"Kya?" Ashutosh got the shock of his life. He sank into a chair and he tried to digest the information, "Aap sure hain Mr. Kapoor?" He had to reconfirm,
"Absolutely sure hoon. Maine hi to inka aur inke father ka naam aur address Mr. Mathur ko diya tha. Main bilkul sure hoon."
"Oh my God!" Ashutosh exclaimed.
"Dekho Ashutosh. Jab tum inki itni madad karne ko taiyaar hi ho to woh zevar kyon nahin de dete inhein? Mere khayaal se inke employer se baat kar ke paise de kar maamla sultaya ja sakta hai. Bas 80,000 rupyon ki baat hai. Zevaron ki value kai lakh hogi market mein. Courts ke chakkar mein pad kar inhein kuchh nahin milne waala."
"Main aapse baad mein baat karta hoon," Ashutosh said and went out.
"Koi problem hai, Sir?" Nidhi asked him when he got back to the car. His face gave away how confused and baffled he was.
"Nahin. Main aapko ghar chhod doon ya hospital?"
"Hospital, Sir. Anji ko jaana hoga."
"Okay."
"Dr. Nidhi. Aap apne Nana se kabhi mili hain?" he asked suddenly on their way back.
"Nana se? Nahin to? Aapne achanak kyon poochha?"
"Bas aise hi. Aapne bataya tha na ki aap apne Nana ki wajah se doctor bani."
"Oh! Nana to Mummy ke janm se pahle hi ghar chhod kar chale gaye the. Apne ghar waalon se gussa hokar."
"To aapko unke baare mein kuchh bhi pata nahin hai?"
"Mujhe to nahin hai. Shayad Baba ko ho. Koi khaas baat?"
"Nahin. Bas aise hi..."
Nidhi looked at Ashutosh curiously, but did not say anything.
It made sense to him now. She and her father had brought his Baba to the hospital. He probably never reached their house! He was trying to go there. He was her Nana. Her Nana wanted to become a doctor, but could not. That's what Baba had told Ashutosh about himself too. That's why he had wanted Ashutosh to become a doctor. They were the same person.
--
Nidhi received a call from him about two hours later.
"Aap thodi der ke liye mere cabin mein aa sakti hain? Nurse ko kahiye Baba ke paas rahein."
Nidhi hesitated for a moment, but then agreed, "Ji. Aati hoon."
"Dr. Nidhi. Lawyer ka kahna hai ki courts ke chakkar mein padne se koi fayda nahin hai. Agar hum finally jeet bhi gaye, to bhi pata nahin usmein kitne din lagenge," he told her when she came to his cabin.
"Baat to sahi hai Sir. Lekin ye decision hamare haath mein thode hi na hai. Agar woh case karenge to..."
"Jo bhi paison ka nuksaan hua hai, hum uski bhaarpai company ko kar sakte hain."
Nidhi sighed, "Paise hote hi to... Lekin shayad yahi idea sahi hai. Main borrow kar sakti hoon."
"Uski zaroorat nahin padegi."
"Ji?"
"Aapke Nana aapke liye kuchh chhod kar gaye hain, jo ki in paison ki bharpai ke liye kaafi hoga. Aur uske baad bhi paise bach jayenge..."
"Mere Nana? Aap aaj baar-baar unki baat kyon kar rahe hain? Mere Nana kaun hain, kahan hain, ye mujhe bhi nahin pata. Aapko kaise pata..."
"Kyonki woh aapki amaanat aap ko pahunchaane ki zimmedaari mujh par chhod gaye the. Aur unfortunately, maine woh zimmedaari nibhayi nahin," Ashutosh averted his eyes as he said that looking genuinely guilty.
"Mujhe kuchh samajh mein nahin aa raha hai, Dr. Ashutosh. Main already bahut pareshaan hoon. Aap please..." for the first time Ashutosh was seeing her lose patience and look overwhelmed with her problems.
"Nahin. Aap pareshaan mat hoiye. Please. Meri baat suniye. Aapko shayad pata nahin hai, lekin mere Baba mere biological father nahin the..."
"Woh main jaanti hoon. Lekin uska isse kya matlab hai?" Nidhi's tone was bordering on rudeness.
Ashutosh looked surprised for a moment that she knew, but did not digress, "Mere Baba aapke Nana the. Jis din unhein cardiac arrest hua tha, unka aapke ghar ke paas hona koi ittefaq nahin tha. Woh aapse hi milne ja rahe the..."
