“Yeah. Aap log please wait kijiye,” Doctor said as she went inside the room.
All of them stayed silent, absorbed in their own thoughts while the doctor was inside.
“She is all right,” Doctor’s announcement brought them out of their reveries, “Diagnosis ka result aap logon ko pata hi hai. And you know the implications of the operation. Uterus removal ke baad she can’t get pregnant. Lekin agar remove nahin kiya to pain hota rahega. Aur ek saal se zyada operation nahin taal sakte. To aap log uske hisaab se hi decide kar lein.”
Baba, Anji and Shyama – all turned pale and were tongue-tied.
“Thank you, Doctor,” Ashutosh took charge of the situation and addressed Baba after the doctor left, “Baba. Main jaanta hoon ki aap log shocked hain, pareshaan hai. Lekin is waqt sabse zyada vulnerable Nidhi hai. Agar aap log aise pareshaan ho kar uske saamne jayenge to woh phir se ghabra jayegi. Isliye please, aap log aisa mat kijiye. Nidhi ki zindagi se badh kar to kuchh nahin hai. Aur aap logon ko bhi use ye mahsoos karwana hai. Use aisa nahin lagna chahiye ki is problem, ya is operation ki wajah se usmein kissi tarah ki koi kami aa gayi hai. Aisa mental trauma, physical problems se zyada khatarnaak saabit ho sakta hai. Aap samajh rahe hain na ki main kya kah raha hoon?” It was the experienced doctor speaking. Over the years, Ashutosh had consoled, encouraged, pacified and motivated a large number of distressed parents, whose children were under his care. He had summoned all his learnings from those experiences for that little speech of his.
“Tum theek kah rahe ho, Dr. Ashutosh,” Baba agreed, “Bhabhi ji, Anji – hamein bilkul bhi aisi ruansi shakal nahin banani chahiye uske saamne.”
“Ji Baba,” Anji agreed and Shyama also nodded.
“Aap log jaiye. Main…” Ashutosh didn’t know what he was going to do, but he didn’t think he’d be welcomed there any longer, with Baba around…
“Agar tumhare paas samay hai, Dr. Ashutosh, to meri request hai ki tum bhi hamare saath raho. Nidhi ko hi nahin, hum sab logon ko… sahare ki zaroorat hai.”
“Ismein request ki kya baat hai. Main to yahin ruka hua hi hoon. AIIMS ke guest house mein. Aap log chaliye. Main bas do minute mein aata hoon.”
Baba nodded and everyone went inside the room.
Ashtuosh returned soon with a tray in his hand. He had brought tea. Shyama noticed that and stood up with a start. “Aapko ye karne ki kya zaroorat thi, Dr. Ashutosh?” she said and took the tray from him. She motioned Anji, who served the tea to everyone.
“Koi takalluf ki baat nahin hai, Mrs. Solanki. Aap log thake hue the to main chai le aaya. Button daba kar hi to laana tha,” he said with a smile and could not help throwing a knowing glance at Nidhi. Nidhi looked grateful and overwhelmed. He was taking care of her as well as her family. Ashutosh assured her with slight nod and blink. She smiled.
Ashutosh brought up the matter of night-stay after they had finished tea over regular chit-chat. “Baba. Raat mein aap logon ke yahan rukne ki zaroorat nahin hai. Aap log pareshaan aur thake hue lag rahe hain. Mere khayaal se aap ghar chale jaiye.”
“Nahin, Dr. Ashutosh. Hum iske liye hi to aaye hain. Hum yahin rukenge,” Shayama objected.
“Main jaanta hoon. Isliye kah raha hoon ki jab zaroorat nahin hai tab khud ko exert kar ke fayda nahin hai. Abhi aap logon ko yahan rukna padega kuchh din. Operation ke samay sabki zaroorat hogi. Aaj zaroorat nahin hai. Nidhi aaraam se so jayegi yahan. Waise bhi woh ghar se zyada time yahin bitati hai, kyon Nidhi?” he smiled as he threw that question at Nidhi.
“Lekin…”
“Aap log please meri baat maaniye. Nidhi – ghar ki chaabhi kahan hai?”
“Anji. Mere purse ke aage waali pocket mein hai. Nikaal le please. Tu aur Auntie mere bed par so jaana. Baba ke liye hall mein futon hai, jo woh hamesha use karte hain. Aur mere mobile mein Khaana-Khazaana restaurant ka number hai. Woh note kar le. Wahan se dinner ki home-delivery karwa lena,” Nidhi said.
Ashutosh looked at her appreciatively. Despite her own anxieties, she was playing the dutiful host.
Shyama could not help thinking how Ashutosh and Nidhi sounded like a perfect couple – complementing each other. Ashutosh cajoling them to go home for night and Nidhi working out their sleeping and food arrangement.
—
“Bhai Sahab,” Shyama addressed Yograj after they had their dinner, “Bura na maanein to ek baat kahun Nidhi ke baare mein.”
