"Madhu, could you please come here for a moment dear...." Mohan called madhushree in his usual affectionate voice while digging his eyes into the newspaper. Madhushree lower down her eyes and quietly walked towards him. Mohan folded the paper and tossed it on the table before throwing a glance at her. He gently held her hand and gestured her to sit in front of him. She acquiesced.
"Madhu dear, do you trust me???? Do you believe that whatever I've done in my life, it's just to see that smile on your face....." he asked softly and she looked up into his chocolate brown eyes which were brimming with benevolence and love. She felt that he was hurt after she let python inside and that 'wrong' intimacy between them last night.
"Brother python came unannounced yesterday and I......"
"Madhu......Madhu..... relax, I am aware that python came into the house last night and I am not talking about him....." mohan assured her, she sighed in relief. Atleast he isn't upset with her about last night.
"That's all you know.......why don't you mention that you already know what took place between them on her bed. Huh!!!! Just look at your 'dear sister'...... couldn't even wait for marriage....... lemme guess, now she'll once again make lame excuses that python did everything while in reality it was she who initiated it. Bitch....." malini scowled in disdain and madhushree was badly hurt with her words. Did she think so low about her???? All she did was a kiss and why was she so fuming by the way, it's between her and python and technically she shouldn't interfere. Mohan glared at her.
"Malini, I detest python because madhu doesn't wants him......if she had reciprocated his feelings than I would've happily agreed to this relationship. And whatever happened between them, firstly you shouldn't have peeped like a peeping tom and secondly, didn't you feel ashamed when you told me, your brother, about the events of last night and that too explicitly. Malini, I know it will hurt you and trust me that's exactly what I wanna do to you, I trust madhu, I even trust python but I don't trust you. You told me that madhu shamefully handed over her virtue to python but lemme tell you, python would never go this far before their marriage. So you better shut that trap and get lost......" mohan snapped at her and she was stunned. Madhushree quietly sat with eyes downcast and fingers clutching the fabric of her dupatta. Malini muttered curses under her breath and stormed outside. Following her departure, mohan looked back at madhushree. He held her quivering fingers in his manly hand and started.
"Madhu I know you are tired of python........I know it's not easy to deal with a psychopath and a rich psychopath is lethal. Here......see this....." he probed inside his office bag and produced a medium size photograph. He stamped the picture on the table and gave a little push with his fingers, the picture slithered towards madhushree. She picked up the picture and discovered an average looking boy with grey eyes, crew cut hairs and stubble beard, smiling at her. He was pretty fair in complexion unlike python who was a dusky god. Besides he didn't had that manly look, although he was a man but actually more on the cuter side not on the handsome side. He was pretty cute but he can nohow beat python in handsomeness.
"That's my company's HR manager's elder son......" told mohan looking into her eyes. She gave him a confused look.
"But why are you showing me this???" she asked curiously. Mohan chuckled while resting his one leg over the other, a habit which he recieved from their father.
"When I told my HR manager about python and his madness, he gave a very simple solution to me. He suggested to marry you off to a decent guy and obviously python or any other man can't do anything once the girl is married to somebody else. He is a general physician in bhopal and he is a decent boy.......I am pretty sure he'll make a great husband. I know his father very well, he hails from a very simple family........ the family's good and I have already shown your picture to them, they at once said yes. The boy is ready to marry you. However, I won't go against you madhu. If you don't approve of this proposal than I won't proceed further. But in my opinion you should atleast consider the proposal, that's the only way we can escape python...." he kept everything before her and she heard him shocked. It felt as if earth had slipped away from under her feet. Marriage!!!!!! With this cute boy....... she was distraught, that's all I can say. It wasn't that the boy had any issues, the problem was her own feelings about python. After days of knowing him and spending time with him, she was pretty sure that she didn't wished to escape him. Although she didn't loved him but that doesn't mean she thought of him as a despicable monster.
"What happened madhu???? Is there a problem......I have given my word to them but if you have any problem than I will pull back....." mohan stated and she looked at him in dismay. There was no way out their she would let her brother down, her brother had always been a father to him and she very well knew that if he steps back than his name, his reputation will have to face the consequences. Her feelings for python weren't of love but surely not of hatred, nonetheless those feelings are not bigger than her brother's respect and she can absolutely give up on her feelings just for her brother's reputation.
"Brother, the guy you've chosen for me.......I am pretty sure he must be exceedingly good for me. I have no objections.......I will marry the one you choose for me...." she tried to keep her tears at bay and forced a smile upon her lips. Mohan was elated and he quickly captured her in a hug.
"O dear madhu......I am so happy!!!!" mohan whispered smiling. Tears ran down her eyes as she hugged her brother, thinking about the man who worships her.

