FF Recompleted: 'Discovering Love' (Index Pg 1) - Page 21

"Ashutosh!"

"Armaan. Tum pahle pahunch gaye?"

"Haan. Mujhe to survey kar ke wapas aana tha. Tumhari tarah na kissi ki Dadi ko impress karna tha, na hi kissi ko propose karna tha."

"Kya?"

"Propose kiya?"

"Kya? Kisko? Survey ke chakkar mein desi tharra chadha kar aa gaye ho kya?"

"Nahin. Desi tharra Lucknow mein kaafi sahi milta hai. Uske liye itni mehnat karne ki kya zaroorat hai. Are main tumhari aur Nidhi ki baat kar raha hoon."

"Meri aur Nidhi ki kya baat kar rahe ho?"

"He bhagwaan! Ashu miyan. Aap Nidhi se pyaar karte hain. Kul mila kar pandrah din bache hain aapke paas, jiske baad unki internship doosre department mein shuru ho jayegi. To ab aap abhi nahin bolenge unse, to kab bolenge?"

"Armaan!"

"Ashutosh!"

"Armaan. Main kya feel karta hoon, ye maine tumse nahin chhipaya hai. Kyonki apni feelings ka koi kuchh nahin kar sakta. Kitni hi ridiculous ho, unke saath hamein rahna padta hai. Lekin un feelings par ridiculously act karne se hum khud ko rok sakte hain. Aur main aisa hi kar raha hoon."

"Ismein ridiculous kya hai."

"Armaan. Woh meri bahut respect karti hai. Woh samajhti tak nahin hai meri feelings."

"Are to koi bewkoof thode hi na hai. Baat karo. Samajh jayegi."

"Yahi to baat hai Armaan. Bewkoof nahin hai. Phir bhi jo baat tumhein obviously samajh mein aa gayi, jo Mallika ko bhi saaf-saaf dikhti hai, woh nahin samajhti. Pata hai kyon?"

"Kyon?"

"Kyonki this idea is so ridiculous ki woh soch bhi nahin sakti is baare mein. Do you realize ki woh mujhse kitni chhoti hai. Uski life mein koi achchha ladka hoga, nahin hoga to aa jayega. I just don't fit in."

"Ashutosh. Tum ye maan baithe ho ki woh nahin samajhti hai. Tumhein kaise pata? Agar samajhti bhi hai to how likely it is ki ek ladki khud aage badh kar apne man ki baat tumse kahegi? Woh bhi Nidhi jaisi nervous aur shy ladki?"

"Use lagta hai ki mujhe Mallika se shaadi kar leni chahiye. Aur ye baat usne aaj mujhe boli bhi hai. Aisa to nahin hai ki woh mere liye kuchh bura soch rahi thi. Care karti hai, isliye bola hoga. Lekin ye care us pyaar mein nahin badal sakti Armaan, jo main usse karta hoon. Heart-break to main sah sakta hoon. Lekin agar maine kuchh aisa bol diya jo use manzoor nahin hua, to woh shayad mujhse baat bhi nahin karegi, door chali jayegi mujhse. Waise hi meri bewkoofiyon ki wajah se use kabhi woh sab nahin mila jo uska tha. Aur ab jo bhi thodi bahut madad main kar sakta hoon, woh bhi lena band kar degi to main to guilt se mar jaunga. For God's sake, Armaan, ye baat kabhi apni zubaan par dubara mat laana."

--

"Dr. Nidhi. Kya hua - aap bore ho gayin?" Armaan followed Nidhi when she noiselessly slipped out of the party hall to sit on a bench in the open lawn. Armaan had thrown this party to bring together all the peoeple working on his WHO project.

"Nahin, nahin. Party to bahut achchhi hai. Bore kyon houngi? Bas thodi suffocation ho rahi thi - itni bheed hai na. Isliye thodi der ke liye bahar aa gayi."

"Phir party mein aana kyon nahin chahti thi aap? Kya aapko koi shaq tha ki party achchhi nahin hogi?"

"Nahin Dr. Armaan. Kaisi baatein kar rahe hain aap? Main bas thaki hui thi. Tees ghanton ki duty kar ke aayi thi."

"Itni lambi duty?"

