Chapter 76
Madhu was timorous as she asked the driver to leave and faced her destination. Rishab can drive her home later. This way she can spend some more time with him. She managed to sneak in a smile at how corny love was making her. She had made her decision to apologise to Rishab for putting him through hell on earth and she had promised herself that she would not leave till she received forgiveness even if it came in the form of penance. She braced herself as she walked the short distance to the door with a burden filled heart. She raised her hand to knock on the door and realised that she still had the engagement ring on. Phew!! Thank God she was the first to notice it or that would be a whole other fight she would have to deal with. She slid off the ring from her finger and slipped it into her clutch. She raised her hand once again to knock on the door.
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Mr. Kundra seemed deep in thought rocking away on his antique rocking chair nursing his Balvenie 17-year-old Double Wood Scotch. Mrs. Kundra turned to watch her husband from the corner of her eye. His drink of choice tonight indicated that something was troubling him deeply. Whenever he needed to mull over a situation, the drink which left more wood on the nose and more honey on the palate would show its face.
Mr. Kundra turned towards his wife and noticed that she had been staring at the same page of the magazine for the past 20mins. She looked like she had something on her mind, just like him.
Mrs. Kundra caught his eye before he could look away and smiled. "We both seem to have something on our minds. Care to share?" Mr. Kundra remained silent. "Fine... I will.." "I have been ruminating over this evening's events. And I am not sure what to make over it." He started off.
Mrs. Kundra nodded with understanding, "I think the same notion has been troubling both of us."
"Rishab.." The both said in unison.
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Rishab was never nervous about anything but then again he never met with the family of the girl he intended to not just court but marry. He raised his hand to knock on the door but paused and lowered his fist. Okay Rishab this is not the time to start acting like a scaredy cat. You are like the lion.. the king of the jungle, never scared of anything. A small voice at the back of his mind negated him saying, 'Well that is because the lion didn't have to meet his lioness' parents. If he had to he too would be a bumbling fool.' Okay here goes nothing... He raised his fist again to knock.. Hmmm... Should I do the three time knock? Or should I knock once and wait and then knock again?
He finally decided to go with the three time knock and raised his fist yet again and knocked at the door. As the latch on the other side of the door was being opened, Rishab began to feel panic rising yet again. What should I say to the person who opens the door. Hi.. Hello... Good Evening... But he didn't have a chance to think any further as the door opened wide to reveal Maya on the other side.
"Uh... Sorry about calling in on you this late but it couldn't wait for morning." Rishab said.
Hearing Rishab's voice both Adam and Abby who were sitting in the living room glancing at their cell phones every 10 seconds in the hope that Madhu would call with some good news, jumped from their seats and literally ran towards the door shouting out his name in excitement, "Rishab..." Just as Abby reached Rishab, Adam knocked her to the side and lunged at Rishab who was not expecting it. "Rishab... I missed you!!" Adam said as he continued engulfing Rishab in a bear-hug. "Adam!! Get off him... Stop acting like a puppy who has finally been re-united with its Mama." Abby yelled, "Get off him!! Poor guy can barely breath... He is starting to turn a shade of..." "PINK." Maya concluded Abby's sentence, smiling slightly, seeing the rising colour of embarrassment on Rishab's face. Mr. Malik too was trying very hard to hide the laughter that was ready to burst any moment now.
Finally Adam let go of Rishab reluctantly but stayed at his side.
Mr. Malik watched Rishab closely. He watched him put forth a brave front but knew that he was a bunch of nerves on the inside... Just as he was when he went before the firing squad, Padmini's family. He smiled remembering how he downed 2 pints, hoping that would boost the courage meter to full.
There is nothing like diving in and getting into the crux of the matter. "I love Madhu and she loves me," is all he said waiting for some reaction from Mr. Malik. Mr. Malik stared at Rishab for the longest time hoping to see him sweat. Well who is he to give him a break and breakaway from years of tradition. Scowling and threatening the maybe future son-in-law is a tradition that has been passed down the generations. But Rishab is Rishab. He maybe a nervous wreak on the inside but God forbid anyone gets to actually see that side of him. Finally giving up, Mr. Malik smiled at him, "I know.."
But the smile disappeared as quickly as it appeared, almost making one wonder if he actually had seen the smile or just imagined it.
"I must say that when Madhu first told me about you I was a little apprehensive given all that I have heard and read about your extra curricular activities. But now that I have met with you... I see that same love in your eyes that I had once upon a time for Madhu's mother. But nonetheless, I must inject a little warning here... I will.."
