Chapter 7
Despite the alcohol in his body and the lateness of the hour, RK was fully lucid and alert. Sitting in his car, he was thinking about how best to convey his decision to Ria. It wasn't really her fault and he did not want to hurt her in any way. Yet, the truth was that Ria did not mean anything beyond a friend to RK, and it was better for everyone if he was honest about it. He needed Ria to stop being a part of his life now. He would still continue to help her professionally, but personally, he had messed things up.
Like SO many other things.
But dwelling on the past was of no use at this point.
As RK contemplated how to apologize to Ria for everything that had happened and for every way in which he had used her, his phone rang.
"RK Sir" it was his manager.
"Haan. Tell me."
"Sir...bituji..."
"Yeah, I told you I needed to talk to him three hours ago."
"Sir...I found his new number but I cannot reach him as his phone is switched off. Apparently he is in a hospital with some relative and has not come back home yet. I have left a message at his home for him to call you back ASAP."
"Hospital? Which hospital?"
"Sir...woh.."
"As far as I know Bittuji does not have any relatives in Mumbai. Find out where he is, ok." RK hung up the phone on his trembling manager, who was by now convinced RK was going to fire him and re-hire Bittuji.
Fuming at his manager's ineptness as the car halted, RK entered his farmhouse, his thoughts back on the apology. Ria was back home and in the bedroom, apparently talking to someone on the phone.
"It was awesome Shekhar. Perfect shot in one go. I told you...my destiny is to be an actress, a superstar. I have worked so hard for this day...pretending to be this demure helpless girl that RK could save and feel good about. I have been acting in everyday life and nobody's caught me...you wait and watch I do on the screen..."
"What? It's a lot of money, don't worry. And the moment this first movie finishes production, I will have producers lining up outside my house with huge signing bonus checks. For now, RK is paying the bills and it is awesome, but very soon, I will use his success to overtake him and all the accolades will be mine."
"Oh come on darling...it is a few more months. We have worked so hard to get here. Waited for the perfect time to take advantage of RK and his loser wife's fights, earned his trust until he did not believe anyone but me..."
"Yeah of course the diary was the masterstroke... your great idea. When did I deny? But I am the one who has to act helpless and dependent and dumb everyday and massage his ego. I also get to sleep with him, but that's a minor reward."
"Of course it is. Have you seen how hot he is?"
"Ok ok, I am going to stop teasing you. My drunk boyfriend would be home in an hour anyway. I need to get some things done before that. See you tomorrow afternoon."
"Love you. Bye"
RK stood at the door, carefully listening, almost amused. As Ria threw back the phone and turned around to head towards the restroom, her eyes fell on RK, startling her. Almost on cue, RK started laughing hysterically.
Not knowing how to react, Ria tentatively watched RK laugh his way across the room to the chair.
"RK? Darling..how are you...where..where did you go..I.."
"You know Dipali used to tell me you are worse than her, and I did not believe it. I actually did not believe Dipali because I trusted you instead." RK continued laughing as sweat formed on Ria's face. "But you are not...darling...you are truly better than Dipali. You are a better liar and a better actress!"
"RK...what are you talking about?"
"Come on Ria, give up. You have no idea how much of a kameena I can be. Do not force it out. From one kameena to other, I respect you madam. Well played! Here I was thinking I have been using you all these months, but I am really happy to know I have been duly used as well.
Chalo, good...now using over, game over, go home."
"RK you are misunderstanding me...someone has lied to you." Ria worriedly approached RK, trying to hug him. RK, instead, held her arm and turned her back.
"Enough Ria. Be thankful that so far I am laughing. Don't wait till I get angry and show you what that looks like. Your game's over. Leave everything I gave you right here and disappear in the next 10 minutes. And after that I do not want to see you ever again, I understand. I swear on my Madhu, you will not survive if I ever see or hear about you near me or my family in life!"
The fury as RK said those last few words burnt the room, and unsurprisingly had the desired effect. Soon, Ria had left, leaving RK lying on his bed, wide-eyed, wondering what a mockery his life was.
