Thanks to all for voting and commenting on the previous story. Bawara Mann Dekhne Chala Ek Sapna (Posted on 4. Jun. 2024)

Eid Mubarak everyone... and here is my Eidi for you all...

Warning

The hero is pretty much a doormat.

In simple words, RK of this story = Madhu of Bawara Mann Dekhne Chala Ek Sapna

If story was man and logic was the cycle, then the logic of this story is....

P.S: Who is your fav RK and fav Madhu from the ones I've written.

Word Count 16638

As the mehendi artist put the mehendi on her hands and legs, Madhu watches happily as her cousins performed on the latest dance number.

Madhu looks around and sees everybody happy. She smiles as she looked for her parents. Her mother was talking to a neighbor of theirs while her father was busy scolding one of the caterers. Madhu smiles, her father had gone all out to make her wedding grand.

Seeing him like that, Madhu realized that her decision to get married was the best. At first, she hadn't been very keen on getting married so soon. She wanted to work but her father had been diagnosed with terminal illness and it was his wish to see her married, so she had agreed.

"What is your groom's name?" The mehendi artist asks, so that she could write the name on her palm.

Madhu was about to answer her when her cousins comes to her.

"Madhu, come. Dance with us."

Madhu turns to the lady and tells her, "I will come now."

"Watch your mehendi."

Madhu nods and getting up, she happily joins her cousins and starts dancing with them.

Seeing the bride dancing, everyone starts clapping and some even joins them.

Madhu was dancing with her elderly aunt when they hear a loud scream.

Within seconds the place had gone quiet then there was loud arguments. Madhu runs to see what it was about. She sees a small group with her parents in the middle.

"What am I going to tell my child?"

Hearing her father, Madhu hurriedly runs to him. "Papa..." she calls him worriedly.

Her father turns to look at her and her heart breaks seeing the tears in his eyes. She sees her mother also crying. "What happened?" Madhu asks worriedly.

They stare at her, having no clue on how to break the news to her. Everybody was looking at her sympathetically.

"What happened?"

She hears someone asking from behind her.

"The groom got married to another girl." She hears someone whisper in reply.

Madhu's heart skips a beat hearing that, she turns to her parents in shock.

"Madhu..." Padmini walks to her.

Madhu looks at her mother then her father. Her father starts to walk to her and as she watched he collapses to the floor.

Next day

RK watched as Madhu stood at the door, greeting everyone who had come to pay respects to her father. She looked broken but there was a strength in the way she held herself.

He sees her hug some elderly man then speak to him. As he watched her, his eyes caught her palm. It was dark red with mehendi but the design was all smudged. It looked more like red patches than a mehendi design now. As the elderly man left, he caught her attention. Seeing her looking at him with a frown, he knew he had no escape.

He walks to her.

Madhu folds her hand as he reached her, "namaste."

"Namaste." RK replies.

"Are you a student of my father? So many of his students have come." Madhu asks him.

"No." RK replies as his heart slammed against his chest.

Madhu frowns hearing that. "Then? My mother's student?"

RK shakes his head, someone had mentioned to him that Madhu's parents were both professors.

Madhu curiously looks at him, waiting for him to answer.

"Erm..." having no other go, he confesses. "I am Rishabh Kundra."

"Kundra Group?" Madhu asks curiously.

"Yes."

"How do you know my father?" Madhu asks him curiously. Unless either of her parents taught him, there was no way, they would come in contact with the Kundra. He was the richest man in their city.

"Sweety is my sister." RK tells her.

Madhu looks at him confused.

"Erm... yesterday, Abhay and Sweety got married." RK tells her. "I got them married." He softly confesses.

Madhu gulps hearing that, she moves back in shock.

"I am so sorry, I never thought that your father..." RK guiltily starts.

"Please leave." Madhu whispers to him with tear filled eyes.

"What we did was wrong, but please believe me, I didn't know about your father's health condition, if I did maybe I would...." RK guiltily explains.

"Please leave my house. Now." Madhu tells him with furious unshed tears.

Helpless and filled with guilt RK leaves her house.

**********

RK walks into his home and sees Sweety, Abhay and Meera excitedly discussing amongst themselves.

"Where did you go, RK?" Meera asks, noticing him.

"Abhay's family will reach in sometime." Sweety tells him excitedly.

"We have a lot to plan for the wedding reception." Meera tells him.

Hearing that, RK was filled with guilt. "Choti Ma... I think we should postpone the function."

"Why?" Sweety asks in shock.

"All the invites have gone. Everything is arranged. Why should we postpone the function?" Meera asks him.

Hearing that, RK looks at his family then he turns to look at Abhay and says. "Madhu's father passed away."

Abhay looks down hearing that.

"Yeah, Abhay told us." Meera tells him.

"What does that have to do with the reception?" Sweety asks.

"How can we have the function when someone died?" RK asks her shocked.

"Who is he to us?" Sweety asks him shocked. "Why should I sacrifice for a man I don't even know?"

"He is dead because of us." RK reminds her.

"He was sick. He would have died anyway." Sweety argues.

"How can you even talk like that, Sweety?" RK asks her outraged.

"RK..." Meera says in an appeasing tone. "What Sweety was saying is that nothing is going to change even if we postpone the function. Whatever happened, happened. We are sorry that it happened and we never intended for it to happen. But that is life and it should go on. There is no point in cancelling the function. It is not going to change anything."

RK helplessly looks at them, unable to accept their decision.

"We should go ahead with the function, RK." Meera tells him.

"Whatever you say, Choti Ma." RK gives up.

**********

Hearing the door open, RK looks up and sees Mukund walk in.

"What are you doing here?" RK asks him surprised.

"I went home, you were not there. So, I guessed you'll be here in your office." Mukund says as he pulled a chair and sat down.

"Did you go for the function?" RK asks him.

"I did and I noticed that you were not there. So, I left." Mukund informs him.

"Did Choti Ma and Sweety say anything?" RK asks softly.

"You want the truth?" Mukund asks him.

RK nods.

Mukund sighs and says. "I don't think they even realized that you were not there."

RK looks away hurt.

"You really need to start living for yourself, RK. For how long are you going to live for them?" Mukund asks him.

"They are my family. Sweety is my sister." RK tells him.

"She is more of her mother's daughter than your sister."

RK looks away.

"The truth is she comes to you only if she is in some problem or needs money." Mukund tells him pissed.

"Leave it. They are my family." RK tells him.

Mukund sighs and gives up then he softly asks. "Did you go there?"

RK nods. "I had to."

"Did you tell them who you are?"

"She told me to leave." RK replies.

Mukund sighs loudly. "I told you not to go."

**********

A month later

"What's up?" Mukund asks as he answered the call.

"Listen, there is an interview going on in your company, right?" RK asks.

"When did you start taking interest in my company hirings?" Mukund asks him surprised.

"Someone attended the interview, I want you to give her the job."

"What?" Mukund asks shocked. "We already finalized someone. And how can you even say this?"

"Do this as a favor to me." RK tells him.

"Why is this so important to you?" Mukund asks him frowning.

"Because she is important. I feel responsible for her."

"Damn it. But I already finalized someone. We actually headhunted her." Mukund says feeling trapped.

"Whoever it is I will hire her. You hire this girl for me."

"Why can't you hire her?"

"Because she doesn't want anything to do with me."

"Who is she?" Mukund asks shocked.

"Abhay's ex-fiancee."

Mukund sighs frustrated. "You really need to stop making up for your stepmother's and stepsister's crimes."

"They are my family."

Mukund groans hearing that. "They are leaches."

"Can you do it?" RK asks irately.

"Yeah. What is her name?"

"Madhubala Malik."

"Madhubala Malik?"

"Yes."

"Idiot! She is the one we finalized. She didn't need your recommendation!" Mukund tells him exasperated.

"Oh."

"Simply wasting my time." Mukund says fed up.

"Okay then." RK says then stopping, he asks. "Just keep me in the loop regarding her."

"She looked capable enough to take care of herself." Mukund tells him.

"But still..."

"Okay."

**********

Couple of weeks later

As the meeting had come to an end, Madhu was picking up her things as she chuckled to a joke that Mukund had cracked.

They hear the door open, and both curiously look to see who had come in. Seeing RK, Madhu's stops smiling immediately while Mukund smiles at him.

"Hey." Mukund says as he leaned back in his seat.

"Hi... I was passing by and thought to drop in." RK replies.

"Why are you standing there, come in."

RK steps in as he gently looked at Madhu.

Madhu uncomfortably looks at him then looking at Mukund she says. "I'll make the necessary changes and send you the updates, sir."

Mukund nods, suddenly remembering the connection between Madhu and RK.

After Madhu left, RK walks to the table and sits down.

"How is she?" RK asks Mukund.

"She is fine. She is actually nice, fun person." Mukund tells him smiling.

RK nods.

"How are you? How are things at home?" Mukund asks him. "You seemed troubled."

"Abhay resigned his job." RK informs him.

"Hmmm." Mukund frowns.

"Sweety and Choti Ma didn't like that he was working in a managerial post." RK informs him.

"So, they rather he be a jobless person like them?" Mukund asks him frowning.

"Choti Ma was telling me to make him a director in my company."

Mukund sits up in shock. "Please tell me that you are not even considering that."

"He promised to marry a girl and the night before the wedding, he eloped with another girl. I'll never trust him." RK tells him.

"Wish you had that epiphany before he married your sister." Mukund dryly points out.

"She was crying and the scene she created, I wasn't thinking straight." RK guiltily says.

"You go crazy when they create some drama." Mukund says in disgust.

"not anymore. After what happened to Madhu's father, never again." RK vows.

"Finally, you're coming to your senses."

RK shrugs.

"So, what are you going to tell Meera?" Mukund asks him.

"That I will think about it."

"That is not a solution. She is going to pester you till you give a definite answer."

"I know."

"First he moved into your home and now your company! Are you so blinded by your love that you don't see what they are intending to do?" Mukund asks outraged.

"They are my family, Mukund. They are all I have." RK says instead of answering.

"So? Get married. Find someone and start your own family." Mukund tells him fed up.

"Just because I get married doesn't mean that I'll give up my family."

Mukund glares at him for a full minute then he says. "You know, who you should marry?"

"Who?" RK asks curiously.

"Madhu."

"What?" RK shouts in shock.

"You're so filled with guilt regarding her, she is the only one that you'll prioritize over those leeches." Mukund tells him.

"You're mad." RK tells him fed up. "Anyway, I am leaving."

**********

Seeing Madhu get into a cafe, RK couldn't help it.

"Stop to the side." RK tells the driver.

