Rishabala One Shot Story Collections I

Baaware Se Iss Jahaan Mein Baawara Ek Saath Ho

Hello everyone...

Thank you so much for voting and commenting on the previous story. due to Eid holidays, I have been a little busy and didn't get time to reply to comments and PMs.

Previous story: Insane Hearts (Posted on 21 – Jul – 2021)

A REQUEST TO SILENT READERS

I HAVE ASKED THIS BEFORE ALSO, I AM ASKING YOU AGAIN, CAN SILENT READERS PLEASE STOP SENDING ME STORY REQUESTS?? IF YOU CAN'T SPEND ONE MINUTE TO LEAVE A FEEDBACK, THEN I DON'T THINK I HAVE TO SPENT DAYS TO WRITE STORIES THAT YOU WANT ME TO WRITE. I AM DONE BEING NICE AND POLITE, FROM NOW ON, I AM JUST GOING TO IGNORE YOUR MESSAGES!

I AM NOT ASKING YOU TO COMMENT; I AM ASKING YOU TO SHOW BASIC DECENCY BY NOT ASKING ME TO WRITE STORIES FOR YOU WHEN YOU HAVEN'T BOTHERED TO LEAVE A WORD OF APPRECIATION!

This story is pretty much inspired from a Malayalam movie. Hope you guys will like it.

Haven't really planned a story as such, just going along as I write.

This story and Rishabh are going to piss off some people royally, so please read at your discretion.

"Who is this Madhu?" Dadi asks confused.

"She is my friend, Dadi." Trishna replies. "She got a job here and she has no one to stay with."

"But how can we let a stranger stay in our house?" Dadi asks her.

"She is Trishna's friend, Dadi." Sultan tells her.

"I don't have a problem, you check with your Bua Saas and Chachi Saas." Dadi tells them.

"You talk to them." Trishna quickly tells her. "You know, they still don't like me." Trishna tells her softly looking down.

"No one asked you two to run away and get married." Dadi cheekily points out.

"They were not letting us get married." Sultan points out to her with a frown. "They were all set to get me married to either Dipali or Ria."

"Because of you my poor Rishu is suffering."

"Dadi!" Trishna calls her in shock.

Dadi gives her an embarrassed smile. "Sorry, it came out in the flow."

Trishna scowls at her.

"You know, I love you."

"Yeah." Trishna rolls her eyes.

"You know what they are doing is wrong. You should put a stop to it." Sultan tells her.

"After your parents had passed away they had raised you and Rishu like mothers. Roma never got married for you two, and after Shakti's death, you both are all Meera has."

"But they are wrong, Dadi." Sultan tells her. "Rishu would have his dreams and wishes."

"I know... I tried my best to make them understand but when have they ever listened to me? they are busy fighting. Whether Rishu chooses to marry Dipali or Ria, it will end up hurting one of his mothers." Dadi says sadly.

"Oh please, can you all at least stop saying those names!" Rishabh asks tired as he walked in hearing them.

"How did your date with both of them go?" Dadi asks curiously.

"Oh my God, Dadi, you are making me sound like a playboy." Rishabh tells her in disgust. "Dates! Two dates! Lunch date and Dinner date!"

"Yeah, that doesn't make you sound like one!" Sultan replies rolling his eyes.

"If you had married either of them then I wouldn't have to go through this!" Rishabh tells him exasperated.

"Oh my God, Rishu you too?" Trishna asks shocked.

"I didn't mean that, Bhabhi. You know, I love you." Rishabh quickly says ashamed.

"Yeah right!" Trishna mutters irately.

"They love you, darling." Sultan tells her.

"Of course, I know!" Trishna replies exasperated. "Now, Madhu!"

"Madhu?" Rishabh asks as he looked at Sultan.

"Trishna was asking Dadi about letting her friend, Madhu stay here." Sultan explains.

"Oh." Rishabh nods. "I don't think Bua and Chachi would agree."

"Dadi, this is your house, only your consent is required." Trishna tells her.

Dadi thoughtfully looks at her. "Let her stay here for a few days, if I don't like her then you will have to ask her to leave."

"I am sure you would love her." Trishna tells her smiling.

"It would be fun, if you like Madhu, and you want Rishu to marry her. then we can really have world war 3 with Bua and Chachi." Sultan cheekily tells her.

"Very funny!" Rishabh sarcastically tells him.

"Shut up, you bloody fool." Dadi scolds Sultan.

"Dadi..." Trishna whispers seeing Roma and Meera walk in.

"Rishu, how did your date with Dipali go?" Meera asks excitedly.

"Rishu, how did your date with Ria go?" Roma asks at the same time. "Have you both taken a decision?"

"What decision?" Meera turns to her with a frown. "My son is going to marry Dipali!"

"No, he will marry Ria. He will never betray me." Roma says as she pointed looked at Sultan.

Sultan looks away hurt hearing that, and his eyes fall on Trishna who was looking down hurt.

"My Rishu knows what all sacrifices I made for him, he will marry the girl that I approve of."

"You made sacrifices? It was me! I raised him. for both of them I didn't even get married." Roma argues.

"Shakti and I didn't have kids for them!" Meera argues.

"So you say... what if either of you had some problem?"

"Bua!" Sultan says her name in anger.

"Chachi is our mother just like you." Rishabh gently tells her.

"We could have adopted, we didn't." Meera points out. "We didn't want Rishu and Sultan to feel that we didn't love them."

"We know, chachi." Rishabh tells her. "We know the sacrifices that you both made for us."

"But what you are asking Rishu in return is not right." Sultan tells them.

"You don't say anything." Roma scolds him.

"At least you don't betray us, Rishu." Meera pleads him as she caressed his cheek.

"Sultan and Trishna Bhabhi fell in love. Why don't you accept them? when you love us so much, why can't you love the one he loves?" Rishabh asks them.

"If he loved us then he should have loved the one we love." Roma points out.

Rishabh sighs tiredly.

"Not marry an orphan who has no family and relations." Meera replies then shaking her head, she turns to Rishabh. "Tell me, how did it go with Dipali?" Meera asks him.

"Before that tell me how it went with Ria?" Roma asks him.

"I told both of them about what is happening here and that I am not going to choose either of them by hurting either of you." Rishabh tells them.

"How could you do that, Rishu?" Meera asks shocked.

"Oh my God, why did you do that, Rishu?" Roma asks. "What did Ria say?"

"Did Dipali feel bad?" Meera asks worried.

"Like usual they are too dense to understand that I don't want to marry them." Rishabh replies irately.

"Thank God." Meera says in relief.

"For them being dense?" Sultan asks shocked.

"For being understanding and so loving to wait for Rishu." Roma tells him.

Tired and fed up, Rishabh walks off.

"Meera... Roma... tomorrow, Trishna's friend is coming to stay with us for a few days." Dadi informs them.

"What?" Meera asks frowning.

"Why is her friend staying here?" Roma asks frowning.

"Because this is Trishna's house too." Dadi tells them and walks off.

Seeing both her mothers-in-law were glaring at her, Trishna quickly walks off.

"He is not happy, he is suffering." Sultan tells them.

"Ria will make him the perfect wife and fill his life with happiness."

"Dipali will make him the perfect wife." Meera sternly adds on.

Shaking his head, Sultan walks off.

*************

Next evening, Madhu comes with her luggage.

"Is she going to stay here forever?" Meera asks frowning seeing three huge bags.

"I don't like strangers in our house." Roma mutters irately.

They watched as Madhu was introduced to Dadi by Trishna. Then Trishna turns to them.

"Madhu, these are..." Trishna starts to tell her.

"I know Roma Bua and Meera Chachi." Madhu tells her with a smile. "hello... I've heard so much about you both that it is like I know you all."

"Heard about us?" Roma asks surprised.

"Yeah..." Madhu nods. "From Sultan and Trishna."

"ladki ko tameez nahi hai." Roma mutters.

"Why do you say that?" Madhu asks confused.

"Because you should not call someone elder to you by name." Roma tells her.

"Oh So, I should call Sultan, Sultan bhaiyya?" Madhu asks curiously. Then turning to Trishna, she asks "If he is bhaiyya then you will become Bhabhi, right?"

"Bhabhi?" Meera frowns. "Aren't you same age?"

"No, she is my junior."

"Junior? In school or college?" Meera asks curiously.

"College."

"College? So, you know Sultan and Rishu too?" Meera asks.

"Yeah, Rishabh was my classmate." Madhu replies.

"Oh." Roma nods.

"Trishna take her to her room. Let her rest for some time." Dadi says.

They were about to go to her room when Rishabh walks in.

"Ah your friend is here?" Rishabh asks. "hello. I am Rishabh." Rishabh says with a smile.

"What?" Meera turns to Rishabh in confusion.

"Don't you know her?" Roma asks him in shock.

"Know her?" Rishabh asks shocked.

"We were classmates, Rishu." Madhu reminds him in shock.

Rishabh looks at Madhu in confusion.

"You don't remember seeing her?" Meera asks him in confusion.

"My boy doesn't look at girls only." Roma proudly says.

"Yeah, he always had his head hidden inside his book." Madhu replies with a smile.

"Maybe that is why." Rishabh replies flustered.

"So, where did you stay when you were studying here?" Meera asks her in confusion.

"College hostel."

"You should look for some working women's hostel then." Meera tells her.

"I've been staying in hostels for so long that I just couldn't stay in one any longer." Madhu tells her.

"What?" Meera asks in shock hearing that. "So, you don't plan to move out?"

"Where are your parents?" Roma asks at the same time.

"They were in Bareilly. now, I don't know." Madhu honestly replies.

"What do you mean you don't know?" Roma asks shocked.

"They should be there only. Where would they go from there?" Madhu asks with a chuckle. "I'm so stupid. Yeah, they would be there."

"Why don't you know where they are?"

"I cut off from them when I turned 18. I disowned them." Madhu explains.

"what?" Meera and Roma shout in shock.

"What do you mean by that, puttar?" Dadi asks her.

While Rishabh, Trishna and Sultan exchanged worried glances.

"I was treated like a second class citizen at my own home. I didn't have the freedom that my younger brother had. they didn't even want me to study. So, when I turned 18, I left home. I came here as I had got scholarship." Madhu explains.

"Feminist." Meera whispers to Roma.
"Yeah!" Roma agrees.

Trishna worriedly looks at Sultan and Rishabh seeing the shocked and scandalized expression on all three women.

"You can get to know Madhu slowly. You should be tired, Madhu. why don't you take her to her room, Trishna. Anyway dinner should be served shortly and Madhu might want to freshen up before that." Sultan tells his wife.

Trishna nods. "Come, Madhu."

They all stood silently as they watched Madhu and Trishna walk off. once, they were out of ear shot, Dadi turns to Sultan, "Why didn't you tell me all this?"

"What is there to tell, Dadi? Her family was wrong and she fought against them." Sultan defends her.

"You don't disown your family for anything." Meera tells Sultan in anger.

"If that was the case then we would have disowned you the moment you married that orphan." Roma tells him.

"Dadi, you promised Trishna. Let Madhu stay here." Sultan tells her.

Dadi nods.

"But ask her to start looking for another accommodation." Meera tells him.

"She looked like she has come to stay here forever. Did you see her luggage?" Roma adds.

Fed up and tired, Sultan walks off. Rishabh was about to follow him when Roma calls him.

"Yes?" Rishabh walks to him.

"That girl is no good news, Rishu. you stay away from her." Roma tells him.

"Just continue to ignore her the way you did in college." Meera tells him.

"I wasn't ignoring anyone in college. You know, I am not rude." Rishabh tells them with a frown.

"Still you ignore her." Meera tells him.

