Rishabala One Shot Story Coll...

By lazyakabookworm

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My Collection of Rishabala One Shots Cover Courtesy : taranawriting More

One-Liners of Each story
A Love So Pure
A Night Like This
Abandoned Series 1 : Fallen
Abandoned Series 2 : Contract Wife
All Roads Leads to You
Anchor
Andekhi Anjaani (One Shot)
Andekhi Anjaani : Epilogue
Arranged Marriage
Baaware Se Iss Jahaan Mein Baawara Ek Saath Ho
Baby Series 1 - Always & Forever
Baby Series 2 : The One That Got Away
Because You Are Mine (Adult 18+)
Being Yours...
Best Friend's Sibling Duology 1 - Wings Of Love
Best Friend's Sibling Duology 2 - Winds of Love
Bhabhi
Chhajje Chhajje Ka Pyaar
Child Marriage 1 - Jab Miya Biwi...
Child Marriage 2 - Balika Vadhu/ Child Bride
Child Marriage 3 - Ek Duje Ke Vaaste
Cinderella
Deranged Minds
Destined To Be Yours
Destiny
Devar - Bhabhi Duology 1 - No Choice But Seduction
Devar - Bhabhi Duology 2 - Gentle Rogue
Dhokha/Betrayal
Diamonds in The Sky
Dreaming of You
Dude & Beauty Series 1 : The Dude & The Ordinary Girl
Dude & Beauty Series 2 : The Beauty & The Admirer
Dumb & Dumber
Engagement Trilogy 1 : Mohabbat Ho Na Jaye
Engagement Trilogy 2 : Raabta
Engagement Trilogy 3 : Thode Badmaash
Enigma
Every Wish...
Fire & Ice
Forbidden Love
Forced Marriage 1 - Kuch Kuch Hota Hai
Forced Marriage 2 : Random Husband
Forced Marriage 3 - Just One Kiss
Give Me Tonight
Handcuffed!!!
He Said He Loved Me
Hearts Aflame (Rape Story)
Hijack
Hooks & Crooks!
Humsafar
In Her Love
Insane Hearts
Intezaar
Jaan-E-Mann
Just A Kiss Away
Let Love Find You
Lollipop
Lonely Hearts
Lost & Clueless
Lost Love
Love Actually
Love Bollywood Ishtyle
Love Game
Love Trilogy 1 : Silent Love
Love Trilogy 2 : Sudden Love
Love Trilogy 3 : Stubborn Love
Mangetar
Married To A Stranger
Messages In A Book
Mills & Boons Series 1 : Indecent Proposal
Mills & Boons Series 2 :The Mrs.
My Adorable Darling
My Adorable Weirdo
My Husband... My Boss
My Village Belle
Nanda
One Dark Night
One Night...
Parent Child Series 1 : Punar Vivaah
Pehla Nasha
Pirates of the Caribbean
Professor Student Series 1 - Mere Humsafar
Professor Student Series 2 - Woh Humsafar
Professor Student Series 3 - Ban Gayi Woh Humsafar
Rishta
Rooth Na Jaana
Say You Love Me
Secret Admirer
Someone To Watch Over Me
Stranger In My Arms
Suddenly You
Sundara & Sundari
Sweet Talk
Taming The Beast
Tanha Dil/ Lonely Heart
Tere Liye.../ For You...
The Elevator
The Ex
The Fake Girlfriend
The Hired Wife
The Long Way Home
The Magic Of You
The Moon Series 1 : Lonely Moon
The Moon Series 2 : Sun & Moon
The Office
The Perfect Husband
The Proposal
The Stranger In My Life
Trapped
Tu Hi Tu / You & Only You
Twin Series 1.1 : Sum of All Kisses
Twin Series 1.2 : Sweet Nothings
Twin Series 2 : Sangemarmar
Twin Series 3 - Hum Bewafa Hargiz Na The
Twin Series 4 : Bound By Destiny
Unakkenna Venum Sollu/ Tell Me What You Need
Undeserving Love
Valentine's Day
Viraasat
Wedding Vows
Wet Dreams, Naked Thoughts & Dirty Talks
What Goes Around Comes Around
When Love Awaits
You & Me
You Are Mine
Link to Rishabala One Shot Story Collection II

Canvas & Notepad

4.8K 155 18
By lazyakabookworm

Hello everyone,

I am here with a new one shot... I hope you guys like it as I haven't really gotten back into full swing writing.

This story was originally written with Rikara.

"Madhu...." Padmini calls her as she walked into her room. Then stops in shock seeing Madhu removing her mehendi. "What are you doing?"

"Removing the mehendi." Madhu replies to her confused as she continued to scrub her hand. "Function is over."

"You are not supposed to remove it."

"Why not? I've work."

"Madhu, you were supposed to sleep with it. Don't you want your mehendi to be dark for your wedding?"

"Whatever for?" Madhu asks confused. "What does this have to do with my married life?"

"The darker the mehendi that much your husband would love you."

Madhu turns to her mother in exasperation and asks, "So you mean to say that my husband's love for me would be proportional to my skin cell and lawsone from the mehendi?"

"What?" Padmini asks confused. "Can you stop doing that?" Padmini asks her as she grabbed Madhu's hand to stop her from scrubbing.

"Ma, please... I have important work. The next two days I won't be able to work on my paper. It is very important."

"More important than your marriage?"

"Marriage is happening, Ma. It has nothing to do with my mehendi. But working on my paper, I can't do it with my hands full of mehendi."

"Can you stop that?"

"Rudra has too many relatives. He told me his house would be full of guests. So, I won't be able to work on my paper. You know, every minute is precious."

"Oh, that reminds me, Rishabh is here to see you."

"Rishabh?" Madhu asks confused. "Why does he want to see me? that too this late?"

"He said Rudra sent you something."

"Really?" Madhu asks confused.

"Please don't let him know that you took off the mehendi." Padmini tells her as Madhu walked out.

"They are not going to call off the wedding because of this." Madhu tells her mother as she ran down the stairs.

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

"Erm... Hi." Madhu says as she walked into the living room.

Seeing her, Rishabh quickly stands up. "Hi."

Madhu smiles at him as she conversationally asked, "How did you get out of the house?"

"What?" Rishabh asks confused at the strange question.

"I wanted to go to my university, but Ma wouldn't let me step out, saying that it is inauspicious for the bride or groom to go out the day before the wedding." Tomorrow along with Rudra and her, Rishabh was also getting married.

"Oh." Rishabh muses then he looks around to see if they were alone. "Rudra is here."

"Where?" Madhu asks curiously as she looked around.

"Your parents wouldn't let you guys meet the night before the wedding as it is inauspicious." Rishabh tells her.

Madhu chuckles hearing that, "Such madness. So, where is he?"

"Outside. Can you come out?"

Madhu looks around for her parents, and after making sure they were not around, she quickly tells him, "Come."

Madhu and Rishabh walk outside the gate to find a car and Rudra, Shivaay and Anika leaning on the car.

"Hi." Madhu says surprised seeing all of them.

"Madhu..." Rudra says in a nervous whisper as he stepped forward.

"Okay... what is it?" Madhu asks frowning worriedly seeing his nervousness, even his brother and sister-in-law also looked worried.

"I am so sorry, Madhu." Rudra sadly whispers as he helplessly looked at her.

"You are calling off the wedding?" Madhu guesses in shock. Oh God! What am I going to do?

"Please, Madhu." Rudra begs her with tears in his eyes.

"Why?" Madhu asks him angrily.

"He loves Bhavya." Rishabh tells her.

"YOUR FIANCE??" Madhu asks him outraged.

"Yes." Rishabh calmly replies. "They love each other."

"What nonsense is this?" Madhu asks them angrily.

"Madhu, please calm down." Anika gently requests her.

"Why did you all come here? What do you want?"

"I'll explain." Anika tells her in a calming tone.

Madhu furiously shrugs.

"You know, Rudra and Bhavya have been best friends. Since, they were kids, Bhavya used to always come home. Mom and Dad wanted Bhavya to be their daughter-in-law. When they asked Rudra, he thought Bhavya just saw him as a friend and lied to them that he had no such feelings for her. So, they took RK's proposal for her. And Bhavya thinking, Rudra thought of her as a friend, agreed for the proposal. But today morning, Bhavya told RK that she is in love with Rudra and felt if she hid that from RK then it would be like betraying him, she didn't want to start their relation on a lie. But RK talked to Rudra and Rudra told him that even he loves her."

Madhu closes her eyes furiously.

"Madhu?" Rudra softly calls her names.

"Fine!" Madhu says in anger. "You guys go. it's all over."

"That is not all." Shivaay softly tells her.

"What now?" Madhu furiously snaps at him.

"We were thinking... maybe, you could marry RK instead." Shivaay gently tells her as he looked at Rishabh.

"What?" Madhu spats out in shock as she turned to look at Rishabh.

"Only if you want to." Rishabh tells her.

"You think this is a joke? My life is a joke?" Madhu asks him angrily.

"If it was a joke to him, he wouldn't have insisted on getting your permission." Anika tells her in a soft tone.

"what do you mean?" Madhu asks her with a frown.

Anika turns to look at Shivaay, waiting for him to speak.

A little embarrassed, Shivaay informs her, "We... actually, I... I thought it would be easier, if at the mandap, RK and Rudra changed places and got married. And everyone would think it was an accident."

"RK wouldn't allow that." Anika tells her.

"Neither did Anika." Shivaay tells her.

"You've every right to say no." Rishabh tells her.

"Of course, I have!" Madhu snaps back at him.

"So?" Shivaay asks her.

"What so?" Madhu asks him, frowning.

"What is your decision?"

Madhu murderously looks at Shivaay and tells him, "I haven't taken two breaths after your younger brother told me that he doesn't want to marry me. Your second brother swoops in with another proposal before I could process it. And I find out that you had made a plan to trick me into marrying your second brother. And now you want an answer?"

"Take your time." Rishabh calmly tells her.

Madhu furiously turns to him, then seeing how tall he was, she stands on her toes and looking into his eyes, she pokes his chest, "Why the hell are you not freaking out?"

"It is not the end of the world." Rishabh tells her shrugging.

Madhu furiously glares at him, "Did you even want to marry Bhavya?"

"I wasn't averse to the idea of marrying her." Rishabh tells her. "My parents wanted me to marry her. She is a nice girl. And I thought it would work."

"And now I am the same?"

"I felt it is the right thing to do."

"RIGHT THING?" Madhu asks furiously, getting angrier as her calves started hurting her.

"You are kind of scaring my brothers." Rishabh tells her as he looked at Shivaay and Rudra.

Madhu plops down on her feet as she turned to look at his brothers and sees them worriedly looking at her.

"Oh, I have a temper and that is the biggest issue here?"

"Madhu..." Rishabh calmly calls her name.

