It was four in the morning, when Ashutosh and Nidhi were woken up by Ashutosh’ mobile ringing.
“Kaun hai is samay?” Nidhi was alarmed.
Ashutosh looked at the number, “Hospital se?”
“Hello… Yes… What happened… Oh… Dr. Sinha ne… Unreachable hain… Okay… Main abhi aata hoon… Tab tak agar pain zyada hai to injection de dijiye pain killer ka…”
“Kya hua?”
“Nidhi. Mujhe abhi hospital jaana padega. Ek patient ka case Dr. Sinha ko hand over kar ke aaya tha, lekin usmein kuchh complications ho gayi hain aur woh unreachable hain.”
“Main bhi chalti hoon aapke saath.”
“Tum? Theek hai. Chalo. Jaldi.”
—
Ashutosh was extremely anxious as he drove the car. Once they barely managed to avoid a minor accident.
“Car rokiya, main chalati hoon,” Nidhi offered. Ashutosh did not resist and gave her the driver’s seat.
They rushed to the ward on reaching the hospital and Ashutosh looked at the patient’s chart.
“Sister. Jin medicines par maine ise rakha tha woh band kyon kar di gayi?”
“Ji Dr. Sinha ne kaha tha ki uski zaroorat nahin hai.”
“Aisi misdiagnosis…” Ashutosh picked up an injection from the table to administer it to the patient. Nidhi hastily stopped him.
“Rukiye. Dr. Ashutosh.”
“Kya hai Nidhi?” he was irritated.
“Aap galat injection de rahe hain. Naam to dekhiye…”
Ashutosh was stunned and felt embarrassed. Nidhi scribbled the name of the correct injection on a paper and got Ashutosh to sign it.
“Sister. Aap please ye store se le kar aaiye,” she handed over the paper to the nurse. She turned to Ashutosh after the nurse had left, “Main injection de doongi. Aap apne office mein jaiye. Aur kuchh karna hai?”
“Haan… Woh.. half an hour mein…”
“BP normal nahin hua to ek aur injection dena hoga.”
“Yes,” Ashutosh said blankly. He was not at all like himself.
“Theek hai. Aap jaiye. Main half an hour mein aapko report karti hoon.”
Ashutosh did not say anything and walked to his office. Nidhi looked thoughtful behind him. Why was Ashutosh being so nervous and so unlike himself?
—
“Stable hai. Doosre injection ki zaroorat nahin padi,” Nidhi walked into his office and informed him.
“Good,” Ashutosh said, the usual punch in his voice still missing.
“Kya baat hai? Aap itne… itne…” Nidhi searched for the right word for a second, “anxious kyon hain? Aise nervous?”
“Bas… patient ki halat dekh kar ghabra gaya tha.”
“You want me to believe that?” Nidhi smiled, “Maine aapko itni badi badi crisis handle karte dekha hai without blinking an eye. Ye to… Ye to main bhi handle kar sakti thi.”
Ashutosh sighed.
“Kya baat hai?”
“Nidhi. Tum ghar jao. Sab log uth jayenge to ghabrayenge. Main ek-do ghante mein aata hoon patient ko observe karne ke baad.”
“Lekin…”
“I am fine Nidhi. Jao tum.”
Nidhi wasn’t sure about leaving him, but he was right about everyone at home getting worried.
“Theek hai. I’ll wait for you.”
Ashutosh smiled. But it was sad smile, Nidhi thought.
—
Baba had just gotten up when Nidhi reached home. He was surprised to see her coming from outside.
“Nidhi. Beta subah subah kahan gayi thi? Ashutosh kahan hai?”
“Baba. Hospital mein kuchh emergency ho gayi thi. Isliye hamein jaana pada. Dr. Ashutosh abhi wahin hain. Nashte ke time tak aa jayenge.”
“Ye kya baat hui?” Nidhi hadn’t noticed Dadi Bua hearing their conversation, “Shaadi ke time par bhi chain nahin de sakte ye aspataal waale? Aur doctors nahin hain kya? Rasmein tak poori nahin karne di aur murdaghar mein chale gaye? Shagun-apshagun ka koi khayaal hai ki nahin?”
“Dadi Bua,” Nidhi got irritated, “Hamari shaadi ke liye kissi ki jaan chali jati to ye bahut bada shagun hota kya? Thank God ki patient safe hai. Baba. Main thaki hui hoon. Thodee der aur aaraam karoongi.”
“Of course. Tum jao kamre mein,” Baba sent her off and braced himself for his Bua’s tantrums.
—
Ashutosh came back in time as he had promised. After that Dadi Bua had a slew of rituals lined up for them and they did not get any time to talk alone. Ashutosh was looking happy enough to everyone and no one doubted that something was disturbing him. But Nidhi noticed that he had to try hard to look that way. He was still bothered.
“Patient theek hai na?” Nidhi managed to ask him in the afternoon.
“Haan. Woh theek hai.” Ashutosh assured her. He felt her penetrating eyes on him, but ignored its questions.
—
Nidhi had to endure some teasing from Anji about the wedding night, before she could retire for the night. She came in and saw Ashutosh lying on the bed, his eyes were closed. She walked around without making any sound. After changing, she climbed on the bed beside him. She lightly caressed his forehead. Ashutosh opened his eyes. He wasn’t asleep.
“Thak gaye hain na aap?” she asked softly.
Ashutosh smiled and sat up, “Ab thakaan chali gayi.”
Nidhi smiled, “Romantic baatein bhi aap theek-thaak hi kar lete hain Dr. Ashutosh!”