"That girl definitely has her eyes on you." Roma tells him.

"Even you noticed?" Meera asks surprised.

"Noticed what?" Rishabh asks confused.

"She has her eyes on you."

"what?"

"The way she was smiling it was obvious that she likes you."

"Really?" Rishabh asks with a surprised smile.

"Why are you smiling for that?" Meera asks frowning.

"Don't even think about her." Roma warns him.

His smile drops immediately and sighing tiredly. "Okay then." Rishabh says and starts to walk off.

"Where are you going? There is something I want to talk to you. come to my room." Meera tells him.

"Before that, I want to talk to you." Roma tells him.

"Is it about Dipali and Ria?" Rishabh asks tired. "If so, can we not do it?"

"Chup chaap chalo."

*********

Much later, Rishabh tiredly sat by the pool as he thought about all the mess in his life. Bua and Chachi had ate his brains off with their Dipali and Ria jaab. Try as he may, he couldn't just take a bold stand and shut them down. He loved Chachi and Bua too much to hurt them like that. he had seen how broken they were when Sultan had eloped. It had nearly killed him to see his mothers cry and now even he was doing the same to them. he doesn't remember his parents as they passed away when he was just a year old, but he never missed them because both Chachi and Bua had raised him with so much love. They competed with each other in loving him and Sultan. Hearing a sound, he turns back to check and sees the servants switching off the lights. Realizing that everyone had gone to sleep, he waits for a few more minutes to be double sure.

Rishabh was about to knock on the door when he notices that it was ajar. He opens the door and walk in to find Sultan and Trishna with Madhu.

"What are you guys doing here?" Rishabh asks them.

"Checking on her. what are you doing here?" Sultan asks him back.

Rishabh shakes his head and asks them in confusion, "Wasn't it decided that we would behave as if Madhu and I were complete strangers?"

"Ask her." Trishna points at Madhu.

"It kind of slipped out."

Rishabh shakes his head tired and taking a deep breath he asks her, "Madhu, you are here to win all their hearts. Why did you tell them about your family?"

"They asked me.do you expect me to lie?" Madhu asks frowning. "I want them to like me for me. not as the perfect picture fitting into their concept of ideal bahu."

"They are already not impressed, Madhu." Trishna gently tells her.

Madhu shrugs in reply. "It is important for him, not me."

"He loves them, Madhu." Sultan gently tells her.

"And he loves me too." Madhu points out.

"And I don't want to choose." Rishabh says tired.

"Sultan bhaiyya married Trishna bhabhi and he didn't have to choose."

"It is not easy, Madhu." Sultan tells her.

"And Madhu, Rishu is not Sultan. You know that." Trishna gently tells her.

Madhu sighs shaking her head. "I can't believe that I went and fell in love with the most timid guy ever." Madhu mutters.

Embarrassed, Rishabh looks at Sultan and Trishna and sees them grinning.

Seeing Rishabh embarrassed, Trishna says "Now, Madhu, he isn't that timid. After all he proposed you."

Madhu turns to Trishna in shock and surprise, "What gave you that idea? That he proposed me? I proposed him!"

"What?" Sultan looks at Rishabh in shock.

"jootey!" Trishna accuses him.

"I didn't lie. I asked her out on a date. You didn't propose. You threatened me." Rishabh points out.

"Threatened you?" Madhu asks offended.

Rishabh turns to her and reminds her, "I see you drooling over me and following me around, either you take me on a date or if you have no honorable intentions, I'll break your legs for being a lecher."

"I wasn't sure whether it was love or lust with the way you were salivating after me." Madhu replies with a shrug.

"Still you went on a date with him?" Sultan asks shocked.

"I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself." Madhu replies. "And Rishu..." Madhu turns to Rishabh remembering, "I'm not here to win any hearts. I'm here because now I am your wife and this is my house too."

"Sshhh Madhu, softly." Rishabh whispers in panic as he closed the door.

Madhu sighs exasperated.

"Is that why you brought all your stuff?" Rishabh asks her. "Chachi and Bua noticed that you brought so many stuff."

"Yeah."

"You vacated your flat?" Rishabh asks her shocked. "I told you not to do it."

"I'm not as rich as you Kundras to pay rent for a house that I am not even staying in."

"I would have paid the rent." Rishabh replies.

Furious Madhu moves towards him, then glaring into his eyes, she asks, "When I have a house here, why should we pay rent for a flat?"

Rishabh gulps feeling scared.

"What happened? did you two fight?" Sultan asks to break the awkward moment.

Rishabh shakes his head as he stepped back.

"Anyway, it is late, you guys go sleep." Rishabh tells Sultan and Trishna.

"Good night, Madhu." Sultan and Trishna wishes her.

They were walking out when Sultan notices Rishabh not making any moves to leave. "Aren't you leaving?"

"Erm... you guys go."

"If Bua or Chachi finds out..."

"I'll go before they wake up."

Sultan sighs and mutters as he walked out, "I guess, only for these things, you have the balls."

"Right!" Madhu replies as she glared at Rishabh.

Rishabh closes his eyes embarrassed.

******

Rishabh closes the door and locks it once Sultan and Trishna left. He turns back to see Madhu and sees her walking off to the bed. He quickly hugs her from behind.

"I love you." Rishabh tells her.

"Get lost."

"I kept my promise, didn't I? I brought you home in two weeks."

Madhu furiously turns around and tells him, "As some random girl. Not as your wife."

"I told you, Madhu. I need time for that." Rishabh gently tells her.

"How long, Rishu?"

"I don't know." Rishabh whispers helplessly. "Please baby, please be patient."

Madhu closes her eyes tired. Then she turns to walk to bed.

"By the way, both Bua and Chachi were saying that the way you were smiling at me, showed your love for me." Rishabh tells her smiling as he held her hand and pulled her towards him.

"Really?" Madhu asks as she looked at him.

"Yeah." Rishabh replies smiling as he wrapped his hands around her waist.

"They didn't see your love for me in your eyes and smile?"

Rishabh's smile immediately drops.

"I am wondering whether I should rethink."

"We haven't even been married for a month and you are already threatening me with divorce!"

Madhu sighs softly, "I don't want to give you another ultimatum like I did for bringing me home. This time, I want you to do it yourself. It is not easy, Rishu but I am trying to give you a chance."

Rishabh nods.

"I love you, Rishu. more than anyone or anything else in the world." Madhu tells him as she cupped his face.

"I know, love." Rishabh lovingly smiles at her. "Otherwise you wouldn't sacrifice your self-respect like this and come and stay here as an unwanted guest."

"You know, I don't hesitate from fighting for my rights and what is rightfully mine. I want to give you a chance to set everything right. please don't make me ask and fight for my rights as your wife. I don't want to come between your family and you. you are the only one who I will tolerate shit from. I won't tolerate it from anyone else, I am not Trishna Bhabhi. So please don't bring it to that."

"I know, love. And that is what I love the most in you. your courage and boldness." Rishabh tells her smiling.

"Because you don't have both?" Madhu teases him.

Rishabh chuckles hearing her.

"It's late. You go to your room." Madhu tells him as she kissed him on his cheek.

"What? I am sleeping here."

"Whatever for?" Madhu asks him frowning.

"What else for?" Rishabh asks her with a sexy smile as he leaned down to kiss her.

"No way!"

"Come on, baby." Rishabh whispers to her as he took her lips in his. "You know, I am not timid in bed."

"You have just two tracks, 1 your two mothers and second this!"

"I have a third track, that is constantly on my brain, heart and mind, and it is Madhu... Madhu... Madhu."

"Cheesy! Cheesy! Cheesy!"

Rishabh chuckles, "I know even you want to."

"Take me to your room then." Madhu tells him.

"What?" Rishabh stops in shock.

"I'm your wife, take me to your room. We will make love only there."

"Not here?" Rishabh asks her.

Madhu shakes her head.

Realizing Madhu would be stubborn about it, he quickly lifts her up in his arms and walks to the door.

"Stop." Madhu says seeing him about to unlock the door.

"What?" Rishabh looks at her.

"Your brain is really down there isn't? you only think with that."

"I am too horny to think from anywhere else."

Madhu shakes her head at him. "I'll not sneak into your room like a midnight booty call. I'll come to your room as your wife."

Rishabh whispers in guilt, "I'm sorry, I am making you do all this. I just don't want them to hate you, Madhu."

"I know, Rishu. it doesn't matter to me, but it does to you and that is why I am putting up with all this."

"Thank you." Rishabh lovingly smiles at her as he kissed her cheek.

Madhu smiles at him as she kissed his cheek. then she flicks her head to the bed.

"Bed?"

"Making love to my husband is my right." Madhu tells him as she leaned towards him and took his lips in hers.

******

"Good morning." Madhu wishes everyone as she stopped near the dining table.

Rishabh doesn't even look up at her while Meera and Roma give her haughty looks, Dadi, Sultan and Trishna politely smile at her.

"Come. Madhu. sit." Dadi invites her.

Madhu pulls up the chair next to Trishna and sits down. Madhu starts serving for herself.

"Did you start looking for other accommodations?" Meera asks her.

"No. I'm just getting settled in." Madhu replies.

"Before you settle in here, you should find another place to stay." Roma tells her.

Madhu looks at Rishabh and sees him gesturing to Sultan.

"Chachi... Bua... Madhu is Trishna's guest." Sultan reminds them.

"Trishna herself is a guest here!" Meera mutters.

Sultan furiously bites down his teeth while Trishna looked down hurt.

"Stop it, Meera." Dadi tells her sternly.

"Chachi, please don't do this." Rishabh requests her.

"Meera chachi are you a guest here?" Madhu asks her.

"What? Are you crazy? This is my house!" Meera replies offended ignoring both Dadi and Rishabh.

"If you are not a guest then how is Trishna bhabhi a guest here? Isn't the status of you both the same?"

"Status?? Of both of us?" Meera asks getting angry.

"Yes, as that of the bahu of the Kundra family. If you are not a guest, then how is she one? And if she is a guest then how aren't you one?" Madhu asks her.

"You think that makes us equal?" Meera asks her angrily.

"Aren't you both married to the sons of this family?" Madhu asks her back.

"It is not the same." Meera grits back at her.

"It's not? You were married to the son of this family."

"Yes." Meera replies to her furiously.

"Oh... I didn't know that Sultan bhaiyya was adopted."

"WHAT?" Meera shouts in outrage.

"That is why, Trishna Bhabhi is treated like a second grade citizen here." Madhu replies nodding.

"SULTAN IS OUR SON."

"Then why is Trishna Bhabhi not treated like his wife?"

"Enough!" Sultan says fed up. "Madhu is right. Trishna is the bahu of this house and she should be treated like one. I didn't commit any crime by marrying the girl I love. Trishna didn't commit any crime by loving me or marrying me. so, she will not be punished for it. I don't care who it is, if you don't treat my wife with respect then you'll have me to answer to."

Everyone except Madhu stares at Sultan in shock.

"See what is happening?" Roma turns to her mother. "This girl hasn't been here for a day and already she is breaking up the family."

"I am sorry, what breaking up?" Madhu asks her with a frown. "I just reached yesterday but this family has been cracked up for a while otherwise one member wouldn't be kept outside your so called family. So, please don't blame me for your short comings. You both as mothers and saas is not able to keep this family as a whole. So don't look elsewhere to place your blame. Just lay it at your own feet."

"How dare you come into our home and talk to us like this?" Roma asks her.

"Get out of our house." Meera tells her.

"No." Madhu replies before anyone could say anything.

"What?" Roma and Meera looks at her in shock.

"I was invited by the beta and bahu of this house and till they ask me to leave, I'm staying here."

