Rishabala OS : Canvas & Notepad

Canvas & Notepad

"They asked me! I didn't want to be rude."

"You were rude when you told her that you didn't remember her."

"Why is that rude? I was just asking her who she is."

"Madhu... if anyone asks why we got married... you don't have to reply to them."

"Because then they will think that I am a charity case?"

"Whom I had to marry."

Madhu shakes her head in exasperation. "Rishabh... who is she? Some aunt of yours! what she thinks of me... why is it any of my concern? I don't care what she thinks of me... I know myself... if her biggest concern in life is why we got married... it is not my problem... It is her problem... I can't be bothered about that... please, I've a life."

Hearing someone coming they turn around, finds Rudra and Bhavya coming towards them.

"I am so sorry, Bhabhi." Bhavya tells her, feeling ashamed and filled with guilt. "Because of us..."

"Oh, please Bhavya, save it! I don't care what some nosy body thinks about me. I've better things to do with my life! Come, I'm hungry." Madhu tells her as she held a shocked Bhavya's hand and led her out.

Rishabh and Rudra stood back gaping at Madhu.

"She is not even angry at Bhavya and me." Rudra tells Rishabh in confusion and shock.

"She isn't." Rishabh admits in equal shock. His wife is a weirdo. Correction, a beautiful weirdo.

**********

At night, Rishabh walks into his room to find Madhu on her laptop.

"What do you do on the laptop so much?" Rishabh asks her curiously.

"Working on my thesis mostly. Otherwise, reading about stuff."

"What stuff?" he asks curiously.

"Whatever pricks my interest then."

"Hmmm."

"For now, I am googling and reading people's thoughts on these rituals and their importance."

"Hmmm?"

"Not even one has a satisfactory explanation."

Shaking his head, he tells her, "Good night, Madhu."

"Good night, Rishabh."

**********

Few days later, Rishabh walks into his house earlier than usual and finds Madhu with his family. He was surprised to see her outside their room. She was always cooped up in there. She didn't interact with anyone, including him. the few times they had talked, was when he initiated a conversation, and now that was to a minimum, because he simply couldn't handle one of their weird conversations. And she, he realized, wasn't ignoring him or his family, her priority was simply her thesis. But now he was glad that she was spending time with his family.

Madhu was sitting next to Anika who was holding her two years-old son Vansh. Anika and Madhu were playing with Vansh while Shivaay sat nearby.

"RK!" Shivaay notices him and calls him over.

Madhu curiously turns to him and asks, "Are you early today?"

"Yeah." Rishabh replies as he walked to Shivaay.

Nodding Madhu turns to Vansh and continues playing with him, while Shivaay and Anika exchanged looks.

Two minutes later, Shivaay loudly declares, "RK, I want to talk to you."