Nidhi barged into Dr. Asthana’s cabin. She was not surprised at seeing who was there, but he was startled.

“Mr. Singhal!” she roared.

“Nidhi.”

“Agar aapki in twisted aur ghatiya harqaton ki wajah se Siddhi ya Dr. Ashutosh ko ek pal bhi aur pareshaani hui na, to I swear ki main apne haathon se aapka khoon kar doongi. I don’t care ki uske baad meri zindagi ka kya hoga. Yaad rakhiyega.”

Ramesh Singhal was a well-built man and his appearance oozed confidence. But Nidhi’s ferociousness and its suddennes left him speechless. He even stepped back unconsciously.

“Siddhi ki shakal hamari Mummy se bahut milti hai. Zyada dikkat to nahin hui hogi aapko apni mari hui bahan ki shakal pahchanne mein. Nandini Verma nee Singhal, right? Lekin this blood, Mr. Singhal, is much, much thinner than water. Aapko hamari life mein interfere karne ka koi haq nahin hai. Aur agar ye haq aap chheenna bhi chahenge to main aapko aisa karne nahin doongi.”

Nidhi stormed out of the room as furiously as she had came in, not giving Ramesh Singhal a chance to react. He came back to his senses after a few seconds and followed her.

—

Nidhi barged into a room without permission a second time. This time it was conference room number 3.

“If I am not wrong, aap sab log mil kar meri koi pareshaani discuss kar rahe hain?” the bitterness and sarcasm was not lost on anybody.

“Nidhi?” Ashutosh was surprised to find her there. She glared at him.

“Dr. Nidhi. This is inappropriate behavior…” the chairman of the board said rather unconvincingly.

“Yeah? Aur kissi ko meri us complaint ke liye zimmedaar banana jo maine ki hi nahin hai, how appropriate is that?”

“Dr. Nidhi. This is ridiculous. Hum log is maamle ko itni discreetly aapki request par handle kar rahe hain, aur aap yahan tamaasha bana rahi hain?” It was Dr. Ashthana.

“Aur main aapse kab mili, ya request kab ki?”

“Aapne apne Uncle ke through application bhijwaya tha.”

“Can I see it?”

“Of course,” the chairman handed her the letter.

“Mr. Ramesh Singhal aapke dost hain na Dr. Asthana. Kya aapko ye nahin pata hai ki woh kitne manipulative hain, ya aapki Dr. Ashutosh se student life se chal rahi rivalry ne aapko aankhein band karne par majboor kar diya hai? Aapne hospital ke kissi document se mere signature match kar ke dekhe?”

“Excuse me?”

“Is application par jo signature hain, woh mere nahin hain. Aur ye pata karne ke liye aapko kissi handwriting analyst ki zaroorat nahin hai. Ek bachcha bhi bata sakta hai. Mr. Singhal mere guardian nahin hain. Kuchh dinon pahle tak hamein ek-doosre ki existence ke baare mein pata bhi nahin tha. Aur I didn’t know until this morning that he is, unfortunately, related to me. Is jhoothe application par woh mere signature copy karne ki koshish tak nahin kar sakte the kyonki unhone kabhi mere signature dekhe hi nahin hain. Aap log itminaan se mere signature saare documents par dekh sakte hain, aur match kar sakte hain. Lekin mere khayaal se aap mujh par bharosa kar lijiye. Kyonki Kotnis ka board ek mentally sick aur manipulative insaan ke haathon ki kathputli ban jaaye – ye kaafi insulting situation hogi hum sab ke liye. Nahin?”

“To kya Dr. Ashutosh aur aapke beech…” Somebody started asking to confirm, but his voice trailed as the awkwardness of the situation dawned on him.

Nidhi did not reply to that incomplete question. She looked at Ashutosh. She needed him to speak up at this point of time. It was mostly his decision that people at work should not know about them.

“Dr. Nidhi and I are engaged. To be married,” Ashutosh spoke firmly drawing reactions of surprise from everyone.

