“Rohan. Tum car le kar ghar jao. Dr. Armaan. Main aapke saath chal sakti hoon? Mujhe Dr. Ashutosh se thoda kaam hai.”

“Sure. Lekin raat kaafi ho jayegi.”

“Koi baat nahin. Rohan. Tum Baba ko bata dena ki main Dr. Ashutosh ke yahan hoon. Thodi der ho jayegi. Chaliye Dr. Armaan.”

—

“Nidhi. Tum yahan? Mujhe laga tum seedhe ghar jaogi. Kaisa raha dinner?”

“Dinner aapko Rohan se milwane ke liye tha Dr. Ashutosh. Aap wapas aa gaye to kaisa rahega uske baad?”

“I am sorry Nidhi. Mujhe aana pada. Mallika…”

“Kya hua Dr. Mallika ko?”

“Tum jaanti ho Nidhi…”

“Main to jaanti hoon. Lekin meri ye samajh mein nahin aa raha ki aap jaante hain ya nahin ki Dr. Mallika kya karne ki koshish kar rahi hain? Woh baar baar mere aur aapke beech mein aa rahi hain. Do minute chain se…”

“Come on Nidhi. Tum jaanti ho woh pareshaan hai. Use ek dost ki zaroorat hai.”

“Aur kab tak chalti rahegi ye pareshaani?”

“Nidhi. Tumhein pata hai na uske saath kitna bada dhokha hua hai. Sandeep pahle se shaadi shuda tha aur…”

“Agar unhein logon ki, relationships ki pahchaan nahin hai Dr. Ashutosh to uski punishment mujhe kab tak milti rahegi?”

“Nidhi. Kya, ho kya gaya hai tumhein? I thought you were more mature than that.”

“And I thought ki you understood people. You could see through them. But no. Aap to andhe ho gaye hain Dr. Mallika ke aansuon ke saamne. Aapko kissi aur ki parwaah nahin hai. Meri bhi nahin.”

“Nidhi!” Ashutosh also lost his cool, “Ye kya tareeka hai baat karne ka. Tum mujhse aise baat nahin kar sakti.”

“Kyon nahin kar sakti? Kyon nahin kar sakti main? Isliye ki main aapse chhoti hoon? To kya mujhe aapse kuchh kahne ka haq nahin hai, kuchh poochhne ka haq nahin hai? Aapse woh jawaab maangne ka haq nahin hai jo log mujhse maangenge?”

“Chup ho jao Nidhi. Tum apne hosh mein nahin ho. Badtamizi kar rahi ho tum.”

“To kya karoon? Itne dinon se patiently intezaar kar rahi thi. Ki cheezein theek ho jayengi. Lekin aaj… aaj aap doosron ke saamne mujhe chhod kar aa gaye Dr. Ashutosh. Main kya jawaab doon kissi ko? Kaise explain karoon ki Dr. Mallika apni dosti ki duhai de kar zindagi bhar hamare beech aati rahegi? Aaj Roahn ke aankhein sawaal poochh rahi thi. Kal ko Baba poochhenge, Dadi Bua poochhengi. Main kya jawaab doongi kissi ko?”

“Na to tumhein kissi ko koi jawaab dene ki zaroorat hai. Na hi mujhe tumhein.”

“Agar aapko aisa lagta hai, to aap ek baar apne dil ko tatol kar dekhiyega. Kahin aapne mujhse aise waade to nahin kar diye, jo aap poore nahin kar sakte,” Nidhi said and ran out of his room.

Armaan was tense and was pacing up and down in the hall. He saw Nidhi running out. She was crying. He tried to stop her, but she didn’t listen. He rushed to Ashutosh.

“Ashutosh. Kya hua? Nidhi is tarah se kyon chali gayi?”

“Jaane do use Armaan.”

“Kaisi baatein kar rahe ho Ashutosh. Jhagde to hote rahte hain. Roko use.”

“Main kyon rokoon use Armaan? Tumne suna nahin hai ki woh kitni badtamizi se baat kar rahi thi mujhse.”

“Oh God! Ashutosh. Woh tumhari subordinate ban kar tumse baat nahin kar rahi thi. Agar badtamizi se baat kar rahi thi, to uske haq hai. Naaraaz hogi kissi baat par. Jao aur ja kar roko use.”

“Main nahin jaunga.”

“Theek hai. Car ki chabhi do. Main jaata hoon.”

“Koi nahin jayega.”

“Tum pagal ho gaye ho kya? Kya time ho raha hai pata hai tumhein? 11.30 baj rahe hain raat ke. Uske paas car bhi nahin hai. Kaise jayegi woh?”

“Kya?!” Ashutosh suddenly came out of his maddening rage, “He bhagwaan! Ye main kya kar diya? Main… Main ja raha hoon Armaan.”

Ashutosh picked up the car keys and ran out.

Before getting into the car, he looked around to check if he could see Nidhi. She was nowhere in sight. Ashutosh almost panicked. He quickly started the car and started driving in the direction of her house. Thankfully, within 3-4 minutes of driving he located her. She was walking fast down the road, almost running. Ashutosh saw her back, but could sense that she was crying. His own heart break. What did he do? If she lost her cool, at least he should have maintained his own. He couldn’t see her like that. He must make amends immediately.

