RK was facing the window, with his back to the door. Madhu slightly opened the door, and poked her head it.
Madhu: "May I come in?"
RK gestures with his hand, indicating her to come in.
Madhu: "Sir, I am Madhubala Malik, and I am told that I will start working as your P A from today."
RK slowly turns around with a lazy smile on his face, and his smile turns even bigger when he sees the shock on Madhu's face.
Madhu felt as if her heart just fell to the pit of her stomach: "Shaurya?"
RK: "So we meet again, Malik."
All the promises, all those pains and betrayals, all those loneliness came flooding back to her mind as she stood there looking at the man who had taught her how to love and then taught her how to live without that love, who had given her the biggest happiness of her life- her daughter, who had ruined her life. Tears started coming to her eyes, and she told herself, she would not cry, she will not cry. She will not show him that he still mattered to her.
After what seems like an eternity, Madhu asked:"What are you doin here?"
RK: "Well, this is my company!!!"
Madhu in a voice filled with contempt: "I thought you had absconded to US."
Suddenly, the smile on his face froze, and he gave her a chillying look. Slowly, he got up and walked towards her.
RK: "Anyways, office hour is from 9 in the morning, but I come here around 8 in the morning, so I want you to be here before I come, organize my meetings and appointments for each day with a hot cup of coffee waiting for me."
Now he was standing right infront of her, and leaned closer to her, whispered into her ears.
RK: "You remember how I like my coffee right?"
And he took a deep breath, and Madhu had goosebumps all over her body.
RK: "Ah... I was wondering whether you changed your shampoo... No you didn't... you do remember how the smell drove me crazy right?"
He looked the same, but somehow looked more mature, his hair was a little over grown, and he got specs. But all that was making him look all the more sexy. Madhu tried to calm herself by taking a deep breath, Oh God! How good he smelled. It was driving her crazy. Her heart was beating so fast, that she was scared it will burst now. Madhu hated this effect he had on her. She suddenly moved back, and with a determined face.
Madhu: "No, I don't remember and I don't have to because, I am not going to work for you."
Madhu starts to walk out.
RK: "Stop right there Malik! Otherwise I will continue this conversation right outside, and mind you, that time I won't be talking about what I liked, but rather what you liked, and mainly what you liked that I did to you. (when he sees her shocked expression he continues with an evil smile, he walks towards her and runs his fingers on her cheek moving down towards her neck) and how you used to beg me to touch you."
Madhu pushes his hand away: "You bas***d!!!"
RK amused: "Now, is that the way how you talk to your boss, Malik?"
Madhu: "I am not going to work for you!!!"
RK: "But you have no option Malik! Remember? You signed a bond for two years?"
Madhu shocked and helpss: "How could you do this?"
RK just shrugs: "The first cabin on the right when you walk out is yours. Now get to work!"
Madhu stood there rooted to the ground. She didn't know for how long she will be able to hold back her tears. She still couldn't believe it, that Rishabh Shaurya Kundra was back in her life!!!Oh God! She has to work for him???She has to see his face everyday?What kind of a fate is this??? She watched him, walk back to his seat, and start working.
She was soon forgotten, just like how he had forgotten her and her love 5 years ago. Slowly, she walked out and walked inside the cabin Shaurya mentioned was hers. There was an impressive table and two chairs, a laptop on the table, a small clock and a calender, a plant in the corner, a couch in the other corner, a nice view but nothing registered in her mind. She was too shocked to take notice. Slowly the tears started, she sat on her chair silently wept for the cruel game destiny was playing on her.
The moment Madhu left the cabin; RK had leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. A single lone tear escaped his closed eye lids. He had prepared himself so much for this meeting with Madhu, but still never expected that seeing her again would knock him out of his sense, his heart had started beating so fast that he was scared Madhu could hear his heart beats. And the way his body had reacted to her closeness, had scared the hell out of him. But he had managed to hide his reactions in front of Madhu, but he was not sure for how long he would be able to do that. For how long, he could go on with his indifference act to her.
