FF - Destiny's Play (5) Epilogue Page 94 NOTE Pg 135 - Page 69

Epilogue

About a year later:

His shoes pounded on the concrete as his muscle toned legs ate up the distance and brought him closer to his home. Ashutosh loved running and considered it one of the best forms of exercises. And early morning was the best time for him. His mind would be fresh and clear and with Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia's early morning raga plugged to his ears through his iPod, things couldn't get better. He could sense a change in the sky in the east and the roads becoming brighter with each passing minute. He turned his head east and saw that dawn had broken. The sky in the opposite direction was still dark, but in the east, a mixture of yellow and orange on the horizon had begun to evaporate the inky darkness of the night. Against the tri-coloured rainbow sky, trees, power-lines, and the roofs of houses were like shadows. A smile adorned his hot, sweaty face. Yes. Life was great indeed.

He slowed down as he neared the main gate of his house and finally came to a stop with one hand resting on the iron railings. His house. His home. He and Nidhi had shifted to his childhood house soon after their marriage almost seven months back. Nidhi along with her friend Anji had redecorated the whole house and he had to hand it to them. They had managed to make it modern and stylish without losing its original elegance. Maybe it had something to do with the colour scheme and the furniture they had chosen. His eyes had almost popped out at some of the colours that had been short listed at that time but he had to admit. The end result was truly beautiful. A house that truly felt like home. Taking in a deep peaceful breath, he opened the gate and walked up the path that led to the main door. And every evening / night he returned tired from work, that was what it had felt like. A home. His home. His heaven. He inserted the key and opened the door. The blare of loud music brought his peaceful thoughts to a screeching halt. And his hell. Was his first thought.

He stomped into the house a scowl darkening on his face with his every step. He saw HK in the kitchen with cotton stuffed in his ears and locked his jaw.

"NIDHI! NIDHI! LOWER THE VOLUME PLEASE!"

He might as well have saved his breath. He couldn't even hear himself. Everything was drowned in Mohit Chauhan's "Naadan parindey ghar aaja..naadan parindey ghar aaja..oh naadaaan.." With a foul curse, he threw his iPod in the chair and climbed the stairs two at a time. Stairs that led to the first floor of their house which had a study and two bedrooms. The music as usual was coming from one of the second bedroom which was not used much except by Nidhi while she exercised. He threw the door open.

Nidhi in the costume of black sports bra and tight dark pink shorts that she wore while she did her aerobics was twisting and bending and stretching in rhythm to the music. A fine bead of sweat had formed all over her body giving a glossy sheen to it. But Ashutosh barely paid attention to those details as he barged in and pulled the plug out of the power socket. The sudden silence was as deafening as the loud music of A.R. Rahman. Nidhi frowned and stopped.

"Why did you do that?"

"Is it really necessary to blast the walls of this house with such loud music? Can't you plug it in your ears or something?"

"How would I do that? They keep falling off when I bend and stretch."

"You think you are the only one living in this house? Kaka has started stuffing cotton in his ears."

Nidhi had the gall to smile. "Good na. I gave him that idea when he said his ears are hurting."

Ashutosh's anger went up by a few more notches. "And you think I should also be doing the same."

"Sometimes your brain works sharp even away from the hospital Dr Ashutosh Mathur."

"I like my mornings to be quiet and peaceful. Is that too much to ask Dr Nidhi Mathur?"

Nidhi glowered back at him. "Then do your running for some more time na. I exercise only for 30 minutes. And I want music for those 30 minutes."

"Then listen to something pleasant."

"Yes. I can see myself doing aerobics with MS Subbalakshmiji's bhajan playing in the background."

"You are making fun of my choice of music?" He threw the towel with which he had been wiping his face and neck.

"No. You are the one doing that. You just don't want to accept that you have started to like my choice of music. And..exercise."

Ashutosh rolled his eyes. "Oh please!"

