What next? FF with the Doc: epilogue page 55 - Page 14

Chapter 9

"Congratulations, Priyanka, and to you, also, Bhargav! I see that the decorations are well done, I am sure you have planned well!! Dr Ashutosh was all smiles as he walked in.

"Sir, there is someone who is alone here...you sure would like to talk to her?" Priyanka had tugged at his arm. "Ohh you mean Dr Saira?" Dr Saira was the new senior surgeon who had joined KGH. Priyanka cursed him inwardly, "Not Dr Saira, Sir, I meant Nidhi...she is sitting there alone in one of the canopies..."

"Ohh I see...thank you, Priyanka..."Ashutosh was in a clearly dismissive mood. He had seen Nidhi immediately on entering, looking lost yet stunning, in the off-white saree. He somehow could never forget this saree, this was the same saree which she had worn for their first month anniversary. She had looked divine then, with the glow from the candles reflecting on her face, when Anjie had brought the cake and they had cut it together.

Nidhi was lost in thoughts when she heard Priyanka welcoming Dr Ashutosh and she snapped to attention. What would he say to her? She could see him walking towards her in her mind's eye and was gearing up to face him when he abruptly walked away on someone's beckoning.

"Soft drinks, madam?" The turbaned waiter asked. Another turned up at her elbow, "Snacks, madam?" Nidhi picked up a soft drink and declined the snacks. Anjie turned up soon after, excited, "Nidhi tujhe pata hai, jeeja ji yahan aaye hai? tujhe dekha ki nahin?"

"Pata Nahin, dekha hota to bhi kya, Anjie...hum dono ne alag rehne ka faisala le liya hai na.."

"Kya bakwaas kar rahi hai tu? Aur jeeja ji maan gaye? Chal mere saath...mein Jeeja ji se baath karati houn.."

Anjie dragged Nidhi and confronted Ashutosh, "Yeh Kya Jeeja Ji aap to hamari taraf dekhate bhi nahin? Main yahan apne saath kissi ko laayi houn, aur aap hai ki..." and pushed Nidhi in front of him. "Hello Nidhi, kaisi ho? Ab tabiyat theek hai tumhari?"...Ashutosh was formal, "Hello, Dr Basu, how are you?... as someone summoned him, and moved away without waiting for an answer.

Nidhi stood there, dumbfounded. She had never expected Ashutosh to give her such a cold reception. Anjie walked rapidly to her, "Jeeja ji to phir se Dr Heartstone banate ja rahe hai, Nidhi...kal Dr Ranganath bhi keh rahe the...chhoti chhoti baatoin par chillate hai...hasna to bhool hi gaye..." Nidhi sighed inwardly, "chalo achcha hai na...jo kuchch hua use bhoolne mein madad milegi... woh apni zindagi jeeyenge aur mein apni..." and tears rolled down her cheeks.

Suddenly the singer started with a haunting melody...

Ghunji Si Hai Sari Fiza, Jaise Bajti Ho Shehnaiyaan

Leherati Hai Mehki Hawa, Gungunati Hain Tanhaiyaan

Sab Gaate Hain, Sab Hi Madhosh Hain, Hum Tum Kyun Khamosh Hain

Saaz - E- Dil Chedo Na, Chup Ho Kyun Gaaon Na

Aao Na.. Ao Na... Aao Na... Aao Na...

"Nidhi, tu Kuchch khayegi? Tere liye Kuchh lekar aao?" Nidhi had shook her head. "Bhook nahin hain, Anjie, ab to jeene ko mann nahin karta. Ab aur kitne din is tarah..." She had felt a strange hollowness when Ashutosh had moved away from her. She suddenly felt like taking a breath of fresh air, went to the edge of the garden and tried to control her emotions. Nearby two busybees were talking,

"Arre Mrs Chaddha, yeh Dr Ashutosh ki biwi hai na? Arre wohi, off-white saree mein?"

"Haan hai to wohi, kyoun?"

"Suna hai dono aajkal saath saath nahin rehte"

"Achcha? Magar bhala kyoun?"

"Aree, Dr Ashutosh ka prem chakkar chal raha tha na, wohi Dr Mallika ke saath, ab woh to chali gayi, ab nayi ayee Hai Koi Dr Saira naam hai uska..."

"Par phir iss ladki se shaadi kyoun ki? Achche bhale eligible bachelor the..."

"Arre, sun, shaadi to kar li, phir usne jab Mallika prem prakaran par aapatti jatayi to usse ghar se nikal diya, ab bechari kissi old age home mein resident doctor hai..."

Nidhi couldn't stand it anymore and turned around...she saw noone. Was it her overactive imagination, or had those ladies moved away elsewhere? Suddenly she felt protective towards Ashutosh, her husband, who loved her more than anything in the world...She felt like clutching him to her bossom, protecting him from these insinuations, shielding him from all these barbs from the society...Did he even know what was being talked about him behind his back?

