Chapter 78
Madhu cried and cried till there were no more tears left. She lay lifeless on the bed hair matted and limp, face chappy and tear stained, eyes sore and blood red. She lay thinking about everybody she loved, her father, Maya, Rishab, Adam and Abby, the joy each one of them brought to her life and how their absence was turning her life into a wilting flower.
She didn't know if she was sleeping or awake, but it felt like a trance or something more than that. Maybe it was his soul that was calling out to hers. But she felt as if her soul separated from her body and floated above in mid air looking down upon her, just laying there. Was she dead? No... she noticed her chest moving up and down in a rhythmic pattern like when someone is asleep. She turned and floated away, towards the faint sound of someone calling out her name...Madhu... repeatedly. It was like she was under hypnosis, like she had no choice, she had to go to the orgin of that voice. Madhu... Madhu... the voice called and she followed. It could have been hours since she had been following the voice but it felt like mere seconds had past, the voice getting louder and louder. She could hear the call now loud and clear, as if it were nearby. It was him, it is his voice. She took another step forward and finally saw him. Her soul jumped with joy and she ran the short distance to him gathering him in her arms. "Madhu... " he called caressing her face, looking all over to check for signs of her being hurt. Satisfied, he gathered her in his arms, holding on to her tightly, never wanting to let go. She in turn rejoiced at being in his arms, having him so close. "Rishab... Never let me go" she asked of him. "Never..." shot back the reply, "I couldn't survive without you. I felt like my life was being sucked away from me." He caressed her face yet again and planted his lips on hers. This kiss wasn't soft and gentle. It was urgent and demanding. Like he was trying to prove to himself that she was really there. He looked up finally and continued, "Where were you my love?" She held onto him tighter trying to keep away the memories but at the same time remembering them as if they were freshly painted on the canvass of her mind, "I don't know... It was like being stuck in a deep black abyss, dark, dank, creepy, the only saving grace was the smell. It smelt like paint. The paint reminded me of you.The first time you saw my paintings and felt connected to me. Paints brought us together then and... Nooo..." she howled in pain. "What?? What happened?" Rishab asked her frantically, looking her over. "Nooo..", she cringed, "I feel like I am being pulled back, away from you. And that smell..." "What smell?" Rishab asked terrified, trying to hold onto her tighter. He couldn't lose her yet again. "I think... smelling salts.. Nooo..." she wailed, and was suddenly yanked away from him. Rishab lost his grip on her and howled out her name repeatedly as he ran after her. "Madhu... Madhu...Madhu..." But she was gone. (FYI - Smelling salts, also known as spirit of hartshorn or sal volatile, are chemical compounds used for arousing consciousness. The usual active compound is ammonium carbonate, a colourless-to-white, crystalline solid ((NH4)2CO3H2O). Because most modern solutions are mixed with water, they should more properly be called "aromatic spirits of ammonia." Modern solutions may also contain other products to perfume or act in conjunction with the ammonia, such as lavender oil or eucalyptus oil.)
Rishab jerked upright from the couch he was laying down on, hollering out her name, "Madhu.." He looked around hysterically for her and realised that she wasn't there. It was only him. But it felt so real, so real infact her smell still lingered in the air, sweet and spicy. He took a whiff, smelling her vanilla scented shampoo, the sweet part of her, and the cinnamon perfume, the spice part of her. Oh God she drove him crazy with her smell, her taste!!! She tasted of sweet and spice at the same time too.. Like apple sauce and nutmeg. If he could smell her and taste her, did that mean that it wasn't a dream and that she was really there with him. They spoke to each other, that had to be real, it just had to believe that, even if it was for his only sanity. If anyone else had told him this story, he would probably advice them that they needed to check themselves into the psych ward. But he found his sanity in the crazy.