Nidhi's eyes lit up in challenge. She slowly made her way to the player feeling his eyes that seemed to have locked on her shorts encased backside and bare legs. "Shall I prove it Dr Mathur?" And played another song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Fz2GXx9Qsw

He turned towards her as he heard the first strings of guitar. The volume got toned down a little and he watched his wife assume a traditional salsa dance position. He had not even known that she could do salsa until after their marriage and it never failed to turn him on. Now was no different. Lot of people described salsa as fun, cool and energetic. But to him..when Nidhi danced.. it was hot, sexy and seductive. She twisted and twirled around him, bent almost into an inverted U with the support of his arm. The costume of black and dark pink only added to that seductive allure. His fingers traced her contours almost involuntarily as his eyes devoured the way she knelt in front of him with both her legs stretched to a straight line before rising up on her toes and falling on his chest with both her arms around his neck. His rough palms tightened on her waist as he lifted her up with ease and threw her over his shoulder; the music and the argument forgotten by both of them as familiar heat enveloped and flared their insides.

Nidhi gave a startled squeak as her world suddenly turned upside down and she found herself dangling from his shoulder, her face touching his mid back.

"That song is all wrong." He growled as he made his way into the huge bathroom.

She giggled and ran her fingers over the back of his thighs before venturing into his running shorts. She felt him shudder but he didn't release his hold on her until he had the shower running. Then with both arms wrapped around her waist, he drew her in front of him until their faces were inches apart and she had both her legs wrapped around his waist, arms around his neck. Water sluiced on them.

"Why is the song all wrong?"

"Because.." he bit her chin. "Because.." his lips and tongue traced and tasted her neck. "I am already yours. Ek din tera hojaunga nahi.. hogaya."

And the salsa dance changed to the dance of love.

****

Nidhi pushed him aside from the full length mirror. "Hatiye.. I need to get ready or we'll end up being late for the conference."

Ashutosh gave her an exasperated look. "You hogged the mirror for twenty minutes. How much longer do you need? Let me brush my hair."

Giving up on trying to move the six feet of muscle, she stood in front of him to adjust her sari pleats. "What do I do? You got my hair wet in the shower."

The ringing of the phone put an effective end to another brewing argument. Anji had been right, Nidhi thought. Being in love was one thing but living together day in and day out was a totally different thing. From food to sleep timings to music they fought and argued for everything. She saw him picking up the phone with the frown still lingering on his face. But she wouldn't trade a single second of it. Life with love sure was funny that way. They drove each other crazy on a daily basis but thrived every minute of their life together.

"Haan Armaan bol."

"Ashu, tell Nidhi that I have booked the tickets for the movie this weekend."

Ashu glared at his wife's excited face. "Movie? What movie?"

"Ek Villian."

"I'm not coming. You and Nidhi go."

"Mere baap, aisa mat bol. I have no desire to start another gossip in KGH. Aur waise bhi you and Kavita come to the theatre and sleep anyway. So what difference does it make? You guys sleep and we will watch."

Ashutosh sighed. "You could have chosen a better movie."

"Oye, this month is our choice. Last time had been yours. We shut our mouths and sat through Gravity, didn't we?"

Ashutosh looked at the watch. "OK, fine. I'll tell her. Got to go now."

"She is also coming to that conference?"

"Yup. In Lucknow so we'll be back home after dinner."

"Lucky you. My wife being a non-doctor runs in the opposite direction. Conference ho ya party, I end up going alone." He sighed theatrically before starting, "sunn raha hain na tu..ro raha hu mein.."

"Bye Armaan!" He stuffed the phone into his trouser pocket. "Ab chale? Ya aur bhi sajna sawarna baaki hain?"

Nidhi gave a final adjustment to her pallu and mangalsutra before turning to him. She rose on her toes, kissed his beard rough cheek before adjusting his tie. "All set."

****

CV opened the door and his face split into a huge smile. "Arre, Chaturvediji, welcome! Welcome! Please come! Namaste bhabhiji! What a pleasant surprise! Bua! Bua, look who has come!"

