It was the 6 th of february..it had been
three days to nidhi's delivery..n the bleeding had stopped..to almost a trickle
but she was still v pale n weak...though she had been feeding the baby
regularly..n dr sudhir acknowledged it openly that it was dr mathur's brain
wave that had saved nidhi...clearly experience was unbeatable..Dr ashutosh had
not gone home..he did not leave the hospital even for a moment these three
days...armaan d get his clothes n he d freshen up in his cabin washroom..rest
of the family..came during visiting hours..n could meet the baby..dr sudhir was
still not allowing visitors into nidhi's room..no one except ashutosh n the
baby...
Dr ashutosh called dr khanna to know of the
baby's progress.."he is doing absolutely fine..n there is no problem..you
maytake him home whenever you wish to..sir..the only reason why he has to be
here is bcoz of dr nidhi.."..ashutosh nodded n thanked the dr.He went to
see nidhi..she was in deep sleep..dr ashutosh knew ,she had to remain awake
most of the night bcoz the baby needed to be fed..ashutosh came close..looked
at her reports..n the monitor..all was normal..except that the pain n blood
loss had made her really frail..but she still looked lovely..her hair were as
usual on her face..ashutosh wanted to push them back...but didnt..lest hed
disturb his nidhi...he quietly closed the door n came out
It was morning visiting time..n dadibua n
baba were there..the nurse got them the baby..n both were busy playing n
cuddling him...as baba said"arre samdhanji..zara dhyaan se..."n
dadibua..retorted"mujhe mat sikhao..bachche paalna..haan nahi to..."n
ashutosh laughed as he touched their feet..dadi bua asked "daaktar..kaisi
hai nidhi"?ashutosh said"theek hai dadibua..bus bahut weak hai..ayenge
dr sudhir abhi.."dadibua immediately spoke"to unse poochna..nidhi ko
chutti kab milegi...aakhir bbachche ki chaththi to karni hai na 8
ko..."baba n ashu looked at eachother as the nurse took the baby
back..ashutosh said"dadibua..samajhne ki koshish kariye..abhi nidhi ko
nahi relieve kar sakte..she is still recovering...bataaiye kaise hogi
pooja"??dadi bua was emotional.."jaanti hoon daaktar..par isliye keh
rahi thi..ki itni mushkil se hua hai..pooja to zuroori hai..chahe kitni choti
karlo...kya yahaan hospital me nahi kar sakte"??ashutosh
declined"nah!!dadibua..wo asambhav hai..mai rules nahi tod
sakta,.."dadi bua went to sit on the chair..dejected..baba held ashu n
said"ashu dekh na ..kuch beech ka raasta nikal sake to...samdhanji bhi
galat nahi keh rahi...""to baba..mai kya..."the nurse
came"sir dr nidhi is awake..aapko milna chahti hain"n ashutosh went
in..
Nidhi was in a reclining position..nd as
ashutosh went close..she smiled..a beautiful smile that lit up her as well as
ashutosh's eyes.."kaisa feel ho raha hai ab..."nidhi nodded n
said"theek hu,..better hoon..aap kaise hain"??ashu evaded her nn
said"mujhe kya hua.."just then dr sudhir entered.."hi
hardstone..hi littli girl.. how de"??n he checked nidhi..read her reports
n finally said"good..you are much better..now eat well..the nurse
complained to me that you trouble her in taking milk..kaise
chalega..bataao..you are a nursing mother..tum healthy hogi tabhi to feed
milega baby ko..."dr ashutosh seemed to agree as nidhi had her eyes
downcast..as if in front of her teachers..punished for not doing her
homework.."i m sorry sir..."ashutosh asked sudhir"when will she
be relieved.."sudhir smiled n said.."whats the hurry..you r here all
the time.."dr ashutosh smiled n explained the grandparents insisting for a
pooja..sudhir contemplated'"see ,the baby ..can be taken anytime..but i
feel nidhi can be relieved only on 10 ..not before that..sorry..but even the
best neurosurgeon n m.d. cannot overrule me.."n sudhir left..smilimgly..
Nidhi took ashutosh's hand n said.."ek
baat maanenge"??ashutosh nodded..he couldnt refuse her
anything..."baby ko le jaayiye pooja ke liye...phir jab mai aaoongi tab we
can have a celebration..why should we deprive him..of his pooja..aur dadibua
aur baba to..waise hi khushi se paagal honge..can i meet them.."?ashutosh
asked what instructions sudhir had left..nurse said visitors were allowed now..
