“Most people just used to leave me alone, jab main itna hostile behave karti thi. Lekin aapne… aapne mujhe samjha. Jab maine kuchh nahin bataya tha, tab bhi aapne samjha. You never meddled with my life, but you did not leave me alone either. And I was very grateful for that. I still am.”

“Stop Nidhi.”

“Nahin. Mujhe bolne dijiye. Maine kabhi aapko thanks nahin kaha uske liye. Aaj bolti hoon. Aur ek baat. Dr. Ashutosh – tab main grateful thi aur aapse usse zyada aur kuchh nahin expect karti thi. Tab aapke paas ye mauka tha ki aap mujhe apni zindagi mein nahin shaamil karte. Main aapka faisla accept kar leti. Lekin ab cheezein badal gayi hain. Ab main sirf grateful hi nahin feel karti. Ab main aapke oopar apna haq bhi maanti hoon. Aap ye haq mujhse kabhi cheenne ki koshish mat kijiyega. Main nahin cheenne doongi.”

“I won’t dare,” Ashutosh smiled lovingly, “And I don’t want to dare!”

Nidhi sighed and suddenly changed the topic, “I pity Peeti though. Poor girl. How is she going to survive in that family…”

“Nidhi. Unfortunately duniya mein bahut bachche bahut bure circumstances se guzarte hain. Tum sabki zindagi theek nahin kar paogi. Lekin hain kuchh lucky bachche jihein tumhari parvarish mil rahi hai. Rahul. Siddhi. Aur tumhare apne bachche to inse bhi zyada fortunate honge…”

“Main bachche paida nahin karna chahti Dr. Ashutosh,” Nidhi interrupted agitatedly, “Log jaise apne bachchon ko treat karte hain… Mere parents ne hamein chhod kar suicide kar liya. Ranjeeta ji Rahul ko do saal ki umra mein chhod kar chali gayin; aur Ritesh ke saath jo kiya – the less said the better. Aur phir ye Preeti ke parents hain. Uske Papa to poore jallad hain. Aur Mummy helpless. Kyon bachche paida karte hain log? Mujhe to nahin lagta ki karne chahiye.”

“Nidhi!”

“I… I am sorry,” she suddenly realized the implication of what she said, “Ye koi faisla nahin hai. Obviously, is baare mein koi faisla mera akele ka nahin hoga…”

“Nidhi. I would love to bring up a child with you. Lekin woh meri zindagi ka aim nahin hai.”

“Dr. Ashutosh…”

“Nidhi. Apni zindagi ki kuchh hisson ko maine khatam kar diya tha, maar diya tha. Ye sochna bhi chhod diya tha ki main unhein jee sakta hoon. Aaj jo main tumhare saath ye khushiyon ke pal bita raha hoon na, ye possible nahin hota agar tum itni loyal, patient aur persistent nahin hoti. Apne pyaar ko le kar. Ye jo meri zindagi hai na, sapno ke jaisi, woh tumhari di hui hai. Aur main ye tumhare tareeke se, tumhare pace par, tumhari khushiyon ke saath jeena chahta hoon. Isi mein meri khushi hai.”

Nidhi’s eyes moistened, but she smiled. Ashutosh pulled her in an embrace and she happily surrendered.

—

Siddhi could not speak for several moments, when Nidhi told her what had happened.There were too many things to be digested. She looked disturbed at the wickedness of it all.

“I’m sorry Siddhi,” Nidhi said at the end, “Ye sab bahut sickening hai. Tujhe na batana padta to behtar hota. Lekin this man – supposedly our uncle – is so manipulative, ki tumhein pata hona zaroori tha. Kal ko kuchh aur karne ki koshish karein to you should not fall in that trap.”

“Of course, Di. Tum mere liye itni chinta mat karo. Waise bhi – tumhare rahte mera kaun kya bigaad sakta hai. Tum pahle hi uski jaan nahin le logi?” Nidhi was surprised. She hadn’t told Siddhi about her angry threat to Mr. Singhal. How did she say exactly the same thing?

“Kya hua? Aise kyon dekh rahi ho?” Siddhi asked.

“Ye jaan lene waali baat tune kaise kahi?”

Siddhi giggled, “To tumne sach much unse ye kaha tha?”

“Shut up, Siddhi,” Nidhi pretended to be angry to hide her embarrassment at having been found out.

