Nidhi followed Ashutosh nervously as they entered the airport, checked in their luggage and got their boarding passes. Since the security queue for men and women were separate, he explained to her the security process.
“Aapke bag mein laptop to nahin hai?”
“No Sir.”
“Theek hai. Phir queue mein aapka number aane ke baad apa pahle apna saamaan us x-ray machine ki belt par daalengi. Phir doosri queue mein apna security check up karwayengi. Just like they do in the malls. Phir doosri taraf ja kar apna saamaan le lengi. Okay?”
“Okay Sir.”
“This is just routine stuff Dr. Nidhi. Aapko itna hairaan-pareshaan hone ki zaroorat nahin hai.”
Nidhi grinned foolishly.
After they were seated Ashutosh was surprised to see Nidhi taking out the latest copy of a pediatrics journal to read.
“Ye aapne issue karwaya hua tha hospital library se?” he asked.
“Yes Sir. Kyon?”
“Pahli baar aisa hua ki main issue karwane gaya to ye already circulated tha. So, I wondered…”
“Umm… Sir aap padhna chahte hain to le lijiye… Main baad mein padh loongi…”
“No. No. Its okay. I was just surprised. Aap padhiye. Kuchh interesting ho to mujhe bhi bataiye.”
“Ji Sir.”
A little while after take-off, the pilot announced bad weather requesting the passengers to wear the seat belts.
“Ye… kya ho raha hai, Sir?” Nidhi was terrified as the turbulence started.
“Turbulence.”
And as if that was not enough to terrify her, they also passed through a mild air pocket. Nidhi gulped hard and on an impulse clutched Ashutosh’ arm. He was startled. He sighed as he looked at her pale face.
“Nidhi,” he addressed her by her first name and said softly, “Calm down. Sab theek hai. Air pocket tha. Ye sab usual baatein hain flight travel mein. Kuchh nahin hoga.”
The turbulence went down and Nidhi relaxed a bit.
“Sorry,” she was embarrassed, “Woh main pahli baar…”
“It’s okay,” he smiled again, “Unfortunately aapki pahli hi flight mein kuchh zyada adventure ho gaya.”
“Ye meri aakhiri flight hai. Ab main phir nahin chadhungi,” she said.
He laughed slightly, “Wapas to aana hai Mumbai se? Ya flight mein na chadhne ke liye wahin bas jaana hai.”
She smiled back at him, “Yeah. Unfortunately aana to hai.”
“Waise aap bata rahi thi Dr. Nidhi ki aapki Dadi gaon mein hain aur beemaar hain?” Ashutosh asked after a while.
“Ji.”
“To aapko nahin lagta ki aapko unhein yahan le aana chahiye. Behtar ilaaj hoga.”
“Sir. Ye baat mujhe aur aapko samajh mein aati hai. Meri Dadi ko samjhane ki koshish kar ke dekhiye.”
“Kya matlab?”
“Unse gaon chhudwaana namumkin hai. Maine aur Baba ne itni koshish ki hai, itni baar unse kaha hai, lekin unka to bas ek hi raag hai – ki meri arthi gaon ki mitti se hi uthegi.”
“Kaafi ziddi hain.”
“Ziddi chhota shabd hai unke liye. Basically bahut khuddar hain. Mere Dadaji ki death bahut pahle ho gayi thi. Baba tab chhote hi the. Unhone akele unhein bada kiya hai. Kissi ki madad nahin li. Bas gaon mein ek chhoti se dukaan chalati rahi.”
“Aapke Baba kya karte hain?”
“Cashier hain ek private company mein.”
“Achchha. To aap apni Dadi ko dekhne jaati hain?”
“Haan. Jab bhi off hota hai hospital mein, chali jaati hoon. Gaon Lucknow se bahut door nahin hai. Lekin bahut backward hai. Kahne ko to bijli hai, lekin din mein ghante bhar bhi nahin rahti.”
“To aapki Dadi akeli rahti hain.”
