“Dr. Nidhi. Kahan thi aap apni duty chhod kar? Aapke ward mein ek patient problem mein tha aur aap use attend karne ke liye thi hi nahin,” Mallika blasted Nidhi when she found her.

“Dr. Mallika. Main ek emergency case attend kar rahi thi… Mujhe Dr. Ashutosh ne…”

“Agar aisi bureaucracy karni hai Dr. Nidhi to ja kar koi government hospital join kar lijiye. Yahan doctors responsibility se kaam karte hain. Jaiye apne ward mein abhi.”

Ashutosh reached there just then on hearing Mallika’s raised voice. But Nidhi had left – almost in tears.

“Kya hua Mallika?”

“As usual Ashutosh. Dr. Nidhi aur unki galtiyan. Woh apne ward mein nahin thi.”

“Mallika. Maine hi use bheja tha emergency case attend karne ke liye aur nurse ko bola tha ki tumhein ya mujhe inform kar dein agar ward mein koi problem ho to.”

“Lekin…”

“Mallika. Tum aaj bahut stressed up ho. Din mein bhi kuchh zyada hi cases aa gaye the. Main hoon aaj hospital mein. Tum ghar jao. Please.” He sent Mallika home.

He walked towards the ward to talk to Nidhi. But on his way, he saw a shadow on the hardly used terrace. At first, he was worried if it was some intruder. But then he had realized that the door which led from the corridor to the terrace was open. So, it must be someone from the hospital. When he walked closer, he could make out Nidhi’s silhoutte on the dimly lit terrace.

“Dr. Nidhi,” she was startled on hearing his voice.

“Sir! I am sorry. Woh main ward ka round laga chuki thi to thodi der ke liye yahan aa gayi. Main wapas ja rahi hoon,” she made to leave.

She tried to appear calm, but Ashutosh could make out that she had been crying.

“Rukiye Dr. Nidhi,” he stopped her, “Aap pareshaan hain.”

“Nahin to,” she lied.

“Main jaanta hoon ki aap bahut able prankster hain, lekin phir bhi, mujhe nahin lagta ki jhooth bol paana aapki strength hai.”

“Ji?” Nidhi was taken aback by his seemingly irrelevant rambling.

“Ji. Aap jhooth bol rahi hain. Aur ye pata chal raha hai aapke chehre se. Itni kam roshni mein bhi. Aap Dr. Mallika ki baaton ko lekar pareshaan hain, right?”

“Aapko kaise pata?”

“Maine sun li thi aapki baatein, lekin main zara der se pahuncha. Unke behaviour ke liye main aapse maafi maangta hoon. Mujhe pahle hi unhein bata dena chahiye tha…”

“Nahin. Nahin Sir. Aap kyon maafi maang rahe hain?” she didn’t like him apologizing to her, “Galatfahmi to kissi ko bhi ho sakti hai.”

“To ab aap rona band karengi.”

“Main nahin ro rahi,” she didn’t want to admit that she was crying.

Ashutosh laughed slightly and said patronizingly, “Of course. You are a brave girl. I believe you. Aap nahin ro rahi thi.”

“Agar aap aise mera mazaak udayenge to main sach much ro doongi.”

“Main mazaak nahin uda raha. Aur aap Dr. Mallika ki taraf se pareshaan mat hoiye. Maine unhein bata diya hai ki aapki galti nahin thi.”

“Thank you, Sir.”

—

“Mallika. Main soch raha tha ki tumhari zimmedaariyan badh rahi hain. To kuchh administrative tasks main Dr. Rangnath ko hi de doon. Duties lagane ki responsibility.”

“Iski koi zaroorat nahin hai Ashutosh. Main overworked nahin hoon.”

“Lekin ye administrative kaam tumhari abilities ka best use to nahin hain.”

“Itne saalon se kar rahi hoon Ashutosh. Achanak tumhein ye kaise dhyaan aa gaya ki meri abilities kya hain.”

“Mallika. Itne saalon mein haalaat bhi to badal gaye hain. Hamare paas kahin zyada staff hai. Log hain jo is kaam ko sambhaal sakte hain.”

“Ya phir tumhein mere kaam se koi shikayat hai. Agar aisa hai to seedhe seedhe baat karo Ashutosh. Yun ghuma-phira kar karne ki zaroorat nahin hai. Main dekh rahi hoon ki tum aaj kal hospital mein raat mein kuchh zyada hi ruk rahe ho. Koi problem hai?”