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Morning broke and RK woke up to a room soaked with his past sins. At some point, he had slipped into a dreamless sleep. Yet, as he woke up, the world was worse, not better than when he shut his eyes. In the light of the day, his mistakes, his ego, his sins and his stupidities were all the more plain to RK. And so was the void...the absence of Madhu in his life.
He called the director of his movie, to inform him that Ria would no longer be a part of the movie and to cancel shooting until a replacement was found. He took a quick shower and left, instructing the housekeeper to scrub clean the place, and restore everything to the way Madhu kept it. Madhu...how to find Madhu?
He decided to go to the chawl again - maybe Trishna can explain what she really meant the other day. A few intersections away, he spotted Bittuji getting out of a cab on the roadside. Immediately, RK started to pull over. A few minutes later, he was walking hurriedly in the same direction he had seen Bittuji go to - apparently a hospital building. He missed where in the building Bittuji had turned, but decided to check all the floors nevertheless.
20 minutes passed but RK couldn't spot Bittuji in the crowded hospital. It was a poor, overcrowded govt facility. RK had no idea who Bittuji was here to see. Dejected, he started walking towards the reception when he overheard two nurses talking to each other, walking in the opposite direction.
"Who are these for?"
"That coma patient...Padmini Shamsher Malik...she got worse yesterday night so we moved to the ICU. She is stable right now, but Dr Singh ordered new drips...taking that only."
Padmini Shamsher Malik...the name stunned RK. He ran towards the nurses, holding one of them by the shoulder.
"Padmini Shamsher Malik...she is here in the hospital...where is she?"
"Ummm...are you..."
"Yeah I am family. Where is she?"
"ICU. 6th floor. Room 13."
RK ran up the stairs, looking for the room. As he looked in through the door, at first he spotted no one. Then, sure enough, he saw his mother-in-law, hooked onto a ventilator and gazillion other machines. No one else was in the room. He looked around in the corridor to see who was with her. Sure enough, a few seconds later, Bittuji appeared.
"Bittuji. There you are."
"Chief. What are you doing here..in this govt hospital?"
"I was looking for you. But then I saw Ma.."
"Looking for me?"
"Yeah Bittuji. Since when have you stopped picking up your phone?"
"Umm...well...I changed my number. And anyway, I told you, I am not coming back to work for you."
"It's not that. Umm...I mean..I want you back...and I need to apologise to you...and umm.."
"It's fine Chief. I don't care." Bittuji said and started walking away
"Bittuji...I really need to talk to you...I really need to know where is Madhu?"
Hearing Madhu's name made Bittuji stop in his tracks. He turned back, looking at RK circumspectly, trying to figure out what was in his mind.
"Why?"
"Why? What do you mean why? I really want to meet Madhu and only you seem to know where she is."
"No Chief...you can't meet bhabhiji any more. It's too late."
"No Bittuji...don't say it like that. I know I screwed it up. I have been...I have been a fool. I have been blind, my ego and my pride made me see nothing. You asked me about that night...I was an idiot that night...I was angry at Madhu and drank too much. And then Ria came to the farmhouse and then Madhu came and she misunderstood..."
"She misunderstood?"
"Yeah Bittuji...I mean I was so drunk and so angry...I don't really remember what happened...Madhu was fighting with me, and then she left."
"Ok, she misunderstood then...but what about after that. Are you saying you and Ria?"
"No...I am not saying that. I am an idiot. I don't know what I was doing or why. I was just angry at Madhu, angry at myself, and I was living in this haze. But now I know. I understand. It's over. I need to see Madhu and apologize to her. She is here right. Her mother is here, she would be here for sure..."
"No Chief. Bhabhiji is not here. And you cannot meet her."
"No Bittuji don't say that. I know Madhu. Her mother is in the hospital, she couldn't be far...please take me to her...please let me meet her. I will do anything to win her back. I love her Bittuji. I will die without her. Don't you trust me?" RK's hands were folded and tears were streaming off his eyes.
"I trust you Chief." Bittuji said after a pause. "But I cannot take you to Bhabhiji."
"Bhabhiji...your wife...she is dead."
CID
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
