PYTHON

Python breaks down.....

"Just look at him thakur Sahab....... what has your dearest python done......." raghu scowled looking at python in disdain. Python was quiet as he sat across rudrakshi whose gaze was fixed on him. Raghu was the only one who shouted for no reason.
"Why are you silent thakur sahab....... just say something for goodness sakes....." cried raghu lividly. Rudrakshi sighed as she stooped a little on her chair so she was near to python who sat dismayed on the chair. She ran her fingers through his hairs and tears snaked into his eyes which he fought back ardently.
"Hindu tarike se hui shaadi????" she asked in her thick Bihari accent. He nodded and sniffed trying to keep those unbidden tears at bay.
"Pandit aaya tha, pure riti riwaj ke saath hui hai shaadi......." he whispered in his raspy voice. Rudrakshi closed her eyes and chanted a silent prayer, her lips moved rhythmically and no one interjected until the prayer was over. However, after that raghu took the charge.
"C'mon thakur sahab, this man has forcibly married a girl and your response is this....... like how on earth can you......... forget it........you can atleast ask him why did he do that........" raghu grumbled all worked up. Rudrakshi started blankly at him, gesturing him to keep his cakehole shut for a moment. Raghu groaned but acquiesced. Python wiped his tear furtively with his finger, but she saw it anyways.
"I know you mustn't have forced yourself upon her........ nonetheless, I believe she's upset with you......Have you set her family free by the way????" she asked with a usual touch of superiority in her voice. Python sniffed and nodded for he was too afraid that his raspy voice will hint towards his broken state. She sighed.
"Puja kariye iski.........bhuka baitha hai kal se kyunki usne kuch nahi khaya hai, ab jab tak vo nahi khayegi ye Maharaj bhi nahi khayenge.......dhukhi ho gya hu mai isse......." Raghu grumbled chagrined folding his arms, rudrakshi raised her hand and he knew he wasn't allowed to speak further. She rested her chin upon her fisted hand and started.
"Keeping everything inside doesn't always helps. You are aware that if there's anyone in this entire world who would listen to you then probably that's me..........so why don't you just open up to me. Why not tell me what's bothering you????" her voice came out in a whisper and this was it for python. He broke down into tears and hugged her tightly. Rudrakshi stroked his back as he wept on her shoulder, raghu's eyes softened and he no longer looked cantankerous but empathetic towards him.
"It's ok....... I'm here...... everything's gonna be ok......." she cooed in his ear trying to ease his pain but he was shattered completely. Pain doesn't subsides that easily after all. Raghu sat on his knees and stroked his arm. Python captured his hand in his tightly and raghu realised at that point that how much he meant to him, even after regular skirmishes between them he still loved him so much. He sobbed bitterly on her shoulder as she tried to console him.
"Use mana le please.......... please......." he pleaded with tears. Rudrakshi looked up at the ceiling as he cried bitterly on her shoulder.