The couple entered and took their seats and got up again as DB entered the room. "Arre, aap log! Namaste Namaste. Baitiye. Abe manhoos! Chai naashte ka intezaam kar!"

Chaturvedi shook his head. "Please, no formalities."

"Arre aise kaise? We had been neighbours until you people bought that huge apartment and shifted. And you've come after so long." DB turned towards CV. "The last we saw them was at Nidhi's wedding, right?"

Chaturvedi smiled and agreed. "Yes buaji. You are right. And now, we have come to invite you to our daughter's wedding."

A huge round of exclamations and best wishes were passed around before they settled and resumed the conversation. Mrs Chaturverdi looked at the various pictures of Nidhi scattered around the hall. Some single and some with Ashutosh, presumably taken during their honeymoon. That didn't look like India. Curiosity got the better of her as she asked, "That one..it's not in India, right?" She pointed towards the snap where the couple with wide smiles on their faces were facing the camera with the backdrop of some forest.

CV smiled. "Yes. They had gone to Africa for their honeymoon. That one is one of the many taken during the wildlife safari."

DB couldn't help grumbling. "Yeh ladki bhi na. Rat lagake baiti thi ki jangal mein honeymoon manana hain."

Mrs Chaturvedi smiled a little sneeringly. "So she is still with her husband?" At DB's startled look, she hastily continued, "I mean..what with the age difference and all. Dono ko ek saath dekhe toh saaf dikhta haina. Ajeeb lagta hoga aaplogon ko bhi." She tried to appear sympathetic and failed miserably while her husband looked as if he wanted the ground to open up and swallow him whole.

DB blinked and grinned. "Humaari baat chodo. Apni sunao. You are getting your daughter married. It's great actually. You are doing a good thing. What with your son leaving his wife and marrying the maid and all.."

The couple paled at that. Things moved rapidly. They invited CV and DB for the wedding and took their leave even before CS could bring the tea and snacks. CV looked at their departing car and sighed. "Bua, you shouldn't have said that."

DB scowled. "Why? She was being nasty and I just gave her a taste of her own medicine. You think I would really keep quiet if someone dares to point fingers at my Nidhi?" She shook her head. "I still don't like what she did. And on top of that, she refused to eat until I agreed for this match. That girl outright blackmailed me."

CV laughed but quickly turned it into a cough. "Accept it bua. You have begun to like Ashutosh."

DB shook her head. "I just hope and pray that he takes good care of my bachchi. I don't want or expect anything else from him. Abe manhoos! Did you bring the mangoes from the market like I asked you to? I told jamaibabu that I would send his favourite achaar." CV chuckled and went in to get ready to go to his office.

****

Ashutosh and Nidhi reached the conference hall and parted ways. Ashutosh went towards Dr Bhargav and a few other colleagues while Nidhi made her way to Dr Sunil and a few other doctors from CCH. Sunil's smile widened as he saw her. "Hey Nidhi, good morning."

"Good morning sir. Hello Keerthi."

Sunil gestured towards another elderly person standing beside him. "Nidhi, meet Dr Sundaram. He is from Chennai and has worked in KGH until a few years back." He grinned at Dr Sundaram. "And this is Dr Nidhi Mathur, Neurologist at CCH and Dr Ashutosh's wife."

"Hello sir." Nidhi smiled warmly and shook hands with the doctor who seemed to try hard not to look stupefied.

Sunil chuckled. "Don't mind him Nidhi. He is still trying to recover from the shock of Heartstone getting married."

Dr Keerthi couldn't resist saying, "Sunil, you were in no better shape when you got the news first either. I can still remember the way you kept blinking and looking at them when Dr Ashutosh had come to pick up Nidhi from CCH for the first time all those months ago."

Sunil acknowledged that gracefully. "I was justified in my reaction Keerthi. I mean come on, I come out of the OT and see him walking towards me.. I thought he had come to see some patient or something and then he says I came to pick up Nidhi. I mean..what was I to say?"