Madhu turns to him furiously. His calm tone was driving her crazy. "What?"

"Why don't you think over it? I'll wait for you at the mandap."

"What the hell?" Madhu asks him outraged.

"Let's go." Rishabh tells his family and starts to walk towards the car.

"You don't walk away like that RISHABH KUNDRA!"

"You are upset. Think calmly and make a decision." Rishabh tells her. "We being here, will only aggravate your anger."

**********

"Do you think she will come?" Anika worriedly asks Rishabh as he walked to the mandap.

"I don't know." Rishabh replies as he sat in the mandap.

"If she doesn't come then I'll also not get married." Rudra tells Rishabh.

"Don't be stupid."

"No, Bhai. I won't." Rudra vows to him.

"Rudra..." Rishabh starts to scold him when he sees Madhu and tells Rudra as he sighed in relief, "Looks like we both are getting married."

Rudra looks up and sees Madhu walk in with her parents and relatives. Radha and Mohan quickly guides her to the mandap, earnestly whispering to her and her parents. Rudra looks down ashamed seeing his parents apologize to them. It was because of his fault and his stupidity.

Anika and Padmini helps Madhu onto the mandap.

Rishabh looks up at her and sees Madhu looking at him. Rishabh gives her a gentle smile and she smiles back at him. Rishabh turns to look at her mother and sees her murderously glaring at him.

"Thank you." Rishabh softly tells them.

Padmini ignores him and steps back after Madhu settled down.

"If she is so angry, why did she agree for the wedding?" Rishabh asks Madhu in a whisper.

"Worried about what the society would say... the usual drill." Madhu tells him.

"They pressurized you?" Rishabh asks her furiously.

"Of course not."

"Then?" Rishabh asks confused though calming down.

"They did need a little bit of convincing."

"Wait a minute... you convinced them?" Rishabh asks her shocked.

"Yup."

"You?"

"Yeah. You guys were right, this is the most practical solution."

Before he could ask her anything further, the marriage ritual started.

**********

Much later, Rishabh walks into his bedroom to find it empty. Seeing light in the dressing room, he sits on the couch waiting for his new wife to come. Few minutes later, he hears the door open, and sees Madhu step out in a t-shirt and track pants. Seeing him, she nods at him. Rishabh nods at her.

Madhu walks to the corner where her laptop bag was kept and takes out her laptop.

"You can turn off the light, if it is time for you to sleep." Madhu tells him as she walked back to the bed and got on it. She keeps her laptop on her lap and putting up the pillow, she leans on the headboard.

Rishabh takes the milk kept on the side table and drinks half of it. "Here." Rishabh tells her as he offered her the glass.

Madhu curiously turns to him and seeing the glass says confused, "That is your jhoota."

"Bhabhi said that we are supposed to drink it. I've to drink half of it then you."

"Why?" Madhu asks confused.

Rishabh shrugs, "I don't know. She said something about love and sharing."

"Love and sharing?"

"She said by sharing, love increases."

"What kind of logic is that?" Madhu asks him confused. "And it has to be you who drinks first? If I drink first, it won't work?"

"I don't know." Rishabh replies confused out of his wits. Bhabhi and her rituals!

"How can we find love if I drink your leftover? How is that possible?"

"I seriously don't know."

"You know, in school and college... I have had leftover food of my friends, both male and female. I've never fell in love with any of them." Madhu tells him thoughtfully.

"If you don't want to drink then don't." Rishabh tells her. Worriedly wondering what he had married.

"No, give it." Madhu tells him as she took the glass and drank from it. She finishes the milk and turns to look at Rishabh curiously.

"What?"

"NOPE. No love." Madhu tells him shaking her head.

God! She is weird.

"Strange customs! With no heads or tails!" Madhu mutters as she turns to keep the glass on the table next to her.

Turning off the lights, Rishabh gets on the bed.

"If the light is disturbing you, let me know." Madhu tells him pointing at her laptop screen.

"It's fine." Rishabh says as he said a silent prayer thanking the lord for saving his brother from this weirdo.

**********

Next day, Madhu was working on her thesis when she hears a knock on the door.

"It's open."

Anika opens the door and walks in. "Madhu..."

"Yes, Bhabhi?" Madhu asks as she continued to type.

"They are calling you down." Anika tells her just as Rishabh walked in.

"Oh... just a sec." Madhu tells her as she quickly finished the sentence. "Okay done." Madhu says as she quickly gets up.

"Maybe you should change." Anika hesitantly tells her seeing Madhu in her t-shirt and track pants.

"Yeah?" Madhu looks down at herself. "This won't do?"

"You are a new bride. They are here for your mooh dikhayi."

"What is that?"

"Your face will be covered and they will remove the veil to see your face."

"Why?"

"What why?"

"Removing veil and all."

"That is a ritual... you know, seeing the bride for the first time."

"They saw me yesterday."

"It is a ritual."

"So, when Rishabh comes to my house for the first time, he will wear a veil?"

"No." Anika replies confused as she turned to look at Rishabh and sees him gaping at his wife.

"Why?"

"Why do you keep asking, why?" Rishabh asks her confused and feeling a little helpless.

"Because I didn't understand all this."

"Haven't you had these kinds of functions at your place?"

"I don't know. I never bothered with all that. What should I wear?"

"Saree. Do you want help getting ready?" Anika asks her.

"I've to dress up?" Madhu asks scandalized.

"If you don't want to, you don't have to." Rishabh tells her.

"Why don't you go, RK?" Anika asks him.

"Bhabhi..."

"Madhu is going to interact with our relatives the first time. Shouldn't she be looking out of the world?"

"Shouldn't what I talk to them matter more than how I look?" Madhu asks her confused.

"Yes, but first impression always comes from how good you are looking." Anika explains, as she held Rishabh's hand and gently guided him out the door.

**********

Rishabh with Rudra and Shivaay walks to the living room to find lots of ladies sitting and chatting amongst themselves. As they waited for both the brides to come down, they were busy discussing about the bride swap and guessing the reasons. Seeing Rishabh and Rudra, one of their over the top, nosy aunt asks them curiously, "RK, you were supposed to marry Bhavya, right? And Rudra, Madhu... then why did you marry Madhu, and Rudra, Bhavya?"

Rishabh turns to look at Rudra and Shivaay and sees them both getting furious. Before they could say anything, Rishabh casually tells her, "Madhu is my wife. Bhavya is Rudra's. And that's all you need to know."

Her face turns red in humiliation hearing that.

"The brides are here." Shivaay quickly says seeing Radha bring a veiled Madhu, and Anika a veiled Bhavya.

"I guess we should go." Rishabh whispers to his brothers and stops seeing Shivaay lovingly adoring Anika Bhabhi. He turns to look at Rudra and sees him looking at a veiled Bhavya with a smile. Rishabh turns to look at his wife, and seeing her, the only thought that came to his mind was, Damn! She is short.

Madhu and Bhavya sit on the couch, and everyone settles down.

"First we'll see RK's bride." One lady says as she stood up and walked to Madhu. She gives Madhu a gift and lifts up her saree pallu which was covering her face.

And Rishabh's breath gets caught in his throat. Madhu was a true beauty. Her eyes, her smile, her skin... it was all perfection. God! He never realized how beautiful she was.

"Let's go?" Shivaay asks them, breaking Rishabh out of his stupor.

"Wait, I want to see Bhavya." Rudra tells them.

Few minutes later, the ritual was done. The brothers were about to leave when they hear their aunt ask loudly, "Madhu, why did RK marry you instead of Bhavya?"

"How dare she?" Rishabh whispers furiously.

"We should have thrown her out." Rudra furiously whispers seeing Madhu looking at her confused, and Bhavya looking outright uncomfortable.

Rishabh, Rudra and Shivaay quickly hurry to them.

"I am sorry... you are?" Madhu asks her confused.

"She is Mohan Uncle's aunt." Bhavya whispers to her seeing how humiliated that aunt was looking.

"Oh, okay... I am just meeting everyone for the first time..." Madhu tells her.

"We met yesterday."

"Possible... you know, how many people I met yesterday... after a point I was just so tired and just didn't concentrate much. And we might have met during that time. My brain might have assumed you were not important and didn't store the information." Madhu explains to her.

"God, she is vicious." Shivaay says in admiration seeing how Madhu was chopping their aunt.

"No." Rudra softly whispers to him. "She is being honest. It took me a while to realize it, she speaks her mind."

"Yeah... she does!" Rishabh says in shocked understanding.

"Well..." Madhu starts to explain. "Rudra and Bhavya love each other. I was not in love with Rudra and Rishabh was also not in love with Bhavya. So, we thought it best if they got married. And Rishabh and I..."

"Madhu!" Rishabh calls her name to stop her.

"Yeah?" Madhu looks at him confused.

"So, RK married you?" the aunt asks her.

"Yeah."

"Madhu!" Rishabh says as he held her hand and pulled her up.

"WHAT?!?!"

"C0me here."

"What was that?" Rishabh asks her as he took her to the other room.

"That is what I am asking you. what was that?" Madhu asks him back angrily.

"What?" Rishabh was suddenly confused.

"Pulling me like that?"

"Why were you telling them why we got married?"

"What is there to hide?"

"Madhu... they are going to think that you are a charity case."

"Charity case?" Madhu asks him, frowning. "You and your brothers came to my house in the middle of the night and asked me to marry you. how can I be a charity case?"

"They don't know that!"

"So? You want me to tell them that too?"

"No... it's our personal matter... why do you have to discuss it with them?"

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

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

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

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

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

"Whom I had to marry."

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

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

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

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

Rishabh and Rudra stood back gaping at Madhu.

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

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

**********

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

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

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

"What stuff?" he asks curiously.

"Whatever pricks my interest then."

"Hmmm."

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

"Hmmm?"

"Not even one has a satisfactory explanation."

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

"Good night, Rishabh."

**********

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"What is it?" Rishabh asks him as he followed him to the pool area.

"Is everything, alright?"

"As in?"

"With you and Madhu."

Rishabh was about to evade the topic then decided against it. "I don't know."

"RK, I know this was all so sudden... but it was your decision to marry Madhu."

"I know, Shivaay... but..."

"What is the issue? She is busy with her studies, and that is the reason she doesn't spend time with the family. We know that... but with you also?"

"She is very focused and hard working." Rishabh agrees.

"Does she ignore you?"

"It's not that, Shivaay." Rishabh tells him agitated. "She is so..." Rishabh stops before saying weird. He didn't want to call his wife a weirdo in front of his brother.

"What?"

"I don't understand her." Rishabh tells him helplessly.

"You don't understand her?" Shivaay asks confused.

"It feels like she is in an altogether different league."

Shivaay smiles, "RK, you are newly married. You guys are talking to each other only now. It would take a while for you both to understand each other. For that you need to spend time and talk to each other."

