The Talk
Tumble of Sheets Pg 6
Bless Your Heart Pg 12
Glimpse of the Past Pg 19
New Beginnings Pg 22
You, Again Pg 23
Safe & Sound? Pg 26
This is the longest story I have attempted in my long standing career (note
the sarcasm) as an unpaid fan fiction writer. Yes, I cried. No, I don't expect
you to reciprocate in any way, shape or form. I just have the feels today. But,
the story will be published here if I see enough response. If not, I will
choose to direct the interested parties to my blog. Here I go:
(The Talk) Uno:
The drive to his house felt like the longest hour she had
lived. Madhubala was pretty sure she had broken every traffic rule in the book
whilst analyzing each word Rishabh said over the phone. "There is a girl", he
began without greetings or introductions. He had the bad habit of assuming she
knew him by the deep voice. She did but, that didn't take away from the fact a
1000 volts of electricity shocked her spine, without fail, when he talked. Some advanced notice would be
appreciated. A hello maybe?
"You still there Madhu?"
His irked question shook her out of the trance. An unruly
tear escaped her eye as she prepared herself for the whirlwind he was about to
push her in.
"Yes", her infallible sense of loyalty would be the death of
her.
"I wanted to know first. I am going to ask her to marry me..."
Something, something, something. He
continued but it was all a blur. Her breathing was sharp and shallow. Gasping
for air, she opened all the windows and the sunroof of her car trying not to
lose consciousness.
There was excitement in his words, love in his mention of
her name, hope in his humming as he waited for his best friend to respond. But,
she didn't. The cellphone fell out of her hands and landed flat on the floor,
still functional. She could hear his confusion through the line as she placed
one on her chest to dull the stabbing ache and the other on her mouth so wouldn't
hear her in her most vulnerable hour.
"That's great. Congratulations", she composed her tone
enough that he wouldn't suspect. But, it was Rishabh. He knew the most subtle
of changes in his Madhu before she did. Did he really want to push this issue
over the phone though?
"Come to my apartment. We can talk over dinner". Even with
this unsaid tension between them, Rishabh knew she could not say no to him. He had
used this fact to his advantage more times than he was willing to admit. But today,
he needed to know what was bothering his best friend.
"I don't think now is a good time", she mindlessly honked the horn on an empty road to give him the illusion of a traffic jam. "All I want is a soft mattress and fleecy blanket". She added a rough cough to the last part.
Madhu knew she was overdoing her charade of avoiding Rishabh but, somehow she knew he wouldn't ask. Afterall, the man had found the love of his life. He sounded so ecstatic, he could forgive her for a murder right now. Staling the much dreaded confrontation would be an easy task.
"Oh...okay". At any other hour, he would throw back a witty remark about her Mumbai traffic navigation skills or her perpetual coffee drinking habits that made her act like a dope-deprived addict. But today, he just needed a friend to laugh with. He needed her and she wasn't coming. "See you at work tomorrow?" He asked in almost too hopeful a tone. "I could show you the ring over sushi".
"Why?" she thought out loud. The words had already reached the other end of the line before she realized.
"What do you mean why? We are pushing our plans to the next day. I thought...anyways, are you okay?"
Time for some serious damage control.
"Yes, I thought sushi was Thursdays".
Seriously? Is that what she interrupted him for? "Now it's Wednesdays. Go home, Madhu. You really do need to sleep".
"Glad we're on the same page". She hung up as a traffic inspector instructed her to move faster through the empty intersection.
They were far from being on the same page. Here she was ready as ever to confess to him how deeply she cared, how much she longed for him. But, not once did he mention the other woman. Hell, Madhu still did not know her name. She thought back to how naive she had been, divulging every little secret of her dating life to him. He knew about Scotty and Dima and Dr. Prag and that one guy who turned out to be a borderline stalker. How she wished she could take back all that she had served on a platter to him.
