Ashutosh had been restless the entire day thinking about Nidhi. She would be alone again. What if the fever got bad again? Her Baba’s employers appeared the most inconsiderate kind. They wouldn’t hear of him taking a leave even when his daughter was ill.He was itching to go to her home. But going there everyday would be awkward. He had spent the entire day staring at his phone. Should he call? Would she call? But why would she call?
He jumped out of his chair, when the phone finally rang in the evening and it showed Nidhi’s name.
“Hello. Dr. Nidhi? Aapki tabiyat…”
“Dr. Ashutosh. Main Nidhi ka father bol raha hoon. Disturb karne ke liye maafi chahta hoon. Lekin meri samajh mein nahin aa raha kya karoon?”
“Kya hua?”
“Nidhi ka bukhaar bahut tej ho gaya hai aur woh bilkul hosh mein nahin hai. Badbada rahi hai cheezein behoshi mein. Kabhi apni Ma ke liye, kabhi Dadi ke liye, kabhi mere liye. Maine thandhe paani ki patti daali hai, lekin…”
“Aap rukiye. Main abhi wahan pahunchta hoon.”
—
He brought Nidhi to the hospital with him. He found a room for her and gave her injections to bring her fever down. But she was still sleeping. He asked her Baba to go back home as people were there to take care of him. He left teary eyed feeling frustrated at his helplessness. If only it were possible for him to leave that job! His daughter would not have to suffer in loneliness.
“Sir. Aap ghar nahin ja rahe?” Ashutosh was brought out of his thoughts by a nurse asking. He was still sitting in Nidhi’s room.
“Nahin. Main apne office mein hoon. Aap please Dr. Nidhi par constantly nazar rakhiye aur jaise hi inki neend khule mujhe inform kijiye.”
“Sure Sir.”
Ashutosh left the room realizing that if he stayed there the entire night, it would look odd to the staff. At the same time he could not leave her in the hospital and go back home. He would have to call up Kaka in the morning and ask him to send fresh clothes for the next day.
—
“Better feel kar rahi hain aap?” Ashutosh came to her when the nurse informed him that she was awake.
“Ji Sir. Baba?”
“Raat ka samay hai. Woh ghar par hain.”
“Mujhe unhein phone kar dena chahiye. Woh pareshaan honge.”
“Itni raat mein? Woh so rahe honge…”
“Unhein neend nahin aayegi, Sir.”
“Okay. Main thodi der mein aata hoon,” Ashutosh left her to talk to her father alone.
“Ji Baba… Aap pareshaan mat hoiye… Good night Baba,” she was finishing her call when he came back.
“Thank you, Sir,” she said as soon as she saw him.
“Kis liye?”
“Baba ne mujhe bataya ki aapne kitni madad ki…”
“Come on Dr. Nidhi. This is a hospital. It’s routine.”
“Aapko khud jaane ki zaroorat nahin thi. That was not routine.”
“Aap dopahar se behosh padi thi. Aapko kuchh khane ki zaroorat hogi. Aapke dinner to thandha ho gaya hai. Ye biscuits kha lijiye,” Ashutosh did not reply to her and changed the subject.
Nidhi took the biscuit packet from his hand.
“Sir. Main ab theek hoon. Aur night duty par log hain hi. Aap ghar chale jaiye.”
“Hmm,” he resisted the urge to tell her that he was not leaving and walked out. He gave instructions to the nurse about her care and left for home.
Nidhi lied down on her bed after finishing the biscuits. She vaguely remembered him feeling her forehead time and again for temperature while she lied unconscious in the hospital. She felt a warmth in her heart as she recalled what Baba had told her about Ashutosh’ help and care for her. He definitely wasn’t a hardstone at heart. On the contrary he was very soft, very caring. He just wore a mask of detachment and sternness. Why? She wondered.
—
“May I come in, Sir?”
“Yes. Dr. Nidhi? Aap theek hain?”
“Yes Sir. Main ghar ja rahi hoon. Ab mujhe yahan rukne ki zaroorat nahin hai.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes Sir. Ab fever nahin aa raha. Bas thodi kamzori hai.”
“Okay. Take rest for a day or two…”
“Yes Sir. Aur Sir agar aapke paas aaj shaam mein thoda time ho to… dar asal Baba zidd kar rahe the ki aap chai par hamare ghar aate.”
“Dr. Nidhi. In formalities ki koi zaroorat nahin hai. Main koi aisa kaam nahin kiya hai…”
“No Sir. Formality ki baat nahin hai. Hamein – mujhe aur Baba ko sach much bahut achchha lagega agar aap ghar aayenge to. But of course, only if you have time… Agar aapka schedule disturb ho to…”
“Nahin. Aisi koi baat nahin hai. Main aaj shaam mein aata hoon.”
“Thank you very much, Sir.”
Ashutosh could not help getting affected by her genuine happiness at his acceptance. He also smiled after she left.
—
“Bahut mehnat karti hai ye Dr. Ashutosh,” Baba told Ashutosh while Nidhi was in the kitchen preparing tea, “Yakeen nahin hota kabhi kabhi ki ye meri wahi beti hai jise khilane ke baad daant-daant kar munh pochhne ki zaroorat padti thi. Iske 12th ke exam tak maine ise sirf padhai par focussed rakha. Lekin uske baad se zid kar-kar ke saare kaam apne oopar le liye hain isne. Pahle medical ke padhai aur ghar ka kaam. Ab itni thakaane wali duties aur phir bhi agar saamne hoti hai to mujhe chai tak nahin banane deti hai.”
Ashutosh smiled, “She is very hard-working and sincere. Kaam par bhi. I am not surprised.”
