"Nidhi. Good that you came. I was about to call you. I was wondering if you could take up the task of mentoring the students going for Youth Congress from our college."
"Me?"
"Yeah. Why not? You are very good speaker."
"How do you know that?"
"When you were a student, you had won almost all the competitions I was associated with."
"You remember that?"
"How many times are you going to feel surprised at what all I remember. I am in the History department. I have a fairly good memory."
"Yeah. Sorry. Okay - I can do the mentoring, but from next month."
"Why?"
"Actually that's what I came here for. Its Mom's birthday on 31st of this month. It is the first one since I came back from the US. So, I'm planning a grand celebration for that. So, I need leave for couple of days."
"Leave is not a problem from my side. Just make sure you inform the students and have made arrangements for the make-up classes."
"Sure. I will do that. There was something else too."
"Yes?"
"Mom has insisted that you must come to the party. She has reminded me like twenty times this morning. So, please make sure you are there at our house at 7.30 in the evening on 31st."
"Me? What will I do there?"
"What does one do in the party? Eat, drink and enjoy."
"Nidhi. You must excuse me. I am swamped with work right now..."
"Mom is going to call you up. If you can convince her, you are excused!" Nidhi smirked and left his office.
Ashutosh sighed after her. He had agreed to talk to Nandini when he met her at the mental health facility. But he really didn't want to be an object of her pity. What was she up to now? Was she trying to be extra nice to him by drawing him in her social circle? She had also been quick to suggest how he should move in in life with another woman. Was she trying to...
Oh God! He was being too cynical. He was not a kid that someone could make him do something against his wishes. And probably it was just a courtesy she was extending to him as her daughter's boss. He shirked his thoughts off and got back to his work.
--
"Hello Sir! Do you recognize me?" Ashutosh was taken by surprise when a girl, of about the same age as Nidhi, approached him at Nandini's birthday party.
"Umm... Yes... But..."
She laughed out loud, "Sorry to put you on the spot. My name is Anjalika Solanki - Anji. I used to be in your class too..."
"You always used to sit with Nidhi, right?"
"Wow Nidhi!" Anji mocked Nidhi who had also come with her, "I'm famous because of you."
"Shut up," Nidhi reacted looking flushed.
"Oh! Don't take it that way," Ashutosh felt the need to do damage control, "I generally don't forget my students. But sometimes I do fail to put the right names on right faces. You will have to cut me that much slack. I am aged now."
"Oh! Don't worry," Anji was still her cheerful self, "I will cut you all the slack you want. But not because you are aged. You don't look aged at all. It wasn't without reason that you were the first crush of half the girls in our class."
Ashutosh blushed at that. Anji was too bold for him. "It is difficult to deal with students like you outside the class," he managed to say.
"Which means," Nidhi intervened because she, herself, was feeling uncomfortable, "that you need to shut up Ms. Anjalika Solanki. Have you had a drink too many?" She dragged her away from there. She looked back once and gave a nervous, apologetic smile to Ashutosh. He nodded to tell her that all was well and she felt relieved.
"Ashutosh," Nandini located him next, "Thank you so much for coming here."
"Happy Birthday Mrs. Verma. It's a fabulous party," he said handing over the gift to Nandini.
"My birth is to my parent's credit and the party is to my daughter's credit. I have got nothing to do with all this," Nandini said and laughed at her own joke. Ashutosh could not help joining her.
"Come. I will introduce you to some other guests in the party. I don't want you to be feeling left out."
"Sure," he said, but silently prayed that this wasn't an excuse to introduce him to eligible women. He was thankful when she introduced him to several people, men, women and couples, without any particular bias towards single women.
Ashutosh went to pick up another drink when Nidhi met him again.
"I hope you are not getting bored, Sir."
"Not at all. Mrs. Verma is a fine hostess."
"Sorry about Anji. She is a bit stressed out and has drunk too much. I just made her sleep in my room."
"Oh! Is she all right?"
"Yeah. She will be. Oh, there is Rangnath. Hi Rangnath," she spotted someone and called out to him
"Hi Nidhi. How are you?"
"I'm fine. Meet Dr. Ashutosh Mathur. Our HOD at the institute."
Ashutosh and Rangnath shook hands.
"Rangnath is Anji's friend," Nidhi continued with the introductions, "He works with her in the marketing department."
"Under her actually," Rangnath smiled, "I am a trainee. She is my mentor."
"She is a mentor?" Ashutosh looked amused.
"Oh! Don't go by how you saw her now, Sir. She is quite a tough business woman," Nidhi said.
"She indeed is," Rangnath corroborated, "But why is that hard to believe right now? Something wrong?"
"No. Anji has drunk a bit too much I guess. She's sleeping in my room."
"She is unwell?"
"Don't be so worried Rangnath. She will be fine once she wakes up."
"I want to see her. Don't worry, I won't disturb her. If you don't mind, where is your room?"
"Upstairs, second room to the right."
"Okay. Thanks."
Ashutosh looked on as Rangnath left and looked thoughtful.
'Can't be too difficult to guess that these two love each other,' Nidhi thought to herself and was about to say something to Ashutosh, when he suddenly spoke, "What's wrong with this guy? Some problem?"
"No. Why do you think so? He just cares for her. So..."
"No. Not that. He generally has something in his countenance that shows constant... anxiety, even fear."
"You are talking like a psychic."
Ashutosh laughed slightly, "Sorry. I am unnecessarily alarming you with my speculations."
"It didn't look like you were merely speculating. What did you see?"
"Well - I am no professional psychiatrist. But I have read a lot on mental health issues. The way he was constantly twitching his car keys and those sudden, very slight shudders tells me that he might need some help. Probably something is bothering him."
"Hmm... Interesting. Anyway. Why don't you pick up some food? Everyone has started."
"Sure."
--
It was a party hosted by the director of the institute for all the faculty members - a yearly ritual he followed to improve relationships with the faculty. Nidhi reached out for a plate about the same time as Prof. Sameer Malhotra did. She withdrew her hands.
"Please go ahead," she said with a slight smile to him.
"Oh no! How can that be Ms. Nidhi," Nidhi cringed at him calling her Ms. Nidhi. He always did that. Neither would he use the first name as some senior faculty members did, nor would he address her as Doctor Verma as others did, "Ladies first. Especially when the department is going so out of way to hire them."
Nidhi sighed. Sameer Malhotra didn't make any bones about being a chauvinist. As a rising star in the department, Nidhi had been a target of his potshots for quite a while now. But he was fairly senior to her and she resisted the urge to get back at him.
"Oh yeah! Department has made a mistake for years by hiring lazy gentlemen over ladies with papers published in American Historical Review and other leading journals. Time to correct that. Right Dr. Malhotra? I am sure you have seen Dr. Verma's CV," Ashutosh suddenly came out of nowhere in Nidhi's defence.
Smaeer Malhotra laughed foolishly, picked up a plate, and moved away leaving them alone.
"Thank you," Nidhi said gratefully.
"You are welcome, but you should speak up for yourself."
"Yeah," Nidhi looked embarrassed, "I just... I don't know... He is so senior..."
"He is your colleague and you are equal. But it's okay. You don't have to fret so much. For now, I am there. Come let's get something to eat."
Nidhi smiled nervously and followed him.
--
Udne Ki Aasha
Kumkum Bhagya
