CHAPTER-9
Ashutosh: Nidhi, now you can thank your dean... See, he's standing right befor you...
There were clear signs of discomfort on Nidhi's face, getting to what he meant... She drew her sight from him, n lokked here n there but Ashutosh... And everytime she tried looking away, her eyes rested on the closed door of the cabin...
It did not take much time for Ashutosh to realise her discomfort, getting locked up in alonely room... So, without any hesitation, he turned towards th door, & opened it wide, putting up the door bars, restraining it to get even ajar... Then he came to her n said-
A: Relax Nidhi, I did notmean that way... I was just playing through your humour, from yesterday... It was my mistake, that I got the doors locked up... Will take care of it, from now on...
Ashutosh took up some files & in an absolute professionalism,explained her about her patients & OPD, asking her to assist Dr. Soni, the senior paeds, for first few days... Wishing her luck, & asking her to meet him at the canteen, during lunch, he walked off her cabin... Somehow, Nidhi felt bad, for reacting so insensitively over his friendliness, But, all the more she felt helpless...
Somehow, her first day did not seem to be good for her... Firstly hurting Ashutosh, then her OPD, the Once so confident intern turned Doctor, seemed so clueless & nervous with her patients, that almost all her patients had to be dealt by Dr. Soni... Dr. Soni was a very helpful & compassionate Doctor & assuming Nidhi's distress, helped her deal with her patients, without any flinch...
Towards the end of the first half of her first day, she was at a brink of tears... She was miserably failing with her works... Anyhow, she dragged herself to the canteen during Lunch, & sat lonely on one of the tables, waiting for almost 15-20 mins, yet not finding Ashu anywhere, she was almost in tears, thinking, Ashutosh is angry with her, for her behaviour in the morning...
Before her thoughts would process anymore, she felt a soft hand on her shoulder... she turned around to find who the person is, and got very happy seeing the one-
N: Dr. Mallika! Hello!!!
M: Hi Nidhi! Kaisi ho?
N: M doing fine...
And nidhi stood up & hugged her, Mallika warmly hugged her back...
M: Ashutosh ka intezaar kar rahi ho na?
Nidhi nodded in a yes...
M: Wo, ek emergency aa gayi, toh usey jaana pada... Main usey engagement ke liye congrats karne gayi thi, tab usne bataaya, ke you will be alone, isliye main aa gayi, tumhe accompany karne...
Lo, in sab baton ke beech, main tumhe mubaarakbad dena toh bhool hi gayi... Congrats Nidhi, on your engagement... Bhagwaan tumhaari Jodi, Ashutosh ke saath hamesha, banaaye rakhein...
N: Par main aapki wishes accept nahin karoongi...
M: Par Kyu Nidhi?
N: Coz mere Lucknow aane ke baad, na toh aap mujhse ek baar bhi mili, aur na hi aap meri engagement mein aayi...
M; I'm so sorry Nidhi... Par main kya karti, mere chote bete ki tabiyat bohot zyaada kharaab ho gayi thi... He was suffering from Acute Pneumonia...
N: What? Is he ok? Who is treating him? What line of treatment you took?
Nidhi was clearly concerned, & her questions made Mallika smile, the Doctor in Nidhi, took its position...
M: Relax Nidhi! He's fine... I took him to Dr. Soni, will send his reports to you, you can have a look...
Ab toh naraaz nahi ho na Nidhi?( Nidhi did not answer)
Apni badi behen samajh kar bhi nahi?
This time Nidhi gave her a resigned look...
N: This is not fair Dr. Mallika... Aap meri weakness ka hamesha use karti hain... Ok! Haan! Main aapse naaraaz nahin hoon...
M: Good! Arrey Nidhi, main tumhe ek baat toh bataana hi bhool gayi... B'coz I was on leave, Dr. Singhal had to treat you alone, but for you, we are going to work as a team, so, I & Dr. Singhal would be your Psychotherapist...
N: Wow! That's great Dr. Mallika, my comfort level would be great, with you being around, main aapse aur aaraam se apni baat share kar paaungi...
Mallika put her hands on Nidhi's hands on the table & said-
M: Hmmm... Toh ab ye bataao, ke mere abhi canteen aane se pehle, tum ro rahi thi na?
(Nidhi nodded in a yes)
Kyu? Mujhe bataao, kya baat hai?