Siddhi laughed out loud, “Oh my God, Di! You can be so cute sometimes. I love you.”

Nidhi had to smile at that. She kissed Siddhi on forehead.

—

Ashutosh was surprised when he came out of his bathroom. Nidhi was asleep on his bed, comforter drawn all the way up to her chin. How did she fall asleep so quickly? They had been chatting till just a couple of minutes ago.

“Nidhi,” he called her softly, but she didn’t buzz. It was diasppointing for him. He was looking forward to spending the night with her after so many days. His plan was to not even let her go back to Siddhi’s room later. But he decided not to wake her up. It must have been an emotionally exhausting day for her. He would be content with her sleeping beside him. He could hold her. Close! Ashutosh tried to pull the comforter over himself and in the process it slipped off Nidhi’s shoulder. Her shoulder was bare except for a thin lacy strap. His heart skipped a beat and more. This bewitching woman. She was pretending to sleep. He could see a naughty smile forming on her lips, even though she kept her eyes closed. He threw away the comforter and was greeted by a breathtaking sight of Nidhi in the negligee he had bought for her.

Nidhi sat up, a shy smile playing on her lips.

“To tum mujhe pareshaan kar rahi thi?” His scorching gaze was lust-personified and Nidhi could feel herself burning under it.

That didn’t stop her from replying though, “Mere sone se aap pareshaan ho jaate hain?”

“Tumhein aise dekh kar ho jaata hoon.”

“Woh to aapki problem hai na?”

“Lekin meri pareshaani ki sazaa to tumhein hi milegi.”

“Woh kaise?”

“Sone nahin doonga tumhein aaj,” he hissed and jumped on her in a way that was as good as attacking her, “And I will eat you up, Dr. Nidhi Verma.”

She would definitely have had a befitting reply for him, but he didn’t allow her to speak as he attacked her lips furiously. It was a night like none before. Nidhi had never seen him so aggressive, rough and passionte. And she wasn’t complaining.

“Aap…” she started saying something while lying in his arms later and then stopped. How was she to ask him what made him that way?

“Kya?”

“Aap theek to hain?” she blurted not knowing what else to say.

“Main? Haan… Oh God! Did I hurt you?”

“Nahin, nahin. Main to bas…”

Ashutosh smiled. She was a bold seductress, but definitely terrible at pillow talk. He volunteered information, “Nidhi. Aaj main… bahut different feel kar raha hoon. Bahut achchha feel kar raha hoon.”

“Kyon?”

“Sabke saamne apne rishte ko accept kar lena… I think main kahin na kahin bahut anxious tha ki woh moment kaisa hoga? But now it’s done. Ab mere man mein koi complications nahin hain.”

“Aaj to hum aise hi aa gaye the hospital se. Logon ko to kal face karna padega.”

“Jo log matter karte hain, woh the wahan par…”

“Well…”

“Haan… Admittedly tumhare colleagues nahin the. Tumhari problem abhi khatam nahin hui hai.”

“Mera koi kya kar lega? Aapko pata hai na, aapke alawa people leave me alone,” she smiled and propped herself up on her elbows.

“I thought ki tum ab kaafi social ho gayi ho.”

“Hah! Tabhi tak jab tak log mujhe pareshaan na karein.”

Ashutosh laughed at that, “Right. Aur I think meri Jhansi ki Rani ko pareshaan karne ki zyada logon ki himmat nahin hai.”

“You have no idea.”

“I do. Mere to hosh hi ud gaye the jab aaj tum mere oopar chillayi thi.”

“You totally deserved it.”

“Main khud ko defend karne ki koshish bhi nahin kar raha. Lekin phir bhi. You can be scary.”

“Main scary lagti hoon aapko?” Nidhi pouted.

“‘Can be’ kaha maine, Nidhi.”

“Rahne dijiye. Aapko meri scary shakal dekhne ki zaroorat nahin hai. Main ja rahi hoon…”

“Uff… Nakhre dekho inke,” Ashutosh pulled her back as she made to get down from the bed, “Kahin nahin ja rahi ho tum aaj raat. Samajh gayin?”

Nidhi smiled and leaned towards him so that their foreheads touched.

“This is perfect, Nidhi.”

“Perfect!” she agreed as they eased back on the bed.

—

To be continued