Rishabala : Three Shots : Puppy Love

Part Three (End)

Mumbai, 2008 

 

Madhu sat there watching Trishna talk on the phone excitedly. She was talking to RK, it was his birthday. Ever since he had left, neither had he called her nor she, him. She tried her best to move on in life though it was very difficult to forget someone like Rishabh Kundra. Her father wanted her to get married and she had met a few men though so far nothing had worked out as none could match up to RK. This week also, she was meeting a guy, some engineer from Delhi and the way her father was talking about him, he looked very impressed and happy with the proposal. Madhu wondered how this meeting would be. "Madhu." Trishna called her, breaking her out of her thoughts. Madhu looked up and saw her offering her the phone. Madhu immediately gets up and walks towards Trishna and takes the phone from her. "Hel... Hello?" "Madhu?" RK says from the other end happily and Madhu stops breathing for a second, hearing his voice after a long time. "Hello? Madhu?" "Happy birthday." Madhu wishes him. "Thank you." RK replies. Then they remained silent for a while waiting for the other to speak. "So.. Say something." RK tells her. "er... er... how are you?" she asks him, he laughs and says "I am fine and you?" "Good... what plans for your birthday?" "I haven't told anyone it is my birthday, so no plans. By the way I am coming home." RK says happily. "Really? When?" Madhu asks him excited. "In four weeks." RK informed her. "We will meet, right?" he asked her. "We will." Madhu replied. 

 

Four weeks later, Madhu was at a boutique checking out dress materials when her cell started ringing. It was from Kundra house. "Yeah, Trishna?" Madhu said picking up the phone. "Hey, Madhu." RK replies. "RK?" Madhu asks shocked. "Yup!" "You reached home?" Madhu asked as she tried to control her raising heart. He was home. "No, I am still in the plane. Of course I reached home. Listen, I want to meet you." RK declared. "Meet me?" Madhu asked shocked. "Yeah. And that too, now." RK told her. "But RK, I am a little busy, now." Madhu said hesitantly. "I don't care. You are meeting me and that's it." "RK.." RK cuts her off "You get ready. I will come home and pick you up now." "I am not home." "Then?" "I am at the Mall." Madhu said "Which mall? I will come there." RK said excitedly. 

 

45 mins later, Madhu was sitting at the coffee shop watching RK look at his coffee intently. RK had been quiet when she met him. He looked tensed though he was smiling happily at her. Finally to break the ice, Madhu said "If you just wanted someone to watch you studying your coffee, you should have asked someone who is as jobless as you." RK looks up at her and smiles seeing her smile. "Sorry." He says a little embarrassed. "It's okay. Then, tell me.." Madhu said. "You are looking great." RK said. Madhu gets a little conscious, this was the first time he had complemented her on her looks. "Thanx." RK just keeps smiling as he looked at her, Madhu finally asks him "Why did you want to see me?" "That... Madhu... actually.. Madhu.." RK starts getting tensed again. Taking a deep breath he takes her hand in his and softly asks her "Do you still have feelings for me?" Madhu goes pale hearing him ask that and tries to take her hand away from his but he holds on tight. "I know I have hurt you. But you know I never intended to hurt you." "I know, RK. It happen long back, why do you want to talk about it now?" she asked him trying to ignore the familiar pain in her heart. "Because, I love you." RK said. Madhu looks at him in shock as tears whether of joy or pain she didn't know filled her eyes. "Is this some joke?" she asked him. "You know, I would never joke about these things. I really love you, Madhu." RK said sincerely. When Madhu remained silent staring at him, he said laughing nervously "I know what you are thinking, why so suddenly right? No, Madhu. Ever since we talked on the phone that day, remember I called you from the booth, when I told you about Sultan and Trishna, I don't know I had all these feelings that even I didn't understand. And when you came home and cleared all those misunderstandings and convinced Trishna and Sultan, I realized I was falling in love with you. But then, I was scared that what I was feeling for you might be out of guilt and not love, and you deserved nothing less than love. So I decided to stay away for a while and understand what was in my heart. You might not have been there, but I saw you everywhere, felt you everywhere, every heart beat you were there with me. And I realized that I was truly, madly and deeply in love with my birthday girl. I love you, Madhu." RK said with tears in his eyes.