Rishabala One Shot Story Collections I

Unakkenna Venum Sollu/ Tell Me What You Need

​Hello everyone:)

Previous Story : Messages In A Book (Posted on 25- May -2021)

Thanks to all for voting and commenting on the previous story.

I got the idea from an old black and white Malayalam movie, (actually, the secondary couple in that movie.)

This story is also requested by two people.

@crazybookworm27 wanted a story where the hero and heroine have an arranged marriage but the in-laws treat the heroine badly.

@SKsajeedSajeed wanted a story where the hero is rich and the heroine is poor.

REGARDING THE TITLE

While working out the story, I got stuck on the song Unakkenna Venum Sollu from Yennai Arindhal, hence the title. I did toy with the idea of naming the story Silver Anklets (because of oru velli kolussu line from the song), but I liked Unakkenna Venum Sollu as the title more.

All those interested, please do check out the song and its translation. It is such a beautiful song and picturized so beautifully on father-daughter. How he goes from her friend and mother's fiancé to her teacher to her father to finally her mother, is so beautifully shown. Ajith and Anikha have such a beautiful father-daughter on screen bond, it is so beautiful (even in Viswasam).

There is a romantic version to this same song called Idhayathil Etho Ondru but I liked the father-daughter one more, so I went with that.

P.S: The Hindi dubbed version of this movie, doesn't have the songs, just background music with scenes, so do check out the Tamil to see the song/lyrics translation.

WARNING:

This story has a doormat heroine. PERIOD.

I know, some people feel there is sexism/patriarchy in my stories, though I try to show equality in all my stories, some people do feel it, and if you are the type who would get offended with such things, then please refrain from reading it.

I am not glorifying it, I just believe there are people like that and they do get their happily ever after, and I feel, I should be able to tell their story too.

"Have you gone crazy?" Rishabh asks his mother in outrage. "I'm telling you to make Trishna understand that Mukund is not the right person for her and you are asking me to marry his sister?"

"Trishna is adamant." Radha tells him. "She is threatening to run away with him."

"Then lock her up somewhere." Rishabh says in irritation.

Radha furiously looks at him hearing that.

"I didn't mean it! God!" Rishabh tells her in exasperation.

"I want to make sure my daughter is safe and secure in that house, and the only way to do that is if their daughter is in our house."

"Mom, do you realize that you don't trust them and you are still considering sending your daughter to that house?" Rishabh asks her, shocked.

"What can I do? I can't abandon her like that. I can't leave her to her fate!"

"What about mine?" Rishabh asks her, shocked. "You do realize that I have to live my whole life with this girl, right?"

"You are a man, Rishabh. You will be fine." Radha says in a dismissing tone.

"Seriously, mom?" Rishabh asks her in shock.

"I know those people are after our money."

"And bringing more people from that family into ours is your solution?" Rishabh asks her, shocked.

"I don't want them to ill-treat my daughter."

"I won't let them treat my sister badly." Rishabh vows to her.

"I am making sure of that." Radha tells him.

"This is crazy, mom! Just talk to her again."

"You talked to her and did that help?" Radha asks him angrily.

Rishabh sighs helplessly. "If you have decided to get them married then ask them to stay here."

"His mother doesn't want him to be a ghar jamai." Radha says in furious disgust.

"I'll get them a house, and we'll handle all their expenses. Let them stay there."

"I told them all that and his mother is adamant."

Rishabh frowns upon hearing that. "You say they are after our money then why are they refusing all that?"

"I'm sure it is all their tactics." Radha says dismissively. "Anyway, I am going to make sure my daughter is going to be safe and happy in that house."

"By making me marry his sister whom I haven't met or even know her name." Rishabh points out to her in anger.

"Name is Madhubala."

"You talked to them? Did they agree?" Rishabh asks, frowning.

"Of course they did."

"You talked to them before you talked to me about it?" Rishabh asks her, shocked.

"Won't you do this for your sister?" Radha asks him, frowning.

Sighing dejectedly, Rishabh gives in.

*********

Soon, Rishabh and Madhu, and Mukund and Trishna were married.

After all the functions, as Rishabh and Radha said their goodbyes to Trishna, Madhu was saying her goodbyes to Padmini and Mukund.

"We tried dissuading you from marrying Mukund, but you were adamant. Now that you are married, give it your all to make it work." Rishabh advises her.

"What are you telling her?" Radha asks him shocked then turning to Trishna she tells her, "If you ever feel that you made a mistake, never waste a second, just come back home. Your mother and brother are there. and Mukund and his family can't do anything because of the prenup that you all signed." Radha confidently tells her.

"You are getting late, you should leave." Rishabh tells Trishna.

Trishna nods and hugs Rishabh.

"If you have any problem or issues, call me immediately." Radha tells her.

"I'll, mom." Trishna replies, rolling her eyes.

Rishabh shakes his head at her and he turns to look at his wife and sees her crying as she hugged her mother. Rishabh walks to her to call her to leave.

"Mukund, Trishna is ready to leave." Rishabh informs Mukund as he stopped next to them.

"Okay. we'll leave, Ma." Mukund tells her then he keeps his hand on Madhu's shoulder. "Take care, Madhu." Mukund tells her.

Madhu turns to him and hugs him.

"Damadji..." Padmini calls Rishabh and gently keeps her hand on his.

Rishabh turns to her and smiles at her politely.

"I know, you and Madhu got married for Mukund and Trishna. You don't know each other and haven't even talked to each other. I wanted to tell you that my Madhu is a very nice girl. She has always looked for other's happiness rather than hers. Even now, she agreed for this marriage for Mukund and Trishna. She has always put others above her. This is not how I wanted her to get married but..." Padmini helplessly stops.

Rishabh was surprised to realize that his mother-in-law was actually against their marriage.

"Now that you are married, please take care of her. She has always learned to be happy with small things in life. Just give her a little love and respect and she will make your life a paradise, I promise you that." Padmini tells him.

"Stop being so dramatic, Ma!" Mukund says in exasperation. "Madhu agreed for the wedding because you were being unreasonable and stubborn. She knew how you had made it impossible for Trishna and me with all your false pride."

"Bhaiyya, please stop." Madhu quickly tells him as she quickly holds her mother.

Rishabh looks at his wife and sees that she was upset and uncomfortable with the conversation. "Trishna is waiting, Mukund." Rishabh tells him.

Mukund nods. "Let's go, ma. Bye Madhu, we will see you tomorrow."

Madhu nods and smiles through her tears.

Mukund walks off while Padmini hugged Madhu again. Padmini then worriedly looks at Rishabh. Rishabh gently smiles at her.

"We'll also leave, sasuma." Rishabh tells her.

Padmini nods as she smiles at him, and she walks to join her son and daughter-in-law.

"Let's go?" Rishabh asks Madhu.

Madhu nods and walks with him.

********

By the time they finished all the rituals at home, it was very late. Finally, they walk into Rishabh's bedroom. The room was beautifully decorated. Madhu stops in shock seeing the huge room. His bedroom was more than three times the size of her bedroom.

"You sleep, I've some work." Rishabh tells her.

Madhu nods in reply.

Rishabh walks to the dressing room to change leaving Madhu alone. Madhu nervously stood there having no idea what to do. Few minutes later, Rishabh comes out and sees Madhu exactly where he had left her.

"You can change if you want." Rishabh tells her, gesturing to the dressing room.

Madhu nods and walks to the dressing room.

Madhu comes out of the dressing room in her night dress and finds Rishabh sitting on the bed with the laptop on his lap, busy typing away. Madhu nervously walks to the bed.

"You can turn off the light if you want." Rishabh tells her as he continued to type away.

"Don't you need the light?" Madhu asks him curiously.

"The screen has light."

"Oh okay." Madhu replies as she looked around to find the light switch. She walks to the wall along the bedroom door and stops frowning as she notices all the switches were off on the switch board. Confused, she walked back to the bed as she looked around curiously.

When she doesn't get on the bed, Rishabh finally looks up at her and sees her curiously looking around the walls for the light switch. Rishabh watches her as she turns a full circle in her quest for the switch board. Finally, she looks at him to ask and sees him watching her.

"Actually... woh..." Madhu hesitantly says.

Rishabh looks down to her right where the switch was right next to the bed where she had been standing earlier. Madhu follows his gaze and finds the switch. She quickly switches off the light while Rishabh, shaking his head, turns back to his laptop.

Madhu gets on the bed and pulls the duvet over her. she covers herself feeling so cold as she wasn't used to sleeping in an AC room.

Hearing her turn again, Rishabh curiously looks at her and sees her curled up under the duvet. Realizing she was feeling cold, he takes the remote and increases the temperature. He put the remote on the bed and got back to work. A while later, he started feeling hot and he lowered the temperature.

A while later, he sees her twist and turn in bed.

Damn it! They really needed to figure out a temperature that was comfortable for both. Rishabh increases the temperature a little then keeping aside his laptop he decides to sleep.

********

Next day, Rishabh comes out after his shower to find Madhu waiting for him in the bedroom.

"What happened?" Rishabh asks her.

"I was waiting for you." Madhu answers.

"For what?"

Madhu looks at him a little lost and tells him hesitantly, "I didn't know what I was supposed to do."

Rishabh nods. "Let's have breakfast. After that I've to drop you home and bring Trishna here."

Madhu nods and follows him out.

They were walking down the stairs when they notice Trishna sitting and chatting with Radha.

"Trishna?" Rishabh calls her as he walks down the stairs. "I was supposed to bring you, right?"

"Mom said you were sleeping, so she sent the driver."

"We were coming, right? anyway, even Madhu has to go to her house for the pag phere."

"Yeah driver will drop her, what is the big deal? I just couldn't stay there."

Madhu who was following Rishabh stops hearing her.

"What do you mean? Did something happen?" Rishabh asks her frowning.

"It's so uncomfortable. Such a tacky house. no AC and no water heater. The bedroom is so small, I couldn't even breath. God!" Trishna tells him in disgust.

"This is what we have been telling you." Radha tells her.

Madhu looks at Rishabh and sees him shaking his head with a sigh.

"I'm hungry. Let's eat." Rishabh tells them.

"I had breakfast. such oily food, mom!" Trishna says, shaking her head in horror.

"I'll send one of the servants to cook your food." Radha tells her.

"Yes, please mom! I can't eat such unhealthy food." Trishna tells her desperately.

Madhu looks down feeling hurt, for her, her mother was the best cook in the world.

"If you tell Ma how you like your food, she will make it the way you like it, Bhabhi." Madhu tells her.

"Trishna likes continental food, I doubt your mother knows how to make those." Radha tells her in a superior tone.

"You decided to send a chef... then why are we even talking about this?" Rishabh asks, confused.

Radha shrugs.

Rishabh starts to walk off to the dining room.

Madhu thinking that Rishabh felt that she had unnecessarily created an issue by trying to defend her mother, she decides to make amends by having some polite conversation with Trishna.

"How is Ma and Bhaiyya, Bhabhi?" Madhu asks her.

"You just saw them yesterday. What can change in one night?" Trishna asks her irately. "And what are you wearing? Don't forget that now people associate you with us. so dress appropriately. Anyway, go get me a coffee."

"Trishna."

Hearing Rishabh, everyone curiously turns to him.

"Yes, bhai?"

"How dare you talk to her like that?" Rishabh asks her furiously, frowning at his sister. "Did you forget that she is my wife?"

Madhu, Radha and Trishna look at Rishabh in shock.

"What?" Trishna asks in shocked confusion.

"Did you forget that Madhu is my wife?" Rishabh asks her as he walked to her.

Madhu's eyes widened in shock hearing him ask his sister the same question again.

"What happened to you? Why are you screaming at her?" Radha asks him shocked.

"You don't see anything wrong in the way she is talking to my wife? Your daughter-in-law?" Rishabh asks his mother.

"Wife? Daughter-in-law? Did you forget that you married her so I could marry Mukund? That she married you for money?" Trishna asks, shocked.

"Whatever the reason be, now, she is my wife! And you'll bloody well treat her like that." Rishabh tells her sternly. "And if you can't treat her with respect then don't even bother to talk to her."

"What the hell did you do to him in one night, Madhu?" Trishna asks Madhu furiously.

Madhu who was gaping at Rishabh seeing the way he was scolding his sister, turns to look at Trishna and her mother-in-law and they were looking at her furiously.

"MADHU?" Rishabh asks her furiously. "Didn't you see the way she was respecting you and calling you Bhabhi? She might be your husband's younger sister, but she is still your elder brother's wife, so call her Bhabhi!"

Seeing both the ladies furiously glaring at her, Madhu turns to Rishabh and whispers softly, "Please... don't... I didn't mind."

Rishabh turns and walks to her then looking into her eyes, he tells her sternly, "We are married. You are my wife. Your izzat is my izzat now, and my izaat is your izzat, don't forget that."

Madhu worriedly nods.

Then having enough of it, he tells her, "Come. let's have breakfast."

He starts to walk off while Madhu hesitantly turned to look at Trishna and Radha who were glaring at her.

"What about maaji?" Madhu asks Rishabh softly.

Hearing her, Rishabh stops and turns to his mother, "Mom, did you eat?"

Furiously glaring at him, she replies, "You go eat with your wife."

"Okay." Rishabh replies. "Come, Madhu." and he walks off.

Having no other option, Madhu hurries behind him.

Rishabh starts to sit down when he notices Madhu starting to go to the kitchen.

"Where are you going?"

Madhu stops and turns to him. "Bhabhi had asked for coffee..." Madhu hesitantly reminds him.

Rishabh furiously turns to the servant serving them and tells him, "Trishna wants coffee."

He nods and quickly goes to the kitchen.

"Sit down!" Rishabh tells her in a clipped tone.

Madhu quickly sits down.

"I make nice coffee." Madhu gently tells him.

"You are not a servant." Rishabh replies as he started eating.

"Ma says working in your own home doesn't make you a servant."

Rishabh turns to her and tells her, "It doesn't but when someone treats you like one and makes you do things, and you do it, then you become one."

Madhu nods and looks down.

Then he had ignored her and got busy with his mobile as he had his breakfast, and she had eaten in silence, nervously.

********

"Rishabhji." Madhu nervously calls him as she followed him to his bedroom after coming back from her house.

Rishabh stops, surprised at the way she had addressed him, and turns to her.

"Do you think I married you for money?" Madhu asks him sadly, she had been dying to get that off her chest but hadn't got the privacy till then.

"No." Rishabh replies. "Mom does think so."

"Oh." Madhu nods as she looked down sadly. "I didn't marry you for money."

"You married me for your brother's happiness and I for my sister's."

Madhu nods. "I know you didn't want bhaiyya to marry Bhabhi. He really loves her; he didn't marry her for money."

Rishabh nods.

"We are not rich but we are not money minded." Madhu tells him sadly.

"Money was not the issue." Rishabh tells her. "We have enough money for the next ten generations to live comfortably. I didn't oppose the relationship because you didn't have money."

"Then?" Madhu asks him confused as she looked at him.

"After I spoke to your brother I realized that he and Trishna aren't suited for each other." Rishabh tells her.

"Why?" Madhu asks him.

Rishabh hesitates for a few seconds then he says, "Because both Mukund and Trishna are egoistic, arrogant and selfish people. A marriage between them to last would really require a lot of patience, and neither are patient. It would be a miracle if that marriage survives."

Madhu felt bad and miserable hearing that.

"There is nothing we can do about it." Rishabh tells her realizing she was hurt hearing that.

Madhu nods, "So, you married me because that might force them to be together?"

"I don't think either of them are sacrificial. Not even for us." Rishabh tells her. "Mom wanted to make sure Trishna would be happy in your house."