Dadibua n baba entered nidhi's room..n
dadibua..didnt screech..she just kept looking at her baby doll nidhi..now a
mother..baba patted her..both were speechless.finally nidhi
spoke"baba..aap pooja karwa leejiye.8 ko..dr ashutosh leke baithenge baby
ko..maan gaye hain woh..."n baba..bent n kissed nidhi's hair...
Ashutosh had got his own breakfast with
nidhi's n was forcing her to eat..n then have milk..as nidhi gulped down the
milk..she mafe a face..ashu knew she hated it..he smiled..came close n kissed
her..on her forehead.."ye prize milega..har doodh ke glass ke
baad..."In the evening..when nidhi woke up from her siesta..she saw dr
ashutosh ..fast asleep..on the chair..next to her...with his spechs on..nidhi
tried to reach out..but he was far..she gulped..remembering the moment when
during their separation..one night she had entered his cabin ..to find him
sleeping,..the same way..n just as she was going to remove his spechs..he hsad
opened his eyes..to look directly into hers...nidhi sighed...she d never leave
him again...never..As the sister brought in the baby..for feed,dr ashutosh was
awakened"arre yeh phir doodh peeyega.."??nidhi smiled m
glared"ji..nazar nahi lagaaiye..."as she poened her gown n put him to
her bosom...ashutosh kept looking at the two..the way each had saved the
other..As nidhi changed the baby to her other breast..she spoke.."mera
kehna maanenge.."ashu raised an eyebrow.."aaj raat ghar chale jaaiye
plz..main to theek hoon ab..aapko aaraam chahiye..dekhiye kya haalat ho gayi
hai"??ashu ran his hands on his stubble n thru his beard"arre woh ek
long surgery thi..dont worry mai so jaata hoon apne xabin ke sofe
pe.."nidhi was adamant.."nahi..mai aapko fresh dekhna chahti
hoon..chaliye ghar jaayiye..aur aap meri baat nahi maanenge to phir ye bhi nahi
maanega..."n the baby yelled..as nidhi rocked him..ashu got up to tie
nidhi's gown ..n took the baby..he seemed to pout again..n when ashu kissed
him..a big grin appeared...ashu found it difficult to hide his tears...tears of
joy..Nidhi too smiled..seeing the father son..together..this was the ultimate
bliss..seeing her ashutosh..a fulfilled man..enjoying his childhood...
Ashutosh handed over the baby,patted nidhi
n told the nurse to inform him if there was any problem...n looking at
nidhi..once more..he turned homewards..
As armaan opened the door..ashu
entered.."arre ashu..tu..wah..welcome.."n kaka rushed in with
water..n asked"chai peeoge..adrak wali"??n ashu smiled..as the three
sat sipping tea..ashu couldnt help recalling the umpteen times when he n nidhi
had shared tea..the bond of their love seemed to have been catalysed by
tea...At dinner baba informed ashu"choti si pooja ka intezaam kar diya hai..bas
ghar ke log honge..mai jaanta hoon..achcha nahi lagega tujhe nidhi ke
bina..par...phir karenge bada function..mere pote ka...aur haan..bus apne liye
ek naya kurta pyjama..aur baby ke liye..peele kapde le lena..ok"??ashu
nodded..n then looked at armaan.."kal aa jaana..ab allowed hai milna..teri
maggi friend..yaad karti hai.."n armaan smiled..n spoke"bechari
bachchi..kya kya zulm seh rahi hai..doodh peeyo..green veggieskhaao..hey
ashu..thoda maggi le aaon..uske liye.."ashutosh gave a glance to armaan
that froze him..n he said"oye mujhe paagal samjha hai kya...bas milne
aaoonga..'"
Ashutosh entered their bedroom..so big n
lonely without nidhi...but he smiled as he thought it was just a matter of days
before his nidhi n their baby would arrive..n fill up the vacuum in the
home..just as the vacuum in his life had been filled..Ashutosh bathed n
changed..n before sleeping,peeped into the nursery..it needed more of
blue...ashu quietly foldedthe pink frocks..n hair pins away..lest nidhi d get
after him for...he smiled..n sighed..then he looked at the lovely toys..the
pink teddy..he picked it up ..put it in the cradle n rocked it...
Ashu called up kgh to find out nidhi's
welfare..n was informed all was well..n she had slept about20 mins back after
feeding the baby..ashu ..stood in front of thier wedding photo...as he
reflected ..how they had yearned to be together...how they had braved all the
storms...n now this bliss..ashu touched nidhi's picture...trying to feel her..n
then he finally offed the light n slept...his tired limbs unable to stand the
strain any longer...
