Bigg Boss 19: Daily Discussion Thread - 3rd Sep '25
Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai - 03 Sep 2025 EDT
LIFE IN JAIL 3.9
MAIRAs REJECTION 4.9
Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai - 04 Sep 2025 EDT
Finally a beauty queen who is star material!!
Gen 5 - Posted on Saas Bahu Official Page
New Entry : Manit Joura
Abhira & Geetanjali
A Missed Opportunity
Deepika LVMH jury member
Faridoon Giving Advice to Salman
War 2 Set To Finish As The Lowest YRF Spy Grosser Domestically
Akshara’s karma
Shilpa Shetty's Bandra Restaurant Shuts Down
Mihir - The d*uchebag
Baaghi 4 - Reviews And Box Office
Did Trump Just Remove ALL SANCTIONS on India ? (Doubtful news)
Here's an update. Hope you like it. Please do comment.
Chapter 11
It had been a couple of days since the second audition when finally a call came from Verma Productions that they wanted to set up a meeting with Madhu. Trishna was over the moon, she knew what that meant. She insisted on accompanying her sister for the meeting.
On reaching Nakul Verma's office Trishna sat on the couch outside the office letting Madhu go inside and conduct the meeting herself but was asked by a smartly dressed lady at the desk to go in too. Trishna was sure her one dress cost more than everything she had in my wardrobe combined. She smiled, she was not feeling envious of anything today, their fate was about to change and she knew it.
They were seated in the office when Nakul walked in from the side door. He smiled at them and apologized for making them wait then he turned his attention to Madhu.
"Miss Malik, let me tell you in no uncertain terms that we liked your audition and you have been chosen as the lead actress in our next film. We liked your camera presence but the dialogue delivery needs some work. If you work hard on that and of course we will help you with your diction and delivery you can come on board" Nakul said as a matter of fact.
Trishna jumped up from her chair with her arms waving in the air, she did not realize that she had knocked down a glass filled with water from the table. She hugged Madhu tightly who was still numb, waiting for the words to sink in.
Nakul handed them a file and said "Here's the contract, you can take it home, read it at leisure and sign it before returning it to my office by…let's see today is Tuesday so by Thursday."
He handed Trishna his card "Here's my card too, if you have any questions give me a call, my private number is on the back."
Trishna sobered down a little but her arm was still around Madhu when she took the card from Nakul's hands and said in a small voice "Thank you and sorry about the glass and the water. I can clean it up" she started to bend down to pick up the pieces.
"No no please don't do that someone will clean it. Please don't worry about it, bigger things have been broken in my office after hearing such news" He smiled.
"Thank you" Madhu said finally. "We'll let you know as soon as possible"
"Of course, she'll sign the contract and return it by Thurday" Trishna added.
They walked out of the office. Trishna still gushing over the news, flushed and excited.
Madhu was lost in thought, have I ceased to be a human, she thought, why am I not happy with this news like Trishna is, have I lost my ability to feel anything, she thought. She was going to have to try much harder for the sake of her family.
Nakul was happy with himself today. It was late afternoon when he caught himself smiling in the mirror. Did he have this stupid grin on his face the whole day? Wonder what his staff must be thinking. Enough, he thought, stop thinking about her she IS coming on board.
000
Chapter 12
Madhu opened the door and was faced by a huge bouquet of flowers. Bittuji peeked from behind the monstrosity and smiled brightly.
"Congratulations Bhabhiji" he yelled.
"Bittuji, what's all this?" Madhu asked
Bittuji stepped inside the room and gave Madhu the flowers. She placed them on the table and turned to him.
"Bhabhiji the whole industry is buzzing with the news about your achievement. You are the lead in the new film by Verma Productions." Bittuji was all excited.
"Oh that" said Madhu
"I am so happy for you, this is your big break you should be proud of yourself" Bittuji gushed.
Ma walked in wiping her sweat off her brow and placed the grocery bags on the kitchen counter, she saw the guest and said
"Bittuji so glad to see you, did you hear the news?" then she looked at the flowers on the table "Of course you did, can you believe it my Madhu is going to be an actress?" She said as she entered the kitchen to make tea for him.
