“Dr. Nidhi,” he woke her up.
“Yes Sir,” she was clearly cross with him.
“Aapne rounds le liye?”
“Yes Sir.”
“Theek hai. Ab aap wapas ja sakti hain. Maine Dr. Kabir se baat kar li hai. Baaki ki night duty par woh rahenge.”
“Nahin Sir. Ab main subah hi jaungi.”
“Aapke father ka phone aaya tha. Aap apna mobile ghar par bhool aayi hain.” Nidhi’s hands automatically went to the mobile case attached to her purse. It was indeed missing.
“Woh bahut pareshaan hain,” Ashutosh continued, “Aapko ghar jaana chahiye.”
“Main unhein phone kar loongi. Car driver ke paas hai. Woh subah wapas aayega.”
“That’s not a problem. I will drop you,” Ashutosh said and smiled.
For some reason, Nidhi no longer felt upset at him. She also ended up smiling.
—
“Sir. Aap Baba se nahin milenge?” Nidhi asked him when the car pulled up in front of her home.
“Baba?”
“Mere father.”
“Aap unhein Baba kahti hain?”
“Ji. Mummy ne sikhaya tha jab woh zinda thi. Woh bhi apne father ko Baba kah kar bulati thi.”
“Jinhein aap Baba kahti hain, main unse zaroor milna chahunga.”
“Kyon? Agar Baba na kah kar kuchh aur kahti to?”
“Jise Baba kaha jaata hai, woh definitly bahut achcha aadmi hota hai.”
“Woh bahut happy-go-lucky insaan hain, logon ki taang kheenchne mein to unhein bahut mazaa aata hai. Agar aap woh enjoy karte hain, to main itna to promise kar sakti hoon ki aap bilkul bore nahin honge unke saath.”
“I am sure. Chaliye. Aapke Baba se milte hain,” Ashutosh smiled.
—
“Aaiye. Aaiye Dr. Ashutosh. Itna suna tha Nidhi se aapke baare mein. Finally mulaquaat ho rahi hai. Baithiye please. Kahiye. Kya shiquayat hai aapko Nidhi se?”
Ashutosh laughed out loud, “Ji nahin. Main shiquayat karne nahin. Coffee peene aaya tha.”
“Bilkul. Bilkul. Nidhi zara Chhote Sarkar se kahna…”
“Ye unka TV dekhne ka time hai Baba. Unhein rahne dijiye. Main bana kar laati hoon.”
“Ye bhi theek hai. Dr. Ashutosh. Kuchh aur banana offer karti to main aapko khatre mein nahin daalta. Lekin coffee ye achchhi bana leti hai.”
Ashutosh laughed once again and Nidhi’s heart leapt with joy to see him bond do well with Baba.
—
“Anji. Bistar se nikal aur abhi ke abhi yahan aa ja,” Nidhi cried on phone.
She quickly checked herself in the mirror, brushed her hair and dabbed her face with face powder before rushing to the kitchen.
“Aadhi raat ko kya hua Nidhi?” Anji’s voice was still sleepy when she entered the kitchen.
“Dr. Ashutosh aaye hain.”
“Kya?”
“Haan. Woh mujhe drop karne aaye the. To maine unhein coffee ke liye bula liya.”
“Coffee ke liye. Quite meaningful!” Anji winked.
“Shut up Anji. Maine unhein Baba se milne ke liye bulaya tha.”
“Of course. Lekin ghar mein to kai log aate jaate rahte hain. Aaj tak ye special coffee to kissi ke liye nahin bani.”
“Woh mere boss hain Anji.”
“To kya hua?”
“Mujhe machchhar barabar bhi nahin samajhte woh. Har samay daantte rahte hain!”
“To bhi kya hua?”
“Chup kar Anji aur meri madad kar. Ise achche se mix kar. Main cocoa powder nikalti hoon. Aur kuchh snacks bhi le jaane chahiye na?”
“Main to kahti hoon ki Baba ko bolo abhi baat kar daalein. Mere ghar mein mithai rakhi hai. Munh bhi meetha kar lenge.”