The driver parks the car to the side of the road. RK gets out of the car and walks into the cafe.

He sees Madhu at the billing counter and without thinking he walks to her and stands behind her in queue. He listened as Madhu exchanged pleasantries with the barista then placed the order for hot chocolate.

As the barista got busy making her drink, Madhu leaned on the counter as she looked around curiously.

And RK simply watched her.

"Here you go." The barista says as she handed her drink.

"Thank you." Madhu says as she took it and turns around and she sees RK.

RK looks at her like a deer caught in headlights. He wanted to kick himself for his stupidity.

Why the hell did he come behind her?

He had no answer.

Madhu walks around him and walks out of the cafe.

"Hello Sir."

RK looks at the barista and sees her smiling at him, waiting for him to place his order.

"Sorry." RK mutters and walks out.

Madhu curiously turns back and sees RK walk out of the cafe, she frowns seeing that he was empty handed.

**********

Couple of months later

"Hey... how come you are here?" RK asks seeing Mukund walk in.

"Hello Meera... Sweety." Mukund says seeing her sitting there with Sweety.

Meera gives him a half smile while Sweety also smiles at him.

"My mother is pestering me." Mukund says as he sat down.

"For what?" RK asks chuckling.

"It is a marriage proposal." Mukund tells him.

"For you?"

"No... for you." Mukund tells him.

"What?" RK asks shocked.

"Proposal for RK." Meera asks frowning.

"Yeah, she is my mother's friend's daughter, Ridhima." Mukund tells them as he passed his phone to RK to see the photo.

"Show me." Meera says before RK could even see the photo.

RK passes her the phone.

Meera frowns as she looked at the photo. "Why is your mother not considering her for you?"

"She is taller than me." Mukund replies then he turns to RK. "What do you think?"

Before RK could reply, Meera declares. "No." Meera says as she passed the phone to Mukund.

"Why? Just meet her and see." Mukund tells RK frowning.

"Our RK deserves the best and I'll find that girl for him." Meera says as she smiled at RK.

Mukund loudly sighings, understanding that she had no intention to let RK get married ever.

Mukund glares at RK and RK gives a half shrug.

**********

It was just by chance that he had gone to the mall and he had seen Madhu there. This was the third time he had accidentally seen her somewhere. Forgetting about the watch that he had come to buy, he follows her into the shop.

He sees her looking through the dresses. He smiles seeing her frown and make cute faces as she pushed clothes aside. Then she leaves that rack and moves to the next one, and he follows her.

As she kept moving from rack to rack, he kept watching her from a little distance away.

And then she just disappeared out of his sight. He looks around for her confused.

And finds her right in front of him.

Glaring at him.

Gulping he moves back.

"Are you following me?" Madhu asks him frowning.

"Er... no... I came to get... er... a watch." RK says embarrassed.

"Watch? Here?" Madhu asks as she looked around the clothes store.

"Er... I was going to the store and I saw you...."

"So, decided to follow me instead?"

"No... sorry...." RK says and turns to walk out.

"Wait!" Madhu says.

RK stops and turns to her.

"Come with me."

**********

RK uncomfortably sat opposite Madhu as she glared at him in the coffee shop.

"Madhu, I'm not a stalker." RK tells her, finally unable to take the silence.

"You could have had me fooled." Madhu replies.

RK closes his eyes.

"What do you want?" Madhu asks him.

"I don't want anything." RK says immediately.

"Then why do you keep following me?" Madhu asks him.

"I don't know." RK replies helplessly.

"Stop following me." Madhu tells him.

"I'm really sorry for what happened." RK guiltily tells her.

Hearing that, Madhu looks away.

"Sweety met Abhay through her friend and she fell in love with him. Your marriage was fixed so quickly that when she found out about it, it had been really late." RK tells her.

"I really don't care about Abhay or Sweety." Madhu tells him.

RK nods then he continues. "She broke down when she found out about it. She was hysterical and I just didn't know what to do. Unable to see her like that, Choti Ma and I went to meet Abhay. He said that even he likes Sweety but never said anything because he thought she didn't have feelings for him."

Madhu simply listens to him.

"We should have come to your family and explained everything. That time, there was too much urgency that I just couldn't think straight and I just got them married." RK explains.

"I really don't care." Madhu tells him. "That is my past and I am over it. You also just get over it!"

Madhu gets up as kept the money on the table and walks off. "If you come behind me again, I'll file a case against you for stalking."

**********

Few more months later

It was the day that changed the course for two couples.

"WHAT?" Mukund shouts in shock as he listened to what RK said on the phone.

"I just can't believe it." RK tells him reeling from shock.

"And what is Meera saying?" Mukund asks him.

"That it is Sweety's life and she doesn't have to make sacrifices." RK mutters in disgust.

"But what is the issue?" Mukund asks in confusion.

"Sweety realized that Abhay is different from what she assumed him to be. She finds him utterly boring. And she has fallen out of love." RK tells him.

"Is she on some drugs?" Mukund asks in shock.

"I honestly don't know. I hope not. They just celebrated their first wedding anniversary last month. I told her to think again and speak to Abhay. But they were already discussing about filing for mutual divorce because if Sweety files for divorce then Abhay might ask for alimony."

"What is he saying?" Mukund asks.

"As far as I understood, he has no clue about all this."

"Serves him right for what he did to Madhu." Mukund mutters.

RK goes silent hearing that.

"What are you going to do?" Mukund asks him.

"Marriage is no joke. I told Choti Ma to send them for counseling."

"But they are going to do what they want to do." Mukund predicts.

"I know." RK replies. "The thing is I can't force her to stay in a marriage that she doesn't want to. But she can't take marriage lightly too."

**********

Panicking, Madhu runs towards the operation theatre. She frantically looks around and sees her mother sitting on a chair lost in thoughts.

"Mama..." Madhu calls her as she ran to her.

"Madhu..." Padmini looks at her, lost and scared.

"Are you okay?" Madhu hugs her worriedly.

Padmini nods as tears fell from her eyes.

"He came out of nowhere, Madhu. I couldn't brake in time. I honked but he just..." Padmini tells her as tears dropped from her eyes.

"It's okay, Mama. Everything would be fine. How is he?" Madhu asks her.

"Don't know. He is in the operation theatre." Padmini tells her.

"Everything is going to be fine. Did you inform the police?" Madhu asks her.

"Yes. They made me do a medical check. They are trying to trace the man's family." Padmini tells her.

Madhu nods and looks around for the police and stops in shock seeing RK speaking to the police.

Frowning in shock, she simply stares at him as he spoke to the inspector. Then he looks at her, and he gestures with his head, silently calling her.

Madhu walks to him and he also walks to her.

"How did you..." Madhu asks him in shock.

"Mukund called me." RK tells her.

"He shouldn't have." Madhu whispers in shock, feeling her privacy invaded.

"How is your mother?" RK asks her.

"She is shaken." Madhu tells him, helplessly.

"Everything will be fine." RK tells her.

"What did the inspector say?" Madhu asks him.

"They found his family. They were saying that the man has been suicidal for sometime now. He had been attempting suicide for a while." RK tells her.

"Oh." Madhu whispers in shock. "So, he purposely jumped in front of Mama's car. It was not her fault."

"Yes."

"So, there won't be a case against Mama." Madhu says in relief.

"His condition is not good. If he dies before giving his dying declaration could be a problem." RK tells her.

Madhu goes pale hearing that.

"Don't worry. I'll handle it. I will speak to their family. For now, the police hasn't registered a FIR."

**********

Madhu silently watched as RK paid off the man's family and the inspector to sort the accident case out of court.

After everyone left, RK looks at Madhu and sees her watching him. He walks to her and sits next to her.

"Where is your mother?" RK asks her.

"I sent her home. Everything is over?" Madhu asks him.

"Yeah, all taken care of." RK tells her. "My lawyer will get everything written from the family so there won't be any issues in the future. Then only they will be able to encash the cheque."

"Thank you for your help. I wouldn't have been able to raise so much money in such short time. But I'll pay you back every single penny. I just need some time." Madhu tells him.

"You don't have to." RK quickly tells her.

"I've to. I don't want to be in your debt. So, I will repay this debt." Madhu tells him, then getting up, she walks off.

**********

RK was walking to his bedroom when he passes by the TV room and he overhears Meera and Sweety speaking.

"Even though I was furious with RK that time, now, I realize it is a good thing that he didn't make Abhay a Director in the company. Otherwise he would have taken a chunk of the company also with him." Meera says.

"I'm going to file for divorce, Mama." Sweety tells her. "I'm just fed up."

"Don't be hasty. Let us plan and take proper action." Meera tells her.

"I'm going to speak to Abhay today." Sweety declares.

"Don't give him a chance to plan. The night before his wedding, he had latched on to you when he got the chance. So, don't just assume he will go away, just like that." Meera tells her.

"So, what are you suggesting?" Sweety asks her, getting angry.

"Asking him for mutual divorce is risky, what if he refuses and asks for alimony? Does he know about your FD?"

"He knows."

"Dammit. I told you never to let him know that." Meera tells her frowning.

"What can be done now?" Sweety asks her.

"You can't adjust with him?" Meera asks her.

"No! I just can't stand him now. He is so irritating." Sweety tells her. "I don't know how I even found him interesting. Typical middle class narrow-minded man."

Meera sighs.

"What to do, Mama?" Sweety asks her helplessly.

"We should make some proof against him."

"What proof?" Sweety asks her confused.

"Affair."

"With whom?" Sweety asks shocked.

"Ex girlfriend?"

"He never mentioned anyone."

"You try finding out." Meera tells her.

"We could hire someone."

Meera nods then she asks excitedly. "What about that girl that he was going to marry?"

"What was her name? Madhu!" Sweety says. "But they are not in touch."

"That we can plan something. Somehow make proof that they reconnected and are having an affair."

"Do you think it will work?" Sweety asks her curiously.

"Hmmm we have to plan it well and execute it. Create situations were they are caught together, maybe in scandalous situations."

RK turns around and hurries out of his house.

**********

Madhu opens the door and stops in shock seeing RK at her door.

"Why are you here?" Madhu asks him. "You said the matter was solved, is there any issue?"

"It is not that. Can you come out? I want to speak to you." RK tells her.

"You can come in." Madhu tells him.

"No, you come out." RK tells her.

Madhu steps out as she frowned in confusion.

RK nervously looks at her while Madhu frowns seeing him shifty.

"What is it?" Madhu asks him.

Deciding to catch the bull by its horn, RK asks her, "Will you marry me?"

"WHAT? Have you gone mad?" Madhu asks shocked.

