Posted:
9 years ago
I pick up the story from where dr ashutosh has returned after his accident, is in the hosoital n nidhi is being forced by her family to get away from him...aroun ep 123
Dedicated to my dear anjani
Dr mallika injected the last dose of the antibiotic into ashutosh's arm n smiled"ashutosh...buss kal subah discharge mil jaayega..maine jeh diya hai armaan ko...though I wish tum mere saath mere ghar chalte..I d have looked after you better,,."dr ashutosh looked away...it seemed he was not really interested...his mind resonated with what nidhi had said in the morning"dr ashutosh..bus samajhiye yeh humari aakhiri mukaquaat hai...baba mujhe le jaa rahein hain...kuch dino ko ...kahi"..ashutosh had seemed dazed as he asked"kahaan...kyun"?? And nidhi ..had replied , placidly"aapse foor karne ko,..kahaan ..yeh mujhe nahi maaloom..."ashutosh had held her fingers tenderly ...touching her ..."per nidhi..kya tum bhool paaogi mujhe...kya jagah ko dooriyaan humaare pyaar ko kamzor ker dengi"?? Nidhi had smiled sadly "un ko lagta hai...nahi jaante ki hum ek doosre ka hissa hain...kabhi na alag hone waale...per woh ...yeh duniya ..yeh samaj ..humari umr ke faasle ko deewaar banake hi maanega...dr ashutosh...hum pyaar to humesha karte rahenge..ek doosre se..par shaayad ..ek doosre ke ho nahi paayenge kabhi...saath zindagi nahi guzaar paayenge kabhi...waqt ki nadi ke do kinaare bann ke reh jaayenge...aur yeh log in do kinaaron ke beech kabhi koi pul banne nahi denge...bus ..ek request hai...aap ghar nahi aayeyagaa mere..mai aapko ..baba se haath jodte hue nahi dekh sakti,..."!
"Per kyun nidhi ...let me beg..let me request colonel again"!!
"Nahi sir...aap mera abhimaan hain..aur main to toot chuki hoon...per apne abhimaan ko toot te hue nahi dekh sakti..kabhi nahi"!and she had walked off...probably for ever...
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"Good morning...kaise ho..zara dekhoon to.."it was mallika with her plastic smile as she stood with the discharge papers...ashutosh had cchanged into a track suit..and armaan was packing his stuff.."chalo ..dekho sab staff hai baahar..wait ker rahe hain sab"and as mallika held his hand as he emerged...dr ranganath gave a boquet"sir..hum sabki taraf se...bus jaldi waapas join keejiye..kgh is incomplete without you"and he had walked ..accepting the flowers as mallika took them...and held his hand...he did not like it..and distangled his fingers...as he paused for a second in front of his cabin n entered it...
It resonated of nidhi...the chair where she touched his coat...the window where she looked at the sunset from...the glass of water ...that she always sipped...her laughter...her tears...it all seemed frozen in those walls ..just as they were in his heart...dr ashutosh sighed as she called out"chal armaan..lers go..."and mallika came in front of him,..putting a possessive hand on his shoulder , she said"n more importantly ashutosh...LET GO...LET GO OF DR NIDHI..."! Ashutosh quietly removed her hand as he sat in the car...n armaan drove off...
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"Kaka ...black coffee plz"it was dr ashutosh as he returned from kgh, exactly a month later...he had resumed work..n life..all seemed normal..he was doing three to four v difficult surgeries each day...meeting patients...its just that he carried a complete emptiness within him...could not sleep without a calmpose ...and yess he could not have tea...adrak wali chaai ..had gone out of his life forever...now it was this bitter black coffee...his only companion...lonely dark n bitter..just like him...
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"Nidhi..beta jaa jeevan sandhya...uth..plz"it was dadi bua waking nidhi...she had joined this home for the old..on rohan's insistence ...but col verma could see his daughter was not her real self any longer...she ate without hunger...lay without sleep...n cried without shedding tears...it was only yesterday that cs had shrieked from the kitchen"col sahib..."n when he n bua had rushed in..they had seen nidhi's hand badly cut ..while chopping bhindis...n yet there were no tears...as shyama had rushed in to bandage..nidhi had sat there almost lifeless like a statue..beyond all pain n agony...was she even alive???? She wasbreathing ..thats all...
Col verma smiled today morning"so beta...aaj kya plan...rohan aur tu movie dekh aao..n then chinese dinner"?? Nidhi bit into her toast...with a drop of butter n as rohan looked at her...she gave a dead look n said"nahi baba...mujhe der hogi..."nas she went out...col verma lost in self doubt ssaid"beta...shayad bahut der ker di maine..."