Madhu had stopped crying, for sometime now. She couldn't understand why he was doing all this with her. When she didn't want to love him, he had made her fall in love with him, and then when she wanted to live with him, he had left her and now when she has learned to live without him, he is back.She cursed the day, she had gone to Shaurya's house to meet Mummyji, if she hadn't gone there he wouldn't have thought he loved her, and he surely wouldn't have made her fall in love with him. If she hadn't fallen in love with him, then her heart wouldn't be aching so much now. Oh God, why the hell did she go there?
***FLASHBACK***
It was the initial stage of her engagement, when Shaurya no..no RK that was what she used to call him back then, anyway RK used to call her once in a while and they both used to be so rude to each other, they used to always fight till either one of them slammed the phone down.
Madhu: "What the hell is your mother's problem? Why the hell does she keep calling me home? (Starts imitating Radha) Madhu beta come home sometime, Madhu beta want to go shopping? Madhu beta how is the wedding preparation going?"
RK: "SHUT UP!!!! How dare you make fun of my mother? Malik, you dare say anything against my mother, I will... I will'"
Madhu cuts him off: "What will you do??Huh... what will you do?"
RK: "I will kill you, I will ruin you, I will make your life a living hell, Malik!!!"
Madhu: "Oh... I am so scared!!!"
RK: "You bitch!"
Madhu: "Listen RK, all I am asking you is to keep her off my back!"
RK: "I can't even get you off my back, how the hell am I going to get... HEY my mother is not on anyone's back!!! She is just under the misconception that you are an angel!!!"
Madhu: "This is too much alright? She wants me to go to your house for lunch now!! And now she has told my father to send me there! Her nerve!!!"
RK: "Okay fine... Why don't you go there and show her how you are the worst daughter-in-law in the world! Make her realize that you are not suited for me!! Scare her!! Then she will allow me to call off the wedding!"
Madhu excited: "Hey... that's a nice idea!!! I should have thought of it myself. You don't worry, I am going to scare the hell out of her. I am going to be so rude to her, that she would be so scared of the idea of getting you married itself!!"
RK: "You can't be rude to her!!!"
Madhu: "Why?"
RK: "That will hurt her!!! You can't hurt her mentally, physically or verbally"
Madhu irritated: "Then how the hell am I going to scare her off?"
RK thinks for sometime, but no idea comes to his mind: "Why the hell do I have to give you ideas all the time? Use your brain, woman and think of something!!"
Madhu: "Oh I have an idea!!"
RK: "What?"
Madhu: "I will buy a scary mask, like you know scream movie types, and wear it and go, that will scare her off my back!!!"
RK: "Or why don't you go without a mask or make up? That will surely scare my mother!!!"
Madhu: "Get lost!!!"
And she slammed the phone down!!
RK: She slammed down the phone on me???How dare she??Anyway it's alright, last time I did, so it's fair that she gets her chance today!!!
Madhu had been ringing the bell for sometime now, but there was no reply. She decided to leave, but then she started getting this feeling that something was not right. Radha Kundra wouldn't just invite her for lunch and totally disappear on her. She tried opening the door, but the door was locked. She went around the house and tried the kitchen door, and found it open, she walked in calling out to Radha, when she reached near the stairs, she saw blood on the floor, and she started panicking. She slowly moved forward to see the source, and found Radha lying on the floor in a pool of blood.
An hour later.
RK was watching a match with his friends, when his cell started ringing. He checked the caller ID, and found it was Madhu. He cursed her for few seconds and picked up the phone.
RK: "Malik, can't you let me live in peace? When I am enjoying my life with My girlfriends you have to call me...huh?"
RK hears a hic-cup on the other side of the phone.
Madhu: "RK..."
Suddenly RK was filled with concern: "Madhu, is everything alright?"
Madhu was crying on the other side: "No... Auntyji..."
RK scared: "What the hell did you do to my mother?"
Madhu: "I didn't do anything, I swear. I went to your house, she had called me for lunch (again she started crying)
RK: "I know you were going to my house... what happened there? Is my mother alright?"