Nidhi laughed. "Sir, you actually asked him pick up Nidhi? Why?"

Sundaram threw back his head and laughed out loud. "Really? What did Heartstone say to that?"

Sunil looked sheepish. "He said, for dinner and dancing. Do I need to take your permission?" He could see Ashutosh's expression clearly. The impassive face daring him.. even waiting for him to say more.

Keerthi choked on her coffee. "Dinner and..dancing? Nidhi, your husband dances?"

Nidhi giggled. "No. Not much anyway."

"That was just to get a reaction out of me Keerthi. He must've thought if he said just dinner I would ask another silly question."

Sundaram grinned. "That sounds like Heartstone alright. Is Dr Mallika still at KGH Dr Nidhi?"

"No sir. She left for Australia a few months back. Her brother lives there so.." Nidhi shrugged and left it at that.

Sundaram nodded before turning to Sunil. "Mallika and Ashutosh had been great friends when I had been working in KGH. We used to meet them at the classical music concerts and all that. Lot of us thought they would get marri.." Apparently realizing that he has just managed to put his whole foot in his mouth, he gave an awkward smile and excused himself with undue haste.

With a reassuring smile at Nidhi, Sunil also ambled off in another direction leaving an uncomfortable silence between the women. Nidhi took a deep breath. "Shall we go?"

Keerthi nodded. "Yeah, sure. Ummm.. is that true?"

Nidhi tried her best to cover the sudden streak of insecurity that seemed to slither over her spine. She shrugged. "They were just good friends. Nothing more, nothing less."

"Oh OK. But Dr Sundaram was saying.."

"Both of them had similar tastes in music and stuff like that. What's the big deal Keerthi?"

Keerthi had the grace to look abashed. "Sorry. I was being my usual nosy self. Didn't mean anything." Nidhi smiled gracefully and both of them made their way into the conference hall. "I do understand the concept of friendship, you know? My best friend is a guy. My neighbour and classmate in school. So believe me, I know that gender doesn't matter. Dr Ashutosh must be missing her na. Especially if their tastes and preferences matched and all that.." Keerthi continued her monologue about her friends and get-togethers until the welcome speech started. Nidhi couldn't help but be relieved. But the question refused to leave her. Did he miss his friend?

****

Ashutosh idly wondered why people assumed that if they just toned their volume down, no one else would be able to hear them? The doctors who were seated behind him weren't even pretending to hear the welcoming speech. Agreed that it was not in the least bit interesting but still.. No. They were deep in discussion about his personal life. Don't they get bored? What business is it of theirs anyway? But their sotto comments continued to reach him.

"I really didn't know Dr Nidhi is his wife. She looks so young."

"She is young. Fifteen years younger than him. He fell in love with an intern and married her."

"Well good that he married her I suppose. Instead of having an affair and ditching. It's not unheard of na."

"Yeah..but how do they even get along I wonder! These days people consider five years as a generation gap."

"And..what about children? She can afford to wait for a few more years but he.."

Ashutosh had had enough. He turned towards them. "Yes. After a few years, I would probably end up looking more like their grandfather than a father." They paled and then turned red. But he achieved what he wanted. Blessed silence. He just wished it had been that easy to silence the questions running through his mind too.

****

Nidhi opened the door and entered to a silent house. She frowned and looked at her watch. 9.30 PM. Not that late. Ashutosh hadn't stayed at the conference. Post lunch, he had a call that one of the patients he had operated on had taken a bad turn so he had rushed back to KGH. HK came out of the kitchen.

"Kaka, I saw his car outside. Is he back?"

"Yes. He came about an hour ago. How did you come?"

"Dr Sunil dropped me. He had his dinner?"

HK shook his head. "He lost a patient today. I forced him and made him drink a glass of milk. He is very disturbed beti."

Nidhi's heart squeezed. She should've called and checked. "He is upstairs?"