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"Dr nidhi...patient no.7 aapko yaad ker rahe hain..."it was the nurse as nidhi walked to the old man ..yagya dutt..abandoned by his family..a one time banker..today a destitute...and as she examined his chest for congestion ...bed no, 9 spoke"doc..he needs antibiotics..."nidhi was shocked...the unnamed..unknown man ..with his white grizzly beard always shocked her...calling her "hey doc..."something that dr ashutosh always did...nidhi quietly administered the pills n returned to her cabin...a small open corner...with a window from where she loved to see the lonely sunsets...when the sky turned red before turning completely dark..dark like her own life...lonely ..n lightless...without dr ashutosh...dr ashutosh...how was he...she had found out through anji..he had joined kgh back...but was he connected to life..she sighed...knowing that sooner or later dr mallika would claim his attention...if not his affection..n probably that would be the best..two friends..two surgeons...probably best suited to share life...nidhi felt tears stinging her eyes...as she suddenly felt a presence behind her...n
"Hey doc..adrak wali chai...sab zakhmo ki ek dawaa"!! Nidhi wiped her eyes and turned around...trying to smile...as the old man said"doc...dont hold back your tears...not good for ur b.p"!!! And nidhi smiled..holding the tea cup..n wondering if there indeed was a bond between her n this old man...he kind of held her with his affectionate eyes...n the intensity of those eyes ..n the "hey doc"always had an eerie resemblance to dr ashutosh...
Dr ashutosh..much as she tried..why could she not get over him...how d life pass...without him...each day ..each moment was like a passage on thorns..how d she live?? N more importantly did she really want to live this meaningless life...
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"Ashu chal ek baazi shatranj ki ho jaaye"it was armaan calling ashutosh , who sat reading a medical journal..he looked up"no armaan ..I m busy"armaan came up n said"you are not busy you are bloody sick...zindagi me aur bhi bahut kuch hai...iss journal ke siwaa"dr ashutosh looked exasperated..."armaan please..."and got up to walk into his bedroom...as he slumped onto his bed...and looked around...how he had thought ...his room n life would change..would colour with the laughter of nidhi...armaan had once joked"bhai ashu...lagta hai..nai dressing table aur double bed laane ka time aa gaya hai"!! And ashutosh had blushed thru his irritation...today he sat dejected...ready to sleep again after just a glass of milk...as he took of his specs...and looked at his huge library...yes these books would be his companion..for life..there d be no laughter...no companion...no one in life...
"Ashu get ready,..we r going out for dinner..I know you r tired busy ...n have a million things to do..but I m depressed n will commit suicide if you dont come with me to taj"!! Armaan was standing there , pulling out ashu's blue suit...ashu sighed...he knew he could not say no...
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"Yes plz ..korma, aloo methi naan ..n beer for me..."said armaan ,., as ashutosh sat looking at nothing...n no one..till armaan asked"achcha bata..aise kab tak chalega"?? Ashutosh looked away n said"shaayad zindagi bhar..."and armaan kept quiet..as the food arrived..but ashu was looking at a couple that had just entered...the girl seemed so sprightly...dressed in pink...nidhi's favourrite colour...and the man held her protectively ..as ashutosh sighed...n began to nibble...armaan whispered..."kya ashu...raja apne quile se nahi niklega phir...apni titli ko dhoondne"?? Ashutosh looked up n said"armaan, raja ki kismet...shaayad yeh quila hi hai...aur titli...woh to buss aayi thi ..raja ki berang zindagi mei rang bharne...aur phir usse akela..bahut akela chod gayi...humesha ke liye...ab to yeh sunsaan quila hi raja ki zindagi hai..."armaan could feel the unshed tears in ashu's voice ...as he said once again"ashutosh...main iss kahani ko adhoora nahi rehne doonga...titli ko raja ji zindagi mei aana hi hoga"!!
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"As dr ashutosh lay on his bed...n closed his eyes..trying not to look at the curtains that nidhi had changed...n yet as he closed his eyes..it was she with her bewitching smile that appeared ...ashutosh could feel her...taking off his specs...something he had always dreamt she d do ..one day...n then as he tried to hold her hand...she seemed to dissolve...into nothingness...n ashutosh opened his eyes...looking at his side...vacant as always...he smiled a sad smile ...he had probably desored too much ..when in those unguarded moments..he had secretly wished..almost ached to hold her..to pull her to his chest ...n just caress her long hair...ashutosh sighed at the broken dreams...n sat up..switching on the fm...an old heart breaking song sealed the tragic moment...
ZINDAGI EK KHWAAB BAN KE REH GAYI
PYAAR KE KISSE ADHOORE REH GAYE
KHUD KO BHI HUMNE MITAA DAALA MAGAR
FAASLE JO DARMIYAAN THE REH GAYE..."
And dr ashutosh got up with a sad smile ...took out his new medical journal n sat to read it...he knew his nights were condemned to be sleepless n , lonely...forever...the king in his fortress...alone n bleak...
Edited by indu6789 - 8 years ago