"You have a daughter?" she advances towards him.
He turns at the sound of her voice and answers calmly. "You should not eavesdrop on a personal conversation Dr. Nikita.....But to answer your question.....Yes."
"A daughter?"Nikki repeats unbelieving.
"Tia" he smiles softly to himself thinking of his beautiful angel.
"I don't believe it! When were you planning on telling me?" Nikki questions her voice rising with each syllable, her hands on her waist.
"Tell you? Why? Its personal business" shrugs Abhimanyu.
"Per......Personal business? Really?You asked me how I felt about you......but you didn't think this information was important Dr. Modi?" snarls Nikki, coming closer.
"How does my having a daughter change how you feel about me Dr. Nikita? You never felt anything for me then...... Nor do you now.....so nothing's changed." He fights back
"You arrogant beas'" Nikki is about to abuse him when Abhi suddenly closes the distance between them and softly but threateningly says, "Watch your language Nikita".
Surprised at his action, Nikita takes a step back. "You liar! You hid stuff about yourself and are asking me to watch my language......How dare you?" Nikki burns with anger. Closing the distance again Abhi asks, "How dare I....what?" Nikki pushes him away in frustration and accidentally hits his stab wound. He doubles up in pain and she rushes to help him. She makes a softly cursing Abhimanyu sit on the bed. He looks up at her with pain in his eyes and meets her cold stare.
"Am sorry.......I didn't mean to hurt you" apologizes Nikki coldly.
"Do you ever?" he gasps and she looks away in anger.
She waits for him to catch his breath and asks flatly, "Where is your wife?"
"I don't think I need to answer any of your questions Dr. Nikita." He answers back as flatly.
"So, in spite of having a daughter you cheat on your wife? Armaan was right..... You are a low life .....and you disgust me......I wish I had never met you or even thought about lov...." Nikki stops her tirade when she realizes that she was about to blurt out that she loved him.
"Thought about what?" he asks
"Does your wife know why you are hurt? Or telling her and your daughter "love you" on the phone is enough?" starts a bitter Nikki "You pointed your finger at me when I came to apologize but look at you '.....you cheat your wife......what kind of a man are you......cheap.....in all this mess I feel sorry for your daughter."
"I .....am ....not ....cheating....anyone.....get that straight Nikita" controlled fury appears in his voice.
"You cheap, cheating, lying''"Abhi pulls her to his level cutting her rant.
"I don't owe you an explanation Nurse Nikita......you came her out of your own guilt.....and don't pass that off as feelings or emotions you understand. Think what you want of me but just get out of my room. I don't want to see you here anymore." He says menacingly and pushes her away at the same time his face contorting in pain.
"Let me check your wound and see why it's hurting." Nikki goes back to her professional self. She checks the wound but doesn't find anything to worry about and conveys the same to him and he nods curtly on the information.
"Well Dr. Modi take your medicines on time and your wounds seem to be healing properly. You will be discharged tomorrow so you can go home to your wife and daughter." Nikki sermons.
"Daughter." He says softly which Nikki ignores and walks out.
In a daze, blocking her pain, Nikki managed to complete her duties and reach home before breaking down. She could not believe what had happened today, the man she had fallen in love with did not exist. Drained emotionally and physically she sat on her bed disbelieving. "Daddy loves you too Tia, my princess....daddy misses you too" kept repeating in her head. She covered her ears to block his voice and the pain which rose afresh with it but it was impossible to do so. *Abhi was a father!!! He had a daughter!!He had a wife!!* She did not want to believe it.
Her heart wouldn't let her believe, that he would lie to her, in spite of being married he would pursue her but her mind kept going back to what she had heard "Daddy loves you too Tia, my princess....daddy misses you too" and not once had he denied or offered to explain to her. Instead he had told her that it was none of her business!!
