"Good Morning Dr. Ashutosh," Nidhi didn't even knock before barging into his office that day.
"Good Morning Dr. Nidhi. Aaj itni jaldi kaise? Abhi to aapki duty shuru nahin hui hogi?"he didn't seem to mind the liberties she took.
"Aap bhi to hain?"
Ashutosh laughed, "Mujhse compare kyon karti hain aap? Mere liye to ghar par hona, hospital mein hona sab baraabar hai."
"Haan. Aapse mera comparison kahan hai?" Nidhi pouted.
"Are. Aap bura kyon maan rahi hain?"
Nidhi smiled, "Main mazaak kar rahi hoon. Main to bas aapko ye dene aayi thi."
Ashutosh took the packet she handed him looking confused.
"Ye kya hai?"
"Happy Birthday Dr. Ashutosh."
"Birthday? Aur' ye aap mere liye' gift laayi hain?" Ashutosh looked like he was unable to believe it.
"Haan. Ye to hum bachpan se hi karte aa rahe hain."
"Kya?"
"Jinki birthday ho, unhein gift dete hain."
"Yeah' Lekin'"
"Kya hua?" Nidhi didn't understand his lack of enthusiasm.
"Aapko kisne bataya ki aaj mera birthday hai?"
"Main jab record room mein thi to wahan employees ki files bhi thi' Usmein dekh li thi main'. I know ' they are confidential. Sorry about that! I swear maine kuchh aur nahin dekha. Aur maine kissi aur ki file bhi nahin dekhi."
Her innocence disarmed Ashutosh. He wasn't going to scold her for looking at his file after this. He smiled, but still looked uncomfortable about the birthday and the gift.
"Kya baat hai?"Nidhi asked again.
"Well," he decided to come clean to her. It wasn't going to be possible for him to hide something from her or lie to her, "Aap jaanti hai ki main adopted hoon. Aur meri real birthday to Baba ko bhi nahin pata thi. Us zamane mein birth certificates zaroori nahin hote the. To bas Baba ne school mein who date likhwa di jab who mujhe laaye the aur andaaze se year bhi bhar diya. To obviously ye mera real birthday to hai nahin."
"Dr. Ashutosh. Aapko solar system ke bare mein kuchh bhi pata nahin hai kya?"
"Kya matlab?"
"Aapko pata hai ki leap year kyon hota hai?"
"Of course pata hai."
"Kyon hota hai?"
"Kyonki calendar year aur earth ke rotation period mein kareeb aadhe din ka farq hota hai. To use adjust karne ke liye har chaar saal mein'"
"Aur uske baawzood hundred years mein phir ek din adjust karne ki zaroorat par jaati hai. To har 100th year leap year nahin hota hai."
"Okay?" Ashutosh had half a mind to believe that Nidhi was either drunk or delirious.
"Lekin' lekin' har 4th 100th year, yani ki har 400th year leap year hota hai. Kyonki itni kalaakari karne ke baad bhi hum calendar year aur earth ke rotation time ko balance nahin kar paate."
Ashutosh was too amused, "Main samajh gaya ki aapka calendars ka aur solar system ka knowledge bahut achchha hai, lekin hum achanak ye kyon discuss kar rahe hain?"
"Aapko ye samjhaane ke liye ki given this mess, ye unlikely hai ki humme se koi bhi apna birthday exact us din manata hai, jab sun ke hisaab se manana chahiye. Birthday par ek calendar date daalna sirf celebrate karne ka bahana hota hai. To bas hamare paas aapki birthday celebrate karne ke liye bhi ek date ka bahana hai. Aur kya chahiye hoga?"
Ashutosh had a sweet, admiring smile on his lips, when Nidhi finished. "Tumse jeetna namumkin hai Nidhi," he said throwing his hands up in a gesture of accepting defeat.
"To phir party kahan hai?"
"Party?"
"Haan. Birthday ki party. Gifts muft mein nahin milte hain."
"Are. Nahin Dr. Nidhi. Birthday party' Maine kabhi nahin'"
"To kya hua? Har cheez pahli baar to hoti hai na? Aap chinta mat kijiye. Maine apni duty exchange kar li hai. Mere paas poora din hai. Main saara intezaam kar doongi."
"Kahan?"
"Aapke ghar par?"
"Ghar par?"
"Haan. Maine Dr. Armaan se baat ki hai. Who meri madad kar denge."
