Chapter 13
"Ok, why don't both of you go sight seeing for some time? My meeting will take two hours, but then I can meet you for lunch. Ok?" RK said as they finally drove into Panchgani after two 'breakfast breaks'.
"Yes, that sounds amazing bro." Trishna yelped, excited at having finally reached. It was a beautiful day and she was glad to be spending it with Rishabh.
"Okay. So I am getting off here now. I will call you when I am free and come wherever you are." RK said after a while.
"Good. We can do shopping until then. And then we can all go sight-seeing together! Right, Madhu?"
"Oh well..."RK said, not too thrilled about sight-seeing with Trishna.
"Come on bro!"
"Ok ok. But I have another meeting at around 5 for another two hours and after that we can head back home."
"Fine!" Trishna agreed, and RK smiled at her before getting out of the car.
"Stay with the driver. You have my number right." he instructed.
"Yes bro, stop worrying!"
"Ok. Bye Trish" he said, and turned, then stopped and looked back to add "Bye Madhu. I will see you guys soon."
Madhu couldn't help but smile as he said that. It felt a bit uneasy, watching him turn and leave, but she quickly reminded itself he was only gone for work for two hours. Two hours when she was...free.
Well, not really, but she was outside the confines of a home and she felt more like herself - the Madhubala Malik she had been for most of her life - than she had in several months!
Maybe this freedom was a delusion, but so what? She was going to hold on to it, in fact live it as fully as possible before the time ran out on her. She had enough practice, after all, because it was choosing to be in a delusion that was helping her survive and function in her life. She brushed away the painful jitters of reality that threatened to creep out at the crevices of that thought, and instead focused on the beaming girl sitting next to her who was keenly conversing with the driver to pick which market would be the best for shopping.
She really liked Trishna, she decided. In some ways, Trishna was like her. No, scratch that. In some ways, Trishna reminded of the person she used to be. She reminded her of life.
All morning, Trishna had talked and Madhu had mostly listened. In part, she was afraid of saying something wrong, especially in front of Rishabh. She was still surprised he had let her come with them. Perhaps he couldn't find an excuse that Trishna would believe, she figured. After all, this girl seemed to love her elder brother to bits, but also had him totally under her spell. Madhu had noticed how Rishabh gave in to Trishna's whims every single time almost as if she was his child and not a cousin sister.
Watching their bond made Madhu miss her own brother, and she was hoping some time during the day she would get the chance to sneak out and see Manav. It had been months since she'd seen him, months in which everything in her life had changed. Ever since she had learnt that Tony and his bosses were well-aware of her brother's existence and location, she had been scared for his safety and wanted nothing more than to embrace him and take him away somewhere safe. But her circumstances hadn't allowed that. Plus, there was fear. Even if she saw him today, even if Rishabh let her, she was terrified of Manav's reaction if he figured out who she was now and what she did.
"What do you say?" Trishna suddenly asked, breaking Madhu out of her thoughts.
"Huh. Sorry I didn't hear you."
"Ohho I am asking do you want to go to Main Bazaar first or Shivaji Circle? I can't decide."
"Whatever you want Trishna ji."
"What the hell is Trishna ji. Call me Trish. You're not as old as bhai, are you? I mean I know he's only 28. You know I keep teasing him only because he has always treated me as such a little kid. It used to irritate me so much when I was little. So I call him old now to get back. (chuckles) Bhai is so nice."
"Yes, that he is." Madhu gently smiled.
"Oh my God!" Trish suddenly screamed, scaring Madhu.
"What?" Madhu questioned, worried.
"Look at that view! Bhaiya, please stop." Trishna yelled at the driver. She immediately got out, took a bunch of pictures, then dragged Madhu out too and took a lot of selfies with her. By the end, both Madhu and Trishna were laughing like crazy at the stupid faces they were making in the pictures.
They spent the next two hours shopping in the market, going from shop to shop and enjoying each other's company.
"Hello bhai" Trishna answered her phone, stepping a little away from the stall as Madhu did the bargaining.
"Oh we are at the main market, near the old juice stall."
"Okay. See you!"
"Bhai is coming in 15 minutes." She told Madhu as she stepped next to her. She nodded and handed Trishna her stoles. "Here you go. And your remaining 200 bucks"
"Wow. You got all three of them for 300?"
"Yep. You liked them all, right."
"Yeah they're so pretty."
"You have a great choice Trish."