"Sultan look at the nerve of this girl." Meera says in shock.

"Ask her to leave." Roma tells him.

"She is Trishna's guest." Sultan replies.

"You make her leave otherwise I am calling the police." Meera warns him.

"Call." Madhu tells them. "I'll explain I was invited here. There is at least one person here who wouldn't let the police take me."

"There is more than one, Madhu." Sultan tells her with a loving smile.

Madhu smiles hearing that. then turning to Roma and Meera, Madhu says, "Anyway, let's eat. I'm very hungry."

Furiously huffing, Meera stands up. Roma instantly follows. Then they both walk off. rest looks at them in shock. Then Rishabh gets up and leaves the table. Seeing Rishabh leave, Dadi also leaves. Trishna and Sultan look at each other, then with an apologetic look at Madhu, they both leave the table. Madhu watched everyone leave their food and go off. Shrugging, she starts eating her food.

*********

"You didn't eat anything." Madhu says to Rishabh as she walked to him.

Rishabh, who was sitting by the pool with his legs dipped in the water, replies without looking at her, "I can't eat when my family stays hungry."

"I will not stay hungry just because you are showing your anger on food." Madhu tells him.

Rishabh couldn't help smile hearing that.

"Are you angry with me?" Madhu asks him as she walked closer to him.

"They have been horrible to bhabhi." Rishabh tells her.

"I know."

"I was always scared that they would treat you the same way that they treat Bhabhi. I would have to always protect you from them."

"I can take care of myself."

"I know... that is why I have started wondering..."

"What?"

Rishabh turns to her and says, "whether I should be protecting them from you."

Madhu couldn't help smiling hearing that. seeing her smile, Rishabh smiles at her.

"Go easy on them." Rishabh tells her.

"You shouldn't have fallen in love if you were forever going to be your mamas' boy." Madhu tells him.

Rishabh smiles hearing that. "I'm sorry they were rude to you."

Madhu waves it off. then looking around she says with a smile, "So, this is your favorite place."

Rishabh nods. "It's very peaceful, right?"

"Yeah because two people aren't here." Madhu replies.

Rishabh gives her an exasperated look.

"I was just joking." Madhu replies with a smile.

"Hmmm. I call you from here."

"It's pretty open here."

"No one comes here. Only Sultan and me. then cleaning staff."

Madhu sits next to him. "I want to learn swimming."

Rishabh grins and looks at her, "Want me to teach you?"

"Now?" Madhu asks him.

Rishabh shakes his head. "I'll teach my wife."

"In front of everyone?" Madhu asks him shocked.

Rishabh laughs hearing that.

"Rishu!"

They both quickly turns back to find Meera.

"What are you doing here with her?" Meera asks frowning in anger.

"Just talking, chachi." Rishabh replies as he stood up.

"I told you to stay away from her." Meera tells him then turning to Madhu, she sternly tells her, "Stay away from my son."

Madhu was about to reply to her when she sees Rishabh giving her pleading looks. Madhu doesn't say a word.

"You wanted something, chachi?"

"Yes." Meera turns to him with an excited smile. "Dipali is here."

"Oh no." Rishabh whispers as he looked at Madhu.

"She is here? I have been dying to meet this Dipali and Ria." Madhu says as she starts to walk off.

"Where are you going?" Meera asks frowning.

"To see how great this Dipali is."

"No need. Just stay somewhere here. There is no need for you there."

"Awww, chachi you are so cute." Madhu says as she lightly pulled on her cheek. then she walks off.

"Don't call me chachi. You are not my family." Meera calls after her.

"Sorry chachi... got used to it. now, you also get used to it." Madhu calls back at her.

Meera turns to Rishabh in anger, Rishabh who was watching Madhu, sees that she was heading towards the living room, he quickly runs after her realizing that she was really going to meet Dipali.

*********

"Hello..." Madhu says with a smile as she walked towards two young ladies standing with Roma. "Chachi mentioned only Dipali, I see that Ria is also here."

"Who are you?" Dipali asks with a frown.

"Madhu." Madhu replies. "Now, who is Ria and Dipali?"

"Why do you want to know?" Roma asks her with a frown.

"Just curious." Madhu replies with a shrug as she expectantly looked at both the women.

"Madhu!" Rishabh calls her as he ran into the room.

Madhu turns to Rishabh and smiles, "It's good that you are here. Why don't you make the introductions?"

"You are just a house guest. Why don't you stay as one?" Roma asks her angrily.

"Come on, Bua. We are a family now." Madhu tells her with a smile.

"You are not family!" Roma tells her with a frown.

"Can you stop it?" Rishabh whispers to Madhu.

"I'm just being polite, Rishu." Madhu replies.

"Who is she, Rishabh?" Dipali asks him with a frown.

"Ignore her, Dipali." Meera tells her as she walked in.

"But still who is she?" Ria asks frowning.

"She is Trishna's friend." Roma says in a dismissing tone. "She is staying here for a few days."

"Since Bua answered you, I am assuming you are Ria and that makes you Dipali." Madhu deduces.

"Just go inside, Madhu." Rishabh tells her.

"What makes you think that I would listen to you, Rishabh?" Madhu asks him back.

"Why is she talking to Rishabh like this?" Dipali asks angrily.

"After all she is just a guest here!" Ria replies angrily.

"Madhu... please?" Rishabh requests her.

"Sorry, Rishu. this is too entertaining for me to miss it." Madhu replies and she walks to the couch and sits down. Then she eagerly watches them. "Patil bhaiyya..." Madhu calls him seeing him. "Can you please get me popcorns?"

Rishabh looks at Madhu in exasperation.

"Ignore her." Roma says glaring at Madhu. "Rishu, Ria has come to meet you. you both go and talk."

"Dipali is here to meet him. Rishu, you go with her." Meera argues.

"Why do you think Dipali and Ria are the perfect partner for Rishu?" Madhu asks Roma and Meera.

"We don't have to give you any explanation." Meera tells her in anger.

"Yeah, but if you pitch your girl properly then maybe Rishu can make a firm decision."

"What the heck are you doing?" Rishabh asks her in irritation.

"Helping you choose the perfect girl for you. after all we are friends, Rishu."

"Friends?" Ria asks with a frown. "You are Trishna's friend, right?"

"Roma Bua... ladki ko tameez nahi hai." Madhu loudly whispers to her.

"What?" Roma asks her with a furious frown.

"because you only said you should not call someone elder to you by name." Madhu reminds her. "Call her Trishna Bhabhi or Didi, Ria. One point cut for you."

"God! Madhu!" Rishabh whispers in exasperation.

"Madhu Madam." Patil comes to her with a bowl of popcorn.

"Thank you Patil bhaiyya. You are a God sent." Madhu tells him as she took the popcorn and started munching on it.

"Will you go inside?" Roma asks her in anger.

"And miss this?" Madhu asks her in shock. "I even got popcorn to see who gets Rishu."

"Badtameez ladki!" Meera mutters. "Go, Rishu... Dipali is waiting."

"Ria is waiting, Rishu." Roma sternly tells him.

"Who do I give an application to pitch in my name for this competition?" Madhu asks putting up her hand.

"What competition?" Roma asks her furiously.

"Kaun Banega Rishabh Ki Patni." Madhu replies.

Rishabh had half a mind to do a fainting drama to escape from this nightmare of a situation but then knowing Madhu, she would just dump bucket load of water on him to bring him back to "conscious" and she would continue this scene. So, having no other option, he turns to her. "Go inside now, Madhu!" Rishabh tells her.

"Not happening." Madhu replies then looking at a shocked and furious Meera and Roma, she asks, "So, how do I apply?"

"So that is your intention? Is that why Trishna brought you here?" Meera asks her furiously.

"It will never happen. Pack your bags and leave our house now!" Roma tells her furiously.

"Why am I disqualified?" Madhu asks them.

"Do you even have to ask?" Meera asks furiously.

"Yes. Why are these two better than me?" Madhu replies.

"Because Ria belong to a good family, Ria is from well to do family and is of our status." Roma replies.

"Even Dipali is no less. She has naam, khoon and khandan." Meera replies. "What about you?"

Madhu sighs. "If that is the case, I accept defeat."

"Good, you realized it!" Ria replies with a smirk.

"Yeah, I'm too over qualified." Madhu replies shaking her head sadly.

Rishabh looks away to hide his smile.

"What?" Dipali asks with a frown.

"I'm above and beyond these shit." Madhu replies as she sat back eating popcorn. "Anyway, we have to make a decision between Dipali and Ria!"

"that we will decide. You leave!" Meera tells her.

"Yeah, get out of our house." Roma tells her.

Ignoring what they said, Madhu continues, "As I see it... Dipali and Ria have the same qualities. It looks to me that these two are pretty interchangeable. No wonder, Rishu can't choose one. And of course he is scared that he would hurt one of his mother if he chooses his other mother's best friend's daughter."

"What are you even saying, Madhu?" Rishabh asks her shocked.

"I have a solution, Rishu." Madhu tells him excitedly.

"What?" Rishabh stops in shock.

Turning to Dipali and Ria, she says, "Ria take one hand of Rishu, and Dipali you take his other hand. Then you both pull him. whoever, gets him, Rishu should marry that girl. And Chachi and Bua should accept that girl as his wife without guilt tripping him."

"Have you gone crazy?" Rishabh asks her outraged.

"Let's do that!" Dipali says and holding Rishabh's hand, she pulls him towards her.

Rishabh who wasn't expecting that, stumbles to her side.

"We didn't start only!" Ria argues as she held his other hand and pulled him forcefully.

"Good thing, you both didn't want an intelligent and mature wife for Rishu, Chachi and Bua. Otherwise both your contestants would have been disqualified now." Madhu points out seeing the way the pea brained women were fighting over Rishabh.

"STOP IT" Rishabh furiously screams.

"Let go of my Rishabh!" Ria tells Dipali ignoring Rishabh completely.

"He is my Rishabh!" Dipali screams at Ria furiously.

"In your dreams!" Ria argues.

"LET GO OFF ME!" Rishabh says furiously as he struggled to be free.

"What are you two doing?" Meera asks furiously.

"Stop it, Ria! Dipali!" Roma says.

"He is mine!" Ria says furiously.

"He is mine!" Dipali says and she kisses Rishabh on his cheek.

"YUCK!" Rishabh screams in outrage as he wiped his cheek.

Madhu furiously stands up and forcefully turns Dipali to face her and slaps her.

Everyone stops in shock seeing that.

"Meera Aunty!" Dipali turns to Meera in shock as she kept her hand on her cheek which was paining, her eyes filled with tears.

"How dare you come into our house and slap Dipali?" Meera asks her furiously.

"You both accused me of being a feminist. I'm a proud feminist who believes in equality. If I see a guy kiss a girl without her consent, then I will slap him. and if I see a girl kiss a guy without his consent then I will slap her. just like I did now!" Madhu angrily tells her.

"Thank you, Madhu." Rishabh says so both his Bua and Chachi can hear him. "Stay in your limits, Dipali."

Ria turns to a shocked Dipali and says in fury, "Kuthi, Kamini, you bloody rapist!" she furiously jumps on Dipali.

Soon they were pulling each other's hair and rolling on the floor fighting and screaming at each other.

"HOW DID I MISS THIS?" Sultan asks in shock seeing the scene.

"Oh my God, somebody stop them!" Dadi says in shock.

Trishna was about to run to pull them apart when Sultan holds her hand and pulls her back. "Don't! this is too much fun!"

"STOP THIS NONSENSE!" Rishabh screams furiously.

Roma and Meera runs to the fighting girls and pulls them apart.