"Sir," Nidhi smiled sadly, "Waise to aap pahle bhi successfully jhooth bol kar meri madad kar chuke hain, Mumbai le ja chuke hain. Lekin itna elaborate jhooth? Aapko nahin lagta zyada ho gaya? Agar paise dene se baat ban sakti hai, to main aapki hi madad loongi. Aapse hi borrow kar loongi. Waise bhi aapke bahut ehsaan hain mujh par, aur bahut karz bhi hai. Thoda aur sahi. Aapko aisa karne ki koi zaroorat nahin hai."
"Main jhooth nahin bol raha, Dr. Nidhi," Ashutosh' reaction was not of a man guilty of lying and Nidhi realized that, "Mere Baba, Aloknath Mathur, aapke Nana the. Jaate jaate ye aapke liye chhod gaye the," he handed her the jewelry box that he had brought from the bank just a while back,
Nidhi opened it and stared at the contents almost in shock. She closed it quickly, as if fearing that she would fall for it, when she shouldn't.
"Ye aapki Nani ke gahne hain."
"Mujhe kuchh samajh mein nahin aa raha," she kept the box back on the table, "Ye sab sach nahin ho sakta."
"Yahi sach hai Nidhi aur ye bhi ki... main tumhara gunahgaar hoon. Bahut bada. Baba to tumhein bahut thoda dene ko kah gaye the. Aur maine woh bhi tum tak nahin pahunchaya. Jabki unka sab kuchh tumhara tha. Mera nahin. Agar tumhare is haq ka chhota sa hissa bhi maine tum tak samay rahte pahuncha diya hota to... tumhein aur tumhare parivaar ko itni museebatein nahin jhelni padti. Tumhein tuitions padha ke ghar nahin chalana padta, tum apni pasand ki jagah par padhai kar sakti thi, aur... I feel horrible Nidhi. Mujhe samajh mein nahin aa raha ki main tumse maafi bhi kaise maangoon..."
Nidhi was standing there, completely dazed all this while. She was only half hearing him and she wasn't sure what to feel and how to react. Suddenly Ashutosh saw her running out of the room.
"Ruko Nidhi..." he tried to stop her, but she did not stop. Ashutosh sank down in his chair.
He did not realize how much time had passed, when Armaan came into his office.
"Ashutosh. Kya hua?"
"Armaan? Oh! Haan... Meeting karni thi... Main Dr Rangnath ko..."
"Calm down. Main meeting ke liye nahin aaya hoon. Maine suna ki Dr. Nidhi ke father ko heart attack aaya tha?"
"Haan... Woh... Minor tha. He is stable. Shayad ab tak hosh aa gaya hoga."
"Tumhein unke saath hona chahiye tha Ashutosh."
"Kya?"
"Come on Ashutosh. Mujhse chhipane ki zaroorat nahin hai. I am sure poori duniya ko pata hai ki how much you care about her."
"Care about her?" Ashutosh repeated bitterly, "I wish ki tumhari baat sach hoti Armaan. Sach to ye hai ki mujhse zyada uske saath bura kissi ne nahin kiya hai."
"Kya matlab hai iska?"
Ashutosh told Armaan what had happened.
"Ashutosh. Aise dil nahin chhota karte. Usne to tumhein kuchh nahin kaha? Koi ilzaam nahin lagaya tum par?"
"Nahin. Aur woh kabhi lagayegi bhi nahin shayad," Ashutosh recalled how she never blamed her father for not having enough money for her education, but willingly helped him financially even during the hectic days of MBBS studies, "She is not that kind."
"Then make up for the time that has been lost. Chalo. Main bhi unse mil leta hoon."
Ashutosh got up and went to the cardiology ward with Armaan.
--
"Baba. Aapko Nana ka naam pata hai?" Nidhi asked Yograj.
"Kyon. Achanak apne Nana ke baare mein kyon poochh rahi ho?"
"Bas aise hi... Kuchh... pata chala..."
"Dr. Ashutosh ne kuchh kaha?"
Nidhi was startled, "Aapko kaise pata?"
"Unka naam Aloknath Mathur tha. Aur Mathur sahab ka naam Lucknow mein bahut famous tha - ab bhi hai. Mujhe andaaza tha ki shayad woh tumhare Nana hi honge. Lekin maine kabhi is baare mein zyada socha nahin. Jab woh apne parivaar ko chhod kar aa gaye the, to phir kya zaroorat thi unki zindagi mein dakhal dene ki. Aur phir kissi ameer insaan se rishta nikaalne ki koshish ko hamesha sandeh ki nazaron se hi dekha jaata hai. Hai na?"