Madhu: "I rang the bell for a long time, but nobody opened the door, then I went behind the kitchen and the door was opened, and I walked in through the kitchen door..(again she is crying)
RK was Losing his patience by then: "Then what the hell happened, Malik?"
Madhu: "Auntyji was lying on the floor, and there were blood everywhere."
The blood drained from RK's face, now Madhu was crying uncontrollably, he was too scared to ask her the question, so he waited for her to say something. When he realized that she is not going to say anything. He asked her: "My mom is fine right?Madhu, please tell me... my mom is alright right?"
Madhu: "She is in the operation theatre now. I don't know what to do."
RK immediately said a silent prayer, that his mother is alive.
RK: "What did the doctor say?"
Madhu: "He asked me to shut up, and let him do his work. (She started wailing)He didn't even tell me whether she is going to be okay."
RK: "I am coming home, Madhu. Please look after my mother till I reach there."
Madhu: "Please come fast, RK. I am scared."
RK: "I will reach there, as soon as I can (RK immediately told one of his friends to book his tickets to India, then started walking to his room, to start packing while talking to Madhu again). Did u inform Balraj Uncle?"
Madhu: "No, I didn't know his number."
RK: "Is your father there?"
Madhu: "I didn't inform him."
RK: "Who is there with u, Madhu?"
Madhu: "Cops!!"
RK: "Oh God, u r all alone there with the cops???Y the hell didn't u call ur father?"
Madhu: "I didn't think of it'. All I could think about was calling u."
RK took a deep breath: "I am coming home Madhu. Please inform ur father, okay?"
Madhu: "Okay."
RK was about to hang up, when he heard Madhu calling his name.
RK: "Yeah?"
Madhu: "I didn't mean any of it. I actually like ur mother. It just that, I didn't want to marry u, that's y I said all those horrible things... I am so sorry RK."
RK: "Its okay... I will meet u soon."
After she had hung up, she called up Malik and informed him about Radha. She sees the nurse come out and hurries to her.
Nurse: "Patient needs AB+ blood."
Madhu started walking off, half way down the corridor, she realized that she was AB+, and ran back.
Madhu: "My blood group is AB+."
Nurse: "Okay, then come this way please."
Madhu started walking with her: "Is she alright?"
Nurse: "Yes, she is going to be fine. She lost a lot of blood, and then she has some fractures. But she is going to be fine."
Madhu started thanking God, and walked with her.
Next day, when RK was taking his connecting flight, he called Madhu. And this time Madhu, was in better control of herself, even Malik and Balraj were there with her.
Madhu: "Doctor said she is going to be fine now. She has a fracture on her left hand and hips. She still hasn't gained conscious. Police said that they need to take her statement before anyone can meet her."
RK: "Thank God."
Madhu: "Do you want to talk to Balraj Uncle? He is here."
RK: "Yeah."
Madhu gives the phone to Balraj.
Balraj: "RK, there is nothing to be worried about. Actually, there is no need for u to come. We r here right? We will look after her."
RK: "No Uncle, I want to see my mother. I want to make sure she is fine."
Balraj: "She is fine RK. Doctors said that she will be in pain for some days due to the fracture, and she will be a little tired, due to her loss of blood. But nothing life threatening."
RK: "I am coming Uncle. I will reach there, around 8 at night. Please send someone to pick me up."
Balraj: "Okay."
At night.
RK was running to his mother's room, now that he has reached her room, he was scared to go in. He stood there for sometime, then slowly opened the door. Madhu was sitting on the bed with his mother. His mother looked so weak, as if she had lost a good 10kilos. And Madhu was trying to feed her, something which looked very much like soup.
Radha: "Enough."
Madhu: "Last spoon."
After Radha, had that, Madhu again took another spoon full.
Radha: "Enough beta."
Madhu: "Last Spoon."
Radha: "For u, the last five spoons have been the last spoon."
Madhu starts smiling: "That's because, u r being such a baby and not having ur food properly."
Radha: "I am not hungry."
Madhu: "Then also u will have to eat right?If u don't eat then, u r going to be even more weak, and then u know, Shaurya will be upset when he sees u. Now do we want to upset him?"
