“Nidhi? Badi der ho gayi beta?” Baba asked with concern, when he noticed Ashutosh, “Oh! Dr. Ashutosh. Tum bhi saath mein the. Chalo phir to chinta nahin hai. Aao, andar aao.”

They all sat in the hall.

“Aur din kaisa raha tum logon ka?”

“Achcha tha. Aapki tabiyat to theek hai?” Ashutosh said and looked at Nidhi. Nidhi was so obviously looking nervous and was tongue tied.

“Baba!” she suddenly spoke.

“Haan?”

“Woh… Aapse… Dr. Ashutosh ko aapse kuchh baat karni thi. Main… main coffee le kar aati hoon,” Nidhi ran away from there leaving a baffled Ashutosh behind.

“Are… Nidhi…” he tried to stop her, but she didn’t listen.

Baba was curiously watching them.

“Well… That was awkward…” Ashutosh said with a nervous smile.

“Baat kya hai?”

“Baba. Mujhe aisa lagta hai ki aapke liye surprising nahin hoga. Hopefully… Main… Actually hum, mera matlab hai main aur Nidhi aapko ye batana chahte the ki…”

“Tum aur Nidhi mujhe batana chahte the ki?” Baba’s voice or face did not give anything away.

Despite staying confident in front of Nidhi, Ashutosh was genuinely nervous now. All the insecurities, uncertainties that had bothered him at some point of time or the other started clouding his mind together. What does Baba think about him? Their age difference? Their relatinoship?

Ashutosh gathered all his courage and decided to speak it out, “Main aur Nidhi ek doosre se bahut pyaar karte hain aur apne rishte ke liye aapka ashirwaad chahte hain.” He said in a single breath.

Baba’s face still didn’t give anything away. As Ashutosh waited with bated breath for his reaction, he suddenly got up and shouted, “Nidhi! Yahan aao.” Ashutosh also got up nervously.

Nidhi ran in immediately. She was obviously listening to their conversation standing right outside the hall, “Ji Baba?” She and Ashutosh exchanged a nervous glance.

“Ye sab kya ho raha hai?”

“Baba. Woh… Baba ismein Dr. Ashutosh ki koi galti nahin hai.”

“Galti?” Ashutosh murmured. That didn’t sound like the right thing to say at all.

“Ji Baba,” Nidhi continued hastily, “Aap please Dr. Ashutosh ko kuchh mat kahiye.”

“Kyon na kahun?”

“Baba please!” Nidhi almost had tears in her eyes and Ashutosh was feeling helpless.

“Waise theek hi kah rahi ho tum,” Baba continued in the same tone, “Ab apne daamaad ko koi kya kah sakta hai?”

“Ji Baba,” Nidhi spoke without thinking over the second part of what Baba said. Then realized her folly, “Ji?”

Baba laughed out loud, “Lekin tumhein to ghar mein mithai ka intezaam kar ke rakhna chahiye tha na? Ab munh kaise meetha karwaun?”

Ashutosh sighed in relief and Nidhi turned red, “Baba! This was not funny.”

“Of course, it was not funny. I am serious.”

Tears of happiness started flowing from Nidhi’s eyes and she smiled through them. Baba extended his arms and hugged Ashutosh and Nidhi together.

“Ab dekho ghar mein kuchh meetha hai ki nahin?” Baba said patting Nidhi’s head.

“Chocolate hai. Laati hoon,” Nidhi said with a happy pout.

“Waise Nidhi,” Baba asked, “Tumhein sach much lagta tha ki mujhe pata nahin hai?”

“Aapko pata tha?” Nidhi’s eyes widened.

Baba shook his head smiling, “Maanta hoon ki badi ho gayi ho tum Nidhi, lekin Baap ki nazarein hamesh bachchon ki khushi aur hifaazat par lagi rahti hain. Waise bhi jab beti ki itni extended duties lagne lage to sochna to padta hi hain na?”

“Baba!” Nidhi blushed heavily.

“Par bharosa tha ki tumhare faisle sahi hain, isliye maine kabhi interfere nahin kiya.”

Nidhi and Ashutosh smiled and exchanged a happy glance.

“Main abhi aati hoon,” Nidhi went out of the hall to get the chocolates.

