After informing everyone at home that the patient was fine, Nidhi wanted to be left alone. Dadi Bua was furious at the condition of her baby, but Baba and Anji understood Nidhi and made sure that she wasn’t disturbed for the day. Nidhi was tired, but she could not sleep.

She tossed and turned around in her bed. The child was out of danger. She didn’t need to dwell on her mistake now. She should look at the opportunity that awaited her. She had a chance to get rid of the only thing she hated about her life. She knew, that at this juncture, even Baba won’t object. She could leave medicine for good. And she should. There was no point in torturing herself. Yes she would quit.

But why did the thought make her uneasy? As if there was an umbilical cord binding her to the hospital, to the profession.

‘Damn Nidhi! Ab medical terms mein sochna band kar,’ she chided herself. But the restlessness would not go away. She wasn’t happy. Why?

It was probably the suddenness of it all, she decided to believe. She was feeling anxious about the change awaiting her. It is always easier to go with the flow. Taking a huge decision creates tension. Yes that was it. She should think of something else. Like what was she going to do now? Yes – that would be exciting. Shopping with Anji, of course, to lift her mood. Next few nights of partying… Anji’s Daddy would need to be handled, but she could manage that. And then…

Then what? Anji would get busy with her job. Or if her Daddy changed his mind, then with his business. What career would Nidhi take up for herself? Damn! She had never ever thought about it. The only thing she knew was that she had always hated the idea of pursuing medicine, that of becoming a doctor. But she had never thought about what it was that she would love doing?

So what! There never really was a point in thinking about it earlier. Baba wouldn’t let her do anything other than medicine. As much as she hated it, she couldn’t really have done anything against his wishes. Especially when he always brought Mummy in between.

Mummy! Oh! Her absence was another thing she hated about her life. She hardly remembered anything about her. She had died when Nidhi was too young. Dadi Bua had been with them ever since. Auntie, Anji’s Mom, also treated her like her own daughter. And yet – sometimes she did feel motherless. She never told either Dadi Bua or Auntie about that feeling. That would be unfair to them. Given how much they tried to do for her; given how much they loved her. But yes! That was the problem. They tried too hard. Mother’s love would be effortless. That’s why she felt a tinge of disappointment sometimes.

But why was she occupied with depressing thoughts today. She was supposed to be happy. She should be thinking about a future that she will live her way. And what was her way? Interior designing was not her cup of tea, unlike Anji. She could not be a painter or a singer. She barely managed to pass the “Fine Arts” course in her school. Her performance in medical school would have been much better, if her diagrams had come out little better. And singing? There wasn’t a point in even thinking about what it would do to the people around her. She herself could not tolerate her voice, not even for bathroom singing.

An MBA? But duh! She hated the idea of either running her own business or sitting in a big corporate as a manager. Running a business was not like handling human body. She had seen her Baba working on his business related issues all the time. And the idea of solving those issues never excited her. It was like you never knew what was the right thing to do and what wasn’t. With human body, you had to identify the issue and then if you sincerely did the right thing, you would be able to get the right results. A healthy, happy person! That was the beauty of medicine, right? It healed people, it made them happy.

‘Offo Nidhi. Is profession ke baare mein nahin, aur cheezon ke baare mein soch.’

‘Agar Baba ne zindagi bhar mujhe doctor banne ke liye pester nahin kiya hota, to mujhe aaj ye sochne ki zaroorat nahin padti ki main kya karna chahti hoon. Maine bahut pahle hi soch liya hota ye. Baba ne bhi na… Mujhe bahut achchhe se paala hai. Lekin ye ek cheez sahi nahin ki.’

She still remembered that she would barely have celebrated the end of a semester in medical school, when Baba would be there to remind her that to become a doctor, she could not forget all she had learned in the semester just because the exams were over. Also, she had to study hard for the next semester.

“Offo Baba! Itna bhi mushkil nahin hota hai.”

“Mushkil nahin hota hai? Tumhare saare dost to hai-tauba machaye rahte hain ki doctor banne ke liye kitni padhai karni padti hai.”

“Haan karni padti hai. Lekin hamari body ko hi to study karna hai na Baba. Koi hazaron saalon ki history ki classes thode hi na hain ki – itna sa dimaag aur itne saare saal – bhala kahan jamaa karoge saari information?”

“Achchha?”

“Haan Baba. Dekhiye. Human body to main ek baar model dekhti hoon to mujhe samajh mein aa jati hai. Isliye exams mein koi problem nahin hai. Lekin Baba – actual khoon dekh kar na mera sar chakraata hai. To main doctor nahin ban sakti. Main college drop kar doon, please?”

“Nahin,” he would say strictly and go away, while Nidhi would pout in frustration.

Human body was definitely something she understood inuitively. Her friends often wondered that how come she remembered everything without having to spend hours studying. And she never understood why they all needed to study so much. So, exams were not a problem for her. But why couldn’t Baba stop pestering. She didn’t want to become a doctor.

Only if Baba hadn’t pestered her so much. Then she could have decided what she wanted to become. What would she have become, if not a doctor??? She tried to think. Why did she hate the idea of becoming a doctor? Because Baba kept pestering…

Oh God! Was that it? She hated Baba’s insistence? She hated not being allowed to choose? Did she hate the profession or did she… just hate the inability to choose…

She understood the human body. She understood people and connected well with them. So, if she could choose, what would she become?