"No, I am serious, Madhu. Will you marry me? I'll keep you happy. Always." RK promises her.

"No!" Madhu replies in outrage.

Madhu turns to walk back in.

"Madhu."

"I don't even know you. What is wrong with you?" Madhu asks him, shocked out of her wits.

"Marry me, Madhu." RK tells her.

"I won't. Get lost!" Madhu tells him and starts to walk off.

"If you won't marry me then I will send your mother to jail." RK threatens her.

Madhu stops in shock and turns to him. "What?"

"I will cancel the cheque I gave the family. I'll ask the inspector to file the FIR." RK tells her.

Madhu stares at him in shock hearing that.

"Marry me, Madhu." RK tells her.

"I don't need your money. I will save my mother." Madhu tells him furiously as she frantically tried to think of ways to make the money.

She could sell her jewelry, maybe ask her relatives, maybe get loan, ask money from company... but Mukund sir was RK's best friend.

"How much ever you offer the family, I will offer them double to file a case against your mother. I will bribe the police." RK tells her.

"Why are you doing this? Why do you want to marry me?" Madhu asks him, starting to feel trapped.

"You have to marry me, Madhu. You have no other choice." RK tells her.

Madhu helplessly looks at him, her eyes filled with furious tears.

An hour later, RK drops off Madhu back to her place. Without looking back at him, Madhu had furiously walked off after slamming the car door shut.

**********

"RK... what happened?" Mukund asks as he sleepily opened the door.

RK sighs as he looked at Mukund. "You are my best friend." RK says as he hugged Mukund.

"What?" Mukund asks shocked at the hug.

"But you are not just my best friend, you are my brother. You are my family." RK tells him.

"Why are you being so emotional? Are you going to commit suicide?" Mukund asks him.

"No." RK says chuckling as he steps back.

"Have you gone mad?" Mukund asks confused.

"I got married." RK tells him. "I wanted to tell you first."

Mukund's eyes pop open. "Did you just say that you got married? Am I dreaming? How can you get married? I am dreaming." Mukund declares.

"I married Madhu."

"Definitely dreaming." Mukund nods his head understanding, as he closed his eyes to go back to sleep.

"I really married Madhu." RK tells him.

Mukund shakes his head.

"I had to protect her from Choti Ma and Sweety."

That broke Mukund's sleep. "What?"

"I will talk to you in the morning. You sleep."

"How do you expect me to sleep after you dropped a bomb like that?" Mukund asks him shocked.

RK looks at him amused. "You were pretty chill when you thought I was going to commit suicide."

"I would have whacked you and got you in your senses before that." Mukund says.

"Why would I even commit suicide?" RK asks him.

"Those leeches would have eventually drove you to it." Mukund mutters then he adds. "I had that fear."

"I will not commit suicide. I just got married now." RK says then softly smiling, he says. "Who knows, maybe I will start living a little."

"You married Madhu?" Mukund asks him.

RK nods.

"Does it have anything to do with Sweety's divorce?"

"Yeah." RK says sighing.

"But how did Madhu agree to marry you?"

"She didn't." RK guiltily says.

"What the hell did you do, RK?" Mukund asks him in shock.

**********

"Why did you call us, RK?" Meera asks as she grumpily walked to the living room.

"Couldn't you wait till morning?" Sweety asks irately as she joined them with Abhay following her.

"I just wanted to let you all know that I got married." RK tells them.

"Married?" Meera asks frowning.

"Yes." RK replies.

"How can you get married like that?" Meera asks furiously.

"Why can't I? Sweety got married overnight." RK reminds her.

"And you think this is the same?" Meera asks. "Who is she?"

"Madhu." RK replies.

"Madhu?" Abhay asks softly.

"Which Madhu?" Sweety asks him frowning.

"We all know only 1 Madhu, I believe." RK informs them. "Her."

"I won't accept it." Meera tells him.

"I married her. She is my wife." RK tells her.

"Where is she?" Abhay asks curiously, as it was just RK there.

"She will come in a day or two. She has to take care of her mother." RK tells them.

"How can you marry her?" Meera asks him angrily.

Staring into her eyes, RK tells her. "Madhu is my wife now. And I will protect her. I don't care who it is, I will never let anyone harm Madhu and if they do, I will never forgive them."

"I don't have anything to do with Madhu now. I haven't even spoken to her in ages." Abhay says, misunderstanding RK.

"I know." RK replies and walks off.

**********

"Hello." Mukund says as he stood up and smiled at her.

"Did you want to see me?" Madhu asks then seeing the way he was smiling at her, she frowns. "If this doesn't have anything to do with our work, then I don't want to discuss anything."

"Sit." Mukund sweetly tells her.

Madhu furiously steps forward. "If you hadn't informed him about my mother's accident then this wouldn't have happened."

"He worries for you and asked me to keep him in the loop." Mukund tells her.

"He is not my guardian! You had no right to pass on information about me. To invade my privacy like this." Madhu angrily tells him.

Mukund nods, agreeing with her.

"He forced me to marry him. Who does that? Why would he do that?" Madhu asks him furiously.

"Trust me, Madhu. He has his heart in the right place." Mukund gently tells her.

"You know why he forced me." Madhu says in shock.

"Yes, I do." Mukund says as he gestured to the seat.

"Why?" Madhu asks as she sat down.

Mukund sits down and says. "I think it is best if he tells you."

"Why the hell can't you tell me? Even he didn't tell me!"

"Because his reason made absolutely no sense to me. It is the most illogical thing that I have ever heard." Mukund tells her.

"What?"

"And trust me, I've heard him spout a lot of illogical things. This one tops it." Mukund tells her.

Madhu stares at him in shock.

"He is a great businessman with a solid head on his shoulders. But when it comes to family and such, he doesn't think with his head." Mukund says then he frowns thoughtfully. "I don't think he thinks with his heart too. Nobody's heart can be this dumb. I don't know with what he thinks."

"I don't care. He can't play with my life." Madhu says furiously.

"RK said that you told him that you will not go with him to his house till your mother's issue is solved to your satisfaction." Mukund says.

Madhu nods in reply.

Mukund extend a bunch of papers and pushes it towards her. "Tell him that you won't go with him till he signs these papers."

Frowning Madhu takes the papers and looks at it. She reads through it, and as she read through it, she realized that she was stuck in a nightmare that was in some La La Land.

"Are you his best friend or my best friend?" Madhu asks him shocked out of her wits.

Mukund chuckles. "His."

"The saying is true, birds of a feather flock together. You're as illogical as you make him out to be." Madhu declares.

Mukund chuckles then sobering he tells her, "RK's biggest enemy is himself."

"I am not surprised." Madhu mutters in anger.

Understanding her anger, he tells her. "His mother died during child birth. His father was busy creating the Kundra Empire. He led a very lonely childhood. Then his father remarried. Sweety and Meera came into his life. Sweety was around 5-6 then, and he always saw her as his sister. He respects Meera because she is his father's wife. He considers them his family but they are just using him. He knows that, but he just let it be because for him, they are his family and he has no family other than them."

Madhu sits back hearing that, feeling a little sorry for RK.

"They are leeches living off him. I tried telling him to cut them off but he refuses." Mukund then looks at her. "He never went for Sweety's wedding reception."

Madhu nods, she had been curious about that.

"After everything that he did for them. They didn't even realize that he wasn't there." Mukund tells her.

"What?" Madhu shouts in shock.

"Even today, I doubt they realized it. Trust me, if anything had gone wrong at the function. If the starters had been cold, the temperature of the hall was not perfect then they would have looked for him to criticize him but everything was perfect, so they didn't need him." Mukund tells her.

"Why didn't he go?"

"Your father had died. He was guilt ridden and he couldn't be part of a celebration that caused your father's death." Mukund tells her.

Madhu looks away as she couldn't help but feel touched.

"Madhu, you should know, no matter what, he would have never send your mother to jail. He was just bluffing." Mukund tells him.

"It is easy for you to say after her had it his way." Madhu tells him.

Mukund turns to her and tells her. "If he hadn't married you like this, he would have never got married. His stepmother wouldn't have let him get married. She can't have him have other family."

"And he would have let her have her way?" Madhu asks in shock.

"Yes."

"And he forced me." Madhu says angrily.

"You're the only one that he prioritize over them. He has this need to protect you and keep you happy."

Madhu frowns hearing that. "Are you saying he was trying to protect me? But from what?"

Mukund taps on the papers. "Make him sign these. You are the only one who can protect him against himself and those leeches."

"Aren't you trusting me blindly?" Madhu asks him confused.

"I've known you for a year now. I've been watching you. I've seen your honesty, integrity and loyalty." Mukund tells her. "I'm not trusting you blindly. That RK is doing, not me."

**********

Padmini opens the door for RK. Seeing him, she smiles at him.

RK was surprised at the way she had smiled at him.

"I am Rishabh Kundra." RK tells her.

"I know. Madhu has told me everything. Come in." Padmini tells him warmly.

"You are happy to see me." RK says in shock as he followed her in.

"Shouldn't I be?" Padmini asks him, as she smiled at him. "Madhu just got home from work. She has gone to freshen up. Sit."

RK sits, feeling completely lost. Shouldn't she be furious at him for forcefully marrying Madhu?

"What will you have?" Padmini asks.

"Nothing. I am fine." RK tells her.

"That won't do. You are coming for the first time." Padmini tells him then smiling she tells him. "Let Madhu come. She makes mean tea."

Hearing her walk in, RK looks up.

"Papers are ready?" Madhu asks him as she walked to him.

"As promised." RK tells her as he extended the papers to her.

Madhu takes it and she looks through it.

"Madhu, RK and I'll have your tea." Padmini tells her.

Madhu nods and walks off.

RK awkwardly looks at Padmini.

"Thank you for handling this, RK. The accident was so horrible. I still can't believe that someone lost their life." Padmini says remembering the horror.

"It wasn't your fault. He had done it intentionally." RK tells her.

"I know but how could someone give up on life like that?" Padmini asks him then shaking her head, she tells him. "Madhu and I had decided that we won't speak about that again."

RK nods.

They remained silent for a minute then RK says softly. "I thought you would be furious at me."

"You would expect that." Padmini says nodding. "Madhu told me everything."

"You are not angry?" RK asks her.

Padmini sighs sadly. "You should understand, RK, my husband's health was much worse than he had let on."

RK nods though he was surprised that she was talking about that. But still that was also his fault.

"I think somewhere Madhu and I knew but was hopeful that with treatment he would be better. But he knew. That is why he had asked Madhu to get married. Ever since she was born, he had been planning for her wedding." Padmini tells him.