When the car pulled up beside her, Nidhi was at first scared. But she recognized the car immediately and stopped walking. Ashutosh got out of the car and walked towards her.

“Car mein baitho Nidhi. Main drop kar deta hoon.”

“Kyon aaye hain aap?” she was cross.

“Tumhein pata hai na. Itni raat mein main tumhein akele nahin jaane de sakta hoon.”

“Agar aap islye aaye hain ki raat mein main akeli nahin ja sakti, mujhe kissi ki madad ki zaroorat padegi, to uski koi zaroorat nahin hai. Main ja sakti hoon. Mujhe dar nahin lagta. Kuchh nahin hoga mujhe. Aur agar hua bhi to usse aapko kya?”

“Nahin Nidhi,” Ashutosh was calm, “Main isliye nahin aaya hoon ki tumhein kissi ki zaroorat hai. Main isliye aaya hoon ki main tumhein akele nahin jaane de sakta hoon. You are too precious for me to take that risk.”

“Jhooth bol rahe hain aap.”

“I am sorry Nidhi ki maine tumhara dil itna dukhaya ki tumhein abhi meri baat jhooth lag rahi hai. Lekin tum jaanti ho ki ye sach hai. Jaanti ho na?”

Nidhi didn’t say anything.

“Chalo. Car mein baitho. Bahar thandh hai bahut. Baith kar baat karte hain. Please Nidhi.”

Nidhi still did not look happy, but she did what Ashutosh asked her to do.

“Nidhi. Mujhe ehsaas ho gaya hai ki maine tumhare saath galat kiya hai. Mujhe nahin pata hai ki kaise, lekin main promise karta hoon ki sab kuchh theek kar doonga. Please trust me.”

“Mujhe aapse badtamizi karne ka koi shauk nahin hai,” Nidhi was also feeling guilty now and this was her way of apologizing.

“I know. I know that very well Nidhi. Main woh moment kabhi nahin bhool sakta jab tum Baba ke paas daudi aayi thi ki aap Dr. Ashutsoh ko kuchh mat kahiye… Tum to unka bhi mujhse kuchh kahna nahin bardasht kar sakti ho, to khud to…”

“I am sorry.”

“No… No. Tumhara gussa jayaz tha. Iski zaroorat nahin hai.”

Nidhi smiled finally and Ashutosh felt relieved.

“Ab ghar chhod doon tumhein?”

She nodded.

Ashutosh kept looking at Nidhi through their silent ride to her house. He stopped a little before reaching there.

“Kya hua Dr. Ashutosh?”

“Tum ab bhi pareshaan ho?”

“Nahin to.”

“Koi baat to hai Nidhi. Tumhari shakal par kuchh to likha hai.”

“Anji bhi aise hi bolti hai. Main usse kahti hoon ki shakal par likha hai to padh le…”

“Ye shakal waali language thodi limited hoti hai Nidhi. Ye to bata deti hai ki insaan kaisa mahsoos kar raha hai, lekin ye nahin batati ki kyon. To uska jawaab chahiye mujhe.”

“Abhi rahne dijiye. Aap waise hi bahut pareshaan hain.”

“Nahin Nidhi. Tumse alag na to meri koi pareshaani hai, na hi koi khushi. Duty ho sakti hai, obligation ho sakti hai, lekin kuchh aur nahin.”

Nidhi smiled. That was a very meaningful thing he had said.

“Main aapse baat karna chah rahi thi kuchh dinon se…”

“Lekin maine tumhein waqt hi nahin diya.”

She nodded.

“Ab bata do.”

“Baba phir se pareshaan ho rahe hain.”

“Phir se? Shaadi ko lekar?”

“Ji.”

“Lekin ab kya pareshaani hai unhein. Unhein pata hai…”

“Mujhe nahin pata. Unke man mein kya hai. Lekin woh Dadi Bua se kuchh to discuss kar rahe the aur clearly tense the.”

“Main unse kal hi baat karoonga.”

“Sach?”

“Jhooth mein baat kaise karte hain, ye mujhe aata nahin. Tum sikha do to woh bhi kar loonga.”

“Dr. Ashutosh!”

“Waise ye achchha mauka hai, apni baat manwaane ka.”

“Kya matlab?”

“Main soch raha hoon ki main tab tak unse baat na karoon, jab tab tummere naam se ye Dr. drop nahin kar deti.”

“Ye kya baat hui?”

“Mere man ki baat hui.”

“Ye sahi nahin hai.”

“Bilkul sahi hai. Bas bata do ki kab drop karne waali ho?”

Nidhi sighed, “Karoongi. Ek din zaroor karoongi.”

“Kis din?”

“Ek special din.”

“Kaun sa special din Nidhi?”

“Aapko kuchh samajh nahin aata kya? Har kuchh munh khol kar batana padega?”

“Are… Oh!” it suddenly struck Ashutosh that she meant she would do it on their wedding day. He smiled broadly.

“Okay. Main tumhare is promise se abhi kaam chala loonga.”

—

To be continued