“Mujhe to pata hi tha,” Dadi boasted when Baba told her about Nidhi and Ashutosh.

“Achchha. Main to inhein roz dekhta tha aur mujhe pata nahin tha. Aapko kaise pata tha Ma?” Baba argued good-humouredly.

“Are. Pichhli baar aaye the, tabhi se mujhe pata tha.”

“Dadi,” Nidhi interrupted, “Tab mujhe bhi pata nahin tha.”

“Padhai-likhayi aur doctori ke chakkar mein tu filmein nahin dekhti na. Yahan hum khoob dekhte hain. Jis tarah se ye tujhe dekh raha tha jab tum pichhli baar yahan aaye the, kissi andhe ko bhi pata chal jaye.”

Ashuotosh, Nidhi and Baba laughed out loud.

“Mujhe nahin pata tha ki filmein itni educative hoti hain,” Ashutosh said.

“Achchha suno,” Dadi said, “Ab jab tum log yahan par ho hi, to hum yahin sagai karwa dete hain.”

“Sagai. Abhi kaise hogi Ma? Abhi hamein nikalna hai. In dono ko kal hospital jaana hai. Mujhe bhi…”

“Haan. To main shaadi ke liye thode hi kah rahi hoon. Ruko.” She went inside and came out with two gold rings.

“Ye kya hai?”

“Maine banwa kar rakhe the kuchh zevar iski shaadi ke liye. Ab hamare samay mein to ye angoothiyan pahnane ke riwaaz nahin hota tha. Maine to bas yun hi banwa kar rakh li thi. Lekin ab jab hai hi angoothiyan aur dono log hai yahan to phir kya samasya hai. Kuldevi ka ashirwaad bhi mil jayega. Ruko. Sunaar ko bulwaati hoon, size sahi kar dega.”

Within next half an hour, the children of the village were sent around, goldsmith was called to adjust the size of the rings, sweets and fruits were delivered, Ashutosh and Nidhi exchanged the ring and were officially engaged. They prayed to the kuldevi in the small temple in the house and left for Lucknow.

—

“Tum log baatein karo. Main bahut thak gaya hoon, sone ja raha hoon,” Baba said when they reached home and left them alone. Ashutosh and Nidhi smiled realizing that he did that on purpose.

Nidhi looked at her ring and started playing with it feeling too shy. Ashutosh stopped her by holding her hand, then brought her hand closer to his lips and planted a kiss on her ring finger. Nidhi blushed hard.

“Khush ho?” Ashutosh asked.

“Ye bhi koi poochhne ki baat hai. Lekin sab kuchh aise achanak…”

“Tumhari kismat hi aisi hai. Sab cheezein achanak hi hoti hain tumhari zindagi mein.”

“Yeah,” Nidhi smiled remembering the evening when they had confessed their feelings for each other. That had also been so sudden.

“Main chalta hoon. Kaafi raat ho gayi hai.”

“Ji.”

“Kal se to tumhari duty doosre department mein hai.”

“Ji,” Nidhi said with regret, “Lekin subah milenge na…”

“Haan.”

—

“Neend poori nahin hui tumhari?” Ashutosh asked when he saw Nidhi yawning.

“Kal wapas aane mein der ho gayi thi na gaon se. Aur subah jaldi uthna pada, ghar ke kaam ke liye.”

“To mujhe bata deti. Aaj nahin aati duty ke pahle. Koi zabardasti thode hi na hai…”

“Zabardasti nahin, majboori hai…”

“Kaisi majboori?”

“Hum sirf aapki wajah se to nahin milte hain. Mera bhi man hota hai. To sirf aapke maan jaane se kya hota, mera man to majboor tha.”

Ashutsh was overwhlemed. He got up and made her stand up too. He held her close.

“Let’s end this Nidhi. Ab ye bardasht nahin hota. Aise door rahna. Sab log taiyaar hain. Agar tumhein koi aitraaz nahin hai to main jald-se-jald tumse shaadi karna chahta hoon. Karogi mujhese shaadi?”

Nidhi smiled. She wasn’t surprised at his proposal, but instead of replying, she withdrew.

“Kya baat hai? Agar tum sure nahin ho to…”

“Nahin. Baat hamari nahin hai. Lekin Baba… Unke baare mein to maine socha hi nahin. Woh akele rah jayenge…”

“Baba akele kyon rah jayenge.Woh hamare saath rahenge.”

“Ji?”

“Maine tumhari zimmedaariyan share karne ki baat ki thi Nidhi, tumhein unse door karne ki nahin.”

Nidhi smiled gratefully, “Lekin Baba nahin maanenge.”

“Woh tum mujh par chhod do.”

“Aap to jaadugar hain, jaise!”

“In chhote-mote kaamon ko agar tum jaadu maanti ho, to haan. Main hoon jaadugar.”

—

“Baba,” Ashutosh was having tea at Nidhi’s house one evening, “Ye bataiye. Aapko lagta hai ki bete-beti mein koi farq hota hai?”

“Nahin. Main to koi farq nahin maanta.”

“Kya aisa kuchh bhi hai jo aapne Nidhi ke liye na kiya ho, lekin uski jagah aapka beta hota to karte?”

“Bilkul nahin. Kar thoda kam paaya hoon, lekin kabhi bhi kuchh is wajah se nahin chhoda ki woh beti hai, beta nahin.”

“To aapko is baat se koi farq nahin padta ki aapki ek-matra aulaad beta thi ya beti?”

