He got up from his chair immediately and went out of his office to the ward where the new year celebration had been arranged. He along with the other doctors and interns cut the cake and advised the junior staff to distribute the cake amongst the staff and the patients and their family members. He himself offered sweets and chocolates to the children there and they were very happy to get the gifts from him. The atmosphere had totally changed over these two years... He was no longer the Dr Hardstone that he used to be earlier. The hospital where it used to be a total pindrop silence... no noise could be heard except for the ones from the monitors and equipments... Now it was beaming with laughters, chats and music. Everyone joined together for a small dance and invited Dr Ashutosh too but he excused himself from the dance but smiled recalling the times when he loved to see her dancing. Nidhi absolutely loved dancing and she used to be happiest while dancing. She always told him that she wanted to become a professional dancer but her Baba wanted her to become a doctor... So she gave in to his wish and sacrificed her passion for his wishes but never left any chance to dance in parties and functions.
"Tumhe khud se door kyun jaane diya maine Nidhi... Kyun kiya aisa maine... kitna bura hu na main? He thought to himself. He was brought out of his thoughts when he overheard two ward boys talking to each other.
One person: kya baat hai yaar...maine to suna tha yaar ki yahan bahut shanti aur sannata rehta hai... dekh kar to aisa lagta nahi...
Other one: tune theek hi suna hai... lekin wo sab yahan do saal pehle tak hota tha... tab ek doctor yahan aayi thi...usne is hospital ke aur yahan ke Dean ke rang dhang hi badal diye... unke aane ke baad yahan kuchh bhi pehle jaisa nahi raha... sab badal gaya... wo akeli thi jo Dr Ashutosh ke saamne khadi reh sakti thi... aur sab to inke saamne kaanpte the...lekin wo kisi se nahi darti thi...
First person: to ab wo kahan hain?
Second: Ram jaane kahan hai ab... 6 mahine huye wo yahan se chali gayi ... uske baad kisi ne unhe yahan nahi dekha...Bhagwan unhe khush rakhe... unhone kitne logon ki zindagi badal di...
Ashutosh overheard them talking and he felt something pricking inside his heart and he excused himself and went inside his office. How he wished he could get to see her again in his life...but the way she left him... he knew that wasn't possible. Why does someone enter anyones life when they have to leave one day... why is life so cruel ? he wanted to figure out the answers to his questions but failed to do that everyday. He was thinking about Nidhi and was recalling the days when they were together in the hospital.
He used to be angry with her different yet unique ways to handle any situation and her life altogether. They were so different from one another but as its said...opposites attract... both of them didn't know when they developed a liking which changed into immense love between them. She was the only one who dared to question his ways and decisions... And gradually he too started to believe in whatever she said. He was amazed with the way she found solutions to the most difficult problems that came their way. She taught him so many things... The most important ones being the ability to think about others before your own self, to love and care your patients as they all are humans... To love your own self before anyone else and above all... To smile... he thought as if this trait was missing in him but after he met her... he used to smile... so much he had changed because of her...he himself found it hard to believe.
He knew that she had developed a liking for him but considering their age difference, he too tried to maintain some gap between them. But as it was destined to happen... They both could not hold back their feelings and one day she gathered courage and confessed her love to him. He remembered the day as if it was just today that it happened. They were returning from a conference when their car broke down on their way. The driver told them that the repair would take some time. He decided to see if there was a place where they could spend their time till then. They were told about a temple nearby by one passing person and Nidhi insisted on going to that temple. He didn't believe in God but he couldn't say no to her. Actually when they were told that there is a temple nearby, Nidhi thought of confessing her love there itself as she was trying to do that since many days but failed to do that everytime. She thought that this time she might get some strength from Devi Maa and she might help her in confessing her love.
They both went to the temple but he stood outside the temple only and there after carrying out the Pooja... She told him that she wanted to say something to him. She asked him to come inside and he went inside the temple on her request. She very hesitantly told him that she liked him a lot ... Infact she loved him...and wanted to spend the rest of her life with him.. Ashutosh knew this but still he didn't want a young girl to face the society for loving a man 18 years older to her. He too liked her but he couldn't put her into any kind of problem... he knew how it is in our society and this kind of relationship is not accepted easily. He faked his anger towards her and told her to forget him as their relationship is not going to give her anything.
He couldn't let her be in a relationship that would give her only disrepute...rather she would have to face the entire world and especially her family. He knew the importance of her Baba in her life and never wanted a daughter to go against her father for a person like him... He who had always been left alone in his life... he had no one to call his own... no one to love him... he never wanted her to spoil her life for him.
