Ashutosh had forgotten his mobile in the living room. Still his sleep was disturbed when it rang at midnight.

“Kaka, aap jage hain kya? Mera phone to dijiye.”

“Jaga hoon beta. Lekin itni raat mein phone uthana zaroori hai kya?”

Ashutosh had come out of his bedroom by then, “Ye to is par depend karta hai ki phone kiska hai?”

Phone had stopped ringing. Kaka looked at the missed call list and said, “Dr. Mallika ka hai.”

“To dijiye na Kaka. Koi zaroori baat hogi,” he took his phone, went inside his room and called Mallika back.

“Mallika, kya baat hai? Koi emergency hai kya hospital mein?”

“Hospital mein to nahin hai.”

“Phir kahan hai?”

“Mere ghar mein.”

“Kya hua tumhein?” Ashutosh asked worriedly.

“Mujhe neend nahin aa rahi hai Ashutosh.”

“Kya?”

“Haan to mujhe bahut urgently ek dost ki zaroorat hai jisse main baatein kar sakoon.”

“Oh God! Mallika. Tumhein ye aadhi raat ko mazaak soojh raha hai. Mujhe subah hospital jaldi jaana hai.”

“I am sorry Ashutosh! Lagta hai maine tumhein bahut annoy kar diya.”

“Nahin Mallika. Agar sach mein koi problem hai to batao. Tumhein pata hai ki uske liye main samay nahin dekhoonga.”

“Mujhe pata hai Ashutosh ki zarooratmandon ke liye tum kuchh bhi kar sakte ho. Lekin kuchh zarooratein alag hoti hain. Unhein roti, kapda, makaan, health – is tarah ki zarooraton ke saath nahin rakha ja sakta. Kabhi logon ki waisi zarooraton ke baare mein socha hai tumne?”

“Mallika. Tumne pee rakhi hai kya? Itni raat ko itni philosophical kyon ho rahi ho? Mujhe kuchh nahin samajh mein aa raha hai.”

Mallika laughed sadly, “Chalo koi baat nahin Ashutosh. Bas tumse baat karne ka man ho raha tha. Woh kar liya. Tum so jao. Good night.”

“Good night, Mallika.”

—

Ashutosh had hardly kept the phone back when it rang again. It was from Nidhi. This worried Ashutosh. She was on the night duty. Had something gone wrong?

“Dr. Verma? What’s the problem?”

“I am sorry Dr. Ashutosh ki itni raat ko aapko disturb kiya. Lekin yahan ek bachche ki tabiyat bahut kharaab ho gayi hai. Mere hisaab se immediately operate karna padega. Dr. Mallika ka patient hai, lekin unka mobile switched off hai. Aap hospital aa sakte hain?”

“Main immediately nikal raha hoon.”

Ashutosh picked Mallika up from her house on his way.

“Kya problem hai Dr. Verma?”

“Sir, meri diagnosis ke hisaab se use appendix ki problem hai. Lekin…”

“Lekin kya?”

“Lekin ye nonsense hai. Use maine admit kiya tha. Use ulcer ki problem hai,” Mallika replied sharply.

Ashutosh looked at the case files and asked whether certain tests had been done while admitting.

“Unki zaroorat nahin thi Ashutosh. Its a simple case.”

“Dr. Verma?”

“Sir. Ulcer aur Appendix ke symptoms bahut similar hote hain, ye mujhe pata hai. Lekin main sure hoon ki ye case ulcer ka nahin hai. Aur operation immediately karna hoga. Patient bahut pain mein hai aur mujhe dar hai ki appendix rupture kar sakta hai.”

“Agar aapke diagnosis galat saabit hua to?”

“To responsibility meri hai.”

“Okay then. Bachche ko operation ke liye taiyaar kijiye aur surgeon ko bulaiye.”

“Yes Sir.”

Mallika was surprised. She snapped at Ashutosh after Nidhi left, “Ashutosh. Ye kya bachpana hai? Tum is ladki ke diagnosis par bharosa kar rahe ho. Ye kal ki ladki…”

“Mallika. Tumhein aisa lagta hai ki main kissi patient ki jaan ke saath kheloonga?”

“Nahin Ashutosh. Lekin…”

“Main operation theatre mein ja raha hoon.”

Mallika stayed back. She didn’t join the operation.

—

Nidhi was pacing in front of the operation theatre, praying furiously that her diagnosis was right. Otherwise, she might have, yet again, placed a patient’s life in danger.

She ran towards Ashutosh when he came out of the theatre.

“Aapka diagnosis bilkul sahi tha Dr. Verma. Appendix rupture ho jaata agar surgeon ne samay par sambhaa nahin liya hota.”

Nidhi sighed in relief and happiness. A life was saved!

“Good job Dr. Verma.”

“Sir?”

“Yes.”

“Jab aapne operate karne ke liye decide kiya tha to aapko pata tha…”

“Haan. Mujhe pata tha. Lekin main chahta tha ki aap khud confidence se faisle lena seekhein.”

Nidhi smiled with gratitude, “Thank you, Sir.”

—

“Mallika. Tum ab tak yahan baithi ho?”

“Haan. Ab to dubara padhai karne ki zaroorat padegi na? Ek intern ka diagnosis mujhse behtar saabit ho raha hai. Socha tumhari kitaabon ki madad le loon.”

“Come on Mallika. Bachchon ki tarah baatein mat karo. Admit it. She is good!” he tried to laugh it off.

“Ashutosh. Ab tum mere jale par namak chhidak rahe ho.”

“Listen Mallika. Don’t over do it,” Ashutosh became serious.

“Overdo what?”