"Ma will love her like how she loves me." Madhu tells him.

Rishabh nods.

"If they don't..." Madhu worriedly starts to ask him.

"we are married, Madhu. and we both should give our all to make this work." Rishabh tells her as he walks to her.

Hearing him say that, Madhu couldn't control her joy and she smiles at him happily.

Seeing her smile so happily at him, Rishabh remembers what his mother-in-law had told him, give her a little love and respect and she will make your life a paradise. Rishabh felt regret and guilt fill him, realizing that he hadn't even spoken to her properly since they got married the previous day. He hadn't spent any time with her in these 24 hours.

"I'm sorry I've been working all this time. didn't even talk to you properly." Rishabh tells her regretfully.

"That is okay, work is important." Madhu tells him, smiling gently.

"You are also important." Rishabh tells her.

Hearing that Madhu breaks out into an even bigger smile with a slight blush. Rishabh couldn't help the smile seeing her so joyous.

"I have some important work in the office, I've to go. I can't postpone it." Rishabh regretfully tells her.

"No problem. You go." Madhu tells him, smiling.

Rishabh smiles and keeps his hand on her cheek, "I'll try to come soon." Rishabh promises her.

Feeling his hand on her cheek, Madhu blushes.

Seeing her blush, Rishabh smiles. "Bye." Rishabh softly tells her.

********

After Rishabh had left for office, Madhu had remained in their room as she was scared to face her mother-in-law. So, Madhu stays in her room and unpacked her things. After that, she simply walked around her new bedroom, getting acquainted with it. She tries all the switches figuring out what turned on what. Remembering how she had been clueless last night about the switch and the way her husband had silently watched her make a fool of herself, Madhu chuckles. After talking to him, she was feeling relieved. She had been a little worried about marrying a complete stranger and how her mother had tried to talk her out of it saying she was throwing away her life for her brother, she had been nervous and concerned, and he had put it all to rest. She smiles thinking about him, he wanted to make their marriage work and he wasn't just big words, she remembers how he had put his foot down when his sister had behaved rudely to her.

Madhu walks out of the room into the balcony thinking about him. she was starting to feel hopeful about their marriage. she keeps her hand on her cheek where he had kept his hand earlier and she blushes. Shaking her head, she looks around and sees the balcony was beautiful with creepers on the wall and small plants around the balcony.

Hearing the door open, Madhu curiously walks back into the room. she sees her husband closing the door.

"Hi... you are back?" Madhu asks smiling.

Rishabh turns to her and cheekily replies, "No, I am still on my way."

Madhu chuckles with a blush as she walked to him. Rishabh chuckles as he walked to her.

"How was work?" Madhu asks as she stopped in front of him.

Rishabh shrugs, "Normal. Everything was fine here?" Rishabh asks her.

Madhu nods her head. Rishabh nods. Then they looked at each other waiting for the other to speak. A minute later they realized that neither had anything to talk about, Rishabh nervously chuckles and Madhu also chuckles as she looked away.

Rishabh watched his wife with a smile as she with a nervous chuckle looked around. He was starting to like her. unlike his mother he had opposed Trishna and Mukund's wedding because he had realized in one meeting that they were not suited for each other, not because Mukund wasn't rich. Even though he didn't understand his mother's reasoning he had given in and married Madhu, for his sister and mother. now, as he was starting to realize the nature of his wife, he did feel a little sorry for her for being a pawn in this whole thing, which had made him even more determined to make this marriage work.

He wanted to get to know her and wanted her to know him, but how were they going to do that without talking to each other and he was drawing a big blank thinking on what to talk to her about.

Rishabh sighs, he had tons of work to finish but he already regretted the way he had ignored her earlier and he wanted to spent time with her. but what was he going to talk?

Then having nothing to talk about, he asks her, "Do you want to watch TV?"

Madhu nods her head in yes.

Rishabh grabs the TV remote and walk to the bed, seeing her watching him, he gestures with his eyes to the bed, asking her to sit. Madhu walks to the bed and sit on it. Rishabh turns on the TV and starts to flip through the channels, then stopping he offers her the remote.

"It's okay. I don't mind watching anything. you can put whatever you want." Madhu tells him.

Rishabh seeing Mission Impossible 3 was on HBO, he puts that. they silently watched it for some time.

"Rishabhji." Madhu softly calls him after sometime.

"Yes?" Rishabh turns to her.

"Why are you so nice to me?" Madhu asks him curiously.

"What?" Rishabh asks her confused.

"You are so nice to me..." Madhu tells him.

"You are my wife." Rishabh replies confused.

"But still..."

"Why are you nice to me?" Rishabh asks her back.

"That..." Madhu replies confused having no answer.

Rishabh shakes his head at her. "I'm not a bad person, Madhu." Rishabh tells her.

"You are not." Madhu agrees.

"Then why did you ask me that?"

"I..." Madhu starts then looking down, she softly confesses, "Nobody in your family likes me."

"They don't know you." Rishabh replies as he looked away feeling guilty for the way his sister and mother had behaved with Madhu that morning.

"Even you don't." Madhu softly tells him.

Rishabh sighs realizing that anymore explanation he gives about their behavior will have to be about the prejudiced mentality of his mother and sister. So, he instead talks about himself. "I was small when my Dad passed away. my mother raised me and my sister was just under a year old then. Because she never really knew Dad, mom has been very protective about her. that made me also very protective about her. Mom raised me all by herself. The major influence in my life have been two women. Maybe because of that I've always respected women. I've never misbehaved with one and never used one. I'm not going to start that with my wife."

Madhu nods understanding.

"And I'll not let anyone use you as a pawn anymore." Rishabh promises her.

"Pawn?" Madhu asks him confused as she looked at him.

"Weren't you one? Mom wanted to make sure Trishna will be treated well and happy in your house, and she got you married to me and brought you here to ensure that. no one considered your feelings. You were treated like a pawn." Rishabh says then with a disgusted shrug he adds, "like a political hostage."

"So were you." Madhu tells him. "Even you were forced into this. No one asked about your feelings too, right?"

Rishabh looks at her in shock. It was true, wasn't he also a pawn in this whole scheme? Rishabh looks away as he admitted to himself the truth. He was also a pawn. His mother had used him like a pawn in her twisted logic to ensure Trishna was happy. Rishabh couldn't help but think of Madhu's mother. She had fought to stop her daughter from being used as a pawn but had failed in front of Madhu's sacrificial nature. Or that was what he had gathered from the small conversation from the previous day.

"Were you so sure that Mukund and Trishna will be happy together? Is that why you decided to marry me?" Rishabh asks her as he looked at her.

Madhu nods in yes.

"You think they can be happy with each other?" Rishabh asks her shocked.

"They love each other." Madhu explains.

Rishabh realized that his wife was a romantic. He shakes his head and tells her, "Love alone isn't enough, Madhu. you need to have mutual respect, patience, willingness to give up for the other, companionship, the ability to understand one other, the ability to accept the other person's shortcoming and accept them the way they are. Then only, a marriage can work."

"Won't you do all that when you are in love?" Madhu asks him.

"Some people tend to love themselves more than the other." Rishabh tells her.

"Do you think we made the biggest mistake by agreeing to marry each other so they could marry?" Madhu asks him worriedly once what he had said sunk in.

"Only time will tell." Rishabh replies.

Then they remained silent as they tried to watch the movie though their minds were elsewhere.

*********

Next morning, after Rishabh had left for office, Madhu had tried to talk to her mother-in-law even though she was scared of her, she wanted to build a relation with her.

"Maaji..." Madhu nervously calls her.

Radha looks up at her and frowns in displeasure. "What do you want?"

"Nothing..." Madhu quickly shakes her head.

"Then?" Radha asks her angrily.

"I thought I'll talk to you... we never got a chance to talk to each other." Madhu tells her politely.

"Talk to me?" Radha asks her in disgust. "You think you are worthy enough to sit with me and talk to me?"

Madhu quickly looks down feeling hurt.

"I don't know what magic you did on Rishabh that he was screaming at Trishna for you. my poor child was so hurt because of you." Radha tells her angrily. "Already she is suffering in that house and add her brother turning against her, the torture she is going through right now, is because of you!"

Madhu had no idea how it was her fault, but she still says, "I am sorry."

"Don't do your fake act in front of me. Rishabh might be gullible to believe all that, not me!"

Realizing that she couldn't say anything right when it came to her mother-in-law, Madhu turns to walk off.

"As long as you are here, don't forget your place. You are just a tool to ensure my daughter is happy. Get out now."

Madhu runs to her room and gives into her tears. She felt miserable for being accused of things that she never did or had any intentions for. It took her a while to calm down, but by the time Rishabh had reached Madhu was able to put the whole thing behind her and when Rishabh had asked her about her day, she had skipped mentioning that incident.

*********

"Rishabhji."

"Yeah?" Rishabh curiously look at her.

"I was thinking, maybe I'll start going to college, I had taken leave for a week but there are no rituals or functions anymore, so..."

"Yeah... your decision." Rishabh replies shrugging wondering why she was even talking about it.

"Okay." Madhu replies smiling.

"Why did you take leave?" Rishabh asks her curiously.

"I don't know... I thought I should be home for a week." Madhu replies.

"Then why are you going?"

"I'm simply sitting here." Madhu replies shrugging.

"You don't talk to mom?" Rishabh asks her frowning.

"We don't have anything common to talk about." Madhu lies as she looked away.

"But you both should make an effort, right?" Rishabh asks her.

Madhu nods.

"Anyway, if you can get ready in 20 mins, I'll leave you on my way to office."

"Okay." Madhu smiles and hurries off to get dressed.

*********

"Mom..." Rishabh walks to his mother.

"Yes?" Radha turns to him still upset with him for his previous day's behavior.

"I wanted to talk to you." Rishabh says with a smile as he sat next to her.

"Hmmm tell me."

"I know you don't like Madhu and you don't trust her or her family." Rishabh starts.

"You shouldn't also." Radha interjects.

"Madhu is my wife, Mom. I've to spent my whole life with her." Rishabh points out.

"Madhu is just a means to an end. Don't give her more importance." Radha tells him angrily. "Once Trishna and Mukund moves out of that house or we get a permanent solution to that problem, you can divorce Madhu and marry whoever you want."

"I like Madhu." Rishabh tells her getting angry himself.

"How can you like that lowlife?" Radha asks furiously.

"Madhu is not a lowlife. And I like her because she is a nice girl." Rishabh tells her frowning furiously at her.

"I told you they are manipulative people, see how she has tied you to her pallu in just a day."

Rishabh furiously takes a deep breath to calm himself. "Mom, I don't want to argue with you. all I want is for you to be nice to Madhu."

"Oh so that is why... yesterday I told her some truth and she ran complaining to you." Radha accuses.

"What do you mean? What did you tell her?" Rishabh asks frowning.

"that she shouldn't forget her place."

"Don't talk to her like that ever again." Rishabh warns his mother.

*********

"Rishabhji." Madhu calls him as she walked out of the dressing room.

Rishabh turns to her with a frown.

"Do I look okay?" Madhu nervously asks him.

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

"My clothes..." Madhu nervously points out.

"What about it?" Rishabh asks confused as he looked her up and down.

"Yesterday, Bhabhi said I should wear clothes that are befitting your status..." Madhu worriedly tells him.

Rishabh frowns hearing that "I don't know about all that. you look nice." Rishabh replies shrugging.

Madhu quickly looks down feeling herself blush hearing the offhand compliment. "I don't want to embarrass you."

Rishabh shrugs in reply. "If you want, get new clothes for yourself. Just tell the driver to take you the designer Mom and Trishna goes to."

Madhu nods her head. "I am ready." Madhu informs him as she grabbed her college bag.

"What happened with Mom yesterday?" Rishabh asks her.

"Nothing." Madhu replies quickly.

"Nothing?" Rishabh asks her frowning as he walked to her.

"Yeah, nothing much. You are getting late. Let's go."

"I just spoke to Mom." Rishabh informs her.

"Oh." Madhu looks at Rishabh worriedly.

"Why didn't you tell me that Mom was rude to you?" Rishabh asks her.

"There was nothing to tell, Rishabhji." Madhu tells him.

"Nothing to tell?" Rishabh asks her shocked.

"Maaji doesn't know me, and she has all these preconceived notions. It will take a little time for her to accept me." Madhu tells him.

"That doesn't mean that she can be rude to you."

"It's okay. I wasn't hurt." Madhu tells him as she looked down.

Rishabh sighs loudly realizing that his wife was too forgiving for her own good.

*********

The car stops in front of Madhu's college.

Madhu turns to Rishabh and tells him, "Bye, Rishabhji."

Rishabh looks up from his mobile to see that they had reached her college. "What time will your college get over?"

"3."

Rishabh nods and looks at the driver, "John, from now on, pick Madhu from here every day at 3."

"Yes sir."

Madhu was about to tell him that she can take the bus but then she remembers what Trishna had told her about being careful as she was now Billionaire Rishabh Kundra's wife, and whatever she did would reflect on him, so she doesn't say anything.

"Madhu, keep John's number with you, in case you need him to come earlier or later or you have some emergency." Rishabh tells her.

Madhu nods.

"Oh that reminds me, I don't have your number." Rishabh says hurriedly.

Madhu couldn't help smile.

"What?" Rishabh asks her seeing her smile.

"I don't know, I found it funny." Madhu tells him chuckling.

"What funny? That I don't have your number?" Rishabh asks her.

Madhu nods her head in yes.

"You are weird." Rishabh tells her then he grins at her making her giggle. Then they exchange numbers. "I'll send you John's number."

"Okay."

"Madam, I'll wait here at 3." John tells her.

"Okay." Madhu smiles at him.

Madhu starts to get out.

"Bye, Madhu. have a nice day." Rishabh tells her.

"You too, Rishabhji." Madhu tells him with a smile.

He smiles at her.

Madhu starts to get out then she stops and asks him, "What time will you come home?"

"Depends on the work."

"Oh okay." Madhu nods.

"I'll try to come early." Rishabh tells her.

"It's okay. You finish your work and come." Madhu tells him with a smile.

*********

Her husband was a workaholic, she got that from the amount of time he spent on his laptop and mobile, busy working. But what made him so endearing to her was that he always tried to make time for her. they were slowly getting to know each other better with each passing day. the more they got closer, that much his mother and sister became rude to her. Madhu tried to keep it all hidden from Rishabh because whenever he realized that she was being mistreated he would confront his mother and sister about it, making matters much worse.

"Why are you such a workaholic?" Madhu asks Rishabh as she turned to lie on her side to look at him who was busy on his laptop.

Rishabh stops and looks at her. "I am not."

"You are always working." Madhu points out to him shocked.

"That is because I have lot of work to finish."

"Workaholic." Madhu points out.

"It is not easy running so many businesses at once."

"Workaholic." Madhu cheekily points out.

Rishabh grins seeing her stubbornly putting forth her view on his work habits. "Go to sleep."

"Am I disturbing your work?" Madhu asks him in a mockingly teasing tone.

Rishabh grins feeling a little embarrassed. "Sleep... sleep."

Madhu chuckles and lies back pulling the duvet over her.

Rishabh smiles as she settled to sleep.

*********

One day, Madhu was walking out of her college when she notices Rishabh instead of John. Unable to control her joy at seeing him so unexpectedly, she runs to him.

Rishabh smiles seeing her so happy in seeing him.

"Rishabhji... how come you came today?" Madhu asks him smiling happily as she stopped in front of him.

"Didn't have any pressing work, so I thought, why not take you out somewhere. We have never really gone anywhere together." Rishabh tells her as he led her to the car and opened the door for her.