Nidhi: aap mujhe isliye nahi apnana chahte kyunki aap ko samaaj ka darr hai...haina... to fir aap yeh kahiye na ki humara rishta is samaaj kin azar mein theek nahi hai... yeh kyun keh rahe hain ki aap kin azar mein theek nahi hai... aap ki aankhen saaf bayaan karti hain ki aap bhi mujhe chahte hain... to maan kyun nahi lete?
Ashutosh: tum kaisi baat kar rahi ho Nidhi...yeh theek nahi hai... log kya kahenge? Tumhare Baba kya kahenge? Socha hai tumne?
Nidhi: aap ek baar keh dijiye ki aap mujhse pyar karte hain... Main sab ko mana lungi... aur duniya ka kya hai... unka to kaam hi hai baatein karna... wo to kisi ko khush nahi dekh sakte... hume wo karna chahiye jisme hume khushi milti hai... log kya sochte hain...uske baare mein sochne se kuchh nahi milta...
Ashutosh: haan karta hu main bhi tumse pyaar...lekin pyar se zindagi to nahi chalti na... Nidhi samjho tum... life mein sab kuchh pyar nahi hota...
Nidhi: mere liye to pyar hi sab kuchh hai...yeh humare beech ka pyar hi to hai jo hume itna kareeb laya hai...iske liye main kuchh bhi kar sakti hu...aap dekhna...main apne ghar pe mana lungi Baba ko... sab theek ho jayega... mere Baba mujhse bahut pyar karte hain... Wo meri baat nahi taalenge...ab aap dekhte jayiye ... ab aap ek baar mere saath Maa ki Pooja to kar sakte hain na... hume apni zindagi ki nayi shuruat karni chahiye...
They both smiled and embraced each other and carried out the Pooja together... later Nidhi had tried a lot to convince her father about this relationship but he was adamant and could not agree to his daughter marrying a man so many years older to her. She was ready to leave her family for him but Ashutosh would never want this. He asked her not to go against her family as he knew what it meant to have a family ... he who never had this pleasure in his life wouldn't let his love to go through this same pain which he experienced. He told her to go away from him and never meet him again in this life as he won't be able to let her go away from him that time. He won't be able to do that again in his life as he was barely managing this courage of letting her go away.
She kept on crying pleading him to change his decision... as she knew he wont be able to bear this pain without her. She had managed to change him so much and now because of her father...he was asking her to stay away from him... He was heartbroken but won't say anything to anyone ever... she knew this. But will she be able to live without him... No...but she'll have to... for him... They both will have to face this pain all through their life. She asked him just one question to him...
Nidhi: aap mujhe apne se door jaane ko keh rahe hain... Aap mere bina reh payenge?
Ashutosh: kya is baat se koi fark padta hai?
Nidhi: mujhe padta hai... batayiye...
Ashutosh: haan...main reh lunga... jaise pehle rehta tha... waise ab bhi reh lunga...(holding his tears)
Nidhi: to aap mujhse ek vada karo... Ki aap humesha aise hi rahenge jaise aap ab hain... jaisa main aapko rehte dekhna chahti hu... aap aise hi rahenge... maanenge meri baat...
Ashutosh: yeh tum kya keh rahi ho Nidhi?
Nidhi: main theek keh rahi hu... main aapko fir se wo patthar dil doctor bante nahi dekhna chahti... mere liye aap meri baat maanenge na...
Ashutosh: agar tum yeh hi chahti ho... to aisa hi hoga... par tum bhi mujhse promise karo... tum mujhse aaj ke baad kabhi kuchh aur nahi maangogi... main de nahi paaunga...aur tum kal hi is hospital ko chhodkar kahin aur chali jaao... please...
Nidhi resigned the next day and left the hospital with tears flowing through her eyes. Ashutosh didn't have the courage to meet her when she was leaving but his heart was crying out aloud inside but he didn't let his eyes express his pain and he let his life go away from him leaving him lifeless again. He has been trying to fulfil his promise to her since that day and he has nicely learnt the art of smiling through his tears by now. But not a moment passes when he doesn't remember her but her love has given him this strength to face everything bravely. He is living for her... with her memories and would continue to do the same forever.
Ashutosh was called by the peon as it was time to close the office and he thought to himself... tum to sab ko manane wali thi Nidhi... aur mujhe hi tumhe khud se door jaane ke liye manana pada... Kaha tha na maine... Ki kuchh theek nahi hoga...par... humesha mere saath hi aisa kyun hota hai? Maa se ashirwad liya tha tumne... Aur Maa ne hi hume door kar diya He smiled to himself with moisture in his eyes and got up to leave as his peon was waiting.
Jab koi khud se zyada zaroori ho jata hai
Dil se dil jud jaata hai kaisa yeh naata hai
Unki khushi ke liye unse door hona pada
Duniya ki bheed mein hu main akela khada
End of this part...😊
Hope you enjoyed... 😃
Love you all and may God bless all of you🤗
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