“Baitho Dr. Ashutosh,” Baba addressed him after Nidhi had left.

“Ashutosh. Sirf Ashutosh bhi achchha naam hai, nahin?”

Baba laughed, “Haan Ashutosh. Achchha naam hai. Mujhe kuchh kahna tha tumse.”

“Ji?”

“Nidhi ke liye mujhe chinta nahin hai. Umra se zyada bachpana hai usmein. Aur tumme use ek jeevansaathi ke saath saath ek guardian bhi milega. Lekin tumne apne liye bhi socha hai na? Ek jeevan saathi ka tumhare saath chal paana bahut zaroori hai. Kahin kabhi tumhein aisa na lage ki tumhari jeevan saathi tumhein samajh nahin sakti hai, usmein bachpana hai…”

“Baba. Aapne sahi dekha ki usmein bachpana umra se zyada hai. Lekin maine ye bhi dekha hai ki usmein maturity hai. Aur woh bhi umra se zyada hai. Aap meri taraf se befikra rahiye.”

“Mujhe bharosa hai ki tumne soch samajh kar faisla liya hoga. Phir bhi maine apza farz samjha tumse poochhna.”

“Bilkul. Aapka farz hai aur mera haq,” Ashutosh replied sincerely.

—

“Aap ghar pahunch gaye?”

“Haan. Main normally drive karte hue phone par baat nahin karta Dr. Nidhi Verma.”

“Baba ne to meri jaan hi nikaal di thi,” Nidhi didn’t respond to his joke.

“Tum to bilkul darpok nikli.”

“Achchha. Aapko dar nahin laga tha?”

“Main uski baat nahin kar raha. Yahan se to seena thok kar nikli thi ki Baba se main baat karoongi. Wahan mujhe unke saamne chhod kar bhaag khadi hui, chhup kar tamasha dekhne ke liye.”

“To kya hua?” Nidhi tried to hide her embarrassment by appearing non-chalant, “Ab to sab theek ho gaya hai na.”

Ashutosh laughed and teased her, “Tum bahut unreliable ho Dr. Nidhi Verma. Tumhari baaton ka to ab main bilkul bharosa nahin karoonga.”

“Ye kya baat hui? Bas ek baar hi to gadbad hui hai. Pahle bhi to maine logon se baat ki hai?”

“Kisse? Hamein aur kiski permission lene ki zaroorat hai,” Ashutosh was still mocking her.

“Permission nahin. Lekin problem to ho sakti hai na. Dr. Rangnath se maine baat ki thi ya nahin? Aur ab Priyanka se bhi karoongi.”

“Achchha. Chalo. Hisaab barabar ho gaya.”

“Barabar abhi hai. Jab main Priyanka se baat karoongi to phir mera palda bhari hoga.”

“Number one – Baba se baat karna dus aur logon se baat karne ke barabar hai. Number two – ab tumhein Dr. Priyanka se baat karne ki kya zaroorat hai?”

“Of course, zaroorat hai. Ab sabke saamne ye sab announce hona bhi to zaroori nahin hai.”

“Chalo granted. Lekin palda abhi bhi mera hi bhaari hai.”

“Ji nahin.”

“Ji haan!”

“Nahin!”

“Haan!”

Then they laughed together.

“Aap khush to hain na Dr. Ashutosh?”

“Haan Nidhi. Aur tum?”

“Main to itni khush hoon ki mujhe raat bhar neend nahin aayegi.”

“Oh God! Aisa mat karna Nidhi. Warna pata chala kal children’s ward ke patient ko injections ki jagah saline water de rahi hain sleepy and tired Dr. Nidhi.”

Nidhi hit her forehead. That was the best he could come up with when she talked of inability to sleep. Then she smiled. She knew what she had gotten into. And she loved it that way.

“Theek hai. Phir main so jati hoon. Warna kal koi mujhe naukri se dismiss kar dega. Good night Dr. Ashutosh.”

“Good night Nidhi.”

But it took both of them a long time to fall asleep. The excitement was too much to be able to sleep easily.

—

Nidhi had gone out with some of her friends from college. They were planning to spend a good part of the evening at a disco.