Hearing that, Madhu asks him excitedly, "Really?"

Rishabh chuckles seeing her so excited. After Madhu sits, Rishabh closes the door and walks around the car and gets into the driver's seat.

"How come you are driving?" Madhu asks him.

"I thought today it should be just you and me. so, I gave the rest of the day off for John."

Madhu blushes happily hearing that.

"You don't like driving?" Madhu asks him curiously as this was the first time she was seeing him drive.

"I can do a hundred things in that time."

"Like work?" Madhu teases him.

Rishabh chuckles hearing that.

"Do you want me to drive?" Madhu asks him.

"You drive?" Rishabh asks her surprised.

"Yes, Maa insisted that I learn. She says it is a necessary skill that everyone should learn as we never know when we would need to drive."

"Hmmm. I'll drive now. it's been a while since I drove. But why didn't you tell me you could drive?"

"You never asked." Madhu points out.

"What is there to ask?" Rishabh asks her confused then he asks her, "So, you like driving?"

"Yes." Madhu says smiling.

"Then why aren't you driving to college?" Rishabh asks her.

"Me drive to college?" Madhu asks confused. "How?"

"Get a car."

"My own car?" Madhu asks shocked.

Rishabh gives her an exasperated look. "No, borrow the neighbor's car. Of course your own car."

Madhu smiles amazed. "At times I forget how rich you are."

Rishabh chuckles as he shook his head at her.

"So, where are we going?" Madhu asks him excitedly.

"Wherever you want to go." Rishabh tells her smiling.

"Anywhere is fine." Madhu tells him smiling.

"Then let's just go home." Rishabh tells her exasperated.

Madhu pouts at him.

"That is why I said wherever you want to go." Rishabh tells her trying his damndest to control the smile seeing her pout so cutely.

Madhu thinks for a few seconds, and asks "Do you want to go for a movie? It's been months since I watched a movie in the theatre."

"Movie? Hmmm... actually, it's been years since I watched one in theatre." Rishabh tells her. "Let's go."

"Years?" Madhu asks him shocked. "What a boring life did you lead, Rishabhji?"

Rishabh gives her a look then he tells her, "Check which movie and theatre."

Madhu nods and takes her mobile to check while Rishabh turned his gaze back to the road, though his attention on her question. he had thought he was happy and content in life. his ambition and focus fully on work. His work was his excitement, and now thinking back, that was the only exciting thing in his life. he had no life outside of work. He finally realized that Madhu was right, he was a workaholic. He had no joy outside of work... that is no longer true, Rishabh thought as his gaze turned to Madhu.

"Moon!" Madhu excitedly says as she pointed at the sky.

Rishabh curiously looks at the sky and looks at her confused, "What is so exciting about it?"

Madhu gives him a shocked look, "We can see the moon in daylight."

"We can see it almost all the time." Rishabh tells her shocked.

"I know." Madhu rolls her eyes then she looks at the moon, smiling excitedly. "Normally we see moon at night. We don't expect to see it during day time. so, when we see it, it is like a surprise, right?"

Rishabh gapes at her in shock. "That is so silly! Why would such an obvious thing surprise you?"

"Moon we mostly associate with night. So, when we see it unexpectedly during day time, it gives you a joy, right? like... hmmm... like a rainbow."

"You know rainbows are not real, right?"

Madhu makes a face at him. "You are such a killjoy, Rishabhji. We should learn to be happy about silly things."

"You are right, Madhu. it is silly." Rishabh tells her then seeing her scowling at him, he cheekily grins.

*********

"Rishabhji." Madhu excitedly ran to him one morning. "Come here... come here."

"Where?" Rishabh asks surprised and curious as he kept his laptop aside and stood up.

"Balcony." Madhu tells him as she held his hand and excitedly ran to the balcony door. "Look." Madhu excitedly points through the glass door.

"What?" Rishabh asks confused as he started to open the balcony door.

"Don't open." Gaur stops him. "Look at that plant, a bird is building a nest."

"Oh damn!" Rishabh mutters. "I'll ask one of the servants to clear it."

"What? No!" Madhu tells him shocked.

"What?" Rishabh turns to her in shock. "The bird is going to create a mess there."

"So, what? We can clean it."

"Madhu, it is going to dirty the whole place." Rishabh tells her.

"We will clean it, Rishabhji." Madhu insists.

"Why are you being so stubborn?"

"They say it is good luck if a bird builds a nest in our house."

"Superstition, Madhu." Rishabh says rolling his eyes.

"So, what? It is building its home, Rishabhji." Madhu earnestly tells him. "Like how we are trying to build a life and home together."

Hearing her say that, it tugged at his heart. he smiles at her lovingly, "Okay. let it be there, then."

"Thank you." Madhu says excitedly. "Let's go. It shouldn't see us, if it does, it might abandon the nest."

Rishabh nods and walks back.

Madhu comes back from college that afternoon and sees a servant standing near the balcony door and looking out.

"What are you doing?" Madhu asks him curiously.

"I came to water the plants."

"There is a bird nest." Madhu quickly starts to tell him.

"Rishabh Sir told me. he told me not to go to the balcony if the bird was there. thrice I came and all three times the bird was here."

"Oh." Madhu smiles hearing that Rishabhji had remembered to informs the servants about the bird. "Leave the water can there, I'll water it."

"Okay. Sir told me to leave a bowl of water for the bird." He tells her showing the bowl.

"I'll fill it and keep it too." Madhu says smiling so touched that Rishabhji had so thoughtfully thought of the bird.

Once the servant left, Madhu dials Rishabh's number.

"Madhu, did you reach home?" Rishabh asks as soon as he picked the call.

"Yes." Madhu replies then smiling she tells him, "It was very thoughtful of you to have someone leave water for the bird."

"It's building a home like us." Rishabh tells her smiling.

Blushing a little, Madhu smiles hearing that. "Yes."

*********

"Madhu... I'm leaving." Rishabh calls out to her.

"Okay... I'll also leave in a bit." Madhu tells him as she hurried to him. "Did you check? The bird finished building the nest."

"No, I didn't." Rishabh shakes his head.

"Check when you come back, the bird is there now." Madhu tells him.

"Okay, boss." Rishabh tells her with a chuckle. "Call me when you reach college."

"Will do." Madhu replies, today was the first time she was going by herself to college in her new car.

"Okay, bye."

*********

"It laid eggs!" Madhu excitedly informs Rishabh.

"Why are you getting so excited about that?" Rishabh asks her with a surprised chuckle.

"Because it is a happy occasion for that bird." Madhu tells him pouting.

"What is it to us?" Rishabh asks her, not understanding.

"I am happy for it." Madhu tells him softly, losing a bit of her excitement.

"You are getting obsessed with it, Madhu." Rishabh tells her as he followed her to see the nest.

Madhu chuckles hearing him.

"Wow." Rishabh says in amazement seeing the four tiny eggs.

"So cute, right?" Madhu asks him as she held his hand.

"Yeah." Rishabh replies with a smile as he held her hand.

*********

"Madhu... wake up." Rishabh shakes her gently one morning.

"What happened, Rishabhji?" Madhu asks him sleepily.

"The eggs hatched." Rishabh tells her smiling happily.

"It did?" Madhu asks surprised as she sat up.

"Yeah." Rishabh replies smiling happily.

Excitedly squealing, Madhu jumps out of the bed.

"Don't scream, you are going to scare the birds." Rishabh tells her as he followed her.

"Oh my God, Rishabhji, they are so cute." Madhu gushes seeing the tiny birds.

"They are." Rishabh tells her smiling happily as he stood next to her.

"I feel like crying." Madhu whispers feeling emotional and her eyes filling up.

"Awww." Rishabh puts his hand over her shoulders and pulls her close.

Watching the birds, Madhu keeps her head on his chest smiling happily with tear filled eyes.

Rishabh smiles even more feeling her keep her head on his chest. He felt peaceful and joyous seeing the baby birds and having Madhu in his arms. For a second, he wondered, if he felt so happy to finally see the eggs hatched after almost two weeks, then how happy was he going to be when Madhu and he would have their first baby?

********

"I am going to study, Rishabhji." Madhu informs Rishabh.

Her study holidays had started and she used Rishabh's study to study. Rishabh only used it when he had some meetings at home otherwise he preferred working in the bedroom.

"Okay." Rishabh replies, since it was a Sunday he was home and since Madhu was busy with her studies, he had obviously decided to work.

Madhu was going to get a bottle of water before she went to the study while walking down the stairs, she hears loud chatter and notices that her mother-in-law had her friend over. Before she could slip out unnoticed, Radha's friend look at her. not wanting to be rude or insulting, Madhu with a polite smile walks to her.

"Namaste." Madhu says.

She nods at Madhu. "She looks so different from the wedding." The friend says looking her up and down.

"Obviously." Radha replies rolling her eyes. "When you marry into money..."

Madhu felt her cheeks burn in humiliation hearing that. her mother-in-law and sister-in-law had always talked down to her, and have always been rude, but it had never happened when an outsider was present.

"Tsk-tsk tsk." Her friends shake her head.

"I was going to get water. I'll just..." Madhu says in a way to excuse herself.

"Yeah, go. No one called you here." Radha tells her with a frown. "And see why is the refreshments taking time."

"Okay, maaji."

"Maaji?!?!?!?" her friend asks in shock. "How down market is she, Radha?"

Radha looks at Madhu furiously, feeling humiliated.

"Our fate that we..." Radha starts.

Madhu worriedly cuts her off, "Maaji, please... Rishabhji is home and if he hears it..."

"Rishabhji?" her friend asks cutting off Madhu asks shocked. "What were you thinking, Radha? How could you get this classless thing married to Rishabh?"

"I didn't think... it is my fault." Radha says as she glared at Madhu.

"Poor Rishabh, how is he going to live with her? poor thing might be miserable." She starts then looking behind Madhu, she says, "Come, Rishabh... I was just talking about you."

Madhu looks back in shock and sees Rishabh furiously standing behind her.

"What are you doing here? You wanted something?" Madhu asks him as she quickly held his hand.

Rishabh turns to Madhu in anger.

"Please come with me, I want to tell you something." Madhu tells him as she started pulling on his hand but Rishabh didn't budge.

"Go with her, Rishabh." Radha says quickly realizing that Rishabh was going to create some scene as usual for Madhu.

"Oh my God, how manner less, is she? Can't she see that I'm talking to him? Radha, you should have found another solution instead of marrying Rishabh to this..."

"Meera Aunty!" Rishabh cuts her off.

"Yes, Rishabh?"

"Get out."

"What?" Meera asks in shock.

"I said get out of my house."

"Rishabhji, please stop." Madhu begs him.

"How dare you, Rishabh?" Radha asks furiously as she stood up.

"How dare she?" Rishabh asks back furiously. "How dare she come into our home and insult Madhu like this?"

"Insult? She was saying the truth!" Radha justifies furiously.

"Truth? What truth?" Rishabh asks her furiously. "She was calling Madhu manner less, when it was she who was being manner less. She come into our house and treat Madhu like this. She called Madhu down market, when it is her thinking that is the lowest of the low."

"Rishabhji, you are making a scene." Madhu softly whispers to him.

"I am making a scene? She was making a scene and you being silent had supported her in making one." Rishabh says furiously then turning to Radha he tells her, "She is your best friend, she might be like a family member, but she can't come into our house and insult one of us. if she can't control her vile tongue then she should never come into our house."

"You would forbid Meera from our house because of this girl?" Radha asks him furiously shaking as she glared at Madhu.

Rishabh looks at his mother in shock, "Mom, Madhu is my wife. Do I need to spell it out to you what position she holds in my life?"

Radha stops in shock hearing that then she slowly turns to Madhu who was worriedly looking at her and Rishabh.

"I'm leaving, Radha. Never thought I would see a day like this where our Rishabh would ask me to leave." Meera says humiliated and hurt.

"And I never thought I would see a day where I would have to ask you to leave because you were disrespecting my wife." Rishabh replies.

"I am sorry, Meera." Radha says humiliated and regretful.

Meera leaves from there.

"Please stop her, Rishabhji. She is Maaji's friend." Madhu worriedly tells him.

"that doesn't give her the right to talk like that to you."

"Alienate him from us!" Radha furiously accuses Madhu. "Next what? You would drive a wedge between us too."

"Madhu has never said a word against you." Rishabh tells her angrily.

"It is all her act." Radha accuses.

"How?" Rishabh asks her helplessly confused.

"Rishabhji, please stop." Madhu pleads him. "I didn't feel insulted."

Rishabh turns to Madhu in shocked exasperation. feeling defeated and helpless, he puts up his hand and walks off.

******

"Rishabhji..." Madhu calls him as she hurried behind him.

Rishabh furiously turns to her. "What now?"

"You shouldn't have said all that." Madhu tells him softly.

Rishabh starts to say then noticing the door ajar, he walks to it and closes it, then turning to her, he furiously tells her, "I wouldn't have had to say all that if you would just stand up for yourself."

"Rishabhji, it wasn't that bad." Madhu whispers.

"Wasn't that bad?" Rishabh asks her furiously. "What joy do you get in getting yourself humiliated like that?"

Madhu worriedly looks down having no answer.

"I've never disrespected a woman in my life and today because of your silence I had to talk like that to a woman of my mother's age. I grew up seeing her... if you would just learn to fight for yourself, I wouldn't have to do all this. Nobody can help you unless you are ready to fight for yourself."

"Rishabhji, there was no need to fight with them."

Rishabh furiously sighs. "I feel that if I go and tell those birds all these they would understand it better than you!"

"We can just ignore it all, Rishabhji, what she says or thinks, it is not going to affect us, right? and she is Maaji's friend, we should respect that."

Rishabh furiously runs his hand through his hair. "I never thought of the kind of wife I want in life, but I know this, I never wanted to get married to a door mat."

Madhu looks away feeling hurt and miserable, her eyes filling up with tears.

"Now, why are you crying?" Rishabh asks feeling guilty for hurting her.

"I just want to maintain peace at home." Madhu whispers.

"How is there any peace when you are miserable? You are treated like an unwanted person?" Rishabh asks shocked.

"It doesn't matter to me."

"It doesn't?" Rishabh asks her in shock. "And you want me to believe that? you don't think I notice you hiding out in the room most of the time? that you don't step out of the room when Trishna comes over?"

"I just don't want to create a scene." Madhu justifies.

"So, you would continue to get insulted?" Rishabh asks her in outrage. "When are you going to learn that unless you stand up for yourself they are not going to stop."

"I wasn't insulted." Madhu whispers.

"What the..." Rishabh stops in shock. "You mean to say after all that they said downstairs, you were not insulted?" Rishabh asks her shocked.

"No. I swear." Madhu tells him as she looked at him.

"What?" Rishabh whispers in shock, unable to believe what he was hearing.

"All that time, I was worried that you would hear that and be hurt. I was scared about what you would do if you heard it. I was worried for them if you heard it. I wasn't insulted."

Rishabh stops in shock hearing that, "What am I going to do with you, Madhu?" Rishabh asks her in a helpless whisper.

*********

Later that evening, Rishabh goes to the study to check on Madhu.

"You fine, right?" Rishabh asks her.

Madhu nods in yes. "Are you okay, Rishabhji?"

"Yeah." Rishabh says then he gently smiles at her. "You study." He tells her and starts to leave the room.

"Rishabhji." Madhu softly calls him.

"Hmmm?" Rishabh turns to her.

"Should I call you Rishabh instead of Rishabhji?"

"Is it because of what happened earlier?"

"I don't want to embarrass you." Madhu tells him worriedly.