Then, something in her changed. She put her car in reverse gear, flying through the streets of an unusually serene city to the home of a man she knew would be better. Better to her. Perhaps, even better for her. Simon, his name was Simon and she would try her damnedest to fall in love with him. Yes, that would solve everything.
f**k no. Who was she kidding? This man was...oh great! Just great, the day got better and better. The number that flashed on her fallen phone was none other than the dreaded s'mother. Nope, not her mother. Her sister, the one who liked to smother her in maternal love..."because when our mother died, Madhu, I promised daddy I would baby my sister until the day I died". As Trishna screamed on top of her lungs, Madhu's heart stopped for a minute.
"Did you tell Rishabh yet?" Trishna's screams turned into whispers.
Madhu could feel her sister's eyes burrowing into her soul. Yes, through the phone line. No, she didn't know how.
"Tell daddy I love him and maybe if he could rescue from a nosy sister. Goodnight Trish. It was nice talking to you".
"But Madh..", the line went dead before she could slip in the bit about Rishabh practically yelping for her to check on Madhu. She let out a dramatic sigh. Her sister really did need therapy.
Come to think of it, Simon was not such a bad idea after all. She caught him ogling at her more than once. He always shared the bill, never was the chivalrous ass like his onscreen persona. He was respectful, sarcastic; just like her. In fact, too much like her. Flirting came naturally to them. They would make a good couple. "Hello. Malik, is that you?"
"Yager, you caught me", her laugh lingered a little more than needed and thus started the guessing game. He could tell she was not her chirpy self.
"You, me and a bottle of vodka. I got my boat on the harbour, just for you sweet pea".
"Sweet pea? And I thought you were good to me tiger", her tone shifted gear to the valley girl seduction mode. "Your sugary succulent lips have turned strangely fat. Tell me, did you get botox?" And bada-boom-a-tish. A smirk creeped up on her lips.
"Look at you, the plastic surgery expert. Did they call you on entertainment tonight to inspect all of us actors? Aww, there there. Come home love. I'll play nice".
"Not funny Sy. You know I couldn't care less if Rishabh shags his new heroine or not. Somebody tell my boss to let me do crime scenes".
"So this about Rishabh?" Simon inhaled all the air in the room just thinking about what she felt for this other guy. "I heard he's getting married".
"Yeah, I heard that too. Mind if I come over, throw myself a pity party? I deserve it after my boss has me reporting snorty bollywood actors. I told her, I wouldn't mind Ramdev even but not film snobs. What da ya know?"
Simon was a good listener, a better talker and the best in business when it came to treating Madhu right. She felt twenty pounds lighter confiding in him, even if it wasn't what was really troubling her.
"You do know I am an actor, right? I got plenty of dirt on you Madiha".
"Don't call me that. Besides, you are far from a snob. I would take you home over any of them, erry day".
"Gangsta. That's my girl. You know I love you".
"I am pulling up. Now, get the damn door", she parked on the side of the curb heading straight for the older man's house.
"Broke my heart Malik. Again".
A kiss on the cheek and she had him holding on to walls to absorb the shock.
"I'll give you an exclusive interview if you ask".
With a hand on his heart, he pouted in a way that could fool any ordinary woman. But not Madhu. She knew all too well the charming ways of film city stars. He was probably just trying to get laid.
"If I ever ask for an exclusive with you, it won't be an interview, hero boy", she played along with a wink.
He ran with a spring in his step. She had that effect on him; one that turned him into a schoolboy. "So what you are saying is, we are official now?"
"I'll allow it", she had the cocky grin plastered on face. "In your dreams".
"My girlfriend just broke up with me so", he asked with an extended pause, "I'll show you mine if you show me yours", he nuzzled her hair taking in her spicy scent.
"Excuse me? Are you asking me to be your rebound?" She pushed him away, gently.
"Well, technically...", he swallowed on the nothingness in his throat, afraid of his friend's demeanor "We would both be each other's rebounds. I mean you and Rish...", he bit his tongue knowing it was too late to take back what was already out.
Edited by DonnaHarvey - 10 years ago