Somewhere far away, in a dark dank room, Madhu woke up with the feeling of wanting to throw up. "Get those smelling salts out of my face." she shouted angrily at the figure hidden behind the darkness and big bulky dark coat. The figure moved the bottle away, out of sight. "I got you some more food and water, a change of clothes, though it may not be your exact size, but you will have to make do." "Whatever.. " Madhu answered uninterested. The figure started to get irate at her lack of concern at what was been said to her. "And I see you have exhausted the candle I provided earlier. So here is a new one." Was the figure trying to be nice? she wondered. She continued to pay no attention. The figure gripped the candle tightly almost snapping it in two. Then suddenly the figure smiled and relaxed the hand gripping the candle. "If you want to go to the washroom, now would be the time." She stopped ignoring the figure and slowly turned towards the dark figure. "Fine.." When a girl needs to go she needs to go. Plus this was an opportunity to get out of these damned handcuffs, you never know, she might even get a chance to escape. If not escape, at least case out the joint. She enthusiastically turned towards the figure. The figure smirked. "Tsk..tsk... not until you say pretty please." The figure toyed with her. She wanted to throw a chair in the face of the figure. But this was not a time to act all snarly. She gritted her teeth and said, "Pretty please... asshole. May you be hung like a pig over the fire and roasted slowly for all eternity (in her head)"
The figure moved to un-cuff her but stopped short. The figure handed her the key and said "Uh-uh-uh... you can un-cuff your self. But one wrong move and your brains will be displayed on the nearest wall." She grabbed the key and un-cuffed her hand, cradling it for a second. "Now hand the key over to me." "Oops..." she said dropping it to the floor. "Madhu!!", the figure yelled, cursing in hushed tones. "Get up and find the key now." he ordered. "Or else what? You will kill me. Go ahead." Madhu bravely stood up to the figure. Some more cursing and then silence. "Fine then I will not kill you... nor will I kill Rishab. Maybe just maim him a little. Should I take both of his legs or just one? Maybe I should just start with one. It would be fun to watch him hobble around." Madhu sucked in her breath in fear. No no no... nothing should happen to Rishab. She would not be able to bear it. She swallowed her attitude and bent down looking for the key.
The creep had given her 10 mins to herself in the bathroom. In the dim light of the candle she stood in the shower letting the almost ice cold water fall on her carrying away the filth and making her feel something other than complete repugnance towards the figure. As she stood under the water, she replayed every last second of her dream or out of body experience. She could almost bet that he was really there. She had felt the same goosebumpy feeling that rose every time he touched her. She couldn't have just dreamt the whisker burns she felt as he kissed her, caressed her. She placed her hands on the wall in front of her as if trying to push the wall away. Rishab will find me. He will never stop. He will find me. I just have to wait for him. She assured herself, reminding herself of their promises to be together.
Okay now that that is settled, who is this figure? I swear if this were ComicCon, he would be the best impersonator of the Sith Lord Darth Vader - the Emperor's dark enforcer. Only thing missing is the lightsaber.. hmm maybe it is a modern version of the Evil Force. Here it carries a gun. And watch out Darth Vader... My Rishab, like Luke Skywalker will come rescue me, like he did Princess Leia. On second thougts... bad analogy, given that Luke is Darth's son and Princess Leia who he is kinda crushing on is actually his twin. (FYI - Character in the movie Star Wars - Once a Jedi Knight, Anakin Skywalker swore loyalty to Sith Lord Darth Sidious in order to gain the power of the dark side of the Force. Vader betrayed the Jedi Order and his Master, Obi-Wan Kenobi. With the rise of the Galactic Empire, Darth Vader became the Emperor's dark enforcer. He carried out the Emperor's will, and commanded legions of Imperial troops. Vader was tasked with discovering the secret headquarters of the Rebel Alliance, as well as chasing down the Rebels who destroyed the Empire's massive Death Star battle station. Darth Vader was encased in sinister black armor. The man underneath was mortally wounded in a lightsaber duel, and the dark suit includes extensive machinery to keep Vader alive. The sounds of his mechanical lungs accompany his every step. Such injuries greatly diminished his ability to use the Force, but Vader is still very powerful. He can command the power of the dark side to hurl objects or remotely crush the throats of his victims.) Never mind that... Lets see. My kidnapper keeps me in a dark dank place. It is so dark all the time, that you do not know if it is day or night. Keeping in mind fact that there is no electricity but still it is not exactly hot...hmm what could that mean? Could it be a basement of some kind? Yes I think that is it. It is a basement. No wonder it is so musty and humid. But who is the figure? Umm.. The figure seems to use some kind of device to hide its voice... So that means it fears that I might recognise its voice. So it means I know the person. But who could it be? Who can I suspect?
She was jolted from her thought process by the incessant knocking on the door. "Times up."
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