Chapter 21
Madhu opened her eyes to the sensation of deep breath on her neck. She didn't move, but she was suddenly aware of the arm protectively covering her waste. Her Rishu's arm. The previous night came back to her. She was startled for a moment and then she closed her eyes. Was this real, or a dream? She wanted to turn and see Rishu's face, so she could tell herself last night had actually happened, but she didn't dare. Finally, she turned just a little, and saw RK lying next to her, still holding her and smiling at her with open eyes.
"Good morning honey" he said, softly.
"RK..."
"Rishu, not RK. Your Rishu. Wondering whether this is a dream or reality, right?" RK asked, then placed a little peck on Madhu's cheek.
"I love you. You're beautiful Madhu. You're amazing." RK said with a soft smile as Madhu adjusted to face RK. A lone tear escaped from Madhu's eye. RK wiped it off.
"No more tears Madhu. Never. I have given you enough pain for a lifetime. Now it's my turn to make you happy." Madhu stared in RK's eyes, struggling with the honest emotion. Was she to believe this? Was this another trick by destiny?
They both sat up, and Madhu looked at the disheveled state of her sari loosely wrapped around her. Last night...last night was amazing. They had both given themselves to each other, and as their bodies joined, Madhu distinctly remembered feeling like a void in her had been filled, a void she didn't even know existed. The moment itself had been equal parts pain and pleasure, a perfect concoction of togetherness and loneliness - symbolic of life itself, not surprisingly. But some part of her probably believed - or feared - that the moment was an ephemeral escape that had arrived to fleetingly touch her in the darkness of night. Now, in the brightness of morning, Madhu wasn't sure if it had really happened.
Sensing her needless embarrassment at her half-clad state, RK grinned "Why don't you freshen up honey? I am going to get you breakfast in bed today" and sped out of the room. Madhu walked to the washroom and stared at her reflection in the mirror as she brushed her teeth. Was she the same woman she had known all her life? Why did it feel so different? Why did she sense within herself a numb, inert fragment floating freely in her blood, making everything heavier?
"Come back to bed sexy." RK called, standing at the washroom dinner, staring at Madhu who had slipped on a T-shirt and shorts. While cooking in the kitchen, RK checked his phone and sent a couple of texts.
One to Maya: "Thanks for settling the club bills last night. I am very lucky Maya, I was so close to losing my life forever. I was such a fool. I would have died without Madhu, but guess life is being kind to me."
And the other to Ria: "I am an idiot. I was going to make the biggest mistake of my life. Thanks for showing me the mirror and making me realize what a jerk I was being. I couldn't see that by pushing Madhu away I was pushing away my own life. Thanks for being my friend. And sorry for hurting you."
Toast, eggs and juice awaited Madhu as she settled down on the bed. "I don't know why, I am famished. Why aren't you eating? It's not so bad, I swear." RK smiled and blabbered as Madhu picked on her breakfast. She picked up a toast in her left bandaged hand while using the right to put butter on it. RK realized her discomfort and took it from her, buttered it and fed her.
"I love you..."Madhu blurted.
"I love you too honey. I love you very much. And I will always love you." RK responded with a smile, then suddenly grew a little serious. "Madhu, I need something from you...a promise?"
"What?"
"First promise."
"Okay. Whatever you ask. But I don't have anything to give you." Madhu said.
RK took her hand in his and said, "Don't say like that. You're my life. You're everything. And that's why I need you to promise me that no matter what happens, no matter what destiny throws at us, as long as even the tiniest bits of love for me exists in your heart, you will not hurt yourself again." RK's eyes watered as he gently caressed Madhu's hands. He remembered the fear when he had seen the poison bottle in Madhu's bag, and that still sent a shiver down her spine. "Promise me, please, Madhu. As long as there's my love in your heart, you would be mine, and you would not let any harm come to my Madhu."
"I promise."
"Thank you. Now eat. And then we can take a shower together?" RK grinned. Madhu gave him a shocked questioning look.
"Ok, ok. We would do whatever you want."
"Don't you have to go anywhere?"
"It's Sunday Madhubala. And even if it wasn't, there is no other place I would rather be."
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Over the next few days, things started to return to normal, almost like they were when Rishabh and Madhu first started dating. Except RK would spend every evening with Madhu, sometimes picking her up from work and taking her out or hanging out at home. He would leave at night, but only reluctantly. Nothing was more important to him than to return Madhu's smile to her, because he was only too aware that the faint smile on her face these days was nothing like the heart-stealing gorgeous smile of her Madhu. She tried to be normal, but RK knew she still needed time to heal. She spoke much less, her crazy cheerful energy was slowly returning, and unanswered questions still swam in her eyes. She was still afraid, and RK was trying his best to calm her heart down. He could feel her hugs even when she was in his arms, when her hugs lingered just an extra second longer. On Thursday, Trishna returned from her vacation, and Madhu and RK both told her an abridged version of the break-up and the patch-up. She had been mad at both of them - RK for doing that to Madhu, and Madhu for not calling Trishna - but eventually she gave up. They met Rohan and Ria over dinner too, and Madhu convinced them to forgive RK. Ria had a few choicest words still to tell RK, but eventually her anger died down. Maya had been staffed on a new project, and was busy during the week, so told RK she couldn't meet.
