*Smthin_Clld_Luv*Nov3_Updt_p146*Jaane Kya Baat Hui - Page 8

The Recap:

Whenever she closed her eyes, Dr. Ashutosh's laughing face flashed. She was sure he mst laughing at her somewhere in a corner of his house at this very moment. She gave a cry and buried her face in pillow. She was wat she was, she asserted to herself firmly later and Dr. Ashutosh had not right to laugh on her. Her embarrassment chngd to disapproval and she firmly resolved to take up this issue with him tomorrow and she went into a self-assuring sleep.

Dr. Ashutosh deliberately tried to avoid revisiting tht rendezvous as he was pacing in his room after his meal. It jst did not make any sense and he didn't understand why his thots wandered there. He shoved thm off repeatedly till he was able to concentrate wholly on his work at hand.

"Good Morning, Sir" a rather flat tone greeted him instead of the usual cheery one that he was accustomed to recently. He looked up and greeted back Dr. Nidhi, who entered in a rather huff manner. He didn't fail to notice it, but he ignored it. "Please have a seat," requested he when he saw her still standing behind the chair. "Thank you Sir, but its okay," replied Nidhi more dryly and looked everywhere else but Dr. Ashutosh. "Dr. Verma," ordered he and Nidhi had to obey. She pouted and reluctantly took out the chair, still not luking at Dr. Ashutosh. He tried ordering the coffees as usual but she denied it. Okay, thot he. He glanced briefly over his schedules for the day. Finally, he glanced over at Dr. Nidhi and informed her about her duty for the next 21 days. She was assigned to Ward O, a special general ward for the orphanage kids. Dr. Nidhi was intrigued. "A special ward for orphanage kids? Never heard of such ward in any hospital." She replied honestly. "Yes, I had requested it. The management wanted to honor my service and 15-year long association with KGH. A wealthy and generous donor and it came true," said he with a mixed sense of pride and humbleness. Dr. Nidhi smiled back knowingly. A sense of pride, she was very well aware of that look. Her baba was full of it. He took pride in everything he possessed and had achieved and more so he was proud of Nidhi. She cud understand wat it felt like. But the "21 days" suddenly tinged her and she remembered her resolve of the day. While he went on explaining her duties and instructions monotonously, Nidhi desperately looked for a chance to intervene and ultimately, she raised her hand. "Dr. Verma?", asked he with a half laugh. This girl wudnt cease to amaze him. "Sir," was the reply. "Okay? have u any problem with this?" asked he. "I thot this early summoning was a temporary thing, didn't know u wer.. u wer.. actually gonna take my unpunctuality issue this far," she really felt unduly targeted. "Dr. Verma, do u really think that wen Colonel Verma cudnt discipline you in 20 long years, I wud b successful in 3-4 days?" asked he. Honestly, No, thot she.. bt wait wat did he mean and she luked at him quite miffed.. at his .. at his.. well, wats the word.. yes.. arrogance and.. and bossiness...and whatever. She crossed her arms by her chest and looked away annoyingly. He let out a soft laugh and explained, "Dr. Nidhi Verma, the interns in my hospital not just learn to be a gud doctor, but thy learn HOW to be a gud doctor. " "but.., " She wasn't satisfied and she continued. "Dr. Verma? now, if you wud allow, we have more important things to talk about here." replied he curtly and without even waiting for her answer re-briefed her quickly on her new task. Dr. Nidhi reluctantly turned her attention to her job at hand. She listened intently and took notes as required. "I hope everything is clear to you. I don't want any excuses or errors, Dr. Nidhi Verma. You do not need to report to my cabin from tomorrow, but you will b here in KGH sharp at 9. I will b keeping a check on you." Warned he. That she pretty well knew. He wasn't going to let her go that easily. She cursed the day she decided to join KGH. "Okay, see you around then," he glanced at her briefly and busied himself.

She got up and went to the door, but she deliberately stopped and turned to him waiting for his attention. "Any thing else, Dr. Verma?" inquired he. She hesitated a bit. She looked here and there. "Dr. Verma, I m pretty busy.." came again sharply. "Sir, ..I know.. I behave most oddly at times..and certainly not the way you like.. and I have my own weaknesses.. but.. but every body has.. mine.. a bit absurd.. may be.. but that doesn't mean that you shud laugh at me. I am wat I am." She completed in one breath and luked at him for some kinda response, but Ashutosh jst gazed at her unabated. "Sir, did u laugh on me after reaching home yesterday?"she asked finally in a very low voice. "Wat?" asked he. The question was completely out of blue. She looked at him more confidently and continued.."the way..I behaved yesterday in the coffee shop.. U were my senior.. and I behaved ..so.. so immaturely.. u know..firstly here in the hospital and then..there.. u must've surely laughed," she added concluding.