"I didn't know... I am sorry." RK says filled with guilt.

Padmini shakes her head. "Abhay was his student. His favorite student. The class topper. And Malik believed that Abhay would always keep Madhu happy."

RK looks at her in shock, he didn't know that.

"But before he died, Malik had spoken to me. He said that in his wish to see Madhu married, he had made a big mistake. It was some good that we did in the past that Madhu was saved like that. What if Abhay had left her after her marriage? After they had children? We have to go through some pain now but it is much lesser than all that we would have had to go through if this had happened after the wedding."

RK sighs softly, feeling a weight being lifted from his chest.

"If you ask me, I would say, you sacrificed your sister's life to save Madhu's." Padmini tells him. "She is married to a man who is not true to his word and promises."

"I know." RK tells her. "They might get divorced soon."

"What?" Padmini asks in shock.

"Yes, Sweety wants to divorce Abhay. . To avoid paying alimony they were trying to make it appear that Abhay is at fault." RK tells her. "They were even planning to use Madhu's and his almost wedding. They were planning to frame that Madhu and Abhay were having an affair now."

"Oh my God. How dare they?" Padmini asks furiously.

"Actually, I came to explain it all to Madhu today. That is the reason I forced her to marry me. I didn't know how else to protect her from such a scandal." RK tells her.

"Marry you?" Padmini asks confused. "You want to marry Madhu?"

RK looks at her confused.

"Why didn't you tell me this when I asked you last night?" Madhu asks him as she stood at the kitchen door, frowning at him.

"Would you have believed me?" RK asks her back.

"Have you done anything that you don't deserve my trust?" Madhu asks him back.

RK looks at her taken back.

"I don't understand, you want to marry my daughter? Madhu, why didn't you tell me this?" Padmini asks Madhu as she turned to her in confusion.

"You didn't tell her?" RK asks Madhu in confusion.

"No." Madhu replies and walks back into the kitchen.

"Tell me what?" Padmini asks curiously as she looked at RK.

RK uncomfortably shifts in his seat. "Erm... last night I asked Madhu to marry me."

"Because of your family?" Padmini asks confused.

"Madhu refused." RK tells her.

Padmini nods understanding.

Madhu was walking towards them with the hot tea when RK says. "So, I forced her to marry me."

"What?" Padmini asks confused.

Madhu immediately leaves the piping hot tea on the dining table, because she knew her mother would throw the tea on her idiotic husband's face.

"I threatened her that I will send you to jail if she didn't marry me and she married me." RK confesses.

"You forcefully married my daughter?" Padmini asks furiously as she stood up.

RK stands up as he guiltily nodded. "I had no other option."

"Option?" Padmini asks furiously.

Madhu walks to them and asks RK confused, "So, you forced me to marry you, so that you think that would protect me from some scheme that your family is cooking up?"

"Madhu, they were planning of using you to create a scandal in order to win the divorce in Sweety's favor."

"So they were just planning. Nothing was in action to create this scandal." Madhu asks him in shock.

"I couldn't take a chance, Madhu." RK tells her.

"So, your solution to avoid this "scandal" was to put me and Abhay under one roof so your stepmom and stepsister have ample chances to bring their plan to fruition?" Madhu asks him.

RK looks at her, shocked out of his wits with his mouth slightly open.

"What were you thinking RK?" Madhu asks him perplexed. "You really don't think with your heart and brains!"

"You could have just told me all this yesterday." Madhu tells him. "I would have told you that I can handle it."

"I knew that. I knew you would refuse to marry me saying that you will handle it but if a scandal like that hits you, then it will be very difficult to clear it. No one would belief it. Everyone likes to believe the scandalous lies than the truth."

"And you think forcefully marrying me was the solution?" Madhu asks him.

"Madhu, I panicked." RK confesses. "And the only way I thought I could protect you was marrying you. They would think twice before they attack my wife."

Padmini looks at him offended and asks him. "Why do you think that my daughter needs any kind of protection? We raised a brave and strong girl. We have always taught her to take care of herself. If need be, she will protect the whole world. She doesn't need anyone's protection."

RK looks at them awkwardly.

"What are you going to do, Madhu?" Padmini asks her finally.

Madhu looks at her mother then she looks at RK. "I need to speak to you privately. Come with me."

Madhu turns around and walks off. RK looks at Padmini and she glares at him. RK quietly follows Madhu to her bedroom.

"Close the door." Madhu tells him then she shouts out loudly. "MAMA, DON'T LISTEN IN ON OUR CONVERSATION!"

"FINE!" Padmini replies.

Then they hear her walk off.

Madhu and RK turn to look at each other.

"Why didn't you tell your mother?" RK asks her.

"Did you really think that you could force me to marry you and I will accept it? I had every intention to file for annulment the moment you got me those signed documents from the man's family." Madhu tells him.

"Are you going to file for annulment?" RK asks, a pain engulfing his heart.

Madhu grabs her bag and pulls out the papers that Mukund gave her.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Madhu asks him.

"Yes." RK replies as he looked into her eyes.

"I'll come if you sign these papers." Madhu tells him as she extended the papers to him.

RK takes the paper and looks through them. Holding her breath, Madhu watches him reading the papers.

Finally, RK looks up at her. "I need a pen."

Madhu looks at him as if she was struck by a lightening.

"Madhu..." RK calls her when she just stared at him then noticing the pen holder on the table, he picks a pen from them.

"You would sign over your properties to me?" Madhu asks him in shock seeing him starting to sign them.

"You are my wife." RK replies as he signed the papers then he hands the papers over to her.

**********

"Are you sure about this?" Padmini asks Madhu in shock.

"Yes, Mama." Madhu replies.

"Madhu, you don't know him. The basis for this marriage, it is all wrong." Padmini tells her worriedly.

Madhu turns to her mother and says. "I know him better than I knew Abhay."

Padmini sighs hearing that.

"Mama..." Madhu walks to her and takes her hand in his. "Whatever the basis be, but deep down all that is, his concern for me."

"It is because of his guilt, Madhu." Padmini reminds her.

"My heart is telling me to give this a chance, Mama." Madhu tells him.

When Padmini remained silent, Madhu tells her. "When he thought I was going to be in trouble, he married me. He altered his life for me. Who has done that for me?"

Padmini gives her an offended look.

Smiling, Madhu amends. "Other than you and Papa."

"Hmmm."

"And, I feel, more than I need him, he needs me." Madhu tells him.

Padmini sighs giving up. "I see you have made up your mind."

"I've. Now, let me pack. Go speak to your son-in-law." Madhu tells her grinning.

**********

"You don't have to worry about Madhu. She can take care of herself." Padmini tells RK.

RK nods. "I'll never hurt her. I'll always keep her happy."

Padmini nods. "You can call me Mama. Madhu calls me that."

RK smiles hearing that. "Thank you."

Seeing him so happy, Padmini smiles at him.

"I would be really happy if you would also come and live with us, Mama." RK tells her.

"No..." Padmini says shaking her head.

"It is Madhu's house now." RK tells her.

"She won't come." Madhu tells him as she walked out carrying her bag.

RK and Padmini turns to look at Madhu.

"She has made huge plans. She was waiting for me to get married. She has already booked a spot for herself in a retirement home." Madhu tells him.

RK looks at Padmini surprised.

"Two of my friends are there. It is a really nice place." Padmini tells him.

"She has been jealous for so long. Those two are having a blast. No responsibilities and having one activity or the other." Madhu tells him smiling. "When she retired three months back, she booked her place there with her retirement benefits."

"I had registered her profile on matrimony sites, was looking for a nice boy for her." Padmini tells him. "I don't know, from where, out of syllabus you came."

RK blushes hearing that.

"She was a professor." Madhu tells him.

"I know." RK replies smiling. "I had come for your retirement function."

"Really?" Padmini asks surprised.

"You had no other job other than stalking us?" Madhu asks shocked.

RK blushes hearing that.

"You two go, it is getting late." Padmini tells them as she turned to Madhu.

Madhu looks at her mother then she hugs her, "I'll come to see you tomorrow." Madhu tells her, her eyes filling up, she hugs her mother tighter.

Padmini hugs her as her eyes also filled up. "Never thought you'll go with your husband like this."

"I love you, Mama." Madhu kisses her.

"Love you too." Padmini tells her as she kissed her.

Padmini turns to RK and hugs him.

RK was surprised by the hug then he hugs her, feeling emotional.

"You both be happy." Padmini tells them.

RK nods, his eyes filling up because the closest to a mother he had was Mukund's mother so far.

"Now that you both have decided to stay married, give it your all." Padmini advises them.

**********

"I told you I will never accept her." Meera says furiously as she stood at the door blocking RK and Madhu.

"Madhu is my wife. It doesn't matter whether you accept her or not. This is her house now." RK tells her in finality.

Hearing RK say that, Meera stares at him in shock. He had never spoken to her like that. He had always given in to her demands even when he was against it.

"Choti Ma, you are blocking our way. Please move." RK tells her.

Realizing that RK was going to be stubborn, Meera turns around and walks off. She couldn't piss off RK.

"Come, Madhu." RK tells her.

Madhu nods and steps in.

RK turns to her and tells her guiltily. "I'm sorry the rituals to welcome you home is not done. I had told one servant to get everything ready. Choti Ma might have found out and stopped her."

"No worries." Madhu tells him smiling. "I'm not a very religious person."

Seeing her smiling, RK smiles softly.

**********

RK comes out of the dressing room and sees Madhu standing by the window as she looked out.

"What are you thinking?" RK asks as he stood next to her.

"Whether I am dreaming." Madhu tells him as she looked at the night sky.

"Even I was wondering that." RK says with a soft chuckle.

Madhu chuckles hearing that.

"Did you forgive me, Madhu?" RK asks her softly.

"For forcing me to marry you?" Madhu asks him.

"Your father." RK says softly.

Madhu sadly sighs as she turned to look at him.

RK turns to her. "I never thought..."

Madhu cuts him off. "My Papa was ill, RK. He was dying, RK. We didn't know it then but his doctor later told us that he would have eventually died in a few days and that he knew about it. You didn't cause my father to die, RK. Yes, you might have expedited it."

RK looks away filled with regret.

"You were not responsible for his death." Madhu tells him then she sighs and says. "Sometimes, I wonder if he had lived then the illness would have killed him slowly, he would have been in immense pain. We would have had to watch it. Maybe he got a less painful death." Madhu shrugs. "I don't know. I liked to believe that."

RK sighs hearing that.

