What next? FF with the Doc: epilogue page 55 - Page 31

Chapter 17

Days flew by...it was early spring and Nidhi's garden had indeed flourished with new shoots and leaves. The first trimester was over and Nidhi had gotten over her morning sickness and was quite active in her job at JS...Everyone at JS saw to it that she was comfortable with her job, especially Haneefa Bi, who saw to it that Nidhi's pregnancy demands were being catered to promptly. Ashutosh dropped her in the morning and picked her in the evening every day, somehow he did not trust her in travelling alone in the autorickshaw.

It was the dead of night and Nidhi was woken up by the sound of her mobile ringing. It was Mr Rastogi, from JS informing her that one of the inmates, Abdul chacha, had suffered a cardiac arrest and was in a critical state. Nidhi switched on the bed side light and nudged Ashutosh awake.

"Suniye Ji...JS se phone hai...ek emergency hai..." Ashutosh had gotten instantly awake; put on the spectacles and offered, "Chalo, I will drive you there and help you further..."

On reaching JS they immediately put Abdul Chacha on a drip and recommended that he be shifted to the nearby hospital with better facilities. Nidhi dealt with the shifting formalities and Ashutosh called up his contacts at the hospital to facilitate the shifting while also monitoring Abdul Chacha's progress.

It was early morning by the time that they were done. Haneefa Bi got steaming cups of AKC for both and suggested that Nidhi should lie down at least for some time, her feet were getting swollen as she had stood up the whole night. That was when Ashutosh noticed her feet, swollen and painful, which made her walk with a wobble...

"Nidhi..." He walked up to her and caught her arm.

"Kya hua?" Nidhi was busy arranging some medicines in a tray.

"Yahan baitho, kuchh der...saari raat khadi ho..." And he led her to an easy chair in the verandah, made her sit on the chair, pulled her feet and placed them in his lap.

"Chhodiye Ji, yeh aap kya kar rahe hai?" Nidhi was mortified.

"Kuchh nahin, apni biwi ko thoda pamper kar raha houn..." he removed her footwear and started massaging her feet. She knew what kind of magic those slender surgeon's fingers were capable of, they had weaved the same on her body in the past...how many nooks and cranies of her body they had explored that she was totally unaware of...she smiled, content, and relaxed as her eyelids grew heavy and the world switched itself off.

"Nidhi... are your legs still paining?" There was no reply. He looked up sharply and found her fast asleep, with the head reclining on one side, with the rogue lock of hair caressing her cheek. He instinctively reached to relegate it to its proper place and gave up that idea as Nidhi stirred due to discomfort in her legs lying in his lap.

Days flew by...it was the bloom season everywhere. One day Nidhi asked Ashutosh to stop the car near the market wherein colours for the festival of Holi were being sold.

"Ab kya shopping karna hai?" Ashutosh grumbled.

"Suniye Ji, holi hai na...manayenge?" Nidhi pleaded.

"Nidhi..." Ashutosh wanted to counsel her on the safety hazards of holi colours, but then thought the better of it, as she looked at him with "that" expression, which had melted all his resolve earlier, "theek hai, sabhi ke saath manayenge..."

It was a riot of colours...Ashutosh had strictly instructed everyone not to indulge in "colouring" of Nidhi...but DB had still gone ahead and applied some on her cheek. He himself had no idea about the experience of holi and hoped that he would not regret it in future. The colour application had begun with Dr Ranganath applying green on his cheeks with a greeting of "happy holi..." Anjie had joined in applying red across his forehead and he resembled a wounded warrior returned from the battle front. DB had then applied a shocking shade of pink across his cheeks and nose, and he looked as if someone had violated him, well, almost...BB had taken one look at him and burst out laughing, "Ashutosh, look at you!!!" and applied yellow and purple on his hair.

At the end of the day everyone was invariably coloured... Ashutosh the maximum and Nidhi the least...her baby bump was now very prominent with the entry in the fifth month of pregnancy. Even HK had not been spared as he had walked around with a platter of hot pakoras and sweets.

Ashutosh had categorically refused a trial of "Bhang" for himself and Nidhi; BB had supported him. Nidhi had looked forlorn and Anjie had consoled her, "next year yaar...tab to Jeeja Ji ko bhi nahi chhodenge...aur mere nephew ya niece jo bhi aayega, usko bhi..." Nidhi smiled at this.

"Bada Mazaa aaya na...? Nidhi asked as Ashutosh came out of the bathroom after an unsuccessful cleansing session, and further burst out giggling, "Apni shakal dekhi aaine mein? Kissi painter ka canvas lag rahe hai...Eastman colour" and ducked sharply as he threw the towel at her. The colours of holi were stubborn enough and had clung to him despite all attempts at rubbing and scrubbing. "Ab to KGH mein sabko pata chal jayega ki Dr Heartstone ne holi kheli...yeh jo rang hai na, itne jaldi nahin jaane wala..." Nidhi was in a full teasing mood.

