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Chapter Seventy seven...
loss... work... silence... pain...
Nidhi looked dazed as she saw Smarty ready with open arms to jump into the arms of the young lady..and as she walked towards them..inspector Samar stepped in..and took the child in his arms..n then looking at a visibly shaken Nidhi..he addressed Ashutosh n said"i feel aapke cabin me chal ke baat karein"!but Smarty could not be controlled and yelled..as the young couple pleaded"please cop..let us hold him.."!and the old inspector gave them a clise look n acqueised..as Smarty hugged the lady ..n she kissed him a hundred times..as the baby smiled n rubbed his nose on her bosom n cried "mammma"!!Nidhi blinked her tears back...
"Dr Ashutosh. .yeh hain Nancy aur Ted Robinson,american tourists hain..haridwar aaye they aur wahaan se inka yeh bachcha..ALLAN ..aapka SMARTY kidnap hua tha..FIR lodge karayi thi inhone..interstate alert hone me thoda time lag gaya..but sab theek se check hua hai...aur bachche ne sab shaq door kar diye.."!n then explained everything in Englidh for the benifit of the Robinsons..who smiled at Nidhi n Ashutosh n explained how the child had been lost while they had got down from a boat ride at the Ganga...and how they had run from pillar to post..till they had seen the pic on tv n contacted the police at Lucknow!
Inspector Samar added "kal se aapka cell try kar raha tha..but constantly out of reach tha...i know i should have told you..n dr nidhi..."!Ashutosh did not speak..he just looked at the child..n then as Ted spoke "we are truly grateful to u both n ur institution for having taken care of our son..so well..."and Smarty clapped n gurgled..as he opened his mouth..n nidhi immediately exclaimed :"hes hungry..cerelac leta hai..he takes cerelac"!mrs Robinson smiled n cuddled Allan as she opened her bag n took out a pack of baby biscuits n added"he loves these"!no proof was needed as Smarty jumped at the biscuits n bit into one...as his father held him n touched his beard...n said"papppa"n kissed him on the cheek as Ted played with him fondly..As the Robinsons got up..Dr Ashutosh looked at Nidhi..who said"just a minute plz..."and Mrs Robinson said"off course"as Nidhi ran out n reappeared with the huge packet of clothes n toys that they had bought for their Smarty...she looked at Dr Ashutosh n as he signalled..she gave the packet n said"just a few things we had bought for Smarty...i m sorry for Allan..would you plz accept"?n the Robinsons smiled as they took the pack..n got up to leave ..Mr Robinson politely enquired "Dr how much do i have to pay for the hispital care for Allan..."Dr Ashutosh's eyes flickered with emotion for a nano second before he had grip on himself n replied"Mr Robinson..you don't have to pay anything...you see the maths of life is not very easy...but plz lets have the privilege of having looked after Smarty..sorry Allan"!Ted smiled as he looked at both Midhi n Ashutosh n Nidhi n added "we d certainly call him Smarty ...as a pet name..in ur rememberance...i promise that..."and as they got ready to leave Nidhi asked with some hesitation "may i..may we just hold him..once..one last time please..."The Robinsons smiled as they gave Allan to Nidhi who hugged the baby ..n handd him to Dr Ashutosh. ..who silently waited for the child to touch his beard...but he did not..he jumped into his dad's arms n kissed his beard n said"papppa"...as Ashutosh gulped...
The couple waved as Ashu Nidhi stood in the cabin...and then Inspector Samar returned..he was a man nearing his retirement..he looked at both of them n putting a kindly hand out..he exclaimed"normally kisi khoye hue bachche ke parents milte hain to bahut khushi hoti hai...aaj pehli baar ..pehli baar dukh ho raha hai...i m i m sorry doctor..."n he walked off...
Ashutosh looked at nidhi..standing with her eyes full of tears...and just as he closed the door n opened his arms to hug her...just as Nidhi moved towards him..the door of the cabin flew open...it was dr Ranganath. .."sir..plz hurry..its an accident..cranial surgery..."Ashutosh sighed n added"dr Ranganath. .dr Nidhi will be my scrub today.."!and he took her by the elbow..as they moved out to change into the operating gown n masks..masks that d mask n cover all their emotions...
Ashutosh silently tied nidhi's gowns straps as they entered the OT putting on their masks..masks that covered nearly all their feelings..as they entered..and Dr Ashutosh saw Dr Gandhi operating upon the patient's abdomen..Nidhi indicated n said"you d have to work in tandem with dr Gandhi:sir"n Ashutosh nodded as he looked intently at the MRI of the patient..the parietal lobes were badly injured..he murmured "its touch n go"n as nidhi nodded..he spread out his hand n said"scalpel please "!
