"You were so excited about Dr. Dutta's talk. Aap unse ja kar milti kyon nahin hain?" Ashutosh asked Nidhi during the conference after Dr. Dutta's talk.
"Main, Sir? Main unse kaise mil sakti hoon?"
"Kyon? That is what these events are for? Taki professionals ek doosre se networking kar sakein."
"Sir. Main unse e-mail par discuss kar loongi."
"Come on Dr. Nidhi. Aap phir se nervous ho rahi hain, right?"
Nidhi gulped and did not say anything
"Aur maine aapse pahle bhi kaha tha ki professional confidence display karna utna hi zaroori, jitna ilaaj karna aana. Chaliye, main aapko introduce karwata hoon."
"Hello Dr. Dutta."
"Dr. Mathur! So nice to meet you. How are you doing?"
"I am fine. Let me introduce you to Dr. Nidhi Verma..."
"Dr. Nidhi Verma from Kotnis General Hospital in Lucknow. The ever curious young lady. I'm sorry Dr. Nidhi, I couldn't reply to your last mail as I was hurriedly preparing for this talk. You didn't tell me you were coming here."
"Y... Yes Sir. Actually last moment mein decide hua."
"No problem. Good to meet you here. So, Dr. Mathur. She works under you?"
"Yes. She is interning at our hospital."
"Wonderful. For last few weeks I have been having a lively discussion with her on my last paper over e-mails."
"Yes. She has been getting the journals issued from our library before I can find them myself. So, I am not surprised."
"Hum aisa kyon nahin karte hain? This is lunch time. Let's grab a table and catch up on things. And Dr. Nidhi I can also clarify the questions you had asked me in the last mail."
"Sure Sir."
They sat down on a table with their plates and once Nidhi was comfortable, Ashutosh watched with fascination and appreciation how animatedly she participated in the discussion, asked questions, objected to the answers and proposed alternative explanations.
"That was such an interesting discussion," Ashutosh told Nidhi when they were alone, "Aap unse baat karne se itna hichkicha kyon rahi thi? Aisi opportunity lose ho jati. Aur Dr. Dutta se aap already acquainted thi."
"Sir... Explain karna mushkil hai. Mujhe aise naye logon se baat karne mein ghabrahat hoti hai. E-mails are easy."
"Lekin aaj ke incident ke baad to I am sure aapka confidence badh jayega."
"Shayad. Pata nahin Sir. Shayad baat hamesha confidence hone ya na hone ki nahin hoti hai. Main aisi hi hoon."
"So, basically you are shy. I mean psychologically... you have a shy personality."
"Probably."
"You must overcome it in professional settings then."
"I will try, Sir. Aur Sir. Ek help chahiye thi. Aap to Mumbai city se familiar honge?"
"Haan. Hoon. Lekin agar aapko kissi film ki shooting dekhni hai to main help nahin kar sakta."
"Ji? Nahin... nahin... main..."
"Main mazaak kar raha tha. Bataiye kya help chahiye."
"Actually mujhe meri Dadi ke symptoms dekh kar lag raha hai ki unki blood sugar zyada hai. Gaon mein kahin monitoring machine hai nahin. Aur kahin bahar woh jayengi nahin. To main soch rahi thi ki ek portable machine khreed loon. Aapko pata hai kahan milegi? Lucknow mein nahin mili mujhe."
Ashutosh thought through it quickly. The machine would cost at least a few thousad rupees. If her household was dependent on the meagre stipend she earned as an MBBS intern...
"Portable machine? Khareedne ki kya zaroorat hai. Aap mujhe pahle batati to... Medical Representatives de jaate hain hospital mein kai baar. Rakhi hai ek machine mere paas. Aap mujhse le lijiyega."
"Lekin woh to hospital ka hoga, Sir."
"Hospital ko portable machine ki kya zaroorat hai. Aap le lijiye. Aur I am sure aapke gaon mein pahunchegi to sirf aapki Dadi nahin, kaafi log use karenge. To ise hospital ka hi extension samajh lijiye."
"Thank you. Sir."
--
"Achchha. Aap apne kamre mein jaiye. Mujhe bahar thoda kaam hai. Mujhe der ho jaye to aap dinner kamre mein order kar lijiyega," Ashutosh told her in the evening after the conference, when they reached their hotel.
"Ji Sir."
Ashutosh decided to buy the machine right away so that he could produce it from his office as soon as they got back to Lucknow. He had lied again. Even if some MR had given him a machine at some point of time, it was no longer with him. And she had said it wasn't available in Lucknow. So, he had to get it in Mumbai only.
Why am I doing this, telling so many lies, he wondered. But what option did he have? She wouldn't accept help from him otherwise. She had too much of self respect for that. Just like her queer Dadi. He thought about her Dadi's tales and smiled in amusement.
