PART 15
Madhubala hopped in her car...and opened the door for Rishabh. "Common in...Rishabh!", Rishabh looked around...and became conscious of the fact that he was hopping into a Superstar's car. "Don't worry... no one cares..." she assured him. Rishabh smiled and got inside.
Rishabh felt a jerk as Madhubala turned the ignition...and then the headlights...and roared off. The security were already texted where she was going...and they didn't accompany her. Inside, Madhubala coughed...a lot more. She experienced trouble in breathing but didn't focus on it. Her mind was wholly occupied by her Kundra. By the way, her Kundra...kept all mum...not even a single noise he made. "Madhubala...what if..."
What if your mom sees our kiss picture in the newspaper tomorrow?
"How do you..." enquired an innocent face. Madhubala smiled. "Rishabh...you're too much!! Anyways... do u have any idea...where we're going?" Rishabh shook his head in a big no. Madhubala replied, "It's my dad's farmhouse... he left me that... it's mine and di's favourite place. We come here almost every month..." Madhubala told him. "What are we going to do there?" asked Rishabh inquisitively. "I have informed your Maa...that you're having a sleep-over at my place..."
Rishabh turned to her...with eyes wide open in bewilderment. "SLEEPOVER" and he made a very puking face...realizing that all this was an extrememly girly thing. "I didn't tell her...like...actual sleepover... I just said...you're with me...for the night...we're going on a long drive and picnic sort of... I told her...we'll have dinner...and a walk on the beach!" she assured him. "And she permitted??" asked Rishabh. "of course!! Why wouldn't she! She even told me to tell you to have fun!" chuckled Madhubala. Rishabh shook his head and looked outside. Madhubala invoked a conversation again.
Kundra!! There's just one simple rule...for my farmhouse...
...and what is that?
...aah! well... we need to surrender our mobile phones...and all gizmos... there at the entrance...to my staff...and then you will get it in the morning...
Ohh... shouldn't it seem fishy to anyone?
Ohh yes! But...even I am going to surrender my devices...so you can just chill...ok!!
...and why?
Because...my di feels...that in this era...the gizmos have made people unsocial...and very very addicted to them...and they seem to forget the family values...
Nice thought...seems alright... and where is the farmhouse...
...on the extreme outskirts Kundra!
Ohh k... fine.. btw aaj kaise?
Nothing...just felt like spending some time with a friend...
A friend??
Of course you're my friend na! Kundra??
Hmm...
So...! achcha... anyways...what will you have...vodka...gin??
Aahhh.. Madhu... Can I call u Madhu??
Seems...like some mother's name! Madhubala seems classy... but if you want...you can!! Wait...then i'll call you something weird as well!
Like what??
Umm... lemme see... Rishabh Kundra... Kundra...Rishabh... R... K... RK!!
RK??? Are u serious Madhu?
Yeah...purfect!! RK!! Rishabh Kundra... RK!!
Alright... RK it is... so RK and Madhu!
Yeah...certainly...
They both shared a hand-shake...and the car drove in to a big wrought iron gate. Some of her staff took their gizmos and everything with them...and the car moved inside the road which was canopied by a row of palms. Rishabh opened the windows and let the cool sea breeze saturate his lungs. "Smells like a beach...is there a beach nearby??" asked Rishabh. Madhubala winked, "Madhubala Singhania's personal beach..." she told him. Rishabh went awe-struck at her smile. The car moved inside the garage. Madhubala parked her car and both of them got out. The staff came and took the car away with them. Madhubala opened the farmhouse with her keys and then took of her sandals...and ran towards the beach from the back-door. Rishabh followed her. He was confused...only at the coughs...and the breathing problems in Madhubala...which were slowly increasing.
