After a month
RK and Madhu were talking in their room at morning
"Sorry for last night" RK
"It is ok my love. I know it is because of your medications" Madhu
"I know it is hard for you. It is been two months now since we did it last time" RK
"It is really ok my dear. I can wait for you all my life. Just four months and you will be perfectly fine. You won't need these medication anymore. We will be ok again and I will lock you up in this room for a week. We will never leave this bed" Madhu
"This plan works for me" RK
"I know naughty boy" Madhu
"What?" RK looked at her faking angry
"Sorry naughty man" Madhu laughed
They both got up and started their day
After breakfast
"Just give me one hour and I'll get ready" Madhu
"Ready for what?" RK
"Don't you have appointment with your physical therapist today?" Madhu was confused
"Yes. I will leave after hour and half. But why will you get ready? Where are you going?" RK
"I'll come with you" Madhu
"Why? I can go alone. I don't need you" RK
"But I want to come with you Rishabh" Madhu
"What is the need? I can go with the driver. I don't need you. I'm not a kid or disabled to come with me everywhere I go" RK
"I didn't say that" Madhu
"You didn't say it in words. But everything you do screams the words. That I need you in every little detail in my life" RK was angry
"Rishabh she is your wife. What is the problem if she comes with you?" Mohan who was watching their discussion in silent asked him
"I don't need her Dad. I don't need anyone. I can go alone." RK
"But Rishabh" Mohan
"Please Dad. I want to go alone. I don't want to depend on anyone. I need my life back. Please. I feel that my life was taken away from me since the accident. I can't work, I can't do anything, you both never leave me do anything by myself. I feel suffocated. I just want my life back" RK pleaded him
"Ok Rishabh. If you want to go alone, I won't come with you. I don't want to upset you" Madhu
"Do as you like Rishabh" Mohan left them to the hospital
After that day, Madhu tried to leave the small things for RK to do. She let him go anywhere alone. She stopped insisting on feeding him by herself. She tried to give him the space he wanted to feel free and in control again
After another month
Madhu was walking out her room very angry. Mohan saw her and asked her
"Another fight?" Mohan
"Yes Papa Ji I don't know what I can do for him. We are fighting a lot recently. He is always on edge. It is getting worse with time." Madhu
"Why did you fight tonight?" Mohan
"The same reason, my work" Madhu
"I don't know why you don't want to return to your work. His hand is getting better now. He is not shaking badly like before. He can eat by himself even he learned to write with his left hand. He doesn't need you 24/7 anymore. You can rejoin your work again" Mohan
"You are right Papa Ji. He can depend on himself now. He can do many things alone now and I'm glad for him. But don't you think it will be hard for him to stay all day alone waiting for both of us to back from work.
He can't work now. Staying at home while I'm busy with my work is not easy for him. You know our job is not easy or fixed time job. I will stay most of the day out. He will be sitting here do nothing just waiting for us. It will be so hard for him" Madhu
"You are right. But leaving your job for him is harder. He won't accept you to sacrifice your dream for him. He can't be the reason for you to leave your job. It will break him if he feels that you made this great sacrifice for him. He will feel that he is a burden on you. Please do as he says. For him." Mohan
"Ok Papa Ji. I will call them tomorrow and see if I can join the work next week" Madhu
"Thank you my dear" Mohan
"Papa Ji you know I can do anything for Rishabh" Madhu
"I know" Mohan
After another month
Madhu came back from work. She entered her room and found it completely dark. She turned on the lights and saw RK was sitting there
"Why are you sitting in the dark alone like this?" Madhu
"No matter the lights or the people around me. The loneliness and the darkness consume me" RK
"Why are you saying that? We all are here with you. You are not alone" Madhu
"No Dr. Madhubala Rishabh Kundra. I'm alone. Completely alone. You are busy with your work. Dad is busy with his hospital. What about me? Nothing. No one is with me. No one understands my feeling. No one feels my pain" RK
"No Rishabh. Papa Ji came back from England only for you. To run your hospital until you are fine again. I'm with you. I never left you. I returned to my job only because you asked me. If you want, I won't go to work again until you are fine.
You know, we all are here for you. I can do anything just to see you happy again. I love you Rishabh and I can't see you broken like this. Please Rishabh for me don't give up to sadness. Please be strong as you always were" Madhu
"I was strong. But not anymore. I'm nothing now. I can't do anything now. I'm disabled. I can't work. I can't operate. I even can't function to satisfy my wife needs anymore. I'm useless." RK was crying
"It is ok. Everything will be ok" Madhu approached him and tried to wipe his tears but he stepped back quickly and prevented her to reach him
"I'm not a kid to wipe my tears and tell me everything's ok. I know that nothing is ok. I'm not ok. I won't be ok. I lost everything. My life is ruined" RK
"Rishabh please" Madhu
"I can't stay here. I can't breathe" RK left the room
"Where are you going?" Madhu was shocked
"Anywhere but here" RK
RK left the house and stayed all night out. Madhu stayed all night crying as usual for months now
After two months
RK came back home from his visit to his neurologist. He looked sad as usual
"What did the doctor say?" Madhu
"The same" RK
"Sorry Rishabh. It is ok. Maybe next visit he will clear you to operate. Please don't give up" Madhu tried to console him
"I don't know what to do. They all said it would take six months. Now those six months passed. When can I back to my work?" RK
"Please Rishabh. We waited for six months. Can't you wait for little longer? Your next visit will be after two weeks. I'm sure he will allow you to operate then. Your hand is stable now and not shaking at all" Madhu
Madhu saw RK was concealing laugh
"What?" Madhu was confused
RK laughed hard
"Are you lying at me?" Madhu
"Sorry" RK continued laughing
"Tell me the truth. Did he allow you to operate?" Madhu was happy
"Yes. He allowed me to operate now. Actually, I called Dad and told him that I will go back to the hospital tomorrow. He even scheduled me for a surgery tomorrow" RK was very happy
"Really? I'm very happy for you" Madhu hugged him tight
"I know" RK
"But you broke my heart when you said that he didn't clear you yet" Madhu was faking sad face
"I'm sorry my love" RK
"You are forgiven. Today is a happy day. I can't be upset from you" Madhu
"No, really I'm sorry. For everything, I did those six months. I know I was hard to handle with. I know I gave you hard times. Our fights and shouting at you most of the times. I'm really sorry" RK
"It is ok my dear husband. You were always there for me. You supported me all the time. You helped me a lot. I can never ever pay you back. No matter what you do or say you will always be my love and my life" Madhu
"Thank you dear for your support. I love you so much" RK
"I love you more and more" Madhu
"I know I promised you a week when I am fine. But tomorrow I have surgery. Can we start our week tomorrow night?" RK
"Sure. Tomorrow night after your surgery we will celebrate your return to work then we can start our week" Madhu was blushing
"We are married for more than five years now and you still blushing" RK
Madhu blushed more if that even possible and ran to her room. RK laughed and followed her to their room