"Dr. Mallika ki meharbaani hai mujh par," she laughed slightly.

"Khair. Mujhe to aapse baatein manwaane ki trick pata hai."

"Ji?"

"Ashutosh! Jab usne insist kiya tab aap mana nahin kar payin, right?"

"Well..." Nidhi did not know what to reply.

"To sach-sach bataiye mujhe ki aap Ashutosh ki baat kyon nahin taal sakti?"

"Dr. Armaan. Meri kuchh samajh mein nahin aa raha. Aap kya sunna chahte hain?"

"Sach."

"Kitne dramatic ho rahe hain aap?," Nidhi laughed slightly, "Dr. Ashutosh mere boss hain. Aur main unki bahut izzat karti hoon. Isliye jab unhone insist kiya ki main party mein aaun, to main aa gayi."

"Ya phir, jab usne insist kiya tab aapko realize hua ki Ashutosh party mein aa raha hai, jo ki woh normally nahin karta. Aur ek hafte mein aapka department change ho raha hai. Uske baad usse milne ka aapke paas koi bahana nahin rahega. Isliye Ashutosh ke saath thoda waqt guzaarne ki hope mein aap yahan aa gayin. Lekin jab itni bheed mein Asuhtosh aapke paas nahin aa saka, aapse baatein nahin kar saka, to aap disappoint ho kar bahar chali aayin. Aur shayad wapas jaane ki bhi soch rahi hain."

Nidhi looked like she had seen a ghost. Armaan had described what had happened so accurately that she found it impossible to deny it. She was caught off-guard and was completely speechless. She averted her eyes.

"Kyon? Maine aapko aur aapki feeilngs ko sahi samjha na Dr. Nidhi? Itna mushkil nahin tha, right? Ab agar aap Ashutosh ko na batane ki zidd par adi rahengi to mujhe batana padega."

"Kyon mera aur meri feelings ka mazaak banana chahte hain aap Dr. Armaan?" Nidhi was pained and choked on her words. "Please don't do this," she managed to say before she got up and turned to leave. To her horror, she found Ashutosh standing hardly a couple of feet away from them. He was looking at Nidhi in astonishment. Tears filled her eyes due to embarrassment and she ran away towards the gate of the venue without saying anything.

"Ashutosh! Go!!" Armaan urged him and he came out of his stupor.

"Yeah," he mumbled and ran after her. She was going towards the bus stop, when he finally caught up with her.

"Nidhi," he had to catch her by her hands, when she did not stop, "Kya kar rahi ho?"

She turned towards him, when he tugged at her arms, but did not reply, nor did she meet his eyes; just fidgeted in embarrassment.

"We need to talk," he said again.

"Uski koi zaroorat nahin hai. Dr. Armaan ne jo kaha..."

"Kya woh sach tha?"

"Let me go, Dr. Ashutosh."

"Mere liye jaanna zaroori hai."

"Kyon?"

"Kyonki..." Ashutosh sighed and waited for a few seconds before continuing, "I love you, Nidhi."

"Don't do this Dr. Ashutosh. Ye ek aisi cheez hai jo main aapko isliye nahin karne de sakti kyonki aap mujhe aur Baba ko lekar guilty feel karte hain, ya kyonki aap meri madad karna chahte hain. Mujhe Nana ki property nahin chahiye. Please, let me go..."

"Ye ek aisi cheez hai jo main guilty mahsoos karne ki wajah se ya kissi ki madad karne ki wajah se kar nahin sakta, Nidhi. Warna jaisa tumne bhi suggest kiya tha, main bahut pahle Mallika se shaadi kar chuka hota. Lekin nahin kiya. Kyonki ye kaam main kissi ka dil rakhne ke liye, kissi ki madad karne ke liye nahin kar sakta."

Nidhi started crying on hearing him. He wiped her tears.

"Tumhein bura na lag jaye, aur us wajah se kahin main tumhein kho na doon, isliye maine tumse kuchh kaha nahin. Lekin... ab teer kamaan se nikal chuka hai. Tum mere sawaal ka jawaab do, Nidhi."

Instead of saying anything, she went forward and hugged him tightly hiding her tear-stained face in his chest. Overcome by emotions, his own eyes became moist as he hugged her back.