That was all Nidhi needed to hear to complete the announcement, “Aap logon ki personal opinion jo bhi ho is baare mein, lekin na to hamare desh ka constitution, aur na hi is hospital ke koi rules, do adults ki relationship ko, unki engagement ko, ya unki hone waali shaadi ko koi crime maante hain. Right?”

There was a pin-drop silence in the room. She spoke again, “I will leave you all to formally dismiss the meeting and also the charges on Dr. Ashutosh.” Nidhi walked out of the room and found Ramesh pacing up and down in the receiption area near the conference room.

She intended to ignore him, but he stopped her, “Tum jo kar rahi ho sahi nahin kar rahi ho. Main tumhari bhalai ke liye…”

“Aur mere liye koi bhi faisla lene waale aap kaun hote hain?”

“Tumhari Ma ne bhi yahi galti ki thi.”

“Meri Ma ke saath, honestly, meri zyada sympathy nahin hai. Mere Ma-Baap dono ne hi bahut galtiyan ki thi. Usnki shaadi bhi ek galti thi. Lekin ab mujhe realize ho gaya ki woh galti Mummy ki nahin thi.”

“Usne ghar waalon ke khilaaf ja kar shaadi ki thi…”

“Aur agar unki parwarish aise ho rahi thi, jaise aapki beti ki ho rahi hai, then I am proud of her ki she rebelled. For good or for bad. Nobody deserves to be treated like an object Mr. Singhal, which is what you and your family seem to think of your daughters.”

“You are too immature. Ye insaan tumhein bahka raha hai, tumhara istemaal kar raha hai, aur tum use bhagwaan maan baithi ho.”

“Get out of our lives. Unless you want me to sue you for forgery…”

“Nidhi…”

“Doctor. Dr. Nidhi Verma. Mr. Singhal, maine aapko mujhe first name se bulane ki izaazat nahin di hai. Aur strangers ki betaquallufi mujhe pasand nahin hai.”

“Nidhi!” It was Ashutosh’s soothing voice, “Thanks…”

She turned towards him and shouted, “Aap to baat mat kijiye mujhse.”

“Are. Mujhse kyon naaraaz ho rahi ho?” Ashutosh was flustered with her reaction. She ran away from there and Ashutosh went after her. Ignored by both of them, Ramesh Singhal made his way out. His plan clearly haddn’t work out.

—

“Nidhi!”

“Maine kaha na main aapse baat nahin kar rahi,” they had reached her favourite place in the hospital – the terrace.

“Lekin kyon?”

“Aap… Aap aisa soch bhi kaise sakte hain mere baare mein? Ki main aisi bhaddi harqat karoongi? Aise complain karoongi?”

“Are… Maine aisa kab socha Nidhi?”

“Nahin socha? To mujhe ab tak pata kyon nahin tha? Plan tha kya aapka?”

“Oh God, Nidhi! I will explain, lekin pahle ye batao ki tum itni jaldi meri kahi hui baat bhool gayi?”

“Kaun si baat?”

“Ki I trust you. Infinitely.”

“Aapko ye sab skills aati hain. Diplomatically baat karna, kuchh kah kar bhi nahin kahna… Gussa aa raha ho, tab bhi chup rahna… Aur man ki baat zubaan par na laana… Mujhe nahin aati. Aapko trust tha mere oopar, to mujhe bataya kyon nahin?”

“Meri baat sunogi? Please.”

“Nahin. Nahin sunungi.”

“Stop behaving like a brat Nidhi.”

“Why should I stop behaving like anything? I will behave like whatever I want to behave like. Mujhe nahin maanni aapki baat.”

Ashutosh broke into a smile. Her whining was incredibly cute. “Theek hai. Mat maano meri baat. Lekin sun to lo. Agar sunogi hi nahin, to nahin kaise maanogi?”

“I hate you.”

“Abhi to poore board ke saamne hamari shaadi announce kar ke aayi ho,” Ashutosh was enjoying it now.

