Ashutosh was worried about Mallika’s attitude towards Nidhi. She made no bones about mixing personal and professional lives. So, trying to talk to her was only going to make the matters worse. He kept an eye on the duty chart and it was clear that Nidhi was getting unfair share of long and night duties.

Until he figured a way out of this situation, he decided to help Nidhi out. He started spending the nights, when Nidhi was on duty, in the hospital.

—

“Dr. Nidhi. Aap bahut thaki hui lag rahi hain. Chahein to thodi der aaraam kar lein. Main hoon agar koi problem hui to.”

“Thank you Sir. Par main theek hoon. In fact, free thi to socha thodi padhai kar loon.”

“Bahut zyada mehnat kar rahi hain aap. Apni health ka dhyaan rakhiyega.”

“Ji Sir. Uske liye Dadi Bua hain na. Har samay shor machati rahti hain khane, peene aur sone ke liye.”

“Kaafii… dilchasp hain aapki Dadi Bua.” Ashutosh was reminded of the time when Dadi Bua had marched into the hospital with food for Nidhi and had raised a hell when she could not find her.

Nidhi laughed, “Aap mile to hain. Aap unki burai kar sakte hain. Sabko pata hai ki woh kaafi ridiculous ho jaati hain. Lekin unhein meri bahut chinta rahti hai. Bachpan se paal pos kar bada kiya hai na.”

“Aap khushkismat hai Dr. Nidhi jo aapko chahne waale aur pyaar karne waale itne log hain.”

“Phir bhi Mummy ko miss karti hoon. Insaan ki greed kabhi khatam nahin hoto na,” Nidhi laughed self-deprecatingly, “Aapne apni family ke baare mein kabhi kuchh bataya nahin Sir.”

“Family?” Ashutosh smiled sadly, “Meri family, in fact, meri saari duniya mere Baba ke saath shuru ho kar, un par hi khatam hoti thi. Lekin ab woh nahin rahe.”

“I am sorry.”

“It’s okay Dr. Nidhi. We all have to come to terms with our losses. Mujhe dukh is baat ka hai ki unki sabse pyaari nishani mujhse chhin gayi. Agar woh mujhe wapas mil jaye to shayad is loss see zyada achchhe se cope kar sakoonga.”

“Main to apne aas paas itne logon ke hote hue bhi Mummy ko miss karti hoon. Jabki mujhe to kuchh yaad bhi nahin hai unke baare mein. Phir aap to… Main pray karoongi ki aapko woh nishani jaldi se wapas mil jaye. Waise aap bhi apne father ko Baba kahte the?”

Ashutosh nodded and smiled.

“Aap kuchh aur bataiye na apne Baba ke baare mein.”

Ashutosh looked at her for a second, as if wondering if he should open up to her. Then he decided to talk, “Baba ne mujhe bahut pyaar diya Dr. Nidhi. Itna pyaar jitna koi apne bachche ko bhi nahin de sakta.”

“Ji?”

“Unhone mujhe adopt kiya tha. Woh bhi duniya mein akele the. Main bhi… Aur hum logon ne saath mein apni ek duniya banayi thi. Main jo kuchh bhi hoon unki wajah se hi. Aur meri personality, meri aadatein, meri hobbies sab unko mirror karti hai. Unhein gardening ka aur music ka bahut shauk tha.”

“Kya coincidence hai? Mummy ko bhi gardening aur music ka bahut shauk tha. Baba abhi bhi Chhote Sarkar ko daant daant kar ghar mein chhota sa garden maintain karwate hain, Mummy ki yaad mein. Aur unke kai purane records pade hue hain. Ab to maine unhein digitize kar diya hai. Kabhi kabhi sunti hoon. Khaas kar ke ghazalein.”

“Achcha? Usmein Bade Ghulam Ali Khan ke collections hain kya?”

“Bilkul. Unka to sab kuchh hai. Woh Mummy ke favourite Ghazal singer the.”