"No..," he said awkwardly and he didnt know wat to reply. Her sweet smile and animated face flashed across his eyes as he remembered yesterday's evening. Nidhi lowered her eyes, surely he was lying. She suddenly felt a little teary. Dr. Ashutosh gauged it. "Why wud I laugh at you?" Said Dr. Ashutosh. "In fact I liked that you were you. You have no pretense. You are simple and honest. There is nothing to be embarrassed about, Dr. Nidhi," he said reassuringly. "I ?I really like your frank and straightforward nature" he added softly, looking straight at her. "You do sir?"Asked Dr. Nidhi with big expectant eyes. Dr. Ashutosh looked at her for a while, those eyes were too innocent. He looked away immediately. "Yes, definitely.. these r really good traits and I really appreciate these qualities in a person," Dr. Ashutosh rephrased it cleverly with a bated breath. The atmosphere of cabin had suddenly changed. She looked down and played with her toes. She was feeling a little tense. She had to get out of that cabin!!! She smiled back gratefully and asked for his permission and left his cabin as quickly as possible. As he watched her go from the corner of his eyes, he felt Dr. Nidhi meant something more thn she was suggesting. He feared at the thot and more so to his own reaction. He had met lot of interns in his career span idolizing him, but he was always able to draw a fine line without compromising his duties and responsibilities as a mentor and as a dean, but with Dr. Nidhi something was surely amiss... or perhaps it was due to the more informal setting that they keep on meeting.. the equation with her somehow was turning out quite different than those earlier interns. It was so spontaneous..and it seemed it was same for Dr. Nidhi as well.. Or was he jumping to conclusions too soon.. Nidhi mite not b thinking that way.. was he seeing more into it may b because of his own weakness? suddenly he dbted his own judgement.. he realized perhaps he himself was encroaching into an unknown territory.. He had to ward himself off of it. Or was he overanalyzing himself as well.. he left out a confused sigh. For the first time, he was unsure of himself.. and frankly didn't know how to handle it?He wudnt b seeing much of Dr. Nidhi anyways, so tht should help, thot he. Nidhi was different and her apparent antics grabbed his attention. There is nothing more to it and he shud stop himself overanalyzing it, said his logical mind. He was satisfied with this justification and he reminded himself more assertively to act more indifferent and formal to help the matters.

He called Dr. Mallika to his cabin and informed about Dr. Nidhi's additional duty. Dr. Mallika's first reaction was tht of surprise but thn she said mockingly, "I am surprised.. really.. u didn't even trust me wen it came to ur fav ward.. let alone someone share ur duty.." She luked at him with little contempt. "Oh come on, Mallika. I don't need to tell you that wen it came to my work, I don't make decisions randomly." Replied Dr. Ashutosh, rather annoyingly. "yeah.. I know tht.. but y particularly Dr. Nidhi?.. I hope it has nothing to do with the little coffee date that u had with her yesterday evening," said she more scornfully. "wat?" Barked Dr. Ashutosh. Clearly now losing his cool, was she spying thm? He hated such kind of women. "Tht was jst an accident meet..bt I am really glad to know that you think so highly of me and my decisions." He added sarcastically. Dr. Mallika jst smirked some more. In reply, Dr. Ashutosh said more emphatically "Dr. Mallika, Dr. Nidhi is a very capable and promising doctor and she is especially very good with kids. Thy simply love her. One week in that ward and I wudn't have to justify my actions. Now if you wud please incorporate this in Nidhi's duty chart and I hope you wud not overload Dr. Nidhi. Please, excuse me." And he left the cabin without even waiting for her reply. He was completely miffed off. Dr. Mallika resolved to keep a close eye on Dr. Nidhi Verma. She had slowly started to become a threat.

The next week passed on pretty uneventfully. Dr. Ashutosh didn't see much of Dr. Nidhi. The week kept him pretty busy. He buried himself into the work and he found himself going back to his normal ways and more importantly he thot less and less of Dr. Nidhi.

Dr. Nidhi in the mean time had learnt a great deal abt Dr. Ashutosh. New ppl didn't know much abt him. He was pretty much reserved and too strict, stern, and aloof to prod any further. The oldies like Dr. Rangnath and Nurse D'Souza respected him more thn to have friendly acquaintance with him. Except for perhaps Dr. Mallika, nobody new much abt his past life or his family background who claimed she was Dr. Ashutosh's collegemate and had worked under him now for more than 10 yrs. Rumors abt thr affair did made rounds at one time, but thn the staff concluded that it was more on Dr. Mallika's part than Dr. Ashutosh's. For one, thr apparent affair never culminated into a marriage and two, Dr. Ashutosh just didn't seem that kind of person who wud go on having an affair and leave Dr. Mallika hanging on for so long. The only important thing that she learned about him was from Dr. Rangnath. Dr. Rangnath had told her that Dr. Ashutosh was an orphan, brot up by some gentleman who educated him and gave him a good life and that was the reason why he was so sympathetic towards the orphanage kids. Dr. Nidhi decided to visit the orphanage. A kid was getting discharged that week and she took this opportunity to visit the kids this weekend.

Dr. Ashutosh had so far restrained himself quite well, tho at times he wud occasionally hear her laughter and would have a strong desire to peek at her. He had certainly missed her bright refreshing smile very much, but he kept himself in well control. But it seemed God had decided to test his resolute. The next Monday itself, he heard a knock on his cabin accompanied by a sweetest "May I come in Sir?"

Originally posted by: AMBIKA2561979

LOVELY UPDATE...BUT Y DID YOU STOP AT SUCH AN INTERESTING POINT...??😕...WAITING FOR THE NEXT UPDATE...

Originally posted by: mudraswathi

You are a teaser...make us wait like this...

Really...This AshNi has motivated several writers to take up writing seriously...hats off!