And he wanted to help her. Why?
He asked her whether she had dinner when he came back.
"No Sir. Ye to... bahut zyada mehanga hai..."
"Kya?"
"Sir ye prices... Mujhe to lagta hai ek-do zeroes zyada laga diye hain."
"Dr. Nidhi! Kya farq padta hai? Hospital pay kar raha hai na..."
"Sir. Itna mehanga khaana mujhse to hajam nahin hoga, koi bhi pay kare."
"Oh God! Don't be an idiot. Achchha - kal hum bahar ja kar sasta khaana kha lenge. Abhi please order karein? Mujhe bhi khaana hai. Bhookh lagi hai."
"Okay... Sir. Aap hi order kar dijiye."
"Aapko kya khana hai?"
"Ji... Roti... Sabzi... I guess."
"Roti, Sabzi? All right. I guess sabzi main hi choose kar loon to fast hoga, right?"
"Yes Sir!" she was visibly relieved. Ashutosh felt amused, but did not show it.
--
The next day Ashutosh pushed Nidhi to interact with speakers and other doctors on her own. He watched her from afar when Dr. Niharika Asthana interrupted him.
"Kahan khoye hue ho Ashutosh?"
"Tum?" Ashutosh' face stiffened, "I didn't expect you here."
"Well there are overlaps. You know... between gynacology and pediatrics. I am presenting a paper on neonatology."
"Great. Now, if you will excuse me..."
"Aaj tak naaraaz ho Ashutosh..."
"Naaraaz?" Ashutosh laughed bitterly, "Naaraaz apno se hua jaata hai Dr. Asthana, strangers se nahin."
"Ashutosh. Tumne kabhi mujhe samajhne ki koshish nahin ki..."
"Kya farq padta hai? Samajhne ya na samajhne se kuchh badal to nahin jayega..."
"Dr. Ashutosh," Nidhi came towards him just then, "Aap lunch..." She stopped as she watched their flushed faces, "I... I am sorry. Main shayad disturb kar rahi hoon..."
"No Dr. Nidhi," Ashutosh said promptly and matter of factly, "I am done here. Let's go for lunch, but let me introduce you to Dr. Niharika Asthana. Gynaecologist at..."
"Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai."
Ashutosh laughed, "Don't tell me aapne inse bhi e-mail par contact kiya hua hai."
"No Sir. Lekin neonatology mein India specific issues par maine inki book padhi hain. Very nice to meet you Ma'am."
Niharika shook hands with Nidhi, but looked curiously at Ashutosh. His laughing had surprised her.
"Dr. Nidhi Verma works at Kotnis General Hospital," Ashutosh formally introduced Nidhi.
"Which deparment?"
"I'm an interna Ma'am. Is trimester main pediatrics mein posted hoon."
"Intern. Oh!" Nidhi discerned a hint of insult in Niharika's tone, but she ignored it.
"Let's go Dr. Nidhi," Ashutosh said and left quickly with her.
--
Ashutosh was unusually quiet during the lunch.
"Sir?"
"Hmm?"
"Aap theek to hain?"
"Mujhe kya hoga?"
"Aap disturbed lag rahe hain. Aur logon ke saath lunch karne bhi nahin baithe..."
"Dr. Nidhi," Ashutosh was suddenly back to his stern, almost rude self, which he had shedded recently in front of her, "Agar aapko aur logon ke saath baithna hai to aap ja sakti hain. You are not bound to sit with me."
"Maine aisa to nahin kaha, Sir," Nidhi replied firmly, but calmly. Surprisingly, his admonition did not scare her as it used to do earlier.
"Phir kya kahna chahti hain aap?"
"Main wahi kahna chahti hoon jo maine kaha. Aap disturbed lag rahe hain. Aap nahin share karna chahte hain to its fine. Lekin share karna achchha rahta hai."
Ashutosh looked at her in surprise. Where did that confident reply come from? Had he trained her too well?
"Aap apni problems kiske saath share karti hain?" he asked curiously.
"Baba ke saath. Ya phir doston ke saath. Khaas kar Anji ke saath..."
"Anji?"
"Meri best friend. Hum bachpan se dost hain."
"Apni Dadi ke saath nahin karti?"
"Dadi bahut sweet hain Sir. Lekin hum ek-doosre ke saath identify nahin kar sakte. Unke saath main problems share nahin kar sakti."
"Right Dr. Nidhi. Hum problems unhi ke saath share kar sakte hain, jinke saath hum identify karte hain."
"To kya aapki zindagi mein koi aisa nahin hai?"
"Nahin," he said and got up from the table indicating that he was done with the lunch.
--
Arjun