"I WILL NOT MARRY EITHER OF THEM! AFTER THIS NEITHER OF YOU SHOULD EVEN MENTION THEIR NAMES!" Rishabh says to Roma and Meera.

"Why are you blaming them?" Meera asks furiously.

"Didn't you see how that girl was manipulating and causing this? She started this fight!"

"Madhu is not the cause for this. It is them." Rishabh tells them. "Madhu was just trying to make you both see that neither of them would make a good wife or bahu. Madhu didn't ask them to fight! It was them who started this unnecessary scene and fight! Both of you, get out."

"Rishu, how can you say that?" Meera asks her eyes filling up.

"For a girl who came just yesterday, you are treating them like this?" Roma asks hurt. "Did you forget what Ria means to me and Dipali means to Meera?"

"We want the best for you, and that is why we were even fighting each other." Meera tells him.

"And did you forget how she was saying she wants to be your wife?" Roma asks him angrily.

"It was a joke, Bua!" Rishabh says. "Now, ask those two girls to leave. I don't want to marry either of them!"

"We know what is best for you, Rishu!" Meera tells him angrily.

"ARE YOU GOING TO ASK THEM TO LEAVE OR NOT?" Rishabh asks them angrily.

"Because of this girl, you are screaming at us?" Meera asks him.

Rishabh looks away seeing tears in their eyes.

"Dipali, Ria... both of you go home now." Dadi tells them gently. "Nobody is in the mood to listen to anyone here. You both go home."

They both look at Meera and Roma, and they both gestures to them to leave with a gentle nod. They both leave.

"Trishna... I don't think your friend should be staying here anymore." Dadi tells her. "We've enough problems here and we don't want to increase them."

"I won't leave." Madhu whispers to Rishabh.

"I don't see Madhu at fault here." Rishabh says. "So, I don't think she should be asked to leave."

"I agree." Sultan replies.

"She didn't do anything wrong, Dadi." Trishna tells her.

"This has never happened before. Why does Madhu have to involve herself in our family matter?" Dadi asks her.

"This is my family too." Madhu replies.

"Can you keep quiet? I'm handling it, right?" Rishabh asks her in a shocked whisper.

"Where? I am not seeing it." Madhu replies.

Rishabh sighs. "This is bhabhi's house, so if she wants her friend to stay here then her friend will stay here."

"Why are you showing so much interest in her?" Roma asks him with a frown.

"Yeah, what is going on between you two? I saw you both earlier also." Meera asks with a frown.

"What do you mean?" Dadi asks Roma and Meera in confusion then turning to Madhu, she asks "Why are you calling our family as your family?"

"For Madhu, I'm her family and my family is her family." Trishna quickly says.

"You are no family." Roma mutters.

"Who are you to say that?" Madhu asks her with a frown. "Trishna Bhabhi has as much right to this family as you."

"I'm the daughter of this family." Roma proudly reminds her.

"And Trishna is my wife. Or do you not consider me a part of this family?" Sultan asks her angrily. "If that is the case then please do tell, I'll leave this house with my wife."

"Stop it, Sultan!" Dadi says angrily.

"You would leave us, Sultan?" Meera asks hurt.

"When you mentally torture and verbally abuse his wife, you are not making this a peaceful atmosphere for him." Madhu tells her. "I'm surprised they lasted this long."

"Just stop!" Dadi tells Madhu. "Keep to matters that concerns to you!"

"Okay then. I'll be in my room then." Madhu tells them all in a dismissing tone.

"You are leaving our house!" Roma tells her.

"As long as there are people who want me here, I'm staying here." Madhu replies to her and walk off.

"Look at her nerve!" Meera turns to Trishna in anger.

"She is acting as if this is her house!" Roma says in anger.

"Enough! Madhu will stay here. There will be no more discussion on this." Sultan tells them in finality. "If Madhu leaves then we will leave too."

"That ends all discussions then!" Meera accuses and walks off.

Roma also follows her. Dadi leaves tired. Once everyone left, Sultan walks to Rishabh.

"I don't even know why you married her if you can't even stand up for her." Sultan tells him in a furious whisper.

"I know my wife. She doesn't need anyone to stand up for her and fight her battles. She can take care of herself." Rishabh replies.

"This is not her battle. This is yours!" Sultan points out. "And she is fighting it for you!"

"When she fell in love with me, she knew that I'm not as strong as her. she loves me with all my shortcomings." Rishabh tells him and walks off.

********

At night, Rishabh walks into Madhu's room after everyone had gone to sleep. he finds her on bed reading a book. He closes the door and locks the door. he leans on the door as he watched her.

Madhu finally looks up at him from her book.

"Look at you peacefully reading after the earthquake you caused here." Rishabh tells her with a teasing smile.

Madhu chuckles hearing that. grinning Rishabh walks to her. Madhu keeps the book on the side table as he got on the bed. They move towards each other and kiss.

********

"Are you okay?" Rishabh asks her as they settled to sleep.

"Yeah."

"Dipali and Ria..." Rishabh gently says.

"Wow! How nice of you to say their names when you are naked and in bed with me!"

"Madhu, I'm serious."

"They don't matter, Rishu. your mothers are the ones who are my concern."

"Wow! How nice of you to mention my mothers when I am naked and in bed with you!"

Madhu chuckles as she turned to hug him. "I can make you forget them." Madhu tells him in a sexy tone.

Rishabh grins hearing that. "In five minutes? I want to talk to you before that."

"Wow! Might be serious if you are saying no to love making!" Madhu teases him.

Rishabh chuckles hearing that.

"Tell me..."

"Sultan was furious with me that I didn't stand up for you." Rishabh tells her.

"Whatever you said, I didn't even expect you to do that." Madhu tells him as she looked at him.

"I fall weak when it comes to chachi and bua." Rishabh tells her.

"I know, Rishu. I don't like it but I accept it. I love you and I love you with all your shortcomings. Just like how you love me with all my shortcomings."

"Do you regret loving me and marrying me?"

"If I did then I wouldn't be here with you."

Rishabh smiles and takes her lips in his.

"Where you upset with what I did?" Madhu asks him.

"I'm surprised you stopped with just that." Rishabh replies with a grin.

"I've more days." Madhu cheekily tells him.

Rishabh chuckles hearing that. then turning serious he tells her. "Please just go easy on them, Madhu."

"All these days, I've been hearing about it all from you but now when I witnessed it..." Madhu thoughtfully stops.

"What?"

Sighing Madhu continues, "your relation and attachment to your mothers are very toxic."

"Madhu, they are my mothers. They raised me." Rishabh defends with a frown.

"And what they are doing to you now is not right. even after what Dipali and Ria did they are still vouching for them. they just don't care that you can't stand both of them."

"They think that Dipali and Ria are perfect for me."

"It is not their place to think that."

"Madhu, they are my mothers."

"They seemed toxic today."

"Stop it, Madhu. I'll not hear a word against them." Rishabh says getting angry.

"There isn't anything else I've to say about them."

"Then don't!" Rishabh replies angrily as he got out of the bed and furiously started wearing his clothes.

"If you showed half this anger on them then they would have got in line long back." Madhu mutters as she sat up pulling the blanket over her chest.

"Madhu, the whole day you were arguing and insulting them, and I had remained silent because you were right then!"

"And now I am wrong?" Madhu asks him back.

"Yes. So, shut up!"

"If you've blindfolded yourself then there isn't anything that I can do."

"Then don't!" Rishabh furiously says and walks out of the room.

********

Madhu was sleeping when she feels Rishabh hugging her and kissing her cheek.

"Sorry, love." Rishabh whispers to her as he hugged her and continued to kiss her cheek.

Madhu turns to look at him. "You didn't sleep?"

"You know I can't sleep when we have a fight."

"I slept."

Rishabh makes a face hearing that. Madhu grins seeing that.

"I can't hear anything against them, Madhu. they raised me with so much love."

"I am not denying that, Rishu. but you need to understand that parents can also go wrong."

"I know they are wrong, Madhu. but I just can't..." Rishabh helplessly looks at her.

"Just because they raised us doesn't mean that they can dominate our lives. They lived their life the way they wanted, and now you should be able to live your life the way you want to."

"Madhu, it is not easy."

Madhu sighs loudly and looks away.

"It was easy for you because your family didn't love you but my family loves me."

"It was not easy for me, Rishu. it was the scariest decision I made in my life." Madhu tells him frowning at him.

"I know, love. I didn't mean that. I meant deciding that your family didn't deserve you."

"Rishu, I am not asking you to leave your family. I'm asking you to be honest and treat your mothers like mothers and not some God."

"I just don't want to talk about this anymore." Rishabh tells her softly.

"Okay." Madhu replies and closes her eyes to sleep.

"I am just not ready to listen to all this. I know you are right... but Madhu, I just can't." Rishabh tells her as he hugged her.

"What will you do when I demand for my rights as your wife, Rishu?" Madhu asks him.

Rishabh's heart skips a beat. He leans up to look at her.

"Look at you all white as a ghost!" Madhu tells him. "Relax, I'm not going to ask you that in the next one or two days."

"Madhu, I need more time than that." Rishabh worriedly tells her.

"I can't promise you that, Rishu. Sorry." Madhu replies and went to sleep while Rishabh spent a sleepless night.

********

The next two weeks went uneventfully as Roma and Meera didn't interact with Madhu much and they all stayed away from each other. Roma and Meera had wisely decided to not mention about Dipali and Ria for a few days because of the scene that had happened the last time.

Madhu comes out of the bathroom after changing into her nightclothes and find Rishabh locking the door.

"You are early today."

"Didn't see anyone, I think everyone went to sleep early." Rishabh replies as he walked to her. "Didn't see you the whole day. you were even late in getting back home."

"I just went for a walk after work."

"What happened?" Rishabh asks her seeing that she seemed upset.

"When are you going to talk to Bua and Chachi about us?"

Rishabh nervously looks down.

"If you can't tell them then I'll do it, Rishu."

"Madhu, what happened suddenly?" Rishabh asks her.

"Does anything have to happen?" Madhu asks him.

"Madhu... you know..." Rishabh helplessly says.

"I know everything, Rishu. I also know that today we have been married for a month and I'm still living like a guest in my own house."

"Madhu..."

"Let me correct myself, as an unwanted guest!"

Rishabh helplessly gulps.

"How much more time do you need?" Madhu asks him.

"Madhu, I don't want to hurt..."

Madhu cuts him off, "Whether you tell them today, tomorrow or after a year, they are going to be hurt. Because what they want is not what I am."

Rishabh knew that was true. Any time they find out they were going to be hurt.

They hear a knock and they stop in shock looking at the door.

"Who could it be at this time?" Rishabh asks her in a whisper.

Madhu shrugs in reply. "Who is it?" Madhu calls out loudly.

"It's me." Dadi replies.

"Dadi!" Rishabh whispers to her. "Shit!" Rishabh mutters as he runs to the bathroom to hide.

Madhu opens the door for Dadi and she walks in.

"what happened, Dadi?"

"Didn't you sleep?" Dadi asks Madhu with a frown as she looked around the room.

"Was about to. You wanted something?"

"What is Rishu doing in your room?" Dadi asks her frowning.

"What?" Madhu asks her in shock.

"I saw him come into your room. it's been 5 minutes and he hasn't come out yet. Now, he seems to be hiding. Now do you want me to be more explicit than that?" Dadi asks her angrily.

"I am intelligent enough to understand what you are insinuating." Madhu tells her as she walked to the bathroom. "And Dadi, we are two grown adults. Don't think you should be interfering in personal matters." Madhu tells her as she opened the bathroom door.

