CHAPTER-3
The door bell to Nidhi's apartment rang twice at 8 in the morning.
"Who must be so early in the morning?" Nidhi wondered pulling her hair in a careless bun, expecting it to be another enthusiastic neighbour. Honestly, some things do not change even in a period of more than a decade. Some neighbours are so eager on maintaining an acquaintance no matter how less or seldom have they to meet.
Nidhi gave a reckoning smile to herself before opening the door. Unlike her thought, it was Rohan on the door... She gave a surprised expression before smiling an informal smile to the friend she had in him from all the times. In he walked, and walked along the man, whose thoughts hadn't let her have a peaceful sleep last night; Ashutosh. Nidhi's heart started hammering the moment his eyes laid on her.
Concentrating on the reason for the appearance of the two men right in the morning, Nidhi ushered Rohan to the Sofa sets that were thankfully free of the covers and properly kept in order with the cushions. Nidhi's eyes held a real thankful look towards Ashutosh for a micro second, before her eyes travelled all along the hall with a satisfied sigh; He really has converted this place into a liveable home.' thought Nidhi. She sat across Rohan, who sat along with Ashutosh.
"Um... Nidhi ji, Ashutosh ji humare publication house se judde hue hain, for his next work; you know that right?" Rohan asked Nidhi, who in turn nodded in affirmation, so Rohan continued- "Nidhiji, waise we usually do the editorial and suggestions once the writing work has been done, par, Ashutosh ji chaahte hain that he works on his next book on a continuous basis with you. Look, we all know, you yourself have a great hand at writing; you are an asset to us. Could you please..." Rohan had left the sentence hanging with the full intention of the conversation being conveyed to Nidhi.
Nidhi looked up from Rohan to Ashutosh, who had the brightest of smiles on his face, one that had a naughty glint too. Nidhi could see, amongst the grey sideburns, the boyish glee in his eyes. Who said age turns you old, heart stays young forever.
"I promise to pay you credits for your work Miss Nidhi...", Nidhi was brought out of her thoughts by Ashutosh's comment... The notorious look was not leaving his face. She couldn't help but give away the smile that was threatening to split into her face. She nodded her head immediately.
"So when can we start with the work Miss Nidhi?" Ashutosh was back to his professional self. "Would tomorrow morning be ok?" Nidhi nodded her agreement... "Ok then, I'd be at you place with the loose script at your place at 9 am tomorrow."
Nidhi waved and smiled at the gate of her apartment, where Ashutosh got into Rohan's car along with him, and off they went.
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Nidhi had just been out of her bathroom, towelling her hair, wearing a pair of Patiala salwaar kameez in a blue and yellow lehriya pattern , when her door bell rang again. With the towel hanging on her shoulder, she opened the door, to a waiting Ashutosh leaning against the threshold of the door. "Tum?", Nidhi asked him astonished at sudden re-appearance. "Kyu? Mera aana manaa hai yahan?" Ashutosh stood straight, and tried to act disappointed, that his good mood failed to support. He entered in with an easy camaraderie, and sat on the carpet under the sofa, stretching his feet in front of him. Nidhi had closed the door and sat down on the centre table in front of Ashutosh and said- "Nahi... Manaa toh nahi hai, but I didn't think tum itni jaldi waapas aa jaaoge, I thought you said, you would come tomorrow."
Ashutosh had held Nidhi's hand by then, and gave it a soft pull, making her bend down, to be able to hear the softness in his voice- "Hey Nidhi! Tumse itna door raha hoon. Kea b koi bhi bahaana chalega tumhare saath rehne ka."... Though Nidhi understood the sincerity and seriousness in his voice, yet she chose to make herself sound lighter. She had pulled her hand off his hands, and tried acting offended- "You mean, making an offer for the editing and sounding board thing was just an alibi? Bhaana Ashutosh? You think I wasn't capable otherwise?" Nidhi tried her best not to smile, seeing his expressions turning into disbelief- "Nidhi... Nidhi... Mere kehne ka aisa koi matlab nahi tha... You were, are and will always be my inspiration to write. Tum khud agar capable nahi hoti, toh kya meri inspiration hoti?"... Nidhi finally couldn't hold back the smile she had been hiding... Both burst into laughter, when in the silence of nothingness , Ashutosh's stomach grumbled louder...
"Please Nidhi kuch breakfast banaa do na... Subah se Rohan aur tumhare ghar ke chakkar kaat raha hoon..." ... Nidhi had a smile of such just satisfaction, that she could have bet her life for... Ashutosh standing by the kitchen counter peeling onions, and she breaking eggs in the bowl preparing for omelette. A breakfast,worthy of all the hunger.