Ashutosh raised his eyebrows and Nidhi realized her folly, “I mean… Ashutosh.” She blushed hard as she said that. Ashutosh put his arms around her as they sat on the bed with their back resting against the headboard.
“Nidhi. Is bhaag-daud mein tumhein batane ka mauka nahin mila. Maine shaadi se ek din pahle Mallika se baat karne ki koshish ki thi.”
“Kaisi hain woh?”
“Usse to baat nahin hui. Uske number nahin hai mere paas. Maine Sandeep ko phone kiya tha.”
“Kya kaha unhone?”
“Mallika stable thi, after few months of treatment. Lekin ab woh Delhi mein nahin hai. She and Sandeep have separated. Woh Mumbai chali gayi hai.”
“I am sorry to hear that. Lekin ye to hona hi tha. I guess Dr. Mallika ne us rishte ko kabhi apnaya hi nahin tha. So, it was not fair on Mr. Bagchi.”
“Yeah. You are right,” Ashutosh sighed.
“Maine bhi Rohan se baat ki thi.”
“Aur?”
“Baba ne use invite kiya tha to usne bola tha ki woh Lucknow mein nahin rahega shaadi ke samay. But I knew ki woh bahana bana raha tha. Maine phone kiya use. Usne aane se mana kar diya.”
“Aur kuchh kaha?”
“Kuchh naya nahin. Use ab bhi yakeen nahin hai ki maine sahi faisla liya hai. Usne kaha ki woh isi wajah se nahin aana chahta.”
Ashutosh gave half a smile.
“Kya baat hai?” Nidhi asked feeling concerned, “Aap phir se in baaton se…”
“Nahin Nidhi. Kissi aur ki baaton se nahin. Main… Main khud bahut dar gaya tha aaj.”
“Achchha hua apane khud hi baat shuru ki. Bataiye – kya hua tha subah? Itne pareshaan kyon the aap?”
“Nidhi. Shayad ye baat tumse karni nahin chahiye. Lekin tumhare alaawa kissi aur se main kar bhi nahin paunga.”
“Agar aap meri permission maang rahe hain to aap mujhse koi bhi baat kar sakte hain. Main aapki baaton ka kabhi bura nahin maanoongi. Zyada se zyada gussa ho sakti hoon thodi der ke liye. Lekin usmein to aap mujhe mana lenge.”
“Yeah. I know,” Ashutosh smiled.
“To bataiye.”
“Nidhi. Kitne saalon se maine apne aap ko apne kaam mein poori tarah duba liya tha. Meri koi personal life nahin thi, koi personal commitment nahin thi.”
Nidhi seemed to make out where this was going and she grew thoughtful. Ashutosh continued, “Hamari shaadi ke liye, itne saalon mein pahli baar main apne kaam se, personal cheezon ke liye, itne din door raha hoon. To jab subah mujhe pata chala ki meri absence mein ek patient critical ho gaya hai to main bahut dar gaya. Mujhe laga ki kahin ye kismat ka ishaara to nahin hai ki main dono cheezein sambhaal nahin paunga. Tumhare saath meri nayi zindagi aur apne kaam ke liye meri committment. Mujhe laga ki maine ek aisi zimmedaari utha li hai jise maine pahle kabhi jaana nahin, samjha nahin. Baba ne mujhe paala-posa, lekin unhone bhi to apne parivaar ki zimmedaariyon se munh mod liya tha. To kya main ye sab sahi kar paunga?”
Nidhi felt scared to the core. Her eyes moistened. He was scared of their day old marriage? She held his hands and said in a trembling voice, “Nahin. Aapko meri wajah se pareshaan hone ki zaroorat nahin hai. Main waada karti hoon ki aapke aur aapke kaam ke beech mein kabhi nahin aaungi.”
Ashutosh smiled fondly, “Mujhe pata hai Nidhi. Mujhe tumhari wajah se pareshaan hone ki koi zaroorat nahin hai. Ye dar mujhe subah pareshaan kar raha tha. Kuchh had tak din mein bhi. Lekin abhi jab main thodi der is kamre mein akela baitha tha, aur tumhare na hote hue bhi tumhein apne chaaro or mahsoon kar raha tha, tab mujhe sab cheezein saaf saaf dikhayi dene lagi Nidhi. Jab subah-subah phone aaya to tumne mujhe roka nahin, balki mere saath chal padi. Jab mere haath kaampe, tab tumne mera haath thaam liya. Jab mera dimaag kaam nahin kar raha tha, tab tumne mujhe us patient ko galat injection dene se bacha liya. So, now I know Nidhi ki tumhare aane se meri life koi conflict nahin aayi hai. Balki ek bahut majboot sahara aaya hai.”
The tears that had moistened her eyes in fear, now started running out of them because she was overwhelmed. She leaned on him and soaked his t-shirt in her tears.
“Bas… Bas Nidhi. Ro kyon rahi ho? Bura lag gaya meri baat ka?” he caressed her hair.
“Nahin. Lekin aap pagal hain Dr. Ashutosh… I mean Ashutosh” she said through her tears without breaking her half hug.
Ashutosh laughed slightly, “Haan. Tumhare saath rah kar ho gaya hoon. Waise maine tumhein apna naam Dr. Ashutosh se chhota kar ke Ashutosh karne ko kaha tha. Tumne use aur bhi bada kar diya hai – Dr. Ashutosh. I mean Ashutosh.”
They laughed slightly. He shifted on the bed to lie down, still keeping his arms around her and pulled up the bed-cover over them. Exhausted, emotionally and physically, they drifted off to sleep in the same position. If the last night was about passion and desire, this was a night of comfort, love and companionship. It completed their relationship.
—
To be continued