“To batao. Kya gift chahiye tumhein?” Ashutosh asked Nidhi. They were at his house spending the evening together.
“Aap gift kyon denge mujhe?”
“Are. Tumne itna achchha perform kiya exam mein. Your deserve it.”
Nidhi laughed, “Achchha. Lekin mujhe to kuchh nahin chahiye.”
“Aisa kaise ho sakta hai? Har kissi ko hamesha kuchh na kuchh to chahiye hi hota hai.”
“Haan. Lekin woh hamesha gift to nahin kiya ja sakta na.”
“Nidhi!” Ashutosh saw her getting sad.
“Kuchh nahin,” she tried to smile.
“Come on. Mujhe nahin bataogi.”
“Mujhe doctor banane ka sapna Mummy ka tha. Ab ban gayi. Internship bhi poori ho gayi. PG bhi shayad ho hi jayegi. Abhi agar Mummy hoti to…”
“Yeah…” Ashutosh understood her pain, “Unhein to main gift mein nahin la sakta.” Ashutosh smiled sadly.
“Aur usse closest jo aap la sakte the, woh to aapne mere liye bina bole hi la diya.”
“Kya?”
“Unke gahne.”
“Haan… Uske baare mein bhi baat karni thi tumse.”
“Kya?”
“Nidhi woh gahne to hain hi. Maine isliye sambhaal ke rakhe the ki… obviously they are emotionally very precious for you. Lekin tumhein shaadi par woh pahanne ki zaroorat nahin hai. Tumhare liye hum naye banwa lenge.”
“Lekin kyon?”
“Tumne hi kaha tha… ki purane style ke hain. To…”
“Maine kab…. Oh!” she recalled that she had said so when she had decided to sell them, “Aapko yaad hai?”
Ashutosh just smiled and did not say anything.
“Woh to maine aise hi kaha tha taki aapko bura na lage ki main woh gahne bech rahi hoon. Main shaadi mein wahi gahne pahnoongi. Naye banwane ki zaroorat nahin hai.”
“Lekin main chahta hoon tum naye banwao. Shaadi mein na pahanne hon, to reception mein naye pahan lena.”
“Aap maanenge nahin?”
“Bilkul nahin,” he said softly. He took up his wallet lying on the table and continued talking, “Nidhi. Main saari shopping mein to tumhare saath nahin aa paunga…”
“Pata hai. Meri internship khatam hua hai aapki job nahin. Lekin aap chinta mat kijiye. Anji hai na. Use kuchh kaam-waam nahin hota hai apni job par. Bas aise hi style maarti rahti hai. Woh karwayegi na shopping.”
“Yes. To isliye, ye credit card rakh lo. Maine ek add-on card tumhare naam se banwa liya hai…”
“Kyon?”
“Kyonki number one – main nahin chahta ki shaadi ki wajah se Baba par koi financial bojh aaye. Aur number two – main jaanta hoon ki tumhein bhi iski chinta hai. Lekin main nahin chahta ki uski wajah se tumhari khushiyon mein koi kami rah jaye.”
Nidhi was overwhelmed, “Aap… aap kitna sochte hain!”
Ashutosh cupped her face, “Tumhare liye nahin sochoonga to kiske liye sochoonga?”
“Main aapse apna gift maangoon?”
“Of course!”
“Aap kabhi mujhse door mat jaiyega. Kuchh bhi ho jaye. Please.”
“Kabhi bhi nahin,” he pulled her in an embrace, “Aur tumhara gift coupon isse expire nahin hua. Ye gift mein maangne ki zaroorat nahin hai tumhein.” Both of them laughed slightly at the joke.
—
“Dr. Ashutosh. Aur cheezon se matlab nahin hai mujhe, lekin jewelry khareedne aapko mere saath aana hi padega,” Nidhi had to go to buy jewelry and she had just informed Ashutosh that he was to come with her.
“Main aane se mana nahin kar raha Nidhi. Lekin main tumhari help nahin kar paunga.”
“Kyon? Pearls khareedne mein to ki thi.”
“Woh aasaan tha Nidhi. Yahan agar main kuchh pasand karoonga to shayad thode purane style ke honge. Tumhein confusion hi hoga. Achchha suno. Main chalta hoon. Lekin Anji ko bhi saath le lo.”
“Ji Nahin. Jewelry to aapki pasand ki hi khareedi jayegi.”
“Kyon bhai? Baaki to tumne mere kapde bhi mujhe nahin select karne diye,” Asutosh was perplexed.
“Kyonki…” Nidhi started speaking but stopped.