Nidhi pouted unable to reply to that. Ashutosh went forward and held her by arms, “Rahul ko tumhare paas bheja tha maine Nidhi. Tumhein koi aur proof chahiye ki main tum par trust karta hoon ya nahin?”

“Mujhe bataya kyon nahin?”

“Do reasons. Poori baat mujhe khud nahin pata thi. Ramesh Singhal ne plan kaafi airtight banaya tha. I didn’t know that he was involved. Aur jitna mujhe pata tha woh… main tumhein bata nahin paaya. I was feeling very awkward, Nidhi. I’m sorry.”

“Aap mere saamne awkward feel kar rahe the?”

“I know. Nahin karna chahiye. Kar bhi raha tha, tab bhi tumhein sab bata dena chahiye. Aur future mein aisa hi hoga. Bas is ek baar maaf kar do… Is baar situation thodi to exceptional thi na? Thoda raham karo Nidhi, please.”

“Aur agar mujhe nahin pata chalta to? Aapka plan kya tha?”

“Conference room mein ghusne se pahle mera koi plan nahin tha, kyonki poori baat pata hi nahin thi mujhe. Bas mujhe Dr. Surana ne vaguely warn kiya tha. Aur baad mein ye bhi bataya tha ki tumhara naam ismein aa raha hai. Itna to clear tha ki koi hamari relationship ke baare mein jaanta hai aur uska fayda uthane ki koshish kar raha hai. Lekin despite trying hard main pata nahin laga paaya ki kaun hai ye.”

“Phir?”

“Phir Dr. Asthana ne woh letter produce kar diya. Obviously tumne nahin likha tha. Lekin maine bhi kabhi dhyaan nahin diya ki tumhare signatures kaise hain. To main kuchh obvious point out nahin kar pa raha tha ki kyon woh letter forged hai. Baaki ka letter typed tha. I was requesting them ki tumhein bulayein meeting mein. Lekin Dr. Asthana was insisting ki you were really terrified of me and that was the reason unhein dicreetly application bheji gayi thi etc. Bahas chal hi rahi thi ki tum khud aa gayin. What should I say? My knightess in shining armour?” Ashutosh chuckled slightly.

“Aap bahut bure hain.”

“Lekin maaf to tumne mujhe kar diya hai, right?”

“Meri kamzori ka fayda uthate hain aap.”

“Ab ye batao ki tumhein kaise pata chala?”

“Poori puzzle solve kar ke,” Nidhi explained to him what all had happened since yesterday. Ramesh talking to Siddhi about her and Ashutosh, asking her about their mother, meeting Preeti that morning, hearing her aunt’s story, which was clearly Nidhi’s mother’s story, “Main almost bhool hi gayi thi. Lekin jab usne apni bua ka nickname bataya Nandu, tab puzzle ke saare pieces fit ho gaye. Nandini Singhal. Mummy ka maiden name tha. Halanki woh kabhi ise use nahin karti thi, lekin mujhe pata tha. Phir wapas hospital aayi aur aapse milne ki koshish ki to Dr. Rangnath ne bataya Dr. Asthana aur mere supposed Uncle ke baare mein, jinke through maine aapki complaint ki hai… You owe him one Dr. Ashutosh. Agar unhone nahin bataya hota to… Theek hai. Ultimately sab theek ho hi jaata. Lekin wahan meeting mein jo humiliation hoti aapki, woh bardasht kar paate aap?”

“Thanks Nidhi. And I am sorry. I really am. Maine tumhein bahut pareshaan kiya hai. But this really is the last time.”

“Dr. Ashutosh. Ek baat kahun?”

“Hmm?”

“Aaj maine jaise behave kiya, mujhe purane din yaad aa gaye. Aapne meri bahut badtamiziyan tolerate ki hain.”

“Aisa kyon kah rahi ho Nidhi?”

—

To be continued

P. S. Mu ha ha ha ha (Evil laughter). I know some of you would not talk to me again for this cliffhanger. But come on. A writer deserves to give cliffhangers 😛