OS - Baat Ek Raati Ki... Part 5 Page 109 Nov 24 - Page 49

Originally posted by: -deepali17-

I thought you were going to a night time update .. Chalo koi nahi ... Subhodayam..

Originally posted by: jyotinayana

Not able to post a review on Kindle when I click on the book I get a message already purchased and then at the end can only rate the book which I have already done tell me how to go about this

Part Four

Ashutosh knew where to find her. Maybe it was instinct or a gut feeling. Whatever, he took determined steps towards the college library and that stone bench where they had sat and talked just a few days back. Sure enough, he found her sitting at the same spot. "Nidhi.."

Nidhi stood up, her whole demeanour screaming agitation. "Why did you come here?"

"I wanted..want to be with you."

"You want to be with me or you want me to forgive you for whatever happened? You feel guilty and want absolution?"

Ashutosh smiled sadly as he took a step closer to her. "Yes, I feel guilty. There is no way in hell that I can ever forgive myself for happened during that time so I don't expect you to either. Not just that night but every single thing that happened after the night that I went out to get that ice cream for you. The night you walked out had been a culmination of every single crime I had committed until then. I won't hide behind the excuse of lacking a female influence in my life. Fact is I loved you, married you and abused you and your trust in me and our relationship. There is no excuse for that. So I offer you none. The word sorry doesn't mean anything here Nidhi." His eyes seemed to be lost in the surrounding greenary. "I broke one of the most important of the marriage vows. There is no excuse for that. And I have been punished for that. Not knowing where you were, how you were..I died Nidhi. Minute by excruciating minute I died."

Her knees gave away and she sat back down on the bench. "And that house? Why did you give me that? You think it will make me feel secure if I had a house under my name?"

Ashutosh shook his head. "I married you but you never had that sense of belonging." He caught her startled look and his smile turned wry. "Eighteen months is a long time to reflect on my behaviour Nidhi. On my arrogance. On my failure as a husband and a lover. You gave me that sense of belonging but never got it from me. Everything that happened, everything that I did..took away what little security you felt."

"Then why the house? Why now?"

"That house had always been yours. It was one of the many things that were snatched away from you. I could've prevented it. Just like I could've done a lot of other things." He shook his head. "I can't undo the other things." The eyes that looked at her were glazed. "And there is no home for me without you Nidhi. I meant what I said. If you sold it off today, it wouldn't matter to me. Not like I thought it would." His gaze slid away from hers to ask the one important question. "Why didn't you divorce me Nidhi? What stopped you?" Every time the doorbell rang stark fear had choked him that maybe that was the day he would be served with the papers.

She had asked that question to herself countless times. "I don't know. Initially I had been too raw on the inside. I tried my level best not to think about..about you. I clung to my studies as a diversion tactic and that became a norm." And then there was..." She sighed tiredly and shook her head.

"There was... what? Mallika? It's alright Nidhi. At this point I want you to tell me what you feel... I promise this time... from now on I will listen."

Nidhi gave him a searing look as if she wanted to bore into his brain and see if he meant what he said. Finally nodding, "Well... then there was Dr. Mallika. I didn't want to give an opportunity to her to go ahead with her intentions. I was badly hurt, angry but I was also damn jealous of her and... and maybe even feared her too, feared her effect on you. No way was I going to hand things on a platter to her, no way was I going to let her win so easily... and later.. later by the time I came to know she left, like I said, studying and avoiding the issue just became a norm." She glanced at him once. "I... I am not proud of those feelings I had as if.. as if our marriage was a game, as if you were some prize but..." She shrugged. "Initially I felt bad at her condition but... but later her actions completely wiped out..." She paused again. What was the use of rehashing the past. "What do you want from me now? Why did you come here?

That abrupt shift from past to present was not lost on Ashutosh. True to his word he listened without interrupting as if he instinctively knew it was important to draw this venom out of Nidhi's system. But her brief glance in his direction showed him much more. In that instant he saw her eyes had glazed over with remembered pain, so much that she could not complete her remaining sentences. Did she even realize what her mouth denied to utter her face expressed it? He thought not! So much pain and he had put it there, he didn't like it one bit! And he was more determined than ever to wipe all that and bring back that precious smile to her face. From now on there was nothing to say but he will show her how different things are going to be. He knew Nidhi was waiting for an answer but he will have to tread very carefully.

"I just..want to be able to see you. I won't lie to you. I love you. I want you back in my life. As my lover, my wife. And I will do everything in my power to make it happen. To win your trust again. To win your heart again." He took a deep breath and stood up. "Before coming here I promised your baba that if..if you want..if you want to move on without me in your life even after you finish your PG, I won't stand in your way. I will never ever stand in the way of your happiness. I promise you that."

With those last words he turned but turned back. "And Nidhi, for the record even if we divorced either then or.. or in future, I will never marry Mallika. I never wanted to in all the years I knew her and now, after all that happened there is absolutely no chance of such a thing even happening." and walked away. Leaving her stunned, scared and hopeful.

