RISHBALA SS: GOLD DIGGER
PART-1
The entire Mallik mansion is decorated with flowers and lights as today is the wedding of Samsher Mallik's only daughter Madhu Mallik. Madhu is the only daughter of the great industrialist Samsher Mallik, he loved her the most. His wife Padhmini passed away 5 years back when Madhu was 18, from then it's only Samsher and Madhu in that big mansion. Samsher met Rishab on a business meeting; he was a designer in a low profile company which was working with Mallik Fashion House. Rishab made an impression with his handwork and dedication on Samsher's mind, so he investigated about him and found that he was a middle class man with an older and younger sister both married. His father owned a small sweet shop and his mother was a home maker. Their financial position was in a pretty bad shape after the wedding of his younger sister. When Samsher approached the Kundras with the proposal of his daughter to Rishab they immediately accepted but it was Rishab who was reculant to the proposal later he too accepted and now the wedding is happening. After the wedding Rishab will be living in the Mallik mansion as Samsher requested.
Madhu looked radiant in her wedding finery as she got ready for her reception which is to be held in the garden of the lavish 5 star hotel she got ready and looked around the room and spotted her mausi Leelavathi, looking at her lovingly, she is the closest of a motherly figure in her life after her mother's death. After looking at her for some time Leelavathi came near her and cupped her face and said
"You look just like your mother. Be like your mother in your life too. She was a polite woman and she had a soft heart that looked past every bad intention in a person and found the goodness in them. You are marrying a man far below your status and your in laws are also of the same financial status so be careful in your actions and be double careful in your words. Whatever you do will be tagged as your arrogance if you are not careful in your actions and words. Learn to forget and forgive. Come it's time to leave for the reception."
With that they left for the reception, on the way some of the relatives called Leelavathi for some chore so she asked Madhu to wait in the opposite side of the garden away from the reception crowd and she will come and accompany her to the reception. While Madhu waited for her mausi she strolled in the garden, she heard some crying noise and looked at the direction of the sound. There stood a woman crying and as she started to take a step towards the woman she heard a footstep fast approaching the woman, so she stayed where she was hidden from the woman and the fast approaching footstep. As the person neared the women Madhu was shocked to see the person who was none other than her husband who married her in the morning.
Rishab reached the sobbing woman and stood at a respectable distance from her and looked at her with a helpless sigh.
"How can you marry some other girl Rishab, when you promised me to be there for me life long?"
"I am helpless Ria, my family was deep down in debt the only way to be able to come out of the situation is to relent to the proposal of Samsherji, he gave us 60 lakhs as dowry with that we have settled all the debt and even secured our house and shop from montage."
"Was money so important that you forgot our love?"
"Ria, be practical. Yes money is important in life and it was the need of the hour for my family so I have to sell myself to Samsherji for the money he gave my family."
Madhu has heard enough the husband whom she loved right from the moment she saw his photo is now speaking to his lover whom he has sacrificed for money. He has married her for money and not out of love. She is a liability to him; Madhu was shattered with this revelation, and so she moved from the place and left to her room. After Madhu left Rishab continued,
"And we never loved or dated each other Ria, you were an orphan and we were working in the same company. It was just our co workers who thought that we would make a cute pair and you will have some one by your side, now I am married to a woman who loves me a lot and I'll be true to her. You will get a better man who would love you. Now stop crying and this would be the last time we will meet, and remember Ria I never promised you to be with you till the end, you asked me to give a chance for this relationship and it didn't work, I broke up with you even before Samsherji came with the proposal, so don't try to spin any false stories."
"So you mean that now you love your wife, what a great man you are! You are like every other man you are behind the money of the guptas."
"Are you deaf Ria, yes I married my wife for money and I'll be honest in accepting that and I don't love her as of now, but I'll be true to her. It's easy to fall in love with your wife, you do know that Ria. So cut the crap and get lost from here."
With that Rishab left the garden and went to the reception stage where his family was waiting for him. He saw his father Mohan dressed in expensive sherwani speaking to some of his guests, he also saw his mother Radha dressed in equally expensive saree and jewelries speaking to some of the ladies from their neighborhood. His elder sister Trishna and jiju Sultan were sitting along with his younger sister Deepali and her husband Sikkinder away from the crowd in a table with the children playing by them. Trishna was 29 and married for 8 years now with three children Rahul, Raddhima and Rohan who were 7, 5 and 2 respectively. Deepali was married just 3 months back and is now 2 months pregnant she was just 21, Sikkinder also worked with Rishab in the same company, while Sultan was a government servant. Rishab joined them, they were more worried about him as Madhu was stingingly rich, but the few encounters they had with her made them at ease.