A doctor, of course.

—

She smiled and relaxed finally. She slept peacefully for hours. She didn’t wake up for lunch. She got up after 5 in the evening. She was well-rested. She went out and saw everyone sitiing in the hall.

“Good evening,” her chirpy voice startled everyone, “Kya hua hai aap logon ko? Aisi shakal bana kar kyon baithe hain.”

“Nidhi,” Anji rushed to her, “Tu theek hai na?”

“Main bilkul theek hoon.”

“Chhote Sarkaar. Chai to bana kar laiye sab ke liye,” Baba ordered, relieved seeing that Nidhi was all right.

“Aur kuchh nashta bhi le aana,” Dadi Bua added, “Khane liye Yograj ne uthane hi nahin diya.”

“Sahi kiya Dadi Bua,” Nidhi assured her, “Mujhe bahut neend aa rahi thi. Aur thak bhi gayi thi. Ab fresh feel kar rahi hoon.”

—

“Nidhi. Ab kya karne waali hai tu?” Anji asked her when they were in her room later.

“Kya karne waali hoon matlab?”

“Matlab tu hospital phir jayegi ya…”

“Jaungi Anji.”

“Sure? Par tu to doctor nahin banna chahti na. Aur ab Baba bhi kuchh nahin kahenge.”

“Jaanti hoon Anji. Par ab faisla badalne ke liye bahut der ho gayi hai. Main doctor banne ke alawa kuchh kar nahin sakti.”

“Aisa kuchh nahin hai Nidhi. Tu MBA kar sakti hai, koi aur course kar sakti hai…”

“Nahin Anji. Tu galat samajh rahi hai. Main majboori mein ye nahin bol rahi hoon. Mujhe lagta hai ki isi profession mein meri khushi hai.”

“Achchha!” Anji said and they sat in silence for a while.

Anji broke the silence, “Nidhi kuchh hua hai kya?”

“Kya hua hai?”

“Mujhe nahin pata. Dr. Ashutosh ne tujhse kuchh kaha kya?”

“Nahin. Bas yahi kaha ki aage ka faisla mujhe khud karna hai.”

“Woh to theek hai. Kuchh aur?”

“Nahin.”

“Daanta?”

“Haan.”

“Bahut?”

“Haan. Bahut.”

“Aur phir bhi tu khush hai. Wapas jaana chahti hai? Nidhi – tujhse to kabhi kissi ki daant bardasht nahin hoti thi?”

“Unki daant theek hi thi na Anji. Koi bekaar mein daante to gussa aata hai. Lekin agar meri wajah se kissi ki jaan khatre mein pad gayi thi. To daantna to unka haq tha.”

“Nidhi. Kuchh to hua hai.”

“Tujhe kuchh ho gaya hai. Ye Sherlock Holmes kyon bani phir rahi hai?”

“Tu mujhse jhooth nahin bol sakti. Teri shakal par likha hai ki kuchh hua hai.”

“Achcha! Shakal par likha hai to tu khud hi padh le.”

“Nidhi. Tu batati hai mujhe ya main jaun? Mujhe ab gussa aa raha hai.”

“Are. Kuchh hua hi nahin hai. chhoti si baat hai. Mere ear-rings patient ke bed par chhoot gaye the. To Dr. Ahustosh ko dikh gaye aur unhone mujhe utha kar wapas kar diye.”

“Itne hungaame ke beech mein Dr. Ashutosh ne tujhe ear-rings wapas kiye?” Anji was surprised.

“Tab tak sab theek ho chuka tha Anji.”

“Phir bhi Nidhi. Ye chhoti si to baat nahin hai… Hayee! Main mar jawan. Dr. Ashutosh bade handsome hain na waise? Kabhi milwana mujhe.”

“Shut up Anji. Rai ka pahad mat banaa…”

“Kya chal raha hai bachchiyon,” Baba entered the room, “Mahaul kaisa hai yahan ka?”

“Mahaul bilkul theek hai.”

“Chalo achcha hai sab theek ho gaya. Warna yahan meri jaan nikal rahi thi ki kahin inka transfer hospital se jail ho gaya to main kya karoonga? Lawyer ka intezaam kahan se hoga, jail mein khaana kaun pahunchayega…”

“Baba. Aapko ye mazaak lag raha hai,” Nidhi pouted.

“Achchha mazaak chhodo. Ye batao ki tumne kya faisla kiya hai. Aur haan – tum jo bhi faisla karogi mera waada hai ki main tumhara saath doonga. Agar tum hospital chhodna chaho…”

“Nahin Baba,” Anji smiled teasingly, “Nidhi hospital chhod kar nahin jaane waali hai. Aap to bas iske liye ek achchha sa apology letter likh dijiye jismein ye kahe ki ab ye bahut dil laga kar aur mehnat se kaam karegi aur Dr. Ashutosh ya hospital ko shikayat ka koi mauka nahin degi.”

Nidhi smiled and Baba faked getting perplexed, “Ye likhna padega.”

“Haan Baba.”

“Theek hai. Ye bhi sahi!”

—

To be continued