Next morning,he reached the hospital
early..to be told by the dr on duty that both mother n child were fine but..the
baby had kept nidhi awake after 3 a.m demanding repeated feeds..n she had just
slept...ashu went into the nursery..n as he looked the baby seemed to
gurgle..as if telling him to pick him up...ashu lifted him..n held him..close
to his heart...while ashu savoured the moment..the baby seemed too active for
such quiet moments..he wriggled n kicked..n finally ashu asked him"kya
baat hai..bhai..mummy ki tarah yak yak karni hai..."??n the baby pouted!!!
After his surgery,ashutosh wanted to visit
nidhi but was told..she was being sponged..so he took time out to quickly
shop..a lovely yellow baby suit with cap..n a yellow chunni ..also a white
kurta pyjama...when he returned..he finally met nidhi.."tumse to milna
mushkil ..."n he looked up to see nidhi's eyes full of tears..'"arre
kya hua..dard hai.."he said holding her face in his hands...nidhi shook
her head n said"nahi..bus aapki bahut yaad aa rahi thi..subah se nahi
dekha aapko..."and she let the tears flow..as ashutosh hugged her... The
two had dinner together...n then ashu said.."subah baby ko le
jaaoonga..kuch der ko..theek na"??nidhi smiled n nodded..
In the morning,ashu had his bath,packed
diapers n the yellow baby suit,mustard sweater n cap n left for the
hospital..as baba n armaan were busy with pooja arrangements..baba
asked"beta ghar decorate karwa le"ashu refused"nahi baba..jab nidhi
aayegi..tab.."baba smiled...As ashutosh reached the hospital..he went to
the baby..n kissed him..then as the nurse asked for the clothes to change
him..ashutosh said"let me manage sisiter.."n he carefully changed the
diaper..remembering the moment when nidhi had made him do it for that child in
the hospital...n carefully dressed him..n the cap was certainly the icing on
the cake..ashutosh looked dashing in his kurta pyjama..spotless white n the
baby..all yellow..as they entered nidhi's room..nidhi looked at her blue
hospital gown...n then at the two.."aap dono kitne achche lag rahe
hain..nazar na lag jaaye.."ashutosh gave the baby to her..as she fed
him..n then..ashu looked deep into nidhi n said"humari sachchi pooja tabhi
hogi..jab tum aaogi..we will miss you today..bus abhi gaya..aur abhi
aaya..."n ashutosh looked at nidhi..a little low n lonely...he had to make
up for it...
Armaan ran n opened the car door as driver
stopped the car n ashutosh n the baby emerged..the pooja was ready..dadibua got
all the recitals done n then the sacred thread was tied to ashu n baby..n the
teeka..the baby seemed tolook all the more beautiful ..n did not mind the
attention being showered on him..ashutosh got up as the pooja ended,touched
solankis,cv,db n baba's feet n said.."mai chalta hoon..nidhi wait kar rahi
hogi..humara"..n anji interrupted "jeejaji..baby ko nursery to dikha
deejiye..."as she extended her arms to take him..Ashu stopped her"no
anji...the pooja was done ..sirf baba aur dadibua ki khushi ke liye...baby ghar
me tabhi aayega..jab ..uski mummy aayegi.."...
Ashutosh entered the hospital n straight
away went to nidhi's room..the sisters were helping her stand...n walk...They
saw dr ashitosh ..n ashutosh held nidhi with one arm as he had the baby in the
other..He made nidhi sit..n as she cuddled the baby..with tears in her
eyes..she had been clearly missing the pooja..ashutosh..brought his forehead
close to hers ..to imprint the teeka..on her forehead..n then took out the
beautiful yellow chunni n covered her head...he came close n clicked the three
of them in his cell..AB HUI NA PICTURE COMPLETE...said ashutosh as he held on
to all he had...all he had ever desired to have...his nidhi..n their baby...???
TAARON SE YE MAANG SAJAA DOON..
HOTON PE EK PHOOL KHILA DOON
TERE LIYE SAARI DUNIYA BHULA DOON
MEHKEGA SAARA..GULSHAN HUMARA..DIL KA
SAHAARA BAAHE TERI
KHUSHI SE HARIBHARI HOGI,YE DUNIYA TERI
MERI HOGI
EK PHOOL KHILEGA..BAINYON ME..
SARSE SARKI...SARKI CHUNARIYA...
as nidhi's yellow chunni slipped to cover
all of them...
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