****

"Hey Nidhi, what's going on? How are..things?"

Nidhi went and closed the door of her dorm room that she shared with two other girls who were thankfully out at that moment. "I don't know how to answer that question Anji. I feel I have gone and landed in an alternate universe. Like that Cooper guy of Interstellar."

Anji laughed. "That bad, huh! So, what's he saying? Or are you still in the wormhole?"

"As of now he is not saying anything. My new sem has begun and I have been pretty busy with all the classes. And he is too I think." Pausing, Nidhi took a deep breath. "He keeps sending me messages." Anji erupted into giggles. "Don't laugh. It's weird. I can't comprehend Dr Ashutosh typing good morning, goodnight, and sweet dreams sms."

"Are you replying?"

"I guess the last three days I have been replying."

A reluctant smile played on her lips. It has been a week since she had almost collided into him in the college corridor. He had made no move to encroach on her personal space after that. But he made sure she couldn't ignore him either. He smiled or gave a small wave whenever they crossed paths or saw each other. It wouldn't have taken him long to realize that people here didn't even know that she was a married woman, let alone to whom. If he felt bad about it, he didn't let on. His smile remained the same every single day for the last one week. Warm, loving and inviting. And she had also noted that he had started to dress a little informally. Most of the days she saw him in a formal or semi-formal shirt and trousers instead of a full three piece suit.

Anji giggled some more, bringing her out of her reverie. "Neither can I actually. He is wooing you Nidhi. When Ranganath told me that he took a sabbatical I knew he was going to come there. When Yog uncle refused to meet him he stood outside your house until uncle relented and opened the door. It takes something for a man like him to acknowledge his mistake and go to this extent in his effort to redeem himself Nidhi."

"What do you think I should do now?"

"It's not everyday that a husband tries this hard to win over his wife's heart buddy. So listen to what that heart of yours is saying."

"Thanks Anji."

"Where is he staying by the way?"

"He said he rented a single bedroom close to Armaanji's apartment."

"Oh OK. You take care. Bye."

Nidhi ended the call and saw her phone blinking with a whatsapp message. Frowning, she clicked it open and the next second her jaw hit the floor. Ashutosh on whatsapp!!!

Ashutosh: Had your dinner?

Nidhi: You on whatsapp?

Ashutosh: Why not? Don't you think it's time I went on the information highway? instead of a ? Armaan suggested this. Said the pictures in this will surely bring the smile back on your face.

Nidhi: Not pictures. They are emoticons.

Ashutosh: You didn't answer me. ?

Nidhi: You?

Ashutosh: thank you.

Nidhi: For?

Ashutosh: For smiling.

Nidhi raised her startled gaze to the small mirror in the room. Yes. There was a huge grin on her face. How did he know? She blinked and looked back at her phone as another message popped up.

Ashutosh: Goodnight.

Nidhi:

Her fingers hesitated for a few moments before she typed, Welcome to whatsapp.

Ashutosh: Anything for you

That night for the first time in longer than she could remember, Nidhi went to sleep with the same smile playing on her lips and got up the next morning only to see another new message waiting for her.

Ashutosh: Good morning.

A small sleepy smile adorned her fresh, bright face as typed, Good morning. Have a nice day.

Ashutosh:

That day marked a definite change in their relationship. In the next couple of months, with each day that passed, the messages increased. What had started as a good morning and goodnight wish, progressed to interacting whenever one of them found time. Neither touched the topic of their thorny past again. It was like Ashutosh was doing his best to erase it and start completely fresh. Like they had just met. Like they were just beginning to get to know each other. And she couldn't help but respond to it. Messages turned from stilted to formal to casual to friendly to a very tentative stage of flirtation with their days ending with a phone conversation every night.

One day her phone pinged just as she had been on her way from the college to the hospital.

Ashutosh:

She glanced down at her long dark maroon and black full skirt and black short sleeve top and looked around to see where he was. She found him watching her from the third floor corridor. Grinning, she tapped her reply.

Nidhi: why no more ?

Ashutosh: got bored.

Nidhi: OK.

Ashutosh:

Rash tapped Nidhi on the shoulder. "Hey, what's going on?" And playfully started elbowing her. "I see you've started spending more and more time with your phone. What's the matter Dr Nidhi Verma?" Nidhi hastily stuffed the phone into her coat pocket and shook her head. But the blush staining her cheeks gave her away. "Chora from Lucknow or Mumbai?"

A slight hesitation and then she replied, "Lucknow but right now in Mumbai."

"Oye hoye..finally!" Nidhi diverted her classmate's egging by exclaiming at the time and dragging her off towards the hospital and their clinical duties. Hugging the secret to her heart. The heart that had been broken to pieces not very long ago by the same man. It was as if he had gone down on their knees, gathering each broken piece with care and had begun to laboriously put it back together again. Once again making it whole. Yet she was reluctant to reveal the identity. A part of her was scared of trusting this new, changed Ashutosh. That night, her phone rang just as she came back to her room along with her roommates after dinner. After a hasty glance at the caller id, she turned and made her way to the stairs that would lead her to the terrace, completely missing the contemplative looks of her roommates.