“Mallika. Tum mujhse naaraaz thi isliye phone switch off kar diya tha mujhse baat karne ke baad. Ek baar bhi ye nahin socha ki agar tumhare kissi patient ko tumhari zaroorat padegi to woh tumhein kaise inform karenge? Aur abhi? Abhi tumhein khush hona chahiye ki tumhare galat diagnosis ke baawjood us bachche ki jaan bach gayi. Kyonki Dr. Verma ne sahi samay par sahi diagnosis ki aur mujhe phone kiya. Uske liye bajay unhein complement dene ke ya thanks kahne ke, tum ye bachchon ki si race laga baithi ho unke saath? Ye kaisa bachpana hai Mallika? Kya hum personal aur professional life ko alag nahin rakh sakti?”

“Mere liye bahut der ho chuki hai Ashutosh. Aaj tak main inhein alag nahin rakh payi. Warna shayad is hospital mein nahin hoti. Mere liye bahut der ho chuki hai aisa kuchh bhi karne ke liye.”

“Mallika…”

But she did not give him the chance to say anything else and ran out of his office.

Ashutosh sank into his chair. What was he to do with Mallika? There was no doubt that she was loyal to him. She had always been. But he couldn’t reciprocate her feelings. He hadn’t given her any false hopes either. He had always told her that there could be nothing else between them other than friendship. Even when he hadn’t closed himself to the possibility of love, relationship and trust, she wasn’t the one. He respected her loyalty, but he had to be honest with himself. He didn’t identify with her, he didn’t have the kind of respect for her that he would have wanted in a life partner. He didn’t want to be rude to her. He wished that she would understand. She didn’t. Now, he wasn’t looking for love or relationship in his life. So, it was easy not to hurt her. He would tell her that there could be no woman in his life. That’s the escapist route he had taken with her. Normally, it didn’t create a problem. But sometimes…

“May I come in, Sir?”

Ashutosh came out of his thoughts and smiled as he recognized the voice, “Please come in Dr. Nidhi. Patient theek hai?”

“Yes Sir. Use OT se shift karwa diya hai. Uski condition stable hai. Lekin aapke aaraam karne ka plan to aaj fail ho gaya. Main aapke liye chai layi hoon,” she kept the cup on the table. Ashutosh realized that there was something pleasant in her demeanour, which made him forget his tensions and feel happy.

“Thank you. Aapki duty kab tak hai?”

“Sir subah ke 6 baje tak. Aap wapas ghar nahin jayenge?”

“Nahin. Phir kuchh ghanton mein aana hi padega. Main yahin ruk jaata hoon. Aap baithiye na.”

“Ji,” Nidhi sat down on a chair.

“So, Dr. Nidhi. Aapki PG entrance ki preparation kaisi chal rahi hai?” Ashutosh was not conscious, but Nidhi noticed that he had called her Dr. Nidhi and not Dr. Verma, as he normally used to. But his question took her by surprise, “PG ki preparation?”

“Haan. Kyon? Post graduation to karna hai na aapko?”

“Umm.. Acutually kabhi socha hi nahin. Main to…”

“Doctor hi nahin banna chahti thi…”

Nidhi laughed embarrasedly, “Ji.”

“Lekin ab to aap doctor ban rahi hain. Apni marzi se. Aur mere khayaal mein bahut achchhi doctor ban rahi hain. To ab to aapko PG ke baare mein definitely sochna chahiye. Achchhe career ke liye zaroori hai.”

“Ji. Main zaroor sochungi.”

There was an awkward silence for a while. Then Nidhi broke it as she got up, “Sir. Main ward mein jaati hoon.”

Ashutosh nodded. Though he was longing for her company. It cheered him up. But he didn’t have any reason to keep her there. He wasn’t good at even small talk.

There was a couch in his office. Ashutosh decided to take a nap on it. He slept peacefully and woke up only at seven in the morning.

He got up and thought about checking on Nidhi. Then he realized that she would have left by six.

—

“Dr. Nidhi? Aap yahan? Subah hi to aapki duty khatam hui thi?” Ashutosh was surprised to see Nidhi in the hospital at half past ten in the morning.

“Ji. Lekin aaj woh Chandan discharge hone waala tha. Aur maine usse waada kiya tha ki jab woh theek ho jayega to main use ghumaane le jaungi. Isliye main aa gayi.”

Chandan was the same child whose injection Nidhi had forgotten to give. The one injection that had changed her life for good.

Ashutosh smiled, “To apne waade ki bahut pakki hain aap.”

“Koshish karti hoon ki na todoon.”

Nidhi noticed a flicker of sadness on his face before he started smiling again, “Achchha hai Dr. Nidhi. Waade nahin todne chahiye. Saamne waale ko bahut dukh hota hai. Lekin haan – aap aise waade saare patients mat karne lagiyega. Warna aapki saari salary aur saara time unhein ghumane mein hi chala jayega.”

Nidhi laughed, “Yes Sir.”

—

Nidhi reflected on her life over last few days as she roamed around the city with Chandan. She was a completely different person than what she was before the night she had forgotten his injection. And she felt content, happy with the way she was now. Even proud. She was proving to be a good doctor. Even Dr. Hardstone, Dr. Ashutosh admitted that. She grinned to herself as she thought about that. And there was only one person who was responsible for this transformation of her. Dr. Ashutosh. Anyone else in his place would have fired her. But he had let her decide. Dr. Mallika still considered her incapable of anything after that incident. But Dr. Ashutosh gave her a chance. No wonder she had come to look upto him and respect him so much. She sent up a silent prayer that she should never fail his trust. He was her idol.

—

To be continued