The Rejection
Two weeks had passed since their separation.
Two weeks in which her thoughts had not left his mind. Day in day out her memories haunted his mind.
He'd tried his best to push her thoughts away but it was of no use.
He awoke in bed two weeks later.
"Biwi…biwi…biwi!"
He suddenly sat up and looked to his right. She wasn't there.
"Not again…she's gone RK, she's gone."
He spoke to himself as he got out of bed.
"She's gone and she's never coming back. You kicked her out of your life RK. Accept it!"
He quickly freshened up within twenty minutes.
He walked towards the mirror in his room and looked at himself.
"Madhu, your food's on the bed."
"And your food?"
RK was hit with the flashback of the day he tied her dori.
"Good morning."
"Morning."
The flashback of the day he watched her get ready.
RK shot open his eyes and avoided eye contact with himself in the mirror.
A furious look crossed his face.
"Stop thinking about her RK."
He spoke outloud to himself.
"Thinking about who Rishu?"
RK turned to see his mother standing behind him.
"No one. I'm late."
"You miss her."
"I don't."
"Only loved ones are missed Rishu."
"MA, I don't love her!"
He stormed out of his room and headed for the studio.
"You don't love her. You can't love her. How can you fall in love after everything you've been through?! Every person you love, hurts you. You can't fall in love again. You can't."
The entire drive to the studio, RK spoke to himself. Convincing himself he wasn't in love.
As he walked into the studio, he bumped into his film's new director.
"RK! You're here! Wonderful, I need to tell you about the next scene."
"Make it quick."
"It's a village scene, she'll be dancing as you watch."
"I won't say no to anything today RK."
"You won't stop me?"
RK was hit with the flashback of the night Madhu had danced to 'Bindiya Chamkegi'.
"No! Come up with something else."
"Again?!"
"I'll be in my vanity van. Let me know when you come up with something else."
As RK turned around to head towards his vanity van, he saw people surrounded around a TV.
He walked through the crowd to see what the commotion was about.
As he looked towards the TV, he saw her.
"They're bothering her again?!"
RK grew furious as he watched Madhu surrounded by media again.
Every day the news segments involved her.
They never let her be.
He listened in on what she was saying.
"Madhubala ma'am, how are you doing without RK in your life?"
"Life goes on. People come and go, but life doesn't come to a stop. I'm doing just fine."
"Ma'am, are you sad about the separation?"
"Everything happens for a reason. I'm not sad. I've accepted what's happened."
"Madhubala! What have you been doing lately?"
"Well the media has already covered everything, but as you all can see, I've moved on in life."
"DO YOU STILL LOVE HIM?"
RK pushed forward even more unconsciously to hear her answer more clearly. The camera zoomed onto her face as she hesitated with an answer.
Then she slowly spoke.
"Love. Let me ask you all something. What is love? Everyone sees love as something different. Every person defines love differently. You, what do you think love is?"
"Love is happiness, life, and heartbreak."
"And you?"
"Love is everything for me Miss Madhubala."
"How about you?"
"Love is beautiful. Everlasting."
"You?"
"Love is forever. But that's not answering our question. Do you still love him?"
"You all just answered your question for me. I'm late for work."
"WAIT, DO YOU LOVE HIM?"
"MISS MADHUBALA, PLEASE ANSWE…"
"MADHUBALA…?"
"MA'AM?"
RK stared at the TV as Madhu turned to walk into the parlour in which she worked.
"How'd she answer their question? Wait, why do I even care?"
"She still loves you."
RK turned around to see the new actress playing opposite him.
"Did I ask you something?"
"You just asked out loud if…"
"I was talking to myself."
"Sorry sir."
He stared her down until she turned to head back to set.
Then RK sped out of the studio and towards his car.
----
As RK walked into the parlour and saw Madhu on a stool doing a lady's pedicure, he felt his blood boiling.
Madhu froze in the middle of the pedicure as she felt an odd presence. She looked towards the door and saw him.
Madhu's breath caught in her throat.
A heaviness began forming on her empty heart.
They locked eyes for a moment.
"I love you Madhu…I love you."
She remembered back to the night of the confession.
Suddenly Madhu looked away as though he was of no importance. She continued with the lady's pedicure without looking in RK's direction even once.
Then unexpectedly she felt a grip on her arm. She followed the hand on her arm up to his face. He began to drag her away. He dragged her out of the parlour as she was still shocked. When reality hit her, she spoke.
"Let. Me. Go."
RK dragged Madhu out of the parlour and towards his car.
He refused to talk to her until they were alone.
"I SAID LET ME GO."
He picked her up as she struggled and placed her in his car.
She tried to get out but he closed the door on her and locked the door. She knocked on the window as RK walked around the car and sat in the driver side.
As Madhu unlocked the car, he locked it once again. They went back and forth with the lock five times when eventually Madhu gave up.
She looked out the window as RK drove off.
The ten-minute drive went by in silence when suddenly the car came to a stop.
A stop in front of the lake where he had destroyed her life.
Just as tears were about to form in her eyes, she closed them. She swallowed deeply as RK got out of the car and walked towards her side.
"Be strong Madhu."
She spoke to herself.
Just then, RK opened her door.
He pulled her out and walked towards the lake.
He came to a stop and let go of her arm. He stared at the lake as she stared at him.
After a moment, his gaze shifted towards her and she looked away with a straight face.
Then he spoke to her, for the first time in weeks.
"What do you think you're doing? Being a Kundra and you're working on other people's feet?"
Madhu looked towards RK with an angered look.
"Kundra? Really? Didn't you end that relationship weeks ago? My names Madhubala Shamsher MALIK. You're mistaken. Now let me leave."
She turned to walk away when suddenly her arm was pulled at. She turned and bumped into his chest.
She felt a chill run down her spine. She hadn't been so close to him in so long.
"I'm stupid Madhu. I'm stupid."
Madhu froze as he let her go and turned his back towards her. He ran his hand through his hair in a frustrated motion and continued.
"I was scared. I couldn't fall in love. I couldn't…but you…Ma, Bittuji, sasuma…everyone was right."
He turned to face Madhu again and grabbed her by the shoulders.
"I denied it. Revenge blinded me. It masked what I really began to feel Madhu."
"What are you trying to say RK?"
"I…"
He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath.
"I love you Madhu."
After a minute's silence, he opened his eyes.
He looked Madhu's expressionless face up and down.
"Madhu?"
She stepped back.
"It's too late RK…it's too late."
"No, why, how?"
"You've hurt me enough. I can't, I can't take it anymore…it's too late…I've moved on in life RK… it's too late…"
Madhu began to tear up as she continued to back away from him.
"It's too late."
RK felt tears forming in his eyes.
"I thought you loved me Madhu…"
"I did. I did…but things changed. A lot changed."
"I'll change Madhu…"
"It's too late."
Madhu turned and ran away as RK watched.
He remembered back to the night at the village.
"I love you RK…I love you…"
That'd be the last time he heard those words from her mouth. He closed his eyes and let the tears fall as he accepted the loss of his most prized possession…his biwi.
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