‘Main bhi feel karta hoon. Aur ye feelings jaate-jaate hi jayengi. Samay lagega. Tab tak tumhari koi obligation nahin hai, tumhein koi decision nahin lena hai. Explore these feelings aur jab confusions sort out ho jayen, tab decide karna.’

‘Aur aap?’

‘Mujhe bas ye assurance chahiye ki tumne soch samajh kar, apne future ke liye sahi decision liya hai. Koi jaldbaazi nahin ki hai. Phir jo bhi tumhara decision hoga, usmein main tumhare saath rahunga.’

Those words rang in Nidhi’s mind as she drove back home. She stopped on the way and picked up a nice flower vase.

—

“Anji.” Nidhi had asked Anji to stay at her home for the night. She said she wanted to chat with her. Due to their jobs, they didn’t get time during the day. Nidhi would often have duties even on the weekends.

“Hmm?” Anji didn’t look up and continued applying her nail polish.

“Anji. I am in love.”

Anji looked up with bored eyes. “Stale news Ma’am.”

“Nahin Anji. Tu samajh nahin rahi hai. Not crush, liking or anything like. I am in love with him. I want to… I want to spend my life with him.”

That got Anji excited. She kept aside her nail polish and asked with glitter in her eyes, “Kya baat hai Nidhi? Kuchh baat hui kya?”

“Baat to hoti hi rahti hai.”

“Haan haan. But jo tune itna eloquent declaration of love kiya hai uske peechhe koi to wajah hai na. Bata – kya batana chahti hai mujhe?”

“Anji. Mujhe promise kar ki tu mazaak nahin banayegi.”

Anji smiled, “Promise Baba. Ab bata bhi.”

“Anji. Woh bahut achchhe insaan hain. Bahut hi zyada,” Nidhi just had to let out her overflowing emotions. She had to share the happiness she was feeling within.

“Official proposal ho gaya kya tumare beech?”

“Nahin,” Nidhi blushed, “But hum dono ko pata hai.”

“Kaise?”

“Woh chhod na. Bas pata hai.”

“Achchha. Phir?”

“Aaj main unse milne unke ghar gayi thi. Main bahut nervous feel kar rahi thi Anji. Chali to gayi thi lekin kuchh samajh mein nahin aa raha tha ki kya baat karoon. Jab tak Dr. Armaan bhi wahan baithe the, tab tak to main bas aise hi idhar udhar ki baatein karti rahi. Lekin jab woh chale gaye to akele mein meri to halat hi kharaab ho gayi.”

“Bolti ja. Main sun rahi hoon.”

“Unhein immediately samajh mein aa gaya Anji ki main ghabra rahi thi. Aur unhone aisi baat kahi ki…”

“Kya kaha, kya kaha? Bata na Nidhi!” Anji was dying of curiosity.

“Unhone kaha ki mujhe ghabrane ki koi zaroorat nahin hai. Jo confusion main feel kar rahi hoon, woh unhein bhi feel hota hai. Lekin jab tak mere confusion sort out na ho jayen, mujhe koi faisla lene ki zaroorat nahin hai. Maine unse poochha ki unke faisle ka kya. To unhone kaha ki agar unhein bharosa ho ki main apna decision soch samajh kar liya hai to woh usi mein mera saath denge.”

“Really? That was so sweet Nidhi.”

“Koi insaan itna selfless kaise ho sakta hai Anji? Mujhe vishwaas nahin hota ki main unhein ek samay par itna khadoos samajhti thi.”

“Par Nidhi ek baat bata. Dr. Ashutosh tujhse kam se kam 8-10 saal to bade honge na?”

“12 saal.”

“To tujhe isse koi problem nahin hai.”

“Bada hona koi problem to nahin hai.”

“Badhiya hai. Jab tujhe problem nahin hai to aur kissi ko kyon hogi? Mujhe to bilkul nahin hai Nidhi. Hayee! Main to abhi se soch rahi hoon ki teri shaadi mein kitni masti karoongi… kya dress pahnoongi…”

“Chup kar Anji. Itna aage mat badh. Unhone sab kuchh mujh par chhod diya hai. Lekin main bhi to selfish nahin ho sakti na. Mujhe bhi to unki feelings ka khayaal rakhna chahiye.”

“Matlab?”

“Anji. Woh apni zindagi se thode naaraaz se hain. Unke Baba ki koi nishaani thi, jo unse chhin gayi hai. Jab tak woh unhein wapas nahin milegi, mujhe nahin lagta ki woh zindagi mein aage badh payenge.”

“Ye to badi mysterious baat kar di tune. Aisi kaun si nishaani hai?”

“Ye to abhi mujhe bhi nahin pata.”

“Waise Nidhi. Main soch rahi thi…”

“Kya?”

“Ki jis ghar mein tu aur Dr. Ashutosh rahenge, woh kaisa hoga? Wahan to medicines aur injections ki smell aati rahegi. Woh Alzheimer ki latest research tujhe padh kar sunate rahenge aur tu yes sir, yes sir karti rahegi.”