"Aapne to poori team khadi kar di hai mere khilaaf."
"Is team mein koi bhi aapke khilaaf nahin hai. Aap unhein saath le kar chalne ki koshish to kijiye."
"To mujhe kya karna hai?"
"Aap bas senior doctors ko invite kar lijiye aur apne personal friends ko. Shaam mein 7 baje. Boliyega ki Dr. Armaan host kar rahe hain. Baaki ke staff ko invite karne ka kaam main khud dekh loongi ya interns se karwa loongi."
"Back out karne ka koi option hai?"
"Nahin. Bye Dr. Ashutosh. Aap please 6.30 tak ghar pahunch jaiyega."
After she had left, Asuhtosh opened the gift she had brought for him. It was a nice, blue tie. Ashutosh could not help smiling. He had hardly finished keeping the tie in his drawer when Mallika entered the room. Ashutosh felt annoyed that she didn't knock before entering, but he stopped himself from showing the annoyance.
"Hi Mallika," he greeted her courteously.
"Hi Ashutosh. Kya baat hai? Itni broad smile. Bade khush dikh rahe ho."
"Khush hone ka pata nahin. Lekin jo main abhi tumse kahne jar aha hoon, usse tum bhi utni hi surprised ho jaogi, jitna ki main."
"Achchha. Aisa kya hai?"
"Aaj shaam 7 baje mere ghar par party hai and you must come."
"Party?" Mallika was incredulous, "Tum party de rahe ho Ashutosh? Kis liye?"
"Meri birthday ke liye."
"Birthday? Tumhari? Tumhein pata bhi hai ki'" Mallika started saying and then stopped as she realized that she might hurt him. Ashutosh did look hurt for a split second, but it didn't last.
He replied with child-like enthusiasm, "Celebrate karne ka bahana chahiye Mallika. Date ki authenticity ka main kuchh nahin kar sakta. Aur usse kya farq padta hai?"
"Yes. Of course," responded Mallika in embarrassment, "It's great. Lekin party ka idea aaya kaise tumhein? Tumhein maine kitni baar kaha tha'"
"Mallika. Aam khane se matlab rakho. Ped ginne se nahin. Armaan arrange kar raha hai. I hope to see you at 7. Abhi kuchh kaam tha? Mujhe ward mein jaana hai."
"Nahin. Koi kaam nahin tha. Main to aise hi aayi thi. Main bhi chalti hoon. Will see you in the evening."
--
Nidhi had juidiciously made Armaan play the host in the party so that no one should know that she was the one who had planned it. The guests were yet to come. She had changed into a calf-length black dress for the party and was waiting for Ashutosh to come out of his room after getting ready.
When he came out, they both stared at each other for a few seconds. She looked very different. And it wasn't just her dress that was different. There was a marked difference in the impression she made. She had always enchanted Aashutosh by her girlish innocent beauty. Even when she had walked into Armaan's tea-party wearing the blue saree and the high heals, she had maintained her girlish charm from the moment she had lost her balance on the heals.
But today' today she looked confidence personified. The confidence with which she had barged into his office with a birthday gift, the confidence with which she had already planned everything with Armaan and didn't let him back out, the confidence with which she had explained to him why the authenticity of the date did not matter, all of it was oozing out of her. And wearing that black, sleeveless dress, which along with matching accessories contrasted against her milky white complexion, made her look very different from how she usually looked. It made her look' so' mature' and' desirable. Ashutosh flushed as he struck on the right word and broke his gaze. He did complement her though, "Aap bahut achchhi lag rahi hain."
"Aap bhi," she replied happily. She had noticed that he was wearing the tie she had gifted him.
Ashutosh noticed her footwear and ended up asking, "To ab apko heals pahanne mein problem nahin hoti?"
"Ye? Ye heals nahin hai Dr. Ashutosh. Platforms hain. Ye aage se bhi oonche hote hain, to dikkat nahin hoti hai."
"I see," Ashutosh grinned foolishly.
They didn't realize that Armaan had also walked into the hall and had watched them stare at each other. He finally intervened, "Koi hamari bhi taareef kar de zara."
Ashutosh was baffled for a moment on hearing Armaan's voice, but Nidhi was in control, "Aap to party ke centre of attention banne waale hain Dr. Armaan."