"Regarding forgiving you, I don't hold you responsible for it, RK. As far as I have come to understand you, I know if you knew Papa was sick, you would have done everything in your power to not cause any stress to my Papa." Madhu tells him. "And the truth is, the one who should be held accountable is the man Papa had trusted so much. Not you."

RK nods, feeling a weight being lifted from his shoulders.

Madhu takes his hand in hers and gently smiles at him. "I don't want to look back, lets just move forward."

RK smiles hearing that.

**********

Morning, Madhu walks into the living room and sees Meera, Sweety and Abhay.

"Good morning." Madhu says as she politely smiles at them.

Meera and Sweety ignores her. Abhay awkwardly looks at her then he politely nods.

Madhu sits down opposite to them.

"Why are you sitting here?" Meera asks her frowning in displeasure.

"I'm waiting for RK to come, so we can have breakfast together." Madhu tells them.

"Go sit somewhere else." Sweety tells her.

"Oh you don't have to feel insecure, Sweety. I've no interest in Abhay. So, chill." Madhu tells her faking a smile.

Sweety glares at her while Abhay quickly leaves the room.

They hear the doorbell ring.

"Are you deaf? Go and check who it is." Meera orders her.

Madhu smiles. "It's not for me. Nobody knows that I am here. It might be for you guys only." Madhu says and takes her mobile and got busy on it.

Meera glares at Madhu and was about to shout at a servant to check the door when she notices someone hurrying to the door.

Few seconds later, Mukund walks in. "Hi bhabhi."

Madhu smiles at him. "Hi. Do you always come here in the morning?"

"No... RK told me that you had come, so I came to visit." Mukund says as he smiled at her then nodding at Meera and Sweety, he says. "Hi."

"Where is RK?" Mukund asks as he sat down.

"Showering. He will be coming now." Madhu tells him.

"So, did you meet your bahu, Meera?" Mukund asks her, smiling happily.

Meera makes a face in reply.

"You call Choti Ma by name?" Madhu asks him shocked.

"HEY... don't call me Choti Ma and all. Stay in your limits." Meera orders her.

"I was in school when I met her, and when I called her Meera Aunty, she said that she is too young to be an aunt and told me to not call her that." Mukund tells Madhu then cheekily grinning he says. "She was too old to be called didi, so I stuck with just her name."

Madhu chuckles hearing that while Meera glares at them.

"Why are you sitting there like that? Go and get him something to drink." Meera orders her.

Realizing that Mukund was a guest at her home now, and it was her duty, Madhu gets up.

"Sit here, bhabhi." Mukund tells her as he held her hand and pulled her back to her chair. "I'm having breakfast with you guys."

"Then go help the chef cook breakfast. Earn your keep." Sweety tells her snobbishly.

Madhu ignores her.

Mukund looks at her and sees her giving smug smiles to Meera.

"Have you heard about the will of your father-in-law, bhabhi?" Mukund asks her as he looked at Meera and Sweety.

"What is the need to discuss all that with an outsider?" Meera asks him angrily.

"Madhu is RK's wife. His family." Mukund tells her then he adds, "Lets not start pointing out the outsiders here."

Meera furiously glares at him.

"So... When Mohan uncle died, he left a sizable amount to Meera because she is his wife. Even though Sweety is not his daughter, she had been living in his house and was a part of his family, so, he left her also a good amount of money. If she wanted to start a business or invest it, or whatever, she was free to do it. So, they both put their money in fixed deposit." Mukund tells Madhu.

Madhu frowns wondering why he was telling her all this.

"And rest everything, he left to RK. This house, his other houses, his properties, business, investments, you name it, everything in RK's name." Mukund tells her.

Madhu nods, her heart slamming fast understanding exactly what all RK had signed over to her the day before.

"And RK is taking care of all their needs." Mukund tells her. "Everything means, from the clothes that they wear to the food that they eat to the iPhone that they use, everything."

"How dare you come into our home and speak so disrespectfully about us?" Meera asks him furiously as she stood up.

"Is everything okay?" RK asks as he walked in, hearing Meera shout.

"Why does your friend come into my home and insult us? Who gave him the right?" Meera furiously asks him.

RK irately turns to Mukund. "Mukund, how many times have I told you to let them be?"

"Relax, RK." Mukund says waving it off. "Sweety told your wife that she needs to earn her keep here. So, I was explaining to your wife, who actually needs to earn her keep in this house."

"What?" RK frowns hearing that then he turns to Sweety and asks her furiously. "Did you say that to my wife?"

Sweety and Meera stares at him in shock, seeing him take that tone with Sweety for the first time.

"RK... you are shouting at your sister?" Meera asks in shock. "For her?"

"Madhu is my wife, she is not just anyone." RK tells her. Then he staring into her eyes, tells her. "Make her understand that I will not tolerate anyone insulting my wife. I won't care who it is, no one disrespects my wife."

Meera understood that he was warning her also. She turns to glare at Madhu in hatred and Madhu had her I-am-only-mildly-interested-in-the-happenings face on.

Seeing RK siding with Madhu, Sweety brings in the water works and starts crying loudly.

"Am I no one to you now, bhaiyya?" Sweety asks crying.

"Bhaiyya?" Mukund asks in a loud shocked whisper.

"He is my brother!" Sweety shouts angrily.

"Calm down, Sweety. You're my sister. No one can change that." RK tells her in a appeasing tone as he hugged her.

"Yeah, just apologize to your bhabhi and everything will be fine." Mukund quickly says.

Madhu couldn't believe the way Mukund was adding ghee to fire.

But then seeing the way, RK had reacted when Sweety called him bhaiyya, Mukund might have been putting up with a lot more of these kind of dramas here.

"Madam, breakfast is ready." A servant informs them.

"Let's have breakfast." Meera quickly declares.

"Yeah, Sweety. Apologize to Madhu and let's have breakfast." RK tells her with a sweet smile.

Having no other go, Sweety says grudgingly "Sorry."

**********

They were having breakfast with Mukund keeping most of the conversation going while Meera, Sweety and Abhay remained silent.

"So, you and Mukund Sir have been friends since school?" Madhu asks curiously.

"Yeah. Kindergarten." RK says smiling.

"Why are you calling him Mukund Sir?" Sweety asks frowning.

"I work in his company. He is my boss." Madhu tells her.

"In his company?" Meera asks outraged. "We are Kundra, we don't work for anyone. Are you trying to humiliate us?"

"Choti Ma, it is Madhu's choice and her decision." RK tells her.

"No, actually, she is right." Madhu says.

"Resign immediately." Meera orders her.

Madhu nods.

"Madhu, what are you saying?" RK asks her in shock. "You don't have to do that."

"No, she is right, RK. I'll send in my resignation, Mukund Sir." Madhu tells him. "If you could be kind enough to forgo my notice period then I can start work immediately."

"Start work? After resigning? Have you lost it?" Sweety asks her.

"No, Sweety. Your mother is right. Why should I work elsewhere when I have my own company. I should be working in my company." Madhu tells her.

"Your company?" Meera asks frowning.

"Kundra Group." Madhu tells her.

"You decide that?" Meera asks her.

"Yeah." Madhu replies smiling.

"What nonsense? Jaan Na Pehchaan Mein Tera Mehmaan?" Meera asks sneeringly.

"Mehmaan tsk tsk." Madhu shakes her head with a smile and corrects her. "Malik."

Meera stares at her in shock. "What do you mean?"

"RK signed over all that belongs to him, to me." Madhu tells her.

"Did you, RK?" Meera asks furiously.

"Yes." RK replies.

"How dare you?" Meera furiously stands up. "Who gave you permission to do that? How can you do that?"

"Now... now... Meera, it is RK's inheritance. It is his decision. Just like you decided to put your money in FD, he decided to give his property to me." Madhu explains to her with a sweet smile.

"Madhu..." RK turns to her in shock.

"Yes?" Madhu turns to him curiously.

"Why are you calling Choti Ma by her name?" RK asks her scandalized.

"She told me not to call her Choti Ma." Madhu tells him.

RK looks at Meera, trying his best to hide his displeasure.

"And she is too old to be called didi." Madhu says then bursting into laughter, she and Mukund, hi fi.

RK stares at them in shock. "When did you two become friends?"

Realizing that RK had moved on to other topics, Meera, walks off furiously. Sweety and Abhay also follows her.

"Ever since you got married." Mukund replies. "And bhabhi, don't call me sir."

"Okay, Mukund." Madhu tells him smiling.

RK turns to stare at Mukund in shock, finally understanding.

"What?" Mukund asks him curiously.

"You didn't say anything." RK points out.

"What didn't I say?" Mukund asks confused.

"When we said that I gave everything to Madhu, you didn't say anything."

"Ah." Mukund shrugs.

"You made her do it!" RK says in shock.

Mukund turns to Madhu, and says. "See, when it comes to business and all, I told you, he is smart."

Madhu chuckles.

"The clause that state I should not interfere in any decision Madhu makes whether it is at home or at work... I should have known then that it was you." RK mutters in shock.

"Would you have refused if you knew?" Madhu asks him curiously.

"No, you said you will only come if I signed." RK reminds her.

**********

"So, when are you joining office?" RK asks Madhu, later that day.

Madhu chuckles and says. "That I was just irritating her."

"Hmmm." RK shakes his head.

"It is not fair to Mukund to leave like that. We're in the middle of a project. Lets see, after that is done." Madhu tells him smiling.

"It's up to you, Madhu." RK tells her.

"What would you prefer?" Madhu asks him curiously.

"It's your career, Madhu."

"Still?"

"I could use your help." RK admits.

Madhu nods. "Let me think about it, okay?"

"You're the boss." RK reminds her chuckling.

Madhu looks at him in surprise then finally dawning on her, she says. "I am."

RK chuckles.

"Do you worry that I will kick you out one day?" Madhu asks him.

"You would have done that yesterday itself, if that was your intention." RK replies to her.

Madhu smiles hearing that. "That is not my intention."

RK smiles.

"Now that life has thrown us together, my only intention is to make it work." Madhu tells him.

RK smiles hearing that, he leans towards her and kisses her cheek.

Madhu looks at him in surprise and RK winks at her. Blushing, pushing him, she walks off.

**********

Few days later, RK and Madhu goes to meet Padmini as she was moving to the retirement home the next day.

"All my relatives are home." Madhu tells him excitedly as they walked to the lift.

"You've lot of relatives?" RK asks her smiling, seeing her excitement.

"Yeah. I am kind of like everyone's pet." Madhu tells him.

"Really?" RK asks her, raising his eyes brows.

"I'm the first girl to be born after three generations in Papa's family. So, I'm like the golden girl for them." Madhu tells him smugly.

"Wow."

