FF Completed: Sacrifices (Index Pg 1) - Page 18

"Nidhi. Beta tumse kuchh baat karni thi."

"Boliye na Baba."

"Maine ek galti kar di beta. Tumhare aur Dr. Ashutosh ke saath sahi nahin kiya."

"Baba!" Nidhi looked at him in surprise.

"Kya main who galti ab sudhaar nahin sakta?"

"Baba," Nidhi got tears in her eyes, "Uske liye bahut der ho gayi hai."

"Tumhare man ki baat nahin badli hai. Ye to mujhe pata hai. Phir kya Dr. Ashutosh nahin chahte..."

"Baat woh nahin hai Baba. Lekin aapko nahin lagta hai ki aap apni beti ko le kar selfish ho rahe hain. Is operation ke baad... Dr. Ashutosh kya - kissi bhi insaan ki zindagi mein jaane ki main nahin soch sakti. Bhool jaiye Baba. Main apni khaamiyan kissi aur ke oopar nahin thop sakti."

Baba looked at her guiltily and did not say anything.

--

"Lekin Bhai Sahab, aap ek baar Dr. Ashutosh se baat to kijiye," Shayam told Yograj when he informed her of what Nidhi thought, "Itna to saaf hai ki woh Nidhi ki bahut care karte hain. Delhi mein sirf uski wajah se ruke hue hain. Thodee der bhi hospital se bahar nahin jaate. Mujhe nahin lagta ki is wajah se..."

"Main aapse sahmat hoon Bhabhi ji. Mujhe nahin lagta ki Dr. Ashutosh is wajah se Nidhi ko chhod denge. Lekin ye bhi sach hai ki agar is stage par maine ye baat chhedi to ye bahut hi khudgarz harqat lagegi. Aur Dr. Ashutosh se zyada shayad Nidhi aisa sochegi. Uski self-respect ko dhakka lagega. Isliye main kuchh nahin kah raha hoon. Bas bhagwaan se prarthna kar raha hoon ki woh dono khud hi is issue ko sort out kar lein."

They weren't aware that Anji had heard them.

--

"Tum Dr. Nidhi Verma ki family ko kaafee achchhe se jaante ho lagta hai. Kaise?" Mathew asked Ashutosh casually during their conversation.

Ashutosh was lost for words, "Family ko? Nahin... Bas aise hi mila hoon... Kyonki woh Kotnis mein kaam karti thi..."

"Oh! Nahin mujhe laga ki tum unki family ke aane ke baad bhi ruke hue ho to shayad jaante hoge... Aur tumhare paas unki friend ka number tha, ye bhi pata tha ki unhein phone karna behtar hoga..."

Ashutosh laughed nervously, "Tum to jasoosi karne lag gaye Mathew. Anji is married to Dr. Rangnath, who is the senior administrator at Kotnis. That's how I had her number..." He was relieved to have found an explanation.

"Sorry. Sorry," Mathew also laughed slightly, though in embarrassment, "Main koi jaasoosi nahin kar raha tha. I was just curious ki tum unke liye yahan ruke hue ho. It's a pleasure for me, of course."

Ashutosh smiled, "Uski family ghabrai hui hai. Uski mother hain nahin. Aur Nidhi thodee careless hai. To uske Baba ko support chahiye hoga... Isliye main ruk gaya."

"Careless?" Mathew laughed slightly, "Mujhe to kissi bhi angle se careless nahin lagti. If anything, she is too uptight. Too demanding, not so much from others, as from herself. Maine observe kiya hai use. Aisa feedback directly kissi ko dena thoda ajeeb lagta hai. Kyonki professionally ismein kuchh negative nahin hai. Lekin she is too much of a workohalic. Jis din tumhein lunch par bheja tha uske saath. Usne kaha tha ki lunch ke baad uski duty nahin hai. Us din uski duty morning mein bhi nahin thi. Lekin phir bhi hospital mein hi thi, classes ke baad. At this rate, she might burn herself out."

Ashutosh smiled, "Log kitna badal jaate hain Mathew. You won't believe," Ashutosh became animated as told Nidhi's story to Mathew, "ki jab Nidhi ne shuruat mein Kotnis join kiya tha to main use kitna daantta tha. Koi chaara hi nahin tha. Kissi baat ko seriously leti hi nahin thi kabhi. Lekin over time, she changed. Completely. And tell me if I am wrong, but main maanta hoon ki she is a very good doctor in making."

"I agree on that. And I think I know ki usmein ye change kaise aaya."

"Kaise?" Ashutosh was amused at Mathew's confident tone.

"I think she had this huge crush on you. And she probably tried to prove herself to you. You have to see her go Dr. Ashutosh aise karte the, Dr. Ashutosh waise karte the all the time... Agar main tumhein jaanta nahin hota Ashutosh aur mera koi subordinate kissi ki itni taareef karta to main to us doctor ko bahut resent karta. Abhi tak bhi hai ye crush, I think. Good for her professionally though," Mathew laughed.

"Come on Mathew. Nice theory, but don't be absurd," Ashutosh tried to sound normal in the conversation, but he didn't realize how his face had gone red on hearing Mathew's remark.

"Are. To tum itna pareshaan kyon ho rahe ho? It's normal. A tall, dark, handsome boss - who bhi rich and single. Kissi bhi ladki ko crush ho jayega. Iska solution to yahi hai ki tum please jaldi se shaadi kar lo, taki off limits ho jao inke liye. Pata nahin kis sapno ki rani ka intezaaar kar rahe ho?"

"Mujhe lagta hai ki tum drink kar ke duty par aaye ho Mathew. Lekin phir bhi tumhein shayad ward mein hona chahiye. To main ab tumhara time barbaad nahin karoonga. You please carry on with your work. Main guest house ja raha hoon."

"All right Ashutosh," Mathew was still amused at Ashutosh' discomfort, "Hum ise phir kabhi discuss karenge."

--

Ashutosh was just opening the door to his room, when he saw Anji walking towards him.

"Anji. Aap. Please come in."

"Thank you Dr. Ashutosh. Maine aapko disturb to nahin kiya?"

"Bilkul nahin. Lekin koi khaas baat hai kya? Main abhi Nidhi ko dekhna jaane hi waala tha."

"Haan... Dr. Ashutosh. Thoda ajeeb hai. Lekin phir bhi main poochhna chahti hoon. Kya aap Nidhi se ab bhi pyaar karte hain? Kya aap use ab bhi apnane ko taiyaar hain?"

Ashutosh looked at her curiously, "Kya mere jawaab se koi farq padega?"

"Haan. I think Nidhi ko farq padega. Use lagta hai ki... is operation ke baad... Kyonki woh pregnant nahin ho sakti hai, kissi se shaadi karna, kissi ki zindagi mein jaana uske liye sahi nahin hai."

"Nonsense!" Ashutosh said emphatically, "Utter nonsense. Ye baat uske dimaag mein kisne daali?"

"Kissi aur ke daalne ki kya zaroorat hai? Aap bhi isi society ka hissa hain. Koi bhi ladki aisa sochegi, given ki maa banne ko society kitna importance deti hai ek aurat ke liye."

"To woh is wajah se pareshaan hai?"

"Pareshaan ho na ho. Confidence to kam ho hi gaya hai uska. Apne oopar... Aur shayad aapke oopar bhi."

"Mere oopar?"

"Aap usse baat kyon nahin karte?"

"Haan. Main karoonga. Thank you Anji! Thanks a lot."

--

Continued in Part 12