Amidst all this, the media was insatiable. Dr. Rangnath tried his best, but after things settled down a bit, they thought it was better for Dr. Ashutosh to give a statement and satisfy them. Tired and exhausted, he did even that.

Then he walked into the common room, where all the doctors and interns were sitting. They all had gotten some time to relax after a while.

“Sab kuchh theek thaak hai?” he asked.

“Yes Sir.”

“Kuchh khaya piya aap logon ne?”

“Yes Sir. Aap fikr mat kijiye. Yahan sab theek hai.”

“Great. Main apne office mein hoon. Koi issue ho to mujhe bata dijiyega.”

“Ji Sir.”

Nidhi wondered if the last bit was meant for her. She decided to risk it and reached his cabin with tea.

“Thank you Dr. Nidhi. Lekin aap meri aadat bigaad rahi hain.”

“Ji?”

“Aapke chai laane ki aisi aadat pad gayi hai ki kitni bhi thakaan ho rakhi ho, khud laana yaad hi nahin rahta.”

“To ismein kaun si badi baat hai. Main kaun sa bana kar laati hoon. Ek button hi to dabana hai. Aapke liye chai to la hi sakti hoon.”

“Haan jab tak aap yahan hain, tab tak… Par uske baad?”

“To main kahan ja rahi hoon?”

“PG nahin karni aapko?”

“Yahin kaam karte hue karoongi. Credit to mil hi jayega.”

“Children’s ward mein?”

“Bilkul. Main pediatrics mein hi specialize bhi karoongi.”

“Kyon?”

The question caught her off guard for a moment. What was she to say? Because she had to follow his footsteps? Because she wanted to be like him?

“Mujhe bachche pasand hain,” she finally said.

Ashutosh smiled, “Haan. Woh to dikhta hai mujhe. Lekin phir bhi. Meri aadat mat bigadiye. Mujhe dar lagta hai.”

“Kis cheez se?”

“Khushiyon se?”

“Ye kaisi baat hui? Khushiyon se bhala kyon dar lagta hai aapko?”

“Kyonki woh chhin jaati hain to bahut dukh hota hai. Woh dukh bardasht karne ki himmat nahi hai mujhme.”

“Aapke Baba ki nishani chhin jaane ka bahut dukh hai na aapko?”

Ashutosh looked surprised. She remembered!

Nidhi thought that he did not remember telling her and hence was surprised.

“Aapne khud hi bataya tha mujhe…” Nidhi explained hesitantly.

“Pata hai. Lekin aapne bhi yaad rakha, ye bahut badi baat hai.”

“Aakhir kya cheez thi woh?”

“Janna chahti hain aap?”

“Of course.”

“Theek hai. Kabhi aapko dikha doonga.”

“Par woh to aapke paas nahin hai?”

“Lekin dikha sakta hoon.”

There was a silence for a few moments. Then Nidhi took his leave to go to the ward.

—

“Dr. Nidhi. Aapke liye phone hai,” the receptionist called Nidhi. Nidhi took the receiver from her. It was the mother of one of the kids whom she had treated yesterday and then sent back. Apparently the child had developed severe pain in her arms now. After the bombings, many areas of the city were under curfew and the parents could not bring the child to the hospital. Nidhi assured her that she would come to their house as doctors would be allowed to go and took the address down.

Nidhi checked for Ashutosh, but he was out. She asked the receptionist and was informed that he had gone out with Dr. Armaan for some work. The mobile network was practically jammed in the city after the blasts. So, Nidhi gave the address to the receptionist and asked her to inform Dr. Rangnath and Dr. Ashutosh that she’d be there.

Then she went to the common room to pick up her things. Mallika was sitting there. So, as a courtesy she informed her, “Dr. Mallika. Main ek patient ko dekhne bahar ja rahi hoon. Ek do ghanton mein lautungi.”

“Really?” Mallika responded.

“Ji?”

“Mera matlab hai ki bahar jaane ka reason batana zaroori nahin hai. Lekin ye batana zaroori hai ki aap kiske saath ja rahi hain.”

“What do you mean?”

“Na to aap koi bachchi hain, na hi bewkoof. Baaki baatein ko aapko achchhe se samajh mein aati hain?”

“Aap kah rahi hain ki main jhooth bol rahi hoon?”

“Tumhari umra mein sabhi jhooth bolte hain. Maine bhi bahut bole hain. Kabhi time ho to Dr. Ashutosh se poochh lena.”

