Chapter 3"Look into my eyes and tell me it was just a joke, just a bet." Madhu gulped, RK was using her words against her. Her words had deserted her. She was losing at this game of deception, and this meant she was going to lose RK, her friend, her...love.
"You can't lie to me Madhu, I can read your eyes"
As soon as RK said those words, Madhu shut her eyes. She was fighting, fighting so hard with herself, but every part of her body was betraying her today. Her legs were shaking, her hands were giddy with happiness over being held by RK, her heart had leapt out of all its boundaries, her eyes were spilling out the unsaid words and her mind just refused to function.
RK stepped closer to Madhu, their faces now only inches apart. He was aware of Madhu's reaction, of her shivering hands and the fear in her eyes.
"Madhu" he said, forcing her to open her eyes.
"Okay, I will believe you that you were joking, but what would you do if I told you that I, Rishabh Kundra, am already truly, madly, deeply in love with you Madhubala Malik."
RK gazed into Madhu's eyes even as a lone tear escaped through them and was running down
her cheek.
"What would you do if I said that I am crazy for you Madhu, that I have never felt as loved, as cared for and as complete than before I met you?" RK gently wiped the tear on Madhu's cheek but another one escaped. Madhu's eyes were swimming with an emotion RK knew she didn't fully comprehend yet.
He continued "This is not a joke, this is not a bet, this is just my truth...my truth that
I don't believe anybody in this world can understand better than you."
He held one arm around Madhu's waist and touched her chin by the other hand hand as he whispered..
"What would you do Madhu? Would you run? Would you lie? Would you ask me to forget you?"
Madhu closed her eyes again, unable to control the flood of emotions inside her. If RK wasn't supporting her by his arm, she would have probably collapsed. She felt him caress her lips with his hands.
"Or...or would you give me a chance...would you give yourself a chance...?
RK bent forward and let his lips touch Madhu's lips, then gently kissed them. He felt Madhu's arms around his waist, pulling him closer, and deepened the kiss. Her eyes were still shut, but she kissed him back. RK did not need words to know what Madhu's answer was - her body and her eyes had long ago betrayed her truth and the fallacy of her excuse, but feeling her kiss him back with a passion that was growing every second confirmed his belief in Madhu's truth and spurred a new warmth in RK. He felt alive and swept away by a fierce desire he had never felt in his life. Need took over, and RK tightened the embrace and dove deeper in the kiss, driving her tongue in Madhu's eyes and meeting an even fiercer response.
As they broke for breath, Madhu moaned "I love you Rishabh."
"I love you too Madhu. I love you too." RK was staring at her and smiling, only inches away, still holding her tight.
Flushed, Madhu broke the embrace. The kiss had left her breathless and she felt embarrassed, not knowing what to do next. She was out of her depth here.
"Rish..RK..um...woh"
"Quit fighting Madhu. I really really love you and I know you love me too. You can't lie to me. Why are you fighting with yourself? Look into my eyes. Do you trust me?" Madhu's face broke into a smile. She felt a kind of happiness she had never experienced in her life.
Probably it was the kiss - they said it produces endorphins. But nobody told her it also made you feel so much lighter, and brighter. Madhu spoke calmly and honestly for the first time in the last 15 minutes, "I trust you. I...I love you. I don't know how or since when but..."
RK's face broke into a huge smile and he bent forward to kiss her again.
"So why did you run from the cafe? At least you should have listened to what I had to say." RK and Madhu were both settled on the couch - Madhu leaning on RK and RK gently rubbing her arm.
"I..um..I was scared of losing you. I didn't mean to say it in the cafe, but something happened and I just blurted it out. But I thought you wouldn't believe me or you'd hate me and I did not want to lose your friendship. So.."
"So you ran? And did not take my calls. And started giving me stupid excuses when I finally got over my initial shock and reached here."
"Stupid?"
"Of course stupid! Did you really think I would buy that it was a bet? How were you supposed to prove to Trishna you actually completed the bet...there wasn't anyone else around to witness.."
"Uh..ummm...it's your fault! My brain stops working around you."
RK laughed. "Ahaan...that's probably true. Because otherwise someone as intelligent as you who otherwise understands my every unsaid words wouldn't have missed that I was going crazy because I loved you but was scared to tell you because I had heard how much you hated the
idea of love. Trust me, if you hadn't said what you did at the cafe, I would have told you
sooner or later, because I can't live without you any more, Madhubala!" said RK and pulled
Madhu into a deep warm embrace.
"Me neither, Rishabh, me neither..."Madhu smiled in the warmth of RK's arms.
"RK?"
"Call me Rishabh. Feels good when you say it."
"Rishabh.."
"Yes, honey"
"You said you were shocked..."
"Well, stunned is probably the right word. I wasn't expecting to hear that you know. I was still trying to understand why you were acting so crazy - one moment yelling at me, the next one caring for me, and then trying to leave. Not even in my wildest dreams had I imagined I would be so lucky...so I was stunned. And by the time I got hold of my senses, you'd run home. I tried to call but...I had no choice but to come here."
"I am glad you did. And I am glad I lost my senses and said what I said. Otherwise neither of us would have ever confessed our feelings and we would have never found each other."
"Well...I might have...eventually"
"No, you wouldn't have, Rishu."
"Rishu?"
"Rishu" Madhu smiled, and then RK did too.
"Well you're probably right. I didn't want to lose you and I know you hate the idea of love. You would have just pushed me away. I wouldn't risk losing your friendship for anything."
"Hmm.."
"Why did you hate love Madhu?"
"Some other time, some other time. Let me enjoy the present moment." Madhu said, closing her eyes.
"Rishu, why were you so stressed earlier today?"
"Some other time, some other time. And I am not, any more. So let me enjoy the present moment." RK closed his eyes too, and the two love birds slipped into a beautiful reverie.
An hour later, they both had some coffee and RK decided to get back home. Madhu saw him off at the door. As he was leaving, she said, "Thank you Rishu."
"Thank you Madhu. I love you"
"I love you too." she said with a smile that penetrated RK's heart.
15 minutes later, RK's phone beeped a text.
"Now what, Rishu?"
"I don't know, honey. I don't know." He replied.
And then sent another text. "But we will figure it out. Let's just live in the present moment. :) I love you."
"I love you too Rishu."
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