Nidhi nodded and he continued, "Main chehre se nahin pahchaanta tha unhein. Isliye jab hamare ghar ke paas unhein heart attack aaya tha, tab main nahin jaanta tha ki woh kaun hain. Hospital pahunch kar naam pata chala. Lekin un logon ye bhi kaha ki unka parivaar hai. To phir main confuse ho gaya. Mujhe laga ki shayad koi galatfahmi hogi. Bas naam milte hon do logon ke. Ya doosri possibility ye thi ki unhone dubara shaadi kar li ho. Us case mein unse door rahna hi achchha tha. Kissi ke parivaar mein dakhal dena to sahi nahin hota. Lekin jab kuchh dinon pahle tumne bataya ki Dr. Ashutosh adopted hain, to phir main almost sure tha ki ye tumhare Nana hi hain."
"Aapne mujhe bataya kyon nahin, Baba?"
"Mujhe pata nahin tha ki tum ya Dr. Ashutosh kaise react karenge. Tumhari professional life mein koi problem na ho - isliye maine kuchh kaha nahin."
"Dr. Ashutosh bata rahe the ki woh... Nani ke gahne mere liye chhod kar gaye hain. Unhone dikhaye bhi."
"Sach?" Yograj was surprised, "Maine suna to tha ki tumhari Nani ne unhein apne gahne diye the. Aur woh use lekar jo gaye, phir wapas nahin aaye."
"Phir itne saalon baad kyon? Dr. Ashutosh ye bhi bata rahe the ki jis din unhein heart attack aaya tha woh humse hi milne aa rahe the."
"Zindagi ke antim palon mein insaan ko apna achchha bura, sab yaad aata hai beta. Ho sakta hai un dinon unhein guilt mahsoos hua ho, ki apne parivaar ko woh yun chhod kar aa gaye, kabhi sahara nahin diya, apni beti ki to shakal bhi nahin dekhi. Aur uski bharpai ke liye..."
"Dr. Nidhi," they were interrupted by Armaan's voice.
"Dr. Armaan, please aaiye," Nidhi said and Armaan and Ashutosh walked in. Armaan asked after Yograj's health and left after a while. Ashutosh, Yograj and Nidhi were left behind with Ashutosh and Nidhi struggling to start a conversation.
"Lo bhai," Yograj spoke finally, "Guzre hue kal ka ek connection nikal aaya to tumhara rishta aur majboot hona chahiye tha. Lekin tum log to aise behave kar rahe ho jaise ajnabi ban gaye ho."
"Ajnabi to nahin Mr. Verma, lekin gunahgaar zaroor ban gaya hoon," Ashutosh replied.
"Nahin Dr. Ashutosh. Aisa nahin karte. Hum sab apne hisse ki zindagi jeete hain. Jin cheezon par hamara wash nahi hota, unko lekar guilt mahsoos karna sahi nahin hai. Ab Mathur sahab ne apni zindagi jee hi kuchh is tarah ki hamare beech ajeeb se haalaat paida ho gaye hain. Lekin unmein burai dekhne ki jagah achchha dekhte hain ab. Nidhi ki Nani ne unke liye kabhi shikayat nahin rakhi apne man mein. To phir hum log kyon rakhein. Humme se kissi ko parivaar ki kami nahin hui hai. Aur aapke hone se main to Mathur sahab ke liye bhi khush hoon. Ki unhein apni zindagi akele nahin kaatni padi. Kyon Nidhi? Tum to badgumaan nahin ho apne Nana se?"
"Nahin Baba. Main kaise ho sakti hoon? Aakhir unke sapne hi ne to mujhe doctor banaya hai? Aur shayad Dr. Ashutosh ko bhi."
Ashutosh smiled sadly and nodded, "Lekin main chahta hoon ki Nidhi ko uska haq mile..."
"Nahin Sir," Nidhi objected, "Please ise complicate mat kijiye. Main apni zindagi se khush hoon aur aise hi jeena chahti hoon."
"Baaki sab chhodo. Lekin woh zevar tumhein lene padenge. Abhi unhein bech kar hi Mr. Verma ki problem ka solution ho sakta hai..."
"Zevar bech kar?" Yograj looked uncomfortable.
"Kya hua Baba?" Nidhi asked.