N: Dr. Mallika, meri puraani yaadein pata nahin kyu, mera peecha nahin chodti.. Yahan tak ki main apne paients, unn bachhon se bhi theek se deal nahin kar paa rahi hoon, jinse, pehle mujhse zyaada koi comfortable nahi hota tha... Aaj ye haal hai, ke kuch bhi confidence nahin lagta... Woh toh shukr hai ke Dr. Soni, mujhe supervise kar rahe hain...
M: I understand Nidhi, tumhare saath past mein jo hua, uske wajah se tumhaara confidence level thoda down ho gaya hai... Lekin agar tum sincerely koshish karogi, toh dekhna, kuch dinon mein tumhaara confidence wapas aa jayega...
Aur isiliye, taaki, you don't mess up with your patients & lose your confidence any further, Dr. Ashutosh had asked you to assist Dr. Soni for a few days...
( Nidhi gave an indulgent smile...)
Aur koi baat hai, thats troubling you?
N: Ji, Hai toh ek aur baat... Dr. Mallika, aisa nahin hai, ke I don't trust Dr. Ashutosh... I do trust him, but pata nahin kyu, unke saath akele rehna, ya band kamre mein unke saath hona, ya unka intimately paas aana, ect., mujhe itna uncomfortable kar deta hai, mujhe Jagan ke saath wo saare bure pal yaad aa jaate hain... Main kitni bhi koshish karoon, par, wo sab jaise mera peecha hi nahin chodte... Mujhe bada dukh hota hai, ke main Dr. Ashutosh ke liye kuch nahin kar paati... Meri wajah se wo humesha apne dil maar lete hain...
M: Nidhi, main bilkul samajh rahi hoon, tum par kya guzar rahi hogi... Par Nidhi agar tum iss relation ko build karne ki, develop karne ki koshish nahin karogi, toh kaise chalega... I mean, sirf pyar ka izhaar karna hi toh pyar nahin hota na... usey nibhaana bhi padta hai... Aur pyaar nibhaane ke liye, ye zaruri nahin ke shuruwaat humesha intimacy se ho... Haan, I agree, k ek Husband-wife ke relation mein intimacy bhi important hoti hai, par jab tak wo develop nahi hoti, tab tak baaki cheezein toh develop kar sakti ho na?
N: Matlab? Main kuch samjhi nahi...
M: Dekho Nidhi, abhi tumhaari shaadi ko 3 mahine baaki hain... Tumhaare paas itna time toh hai, ke tum Ashutosh ke saath comfortable toh ho hi sakti ho... Tum khud socho Nidhi, agar tum iss taraf dhyaan nahi dogi, toh shaayad, tumhari khushi ke liye, shaadi ke baad, Ashutosh, separate rooms ke liye raazi ho jaayenge, par do u think, ke ye achha lagega... Tum tog within the room, chaahe jaise rehna chahte ho, wo tum logon ki choice hai, lekin kam se kam, aur kisi ko iss bare mein aware mat hone do... Main manti hoon, ke Uncle-Aunty ko bhi issey koi problem nahin hogi, lekin, why do u think k tum Ashutosh se shadi kar rahi ho... tum aise bhi, unke ghar mein reh hi rahi thi... Phir shaadi ka koi matlab nahin hai na...
Nidhi gave an understanding look...
N: Toh, mujhe kya karna chaahiye... Apne darr ko nazarandaaz kar doon, ya jo ho raha hai, hone doon...?
M: No! No Nidhi... Maine aisa bilkul nahin kaha... Jab tak tumhaari marzi na ho, koi zabardasti nahin hai... Aur jahan tak main Ashutosh ko, aur uske tumhare liye pyar ko jaanti hoon, wo tumhaare saath kabhi zor- zabardasti nahin karega... Abhi bhi, jab baat ho rahi thi, tumhare case k bare mein, toh Kisi film ka dialogue maarne lage aur bole- "Pyar mein Zor hota hai, Zabardast nahin"... Warna, unme aur Jagan mein kya fark reh gaya? Tumhe lagta hai, ke wo tumhaare sath aisa kuch kar sakte hain?
Nidhi nodded in a no...
N: Phir main kya karoon, kahan se iss relation ko build karna shuru karoon, taaki, main unke sath uncomfortable nahi ho jaaun...??
M: Nidhi, unke saath kahin baahar jaaya karo, kuch time spend karo, apne daily routines ke baad... unse apne dil ki baatein karo, tum kya chaahti ho, tum apne iss relation se kya expect karti ho, tum dono aagey milkar kya karna chaahte ho, kaise apne relation ko shape-up karna chahte ho... Mujhe poora yaqeen hai, Dr. Ashutosh, will very well go along with you... Aur tumhe bhi nahi pata chalega ke, kab tum ek doosre ke saath comfortable ho jaaoge... Toh kya iraada hai?
