AshNi TS: Tumse hi meri pehchaan; Last Part on Pg 8 - Page 3

She was driving towards the hospital and all through the way she saw all the markets and public property damaged due to the riots. Now that the curfew was imposed, there was a heavy security everywhere and no one was seen moving around freely. Even she had to go through the security checks many time and she was allowed to go after she presented her ID card. Whenever she was stopped for checking, she asked the police personnel whether they have any information about Dr Ashutosh. But none of them had any information about him but they assured her that they would keep in touch with her and inform her whenever they get any kind of information about his whereabouts.

She reached the hospital and saw everything chaotic...people were running here and there in confusion as the hospital was overloaded with patients much beyond its capacity. Immediately she reached the emergency department and called upon the senior managing staff for an urgent meeting. She informed them that as Dr. Ashutosh is missing, she is the one who would take charge of the proceedings and they need to work upon this present crisis and how to go about it. She told them that they would divide the staff into groups...one group would be responsible for the initial assessment of the patients and for triage of the patients to the appropriate levels of care, there would be separate group of people managing the sickest of patients and comparatively stable patients. They would need more number of people at their help desk so that the families and attendants are appropriately guided and the panic is decreased among the families. She herself would be taking care of the ICU management and the administrative work. All the consumables kept in stock need to be utilised so that there is no shortage and whatever is short in supply, she should be informed immediately and she would manage that accordingly.

After deciding on the management of the situations, all of them got back to work as assigned and this time the situation was much under control. All the patients were being appropriately being handled and the family members of the patients were satisfied with the way the patients were being treated. Entire day passed off in a hurry and she didn't realise when it was late night time. As the situation was slowly coming under control, she arranged for the dinner of the entire staff in the hospital kitchen itself and she also had dinner with her staff only on their insistence. Although she didn't feel like having anything as her love...her life was missing and she wasn't able to search for him.

Whenever she got few minutes break in between she tried to call Ashu, his friends and the police personnel for any update about him...but unfortunately she always got a negative response. She decided to advertise about him being missing in the newspaper and TV so that if anyone had any information, they could come up to her. The next day all the leading newspapers and news channels were reporting about Dr Ashutosh being missing...even her parents saw that news and became very anxious to know this. They were worried at the thought of Nidhi managing everything on her own.

Nidhi was sitting in her cabin in ICU...she had not gone back home yesterday night and was very tired. But the situation in the hospital did not allow her to leave from there. Sometime later, a peon came inside and informed her that two people had come to meet her. She asked him about their identity but he just told her that they say that you know them...she was surprised to hear this and asked them to bring them inside. When few minutes later the peon came with those two people, she was shocked to see them both. They were her parents who had come to meet their daughter who was in trouble and needed their support. She immediately ran to them and hugged her Mom tightly. She couldn't control her tears today. It was almost a year that her parents had snatched their ties with her after she married Ashu against their wish. She was unable to believe her eyes that she was seeing them in front of her today. Today that she was handling everything alone, Ashu was also missing...and to see her support system back with her...her parents...she felt as if she regained a new strength today.

Nidhi: Mumma...Papa...aap yahan...achanak...

Father: haan beta...news mein Ashutosh ke baare mein pata chala...to khud ko rok nahi paaye...tumne to hume bataya nahi...lekin...

Nidhi: mann to bahut chaha Papa...but himmat hi nahi hui...aap ne mujhse kaha tha na...ki kabhi aap se na milun...na baat karne ki koshish karu...bas isliye...

Mom: theek keh rahi ho tum...humne aisa hi kaha tha...par jab tum itni mushkil mein ho...ek baar keh kar to dekhti...hum aur koi madad nahi...to tumhare saath khade to reh sakte they...

Nidhi: (with tears in her eyes)...haanji Mumma...aap theek kehti ho...mujhse galti ho gayi...please mujhe maaf kar dijiye...

Both her parents told her that they should rather forget their earlier differences and concentrate on this present scenario. Nidhi told them whatever had happened and that she still had no information where was he? Her parents decided to go the police station and enquire about him. Nidhi was managing the situation in the hospital and her father went to the police station to gather any information whatsoever. But he also got the same information that his number is switched off and that number is not traceable. He went back and told Nidhi about this.

All of them were very upset as it was 2 days and still there was no information about him. Nidhi couldn't stop her tears which off and on dropped down from her eyes whenever she thought about missing Ashu. She had not slept properly for the last 2 days...she hardly comes home to take some rest whenever her parents strictly order her to do so as the situation in the hospital was much better now. She wasn't eating anything adequately and her stress and tiredness was clearly visible on her face. She was lost in Ashu's thoughts and remembering her first karva chauth after her marriage.

Flashback

It was her first karva chauth post her wedding with Dr Ashutosh and she was fasting since morning. Before this she had not kept even a single fast ever in her life. She always believed that God lies in the heart of every individual and if you are true to yourself and humanity...there's no need for any fasts or rituals. But she wasn't against prayers or fasts as such...she just didn't happen to believe in them. But today while she is a married girl...she feels complete with Ashu...he is her life...so as this fast is meant for him and his long life...she would keep it...no matter how much difficult it is for her. Ashutosh had left it to her to decide for herself whether she wanted to keep the fast or not...there wasn't any obligation. But she was fasting and it was evening time now...she was feeling hungry and passing her time till night seemed to her as difficult as climbing the Mount Everest. Ashutosh was home early today for his beloved wife's first karva chauth and he could easily make out from her face that she was very hungry.

He asked her to break this fast if she wasn't able to continue it...but she got furious and took it as a challenge that she would complete it and that too with all the necessary rituals. Ashutosh smiled to her and told her that he very well knew that she would say this only. He knew the extent to which she loved him and she would never take anything lightly that is related to him. He decided to take him out for a drive so that the time till the moonrise is passed off quickly. She happily gets ready and they both go out for a drive.

On the way Ashu asks her what would she do if some day he is not with her? she stops him from completing his sentence and tells him that she doesn't know what she'll do in such a situation and God forbid if any such day comes in her life...she doesn't know whether she'll be alive or not. So he should not talk about such mishaps on such an auspicious day. He feels sorry for hurting her feelings and after this he tries his hand at some jokes to make her smile. Although he knew he was very poor at these...but still he gave them a try. She knew that he wasn't a person who would crack jokes but still she smiled because she knew his intention behind doing all this. Later during the rituals and Pooja of karva chauth she asked him for a gift of her choice...and that would be promise that he would never leave her alone in life. He promised her that he would always be with her and would never let her be alone.

Flashback ends

Nidhi burst into tears speaking to herself that why did he break his promise and he left her alone like this...why doesn't he come back soon...where is he? She has no idea what she should do? How to find him out ...who would help him out in this situation? She was weeping when her phone rang. She wiped her tears and picked up the phone. The phone was from a hospital and they informed her that Dr Ashutosh is admitted there in ICU and he has sustained multiple injuries and at present he is unconscious. She felt as if the floor slipped beneath her feet and everything seemed to just fade away. She stood still for few moments and then gathered her courage and went out to her parents to inform them about this news. They were also shocked to know this and immediately they leave for the hospital.

End of part 2

Hope you all like it😊

Precap: Nidhi finds Ashutosh and later you'll know what happened with Dr Ashutosh and why is he in the hospital.