*The gall of the man! He has no shame!* Suddenly she stopped short in her thoughts when she realized that he had never once mentioned any wife and it was 6 months since she knew him. If there was a wife then where was she? Why were they apart.....did she not know about his accident....wait a minute.....his daughter did!!...all sort of questions clamored her brain. "Agggggghhhhh....yeh aadmi mujhe pagal kar dega.....but I think he is hiding something.....I have to find out what" wiping her tears, she decides to investigate the mystery behind the wife nand child. "If I find out that he cheated them and me.....I will make Dr. Abhimanyu Modi pay" thinks a determined Nikki.
Next day at the hospital, Nikki finds out that Abhimanyu has been discharged at noon when she goes to visit and confront him. Muttering to herself that she will find out the gory details and "wring his neck" she crashes into Dr. Shashank.
"Dr. Nikita......whose neck are we talking about here?" he asks raising an eyebrow.
"S...Sir.....I.....nothing ......It's nothing.....you know lot of work....am just....." she stutters no excuse coming to mind.
"Well I hope some poor patient has not brought about this mood.....well you are doing a good job I must say......you have been very professional and managing very well without the others around......please keep up the good work." He praises and starts to walk away.
"Sir.....ummm Dr. Modi......w.....when is he getting back?" she questions abruptly. Dr. Shashank looks at her questioningly. "I.....I was just you know.....medicines.....his prescription......he.... for.....forgot it....so was going to send it to him." She trails off.
"Dr. Nikita......you will have to send Dr. Modi's prescription to his house and he will be back in a week......aur kuch?" he asks
"Th.....Thank you sir......I was just......good day sir." She turns and hurries to the cafe. While eating lunch, the thought to search Abhimanyu's office to find a clue about his family creeps into Nikki's mind and a smile spreads over her face. She vows to find an opportune time to do the deed. *office.....maybe.....a picture....hopefully I will find something*. Happy with her plan she resumes her duties. Three days later Nikita is passing the reception when she hears sister Lovely muttering about how Dr. Modi's files were pending and she did not even have a chance to organize them as she was busy with other things. Nikita jumps at the opportunity. "Lovelyji, I can help you....I will organize them and place it in his office.....this way I can help you and him both." Sister lovely's face lights up at the offer and she hands Nikki all the files. "Keys to his cabin" Nikki asks solemnly hardly able to control her excitement on the perfect opportunity.
Once inside the cabin, Nikita starts to rummage through his stuff. "Sadu......he has locked his cabinets.....chor hain kya yahan.....koi talaashi lega kya uske cabin ki?" she mutters trying to look at other places.
Unsuccessful and frustrated, she sits in his chair cursing him when she spots a beautiful terracotta box lying on his table. Out of curiosity, she opens it and finds the keys she had been looking for. Her gaze also falls on something shiny and she lifts the kundan piece of her bracelet from the box. "Oh.....my missing piece....he....he has it......I thought......why would he....." Smiling happily when the answer comes to her she places it back but when her eyes move to the keys in her hand, reality comes rushing back and wipes the smile off her face. She opens the cabinets and starts rifling through his files to get a clue. When she reaches the lowest cabinet she finds a file titled "TIA BAKSHI" and she slowly lifts it, hundred thoughts zooming through her mind. *Bakshi?...he is Mod......his daughter.....this is weird* With her heart in her mouth she opens the file and her jaw hangs open in shock at its contents.
Nikki rifles through the file taking in the information and shaking her head in disbelief. *Was all she reading TRUE? Could this be happening?*She didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She turned the last page and gasped at the picture she saw. *So this is Tia* A cherubic face looked back at her with big beautiful brown eyes and a happy smile. Nikki smiled at the picture of innocence in the file "So, this is your princess Dr. Modi......Tia......bahut pyaari hai" she says under her breath lightly touching the picture.
"Dr. Nikita ji" Sister Lovely comes looking for her. Nikki rushes to keep the file back and hurriedly locks the cabinets and starts arranging the files. She tells Sister Lovely that she has taken care of the work and as her break is over she will get back to her duties and walks out of Abhimanyu's cabin with a song in her heart.
By the end of the week Armaan, Anjali and Muskaan are back from their respective trips. On Monday, Nikki walks into Sanjeevani and bumps into a harried looking Abhimanyu.