"Achcha tu yahan khadi hai?" Anjie had come searching for her. "Chal kuchch kha le, phir tujhe JS chhodke mein ghar chali jaaungi, Jeeja ji to kabke chale gaye...chal do niwale hi kha le, tera mein kuchh nahi sunungi..."

"Nahin yaar..." Nidhi was still protesting when Anjie forcibly fed her a few morsels of dinner. "Achcha, kal Dr Bharati ke yahan appointment hai na? Phir se daant milegi nahin to..."

Ashutosh tiptoed to his bedroom in the dead of night, opened the door to his room and leaned against it, trying unsuccessfully to control his emotions. Yes, it had been hard to be indifferent to Nidhi...was he going back to his Dr Heartstone avatar? Tears flowed unabashedly as he remembered walking away from her, even when she had been so lonely in the entire party.

"Ashu, tu aa gaya beta? BB had called softly. "Party kaisi rahi? Dinner kaisa tha?"

"Bhook nahin thi Baba..." Ashutosh hastily wiped his face to some semblance of order, and came out, but his tear stained face was not missed by BB.

"Kya baat hai beta, tu kuchch pareshan hai?

"Party mein Nidhi bhi aayi thi...usse dekhkar dil ke jaise anek tukde ho gaye Baba...Akeli gumsum baithi thi...par mein kya karu...uski khushi ke liye hum dono ko ek doosre se door rehna hoga..."

"tu samajhata hai, tum dono ek doosre se door khush reh sakte ho? Us din mein JS gaya tha na, us din bhi yehi dekha...na woh khush, na tum khush, phir ek doosre se alag kyoun ho beta? Aur ek pate ki baat bataoun, shaadi ek waada hota hai beta...it's a lifetime commitment. Apne jeevansaathi ko saath lekar chalna padta hai. Mallika ke baare mein, sirf itna kahunga ki agar Nidhi ko confidence mein lekar sab kuchh hua hota to achcha hota beta...Tune aaj tak apni zindagi kissi se share nahin ki na, ab tujhe sikhana padega...Nidhi ke saath apni khushi, apne gham, apna pariwaar, yahan tak ki apna wajood bhi share karna padega...Khair ab so ja, raat kaafi ho chuki hai..."

The next day brought on the usual hectic activities, surgeries, meetings, wards, appointments for Ashutosh. He was able to enter his cabin only after lunch, and a small sticky post-it note caught his attention "Nidhi had come today for checkup. She seems fine physically but not mentally. Meet me sometime. Dr Bharati". Ashutosh checked with Dr Ranganath, ensured that he didn't have any urgent appointments in the afternoon, and went to see Dr Bharati.

"Hi Dr Ashutosh, nice to see you here so soon..." Dr Bharati was hell bent on pulling his leg today. "Nidhi had come for a check up today, I tried to contact you but you were in a surgery..."

"That's fine, Dr Bharati, just tell me how is Nidhi doing?"

"Well, she has recovered physically, but psychologically, it will take some time...she has lost something vital in this accident, which has left a huge wound in her psyche...the only way to heal her is to get back what she has lost, and that is..." Dr Bharati paused, not sure about how to put the point across.

"Please be frank Dr Bharati...what is needed to be done for Nidhi?"

"She and you should have a baby!!! That's what has been lost so far, and has left a deep scar on her psyche. And that's the only way it's going to heal, Dr Ashutosh..."

"Did you tell Nidhi all this? What did she say? How did she react?" Ashutosh would have preferred to be elsewhere, doing something else, than discuss his life's private matters with a colleague.

"She looked at me with the world's pain in her eyes...I could see the yearning in her eyes for a child... and for you...I didn't want to poke my nose in your personal life but as Nidhi is my patient, so...I took some liberties...hope you understand?"

"Thank you Dr Bharati... Of course, I understand...Now, I need to go..."Ashutosh was on his feet, just not clear about the future course of action.

Across the city at JS Nidhi was also staring out of the window of her room and thinking about Dr Bharati's suggestion. What a cruel twist of fate, she wanted to forget her love for Ashutosh and here was her doctor's advice of uniting with him once again.

The moon was up in the clear sky and it didn't help matters get any better: Ashutosh tossed restlessly in his bed, unable to sleep...across the city, Nidhi decided to take a small walk in the JS garden after a lot of struggle in the bed when sleep had just refused to comply. She stared up to the clear sky, trying to map various stars and their designs, when she remembered that her mother was one of the stars... DB had consoled her once about the mother that she never knew.

Anjie dropped in the next day morning, "Hi Nidhi!! Kaisi hai tu? Arre kuchch khas nahin, yahan se guzar rahi thi to socha milti chaloo...Aur sun, Armaan ji ke collection mein naye designs aaye hai...dekhegi?

"nahin Anjie...ab mujhe shopping mein koi interest nahin raha...

"Achha theek hai, par mera selection dekh to sakti hai na? Yeh dekh, latest lucknow chikan work ka kurta..aur yeh saree... yaar isme moti lage hote to kitna achcha hota na...