Madhushree sat on the bed, inside 'their' room. He hadn't came since last night and although she despises him with everything inside her yet you just can't stop thinking about someone who is around you 24/7. She was kinda worried about him, like he left with tears and she feared that he still must be crying. But then why should she care??? Suddenly, the door swung open and she discovered her husband plodding in with slow, heavy footsteps. His hairs were a mess, his eyes were swollen and were red, and he looked kinda dreary. For a moment she was disquieted with his condition but then she remembered what he had done to her and her family and therefore she turned her eyes away from him. He sniffed as he came in with heavy heart and swollen eyes.
"You haven't eaten anything since night...... please eat something......" he requested feebly and she glared at him. He didn't had the courage to look into her eyes, not because he regretted marrying her forcibly but because the hatred for him in her eyes was enough to kill him. If python can't endure one thing than it's her hatred.
"I won't.........I won't ever eat........." she spat angrily. He exhaled, still looking down.
"Please madhu........" he pleaded softly but her hatred for him was so strong that no amount of compassion can force her to change her mind. She fisted her hands and started.
"Don't ever take my name with that filthy mouth of yours.........I hate you you monster.........I hate you and I don't wanna see your face ever........" she cried angrily. He closed his eyes as tears rolled down them, he quickly turned his face away so she can't see it.
"I.........I.......am upstairs....... just in case you need anything........" he whispered in his croaking voice and marched towards the door. On the threshold stood rudrakshi and Python gasped when he saw her out of the blue, from the look in her eyes it was evident that she had heard the conversation between them. Python threw his gaze down and went past her so he didn't had to face her questions. Rudrakshi sighed and came in once he left. Madhushree was surprised to see her nonetheless didn't say anything. Rudrakshi walked in and sat on the huge Chesterfield sofa lying across the bed. For some reason madhushree felt intimidated with him and today too the things were pretty much the same.
"How are you madhu????" she asked in her usual husky voice, madhushree sniffed and looked straight into her eyes.
"How can I be after your best friend abducted me and married me on gunpoint........" she whispered with tears. Rudrakshi placed her one leg over the other.
"Come here madhu......" she ordered and madhushree although didn't wanted to yet her fear for her forced her to comply. She moved towards the sofa and sat beside her. Rudrakshi pulled out her phone from her pocket and spend few seconds on it before showing her something.
"What's this????" asked madhushree perplexed at the picture.
"Her name is Mrunal and she is Suyyash's girlfriend, well technically was since he kicked her out of his life once he saw you. She's an engineer by profession, a software engineer......you know those low paid ones but she was so.......um, this guy Suyyash, he met her 4 years ago and they started dating as you people call it nowadays. Madhu, Mrunal is pregnant with her child, out of wedlock, and this guy Suyyash has dumped her brutally. She was trying to reach you, to tell you the reality of this fiendish boy but Suyyash threatened her to leak her private pictures on internet if tries to reach you again. Despondent, she somehow finds my address, reaches my mansion, 4 months pregnant and obviously out of breath. She told me everything madhu, it's the affair of yesterday's evening and immediately I tried to contact python but couldn't reach him. Madhu, it took me a whole night to understand that python knew this all before me and he wanted to save you and your family along with that hapless girl from Suyyash. When you were in the mandap with him, at Suyyash's house python's bouncers were pummeling his face and threatening him to marry that girl. Madhu, it wasn't just a matter of his love but a matter of a woman's misery and a matter of an unborn baby. Python could've killed Suyyash but he thought about that baby who still had to see this world, a baby born out of a wedlock........I think you can imagine what would've been his life or her life. If python had told you or mohan everything, then it was absolutely possible that Suyyash could've ruined the dignity of Mrunal by posting her sensitive pictures on the internet and that's what python didn't wanted. The only way to keep you safe and also that woman, was your and his marriage. In this way, your brother will stop looking for suitors for you." she paused as madhushree heard her stunned. She couldn't trust her ears, like how on earth was this even possible........ he seemed such a decent guy unlike python whose one look says enough about his diabolical persona. Rudrakshi poured a glass of water for her and she took it with quivering hands.
"Madhu I know.......I know it sounds absurd and insensitive to hunt for logic behind his actions which for the most part are absolutely grisly and barbarous but....... this time he isn't wrong madhu. He never wanted to abduct you like this, all he wanted was you to come willingly to him....... but that didn't happen. I know python better than you, better than anyone else on this planet.........he truly loves you. If you leave him, he dies and if he dies then your family pays the price....... because if you love your family I too love my friend........I don't want to threaten you madhu because trust me, I really like you........I don't wanna hurt you or your family but if python gets hurt, I'll make sure everybody else is too. I am not saying you to forgive him, all I ask of you is to understand him. There is always a reason behind his actions........he may be a psychopath but not stupid, I can attest to that." she stood up and straightened her Gucci waistcoat, madhushree sat stunned and a bit scared too.
"Choice is yours madhu....... either you save him or let me throw everybody in the same situation as he is. A big responsibility for you I should say....... but I know, you won't defy me......" she stated before striding towards the door. Rudrakshi gave one last look at her, smiled and shut the door behind her. Madhushree was still stunned, she had million of questions bouncing in her head. From Suyyash to their marriage...... everything seems to be so convoluted that madhushree hardly made out anything of it. But one thing was certain that the tech giant hadn't done anything without a reason, and if rudrakshi's words are true, which obviously are, then she actually owed him something. He saved her and also did justice to that poor girl and her unborn baby, but what did she gave him in return, taunts and cries of hatred. She clutched the fabric of her saree as something called guilt started washing over her. She bit her lower lip as her eyes landed on her huge photo hanging behind the bed.
"Why do you love me so much......." she whispered as her eyes fell down in guilt.

Madhushree lay on the bed. She was in a deep sleep already for it was 10:00 in the night. Suddenly the door swung open and she jolted up awake. She gasped as she found python stumbling inside with a whisky bottle clasped in his hand. He was absolutely drunk and even a blind eye could see that. Madhushree felt a surge of terror building up inside her, why was he here????? What was he planning to do???? Straining her eyes she faintly discovered that he was sniffling, and that called for some attention.
"Py........ Python........" she called him cautiously. He lifted up his head and madhushree gasped, his dusky face had turned pink due to all those tears that tainted his godly visage, his eyes were bloodshot and swollen. Her heart clenched seeing him like this.
"What has happened....... python......." she whispered as he stood and wept near the pool. He rapped the bottle on the table and came towards her doddering and sniffling. For a moment she felt that he was back to his psychotic behaviour but when he fell on his knees, she knew that it wasn't the case. He lifted up his face and her heart clenched once again seeing him all teary and dismayed like this.
"Madhu please mujhse nafrat mat karo....... please........I promise mai video game bhi nahi khelunga.......mai......mai bed pe geela towel bhi nahi phekunga........mai pandit ko gaali bhi nahi dunga.........I promise......mai der raat tak cartoon bhi nahi dekhunga......I promise....." he sobbed in front of her, her eyes brimmed with tears as she tried to console him. He sniffed and gently held her hands.
"Mai bed pe khaana bhi nahi khaunga........roz subah uth ke naha lunga....... der tak sounga bhi nahi........I promise....... tumhe jaisa ladka pasand hai na mai bilkul vaise ban jaunga....... bas tum mujhse nafrat mat karo...... please......" tears poured out like rivulets down his eyes and she cupped his face and cried.
"Python please stop........ it's ok, I don't hate you......... You're drunk.......you need to sleep........" she whispered, wiping his tears. He shook his head and sniffed.
"Mai daaru bhi nahi piyunga, I promise........" he said like a 5 year old pleading his mother to stop getting angry with him. She nodded softly as she wiped his tears, not paying attention to her own ones.

The clock chimed 12:00 in the midnight. Python snored while he slept soundly on the bed, clutching madhushree's fragile frame tightly. She was awake and stroking his hairs. He had slept around 11:00 after blubbering like a toddler in front of her, but she knew that kids don't lie and this grown up kid doesn't even know how to lie in front of her. Her eyes landed on his hand, she gently lifted her hand and was staggered to see how coarse they were. In some places there were slashes and cuts which told a tale of themselves. At that moment she knew how much effort he puts into his buisness, she knew how much he toils everyday. She pecked his hand as tears build up in her eyes. He wasn't a tech giant for no reason, the universe knows what he has sacrificed to earn this name. The same goes to his love for her, the heavens knew how many nights he had cried himself to sleep, alone and despaired.
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