From Whatever I have seen...
Dr Ashutosh is a hard stone as popularly known. He seems to be a hard stone for a reason. A reason which is very personal in nature. He too was once a person who loved flowers but now hates its sight. He is hiding behind the stiff facade on the pretext of being a no nonsense doctor. That does not mean that he wasn't a good doctor earlier. He just uses to this no nonsense no fun defense to ward off people coming close to him.
But the point I wanted to talk about is not Ashutosh but his outlook towards Mallika. One cannot force oneself to love another cause love happens. Like it happened for Mallika. She fell in love with Ashutosh and she remains in love with him regardless time circumstances (cause it is 12 years I say circumstances also) behavior, etc.
Sadly for Ashutosh it was difficult to reciprocate for whatever reason. But I genuinely feel at times that such people who say they are not in love or cannot fall in love use other people in their lives as a pretext to vent their pent up emotions and frustrations. That is whoever is ready to take their anger, prejudice, whims, etc they will pile it on them without giving a second thought that how that person may feel.
These people are not insensitive but get incapable of being sensitive of others feelings. Another e.g. is Ashutosh's reaction to the caretaker Hiraman's logic of the present house being as comfortable as any.
I know it's too early in the serial to brand Ashutosh as one of those people but generally I feel this is the case.