Anjie went on enthusiastically while Nidhi was lost...gone were the days when she oozed enthusiasm and chirpiness...there were days when she had shopped till she was about to drop and then asked for more...

"Achcha chal, mein chalti houn...bahut der ho gayi...Uncle ko yeh designs dikhane hai...Woh intezaar kar rahe honge..

" Theek hai mein tujhe neeche gate tak chhodane aati houn..."

On her way to the gate Anjie, wearing high heels, miscalculated the gait angle and tripped heavily on one of the bricks lining the garden. "Oye, sambhalke yaar..." Nidhi cried in alarm as Anjie overbalanced and landed heavily on her back.

One of the nurses ran towards Anjie as Nidhi ran inside to get a wheelchair, "Anjie ji aap theek to hai na? Aaram se uthiye...aaram se...kahin chot to nahi aayee na? Anjie tried to get up, gave a small cry of pain and sat down heavily again, "mere pair mein moch aa agayi hai...owww...Nidhi..."

"Koi badi baat nahin, sirf ek mamuli si moch hi to hai Anjie..." Nidhi had quickly checked out on Anjie. A vague memory had stirred in somewhere, when Anjie and she had played a joke on Dr Ashutosh, claiming fracture and what not, so that he would come for Anjie's haldi. Nidhi smiled sadly, when she recollected his concerned and worried expression, which had fast turned into unbelievable anger as he discovered the prank.

"Kahan kho gayi?" Anjie nudged her, "Aur ab mein gaadi kaise chalaungi? Dekh, mera pair kaise soojh raha hai.."

"Theek hai, mein tujhe chhod deti houn, wahan se wapas riksha mein aa jaoungi..."

And they had embarked, with Nidhi driving the car and Anjie sitting in the passenger seat, nursing her ankle in her hand and moaning simultaneously. Her shopping bags were deposited on the back seat.

Ashutosh had also been driving at the same time, having picked up Armaan from his house for dropping at his studio. This had been one of his worst days, with his car developing slight starting hiccups and Armaan's presence had just not helped. Armaan had initially tried to lighten up the mood but gave up soon after a glimpse of Ashutosh's poker faced expression and monosyllable replies.

"Ashutosh!!! Abe dekh ke chala yaar..." Armaan had screamed, as Ashutosh swung the car around a blind turn practically on two wheels and hit another car coming from the opposite side.

There was a mixed cacophony of squealing tyres and screeching brakes as both cars came to a shuddering halt, their bonnets entwined with each other. Ashutosh unbelted himself and leapt outside for damage assessment and stared with utter disbelief on the driver of the other car, who was slowly emerging out. Passersby and onlookers had started gathering and speculating, the siren of an approaching police car could be heard at a distance.

It was Anjie's car, driven by Nidhi!! Both had come out of the car and were standing with their heads bowed as Ashutosh raged,

"Aapki ankhen to theek hai? lagata hai aap accidents karane me maahir hai!! Ab chaliye zara apna licence nikaliye..."

"Arre Ashu, saamne dekh to zara aur phir baat kar, tu hosh mein to hai?" Armaan was trying to get some sense into Ashutosh. Ashutosh gave him a look, which said, let me handle this my way.

" Mera licence? Woh to..." Nidhi stammered, "mere ghar par hai..."

"To bina licence ki gaadi chala rahi thi aap?" Armaan, can you please drive Anjie's car and take her home? Aur aap, zara mere saath police station chaliye..." and took her arm firmly in his grip.

OK BOSS!!! Armaan nodded with understanding and gestured for Anjie to get back in her car, backed it carefully and drove off.

Ashu dragged Nidhi towards his car, plonked her in the passenger seat and drove away. There was a tremendous turmoil of thoughts in Nidhi's head, "So, what Anjie had said was right after all...he has become Dr Heartstone..." she glanced sideways at him but saw no hope, no mercy, no recognition there. What a royal mess she had gotten into, tiny beads of sweat broke on her forehead and hands as these thoughts reverberated in her mind.

She tried a last ditch effort, not withstanding a forbidden look from him, "Dr Ashutosh...mujhe kahan le ja rahe hain aap?"

"Wahin jahan tumhe bahut pehle lekar jaana chahiye tha! Aur ab muh se ek awaaz bhi nikali to mujhse bura aur koi nahi hoga... ab chup!!" Ashutosh's expression was murderous.

The car took a gracious turn and stopped at his house. Ashutosh unbelted himself, switched off the engine, removed his car keys, opened his door, ran and opened the passenger door before Nidhi could open it herself. He took her arm and dragged her to his house, as Nidhi desperately protested,

"Mujhe yahan kyoun le aaye aap? Woh bhi is tarah? Kissi padosi ne dekh liya to..."

"Maine kahan, keep quiet, or else...!!"

Ashutosh dragged her, half running, half stumbling, into his living room and dumped her on the sofa. Nidhi landed up haphazardly, and tried to collect her dupatta for some semblance of dignity, when he spoke in a voice that chilled her to the bone.

"Ab mere sawalon ke jawab do...!!!