"And Mama's family, I am the eldest in my generation, so, they have pampered me the most."

"Nice." RK says smiling. "You're so lucky. You're so many relatives."

"What about you?" Madhu asks him softly.

RK shrugs. "I never met my mother's side of family. Dad's side, before his death itself, there had been issues and they stopped talking."

As they reached her flat, they hear loud chattering. Madhu smiles as she gently rubbed his arms. "My family is your family."

RK smiles hearing that. He takes her hand in his and kisses her hand.

Blushing, Madhu rings the bell.

"Finally!" Some elderly woman opens the door and declares. "I came all the way from Kolkata and you're reaching now!"

"Maaasiii." Madhu happily hugs her.

RK smiles seeing the way, Madhu's masi had warmly hugged her.

"Marriage is suiting you. You're glowing." Masi declares.

Madhu chuckles as she looked at RK."This is RK, my husband."

"I am so disappointed in you. Couldn't you wait till I got here to get married?" Masi asks pissed. "Get lost! I don't want to talk to you." Saying that, Masi walks inside towards the crowd.

"Masi..." Madhu runs behind her.

"Madhu..." RK hears someone excitedly calling her.

As RK watched Madhu with her relatives, he realized that Madhu wasn't exaggerating, she is the apple of their eyes.

Seeing Mukund walk in, RK walks to him. "Hey!"

Madhu had invited him.

"Wow. This looks like a party. Bhabhi had said it was a get together with her family." Mukund says surprised.

RK chuckles. "This is her family only. Mama is leaving this place, so she wanted to have a get together with everyone here, and she also wanted everyone to meet me."

"Nice." Mukund says.

"Come, I'll introduce you to her."

**********

Madhu's family was loud. They had varying opinions regarding everything and they insisted on talking at once.

"My God, bhabhi's family is loud." Mukund says in horror. "I am having a splitting headache."

"Are you kidding? This is so fun." RK says in shock, never having experienced a family get together like this.

"You have fun. I need some quiet. I'm going out to the balcony." Mukund tells him.

"Okay." RK says as he moved aside to let him pass. Then he sits back as he watched Madhu with her relatives.

"She looks happy." Padmini says as she sat next to RK.

RK smiles at her. "Can't you see that I am also happy?"

"I can see that." Padmini says chuckling.

"She is like a baby here." RK says amazed.

Padmini smiles. "Yeah, she is. Did you meet everyone?"

"I did. Everybody is upset that they missed Madhu's wedding." RK tells her.

"I know. Everybody had been looking forward to it." Padmini tells him.

"I should feel sorry that I deprived everyone of that, but if I had delayed to plan a wedding, Madhu would have never married me." RK cheekily tells her.

"True." Padmini agrees grinning. "You don't take it to heart. They were looking forward for her wedding then that misfortune with Abhay happened. They all had been worried for her."

"Madhu and I could have a proper wedding with all the functions." RK tells her.

"Really?" Padmini asks surprised.

"I'll talk to Madhu about it." RK tells her.

"I'll ask her now." Padmini tells him and runs off before he could stop her.

"Jeeju." A girl says as she plopped down next to him.

RK turns to the girl and smiles at her. "Yeah, Trishna?"

"Your friend..." Trishna says as she looked out towards the balcony where Mukund was.

"Hmmm what about him?" RK asks as he looked at Mukund.

"Is he married?" Trishna asks him.

RK looks at her surprised. "No."

"Any girlfriends? Fiancé?" Trishna asks curiously.

"No."

"Is he a playboy?"

"No."

"Nice!" Trishna says smiling, approvingly.

"Why do you ask?" RK asks her.

"You know, simply. Just general knowledge." Trishna says shrugging. "Okay, l'll see you around."

RK stares at Trishna in shock, wondering whether she thought he was dumb.

Then he was distracted with a loud announcement.

"Madhu and RK will be getting married again! With all the functions!"

RK looks at Madhu in surprise and sees her looking at him smiling.

RK smiles at her.

Madhu winks in reply.

**********

"How the hell did it get louder?" Mukund asks in shock as he joined RK.

"They are planning Madhu's and my remarriage." RK tells him happily.

"You guys are getting married again?" Mukund asks surprised.

"Yeah, I was talking to Mama..."

Mukund cuts him off. "Dude, who the hell is that?"

RK looks at where Mukund was looking and sees Trishna arguing with someone regarding the theme for the wedding.

"Madhu's cousin, Trishna."

"She is a cutie." Mukund says.

"Trishna..." RK calls her over.

"Yes, jeeju?" Trishna comes to him.

"Mukund is feeling stuffy in here. Can you take him down for some fresh air?" RK asks her.

"Yeah, sure." Trishna says as she shyly smiled at RK.

Mukund looks at RK in shock. RK cheekily grins at him.

"Let's go?" Trishna asks Mukund.

"Yeah." Mukund grins as he followed her.

RK turns around to look for Madhu and sees her watching them. She gestures to Mukund and Trishna and asks what?

RK winks at her then he walks to her.

"What's up with them?" Madhu asks him curiously.

"I think we'll have to plan a double wedding." RK tells her cheekily.

"What? Them?" Madhu asks in shocked surprise.

"They both are interested in each other." RK tells her.

"Wow."

"Lets see what happens." RK tells her grinning.

**********

"You know, I feel like a puppet and you are my puppet master!" Madhu says in shock on the phone.

RK looks up at his wife curiously.

"WHAT? Are you kidding me?" Madhu asks in shock. "Okay, I am on it." Madhu says and hangs up the phone.

"What is Mukund making you do?" RK asks her in dread.

"You are not going to like it." Madhu says as she grabbed his laptop and passed it to him. "Please log in to your bank."

"What are you going to do?" RK asks her curiously as he logged in and passed her his laptop.

"I told you, you're not going to like it." Madhu says as she took his laptop. "So, isn't it obvious that I am not going to tell you?"

**********

A week later, Madhu hands over the new credit card to Meera and Sweety.

"New credit card?" Sweety asks excitedly.

"Yeah, from now on, use this. Your other credit cards have been cancelled." Madhu tells them.

"I am going to kill Mukund." RK whispers as he looked up to the skies.

"You cancelled our credit card?" Meera asks outrage.

"Yes."

"RK, did you tell her to do that?" Meera asks RK and sees that he was also looking at Madhu in shock.

"He doesn't have to tell me anything. The truth is, I tell him what to do." Madhu tells her arrogantly.

"What is the big deal, Mom?" Sweety asks her then excitedly says. "I can't wait to swipe this."

"Sweety, remember that the limit is 1 lakh and if you max out the card, then you won't have money for the rest of the month." Madhu tells her. "Same for you too, Meera."

"What nonsense is this? RK..." Meera turns to RK, expecting him to launch a war against Madhu.

"Madhu... how are they going to survive with just that?" RK asks her in shock.

"RK, I am giving them clothes, food and shelter. They are surviving fine. This is for their miscellaneous expenses."

"Miscellaneous? I can't even buy a Louis Vuitton bag with this card!" Sweety says outraged.

"Then don't buy." Madhu says in a as simple as that tone.

"What?" Sweety asks her furiously.

"Break your FD, start working, or save up. Don't forget you also get interest for your FD, use that too. Every month I'll give you 1 lakh, because I don't want to hurt RK by putting you on a tight budget." Madhu tells her.

"What about me?" Meera asks her. "What is my card limit?"

"Same." Madhu says then turning to Abhay, she tells him. "I haven't cancelled your card, Abhay."

Abhay looks at her surprised. Meera and Sweety stares at her in shock.

"I've reduced the limit to 50000." Madhu tells him.

"What?" Sweety shouts in shock.

"It is not fair on RK and me to take care of your expense and your husbands too." Madhu tells her. Then turning to Abhay, she tells him. "You've a month. Find a job. I'll be cancelling your card end of this month."

Abhay turns white hearing that.

"You can't control us like that." Sweety says furiously. "What is this, bhaiyya?" Sweety asks turning to RK.

"Awww it is so cute that when you need something from him that you call him bhaiyya and otherwise it is RK." Madhu says smiling sweetly at her.

Sweety turns awkward hearing that.

"Are you going to let her treat us like this, RK?" Meera asks him.

"Did you forget?" Madhu asks laughing. "He has nothing. Everything is mine now. RK is a pauper. If he needs one rupee then I've to give him that. What is he going to give you? And please remember, I have absolute control over those cards. I'll be the one paying it at the end of the month."

Meera looks at RK and says, "If Mohan was alive..."

Madhu cuts her off. "Then the story would have been different."

Meera looks at Madhu in hatred.

"Now, I am here and I decide things." Madhu tells her.

**********

RK follows Madhu into their bedroom.

"Don't you think this is too much, Madhu?" RK asks her.

"No." Madhu replies.

"Madhu, they are my family. You can't treat them like this. I know you don't like them but they are family, Madhu." RK tells her.

"I don't dislike them, RK. I hate them." Madhu clarifies to him angrily.

"Madhu..."

"You know, I was curious." Madhu says as she turned to him. "So, when Sweety's wedding reception photos had been come online I just looked at them. I don't know why, but I did."

RK looks at her confused.

"Very quickly I noticed that you were not there in any of the photos." Madhu tells him. "And your so called family doesn't know even today that you were not there at the function?"

RK gulps hearing that.

"They are not your family, RK. Stop deluding yourself. There are people who care for you. You don't have to stick on to them just because they live in the same house as you." Madhu tells him.

RK looks away hearing that.

"You know how much my family loves me. But still when Papa died, I felt my world ended. That I was alone. Being in the midst of a loving family, I still felt that." Madhu says as her eyes filled up. "I can't imagine what you would have felt all these years."

Shaking her head, Madhu tells him. "I will never be nice to them. I will never be cordial to them. I'll treat them the same way they treat you."

RK sighs and says. "I guess, I was just desperate to belong. I thought, one day they will genuinely like me."

"Nothing is going to change if they are not in your life. Maybe you will save more money and have more peace of mind." Madhu says with a shrug.

"But still she is Dad's wife. I have always considered Sweety as my sister." RK tells her softly. "I'll never ask them to leave, Madhu."

Madhu nods. "And I will not let them take advantage of my husband." Madhu says in finality and starts to walk off.

RK holds her hand and pulls her towards him. Madhu gasps in shock, as their body pressed up against each other.

"What are you doing?" Madhu asks in shock.

"What do you think?" RK asks her.

"I can't let you take so much liberty." Madhu says as she tried to hide her blush.

"Did you forget? I am a pauper. All I have is a wife."

Madhu blushes hearing that. "And a best friend."

"Yeah but the point is, I only have my wife and I can take liberties with her."