"You are my wife, it is your choice what you call me. and if I have no problem with whatever you decide to call me, then no one should. No one has the right to come between us and dictate what happens between us or give their suggestion."

Madhu nods as she smiled a little.

"And you embarrass me when you don't fight for yourself and take all kinds of bullshit lying down." Rishabh tells her.

"They are your family, Rishabhji. I don't want to come in between." Madhu tells him softly.

"That doesn't mean that you let all this happen to you."

"It is okay, Rishabhji."

"You and mom, both are stubborn. One won't stop insulting and other doesn't start fighting for herself. And I am getting suffocated between you both." Rishabh helplessly tells her.

Madhu looks down feeling guilty for the torture he has to go through because of her.

Rishabh sighs as he looked at her. "I just don't understand why Mom hates you so much. She doesn't treat Mukund like the way she treats you. sure, she isn't loving or warm with him too but at least she doesn't insult him like she insults you."

"You don't know why?" Madhu asks him in shock as she looked at him.

"No." Rishabh replies shocked at her shock and question.

"You seriously have no idea?" Madhu asks him in shock.

"No! Is it because he is Trishna's husband and she loves her more?" Rishabh asks confused.

"No! No!" Madhu replies shocked wondering how clueless he could be.

"Then?" Rishabh asks completely lost and shocked that Madhu seems to think that he should have known the reason.

"It's because even after marriage, Bhabhi has remained her daughter. But you after marriage became my husband." Madhu explains.

"Of course, I am your husband." Rishabh says confused. "And Trishna is Mukund's wife."

"No, not like that." Madhu says shaking her head.

"Then?"

"Bhabhi has always remained her daughter. And you, the day after our marriage, you screamed at Bhabhi and fought for me." Madhu explains to him.

"What?" Rishabh asks in shock. "She thinks I stopped being her son because now I am your husband?"

"She feels you are more of my husband than her son." Madhu tells him.

"What?" Rishabh asks in shock as he thoughtfully looked away.

"She is feeling hurt, Rishabhji." Madhu tells him.

"She is insecure?" Rishabh asks Madhu as he looked at her in shock and confusion.

"After Papaji's death, she single-handedly raised you both. And now that I am here, she might be feeling that she is no longer important to you like she was earlier."

"I never realized it, Madhu." Rishabh whispers to her feeling guilty.

Madhu gets up and walks to him, she holds his hand and tells him, "Talk to her, Rishabhji. Try to understand her."

Rishabh nods.

*********

"Mom." Rishabh calls her from the door.

"What?" Radha snaps at him.

Rishabh walks to her and sits next to her. "I came to talk to you."

"You mean, fight for your wife?" Radha asks him back in anger.

"No, mom. about us. About you and me."

"What about us?" Radha asks him with a frown.

Rishabh smiles and holds her hand, "I love you, Mom."

Radha scoffs as she looked away though he could see that she was trying to mask her reaction with indifference.

"No matter what happens, Mom, I'll always be your son." Rishabh promises her.

"If you were, you wouldn't insult my best friend like that. Did you think I would I ever face her after this?" Radha asks him.

"And what about the way she was insulting Madhu? Why didn't you stop it?" Rishabh asks her unable to hide his hurt.

"You expect me to defend that lowlife?" Radha asks him in outrage.

Rishabh was about to scream at his mother then remembering what Madhu said, he takes a calming breath. "Mom, why don't you see how nice my Madhu is?"

"Your Madhu?" Radha asks him offended.

"She is no longer just my wife with whom I have to spent my life with." Rishabh looks at her and continues, "I am dreaming of a life with her, Mom."

"She is not worthy of us." Radha says as she looked away.

"She is. You will see that. only if you just give her the chance." Rishabh requests her.

"she is manipulating you."

"How, Mom? she never speaks a word against any of you."

"Oh, she is smarter than that." Radha scoffs at him.

Rishabh sighs realizing that Madhu was wrong, it was not him who needed to understand his mother, it was his mother who needed to understand Madhu.

*********

They were in bed that night, she reading a book on poetry and he working on his laptop.

"How did it go with Maaji?" Madhu asks him.

Rishabh shrugs in reply.

Madhu takes his hand and holds it, "Everything is going to be fine. Just give it sometime."

"How much longer?" Rishabh asks her dejectedly. "I am starting to feel that nothing is going to change."

"Change is the only constant." Madhu reminds him with a smile.

"Hmmm." Rishabh nods.

Madhu lets go off his hand, and Rishabh gets back to work.

"Rishabhji..." Madhu thoughtfully calls him.

"Yeah?" Rishabh turns to her.

"Earlier you were talking about the birds."

Rishabh frowns confused.

"That they would understand better..."

"Ah what about that?" Rishabh asks her. "Did you feel bad?"

"It's not that. every morning, you are so excited to see the birds."

"Yeah." Rishabh smiles confused. "They are cute."

"You know that one of these days, they would leave, right?" Madhu asks him.

"What? Why?" Rishabh asks confused, his heart breaking hearing that. he had gotten attached to the birds.

"Birds don't stay in nest after hatching much." Madhu tells him.

"Oh." Rishabh says sadly. "I am so used to seeing them in the morning. I will miss them. I wish we could have them with us permanently."

"We can't cage them because we love them, right? they have the right to be free." Madhu tells him smiling.

"Yes." Rishabh replies sadly smiling.

Seeing him sad, Madhu holds his hand again and interlocks her finger with his. Rishabh smiles and holds her hand. They both knew what both were telling without telling, we have each other.

"We should preserve the nest after the birds leave. And keep it somewhere in our room." Madhu tells him.

"Yes, we should." Rishabh tells her smiling. The birds were like foster kids for them, they had a long time to think about kids as Madhu just getting ready for her final exams for her under graduation, and then she had to do her post-graduation before they could think of kids.

"Okay, you study." Rishabh says as he tried to free his hand from hers.

"Okay." Madhu replies as she started reading while she held on to his hand.

"Madhu, I need to work." Rishabh tells her.

"Work." Madhu replies.

"You need to let go off my hand." Rishabh points out.

"Why? You can't type with one hand?" Madhu cheekily asks him.

Rishabh chuckles hearing her question, then turning to his laptop, he starts typing with just one hand. Madhu smiles seeing that and let's go off his hand. Rishabh turns to her, and she chuckles. Rishabh takes her hand and slips his hand under it then he interlocks it at their elbow.

Madhu laughs softly seeing that. Rishabh grins then he gets back to his work. Madhu smiles happily. she couldn't help remember how he had fought for her that day, he always fought for her, always kept her a priority. She remembers how he had talked about her position in his life. Smiling happily and feeling touched, she leans and keeps her head on his shoulders. Then she feels his head resting on top of hers. And they sat like that while she read and he worked.

*********

"Madhu... I need to go out of town for a few days." Rishabh informs her one day.

"How many days?" Madhu asks feeling sad thinking of him going away.

"3 days." Rishabh informs her.

"Oh okay. when are you leaving?"

"Tomorrow."

Madhu nods thinking how she was going to stay alone with her mother-in-law in one house.

"I was thinking, you go stay with your mother, anyway your exams are over and you are free."

"But Maaji will be alone." Madhu reminds him.

"Madhu, you and mom, both need a break from each other." Rishabh tells her.

"Okay." Madhu says feeling a little happy and relieved.

*********

The next day, Rishabh dropped Madhu to her mother's place on his way to the airport. Even though, Madhu was sad and miserable about staying away from Rishabh for the first time, she was happy about staying with her mother.

Hearing the doorbell, Madhu opens the door for Mukund.

"Bhaiyya." Madhu happily greats him.

"Hi Madhu, how are you?" Mukund asks her as he hugged her warmly.

"Obviously doing great. Did you forget where or who she is married to?" Trishna asks him.

Madhu turns to look at Trishna, since she had reached, Trishna had been ignoring her and now...

"just shut up, Trishna. And mind your business." Mukund tells her in anger.

"Bhaiyya... leave it."

"You don't talk between my husband and me!" Trishna tells her furiously.

"And you don't talk between me and my sister." Mukund tells her equally furious.

Madhu looks at both of them in shock.

"Mukund, go and have your shower. We'll have dinner together." Padmini tells him.

Nodding, Mukund walks off to his room. Trishna follows him. the moment the door was closed, they started arguing loudly.

"what is happening, Maa?" Madhu asks Padmini in shock.

"I don't know." Padmini replies with a sigh as she started to walk off.

Madhu quickly holds her hand to stop her. "Did they have a fight?" Madhu asks worriedly remembering what her husband had told about their marriage.

"I just don't know." Nayatara tells her sadly. "Some days, they are so loving and happy. And some days, they are fighting and arguing. For days, they won't talk to each other."

Madhu looks at her brother's bedroom door sadly. Padmini cups her face and makes her face her.

"Are you happy, Madhu?" Padmini asks her worriedly.

"I am, Maa." Madhu replies. "How many times would you ask me that?"

"How is damadji? Is he treating you well?"

Madhu keeps her hand over her mother's, "He is the best, Maa. Always taking care of me."

"You are not lying, right?" Padmini asks her still worriedly.

"Do I look unhappy to you?" Madhu asks her smiling.

Padmini smiles and shakes her head. "When I see them fighting like this, I get worried for them and you both. they at least were in love when they got married."

"Rishabhji is the best thing that happened to me, Maa. I am very happy with him, more than you had ever hoped for me."

Padmini smiles hearing that.

*********

Madhu watches as Trishna's chef walked to the kitchen with a bag filled with groceries. Padmini sighs softly.

"What happened?" Madhu asks her softly.

"Nothing... I was just..." Padmini helplessly shrugs.

"You were what?" Madhu asks her curiously.

"He brought groceries." Padmini says softly.

"What's wrong with that?" Madhu asks confused.

"We don't pay for it." Padmini tells her uncomfortably.

"Oh." Madhu says softly. "Maaji is concerned about Bhabhi."

"But it is not right, Madhu."

"Maa... Rishabhji also spends on me. just because she got married, doesn't mean she is no longer a part of that family."

"that is different, Madhu."

"How, Maa?"

"Your husband is spending on you. that is fine. If Mukund spends on Trishna, it is fine. If Trishna's family spends on her, that is also fine. But her family take care of our household expenses is not right." Padmini tells her. "Trishna has a car and driver here. They are paying for that also."

"They are just taking care of her comfort." Madhu tries to justify.

"But it feels like we are living off them."

Madhu holds her hand. "I know, Ma, you've always lived with self-respect. After Baba passed away, you never took anyone's help, you worked hard and raised us. and I know, it is difficult for you. and I understand you, Ma... but for bhaiyya and Bhabhi, just ignore it, Maa."

Padmini nods. "I don't say anything, Madhu. I know, Trishna is finding it difficult to adjust to this small house. but she needs to accept this house and us the way we are."

Madhu nods. "Soon, Maa. Just give it time."

Padmini nods.

*********

Rishabh dials Madhu's number once he got settled in the car.

"Rishabhji, did you start for airport?" Madhu asks him excitedly. Finally, he was coming home, even though they had spoken to each other multiple times all these days, she had missed him terribly.

"Yeah, Madhu. On my way to the airport."

"Should I come with John to pick you up?" Madhu asks him.

"It's okay, Madhu. don't bother. I'll come there and pick you up on the way from airport." Rishabh tells her.

"You are coming to pick me up?" Madhu asks excitedly.

"Why? You don't want me to?" Rishabh asks her back.

Madhu chuckles hearing his question. "Then have dinner from here." Madhu tells him excitedly.

"It's okay, Madhu. will have from home. Don't trouble sasuma."

"No, Rishabhji have from here!"

Rishabh chuckles hearing that. "Okay, boss."

Madhu laughs softly hearing that. "Did you call maaji?"

"No, why?" Rishabh asks her.

"To tell her that you are on the way."

"Why? I never do that." Rishabh says confused. "And she knows I am flying back today."

"Still she will feel nice. Call her."

"Okay, will do." Rishabh tells her.

"Okay, bye. See you soon."

"See you." Rishabh says with a smile and hangs up then he dials his mother's number.

"Hello, Rishabh?" Radha answers the call. "What happened? Are you extending your trip?" Radha asks as soon as she picked the call.

"No... no, I just called to say that I am on the way to the airport."

"Ah... that's nice." Radha says smiling.

Rishabh smiles hearing her sound happy. Madhu was right.

"So, you should reach by 7, right?"

"I'll be going to Madhu's place to pick her up and will be having dinner from there, then we will come home."

"You haven't even reached, and already making plans to visit your wife's house?"

"Madhu is there. how do you expect me to pick her up without going there?" Rishabh asks her in exasperation.

"What are drivers for?"

"Mom, I am going to pick my wife. And don't forget my sister is also there and I want to meet her also."

"Oh yeah, meet her. ever since your wife went there, they have been pampering her and catering to all her needs. Poor Trishna, what all she has to go through?"

"Bye, Mom." Rishabh says and hangs up knowing there is no use.

Tired Rishabh leans back on the seat as he looked out the window. He notices a faint moon on the sky.

That's a nice surprise. Rishabh thought with a smile as he looked at the moon visible during the broad daylight.

*********

"Bhabhi... when is bhaiyya reaching?" Madhu asks Trishna.

"Why?" Trishna asks her back instead replying.

"Rishabhji will be coming, he'll be having dinner from here. Can you ask bhaiyya to come by 7:30?"

Trishna nods in yes.

*********

Hearing the door bell, Madhu excitedly runs to the door and opens it.

"Hi." Madhu says smiling excitedly seeing Rishabh at the door.

"Hi." Rishabh says smiling happily seeing her.

They were smiling at each other happily.

"Bhai!" Trishna calls him as she excitedly ran to her.

Seeing her, Rishabh opens his arms for her and hugs her happily.

"How are you?" Rishabh asks her as he hugged his sister happily.

Trishna makes a face in reply making Rishabh shake his head at her.

then stepping aside. "Hello Mukund." Rishabh says as he walks to Mukund and Padmini who had come to receive him.

*********

As Rishabh spoke to Mukund, Padmini and Trishna, Madhu and he kept stealing glances from each other, knowing they couldn't talk till they were well on their way home. A while later, Madhu and Padmini set the table for dinner, along with Trishna's chef, who was keeping her dinner. Once done, they call everyone to the table.

Rishabh takes his seat and Madhu sits next to him.

"Everything specially made for you, damadji." Padmini tells him.

"Oh thank you, sasuma." Rishabh smiles happily at her.

"Ewwe... sasuma and damadji? How outdated!" Trishna asks shuddering.

"It is... isn't it?" Rishabh asks her chuckling. "I wasn't sure what to call her and she called me damadji, so I called her sasuma." Rishabh explains chuckling then turning to Padmini, he tells her, "From now on, don't call me damadji, call me Rishabh and I won't call you sasuma."

"Then what are you going to call her?" Madhu asks curiously.

"Obviously, maa like you."

Madhu smiles happily hearing that. she turns to look at her mother and sees her also smiling happily.

"You're going to call her Maa?" Trishna asks offended.

"Yes." Rishabh replies and knowing she was going to say something offensive, he says quickly, "Let's eat. I'm very hungry."

"Bhai... I told the chef to make pasta specially for you." Trishna tells him as she gestured him to serve Rishabh.

"But Trishna, you knew all this was made specially for him then why did you ask to make that?" Padmini asks her shocked.

"Because Pasta is his favorite. And he won't like all this unhealthy food." Trishna tells her irately.

"I really don't know what is unhealthy food you and Mom keep talking about." Rishabh tells her shaking his head. "But when she made all this for me, why did you bother?"

"Have it, don't hurt her." Madhu whispers to him.

"Don't you like Pasta?" Trishna asks him frowning.