"Yes. I told him to call Armaan or someone and talk it out. He would feel better. But he said Nidhi will be back soon kaka. I think he will be OK once he knows you're here beti. Go."

The weight pressing on her chest eased and she smiled. She wished kaka goodnight and went upstairs. The light in the study was on. She quickly went to the bedroom, freshened up and changed into her favourite nightwear. His t-shirt. She entered the study room quietly.

"Nidhi.." His deep rough baritone reached her. He was standing at the window with his back to her, staring into the dark night.

Her bare feet padded on the floor as she went and wrapped her arms around his waist. "You should've called. I would've come na."

He sighed and leaned into her hug. "There was nothing you could've done."

Nidhi didn't agree but didn't push him further. "You did the best you could Ashutosh."

"I just..I wasn't expecting it. I thought he would pull through. It was a benign tumour Goddammit!" He smashed his fist against the wall beside the window. His helplessness eating him away.

She caught his fist in her hand before he could actually hurt himself. "Shhh..it's OK. It's OK." She led him to their bedroom and he settled himself with his head in her lap, a weary sigh escaping his lips. Nidhi ran her fingers through his greying hair. They remained that way for a long while.

He turned and hid his head in her tummy. "Thank God you're here Nidhi. Earlier something like this used to happen and I just..I used to feel so alone. I couldn't even talk to anyone. The guilt and the what if scenarios used to smother me until I could barely breathe." He looked into her love-filled eyes. "Now I feel..I don't feel that way anymore. Thank you."

She leaned down and pecked his lips. "You're very welcome. Now, let's talk about something else. I met your ex-colleague Dr Sundaram today."

"Hmmm..hey how is Anji doing? Scan report all normal?"

Nidhi nodded. "Yeah. Her in-laws want to do the godbharai some time next month." She groaned out in exasperation. "DB is going to eat my head now."

His lips formed a small smile. "What's new in that? Both of you are always eating each other's heads."

Nidhi traced his smile with her fingers and leaned down to peck his lips a little longer this time. He quickly caught hold of her hair and deepened the kiss. Need for air made her moan and pull away a little even as her fingers pulling up his t-shirt. "But she is the heights I tell you. I mean.. can you believe it? She actually asked me when I was going to have kids the day after we got married."

He huffed out a small laugh and sent his fingers exploring under her shirt. "Uh huh. Not after we got married. She waited until after our suhaag raat." Both of them laughed and rolled on the bed with arms wrapped around each other. His restless mind settled down in her presence. In her loving embrace, he forgot everything. Peace permeated every cell of his body. He settled himself over her and his eyes darkened at the instinctive way she wrapped her arms and legs around him.

"But really. What do you think about having kids? We never even talked."

Nidhi leaned up and peppered his face with tiny kisses. "I want two kids. Being an only child is boring."

"Uh..OK..but that wasn't my question."

She pulled his face down to her neck. He gladly obeyed her silent demand. "Hmmm..I don't want to be pregnant.. for..for..uh..m-my first wedding anniversary. Aaah.. Ashutosh!" Her neck arched up as she offered herself like a feast to his starving body and heart.

His passion glazed eyes opened and looked into hers. Their faced flushed. "How about for the second anniversary then?"

She giggled and bit his lower lip softly. "I don't want to be puking for my second anniversary."

"Hmmm..then..we just have to try.." his lips travelled down, further down and further down, making her arch and thrash and try to pull him up and over her. "Have to try and..and cross that stage by then."

"Ouch! Uh..th-that sounds like a plan."

"A wonderful plan indeed!"

"Ashutosh.."

"Nidhi.."

Words became redundant after that as their bodies spoke the universal language of love.

----x----

And that's it. They don't live happily ever after but they live and love together no matter what Destiny decides to throw at them in the coming days / months / years.

Thank you all once again for reading and LIKING this story. Will be waiting to hear from you all on what you think of this Epilogue. Have a great weekend.