Madhu again started feeding Radha.
A smile broke out on his face, his first since he found out about his mother. Some how the way Madhu said, now do we want to upset him?, kinda felt nice. And then he was a little shocked when he realized that she had called him Shaurya. No one called him that except his mother. He had only given his mother the permission to call him Shaurya.
He slowly walked in, suddenly Radha looked up.
Radha: "Shaurya?"
When Madhu saw RK, she immediately stood up. She saw RK's eyes were filled with tears, but he was smiling. She watched as he went and hugged his mother, and asked her whether she is really fine? She decided not to intrude on them and walked out, leaving the bowl on the table.
She was standing out in the corner, when she saw RK walking out of the room after 20 minutes. He walked to the end of corridor were it was dark. She didn't know y, but she went behind him, and when she was close enough to him she realized that he was weeping.
Madhu, very softly called out his name: "RK?"
Suddenly, his head jerked up and he turned and looked at her.
Very slowly, she started moving towards him, ready to run the moment if he asks her to get lost: "U alright?"
What happened next shocked Madhu to the core. He hugged her and started crying.
RK: "I was so scared. I thought I lost her. She is all that I have."
Madhu, slowly puts her hands around him and hugged him.
RK: "If anything happens to her, I will die Madhu."
RK continued to cry some more time, and Madhu didn't say one word, but kept sligthly patting him on his back.
After sometime, RK pulled back. He looked at her face, and then turned his face. They both were now embarrassed to look at each other. Finally, Madhu decided to leave.
Madhu: "I have to give Auntyji medicine."
RK nodes. Madhu was about to walk off, when RK called out "Malik", she turns back and looks at him.
RK: "If u dare tell anyone that I cried, I will kill u."
Madhu: "If u dare tell anyone that I tried comforting u, I will kill u."
RK slowly starts smiling, Madhu also grins. Then she was about to walk off yet again, when he calls her name again, this time he calls out "Madhu". She again turns back and look at him.
RK: "Thank you."
Madhu: "For not telling anyone?"
RK: "For everything."
Madhu didn't know what to say, so she just nodes and then walks off.
Madhu was giving Radha, her medicine when RK walked in with the doctor. He was reassuring RK that there was nothing to be worried about. All the while RK was looking at Madhu with a confused expression, and the doctor was frowning at her, and Madhu was glaring at him. Inspite of him being their family doctor, he had been so rude to her yesterday. He asked her to shut up, when she was so scared about Auntyji.
Doctor: "Madhu, now that Mr Kundra is here, u don't have to stay here. U can go home."
Madhu: "No, its okay. I will stay here. RK, u might be tired from ur travel. Why don't you go home?"
RK: "No Madhu, u go home. I will stay here."
Madhu: "Its okay RK. I will stay."
Doctor: "I hate to be rude Madhu. But go home and take a shower. U stink. U r spreading bacteria all around here."
Madhu immediately turned red, and was so embarrassed, that she couldn't even bare to look at anyone in the room.
Madhu: "Okay."
She went to get her cell phone from the table in the far corner of the room.
Doctor turned to RK, and in a whisper tells him the reason for insulting Madhu: "Since, ur mother was brought here, she hasn't had a moment's rest. She stayed up all night, and today also she was sitting with her the whole day. And top it off, she gave ur mother blood also. If she goes on like that, very soon she will also be admitted here."
Madhu comes back, and was about to bid her goodnight to Radha, when she realizes that she slept off. She still not looking at RK.
Madhu: "If Auntyji needs anything, just call me'okay?"
Doctor: "She is going to be sleeping till morning."
Madhu just nodes: "I will come in the morning."
RK: "I will drop u."
Madhu: "Its okay, I will take an auto."
RK: "Its really late. I will drop u."
Madhu nodes and walks out.
Madhu and RK were sitting in the car, both were immersed in their thoughts.
Finally, Madhu broke the silence: "Yesterday, I was scared and I cried a little..."
RK cuts her off with a smile: "A little?"