"And you have awesome bargaining skills. We make a great team Madhu!" Trishna beamed, and Madhu smiled at her.
"Ok, what next?"Madhu asked.
"I am tired now. Let's sit at the juice stall. Actually wait, you haven't bought anything at all for yourself. Why don't you get something?"
"It's ok. I don't like anything." Madhu answered, but Trishna noticed her eyes drifting to the display window of a shop nearby.
"Oh come on. Why don't you look around? Maybe you will like something. I am going to go sit there. Don't come there till you have at least seen around for 5 minutes, ok?" Trish commanded in her usual bossy style and walked ahead.
Madhu wandered eventually to the same shop she had been eyeing for the last ten minutes where she'd seen something that felt like the perfect gift to take for Manav - an ancient symbol of safety and health. She was getting that packed when her eyes went on to a unique pen that lay in a display case for customizable items.
"Can I see that pen?" she asked the shopkeeper.
"Sure madam. Here you go. We can inscribe it with your initials if you want. Just takes 2 minutes. It's a really unique gift."
"How much is it?"
"2000."
She struggled with the approprity of the gift for a minute, but then reminded himself of the nice gestures he had done with her pendant and with bringing her here. Plus, it was his birthday.
"I'll take it."
"What do you want to inscribe on it?"
"RK" she said.
Trishna, who had just got to the shop entrance, stopped as she heard Madhu say RK and for the first time wondered if this girl could be the answer to her worries about her brother and his pain. A couple of minutes later, Madhu paid, picked up both items and turned to leave when she saw Trishna standing there.
"Trish? What are you doing here?"
"Oh I forgot to ask you what you wanted to drink so came back. What did you buy?" she asked as both girls walked out of the shop.
"Nothing much. Just a gift for my brother. Maybe I will courier it to him."
"Why? Didn't you say your brother is in Panchgani? You should go meet him today!"
"Umm...I don't know. Besides he would be in class anyway."
"So what time does he get free?"
"They only let visitors come around 6." she answered.
"That's good. You can meet him before he leave."
"Umm...ok I will ask Rishabh ji."
"What's there to ask?" she innocently questioned, and Madhu didn't know how to answer. How would she explain that she no longer had any free will in her life?
Thankfully, she didn't have to answer as they had reached the juice stall and Trishna said "I am ordering mango shakes for both of us, ok?"
Rishabh got out of the car as he spotted Trishna and Madhu sitting at the juice stall she had mentioned, drinking what looked like mango shakes and laughing heartily at something. Even though Trishna looked a lot happier than Madhu, Rishabh noticed the easy camaraderie they seemed to share which had only grown since the car ride this morning, and was struck once again at how easily Madhu made friends. Dipali and Trishna didn't get along for even a minute, he remembered out of nowhere and was himself surprised at the comparison he just made.
As RK crossed the road to reach them, his eyes never left Madhu who seemed to be glancing wishfully at some bangles in the bangle-shop adjacent to them while Trishna was busy texting.
"Hello!" RK said as he stepped closer to them.
"Bhai! Finally you are here! I missed you!" Trishna exclaimed, hugging RK.
"It doesn't look like you missed me at all." RK said pointing to the dozens of shopping bags lying around them.
"Ohho...don't blame me. Everything here is so beautiful and colorful. Plus you know Madhu is an expert at bargaining!"
"Really?"
"Yep. Even though she didn't buy anything for herself!" Rishabh frowned at that and looked questioningly at Madhu. "Why is that?"
Madhu aware of RK's piercing gaze tried to look away as she picked Trishna's bags "I didn't want anything."
"Bhai I am starving." Trishna claimed.
"Yeah let's go eat." RK answered as they all walked to the car, but his eyes didn't leave Madhu who on her part tried to walk as quietly and quickly as possible.
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Madhu was perplexed as they walked out of the restaurant after lunch. She had noticed Rishabh forgot to have his medicines, but couldn't bring herself to tell him to have those. She knew he was very forgetful with those medicines. At least at breakfast and dinner whenever she was around, she would subtly put those medicines on his table next to the meal, or get Patil to do it. She even got Patil to put his medicines in his lunch box right on top hoping that would remind him but of course she couldn't be sure. It wasn't her place to actually remind him or say anything about it, much less now, outside home and in front of Trishna, so she kept quiet but couldn't help being worried all through their drive to whichever sightseeing spot Trishna had picked for all of them to go to.
