ch59-60 pg137, Updt,a road to salvation Mar 27 - Page 58

…………………………………Chapter 39………………………………………………………………………………………………….

It was 5 PM

RK called Madhu

RK:- Biwi it is 5 PM …..if you don't move out within fifteen minutes you will never make it on time.

Madhu:- I am not coming….do whatever you can

RK:- OH yes you are …….look at it this way O! Kind hearted Biwi…….your doting husband is missing you real bad and wants to share a single cup of tea with you without the entire cast and crew around…to be precise in solitude……will her majesty not oblige the poor peasent ??……………so I have said what you wanted to hear ….I could add a few couplets devoted to your beauty if that could work….

Madhu laughed as if there was no tomorrow. The sound of her laughter was free of any charade. Her genuineness touched him; she never ever tried to hide how she felt. RK tried to curb his laughter for a few seconds but finally failed to do so and laughed along with Madhu.

Madhu:- tell me Rishabh what is bothering you?

RK:- Bothering me!! Nothing bothers me ever BIwi…

Madhu:- I so wish it were true. I know when you are acting and when you are not. So tell me without further ado what is this all about, and I will come that too on time.

RK :- you need a reason to have tea with your husband?...Does not sound promising for our future together Biwi

Madhu:- so you are worried about our future together but why? I don't see any problems there.

RK:- Biwi …

Madhu cut in

Madhu:- On my way pati.

She was already in her jeep when RK had called. She had just been his wife for a few days and she loved entering into futile arguments with him though her mind kept telling her

" I sould keep myself as far from him as I can for he is a difficult man. He married me for a reason. Had he given up that? It was too soon to do so. Then why is he extending such courtesies towards me." She could not come to any conclusion. For the first time her mind could not think clearly. She wanted to belive what was visible and forget the rest but reason told her to look beyond.

Arround quarter to six she reached Taj. She was about to head straight in when she saw Rishabh coming after her. She waited in the lobby for him to join her. He grabed her by her arm as if to announce his authority to every one, and pulled her towards a secluded nook reserved for too. Madhu followed without any word. They settled in and ordered for tea and refreshments.

RK:- did you take your insulin ?

Madhu:- Hmmm…I find it so unflattering that in this entire package named "Madhubala" all tha, the Rishabh Kundra found enchanting was this insulin …..Does the word insulin cast a spell on you?

RK touched her head in a very concerned way and then bent it towards himself as if looking for something

Madhu:- Are you looking for some grey matter there? FYI I lost it the day I married you…

RK looked at her and said

"Tell me were you always like that or is it something quite recent."

Madhu:- tell me why did you call me here?

RK:- to tell you that your reports are with me.

Madhu:- which reports, Medical?

RK:- yes

Madhu :- I get it, So how bad it is or rather how bad will it be? So what are we celebrating our pausity of time together or your soon to be attained freedom.

RK:- you are crazy, do you even understand what you are saying.

Madhu:- all that I understand is that there is no reason for you to be so concerned about me. Don't tell me you are my husband. I know that. What I don't know is the reason behind all this show of concern.

RK tried to hold on to the last shred of patience that he had. Madhu was proving to be really testy.

RK:- Biwi you are suffering from Diabitic Nephropathy…means decaying kidneys due to diabetes ….we need more diagnostics run on you and medicines prescribed. Else it is bound to get worse. It may lead to kidney failure and ….

Madhu:- so is it pity that is making you act like this..poor Madhu she is dying ..that kind of thing

RK:- Biwi you are getting on my nerves.

Madhu:- Just tell me RK why this show of concern? I cannot bear this.

She whispered as coldly as she could.

RK:- alright be happy with pity, then Pity it is, on a poor dying woman who happens to be my wife that too thanks to me.

Madhu:- I don't need nor want your pity.

RK:- we need to see Aniket at 7 so finish your tea and then we leave.

Madhu:- I don't want you coming with me.

RK:- I did not ask what you want or not?