The waves were huge...and noisy. They crashed on the shores...lined by big rocks. Madhubala stood on the stone-fencing of the beach...which hugely reminded of the Diamond Necklace of Bombay. "Its beautiful na...RK!" Madhubala exclaimed. There was a certain gleam in her eyes... they were moist... probably because of her dad. She really loved him alot. Rishabh nodded and helped himself stand up beside her. They extended their hands...and felt the sea breeze crashing on their chests. Suddenly, Madhubala coughed very hard... and she fell on the stone fencing with a jerk. Rishabh turned and held her from falling behind on the ground. "Madhu! What happened...are you alright??" asked Rishabh. Madhubala went into a serious of multiple dry coughs. Rishabh felt her chest forcing...and expanding... contracting abnormally. "I didn't..." Madhubala couldn't speak but she signalled him to go and check the fridge...for any injection. Rishabh ran... but found it empty. Madhubala closed her eyes in pain...as she realized...that she had forgotten to stock the drugs... She couldn't move back... because her car was gone...and so were her things. "I didn't...take my..." but she couldn't complete. "Medicines??" asked Rishabh as he held her hand...trying to soothe her body. She continued coughing...and shivering. Madhubala started breathing noisily. Rishabh panicked as he had no idea...what could be done. She started to fall back... but he supported her...and she fell weak in his arms...trying very hard to breathe normally. "What is happening...Madhu!" he asked her. She couldn't reply but clutched his hands tightly... "RK...please take all these problems away... I can't..." she pleaded. Rishabh stood helpless. He lifted her up... and rushed to her bedroom. It was a cosy one. He made her lay on the bed...and started hunting for any injections... he could find... He did find one injection...but it was empty... a used one. But what surprised him more...was that it wasn't a usual injection...it was bigger in size...
"What are these injections for??"
...asked Rishabh. Madhubala replied with much difficulty, "My drugs...!" Rishabh stood in shock. Drugs! He always heard of people being addicted to drugs...and experiencing withdrawal symptoms...but he always thought that the books exaggerated the facts and said the truth mixed with spice and entertainment. But now he could see the living specimen of withdrawal symptoms... he saw her twitch helplessly on the bed.
"Madhu...u were alright... a few minutes back...suddenly??"
"These attacks are sudden...well atleast with me... I wasn't alright even during the dance...but the attack suddenly...becomes grave..."
Rishabh stood there with an empty needle...trying his best to think what could be done. He was an absolute novice in all this. But he couldn't just see Madhu suffering so much. She was coughing and coughing... her eyes were flowing tears because of so much pressure on the chest. Her eyes were red. Her nose was running. She was in so much pain.
Finally, after a few minutes, Madhubala tried to get up to drink water...when she coughed harder...and a few spits of blood reach the floor. Rishabh now felt numb. Madhubala wiped her lips and tried to get up but couldn't. Rishabh thought it was time for some action.
"Rishabh...you shouldn't see this... go away!"
Madhubala tried to shoo him away but he was stubborn enough. He held her from falling. Her body was cold...and she was shivering wildly. Rishabh lay beside her on her bed. Madhubala rested her head on his arm. Her hand clutched Rishabh's hands tightly.
After a few minutes, her agony reduced. She closed her eyes...as she stopped coughing. She felt better. Rishabh kept caressing her forehead with his hands...wiping off the sweat from them. Madhubala's eyes dried as the tears finally stopped after long. But her shivering continued. Her teeth chattered and clattered. She threw her hands all around...trying to find something warm...and comforting. Her fingers fell on Rishabh's chest and she felt warm. Rishabh understood her gesture...and forgetting the fact that he was a good guy, he unbuttoned his shirt and then slipped Madhubala's hands inside his chest...so that she could take in his warmth. Madhubala's pain and agony lessened to a great extent...
After 15-20 minutes of twitching, Madhubala finally fell asleep with her hands around his bare body and her head touching his chest. Rishabh didn't think anything else but his utmost duty to make her alright. He watched the roof of the room for a while...trying to sink in the fact that she was a drug addict...and then fell asleep as well.
*******
The first ray of light that fell in Madhubala's room, woke her up. She found herself hugging someone tightly. She rubbed her eyes...so that she could see the clear image. Her eyes popped out...when she saw Rishabh with his shirt wide open. His head was turned away from her...in the opposite direction...as far as he could stretch it...and he was sleeping in a very uncomfortable position. One of his hands spread out on bed...probably on which Madhubala had slept all night. She looked at herself in horror...expecting some signs of the intimacy they might have shared the previous night... as she thought it to be. On the contrary, she was tightly wrapped in a thick woollen shawl...inside which...even her saree was tightly clad to her. She rubbed her eyes and stretched her hands...trying to recall what all happened last night. Then she remembered...everything... how her sudden withdrawal symptom attack gripped her...and shocked Rishabh...and how he supported her...without questioning her even once.