“Anji ki bachchi… Tune waada kiya tha ki tu mazaak nahin udaayegi.”

“Haan to, ab to tune sab baatein bol di hain na.”

“Abhi batati hoon tujhe.”

—

“To bhai kya baatein hui Nidhi bhabhi se?”

“Armaan. Itna aage mat badh.”

“Main kaun hota hoon aage badhne waala? Tumhare flower vase, curtains aur pata nahin kya kya – sab par haq to usne already jama liya hai.”

“Armaan – woh jitna confident dikhti hai, utni hai nahin. Bahut confused aur ghabrayi hui hai andar se.”

“Achchha. To kya karne waale ho tum log?”

“Kya karna hai ye to nahin pata. Lekin kya nahin karna hai ye pata hai.”

“Kya nahin karna hai?”

“Jaldbaazi. Jaldbaazi nahin karni hai Armaan.”

“Ye bhi theek hai. Lekin Ashutosh, where do you stand? Kya tum zindagi mein aage badhne ke liye taiyaar ho? Kam se kam zindagi ko ek mauka doge?”

“Agr woh ghar mujhe wapas mil gaya Armaan to main use kismat ka ishaara samjhoonga ki main aage badh sakta hoon, khush ho sakta hoon.”

“That’s ridiculous Ashutosh. Tum ek doctor ho. You are supposed to be rational. Ye kaise tareeka hai decision lene ka? Kismat ka ishaara? Really?”

“Main ek insaan bhi hoon Armaan.”

“Whatever. Main to nahin samajhta tumhari reasoning. Mere khayaal se poochh lena Nidhi se ki woh samajhti hai ya nahin?”

Ashutosh looked thoughtful.

—

“Good morning Sir,” Ashutosh was sitting on the dining table, when Nidhi came to his house the next morning.

“Good morning Nidhi,” Ashutosh beamed and Hiraman Kaka smiled.

“Baitho beti. Nashta laga doon tumhare liye?” Kaka asked.

“Nahin Kaka. Bas chai de dijiye. Nashta to main kar ke aayi hoon. Aaj Dadi Bua full force mein thi. Bina nashta kiye aati to nikalne hi nahin deti.”

Everyone laughed.

“Waise aaj to unka wash chalta to mujhe Master chef bana hi daalti,” Nidhi chattered on while sipping her tea.

“Kyon?”

“Kabhi kabhi unhein bhoot chadhta hai. Ki mujhe ladkiyon waale koi kaam nahin aate. Yahan to kaam chal jaata hai. Sasuraal ja kar kya hoga. Aaj ko Baba ki bhi nahin sun rahi thi. Badbadaye ja rahi thi. Finally Chhote Sarkar ne mujhe museebat se nikala.”

“Achcha. Woh kaise?” Ashutosh was listening to her intently, smiling throughout.

“Unhone kaha,” Nidhi spoke imitating Chhote Sarkar’s accent, “Dadi Bua. Aap fikr na karein. Nidhi Bibi ji ki shaadi ke pahle hamari shaadi ho jayegi. Aur hum apni biwi ko Nidhi bibi ji ke saath bhej denge khana banae ke liye.”

Ashutosh and Kaka were in splits seeing her mimickry.

“Achchha hai. Aise hi khul kar hansa kijiye. Sehat achchi rahegi,” Nidhi said suddenly, “Dadi Bua ko bhi aise hi hansi aa gayi thi. Tabhi unka mood theek hua aur meri jaan chhooti. Achchha ye flower vase dekhiye, kaisa hai?” Without giving him a chance to react to her eariler statement, she handed him the packet.

Ashutosh opened it patiently and said, “Bahut achchha hai. Kyon Kaka?”

“Haan beta. Achchha kiya le aayin. Maine kal phool purane phooldaan mein daale the. Woh achchha nahin lag raha tha.”

“Main abhi change kar ke aati hoon,” Nidhi said and sprang towards his bedroom as Ashutosh looked on fondly.

“Bahut khushmizaz ladki hai,” Hiraman Kaka said, once she was out of sight.

“Haan Kaka. Woh to hai,” Ashutosh agreed.

“Dr. Armaan nahin dikh rahe,” Nidhi asked after she came back from the room.

“Haan. Use aaj interiors ke villages mein jaana tha. To woh jaldi nikal gaya.”

“Achchha. Main chalti hoon. Hospital ka time ho raha hai. Aap apna khayaal rakhiyega. Aur tabiyat theek na lage to please apne kamre mein hi khaana khaiyega.”

“Okay Doc!” Ashutosh said playfully.

“Bye Dr. Ashutosh,” Nidhi smiled and made to leave.

“Nidhi,” Ashutosh stopped her.

“Ji?”

“Shaam ko… aaogi na?”

Nidhi smiled and nodded.

—

To be continued