Madhu:- as a patient it is my right to choose ..

RK cut in

RK:-Welcome to India madam where rights can be crushed and thrown out of the window just like that. Yes yours too. Have I not already shown you that? You tend to forget too soon.

He whispered in as cold a tone as he could and got up and left without waiting for her to join. He was giving tip to the valet, who had brought his car in the exit porch and was about to drive off when Madhu knocked on the passenger seat window. RK opened it and she sat in and they left in complete silence.

At the hospital she learnt that next two days there a couple of tests scheduled for her and she grasped basic understanding of what she had and that it was still in nascent stage. For first time she exhaled. RK noticed it. They left after getting all the prescriptions and a bunch of other instructions. Madhu was feeling alittle scared actually a whole lot scared. On their way back RK said

RK:- Biwi it is ok to behave like a human at times. Being scared is just a way of behaving like a human.

Madhu kept silent. RK looked at her she was lost. Her windows open, as always. Her hair tied in a disciplined bun at the nape of her neck. Wind playing with just a few available locks. It appeared to him as if wind was also trying to mess up with her hair as he messed up with her life.

RK pulled his windows down. He gazed aimlessly at the passing cars. His mind racing even faster.

" Why did I wed you.? What do I want from this wedlock? I wanted to insult you for daring to retaliate, to bring you down but your woes hurt me more than they hurt you.I don't know answers to your question. Why am I concerned with your wellbeing?I don't know but I know that I cannot see you hurt, I cannot stand to see you so quiet. Am I falling for you? Am I falling again? This suffocates me? Oh no not atall I cannot fall again, not for anyone not even you."

He might have said it loud because he heard Madhu asking if had said any thing.

He replied

RK:- yes. (He came back to reality) No actually nothing.

He looked out of the window again. Within a few minutes he would be home, they would be home but would they really ever come home together.

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As they entered their living room, Mr. Mohan Kundra called upon Madhu.

IG:- Madhu please come to my study.

Madhu sensed restlessness in his tone. She immediately responded in affirmative, and went after him.

What Rk noticed was her reaction to his dad. Their level of mutual comfort, and understanding was unusual. She was always more than subservient to him. Was it in the training or was there more to it. He had seen his father in a superior position to so many but Madhu was different . What was so grand about him that he moulded every one to his will. It had to be more than the authority that his position accorded him. He was a man of a few words. Determination and discipline were his foundation pillars. He did not take a failure very well, that is why till date he was battling with his grief. His saw his younger son's untimely demise as his utmost failure.He blamed himself for outliving him. The Kundra family had lost there younger son at the age of 12 to brain cancer. That was a deadly blow to the entire family. RK remembered how his brother left them piece by piece. His systems failed one at a time till it took on to his respiratory system. Rishabh once again lived every single memory to the T. He first lost his ability to move, then sight, then speech and and then the last nail in the coffin respiration. He remembered his dads words to the doctors , " do something he Is having difficulty breathing" those were followed with so many requests but nothing could be done. They had to bear it see him battling for every single breath and fear that it was his last. He remembered his mother's phenomenal strength in those times. How she had kept the family together. She believed that every thing will be ok and probably moved on with that faith. She had once told him that his brother will be hale and hearty and had asked him to trust her, when he had been crying like crazy. What happened to that trust? he wondered and then remembered the last day, it was the day that instead of praying for his brother's health she had prayed God to relieve him of his pain. He did not see it then but recollected it today. His mother was no more the same, he remembered those eyes sans tears and her lips sans prayers for health and well being of his brother. They had lost so much and he could not see it. Why ??

RK:- why was I not able to understand her agony? And what is compelling me to think about it today.

He rushed to his room and made himself a large scotch. He wanted to gulp it in one go but he could not. He did not want to relive those moments but he could not put off those memories. He wanted to stop thinking but he could not. Madhu's question once again raised its vicious head in his mind. Why was he concerned for her. He did not want to think of the possibility that he was falling for her.