"What's wrong?" Trishna suddenly asked Madhu. Even though her voice was low, RK heard her too and his attention immediately shifted to the rear seat.
"Nothing. I...I just have a headache."
"Oh no. Do you want some medicine? Bhai, do you have aspirin in the car?" Trishna asked RK without waiting for Madhu to respond.
"It's there...in the dashboard...alongwith Rishabh ji's medicines." Madhu answered before RK could say anything, suddenly proud at herself for remembering that RK always kept a box of medicines in the car.
"Bhai's medicines? Bhai what are your medicines for? I didn't see you have any."
"Oh it's nothing. Just some... anyway I had it at breakfast. Just forgot the lunch dosage."
"Ok then have yours right now. You have to stop being careless! This is so irresponsible!" Trishna launched her tirade, and unwittingly Madhu smiled a wee bit. "And pass us the aspirin"
"Actually I am okay. It's not that much of a headache. Fresh air will cure it." Madhu replied, declining the aspirin but feeling pleased that RK was having his. Visibly relaxed, she once again focused her attention outside the window at the beautiful scenery.
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"I am so tired!" Trishna loudly proclaimed to RK as she sat on the cafe couch. Madhu had volunteered to bring their drinks from the counter and Trishna was too happy to oblige and join RK, who was busy on his phone.
"What? Your infinite energy already ran out? What about all the other shops of Panchgani you haven't been to?" RK teased as he disconnected his call.
"Don't be mean bhai! I don't know how you get the energy to work 16 hours a day."
"Hmm"
"I like her!" Trishna said, her eyes pointing to Madhu who was still waiting for their order.
RK turned his head to follow Trish's gaze.
"I had lots of fun with her. She is nice, bhai."
"Yeah"
"And she cares. Where did you find her?"
"Here's your drink" Madhu passed on Trishna her chocolate caramel latte, saving RK from having to answer the question of where he had found Madhu. Instead, he looked at Madhu who gave him a faint smile as she passed him his black coffee. He smiled back. She was nice, part of him had known for a while now. But seeing that reflected in Trishna gave it a whole different level of meaning. Once again, he was reminded of how the kiss had felt the previous night as Madhu settled with her own drink.
"This is sooo awesome!" Trishna commented on her drink, bringing RK's attention back to the present and away from Madhu again as she continued her chatter.
"Bhai do you come to Panchgani often?" Trish asked after a bit.
"Once in a few months. We have a couple of factories and one charity here."
"I like this place. It's so fresh and so colorful."
"That reminds me, I picked up something for you while you were enjoying the rides." RK said and pulled out two boxes of bangles and kept one each in front of Madhu and Trishna.
"These are so pretty. I love you bhai." Trishna excitedly opened her box. "Madhu, show me yours. Wow! these are even better! You should wear these actually, they match your suit."
"Oh no"
"Come on, they look sooo pretty." Trishna forced and Madhu gave up and wore the bangles. Even though she didn't say so directly, both RK and Trishna were aware in the next few minutes how excited Madhu was with her new bangles who were taking up all her attention.
"Like 'em?" Trish asked her as she finished her drinks.
"Oh I love bangles." She answered, for a second forgetting where she was, and her eyes sparkled. RK couldn't help but smile at the innocent smile and the priceless joy on her face that only cost a few glass bangles.
"So, I have to leave in 10 minutes. What do you want to do for the next two hours?"
"I don't know. I am too tired. I think we should go to a spa. What say Madhu?" Trishna looked at Madhu, then remembered Madhu had wanted to see her brother "Oh wait, you also have to go meet your brother at his boarding school, right?"
"Um...no...it's..."Madhu hesitated, unsure how Rishabh was going to react about the idea of her meeting her brother.
"Where does your brother study?" Rishabh asked, now looking straight at Madhu who was still looking at anything but him.
"St. Andrew's, Hill Road."
"Okay. You can drop Trishna at the spa and take the driver and go for some time. Ok?" RK calmly said, stunning Madhu, who looked up at RK in amazement. He didn't look angry at all, Madhu realized, and involuntarily a grin spread on her face.
"Yeah that sounds great. Then you can also come to the spa when we're done and we'll all go together" Trishna added, sealing the plan.
"Fine, I am leaving now. I will call you when I am free. Take care." RK ruffled Trishna's hair as he walked out the cafe, feeling a strange sense of achievement at having brought a genuine smile to Madhu's face.
Edited by teekay - 10 years ago
Bigg Boss 19
