Villainous Love

Distances

"Rishu" came a voice in his dreams. After years he felt that solace when sleeping. He still remembered those times when he used to call her even before getting up from bed  just to hear this voice of hers calling him Rishu so lovingly. And after years today his morning seemed beautiful.

"Rishu." It echoed the same way it used to echo inside of him then.

"Rishuuuuu" the voice turned adamant. And RK realized that it wasnt a dream. In a jerk he sat up to inquire the source of that sound when he saw his Madhu standing there with a frown on her face.

He just stared at her for a few seconds trying to judge what is around him. Is it his dream? His Madhu, the one he knew since childhood stood infront of him. Has he gone back in time? He just stared at her blankly for two minutes and even Madhu couldn’t budge as she tried to read his eyes.

"Chief!!" Came bittuji's voice from the door bringing them both back to the present.

RK looked at Bittuji and realized who they all were and that he hadnt gone back in time. He stood up angrily and held Madhu's wrist roughly. He twisted her arm at her back.

" Don't you dare try to seduce me! I hate such women!" He said in his cold angry tone spitting each word. Why he said that, even he didnt know. Was it to cover up infront of her? Or infront of Bittuji.. or to hide his feelings from himself.

Madhu's jaw dropped open hearing him while he felt confused at her reaction as she saw him baffled. "Seduce!!" Finally she exclaimed.

"Did my just calling you Rishu, seduced you..?" She said with a naughty glint in her eyes. While RK suddenly felt he did a mistake as his grip loosened.

"And wait a sec! I have been calling you Rishu all my life.. Since childhood!! That means you got seduced since then?!" She exclaimed horrified not paying any heed to Bittuji standing there who was actually shocked right now seeing his chief on back foot now.

" No..." said RK loosing all track trying to find ends to what suddenly happened.

"You scandalized me... This is an insult..." Madhu shouted acting offended.

"Its not that..." RK said confused. He didn't understand whether he should continue his anger or should he justify that he had never taken her friendship wrongly in their childhood.

"I cant believe this... This is limit!" Madhu tried acting offended as her gaze fell on Bittuji who was now trying to keep his lips sealed to prevent his laughter. Madhu started walking out of the room stomping her feet in fear of breaking into a laughter and spoil everything.

She went out while RK looked at the door baffled. He looked at Bittuji and then again at the door. "What?" He exclaimed in frustration and confusion. "What was that?"

Bittuji who couldnt control himself anymore burst into a laughter. RK frowned seeing him.

"Bittuji.." he said in his dangerous calm tone.

"Yes chief.." he replied back still half consumed in laughter.

"OUT!!" RK screamed at him.

"yes chief.." Bittuji said too happy to be relieved for now.

"And this stays here..." RK said angrily.

"I will not tell anyone Chief.. But Bhabiji did seem quite angry.. so I wonder she might tell someone.." Bittuji said smiling and then went away.

After he was all alone. RK thought of what just happened. After 7 years he was woken up by his dream girl and also she was that same old sparkling Madhu he loved. Remembering her scandalized expressions he couldn’t help but burst into a smile himself not knowing.

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Madhu was now working in the kitchen as she thought about RK's reaction. Somewhere she could see her Rishu inside him. The way he tried to justify his friendship to her, she knew it was her Rishabh. When she had woke up and found him still sleeping, she had stared at him for a few minutes as if trying to confirm if he was actually who she thought he was. She couldnt relate this man to her friend. But the innocence on his face when asleep made her believe that it was him. And the decision which she wasnt able to take since yesterday became clear and stronger. She wanted to get her friend back. But then he was also the same man who had twisted her arm and accused her of seducing him. How can he use such words for her? Doesn't he know her enough?

"Bhabhi ji..." came Bittuji's voice as he entered the kitchen.

"Yes Bittuji.." she smiled at him as she came out of her thoughts.

"Thanks.." he replied.

"Why?"

"For staying back.." he said smiling. "Seeing you with him today I felt that Chief needed you so much.."

"Bittuji I am not here for anyone else.. I am here for my Rishu who is locked in this house and in him.. I want to free him... The way i feel suffocated in this place, I wonder how suffocated he must be.." she said thoughtfully.

"Rishu..." he said with a laugh. "For us he is always Chief.. Or RK.. Its really funny for me to think that someone can call him Rishu..."

Madhu smiled at him though she felt a pain hitting her heart hearing him. He had changed so much. "He wasnt like this always Bittuji.." she could just say that. "How long have you been with him..?" She asked him.

"Almost 5 and half years.." he said.

Madhu sighed hearing him. “so long.. Its been more than  5 years since he is lost.. and since Radha aunty and Mohan uncle died..”

“were you both friends?” Bittuji tried to confirm the very obvious fact that was shouting yet he was curious to have that confirmed.

“Friends… we were best of friends… We did soo much together.. even that day when I met him…” she said suddenly getting lost. “I expected to see my friend jumping up to hug me.. but whom I found was totally a different person..”

“he has been this way since the day I met him.. I remember I used to tremble in his presence back then.. Not much has changed now except that I have adapted to that feeling..” Bittuji said smiling nervously.

“I would get him back… I cant let my Rishu drown in him..” she said confidently.

“how will you do that Bhabhi ji?" He asked curiously.

“I don’t know…” she said confused.

RK on the other hand was getting ready for work now. He had two things going on in mind. One part of his wanted to run to Madhu and clarify her that she has been his best friend, and he had never thought wrongly about her. And the other part was trying to find some way out to humiliate her yet again. But whatever he wanted still he couldn’t gather enough courage to go and face her. He was afraid of himself. He was finding himself getting weak in her presence. The way she came to him in the morning, he was very close to get up and hug her tightly for coming back to him.

He needed time to think what he did. He had married her in a drunken state. He wasn’t ready for this revenge game with her. It was an impulsive decision and now he didn’t know how to proceed. When he had seen her yesterday so lost and so drowned in pain and anguish, He had worried for her but now that she was back to being Madhu he knew, he was again worried that he would forget about his parents and give himself to her. His long died love for her was rekindling.

Then there was another question. Why he married her? It wasn’t necessary that to give her pain he had marry her but then why? Did his subconscious found this as a chance to keep Madhu with him forever. Was it really his revenge and hatred or was it his love that didn’t want Madhu to go away from him and in a state of panic to somehow keep her with him, he took this decision. Still lost in thoughts RK just stormed out of the mansion.

Madhu came in the room with breakfast and found RK already gone. She sighed thinking how quiet his presence has become. He was the person who was so full of life and was always the one who would plan parties and get togethers. She had always worried as to what he would do in future but now he was so drowned in his work and his hate that it didn’t actually make a difference when he went away.

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