"I do but you shouldn't have bothered." Rishabh tells her ignoring Madhu.

"You only say this is my house. And, you are coming here for dinner, shouldn't I have something prepared for you?"

When put it like that, Rishabh couldn't refuse, so he smiles at his sister, "If that is the case then I would love to have some."

Trishna smiles hearing that and gestures the chef to serve him.

"Wow, this is nice." Rishabh says as he tasted it, he turns to the chef and tells him, "It is very nice, thank you."

Chef nods at him in reply.

"I knew you would love it. Have more, bhai." Trishna says smiling proudly.

"No... no... I've to have the other food too."

"But you liked the pasta."

"Stop pestering him, Trishna. Let him eat whatever he wants." Mukund tells her in irritation.

"I am talking to my brother." Trishna tells him in irritation.

"I had that, now I want to have these food too." Rishabh says wanting to end the topic and serves for himself.

"Rishabhji, you don't have to..." Madhu starts and Rishabh ignores her and serves food on her plate.

Knowing that he would not budge, Madhu remains silent but anxiously wait for him to taste the food.

"This is amazing." Rishabh says tasting the food. "Sasu... I mean Maa, when Madhu always talked about your cooking, I thought half the time she was exaggerating but I have to admit that she was right."

Padmini looks at him surprised and then starts laughing, "But I didn't make it."

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

"Madhu made all this." Padmini informs him.

Rishabh turns to her surprised and sees her happily blushing. "You made these?"

Madhu nods happily smiling.

"Wow." Rishabh beams. "Now, I feel like having that coffee that you were boasting about."

"Coffee?" Madhu asks confused then remembering she mentioning it on their second day of marriage. "You remember that?" Madhu asks surprised.

"Why? You think I have short term memory?" Rishabh asks her teasingly.

Madhu chuckles hearing that.

*********

"Coffee." Madhu says cheekily as she offered Rishabh coffee.

Rishabh couldn't help chuckle as he took the cup from her. "Thank you."

Madhu waits for him to taste it.

Seeing her waiting, Rishabh takes a sip. "Don't like it this sweet."

Madhu scowls at him hearing that.

"I didn't say, I didn't like it." He points out cheekily.

Madhu grins hearing that.

"It's amazing." Rishabh tells her smiling happily.

Madhu smiles back at him happily. "I'll get my stuff while you have coffee."

Rishabh nods.

Madhu was taking her stuff, when she hears someone step into the room. curiously, she turns back and sees Rishabh slightly closing the door. he turns to her and Madhu smiles shyly. Rishabh walks to her and stops in front of her.

Rishabh keeps his hand on her cheek, then he moves closer to her and gently pulls her towards her and hugs her tight. Madhu hugs him tight as she snuggled into his arms.

Rishabh kisses her forehead, then both her cheeks. Madhu blushing happily, leans up and kisses him on his cheek.

Rishabh looks at her surprised. "I kissed you to thank you for cooking for me. why did you kiss me?"

"Huh?" Madhu's mouth drop open in shock.

"Why did you kiss me, Madhu?" Rishabh asks her grinning happily.

"Erm... erm..."

"Ah... no worries, Madhu. you can be romantic with me." Rishabh tells her grinning smugly.

Madhu gapes at him then seeing him watching her, blushing happily, she hits him on his chest and hugs him happily.

Rishabh hugs her tight. "I missed you."

"I missed you more." Madhu tells him.

*********

"Mukund and Trishna are having issues?" Rishabh asks Madhu as they settled on bed that night.

Madhu nods in yes. "They are having arguments."

Rishabh sighs loudly.

"they are just getting used to their new relation." Madhu tells him gently in a consoling way.

"We haven't known each other even half the time as much as them." Rishabh points out to her as he frowned at her.

Madhu looks at him having no reply.

"Why was Trishna competing with you?" Rishabh asks her.

"Competing?" Madhu asks confused.

"She knew you were cooking for me, still she had her chef cook for me." Rishabh tells her.

"She told you..."

Rishabh sighs, "When Maa told me you had cooked, I just... what she did was not right. she shouldn't have done that. I would have told her that but I didn't want to create a scene in front of Maa and Mukund."

Madhu moves to him and keeps her head on his chest, hugging him. Rishabh wraps his hand around her.

"Was she rude to you?" Rishabh asks her.

"She ignored me for most time."

Rishabh sighs loudly knowing that even if Trishna had misbehaved with Madhu then also she wouldn't say anything about it.

*********

Madhu was getting ready when Rishabh hugs her from behind and kisses her cheek.

"All the best."

Smiling, Madhu turns around and hugs him. "Thank you."

"Call me when you get your results." Rishabh tells her.

"You seem more nervous than me." Madhu teases him.

"Aren't you anxious about your results?" Rishabh asks her curiously.

"I'm just worried about one paper. Rest everything is fine."

"Poetry?" Rishabh asks her.

Madhu nods.

"You said it wasn't that bad."

"Yeah... I think I'll get around only 85."

Rishabh moves back to look at her in shock. "What about the other papers?"

"around 95... definitely 90+."

Rishabh rolls his eyes hearing that. "Sometimes, you don't open your mouth and when you do, you are full of brags."

Madhu chuckles hearing that.

"I'll see you in the evening." Rishabh tells her as he kissed her forehead.

"I called Maa today." Madhu hesitantly tells him.

Rishabh sighs realizing her tone. "They fought again?"

Madhu nods. "Maybe if you could talk to Bhabhi, and I'll talk to bhaiyya."

"Madhu, they are not kids. They are adults and we can't interfere in their marriage."

"But shouldn't we try at least?" Madhu asks him in concern.

"It was their decision to get married. I tried my best to talk them out of it. Now, it is up to them."

Madhu sighs sadly.

"And neither are the type to take advice from others." Rishabh tells her.

Madhu nods because she knew that was true.

"I'll see you in the evening." Rishabh tells her as he kissed her.

"Bye." Madhu kisses him and hugs him for a few seconds.

**********

"What are you watching?" Rishabh asks Madhu as he curiously looked at the TV.

"Satyadev The Fearless Cop."

"Which movie is that?" Rishabh asks confused seeing actors that he didn't recognized.

"It is a Tamil movie dubbed in Hindi." Madhu explains.

"Ah okay." Rishabh nods then he gets back to work.

"That is so cool." Madhu tells Rishabh a while later.

"What?" Rishabh asks curiously.

"His fiancé died, so he takes her daughter and decides to travel. He takes her to the railway station and shows her India's map, and tells her to point at any place and they would go live in that place, then once she grows tired of that place, they would go to another place. That is so cool." Madhu says so impressed.

"Cool? What? Living like a nomad? What about earning a living? The kid's education?" Rishabh asks her shocked.

"He works as a farmer and in one place as her school teacher. And she goes to school. Four years they travelled and they came back home. They came back for her 6th standard because that is fountainhead."

"Fountainhead?" Rishabh asks confused.

"He says. I knew what I wanted to study in college only after I got my 12th board exam results."

"How much did you get in English?" Rishabh asks curiously since she just finished her BA. In English Literature.

"98."

"Hmmm." Rishabh nods impressed.

"Anyway, I thought travelling like that is super cool."

"You like travelling?" Rishabh asks her.

"I've never travelled." Madhu tells him sadly.

"Ah that is why!" Rishabh declares, "That is why you think the idea of a nomadic life so exciting."

Madhu makes a face at him making Rishabh chuckle. As Madhu got busy with the TV, Rishabh pulls up the calendar to check his schedule ahead.

"Madhu..."

"Yes?" Madhu turns to him.

"I've been wanting to go to Bali for a while now. let's go?"

Madhu smiles excitedly hearing that. "OFCOURSE!"

Rishabh chuckles hearing her excitement. "Okay, I'll book the tickets."

"When are we going?" Madhu asks him excitedly as she turned to sit facing him.

"I don't have any pressing work this week. We can go Friday. 4 days trip." Rishabh tells her.

"Day after?" Madhu asks shocked.

"Yeah... why? Did you make any plans for the weekend?" Rishabh asks her confused.

"I don't have passport."

"You don't?" Rishabh asks her shocked.

"No."

"Why don't you tell me all these things?"

"You never asked me." Madhu replies.

"Damn! There is no time to get a passport." Rishabh says dejected.

Madhu sadly looks down.

"Let's do one thing." Rishabh says as he typed into his laptop.

Madhu curiously watch him do something on his laptop. Then he turns to the laptop to face her, and it had the image of India's map.

"Touch wherever you want to go, we'll go there." Rishabh tells her, smiling.

"Really? Anywhere?" Madhu asks him excited.

"Yes." Rishabh chuckles.

Madhu excitedly looks at the map then she closes her eyes, pointing her finger forward, she starts drawing a circle in the air then she moves her hand forward and touches the screen.

"Is it on the map?" Madhu asks him excitedly.

"Yes." Rishabh replies in an irritated, clipped tone.

Curiously, Madhu turns to look at him and sees him looking at her exasperated. She curiously turns to the screen and sees that she had touched Madurai.

"Madurai." Madhu turns to Rishabh and hesitantly smiles.

"Madurai?" Rishabh asks her back.

"Madurai is a nice place, right?" Madhu asks him meekly.

"There is nothing wrong with Madurai."

"Then?" Madhu asks him confused.

"We are not going on a pilgrimage."

"There would be more than that."

"God, Madhu! I meant a romantic place."

"Rom... romantic??" Madhu asks shocked turning pink.

"For our honeymoon." Rishabh clarifies to her in exasperation.

"Hah... honey... honeymoon?" Madhu asks turning completely pink.

Seeing her blushing so beautifully, Rishabh couldn't control himself, and he moves forward and takes her lips in his. Madhu nervously kisses him back at first then she kisses him back in equal vigor.

Rishabh moves back and smiles seeing her blush so happily. "Yes, honeymoon."

Blushing uncontrollably, Madhu looks down. "Udaipur. Lake palace."

Seeing her blush like that and ready with a place for their honeymoon, Rishabh couldn't wait any longer, leaving his laptop on the side table, he pulls her closer to him and moves closer to her. understanding his intend, Madhu moves to him and meets his lips.

*********

Hand in hand, Rishabh and Madhu were walking down the stairs the next morning. Rishabh leans towards her and kisses her neck. Making Madhu glare at him and hit his chest all the while blushing profusely. Rishabh chuckles making Madhu look around worriedly.

"Maaji," Madhu whispers noticing Radha who was standing with her back to them.

Sighing Rishabh moves away. "Mom." Rishabh calls out to his mother.

Radha turns to him and noticing Madhu, she asks with a frown. "What?"

"Tomorrow we are going to Udaipur, should be back by Tuesday." Rishabh informs her.

"Udaipur? What business do we have there? and is she going with you? what is the need for that?" Radha asks frowning angrily.

"It is not business, Mom. we both are going." Rishabh clarifies.

"Honeymoon?" Radha spats out.

"Yes." Rishabh replies calmly.

"What is so great about her that you are taking her for trips and all?"

"What is your problem, Mom?" Rishabh furiously asks his mother while Madhu quickly held his hand to stop him.

"My problem? Did you forget that not just you, even Trishna got married on that day? Do you even care for her? Even she would want to go for honeymoon."

"Seriously, mom?" Rishabh asks her in exasperation. "You want me to go to my sister and brother-in-law and ask them for their honeymoon plans? Ask them why they aren't going? And when they are going? You might not have any boundaries, but I do!"

"She married a pauper that is why she isn't going! Why does this girl get a honeymoon and not my daughter?" Radha asks him furiously.

"Mom, she has a credit card and she can go anywhere in the world with it." Rishabh tells her in anger. "If you still want, then ask her where she wants to go, and I'll have it booked."

"I'll see you in the evening, Madhu." Rishabh says and walks off without bidding his mother a bye making Radha furiously glare at Madhu.

Madhu quickly leaves and go to her bedroom to avoid talking to her mother-in-law.

*********

"I'll come by 4-4:30, we'll have to leave by 6. So you be ready." Rishabh tells her as he walked out of the bedroom to leave for office the next day.

"Yes, I'll be ready. Did you book bhaiyya and bhabhi's tickets?" Madhu asks him.

"Trishna didn't tell me the dates." Rishabh informs her, Trishna wanted to go to Maldives for honeymoon.

"Call Bhabhi and find the dates. Book the tickets and all before we leave." Madhu tells him as she hurried behind him.

"Okay."

"Don't forget." Madhu insists.

Rishabh stops and turns to her. "I won't, now stop eating my brains."

Madhu scowls at him. seeing her scowl at him, he playfully pulls her hair.

"Ouch." Madhu frowns and pinches his chest.

Rishabh holds her hand and pulls her close to him.

"Someone will see." Madhu worriedly says as she moved back.

"In front of others you act so shy, only I know what you are behind closed doors."

Madhu gasps in outrage. "Rishabhji, I'll kill you."

Laughing, Rishabh runs down the stairs and Madhu runs behind him.

Noticing Trishna who was crying, Rishabh comes to a stop and Madhu comes crashing on him. Rishabh quickly turns to steady her.

"You okay?" Rishabh asks her in concern.

Madhu nods in yes finally noticing Trishna who was crying and Radha who was now glaring at them.

Rishabh nods and turns to walk towards Trishna, "Trishna, what happened? Is everything alright?"

"Why do you care? you go take care of your wife!" Radha says angrily.

Rishabh frowns at his mother then ignoring her, he sits next to Trishna and keeps his hand on her shoulder. "What happened, Trishna?"

"Why don't you ask your wife? She will tell you!" Trishna says furiously.

"Ask what?" Rishabh asks frowning.

Madhu's heart skips a beat hearing that. "What happened, Bhabhi?" Madhu asks her worriedly.

"Oh don't act!" Trishna says furiously.

"She has no idea whatever it is." Rishabh tells his sister.

"Oh yeah?" Trishna scoffs.

"What happened?" Rishabh asks again getting angry.

"She didn't want Trishna to go on her honeymoon!" Radha accuses.

"What the hell, Mom? Madhu was just now telling me to book their tickets!" Rishabh says in outrage.

"That is her act!"

"What act?" Rishabh asks furiously. "And why are you not going for your honeymoon?"

"Mukund says he has no leave!" Trishna says furiously.

"And what does Madhu have anything to do with that?" Rishabh asks her furiously as he stood up.

"She would have definitely told him to say that." Trishna says as she furiously glared at Madhu.

"I didn't say anything to bhaiyya, Bhabhi. I haven't spoken to him since I came back from home." Madhu tells her.

"Lies!" Trishna accuses her.

"She didn't like it when I told you to send Trishna on her honeymoon. So, she definitely brainwashed Mukund." Radha says angrily.

"How do you two have so much time to think of such bullshit?" Rishabh asks furiously. "What joy would Madhu get by getting Trishna's honeymoon cancelled?"

"Because she is jealous of Trishna."

"And she doesn't want me to be happy."

"ENOUGH!" Rishabh furiously shouts. "You'll not baselessly accuse Madhu like this."

"You can't see anything beyond your wife!" Radha accuses him.

"You go, bhai... you go on your honeymoon." Trishna mocks him.

"No, Bhabhi, we are not going." Madhu says.

"What the hell, Madhu?" Rishabh turns to her in outrage.

"You don't have to make any sacrifices for me. You go and enjoy." Trishna says in disdain.

"We won't go, Bhabhi." Madhu says again.

"We are going, Madhu." Rishabh tells her sternly.

"No, Rishabhji, if bhaiyya and Bhabhi are not going then we are also not going." Madhu says stubbornly.

Rishabh glares at Madhu in uncontrollable fury, then he furiously walks to her, then grabbing her elbow, he starts walking towards their room.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Rishabh furiously asks her after closing their bedroom door.