The phone rang. "Its from Verma Productions" said Madhu and picked it up.
She spoke on the phone for a while, mostly agreeing with the caller. Ma and Bittuji tried their best not to eavesdrop but looked at her expectantly when she hung up.
"It was the Production House informing me that there is a press conference this weekend and I have to be ready for it. They will be sending someone to brief me on it later in the evening."
" Bittuji I'll talk to you later, I have to be at the parlor in an hour" She looked at the watch and picked up her bag to leave, she had to talk to Babitaji today and turn in her notice. She should have done it immediately after her meeting with Nakul Verma but it had slipped her mind.
"You haven't told them yet? Ma asked a little surprised.
"No, I forgot" said Madhu. She was almost at the door when she turned around and said "O yes the Production Company is also providing an apartment for us to move into right before the press conference so we have to start packing"
"Madhu!!" said Ma worried, "How can we pack everything before the weekend? There are so many things to do"
"Ma, the apartment is furnished; we just have to take our clothes and personal stuff"
Madhu walked out of the chawl's gate, when she was sure she was out of sight from their room's window she paused and leaned against the wall. She needed some time before she could walk any further. Her heat had missed a beat when she had opened the door and seen the flowers. A thousand thoughts sprouted in her mind all at once.
She thought that RK was standing outside the door begging for her forgiveness with flowers in his hands.
She thought that he was going to say that he had missed her terribly
She thought that he had realized his mistake and wanted her back
Fool Fool Fool
Didn't she know that he has gone for a vacation some place and no one knew where. Every magazine, ever body connected to films, everybody in the chawl was talking about it.
He didn't care, never did, never will. She had to remember this.
000
Chapter 13
It was getting difficult for him to breathe. The sand was giving away beneath his feet. It was damp and caking on him. He tried to get rid of it but the more he tried the more stubborn it became. It was making it uncomfortable for him to run. His feet were hurting and his knees were buckling but he knew he had to keep running. The silhouette in the black was gaining on him and he had to get away.
RK woke up in a sweat. For a second he did not realize where he was, then he took in the unfamiliar surroundings and it dawned on him that he was in his hotel room in Paris. He turned to his side, half asleep, "Madhu", he thought.
000
The hotel room was getting depressing. He needed to move into a different hotel. An idea struck him and he picked up the phone to talk to the front desk.
Within a few hours with his bags packed and sitting in the seat next to him RK was on his way to La Rochelle. It was going to be a long drive, nearly five hours the receptionist had warned him but RK couldn't imagine staying in his hotel any more in fact he didn't he want to stay in Paris for one more day.
000
La Rochelle was a seaport and much removed from the feel of a big city. As soon as RK's car rolled into his secluded beach front hotel he knew he had made a mistake by coming here. He should have just flown to London or New York, places that were crowded and where he could easily loose himself and then he remembered his experience in the restaurant in Paris and got off the car and made his way to the reception.
000
The receptionist welcomed him and confirmed his booking. While handing him the keys to his exclusive beach front room she informed him that the annual music festival "Franco Follies" was taking place in town. French musicians from all over the country came together for a week of concerts and celebration. RK barely acknowledged the information and made his way to his room.
000
It was late evening and RK for want of something better to do decided to sit on the beach in front of his room. He was sure the soothing sound of the waves would calm him down and bring a little peace to his restless heart. He took his seat on the lounge chair. The sand was cool beneath his feet and the refreshing breeze played with his hair. He closed his eyes and let the sensation wash over him.
Soft music was drifting towards him from somewhere. It must be the music festival, he thought. It was beckoning him and he started to walk towards it. It was like a spell that he couldn't break. It was then that he stumbled upon the sand sculpture of a sleeping lion. RK stared at it and it stirred something deep inside him. He didn't know who had made it but he felt like it was made just for him. The lion was sleeping, the vanity, the anger and the ferociousness was gone. It was looking irrelevant as if it had ceased to exist.
Is this me? thought RK, it was like looking into the mirror. He had always thought himself to be like the lion, alone and powerful but in his need to preserve that image he had become lonely and merciless and now here he was all by himself feeling as pitiful as the lifeless lion lying on the sand in the dark.