Madhu blushes hearing that.

"So, the question is, can I kiss my wife?" RK asks her.

Madhu blushes even more hearing that. "I thought you could take liberties with your wife."

Hearing her, RK grins and he leans down and takes her lips in his. Hugging him, Madhu kisses him back.

**********

"Hello, Mama... how are you?" Madhu asks on the phone. "I was thinking of coming there. We could go out for lunch.... Oh... okay.... No worries... I'll see you later."

"What happened?" RK asks her.

"They are going to Lonavala for a day trip." Madhu tells him.

"Mama is living the life." RK says amazed. "This is like her third trip this month, right?"

"Yeah." Madhu says smiling. "You know, as long as I can remember, she had been busy with work, me, Papa or family. First time, I am seeing her relaxing and enjoying herself."

RK smiles then he says excitedly. "You go get ready, we'll go out for lunch together."

"What about your plans with Mukund?"

"I'll ditch him." RK cheekily tells her.

Madhu laughs hearing that. "Okay."

**********

"I got a job." Abhay informs everyone.

"Congratulations." RK wishes him.

Sweety wasn't happy but then Madhu couldn't care less.

"Congrats." Madhu tells him then she turns to Sweety. "Oh that reminds me, Sweety. Are you still going ahead with your divorce plan?"

"WHAT? Divorce?" Abhay asks in shock as he stood up. "What is she saying, Sweety?"

Sweety stares at Abhay in shock.

"RK has no money, so, he can't afford a lawyer for you. You will have to make arrangements for that." Madhu informs her.

"What the hell? Sweety, what is this?" Abhay asks her furiously.

"I don't know, she is making up stories." Sweety says in fake outrage.

"She is not lying." RK says frowning at her. "You wanted to divorce Abhay. You were adamant. Now, why are you saying this?"

"What?" Abhay asks in shock. "What the hell are you both saying?"

Sweety gets up and walks off. Abhay follows her. Then they hear both of fighting loudly in their room for a long time.

Madhu went off to her bedroom while Meera and RK waited to see what would happen.

Then everything went silent. Then sometime later, they see Abhay walking out carrying his bags.

"She did it purposefully." Meera declares.

"Sweety wanted a divorce. We both know that."

"Are you so dumb? Don't you see that she married you to take revenge? She tortured us. She snatched all your properties. Now, she ruined Sweety's and Abhay's marriage. This was all her plan." Meera declares.

"Sweety wanted divorce. Don't put it on Madhu." RK tells her.

"You are so blinded by her that you don't even see that she married you with so much planning." Meera tells her.

"Madhu didn't marry me. I forced her to marry me. I gave her no choice other than to marry me. I threatened to sent her mother to jail if she didn't marry me." RK tells her angrily.

"What?" Meera asks in shock.

"Don't blame Madhu for Sweety's failure." RK tells her furiously and walks off.

**********

"Why do you think Sweety was acting like the divorce wasn't her idea?" RK asks Madhu confused.

"She is no longer the princess here. She is on a tight budget. She didn't want to break her FD. And Abhay just got a job. If she wanted to live life without having to work for it, she needed someone who would spend on her. That was Abhay." Madhu explains to him.

RK sighs hearing that.

**********

Everyone was surprised to see that Sweety had become withdrawn ever since Abhay left. She looked lost and hurt.

Everyone wondered whether Sweety was missing Abhay and was somewhere still in love with him.

But no-one asked her that.

They all had their own reasons.

Meera because she didn't want Sweety to be with a middle class man anymore as they were on a tight leash by Madhu. She wanted Sweety to marry someone higher up, so their life would be secure.

RK because he had trusted Sweety's love for Abhay once and that had led to a tragedy. So, he stayed away.

Madhu because she wasn't the least bit interested in that circus.

**********

"Abhay came today." Meera informs RK.

"Why?" RK asks surprised.

"He wanted to give their marriage one more chance. Sweety agreed and she went with him to his house."

"That is good." RK says smiling.

"Sweety is gone. I am thinking of moving out." Meera says sadly.

"What?" RK asks in shock hearing her.

"I don't think your wife likes having us here." Meera says as tears dropped form her eyes.

Seeing the world class acting, RK was hurt while Madhu had only one question. "Should I cancel your credit card? Or are you planning to keep using that?"

Meera looks at her in shock.

"Choti Ma, this is your house too. It would mean a lot to me if you change your decision." RK tells her.

"It's totally up to you. We won't pressurize you to stay." Madhu interjects.

"Madhu..." RK turns to her and makes pleading faces at her to stop.

Seeing that RK was still sucking up to Madhu, Meera knew that she needed to think of something else. "If you're insisting then I'll stay on, RK. Only for you."

Meera walks off.

RK turns to Madhu, "I told you, she is my father's wife. We need to respect that."

"I hate melted ice cream." Madhu declares.

"What?" RK asks confused.

"And you melt like a disgusting gooey ice cream when they shed two fake tears." Madhu tells him and walks off.

**********

"Can you believe that Mama is planning a Europe trip? I still haven't had a single stamp on my passport." Madhu says with a pout.

RK cheekily grins at her. "Madhu, if you want to go for honeymoon, you know, I am ever ready."

Madhu grins hearing that. "Where are we going?"

"You're the boss and you are the one with all the money." RK cheekily reminds her.

"Ha.. ha... don't forget, you have access to your bank account, you have credit and debit cards." Madhu says then she asks him curiously. "Why didn't you give them credit card or money behind my back?"

"Because in the papers it was mentioned that I wouldn't spend money without your permission." RK tells her.

"Aww..." Madhu moves to him and takes his lips in hers and nibbles on them. "What an obedient husband?"

"I always needed a strong woman to come along and get my shit together." RK tells her as he pulled her closer and kissed her thoroughly, his hand going inside her shirt.

Hearing her mobile ring they both part.

"It's Mama. I'll hang up quickly." Madhu promises and grabs her phone. "Hello, Mama.... What?... we're coming."

"What happened?" RK asks as he immediately stood up to leave.

"Meera is there to see her it seems." Madhu tells him.

**********

Padmini walks to the visitors room and finds Meera impatiently waiting for her.

"Meera?" Padmini asks as she walked to her.

"Padmini?" Meera asks her haughtily.

"Yes."

"I've been waiting for sometime now." Meera tells her pissed.

"I know."

Sevtlana realized that Madhu's mother was as bitchy as her.

"Madhu told me to wait till she reached before I meet you." Padmini tells her.

"You informed her that I am here?" Meera asks her shocked.

"Yeah. But I was too curious to wait for her. She is taking forever to reach." Padmini replies. "I've handled many naughty kids in my time. I'm sure I can handle you too." Padmini says with a smile.

Meera glares at her in fury but then knowing she was going to wipe out that smugness from her, she puts on her calm face. "What I am here to tell you, it is better if she is not here." Meera says.

"Okay. Tell me." Padmini tells her.

"Do you know why Madhu married RK?" Meera asks her.

Padmini curiously watches her. "You tell me."

"He forced her. He threatened to send you to jail if she didn't marry him. I am assuming that he had something over you." Meera tells her, acting scandalized. "I don't know how RK could do that to her."

"Why would he force her?" Padmini asks her.

Meera looks at her thoughtfully and says. "He had suspicion that Madhu and Abhay were having an affair, so to safeguard Sweety's marriage, forcefully he married her."

Padmini asks her the same thing that Madhu had asked RK. "So, his solution was to bring Madhu and Abhay under the same roof?"

Meera looks at her taken back.

Padmini raises her eyebrows at her, waiting for a reply.

Recovering, Meera says. "The point is he forced her to marry him. He is holding her against her will. True he did it for Sweety, but it is wrong. I am his mother and it is my duty to correct his mistake."

"Are you even living in the same house as them?" Padmini asks her frowning. "I live here and I know that Madhu and RK are very happy together."

"She is acting to not hurt you." Meera tells her. "She is crying there everyday. She will never tell you the truth. Save your daughter. Take her away from there."

Padmini dramatically sighs. "First of all, RK forced Madhu to marry him to protect her."

Meera frowns realizing that Padmini already knew about it.

"From you and your daughter." Padmini informs her.

"What?" Meera frowns hearing that.

"He overheard you both discussing to use Madhu for the divorce. You were going to slander my daughter and Abhay, and RK married Madhu so that you would never be able to use her in the divorce case." Padmini tells her.

Meera stares at her in shock.

"My guess is, he assumed that you would be a little cautious to use his wife in such a dirty manner. Considering that he owns everything."

Meera stands up to leave.

"What made you think that I would trust you over my son-in-law?" Padmini asks as she stood up. Then she says. "Actually, he is less of a son-in-law and more of a son to me."

Meera turns to leave and sees RK and Madhu walk in.

"What are you doing here, Choti Ma?" RK asks her.

"She is leaving." Padmini declares. "And Meera, my daughter tells me everything. So, don't bother coming here again. My daughter is unfortunate that she has to tolerate you. I really don't have to. So, don't ever come here again."

Meera quickly leaves. Madhu walks to her mother.

"Are you okay?" Madhu asks her.

"Yeah, I am fine."

"Why did she come, Mama?" RK asks her.

**********

Madhu worriedly looks at RK as they walked in home. She had never seen him so furious, and he hadn't spoken a word since they left her mother.

He walks to Meera and Madhu followed him, wondering what had triggered him like this.

"Why did you go tell Mama that?" RK asks furiously.

"You told me you forced her. And she was doing all this, so I was worried." Meera says as she brought in the tear works.

"You were worried?" RK asks her furiously.

"Yes, RK. I understand you did it all due to some misunderstanding. We would have never gone through with that plan, RK." Meera says. "We just planned it but we would have never done it. Even we are women."

"Do you really take me for a fool?" RK asks her.

"I am telling you the truth." Meera ascertains.

"Choti Ma, every time you had lied to me. Every time you acted like you cared about me, I knew the truth. I never said anything because I hoped one day, you would accept me as your family." RK says hurt.

"What are you saying, RK? You are my family. You are my son." Meera says acting shocked.

"I am not. And I have had enough. You have an hour's time, I want you to leave my house." RK tells her.

"What?" Meera shouts in shock, as a thunderbolt hit her. "How can you say that?"

"After what happened with Papa, how could you do this to Mama?" RK asks her furiously. "Did you stop to consider what such a news could do to a mother? Did you stop to think that this could physically and mentally affect her? That what happened to Papa could happen to her?" RK asks her furiously.

"She knew about it already!" Meera outrageously screams out.

"But you didn't know that." RK points out.

Meera stops hearing that.

