Madhu was watching Sahasra with Shaurya, she didn't know for how long she has been standing there, all she knew was that, all that she had wanted, ever since Sahasra was born is right there in front of her, her Shaurya with their Sahasra. As she watched Sahasra sleeping in his arms without any care in the world, she also wanted to find refuge in his arms. Be with him, live that life he had once promised her, live that life she had once dreamt of, live that life she still yearn for. As she watched them, she felt something on her cheek; she slowly put her finger there, and felt wetness, that's when she realized that she was crying. Wiping her tears, she slowly walked towards them. When she stopped next to them, as if breaking out of a trance, RK looked at her.
RK in a very emotional tone: "You have the most beautiful daughter in the world, Madhu."
He slowly places another kiss on Sahasra's forehead . As if in a trance, Madhu kneels down and kisses Sahasra exactly where he had kissed her. And then, she puts her forehead on Sahasra and stays there. RK slowly puts his hand around Madhu, and Madhu without even realizing moves towards him, till her head was resting on his chest. RK bends down and kisses Madhu on top of her head, and then closes his eyes and rests his head on top of hers pulling Madhu and Sassy more closer to him. With Madhu and Sassy in his arms, RK felt complete, he felt alive, he felt as if he was finally home. He felt content. All Madhu could do when Shaurya pulled her closer to him was pray that he never let go. She had missed being in his arms, she had missed his warmth, she had missed his love, she had missed his kiss, she had missed him. Being with him with their daughter, she felt as if her family was finally complete, she felt complete. Now, holding the two people that somehow meant the world to them, somehow meant a part of them, RK and Madhu felt content. In that few seconds, RK and Madhu forgot the loneliness of the last five years, the pain and the betrayal, and tried to live their whole life in this moment till the real world intruded on them.
They came back to their sense when Madhu's cell started ringing. Madhu immediately jerked back and moved out of her cocoon, that's when she realized where she was, and what she was doing. She looked around to find some people staring at them. She looked at Shaurya, and he was looking at her with lot of pain in his eyes. She somehow couldn't look into his eyes, she turned immediately and picked up her cell. It was Trishna who had called to inform her that Sultan has boarded and he will reach home at night.
The moment Madhu had moved out of his arms, RK felt as if Sassy and he were being abandoned. And when she had turned her face away from him, the fear of being alone started filling his heart. He knew she is married, she has a daughter, he knew what he was going to do is wrong, a sin, but with a determination never before, he decided to make her his again. And this time, he was not going to give up.
When Madhu came back, he had finished paying the bill, and was ready to leave with Sahasra in his arms, and his coat hung on his right arm. Madhu comes to take Sahasra from him.
RK: "I just want to hold her for some more time."
Madhu reluctantly nodes her head and they walk out.
It was as if, someone up above was waiting for them to come right in the middle of the road, as it started raining heavily the moment they reached the divider in the middle of the road. RK immediately put his coat over Sassy in order to keep her dry, but Sahasra had woken up and started crying. RK immediately tried to console her, and when Madhu was about to take Sahasra, RK grabbed Madhu's hand and started running towards their office compound, and took her straight to the underground car park. Now that, they were sheltered from the rain, they were able to quite down Sahasra, and soon she went back to sleep. RK immediately opened the back door of his car, and laid down Sahasra there on the back seat.
RK: "Madhu, wait here. I will go get my laptop and come, then I will drop you home."
Madhu: "No, I will go..."
RK: "It doesn't look like the rain will stop anytime now."
RK starts walking towards the lift.
Madhu: "Can you get my bag, it is there on my table?"
RK: "Okay."
When he turned back only, he noticed his driver staring at Madhu. He turned and looked at Madhu, and realized that her sari was clinging to her body in a provocative manner. He remembers all the passionate moments spent with her, he starts walking towards her. Somehow sensing what he was thinking, Madhu suddenly starts pulling on her sari to look more decent and less provocative. RK reaches next to her and looks at her, sees her uncomfortable look. Then with a sigh he puts his coat over her. Then he looks at his driver.
RK: "You can go!"
Driver nodes, and walks off. RK stood there till he was sure that his driver left, then he walked back to the lift. Once, he went into Madhu's cabin and took her bag, and walked into his cabin and took his laptop when he saw his suitcase which has his necessity items packed for emergency trips. He opens it and takes out a pair of jeans and shirt and changes into that, and takes a towel and starts wiping his head while walking out then he stopped and walked back and took a t-shirt from it and walked out.