Rishab interupped Mr. Malik, "You will kill me if I ever hurt your daughter?"
Mr. Mailk bellowed with laughter. "No... I will just set Adam on you." All laughed except Adam who stuck out his lip pouting.
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"Did you notice the way he looked at her the whole evening? It looked like he was tormented. I have never seen him show his emotions like that before. He is usually so closed up and guarded." Mrs. Kundra put forth her thoughts and Mr. Kundra added on to them. "And did you see the look that went back and forth between them. It was like they were speaking to each other, communicating through the silence." "I didn't know Rishab knew her. But from what I saw today, I do not think she is a mere acquaintance." Both were silent, considering the materials presented to them. Finally Mrs. Kundra spoke, "I think we should speak to Rishab regarding this. See how we can help." Mr. Kundra nodded, keeping his drink aside he rose and walked towards the bed and lay down beside his wife. He took her hand in his and with a renewed faith in love, he said, "I can finally be there for my son." Mrs. Kundra smiled gently and tightened her grasp. Feeling the love and faith flowing from his wife, he raised their joint hands to his lips and kissed her hand tenderly, "I love you!!" A small tear escaped her eyes as her heart rejoiced. Finally the day arrived when he accepted her as part of him. She could literally see the finish line, soon, very soon her family will be complete.
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Rishab looked around trying to catch a glimpse of Madhu. Where the hell is she? "I need to speak to Madhu. We have a lot of cobwebs that need to be cleared out."
"Ohh my God!! We totally forgot about her." Abby screamed. Rishab looked at her questioningly, furrowing his eyebrows, a little perturbed now.
"Well she was on her way to see you. And gosh what a sight for you to see. Trust me... you will have nothing but undying love for me when you see her."
"Adam!! Okay I already love you. Now... Where is she?" Rishab needed him to focus.
"She was on her way to the Kundra Mansion to meet with you. Sort things out with you. She must already be there." Maya explained quickly, noticing Rishab ready to explode soon. "We didn't realise you would be coming here. Wait I will call her and ask her to come back with the driver." Mr. Malik said, picking up his cell phone to place the call.
"No!!" Rishab called out loudly. "I mean to say... umm... I will meet with her and will drive her back after we talk. I hope that is okay with you Sir?"
"In other words... I want to meet with her privately, not with four sets of eyes and ears hovering around trying to catch a matinee show. But since this is Bollywood and there has to be a couple of dance sequences, maybe instead we would witness a Broadway Show." Adam explained it to Mr. Malik with a serious face. But it didn't stay serious for long, especially with Abby and Maya snickering away.
Rishab rose nodding towards Mr. Malik and Maya and rolling his eyes at the children, he set out to get the love of his life.
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Madhu stirred from her deep sleep. Uuhhh... What?? she mumbled rousing from a deep deep sleep. It felt as if she was asleep for days on end, as if she was the one who mistakenly took a bite out of that fatal apple which was meant for Sleeping Beauty. But did Sleeping Beauty also wake like she did with a massive killer headache. Where are her magic pills when you need them??
Wait something was not right... She paused trying to place her finger on that thing that was nagging her, like when something is on the tip of your tongue and you absolutely know it but just can put a name to it at the time. Only if the throbbing in her head stops, she might be able to concentrate and figure out what it was. Her eyes widened in alarm and her mouth turned dry in fright. The last thing she remembered was standing in front of the main door of Kundra Mansion raising her hand to knock on the door.
Before she could even think, let alone rise up or even look around at her surroundings, she felt someone cover her mouth and nose with some kind of material. She managed to struggle but it didn't really amount to anything. She found herself falling into another deep deep sleep. Last thing she heard was a deep malevolent laughter which echoed in her mind even in her sleep induced state activating frightful dreams.
Her kidnapper's eyes glinted with malice as the kidnapper laughed maniacally. Madhu was far away from reality in a world of nightmares where that laugh followed her around while she kept running away from it faster and faster but that laugh just kept getting closer and closer. In the real world Madhu's inner turmoil manifested itself with the twists and turns and the kicking of covers off the bed. The kidnapper's laugh came to an abrupt stop when Madhu called out to Rishab in her sleep. Straightening ones shoulders and rolling ones neck trying to take out the kniks, the kidnapper stubbornly declared, "Try all you want. I will win in the end. Love always wins, my love that is."
Bigg Boss 19
Ganesh Kartikeya