"Ha, chidha lo...agar tumhari halat naazuk na hoti to ab tak maine tumhe..."

"To kya kar lete...?" Nidhi dared, with both hands on her hips.

"Dikhaoon...?" Ashutosh cupped her face.

"Ha, ha, dikhaiye Ji..." Nidhi was at her provocative best, in her eyebrows arching and nostrils flaring mode.

Ashutosh grabbed her and kissed her with such a force that she was left breathless. "Yeh to kar sakta houn na?" He enquired softly as the liplock broke to allow for the function of breathing. "Sirf yehi nahin, aap isse zyaada bhi bahut kuchh kar sakte hai Ji... OUCH!!" Nidhi clutched her abdomen, "Yeh aapka beta hai na, ekdum aapka chamcha hai, aapki baate sunte hi shuru ho jaata hai..."

"Itne yaheen ke saath kaise keh sakti ho ki beta hai? Beti bhi to ho sakti hai na? Hey...I want a daughter!!!..." Ashutosh was lost in the vision of a tiny princess as he fondled Nidhi's midriff, "woh kya hai na, tumhare liye iss all male MM mein company bhi rahegi na..."

Days passed, the season of bloom soon gave way to scorching heat, with the accompanying water and power shortages. JS appointed a new part-time doctor, Dr Sumeet, as Nidhi was finding it difficult to handle the responsibilities in a single handed manner. So an arrangement was worked out: Dr Sumeet took care of the the day to day working of JS with Nidhi stepping in only in case of an emergency.

Early one day morning the phone rang at MM. BB put aside the newspaper he had been reading and picked it up.

"Namaste Samadhi Ji..." It was DB at the other end.

"Namaste Samadhan Ji...kaisi hai aap...aur kaise yaad kiya?" BB was at his courteous best towards this relative of his.

"Arre Nidhi ka ab seventh month poora ho raha hai..main janana chahti houn, god bharai ka kya plan hai?" DB was eager.

"Samadhan Ji yahan par to koi ladies nahin hai...ab ki baar to Armaan ki Mataji bhi nahi aa sakti, unki tabeeyat kharab rahti hai..." BB tried to explain.

"Huh, yeh aapka ghar bhi na...meri bachhi ki ek bhi rasm poori hone se rahi..." He could hear her snorting from the other end as she disconnected the phone.

DB was in a foul mood as Shyama and Kapil walked in at the request of Col Verma to handle this tricky domestic situation, which had the potential to become the next apocalypse. She was pacing up and down the hall, with one hand behind her back still holding the cordless, another gesturing widely, and halted abruptly as her eyes fell on CS staring in space somewhere in the kitchen.

"Abbe Manhoos!!! Kya kar raha hai? Abhi tak sabzi nahi kati? Saara kaam mujhe hi karna padta hai aur tu hai ki..." and banged him on the back with the cordless.

"OUUUCH..." CS cried out, rubbing his back after being rudely jerked out of his dream. "Yeh Kya Buaji...kitna sundar sapna tha...woh hamari shaadi ho rahi thi...bas ab dulhan aane hi wali thi ki apne..." DB stopped him with one glare, "Abe manhoos, shaadi to tab karega na, agar zinda raha to...tera aise hi chalta raha na, to Bajrang Bali ki kasam, mein kuchh kar doongi ha..."

Shyama stepped in to end this imbroglio, "Arre Buaji kya hua? Kyoun apna BP badha rahi hai? and gestured CS to vanish from the scene.

"Ha, Abhi Nidhi bhi to nahi hai ghar mein BP check karne ko..." Kapil Solanki joined in, "par baat kya hui jo aap itna pareshan hai?"

"Arre wohi, mein Dr Mathur se pooch rahi thi ki Nidhi ki Godbharai ka kya intezaam hai, to kehte hai, kuchh nahin kyounki ghar mein koi aurat hi nahin hai...bhala yeh kya logic hua? Aur woh Saroj bala, woh beemar padi hai...Meri bachhi ki to ek rasm bhi dhang se nahin hui..." DB grumbled.

"Arre Buaji aap bhi kaisi baatein karti hai...ab unke ghar mein koin ladies hi nahin to...hum hi woh rasm kar dete hai ji..." Shyama was good in pacifying anybody, particularly DB.

"Tu theek kehti hai Shyama...ab woh aur hum ek hi to hai...tu ek achha sa muhurat dekhakar taiyyari shuru kar de... aur unse bhi baat kar lenge ki kaise karni hai..." DB had ultimately announced ceasefire.