Madhu was waiting for him near his car. He walked towards her, and gave her the towel and her bag, and while she wiped herself, he opened the back door of his car, put his laptop inside and picked up Sassy and started removing her clothes without waking her up. Once he had removed the wet clothes, he waited for Madhu to pass the towel back, and started wiping Sassy. Madhu was watching this in shock, when she realized that, he was having difficulty in holding Sahasra and wiping her at the same time without waking her up. She walked towards him, and took the towel from him and started wiping her daughter. Once that is done, he takes the t-shirt he brought and puts it on Sahasra. He looks at Madhu, and sees that she was watching him.
RK: "Why are you looking at me like that?"
Madhu: "You are a great father."
After she said it only, she realized what she had said, and she goes pale.
RK confused: "You mean, I will be a great father."
Madhu: "Er... er... what kind of a father you are, is always in you. So you don't have to be a father to behave like one."
RK gives her a confused look, as he clearly didn't understand what she had just said. But just shrugs it off.
RK: "Thanks."
He puts Sassy back in the car, and opens the front door for Madhu and once she sits inside, he runs to the other side and gets in and starts driving.
Due to the rain, everyone was driving very slowly. With Sahasra still sleeping at the back, Madhu and RK lost in their thoughts, it was complete silence inside the car.
RK: "Did Sassy wanted to go for the movie? I am sorry; I didn't know she was even there. I am really sorry."
Madhu confused: "Sassy?"
RK grins: "Sahasra is kinda long"
Madhu defensively: "I like the name."
RK: "What does it mean?"
Madhu hesitates a little: "A new beginning."
RK nodes to let her know that he heard her.
After sometime.
RK: "Was it?"
Madhu: "What?"
RK: "A new beginning?"
Madhu: "Yes."
RK didn't know, whether it was because of her tone, or because of what had happened at the ice cream parlor that he knew she was lying.
They hear a stirring sound and look back to see that Sahasra had woken up. Now, she was sitting up and looking around.
Sahasra: "Mama, whose car is this?"
RK: "So sleeping beauty is awake?"
Sahasra was really happy when she saw RK. She immediately stood up between their seats. Madhu picked up Sahasra and made her sit on her lap. RK was kinda surprised when he saw how cheerful Sassy was. He always thought that kids when they woke up were a little grumpy. The only kid he has been around was Omi, and he was always grumpy when he wakes up from sleep. But then, RK himself was a morning person , so now he had this doubt whether he used to get grumpy when he woke up. And he was pretty cheerful through out the day, but that was five years before. When his life was perfect. When Madhu was with him. Nowadays he rarely slept.
Sahasra looks at the t-shirt she was wearing: "What am I wearing?"
Madhu: "Yours got wet in the rain, so RK Uncle gave you his t-shirt to wear."
Sahasra suddenly leaned towards RK, and kissed him on his cheeks.
Sahasra: "Thank you Rishu."
RK: "Any time , sweetheart."
Madhu confused: "Rishu?"
RK grins: "She calls me that."
Sahasra smiling: "Rishu calls me Sassy and I call him Rishu."
Madhu just rolls her eyes.
Finally, they reached Madhu's house. Madhu and Sahasra were about to get out.
RK: "You won't invite me in?"
Madhu was not comfortable with the idea of him, in their house.
Madhu: "It is really late now, and I am sure..."
Sahasra at the same time: "Of course! Come in"
RK smirks at Madhu.
Madhu was switching on the lights, when RK gave her the clothes Sahasra was wearing.
Sahasra: "Rishu, come! I will show you my toys."
RK smiles and picks her up: "Okay sweetheart."
Sahasra: "Do you want something to drink?"
RK gives Madhu a mischievous grin: "What drink and all? Give me dinner!"
Sahasra excited: "You are having dinner with me?"
RK: "Of course."
Madhu pissed: "Dinner will take time."
RK smiles sweetly: "I can wait."
RK looks at Madhu and she was glaring at him.
RK: "When dinner is ready, call us. We are going to play till then."
Sahasra looked very happy. Sahasra didn't have any friends here, as she just came here, and Shaurya was her first friend here. So that was the only reason she was going to give him dinner and not because anything else.And definitely not because she wanted to be near him.