"Did you just..." Rishabh asks in shock having heard what Madhu had said just before opening the door.

"Dadi saw you coming inside my room and now she wants answers." Madhu explains.

"Dadi..." Rishabh calls her as he nervously stepped out.

"What is this, Rishu?" Dadi asks him angrily. "What are you doing with her? and she! Look how she is behaving even after all this?"

"Even after what?" Madhu asks her frowning.

"Stop it, Madhu." Rishabh tells her sternly.

"Fine!" Madhu replies as she tied her hands at her chest.

"Roma and Meera are worrying for you, they are fighting for you and you are cheating them like this?" Dadi asks him hurt.

"Why are they doing that? isn't it only Rishabh's decision who he wants to spend his life with?" Madhu asks her.

"Madhu!" Rishabh calls out to her in a fed up tone.

"I don't want to talk to the likes of you." Dadi tells her.

"Likes of me?" Madhu asks angrily. "What do you even know about me to say that?"

"Whatever I know of you, is more than enough."

"Stop it, Dadi." Rishabh tells her with a frown.

"What are you doing with her, Rishu?" Dadi asks him and turning to Madhu, she asks, "Is this why you refused to leave our house even after we all asked you to leave? Enough is enough. Tomorrow I want you out of my house."

"I'm not leaving." Madhu replies.

"I myself will throw you out! Be thankful even after all this I am not throwing you out in the middle of the night."

"You caught Rishu and me together, then why am I the only one being thrown out?" Madhu asks her back.

"Madhu will not leave this house, Dadi." Rishabh sternly tells her.

"She will!"

"If you are going to be throwing me out then you should throw Rishu also out. If you still haven't figured it out, then we both were consenting adults."

"Will you shut up, Madhu?" Rishabh asks her in exasperation. "What are you even saying?"

"I am just asking her why she is just throwing me out when we both were equally responsible for whatever crime that she thinks we did!"

"Do you really have to get technical each and every time?" Rishabh asks her in exasperation.

Madhu shrugs in reply. "I just wanted to understand her reasoning."

"This is Rishu's house. that is why you are asked to leave our home." Dadi tells her in irritation.

"This is Madhu's house too." Rishabh informs her.

"What?" Dadi turns to Rishabh with a frown.

"It is, Dadi."

"This is not her house. she is just a guest here who misused our hospitality and betrayed the trust we had in her."

"Trust? Seriously?" Madhu asks her. "Wasn't it your daughter and daughter-in-law who accused me of eyeing Rishu?"

"You proved them right." Dadi replies.

"Enough, Dadi. Not another word against Madhu." Rishabh tells her in anger.

"Have you left anything else to be said?" Dadi asks him.

"YES!" Rishabh replies fed up. "If you both had let me speak then I would have told you that Madhu is my wife."

"Wife?" Dadi steps back in shock. "You got married Rishu?"

"Yes, Dadi. I'm sorry, I should have told you." Rishabh regretfully tells her. "I didn't know how to tell Bua and Chachi, after Sultan's marriage you know how they were."

"But her?" Dadi asks in shock. "You just met her two weeks ago! You said you didn't remember her from college and in two weeks...?" Dadi stops in shock.

"That was a lie so that Bua and Chachi wouldn't get suspicious." Rishabh tells her.

"What do you mean?" Dadi asks him in shock. "Trishna and Sultan knows?"

"Yes, Madhu and I've been together for 6 years now."

"6 years?" Dadi looks at them in shock.

"Yes, Dadi."

"If you were in a relation why didn't you tell Roma and Meera? Why all this nautanki with Dipali and Ria?"

"They weren't willing to listen to anything other than what they wanted me to do." Rishabh helplessly tells her. "And Madhu is not like the bahu they both want."

"How long have you been married?"

"One month."

"One month?" Dadi asks furiously.

"Yes. I'm sorry, Dadi."

"One month and you didn't tell us?"

"I just... I thought once Bua and Chachi stop with their Dipali and Ria tantrums then I would tell them."

"And till then you would hide your wife like a dirty secret?" Dadi asks him.

"It's not like that, Dadi." Rishabh hesitantly replies.

"It is exactly like that, Rishu." Madhu tells him.

"Madhu..." Rishabh turns to her feeling hurt hearing her.

"Whether we accept her or not, you don't treat your wife like this!" Dadi tells him.

"I don't like hiding her like this, Dadi..."

"If you don't have the courage to accept your marriage then you shouldn't have got married?" Dadi tells him in anger.

"Actually, it wasn't a planned thing, Dadi." Madhu quickly starts to explain. "we kind of had a pregnancy scare."

"What?" Dadi asks in shock.

Rishabh closes his eyes. "She didn't even ask why we got married, Madhu."

"Wouldn't she be curious?" Madhu asks him.

"I thought you got married because Meera and Roma were forcing him to marry Dipali and Ria. Are you pregnant?" Dadi replies in daze.

"No, I am not. When we went to the doctor to confirm, he said it is too soon to tell and asked us to wait for a couple more days before we tested again. but you know how Rishu is when he panics, and he just adamantly took me to the temple and married me. we didn't even have time to inform Sultan bhaiyya and Trishna Bhabhi. Next day, I got my periods. I was just late and not pregnant."

Dadi looks at both of them in shock, not knowing how to react or what to say.

"Dadi... I'm sorry for hiding the truth from you all."

"What do you plan to do now, Rishu? are you going to keep your wife here as a guest forever?"

"No, Dadi." Madhu replies then she turns to Rishabh and tells him in finality. "You asked me for time and I gave you time. Now, I want my rights as your wife."

"Madhu... please... I just need some more time." Rishabh requests her, his heart slamming against his chest.

"I know you, Rishu. how much ever time you get, it will be less for you. still I wanted to give you a chance and gave you a chance."

"I know, Madhu. let me at least handle this Dipali and Ria issue first."

"You've a week, Rishabh. Either you tell your mothers that I am your wife or forget me and marry someone to please your mothers." Madhu tells him in finality.

"You have been fighting for Trishna but never fought for yourself, why?" Dadi asks Madhu softly.

"Because I understood Rishu's limitations." Madhu tells her as she looked at Rishabh.

"I didn't like you because I thought you were unnecessarily interfering in our family and creating problems. I didn't know you were a part of the family." Dadi says as she lovingly caressed her cheek.

Madhu smiles hearing that and she looks at Rishabh and sees him happily smiling hearing Dadi.

"Meera and Roma are wrong, Dipali and Ria are not the perfect partner for Rishu. you are the bold and confident partner this spineless coward needs."

Madhu smiles with a blush while Rishabh turns pink in embarrassment.

"He is an emotional fool, Dadi, not a coward." Madhu tells her.

"Yeah, whatever!" Dadi rolls her eyes. "Anyway, Madhu gave you a week's time, Rishu. don't ruin it." Dadi advices him as she left the room.

Rishabh closes the door and turns to Madhu. "You are blackmailing me, Madhu."

"Didn't you prove it that you only react to emotional blackmailing?" Madhu asks him back.

Rishabh sighs helplessly.

********

"You should just tell Chachi and Bua, Dadi." Sultan tells her the next day.

They all were sitting by the pool and talking about Rishabh and Madhu.

"I just want to give this idiot at least a chance to do something." Dadi replies.

"He managed to cause a pregnancy scare. So, you can't say he didn't do anything." Sultan points out.

"Chup, khotiye." Dadi says as she hit him on his head.

Rishabh turns red hearing Sultan while Madhu grinned at Rishabh.

"I still can't believe that you both are married and you turned out to be shatir and brought your wife home without telling anyone of us." Dadi says still in shock.

"Why are you giving him credit for that?" Sultan asks her. "Madhu gave him two weeks to bring her home or she would file for divorce."

Dadi's mouth drops open in shock.

"She is always threatening me, Dadi." Rishabh cutely complains.

"Yeah right!" Madhu replies rolling her eyes. "If I hadn't given you the ultimatum then I would be sitting in my apartment now and you would be sitting here."

"With the way she is, I'm surprised that she stuck on with you for all these years." Sultan says amazed.

"Really, with her character, she would have slapped him senseless and gone on her way." Trishna says amazed.

Madhu chuckle while Rishabh grinned.

"She loves me." Rishabh smugly replies.

******

Everyone had left, and it was just Rishabh and Madhu left. Madhu was starting to leave when Rishabh stops her.

"What you said last night.... Are you still adamant on that?" Rishabh asks her.

"Have I ever changed my word? ever?" Madhu asks him back.

Rishabh shakes his head in negative.

"I am tired of all this acting and hiding, Rishu." Madhu tells him.

"I just don't know how to tell them, Madhu." Rishabh whispers to her. "They won't accept it like Dadi did."

"If it is easier for you to end things with me than tell your Bua and Chachi the truth then let's do that, Rishu." Madhu tells him softly.

Hearing her, Rishabh's eyes fill up. "This is the second time you are threatening me with divorce, Madhu."

"I know, Rishu. you are not leaving me with any other choice."

"Is it easy for you to leave me, Madhu?" Rishabh asks her very hurt.

"It is not." Madhu replies shaking her head. "I know I'll be miserable, I'll regret it forever but I'll still do it, Rishu."

Rishabh looks away as he fought his tears.

"We have been together for six years. These six years, you hid our relation from your Bua, Chachi and Dadi. I never hid our relation from anyone. Now you are making me hide our relation. before you used to hide from your family and meet me. you used to spend hours and at times days at my apartment lying to your family. We used to talk, sing, laugh, dream together, make love... there were times we spent the whole day in bed. I was happy then because I was your girlfriend then. Now, you ignore me the whole day, forget talking, you don't even look at me. you come to me at night like a thief. Now, I don't feel like your wife or girlfriend, I am starting to feel like your mistress." Madhu tells him as her eyes filled up.

"Madhu, that is not true." Rishabh heatedly argues. "You are my wife."

"I don't feel like it, Rishu. I feel like a dirty secret. I feel like a mistress who a man hides from the world and sees at night secretly." Madhu tells him.

"Madhu, why are you thinking like that?" Rishabh asks her as tears fell from his eyes.

"I love you, Rishu and I would do anything for you but there is a limit to what I am willing to sacrifice even for you. there is a limit to the hit on my self-respect that I am willing to overlook."

"I'm sorry, Madhu. you know, I am not doing all this to make you feel like that." Rishabh tells her.

"Still I am feeling like that." Madhu replies hurt.

Rishabh walks to her and lovingly cups her face. "I am sorry, Madhu. I am very sorry. I promise, I'll set everything right."

Madhu nods as she wiped his tears. She hugs him. Rishabh hugs her tight.

"I don't want to lose you, Rishu." Madhu worriedly tells him as she hugged him tight.

"You won't." Rishabh promises her.

Madhu leans up and takes his lips in hers and kisses him lovingly. Rishabh kisses her as he hugged her tight.

"Bye." Madhu tells him as she walked back into the house with Rishabh.

"Bye. I'll tell them both everything soon." Rishabh promises her.

Madhu nods and walks off.

"What were they two doing near the pool?" Meera asks Roma with a frown noticing Rishabh and Madhu.

"Most probably she is trying to trap him in her chaal." Roma replies frowning.

"She had so proudly proclaimed that she wanted to be his wife." Meera reminds her.

"Hmmm... we should do something. Rishu is too innocent for the likes of her."

"Yes."

******

"Did you call me?" Rishabh asks as he walked into the living room to find Dipali and Ria with Roma and Meera.

"Yes, Rishu. Come." Meera tells him.

"We've come to a decision." Roma tells him.

"Decision? What decision?" Rishabh asks as he frowned at Dipali and Ria.