Madhu starts blushing again: "Anyway, I was tensed and all, so I started sweating."
RK gives her a confused look.
Madhu: "I did take a bath."
RK tries to hide his smile.
Madhu thinking that RK didn't believe her: "I always take a bath. I am very hygienic."
RK couldn't control his smile: "U don't stink. And if it makes u feel any better, I haven't taken a bath today."
Madhu just nodes.
Madhu: "Auntyji, said that someone pushed her down the stairs, but didn't see who it was."
RK started getting angry thinking about it: "She told me."
Madhu: "I think, it was ur servant. When I went their noone was there."
RK just noded.
Madhu: "Police, are searching ur house, to see whether there was any robbery. Balraj Uncle is there with them... Are u going to go there after u drop me?"
RK: "Yeah, I will go and see what is happening there, they all might have left now, since it is late. Balraj Uncle said that the cops wants me to check whether anything is missing, they also wants me to look if I have any photos of my servant."
They were silent for some more time, till RK spoke again.
RK: "U gave my mother blood."
Madhu: "Yeah, our blood group r the same."
RK: "Doctor told me that how u took care of my mother. Even if I was here, I wouldn't have taken care of her like u did."
Madhu: "Nothing like that, he is my family doctor, so I am sure he was just exaggerating."
RK looks at her from the corner of his eyes with a grin: "Just like how he exaggerated about u stinking?"
Madhu becomes red again.
RK: "I really don't know, how to..."
Madhu cuts him off: "Then don't."
Finally, they reach Madhu's house.
Madhu: "Goodnight."
RK: "Goodnight."
She was going to get out, then suddenly she turned and looked at him: "Did u have ur dinner? Why don't you come in and have dinner?"
RK: "No, actually I am not hungry. But thanks."
Madhu: "Have something to drink?"
RK smiles: "I am fine Madhu ."
Madhu gets down, and was about to walk in, when RK calls out her name. She turns and looks at him.
RK: "My mother was the one who named me Shaurya. And only she calls me Shaurya, I never gave anyone else the permission to call me Shaurya."
Madhu was a little confused about y he was saying all this, then it struck her, maybe he had heard her talk to Auntyji, and how she mentioned him as Shaurya.
Madhu: "U heard me talking to Auntyji?"
RK nodes his head.
Madhu: "Actually, she calls u Shaurya. So I was just..."
RK: "I would like it very much if u will call me Shaurya, from now on."
Madhu was too shocked to say anything. She just stared at him.
RK: "Sweetdreams."
With that he drove off.
After her bath, Madhu was lying in bed and wondering y RK asked her to call him Shaurya? When she thought back, today only once had he called her Malik, and he always made it sound like an obscene word, and today, he was actually very nice to her. But y did he ask her to call him Shaurya? Then Madhu decided that it was all because of the mental trauma he went through, that's y he was nice to her, and that guy was crying his eyes out. Definetly trauma. In the last 48 hrs, even she was so stressed out, that's y she was nice to him, and even tried comforting him. Tomorrow, she knew she was going back to be "Malik".
Two hours later, RK walked back into his mother's room. Found her just how he had left her, deep in sleep. He kisses her on her forehead, and walks to the bed on the otherside of the room. He lies there, tries to get rid of the image of the blood pool in his house, even though it was dried up now, it still looked scary. He somehow wanted to get out of there, but then he had to check the house to see if something was missing. He had checked and found that only cash, which his mother kept for day to day expense was missing, and also the jewellery which she usually wears everyday. But the whole house was ransacked, he was not sure whether it was his mother's attacker or the cops who did that while looking for clues. The hidden locker inside his mother's cupboard was untouched. Again, his mind went back to the blood pool. It is a miracle that his mother is safe, after losing so much blood. He also knew that, the name of that miracle was Madhubala Malik. He remembered how the doctor had told him, that if Madhu was even 5 minutes late in bringing in his mom, it would have been very difficult to save her. Thinking of Madhu, brought a smile to his face. Thinking about her he went to sleep, and he dreamed about her.
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- Lazy