"How can we go when they are not going?" Madhu asks him.

"We decided to go even before they had plans to go." Rishabh reminds her.

"But they did wish to go, right?" Madhu asks him softly.

"They will go when it is convenient for them! we don't have to sacrifice our time for them."

"If we go they won't be happy, Rishabhji." Madhu tells him sadly.

"If our happiness is causing them pain then they really don't deserve any sacrifices we make for them."

"Please Rishabhji, I will feel terrible and guilty if we go now."

Rishabh looks at her in helpless exasperation. "It is starting to feel like I am the only sane person in this whole family circus."

"We'll go another time, Rishabhji."

"I don't know when I will be able to get a time like this where I can take off and once your college starts then it will be even more difficult to go."

"Then we won't go." Madhu whispers looking down.

"If not for you, at least for me, grow a spine, Madhu!" Rishabh furiously tells her and then he walks out slamming the door shut.

**********

Rishabh was in the office when Madhu calls him in the evening.

"What is it?" Rishabh asks her still pissed with her.

"When will you come, Rishabhji?"

"Are we going?"

"No." Madhu whispers softly.

"Then why does it matter when I come?"

"Please don't be mad at me, Rishabhji."

"There is nothing wrong in thinking of our happiness, Madhu."

"But when our happiness cause pain to others..."

"that doesn't mean we stop living our life." Rishabh furiously tells her. "Talking to you is like talking to a wall! I've better things to do." Rishabh says and hangs up.

Rishabh started feeling bad for the way he spoke to Madhu. feeling guilty, Rishabh takes his mobile and messages her.

On my way.

**********

Rishabh walks into his bedroom and stops in shock seeing the room decorated with candles and flowers.

"I ruined our honeymoon, and this is the only way I could think to make up for it." Madhu tells him.

Rishabh looks at Madhu, who was standing in the middle of their bedroom which was decorated so beautifully. Rishabh walks to her and she walks to him.

"I am sorry, Rishabhji. I know you really wanted to go."

"Even you wanted to go, Madhu. I saw how excited you were." Rishabh tells her gently.

"I was more happy about being with you than the place. As long as we are together, I'll be happy."

Rishabh cups her face and kisses her forehead. "I know."

Madhu cups his face and kisses his lips. Rishabh pulls her closer to him and deepens the kiss.

They were in bed. Madhu turns to him and moving towards his ears, she whispers shyly, "I love you, Rishabhji." Then she lies back.

Rishabh turns to lie on his side with a smile then leaning up, resting his head on his arms, he asks her, "Why so secretive?"

Madhu chuckles hearing his question.

Rishabh leans towards her and just like her, he moves towards her ears and whispers, "I love you, Madhuji."

Madhu looks at him and laughs happily. Rishabh smiles happily seeing her so happy. Madhu hugs him and pulls him towards her.

**********

"Madhu, what are your plans for today?" Rishabh asks Madhu that Sunday morning.

"No plans, why?" Madhu replies curiously.

"I feel like having something cooked by you. are you in the mood to cook?"

Madhu smiles hearing that. "Yes!"

"What should I do?" Rishabh asks Madhu as he followed her to the kitchen.

"You don't do anything. I'll cook." Madhu tells him smiling.

"No, tell me what I should do." He insists.

"Hmmm can you peel potatoes while I peel and slice the onions?"

"Sure. Give it."

"Are you done, Rishabhji?" Madhu asks as she turned to look at him once she was done with the onions.

"Almost." Rishabh replies.

Madhu gapes at him in shook. He was still peeling the second potato while the four other potatoes were lying on the counter.

"I'll do it." Madhu says as she walked to him.

"I'm doing it, Madhu." he insists.

"I'll do it fast."

"I want to do something." He insists.

"Hmmm." Madhu looks around and says, "Okay, why don't you knead the dough? I'll mix everything and give."

"Okay."

"Rishabhji, are you done? I will need the dough in about 5 mins."

"Not yet."

Madhu turns to him curiously and sees him in the middle of a mess, and half the flour from the bowl was on the counter.

"I'll do it." Madhu says as she hurried to him.

"No, Madhu, I'll do it." He insists.

"Please Rishabhji, I will do it."

"I want to do it."

Madhu gently tells him, "You are slowing me down, Rishabhji."

Rishabh gasps in shock. "How rude, Madhu?"

Madhu makes a puppy face. "I would have finished by now."

"It's my fault that I wanted to cook with you!" Rishabh says offended.

"Awww I thought you were trying to help me, I didn't know you wanted to cook with me." Madhu says smiling.

"Still you could have been patient and kind. This is my first time in the kitchen." Rishabh says pissed.

"Awww." Madhu leans up and kisses his cheek.

And Rishabh was distracted.

"You are so cute, Rishabhji."

"You kissed me to distract me, didn't you?" Rishabh asks her offended.

"You think I am so diabolical?"

Rishabh was distracted again. "Dia... Stop showing off your English!"

Madhu chuckles hearing that and she lovingly pulls his cheek. "Okay, you make raita. It's easy. Just beat the curd then put chopped onions, chillies and cucumber."

"Okay." Rishabh nods.

"I'll put the salt in the end."

"I know to put salt." Rishabh says offended. "I put salt for my soup and all when at the restaurant."

"It is not the same, Rishabhji." Madhu tells him making Rishabh scowl. "And Chefs get offended when you put salt in the food that they serve you. they make a perfect dish and sent it to the table."

"You are an amazing cook, Madhu but you should stop acting as if you are some Michelin star chef." Rishabh mutters making Madhu cheekily grin.

"What are you doing here, Rishabh?" Radha asks seeing Rishabh in the kitchen.

"Cooking, Mom." Rishabh replies in an isn't it obvious tone.

Radha looks at Madhu and says in disdain, "You can never rise up to our level, so you are bringing him down to your level?"

"Stop it, Mom. Madhu and I are in a good mood. Don't ruin it."

"I am ruining things?" Radha asks shocked. "Your wife and her family are ruining my daughter's happiness."

"It was Trishna's decision to marry Mukund!" Rishabh furiously reminds her.

"Rishabhji..." Madhu softly calls his name. "Please don't fight. Bhabhi and bhaiyya had a fight today, maaji might be upset about that."

"Oh so your brother tells you all about it?" Radha asks, furiously.

"No." Madhu quickly shakes her head. "I was talking to Maa and I overheard through the phone them fighting."

"You and your mother are just egging him on to treat my daughter like this."

"Enough, Mom! Stop blaming others for what is happening between Trishna and Mukund." Rishabh furiously tells her.

"You think they all are innocent? She knew that Trishna and Mukund are fighting and here, she is laughing and romancing you!"

"What do you want her to do? Sit here and cry because they both are fighting?" Rishabh asks in exasperation.

"You changed a lot, Rishabh. Your sister is miserable and here you are enjoying as if you don't care what happens to her."

"Nothing is happening to her!" Rishabh says furiously.

"Nothing is happening to her?" Radha asks in outrage. "She is being mistreated there."

"She is not, Mom. Trishna is not being mistreated. Do you know who is being mistreated?" Rishabh asks her furiously. "Madhu. you got me married to her to make sure Trishna is being treated well there, and you are treating Madhu badly here."

"I treat her badly?" Radha asks in outrage. "I am the reason her life is better. She is married to you. living in this house. has all the comforts in the world. And she doesn't even have to lift a finger for any of this. I have never made her do any work here."

"You think torture is just physical?" Rishabh asks her furiously.

"Please Rishabhji, stop. Why are you talking about unnecessary things?" Madhu asks him helplessly.

"This is necessary, Madhu!" Rishabh says furiously then turning to his mother, he continues, "The mental torture you give Madhu with all your taunts, accusation and hatred, that is also mistreatment!"

"What nonsense!" Radha says offended. "It is all bullshit. And how do you expect me to treat the girl who snatched all the happiness from our house?"

"Snatched happiness? You are talking about the girl who taught me to find joy in small things in life. taught me to be happy for other's happiness."

"You are so blinded by her that you don't want to see the truth." Radha accuses him.

"I can see clearly, mom. it is you who has closed your eyes towards Madhu and me." Rishabh tells her.

"There is no use talking to you." Radha says and walks off.

"Why do you want to hurt her like this?" Madhu asks him.

"I am not hurting her, she is being cruel." Rishabh tells her.

"Still why do you have to fight?" Madhu asks helplessly.

"I will stop fighting the day you will start fighting for yourself." Rishabh tells her. "Now, tell me again how to make raita."

*********

Next day, Madhu's mother called her over and Madhu went to meet her.

"Things are getting very bad between Mukund and Trishna." Padmini confesses to Madhu.

Madhu sadly holds her hand.

"Trishna is not at all happy here. I'm starting to feel that if Trishna and Mukund move to another house then maybe things could be salvaged a little."

"But what about you, Maa?" Madhu asks her shocked.

"I'll be fine, Madhu. and Trishna would be more comfortable in a bigger house with the amenities and comfort that she is used to, and the lack of privacy here is also affecting their relation."

Madhu nods understanding and also realizing that her mother also needed some peace in her old age from all these mental torture. "Did you talk to them?"

"I thought I'll tell you first before I talked to them." Padmini tells her.

"Finally! Thank you!" Trishna says ecstatically.

"But Maa are you sure you are not coming with us?" Mukund asks her.

"Aunty said that she is staying here, right? if she likes it here then let her stay here!"

Madhu and Padmini look at each other hearing that.

"I'll inform Mom, she has already found an amazing place for us." Trishna says excitedly.

"Bhabhi, for the time being don't tell Rishabhji that Maa is not moving with you both. I'll tell him later." Madhu requests her.

"Why?" Trishna asks frowning.

"Will he have issues, Madhu?" Padmini asks at the same time.

"He might won't like it, but don't worry I'll handle him." Madhu tells her.

"You'll handle him?" Trishna asks irately. "You think you have that much hold on him?"

"I didn't mean it like that." Madhu tells her quickly.

"Whatever, my brother will never stand in the way of my happiness."

"Just stop it, Trishna." Mukund says irately.

"Who is she to tell what I should tell my brother?" Trishna asks furiously.

"His wife." Mukund tells her.

Trishna loudly scoffs.

"If you had so much problem with her, why did you get your brother married to her?" Mukund asks her angrily.

"What did she lose by marrying my brother? Look at her, dressed up like a celebrity now."

Mukund furiously looks at his wife and says, "Anyway, why do we need Rishabh's consent?"

"Because he is family." Madhu says furiously. "He is as much a part of this family as Bhabhi."

"Can you all stop fighting? These are not the issue here." Padmini tells at her wit's end.

*********

After some time, Rishabh comes there so he could go home with Madhu.

"Bhai!" Trishna excitedly runs to him and hugs him.

"You seem so happy today." Rishabh says happily hugging her.

"Finally, we are moving out from this place."

Rishabh looks at Madhu and Padmini surprised.

"I'm so happy, bhai."

"And I'm happy for you." Rishabh tells her smiling.

They all were sitting and chatting.

"So, Mukund what do you plan to do with this house?" Rishabh asks curiously.

"This house?" Mukund asks confused.

"Are you planning to retain this or sell it?" Rishabh clarifies.

"Hmmm." Mukund looks at Madhu and Padmini wondering what to say.

"Please don't sell it." Rishabh hesitantly requests him. "Madhu has a lot of memories with this house and she loves this house a lot. If you can't maintain both houses, then..." Rishabh starts to say that Madhu could buy it then realizing that it was a conversation that would be better between Madhu and her family then he and them.

"Then what?" Mukund asks confused.

"It's okay, later." Rishabh says shaking his head. "You might haven't thought about what to do with the house, so we'll talk later once you take a decision."

"We won't be deciding anything now. Aunty is going to stay here, bhai." Trishna informs him shocking Madhu and all.

"What do you mean she will be staying here?" Rishabh asks frowning.

"Only Mukund and I are moving out."

"But how can Maa stay alone?"

"She suggested it, and it is her decision to stay alone."

"But that is not right, Trishna." Rishabh tells her frowning.

"What's wrong in it?" Trishna asks frowning.

"What's wrong? How can you leave Maa here and go?"

"Rishabhji, I'll explain." Madhu quickly tells him.

"You knew this?" Rishabh asks shocked.

"Maa told me."

"And you are with it?"

"What is wrong in it?" Trishna asks shocked. "Didn't you go for official trip and sent your wife here, leaving Mom alone at home?" Trishna asks him in a challenging tone.

"I didn't abandon mom, and we were away for a few days. Plus, she was with a house full of servants."

"You always have justification for everything you and your wife do."

"I am not abandoning maa." Mukund says offended. "It is her decision to stay here alone."

"But Mukund how can she stay alone?"

"We'll hire a servant for her." Trishna says in a dismissing tone.

"Trishna..." Rishabh starts.

Madhu stands up. "Rishabhji." Madhu call him as she extended her hand to him.

Realizing she wanted to talk to him alone, Rishabh stands up and walks to her and holds her hand. Madhu takes him to the bedroom.

"How can you be okay with this, Madhu?"

"Bhabhi is not happy and comfortable here."

"But why is Maa not going with them?"

"Maa feels Bhabhi would be happier if it is just they both."

"That is not right, Madhu. Trishna can't be selfish like that."

"Maa thinks that if it is just them then they would be more willing to work on their relation and it would be good change for them. they could have a fresh start. And if they both are in a more comfortable atmosphere then they would be more relaxed and calm, and it might even bring positive changes to their relation."

"I doubt it." Rishabh says tiredly. "How can Mukund be okay with it? Maa is growing old too."

"Rishabhji, maa needs peace of mind more than anything and their fights are not giving her that." Madhu tells him softly.

Rishabh sighs realizing Madhu was right.

"Rishabhji, even it scares me thinking about Maa living alone, but like Bhabhi said we could hire a companion for Maa, and we are also nearby."

"She could stay with us."

"No." Madhu quickly replies. "I don't want that." Madhu softly whispers.

Rishabh sighs sadly, "She'll be insulted and humiliated more than you. and she'll have absolutely no peace there."

Madhu holds his hand, "Please agree, Rishabhji, we can at least give it a try."

"Okay."

"Trishna." Rishabh calls out to her as he walked out of the room. "If that is all your decision then so be it."

Trishna nods though she was still angry.

"Have you found a house?"

"Mom had suggested one couple of weeks back."

"Okay, you guys go and check it out. If you like it then I'll start the legal formalities."

*********

Rishabh and Madhu left shortly after that. since Rishabh had sent his car home, they were going back in Madhu's car.

Rishabh looks at Madhu and sees her staring at the road ahead. He knew, even though she was staring at the road, her mind wasn't on her driving, it was on her mother and how things are going to change for her.

"She is going to be fine." Rishabh tells her.

"She has always lived with self-respect. If she agreed to have you buy a house for Bhai and Bhabhi, then it means she is that hurt with all the things happening."

"That is not self-respect, Madhu. it is false pride." Rishabh tells her. "If she or Mukund buys something for you then it is love and if we buy something for Trishna then it is something else?"

Madhu had no idea how to counter that.

"Trishna has equal rights as me on all our properties, investments and wealth. Just because she got married doesn't mean she should abandon them."

"Yes." Madhu agrees.

"Were you going to offer to buy our house?" Madhu asks him.

"No, you were going to buy Maa's and Mukund's share on the house. it would be insulting if I offer to buy."

"That was thoughtful of you." Madhu tells him.

Rishabh nods and looks out the window, they remained silent for a while.

"It's a full moon." Rishabh tells her noticing the bright full moon.

"It is." Madhu replies as she looked at it.