RK :- it is something else, it has to be something else, but what ?

He screamed out loud. His mother stepped in when she heard him scream. He looked into her eyes –still blank. His anger surged again, he stepped closer to her and stared into her eyes. Radha felt a wave of fear washing over her. She saw her son in pain it was so very similar to what she had seen 13 years back. She saw him gasp for air, she raised her hand as if in a trance to touch his face but he fell down right on his knees and asked her to leave and she left. He wanted to call her back but he could not. For how long he stayed like that he did not know. He snapped back into reality when Madhu came in to their room, and asked :-

Madhu:- Rishabh (she called out again) Rishabh….

RK:- leave

Madhu saw the empty glass. She was perplexed they had just come not more than 15 minutes back what happened that had put him in such a situation. He looked blank but at this moment she had to go to her mother's house. Her brother had passed away and this news had been broken to her mother. Trishna still did not know about Gafuran and her relation. Gafuran's funeral was still to be organized as her autopsy was over today.

Madhu:- Rishabh suno meri baat suno mujhe ma ke paas jana hoga is samay.

He did not respond she was about to leave when he held onto her arm tightly.

Rk:- No you cant go. I will not let you go.

He pulled onto her collars and said again

RK:- I don't know any of the answers to your questions but for now all I am concerned is that I will not let you go.

Madhu:- Rishabh …..

She was at loss of words unable to comprehend if he was stopping her from going to her mother or was stopping her from going to that other world that so many of loved ones had departed to. She did not have time for this now but she did not want to leave him also.

Madhu:- I will be back in a few…..

RK:- no you will not , shall not ,cannot go.

Now she was certain that he was not in his senses. She called out loud.

Madhu:- PAPA, MUMMA……

Within a few minutes they were their. Mr Kundra saw RK down on the floor and holding onto Madhu's arm with so much force that her wrist was turning purple.

RK by now was leaning onto the bed and was half asleep. He had not eaten much since his lunch and had consumed a huge lot of alcohol in one go probably that had made him passout.

Radha tried to release Madhu's hand from his grip but he again snapped back

RK:- I will not let her go….not this time…this time she cannot leave me….

IG asked Radha to move but she wanted to stay. She did not budge this time.

IG:- Move

Radha :- I will not.

RK:- see I said she wont leave me.

MK was stunned at Radha's tone. Madhu was loosing her patience, and RK was now fast asleep. His grip loosened and slowly he left Madhu.

IG:- You take my car and go. Your jeep, I had to sent to Trishna …her car had broken down when she was in the studio. She tried to reach you then called here. I wired Chetan to take your jeep and pick her up from the studio. (he said to Madhu. Madhu recollected in all that fight with Rishabh she had altogether forgotten about her jeep.)

Madhu looked at him as if asking will rishabh be ok if she left. He looked back at her re assuringly….she left but looked back once again at him who was now sleepin g with head on Radha's lap. She looked at Radha as if to seek her aprooval. She noded and Madhu left.

IG:- he is asleep ...you can also go to sleep.

Radha:- too many people left him to let him be. Some were forced by destiny, he lost his most precious friend. Some were overburdened by grief, he lost his foundations (she looked at IG and then at her ownself). Some did not find him good enough. I don't want to leave him today.

For the first time in ages MK sat down next to his wife, close to his son. He looked into his face. He saw a very innocent childish face looking back at him. His dimples were even there while he slept. He looked so much like MK himself.

He was like him in every which way.

IG:- he loves Madhu, but he himself is not aware of it.

Radha:- he is like you…you never knew what anyone meant to you till you lost them. I am happy he knows it already.

MK started to get up and go when Radha said again

Radha:- ask him to sleep on the bed properly.

MK:- you think he will listen to me.

Radha:- there is no harm trying.

MK:- smirked in a very similar way and left without saying a word.

Radha managed to wake him up and put him to sleep on the bed. She herself slept on the chair next to him.

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