TS: Dubte Hue Sitare, Part 2-Pg.6 - Page 4

Tears flow down her cheeks like an angry ocean current. Madhu hunches over as uncontrollable sobs rack her small frame. Unable to breathe in the stifling house that she now considers like a mausoleum, she had blindly walked out into the terrace. She can still hear RK's cruel words like a broken record as her legs give in and she slides down the floor.

After what seems like hours of violently shedding tears, her tears dry up. She has none left to shed, not even a single drop. Madhu feels weak...lifeless as if she has been drained of every essential component from her body, especially her bleeding heart.

Staring up at the night sky at the cold, distant, twinkling stars, she calmly accepts her fate. Madhu sadly looks up at the stars for handing her such a cruel, twisted fate. She has fought for so long to disbelieve that her love was stronger than any forces in the universe. She thought her love was stronger than any nakshatra and ill omen. But today she must accept that her love for RK cannot fight what has been written in her destiny since before she was born. Today she must her reality that she is a destructive force in RK's life.

She slowly stands up and with unsteady steps, walks to the edge of the terrace. Madhu continues to stare up at the stars, pleading them to show her some mercy. She lost her unborn child to them, isn't that enough of a punishment to satisfy their cruelty? But the cold, celestial beings just twinkled from afar as if they are mocking and enjoying punishing her further. She is all alone and at an impasse. Having come to a decision at last, she dials numbers in her mobile that she has been clutching all throughout. She calls Bittuji to give him a very important message.

Madhu (tonelessly): Bittuji...

Bittuji answers the call and upon hearing his bhabiji's tone and immediate shiver of warning courses through his spine. He has never heard her use that tone before and he is terrified.

Bittuji (tries to keep calm and asks cautiously through the receiver): Bhabiji... is everything fine...with Chief...you?

Madhu (smiles eerily): Bittuji...I have a favor to ask of you.

Bittuji: Of course bhabiji. You can ask me anything and I will give you anything that is within my powers.

Madhu (smiles softly): Take care of my RK when I am gone.

Bittuji (panics): Gone? Bhabiji...what are you saying? Where are you going? I don't understand! Bhabiji...what is going on?!? Why are you speaking as if you will go away?!? You can't leave Chief...you can't leave your family. (Tears in his eyes) You can't leave your bhai.

Madhu: (Urgently) I need your promise Bittuji! (Pleads) Please I need your promise that you will take care of your Chief.

Bittuji (panics): Bhabiji it goes without saying that I will look after Chief...but WHY ARE YOU ASKING? What are you planning to do?!? I can look after Chief...but only you can...

Madhu (relieved): Bittuji you have been the best brother a sister can ever ask for...thank you for always being so supportive.

Bittuji (chokes on his tears): Bha...bhabiji?

Madhu (continues): Take care of yourself Bittuji and be happy.

She quickly disconnects the phone and throws it away. Madhu stares up at the mocking stars one last time. It is ironic that on her birthday, she has accepted the very omen her maa battled to give birth to her. Hurling herself over the wall, Madhubala Rishab Kundra makes her choice to save her husband from her bad nakshatra.

RK's POV

His heart clenches as he watches is biwi back away from him slowly. He wants to take back the hateful words but his pride, his damned ego holds him back. RK wants to enfold Madhu in his arms, wipe away her tears and beg her forgiveness for being an inconsiderate jerk. He wants to explain to her that he did not mean those words.

RK's good hand tightens over the bottle as the door slams at Madhu's exit. In rage he hurls the bottle and it slams against the wall. The portrait from their wedding day crashes on to the floor and glasses shatter into hundreds of pieces. He limps over to the broken portrait and attempts to bend down to pick it up. Frustrated with his futile attempts and the exertion, RK grunts in anger and limps back to his couch.

There he sits in the dark, hoping his biwi would not take his words to heart. RK considers calling her mobile, but once again his sinful pride holds him back. He does not want to apologize for expressing his frustration. And he knows that like all other times, biwi will come back to him of her own accord.

All of a sudden, his skin feels tingly and clammy. RK senses that something does not feel right and panics. His thoughts immediately wander towards Madhu's safety because he senses that she is in danger. But he dismisses the warning as a reaction to his new pills and the alcohol in his system.

The clock ticks away and yet still no sign of Madhu. He sits up and becomes hopeful when he hears distinctive footsteps coming closer. RK smiles a little, it seems biwi is back just as he predicted. But the smile slips away from his face as Bittuji rushes into the room like a little raging bull.

RK (in surprise): Bittuji...

Bittuji (interrupts and looks around frantically): Where's bhabiji?!?

RK (ignoring the panic forming in his heart): How should I know? (Smirks) I thought you of all people would know since you are always following your dearest bhabiji around.