The weight of his realization made his legs buckle beneath him and he sat down on the soft sand. He buried his face in his hands and stayed still for a long time. The only person he could call out to in his moments of despair was not there to help him and guide him to the right path.
"Papa" he cried out, "please help me, I don't know what to do"
It was eerily calm around him but the turbulent storm brewing inside him was relentless and threatened to engulf everything and everyone around him.
RK wiped his helpless tears and a sudden serenity surrounded his heart. He could hear the faint sound of the violin in the background and his vision was as clear as daylight. He remembered a story that his father narrated to him when he was young.
The story was how when the Roman Emperors triumphed in a battle they would put on a victory celebration in which the general of the battle paraded through the streets. Behind him on his chariot a slave would hold the victory laurel and whisper into the general's ears "All is vanity" thus reminding the general the perils of vanity. "All accomplishments people praise will perish until no one remembers them and no one cares about them" his Papa had said, "Pride eats away everything and makes the person blind so be humble, it will always help you make the right decisions"
His father had taught him a valuable lesson that RK was perhaps too young to understand at the time. He had forgotten about it but like with all things related to his father he had filed it away in his mind. Now he was able to retrieve it, dust off the cobwebs and look it at with new light.
What are my achievements? He thought. Every body's smiles, their look of adoration, all the attention showered on me are not for ME, they are for RK, the persona they imagined me to be. They were in love with the image, they did not like me, they like RK. They do not even know me. They have no idea that I can callously break someone's heart and not even care. They do not know the real me. They would hate me if they did.
My vanity, my anger and my image of self importance is taking me to my doom.
"Madhu" he said with a start standing on his feet. He had hurt Madhu in such a way that she might never forgive him but he had to make it right. He had to go and apologize to her right away.
He did not want to waste any more time here. He ran towards his room, turned around and gave the sleeping lion one last look. No more looking back, no more imagined hurt, he thought firmly.
000
"I did not know I had so many clothes" joked Trishna as she folded her pants and carefully laid it inside the suitcase.
Madhu, Trishna, Ma and Maalik were busy packing their clothes in the suitcase. Closets were open and clothes were lying around everywhere.
"Good time to get rid of things you don't wear Trishna" pointed out Ma
There was initial resistance from Maalik about moving into the new apartment provided by Verma Productions. He wanted to stay back in the chawl with Ma but Madhu and Trishna had convinced them to move and stay with them for at least for a few months. Maalik had reluctantly agreed but he had made it clear that he would only stay with them for the first two months and help them settle down.
"I know both of you are going to think strange but I have called this place my own ever since I was a young boy and I want to live here in my old age too." Maalik had said and Madhu and Trishna had agreed not wanting to argue with him.
"Can you please hand me that trunk Maalik" Madhu said pointing to the heavy trunk kept on top of the closet.
"Sure" Maalik kept the trunk on the bed. Madhu opened it and her fingers froze. The red saari and the mangalsutra kept on it mocked her and her heart sank. Ma immediately came forward and closed it before her daughter could break down.
"Maalik, can you keep this in Roma's room? I don't think Madhu needs to take this with her" she said before Madhu could say anything.
000
It was late at night. Madhu was awake. Her mind kept going back to the red saari and the mangalsutra. The wedding saari that RK had claimed to have borrowed from a hair dresser was a joke on her. The sacred necklace that she wore around her neck all throughout their 'marriage' thinking that it meant the world to her and to him was nothing but a lie. RK was right about one thing she thought, he had not just broken her heart but made it into powder, nothing was left.
She went to her closet and opened it. She put her hand on the far right corner and felt something velvety. She took out the small box. The white watch that he had given her was snug in it. She took it out and ran her fingers on its shiny surface. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever possessed. He had given it to her on the day of her parent's Mehendi after she had made a fool of herself in front of him by telling him she loved him. She threw the watch across the room with a force she did not think she had. It broke into pieces and a big chunk of it landed near the door. She went and stood in front of it and stomped it with her feet until all she could see was white powder.
000
Writers Corner: Books, Stories & Poems
Anupamaa
