Our KTLK-Version - 1 CH 35(pg 144)Ashu's Legacy (Page 21)

Nidhi got the tea for Ashu ready and was taking it into his room when her phone rang. It was Dr Ranganath calling to tell her that the physiotherapist would be coming in today to check out Dr Ashutosh and start on the exercises. This makes Nidhi very happy. She goes into the room and sees her husband trying to get himself into the wheel chair all by himself. She runs and helps him into it all the while scolding him for not calling her or HK. Ashu stops her flow of words and asks "how much do you talk Nidhi? Don't you get tired? I've never met a person who talks so much in my life!" he was laughing and making fun of her. She pouts a little and then gives him the news about the physiotherapist and her baba is also here. Both of them go out but by then Col Verma had already left and Baba was deep in thought and didn't talk much. He had come to the conclusion that the issue about the house would wait until Mallika is back to normal and that he would make sure Nidhi doesn't get hurt again..knowingly or unknowingly. Ashu could some times be blind where his friends are concerned.

Nidhi gets a tea and bfast tray ready for Mallika and is about to take it into her room. Ashu stops her and says he wants to accompany. Both of them go into the room with HK pushing the wheel chair. Mallika is up on the bed. The nurse helped her get ready before she left. She doesn't talk when they come into the room but her eyes just keep following Nidhi with a blank look all her expressions hidden behind. Ashu observes this and says "Nidhi you go now. I'll keep Mallika company while she has her bfast. His only thought was to remove Nidhi from that room away from Mallika. Nidhi hesitates a little and says "ok I'll wait outside until you come and we'll have bfast together." Ashu – "No. I'll also have mine here." Mallika's face lights up hearing this. Nidhi observes this and bends towards Ashu and says "ok. I'll send yours also but I'll still wait until you come out." She combs her fingers in his hair affectionately, then deliberately looks at Mallika and smiles and leaves.

Anjie is very nervous about her traditional outfit and comes in to show it to Nidhi. She is wearing a traditional salwar with the dupatta covering her hair. Nidhi laughs seeing her friend in the attire for the first time and hugs her. She is giving some tips on how to stand and how to talk with a bowed head when Ashu comes out of Mallika's room. Anjie has her back to him and he doesn't recognize her. He asks "Nidhi, who is this?" Anjie gets a naughty look on her face and talks in her best village accent "I have come to ask if you need a cook in your house. I heard the owner got recently married and his wife is a doctor. She might not know or have time to cook." Ashu – "no. we don't need a cook and my wife cooks perfectly well and she has HK to help her if needed. Now please, if you need work you need to try else…" his sentence hangs in the middle as Anjie turns and faces him howling with laughter. "Jeejaji…aap ne toh apni saali ko bhi pehchan nahi paye!" Ashu laughs at this, "ab kya kare, lucknow ki gori jab gaon ki chori raaton raat ban jaaye toh pehchan na mushkil hota hain na." Baba walks in on this exchange and smilingly tells Nidhi, "Beta, I always felt that you were brought up as an only child. Today I realized that you have a loving sister. Jeeja-Saali's relationship is so priceless and am really glad my Ashu is not missing out on that. Anjie feels really happy hearing this and takes Baba's blessings. She wants Nidhi also to accompany her to the temple to meet Ranga's parents and Ashu sends both of them off. He wanted Nidhi away from home for some time. He has planned a surprise for her. He thinks about the silent tears in her eyes when she saw the torn photographs. He calls out for HK and says he needs his help.

After Anjie makes a positive impression on Ranga's parents, Nidhi drops her at KGH where Ranga is waiting for her. As soon as she enters home, she sees HK coming out of their room with a tool kit in his hand. He sees Nidhi and gives her a secretive smile and leaves. Nidhi is confused and goes into the room and stops. The empty place on the wall which had occupied their wedding picture was now replaced by 3 of the best pictures taken during their honeymoon. One was AshNi standing on the jeep where Ashu had his arms around her from behind. Second one was taken during their walk soon after he had climbed the tree and gave her the flowers and the one in the middle was her favourite. It was both of them sitting on the machaan after their night together in the forest. He was sitting and leaning against the wooden post and she was between his legs with his arms surrounding her and the morning rays were surrounding them. Both of them had a contented look on their faces. She touches all 3 frames lovingly. Her husband did this for her. She hugs herself and dances around the room and falls on his side of the bed. She pulls his pillow and hugs and rolls on the bed along with it. Ashu sees this from his place near the door and thinks how easy it is to make her happy. Then looks towards Mallika's room and decides to talk to her some more. He really really wanted to know what is it thats actually going on in her mind. Could she really betray him and his friendship? Could she really sink so low?

Mallika is very happy to see Ashu back with her. Previously he used to talk and share everything with her. There was nothing about his personal or professional life that she didn't know. Even when he was in relationship with Nidhi, knowing that she didn't like her at all, he still shared his thoughts and concerns about their relationship with HER. Now she leaves for a couple of months and comes back to find THIS! He has his Baba back, he gets married and has a saali too. She was listening to him talking to that girl Anjie earlier and couldn't believe it was HER Ashutosh! Laughing and cracking jokes as if he knew her his whole life! He was usually always so serious and though he used to be very friendly and forth coming with her, there was always a wall past which she couldn't go. She didn't find that wall in him this morning. What magic has that 24 yr old done that has changed him so much?! Never mind what it was, she is here now..to stay..and stay she would..with HER Ashutosh..forever. Nidhi would just have to leave. Deciding on this, she smilingly turns her head and starts talking about their college days with Ashutosh.

There is a knock on the door and Nidhi opens it to find the physiotherapist. She welcomes him inside and gets all of Ashu's reports and x-rays for him to review and calls out to Ashu. HK pushes his wheelchair into the main room from Mallika's room and Mallika also follows him out. She stays behind him through the whole physio session refusing to move or even sit. Nidhi goes to the kitchen and starts the lunch preparation. She hears Ashu talking to Mallika about his surgery and progress and reminds her of a more complicated case they had studied during their course in London. Nidhi walks in with some juice to the doc and Ashu and Mallika. Ashu takes the glass but ignores her otherwise and continues to talk to Mallika giving all his attention to her.

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