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3 MONTHS LATER:
The three months were nothing short of rebuilding the broken castle of happiness. It wasn't just work, it was working on life... Ashutosh every morning by 9, would drop in at Nidhi's apartment, and start working on his next work. A sensation was waiting to kindle the hearts of the readers with the book.
Nidhi worked with Ashutosh, along with preparing a cuisine of his choice each day, and the later part of the day spent on other works for the publishing house.
The friendship that had bond the two of them began rekindling the hearts too... Each night after work, Nidhi would sit on her bed and ponder even deeper, how had she survived the last 15 years without him, when even a day without him now seems intolerable. She wondered what God had thought for her.
It was the day, when she and Ashutosh sat giving final touches to some of the crucial scenes for his book when Ashutosh snapped his laptop shut. "Enough Nidhi!!! Hum pichle 3 mahino se gadho ki tarah kaam kar rahe hain... Don't you get tired???"... Nidhi smiled and then gave a rueful nod. Ashutosh stood up from the dining chair.
"Chalo aaj mere ghar chalet hain... Hiraman Kaka ne mere favourite Methi Muthiya banaaye honge..." "Methi muthiya!!! Wow Ashutosh..." Nidhi lapped her tongue in mock relish, her mouth already watering... Ashutosh continued- "Baba tumhe bohot yaad karte hain Nidhi... Unse bhi mil lena..."
Nidhi had a sad smile on her face thinking of Baba... Ashutosh's baba... He wasn't just Ashutosh's foster father, but the banyan tree to the both of them, who never denied care and shade in the harshness of the reality. She couldn't forget the day when after her announcement of separation to Ashutosh, she had met him in her street, just a few hours before her departure. Though he too had tears in his eyes, but he hugged her with such paternal affection, that Nidhi still couldn't forget her sobs that emitted from her throat. He had patted her head, and blessing her with a final- "Sadaa khush rehna meri bachhi..." May you always stay happy my child... Nidhi wondered if he knew her happiness lays only in his son.
Shaking her head, Nidhi comes back to her present, smiling... Is it his blessings that have brought her back to happiness? She wondered... Changing into a baby pink and baby blue coloured chiffon saree, Nidhi walked out of her apartment, locking it behind, setting beside Ashutosh in the passenger seat of his car, that she swiftly took away towards his home...
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"Hiraman, ye gulaab ke paudhe mein mitti zaraa zyada daal...", Nidhi and Ashutosh got off the car in the porch of Ashutosh's ancestral home, that he had been living with his father- baba and the caretaker for decades- Hiraman Kaka... Both the men in loose white cotton pyjamas and even looser kurtas, were in the pool of mud in the garden, planting beautiful babies of rose shrubs... Various shades of pink, red and maroon. Seeing the couple reaching, Hiraman Kaka decided to pull their legs, said referring to Baba- "Doctor Saahab, ek gulaab ka paudha neele rang ka bhi lagaana chaahiye tha... Ashutosh bete ka favourite hai..." he eyed towards the approaching duo... Baba caught the intention and spoke in his jovial tone- "Aisa hai Hiraman, ke gulaab toh gulaabi ke shades mein hi achha lagta hai... Blue-vlue toh inn jaise berang insaano ke liye hi rehne do..." he pointed towards Ashutosh and Nidhi. Nidhi ran towards baba, and hugged him tight at the end of the pavement, a sense of such fatherly affection that Nidhi felt in this father's arms was her paradise... A few moments later, she remembered, and pulled off, and shyly bent down and touched his feet reverently. Baba blessed him as much his smudged hands permitted to not spoil over Nidhi... Then she bent towards Hiraman Kaka, and touched his feet too, who's unbounded joy couldn't be held seeing the girl who bloomed this garden; these roses couldn't do justice to its magnanimity...
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The cheerful laughter and roaring happiness wasn't what Mathur Niwas could be associated with for the past decade... But the dinner table was what that exactly could be called of... Nidhi had been serving to all while having herself a helping, while all of them where having the happiest of their time together... Cracking jokes on each other, pulling each other's leg, until all scolded each other, and then began laughing all over again...
They were all still sitting on the dinner table, with all the dinner wrapped up, when finally baba has a sombre and serious face, when he took Nidhi's hand in his palm, while his other hand caressed her head, when he spoke- "Nidhi beta... Bas ab tu aa jaa... Iss ghar mein, hum sab ke saath... Iss ghar ki bahu banke... Meri beti banke... Humesha-Humesha ke liye..."
~~THANKS FOR READING~~
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