Madhushree's phone rang in the noon. She shut the closet door and grabbed her phone. The number displayed on the screen was unknown. She picked up nevertheless.
"Hello......" she said tentatively.
"Um hi....... I'm Suyyash, Dr. Suyyash Bhandari......." the voice sounded nervous and she quickly realised that it was the same man who was going to be her 'husband'. Her expressions were of despair.
"Hi, I'm madhushree....." she said softly as her eyes fell on the lehenga gifted by python, kept neatly on the settee. All his memories rushed back to her while she tried to dump them into the deepest corners of her heart.
"How are you madhu...... I hope I can call you madhu...... only if you don't mind......." he chuckled nervously, madhushree heard him less but thought about python more. She didn't know why her tears weren't stopping, they were never in any relationship than why does it hurts???
"Hm....." she said in between her tears.
"You are very beautiful madhu......when dad showed me your picture, I swear I was like.......Is it a dream!!!!! I know I sound like an idiot but..... it's just what it is!!!! I hope you aren't getting bored......I mean, doctors rarely know how to act like a good talker....... but I am a very good listener, just in case you liked talking!!!!! Please say something......I mean it's just so awkward, that I am the only one talking here and you're quiet....." he chuckled again, madhushree didn't know why she couldn't be attentive to what he said, because her mind kept wandering to python, the same man she fears the most. She remembered the moment she first talked to him in his corp, the moment when he came into her home with the marriage proposal, the way his mad eyes lock into her feared ones as he confesses his obsessive love for her, the way his lips did something to her body as they trailed across her skin. More tears snaked into her eyes as her heart started clenching painfully.
"Madhu are you there???" the voice asked unsure, madhushree sniffed and pulled herself together to respond to him. Abruptly, her phone vibrated and she curiously found a familiar number floating upon the screen. She knew who it was.
"Suyyash, I'll talk to you later...... someone's calling me." she said abruptly. The man coughed.
"Um yes sure, why not...... I'll call in the evening. Bye, take care....." he was taken aback but didn't show it. Madhushree disconnected the call and quickly answered the call which had been spamming her phone since one minute.
"Hello Mr. Python......." she said a little short of breath. No response. She felt a pang in her chest, she had hurted him.
"Mr. Python......I know you're there!!!!" she whispered trying to curb her tears. She heard a long sniff which was ensued with a distraught laughter.
"Chalo yaad to hu mai......." his dismayed tone hurted her even more. But she knew she had to be fierce, it was for their own good or that's what she thinks.
"I know that by now you must have known that I am getting married to somebody else. And I think it's the high time for you to forget me......we were never meant to be together Mr. Python. I know you deserve someone better and I too deserve a guy like Suyyash. Their was never anything between us Mr. Python so I think there's nothing to be upset with, I only wish you good luck for your future......." she narrated it like some sort of a speech, trying to be fierce but her tears told some other story. There was profound silence on the other side except for the faint sound of crying which clenched her heart. She wanted him to say something but his silence seemed to be killing her.
"Goodbye Mr. Python......... forever....." she whispered in a croaking voice before disconnecting the call. She knew she couldn't continue it further without sobbing hysterically. She tossed the phone on the bed and sobbed harder.
"I am sorry.......I don't even love you, never did but I don't know why.......why, it feels like I have betrayed you..... like I have shattered your heart into million pieces." she sobbed badly. His memories kept rushing back to her, piercing through her heart like an arrow, she recalled every single moment they shared together, she recalled the pain of loneliness in his eyes, his undying love for her, his madness, his passion and even his obsession. Every single thing of his haunted her.
"He'll forget me after some time.......I know, he'll get someone better than me....." she whispered with tears. The real question however was, Can she forget him???? Is it possible to crush the heart of someone who loves you madly and live peacefully, with no regrets???? Perhaps she knew, she wasn't one those sluts who toyed with the heart of men and that's why, it hurted like hell. She looked at the phone with tears, he hadn't called back which obviously signified that.......he was broken by and large. Python, the tech giant, was shattered completely and madhushree chawla was responsible for his misery. This realisation hurted her so badly that she now abhorred herself.

In the night, around 8:00, she somehow pulled herself together to face her family. She washed her face, although her eyes were still puffed up due to crying for hours and tried to fix her clothes. Her eyes hopefully fell on the phone which laid quietly on the mattress, she hadn't recieved any call or text from python which obviously worried her. She would've been more than happy to see his call again, she could bear his psychotic behaviour but the thought of his despondent face made her disquieted. Nonetheless, she was doing this all for both of them and she needed to be firm this time. She plodded outside her room and found her brother's room door wide open, perhaps he had gone out for a walk. She then strolled to malini's room and curiously, it was vacant as well.
"Perhaps jiji and mom had also gone out......" she whispered as she made her way to the kitchen. Abruptly she heard the sound of tyres screeching halt outside her front door. She casually strolled to the door and opened it wide, but as soon as she did that, she fell agape. In front was python in a more daunting state, his eyes were red, hairs disheveled, coat's buttons flung open and shirt half tugged in while half carelessly peeking out. He was excessively drunk, she could tell that even from this far.
"Shaadi kar rahi ho kisi aur se........" his husky voice held loath as he prowled towards her with his menacing stare fixed on her. She gasped.
"Mr. Python......" she whispered breathlessly as his lethal gaze left her foreboding and qualmed.

                               To be continued.........
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