Mésalliance (Completed)

Chapter 39

Madhu felt recharged after a cosy bath with Vikram. She met her family downstairs and received birthday wishes in unison. The morning sun glowed from the window sill, lighting up their days. Her mother prepared South Indian dishes and their home hovered in the aroma of ghee and spices. She was thrilled for the day planned by her husband.
"You look so good!" Niyati commented on her summer frock. She blushed and gave a glance at Vikram who had ordered for her when he planned for the birthday party. Beside his plate, he had a copy of a book that Madhu gifted him post their shower. Though he hadn't fancied books, he wanted to give it a try for her.
He mentally walked through his plans for the day. A movie at the mall, a romantic stroll on the beach and an exciting candlelight dinner amidst the forest. He had meticulously planned a day full of love and surprises and he was proud of himself.
He noticed her glowing face, which might be because of her birthday or their night. He wanted her to stay the same. The dining table was adorned with fresh flowers and tasty meals and all of them devoured their taste buds.
"Where are you taking her?" Rati questioned him as she sipped water. Vikram looked at her blankly, "We will discuss it in the evening."
It increased Madhu's anticipation a hundredfold. She picked up her coffee cup and thought of his surprise instead of drinking it.
"We need to start..." he reminded her and looked at the cup. She smiled sheepishly and tried to drink the hot coffee quicker. He checked for messages from the florist from whom he ordered twenty-two different flowers to give in each store in the mall.
"Can we go?" Madhu questioned and peeked at his mobile. He dragged the mobile towards his pocket and gave a stern look at her. She rolled her eyes and walked out of the house.
As she stepped into the bright morning he clasped her hand and walked to the car. He opened the door for her, put on a seat belt and pecked her tender lips in that context before starting the car. Madhu felt heat on her cheeks as he made those romantic gestures for her.
She hadn't known a lot of Mumbai as he drifted through traffic. Finally, he stopped in front of an enormous building, the Marine Mall.
"Mall?" she commented dubiously and looked at him. "You don't like crowded places."
"It's your birthday...." he smiled at her. "I am giving you surprises as planned."
She smiled back and unfastened her seatbelt. He informed her to wait at the entrance till he parked the car. Also, he wanted to call the florist secretly to check on the arrangements.
She walked out of the car and surfed through her mobile in mean meantime.
"It's not so happy morning for me..." said a lady's voice.
Madhu was pissed to meet Karishma. "Mine too," she replied.
"I am having this attitude as I am the only daughter of Kamat's empire," Karishma hissed. "Why you are having it?"
It's because I am Madhumitha Vikramaditya and Praneet Hegde's daughter," Madhu retorted confidently. "Fuck off."
Karishma laughed devilishly, leaving Madhu to ponder.
"I know that you are neither..." Karishma halted her chuckle, "You are just a contract wife of Vikram."
Madhu's breath stopped when she heard it from Karishma. Her mind thought of how that bittch might've known the details.
"I bribed the assistant of your husband's advocate..." Karishma replied as if she read Madhu's thoughts.
Madhu replayed their conversation, "What did you mean by I am neither Vikram's wife nor my father's daughter?"
Karishma smirked, "I know plenty about you than yourself!"
*********