“Zaroor kahiye, Bhabhi ji. Nidhi ke baare mein aap kuchh sochein to ismein bura lagne ki kya baat hogi?”
“Dr. Ashutosh aur Nidhi ke rishte ko lekar jo aapke objections hain, woh jayaz hain. Lekin ye bhi sach hai ki kabhi-kabhi kuchh rishte hamari aam kasautiyon se pare hote hain. Ek saal se zyada ho gaya hai jo woh dono ek doosre se nahin mile hain, hai na Anji?” She looked and Anji for confirmation and continued on getting a nod from her, “Anji ki shaadi mein bhi Dr. Ashutosh nahin aaye the. Aur mera khayaal hai ki aisa unhone Nidhi ko avoid karne ke liye hi kiya tha. Lekin phir bhi aaj jo maine un donon ke beech dekha, mujhe lagta nahin ki woh rishta toot payega.”
“Mummy theek kah rahi hain, Baba,” Anji also spoke, “I am sorry agar aapko mera bolna achchha na laga ho. Lekin main Nidhi ki best friend hoon. Bachpan se jaanti hoon use. Mujhe nahin lagta ki woh Dr. Ashutosh ko bhool payegi. Itne din ho gaye aur woh Lucknow aane ko raazi nahin hoti. Aise kaise kaam chalega, Baba?”
“Aap dono ki baat main samajh raha hoon. Lekin baaki sab concerns ko ek taraf rakh bhi doon main, tab bhi ek baat mere man se nahin jaati. Shaadi zindagi bhar ka saath hota hai, Bhabhi ji. Agar ek arse ke baad, kissi ek ko akela rahna pade, to woh bahut mushkil hota hai. Aur agar do logon mein umra ka itna faasla ho to iski possibility badh jaati hai ki unmein se ek ko kai saalon tak…”
“Bura mat maaniyega, Bhai Sahab. Lekin mujhe lagta hai ki kiska saath kitne dinon ka hai, ye oopar waale ke haath mein hai. Agar umra se iska faisla hota to kya Bhabhi ji aapki itni jaldi chhod kar jaati? Aur iske baawzood agar aapko apni zindagi dubara jeena ka mauka mile to kya aap unke alawa kissi aur ko apna jeevan-saathi banana chahenge?”
Yograj sighed. He thought for a while before speaking, “Aap theek kah rahi hain. Maine, shayad, galti kar di hai. Main Nidhi se kal hi baat karoonga. Raksha mein hatya ho gai hai mere haathon. Nidhi kitni dukhi rahi hai Lucknow se aane ke baad se, ye bhi to mujhse chhipa nahin hi hai. Main sochta tha ki nayi jagah par, naye logon ke beech woh aage badh jayegi. Bhool jayegi Dr. Ashutosh ko. Lekin aisa nahin hua. Uske pyaar ko bachpana samajh kar maine theek nahin kiya.”
Shyama and Anji smiled and nodded in agreement.
—
“Thank you,” Nidhi said when Ashutosh came back to her room after getting Baba, Anji and Shyama a taxi for home.
“Ye kis liye?”
“Sabka khayaal rakhne ke liye. Aapko to pata hi hai ki Baba kitna ghabra gaye honge.”
“Haan. Aur us par se tum hosh mein aate hi rone lagi. Bechare ghabrate nahin to aur kya hota?” Ashutosh chided her, as he looked at her charts and reports.
He had expected a rejoinder, but Nidhi fell silent instead. The surprised and worried him. He put the reports back in their place and faced her, “Hey. Nidhi. Kya hua? Main mazaak kar raha tha. Bura maan gayin kya?”
“Nahin,” Nidhi forced a smile on herself, “Mujhe pata hai ki aap mazaak kar rahe the. Khair. Ab aapko bhi aaraam karna chahiye. It has been quite a day.”
“Tum so jao. Main bahar rahunga. Koi zaroorat ho to aawaaz laga dena.”
Nidhi was surprised, “Nurse hai na. Aap kyon rukenge? Aap guest house wapas chale jaiye.”
Ashutosh just smiled, “Main bahar hoon.”
“Rukiye,” Nidhi stopped him, “Bahar to kuchh hai bhi nahin jis par aap let sakein. Aap andar hi rahiye. At least ye sofa hai kamre mein…”
“Nahin Nidhi…”
“Aapki zidd hai to main aapse zyada ziddi hoon.”
Ashutosh sighed. “Yeah. I know,” he murmured. Then he went to her and helped her ease into the bed. He pulled up her bedcover and tucked her in, like he would do to the kids in the ward. He switched off the lights near her bed. The ones in the corners of the room were still switched on, and he let those be.
As he made his way to the sofa, Nidhi did not let him see that she had tears in her eyes. How considerate and careful he could be! He made everyone comfortable, refused to leave her side, humoured her when she asked him to take the sofa, switched off the lights that would have inconvenienced her, but took care to not let the room get dark – the room that they were sharing! She quietly wiped her tears, as he lied down on the sofa.
—
To be continued