane se pahle.”

“Okay Di.”

—

School’s drama group was presenting their annual play and parents were also invited. Nidhi went backstage after the play was over to help Siddhi and Rahul change and bring them back.

“Bahut achchha tha Siddhi. Especially the comic parts – you did really well,” she told Siddhi.

“Thanks Di. Lekin ab jo ‘but’ tumhare dimaag mein chal raha hai, woh bhi bata hi do,” Siddhi grinned.

“Pahle scene mein tu apne dialogs bhool gayi thi.”

“Really?” another girl standing there exclaimed, “Mujhe to nahin pata chala.”

“Preeti. Di ko pata chal jaata hai jab main stumble karti hoon. Although I tried not to let it be obvious. Di. This is Preeti. Recently hamari class mein join kiya hai. Her father knows Dr. Ashutosh.”

“Nidhi Auntie!” Rahul came there just then and ran towards Nidhi. Nidhi hugged him. “Maine kaisa perform kiya?” he asked eagerly.

“Brilliant. As usual,” she kissed him on forehead. Then they all got out to join Ashutosh.

After Rahul and Siddhi got their share of appreciation from Ashutosh, he introduced them to the man he had been talking to.

“Dr. Nidhi. This is Mr. Ramesh Singhal. Earlier he used to work with Star Logistics. Baba ki company ka kaafi business inke paas hai. Now, he has joined his family business though. Right, Mr. Singhal?”

“Yeah. Mere father ki death ke baad, I had to carry the legacy.”

Ashutosh grinned, “Unfortunately, mere Baba iske liye mujh par rely nahin kar sakte. Business chalana mere wash ki baat nahin thi. I am just a passive shareholder now. Khair. This is Dr. Nidhi Verma. She works at Kotnis with me. And that’s Siddhi, her sister.” Nidhi thought Ramesh was startled to see Siddhi, but it was only a fleeting expression and so she could not be sure of it.

“And that’s Preeti, my daughter,” Ramesh said pointing to the girl standing next to Siddhi, “Jiske mid-term admission mein you helped so much Dr. Ashutosh. Thanks a lot.”

“That was no problem at all. So, Siddhi and Preeti already know each other. That’s great.”

“We are in the same class Dr. Ashutosh,” Siddhi explained.

“By the way, aapke parents nahin aaye?” Ramesh looked at Nidhi and Siddhi.

Ashutosh felt uneasy. Nidhi spoke before he could, “Our parents passed away long back. We take care of each other now.” Her voice was cold.

“I’m sorry,” Ramesh said.

Ashutosh hastily changed the topic, “So, Preeti. Are you also interested in drama?”

“Me?” she smiled. Her smile appeared sad, “No. I can’t act to save my life. I did help in backstage preparations though.”

“That’s great. Acting is just part of the whole exercise. All the preparations that go with it are equally, even more important.”

“Thanks Dr. Ashutosh.”

“Anyway. It’s getting late. We should leave for home now,” Ramesha said, “Chalo Preeti. Aap logon ko lene ke liye kaun aayega?” Ramesh asked Nidhi.

“Ji?” Nidhi didn’t understand his question.

“Aap kiske saath rahti hain?”

“Hum log kissi ke saath nahin rahte. Aur hum khud chale jaayenge,” Nidhi could not hide her annoyance.

“Aap log akele rahti hain? Two young girls? That’s not good…”

“Mr. Singhal,” Nidhi was straightforward and curt now, “I do not welcome this intrusion of privacy. We are fine on our own.”

Ashutosh got worried. Not because of her rudeness to Ramesh, but because of the realization that it did not take much for her to get back to her bitter self.

“I will see you Dr. Ashutosh,” Nidhi gave a cryptic message to Ashutosh and started to leave with Siddhi. They were supposed to go together and Nidhi would wait for him in the parking lot. But neither of them wanted to divulge that information to Ramesh.

“Main bhi chaloon aapke saath Nidhi Auntie?” Rahul asked.

“Nahin Rahul,” Ashutosh intervened, “Aap mere saath chalenge.”