Rishabh sighs defeated unable to explain to Shivaay why he felt Madhu and he were so different.

"I've an idea." Shivaay tells him excitedly.

**********

"Go away?" Madhu asks shocked.

"Shivaay was saying it would be a good idea if we went on a trip, where it is just the two of us."

"But I've to work on my thesis."

"You can do that there also."

"If I am going to be working, then why go away?"

"Madhu..."

"What?"

"I know you've your studies, but we need to work on our marriage too."

"But I might have to see my professor."

"We've a chopper, Madhu. It is not an issue."

"You really want to go?"

"Yes."

"Where are we going?"

Rishabh couldn't help smiling hearing her question. She was willing to go for him, and that meant he did matter to her.

"How about Kolkatta?"

"Kolkatta?" Madhu asks as her interest pricked.

"I've a house there."

"House?" Madhu asks surprised.

"Yeah... I wanted to paint Durga puja... so, I had stayed there for a while."

"So, you bought a house?"

"I got attached to the house." Rishabh tells her shrugging.

"Okay." Madhu tells him smiling. "I always wanted to get on the tram there."

Rishabh grins hearing that. "We'll take the tram."

**********

Two days later, Rishabh and Madhu walk into his house in Kolkatta. It was a modest small house. With not many furniture or decoration. It just had two bedrooms with a living room and a very small kitchen.

"Was anyone staying here?" Madhu asks curiously.

"No."

"Then how is it so neat?"

"I had asked one of the servants to come here and clean the place."

"Oh."

"You like the place?" Rishabh asks her.

"Hmmm yeah... convenient." Madhu replies as she looked around.

That went over his head.

"Convenient?"

"Yeah." Madhu nods. "Good place to stay for a break. Small and convenient."

"That is the room I had used when I was staying here." Rishabh tells her pointing at the door.

"You take a look at both the rooms and whichever you like we will use that."

Madhu nods and checks out both the rooms.

"Decided?" Rishabh asks her as he joined her.

"Both look fine to me. Why did you use this room?"

God! There was a why for this also!

"I like the light in this room."

"Ah for painting?"

"Yes."

"Okay... then why were you asking me?" Madhu asks him, chuckling. "We'll use this room."

"You sure? I can come to this room to paint... it is not an issue."

"Anywhere is fine with me." Madhu tells him smiling as she shrugged. "All I need are space to keep my books, wi-fi and plug point to charge my laptop."

Rishabh suddenly goes a little white.

"What?"

"There is no wi-fi here."

"No?" Madhu asks panicking.

"I rarely use the net. I had net on my phone. So never got wifi and it would have been a waste to get internet for the time I was here."

"What will I do then? Maybe I could connect using my mobile."

"We'll get a dongle tomorrow." RK promises her.

Madhu nods calming down.

"Anyway, you are not planning to work today, right?"

"Why? We are doing something else?" Madhu asks him confused.

"We could go out."

Madhu thoughtfully nods, "Okay."

*********

RK and Madhu freshen up and goes out. After grabbing something to eat, the first place RK took Madhu to was for the tram.

Madhu runs in and grab a seat excitedly. RK smiles seeing her excitement and follows her. He sits next to her as she looked out the window. They sat in silence with Madhu looking out the window and RK lost in thoughts.

"Thank you, Rishabh." Madhu tells him as she turns to look at him.

"For what?"

"I told you I wanted to get in the tram, and you remembered and brought me here."

"First time my wife asked me for something. How can I not do it?" RK asks her with a smile.

"Wife..." Madhu softly whispers with a smile. "Husband..."

"You said something?" RK asks her curiously.

"I am your wife. You are my husband." Madhu says with a slight wonder in her voice.

"I didn't understand."

"Nothing." Madhu replies with a shrug as she smiled. "Just musing."

"Is it like how you expected?" RK asks her as he leaned to her ears.

"Yes." Madhu replies to him smiling. "I have heard so much about it. I was always curious."

"I am glad you liked it."

"Do you like it?"

RK shrugs. "I tried it last time I came here. I found it a bit too slow."

"D'oh!"

RK chuckles. This was a new side to Madhu he was seeing. A little human and fun.

RK quickly takes his mobile and messages Shivaay. Just two words. Thank You.

And Shivaay was a bigger kanchoos than RK and replied with a :).

"Where are we going next?" Madhu asks RK then seeing him on his phone, she says "Sorry, I didn't notice. Carry on."

"No, I am done." RK replies as he slipped his phone to his pocket.

"You sure?"

"Yes. Where do you want to go?"

"I thought you would plan." Madhu replies a little confused. "So, I didn't plan anything."

"I just thought we would do what we felt like at the moment."

"Oh." Madhu nods confused.

"So?"

"I am lost." Madhu tells him confused. "I don't do things impromptu."

"You married me." RK tells her grinning.

"I contemplated and made a chart then I decided." Madhu replies.

"Chart?"

"Yeah."

"What all were in the chart?" RK asks utterly curious.

"Hmmmm." Madhu thinks for a second and says as she pulled out her phone from her bag. "Wait, I have it here."

Madhu scrolls through her phone and finds it. She passes it to RK.

"You don't mind if I read it?" RK asks surprised.

"Why should I mind?" Madhu asks smiling. "I decided to marry you only after this."

RK takes her phone and realizes that it wasn't a chart-chart, it was just two columns in her note. The heading was Rishabh Kundra. Underneath that it was, Marry and No.

He decided to read the list under No first. First was, Tall.

Surprised RK looks at her and she was slightly leaning next to him though not touching and reading along with him.

"What?" Madhu asks curiously.

RK shakes his head and starts reading the list.

Calm

"Calm was a no?" RK asks surprised.

Madhu nods. "It raises questions."

"Like?"

"Why are you calm? Why does it not matter to you whether you marry Bhavya or Me? Do you really want a wife? Or any wife will do?"

"I wasn't calm." RK confesses. "If I panicked or raised an issue, I might have ended up ruining Rudra's and Bhavya's life."

Madhu nods smiling.

Love Bhavya?

"I didn't. she was nice. I thought we would work."

Madhu smiles hearing that. A big smile. RK smiles back at her.

He turns to her phone to continue reading and frowns seeing that she had strikethrough the point. RK frowns as he tried to figure out what she had written.

Have to live in the same house as Rudra.

The next one was also a strikethrough.

RK will have to live in the same house as Bhavya.

"Why did you cut these two?"

"If I married you then I will have to live in the same house as Rudy. And you will also have to live with Bhavya in the same house. I thought about it and I figured since I never had feelings for Rudra it wouldn't matter to me."

"Then why did you decide to marry him?" RK asks curiously.

"It was a good proposal. I actually didn't want to marry before I started working. But my relatives and all freaked my parents out saying that if I continued to study like this then I would be overqualified, and it would be difficult to find a suitable husband for me. And by the time I finish my studies and get a job I would be bordering 30 and it would be really difficult to find a guy for me."

"Oh."

"Isn't it so weird? If anything, shouldn't men desire me more if I am more qualified? I don't understand why people would consider that as a negative."

"People are crazy."

Madhu nods.

"You are doing MPhil, right? You are planning to study after that?" RK asks curiously.

"PhD."

"Oh." RK says impressed.

"What about you? What did you study?"

"I stopped with my undergrads."

"Why?"

"You have no idea how I scrapped through that itself." RK tells her chuckling. "And my passion was always art. Painting and sculpting."

Madhu nods.

RK couldn't control his curiosity and asks her, "Where would you put that in the list?"

"Your education?" Madhu asks confused.

"Yeah."

"Why would I put that in the list?"

"Why wouldn't you put it?" RK asks unable to let it go as she considers being overqualified as a plus point. So, shouldn't being underqualified than her be a minus point for him.

"What you study or what your career is your personal choice. Just like what I study and what I choose as my profession is mine."

"Does it bother you that I am not as academically accomplished as you?"

"Does it bother you that I am more educated than you?"

"No."

"So, what makes you think I have a problem?"

RK smiles as he looked at his phone then remembering he says, "You didn't finish."

"What?"

"About why you decided to marry Rudy."

"Ah... so my parents were pressurizing me to get married and that time Rudra's proposal came. We spoke and I thought he would do."

"He would do?" RK asks shocked.

Madhu turns to him surprised and raising her eyebrows she states, "Bhavya would do."

RK gulps in embarrassment. Even though he did think that Bhavya and he could have a good relation, isn't it in other words as a mere, Bhavya would do? If not for Bhavya he would have chosen someone else.

"You are right." RK admits sheepishly. "The truth is, I have never been in a relation. I have had crushes and all, but I never felt the feelings that strong that I pursue it. And I kind of always wanted to have an arranged marriage. Before Bhavya's, there was another proposal. But after meeting the girl, I just didn't know how I was going to decide if I want to spend the rest of my life with a girl with just one meeting. I met the girl two more times and I just couldn't make a decision. I told my parents that and then they suggested Bhavya. I have known her for years and we know each other pretty well, so I thought marrying her would be the best option."

"And I have to be honest." Madhu confesses.

"What?"

"The main reason I agreed to marry Rudra was I knew that he will not cause any trouble with my studies and research."

"Hmmm." RK nods as he got back to the list. "If living with Bhavya and Rudra was not an issue why didn't you just delete it?" RK asks out of curiosity. Isn't that what normally people do?

"I didn't delete it so that I can remember that I did consider it, since it was not an issue I just strikethrough it."

"Oh." RK looks at the final point in the list.

If not, will have to go through the whole groom hunting process again and related ceremonies.

"Marriage was really a chore for you." RK states seeing that.

"You have no idea. If it weren't for my parents I wouldn't have got married so soon. Marriage would come in the way of my dreams."

"I will never come in the way of your dreams." RK promises her.

Madhu smiles hearing that, "I know."

I don't know him all that well.

RK nods as he agreed that was the truth. He turns to the points under Marry list.

The first one surprised him.

Calmness a façade?

RK smiles, "It was kind of true. I tried my best to not freak out. Or let others realize it."

"I did guess that." Madhu tells him smiling.

Will not interfere with my research and studies.

Loyal to brother*.

Seeing the asterisk, RK curiously looks down and finds footnotes. He didn't know whether he wanted to laugh out loud or be shocked at the way Madhu makes her chart, and how true she was sticking to it.

* He has the trait of being loyal to his brother. Maybe that could extend to his wife also.

"What do you think? Am I loyal?" RK asks her.

"Looks like it." Madhu smiles with a reply.

RK chuckles and reads the rest.

Honest.**

RK finds the footnote.

** was not willing to cheat me.

RK smiles seeing that.

Willing to sacrifice for brother.

Family man.

Not bothered about society.

Bold and took a stand.

Respectful.

Tactical***

Looks at the footnote

*** Smart to avoid my parents with the big reveal.

RK chuckles.

