Mésalliance ✔️

Chapter 21

"If you are standing here, you will end up like a statue," Ankitha commented to Vikram in the waiting hall. She knew that Madhu wouldn't budge or Madhav would let her meet Vikram.
"You need to become adventurous, Vikram," she advised. 

Vikram sighed, "That Madhav is with her like a shadow. How could I talk?"
Ankitha contemplated, "I will take him to the cafeteria for ten minutes. Talk with her."
Vikram was glad about that. "Do you have any motive behind this help?"
Ankitha frowned at him and walked away. He begged behind her for help. She stopped at a point and turned to him, "Ten minutes. Get lost after that."
She walked inside the ward and was lost for five minutes. Later, she held the hand of Madhav and exited the room.
"Sweet!" Vikram smirked and sneaked inside the room. There Madhu was snoring on the bed. Her hair stands were freely spread on the pillow but her left limb was the opposite: tied up with bandages. He caressed the bandage and felt sorry for the trouble that he had caused her.
She stirred in her sleep and blinked for some time at his form. She was taken aback and opened her mouth to shout. He closed her mouth with his palm and whispered, "I am sorry. I regret my behaviour. I owe you my life. Please don't hate me!"
She looked at the empty room. Madhav must've gone somewhere while she slept and Vikram took advantage of her loneliness. She shook her head and hissed in pain on her shoulder. 
He took his hand off her face.
"Get out!" she said to him. "I don't want to look at you. That's a big sin according to me."
He huffed in disappointment.
She hated to breathe the same air and be under the same roof as him.
"I won't bring any other woman to the house," he promised to her.
"I don't care. I am going back to my home. You can do whatever shit you want," she retorted back. He need not charm her anymore.
"What about the money? You married me only for the inheritance," he reminded her.
"Yes, I married for money," she agreed. "But my life and mental health are more important than that money. You need not preach what I should do. Stay within your limits."
"If you hate me that much, you should have let that bullet pierce me," he said, "Why did you bother to save me?"
Madhu looked him in the eye. That was her intrinsic thought when she saw the gun.
"What the hell are you up to?" Madhav roared at Vikram from the door. Madhu felt relieved at his sudden entry.
Ankitha scowled at them. The Hegde siblings have been acting cranky to Vikram even though he apologised for the accident.
"I don't want to look at him," Madhu stated to her brother and Madhav dragged Vikram out of her room. Krish came to visit Madhu and witnessed the disrespect his friend faced from her brother. "Madhav! Stop this nonsense!" he alerted.
"Don't let him near my sister," Madhav warned them and went inside her ward. Madhu stood up from the bed with the help of Ankitha and chided Madhav for his attitude.
"He was just apologising to me," she reasoned. "Why can't you respect him as a human being?"
"Could you respect him, Madhu?" he questioned her in return. She sighed for a second and looked at his face for a minute.
"She has been wounded for him," Ankitha interrupted them. "She has the first-person experience with his anger, attitude and ego. What do you know about him? Who gave you the right to mistreat him?"
"Stay away from this," Madhav put a limit to her words. Ankitha ignored him and advised Madhu, "Only you can talk shit about Vikram, not even your parents. This guy acted savagely and he shouldn't have behaved as such. You better talk with Vikram, get a divorce or do whatever you can. That decision should be yours."
Madhu huffed, "I decided about leaving him, Ankitha. Nobody in my family influenced me. Don't accuse anyone."
Madhav smirked at Ankitha and went out. Ankitha walked to Madhu and vented her opinion, "Even though your parents and brother are here for your moral support, you should defend your husband at least in front of them. Vikram should be the first person you must care about..."
"Stop it, Ankitha," Madhu ordered her, "We were married for a contract... apart from the one that was arranged by the elders."
Ankitha seemed to be confused by her words.
Madhu sighed, "We signed a contract of one year of marriage and signed off divorce too. It's not about commitment or any shit as you imagine between us. Just monetary gains."
"What!" Ankitha looked astounded. "You always vouch for abiding by the law. How did you plan such a thing?"
Madhu shrugged, "We both weren't interested in this marriage whatsoever. My father fought back to live again. I did the best thing."
Ankitha rolled her eyes, "I thought you were going to live happily..."
"With him?" Madhu questioned her friend in awe. "Never in a hundred years!"
Ankitha's face fell at those words. Madhu frowned, "Why are you supporting that fellow?"
Ankitha nodded and passed a nervous smile. "It won't hurt to give him another chance."
Madhu pointed at her wounded shoulder, "This pains like hell. I can't!"
Ankitha held her friend's hand, "Let's go to him and ask how remorseful he is. If you still think that he hasn't changed, you can leave him."
Madhu followed her disinterestedly.