Meera was about to answer him when she notices Madhu walking in with Dadi and Sultan and Trishna trailing behind them. "Maa, why are you bringing her here? I told you to keep her away from here!"

"Oh, I thought you told me to bring her here!" Dadi lies.

"You go, you are not needed here." Meera tells Madhu in a dismissing tone.

"I don't have anything else to do." Madhu replies with a shrug.

"So? Just go!" Roma angrily tells her.

"Do I scare you, Bua?" Madhu asks curiously.

"Of course not!"

"Then what difference does it make whether I sit here or not?" Madhu asks her.

"Because it is a family matter!"

"And we are one family." Madhu tells her.

"Look at this shameless girl!" Roma says in anger.

"Shameless?" Rishabh asks her with a frown. "I have told these two that I don't want to marry them and they are still here! And you are calling Madhu shameless?"

Meera and Roma look at each other in shock.

"Because I know, Rishu that you want to marry me but you are denying because you don't want to hurt Roma aunty." Dipali tells him.

"You wish! If he is cordial to you then it is only because of Meera Aunty, otherwise Rishabh and I would be married by now." Ria tells her.

"Why are they here?" Rishabh asks Meera and Roma in exasperation.

"We realize that we have been unfair to you, Rishu." Roma tells him.

Rishabh starts feeling relieved hearing that. he sighs in relief.

"You haven't been able to make a decision because you didn't want to hurt either of us. and we have come to a compromise that you would marry whoever you want." Meera tells him.

"Thank you, Chachi... thank you, Bua." Rishabh says smiling in relief and joy. "I knew that you would finally come around."

"Is he a fool or acting like one?" Sultan asks Madhu in a whisper.

"He is too innocent for this world." Madhu replies shaking her head.

"So, who do you want to marry? Dipali or Ria?" Meera asks him smiling.

"What?" Rishabh stops in shock.

"You can marry either of them and we won't feel bad whoever you choose." Roma promises him with a smile.

"Them?" Rishabh asks in shock, all his dream castles crashing in an instant.

"Yes. Who else? Tell us your decision. We'll have your engagement this weekend." Meera tells him smiling.

"Why are you silent?" Dadi asks Madhu.

"Whatever I had to say, I have said it to Rishu, now it is his turn." Madhu replies to her.

"You are placing too much trust in him." Sultan whispers to her.

"It is his decision now."

"Rishu, tell us." Meera asks him with an excited smile.

Rishabh looks at Meera and Roma and says, "you two patched up. You two decided to let go off your egos and compromise but still you refuse to even consider what I really want."

"Why are you saying that, Rishu?" Meera asks him shocked.

"If we didn't consider your wish we would have just told you whom to marry." Roma tells him shocked.

"Aren't you doing that even now?" Rishabh asks them. "You are telling me that I can marry only either of these two girls."

"We want the best for you."

"And they are the best." Meera argues.

"Might be for you, not for me." Rishabh replies. Then he turns to the girls and tells them. "I just don't know how much more I can make it clear to you both that I don't want to marry you."

"Rishabh, I know you are saying all this because you don't want to hurt Meera aunty." Ria says.

"I am saying this because I don't want to marry you!" Rishabh replies in exasperation.

"I knew Rishabh, that you want to marry me! Didn't I tell you, Meera aunty?" Dipali asks excitedly.

"It means that I DONT WANT TO MARRY YOU BOTH!" Rishabh says furiously. "Now, leave!"

"Rishu... we asked them to come."

"You are to marry one of them!"

"Can't you even hear what he is saying?" Sultan asks them in shock.

"You don't talk in between this... you did enough! First you married her and then you bring this girl..."

Rishabh cuts her off, "I wanted to talk to you both alone today. I wanted to do it in a calm and peaceful environment but you both brought it to this."

"What?" Meera asks with a frown.

Rishabh turns to look at Madhu and sees her watching him. "I love Madhu." Rishabh says without taking his eyes off her.

"WHAT?" Roma shouts in fury.

"WE WILL NEVER ALLOW THIS!"

turning to Dipali and Ria, he says ignoring his mothers, "you got your answer. Now please leave!"

"You are lying, Rishu. You can't love her!" Dipali says furiously.

"I would have definitely loved you, Dipali or Ria if I wanted to spent the rest of my life with a bimbo, but I am sorry, I am more into character and depth." Rishabh says fed up, tired and furious.

"Rishu... how dare you say all that to them?" Roma asks him furiously.

"I was so blinded by my love for you both that I turned a blind eye to the hell that I was making Madhu go through. I didn't realize that I was humiliating Madhu. she is so strong and confident that I didn't even consider that she could also doubt her self-worth." Rishabh tells her. "Not anymore."

"She has brainwashed you!" Meera says in shock.

"How many times did we tell you to throw her out? See what she did!" Roma screams at Sultan and Trishna.

"Even if they had listened to you, I would have never let Madhu leave." Rishabh informs them.

"Rishu, you have never spoken to us like this and because of this girl, now you are...." Meera says sadly.

"Because of her, I am standing up to you and fighting for my happiness!" Rishabh cuts her off. Then turning to Dipali and Ria, he says, "why are you both still here? Are you so desperate to marry me?" Then before they say anything, he says, "I am married, go find some unmarried guy."

"What?" Roma shouts in shock.

"You are lying." Meera accuses him.

Rishabh turns around and walks to Madhu, he offers her his hand, Madhu keeps her hand on his. He leads her to Meera and Roma. "Madhu is my wife."

"She is not." Meera furiously replies.

"We will never accept her." Roma says.

"I wanted you to accept her, I wanted you both to love Madhu, that is why I made Madhu go through all this. Now, if you don't want to accept my wife, then so be it!" Rishabh tells them.

"You changed a lot, Rishu." Meera tells him her eyes filling up.

"For a girl you met yesterday, you are forgetting us." Roma accuses him sadly.

"Madhu and I have been married for a month now, we have been in love for the last 6 years."

"What?" Ria asks in shock.

Madhu looks at both Dipali and Ria and says, "you two were misled by Bua and Chachi, but that is no excuse because Rishu told you both that he doesn't want to marry you but you refused to believe him."

"Shut up!" Ria tells her furiously.

"You, shut up and get out." Madhu replies glaring down at her. "Both of you, get out, this is my house and this is my family."

"And I belong to Madhu." Rishabh tells them in finality.

Dipali and Ria leave.

"How could you do this to us, Rishu?" Meera asks him sadly and in shock.

"How could you betray us for this girl?" Roma asks him.

"If you had been considerate about my feelings then I wouldn't have had to do this."

"How can you talk like this to us, Rishu?" Meera asks him.

"We lived for you and you..." Roma stops as she started feeling sick.

"Bua..." Rishabh hurried to her.

"Don't touch me." Roma tells him before she fell down.

**********

"It is because of stress and shock." Sultan informs everyone as Rishabh walked out with the doctor.

"What did the doctor say?" Dadi asks worriedly.

"Asked her to take rest. Prescribed medicines too." Sultan replies.

"Can we see her?" Trishna asks him.

Sultan shrugs in reply.

"Come." Sultan says as he noticed Rishabh also coming back.

Everyone walks into the room and find Roma lying on the bed and Meera half sitting and half lying next to her.

"Ask her to leave." Meera says glaring at Rishabh.

"Madhu is my wife, Chachi." Rishabh replies politely.

"We don't want her here." Roma tells him.

Madhu holds Rishabh's hand. "I'll be outside. Call me if you need anything."

Rishabh shakes his head as he started to walk out with her.

"Stay here. I know you want to be here with her."

"Madhu..."

"You don't have to choose, Rishu. stay here. I'll be fine." Madhu tells him.

Rishabh nods giving in.

********

Much later, Madhu was sitting with Trishna and Sultan when Dadi and Rishabh comes out of the room.

"How is she?" Sultan asks them.

"She is so stubborn, not having medicines and food. I really don't know what to do." Rishabh says tiredly shaking his head.

"Even Meera also started, bhook hartal." Dadi says irately.

"Do they want me to leave?" Madhu asks Rishabh.

"They are refusing to accept you as my wife and their bahu. Anyway, I'm just so tired and don't know what to do." Rishabh informs her.

Madhu nods.

"Anyway, you take all your stuff from the guestroom." Rishabh tells her.

"You are leaving the house?" Trishna asks him shocked.

"No." Rishabh replies shocked. "Madhu will move to our room."

"Rishu, they are already upset and angry. Do you want to do this now?" Sultan asks him gently.

"They know that Madhu is my wife. The worst is over. Now, it is up to them whether they want to accept Madhu or not. Whether they accept it or not, it is not going to change the truth." Rishabh tells them then turning to Madhu, he tells her, "You start packing, I'll ask Patil to move your things."

"I already shifted." Madhu informs him.

"What?" Rishabh asks shocked.

"You all were with Bua and Chachi, and I was feeling restless and I didn't have anything to do, so I shifted." Madhu explains with a shrug.

Rishabh chuckles hearing that.

*********

At night, Rishabh quietly gets on the bed next to Madhu.

Madhu turns to him and asks, "Did they eat anything?"

"You didn't sleep?" Rishabh asks surprised.

"How can I sleep when you are so worried?" Madhu asks him as she lovingly kept her hand on his cheek.

"I just don't know what to do, Madhu. they are not eating anything." Rishabh tells her worriedly.

"It's okay. we'll do something." Madhu tells him.

"I didn't want to hurt them, Madhu. you know, I didn't want to hurt them." Rishabh tells her breaking down.

"Ssshhh... I know, Rishu." Madhu says as she quickly hugged him.

"All this is happening because of me, Madhu." Rishabh tells her as he hid his face on her chest and cried.

Madhu hugs him tight and gently rubs her hand on his back as she silently listened to him lamenting.

*********

Next day, Madhu walks into Roma's room to see Rishabh and Sultan coaxing both Roma and Meera to eat.

"I will not even drink a drop of water if that girl stays in this house." Roma stubbornly says.

"Doesn't look like you'll last much longer at this rate." Madhu points out.

"MADHU!" Rishabh turns to her in shock.

"Isn't that what you want? Getting us out of your way?" Meera asks furiously.

"Out of the way for what?" Madhu asks her confused.

"To rule over this house." Meera furiously says.

"You think I am jobless? That I have nothing to do that I will come and rule this house? for your information, I have a job." Madhu tells her. "What am I going to get by ruling over you, handful of people?"

"Madhu, please." Rishabh tells her.

"I just came to check on them, Rishu. you were crying your heart out for them last night. I wanted to see if I could help." Madhu explains.

"Whatever you did, it is more than enough." Roma replies.

"Madhu didn't do anything, Bua. Stop blaming her." Rishabh tells her sternly.

"It is true that beta becomes paraya after marriage." Roma says.

Rishabh looks down hurt.

"It is nice that even if it is to taunt, you accepted that we are married and I am his wife." Madhu points out.

Roma turns pink in embarrassment. "Get out."

"Sure." Madhu replies as she took her mobile and started walking out.

"Madhu..." Rishabh starts to go after her.

"I just need to make a call, Rishu." Madhu tells him and walk out.

*********

Almost an hour later, Sultan, Rishabh and Dadi were trying to make Roma and Meera eat something when Patil walks in.

"There is a police here." Patil informs them. "He is asking for Roma Madam and Meera Madam."

"What?" Sultan asks with a frown.

"What does he want?" Rishabh asks shocked.

"Get out of my way."

They hear someone say to Patil and a second later, a policeman walks in.

"What is it, officer?" Sultan asks the man.

"What are you doing, Madhu?" Rishabh asks her in shock seeing Madhu and Trishna walk in.

"I called the police." Madhu replies with a shrug.