“Main jhooth nahin bolti.”

“Theek hai. To phir jo baat main tumse poochh rahi hoon, uska sach sach jawaab dena.”

“Aapko mujhse problem kya hai? Why do you hate me so much?”

“Tumne dil khol kar apni baat kahi hai, to main bhi sach hi bataungi. Koi aurat ye bardasht nahin kar sakti ki jise woh pyaar karti ho, use koi usse chheen le.”

Nidhi sighed in exasperation.

“Itni bholi nahin ho tum. Tum achchhi tarah jaanti thi ki mera aur Ashutosh ka rishta kitna gahra hai. Lekin tumne apni umra aur chehre ko hathiyaar bana kar Ashutosh par uska istemaal kiya. Main galat kah rahi hoon kya?”

“Dr. Mallika. Aap mujhe badtamizi karne par majbooor mat kijiye.”

“Meri baatein tumhein bhale hi pasand na aayen, lekin apni bhalai ke liye sun lo. Ashutosh ko mujhse zyada koi nahin jaanta. Tum uske saamne kuchh nahin ho. Tumhein kya lagta hai ki he will fall for an immature, irreponsible girl like you? Kabhi nahin. Aur agar tumne use phansa bhi liya, to ye samajh lo ki woh ek bahut hi kamzor insaan hai. He is a weak man. He is not someone who can protect you. Jab duniya tumhare rishte par sawaal khade karegi, to woh tumhein beech majhdhaar mein chhod kar chala jayega. Woh sirf apne kaam se, ya apne aap se pyaar kar sakta hai.”

“I can’t believe this Dr. Mallika. Aapki soch kitni cheap hai. And how can a woman stoop so low? Itna kaise gir sakti hai koi aurat?”

“Nidhi. Aurat mein bahut taakat hoti hai. Aur ye tumhein us din pata chalega, jab tum mere aamne-saamne khadi hogi.”

“Main aur aap kabhi aamne saamne nahin khade honge, Dr. Mallika.” Nidhi stormed out of the room leaving an angry Mallika behind.

—

Ashutosh had come back after a visit to another hospital treating the injured kids. He was tired and feeling sick. He needed some peace. He wanted to feel better. He wanted to see Nidhi. Trying to call on mobile was pointless. The network was jammed. He made to get up from his chair and look for her in the ward, when Rangnath came in. He got the updates on the serious cases from him. The progress of the patients was satisfactory. When Rangnath started leaving, he asked her, “Aap Dr. Verma ko mere office mein bhej dijiye please.”

“Sir. Woh to hospital mein hain nahin. Kissi patient ko dekhne gayi hain?”

“Kiske saath?”

“Akeli gayi hain I think.”

“Aisi situation mein? Akeli? Shahar mein dange ho rahe hain. Curfew laga hua hai. Aapne jaane kaise diya Dr. Rangnath?”

“Sorry Sir. Lekin woh mujhe bata kar nahin gayi thi. Mujhe to receptionist ne information di. Is address par hain woh. Ho sakta hai Dr. Mallika se poochh kar gayi ho?”

“Theek hai aap jaiye. Ye address mujhe de jaiye.”

Ashutosh hardly had any time to think over what had happened, when someone knocked at the door.

“Come in.”

It was Baba and Anji.

“Are aap log? Aaiye na.”

“Sorry Dr. Ashutosh. Tum busy hoge in sabke beech mein. Hum actually Nidhi ko lene aaye the, lekin woh yahan hai nahin,” Baba said.

“Aaj uska birthday hai. Maine aur Dadi Bua ne dher saari taiyaariyan kar rakhi hain,” Anji added.

“Oh!” Ashutosh rued.

“To agar aaj woh ghar nahin aayi na Dr. Ashutosh, to usne to mujhe maaf kar diya hai use doctor banae ke liye. Bua mujhe kabhi nahin maaf karengi. Meri to khaal udhed dengi woh.”

“Aap chinta mat kijiye. Woh jaldi hi aa jayengi. Jaise hi aati hain, main unhein bhejta hoon.”

“Theek hai. Thank you very much. Hum log chalte hain.”

“Are, kuchh chai wagerah to peete jaiye.”

“Nahin, nahin. Abhi uska samay na tumhare paas hai, na hamare paas. Phir kabhi milte hain.”

“Ji achchha.”

Ashutosh saw them off till the parking lot and took off in his car himself to look for Nidhi. He took a driver form the hospital with him. It took him sometime to locate the address.

—

To be continued