Ashutosh could not believe how much he enjoyed the picnic with Nidhi. She had put the i-pod to play songs in as high a volume as his speakers could support and forced him to dance to the rock music. He had hesitated initially, but Nidhi wasn’t going to give up. And before he knew it, he was completely into it even teaching her a dance step or two. Nidhi was tired and was silently slumped on the passenger seat while they were driving back, and Ashutosh was smiling continuously recalling how pleasant the day had been.

Their car stopped suddenly. Ashutosh tried to restart it, but it won’t start. Nidhi looked at him worried.

“Don’t worry Nidhi. Main dekhta hoon,” Ashutosh got down from the car and walked in front. He opened the bonnet and started checking for the problem.

It was turning dark and the road was deserted. Nidhi was uneasy. She got down from the car and came near Ashutosh.

“Kya hua Nidhi? Shaam mein thandh badh rahi hai. Tum car mein hi baitho.”

“Nahin. Main yahin theek hoon.”

“Kya baat hai?”

“Mujhe…. dar lag raha hai,” Nidhi admitted reluctantly.

“Are! Main yahin hoon. Dar kyon lag raha hai?”

“Aap dikh nahin rahe the,” she clearly hated admitting her weakness.

Ashutosh nodded his head and smiled. Hardly an hour back, she was confidently ordering him around. And now she felt scared just because she could not see him behind the car’s bonnet.

“Achcha. Ruko ek minute,” he went around the car and took a jacket out from the back seat. He put it on her shoulder.

“Ye jacket?”

“Maine rakh li thi, just in case.”

Nidhi smiled appreciatively and wrapped the jacket tighter around herself.

Ashutosh bent down to work on the car again, “Bas ye fuel cap dheeli rah gayi thi. Jahan servicing ke liye deta hoon, unki ye major problem hai. Hamesha kuchh na kuchh dheela chhod dete hain. Pichhli baar laaya tha to ek ghante ke andar spark plug change karwana pada…” Ashutosh was balbbering on about the possible problems with the car and Nidhi looked on partly exasperated, partly amused. First he wanted to see a movie on Dr. Kotnis on the weekend and now this lecture on car on the deserted road after dark. Next he will start on some medical topic, she was sure!

Ashutosh looked back when he did not get any response from her and saw her looking amused. He fell silent and restarted working on the car. After a while, he said casully, “Ye jacket achchhi lag rahi hai tum par.”

Nidhi smiled as she recalled the time when he had told her rudely that his coat did not fit her.

“Chalo. Car theek ho gayi. We are all set to go.”

“Haan. Chaliye. Der ho rahi hai. Baba pareshaan honge.”

“Main tumhein seedhe drop kar deta hoon.”

“Nahin meri car aapke ghar par hai.”

“Nidhi!”

“Hmm?”

“Hamein Baba ko bata dena chahiye.”

“Main unhein bol kar aayi hoon ki doston ke saath picnic par ja rahi hoon.”

Ashutosh laughed, “Main uski baat nahin kar raha.”

“Phir? Oh!” she realized that he was talking about their relationship.

“Haan…. Par…”

“Abhi chalte hain. Tumhein drop bhi kar doonga aur Baba se bhi baat ho jayegi.”

“Nahin… Abhi nahin…”

“Kyon? Koi tension hai?”

Ashutosh was fairly confident because he thought Baba already had an inkling of their relationship. If he had anything against it, he would have stepped in by now. But Nidhi was not so sure.

“Nahin. Aisa kuchh nahin hai… Baba mana nahin karenge. Woh meri khushi ke liye maan to jayenge hi. Lekin phir bhi… Pata nahin unka first reaction kya hoga. Main nahin chahti… I mean… pahle main baat karungi.”

“Tum nahin chahti ki agar woh gussa hon to mere saamne hon.”

Nidhi nodded.

Ashutosh smiled at her protective instincts, “Nidhi. Ye faisla hum dono ka hai. Aur iska jo bhi result hoga woh humme se koi akele to nahin jhelega. Mujhe bura nahin lagega agar Baba gussa hue to. Isliye agar ye zyada comfortable hai ki hum saath mein baat karein, ya main baat karoon to main woh karne ke liye taiyaar hoon.”

“Nahin. Iski sach mein koi zaroorat nahin hai. Pahle main baat karoongi.”

“Theek hai.”

—

Priyanka spotted Nidhi when she stepped in Royal Cafe with her family.

“Hi Nidhi,” she came to her, “Yahan kya…” she stopped in her tracks as she noticed who Nidhi was sitting with. Nidhi also turned pale and Ashutosh was speechless. All of them stared at each other for few moments. Priyanka came back to normalcy first, “Hello Sir.”

“Hello Dr. Priyanka. Why don’t you join us?” Ashutosh invited her courteously.

“Nahin. Mere parents visit kar rahe hain to main apni family ke saath aayi thi. Aap log… you carry on. I just dropped by to say ‘hi’. Bye Nidhi,” she said and moved away from them.

Nidhi sunk back in her chair, “Ab kya karein?”

“I don’t know,” Ashutosh replied.

“Aapko bhi nahin pata?”

“Matlab? Main koi almighty thode hi na hoon Nidhi?” Ashutosh tried to control his exasperation.