"Careful, lot of werewolves about." Rishabh tells her.

Madhu smiles surprised at the way he talked something so silly, "Werewolves aren't real."

Rishabh keeps his hand on her cheek. "Made you smile."

Madhu smiles happily hearing that. she holds his hand and lovingly kisses it. "Love you."

"Cool, but look at the road."

Chuckling she hits him lightly as she turned her gaze back on the road. Rishabh chuckles as he looked straight ahead.

*********

"What happened, Mom?" Rishabh asks his mother.

Rishabh and Madhu were called downstairs by Radha. Madhu stops noticing Trishna and her heart skipped a beat noticing her luggage with her.

"Trishna has had enough. She has left that Mukund." Radha informs him.

"What? What happened so suddenly? Last night they were talking about moving out, right?" Rishabh asks shocked and confused.

Madhu's heart started slamming against her chest hearing that.

"He can't move to the house she liked." Radha tells him furiously.

"Why?" Rishabh asks confused.

"It is far from his office it seems." Radha says in disdain.

"Then let's look for another one." Rishabh says.

"Why should we?" Trishna asks furiously. "I loved that house."

"But if it is not convenient for him..." Rishabh starts.

"Then let him resign." Radha says furiously. "Anyway he is getting peanuts what use is that job?"

"He got furious when I told him to resign. As if he is the President of India. He is just a middle level employee." Trishna says in fury.

"Stop this nonsense and go back to your house, Trishna." Rishabh tells her sternly.

"This is her house. why should she go back to that hellhole? Finally, she has come to her senses." Radha says furiously.

"Stop egging her on, Mom. is this reason even to leave home? Just find a new house that is convenient for both of you. there is no hurry to shift overnight. Take time and find one that both of you like."

"I like that one. It is perfect."

"There are million others equally good or better." Rishabh argues.

"Why should I make sacrifices? Why can't he just leave that stupid job?" Trishna says furiously.

"I'm done." Rishabh declares. "You do whatever you want." Rishabh says and turns to go to his room. noticing Madhu staring at the whole scene white as a ghost, he tells her "Come, Madhu."

"Where are you going?"

"To my room. clearly I am not needed here." Rishabh replies tired.

"Not you, her!" Radha says pointing at her.

"Why do you want Madhu here?" Rishabh asks frowning.

"I don't want her here. Send her to her house."

Madhu's heart stops beating hearing that. Panic never before hit her, she worriedly looks at Rishabh.

"What?" Rishabh asks frowning.

"Did you forget that you married her for Trishna? Now that Trishna has left that guy, she is no longer needed here." Radha tells him then turning to Madhu, she says, "Get out."

"HAVE YOU REALLY LOST IT, MOM?" Rishabh furiously asks her.

"What is the need for her here now?" Radha asks furiously.

"Need? She is my wife!"

"You married her to make sure Trishna is fine in that house. now, there is no need for that as she left that house. so, we have no need for her."

Rishabh furiously looks at his mother. "I once had stood by and watched you all treat her like a pawn. Not anymore. On the day, I married her, I vowed to myself that I would never let anyone treat her like that ever again. That day, I wasn't even in love with her. now, I love her and I will not let you all treat her like a tool."

Madhu holds his hand and moves closer to him, her eyes filling with tears in fear.

Rishabh looks at her and seeing the tears in her eyes, he asks her as he cupped her face, "Why are you getting scared? No one is going to do anything. we belong together."

Madhu nods and hugs him tight. Rishabh hugs her securely to his chest as he looked at his mother.

"When Trishna got her sense back, you lost all your senses?" Radha asks him.

"I love her, Mom and I can't live without her." Rishabh tells his mother in finality.

"How can you want to be with her after all that happened with me?" Trishna asks him in outrage.

"What the hell happened to you?" Rishabh furiously asks her.

"My God, bhai. That house was a hell!"

"If that was a hell, then it is because you and Mukund made it one!"

"It is my fault?" Trishna asks in shocked disbelief.

"For him everyone other than his wife is wrong!" Radha says in hatred.

"Not everyone. you both." Rishabh corrects them.

"Your wife is so perfect?" Trishna asks him in a mocking tone. "Did you know yesterday she was boasting about how she can "handle" you?"

"What?" Rishabh frowns hearing that. "Madhu would never do that."

"So, I am a liar?" Trishna asks him in fury.

"I said that, Rishabhji." Madhu tells him as she looked up at him.

"What?" Rishabh looks at her confused.

"I wasn't sure how you would react about Maa staying alone, so I told them not to tell you for the time being."

"You were going to hide it from me?" Rishabh asks her shocked.

"No, I thought I will tell you once we came back. I wanted to avoid the scene that happened. So that time Maa asked whether you will have any problems and I said I'll convince you."

"Convince? You said handle!" Trishna accuses her.

"It is the same, Trishna!" Rishabh tells her exasperated.

"You are a putty in her hands." Trishna tells him.

"I keep telling you how she is manipulating you and you never believed it." Radha tells him.

"She was so confidently boasting about handling bhai, Mom."

"Trishna, we are husband and wife, handling one another is the most natural thing in a marriage. if you find it strange or devious, then you really need to introspect on your marriage!" Rishabh tells her. "Anyway, I have no time to listen to your crap!" Rishabh tells them. holding Madhu, he goes to their room.

*********

The moment they walked into the bedroom, Madhu hugs Rishabh.

"Madhu, why are you getting worried?" Rishabh asks her as he hugged.

"I'm getting scared, Rishabhji." Madhu tells him in fear as she looked at him.

"Don't you have any faith in me and us?"

"I do."

"Then?"

"I don't know... I'm still getting scared. You are all I have."

"Now, don't be so dramatic, Madhu." Rishabh says rolling his eyes. "You have me, you have Maa, you have your bhai, you have a selfish sister-in-law and an evil mother-in-law."

Madhu hits him for joking at such a time.

Rishabh smiles and cups her face. "Whatever they say or do, you are my wife and we'll be together always."

Madhu smiles feeling a little relieved and hugs him.

*********

After Rishabh left for office the next day, Madhu was feeling nervous sitting at home, so she decided to go to her house to meet her mother to see how she was doing. She was walking out when she notices the servant walk in with Mukund.

"I am not coming anywhere with you." Trishna says seeing him furiously.

"I'm not here for you, I'm here for my sister." Mukund replies.

"Bhaiyya?" Madhu softly calls him as hurried to him.

"Yes, take her, we don't want her here." Trishna tells him.

"Come, Madhu, let's go home." Mukund tells her.

"Bhaiyya, this is my home." Madhu tells him.

"This is not your home. This is our home." Trishna tells her angrily.

"Shut up, Trishna. I'm talking to my sister." Mukund tells her angrily.

"Don't raise your voice. This is my house, not your swamp."

"I am not here to stay. I'm here to take my sister home. Come, Madhu."

"I am not coming, bhaiyya."

"Of course, why would you go? After all this luxurious life, why would you leave all this and go?" Trishna mocks her.

"Madhu... you married Rishabh for me, now, everything is over between Trishna and me, you don't have to stay here on."

"Everything is over between you both. not between us. Rishabhji is my husband and I love him. I'll not leave him." Madhu tells him sternly.

"Stop this nonsense and come home, Madhu. I don't want you staying here anymore." Mukund tells her getting angry. "I don't want us to have any kind of association with her."

"You stop your nonsense and go home, bhaiyya." Madhu tells him getting angry. "If Rishabhji ever finds out that you came here to take me home, then he is going to be furious. Please don't complicate things any further. Just go home." Madhu tells him and walks off to her room, deciding to stay at home itself instead of going to see her mother.

*********

Madhu was in the room when the servant came to call Madhu.

"There is a policeman here to see you."

"Police?" Madhu asks confused as she hurried down to meet him.

"What is the police doing here?" Madhu hears Radha's question and runs down the stairs.

"Are you Madhubala Rishabh Kundra?" she sees the policeman asks Trishna.

"No!" Trishna says in voice filled with offense and disgust.

"It's me." Madhu tells him as she walked to him.

"Now, police started coming to our house because of you. what did you do?" Radha asks her furiously.

"Are you here to arrest her?" Trishna asks him.

The policeman looks at Trishna with a frown then he ignores her and looks at Madhu. "Did you apply for a passport?"

"Yes. I got my passport too." Madhu nods.

"I'm here for the verification."

"Oh okay."

"You gave this address as your address?" Radha asks furiously.

Madhu was about to answer her when the policeman interrupts them. "Isn't this your permanent address?"

"Of course not!" Radha replies.

"Erm..." Madhu worriedly looks at Radha and the policeman.

"Why did you give this as your address? How are you in this house?" he asks her frowning.

"This is my husband's house." Madhu tells him.

"Not yours." Trishna points out to her.

"And who are they?" he asks Madhu.

"His mother and sister."

"Are they abusing you here?" he asks her as he looked at Radha and Trishna.

Madhu was shocked at the question and quickly shakes her head. "No... no... nothing like that."

He looks at Radha and Trishna for a while then he looks at Madhu and tells her, "You come to the station and file a complaint against them."

"I have no complaints." Madhu quickly tells him.

"How dare you come into our home and say that?" Radha asks furiously.

"You are lucky she is not pressing charges against you." he tells them angrily then turning to Madhu he tells her, "Take down this number. It is the station number. If they keep troubling you, call that number and ask for Patil or if I am not there, then give my reference."

"There is no problem here. My husband is very nice." Madhu tells him.

"Still take down the number." He tells her the number and Madhu feeds it. "Take this number too, it is to the National Women's Commission. You can complaint domestic violence case there too."

Madhu saves the number too having no other option. Madhu could feel Trishna's and Radha's gaze boring into her. after Patil left, Madhu nervously turns to look at them and they were furiously glaring at her.

"You think you can scare us with all this?" Radha asks her.

"I told him I have no complaints." Madhu tells her shocked.

"Oh really? Was he even a real police? Or did you hire an actor to threaten us with domestic violence case?" Trishna asks her.

"Why would I do that? he was really here for passport verification."

"Who gave you the right to use our house as your address?" Radha asks her furiously.

"Rishabhji said that from now on to keep this as my official address for everything." Madhu nervously tells her.

"He will say all that and you'll do it? You are determined to cling on here, aren't you?" Radha asks her.

Madhu nervously gulps.

"Rishabh is a fool, we are not. Get out of our house." Radha says.

"Please, let Rishabhji come." Madhu says worriedly panicking.

"Why are you listening to all this, mom? just throw her out." Trishna tells her.

Holding Madhu's hand, Radha drags her out of the house ignoring her pleadings.

*********

"Madhu!" Rishabh calls out to her as he searched for her after finding their bedroom empty.

"She left." Radha informs him.

"What?" Rishabh stops hearing that.

"Mukund came and took her home." Trishna tells him.

"After shedding tons of crocodile tears, she went with him. Anyway it is good for us. good riddance to bad rubbish." Radha says.

Furious, Rishabh starts to walk out.

"Where are you going?" Trishna asks him.

"She left you. when it came to her brother or you, she chose her brother. It was only you who was loyal to this marriage. Now, forget her. we are better off without that family." Radha tells him.

Rishabh ignores her and walks out.

*********

Mukund opens the door for Rishabh.

"What are you doing here?" Mukund asks furiously.

"Get out of my way, Mukund." Rishabh warns him.

"This is my house, get the hell out of here." Mukund tells him. "And Madhu no longer wants to be with you."

"I said..." Rishabh starts.

"Mukund!" Padmini calls him in an angry tone.

Mukund turns to look at his mother.

"Move out of his way. I told you not to interfere in Madhu's marriage."

Mukund moves away and Rishabh walks in. he spots Madhu immediately.

"Rishabhji." Madhu calls him with tear-stained face.

Furiously walking to her, Rishabh takes her hand and walks to her bedroom. He closes the door and turns to her.

"Where is your phone, Madhu?" Rishabh asks her furiously.

Hearing the weird question, she looks at him feeling completely lost.

"Where is your phone?" he asks her again.

"There." Madhu tells him pointing at the bed.

"So you had your phone with you then why the hell didn't you call me?" Rishabh furiously asks her.

"Rishabhji..." Madhu nervously looks down as she fought tears.

"Why didn't you call me, Madhu?" Rishabh asks her as he moved towards her. "What joy do you get by getting humiliated like this?"

Madhu gulps her sob. She wanted to cry out loud remembering the way she was thrown out of the house.

"Say something, Madhu! anything!" Rishabh tells her furiously.

Madhu looks at him and seeing the fresh tears flowing from her eyes, he helplessly stops.

"They threw you out, didn't they?" Rishabh asks her sadly.

Madhu hugs him and bursts into tears.

"Why wouldn't you call me and tell me that they threw you out?" Rishabh asks her, heartbroken.

When she remained silent, he asks her, "They told me that you left me. if I had believed their lie, do you know what could have happened?"

Madhu looks at him and tells him, "Nothing can shake my faith in 3 things, my God, Maa and your love. I knew you would come."

Rishabh sighs hearing. "You should have called me immediately, Madhu."

"Already things are so bad, I didn't want to cause any more problems."

"You will never learn, Madhu." Rishabh says exasperated. "Let's go home."

"Rishabhji, I was thinking..." Madhu hesitantly starts.

"What?" Rishabh asks with a frown.

"Bhaiyya was so happy when I came home. He thought I left you and came here." Madhu tells him. "Even Bhabhi doesn't want me there. so, I was thinking, I will stay here for the time being..."

"Have you lost your mind?" Rishabh asks her furiously.

"No... no... listen, please... we are still together and that is making them furious. If we stay apart for a few days then it might calm them down, and once everything is quiet and peaceful, we can try to convince Bhaiyya and Bhabhi." Madhu tells him in a worried and hopeful tone.

"No." Rishabh replies glaring at her. "I can't stay away from you." Rishabh says ending all and every discussion on it.

Madhu nods.

"Is it easy for you to stay away from me?" Rishabh softly asks her.

Madhu shakes her head. "No."

"Then?"

"I thought if it could solve..."

"If a marriage to be saved requires sacrificing another marriage, then it doesn't deserve to be saved." Rishabh tells her in finality.

"We are so happy together, I want them to be happy."

"Maybe their happiness is in being separate." Rishabh tells her.

Madhu sadly looks at him.

"You need to accept it, Madhu. that is a very toxic relation." Rishabh tells her.

"It just breaks my heart, Rishabhji." Madhu tells him sadly.

"They truly don't deserve your heart break, Madhu. specially for such a selfish relation. Don't forget that they had happily made us sacrifice our lives so they could get married. It was God's blessing that we fell in love." Rishabh tells her. "Let's go home."

They were walking out when Rishabh notices Mukund.

"Trishna said that Mukund had come to take you home. Was she lying or did he really come?" Rishabh asks her as he turned to her.

"Erm..."

"Madhu?" Rishabh sternly calls her.

"He did, but I told him that I want to stay with you." Madhu tells him. "It's over."

Rishabh walks to Mukund and warns him, "If you ever try to take my wife away from me again, I'll forget that you are her brother and my sister's husband. Don't ever try to come between Madhu and me."

Rishabh walks to Padmini and gently tells her, "Don't worry about Madhu, I'm with her."

Padmini smiles in relief hearing that.

"I'll protect her." Rishabh promises her then looking at Madhu, he adds, "Even from herself."

Madhu guiltily looks down hearing that.

*********

Rishabh walks into his house, holding Madhu's hand.

"You brought her back?" Radha asks furiously.

"Why do you keep bringing her into our home?" Trishna asks him in outrage.