"It could have been Shivaay's or Bhabhi's or Rudra's idea too. Why didn't you think like that?" RK asks her.

"Hmmm.... But that day you looked to be in charge." Madhu replies thoughtfully. "Was it your idea?"

"Yes. My parents wanted to come and meet your parents. I didn't want them to meet your parents first and then have all of them coarse you to marry me."

Madhu smiles hearing that.

He has nice family.

He is earning well.

RK turns to her curiously. "How do you know I earn well?"

"Once, I was talking to Rudra and he was telling me that he loved playing tennis. So, I asked why he didn't pursue it seriously, and he replied that not everybody can be lucky like Bhai to be so good at his hobby and make tons of money with it."

"Oh."

"If Rudy said tons of money, then I assumed that you would be minting money." Madhu tells him in a teasing.

RK chuckles hearing that.

"What are your hobbies?" RK asks her wanting to know her more.

Madhu thoughtfully frowns, "Never had time for hobby."

RK nods as he didn't know how to reply to that.

Nice smile****.

RK was surprised at that. Then seeing the stars, he looks down.

****Reference:

And she had put up a photo of his. RK turns to look at Madhu in shock and she blushes slightly.

Nice eyes****.

Good looking****.

That was the end of the list. Chuckling RK passes the phone to her and sees that Madhu was still blushing. Then he realized the main thing. Madhu was physically attracted to him!

RK couldn't control his smile.

*********

"Where to now?" Madhu asks him as they stepped out of the tram.

"That's what even I am thinking." RK tells her.

"Hmmmm." Madhu takes her mobile and googles places to visit in Kolkatta. "Which place haven't you visited?"

RK turns to her and sees that she was leaning towards him so that even he could see her phone screen. RK looks at the screen and it was a list of places to visit. As he looked with her at the images and the description to each place, nothing pricked his interest.

"The Victoria Memorial?" Madhu asks him.

"Hmm no." RK replies.

"Fort William?"

"No." RK shakes his head.

"Howrah Bridge?"

"Maybe later? We will take a boat ride."

"Museums?"

RK sighs as he thought about it.

"You have been to all these places?" Madhu asks him.

"Yeah... I was here for a while, so I visited them all."

"Oh!" Madhu says disappointed. "Is there any place that you would like to visit again?"

RK looks at Madhu and asks her hesitantly. "Can we not go anywhere?"

"I thought you wanted to go out."

"I meant not go anywhere particular." RK asks her. first time, Madhu and he were talking like this and he wanted to talk more to her. it felt nice talking to her. and he didn't want to waste this precious time by going somewhere that would break this momentum.

"Just aimlessly go about?" Madhu asks him.

"If that is okay with you." Then RK realizes that it was her first time in Kolkatta and she might want to really explore the city. "Leave that, we can go anywhere you feel like going."

"No, it's okay. If you are not in the mood then it is not an issue."

"Don't you want to see the city?"

"I do but we can do it tomorrow or day after. We will plan something and do."

"Okay. Wherever you want to go." RK promises her happily.

Madhu smiles as she asked, "So let's walk?"

"Let's." RK says as he smiled at her.

*********

They were walking aimlessly as they talked about random things and stopping at small shops to either check out souvenirs or eat snacks. RK watched with a small smile as Madhu finished off her Ghugni. She was so curious about everything, be it a building, a store or food.

"Did you like it?" Madhu asks him as she cleaned up.

"It was nice." RK replies as he paid for their food.

"Even I liked it." Madhu replies as she took her mobile and made a note.

She had started noting the name of all the food she liked so that she can get the recipe from the net when she felt like eating it later.

RK waited till Madhu took a photo of the stall after getting permission.

"I am planning to write a travelogue of this trip." Madhu tells RK as she checked the photo. "So, maybe three or four years later, we can read it and remember all these."

RK doubted he would ever forget this day, as it was slowly becoming the most memorable day of his life.

"You should have told me that." RK tells her as he moved closer to her to see the photo. "I would have taken the photo for you. You stand, I will take a picture with you and the stall."

"Oh, that would be nice." Madhu says smiling. Then excitedly she says, "Let's take a selfie, so we both are there."

RK smiles and they both stood together with the stall in the background. RK took the picture.

Madhu happily puts her phone in her bag, and they decided to continue walking.

"Are you upset that we didn't go to see any place?" RK asks her curiously since she was making a travelogue.

"No." Madhu replies. "This is also nice. And do you realize this is the first time we are spending time together outside our bedroom?"

RK smiles at her question, happy that even she was aware of it. "I know. This is the first conversation we have had."

"What?" Madhu asks him confused. "We always spoke to each other."

"Yeah but like conversations..."

"We have had conversations... remember we spoke about mooh dikkayi? We spoke about that milk drinking ceremony?" Madhu asks him surprised.

"Those were not proper conversations."

"Oh." Madhu muses.

"I should confess, the reason I didn't want to go to a touristic spot was because we were talking for the first time and I didn't want to disrupt that. This is the first time since we got married that you were free."

"I never realized it."

"It happens." RK says for lack of anything else to say.

"I have been super busy." Madhu tells him regretfully.

"You have your goals." RK tells her smiling.

"Yeah but I should have made time for you."

"You can still make time for me." RK tells her grinning.

Madhu smiles, "I promise."

"Were you always this ambitious?" RK asks her, in order to change the topic slightly, and he was feeling guilty for broaching that topic and upset her.

"Yes." Madhu replies. "I have always set goals for myself and I have always achieved it."

"What is your current goal?"

"To complete my MPhil then do PhD."

"Nice." RK says smiling. "So, any plans on what you want to do after that?"

"Research."

"Hmmm."

"What about you? What is your goal?"

"I don't have any goals." RK tells her.

"You don't?"

"The only one I had was to become a famous and successful artist."

"I thought you are a famous and successful artist." Madhu tells him confused.

"Yeah." RK grins.

"So, nothing after that?" Madhu asks shocked.

"I am happy with this."

"I can't imagine being like that. I like to challenge myself and always set goals."

"You are like Shivaay." RK says smiling.

Madhu smiles. "So, there isn't anything that you have set for yourself?"

RK shrugs. "I take life as it comes."

"I need to know and be prepared." Madhu tells him. "I always want to be in charge of my life."

RK smiles nodding.

"We are so different from each other, isn't it?" Madhu asks amazed.

"Yeah." RK smiles then he adds, "I try to do at least one good deed a day. That is something I have set for myself. Will that count?"

"I guess." Madhu nods smiling.

*********

"Left from there." RK tells Madhu as he looked at the GPS on his phone.

It was night and they had decided to go home and a quick check on google map showed that they were just 20 minutes walking distance away from their house. So, they decided to walk home.

"If you don't mind, RK, can we stay home tomorrow?" Madhu asks him.

"Yeah, no problem."

"There are some things I need to finish tomorrow." Madhu explains as she checked her phone calendar.

"No worries. I will paint then." RK tells her smiling.

Madhu smiles as she started making notes in her calendar. "We can plan something and go out day after?"

"Since you are the planner, you plan." RK tells her.

"Okay." Madhu tells him smiling.

"RK, can you hold my bag please? It is getting very heavy for me." Madhu asks him.

"Sure." RK stops and takes her bag from her.

"Thanks." Madhu tells him smiling and they resumed walking.

As they started walking, RK felt Madhu wrap her hand around his arm and leaning a little close to him. He smiles feeling her lean on him.

"Tired?" RK asks her.

"Legs are starting to pain."

"Do you want to take a cab?"

"No, I like this." Madhu tells him smiling.

RK smiles and tells her, "I had a great day."

"Me too." Madhu smiles at him.

*********

RK comes out of his shower and finds Madhu wiping her hair in front of the mirror. He watches her for a few minutes, and he could see that Madhu was lost in thoughts. He sees a small smile break out on her face as she absentmindedly wiped her hair. RK couldn't help it and he walks to her and hugs her from behind, surprising her.

"RK!" Madhu gasps in shock.

In reply, he kisses her on her cheek. RK looks at the mirror to see her face and sees her staring at him in shock. Seeing the shock on her face, he kisses her again on her cheek without taking his eyes off her reflection. Feeling his kiss again, and his eyes on her, Madhu starts blushing and quickly turning around in his arms, she hugs him. RK happily hugs her.

"What was that for?" Madhu asks him against his ears.

"I am so happy that I married a sweet Madhu and not a humanoid Madhu." RK tells her chuckling as he hugged her tight.

"Humanoid?" Madhu asks him shocked as she leaned back to look at his face.

RK cheekily grins at her. Madhu leans up and kisses him on his cheek surprising him.

"What was that for?" RK asks her surprised.

"I am so happy that I married a sweet RK and not an over formal Rishabh."

"I was formal?" RK asks surprised.

"Always and confusing too."

"Confusing?" RK asks shocked.

"You were a little weird. You believed in all these illogical rituals and got offended over silly issues. And in the middle of the conversation you would be like 'Leave it! Let's not talk more on it.' You are the weirdo who wanted an arranged marriage with love marriage feels and vibes!"

Hearing that RK bursts out laughing. God! He could never understand Madhu and thought her to be weird. But he never realized that how he had found Madhu weird, she would have found him also weird.

"You would be surprised that I thought you were weird."

"Me? Weird? Why would you even think that?" Madhu asks shocked out of her wits.

"I really did."

"Why?"

Laughing again, RK says, "You always asked Why for everything."

"Because I just want to know why we did certain things a certain way. If I don't understand then shouldn't I ask?"

"Yes, you should." RK tells her. "And you have this need to understand everything."

"Isn't everyone like that?" Madhu asks confused.

"Not everyone." RK tells her.

"You mean, not you."

"Because I am weird." RK tells her chuckling.

"Yes, you are." Madhu grins.

RK grins and he kisses her again.

*********

Next day, RK was trying to paint. They had walked to the nearby restaurant for breakfast and had got back sometime back. Madhu had quickly got settled by the windowsill and got busy with her laptop. First thing in the morning, they had set up internet for Madhu. Now, Madhu was all set to work.

RK was having a hard time trying to concentrate but the thought that Madhu was in the same room was distracting him. RK looks at Madhu and sees that was she was busy reading something with utmost concentration. he wondered how easy it was for her to work without being distracted. He wanted to talk to her. he liked talking to her, joking with her. he felt like a kid with her.

He watches her for a few minutes. She had her leg stretched out on the windowsill. She had beautiful feet and legs too, RK noted as he looked up her leg. She was wearing a short skirt and he had an unobstructed view of her legs.

Finally, giving into the temptation, he walks to her after gathering his paints, palette,

brushes and rag. He kneels next to her and she was so busy with her laptop she didn't notice him.

Feeling the wet brush on her foot, Madhu looks up in shock and finds RK at her feet.