"You didn't think what such a thing could do to her."

"RK..." Meera starts.

RK puts up his hand to stop her. "You tried to harm my family. My mother. You can no longer stay here. You have an hour."

"RK, you are being cruel." Madhu tells him in shock. "Give her time to make arrangements for herself."

"Where will I go, RK?" Meera asks him panicking.

"Sweety is there." RK reminds her.

"How can I stay there?" Meera asks him.

"Abhay and Sweety are trying to make their marriage work, she will ruin it." Madhu predicts.

"You shut up!" Meera furiously tells her.

"Get out." RK tells her furiously.

Meera looks at him in shock, this time, genuine tears filling her eyes. "Please, RK."

RK sighs seeing that. "I will book a hotel for you. In a week, find another accommodation."

Meera helplessly cries hearing that. "I am begging you, RK."

"I don't trust you, choti Ma." RK tells her. "You might even try to harm Madhu. You are a snake."

Hearing that, Meera cries.

"If you want, I will give you Dad's flat in Pune." RK tells her. Then turning to Madhu, he tells her. "You will have to agree to that, Madhu."

"It is your house, RK. I don't want any of it, you know why Mukund and I did this. It is all yours." Madhu tells him hurt.

"You're my wife and whatever is mine is yours. So, I need you to agree to it." RK tells her.

Madhu nods. "If you want to give it, give it."

RK turns to Meera and says. "If you want you can have it. I am not doing this out of any respect for you. I am doing it for my Dad. You are his wife. So for that."

"But that flat is small. Just two bedroom." Meera complains.

"I am not going to give you anything else. I am offering that flat only because it is not in this city and you will live away from us." RK tells her.

"But..."

"I will not give you anything else. My father left you more than enough. Buy a house of your choice with that. Start a business. Do whatever." RK tells her then staring at Meera, RK tells Madhu. "Exactly one month from today, Madhu, you'll cancel her credit card."

"Okay." Madhu replies.

"One hour, Choti Ma." RK tells her and walks off.

**********

RK hugs Madhu from behind.

"Are you okay?" Madhu asks in concern as she turned to him in his arms.

"Yeah." RK says.

"You always treated her as your family." Madhu tells him in concern.

"I know but after she left, I feel relaxed." RK tells her.

"Really?" Madhu asks surprised.

"I always had this feeling that I was sitting on a ticking time bomb." RK tells her.

"Took you long enough to clean home." Madhu teases.

"I guess I was waiting for you to come and beat me into my senses." RK chuckles.

"Why did you react like that?" Madhu asks him softly. "Mama is fine. She handled Meera."

"But she shouldn't have done that. It shows she has no regret over what happened to Papa." RK tells her sadly.

"By the way..." Madhu teasingly puts her hands over his shoulder.

"What?" RK asks grinning.

"It was you, who told Mama. Did you forget that?" Madhu asks chuckling.

"I thought she knew." RK says chuckling.

Madhu laughs then she says thoughtfully. "I was thinking about Papa."

"I think I'll always have this regret that I never got to know him." RK tells her.

"He would have loved you." Madhu says smiling. "Maybe that is why Papa brought you to me."

"What?" RK asks confused.

"If Papa hadn't fixed my wedding with Abhay. If you didn't feel responsible for his death." Madhu says thoughtfully. "I like to think that when he left this world, he sent someone who would love me like he loves me."

RK smiles hearing that.

"I know it is silly but I like to believe that." Madhu tells him as she hugged him.

**********

Madhu and RK sat side by side as everyone applied haldi for them. They were finally having their grand wedding with all the rituals.

They happily watched everyone having a blast. More than the music, it was the noise of the guest that was filling the room, specially her family.

"My life is going to be this." Mukund declares in dread as he joined them.

"What happened?" Madhu asks him chuckling.

Mukund points out to them.

"Your parents met Trishna's parents?" RK asks excitedly.

"I was hoping that they would take an instant dislike to each other and Trishna and I can elope." Mukund tells them.

"Why?" Madhu asks confused.

"Can't you hear this sound? I can't hear my own thoughts." Mukund says in shock. "I've to go through this for my wedding."

"Welcome to the family." Madhu tells him laughing.

"They seem to like each other." RK says pointing at Mukund's and Trishna's parents.

"Like? I won't be surprised if they get married." Mukund declares.

"You know, RK is the darling of my family." Madhu tells him.

RK grins hearing that, even Mukund.

"I reckon, you are going to be the black sheep." Madhu declares.

Mukund glares at her.

"Madhu, who is that? I don't think I've met those relatives of yours." RK whispers to her pointing at a group who had walked in.

Madhu looks at them then smiling, she says. "They are your relatives."

"What?" RK asks in shock as he turned to look at them.

Madhu kisses him on his cheek. "It is my wedding gift to you."

"Even mine." Mukund reminds her frowning, then for good measure, he also kisses RK on his cheek.

RK was too shocked to register what was happening then seeing a familiar face, he whispers. "That is Sultan. Chachu's son."

"We spoke to them. Meera caused misunderstandings between Dad and chachu." Madhu tells him.

"What?" RK asks in shock.

"Hi RK." Sultan says with a smile as he walked to him.

"Hi Sultan. Thanks for coming." RK says, feeling touched.

"I would have come earlier but your wife insisted that she wants to give you a grand surprise." Sultan says as he shrugged with a smile.

Madhu blushes hearing that, and RK chuckles.

"You look like her." An elderly man says with tear filled eyes.

RK looks at him and he didn't recognize him.

The man hugs RK.

"Mohan told me never to come near you. He blamed us for Radha's death. The doctor said that if she had been brought to the hospital 5 mins earlier then she would have survived. She is my sister, it happened, it wasn't intentional. I am sorry. I would never do anything to hurt my sister. It just happened like that."

RK shakes his head as he smiled at him. "I am so glad to meet you. I always wanted to meet you all but Dad had forbid it and I just didn't go against him. I am sorry."

His uncle nods smiling then he says excitedly. "I'll introduce everyone."

He starts introducing RK's cousins and relatives to him.

As RK spoke to them, he slyly takes Madhu's hand and squeezes it, silently thanking her.

**********

Epilogue

"Great... perfect." Madhu tells the caterers as she inspected the food counters.

"This is amazing." Trishna says excitedly as she looked around.

"Why wouldn't it be? She has been planning for her 5th birthday, since Anju turned 4." Mukund asks teasingly.

"It is a mile stone birthday. It should be one that she will remember forever." Madhu tells him excitedly.

"Where is the birthday girl?" Sahil, RK's youngest cousin brother asks curiously.

"She was a menace. So, I told her to stay out."

"What did she do?" Sahil asks curiously.

"Look at her cake." Madhu declares pissed.

They curiously look at the cake and they chuckle. It was written Hap Birthday Anjali. Someone had wiped out the p and y.

"She couldn't resist and was eating the cake." Madhu tells them.

They chuckle hearing that.

Mukund asks curiously. "And where is RK?"

"I send them both out to the backyard. He will keep her entertained till it is time for her to come in."

"You sent jeeju to watch her?" Trishna asks in shock.

"It is her birthday. He will behave." Madhu tells them.

"No wonder there is no sound of both of them. They might have murdered each other." Mukund guesses.

"Shut up." Madhu laughs hearing that.

RK and Anjali were thick as thieves. They both were up to one trouble or other. And just like every best friends, they would also get into silly fights that would go crazy at times.

Madhu smiles, RK was finally living the childhood that he had wished for.

"Guests are here. Everybody is asking for Anju and RK." Padmini informs her.

"I'll go call them." Trishna declares.

"Where are you going? Stay here. I'll go. You rest." Mukund tells her as he frowned at her.

Madhu smiles as she looked at Trishna's swollen belly. "He is just like RK."

"At least jeeju had reason. His mother died in child birth." Trishna mutters as she watched Mukund walk off.

Madhu was speaking to their relatives when Mukund calls her on the phone. "Hello, Mukund?"

"Madhu, can you come here?" Mukund asks her jovially.

"Yeah, coming." Madhu hangs up the call and walks out to the backyard.

Seeing the horrifying sight in front of her, she screams out in outrage.

All the relatives come running hearing her.

Seeing the birthday girl covered in mud from head to toe and her father also as dirty as her, they burst out laughing.

"It's a princess theme party and she wanted a sand castle." RK tells Madhu with a worried shrug.

"Why didn't you tell me? I make awesome sand castles." Padmini says as she walked to them.

"Hey, even I want to play." Another one of Madhu's cousin declares and runs out to join.

"My sand castle is just amazing. I'll show you guys." Someone else declares.

"Even I want to make." Trishna declares.

"What? It is dirty. Stay here." Mukund tells her.

"Get lost." Trishna tells him and runs off.

"Mud is good for immunity." Madhu's masa declares.

Mukund turns to Madhu and tells her. "I'll murder someone."

Madhu watched in horror as her guests of the party she had been planning for over a year starting to dig up the mud from her backyard and in groups starts making sand castle. "Get in line."

Sultan joins her and he had to give his two cent. "Who in their right mind gets a 5 year old an all white dress?"

Madhu turns to murder him when he says in a superior tone to someone. "You are doing it all wrong." Then he walks off throwing his suit jacket at Madhu, and rolling up his sleeves, he starts showing them how to construct a sand castle.

"Let's have a competition. The best sand castle wins." Someone suggests excitedly.

"Dada, we have to win!" Anjali excitedly tells RK.

"No, you're birthday girl, so you are the judge." Mukund tells her.

"Okay." Anjali says excitedly and runs to watch everyone make the sand castle.

RK walks to Madhu and says in an appeasing tone. "Everybody is having fun."

"I planned for a year for this party. I wanted to give her a memorable birthday party." Madhu tells him.

"Do you think she will ever forget this?" RK asks her.

Madhu looks at their family, all having a jovial time, playing in mud. Madhu smiles seeing that.

Watching his family, RK hugs Madhu, feeling so blessed. He thought he had no family, and now looking at their extended family, it all feels like a dream.

"I love you, Madhu. Thank you coming into my life."

"Love you too. And I didn't come into yours, you came into mine. Like lightening." Madhu tells him.

RK chuckles hearing that.

"I'll ask them to bring the starters out." Madhu tells him, seeing that everyone had settled to build sand castle, watch and give instructions.

Madhu turns to walk back in then she stops to look at RK. "I spend a bomb on the party." Then pointing at their guests, she says. "And to think that I could have had this at the beach for free."

*** The End ***

I know the epilogue and ending was rushed, but I just couldn't come up with anything else.

Hope you guys liked this story. Please comment and vote.

- Lazy