"Ouch.....are you blind Dr. Nikita.......shoot "he clutches his waist and bends a little with the pain.
"Sorry Dr. Modi.....you were turning the corner a little fast." she smiles at him, her eyes moving lovingly on him taking in his rather confused appearance and her heart fills with love for him.
"I was not......you never look where you go.....all you do is say sorry for this and sorry for that.....you really need to start behaving like a ..." he stops short with shock and stiffens when Nikki hugs him lightly. "W.....Wha...What are you doing Dr. Nikita......behave." he says unconvincingly, unable to move out of the hug.
"So nice to have you back Dr. Modi.....you know your sarcasm makes my day......comes so naturally to you" Nikita smiles at him and walks away grinning to herself at his shocked expression.
She walks into the locker room and sees a sulking Armaan on one side and Anjali and Muskaan complaining about the atrocious kids in the children's camp.
"Hi guys......so good to have you all back" she beams at them.
Total silence greets her. "What are you so happy about?" asks Armaan sulkily.
"She didn't have to deal with those hyperactive kids" says Anjali bitterly.
"Heard even Modi was not here for a week." Muskaan complains.
"Aww guys group hug.....I missed you all."All hug together and look at Nikki suspiciously.
"Armaan....Ridzi will be back in a week.....don't worry." She consoles him but a grumpy Armaan starts on how he would like to draw his blood back from Modi and how he wished he had not melted at her tears and let that demon slowly bleed. "Armaan.....its work......I was alone here too.......it's just a week."Anjie and Muskaan also join Nikki's efforts. "Guys it was raining incessantly in Chennai" he sulks. "At least you didn't have kids to deal with" Muskaan states. "Hyperactive kids......they were not kids......little devils......today's kids I tell you.....ask too many questions "complains Anjali.
"I love kids......they are so innocent and have such beautiful smiles and are pure at heart.....impossible not to love" says Nikki dreamily. All three gape at her statement.
"Really?" they ask in unison. "All they need is some love" Nikki continues smiling but when she looks at their expression she realizes what she said. She wipes the smile of her face "I ....I mean.....the kids here...... in our children ward and daycare center are not bad.....they are very obedient" she explains. All three nod at her. "What.....I was just saying.....look at the bright side ok.......come out of your morose moods and let's get back to our duties before Dr. Modi'"she starts warning.
"What are you all doing here?"Cuts Nikki's warning and all look to see an angry Abhi standing in the doorway his hands on his waist. "You all have started shirking your duties.....you all deserve a red mark on your reports......you all are worthless and don't deserve to be doctors......you should learn...." He rants when Nikki goes closer to him, looks him in the eye and states "Sorry Dr. Modi....it was my fault. Please don't blame them."
"Of course Dr. Nikit......what else can I expect of you......you are not only clumsy but irresponsible. I will see that you are punished for your callous behavior towards the patients." He turns his wrath on her.
"Patients or you?" she says softly enough for Abhi's ears. Abhimanyu's eyes blaze with fury. In a controlled voice he asks the other three to resume their duties and Nikita to meet him in his cabin in five minutes and leaves.
"Nikki.....you didn't have to do this "Anjie and Muskaan tell her. She smiles at them and tells them that it's alright and they should head to their duties and they leave the locker room.
"Nikki.....woh.....Modi.....I don't like how he behaves.....what is going on?" Armaan asks
"Armaan....it's nothing......don't worry'......I know how to handle Mr. Tough guy......he will be fine." She reassures him and both leave the locker room.
Nikki knocks and enters Abhi's cabin and stands in front of his table. "Dr. Modi you called" she asks the back of his chair. When all she hears is the clicks on the laptop, she calls him again but gets no answer.
She walks towards the other side of the table and stands in front of the chair and looks into big brown eyes. She bends forward to take off the earphones and extends her hand "Hi ....I am Nikki....what is your name sweetie?" she asks smiling at thethe angelic little girl sitting in front of her.
"Tia Bakshi Modi" she answers softly and shyly not taking Nikki's hand.
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