Chapter 17
Madhu woke up the next morning having slept better than she had in months. As she opened her eyes and found herself in her room, for a few moments she was back in her happy past. Smiling, she reached out to the other side, where her Rishu should have been sleeping.
But he wasn't.
The realization made her sit up and crash-land into a much more complicated present. She was in her home, and yet, this wasn't her home any more. It had stopped being that, the day RK stopped loving her.
But did he really not love you Madhu, something in her asked her as she looked around the room and saw nothing but evidence of RK's love. She remembered the previous day and the previous night, the look on RK's face, the sound of RK's eyes, the feel of his arms. Everything told her that despite everything, despite the hurricane that had swept everything in her life away, somehow things were still the same. The magic, the passion, the love that Madhu had shared with Rishabh...
What magic, what love? The one that RK drowned in his sins in Ria's bed, something else in her remembered. Could she ever forgive RK for what he had done? Could she ever forget the pain, the heartache? Could she ever fight the darkness that now permanently lived in Madhu's life, the darkness that RK had invited in?
Madhu was tired of the constant strife within her. She wanted to scream - something, anything - to numb the pain. Yes, she loved him, she admitted to herself. She had never stopped loving him, despite everything. Even at her lowest point, just before she jumped off the cliff, she loved RK. Even in her darkest nights when she hated RK the most, she loved RK. And yet, she couldn't forgive him, she couldn't forget him and she couldn't be with him. The fire of the irony was burning her inside. She knew she had to get out of this house and away from RK as soon as possible, or else, either the love or the hatred inside her would decimate the other and win.
Madhu wasn't sure which one she was more scared of.
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RK opened his eyes to see Madhu walking down the stairs. With his blurry, sleepy vision, she looked just like his beautiful old Madhu, wearing her favorite anarkali suite and looking fresh as an angel. But a few moments later, the light of the morning revealed what he had truly done to Madhu. She still looked beautiful, but her eyes had no spark. She looked grave, sullen and the scar on her face reminded RK of the pain he had made her live through.
Seeing her walk towards him, RK sat up.
"I am going to the hospital."
"Wait...just give me 5 mins. I will get dressed and I will take you with me." RK got up to run inside.
"You don't have to come. I can go myself."
"No, seriously...just give some breakfast in the kitchen. I will join you in two mins and take you. I can't let you go Madhu...I mean I can't let you go by yourself. I will just be out."
RK was at the guest bedroom door when he heard Madhu. "How is your fever?"
"I am fine. I am better than I should be."
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At the hospital, nothing had changed overnight. Padmini was still sedated and no further change or treatment was expected for another 12 hours at least. Madhu waited by her side, holding her hand, praying God for her mother to recover and RK waited outside after consulting with the doctors about the treatment outcomes thus far. After a couple of hours, RK came in the room with a cup of coffee for Madhu.
"I spoke to the doctors. Ma is stable and they hope to start the next phase early tomorrow morning."
"Hmm"
"Madhu I needed to go out for a few hours for some work. I have called Bittuji and he would be here any minute, so he would be with you. But would you please call me if you need anything or if anything here changes. I will be back as soon as possible."
"We don't need you RK. You don't have to come back ever again." Madhu toughened up and spoke coldly. "Go. Do your work. Live your life. I don't want to have anything to do with you. I don't every want to be under the same roof as me. What do you want from me? You took everything I had RK...my life, my dignity, my freedom, my love, my trust, my family...I have nothing more left to give you RK. And I don't want to be an obstacle in your life. Go be the superstar that you are, go find a new obsession, a new junoon and forget this simple chawl girl."
RK stared at Madhu's emotionless face, but couldn't respond. The only thought that came to his mind was if somehow he could find a punishment for himself that would make him suffer as much as he deserved, that could somehow lessen Madhu's pain and let her live, that could turn everything all right...
He lowered his eyes and slowly left the room, not seeing the lone tear that had betrayed Madhu's demeanor and was leaking off her eye by now.
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Bittuji came in the room and put his hand on Madhu's shoulder.
"Chalo Madhu. Let's go home for the night. Doctors have said they will start treatment tomorrow and it's quite late now. Come, we will get some dinner and then I will drop you."
As they walked out, Madhu said "I want to go to the chawl tonight Bittuji. As much as I don't want to face everyone there, I cannot stand to see RK or breathe the same air as him. I won't go back to RK mansion."
"Are you sure Madhu? I know RK has hurt you in the past, but.."
"What but Bittuji. I told him this morning to stay away and I am sure he wouldn't bother showing up now. His ego wouldn't let him come. And I have nothing to offer him or interest him."
"He's here Madhu. He' still in the hospital. He came back at 3pm."
Madhu was shocked.
"He didn't want to come in front of you. He doesn't want to cause you any more pain. He told me what you said. He is really sorry Madhu. Maybe you could give him another chance."
"It's too late for that Bittuji. Let's go. I am really tired. I need to sleep."
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The car stopped 15 minutes later at a place Madhu did not recognize.
"Where are we Bittuji?" Madhu asked, puzzled.
"This is your new home. Come."
They walked up to the top floor apartment. As they entered, Madhu saw a well kept-up 2 bedroom apartment with a sea-facing view.
"You don't have to live at the chawl alone, and since you did not want to be at RK mansion, Chief bought this house in your name. It's yours, here are the papers, and this file has some other stuff Chief wanted me to give you as well. Your clothes and other stuff are already here, and there's Rosie who lives in the servant quarter at the back. She'd be here all the time. Just pick up the intercom and call her if you need anything."
"I can't take this house Bittuji."
"Take it Madhu. Don't be so stubborn. It's rightfully yours, and it is the best option for you right now. Here you have complete peace and privacy. Now rest."
After Bittuji left, Madhu sat on the bed with RK's file in her hand. The first set of papers were documents for this apartment. But the next set was a thick bundle of paperwork that shocked Madhu. It seemed to be papers of some of RK's properties, a bank account, fixed deposits transferred in Madhu's name and other properties that were anyway always in Madhu's name, including their dream house. Madhu wondered why RK was doing this.
Was he buying her love?
Frustrated, she threw the papers on the bed. Some fell on the floor, and she saw what looked like a letter from RK next to her feet. Recognizing the handwriting, she bent to pick it up, when another legal document that had fallen next to it caught her eye.
Something that read DIVORCE at the top.
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