On Friday, as Madhu walked into work, she noticed Vikram back at his desk. He had not come to work for the last couple of weeks. At 4 pm, their usual coffee time, Madhu grabbed two cups of coffee and walked to his desk. She needed to apologize to him. Over the week, she had sent him a couple of texts to see how he was, but he hadn't responded.
"Coffee?" Madhu asked, breaking Vikram's trance. He was sitting on his desk lost in thoughts. He looked up to see Madhu smiling and holding her ears in an apologetic gesture.
"Madhu...how are you Madhu?"
"I am ok. But you seem like you're so angry with me that you wouldn't even accept my coffee any more? I am sorry Vikram..."Madhu noticed pain in Vikram's eyes even as he took the cup of coffee from Vikram's hands. "Vikram...what's wrong Vikram? You didn't come for so many days and now...is everything ok...how is Ma?"
"Ma...Ma passed away Madhu." Vikram said, pain glistening in his eyes. Tears rolled down Madhu's cheeks as she left her coffee and took Vikram's hands in hers.
Vikram and Madhu were sitting in the coffee shop under their office. They needed to talk and office wasn't the right place for sharing the pain they were both feeling. Vikram told her how his mother suddenly worsened and he left for home early morning after the night when they had last seen each other. Things kept deteriorating and two days later, his mother passed away. Madhu couldn't stop crying as she heard Vikram shared the painful circumstances and how he had stayed back to arrange for everything.
"I am sorry Vikram. I am really sorry. I can't even imagine what you must have gone through losing your mother. I didn't even know...I should have been there for you."
"It's okay Madhu. I was much younger when I lost my father. That was hard to bear. But now I have to be strong for my sister. But thank you for your concern. I didn't know how to answer your texts, that is why I didn't tell you. Besides, I wasn't sure you still considered me a friend." Vikram said.
"You are my friend Vikram. I am sorry..." Madhu started to say, when she got a text on her phone from RK. "Getting there in 30 minutes" She had completely forgotten listening to Vikram that RK was supposed to pick her up and then they had decided to go to the mall followed by dinner. She excused herself and stepped out to call RK
"Rishabh..."
"Hey honey...I am on my way..."
"Yeah, Rishabh, listen..."
"What happened Madhu? You sound low. Are you crying?"
"No...yes...listen...I am sorry but I really need to talk to Vikram right now. I will explain everything when we meet, but I can't meet in 30 minutes. Why don't you go home and I will come over to your place as soon as I can? But my friend needs me Rishabh..."
"Ok...I understand. Is everything ok?"
"Yeah. I will come over in an hour and we can order in dinner. I am sorry, Vikram needs me right now."
"Ok. Bye."
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It was almost 8 when Madhu reached RK's place. She had sat and listened to Vikram silently, letting him share his pain. It wasn't easy losing a parent, and nobody understood better than Madhu the value of parental love. She had apologized for the way she had run away from Vikram's place as well. He wasn't entirely wrong, Madhu now reflected. He was just looking out for her as a friend, but at that time she couldn't even see that there was any problem with her relationship. She didn't tell him about the breakup and the patchup, but he had heard about her fainting in the office, and she told him she had been unwell, which itself worried him. She would eventually tell him, she decided, that he had been right that she was overlooking the issues in her relationship, but she had been lucky and everything had started to be normal again.
"Madhu..." RK hugged her as he opened the door for her. He had been waiting for over two hours for Madhu at his place, with nothing better to do. Waiting wasn't a fun activity, RK reflected, then remembered the dozens of times he had kept Madhu waiting for him. Still, he wondered what was keeping up. Madhu had said an hour, but she was clearly late. Vikram needs me, she said. She had sounded very troubled, and that worried RK. He had never met Vikram, but Madhu used to talk about him and he wondered how close they were.
"Sorry I am late Rishu. Here, I brought takeout."
"It's okay. What happened? You look terrible...is everything alright." RK said as he studied Madhu's red eyes.
Madhu told RK about Vikram losing his mother and how sad he was. RK hugged Madhu to comfort her, he knew she was in pain thinking about her own family.
A couple of hours later, Madhu was lying in RK's arms on the couch as they both watched a movie on TV.
"I think I need to meet Vikram" RK suddenly spoke. Madhu looked up at him questioningly.
"I just need to reassure him that you're mine." He said and smiled.
Madhu smiled back in response. Was RK jealous? "No need. I am only yours."
"And I am only yours honey. Only yours."
Edited by teekay - 11 years ago
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