“Yeah…”

“Nidhi. I think hamein ye luka chhupi ka khel khatam kar dena chahiye aur sabko bata dena chahiye. Jab sabko sach pata hoga, to rumours mein koi power nahin hogi.”

“Lekin Baba ko batane se pahle…”

“To tum Baba se baat karo na…”

“Haan… Woh…” she looked uncomfortable.

“Ya phir mujhe karne do.”

“Nahin.”

Suddenly a thought struck Ashutosh, “Nidhi. Ghar chal kar baat karte hain.”

“Abhi? Der ho jayegi?”

“Bas thodi der ki baat hai. Chalo please.”

Ashutosh never insisted for her to stay late. He was always worried about Baba’s reaction. So, when he insisited this time, Nidhi had to give in.

“Kya baat hai?” Nidhi asked anxiously when they entered his home.

“Nidhi. Mujhe realize hua ki maine… maine shayad… I have ended up taking this relationship as granted. Jabki maine tumse waada kiya tha ki faisla tumhare comfort ke hisaab se liya jayega. To agar tum sure nahin ho, aur Baba ko nahin batana chahti ho, to main tum par zor nahin daaloonga. Bas mujhe bata do ki tum kya mahsoos karti ho.”

Nidhi was looking at him in awe, when he finished, “Aapko aisa laga… I… I’m sorry Dr. Ashutosh. Main…” She paused and smiled, “Aap bahut zyada care karte hain. Bahut hi zyada. Lekin nahin… Mere man mein koi unsurity nahin hai. Koi dar nahin hai. Ye wajah nahin hai ki maine Baba ko kuchh nahin bataya hai…”

“Phir kya wajah hai?”

Nidhi sighed and rubbed her forehead as if not knowing how to handle this.

“Koi pareshaani hai Nidhi? Batao mujhe.”

“Pata nahin ye aapko batana chahiye ya nahin…”

“Come on Nidhi. Ab ye samjhaana padega tumhein? Apne man ki baat mujhe nahin bataogi to kise bataogi?”

“Maine Baba aur Dadi Bua ko recently kai baar baat karte suna hai. Dadi Bua meri shaadi ke kharche ke baare mein pareshaan rahti hain.”

“Kya?” Ashutosh looked incredulous, but Nidhi did not notice.

“Pahle to Baba unki baaton ko mazaak mein uda dete the. Lekin aaj kal pareshaan ho jaate hain. I think jab se business mein problem hui hai, tab se shayad unka financial confidence thoda kamzor pad gaya hai.”

“Aur gahne bhi nahin hain tumhari Mummy ke,” Ashutosh added.

Nidhi didn’t want to bring that up, but when he himself mentioned the jewelry, she nodded.

“Pagli,” Ashutosh smiled and took her hands in his, “To agar woh pareshaan hain to chup rahne se kya fayda hoga. Unse baat kar ke unki pareshaani kam karni hogi na.”

“Lekin agar main abhi unhein hamare baare mein bataungi to kahin woh aur pressure mein na aa jayen ki unhein shaadi jaldi karwani hai.”

“Nidhi. Tum bhi anpadh ladkiyon ki tarah baat kar rahi ho. Are unhone tumhein padhaya-likhaya hai, apne pairon par khada karwaya hai. Ab bhi unhein tumhari shaadi ke kharche ki chinta karni padegi? Come on. I thought you knew better than this.”

“Mujhe pata hai Dr. Ashutosh. Lekin Dadi Bua ka kya karoon? Aur Baba bhi pareshaan ho jate hain aaj-kal. To main… mujhe pata nahin. Itni badi badi baatein main Baba se nahin kar sakti. Pata nahin woh mujhe seriously lenge bhi ya nahin. Main bahut confused hoon,” Nidhi was indeed terribly confused.

“Achchha. Abhi shaant ho jao,” Ashutosh did not want to pressurize her.

“Maine aapko bol to diya tha ki main baat karoongi, lekin mujhse nahin ho pa raha hai,” Nidhi finally admitted.

“To ismein kaun si badi baat hai Nidhi. Maine kaha to tha tumse ki main tumhare saath jaunga. In fact, chalo. Hum abhi Baba se baat karenge.”

“Lekin…”

“Ab kuchh lekin-wekin nahin Nidhi. Tum khud bhi pareshaan ho rahi ho aur apne ghar waalon ko bhi pareshaan kar rahi ho.”

“Unhone aapko kuchh kah diya to?”

“To?”

“To mujhe bahut bura lagega. Main na Baba ko kuchh kah sakti hoon. Na hi aapko koi kuchh kahe, ye bardasht kar sakti hoon.”

“Tumne pahle hi doom predict kar liya hai. Kuchh na kuchh to karna hoga na Nidhi?”

“Haan.”

“To jab tumhein samajh mein nahin aa raha ki kya karna hai, to jo main kah raha hoon woh karo.”

“Kyon?” She looked extremely cute when she tried to hide her embarrassment and defeat with her outward rebellion, Ashutosh thought.

“Offo. Kyonki main tumse bada hoon. Isliye kuchh cheezein tumse zyada samajhta hoon.”

“Theek hai. Chaliye. Lekin Baba se baat main karoongi,” she was still making an effort to keep her word.

“Theek hai. Ab chalein?”

“Ji.”

—