Madhu goes to her room to call Sahasra and Shaurya down for dinner, and she stood at the door in shock. The bed was already a mess with Sahasra's toys. And Shaurya was running around the room with Sahasra running behind to catch him. Both of them were laughing and having the time of their life. They notice her at the door.
Madhu: "Dinner is ready."
Sahasra smiles, and walks towards the door: "Come Rishu, lets have dinner."
RK walks towards the door, and when he reaches near Sahasra, she immediately jumps on him.
Sahasra: "I caught you! I won! I won!"
RK surprised: "But I thought we finished playing."
Sahasra cheekily: "We didn't say we finished playing."
RK: "You are so sly."
Madhu mutters: "Like father."
RK: "Did you say something?"
Madhu: "No."
Sahasra was smiling happily.
RK: "Next time, I will win."
Sahasra: "We will see."
RK: "We will see."
RK had insisted Sahasra will sit on his lap and he had fed her, while she talked non-stop. And Madhu had watched this in silence. It was obvious that Shaurya had fallen in love with his daughter in this short time span, considering the way he kept kissing her, or the way he kept listening to her stories with so much pride- a father's pride. She knew if she watched them for even a second more, she would start crying. So she went to the kitchen to warm the milk for Sahasra. That's when she realized with dread that, since jeeju was not there, she will have to drink a huge (and humungous) glass of milk to make Sahasra drink milk. Sahasra hates drinking milk that was yet another thing she had inherited from her father.
When she hears the sound of chairs moving, she realized they were done eating so she comes out to help wash Sahasra's mouth, when she sees Shaurya doing that. After cleaning her up nicely, RK puts her down, and starts washing his hands, Madhu walks towards them, and takes out a tissue from the tissue box kept there and hands it to Sahasra. They hear a car sound, and Sahasra runs to see who it is.
Madhu puts the tissue box forward for RK, he looks at the box, then he looks at her and walks a little towards her, as she looked at him in confusion, she felt his hand at her waist, when she looked down in shock, he pulls out the pallu she had tucked inside her saree. And as she watched in horror, he wipes his mouth and was about to tuck it back in when she came back to her senses and snatched it from him. He grins at her. Suddenly, the bell rings, she was about to go to open the door, when suddenly she felt his hand on her stomach again. She started glaring at him, was about to push his hand off, when he squeezed her stomach slightly and walked off as if nothing happened.
RK walks towards the window were Sassy was standing and looks out to see Sultan standing near his car and talking on the phone. And RK was pissed.
RK: "Are we going to open the door?"
He was hoping against hope to hear a 'no'.
Sahasra puts her hands up towards him: "I want to open."
RK picks her up and walks towards the door, while she pulls on the latch, and then opens the door.
Sultan had got off the phone, and was walking towards the door.
Sultan: "Madhu, whose car is...oh RK?"
RK: "Hi!"
Sultan: "Hi"
Madhu comes out, and sees Sultan looking at RK in confusion.
Madhu: "It was raining, and he came to drop us."
Sultan smiles: "Oh that was really nice of you."
RK: "Hey, no formalities, it was all for my new friend out here. Right Sassy?"
Sahasra smiles: "Right."
Sultan pats Sahasra on her head, and kisses her. She immediately jumps on him. Sultan laughs and carries her inside asking RK to come inside, while RK stood there glaring at Sultan's back.
Sultan and Sahasra were involved in an animated conversation regarding the fishes, dogs, ice cream and the t-shirt Rishu had given her. And RK was listening to all this, even though he was pissed with Sultan for showing up now and taking Sassy away from him.
RK: "Sullupoo?"
Sultan embarrassed: "My wife taught her that. When she is so much in love with me, she calls me Sullupoo."
RK clenches his teeth, but manages a small smile, and then turn his gaze accusingly towards Madhu. Madhu knew she didn't have to feel guilty over this, because jeeju was talking about her sister and not her, but still she couldn't hold on to his gaze and looked down, as he thought it was her.
Sultan: "Madhu, Mr Malhothra called just now, and he was saying he is willing to give us the house at the price we offered. I wish we had waited two more weeks before buying this house."
Madhu sensed that Sultan was upset.
So to console him: "This is also a nice house."
Sultan: "Yeah I know, but..."
Madhu smiles: "Just forget about it."
Madhu walks off to the kitchen, while RK looks at them in confusion.
RK: "I am sorry, I don't mean to intrude. But what house were you talking about?"