"What are you doing?" Madhu asks shocked and surprised.

"You get back to your work. I am painting."

"On my leg?"

"Yes. Get back to your work."

"You are distracting me."

"Take it as a challenge, Madhu." RK cheekily tells her.

Madhu scowls at him, then she gets back to her laptop.

RK gently strokes the brush on her calf, and he sees her leg pull up slightly. He looks up and sees her leaning to see what he was painting.

"No looking." RK tells her.

Madhu scowls at him again and sits back making RK chuckling. Once he was sure she wasn't looking, he got back to painting.

RK was having the time of his life painting on Madhu. He had always found painting peaceful and fulfilling, but this was the first time, it was a turn on for him. As he gently stroked the brush on her ankle, he saw her flinch. RK curiously looks at her, and her head was hidden by the laptop monitor. RK gets back to paint. He leans a little close to her leg to see the side of her ankle clearly and he sees her leg flinch and her toes curl up for a second. Realizing his breath was gracing her leg, RK gently blows on her leg and he sees both her toes curl with a soft gasp. RK couldn't control his arrogant grin realizing that even she was as much as affected with his proximity as he was with hers.

"You are distracting me." Madhu tells him in a soft voice.

And in reply, RK softly blows on her leg again making Madhu flinch. A second later, he felt her hand on his shoulder as she gripped his shirt. RK looks at her and sees that she had her eyes closed and she was breathing rapidly. Leaving his brush on the floor, he moves to her. feeling him near her, Madhu opens her eyes. RK moves closer to her and he keeps his lips on hers. Madhu parts her lips slightly. Feeling the invite, RK kisses her passionately and she kisses him back in equal passion.

Breathless, they part to breath and RK rests his forehead on hers and he whispers to her, "I want to finish painting you."

Madhu nods and then takes his lips in hers and kisses him softly. RK kisses her again hungrily.

"You will kill me." RK softly whispers to her as they parted.

Madhu giggles softly hearing that.

RK smiles at her passionately then moving back, he takes his brush and gets back to paint.

*********

"Done."

Hearing RK, Madhu sighs in relief and keeping her laptop she leans to look at what he had done. Her breath got caught in her throat seeing his painting.

He smiles hearing her suck in her breath.

"It's so beautiful." Madhu says amazed seeing that he had drawn mermaid tails on her leg. He even had the illusion of her leg being underwater. "How did you do that?" Madhu asks in shocked amazement.

RK chuckles in reply.

"It's so pretty." Madhu gushes in amazement. "Can you take a picture for me?" Madhu asks as she passed him her phone. "I want to save this."

RK takes her mobile and starts walking back.

"Where are you going? I want a close up." Madhu tells him.

"Wait." RK tells her as he moved back to find the perfect spot. Then not satisfied, he grabs a chair and places it where he was standing. Then he gets on top of that, starts moving the phone around, up and down, front and back. Then he bends his knee a little, so he would be a little shorter. "Madhu, can you tuck in your skirt from both sides so that it is figure hugging?"

Madhu tucks in the excess pleats from both side under the thighs.

"There is a little budging from your left side."

Madhu adjusts it.

"Sit up a little."

Madhu sits up a little.

"A little more."

"Then you should have said sit up instead of a little." Madhu points out as she sat up.

RK grins hearing that.

"Okay, perfect. Don't move." RK clicks a picture.

He just needed to click one to get the perfect shot.

"Here."

Madhu takes the phone and gasps in shock. Her skirt color and the paint on her leg were of almost the same shade, one was dark and the other slightly lighter, giving the illusion that the waist down she had tails instead of leg and they were underwater.

"You are so talented, RK." Madhu tells him amazed. Then frowning she asks, "How many girls have you painted like this?"

"I have always wanted to try it. First time." RK tells her as he knelt next to her.

"Don't paint on anyone else!" Madhu orders him.

RK couldn't help the grin seeing her be jealous and possessive, "I thought you wouldn't interfere in my profession."

Madhu sighs in frustration as she looked away.

RK leans towards her and bites her ears gently. "After painting you, do you think anyone else would be this much fun or satisfying for me?"

Madhu flinches shyly smiling.

RK kisses her neck.

"You are so bad RK, you are not letting me work." Madhu complains as she moved her head slightly to give him more access.

"Okay, work then." RK declares chuckling as he stood up making Madhu to look at him in shock.

*********

"Anika Bhabhi loved your painting. She is going gaga over it." Madhu informs RK.

"Which painting?" RK asks confused.

"This." Madhu shows her phone with a frown. "Forgot already?"

Seeing the photo he asks shocked, "You sent it to Anika Bhabhi?"

"I shared it in our group." Madhu tells him.

Looking at the top of the screen RK sees that the group was called The Mrs-s and it had Anika Bhabhi and Bhavya in it.

"You sent them this?" RK asks shocked.

"They had told me to send them pics from the trip every day." Madhu tells him confused.

Hearing a ping, they both look at the screen and sees that Bhavya has messaged.

Amazing Rishu bhaiyya.

"Should I reply thank you?" Madhu asks him.

"Why did you share this?" RK asks shocked.

Another ping.

I am so happy for you both :)

"Why what's wrong?" Madhu asks shocked.

"This." RK points at the phone.

"Happy for us?" Madhu asks out loud confused.

Another ping. It was from Anika.

Me too ;)

RK sighs loudly.

"What?" Madhu asks RK confused.

Realizing that Madhu didn't realize it, RK sighs.

"Seeing the photo, they might think that we..." RK stops as he made gestures.

"We what?" Madhu asks confused.

Another ping.

"I think it's your phone." Madhu tells RK seeing that she didn't get any new message.

RK takes his phone in dread. It was message from Rudra in their Brothers group.

I am so happy for you guys and a huge weight has been lifted from my chest.

Well done my sher! I am proud of you!

"Oh God! Rudra!" RK mutters as he showed Madhu the phone screen.

"Why is he so happy that you painted on me?" Madhu asks RK confused.

Another ping.

"What is Shivaay saying?" RK asks in dread as the screen was still pointed at her.

"He sent a wink."

RK sighs loudly.

"What is it, RK?"

"Madhu, they think we..."

"We what?"

"You know... everything happened."

"Huh?" Madhu starts then realizing she says "Oooh"

"Yeah!"

"Why would they think that?" Madhu asks confused.

"Because I painted on you."

"You painted on me... that is it. Why are they thinking we did it?" Madhu asks confused.

RK shrugs.

"Are you sure they think that?"

"You have doubts?" RK counter asks her.

"Hmmm." Madhu nods.

"It's okay leave it."

"I didn't realize that they would think all that."

"It's okay." RK tells her and starts to walk to his side of the bed.

"But RK, why are you getting so worked up about it?" Madhu asks him curiously.

"Madhu... they..."

"We are married, RK. It is the most natural thing for us to do." Madhu points out.

RK mouth almost dropped open in shock. "Huh?"

"It is expected of every married couple."

"Ermm."

"But what I don't understand is that we have been married for months... how did they know that we haven't done it so far?" Madhu asks RK confused. "Did you tell them?"

"Of course not."

"Then?"

"I don't think it was that hard to guess." RK points out.

"Because I was busy with my research?" Madhu asks him.

"Because we got married like this and they might have seen that we don't spend time with each other."

"Oh." Madhu nods understanding. "Should I tell them that we didn't do it yet?"

"NO! Just let it be."

"But it made you uncomfortable." Madhu points out.

"Let's just forget it. And if we tell them the truth it might hurt them."

"Why should they be bothered about that? It is our decision, right?" Madhu asks confused.

"Yeah I know." RK nods. "Let's sleep?"

"Okay." Madhu gets on the bed. "I have planned our outing for tomorrow."

Madhu passes her mobile to RK to show him. RK takes it and was surprised that Madhu had made a detail plan from when they leave for breakfast then dropping in at the grocery to get water bottle to which mode of transport to use at each point of the itinerary to what the rates were to where they going to eat.

"Wow." RK says amazed.

"Do you want to make any changes?"

"No, this is perfect." RK passes her the phone and settles on the bed.

Madhu keeps her phone on the nightstand, switches off the light.

"Did I cause you embarrassment, RK?" Madhu asks him in concern.

RK turns to her smile, "I was just a little uncomfortable."

"I didn't think they would think all that. I never thought that people would wonder whether a couple is doing it or not."

"I know." RK says smiling. "You don't have time to wonder about such silly things."

"Yeah. I just thought they would see how beautifully you paint and how talented you are."

"I know."

"I didn't think they would build a mountain out of this."

RK chuckles hearing that. "I know, Madhu. You don't have to explain."

Madhu smiles hearing that, and then she snuggles on RK with her head on his shoulder.

RK smiles feeling her hug him. RK looks at her. Feeling him look at her, she looks up at him. RK moves to her and she meets him halfway and they start kissing.

*********

After breakfast, they walk to the supermarket near the restaurant to get water.

After grabbing the water bottles, they were walking back through the aisles when both their eyes found it at the same time. They both stopped walking together then they slowly turned to look at each other. They looked at each other for a second then excitedly grinning they both hurried to the counter. RK grabbed the first condom packet he could get.

"Why did you take that?" Madhu asks him.

"What?" RK asks confused.

"This!"

"I just grabbed it."

"RK!" Madhu tells him in an exasperated whisper. "Condoms are not always 100% safe. We need to find the best one. I don't want to get pregnant by accident."

"Then which one?" RK asks confused.

"I should have checked online and come!" Madhu says shaking her head as she grabbed her mobile and started searching online for the best brand of condoms.

RK realized that nothing in this world could turn him on more than a meticulously planning Madhu.

"Sorry, Madhu. We are not going anywhere today." RK tells her.

Madhu looks up confused then seeing his face she turns red. Excitedly, in a hurried whisper she tells him, "Grab the most expensive one, hopefully that would be the most safest. I am going to catch a spot at the billing counter."

RK watches as Madhu ran off and he caught himself from falling down as realization dawned on him, he was falling in love with his weird as hell wife.

*********

RK was lost in his thoughts as he lay Madhu's chest. Even though he had always wanted to get married and have a happy married life, have a bond like his brother shared with his wife, he never realized the intensity of it. The feel you get when you are connected to someone both body and soul. Now, thinking back the way he had approached the idea of choosing a wife was all wrong. He couldn't help being amazed at how the biggest mistake and blunder he was about to make by marrying Bhavya had culminated in him marrying Madhu, the perfect one for him. Madhu was giving new meaning to his life. He was never like this, carefree and stupid, with her he was. The happiness he felt when he was with Madhu, he had never experienced in his life. Every thought of Madhu was bringing a smile to his lips. How stupid was he to think that anyone would do as a wife? After Madhu, forget wife, if Madhu wasn't in his life, he knew he wouldn't be able to be happy in life. He wouldn't feel complete. She was the yin to his yang. Smiling he takes her hand and slowly plays with it like how she was gently twirling his hair.