It was a most complex surgery with dr Ashutosh working with extreme dexterity ..separating synapse by synapse..till nidhi signalled .."Dr Gandhi is done sir"n ashutosh nodded n said"increase the oxygen supply ..and as nidhi did so,he continued with his work and it was after a good four hours that he said what nidhi had heard so many times in the OT from him "hey doc..could you plz stitch it for me"?n nidhi nodded as she saw him move out..n then continueed what she had been instructed to do..she stitched n shifted the patient to the icu n finally walked into the changing room..and almost staggered on to the stool..she wanted to close her eyes..cut herself from everything n everyone...she heard a voice. ."dr Nidhi..dr Ashutosh bula rahe hain aapko"!
Nidhi collected herself..changing quickly she entered his cabin..he was signing files..he looked at her n said"plz file tthe weekly report of the kid's ward..now"n as nidhi stood dazed ..he raised his characteristic eyebrow and nidhi knew she had to do it...
As an hour later nidhi filed the reports;Malti bai came n said"dr nidhi..dr Ashutosh bula rahe hain..parking mein "and nidhi hurried out..as Ashutosh threw open the door of the blue BMW and she collapsed into the seat...as he drove homewards...the fm playing.."KAHAAN TAK YEH MANN KO ANDHERE CHALENGE..UDAASI BHARE DIN KABHI TO DHALENGE.."
The drive was a silent one as nidhi looked outside..and as he parked the car he said"ghar aa gaya..chalo.."!n nidhi got down..her mind unable to think..her limbs barely moving...was it pain..or fatigue?
Ashutosh saw baba walking in the hall..anxious..n worried..as they entered n ge said"Ashu beta..."n Ashu looked at him..and baba seemed to understand all...he kept quiet n looked at nidhi..as Ashutosh called out "kaka zara coffee aur maggi bana deejiye..main aataa hoon lene"n then holding nidhi by the waist..something he rarely did in fron of baba ..he took her inside n shutthe door..
Before nidhi could say anything..he had pulled out their night clothes n held her by the elbow taking her into the toilet..as she stood..he undressed her..n then himself..n stood under the shower..the drops of water suddenly bringing her to life..to pain ...to feeling..she shuddered as he held her firmly...n both just stood in silence..as nidhi lowered her eyes..n seemed close to tears..tears that could be camouflaged in the water drops..but he switched off the shower n wrapped a towel around her bust..another around his waist n got her to the room..
As they changed..Ashutosh closed her nightie n whispered"tum baitho..i d get coffee...'
As they sat sipping coffee alternately from the same mug and he nudged her to eat..till she almost clised her eyes in fatigue n he lifted her to bed n as she lay..he just kept looking at her..able to feel ger pain that he wasn't allowing her to express...had he succeeded in digresssing her??he sighed as he lay by her side ..bone tired but not able to close his eyes in the fear that he might see a dream..a dream that couldn't be fulfilled..of a baby in his arms touching his beard n saying "papppa"!Ashutosh whispered "oh Smarty"n nidhi woke up with a start...as she looked at him...n he hugged her..close really close ..sharing the broken dream..the unsaid pain.
N the unshed tears...yes they would share everything. .always..forever...
Dr Ashutosh was awake...it was a sunday...a sunday that he was finding hard to spend..he gazed at nidhi..still fast asleep...he wanted her to sleep for as long as she could..he had explained things to baba who had just bowed his head..but then smiled n said"chalo..Smarty ko uska ghar mil gayaa"!n Ashu too had felt a momentary joy..yes Smarty had been lucky..not many kids are...
He had informed the hospital that he n nidhi were available n could be called in anytime..he just hoped for once there could be surgery after surgery n they could just lose themselves in work...like he had done for so many years...
Nidhi opened her eyes n got up trying to feel him...he walked towards her n caressed her hair..."jaao chai lao mere liye plz..."and just as she was getting up...his cell rang.."Dr Pooja"!he picked it up..a lil amazed..she should have been on her flight to Australia. ..he took the call...n as nidhi returned with chaai..he informed her"dr Pooja is coming to Lucknow..in an hour...she wants to meet old friends...staying at Taj"!nidhi looked at him n then as she gave him the tea cup she said ..."kyun na dr Bhagat ko unse milwaane ki koshish karein...kuch soonapan kum hoga...kamse kum..unki zindagi ka.."!Ashutosh was in a dilemma as he recalled pooja serenading"ok sweetie"on the phone...but then he looked at the faint spark in those eyes that had seemed dead yesterday...n he smiled..n nodded..
As nidhi took her cell n dialed dr Bhagat...
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