"What?" Rishabh whispers in shock.

"I am ACP Abhay Kapoor. You two are Roma and Meera?" Abhay asks pointing at his nameplate on his chest as he walked to them.

"Yes. What do you want?" Roma asks seeing him.

"I've received a complaint that you two are attempting suicide."

"What?" Meera asks shocked.

"They are saying they will starve themselves to death." Madhu informs him.

"Do you know that suicide is a crime?" he asks. "You both are arrested."

"WHAT?" Meera shouts in shock.

"Do you even know who we are?" Roma asks him.

"Whoever you are, you are committing a crime." He tells them.

"They are refusing to eat and take medicines till I leave this house." Madhu explains.

"What are you doing, Madhu?" Rishabh asks her in shock.

"You keep quiet, Rishu. I'm handling things!" Madhu tells him.

Rishabh sighs loudly putting up his hand.

"So, domestic violence and blackmailing?" Abhay asks. "You both will be going away for a long time."

"I'm calling our lawyer." Sultan says angrily.

Madhu quickly shakes her head at him.

Confused, Sultan looks at Rishabh and Rishabh slyly lifts up his hand, telling him to wait a bit.

"Call, Sultan." Meera tells him as she stared at Madhu.

"Ask him to come to the Commissioner's office." Abhay tells her. "Let's go, Aunties?"

"What? No!" Meera says furiously.

"Are you willing to end your hunger strike then?" Abhay asks them.

"No!" Roma replies.

"Okay then let's go. I'll get you nice food in jail," abhay tells them.

"Will you two just eat?" Rishabh asks them exasperated.

"Only if she leaves." Roma replies.

"Okay, then, domestic violence it is." Abhay says nodding. "That will be the main charge, rest everything will be add-on."

"JUST EAT, ROMA AND MEERA!" Dadi tells them furiously. "the moment he takes you outside our house the press would be all over it. Do you want the whole world to see that this is how the Kundras behave?"

"Okay." Meera replies softly.

"Only for our family." Roma says softly.

Rishabh and Sultan quickly passes them the food. They start eating.

"Okay then, I'll take your leave. If anything call me, Madhu." Abhay tells her and walk out.

Madhu nods and quickly follow him out. Seeing that Rishabh and Sultan hurries behind them.

"How could you, Madhu?" Rishabh asks her shocked.

"Rishu, you were upset and I had to do something." Madhu justifies.

"But how could you call the police on Bua and Chachi, Madhu?" Sultan asks her shocked and hurt.

"Police?" Rishabh asks him exasperated. "This is her colleague Sunny."

"What?" Sultan asks shocked.

"Did you really think that she would call the cops on them?" Rishabh asks him shocked.

"It is her; she would do it." Sultan replies shrugging with a grin.

"Be glad that today is a Sunday otherwise, I wouldn't have been free and she would have definitely called the cops." Sunny jokes.

"You!" Madhu pokes him. "Which ACP comes for such small silly cases?" Madhu asks him in shock.

"I wouldn't look convincing as a SI or CI, Madhu." Sunny tells her.

"Then you should have come as DGP, why just ACP?" Madhu asks him in exasperation.

"The uniform had gone for rent." Sunny replies with a shrug.

"Oh my God! You trusted him with your big plan?" Sultan asks shocked.

"Be glad they were convinced." Rishabh says shaking his head. "And Sunny, you know, after this you can never come here again. if they realize that Madhu did this drama..."

"Do you have any hot sisters that he would want to keep coming here?" Madhu asks him. "You go, Sunny. Thanks for your help."

"Any time, Madhu." Sunny replies and leaves.

"They might have been really hungry, both are hogging down the food." Dadi whispers to them happily as she joined them with Trishna.

Rishabh sighs in relief. "But Madhu, how could you bring an outsider to our family matter?"

"Rishu, it was Dadi's and my idea. Madhu just executed it." Trishna tells him.

"What?" Rishabh turns to look at an embarrassed Trishna and a proud Dadi.

"What?" Sultan whispers in shock and asks Trishna, "How did you suddenly come with the plan? Where you ever really tempted to call the cops on them?"

"Of course, I was." Dadi replies and walks off.

*********

"See what she did!" Meera says scornfully seeing Madhu walk in with the rest of the family.

"You all were vouching for her! Now, you understand how vicious she can get. A girl who had abandoned her family, what more can we expect from her?" Roma asks hatefully.

"Madhu told you clearly why she left her family!" Rishabh furiously tells them. "You have no right dragging her family into this."

"She has no place in our house and family." Meera says furiously.

"Good thing, you ate. You both seemed to have gained some energy." Madhu points out.

"Look at this badtameez ladki! How shameless she is. Even after what she did, she is acting as if she did us all a favor." Roma says furiously.

"She did you all a favor." Dadi tells them. "I told her to call the police. She and Trishna refused to do that. Trishna didn't want to see you all in trouble and Madhu wanted to give you a chance before she called the real police on you."

Rishabh's eyes widen hearing Dadi telling the truth.

"What?" Meera asks in shock.

"that was not a police?" Roma asks in shock.

"No. now, stop acting like unruly adamant silly kids and act like a mother and mother-in-law." Dadi furiously tells them. "You will sit and talk to them and sort out this issue."

"No!" Roma says.

"Never! Get out!" Meera tells Madhu furiously. "Don't ever show us your face."

"You are barking up the wrong tree. Madhu doesn't take shit from anyone." Rishabh tells them tired at their tantrums.

Roma and Meera furiously glares at Madhu.

"I don't think you heard Dadi properly, she said I wanted to give you a chance before calling the real cops on you. Don't make me do it." Madhu warns them.

"We didn't commit any crime!" Meera says vehemently.

"You are trying to throw me out of my own house. it is called domestic violence." Madhu tells them.

"You just stand there and listen to her threaten us like this!" Meera tells Rishabh furiously.

"When Madhu is speaking the truth, how can I ask her to shut up?" Rishabh asks them back.

"Truth?" Meera asks in shock.

"Yes, the truth." Rishabh confirms.

"Even before Rishu told me, I knew that you both would have reservations in accepting me. From all that Rishu shared about his family, I knew each one of you very well. But I want to know, why are you so adamant that I will not make a good wife for him? Isn't it only his prerogative to decide who would make him a good wife?"

"We know what is best for him!" Meera tells her furiously.

"Like how you knew that he would be a good businessman?" Madhu asks them back.

"Yeah, look how successful he is." Roma points out.

"Aren't you even ashamed to say that?" Madhu asks them shocked.

"Why should we? He is what he is because of us." Meera tells her.

"He wanted to be a singer! He wanted to learn singing." Madhu tells them in exasperation. "But you both decided that the glory and success that he would get from Kundra business is much higher than a singing career."

"And it is true!" Meera says.

"Look how successful he is." Roma tells her.

"It is because of his hard work and dedication. It is because he had learned to be happy with what his mothers chose for him." Madhu tells them angrily.

"He would have been happy with either Dipali or Ria also." Roma replies.

"Why? Because they have a rich family background and they belong to your class and status?"

"Yes!"

"Do you even realize that you don't want a wife for Rishabh, you want a trophy wife for him?" Madhu asks them in exasperation.

Roma and Meera stop in shock hearing that.

"And I knew that I can never be your ideal bahu because I'll die before I become a trophy wife for anyone, Rishabh included!" Madhu tells them.

"Ria and Dipali loves him." Meera softly says.

Madhu loudly scoffs, "Didn't they also agree to marry Sultan bhaiyya before he told you all about Trishna Bhabhi? They don't want Rishabh or Sultan bhaiyya. They want the Kundra family and status."

"No." Roma replies though there was no force in her reply.

"If you had a third son, then the moment Rishu told them he is married they would have fell in love with him and agreed to marry him." Madhu tells them.

"They are not like you." Meera tells her.

"Oh please! They can never be like me! Whatever I am, it is because of my hard work not because of my family or family background." Madhu replies offended.

"You saw how they are. Do you think either of them can handle Rishu? do you think they can take care of him? he already has two interfering dominating mothers in his life, do you think he would be ecstatic with a clingy wife too?"

"Madhu..." Rishabh softly calls her shaking his head at her.

"Is that how you see us, Rishu?" Roma asks him hurt.

Rishabh helplessly looks at them not wanting to lie and not wanting to tell the truth too.

"What decision concerning his life has he taken by himself?" Madhu asks them. "The only decision was me and that he had to hide from you and take."

"And we can see what a disaster that is." Meera mutters softly though not as vehemently as she would have usually done.

"If that is what you are going to say then I am done!" Madhu replies fed up.

Rishabh walks to the bed and sits opposite to Roma and Meera.

"I love Madhu. and all I wanted was the two important women in my life, love the most important woman in my life." Rishabh gently tells them.

"She is more important to you." Meera picks from what he had said.

"Yes, you know why?" Rishabh asks them. "She loves me and she has never asked me ever to repay her for loving me."

When they remained silent, he says, "Madhu and I have been together for 6 years, all these years, she never asked me for anything. only thrice she demanded me for her rights. In 6 years and just three times." Rishabh tells them.

"Remember in first year of my college, I had come to you both and told you that I am in love with a girl in my class. You both didn't even bother to ask me about the girl, all you both said was forget all these love business and concentrate on my studies. when the time is right, you would get me married to the perfect girl. it hurt a lot but I decided to do what you wanted me to do." Rishabh tells them then he sadly says, "We decided to act like strangers because I was worried you both would figure out that Madhu was the girl that I was in love with, but you both didn't even remember that."

"It was so long back ago." Roma softly whispers.

Rishabh shrugs and continues "I decided to do what you wanted but I couldn't control my feelings for her. by third year, Madhu had figured out that I was watching her a little too much. And she had come to me and demanded that if I felt something for her then to pursue that relation or else to stop following her around. When I realized that Madhu also felt for me like I felt for her, I decided to follow my heart instead of what you both wanted me to do."

Meera and Roma silently listened to him.

"As days went on, I fell more deeply in love with her and Madhu loved me back. She understood me, she understood my limitations, my timid nature, my need to please you both, she understood everything, and she loved me with all that. she stood by me and when needed she became my shield. She was everything that I wasn't. she was everything I wanted to be. I didn't deserve her but she still loved me and trusted me with all her heart."

Rishabh eyes fill up remembering their old times and tells them, "Last month, we thought Madhu was pregnant."

"She is pregnant?" Roma asks shocked.

"She is not." Rishabh replies. "The doctor said we had to wait a few days before we could confirm. I got scared. But Madhu..." Rishabh smiles remembering. "She wasn't scared. She was calm because she trusted me and she had faith in me. she trusted me so much that she didn't even ask me to marry her. the second I realized that, I knew I had to live up to that trust. No matter what, I had to show that I deserved her trust. I forced her to marry me. she didn't want to marry me then without getting all your permission but that time, I didn't think of you both, Ria and Dipali, the supposed baby, all the problems, nothing. All I had wanted was to prove to Madhu that I was worthy of her trust."

"After marriage, the coward that I am, I panicked thinking on how to break the news to you. I asked Madhu to stay in her apartment till I told you both the truth. Madhu didn't agree because we were married and she didn't want to hide that from the world. I asked her for a month's time. she gave me an ultimatum, to get married was my decision, so it was my duty to honor that marriage and give her the rights of my wife. She gave me two weeks' time to bring her home else she would file for divorce because whether pregnant or not, she didn't want to be my secret wife. Second time, she was asking me something, and she had asked for her right, instead of giving her the right, I brought her to our home like this. Madhu put up with it because she knew that I couldn't hurt you both."