"RK." Madhu softly calls him.

"Hmmm?"

"What are you thinking?"

RK looks up at her, "I was thinking..."

Maybe seeing the goofy smile on his face, she half giggle and half smile at him, "Yeah."

"I was thinking that no one would do." RK gently pecks on her lips. "Only Madhu would do."

Madhu's face breaks out into a big smile and leaning up she takes his lips in hers.

For a second RK was disappointed that she didn't tell him the same, that he was different from the rest for her. then he forgot about everything when he felt her hug him and pull him towards herself.

*********

"Don't worry about it, RK, I have taken care of it." Madhu informs RK as she typed away on her mobile.

"About what?" RK asks Madhu curiously as he looked up from bed.

They had spent the whole day in bed, and still it was the most meaningful day of his life.

"I cleared it out to them, that we didn't do it yesterday, but we definitely did it today."

"WHAT?" RK shouts as he sat up.

Madhu bursts out laughing seeing him looking so freaked out. "I was just joking. I was curious whether you would still be embarrassed about it after we make love."

RK cheekily grins at her as he lay back on the bed.

"RK." Leaving her mobile on the side table, Madhu rolls to him and snuggles him as she hugged him.

"No, Madhu. No more. I am just too tired." RK tells her dramatically sighing just to tease her.

"Why don't you just lie back? I will do everything. How about then?" Madhu sensuously whispers to him.

RK's eyes widen in shock at the same time blood started flowing south.

Seeing the shock on his face she giggles. "You can't win with me husband. I know you were teasing me."

"You should never joke about these things." RK tells her sadly.

Madhu chuckles excitedly. "I wanted to ask you something."

"Hmmm?"

"Did you plan this trip as a honeymoon, or it just happened to turn into a honeymoon?"

"If I knew that a honeymoon would have brought us this close then wouldn't I have planned it the second day of our marriage?"

Smiling happily, Madhu hugs him.

"I want to see, Madhu."
"What?"

"That whether you were all boast, or you can live up to your words."

Madhu looks up at him in shock as her face turned completely red.

"Get to work, biwi."

*********

RK comes out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist after his shower and spots Madhu sitting by the windowsill busy working.

"Started?" RK asks her as he walked to the cupboard to get his clothes.

"Yes." Madhu replies as she continued to read without looking at him.

RK takes out a track pants and pulls it on. "How long will you take?"

"Full day. I had to reschedule my meeting with my professor twice already. Don't disturb me."

"Okay, Madam." RK tells her grinning as he threw the towel carelessly on a chair and plopped on the bed, lying on his stomach.

Twice Madhu had set up a meeting with her professor but both the times she had to reschedule because she wasn't done with her work. Tomorrow, she was planning to fly to Mumbai and meet the professor. He was also flying with her and was planning to go meet his family, then after Madhu was done with her meeting they planned to fly back and stay the remaining 4 days of their trip. So far, they had managed to go sight seeing only once and they planned to use the next 4 days to see around Kolkatta.

Hearing her get on the bed, RK was about to turn to look at her when he felt her sit on his buttocks and she half lies half leans on him. Then he felt the tip of a pen scrape his skin.

"Are you writing on me?" RK asks curiously trying to lean up.

"If I can be your canvas then you can be my notepad."

RK grins as he laid back as she continued to write. He was amazed that she thought she was a canvas, when he thought about it, it was he who was an empty canvas and she was the color that had given it meaning and beauty.

"Wait, I want to lie on my back." RK tells her as he wanted to see her.

"Stay still." Madhu tells him continuing to write.

"Just a sec, I will roll over." RK tells her.

Madhu moves to let him roll and once he lay on his back, she got back on him and without a word, half lying on him, she continued to write as she held a book with other hand.

"What are you writing?"

"Notes."

"Why are you not saving it in your laptop or a notepad? Don't you need this for later?" RK asks her curiously as he caressed her cheek.

"I will understand and remember better if I write. I don't need to save these notes, just need to write it down to understand. Don't touch and don't talk now."

RK sighs as he laid back.

He behaved for five minutes then he just couldn't fight the temptation and he started gently running the back of his finger on the length of her leg.

"You are distracting me."

"I didn't come to you, you came to me."

"Stop it."

"I am getting bored."

Madhu finally looks up at RK's face and tells him sternly. "I am working."

"Take it as a challenge, Madhu." RK cheekily tells her.

"Don't use that on me again."

RK chuckles as he ran his finger up her leg to her thighs.

"Fine! I am going!" Madhu says as she started to get up.

"Don't go." RK quickly holds her.

"You are getting naughty ideas! I know."

"I just like touching you." RK innocently replies.

"You don't just like, you love touching me." Madhu tells him as she tried to get up.

"Don't you like touching me?" RK asks her softly as he caressed her lips.

Madhu sighs as she closed her eyes, "You are the biggest distraction for me in this world."

RK couldn't help smiling at her, "Fine, go. I won't disturb you."

Madhu gets out of the bed and walked to the windowsill and got to work.

RK watched as she wrote on her notepad and then every few seconds, she would start striking off what she wrote. RK wondered what happened to her, she was not like that.

"Dammit!" Madhu furiously curses as she stood up and walked to the bed. "Are you happy? You have distracted me!"

"What?" RK asks unable to hide his smile.

"I am so angry with you!" Madhu tells him angrily as she removed her top and got on top of him.

Madhu never made it to see her professor and they didn't even manage to see one fourth of Kolkatta.

*********

RK walks into his house earlier than usual as he couldn't concentrate on his work. They had got back two days ago. While he was slowly getting back to his old routine Madhu had smoothly got back to her routine. She seemed excited also to get back to her old routines. He went to his room to check if Madhu had got back from her college as she had told him that she would be going to college that day.

Seeing their room empty, RK takes his mobile to call her to check when she would be home. RK dials Madhu's number and hears it ring. The ring kept going. RK sighs when the automated message started, and he drops the phone on the bed.

He was missing her.

Then RK chuckled at his silliness. It wasn't that she wouldn't come back in sometime. But he wanted his waking hours to be spend with her. hell, nowadays he slept peacefully only because he knew she was sleeping in his arms.

RK hits his head as he realized how stupid and silly, he was being in love.

He was in love with Madhu. RK smiles.

He wanted to tell her that. He wondered whether she loved him or not. He knew she cared for him, but he just didn't know whether she loved him the way he loved her.

Hearing the notification sound he takes his mobile and smiles seeing that it is a message from Madhu. He opens the message.

Phone was on silent. Just now noticed your call. Can't talk now, in library. Anything important?

RK replies.

Nothing important. I am home so was wondering when you would be home.

She quickly replies.

I should be home in 2-3 hours.

RK sighs a little disappointed and replies.

Okie. See you later.

He was wondering whether to say love you. Maybe he shouldn't, he should tell her that face to face the first time.

He sees Madhu typing and waits for her message to come.

See ya...

And RK, don't call when I am in college. I won't be able to answer the call. Just message if it is anything important.

RK felt his heart break a little. The question that had fleetingly passed through his mind started plaguing him. Did she love him? Or if anyone else was in his place, she would have been like this? Was he replaceable for her?

RK types into his mobile.

Sorry.

She quickly replies.

No worries, RK :)

Bye.

*********

His thoughts were plaguing him and RK decided to go out of his room to take his mind off Madhu.

He walks to the living room and finds it deserted. Seeing that it was 4, he decides to go to the garden as that is the time Anika Bhabhi took Vansh out. One thing Anika Bhabhi was strict about was that Vansh play with mud every day in order to build his immunity.

Hearing Vansh's laughter he walks to where they were and finds a muddy Vansh as he filled mud in a cup and trying to build something.

"Hello." RK tells them as he walked to them.

"Hi!" Vansh says smiling at him. "Come."

"Hi RK." Anika smiles at him. "You are early today."

RK smiles as he sat next to her.

"Thaathu, come." Vansh calls him again.

Smiling RK moves to where Vansh was. Vansh inserts the cup he was holding in front of RK and tells him, "Eat, cake."

Anika chuckles hearing that while RK beams at him. "Thank you, Vansh."

"Welcome." Vansh says as he started filling the cup.

RK smiles seeing Vansh play. He loved babies. He wanted to have babies, but he knew Madhu was not ready to have babies. And he will never come in the way of her dreams. For now, he had Madhu and that was enough for him.

"Eat!" Vansh tells him.

And he had Vansh too. RK thought with a smile as he acted as he eats the cake.

"Ma." Vansh calls her as he kept one for her.

Anika moves to him and sits next to him. "Cake looks yum, Vanshu."

"It is cupcake." Vansh corrects her.

RK and Anika look at each other and grin. Then Anika asks him, "No icing?"

"Is it Sunday?" Vansh asks her.

"No."

"Then no soogari threets."

RK chuckles hearing that. He had heard Anika Bhabhi tell sugary treats only on Sunday to Vansh countless times.

"Please Vanshu." Anika cutely pleads.

"Okay." Vansh sighs as he poured some water on the mud and then rolled it into a ball. Then he placed it on her cupcake.

"Thank you."

Vansh smiles at her. "Welcome."

Then Vansh got about playing with his other tools.

"So, will you be coming early to give me company from now on?" Anika asks RK in a teasing tone.

RK blushes slightly then asks her, "Don't you get bored at home?"

"Where do I have the time to be bored?" Anika asks him surprised.

RK smiles hearing that. "When will Shivaay reach today?"

"I think he is going to be late today. He said he has a meeting." Anika tells him.

RK looks away as he wondered, if Madhu was like Shivaay, was he like Anika Bhabhi? But he didn't know much about their marital life to judge. All he knew was that they were happy and content. Maybe the only thing that Shivaay was content about in his life might be his wife and son.

He wished Madhu also felt like that about him.

Hearing a car drive in, RK and Anika curiously look up. They see Madhu coming out of the car and walking into the house.

RK's face breaks out into an excited smile. Then remembering that he was sitting with Anika, he turns to her and sees her cheekily grinning at him.

"Go." Anika tells him with a chuckle.

RK chuckles as he blushed.

*********

"I thought you were going to take some time." RK asks as he walked into the room.

Madhu smiles at him as she kept her things in their place. "How was your day?"

"Good." RK smiles as he hugged her.

Madhu hugs RK. "How come you are early?"

RK leans down and touched his nose with hers, then pecking her lips, he tells her, "I was missing you."

"Ah!" Madhu grins. "Is that so?"

"Hmmm."

RK wondered for a second whether she came back because she missed him but before he asks her she asks him.

"Now that I am home, what do you want to do?"

"What do you want to do?" RK asks her grinning.

"Go out?" Madhu cheekily asks him.