"Beta. Woh tumhari Nani ke zevar hain. Aise kaise bech sakte hain. Zevar rahne do. Main dekhta hoon. Kuchh intezaam ho jayega."
"Aap mujhe bech dein," Ashutosh interrupted, "Main inhein sambhaal ke rakhoonga - mera vaada hai. Please iske liye mana mat kijiyega. Please... Warna main kabhi khud ko maaf nahin kar paunga."
Yograj and Nidhi looked at each other. Then he nodded. Nidhi smiled weakly, "Aap hamesha apne man ki kar hi lete hain Dr. Ashutosh."
--
"Aapne mujhe bulaya, Sir?"
"Yes. Dr. Nidhi. Ye aapko dena tha," he gave her a white envelope.
"Kya hai ismein," the envelope was not sealed and Nidhi immediately took its content out. It was a cheque in her name. She didn't look at the amount and asked him, "Ye kya hai?"
"Well. Maine aapke zevar khareede the..."
"Aap pahle hi apne lawyer ke through paise company ko de chuke hain."
"Woh sirf 80,000 the Dr. Nidhi. In zevar ki market value..."
"Sir. Please. Aapne jitna kiya hai..."
"That's not fair Dr. Nidhi. Woh zevar aapke the. Main aap par koi ahsaan nahin kar raha..."
"To phir jo aapne mere Mumbai jaane par jo kharcha kiya tha..."
"Come on Dr. Nidhi. Ek to mujhe pata nahin ki aapko ye baat kisne batayi. Aur agar bata bhi di, to woh maine aapko kuchh bataye bina kiya tha. Jo cheez aapne khud borrow nahin ki, use lautaane ki zimmedaari aapki kaise hui?"
"Main aapse bahas nahin kar sakti, Sir. Aur na hi aapki ya aapke intention ko hurt karna chahti hoon. Please aap bhi meri situation samjhein aur mujhe itni mushkil situation mein mat daalein."
"Mujhe pata hai ki aap bahut khuddar hain. Apni Dadi ki poti hain. Lekin kya apne Nana ki aap koi nahin hain?"
"Mujhe unse koi shikayat nahin hai Dr. Ashutosh. Jab Nani ko aur Mummy ko nahin thi, to mujhe kyon ho? Lekin ye bhi sach hai ki jab woh Nani ke aur Mummy ke nahin hue, to mere kaise ho sakte hain? Unhone unke liye, aur mere liye bas sapne chhode the, unhein poora karne ka sahara nahin. Woh sapne maine poore kar liye hain... I think so... Usse zyada kuchh accept karna mere liye mushkil hai. Unfortunately kismat ne jhatka hi aisa diya ki main ye nahin kah sakti ki maine unka sahara nahin liya. Lekin aur nahin... Aur waaise bhi main ye aapki madad maanti hoon, unki nahin."
"Kya apne Nana se ye aapki jo ye berukhi hai, woh mere liye bhi hai?"
The question startled Nidhi, "Aap kaisi baatein kar rahe hai Dr. Ashutosh? Aapse mujhe koi shikayat, koi berukhi kyon hogi? Aap... aapne to hamesha mera bhala hi kiya hai, mere liye achchha hi socha hai, meri madad hi ki hai... Achcha. Agar aapko koi shaq hai to main aapse waada karti hoon ki agar sach much zaroorat padi, agar bhagwaan na kare lekin Baba ya Dadi ki tabiyat kharaab hui, to main definitely uske liye aapse ye paise le loongi."
"Aur apne liye?"
She smiled, "Meri fikr karne ke liye Baba hain na. Itne dinon tak unhone hi to sab kuchh kiya hai. Aage bhi kar lenge."
Ashutosh was annoyed with himself for the situation he was in with Nidhi. If he had done this in time, if he had taken the jewelry to her right when he had found out about Baba's intention, she might not have refused it. But at this stage, her self-respect was not letting her do it. Even the small amount he had paid on her behalf to her father's employers, she probably considered it a debt to be repaid to him. And he could not blame her for behaving the way she was behaving. He himself was to be blamed. Baba would be so disappointed in him.
And with or without Baba! If there was one person he would have wanted to have that jewelry, that money, it was her. She did not deserve all the trouble, all the hardships she had faced and was facing. If only he had that relationship with her, that right over her, with which he could have forced her to accept it, with which he could tell her that everything he owned was hers too... But no! He had no rights. No rights at all...
--
Kumkum Bhagya
Hollywood
Anupamaa
Health and Fitness