Rishabh looks at his mother and sister and tells them in finality, "This is the last time I am forgiving you both for hurting my wife. Once more you do something like this, then it will be all over between us. You both have been accusing me of putting Madhu above you both all this while. If you hurt Madhu again then I'll put her above you both."

Rishabh walks off to his room, still holding Madhu's hand.

*********

"Rishabhji... they really don't want me here." Madhu tells him, sadly.

"Don't start another nonsense of yours now!" Rishabh warns her.

"Please listen to me." Madhu requests him.

"What is it?" Rishabh asks her tired.

"We will move out. Bhabhi is here with Maaji now. Maaji and Bhabhi will be happier without me. We can stay somewhere else." Madhu hopefully say.

"Why should we go away?" Rishabh asks her. "This is my house, your house. why should we leave our home?"

Madhu sighs tiredly, giving up.

*********

It was time for Rishabh to come from office, he had called her multiple times to check on her that day. Madhu starts to go to the front door to wait for him. she walks out of her room and finds Trishna, Radha and a stranger outside her bedroom. She curiously looks at them, then without saying anything she starts to walk off as she didn't want Rishabh to walk in on another ugly scene.

"Who is he?" Trishna asks Madhu.

Madhu curiously looks at the man again and asks confused, "I don't know, who is he?"

"You are asking us?" Radha asks her angrily.

"I really don't know who he is, maaji."

"He came out of your room." Trishna tells her.

"What?" Madhu asks shocked and confused. "He was not in my room. I was there in my room all this while."

"Obviously, he was with you." Trishna tells her.

"What do you mean?" Madhu asks frowning in anger.

"Don't act like a sati savitri, we know your kind." Radha accuses her.

"What? How can you even say that?" Madhu asks her in shock.

"You can bring your boyfriend into your room when your husband is not home, and we can't say..."

Madhu furiously slaps Trishna not even letting her finish it. "I'll tolerate everything but not this." Madhu furiously tells her.

"How dare you?" Radha furiously asks her.

"How dare she?" Madhu furiously asks her back.

"Madhu?" Rishabh calls her in shock.

Madhu turns around and sees Rishabh looking at her in shock. "Rishabhji..." Madhu starts to go to him.

"See what your perfect, kind hearted wife did to my daughter!" Radha says furiously as she walked to Rishabh with Trishna.

"What?" Rishabh asks in shock seeing the clear slap mark on Trishna's face.

"We kept telling you she is acting. Do you see what she does when you are not around?" Radha asks furiously.

"They are lying, Rishabhji." Madhu tells him as she walked to him.

"Lying? Then what about this?" Trishna furiously asks her as she pointed at her cheek.

"Did you slap Trishna, Madhu?" Rishabh asks her shocked.

"She was saying disgusting things, and I..." Madhu helplessly tells him.

"Saying what?" Rishabh asks her getting angry.

Pointing at the man, she says, "That he is my boyfriend and when you are not home I..."

"Oh my God! When did I ever say that?" Trishna asks shocked.

"Didn't you say that?" Madhu asks her shocked.

"Why would I say that about my friend? He is my friend. You know him, bhai."

"He is Trishna's friend Sultan, Madhu." Rishabh tells her.

Madhu looks at Rishabh in shock then she turns to look at Trishna and Radha in shock. She turns back to Rishabh and tells him, "She said that, Rishabhji. She accused me of having an affair."

"What nonsense?" Radha asks in outrage. "Nothing of that sort happened."

"It did!" Madhu insists.

"She came and started insisting that Trishna go back to Mukund. When Trishna refused, she started arguing and when Trishna told her to stay in her limits, she slapped her."

"Nothing like that happened, Rishabhji. They are lying."

"If you don't trust us, ask Sultan." Trishna tells Rishabh.

"Enough." Rishabh says hurt and tired. "Not anymore."

"Rishabhji." Madhu worriedly walks to him seeing him so hurt and defeated.

Rishabh turns to Sultan and tells him, "Sultan, leave."

"Why are you sending him away?" Trishna asks shocked.

"Because this is a family matter!" Rishabh tells her irately.

Hearing that, Trishna nods at Sultan and tells him to leave. Sultan quickly leaves.

"Rishabh, at least now, believe us that we are telling you the truth about this girl. She doesn't deserve you." Radha tells him.

Rishabh turns to look at Madhu.

"I didn't do any of that, Rishabhji."

"Stop it, Madhu." Rishabh tells her tiredly. "Go pack whatever you want. We are leaving."

"What?" Madhu asks in shock.

"You are leaving?" Radha asks in confusion.

"Yes. I told you, if you hurt Madhu again then what would happen."

"She slapped Trishna!" Radha furiously reminds him.

"FOR GOOD REASON!" Rishabh furiously replies.

"This girl is lying."

"Do you think I don't know my wife?" Rishabh asks her in fury. "That you will make up stories about her and I would believe it?"

"We are not making any stories." Radha argues.

Rishabh's eyes fill with tears. "You were arrogant, egoistic, elitist and all. But when did you become such a vicious liar?"

Radha turns red hearing his question.

"You are starting to scare me, Mom. today, you are making up these twisted stories about Madhu. tomorrow you won't even hesitate in harming her physically. I can't take that risk. I've lost all faith in you. Madhu is no longer safe in this house."

"What are you saying, bhai? This is our mother! How can you say such things about her?"

"Because she is all that. I'm leaving."

"Wow!" Trishna says sarcastically. "What all you said when Mukund and I had decided to move out about leaving his mother alone? And now, you are abandoning your mother."

"that is a mother this... this is no mother." Rishabh says pointing at Radha. "She is not even a mother-in-law. I don't know what she is."

"Rishabhji, please don't say such things." Madhu requests him.

"Look at her, mom." Rishabh tells his mother. "She has always spoke for you. always tried to understand you and make me understand you. she has always considered you and tried to see from your perspective. And you have never even considered her a human ever."

"You really can't see anything beyond her, Rishabh." Radha accuses him in a soft hurtful voice.

"The day we got married, Maa told me that if I give her a little love and respect then she will make my life a paradise. And she was right. Madhu made my life a paradise, and now, you both are trying to destroy it. I will not let you both do that."

"Mom, don't you love me? don't you care for me?" Rishabh asks her sadly. "When you accepted Trishna's love why are you not accepting my love? Don't you want me to be happy?"

"It is you who stopped being ours when you married her." Radha accuses him. "Your world revolves around her."

"It is you who stopped being my mother after I got married. Maybe you are right, my world has become small, it revolves around Madhu, it is not because of Madhu, it is because of you. your cruelty is what made my world small. For the last 5 months, ever since I got married, I found peace and happiness only with her, not with either of you. while you both kept snatching my happiness and peace, it was Madhu who filled my life with happiness and peace." Rishabh stops and shakes his head, "Why am I even saying all this? You are not going to understand anything even today. We are leaving."

"Rishabhji, this is your home." Madhu reminds him from their previous night's conversation. "We can't leave like this."

"You wanted to leave." Rishabh reminds her.

"Not like this. Not by ending all relations."

"The relations ended long back, Madhu. I was the fool who was dragging around the shroud all these days." Rishabh tells her. "We are leaving, Madhu."

Rishabh starts to walk to his room, he stops and informs his mother, "And I want my share. We are parting in every way."

*********

Rishabh and Madhu went to Madhu's house.

"Rishabhji..." Madhu worriedly calls him as she walked into the room.

"I'm fine, Madhu." Rishabh tells her as he continued to tap away on his phone.

"Please talk to me, Rishabhji." Madhu worriedly tells him as she hugged him.

"I'm fine, Madhu." Rishabh tells her smiling.

"We shouldn't have left home like this."

"We couldn't stay there anymore."

"But that is your home."

"Last night, after you went to sleep, I was thinking about this, and I realized eventually we might have to do this if their attitude didn't change." Rishabh tells her.

"But..."

"I am okay, Madhu. I am not sad." Rishabh tells her with a smile.

"We will never go back?" Madhu asks him.

Rishabh shrugs. "As of now, no."

Madhu sadly sighs.

"Now, you relax. I've tons of work to do."

Madhu nods and leaves the room.

Later, Madhu finds Rishabh and her mother in deep conversation. She curiously watches them for a while. Rishabh looks up and notices her watching them. he smiles and gestures her over. Madhu walks to them.

"She is so worried and feeling guilty." Rishabh informs Padmini.

"She will be." Padmini says understanding Madhu.

"Who am I telling all this to?" Rishabh asks putting up his hand making Madhu and Padmini smile. "You two talk, I've some work to take care off."

*********

"Mukund, let Madhu and Rishabh sleep in your room. There is no AC in Madhu's room, and Rishabh might not be comfortable without the AC." Padmini tells him.

Mukund scoffs at her. "When they had suggested I live in their house, you had refused saying you didn't want me to be a ghar jamai, and now you are going out of your way to pander to the needs of your ghar jamai. What double standards, Maa?"

"Bhaiyya!" Madhu furiously calls him.

They turn to find Madhu and Rishabh.

"Don't forget that AC was bought by Rishabhji." Madhu furiously reminds him.

"Don't be petty, Madhu." Rishabh tells her with a frown.

"Rishabhji... how could he forget that?"

Rishabh shakes his head not even wanting to get into all that. "Maa, Madhu and I are fine. Don't worry about us. we'll stay in Madhu's room." Rishabh tells Padmini then turning to Mukund he says, "Mukund, if Madhu can leave her family and home, and stay in my house, then I can leave my family and home and stay in her house. I don't find anything demeaning in living in your wife's house, if I did, then I would have never suggested you to stay at Kundra House."

"And I don't know why you thought they are here to stay forever. they would be leaving in a day or two and that is why I asked you to adjust for that time." Padmini informs Mukund shaking her head at him disappointed.

Rishabh turns to walk back to their room then he stops and walks to Mukund.

"Mukund, you and Trishna loved each other, and I don't know how much love is left between you both. I just want to tell you that it is not too late, you both can still make it work. But if you feel that everything is over, then don't drag it on, just end it all properly. Just file for divorce."

"If she wants divorce then ask her to file for it." Mukund arrogantly tells him.

Rishabh shakes his head "Just... Your relation was toxic and now it is affecting the lives of people around you. So, think of everyone, not just yourself."

Rishabh walks to the room and dials Trishna.

"Hello?" Trishna answers in a serious tone.

"I just spoke to Mukund. Trishna, if you really feel your marriage is over then Mukund asked you to file for divorce." Rishabh tells her.

"If he wants divorce then ask him to file for it."

"What?" Rishabh asks shocked. "One of you have to file. What use is dragging on a relation that neither of you want?"

"Let him come and ask me for a divorce then I'll consider."

"Till then you are going to be tied down to him in a relation that is only in name?" Rishabh asks shocked and at a loss.

"Why do you care? you abandoned us for your wife, right?"

Rishabh sighs "Fine. Your life, your decision."

"You once asked me whether we marrying was a mistake so they could marry." Rishabh reminds Madhu as he turned to her in bed.

"Hmmm?" Madhu nods as she looked at him wondering why he was bringing that up.

"Trishna's and Mukund's marriage is a mistake."

Madhu nods, she could no longer run away from that truth.

"But ours is not." Rishabh tells her as he looked at her.

Madhu lovingly smiles at him hearing that. "I know."

*********

Two days later, Madhu and Rishabh decided to leave Malik house.

"Remember what I told you? when you feel like seeing Madhu..."

"Just a call to you." Padmini says smiling.

"Yes." Rishabh says with a smile and hugs her.

"Take care of her and yourself."

"I'll."

Madhu hugs her mother and bids her bye. And soon, they were on their way.

"Where are we going? Are we going to stay in a hotel or have you found a house for us?" Madhu asks Rishabh.

"Hotel for a day or two till we find a house." Rishabh answers.

Madhu nods. "We could have stayed with Maa till then."

"We couldn't." Rishabh replies.

Few minutes later, the car came to a stop and Madhu looks in confusion. "Why are we at the airport?"

"I'll tell you, come." Rishabh tells her.

Madhu follows Rishabh and sees him stop as he looked around.

"What are you looking?"

"Damn, where is it?" Rishabh mutters.

"What?" Madhu asks confused as she followed him.

"Madhu, you know, I am a little snobbish to travel by train." Rishabh starts.

"Huh?" Madhu looks at him confused.

Pointing at the information board, he says, "These are the flights flying out from here today, pick whichever you want, we will go there and stay there till you get bored of that place."

"What?" Madhu turns to him in shock.

"Like that movie." Rishabh tells her smiling.

"But how can we do that?" Madhu asks confused. "You have office."

"I took care of everything. Now, all meetings would be conducted through zoom and if anything requires my absolute presence, then we have a chopper."

Madhu gapes at him in shock.

"So, I won't be a farmer or teacher, I still have businesses to run. If you want you can be a teacher, or join a college, or work as publisher as your dream is that. get the experience so finally when we come back, you can start your very own publishing house." Rishabh tells her.

"Are you really serious?" Madhu asks him in shock and excitement.

"Yes." Rishabh tells her. "We are going to be nomads for a while."

"What about Maa... your family."

"My family, I don't know. Maa, when she feels like seeing you, she will tell us and wherever we are she can fly there or we can come here to see her."

Madhu looks at him in shock, thinking about the practicality of going off like that. "What about my car?" Madhu asks him remembering his very first gift to her.

"John will take care of your car. And let's see where we are going. If we need it, we can have someone bring both our cars or get new cars."

"I love my car."

"Okay." Rishabh agrees with a smile.

"We are seriously doing this?" Madhu asks him.

"Yes." Rishabh tells her smiling. "So..." Rishabh points at the board. "Or do you want to do on India's map?"

"Board will do." Madhu tells him smiling. Then excitedly she jumps and hugs him.

"Okay, so which place?" Rishabh asks her smiling happily seeing her excitement.

Madhu turns to look at the board then she points her finger at the board. Then he sees her closing her eyes.

"Oh no!" he mutters seeing her closing her eyes.

Madhu makes a circle in air then stops her finger at a point.

*** The End ***

Answers to All the questions

Where Rishabh and Madhu went?

Wherever you wanted them to go, they went there :). Just refer the song to get an idea of their life in those places.

Didn't Trishna know Mukund's financial status and house situation?

She did, but she is used to getting what she wanted all her life, and she just thought things would be done her way when she starts living in his house, and to an extend it was done her way even though she was dissatisfied with it.

Did Trishna and Mukund loved each other?

They did but they loved themselves more.

Will Trishna and Mukund get a divorce?

Not immediately, because both are that egoistic people, and they don't want the other to be happy when they are sad, so they would drag on the divorce for a while.

Will Trishna and Mukund get back together?

It actually depends on what you want, because I am on two minds, one feels that they don't, and they would eventually get divorced, while another thought is that once their anger dies down, and they start introspecting on their relation and life, and they realize where they went wrong and tries to reconcile and work on their relation.

But I mainly left it open because whatever happens to their relation, it wasn't going to affect Rishabh and Madhu's relation.

Hope you guys liked this story.

And to all those curious people, yes, they do go to Udaipur.

Here is the video to the song Unakkenna Venum Sollu, please note it has subtitles for those who want the translation. Watch this video to see how their nomadic life would be like.

The link to the romantic version of the song, Idhayathil Etho, the song starts at about 2:00 mins and has subtitles.

P.S: Was skipping through Satyadev The Fearless Cop, and weirdly it is re-edited. It is not the back and forth between the present and past like Yennai Arindhal, it has the story in a linear order. First half with Trisha and second half with Anushka Shetty, very weird. And, the fountainhead dialogue wasn't there in the hindi version I checked, so please don't be shocked if you don't find it in the Hindi version.

Please do leave your comments and vote

- Lazy