"Kahar to aap dha rahi hain Dr. Nidhi. Mujhe to kya lagta hai Ashutosh, ki party khatam hote hote tak haemin saare guests ko emergency mein admit karwana padega aur hum sab logon ko night duty karni padegi."
"Kya matlab?"
"Matlab inhein dekh kar sab logon ko heart attack jo aane waala hai?"
"Dr. Armaan!" Nidhi blushed and chided him.
"Khair chalo. Chalte hain. Party lawn mein hai Ashutosh. Aur guests ab aate hi honge."
"Aap log chaliye. Main Hiraman Kaka ke saath ek baar kaam dekh leti hoon ki sab cheezein taiyaar hain ya nahin," Nidhi said and stayed back. Nothing really needed to be checked up, but she did not want to create an awkward situation by being seen as the host. She had planned to slip into the party after it was crowded so that no one would know that she had been there since earlier.
--
"Are Nidhi. Sabko bula kar tu khud kaise late hog aye," Priyanka asked Nidhi when she spotted her in the party. Nidhi was relieved! So, no one had seen that she had come out from Ashutosh' house itself.
"Ghar chali gayi thi change karne. Isliye der ho gayi."
"Ekdum hot lag rahi hai."
"Chup kar."
Nobody had indeed noticed her, except Mallika. Ashutosh throwing a party or even agreeing to let Armaan throw one, that too for his birthday, was so unlike him. Mallikad had known him for many years and she was aware of how he felt about these things, especially his birthday. Even when he was, otherwise, a happy-go-lucky person, he had never celebrated his birthday in the college or afterwards. When Ashutosh had evaded answering her about the party earlier in the day, she could not help notice that Nidhi had exchanged her day-duty for the night shift with someone. After reaching the party, she had been looking for Nidhi everywhere. And she did find her. Coming out surreptitiously from a side door of the house. But it took her a while to corner Nidhi.
"I'm impressed Dr. Nidhi."
"Ji?"
"Ashutosh ko party ke liye, aur who bhi birthday party ke liye manana aasaan kaam nahin tha."
"Ye aap mujhse kyon kah rahi hain?"
"Jiska kaam ho, tareef bhi to uski hi karni padegi."
"Party Dr. Armaan ne di hai."
"Dr. Armaan to Ashutosh ke saath bachpan se hain Dr. Nidhi. Aaj tak to koi party nahin hui? Party to tab hui jab aapne kaha. Aur apni duty exchange kar ke uski taiyaariyan bhi ki. Kyon?"
Nidhi sighed, "Whatever. Jab party ho rahi hai, to ye court laga kar baithne ki bajay aap party enjoy kyon nahin karti?"
"Bahut tez zubaan hai aapki? Control mein rakhiye. Ashutosh ko badtamiziyan bardasht karne ki aadat nahin."
"Aur woh badtamiziyan deserve karte bhi nahin."
"Kahna kya chahti hain aap?" Mallika felt insulted that Nidhi had indirectly told her that she deserved Nidhi's rudeness, "Ye mat bhooliye ki main aapki senior hoon'"
"Yahan nahin Dr. Mallika, yahan nahin. Phir agar aap apni seniority ki maryada nahin nibhayengi aur mujhe badtamizi karne par majboor karengi to hospital mein bhi ye cover nahin rahega aapke paas," Nidhi walked off leaving a fuming Mallika behind.
"Dr. Ashutosh. Mujhe nikalna hoga," Nidhi found Ashutosh after a while.
"Kyon?" Ashutosh' face fell, "Abhi to sab log yahin hain'"
"Meri duty ka time ho raha hai. Maine exchange ki thi na?"
"Ohh!" he could not ask her to be late for the duty, of course.
"I hope aapne enjoy kiya party ko."
"Ab tak to bahut kiya," Ashutosh openly admired her presence.
Nidhi blushed, "Aage bhi karenge. Itne log hain yahan. Mujhe to pata bhi nahin tha ki aap hospital ke bahar itne logon ko jaante honge."
Ashutosh laughed, "Zindagi ke is padav par jaanne waale logon ki kami nahin hoti Dr. Nidhi. Pahchanne waale log nahin milte. Khair. Hospital ke liye late nahin hona chahiye aapko."
"Ji. Chalti hoon," she turned to go away when he called her.
"Nidhi!"
She turned back and looked at him questioningly.
He smiled, very slightly; but enough to tell her that he was genuine in what he said next, "Thanks a lot!"
--
Continued in Part 3