“Anji tu chup karegi? Apni mithai Dr. Rangnath ke liye rakh. Free mein redecoration ho rahi hai Children’s ward ki. Dahej bhi nahin maangenge.”
“Shut up Nidhi. Free mein main isliye kaam kar rahi hoon kyonki mujhe itna experience nahin hai ki confidently redecorate kar sakoon. Paise nahin loongi to kuchh gadbad bhi hui to koi kuchh kah nahin payega.”
“Of course. Chal ab.”
—
“Nidhi ki koi galti nahin hai Dr. Ashutosh jo woh thodi betakalluf hai. Maine use paala hi aise hai. Koshish ki hai ki Baap nahin, dost ban kar uske saath rahun. Mujhe lagta hai ki bachchon ko bahut pyaar dena chahiye aur unhein, unki baaton ko, unki personality ko importance deni chahiye. Isse woh khush rahte hain, aur unke man mein kissi tarah ka koi complex nahin hota.”
Ashutosh seemed affected by it for a moment, which Baba noticed. But he pulled himself back to the conversation, “Bilkul sahi soch hai aapki. Bas is baat ka dhyaan rakhna chahiye ki jo care, jo pyaar aap unhein de rahe hain, woh kabhi wapas na le lein. Maine logon ka bharosa tootte dekha hai.”
Baba looked at him for a moment, then said, “Nidhi ne jaisa kaha tha tumhare baare mein, tum usse bahut alag ho. Achcha hai jo us par thodi sakhti rakhte ho. Zindagi ka saamna karne liye khushmizazi hi nahin, discipline bhi zaroori hai.”
“Baba. Aap meri shikayatein kar rahe hain?” Nidhi and Anji entered with the coffee tray.
“Nahin. Main to bas Dr. Ashutosh ke munh se sach nikalwane ki koshish kar raha tha. MBBS to rote rote kiya hai isne Dr. Ashutosh. Ab pata nahin PG ka bhoot kaise sawaar ho gaya hai. Kar bhi payegi ye?”
Ashutosh sipped his coffee and said, “Bilkul kar payengi. Doctor ko bahut achchi hain. Ismein koi shaq nahin hai.”
“Achcha. Lekin mareezon ka khayal bhi to rakhna hota hai.”
“Bachche inse bahut hile mile hue hain. Aur mujhe lagta hai ki bachchon ko insaan ki pahchaaan hoti hai. To usmein bhi koi problem nahin hai.” Ashutosh and Nidhi’s eyes met for a moment when he said that. Nidhi saw something there which she hadn’t seen before and she could not hold the eyelock. She averted her eyes.
“Coffee bahut achchhi bani hai,” Ashutosh added almost immediately.
“Nidhi. Coffee mein kuchh khaas milaya hai kya beta?” Baba asked seriously.
“Nahin to Baba. Kyon? Taste different hai?”
“Nahin. Dr. Ashutosh tumhari… taareefon ke pul baandhe ja rahe hain. Kuchh to gadbad hogi na?”
“Baba!” Nidhi was embarrassed and everyone else laughed.
“Dr. Ashutosh. Aap Anji se to mile hain na pahle? Ye meri bachpan ki dost hai. We are best friends.”
“Ji haan. Mila bhi hoon aur Dr. Rangnath ke munh se taareef bhi suni hai. Ward redecoration ka kaam kaisa chal raha hai.”
Anji blusehd at the mention of Dr. Rangnath and replied, “I am trying my best Dr. Ashutosh. Jab apke paas final designs aa jayenge to aap khud hi dekh lenge ki kaisa raha kaam.”
“I am sure achcha hi hoga. Waise aap log itne achchhe dost hain. Phir aapke raaste alag alag kaise ho gaye?”
“Aise ho gaye ki Baba ne mujhe zabardasti doctor bana diya.”
“Achcha. To aur kya banne waali thi tum ye bhi bata do zara?” Baba teased.
Nidhi did not say anything in reply. Ashutosh did, “Is ek baat ke liye zabardasti kar ke aapne achchha kiya. Hamare hospital ko achchhi doctor mil gayi is wajah se.”
Nidhi blushed and Baba patted her back proudly.
—
To be continued