“Bahut bura lagta hai mujhe Dr. Ashutosh. Kuchh kar nahin paata iske liye. Beemaar padi thi, phir bhi ghar par akele chhod kar jaana padta tha…”
“Aisi baatein kyon kar rahe hain aap? Aapne hi to paal-pos kar bada kiya hai unhein. Apne pairon par khada karwaya hai. You should be very proud.”
Baba smiled, “Main bekaar mein apni baaton se aapko bore kar raha hoon.Bas kabhi kabhi nikal jaati hai man ki baat…”
“Aap mujhe bilkul bhi bore nahin kar rahe. Mujhe bahut hi achchha lagta hai aapki family bonding dekh kar. Dr. Nidhi aapki Ma, apni Dadi ke baare mein bhi bata rahi thi.”
“Are haan. Ye dadi-poti ke beech mein pata nahin kya chalta rahta hai. Ab woh sugar monitor utha layi hai aur mujhe zidd kar rahi hai ki gaon ja kar de aaun. Khud to beemaar pad gayi thi. Abhi uska jaana theek nahin hoga. Ab main de to aaun Dr. Ashutosh lekin use istemaal karna kaise sikhaun?”
“Kyon meri shikayat kar rahe hain Baba?” Nidhi entered with tea and snacks in a tray and spoke as she kept it on a table, “Maine kaha to tha ki aapko main sikha deti hoon, phir aap unhein sikha dijiyega. Ab agar aap nahin seekh payenge to Dadi se seekhne ki ummeed kaise hogi?”
“Bhai mujhse nahin hona ye sab…”
“Ye sab inke bahane hain, Sir,” Nidhi addressed Ashutosh, “Sach ye hai ki inhein mujh par bharosa nahin hota. Inhein lagta hai ki main sui zyada chubho doongi testing ke waqt. Aapse zyada brave to Dadi hain Baba.”
Baba grinned, “Pakad li isne meri chori. Baat to sach hai Dr. Ashutosh. Dimaag jaanta hai ki ye doctor ban chuki hai, kaabil hai. Lekin jab woh sui le kar aati hai na to mujhe to wahi chhoti se bachchi yaad aati hai, jiske chhote-chhote komal haath pair chalne ki koshish mein idhar-udhar girte padte rahte the…”
“Baba!” Nidhi chided him for getting emotional.
“Chaliye koi baat nahin. Main sikha deta hoon aapko,” Ashutosh said.
“Aap Dr. Ashutosh? Nahin, nahin, taqleef ki zaroorat nahin hai…”
“Ismein koi taqleef nahin hai Baba,” Nidhi spoke before Ashutosh could, “Aapne achchha idea diya, Sir. Main abhi le kar aati hoon Machine. Aur Baba ab aap is Sunday ko ye gaon le jayenge. Bas. Final.”
“Waise aap kya doctor apni Dadi ki wajah se bani?” Ashutosh asked Nidhi, when she brought out the machine.
“Nahin. Doctor to main apni Mummy ki wajah se bani?”
“Woh kaise?”
“Woh aise ki mere Nana doctor banna chahte the. Lekin unke ghar waalon ne unhein support nahin kiya. Unhein lagta tha ki ye chaadar se bahar paon phailane waali baat hai. To unki wajah se meri Mummy doctor banna chahti thi. Lekin unhein support karne ke liye Nana the nahin. To finally ye sapna meri jholi mein aa gaya. Aur Baba ne mujhe bahut support kiya. Unhone meri padhai ke liye mujhse zyada mehnat ki hai.”
“Interesting!” Ashutosh was genuinely impressed.
He had tea and snacks, taught Baba how to use the sugar monitor and the left feeling very refreshed and happy.
—
“Tum kal shaam mein kya kar rahe the Ashutosh?” Mallika asked him the next morning.
“Kuchh khaas nahin.”
“Hospital mein to nahin the.”
“Hospital mein nahin tha to…”
“Apne ghar par ya Jeevan Prabha mein bhi nahin the Ashutosh.”
“Tumne kya jaasoosi ka side business shuru kar diya hai Mallika? Itni kam salary to nahin dete hum Kotnis mein apne senior doctors ko?” Ashutosh joked, still not taking her seriously.
“Karni padti hai Ashutosh agar aapka itna purana dost, jiski aapko bahut parwaah hai, apni zindagi ki sabse badi galti duhraane ja raha ho.”
“Kya matlab hai tumhara?” Ashutosh asked sharply.
“Tum kal Dr. Nidhi ke saath the, ye mujhe pata hai. Lagta hai ki tum Niharika ke saath apna experience bhool gaye ho…”
“Main kuchh nahin bhoola hoon. Lekin Niharika ke experience ka Nidhi se kya talluk hai? Waise bhi main uski family ke saath tha.”
Mallika smiled condescendingly, “Achchha! Apne kitne colleagues aur juniors ki family ke saath tum chai peete ho. Unmein se kitno ki tabiyat kharaab hone par khud car le kar unke ghar bhaagte ho aur kiske liye…”
“Enough Mallika. Tum hadein paar kar rahi ho. Woh ghar par akeli thi. Use help ki zaroorat thi. That’s it. Aur zarooratmandon ki madad se main kabhi peechhe nahin hatta – ye tum achchhi tarah se jaanti ho.”
“To ek baar ye bhi soch lena ki apne aas-paas ke kitne logon ke baare mein tumhein pata bhi hota hai ki woh kitne akele hain. Ashutosh. Tumhari bhalai ke liye hi bol rahi hoon. Aur kuchh na bhi socho to ye dhyaan rakhna ki woh ek intern hai, abhi-abhi graduate hui hai. Aadhi umra ki hai shayad tumse!” She stormed out of his room with this leaving Ashutosh baffled and disturbed. Was it so obvious? And if it was, what did Nidhi think of all this?
—
To be continued