"To phir der kahe ki...Bua, aaj hi aap aur Shyama bhabhi unse yahan ho aao, aur poori formalities plan kar lo..." Col Verma was happy to herald an era of peace after war.

"Buaji, to aam ke panne se muh meetha kiya haye?" Chhote Sarkar brought tall glasses filled with sweetened juice of raw mango, tempered with black salt and zeera. He was initially apprehensive of DB's mood, but she had declared non-violence a short while ago.

Shyama aunty and DB had then arrived at MM and chalked out the Godbharai plan with Dr Mathur. "Hamari taraf se kya len-den ki formalities honi chahiye, Samadhan Ji? Waise, maine Nidhi se kaha tha apne liye ek saari lene ko..woh to usne le li hai..ab aur kya karna hoga?

"Aur kuchh nahi Mathur sahib, baki hum sab kar lenge...ek shagun ki saree kafi hai, magar aap bahu to kuchh aur dena chahe to de sakte hai...to phir yeh pakka raha? Ab main achha sa muhurat dekh leti houn..." Both Shyama and DB left at a cordial note.

Nidhi's godbharayi was a grand affair, the entire MM was decorated with lights, candles and flowers. Ashutosh had specifically asked Nidhi if she wanted another saree or anything else as a gift from him for this occasion, she had refused and settled for a saree which they had bought earlier. On the day of the function, as she was getting ready, Anjie had peeped in,

"Hi, would be mother!!! Kaisi ho...?"

"Tu wahan khadi khadi kya dekh rahi hai, under aa, mujhe yeh saree ke pleats bana kar de, I can't bend down!!" Nidhi was exasperated by the size of her girth and physical inabilities.

"Theek hai, waise yeh kaam to Jeeja Ji ka hona chahiye na...bulaoun unhe? Anjie poked Nidhi, ducked as Nidhi raised her hand and sat down and started working on Nidhi's saree. "Tu thehar ja, idiot, tera bhi waqt aayega..." Nidhi swore to her and directed further, "accha chal, yeh itna bada pallu chahiye, DB ke clear instructions hain..."

"Ab tujhe dekhuon..." Anjie started, and looked at Nidhi as she was decked up and ready for the function. Nidhi looked celestial, sporting a huge baby bump, decked in a leaf green saree with a cream colour border, a matching blouse and bindi. Around her slender neck she wore a pearl set with a green pendant matched with green eardrops, flowers adorned her hair which was tied in a ponytail, it was a hot day after all. Pearl bangles alternating with green glass bangles completed the show on her slender wrists which ended in hands with an ornate mehendi design on them.

"Tu bahut cute lag rahi hai yaar... tuzhe kisiki nazar na lage..." Anjie hastily put a dot of kajal behind Nidhi's earlobe and blinked rapidly to clear her tears.

"Arre Bachchiyon...ho gaya kya? Panditji aake baithe hai..." DB hurried over to them. She along with Shyama and CS had come in early to oversee the pooja arrangements. Anjie led Nidhi to the function venue: Pandit Ji had arranged for an elaborate pooja with fruits and flowers around a small idol of Lord Krishna. The pooja began with Pandit Ji blessing Nidhi with motherhood and proceeded further with chanting of Holy Scriptures interspersed with pouring of ghee in the holy fire. Then sometime Ashutosh was called in for the part wherein the husband is needed, he came and sat next to Nidhi for his part of formalities.

Finally the pooja was over and Pandit Ji signalled for the Ladies to begin their function. Nidhi was asked to sit with her pallu loosened on her lap, and then DB and Shyama Aunty did a small aarti for Nidhi, fed her sweet and placed the idol of Lord Krishna in her pallu. They were followed by Anjie and then by other ladies, who fed her sweet, gave her gifts and showered her with blessings.

Soon the function was over, the guests had all departed and Nidhi was bone tired. DB had stayed back to help with the clearing up of the pooja. MM was quiet and BB silently approached Nidhi as she relaxed on the sofa minus the grand livery of the function, "Beta main bhi tumhe kuchh dena chahta tha...magar woh ladies function tha na...kya ab de sakta houn?"

"Baba ab yeh kya?" Ashutosh had overheard all this.

"Arre kuchh nahin beta, shagun hai..." BB picked up Nidhi's hands and placed a pair of gold kadas in them, "tumhari ma ke the...and now they are yours..."

Nidhi tenderly looked on the kadas...and touched them to her forehead. She went to her Mom's framed photograph with the kadas in hand, "Ma, I know you are looking at me from the heavens...this is the time when a woman needs blessings from her mother...please be with me when I embark on this journey of motherhood myself...please Ma...and bless your grandchild..."