Ashutosh sighed. Mallika won’t let him do it the safe way. She has to bring it to confrontation everytime, “Tum khud ek professional ho Mallika. Tumhein pata hai ki mujhe kya shikayat hai. Maana ki hum doctors hain aur hamein apne profession ke usoolon ki hisaab se kaam karne ke liye din-raat ki nahin sochni hoti hai. Lekin as employers hamein apne employees ka bhi to khayaal rakhna hota hai. Isliye duties rotate hoti rahti hain.”

“Mujhe pata hai.”

“To phir Dr. Verma ki itni zyada night duties kyon lag rahi hain?”

“Woh night duties mein hi theek hain Ashutosh. Din mein ward mein rahti hain to ward playground ban jaata hai.”

“Kya matlab?”

“Jab woh ward mein rahti hain, to tumne kabhi dekha hai ki bachche kitna shor karte hain. Ek din ek trustee visit kar rahe the. Jab woh Dr. Verma ke ward mein pahunche to woh us samay bachchon ko football khelna sikh rahi thi, lete lete. Takiye ko football bana kar.”

Ashutosh tried to imagine the scenario and smiled in amusement, “Koi problem hui?”

“Nahin. Woh bhale insaan the, kuchh kaha nahin. Lekin isse to department ki badnaami hogi hi na.”

“Bachchon ko entertained rakhna bura to nahin hai.”

“Nahin. Lekin unhein disciplined na rakhna to bura hai. Ek din kissi bachche ko injection de rahi thi to usne itni zor se haath maara ki injection gir gaya aur toot gaya. Lekin unhone us bachche ko kuchh nahin kaha. Apne paison se injection mangwaya.”

“Beemaar bachche se kya kah sakte hain Mallika? Are, hum-tum bhi beemaar padte hain to bachchon jaisi harquatein karne lagte hain. Phir bachchon ka kya hai.”

“Mujhe samajh nahin aata hai ki tum Dr. Nidhi Verma jaisi ek irresponsible, immature aur inefficient ladki ko kaise bardasht kaise kar sakte ho?”

“Well… Mallika. Main doctor hone ke shayad thoda-bahut painter bhi hoon. Jab koi painting bante hue dekhta hoon na, to mujhe achchha lagta hai. Aur mujhme ye pahchaan karne ki bhi ability hai ki woh painting kaisi banne waali hai. To jo ladki tumhein aaj irresponsible, immature aur inefficent lagti hai, main dekh raha hoon ki kitni tezi se ye painting ban aur badal rahi hai. Ek din main use ek bahut capable doctor bante hue dekh sakta hoon.”

“Are you sure Ashutosh ki tumhari ye opinion completely professional hai?”

“Kya matlab?” he asked sharply.

“Tumhein shayad pata na chalta ho Ashutosh, lekin tum Dr. Nidhi Verma ki khoobiyan kuchh zyada hi dekhte ho, aur khaamiyan kuchh kam.”

“That’s rubbish Mallika.”

“Meri baaton ko rubbish karne se pahle khud se honestly poochh kar dekho Ashutosh. Kyon rukte ho tum aaj kal raat mein hamesha hospital mein? Patients ke liye? Nahin Ashutosh. Tum Nidhi ke liye rukte ho. You are infatuated with her. Apne se aadhi umra ki ladki se pyaar karne lage ho tum Ashutosh. Aur agar aisa kiya hai to himmat karo aur accept karo.”

Mallika let go of her pent-up frustrations and walked out of Ashutosh’ room leaving him completely baffled.

Nidhi threw the tea in the sink. She had taken it for Dr. Ashutosh. She was about to enter his room with the tea, when she had heard Mallika, “Mujhe samajh nahin aata hai ki tum Dr. Nidhi Verma jaisi ek irresponsible, immature aur inefficient ladki ko aise bardasht kaise kar sakte ho?”

She had stepped back immediately and walked away. So, that’s what she was to him, still. Irresponsible, immature, inefficient. Was there no way that she could do better in his eyes? Could she do anything more? Anything better? She felt heart-broken. She was crying.

But what good it would do to cry. He was so senior to her, so experienced, so well-renowned a dotcor. How could she ever measure up to him? Even if she did her best, it would take her years to reach a stage where he would respect her as a doctor. And there was nothing she could do about it.

She washed her face and came out looking composed. She was stepping out of the common room, when Ashutosh walked in. She saw him, but averted her eyes and walked out. Ashutosh was puzzled. He, himself, was not sure why he had come looking for her. What would he talk to her? So, when she did not stop, he also could not call her back. He just looked on as she walked away.

—

To be continued