Rishbala SS: Dil, Dosti, etc...Last Chap & Epi Pg65 - Page 5

Rishabh was sitting on the bed with a small photo frame in his hand. It was a picture of Amit and him, when they were merely 10 years, on a vacation to Manali. Rishabh outlined the face of Amit on the picture as tears dropped one after another. There was a knock at the door. "Come in," murmured Rishabh. Trishna came inside with a set of fresh white kurta pajama. "Freshen up and come out Rishabh," said Trishna. He looked up and asked, "Where is Sultan?" "He is outside, waiting for you to freshen up." Rishabh nodded his head, took the clothes from her and entered the bathroom.

After 15 minutes Rishabh came out of his room. He saw Sultan standing out at one corner of the room. On seeing Rishabh, he came forward and led him out on the open terrace. Rishabh clasped his hand and asked, "What happened Sultan? How did all these..?" "He was drunk, extremely drunk. It was raining very heavily that night. He crashed his car against a metro pillar. The car was completely wrecked. Police had to saw out his body parts from the muddle," muttered Sultan, looking out at the open space. Rishabh stared at him in utter horror. "Wha.." Rishabh's voice choked and he started shivering. "Rishabh, Rishabh," called Sultan as he hugged him, breaking into tears himself. It seemed ages before Rishabh could compose himself, wiping out the tears from his face. "Let's go inside. Aunty needs you now, Rishabh. You have to be strong for her," said Sultan and headed inside.

"Aa gaya saala haddi," commented Rishabh. "Eh, haddi kisko bola be?" asked Sultan frowned. "Tujhe, aur kisko?" smirked Rishabh. "Kyun be?" Sultan asked, all the more agitated. "Because you are a haddi in between our malai tikka dosti," chimed in Amit, as he joined the trio. "Ok, if I am that of an outsider, I am going, huhh!!" said Sultan and stood up. "Arrey baith bhai, we were just pulling your sexy legs, you see," winked Rishabh. "Waise bhi, we kind of miss you, when you are not there to poke your long nose in between our precious chuddy buddy time. Kind of a pati, patni aur woh situation, you know," commented Amit smugly. "Pati, patni aur woh? Who is the patni here?" asked Sultan irately. "Off course you, haddi. I am pati and Amit's woh. Spicy extra-marital affair," commented Rishabh, licking his lips, "because no one else can be the boring patni, other than you." "Teri to.." shouted Sultan, chasing the other two, as they ran through the college canteen.

"Madhu, cry Madhu, cry," Trishna sobbed while shaking Madhu by her shoulders. Madhu's eye lash flickered once, but there was no trace of tears. That night after receiving the news she had cried out once, and then stopped. Even when Amit's body, sewn and covered in a shroud was brought to the house in a coffin, she had not cried. She had just stared at it lifelessly. Even when Radha was howling at the cremation ground, she had stood like a rock, blank and lifeless. "Madhu will fall sick, Sultan. We have to make her express her grief," cried Trishna. Sultan embraced his wife and said, "She is too shocked, just as we are. She is holding all onto herself, so that Radha aunty recovers quickly. Because if she breaks down, Radha aunty will be all shattered. She is a brave girl."

"Are you sure you have to go for this voyage?" asked Amit. "Ha re, I am sorry, I cannot say no to it. This would be my first voyage as the Chief Officer," replied Rishabh while packing his bag. "You knew that this was going to happen right this time?" asked Amit impatiently. "Kehna kya chahta hai tu?" asked Rishabh, now facing Amit. "Why didn't you tell this before? I could have postponed the marriage date. In fact that is exactly what I should do now," said Amit with finality. "No, you are not going to do anything like that. Everything has been arranged. All preparations done. You will NOT change anything now," barked Rishabh as he blocked Amit's way. Amit looked at him with narrowed eyes and asked, "Are you sure, you are telling me the truth Rishu?" There are times when one needs to articulate the words correctly to express the right feeling, but for Rishabh all those words had jumbled up. So the only thing he said, "Trust me Amit. I will miss all the fun just as much you will miss me here."

"How could I choose that girl over my life-long friend?" babbled Rishabh, as he looked at the night sky from his room. "What a bloody fool I was Amit that I distanced myself from you because of that girl, who did not matter more than a passing fancy to me. And now, you left me forever. Why, why?" Rishabh hit the wall with his fist as anger bubbled up within.

On the thirteenth day after Amit's demise, the shradhdh ceremony was being held at the Roy residency. Radha sat on the floor near Amit's photograph as the pandit ji carried out the rituals. Rishabh came and joined her, holding her hand tight. "What sin have I committed Rishu that I had to see this day in my life?" sobbed Radha. Rishabh did not have any answer to her question. "He is there, with us, Ma." "Someone please call the departed's wife for her part of the ritual," asked pandit ji. Madhu silently came in front and sat down for the ritual. Rishabh gritted his teeth as he heard her faint voice, chanting the mantras along with the pandit ji.

As the ceremony was going on, Rishabh came out on the terrace for some fresh air, where he spotted Sultan. One question was bothering him for the last few days. "When did Amit start drinking so much alcohol? And why?" asked Rishabh. "Sometime after his marriage," replied Sultan softly. "After marriage? Why?" Rishabh asked, shocked. Sultan did not answer, he pressed his palms on his face. "Sultan, tell me what happened?" "Just before his suhaagraat, we were all drinking at the bar. He was missing you tremendously, he kept on talking about you. We were all drunk, and god knows when or why I told him that maybe you stayed away from the marriage because you too fancied Madhu. And hearing that..." "What?? Why did you say such an obnoxious thing, that too on his suhaagraat?" shouted Rishabh. "I was drunk Rishabh. I did not know what I was saying," whimpered Sultan. "You killed him!! Do you realize that Sultan?? You killed him!!" yelled Rishabh. "I am sorry Rishabh. I am sorry," cried Sultan.