Rishab turned to see his bride ascending the stairs that lead to the garden from the lobby, he chuckled at the thought of her giving this dramatic entry, it should be definitely her mausi Leelavathi who suggested it, he felt her to be a little dramatic. Madhu looked divine as she was led towards her husband, she saw her husband waiting for her at the middle of the path way smiling at her and she couldn't believe that he is the same person who a few minutes before was confessing to another woman that he married her for her money. By this time she had reached Rishab, Rishab couldn't take his eyes off Madhu she looked out of the world in her fineries, he felt happy and proud to know that this woman who was beautiful inside out is his.
Madhu turned to look at her husband when she felt him take her hand in his, now they are standing in the stage accepting the wishes of their well wishers, he looked happy like a groom who is looking forward for his married life with his wife, but sadly she know the reality, he has married her only for her money. She has bought him with her money, but will she be able to get his heart which is beating for another woman as hers. She watched the people who were ascending the stage, they were Rishab's colleagues and Sikkinder was accompanying them, when Rishab introduced Ria, his face and voice was blank. Madhu looked at Ria with envy, since she is the woman who held her husband's heart, while Ria looked at Madhu with distain since she has stolen Rishab from her and also managed to make a place for her in his heart in a very small time.
Rishab bid farewell to his family and followed his Sasurji into the house
"Rishab beta, I hope you didn't mistake me for asking you to be a gharjamai."
"No, uncle I can understand your situation."
"Call me papa beta. Madhu is my only daughter after my wife she is the only reason for my existence. If she is to leave me I'll die beta."
"Papa doesn't speak like this we are with you right so why are you worrying?"
"Beta, you are my son now, Madhu is not interested in my business or money, she is very simple and doesn't have many wishes in her life. She may make some mistakes since she doesn't have her mother to share her mind so please forgive her if she does any mistakes."
"Papa don't worry she is my responsibility now, I will be the husband she wants me to be, so please stop worrying about her."
"Rishab beta you also have to take charge as the MD of Mallik Industries, I'm not offering you this just because you are my son in law, I have seen your potential and you will surely do the well in this role."
"Thank papa for your trust on me, I'll make you proud."
With this Samsher hugged Rishab and lead him to his new room where is newly wedded wife was waiting for him. Rishab entered the room which looked like a mini apartment, there was a huge bed near the French window which opened to a pool side, on the center of the room was a sofa set with a flat TV mounted on its stand, on the opposite side of the pool was two doors, but where is his bride? He looked around the room for his bride and found the French window open and went to the poolside to check on his wife and found her gazing at the sky by the pool.
"Madhu"
She turned when he called her, her face was expressionless and void of any happiness, she looked him dead at his eyes, as Rishab approached her, she stopped him by stretching her hands at her front
"Stop right there, don't come near me, my father's money could have brought you as my husband, but I can never accept a person who values money more than anything in the world. We can never be a couple so don't try to act like you care. Good night."
Madhu left to her room after her outburst, Rishab was stunned with her words, her words were not clear but he could make out that she has considered him as a gold digger who married her for her money. What happened to the shy girl who used to glance at him with love filled eyes throughout the wedding rituals and who is this girl who is spitting fire with her eyes and words at him?"
After shutting the door close Madhu burst into tears, she thought of all the dreams she had of her wedding were mocking at her. She never saw Rishab before her wedding rituals as her father selected the groom for her, she trusted her father to do the best for her as always. After seeing his picture she fell in love with him, even though he never tried to contact her before their wedding, she thought that he is also willing to marry her. But now she knew the truth, he loved another girl but married her for her money. She can never accept a person who values money more than people; maybe she has to live a meaningless life with a love less husband. Slowly sleep over took her due to the exhaustion of the day.
Both of them spend that night thinking about the other, Rishab couldn't understand the sudden change in his wife, she was sweet and shy right before their reception but what happened in the interval of few hours that she couldn't stand him. Did she not know that her father gave a huge amount as dowry for their marriage before their marriage? May be she found out that after their marriage but she could have asked him the reason rather than jumping into the conclusion. He has hope in getting his wife back after all she is in love with him, he knew that from the glances she send him during their pre wedding encounters, she might have been tired and disturbed today he will clear this misunderstanding the first thing in the morning. With these thoughts Rishab fell into a restless sleep.
CID
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