Without missing a beat, RK asks her back, "Or lock the door?"

Madhu laughs hearing that.

*********

Today, he was going to tell Madhu that he was madly in love with her.

RK walks into his room at night determined to tell Madhu about how he felt. He finds Madhu lying on the bed as she read something on the iPad.

"RK, you ready to sleep?" Madhu asks him looking up at him.

"Yeah." RK replies as he got on the bed.

"Okay, you sleep. I have to finish reading this."

RK sighs a little disappointed. He rolls to her and kisses her on her cheek. "Good night."

"Good night." Madhu kisses him a little distractedly as she continued to read.

RK settles himself next to Madhu as he hugged her by placing his hand on her stomach.

"No hanky-panky." Madhu warns him.

RK chuckles, "Okay."

"I am serious!"

"Yeah, I know. I am just lying here. Do you want me to move?"

Madhu looks at him thoughtfully then says, "No." then she gets back to reading while she placed her hand on his hair and gently started massaging his head.

RK smiles feeling her hand on his head.

How had he planned today to be and how it had turned out to be. Sometimes, he felt Madhu put him on the side. How much ever he tried to curb it, it haunted him. It crept up when he least expected it. RK tried to push the thoughts aside.

"I told you to behave!"

"What did I do?" RK looks up at her in shock.

Madhu looks at him in shock then realizing that he didn't realize it, she lightly hits on his hand which was inside her shirt as he absentmindedly drew on her stomach.

"Sorry." RK tells her with an embarrassed smile and settles back.

Madhu got back to her reading and RK let his thoughts wander about random things instead of thinking and wondering about Madhu's feelings for him.

"Behave, RK! Honeymoon is over!"

RK looks up at her and replies embarrassed. "Sorry, I didn't realize."

"HMPH!"

RK lies back and then asks thoughtfully, "Honeymoon really over?"

Madhu looks at him and smiles thoughtfully. "Isn't it?"

"Why?"

"Because we have to get back to life, right?" Madhu asks him thoughtfully.

"Hmmm. Yes." RK replies then he tells her, "You continue."

Madhu got back to her reading.

"Do massage my head. It feels nice." RK tells her.

Madhu smiles and starts massaging his head.

"It feels so good." RK tells her feeling sleepy.

Madhu chuckles hearing that.

RK yawns and he wonders out loud, "I wonder who the first person was who decided to give another person a massage. I wonder how all this massaging trend started."

Madhu was silent for a few seconds, then she mutters, "Damn it, RK. You never let me concentrate!"

"What?" RK asks curiously, his hand was behaving.

"Now, I am curious about massaging."

"What?" RK asks shocked.

"When did massaging start? When did people realizing the medical effects of massage? When did the profession of a masseur or masseuse start?"

"Oh." RK watches in shock as Madhu started searching about massage.

*********

Things were going smoothly for Madhu and RK though RK was never able to confess his feelings for Madhu. Most of the time he couldn't find the perfect moment to confess and if he did then he was worried about her reaction. It would kill him if she didn't reply to his I love you with an I love you too.

One day, RK walks into his room to find Madhu typing away on her laptop.

"Hey, I thought you were going to your college today."

"Leave me alone." Madhu furiously tell him.

RK was shocked at her tone. "What happened, Madhu?"

"I said leave me alone."

RK walks to her and kneels next to her, "Madhu... talk to me. what happened?"

"I am way behind my work. I have never been this late." Madhu tells him angrily. "I have never been late. Today my professor screamed at me!"

"Madhu..."

Madhu cuts him off, "He told me that if I wasn't serious about my MPhil then I shouldn't waste his time!"

"It's okay..." RK starts.

"It is not okay!" Madhu furiously tells him.

"Madhu..."

"I told you to leave me alone!"

"Just calm down a bit..." RK tells her in a calming tone.

"You just don't get it, do you?" Madhu furiously asks him as she kept her laptop aside and stood up.

RK stands up as he tried to calm her down.

"How many times do I have to tell you not to disturb me when I work? Have you listened even once?"

Hearing the question, RK stops in shock not able to say anything.

"you just never listen. Now, I am telling you to leave me alone and you are still here!"

RK was hurt beyond words hearing that. He just didn't know what to say or how to react.

"I am sorry, Madhu." RK mumbles in the end. "I wasn't..."

"Just leave me the hell alone, RK!" Madhu says furiously. "I have tons of things that needs to be done and you are in the way!"

"I..." RK stops and starts to leave.

"I knew it!" Madhu mutters furiously. "Marriage gets in the way."

RK was heartbroken beyond words as he heard that. His eyes filled with tears hearing that. He closes the door and walks out.

*********

RK had never felt so helpless, lost, depressed, and defeated. He wanted to be an inspiration for Madhu like she was for him, but he had ended up being a mistake for her.

It nearly killed him to hear her say that marrying him was a mistake.

He had never felt this lonely in life. He wanted to make it right with Madhu. He loved her so much and he realized that her feelings for him were not the same and that hurt him a lot but what hurt him the most was Madhu was upset and he was the reason.

RK stops in front of Shivaay's room and hesitated. He wondered whether he should share his problems with someone and he didn't want to hurt his family with this issue with Madhu. As he stood in front of Shivaay's room his heart started beating fast, because he knew there was only one person who could help him and guide him but opening his heart like that to someone was so painful. But he wanted to sort out this problem with Madhu. Taking a deep breath, he knocks on the door.

"It's open." Anika shouts from inside.

Taking another deep breath, RK opens the door.

"Hey, RK... what's up?" Anika asks him as she watched Vansh play.

"Can we talk?"

Seeing, RK's face, Anika quickly replies, "Sure... what happened?" Anika pick up Vansh and placed him in his crib with his toy car.

RK walks to the bed and sits on the foot of the bed.

Seeing him so lost in thoughts, Anika walks to him and sits next him.

"What happened? Is everything alright?"

"Please don't ask me anything, Bhabhi." RK softly requests her.

Anika nods willing him to continue. They remained silent for a long time.

Not able to take his silence anymore, Anika holds his hand and gently asks him, "What did you want to talk to me about?"

"Bhabhi... how did you do it? How did you make Shivaay realize that whatever he is dreaming of achieving, you are dreaming that for him? That you want him to achieve it as much as he wants it, or maybe more? That you want to help him achieve it and not be in the way?"

Anika smiles a little sadly a little thoughtfully, "It's difficult, isn't?"

"How did you do it?" RK asks in lieu of a reply.

Anika sighs loudly, "Even I felt lost at first. There was nothing that Shivaay and I connected on. It was like we were from two different worlds."

"What did you do then?" RK asks curiously. He had never realized that they had also gone through a phase like that.

"You know how Shivaay is. He is so reserved and doesn't talk much. So, at first how much ever I tried we couldn't have conversations. It wasn't that he was being rude and ignoring me. it was that his replies were always in mono syllable."

Anika was silent for a few seconds as she recollected old memories then she continues, "I realized that to get Shivaay to open up to me I should develop an interest in things that interested him." Then leaning towards RK she says with a soft chuckle, "Or at the least, feign interest."

"Isn't that like cheating him?" RK asks shocked.

Anika grins and shrugs, "Don't know. But RK, to be honest, at first, I tried my best to concentrate while he talked about these things, and all I did was just nod."

"What if you don't understand?" RK asks helplessly.

"You know me, all I know about is food." Then laughing slightly, she asks him, "You grew up with him, do you understand the things he talks about?"

RK shakes his head as a small smile lighted his lips.

"So, you can imagine my condition. And there is one thing that most people fail to realize."

"What?"

"When someone shares something with you, most of the time, they don't expect you to give advice or suggestion, all they need is someone to agree with them and nod. And I did that."

RK looks at her surprised. "That's it?"

"Yes, all it takes is one of you to take the initiative. Shivaay started talking more to me and as time went by, I realized that whatever he talked about I could understand and call back previous conversations. I was even able to give him my two cents. I don't remember when or how, but somedays it was me, who was talking while he listened. I realized that Shivaay was genuinely interested in the things that interests me."

Turning to RK, she tells him, "It didn't take long for his dreams and my dreams to become our dreams, RK."

RK nods thoughtfully.

"You and Madhu talk, right?"

"Yes." RK replies softly.

"Does Madhu talk about your dreams? Like painting for instance."

RK looks at Anika says "It's Madhu, Bhabhi. She can confidently talk about anything on the face of earth... and beyond."

Anika grins. "You remind me so much of myself."

"Hmmm?"

"Even I felt inferior to Shivaay." Anika says then turning a little sad, she adds, "It was my mistake, it was I who had misunderstood. I think even you are doing the same."

RK looks down at his hand as he didn't want to talk about that.

"Madhu loves you, RK."

RK looks away as he felt his eyes fill up.

"I rarely see Madhu nowadays. Earlier also I saw her seldom but now it is like really rare."

"She is busy, Bhabhi." RK tells her gently.

"No." Anika tells him.

RK curiously turns to her wondering if she was complaining.

"She is spending all her time with you, RK." Anika tells him chuckling.

"Erm."

"I am staying in the same house as you, whenever you are here, she is with you. The rare chance she talks to us all she talks about is you." Anika tells him grinning ear to ear.

RK blushes hearing that, "You are just exaggerating."

"I am not. And that is not the reason I know she loves you. The reason is Madhu doesn't realize that all she talks about is you."

"I will see you later, Bhabhi." RK tells her as he didn't know how or what to talk to her.

Anika nods and watches RK walk out. Realizing that she hadn't helped much, Anika takes her mobile and messages Shivaay.

Come home soon.

He quickly replies.

Is it urgent?

Anika frowns and types.

If it wasn't important then I wouldn't ask you to come.

he replies.

Last week you called me home because you were feeling romantic.

Anika furiously type.

And that was not important?

Shivaay replies.

HAHAHA. Love you. On my way.

*********

Madhu was still in a bad mood as she typed into her laptop. She hears a knock at the door and feeling irritated she looks up.

"Come in."

Shivaay opens the door and walks in. "Hi Madhu... Can we talk?"

Madhu looks at him and asks, "I am a little busy now. Can it wait?"

Shivaay was shocked at her response. All his life he had told that to people multiple times, but this was the first time someone was telling that to him.

Shivaay smiles as it felt like he was looking at the mirror.

"I am sorry, Madhu. This can't wait."

Madhu takes a deep breath as she nodded and finished typing the sentence. She keeps the laptop aside and gets up from the bed.

Seeing her walking towards him, Shivaay sits at the foot of the bed and waits for her to join him. Madhu sits next to him and curiously looks at him.

"RK had gone to Anika for help." Shivaay tells her bluntly.

"Help for what?" Madhu asks surprised and shocked.

"Help to make you understand that he wants the best for you."

"I know that!"

"Well, he doesn't know that you know that."