"When I continued to hide her like a dirty secret. Meeting her in secret, she started feeling humiliated. Instead of my wife, she started feeling like a mistress and for the third time in life, she demanded me for her rights, she demanded that I acknowledge her as my wife to you both or she would leave me forever. It killed me that she felt like a mistress." Rishabh stops as he gulped in pain, tears dropping from his eyes. "She is my wife and I was humiliating her like this. And I couldn't have that. Now, nothing is more important to me than giving Madhu her rights as my wife. And I was thinking of the gentlest way to tell you both my truth when you brought Dipali and Ria. I couldn't have Madhu be humiliated anymore. And I had to tell you the truth in the worst way possible."

"You betrayed us, Rishu." Meera tells him.

"He is telling you why he did what he did and that is all that you heard?" Sultan asks them outraged.

Meera and Roma look away uncomfortably.

"You both raised me with so much love that I never missed my parents." Rishabh tells them sadly. "But right now, I wish they were alive and they had raised me. if they had raised me then they would never have asked me to repay them for raising me. repay the debt of loving me."

"You think we asked you to repay us?" Roma asks him shocked and hurt.

"We lived for you both." Meera tells him.

"All my life I have been repaying the debt of you both loving me as mothers." Rishabh replies.

"Rishu..." Meera whispers his name in shock. Both Meera's and Roma's eyes filling up realizing how tortured Rishabh was feeling because of them.

"To not marry and to not have children were both your decisions. It was your choice and your decision, then why did you ask us to repay you back for the choices you made in life?" Rishabh asks them. "You took your decisions, made your choices and lived your life the way you wanted then why were you snatching away our choices and decisions from us."

"We wanted the best for you both." Roma replies hurt understanding how unfair they had been to their sons.

"No, you wanted what you thought is best for us." Sultan tells them.

"You thought Ria and Dipali were best for us. Do you really think that either of them would put up with all your fuss and demands like Trishna Bhabhi does? Do you think either of them would fight and protect me like Madhu does? Do you really think Dipali or Ria would have been happy with a Mamas' boy like me? Do you think they would understand my vulnerability in going against you like Madhu does? However dysfunctional our family is, we are still a family. And they would be the first one to break up the family. Madhu and Trishna Bhabhi didn't have a happy life with this family, but they still put up with all the shit this family dished out to them."

Roma and Meera gulp realizing what Rishabh was saying the truth. Dipali and Ria wouldn't have been the perfect wives for Sultan or Rishabh like Trishna and Madhu were.

"I am sorry, Rishu. I thought I knew what was best for you because you are my little boy." Meera tells him with tears in her eyes.

"Just accept my Madhu and all will be forgiven." Rishabh promises them.

"Come here, Madhu." Roma says extending her hand to Madhu with a smile and tear filled eyes.

Madhu walks to her and takes her hand with a smile.

"Sorry, Madhu." Roma says as she hugged her.

"Do I have to do a part of that speech with replacing Madhu with Trishna or you going to accept my wife too?" Sultan asks them.

"Shut up, you idiot!" Meera tells him chuckling. "Come here, Trishna." Meera tells her extending her hand to Trishna with a smile.

Trishna happily walks to her and takes her hand.

"We are sorry, Trishna. You are perfect for Sultan." Meera tells her hugging her.

"And you are perfect for our Rishu." Roma tells Madhu. "Just that we need to give you some honey and sugar to reduce the bitterness from your tongue."

Madhu chuckles hearing that.

Rishabh happily smiles seeing his mothers hugging Madhu and Trishna. Suddenly, someone whacked on his head from behind.

"Idiot, if you did it earlier, we wouldn't have to go through all this for so long." Dadi tells him.

"Even you could have done this." Rishabh points out as he rubbed his head.

"I am the matriarch of this family in namesake only, I have no real powers." Dadi says sadly.

"Don't know what all you would have done, if you had some power." Sultan tells her.

Everyone chuckles hearing that.

*********

At night, Rishabh and Madhu were snuggling in bed.

"It's so nice to see you so happy and relieved." Madhu tells him as she lovingly kissed his cheek.

"I'm feeling so peaceful. I am so happy that Bua and Chachi accepted you and Trishna Bhabhi. We are now truly one family." Rishabh tells her smiling happily.

Madhu smiles hearing that.

"Madhu, don't you want to meet your family?" Rishabh asks her gently.

"It's been 8 years, Rishu. not even once they looked for me. one time I tried to get in touch with them, they were not interested. That part of my life is done and over." Madhu tells him.

Rishabh lovingly kisses her in reply. Smiling Madhu hugs him.

"You know, in all these confusions and tensions, we didn't talk about the baby and pregnancy." Rishabh reminds her.

"Hmmm."

"Even though I panicked, I was actually little excited and happy for a baby." Rishabh tells her.

Madhu smiles hearing that. "Even I was excited and was thinking how it would be with a baby."

Rishabh turns to her smiling excitedly asks her, "What do you think?"

Madhu happily smiles at him in reply.

*******

8 years ago

"Enough! Can you just stop giving us every topic as assignments and start teaching us?"

Rishabh looks up in shock hearing the loud and angry voice. He sees a girl standing and glaring at their Professor.

"Who is she?" Rishabh asks Mukund.

"Don't you know? That is Madhu."

"Madhu?" Rishabh asks softly. "She is going to be in shit trouble."

"Madhu?" Mukund scoffs. "Professor is in trouble."

"What?" Rishabh asks in shock.

"How dare you talk to me like that?" Professor asks angrily.

"I'm paying fees to study here. You are being paid to teach us. if I wanted to study everything by myself, then I wouldn't spend money and time to come here to study. I would have opted for distant education." Madhu tells him.

"Get out of my class." Professor tells her.

"I am a student and I am studying. I am doing my job. You are a Professor and you are obviously not doing your job. So you get out of our class!"

"Did you just tell me to get out?" Professor asks her going completely red and furious.

"If you can't teach us properly then leave!"

"Till you apologize for your behavior, I'll not teach this class."

"You mean you won't give us home works and assignments?" Madhu asks him back. Madhu turns to look at the class, "Anyway he is going to be giving us the whole portion as assignments, so, I think it is best he doesn't teach us. I'll learn the portion and teach you all from tomorrow's class onwards."

"Madhu, he will fail you." one of her friend whispers.

Madhu turns to him and warns him, "If either me or anyone in this class doesn't get even deserving one mark then even if I have to go to court I will and I will make sure you don't get to dress up like a Professor anywhere else."

The Professor furiously leaves the class.

"My God!" Rishabh whispers in shock. "How did she do that?" Rishabh asks him amazed. He didn't even have the courage to show his displeasure to his mothers and this slender girl was fearlessly blasting the Professor.

********

Next day, Rishabh eagerly waits to see what happens and the moment the bell for business studies rang, Madhu walks to the front of the class and starts teaching.

"What the heck are you doing?" the Professor asks her furiously from the door.

"Your job." Madhu replies as she continued to teach.

"Come to the Principal's office NOW!" Professor says furiously.

Rishabh worriedly watched as Madhu left the class with the Professor. each passing second, he was getting worried for her.

"I hope she doesn't get into trouble." Rishabh tells Mukund worriedly.

"You really don't know her or what?" Mukund asks him shocked.

"What?" Rishabh asks in confusion.

"Stop hiding inside your book and look around the class at least once in a while." Mukund tells him.

Rishabh shakes his head. "I just hope they don't suspend her."

"It is fricking Madhu! Professor will be lucky if she doesn't manage to get him dismissed!" Mukund tells him.

"What?" Rishabh asks in shock.

"that girl can argue! Don't know what she is doing here. She should be doing law." Mukund replies.

15 minutes later, Madhu walks back into the class.

"So, everyone, it is decided that I'll be teaching you all till the management can find a replacement for Professor Arvind." Madhu says.

Everyone starts clapping and cheering for Madhu.

"Let's start." Madhu happily says and starts teaching.

"She is amazing." Rishabh says dazed as he stared at her.

"Rishabh!" Madhu calls him after few minutes.

"What?" Rishabh asks in shock as he sat up.

"You look lost. Are you not following me? Do you want me to explain again?" Madhu asks him.

"No... no." Rishabh quickly replies shaking his head.

"Okay." Madhu nods and resumes teaching.

The moment she turned around, Rishabh excitedly turns to Mukund and asks him excited, "Did you see that? she called me Rishabh! She knows my name. Madhu knows my name!"

"Of course she knows your name. everyone knows your name." Mukund replies with a frown wondering if Rishabh lost it. "You are a fucking Kundra, you are Sultan's brother, the whole college knows you."

*******

6 years ago

Rishabh couldn't help it, he just wanted to keep looking at Madhu, so everywhere she went, he just followed her. Right now, Madhu was going to the canteen and he was following her. she turns the corner and he follows her and turns the corner. And he jumps back in shock coming face to face with Madhu.

"What?" Madhu asks him.

Rishabh shrugs.

"Then?" Madhu asks him.

Rishabh worriedly shakes his head and quickly turns to run off.

Madhu grabs his collar and pulls him down. Staring into his eyes, she tells him, "I see you drooling over me and following me around, either you take me on a date or if you have no honorable intentions, I'll break your legs for being a lecher."

Rishabh's mouth drops open hearing her and realizing that she knew that he was in love with him.

"Got it?" Madhu asks him.

Rishabh nods.

"Coming to canteen?" Madhu asks him.

Rishabh nods.

"Let's go then." Madhu tells him with a smile.

Rishabh smiles realizing that even she liked him. Smiling, they walk to the canteen.

***********

Next day, after college was over, Rishabh runs after Madhu seeing her leave the class.

"Madhu!" Rishabh calls her.

Madhu stops and turns to him. seeing him, she smiles at him. she turns to her friends and asks them to carry on.

"I was going to get the hockey sticks from the sports room to break your legs." Madhu jokes.

Rishabh smiles hearing that. "I have been thinking of the perfect way to ask you for a date."

"Ah." Madhu smiles.

"This is all I could come up with." Rishabh tells her.

Madhu nods smiling expectantly.

Rishabh nervously starts singing. "Baaware Se Iss Jahaan Mein Baawara Ek Saath Ho, Is Sayaani Bheed Mein Bas Haathon Mein Tera Haath Ho." Rishabh stops as he put his palm out.

"I love that song." Madhu replies slightly blushing as she kept her hand on his.

Rishabh holds her hand smiling and blushing lightly. "Let's go?"

Madhu nods and they walk together. "You are a beautiful singer."

"Thank you." Rishabh replies with a smile.

"Why aren't you pursuing singing?" Madhu asks him curiously.

"I have to join family business." Rishabh replies.

"Oh you prefer business to singing?" Madhu asks him.

Rishabh shrugs. "Where do you want to go?"

"I thought you were taking me on a date." Madhu reminds him with a smile.

"Yeah... I don't have much experience in all this." Rishabh confesses to her embarrassed.

"as if I have." Madhu replies rolling her eyes.

Rishabh chuckles hearing that. "I guess we will have to find our way around this whole dating and love business."

"Don't worry, we can do it." Madhu tells him smiling.

***** The End ****

The working title of this book was Spineless Love but while I was writing it, I happened to hear Bawara Mann from Hazaron Khwaishein Aisi, and I couldn't help keep this title. The whole flashback was to justify the title. I had no plan to write the flashback, so forgive me if it came across as absurd.

The story was inspired from the Malayalam movie Poochakkaru Mani Kettum, though towards the end did it feel like Bommarillu/ Santosh Subramaniam? Someone, had long back asked me to write a story on Bommarillu, so please consider it my version of that movie.

I hope you guys liked this story.

Please do vote and comment.

- Lazy