"Hello?"

"Had your dinner?"

"What's with you and this dinner? You always start the conversation with that question." Silence greeted her until she checked her phone to see if there was a network problem. "Hello?"

Ashutosh cleared his throat. "Yeah. I-I didn't..before Anji's engagement when I saw you for the first time here, you looked so thin, gaunt." He almost choked inhaling. "I couldn't see you like that Nidhi."

Nidhi looked at the waning gibbous moon as her lips stretched into a wry smile. "It was not as if you were looking any better Ash..Dr Ashutosh." But in the last couple of months both had started to look better, gained the weight they seemed to have lost.

"That's the second time."

She frowned. "Second time what?"

"Second time you've called me something other than Dr Ashutosh. Why did you stop?"

"I just..I never called you anything other than Dr Ashutosh before."

"So? Doesn't mean you can't start now, does it? What was it you were about say just now? Ashutosh or Ashu?"

She wavered but he knew how to be patient when need be. Finally he was rewarded with her reply. "Ashutosh."

His fingers tightened their grip on the phone as he battled his need to see her face as she uttered his name in that soft voice. His arms ached to hold her. His body shuddered as he remembered how it had felt to be in her arms, his hard body cleaved to hers, her soft liquid heat surrounding him as he plundered her soft lips and sweet alluring mouth. Her every touch and look so filled with love and desire. For him. Only for him. A piece of heaven handed to him in a silver platter and he had thrown it away. Regret cleaved him. And just as quickly resolve took over. He would not lose her. He would get his heaven back. He would win it back.

He shoved the thoughts away and strived for a normal tone as he said, "There! That wasn't so tough now, was it?"

"And that's what you want me to call you from now on?"

She might not have realized it but her sentence had said it all. From now on, she said. Hope lit up his heart. That implied a future. Boosted by those words he replied, "Your choice. Think over and decide."

"OK."

"Goodnight Nidhi."

"Goodnight.. Ashutosh."

****

Nidhi scrunched her eyes shut and groaned as the ringtone of her phone pulled her from her deep slumber. She fumbled for the phone blindly before finding it and mumbling a sleepy, "Anji, sone dena yaar."

"Good morning." There was an indulgent smile on Ashutosh's lips as he heard that sleep slurred voice.

Blinking and sitting up, Nidhi rubbed her eyes. "Aap? Iss waqt? Everything OK?"

"It's nearing seven in the morning Dr Nidhi."

"I slept at 4. Did a night-out with my roommates."

"I could never do that. More comfortable waking up early. Not staying up late. Mind used to shut down after ten in the night."

"My mind starts working only after that," she said giggling, ending with a small yawn. "Any reason for this early morning call?"

"Nothing..just wanted to say that you could've done a little better in your schizophrenia paper."

"That paper was so tough I tell.." The last remnants of sleep evaporated as his statement sunk in. She rolled out of the bed with a startled, "How do you know?"

"How do you think I know?"

Hastily stuffing her feet into the slippers, she grabbed a shawl to throw over her shoulders, completely ignoring the grumbling roommates as they stretched and yawned. "Results are out? Ashutosh, answer me na please. OK, don't answer. I'm off to check the notice board."

Ashutosh laughed. "Yeah, do that. As to how I know, I took a peek before the guy took them to pin them up in the notice board."

"No no no. Don't say anything now. I'll go check on my own." She barely took time to disconnect the call before she flew towards the notice board.

Her roommates, along with a couple of other girls who had ended up spending the night in the same room after the group study, exchanged bewildered looks. "Are the results out?" One of the girls asked.

"Was that who I think it is on the phone?" Another couldn't help suspecting.

"Ashutosh? Ashutosh who? Did I hear the name wrong?" Shobha wondered aloud. "I know only one Ashutosh. Do you guys know anyone else?"

"I thought he is married?" Mudra didn't like the direction her mind was taking her but decided to follow it. After all, she wasn't called reporter MS for nothing. "I didn't think she was the type to fall for a married guy." She scrunched up her face. "She couldn't find anyone younger?"

"I guess when you want to scratch an itch, age takes a backseat." Vidisha concluded with a complete straight face making everyone howl and snicker before taking their phones out. After all, results were out and more importantly, another sizzling affair was on between a student and a prof. News was just too juicy.

And that my readers is the end of Part Four of this OS. Hope you all LIKED it. Will be waiting to hear your feedback. Have a great day.

Originally posted by: aardhan

Awesome Sujatha!
Love all those images... brings life to the text messaging! 👏👏👏

Originally posted by: aardhan

And I'm actually first! 😛 😆

Originally posted by: Suvika.

Saw my forefathers by the time I resized them and made sure they are clear enough.

But it was worth it. 😃