She smiled as she turned and gazed him. He was sweating... She looked at the AC which was switched off. She was perplexed for a while...but then she realized...how she had been shivering all night...and because of her...he didn't switch on the AC. Madhubala groped for the remote and switched it on. She moved his extended arm near his body and bent and turned his head towards the bed. By now, his head had almost started hanging in the air. Madhubala laughed softly... and then caressed his cheeks.
The breeze moved the curtains and another ray of light pierced through Madhubala's swollen eyes. Madhubala lashed her lids to remove the tears that formed due to the piercing rays. She wasn't properly alright...her body was still wanting in drugs. Her hands were still ice-cold and shivering. She struggled and got out of bed...and holding the chairs...and the doors; dragged herself to the washroom. Having brushed her teeth with great difficulty, she dragged herself to the kitchen. Her body had become really weak and it was very hard for her to even grasp anything. "God...why do you always do this to me...?" she murmured as she held the fridge-door and opened it.
The bottle kept shaking as if there was an earthquake happening. She kept the bottle on the table and turned for the glass...when her head lost control...and she felt dizzy and she fell on the floor. Her head hit the corner of the dishwasher...and was about to fall on the floor when Rishabh held her.
*Don't kill me for bringing Rishabh at the right time always...this is how love stories are supposed to be...right?*
Madhubala... are you alright...?
IDIOT!! Do I seem alright to you??
Rishabh felt embarrassed at his idiot and stupid question.
Alien!! Utha mujhe...
Umm...ya ya...
Rishabh lifted her up and made her lie on the sofa.
Kal raat ko jab tabiyat zyada kharaab thi toh mooh pe taala laga tha... and aaj you're back to your kameeni-giri?
Shut!! I am a born kameeni! Samjhe tum...
She wanted to speak further but her breaths were very irregular and she fell her head back on the hand-rest of the sofa and held her hurt forehead.
What should I bring...do you have any pain killers here?
Umm...no... I don't have any meds!
Rishabh rolled his eyes. The door knocked. It was her staff with her car keys and mobile phones. Madhubala motioned Rishabh to bring her phone...and she called her personal help to give her blue ice-kit to her driver...
After an hour, her driver brought in her drug injections and handed it over to her.
Issko...inject karo Kundra!
I won't!
What!! Why...?
I can't let you have drugs...but since you're addicted way beyond repair... I can't stop you... but I CAN'T join you in this crime...
Crime!! C'mon Kundra! You got to be serious... inject karo my hands are not stable...
No... you can help yourself.
He took his coat-vest and ran out of the house. Madhubala kept looking at his movement out... she was shocked. She fumed in anger and after much efforts, she managed to inject sufficient amount of drugs in her blood...and after a few minutes...she felt strong...and better.
*******
Rishabh reached back his hostel late during the afternoon, everyone was in the College by now and he had already missed it. Bittuji was getting the rooms cleaned when he saw Rishabh walking towards his room.
Rishi... rukja! Kahaan jaa raha hai...
Room mein Bittuji...
Ruk...mujhe tujhse baat karni hai... kal raat mein kahaan tha?
Madhubala ke farm-house pe...
What??
Nahi kuch nahi... Bittuji...
Rishi...!! Madhubala ke farm house pe kya kar rahe the tum dono...
She invited me for dinner...
Ohh... Rishi...what's cooking between you and her...?
What..? nothing!! We barely know each other...!
Really?? Ball mein... kiss karna... is barely knowing each other...?
How do you know...?
Rishi...every faculty was invited for the event...I was there too!
Bittuji... I don't know what happened... She had saved me from insult...and asked me for a dance...
And... then??
Then...I don't know...we just went with the flow...and didn't realize...when we were all over each other...!
Rishi... poora college tum dono ke baare mein baat kar raha hai...!
Bittuji... its none of our fault...
Jaake apni maa ko bata dena... kisi aur se pata chalega toh she might not sink in the fact!!
Are u sure Bittuji?
Of course I am sure!! And... main tumhara dost hoon iska matlab yeh nahi hai ki tum hostel ke rules todte rahoge...agli baar bina inform kiye gaye toh penalty lagaunga...
Ji... sorry Bittuji!
*******
"How the hell did he refuse Madhubala-The Superstar!!" yelled Madhubala as she broke the glasses of her farmhouse. She puffed her face cutely and sat on the sofa...
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This was a surprise update for my crazy buddies! I told them I am not going to update any time before 5th of October...but since I could manage to jot down what came to my mind, I updated!!
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-Shivu
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