"How can he not know that?" Madhu asks utterly confused. Then getting up, she was about to go out when Shivaat holds her hand.

"RK is not here."

"Where did he go? He never goes anywhere without telling me." Madhu asks shocked.

"Anika was saying he was looking lost."

"Why didn't he talk to me?" Madhu asks Shivaay hurt.

"Maybe he doesn't realize that you love him."

"Of course, he knows!" Madhu tells him outraged and offended.

"Have you told him?"

"No. even he hasn't told me but I know he loves me."

"Sit with me, Madhu." Shivaay tells her.

Madhu sits down though lost in thoughts.

"Tell me this, Madhu, isn't RK as important to you as your dreams?"

"He is more important than that. He is the most the important."

Shivaay smiles, "I don't think he knows that."

"He knows that!" Madhu scoffs at Shivaay. "Only he can distract me from my studies."

Shivaay smiles, "Only Anika can distract me from my work."

Madhu curiously looks at him.

"And there is no better testament for our love than that, right?"

Madhu nods agreeing.

Shivaay sighs as he got lost in thoughts.

He takes a deep breath as he tried to calm his raising heart remembering the worst phase of his life.

"I don't know whether you know this, Anika had a very complicated pregnancy."

Madhu looks at him confused wondering why he was telling her that.

"There was a point when we thought that we lost her." Shivaay tells her as his eyes filled with tears and he started feeling a little suffocated.

Seeing him getting so worked up, Madhu keeps her hand on his and reminds him, "But she is fine now. So is Vansh."

Shivaay nods. "I learned what hell was then."

Madhu nods understanding. She couldn't even image going through something like that. If something were to happen to RK... Madhu shudders as she couldn't even complete that thought.

"When everything was fine, Anika told me that seeing me like that made her realize that I love her."

"What?" Madhu asks shocked.

Shivaay sadly shrugs. "I never realized that she thought I was not in love with her."

"RK knows I love him." Madhu argues realizing that he was drawing parallels.

"If she had taken a knife to my heart it wouldn't have hurt that much." Shivaay tells her still lost in thoughts.

"But RK knows!" Madhu argues still lost in her thoughts on RK.

Shivaay nods and tells her, "Anika felt it important that I have this conversation with you."

Madhu nods and whispers as she was still lost in thoughts, "Thank you."

*********

Much later, RK walks into his room and finds Madhu looking out the window lost in thoughts.

"Madhu..." RK hesitantly calls her.

Madhu turns to him and she had tears in her eyes.

Thinking that she was still upset about earlier, RK looks down unable to see her tears. "I was thinking..."

"Where did you go?"

"Erm... I went for a drive. As I was saying, I realize that I keep distracting you all the time."

"RK..." Madhu starts to correct him.

"Just listen to what I have to say." RK requests her.

Madhu nods.

"You have three more months before your final submission, so I was thinking... anyway I always wanted to go on a road trip... you know for inspiration... and I was thinking I will take that trip now so you can work peacefully."

"YOU ARE LEAVING ME?" Madhu asks bursting into tears.

"No... no... I am not." RK replies shocked as he moved towards her to hug him.

"I raised my voice, and you decide to leave me?" Madhu asks crying.

"No, Madhu... I thought if I stay here then I would cause unnecessary distraction for you. I will never leave you." RK tells her urgently seeing her panicking.

Hearing him, Madhu looks at him for a few seconds and she asks him worriedly, "You know that I love you, right?"

Hearing her question, RK looks at her in shock and confusion.

"RK, you know I love you, right? Shivaay Bhaiyya was wrong, right? You know that I love you, right?" Madhu frantically asks him as cried.

Seeing her like this, RK's eyes filled with tears.

"RK?"

or the first time in his life, RK lies, "Of course, Madhu. I know. How can I not know?"

Madhu smiles through her tears and hugs RK. "I don't know what I would do if you thought I didn't love you. I know earlier I unknowingly ignored you but if you still felt that I ignored you..."

"No, Madhu... you didn't." RK reassures her as he hugged her tight, feeling angry at himself for ever doubting her love and at the same time feeling ecstatic that she loved him.

"Then why are you leaving me?"

"I am not... I thought if I am here then I would keep distracting you."

"You can't go anywhere without me."

"I just thought that if I am not here then you can concentrate well."

"Hell with it! Nothing is more important than you for me. I will come with you!"

"Listen, Madhu." RK slightly pushes her so he can face her, "Don't ever think of sacrificing your dreams. I fell in love with the ambitious, headstrong, determined Madhu. I will never be able to love a Madhu who sacrifices her dreams for me."

"Then stop talking about going away."

RK couldn't help smiling "I just said it once."

Madhu frowns at him.

"I was just explaining why I felt it was the best option."

"It is the worst option!"

"I agree." RK grins then he adds, "I have never felt like this for anyone... so I just... I will make sure I won't disturb you again."

"I am sorry I screamed at you earlier, RK." Madhu tells him feeling sad. "I have never got screamed at like that by my teachers or professors ever. So, I didn't know how to handle it."

"You can scream at me, Madhu. Isn't that one aspect of a married life."

"Hmmm."

"But I think we should have some ground rules, so you never regret marrying me." RK tells her a little softly.

"I would never regret marrying you. You are the best thing that happened to me."

"But..."

"RK, before you, my life was like a...." Madhu thinks for a second and says, "like a notepad... it was full of formulas and equations. It had only goals. You put life in it, RK. It was you who put doodles and scribbles, you gave it real life, dreams, smiles."

"I was an empty canvas before you, Madhu." RK says smiling through his tears.

Smiling Madhu leans up and kisses him.

"Why did you say that marriage was a mistake?" RK asks wanting to clear that out and put it aside so that it doesn't create any issues in their future.

"I didn't say that. I would never say that." Madhu says shocked.

"You said marriage gets in the way." RK reminds her.

"Oh that! When I decided to get married, I knew that sometimes things won't be as simple as it was before and that marriage would be in the way of my research, I knew it and I should have handled it better. So, I was angry at myself for being irresponsible. I knew that if you are near me then I want to spend every second with you, so, I should have tried to do my work in college instead of doing it here."

"Oh!"

"Actually, when you are home then I can't even sit in my college peacefully and I come home running." Madhu confesses with an embarrassed smile.

"Oooh." RK couldn't help grinning ear to ear.

"RK..." Madhu cups his face and tells him, "I could conquer the whole world... achieve everything I set out to do but if you are not by my side then I will not be happy. You are the reason for my happiness, you alone are responsible for my smiles. If you are not with me, there is no happiness in my life."

"I love you, Madhu." RK tells her as his eyes filled again.

"I love you, RK."

"But we should decide something."

"What?"

"You will not work in the bedroom because I will keep coming here and distract you. We will turn one of the guest rooms into your study and you can work there, and I will not come there." RK promises.

"But I like having you near me." Madhu softly pouts.

"Be responsible, Madhu!" RK teasingly scolds her.

Madhu makes a face. "Okay... but tell me this, why did you go to Anika Bhabhi to talk instead of talking to me?"

"I just...." RK starts then he ends up saying, "I am sorry, Madhu. I should have talked to you."

"You should have." Madhu tells him then she says, "But they did help, didn't they?"

"Actually, she told me to talk to you and get to know your dreams better."

"Hmmm... don't you know them?"

"I do... but at times I just feel that I am not smart enough to understand them." RK confesses.

"You are crazy." Madhu tells him shaking her head.

"I know."

*********

At night, they were in bed cuddling.

"I still can't believe you thought of leaving me."

"For the last time, I wasn't thinking of leaving you! I was just thinking of going away for some time."

"Can you stay without me?"

"No."

"Then, how were you going to manage it?" Madhu asks him.

"I don't know." RK replies feeling lost.

"Weird man, you are!"

RK chuckles hearing that.

"But don't ever talk about giving up your dreams, Madhu." RK tells her.

"I won't." Madhu promises him. Then she curiously asks him, "RK, why did Anika Bhabhi quit working after she had a baby?"

RK looks at her and asks, "Are you worried that you would have to change your priorities once we have a baby?"

"Hmmm... will you be willing to wait till I am ready for baby?"

"Of course, Madhu." RK promises her. "And Madhu, I did think about it and I realized that I could be a stay at home father."

"What?" Madhu looks at him surprised.

"Yeah... I can paint from wherever I want."

"Then why do you have studio?"

"It is better to meet clients, and no distractions."

"Hmmm."

"But I can make few changes and I know I will be able to manage."

"Hmmm." Madhu looks at him feeling guilty.

"Isn't it my duty also to look after our baby? If, I look after our baby will you be any less of a mother?" RK asks her.

Madhu shakes her head in negative.

"Even staying at home, I am going to mint more money than you." RK jokes.

"That is true." Madhu agrees dejectedly.

RK chuckles, "Relax, Madhu."

"Hmmm."

"And to answer your question... Bhabhi's situation is very different... Bhabhi had a very successful catering business."

"Why did she leave it?" Madhu asks confused.

"Bhabhi had a very complicated pregnancy. Shivaay was asked to choose between mother and baby." RK tells her then shudders remembering it, "I remember Shivaay breaking down. He was crying that he can't live without Bhabhi. No matter what they just save her life."

"Oh."

"Vansh was premature and he was in the incubator for weeks. That time, Madhu it was hell." RK tells her shivering remembering that.

Madhu hugs him feeling his sadness.

"Shivaay once told me that there won't be another baby for them. I don't know if it because Anika Bhabhi can't have another baby or that Shivaay will not put her through that again. Anyway, because of all that Anika Bhabhi is a little too worried about Vansh. She decided that till Vansh starts school she wants to be with him 24 x 7. So, she sold her catering business so her staff doesn't suffer. Also she didn't want to take the risk of losing the good name her business earned because she couldn't oversee everything like she did before. She is pretty confident that she can built another catering business from scratch."

"Oh okay."

"Anyway, we will cross that bridge when we get there." RK tells her as he kissed her on her cheek.

Madhu smiles, "Yes."

RK hugs her, "I love you, Madhu."

"I know." Madhu replies as she hugged him and closed her eyes to sleep.

RK rolls his eyes at her smug reply, then he smiles knowing that she loved him as much as he loved her, and he didn't always need to hear her say it.

The initial idea was to get Madhu pregnant and that be the issue between them, but I felt that a baby should come in their life when they both were ready for it and I felt it would be the most cliched way to go. So, I thought of going with a simple issue i.e love affecting her research.

And I know, the issue was pretty simple and rushed that was because I didn't want either of them to say or do something worse.

The original working title for this story was My Adorable Weirdo, but 60% into the story, I felt the title would not suit anymore as RK realizing that even Madhu thought him to be weird was initially planned to happen at the very end, but that conversation happened earlier than I had planned, so I changed the title to Canvas & Notepad.

Please vote and comment

- Lazy


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