“Akeli? Poore gaon ki auraton aur ladkiyon ki leader hain. Hamesha chaar log rahte hain. Jab se tabiyat giri hai, koi na koi unke ghar par hi sota hai. Pata hai ek baar maine unhein emotionally blackmail kar ke Lucknow laane ki sochi. To maine kaha ki main apni MBBS ki padhai chhod doongi aur gaon aa jaungi. Kyonki aapko dekh bhaal ke zaroorat padegi. Aur aap Lucknow nahin aayengi to mere paas koi chaara nahin hai. Padhai chhodni hi padegi. To pata hai unhone mujhe kya kaha? Kahti hain ki ye sapne mat dekhna ki teri Dadi ko besahara ho kar tujhse seva karane ki zaroorat padegi. Tu sahar ki chhui-mui ladki hai. Apni doctori kar le wahi bahut hai. Meri sewa karne ke liye mujhe betiyon aur bahuon ki kami nahin hai.”
Ashutosh laughed at that, “To unke hisaab se doctori chhui mui ladkiyon ka kaam hai?”
“Mere saamne to hamesha yahi jatati hain. Kabhi taareef nahin karti hain. Lekin peechhe poore gaon mein apni doctorni poti ke naam ka danka peetti rahti hain. Gaon jaati hoon to log hamesha batate hain.”
“Bahut kamaal ki hain aapki Dadi.”
“Aur bahut zyada khuddar. Tabiyat kharaab hai. Lekin abhi bhi ghante-do ghante ke liye hi, dukaan zaroor kholengi. Log to unke liye respect ki wajah se hi kuchh na kuchh khareed le jaate hain. Lekin mostly wahan unse gappein maarne ke liye aate hain. Aur woh har mahine mujhe apni dawaiyon ke liye sau rupaye deti hain. Hamara bhi so called ehsaan nahin le sakti hain woh.”
“Sau rupye mein kitni dawai aayegi?”
“Haan to hamein badi mehnat karni padti hain unse dawaiyon ka bill chhupane ke liye. Phir bhi dar lagta hai ki kahin kabhi gaon ke chemist ke paas na chali jayen prescription le kar. Kayamat aa jayegi us din. Woh to humne unse kaha hai ki mere medical college mein ya hospital mein discount pa dawaiyan mil jaati hain, tabhi is baat ke liye bhi maani ki woh hamein dawaiyan laane dengi. Khud nahin khareedengi.”
“Wow!”
“Waise gaon mein kissi aur ki tabiyat kharaab hoti hai, to fauran mujhe phone karwati hain. Hospital door hai na wahan se.”
“Phone par ilaaj karti hain aap?”
“Jitna ho paata hai batati hoon. Jab nahin samajh mein aata to hospital jaane ke liye kahti hoon. Hardly do ghanton ka raasta hai Lucknow se – capital city se, Sir. Lekin facilities ki halat bahut kharaab hai. Doctors nahin, dawaiyan nahin, ho bhi to log afford nahin kar paate. Main kabhi-kabhi apne saath dawaiyan le jaati hoon. Lekin poore gaon ka usse kya hoga.”
“Right. Ye to well known hai ki health facilities ki halat hamare desh mein bahut kharaab hai.”
“Ab saare doctors ko to gaon mein immediately bheja nahin ja sakta. Lekin main soch rahi thi ki aaj kal to video chats itne aasaan ho gaye hain. Agar gaon mein ek common computer lagwa doon to uske through common beemariyon ke ilaaj to ho hi sakta hai. Telemedicine ke baare mein log itni baatein kar rahe hain.”
“Lekin Dr. Nidhi, jab tak patient saamne na ho, karte banta nahin hai diagnosis. Aapko aisa nahin lagta?”
“Sir. Yahan sawaal chhoti-chhoti beemariyon se logon ki jaan chale jaane ka hai. Obviously video chat ke oopar observation utni accurate aur comfortable nahin rahegi. Lekin un logon ke paas aur kuchh bhi available nahin hai.”
“Interesting,” Ashutosh seemed to mull over it and Nidhi returned to her journal.
“Sir. Do aur log aane waale the na department se is convention ke liye? Woh log kahan hain?”
Ashutosh was startled, but he managed to lie once again, “Haan. Un logon ne alag se booking karwai hai.I think unka schedule different tha. I am sorry, maine aapse confirm kiye bina aapki booking is flight mein karwa di. Koi problem to nahin thi na?”
“No Sir. Not at all.”
