A Second Chance At Life - An OS

A Second Chance At Life

Another day. Another lie.

I sat in the front seat of RK's car, smiling, as he drove towards the studio. I noticed every glance he made in my direction through the side of my eye. It was another day full of lies. Another day full of fake love. I guess it wasn't entirely fake love. I loved him. It didn't matter how much I tried to convince myself otherwise, the truth was that I loved him. They say, you never forget your first love, and unfortunately, I couldn't agree more.

So technically, my love was not a pretense, but I was going to teach him a lesson using his own tactics. He left me no other choice.

"Biwi?"

"Yes patidev?"

"You love me right?"

I couldn't afford to let even a moment of silence to go by. I needed to reply as quick as I could before he caught my lie, so I turned to stare at him and smiled.

"I do. Do you need me to write it down and sign it?"

"Hm, that's not a bad idea."

"You don't trust me?"

He smiled and gently interlocked his fingers with mine. He still had the same effect on me, so I felt butterflies form in my stomach against my own will. I stared down at our hands as he spoke softly.

"I trust you more than I trust myself."

My eyes shot up in his direction. He stared at the road as I wondered how I could even think about breaking his trust.

I felt his thumb gently brushing the back of my hand as I kept my eyes on him. Then suddenly his hand let go of mine and I went flying forwards until my seatbelt caught me. I held onto the dashboard and stared through the windshield in shock. There stood Sultan. It felt like deja vu, seeing him standing there just as he had done a month earlier.

"This kabab mein haddi just had to come now."

I looked towards RK who spoke angrily. I watched as he undid his seatbelt and stepped out of the car. I couldn't let him face Sultan alone, so I jumped out of the car myself. RK and I came face to face with Sultan who seemed irritated over something. His eyes landed on me and I couldn't help but look away. I felt RK's arm slowly slide across my waist and I gasped as he pulled me close.

"Didn't I tell you, if you come in between my biwi and I, the consequences won't be good?"

"Madhu."

I glanced towards Sultan as he called my name. I put on a questionable face and wondered why he had stopped us again.

"Madhu, I love you. I can't see you with this devil."

What?! What in the world was Sultan saying? He loved me? I felt myself go cold under RK's grip, which was tightening in anger. Was Sultan purposely trying to get on RK's nerves? There was no way Sultan could've fallen in love with me…no way. I felt my wide eyes slowly land on RK's face. I saw the rage, the anger…the fire in his eyes. Just as he was about to step forwards, I placed my hand on top of his, which rested on my waist. He looked down at me and I slowly shook my head. I blinked my eyes, reassuring him that I'd handle it and then I slowly turned my attention back to Sultan.

"I love RK…"

I froze as Sultan pulled out a gun. What had gotten into him?! Every hair on my body stood on end as I noticed the gun faced in my direction.

"If you can't be mine…then you can't be his."

"SULTAN!"

And with that, I heard the sound of a bullet leaving the gun. It was as though the whole world had become slow motion. I closed my eyes and waited for the impact of the bullet…but it never came. Had the bullet already killed me? Was I dead? I opened my eyes and saw Sultan smiling. I kept my eyes on him but raised my hand to feel my chest. There was nothing. If the bullet hadn't hit me, then…

"RK?!"

My eyes shot down to the ground as I noticed a bullet on the right side of RK's chest. I bent down, placed his head in my lap, and began shaking him.

"RK! WAKE UP!"

He was slipping out of consciousness as blood flowed from his wound. I looked around myself, looking for something to help, when I remembered Sultan. He continued to stand there with a smirk on his face.

"SULTAN, HOW COULD YOU?!"

"Nothing will happen to him, I called the ambulance before I came here."

"WHY?! WHY'D YOU DO THIS?"

"This was the only way. Don't worry about Aryan and I. The police in this country have been looking for me for years and haven't found me. They won't catch me. We're leaving Madhu. I hope you receive all the happiness in the world, which you rightfully deserve. And I also hope you believe me when I say that I knew he would take the bullet for you."