“Aap aayenge mere saath?” Nidhi had asked him.

“Nahin Nidhi. Main… thoda out of place feel karoonga.”

“Theek hai. Phir main unhein mana kar deti hoon.”

“Are nahin Nidhi. Tum kyon mana karogi. Tum jao aur enjoy karo.”

“Lekin…”

“Nidhi! Agr tum nahin jaogi to mujhe bahut bura lagega. Meri wajah se tum koi aisi cheez enjoy na karo jo tumhein pasand ho, ye sahi nahin hoga.”

He had sent her, but was now feeling very lonely in the evening. After they had informed Baba, they didn’t have to worry about her getting late. They spent most of the evenings together. When she did go back early, Ashutosh accompanied her and had dinner at her home. Now, he was missing her badly. So, he hadn’t even gone home and was idling around in the hospital, when his phone rang.

“Hello Nidhi. Tum wapas aa gayin?”

“Dr. Ashutosh. Aap please jaldi se Gemini pub mein aa jaiye. Hazratganj mein hai, chaurahe se…”

“Mujhe pata hai Gemini pub kahan hai. Lekin baat kya hai? Tum aise hadbadayi hui kyon ho?”

“Dr. Mallika. Dr. Mallika yahan hai aur unki halat bahut kharaab lag rahi hai.”

“Mallika is in town?” Ashutosh was surprised.

“Aap please jaldi aaiye. Mujhe kuchh samajh mein nahin aa raha.”

“Main abhi nikalta hoon. Tum ghabrao mat.”

—

Nidhi brought an uncosncious Mallika out with the help of pub staff when Ashutosh reached there. They settled her in his car. Ashutosh checked her quickly.

“I think she is drunk,” Nidhi said.

“More than drunk Nidhi. Ise hospital le jaana hoga. Jaldi baitho,” Ashutosh said.

“Mallika ka purse check karo Nidhi,” Ashutosh said as he drove towards the hospital.

“Kyon?”

“Ek baar dekho to sahi.”

“Oh God!!” Nidhi was horrified as several empty and some full packets of sleeping pills came out of her purse.

“Kya hai?”

“Sleeping pills.”

“I thought so.” Ashutosh said sadly.

—

“Ye kaisi harquat ki tumne Mallika? Agar Nidhi ne tumhein nahin dekha hota to?”

“Bahut badkismat hoon Ashutosh. Apni khushiyan paani chahi to Dr. Nidhi beech mein aa gayi. Aur marne bhi gayi to wahi beech mein aa gayi.”

“Stop this nonsense, Mallika. Ek doctor ho tum. Insaan ki zindagi ki keemat jaanti ho,” Ashutosh was furious.

“Ek insaan bhi to hoon. Ek aurat bhi hoon. Kab tak jheloon apni ye zindagi?”

“Kya baat hai Mallika? Sandeep se koi jhagda hua hai?” Ashutosh calmed down a little, “Aur agar koi problem hai bhi to uska solution jaan dena to nahin hota.”

“Rahne dijiye Dr. Ashutosh. Ye samajhna aapke wash ki baat nahin hai.”

“To samjhao na mujhe. Kam se kam share to karo ki kya problem hai?”

“Kyon share karoon tumhare saath Ashutosh? Kyon jaanna chahte ho?”

“Kyonki main tumhara dost hoon.”

“Ab bhi?”

“Haan. Dosti maine nahin todi thi Mallika. Aur kabhi nahin todoonga. Tumne mere e-mails ka reply karna aur phone calls uthana band kar diya tha.”

“Kabhi socha tumne ki aisa kyon kiya maine?”

“Mujhe laga ki tum apni nayi zindagi mein busy ho gayi ho…”

Mallika smiled bitterly.

“Obviously main galat tha. I am sorry Mallika. Lekin… Waise Sandeep ko pata hai ki tum yahan ho? Mujhe number do uska, use phone karta hoon.”

“Uski zaroorat nahin hai. Ab main ghar ja sakti hoon?”

“Haan. Chalo main tumhein ghar chhod deta hoon.”

“Dr. Nidhi bhi hongi saath mein?”

“Nidhi ghar ja chuki hai. Chalo ab.”

—

To be continued