Nidhi was not on duty that day. So, Ashutosh had not seen her all day. The study discipline imposed by no one other himself meant that they hardly spent any time together these days. Even when he visited her, he tried to keep the concentration on her studies and exam preparation.
He was now missing her badly. He wondered if he should give her a call and relax the discipline a bit for the day. Probably go out for a dinner. Just then his mobile rang. Who else could it be?
“Hi Nidhi. Main abhi tumhare baare mein hi soch raha tha.”
“Achchha! Thank God. Mujhe to laga tha ki aaj kal aapne PG medical entrance ki coaching chala rakhi ahi, jismein main ek student hoon aur exam aur result ke beyond aap mere baare mein sochte hi nahin.”
“Come on Nidhi.”
“Dekhiye. Aaj meri duty nahin thi. Maine din bhar padhai ki hai. Plan ke hisaab se revision poora kar liya hai. Aaj aap mujhe dinner par le jayenge. Bas.”
“Kahan jaana hai aapko?”
“Shaam-e-Awadh. Kitne din ho gaye kissi achchi jagah par gaye hue.”
Ashutosh was about to give in, but checked himself. He didn’t trust himself. If he gave in today, he might himself crave more and more for her company in the days to come. The entire discipline regime had anyway more been for himself than for her. He was afraid that if he let himself go, he would take up so much of her time that her studies will be affected.
“Ghar sabse achchhi jagah hoti hai Dr. Nidhi Verma. Aur ghar ka khana best hota hai. So, stay at home.”
“Dr. Ashutosh! Aap bahut bure hain.”
“Bahut der se realize hua tumhein. Bye Nidhi,” he said and disconnected the call. Then an idea struck him. He called up Chhote Sarkar, asked him not to cook the dinner and drove to Shaam-e-Awadh.
—
“Chhote Sarkar. Ghar par koi hai nahin kya? Baba kahan hain?” Ashutosh asked Chhote Sarkar when he opened the door for him.
“Woh to evening walk par gaye hain. Aur Dadi Bua mandir.”
“Nidhi kahan hai?”
“Nidhi Bibiji apne kamre mein hain. Lekin saawdhaan! Bahut kharaab mood mein hain. Hum abhi coffee dene gaye the, lekin unhone daant kar hamein wapas bhej diya. Ab hamein kya pata ki unhein coffee nahin peeni hai. Roz peeti hain is samay.”
Ashutosh smiled, “Ye coffee mujhe dijiye aur ye khana kitchen mein rakhiye. Aaj sab log yahi khayenge. Bas woh “hara bhara kabab” – uska ek packet khol kar Nidhi ke kamre mein le aaiye.”
—
“Nidhi,” Ashutosh entered her room with the cofffee.
“Aap?” Nidhi was at first excited to see him, but quickly remembered that she was also mad at him, “Aap kya kar rahe hain yahan? Mujhe aapse koi baat nahin karni hai.”
“Are to uske liye coffee kyon nahin peeni? Dekho Chhote Sarkar ne kitne pyaar se banayi hai.”
“Aap jaiye yahan se.”
Ashutosh just sat beside her on the bed and smiled. Nidhi sat stiff for a while, but Ashutosh sitting there, all smiles, was distracting her.
“Kyon muskura rahe hain aap?”
“Ye gusse mein jo tumhari naak fadakti hai ba, bahut cute lagti hai.”
“Aur gusse mein mere haath mein jo bhi cheez aati hai na, use utha kar main saamne waale par phenk bhi deti hoon.”
“Dekhoon to zara, tumhare gaal laal ho rahe hain ya nahin? Gussa sach ka hai ya natak kar rahi ho?”
“Dr. Ashutosh,” Nidhi gave up and said in a resigned voice, “Aap bahut bure hain.”
“Ummm…” Ashutosh saw Chhote Sarkar coming with the kabab as he had asked him to, “Itna bhi bura nahin hoon. Thank you Chhote Sarkar,” he took the plate from his hands and Chhote Sarkar left.
Nidhi looked at him surprised, “Ye…”
“Shaam-e-Awadh se tumhara favourite starter. Baaki ka khana bhi hai. But its too early for that.”
Nidhi had to smile, “Lekin aap phir bhi bahut bure hain.”
“Yahi sahi!” He picked up a piece and fed her.
“Hum bahar kyon nahin ja sakte the?”
“Aaj chale jaate to mera kal phir jaane ka man karta, aur parson phir. Nidhi. Tumahre saath mera life ko enjoy karne ka man karta hai. Lekin kuchh dinon ke liye usko hold par rakhna zaroori hai, tumhare career ke liye.”
Nidhi smiled, “Itne bure bhi nahin hain aap. Mera favourite starter to le hi aaye hain.” She fed a piece to him too.
—
“Kya hua Baba? Nidhi kahan hai?”
“Apne kamre mein hai aur pagal hui ja rahi hai. Kuchh karo Ashutosh. Warna she will have a nervous breakdown.”
Ashutosh had come running from the hospital, leaving earlier than usual, after Baba called him.
Ashutosh went to her room followed by Baba and saw Dadi Bua getting even more nervous than Nidhi was. That wasn’t helping Nidhi. Ashutosh shook his head in disbelief over Dadi Bua’s antics. He indicated to Baba to take her outside. Baba did that.
“Dr. Ashutosh. Ye poora idea hi bura tha. Mujhse nahin hoga ye sab. Main exam nahin de sakti. Mujhe kuchh bhi yaad nahin hai.”
Ashutosh sighed. Tomorrow was her PG entrance exam and she was getting extremely nervous.
“Shaant ho jao Nidhi. Sab theek hoga.”