“Kyonki?”
“Kyonki ye jewelry main sirf aapke kahne par, aapke liye khareed rahi hoon. To aapko ye kaise lagte hain mere oopar, sirf yahi matter karta hai.”
Ashutosh could not fight off that innocent, loving pursuation. He agreed to go with her. But she was surprised when he asked her to drive. He never did that normally. But she complied. She saw him fiddling with his phone on the way to the jewelers.
“Kya kar rahe hain aap phone par?”
“Nidhi. Kuchh important e-mails bhejne the, administrative kaamon ke liye. To wahi bhej raha hoon. Isliye tumhein drive karne ko kaha hai.”
But Nidhi sensed that he was lying. She surprised him by suddenly pulling over and snatching the phone from his hands. He was searching the Internet for the latest jewelry design.
He grinned like an idiot as she checked his browsing history.
She gave him a you-are-a-fool look.
“Aap bhi na. Iski zaroorat nahin hai. Chaliye aur jo pasand aaye woh dila dijiye.”
“Tum mujhe meri skills bhi improvise nahin karne dena chahti?”
“Bilkul nahin. Ye aapke liye surprise quiz hai.”
Nidhi had expected Ashutosh to be uncomfortable during jewelry shopping. But he surprised her by not only taking genuine interest there, but also by talking intelligently about the different choices.
“Nidhi. Main soch raha tha ki yellow gold ke bajay hum white gold le sakte hain. I think it is more elegant aur tumhari reception waali dress ke saath bhi jayega.”
“Ismein hum stones ki jagah diamonds lagwa lenge.”
“We should buy it, but not for the reception. Uske liye bahut light hai.”
Finally when they had selected the designs and ordered it with their alterations, Nidhi couldn’t help asking him, “Aapne ye itna saara research abhi apne phone par kiya?”
“Nahin Nidhi,” Ashutosh admitted with some embarrassment, “Main tumhare liye kuchh khareedna chahta tha. To dekha tha pahle bhi. Tum khud hi mujhe saath le aayin to achchha tha. Lekin tumne mujhe designs pasand karne ko kaha to main sure nahin tha.”
Nidhi smiled almost in disbelief. The look of contentment and happiness on her face told Ashutosh that the effort was worth it.
“Bahut achchhe designs select kiye hain aapne.”
—
They were stopped at the gate of her home by the conversation between Dadi Bua and Baba.
“Dekh Yograj. Abhi bhi samay hai. Soch le. Nidhi ke saamne main kuchh nahin bolti. Woh to abhi bachchi hai. Lekin tum to samjho. Ashutosh usse bahut bada hai.”
Ashutosh and Nidhi both fidgeted and did not look at each other.
“Bua. Hum pahle bhi is baare mein baat kar chuke hain. Woh dono ek doosre ke saath khush hain, ek doosre se pyaar karte hain. Isse aage kissi cheez se koi farq nahin padta.”
“Dekh Yograj. Ye pyaar-wyaar na filmon mein hi achchha lagta hai. Zindagi ke faisle soch samajh ke liye jaate hain.”
“Achchha! Agar umra mein farq hai hi Bua to usse kaun si aafat aa jayegi?”
“Yograj. Main munh khol kar kahna nahin chahti thi. Lekin tu samajhne ko taiyaar nahin hai to kahna padega. Umra bhar ka saath chahiye hota hai auraton ko. Hamare zamaane mein kar dete the shaadi buddhon se ladkiyon ki. Aur phir poori zindagi vidhwa ban kar bitati thi. Bhagwaan na kare…”
Nidhi shuddered. She looked at Ashutosh, but he did not look back at her. He was obviously uncomfortable and Nidhi was embarrassed about Dadi Bua’s behaviour.
“Bua. zindagi mein kissi ka saath milna umra par depend karta hota to itne saalon se main akela nahin hota, Nandini mujhe itni jaldi chhod kar nahin jaati. Lekin Bua, agar mujhe aaj bhi apni zindagi dubara jeene ka mauka mile, tab bhi main Nandini ke alaawa kissi aur se shaadi nahin karoonga. Kyonki kissi ke saath kitna samay guzaara, usse zyada zaroori ye hota hai ki uske saath kaisa samay guzaara. Main chahta hoon ki meri beti khush rahe. Aur uski khushi Ashutosh ke saath hai. Baaki kismat mein jo hoga, use main badal nahin sakta,” Baba got up and walked away.
Nidhi smiled and slipped her hands in Ashutosh’. He took it and pressed it slightly. They didn’t need to talk further.
—
To be continued