“Baba ke bhi. Lekin unke records to ab tak kharaab ho gaye honge.”

“Main aapko CD bana kar de sakti hoon,” Nidhi was excited.

“Ab to main sunta nahin.”

“Kyon?”

“Bas aise hi… Khair aap bataiye. Aur kya hobbies hain aapki? Apni Mummy ke collection ki Ghazalein sunne ke alawa.”

“Aur? Aur to pata nahin. Anji ko dekh kar kabhi kabhi paintings banane ki koshish ki thi, lekin jo banaya use dekh kar khud hi dar gayi.”

Ashutosh laughed, “Aapka ye self-deprecating humour kaafi achcha hai.”

“Main kuchh self-deprecation nahin kar rahi. Sach kah rahi hoon. Haan – paint kar ke to kuchh kagaz par utarna mere wash ki baat nahin hai. Photography se kar leti hoon kabhi kabhi. Mujhe agle birthday par Baba se apne camera ke liye ek naya lens lena hai gift mein. Bahut dinon se taal rahe hain woh.”

“Kabhi dikhaiye apni photographs.”

“Zaroor. Agli baar aap ghar aayenge to dikhaungi. Waise aapse poochhna to bekaar hai ki aapki hobbies kya hain? Aap to poore time hospital mein hi baithe rahte hain. Apne patients ke liye.”

Ashutosh laughed, “Aap mere hospital mein rahne ko exaggerate kar rahi hain.”

“Bilkul nahin. Ab aap aaj raat kyon ruke hue hain? Sufficient logon ki duty hai aur koi emergency bhi nahin hai.”

“Main patients ke liye nahin ruka hoon Dr. Nidhi.”

“Phir?”

Ashutosh fell silent. It was an awkward moment. Then he sighed and said, “Shayad apne liye.”

Nidhi didn’t understand, but did not ask further.

“Mujhe ek baar round le lena chahiye,” she said and got up to leave.

“Sure. Aur agar aapko padhai karni ho to aap mere office mein baith sakti hain. Wahan aapko disturbace nahin hogi.”

“Ji. Thank you.”

—

Nidhi walked into the ward late at night and saw a little girl still awake.

“Kya hua? Soyi kyon nahin ab tak?”

“Mujhe dar lag raha hai?”

“Itne saare bachche hain yahan? Main hoon. Nurse hain. Phir tumhein dar kyon lag raha hai?”

The girl did not say anything.

“Koi aur baat hai? Batao mujhe?”

“Ghar par Mamma roz story sunati hain sone se pahle.”

“Ye baat hai na. Koi baat nahin. Aaj main tumhein story sunaungi. Batao kiski sunogi? Lion ki, bear ki ya elephants ki?”

“Ya saat baunon ki?” Ashutosh suddenly appeared beside her and asked the girl in a whisper.

“Saat baunon ki!”

“To suno… Ek jungle mein saat baune the…”

The girl was lost in the story and Nidhi was lost in Ashutosh. His countenance was unusually affectionate and soft. No hint of Dr. Hardstone there.

Towards the end of the story, Mallika also walked in the ward.

“Mallika. Hum ise saat baunon ki kahani suna rahe hain. Aao, tum bhi hamein join karo,” Ashutosh said cheerfully.

“Maine medicine ki pahdai ki hai Ashutosh, literature ki nahin. Kahaniyan tum hi sunao, achchhi bana lete ho. Waise is kahani mein kya aap bhi shaamil hai Dr. Verma?”

“Ji?” Nidhi was taken aback by her rude question.

Ashutosh rubbed his forehead in frustration as Mallika walked out. Ashutosh looked back at the girl and continued the story until she was asleep. Then both of them came out of the ward.

“Sorry about Dr. Mallika. I think she is stressed out.”

“Aapko sorry bolne ki zaroorat nahin hai Dr. Ashutosh.”

—

To be continued