“Kaise theek hoga? Aap samajh nahin rahe hain. Mujhe kuchh bhi yaad nahin hai. Dekhiye – mere haath tak kaamp rahe hain. Main likhoongi kaise?” She showed him her hands. She was right. Her hands were trembling.
He took her hands in his and pressed them.
“Dekho. Ab nahin kaamp rahe na? Main hoon na tumhare saath. Phir kyon pareshaan ho rahi ho?”
Nidhi started crying, “Mujhe exam nahin dena hai. Main achchha perform nahin kar paungi.”
“To kaun sa aasmaan gir padega agar achchha perform nahin kar paogi? Nahin kar payi, to nahin kar payi. Uske liye exam kyon nahin dena hai?”
“You will be disappointed in me,” Nidhi spoke in a small voice.
Ashutosh smiled, “Pagal Ladki. Iske liye apni ye halat bana rakhi hai? Nidhi. I can never be disappointed in you. Never. Do you get that?”
“Ji.”
“Kya time hua hai?” Ashutosh looked at the clock in the room, “Achcha time hai. Chalo. Kahin coffee peete hain.”
“Bahar? Aaj?” Nidhi was surprised.
“Kyon nahin? Aaj se mujhe aadat lag bhi gayi to koi problem nahin hai. Kal se to main tumhara poora time le sakta hoon.”
Nidhi smiled and relaxed.
“Chalo phir,” Ashutosh said again, “Coffe pee kar aate hain. Then you will have an early and light dinner and go to sleep. Kal subah examination centre jaane ke liye, I will pick you up.”
“Aap chalenge?”
“Ji haan. Maine bahut pahle se iske liye chhutti le rakhi hai.”
—
“Nidhi. Kal tumhari halat dekh kar mujhe mahsoos hua ki maine tumhein kuchh zyada hi pressurize kar diya tha. Ekdum Indian parents ke tarah,” Ashutosh said after he picked Nidhi up to take her to the examination centre.
Nidhi smiled nervously.
“So, let me try to undo the damage. Main tumhein bata doon ki tumhein exam hall mein bilkul bhi result ke baare mein sochne ki zaroorat nahin hai. Achcha hoga, kharaab hoga, kharaab hua to main kya sochoonga, Baba kya sochenge – kuchh bhi sochne ki zaroorat nahin hai. Okay?”
“Ji.”
“Tumne apni taraf se poori mehnat ki hai. Ab iske aage sab kuchh kismat par hai. Tumhein ghabrane ki koi zaroorat nahin hai. I am already proud of you.”
“Thank you!” Nidhi said and Ashutosh laughed.
“Pagal ladki. Chalo. Pahunch gaye hum. Aur centre ka gate bhi khul chuka hai. Sab kuchh hai na tumhare paas? Admit card, pen…”
“Ji haan. Sab kuchh hai. Main jaati hoon. Bye,” Nidhi’s tone assured Ashutosh that she was relaxed.
“All the best Nidhi!”
“Thank you Dr. Ashutosh.”
—
Nidhi was getting frustrated trying to see her result on the Internet. As always, the site was overloaded with requests and was extremely slow. The connection broke down several times. Dadi Bua was frustrating her even more with her constant chants to Lord Hanuman. Baba was pacing up and down in the room. Anji was fidgeting. For a moment even Ashutosh lost patience, “Ye to hamare time mein hi better tha. Paper mein result aate the ya letter pahunch jaata tha.”
“Dr. Ashutosh!” Nidhi’s voice pleaded to him to not irritate her further.
“All right. Sorry. Calm down Nidhi. Ab jo hona hai woh to ho gaya hai na. Abhi nahin to ghante bhar mein pata chal ja..ye…ga… Pata chal gaya!” The result had appeared on the screen. 4th Rank. Nidhi stared at the screen for a moment not believing what she saw. Then she suddenly jumped up screaming with joy!
Ashutosh was also feeling elated, “Congratulations Nidhi!” His eyes were almost moist when he said that.
“Congratulations to you, Dr. Ashutosh. Ye sab aapka hi kiya-dhara to hai,” she laughed slightly. She touched Dadi Bua and Baba’s feet and soon had her mouth stuffed with sweets!
“Nidhi. Tumhein AIIMS mein admission aaraam se mil jayega,” Ashutosh said on the breakfast table. None of them had had their breakfast in the tension of the results. Ashutosh had also reached her home early in the morning to be there when she sees the result.
“Haan… Lekin… Mujhe nahin jaana wahan.”
“Kyon beta?” Baba said, “Ashutosh ne to kaha hi hai ki woh tumhare saath jayega.”
“Baba. Main aapko chhod kar itni door nahin jaana chahti.”
“Are. 45 minutes ki flight hai Lucknow se Delhi aur train bhi overnight. Aur Ashutosh tumhare saath to ja hi raha hai. Do saalon ki baat hai. Aise emotional ho kar career se samjhauta nahin karte. MBBS mein to maine tumhein zabardasti daala tha. To Lucknow mein hi theek tha. Lekin ab jab apni marzi se career bana rahi ho, to you must go for the best.”
“Baba theek kah rahe hain Nidhi,” even Anji agreed, “Though I will really miss you.”
“To phir kyon agree kar rahi hai?”
“Kyonki main teri friend hoon aur tere liye hamesha achchha hi chahungi.”
“Aur Nidhi. Abhi to tumhari internship bhi khatam ho gayi hai to tum poora time aaraam se Baba ke saath bitao. Abhi admission mein time hai,” Ashutosh added.
Baba laughed, “Ab kahan time milega apne baap ke liye ise. Shaadi ki shopping ke plans already ban rahe honge.”
“Baba!” Nidhi blushed and so did Ashutosh.
—