Author's Note: This chapter will reveal more about our protaganist's motivations. I have always wanted to humanize her even if at the cost of your perception of her. Her relatable emotions strengthen her character even when they are petty. To her, they are important and that makes her even more impressive for believing in them but keeping her wits about em when hiding from the world. In some ways, the two men in her life (Rishabh and Sameer) can see through her aliases. However, either is yet to unmask her true self. The woman is a truly lonely soul.
More on Rishabh's side of the past in upcoming chapters.
"There is no such thing as a free lunch", she remembered his words as she looked out into vast wilderness, a hint of hatred flashing in her eyes. There was a time when she loved this man, with every bone in her body, every inch of her skin was a prayer to his god. She breathed for him, smiled for him, cried for him, Madhubala only existed for him. But he spared her no mercy when he shattered her only happy dream.
The night of their wedding Sameer gifted her a little white dress. As his fingers laced over her skin waking every nerve in her body, she let go, of herself, of all her inhibitions. His hands swallowed her whole, tugging on her waist as he pulled the fabric over her head. She could sense her knees folding beneath her. She turned around to look up at him. He was like the morning sun shining light in her dark corners. She was humble in front of him, humble as a spec of dust. And this spec of dust could do nothing more than float with his wind, she went wherever his will took her. That night, she pleasured him in every way a woman could pleasure a man.
And when she walked into his home for the first time, her hand tightly woven around his fingers, she pledged she would forget about revenge, forget about Malik because now there was a man that loved her. And she was grateful. So grateful she wanted nothing more than to live in his shadow. It was as if the heavens had bestowed her with a family she always wanted but never could have. She was so blessed she would fall off a cliff for his nod.
He pulled her close to his side and called out to his father, "daddy, this is my wife".
"Really?" big boss Malik coughed twice. "I never did like your taste. She better live up to our standards or you are not getting a place in my will".
She wanted as her husband curved his lips into a smile. He handed her over to his father for a dance. "She a pilot and a respected one at that. Now can I get my CEO position".
Madhu could not believe herself, her foolishness. She looked at him with teary eyes, then at his content father, then into her own heart that had blackened soon than she hoped. He had used her.
And she would not allow herself to be used, never become a toy in some man's playroom, never his extension, never a pass time, never his mule. She filed in her resignation the next day. If it was her status he was after, he would never have it now. She vowed to crush every hope he held out for her, every vision that pitched her as the stepping stone would never see the light of day. She watched him turn hopeful as she enlisted in the forces but she stomped over his smiles when she pulled out two days before graduation. She laughed at the mirth in his eyes when she joined law school but she never went back after first year. And now she was not only slacking to press his buttons, she was rotting his empire from the core. She turned back to her roots, to her dead mother who cried for revenge. She would not make the same mistake twice. She was learning the ins and outs of his business, putting time bombs where he couldn't see them, all while patiently waiting for the explosions that would destroy all that he held close.
Never again would she love Sameer Malik.
She knew he was tiptoeing behind her, his fingers snaking around her waist, pinching her bosom. She forced out a giggle. She was certain it sounded more like a cry. Her heart was drumming in her throat as he came closer chanting her name in the warm tone that made her dizzy. Maybe there were residual feelings pooling in her belly because she wanted him to hold her tight and cry a river in his arms. It was her parents' fiftieth anniversary. Had they been alive, she would have teased them for sticking together for so long when they fought like two wild animals. She would have laughed with them, cooked dinner for them, called the neighbours for a bbq block jam. But they were alone in that cold place and she had no one.
"f**k off!" she was too frustrated to deal with Sameer's advances.
"Is something the matter love?" the man was always patient with her. So patient, it was infuriating. "Fight back you coward!" she cursed him inwardly but steadied her poker face.
"Bodyguard", she called for Rishabh and the servant came running.
"Yes miss".
"This person cannot come within ten feet of me today. I want to be alone".
Rishabh hesitated but obliged when Sameer offered him a pleasant nod of approval. "Okay darling, whatever you wish. I will catch you at dinner time. You take care".
Madhubala wanted to break the bas***d's neck but he was too darned handsome for her scorn. She sighed heavily and turned to her ninja disciple.
"What are you planning kid?"
Did the woman really want him to lay out all his cards when she showed none? Oh no, do not discount him as a fool just yet.
"You tell me".
"Fine, you shut me off. I did nothing to provoke you". And she had the last word. Like always!
"Sorry miss. I need your help miss".
"That's more like it". Men, they were just like kindergarteners. Only, easier manipulated.
"Any chance I could closer to the boss?"
"A good chance".
"How?"
"Tell me why you need me"
The woman was looking to inflate her already overblown ego? Rishabh shook his head in alarm.
"Miss is intelligent, beautiful,..."
"Now that fool, I am asking what you've got against the boss?"
"That's a personal question miss".
The miss was unimpressed.
"Then miss, can I ask you a personal question?"
"No", she flat out refused.
"A semi personal question?"
"You have forty seconds".
Rishabh fumbled to get his words straight. "M...mi..ss...did you really marry for money?"
She pursed her lips, folded her fingers around his shoulders, looked directly at him, and said, "yes".