N: Hmmm... you are right Dr. Mallika... mujhe unke saath kuch time roz spend karna chahiye... Ghar par toh possible nahin hai, baahar mil lenge...
M: Great Nidhi..!!! Dr. Ashutosh toh abhi surgery mein honge, Tum unke cell par message chod do, ke you'll go along with him for a dinner tonight... He too will be happy...
N: Alright Dr. Mallika... Just doing it... An...d... Here... Its done...
M: chalo then Nidhi... All the best for your first date... Meet you at the end of the day, for ur councelling... Aaj thodi choti si rakhenge... Taaki, you can easily go with him... Ok!
Nidhi & Ashutosh at one Of the Restaurants:
It was a five star restaurant, where AshNi went... Serving all kind of cuisines & drinks... Both soft & hard... Again, the once so happy & hopeful Nidhi, turned into her shell,at one look at the restaurant... Clearly, she was very uncomfortable... Ashu immediately took one look at her, and asked-
A: Nidhi, are u alright?
N: Hmmm... (she tried pretending...)
A: Look at me... ( When she finally looked up at him, he saw some very familiar fear in her eyes... The fear he saw, when she was admitted in the hospital in the USA...) Tell me, kya baat hai...
N: Hum... hum yahan kyu aaye hain???
A: Tumhi ne toh kaha tha ke you wanna have dinner with me... Toh itni achhi jagah toh hai...
N: Toh kya hua... Kya poore Lucknow mein, iske alaawa aur koi jagah nahin hai???
A: Nidhi, main samajh nahin paa raha hoon... Aakhir baat kya hai... main toh aksar yahan aata rehta tha... Bohot hi tasty khaana hai...
N: So what... aur bhi jagah tasty khaana hota hai... Aap yahan khaana khaane aate hain ya drink karne?
A: Wh..at??? (Then understanding dawn on him... she was uncomfortable with the drinks placed on the tables) Arrey Nidhi... Yahan soft drinks bhi milti hain... U can have them...
N: Aur aap??? Aap yahan baithke drink karenge... Right??? Aur phir khudse sambhalte nahin banega, toh mere saath zyaadti karenge... Kyu???
A: Whoa!!! Nidhi... Relax! Tum aaj kya mujhse pehli baar mil rahi ho??? When the hell on this Earth, you found me drinking? And don't u know, I don't drink... And what Zyaadti and all...? Do u really think ke main aisa kuch karoonga?
N: Pata nahin... Mera experience aisa hi raha hai males ke saath...
Now Ashutosh completely understood, why was she so apprehensive about the drinking issue... she is probably having memories of Jagan being drunk & then doing things, that were unacceptable for her...
A: Alright Nidhi... Hum yahan se chalte hain... And we shall go to some place, jahan Food bhi tasty ho, aur Drinks bhi available nahin ho... Emmm... Do u know, any such place???
Nidhi gave him a knowing smile & said-
N: Wahin, jahan main aapko pehli baar leke gayi thi... Jahan aapko initially jaana pasand nahi aaya tha, lekin wahan ka khaana zaroor pasand aaya...
A: Jo hukm mere huzoor... Toh chale hum, aapki favourite jagah?
Nidhi nodded a yes smilingly...
Ashni reached a Roadside dhaaba... Kake Da Dhaaba... on the outskirts of Lucknow... Cool breeze swaying Nidhi's hair & her Dupatta... As if they too were happy with their freedom... There was a happy, excited smile on Nidhi's face...
They sat on one of the tables, with 2 chairs on its either sides... Nidhi happily called the waiter n said- "Praaji... 1 plate Paneer de pakode, Imli di chatni de vich... 1 plate Makke di roti,vich sarson da saag... Chetti...!" Ashutosh gave her a wide smile... & said- " Tum aur tumhaari Punjaabi... kamaal hai... waise, ek hi plate kyu??? Saara khaana akele khaaogi?"
N: Nahin... main itni bhukkad nahin hu... Aap bhi khaayenge... Actually, hum khaayenge, milke... Ek hi plate mein...
Ashutosh gave her, a wide grin... His heart was jumping with joy... Over the sharing, that Nidhi began to do with him... For now, other than The Love that they shared, they are gonna share their, meals too...
Comments welcome...😃 Do hit the like button...!!!!
Love ya...
Aazeen...😃
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