I sat on the ground, stunned. Then just as I heard the ambulance siren, I glanced back down at RK. I noticed my tears falling from my eyes and landing on shirt. I held him tight in my arms and sobbed.

"Nothing will happen to you...I won't let anything happen to you RK."

I glanced back up to say something to Sultan but he was no longer there. Instead, an ambulance suddenly pulled up in place of where Sultan had been standing. The paramedics jumped out of the ambulance and rushed towards us.

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"He's gaining consciousness and he's been repeatedly taking Mrs. Kundra's name. He's out of danger now, one of you may go inside to see him."

"Thank you doctor."

The doctor walked by us as I stared at the doors in front of me. My ma and RK's ma gestured for me to go inside first. My ma had accepted that RK truly loved me after hearing about him taking a bullet for me in love. So both RK's family and mine had reconnected in the time RK had been unconscious.

I slowly entered the hospital room and saw RK lying on the hospital bed. I couldn't help but be reminded of the last time he had been shot.

"Madh…Madhu…"

I heard him quietly say my name with his eyes closed. As I approached his bedside, I placed my hand on the side of his face. His eyes opened abruptly and landed on my face.

"Madhu…"

I smiled, trying to stop more tears from flowing, and I nodded my head.

"I'm here…get some rest. I'm not going anywhere."

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I walked in a trance, back towards the hospital room. I knew he'd be awake now, and I was the only one at the hospital, so I had to go face him. I had told everyone myself that they could go home to get some rest, I was there to take care of him.

I slowly opened his hospital room door and saw him sitting up on the bed, awake. As I stepped inside, his eyes landed on me. He smiled. It broke my heart to see him smiling at me even though he knew he was in that condition because of me. I walked towards him, keeping my eyes on him, and took a seat on the stool beside his bed.

As I lowered my eyes, I felt his hand rise to caress the side of my face. I closed my eyes at his touch and snuggled closer into his hand.

"How much blood did you give me this time biwi? If I get shot a few more times, I'm going to become completely Madhu. I won't have any RK blood left in me."

I opened my eyes and looked at him, only to see him smirking. How could he be smirking in that condition?! It angered me.

"Why'd you take the bullet for me? Look at what happened to you! What if you d…"

His smirk didn't disappear, but his hand did from my face. He gently grabbed my hand and interlocked his fingers with mine. Then he looked me directly in the eyes and for the first time in months, said the words I had been longing to hear.

"Because I love you Madhu."

My heart skipped a beat and I melted at his passionate tone. I let the tears roll down my face and I raised his hand up to my lips. I kissed his hand and placed my other hand on top of his.

"You're so stupid RK! You risked your life for me…"

"I'd do anything for you. Besides, I needed you to believe me."

"Believe you?"

"What'd you think biwi? That I didn't know you've been trying to get revenge from me as well?"

My eyes widened and I lowered his hand. How did he know?

"I caught it on the first day."

"How...?"

"I'm RK. Biwi you should know this by now, I'm always one step ahead of everyone."

He smirked again as I remained frozen in spot. Then I noticed a more passionate look cross his face. He patted on the bed next to him, gesturing for me to sit up beside him. For a moment I stared at him, as he moved over on the bed, and then I decided to listen to him. I got off the stool and sat up on the bed beside him. He placed his arm around my shoulders and used his other hand to grab onto my hand.

"Last time my love game started with a bullet to my heart. This time I want our love story to start with this bullet to my chest. It didn't even damage my heart this time biwi, so I'll be able to give you all the love in the world."

He slowly raised my hand and placed it on his chest, where his heart was. I looked down at his chest as I felt his heart beating.

"It still is and always will go 'Madhu, Madhu'. Besides, God didn't give me a second chance at life for nothing."

I stared at him silently. I rested my head on his shoulder and closed my eyes at the comfortable warmth of his body. I felt his lips on my forehead as I spoke softly.

"A second chance at life…for a second chance at love. I love you RK."