Ashutosh sighed, reclined his chair and closed his eyes hoping that he did not have to lie more. He couldn’t have told her that others were not traveling in business class like him… and her. They had booked on a low-cost airline. Everyone had to pay for their travel and stay from their own pockets.
—
“You were so excited about Dr. Dutta’s talk. Aap unse ja kar milti kyon nahin hain?” Ashutosh asked Nidhi during the conference after Dr. Dutta’s talk.
“Main, Sir? Main unse kaise mil sakti hoon?”
“Kyon? That is what these events are for? Taki professionals ek doosre se networking kar sakein.”
“Sir. Main unse e-mail par discuss kar loongi.”
“Come on Dr. Nidhi. Aap phir se nervous ho rahi hain, right?”
Nidhi gulped and did not say anything
“Aur maine aapse pahle bhi kaha tha ki professional confidence display karna utna hi zaroori, jitna ilaaj karna aana. Chaliye, main aapko introduce karwata hoon.”
“Hello Dr. Dutta.”
“Dr. Mathur! So nice to meet you. How are you doing?”
“I am fine. Let me introduce you to Dr. Nidhi Verma…”
“Dr. Nidhi Verma from Kotnis General Hospital in Lucknow. The ever curious young lady. I’m sorry Dr. Nidhi, I couldn’t reply to your last mail as I was hurriedly preparing for this talk. You didn’t tell me you were coming here.”
“Y… Yes Sir. Actually last moment mein decide hua.”
“No problem. Good to meet you here. So, Dr. Mathur. She works under you?”
“Yes. She is interning at our hospital.”
“Wonderful. For last few weeks I have been having a lively discussion with her on my last paper over e-mails.”
“Yes. She has been getting the journals issued from our library before I can find them myself. So, I am not surprised.”
“Hum aisa kyon nahin karte hain? This is lunch time. Let’s grab a table and catch up on things. And Dr. Nidhi I can also clarify the questions you had asked me in the last mail.”
“Sure Sir.”
They sat down on a table with their plates and once Nidhi was comfortable, Ashutosh watched with fascination and appreciation how animatedly she participated in the discussion, asked questions, objected to the answers and proposed alternative explanations.
“That was such an interesting discussion,” Ashutosh told Nidhi when they were alone, “Aap unse baat karne se itna hichkicha kyon rahi thi? Aisi opportunity lose ho jati. Aur Dr. Dutta se aap already acquainted thi.”
“Sir… Explain karna mushkil hai. Mujhe aise naye logon se baat karne mein ghabrahat hoti hai. E-mails are easy.”
“Lekin aaj ke incident ke baad to I am sure aapka confidence badh jayega.”
“Shayad. Pata nahin Sir. Shayad baat hamesha confidence hone ya na hone ki nahin hoti hai. Main aisi hi hoon.”
“So, basically you are shy. I mean psychologically… you have a shy personality.”
“Probably.”
“You must overcome it in professional settings then.”
“I will try, Sir. Aur Sir. Ek help chahiye thi. Aap to Mumbai city se familiar honge?”
“Haan. Hoon. Lekin agar aapko kissi film ki shooting dekhni hai to main help nahin kar sakta.”
“Ji? Nahin… nahin… main…”
“Main mazaak kar raha tha. Bataiye kya help chahiye.”
“Actually mujhe meri Dadi ke symptoms dekh kar lag raha hai ki unki blood sugar zyada hai. Gaon mein kahin monitoring machine hai nahin. Aur kahin bahar woh jayengi nahin. To main soch rahi thi ki ek portable machine khreed loon. Aapko pata hai kahan milegi? Lucknow mein nahin mili mujhe.”
Ashutosh thought through it quickly. The machine would cost at least a few thousad rupees. If her household was dependent on the meagre stipend she earned as an MBBS intern…
“Portable machine? Khareedne ki kya zaroorat hai. Aap mujhe pahle batati to… Medical Representatives de jaate hain hospital mein kai baar. Rakhi hai ek machine mere paas. Aap mujhse le lijiyega.”
“Lekin woh to hospital ka hoga, Sir.”
“Hospital ko portable machine ki kya zaroorat hai. Aap le lijiye. Aur I am sure aapke gaon mein pahunchegi to sirf aapki Dadi nahin, kaafi log use karenge. To ise hospital ka hi extension samajh lijiye.”
“Thank you. Sir.”
—