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Vikram seemed like a statue after the commotion with Madhav. If another man had been in that situation, Vikram would have broken his bones. Krish handed a soda can to him. Vikram gulped it down instantly.
"You have changed a lot," Krish commented to him. "Why didn't you oppose Madhav?"
Vikram sighed, "The whole problem was caused by me and she didn't utter a word regarding the root cause. My head is saved from this issue and I need to be silent now."
Krish agreed with him.
"I haven't changed. I am taking a backseat till she is healed," Vikram added. She could be hostile as she was wounded by him but Madhav overdid a lot. Krish interrupted his thinking, "Nah. While we were chatting yesterday, you made sense with your talks. You became refined."
"Krish?" Vikram whined in embarrassment, "I haven't changed. We discussed deep topics, so you might feel like that."
Krish shrugged, "Does her silence hurt you?"
Vikram who talked normally became quiet. He was hurt by her silence. She must've heard his apology and taken her time to forgive him. Krish cleared his clogged throat, "It hurts... Right?"
Vikram rolled his eyes, "Not that much. It hurts because I am guilty."
Krish chuckled, "You have pierced through her body. I don't believe that she will forgive you easily."
Vikram frowned at his supportive friend. Krish smiled, "I don't blame you. It's just facts."
Vikram sighed, "I don't know what to do next. She will go to Bangalore anyways."
"Good riddance, bro!" Krish said instantly. "You didn't like her firstly."
Vikram turned away from his friend and watched the lawn. Krish smiled, "Are you going to miss her?"
"Nope. Don't repeat that she changed me. I regret my attitude because she is in pain." Vikram opposed the theory of his friend. Krish smirked, "You love her."
Vikram jumped from the settee and glared at Krish. He better shut his mouth before getting a punch.
"I said what I said," Krish elaborated. "After so many years, you feel the pain of silence. Madhu has managed to get inside your heart."
Vikram scowled. There hadn't been any instance where he felt drawn upon her. She irritated him whenever possible too.
"Are you declining my words?" Krish pestered him continuously.
Vikram chuckled bitterly, "Love? You are a lunatic to call it love. Why would I love Madhu?"
Krish scratched his head, "Love knows no reason, Vikram. Even you can't call it love but others can understand your feelings."
Vikram scoffed, "Stop this, Krish. She is an irritating kid who shared my house. Yes, I regret hurting her with this marriage and I am the reason for her wounded state. My guilt is doubled because of that."
Krish interrupted Vikram, "You are attracted to her. Why do you want her to stay here if you don't love her?"
Vikram thought for a while, "I don't love her. I am irritated by her sadness. I have seen women swoon over me for sex but she is always moody. I want her to shut her complaining mouth so I can enjoy the peace."
Krish gaped at him. "Do you realise what you are speaking?"
Vikram nodded, "Yes. She is a crybaby who is hard to deal with."
Madhu and Ankitha were astounded by his words. Madhu felt it lame to attempt heating his words and glared at Ankitha before storming away. He proved a jerk again and again.
Instead of apologising, he created more mess. She won't forgive him anymore. Vikram didn't deserve her. She wasn't surviving to hear his demeaning words. She understood that Vikram won't realise his mistake.