Ashni TS: The other side of you; Epilogue Pg 5 - Page 4

Dr Ashutosh went back home after dropping both of them and somewhere inside his heart he was relieved that he could help her when she needed him...otherwise he wouldn't have been able to forgive himself. While lying down he kept on recollecting the events that happened this evening... more than the evening it was Nidhi and her innocent face that kept on flashing in front of his eyes as soon as he closed them. Why was he thinking about her so much...its not the first time that an intern has joined his hospital...its not the first time he had helped someone...then what was so different this time which is making him think about her? He thought. But there was definitely something that was attracting him towards her and he needs to keep his feelings in check as she is just an intern...just like any other intern working there.

Then he thought about Rocky and what he was trying to do with her...the very thought of him filled him with rage and he decided to punish him well for his deeds. He went off to sleep with this decision in his mind and next morning as always he was there in the hospital on time. He saw Rocky there who had reported onto his duty...seeing him he was very angry as there was no sign of repent on his face for his actions the previous evening. He asked him to come to his office after the rounds and Rocky smiled and agreed to meet him later which made him more angry and he was determined to teach him a lesson.

After the rounds he went to his office and asked Rocky to come inside...to his surprise he came inside with his father Mr Malhotra who was the trustee in this hospital. He greeted Dr Ashutosh and told him that he had come here because he felt his son was being punished for something he had not done. Dr Ashutosh now understood the reason why he had no guilt for his wrong doings as he believed his father would save him as he was a trustee in the hospital. He asked him what was the matter and why is his son called up to meet him in the office as he has not done anything wrong. Dr Ashutosh was surprised to know that his father was supporting him in this...he asked him whether he was aware what his son had done? He told him that Rakesh was trying to do away with a characterless girl who was after him since many years and now that her desperation had grown to this extent that she ended up trying to be physical with him...he was trying to control her and in this attempt only he pushed her away and she fell down in the pool...so whats his mistake in all this? It's the fault of that girl and not him and she shall be punished rather.

Ashutosh was furious to know that he had cooked up a story in front of his father and being the trustee of the hospital...he didn't even bother to try and find out the truth and here he was sitting in front of him and supporting him. He told him what actually had happened there and that he himself was the witness to the entire incident. But still Mr Malhotra wasn't ready to believe him and wanted Dr Ashutosh to let him go back to his duty as nothing happened at all...and also take steps to punish that girl. Dr Ashutosh told him that he would have to face suspension and that he can't be forgiven for what he had done...as it was about the dignity of a girl with whom he had misbehaved...he wont tolerate anything of this sort in his hospital.

Mr Malhotra warned him that he was the trustee in this hospital and he would have to face the consequences if he suspended his son...as he wasn't above the trustee in the hospital. But Dr Ashutosh made it clear to him that no trustee was above a girl's dignity and knew what Rocky ...as he preferred to be called in the hospital...had done...there was no way that he could be forgiven for his acts and he handed over the suspension letter to him. Mr Malhotra warned him that very soon he would realize his mistake and would have to apologize for his behavior in front of him and his son and was about to leave the office when the door opened and Nidhi entered inside. Everyone was surprised to see her there especially Dr Ashutosh who had asked her not to come to the hospital today. He asked her why was she there when she was asked to take a leave and she told him that she needed to be there as she herself wanted to punish Rocky for what he had done.

Mr Malhotra was surprised to see that Nidhi was the girl with whom his son had misbehaved...Tum yahan...? He asked her.

Nidhi: jee Sir main...main hi wo ladki hu jiske saath aap ke bte ne wo ghatiya harkat ki hai...

Ashutosh: aap ek dusre ko jaante hain?

Nidhi: haan Sir...jab main aur Rakesh urf Rocky MBBS kar rahe the ...us college ke bhi yeh Sir trustee the... Ab to inhe samajh aa gaya hoga ki inke bte ne mere saath wo sab kyun kiya...yaad hai na Sir... pointing towards Mr Malhotra.

Mr Malhotra recollected the time when Rakesh was punished because of Nidhi and he had promised to take revenge one day from her...now he realized that whatever Dr Ashutosh was saying was right and his son had just cooked up a story in front of him to avoid suspension. He was very angry and he slapped his son and asked him to leave from there at once as it was him because of whom everything had happened and he is ashamed now to even call him his son. He apologized to Dr Ashutosh and Nidhi and was about to leave when Ashutosh told him that he should try and find out the truth before coming to any conclusion as every girl needs to be respected...here it was Nidhi...he knew about her since many years...but what if it was any other girl...then his son would have taken his father and that girl for granted...he cant tolerate any such behavior from anyone and he was ready to face any consequences for what was right. Mr Malhotra thanked him and apologized once again and left the hospital and the post of the trustee as he wasn't able to face this disrespect because of his son.

After he left he asked Nidhi why did she come to the hospital...she told him that she knew that Rocky was the son of the hospital's trustee and he would be creating problems for him. She had seen his unreasonable support for Rocky earlier as well and she narrated that incident that happened in their college days... She told him that she wont let him face any untoward consequences when he was the one who saved her when she needed him. Ashutosh told her that he doesn't care about such things and he won't tolerate any such behavior from any one ever in his life. He asked her to go home and relax and report to duty the next day on time. she smiled to him and was about to leave when she turned around...

Nidhi: Sir aapse ek baat kehni thi...

Ashutosh: kahiye Dr Nidhi...

Nidhi: Sir sab log kehte hain ki aap bahut strict hain aur sab aap se bahut darte hain...lekin agar koi aap ka yeh roop dekhe to unhe samajh aayega ki aap waise nahi hain...aap ek bahut ache insaan hain jo doosron ki madad karna chahte hain... Thank you so much Sir...meri madad karne ke liye...

Ashustosh: chehre pe mat jaiye Dr Nidhi...chehra kabhi sach nahi batata... Koi nahi jaanta ki is chehre ke peeche kitne dard hain jo is dil mein chhupa kar rakhe hain...(his eyes turning moist)

Nidhi: Sir ...aap theek hain...

Ashutosh: main theek hu ...aap jaiye Dr Nidhi...mujhe bahut kaam hai...

She nodded and moved out of the room and Ashutosh stood there thinking about all his fears and pains that he faced since his childhood...after so many years someone had talked about him as a person at heart...otherwise no one ever cared to look behind his straight face. There Nidhi stood outside thinking about those tears that came into his eyes...she realized that whatever Deepa said was right...he definitely has a dreadful past and he needs to come out of it. He needed her help in this and she would do anything to make this happen...she decided in her mind and left from there...relieved that she could be there on time and help Dr Ashutosh...otherwise that trustee would have definitely created troubles for him.