“Bilkul nahin. Lekin tum ye kyon poochh rahe ho Dr. Ashuosh?”

“Dekha Nidhi. Maine kaha tha na ki Baba koi farq nahin padta. Beta ho ya beti. Woh tumhare saath rahenge. Hamesha. Jaise bete ke saath rahte.”

Nidhi stared at him wide-eyed.

“Kya matlab?” Baba did not understand him.

“Nidhi ko ye chinta ho rahi thi ki agar woh mujhse shaadi kar legi to aap hamare saath nahin rahna chahenge. Maine usse kaha tha ki Baba bete aur beti mein farq nahin karte. Aur main shart jeet gaya.”

“Lekin…” Baba was baffled. Where did that come from?

“Lekin-wekin kya? Nidhi. Tumhari problem solve ho gayi?”

Nidhi looked at Baba expectantly.

“Main yahan theek hoon Dr. Ashutosh,” Baba protested.

“Lekin Nidhi to wahan theek nahin rahegi aapke bina. Uska dhyaan hamesha aap par laga rahega. Aur agar aisa hua to mere saath bahut na-insaafi hogi. To please. apni nahin, Nidhi ki nahin to meri khaatir, aapko hamare saath rahna hi hoga.”

“Tum baatein banane mein bahut zyada chatur ho Dr. Ashutosh. Lekin mujhe thoda samay do. Ye thoda to ajeeb hai hi na.”

“Aap samay lijiye. Lekin faisla karte samay aap ye zaroor sochiyega ki sawaal aapse zyada Nidhi ki khushiyon aur man ki shaanti ka hai.”

Baba smiled at his clever words.

“Please maan jaiye, Baba,” Nidhi said after Ashutosh left, “Dadi hamare saath rahne ke liye nahin maanti hain to hamein unki kitni chinta rahti hai. Unke paas to phir bhi gaon ke sab log hain. Aapke liye to mujhe hamesha chinta lagi rahegi. Balki agar mujhe aapko chhod kar jaana pada to main shaadi nahin kar paungi Baba.”

“Kuchh to achcha kiya hoga maine apni zindagi mein beta, jo mujhe tum mili beti ki tarah. Aur tumahre jeevan-saathi ke roop mein bhi Dr. Ashutosh jaisa insaan mila,” Baba grew emotional, patted her head affectionately and then went away from there.

—

“Hum aaj shaam ko kahin chal sakte hain,” Nidhi told Ashutosh enthusiastically.

“Kyon? Baba ko baasi khaana khilane ka iraada hai?” Ashutosh joked.

“Dr. Ashutosh. Aap bhool gaye? Aapne doosri car apne driver ke saath bheji hui hai. Baba ko gaon le jaane ke liye. Woh parson wapas aayenge.”

“Oh! Right.”

“Neki kar dariya mein daal ko kaafi literally le liya hai aapne!”

“Baba nahin hain, to tumhein manmaani karne ki chhoot mili hui hai,” Ashutosh teased her to change the topic.

“Aap mujhe aise chidhayenge to main kahin nahin jaungi, aur aapse baat bhi nahin karoongi,” she pouted.

“Aisa gajab mat karna Dr. Nidhi Verma. Cardiology ward waise bhi thoda bhara hi rahta hai hamare hospital mein.”

“Aapko ho kya gaya hai?”

“Kuchh nahin. Bas tumhein chidhane mein mazaa aata hai. Khair. Main shaam ke liye kuchh plan karta hoon.”

“Ji.”

—

“Hum kahan ja rahe hain?”

“Kyon? Tumhein dar lag raha hai?”

“Kaisi baatein kar rahe hain aap? Mujhe aapke saath kyon dar lagega?”

“Ye?” Nidhi looked at Ashutosh questioningly when he parked the car in front of a house.

“Ye mera ghar hai Dr. Nidhi Verma. Aur bahut jald hamara hone waala hai,” Ashutosh smiled.

Nidhi blushed at first, then looked thoughtful and embarrassed.

“Kya hua?” he asked.

“Nahin… Bas yun hi… Soch rahi thi ki maine aaj tak aapka ghar bhi nahin dekha tha. Main aapko time nahin de paati hoon na bilkul bhi? Shaam ko Baba ke liye, weekends par Dadi ke liye…”

“Hospital duties ke liye, padhai ke liye, WHO waale project ke liye,” Ashutosh interrupted

“Mujhe lagta tha ki main aapka akelapan door karoongi. Lekin maine to kabhi aapke liye…”

“Aur in sabke baad bhi, neend poori ho ya na ho, tum subah-subah uth kar, ghar ke kaam nibta kar, bhagti hui mujhse milne chali aati ho. Pagal ladki. Stop being so hard on yourself.”

“Aapko mujhse koi shikayat nahin hai?”

“Nahin hai, Jaanti ho kyon?”

“Kyon?”

“Kyonki bahut jald main tumhein apna bana kar, haq se, is ghar mein laane waala hoon. Phir tumhari saaree zimmedaariyan meri hongi, aur tumhari first priority main. Zindagi ke itne saal maine bitaye hain intezaar mein, jab mujhe pata bhi nahin tha ki mujhe kiska intezaar tha. Thoda sa aur intezaar kar sakta hoon. Kyonki ab to mujhe pata hai ki is intezaar ka phal bahut meetha hai.”

Nidhi blushed hard and did not say anything as she felt she would choke on her words.

“Ab andar chalein, ya yahin poori Ramayan khatam karni hai?” Ashutosh joked.

“Chaliye.”

—

To be continued