“I am sorry Mr. Singhal,” Ashutosh addressed Ramesh, “But she values her independence. So, her reaction is understandable too.”

“No problem,” Ramesh replied, but he didn’t look too happy about the entire incident, “Waise inke parents ka naam kya tha?”

“I don’t know,” his uninvited curiosity was getting on Ashutosh’ nerves too, but he wasn’t lying in response. He actually did not know her parents’ names. Though he should, he thought inwardly. He decided to look up the documents in the hospital.

Ashutosh took his leave from Ramesh after exchanging formal pleasantaries. He and Rahul met Nidhi and Siddhi near his car.

“Chalein?” he asked pleasantly, not referring to the incident with Ramesh Singhal. As planned earlier, they had dinner in a restaurant and then went to Ashutosh’ house. It was a friday night and Nidhi and Siddhi had planned to stay there for the night.

Siddhi was in her room, when Nidhi came out after putting Rahul to sleep. Ashutosh was reading a book sitting on the sofa in the hall. She sat down beside him and let out a sigh.

“Kya hua?” Ashutosh kept the book aside and turned towards her.

“Aap to mujhe daant nahin rahe. To mujhe voluntarily hi maafi maangni padegi.”

“Kis liye?”

“I was very rude to Mr. Singhal. Woh aapke dost hain. It would have been embarrassing for you…”

“Woh mere dost nahin hain. Only a business acquaintance. The only reason he got in touch with me was ki unhein apni beti ke mid-term admission ke liye meri help chahiye thi. He has come back to this city only recently. Today he was unreasonable. Isliye mujhe is baat ki bhi parwaah nahin hai ki tumne unhein kaise treat kiya.”

“But kissi aur baat ki parwaah hai?” she asked.

“Haan. Mujhe tumhari parwaah hai.”

She looked at him questioningly.

“Ya shayad main presumptous hoon,” Ashutosh spoke deliberately and slowly, “Kyonki I want to believe ki tum khush ho. Apne past se aage badh gayi ho. Ab woh tumhein bother nahin karta.”

“Main aapke saath bahut khush hoon Dr. Ashutosh,” Nidhi was alarmed at what he said and implied; so hastened to assure him.

“Phir ye bitterness kyon Nidhi? Don’t get me wrong. I love your fighting spirit. You won’t let anyone harm you or your loved ones. Lekin bitterness khud ko harm karti hai. Fighting someone who is going to harm you is good. Fighting every random jerk is wasteful. I think you that, right? Just ignore them. Kissi ke kuchh kahne se tum badal to nahin jaogi.”

“Aap sahi kah rahe hain.”

“Nidhi,” he took her hands in his, “Main tumhein katghare mein nahin khada kar raha. Main koi missionary bhi nahin hoon ki tumhein transform karna chahoon. I just want to… make sure that you don’t feel alone.”

“I don’t Dr. Ashutosh. Meri bitterness bhi shayad meri aadat ho gayi hai. I will try ki woh khatam ho jaye.”

“We will try together,” Ashutosh said with a smile and gently kissed her on the forehead. Nidhi smiled even as she silently wondered what had made her that bitter in the evening. She hadn’t been this rude to anyone for quite some time. She hadn’t felt the need to be rude even to Ranjeeta until she practically forced her to. Something was different about Ramesh Singhal’s intrusion. She couldn’t put her finger on what it was.

“Bahu dinon ke baad tum yahan ruk rahi ho, Nidhi,” Ashutosh’ changed tone and hoarse voice brought her out of her thoughts.

She blushed knowing what he wanted, but still continued the conversation boldly, “Bahut din? Main pichhle weekend bhi yahin thi. Aur uske pahle week mein bhi…”

“Ek addict ke liye woh dose bahut kam hai,” Ashutosh was not to be outwitted so easily either.

She smiled and gave up. “I know!” she said. Both of them got up from the sofa and walked to his room. Later in the night, Nidhi sneaked back to Siddhi’s room.

—

To be continued