Chapter 14After a week of nights and days of soul searching, she'd finally decided to give her relationship with him a real shot. It was Pia's naming ceremony today. She decided she would meet him then and tell her decision. She waited with batted eyes for the time to while away, so she could meet him.
She dressed in a peach and red coloured lehenga with a deep necked choli done in heavy brocade & maggam work, combined with a tight fitting transparent jacket complete with golden embroidery just baring her belly button. She left her hair open like he liked. The only accessory adorning her face were the heavy jumkies. She left her neck bare but had loads of bangles in her hands. It's sound was like music to her ears trying to tell her something. She completed her look with long flowing dupatta over her shoulder.
She came into his room and started to leave seeing him in just his bathrobe. He had just come out from bath and his hair was dripping wet.
"Don't let it faze you, when you've seen me all naked. He moved forward smirking. She twirled around and asked
"How do I look?"
He ran his gaze from her head to toe.
"Show me what you've got baby."
"Uhh..hhh."
He moved closer to her ear, blew his breath and dropped her dupatta to the floor. He looked straight into her eyes and started unbuttoning her blouse jacket. The feather touch of his fingers were sending tremors down her body. His eyes kept her eyes captured. He completely unbuttoned her jacket and let it fall to the floor. The sudden gush of air sent goosebumps on her skin. She hugged herself with both her hands. He kelt down as if proposing on one knee and tucked one end of the dupatta at her waist. And brought the other end of the dupatta with a bottom hug, loosely draping it around her waist and tucking it over her shoulder in the front.
Voila, he had transformed it into a half saree.
He took kajal from her eye with his finger; ran it all the way from her ear, to neck, to shoulder, to arms and brought it to her waist and marked her there. He turned her around to face the mirror; stood behind her and held her gaze in the mirror. Moved her hair off one shoulder, held her waist and drew her back towards him. The droplets of water from his hair fell on her bare neck and he bent down to licked them off with his lips and looked into her eyes in the mirror. She saw what she had to see in his eyes and ran out the room holding herself.
All through the function, Rishab took her pictures and when he wasn't taking the pictures, they spoke with each other through their eyes...
Rishab : Don't stare at me like that...
Madhu : Then don't pierce my heart with your smile.
Rishab : Don't devour my heart by standing in front of me...
Madhu : You turned me into a queen through your eyes.
Rishab : Don't take my life with your swaying waist...
Madhu : You made it look so beautiful.
Rishab : Won't my heart burn with your scorching beauty?
Madhu : Then don't stare at me like that.
Rishab : Don't pierce my heart with your smile...
Madhu : Like a thunder a dream has struck me.
Rishab : This place has turned bright with your happiness.
Madhu : Everything changed in moments because of you...
Rishab : This magical thought dint start now...
Madhu : Maybe this started in our previous birth itself...
Rishab : What is this sudden expectation in my heart?
Madhu : I din't have this feeling earlier, why now?
Rishab : Your wish must live on forever...
Madhu : My life must be like this with you forever...
With that said, she ran to Nick who was standing behind Rishab, hugged him and told him, "I decided to give Rishab and myself a chance to build our relation. Nick was so happy for her that, in his excitement he lifted her off the ground and twirled her around.
On seeing Rishab, he placed her down and told " Hi Rishab."
She turned around and looked at him. His face was murderous. She thought "Whats wrong?"
Nick had stood and faced him. Who, without warning, shot across the room, saying "you bas***d" and took him down. Nick felt himself stumble back and hit something hard with his head. Glass shattered. Madhu screamed. Rishab raised his hand for another punch, when Madhu jumped in between them.
"Rishab don't."
The muscle in his jaw pulsed.
"Daddy, I'm scared."
Both Madhu and Rishab froze on the squeak. Nick rolled on his feet, almost stumbling on Mary and went to Ana. "It's okay, baby, it's just a misunderstanding."
"Like hell." Rishab said.
"Rishab, listen to me."
"You answer me. Nick is that baby's father and you are her mother? Answer me damnit? Are you?"
Her gaze narrowed at his peremptory tone. "Yes."
"But that's not the whole story" said Nick.
"You stay out of this Nick. "
He stared hard at her. "You won't be meeting with him again. "
"Excuse me?"
You heard me. "I want your word, you wont meet with Nick ever again."
"Absolutely not."
"I won't have it, Madhu."
"You have no say in this matter, Rishab. Back off."
"Things are different now."
"I hope you are not saying, what I think you are saying."
"Which is?"
"Our relationship changes things."
"Madhu..."
"Well so much for keeping our personal space."
Briefly he closed his eyes, visibly struggling for control. "Honey, I care about you and I cannot tolerate you meeting with your ex, for God's sake."
She sighed heavily. "I was right."
"Right?"
"You are trying to use our personal relationship to sway my other relationships."
"His face flushed. "
"This is over. I'm leaving now."
"You're kidding. "
"No." She started for the door. He grabbed her arm. "What was your decision about us, before you came here?"
"It doesn't matter now."
"It matters to me."
"Let go of my arm."
"After you tell me what conclusion about us you came to"
"The only conclusion there is about us, is that we both were foolish to think there was a shot in hell for our relationship working. She shook off his arm. "Good bye, Rishab. Don't contact me again. "
Madhu hurried out of his house. He didn't call her back. Which was good. May be he'd finally come to his senses, too.
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