Bittuji (turns towards RK and thunders): What did you do to bhabiji?!?

RK (ignoring his guilt): Your bhabiji is a big girl now Bittuji...(mocks) now that she is such a big superstar.

Bittuji (angrily): Cut the crap! What did you say to bhabiji?!?

RK (retorts angrily): You are crossing your line Bittuji! What I say to MY BIWI is only my BUSINESS!

Bittuji (yells): Well it has become my business because YOUR BIWI called me a while ago and asked me to take of care of you when she is gone! So what the hell did you say to her Chief?!? Where is she?

RK (hiding his panic): She was just being a drama queen Bittuji. Give her another 5 minutes and she will waltz in her, running her mouth at 10 miles per hour.

Bittuji (burst out): No she won't! You have finally managed to destroy the one good thing in your life! She has left Chief...she left!

RK (swallows convulsively): Don't be overdramatic Bittuji. If Madhu left then sayonara, adieu, goodbye and good riddance because I don't need her to be with me out of pity and as a favor.

Bittuji (in disgust): You are truly the most selfish human being I ever had the misfortune to come across!

RK (yells angrily): Bittuji!

Bittuji (yells back): No Mr. Rishab Kundra...today I will speak and YOU WILL LISTEN TO ME! Bhabiji didn't want you to know anything and cause you undue stress but to hell with it! She has gone through hell for you! You lock yourself up in your room and think that bhabiji stole your superstar status and is having a bloody good time? You're wrong! She hates being in front of the camera! But she did it for you. You think the movie we made Ishq Aur Junoon did well and earned us a profit? Well it didn't! We were 6 crores short in repaying the loan back to the bank. So bhabiji took the offer for the current film to pay off our losses.

RK (feeling guilty but screams angrily): I didn't ask her to shelter me like I am incapable of handling things! I am NOT a handicap!

Bittuji (shouts): You are incapable of handling things! Chief you are just an overgrown child. When things do not go your way, you lash out at people especially the ones that love you. Poor bhabiji was so stressed from working all day and night on film set and then she had to put up with your behavior. Couldn't you just be supportive? Poor bhabiji was so stressed that she lost the baby!

RK feels as if he has been sucker punched in the stomach. His head spins. Madhu was pregnant...and she had a miscarriage?

RK (asks faintly): Madhu...she was...pregnant? With our baby? Why didn't she tell me Bittuji?!?

Bittuji (raged): How could she tell you when all you when all you do is think about yourself 24/7?!? You did it Chief. You finally managed to push away a Devi like my bhabiji. You can't live without her. SO GO OUT AND FIND HER! Find her and beg her forgiveness and beg her to come back into your life! Forget your ego Chief and get back your life.

Bittuji storms out leaving behind a confused and worried RK. Did Madhu really leave him? Has he managed to finally push her away and break her? Fear envelopes RK's heart, he has to find his Madhu, his life.

RK hobbles out of the room on a mission to find his missing wife. Mangesh comes up the stairs when he is at the top.

RK: Mangesh. Have you seen Madhu?

Mangesh: Chief...I saw bhabiji go to the terrace.

RK (nods his head): Okay...you can go now!

Instead of taking the stairs to go downstairs, he limps out into the terrace. He is immediately filled with a sense of oppression and it increases with each heavy steps. As if drawn to the edge of the terrace, RK approaches it with utter dread. He looks down and 5 stories below is his Madhu's lifeless, broken body.

RK stumbles on to the floor as tears rush down his face.

Madhu...! What have I done? I killed my Madhu! Oh God...I killed my Madhu!

Bittuji is right. He finally managed to destroy his Madhu. He broke the rare, beautiful, fragile blossom that was his Madhu. Instead of cherishing his biwi, he ruthlessly crushed her. RK rages that he is nothing more than a monster, a janwar. He is a killer and should be punished for sending his innocent Madhu to her death.

With Herculean effort, RK pulls himself up and stares down again. His own cruel words playing in his mind like a broken tape recorder. How could he blame Madhu for all the things that had gone wrong in his life? The truth is that she was his salvation, the ONLY good thing in his life. She kept his self-destructive behavior at bay and the only reason that he is alive. RK broke his Madhu and she is gone forever from his life.

He does not want nor can he live without his personal ray of sunshine. Displaying supreme effort, RK pushes himself the low wall and falls freely down to his Madhu. He lies broken next to her, his hand over hers as he takes his last breath.

Peace eluded the star-crossed lovers. But their love, though fraught with many conflicts, is eternal. They could not be in peace together in this lifetime but they are bonded together for eternity.

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I am emotionally drained after writing the conclusion. Won't ask if you enjoyed it but would like to hear your thoughts and comments on the story. Don't blame me but my nightmare for the depressing story. 😊 Thank you!