Chapter 90
The silence in the room was kinda eerie. It could well be the indicator of the horror to come, like in any Horror movie, you know when there is suddenly a quieting down and out pops the killer wearing a mask holding a chefs knife in hand ready to stab you with it. And with the way Rishab was gripping the fork in his hand, lets just say, Deepali better choose her next words wisely, lest she wants to lose an eye.
"A..as per your agreement with Dad, he has arranged for a team of lawyers to move his business abroad and they will organise the sale of his properties here. He will be leaving the country and taking a flight to America in the next couple of days. I would like to go with him." Deepali started saying.
"Great!! Have a safe journey." Rishab bid her farewell and helped himself to some more pancakes. When she didn't scat, Rishab looked up annoyingly. "What? Oh yes, the favour. Hmm.. expecting a farewell party or something?"
Deepali hopped from one foot to the other anxiously, knowing that what she was going to say next could either lead her to a life of being tagged "differently abled" or no life at all. The odds were not in her favour.
Deepali's throat turned dry as she tried to speak up. "No. As you know Sikander..." She stopped abruptly and jumped back when Rishab jumped up from his seat, his chair falling backwards with the sudden movement. He looked like the regular, guy next door, Bruce Banner turning into the Hulk. Red furious eyes, deep angry breaths, flexed and tense muscles, vein throbbing on the forehead. "Don't ever take his name in front of me... ever again." Deepali gulped.
Madhu was already by his side, clutching his arm, trying to calm him down, just like Betty, Bruce Banner's girlfriend. "Rishab..."
Rishab shoved her hand off, not wanting to be tamed. But that didn't phase Madhu. She clutched his arm once again, more forcefully, silently letting him know try as he might, she was never letting go of him.
Rishab took a few deep breaths, calming himself down as much as he could and looked squarely at Deepali. "Go on... I don't have all day."
Deepali looked at Madhu not knowing what to do. Madhu nodded at her to go ahead and speak up and tried to smile at her but it came out looking more like a grimace.
"As you know... He.. he was undergoing psychological examinations... Yesterday they diagnosed his condition as "Romantic Obsession or Obsessive Love". Yes, it is not categorised specifically under any specific mental diagnosis by the DSM IV but the psychologists want to treat it as a mental illness as it is similar to "attachment disorder, borderline personality disorder and erotomania." Plus the stalking... Stalking is a crime of obsession and can be associated with different types of psychopathology."
(FYI - Romantic obsession is broadly defined as an unhealthy fixation on another person with whom we may or may not have a relationship or even have met. A romantic obsession can be triggered by a sexual obsession, the beginning or ending of a relationship, or for reasons beyond our present understanding. The object of our romantic obsession, for example, can be someone we've heard speak at a meeting, a public figure, or an anonymous person in a magazine ad. In many cases, we may not be clear what triggers us. We who are plagued with romantic obsession can distort our thinking and behaviour and can lead us in a direction that violates our dignity and personal integrity.)
"Stop with the games... Get to the point already. What do you want from me?" Rishab growled at her, holding himself back.
Deepali looked down at the floor trying to gather strength to say what she had come all this way to say. But she felt as if she were falling short of courage. She wanted to crawl into bed and cry into her pillow. But she couldn't, not now. Her brother was sick and he needed her. If Rishab only listened to what she wanted to say calmly, he would realise that it was in everybody's best interest, Rishab and Madhu, her father and brother... everyone.
Madhu looked at Deepali, really looked at her. It felt as if the girl had aged 20 years in a few days. Her face... not a touch of make-up, her clothes... didn't she wear that the other day when she saw her at the police station?, her hair... oily and matted, like she hadn't washed it in days, her eyes... swollen and red like she had not slept in days and had been crying her eyes out every chance she got. Without a warning, the pampered child was pushed off the edge into the realm of responsibility.
"Deepali..." Madhu called out softly, "It is okay. Why don't you sit down?", she asked, looking towards Adam who promptly rose from his seat to offer it to her. But Deepali stood rooted to her spot. She shook her head, "Thank you. But I don't deserve it. I may not have...," she paused reminiscing the past, at the same time trying to forget, and at the same time wanting to make amends. "But I haven't been the best human being, especially not to you." Seeing that she really meant every word dripping from her mouth, Madhu gave in. "Deepali lets leave the past where it is. You made your amends when you helped Rishab find me. There is nothing to forgive as it is all forgotten, at least where your concerned. So now that we have that sorted out... how can we help you?"
Deepali took a few seconds to understand Madhu's words and the resulting lightness. It felt as if someone lifted some of the load off her shoulders. The feeling of being freed from guilt gave her the strength to put forward her request.
"As Sik... his... condition is not specifically categorised in the DSM, the psychologists and the police are refraining from treating him as a person with a mental illness who needs treatment. The police want to stick him into a cell. But you know as much as I do that that is not where he should be. He did what he did not because he was a bad person but because he was sick." Deepali maintained as she tried to convince Rishab and Madhu.
"So what do you want me to do? Set him free? So that he can come after Madhu again? If that is what you want, then forget it." Rishab declared. Setting Sikander free wasn't even an option he would consider, now killing him himself is a proposal he would listen to.
Cricket
