Mish' Fiction

“Anji. Aaj Dr. Ashutosh ke ward mein mera aakhiri din tha. Ab hopefully Dr. Mallika mujh par raham karengi aur meri duty jaldi unke saath nahin lagayengi,” Nidhi happily informed Anji when she reached home.

“Are wah! Ye to ekdum party karne waali baat hai yaar. Aur Baba ne bhi Daddy ko mana liya hai, meri job ke liye.”

“Sach! Phir to bilkul party karne ki banti hai yaar. Disco chalein?”

“Chal.”

Nidhi had Anji had just started the car, when Nidhi’s mobile phone rang. She was surprised to see that it was from Dr. AShutosh.

“Hello Sir.”

“Dr. Nidhi. I want you in the hospital right now.”

“Lekin Sir…”

“Right now!” he said and disconnected the phone.

“Inhein ab kya ho gaya? Daantne ka quota poora nahin hua kya poore week mein?”

“Kya hua Nidhi?” Anji asked.

“Pata nahin yaar. Dr. Ashutosh ne hospital aane ko kaha hai.”

“Abhi? Teri duty to…”

“Koi nahin Anji. Hum hospital se hote hue disco chalenge.”

“Okay.”

—

“Aaye haye Dr. Nidhi. Kahan ki taiyaari kar ke kahan aa gayi hain aap?” Dr. Rangnath found her in the reception. She was decked up to go to disco.

“Meri duty khatam ho chuki hai Dr. Rangnath. Lekin achanak se Dr. Ashutosh ka phone aaya…”

“Ohh! To woh aap thi,” Rangnath became serious.

“Kya matlab?”

“Woh bed number four ke patient ko injection dena tha… Aapne diya tha?”

“Woh to maine… Oh my God!” Nidhi’s eyes widened in horror, “Woh bahut ro raha tha. Maine socha ki thodi der mein de doongi aur phir main bhool gayi…”

“Uska relapse ho gaya hai. Dr. Ashutosh hain uske saath ICU mein. Jaaiye aap.”

“Nidhi main rukti hoon tere saath. Ghabra mat,” Anji offered her help.

Rangnath had noticed Anji, but it was hardly the time for introductions.

“Nahin Anji. Mujhe shayad yahin runka pade. Tu ghar chali ja.”

“Are you sure?”

“Haan. Tu ja aur ghar par inform kar dena ki main subah hi wapas aaungi,” Nidhi walked towards ICU in a daze.

“Oh! Car ki chaabhi to Nidhi ke paas rah gayi,” Anji exclaimed after Nidhi had left.

Rangnath saw his chance, “Hello Anji ji. Main Dr. Rangnath. Is hospital ka senior administrator.”

“Hello Dr. Rangnath,” Anji smiled courteously.

“Main aapko ghar chhod deta lekin unfortunately ye sahi samay nahin hai. Kaash aapse kissi aur waqt mulaaquaat hui hoti to…”

“Aap chinta mat kijiye. Main taxi le loongi.”

“Chaliye main aapko taxi dilwa deta hoon.”

“Uski zaroorat nahin hai.”

“Are kaise nahin hai. Taxi waale kitna lootte hain yahan. Main aas paas ke saare taxi waalon ko jaanta hoon. Sahi kiraya tay karwa doonga. Chaliye.”

Anji had to accept his hospitality.

Rangnath found out from Anji that she was an interior designer while they were waiting for the taxi. Anji was irritated with his flirtatious behaviour and sighed in relief after she found the taxi and left.

—

Nidhi looked on as Dr. Ashutosh struggled with the child in ICU. He was having difficulty breathing. It was after half an hour that his condition showed some imrpovement and hope. Ashutosh gave the instructions to a nurse for administration of oxygen, medicines and injections for the night. Then he walked towards the door. Nidhi was standing there. His dagger eyes made her tremble.

“Apna munh saaf kijiye aur mere office mein aaiye,” Ashutosh told her

—

“Dr. Nidhi. Aakhir aap chahti kya hain?” Ashutosh thundered, “Aapko pata tha na ki us bachche ki halat kitni critical thi. Hamari teen dinon ke mehnat ke baad uski condition improve hui thi aur aapne… Use wapas maarne mein koi kasar nahin chhodi. Dr. Nidhi. Agar us bachche ko kuchh ho jaata hai to remember this. I won’t call it a natural death. I will call it a murder.”

Nidhi gulped hard. Burdened by guilt, remorse and scared for the life of the child, she was in no position to defend herself or say anything. She walked out from his office teary eyed. She was not a murderer. This should not have happened at her hands.

She walked into the ICU room the patient was lying in. She took a look at his charts and sat by his bedside. The nurse was around to take care of the patient. But she herself administered him all the medicines and injections for the night.

Ashutosh walked back into the hospital at 6 in the morning after two hours of sleep at home. He came across the nurse and asked, “Sister. Aapne us patient ko saari dawaiyan di thi.”

“Ji Dr. Nidhi ne khud di hain.”

“Okay. Thanks.”

Ashutosh entered the room and saw that Nidhi had fallen asleep by the bedside. He was scared for a moment. Did she forget to give some medicine or injection. He checked the chart and realized that she had given him the last injection for the night an hour back. Relieved, he woke her up calmly.

Nidhi woke up all flustered.

“Dr. Verma, please go and freshen up.”

“Yes Sir,” she didn’t even look into his eyes and walked out.

Ashutosh checked the child and found his condition to be satisfactory.

He turned to leave the room when something attracted his notice. A pair of black bead earrings were lying on the bed, the contrast against the white bed-sheet making them very noticeable. He hesitated for a moment and then picked them up.

—

“Baithiye Dr. Verma,” Ashutosh spoke calmly when Nidhi came to his office.

She sat down listlessly. Ashutosh felt bad seeing her condition. Her natural, bubbly self was nowhere to be seen at that moment. She was dying with guilt and her spirits were completely broken. Her eyes was downcast and face fallen.

“Dr. Verma. Aapka patient ab khatre se bahar hai.”

She nodded.

“Ab iske aage aap kya karengi ye faisla aapko karna hai,” the calm manner in which he talked surprised Nidhi. She had come prepared to be blasted some more and probably to be fired, “Ye jo profession hai na, ye doosre professions se alag hai Dr. Verma. Yahan zindagi aur maut ke faisle hote hain. Aur aapki galtiyan doosron ke liye maut to banti hi hain, aapke khud ke liye bhi zindagi bhar ka guilt ban sakti hain. Phir bhi. Hum insaan hain aur insaanon se hi galtiyan hoti hain. Aapne apne hisse ki galti kar li hai. Iske baad aapko khud hi decide karna hai ki aapko is profession mein rahna hai ya nahin. Agar rahna hai to saavdhaani se, discipline se aur man laga kar kaam karna hoga. Aur agar nahin rahna hai to aapki marzi.”

Nidhi didn’t say anything. So, he continued, “Aap samay le lijiye. Soch samajh kar faisla kar lijiye. Aur phir mujhe bata dijiye ki aapko kya karna hai.”

“Yes Sir,” that was the first and the last she spoke that morning. She got up to leave.

“Suniye,” he called her.

She turned back to see him handing her an envlope, “Ye shayad aapki kuchh cheezein hain.”

She was about to ask what it was, but checked herself. She took the envelop and came out of the room. Her hands automatically went to her ears when the ear rings came out of the envelop. Dr. Ashutosh cared to pick up her ear-rings from the patient’s bed and give it back to her? She was feeling surprised… and something more. But she could not put her fingers on what it was.

—

To be continued