Only a week had past since the chance encounter of suburban firehouse rookie and his overzealous reporter girlfriend. Yes, in just a week, they were well past the getting-to-know-you phase of the relationship. So much so, in fact, that Rishabh thought it would be a great idea to introduce Madhubala to his seniors at the firestation.
"This is going to be our regular hangout spot anyway", he said. "So why not say hello before we're forced to come out".
She nodded in an affirmative. Then, ran down to the nearest hair salon for a $100 blow dry.
"Wow". He cocked his head to the side not so much at the end result but the price tag that accompanied it.
"Wow indeed", she chuckled at his frugal ways.
"If you're spending this much now, lord knows what will happen for when we meet the parents". The boy did not know what he just gave away. With Madhubala, if you gave her an inch she grabs a foot.
"So when are we meeting the parents", she said out right.
He laughed not knowing what else to do with the all too forward girl of his. "Let's just greet the firefighters, okay?"
"When did I ever say no", she poked him in the abdomen and slithered closer to his waist. Yup, she was definitely the handsy on the relationship and he could very well have been a blushing cow. Wait, is that even a thing? Never mind, back to the firestation.
Just their entrance was enough to stir the crowd. A few gave them the raised eyebrow, yet others whistled, and then there was the familiar crowd of Rishabh's immediate superiors who raised their hand in a familiar hello to the girlfriend.
"Ho...ho..hold on a minute. You know each other?" Rishabh turned to look at Madhu, then back at his seniors, then again at Madhu.
"She's family around here boy", the squad chief gestured him to sit down and engulfed the confused looking Rishabh in a hug.
"Hey middle school", Madhu high fived the just arrived rescue truck seargent and Rishabh's face lost all color.
"Why you would tango with such a danger, I have no clue but don't say we didn't warn you", the firefighter tossed an empty water bottle toward Rishabh. "See all the men who, except those who are married or wrinkled, have been burned by your girl".
"TL;DR boy, she takes you when she wants you and one day she'll drop you so hard, you won't ever quite get back up", another one added.
"Cheers to that!" Madhu slid an open bottle of lager and toasted the fellas.
"I need some air", Rishabh puffed his already puffed up hair with a run of the fingers and stormed out. Then, stormed back in. "I am quite the player myself, you know", he declared much to the amusement of his seniors.
"Relax, you're my kind of a man", Madhu shot him a wink and that strange thing she does with her lips that drives Rishabh to hell and back in matter of seconds.
"I am making pizza. Who's in?" The rookie was in-charge of the dreaded house meal times and the usually tedious distraction task was welcomed for once.
"We dated for two weeks in middle school, right?" Oh yes, the teasing was on at full swing and the sound of chopping only got louder in the kitchen.
"If you can call it dating, girl dumped me good on graduation night", a firefighter scoffed looking directly at the aggravated Rishabh.
"I was the sophomore year college boy for a total of three months. Best three months of my life!" Madhubala was having just as much fun, if not more, observing the changing emotions on Rishabh's flustered face.
Before anymore of the men could turn him green with jealousy, Rishabh put him knife down with all the force he had left.
"Enough!" he screamed and his determined voice turned the chattering crowd silent. "Watch this", he walked swiftly toward the smiling Madhubala and she very well understood what was coming. She might just have planned this in advance for all he knew.
Rishabh scooped one arm underneath her waist and the other to pull her leg toward him. Then, he bent her over and kissed her. The golden slivers of sunlight hit their shining faces and all air thinned out in the space between them. The world turned gray and it was only him and her, her and him spinning in the moment. Like a scene right out of the movies, she felt all seven colors of the rainbow play before her eyes and then just her reflection lit brightly in her eyes.
He slowly pulled away from her body and pointed to the firefighters with their mouths gaped open. "You saw that? She is my woman!" with the most assertive tone they'd ever heard from the rookie.
Madhu broke the never ending silence with a small laugh and the rest of the group joined in with claps, cheers, and hoots.
"Good luck boy!" they patted and congratulated the couple one by one hoping he'd have a better luck than their broken hearted selves.
______________________________________________________________________
Three months had passed since their last meeting at the suburban coffee shop. Madhu had busied herself tackling increased responsibilities at the downtown newspaper office and Rishabh was just settling in to his new duties at the head of a firestation. Unbeknownst, he'd gotten the job at a newly constructed building in close proximity his ex's apartment.
And their next fated run-in happened soon after in a football pub where he sat down for a pint and some good city gossip. He watched from the tainted glass of the bar window as she walked in arm-in-arm with a buff looking stranger all smiles and a hint of shyness.
Rishabh felt his heart break into a million pieces slowly, then all at once. His breathing alternated between heavy and shallow and he barely had a hold on his first instinct to punch out the man who dared touch his wife. But she was not his wife. And that strange man now had more right to rub shoulders with Madhubala than he did.
Rishabh scratched his head and calmed his nerves. He too could pick up a girl in a matter of minutes if he pulled the firefighter card. But this was not a pissing contest and he certainly would not come out looking good if he played the jealousy card with Madhubala. The girl had told him she loved him so why was she doing this? Perhaps to get over him? Yes, that must be why. And now he lost the last urge to stab the stranger because he fit just right next to his ex. His arms were snug around Madhu. His kiss soft, supple, lingering but never quite as good as Rishabh's. wait, he kissed her? Yes, and Rishabh saw each and every torturous minute of it.
"My Madhu. My precious, kind, loving Madhu is kissing another man", he thought to himself before a blasting text demanded his attention.
"Did you see me?" it read. A few seconds ago, Madhu had spotted him on the corner stool and she could not care less what her date thought of this behavior. She had to check up on Rishabh before he lashed out. No, that wasn't the right word. Knowing his mild manners, Rishabh would probably just keep it in his heart and nothing could be worst than not telling.
Rishabh did not respond for a good ten minutes before finally gathering the scattered words in his head to formulate a sentence.
"I saw you kiss him. But you should know that for the sake of your happiness and my sanity, I looked away".
Madhu read his words with shaking hands and tearful eyes but she had no strength left in her to write a coherent reply. All she could do was run out of the establishment as fast as her legs would take her.
Arjun
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
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