Sultan: "The one right next to ours. That is an awesome house. And my wife wanted to get that house so badly, but the guy was not willing to sell it to us for the price we offered, but now he called and said that if we were interested, he will sell it to us."
Sahasra pointing her hand towards the next house: "That house with the swing and swimming pool?"
Sultan: "Yeah sweety."
Sahasra excited: "We are going to stay there?"
Sultan sadly: "No baby, we will be staying here."
RK was in deep thoughts, Madhu and Sahasra apparently loved the house, and it was right next to this one. Suddenly, an idea occur to him.
RK: "I am looking for a house actually, that's why I asked. Do you think, I can have a look at the house?"
Sultan: "I guess that can be arranged. Wait let me just call him up and see."
After hanging up the phone, Sultan: "Yeah, we can see the house. The watchman is there, he will show us around."
RK: "Then we will go see now?"
Sultan: "Yeah sure."
Sultan gets up and sees Madhu coming with milk and flinches. Madhu offers him the big glass.
Sultan looks at the glass, then looks at RK and starts grinning: "Give RK, he is our guest. I will have later."
RK: "It's okay. I don't drink milk."
Sahasra shocked: "You don't drink milk?"
Sultan acting outraged: "What? You don't drink milk? Then how will you be intelligent and healthy? Sahasra always drinks milk, so she will be even more intelligent and healthy"
Madhu grinning: "Yes, Sahasra always drink milk."
Sahasra looks at Sultan and Madhu, accusingly as if she was cheated: "Rishu doesn't drink milk!"
RK looks at Sultan and Madhu, and they were giving him warning looks: "I do, but not from outside home."
Sultan: "That's okay, RK. This is nice milk. You can drink this."
RK: "But..."
Madhu puts the glass in front of him, grinning evilly remembering how much he hated milk: "DRINK!"
RK slowly took the glass and started drinking, he felt like puking. He hates milk.
Sahasra was watching him closely, so he acted as if he was enjoying it. He finished drinking 3/4 and kept the glass on the table, and tries to smile: "Very nice, thank you."
Sahasra looks inside the glass: "He didn't finish it! I am not drinking!!"
Sultan and Madhu: "He will finish it."
From their looks, it was obvious to RK that those two were enjoying this. He picks up the glass, and gulps down everything from it. Madhu gives Sahasra her glass.
Sahasra: "Sullupoo, you drink this."
Sultan: "No, I didn't have dinner so I will have it afterwards. You drink it."
Sahasra frowns at him: "Sullupoop!"
RK chuckles: "Sullupoop??"
Sultan embarrassed: "Again my wife. When she is pissed with me, she calls me that."
RK turns to glare at Madhu yet again, and again she looks down.
After Sahasra was done, RK picked her up and they went along with Sultan.
Madhu: "Where are you all going?"
Sultan: "Here only, will come now."
RK had every intention of buying the house, but he was a little surprised when he stepped inside the gates. All the lights were on and he could see everything properly. At one end there was a swing, and it was like one of his dreams, a very pregnant Madhu sitting there in the swing, Oscar and Omega lying at her feet, even though Oscar and Omega were pretty big now, in his dream somehow they were small, just like how they had been when he had gifted those pups to Madhu, nearly 7 years ago. Suddenly, he heard someone calling him, and he looked at the direction. And it was his Mom standing at the door, and asking him and Madhu to come inside.
RK looks at Sultan and whispers: "This is it. This is what I wanted. I can see my family with me here. And we are happy."
Sultan gives RK a confused look.
Suddenly, RK hears someone laughing, and he turns to look at that side, and sees the swimming pool, and he was shocked out of his wits, when he saw Sassy Playing with tiger there near the swimming pool. He looks at the small girl he was holding, and then slowly kisses her. He hadn't realized that, when he had decided to make Madhu his, Sassy was also included in his decision. Now by hook or crook, Madhu and Sassy were going to be his. No matter what.
He turned to look at Sultan, but then couldn't look into his eyes, as he started feeling guilty for what he was planning to do, he was going to take away his wife and daughter from him, his family.
So he turned back to look at the house and simply said: "I want this house."
Door bell rings, and Madhu opens the door realizing that Shaurya, Sahasra and jeeju were back from their outing, and she sees Shaurya standing there with a big smile on his face.
RK: "Guess who your new neighbor is?"
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- Lazy