As Vikram parked the car in the basement, he read the message from the florist that all the flowers were dispatched to the respective shops as he had ordered. Viktam couldn't contain his smile. He picked up tulips, chrysanthemums, Lily, Roses, amaryllis and marigolds among other sets for her. He reached the entrance and hoped to pass her a kiss but she wasn't there. He checked on the deck in front of the mall but none of the bustling faces resembled her.
He felt uneasy in his chest. His heart raced and beads of sweat formed on his forehead as he walked in between the crowds for any sign of Madhu and was left in splits as she was not found. Mumbai was an alien place to her.
Though she wasn't that immature to play pranks on him, he hoped that she played a prank instead of something serious. He tried calling her mobile which was out of reach. His mind narrated the worst situations like abduction and he tried to silence it in vain. The fear in his heart engulfed his peace slowly.
The mall had to be their place of joy but turned out as a maze. He entered every store and questioned the staff about her. He had viewed the security footage of the shops but couldn't see the most beautiful woman he had ever known. Sympathy only remained from others.
As the minutes rolled into three hours, Vikram's mental state deteriorated further. He trembled even to hold his mobile. He couldn't think of anything else but her. He felt helpless and vulnerable.
Vikram tried for her phone one last time which was switched off. Without any more delays, he dialled for Krish and explained the situation. He lamented with tears right from the 'Hello' to 'Bye'
He sat on the bench inside the mall and wailed like a child. He didn't care what others perceived about him, he just wanted Madhu to come out of hiding and mock his tears. She never came. Minutes felt like hours without her and Vikram could only cry. He feared loneliness.
"Bro?" the familiar voice of Krish heard in his ears. Vikram ran and hugged him tightly and cried his heart out. Krish patted his friend, "I have notified the police stations to search for her. We will find her in an hour."
Vikram wasn't convinced, "I lost her. It's my fault that I have lost her."
"She must've gone to nearby shops and forgot the directions. Don't worry!" Krish consoled but he too was worried about her. From time to time he kept a check on his team but couldn't receive the happy news.
"I will die without her, Krish..." Vikram sniffed his runny nose. "I will die if we don't find her within today."
His heart was about to explode without her.
"Don't overthink," Krish instructed his friend. "She will be safe when she is in your heart."
**********
"Her number was tracked near Bandra before it got switched off," informed a cop to Krish.
"She doesn't know anyone in Bandra!" Vikram exclaimed. "Why is she going there?"
Krish didn't have an answer for that. They were sitting in the police station in Krish's cabin for an hour. It had been more than six hours since Madhu went missing. Krish informed Vikram's family and waited for their arrival.
Praneet barged inside the cabin and started to slap Vikram continuously. The old man looked red like a raging fire. Krish tried to stop him and Praneet flashed his palms at him. Even Krish feared the anger behind the old man's eyes.
Sooraj rushed inside the room and Krish tried to tell them that Vikram wasn't at fault. "She must've misunderstood directions!"
"Shut the fuck up!" roared Praneet to all of them. "Nobody should open their fucking mouth!"
Vikram shivered in guilt, "Uncle... I..."
"Where did you sell her?" Praneet shot the most shocking question. "Or did you kill her already?"
"Praneet!" Sooraj opposed in shock, "You are crossing the line."
Praneet furiously swung around, "Are you going to say that your son isn't capable of those things? You know he is capable of more vicious things."
Vikram stood clueless about their altercation.
"What is happening?" Krish inquired of the uproar.
"He... He is the problem," Praneet pointed to Vikram and slapped again. "This nonsense had entered a contract wedding with my daughter."
Vikram and Krish were startled at the words.
Sooraj added, "And you were to divorce her in a year. How dare you?"
"No!" Vikram wept to them, "It was before the wedding. We have cancelled that contract. Madhu will explain this better."
"If you could disrespect a sixty-year will, you are capable of kidnapping my daughter or even killing her!" Praneet lost his patience. "Tell me, what did you do to her?"
"We didn't have an option other than a contract marriage," Vikram opposed them. "You forced us to marry strangers. Your daughter did it just because you were ill."
"Did you taunt her to sign the divorce papers?" Sooraj questioned Vikram, knowing his behaviour.
Vikram shook his head, "No, I suggested and he accepted. No taunts, no force, nothing."
"I thought you liked each other," Praneet shared broken by the truth.
"We like each other now. That contract isn't active anymore," Vikram told them repeatedly.
"Karishma addressed that contract to us. How did she know?" Sooraj glared at his son, "What a stupid contract of you!"
"I need Madhu now. This contract can wait!" Vikram told them sternly. He didn't show off his love for her, she understood him and that was adequate for his heart.
"Sir!" a cop entered the cabin and panted for breath, "The girl is found at the Dombivli railway station and has been admitted to a local hospital."
Vikram ran near that cop, "What happened to her? Is she alright?"
The cop looked at Vikram and gulped, "She was exhausted and fainted at the railway station."
Vikram glanced at Krish and they ran outside the cabin.
***********

There was a speechless combat between Vikram's mind and heart as he sat in the rear seat. His mind told him to solve Madhu's problem whatever it might be but his heart felt guilty of pushing her to that state. Krish steered the car calmly as he knew how much conflicted Vikram would have been at the news.
The passing cars whooshed past them as the car travelled at a hundred kilometres per hour. The darkened sky indicated the upcoming storm just like their heavy hearts.
Vikram couldn't wait to reach Dombivli which was a good fifty kilometers away from their home. He felt like passing out in waiting time. He had always known that their marriage would have challenges but he never anticipated a day like that. The memory of their night and the surprise proposal still lingered in his heart. It was a day meant for celebration in the mall, by the beach and at the restaurant but it had turned into a nightmare.
As they drove towards the said hospital, Vikram's mind was a whirlwind of thoughts about the accusations of kidnapping. He knew Praneet was protective of his daughter and was furious about the whole contract issue. Vikram wished Madhu could explain all of the family once she is healed physically and mentally.
His thoughts strayed to Madhu, her radiant smile. He feared to look at her as a patient. She always made him feel better, all of them shouldn't be a distant memory to them. He clenched his fists in helplessness.
As the car neared the hospital, Vikram gazed out of the window. The dimly lit buildings were far away from the hospital, he couldn't help but wonder how she got into a rural part of Maharastra.
Finally, Krish stopped the car and turned his head, "Vikram, I know this is incredibly tough for you. But whatever happens, I'm here for you. We'll get through this."
Vikram managed a weak smile, "Thanks, Krish. I wish I could turn back time and do things differently. If we hadn't gone with the contract marriage, I could've been a better husband."
Krish nodded in understanding, "What happened, so happened. We make choices at the moment and live with the consequences forever. I know that your love for Madhu is true. Fight through these bad days."
Vikram's heart raced as they hurried inside the hospital. Krish enquired about the ward of Madhu while he stood ready to run towards that direction. The weight of her mysterious disappearance to Dombvili swirled like a hurricane.
While he sprinted through the corridor, Vikram's mind was flooded with memories of Madhu. He closed his eyes for a moment, wishing he could hold Madhu in his arms and assure her that he would never let anything hurt her. But reality was far from that idyllic dream. Madhu was in the hospital and he had to heal her.
He would sit beside Praneet and Sooraj to explain how much Madhu's love mattered to him. He would even plead for their mercy. The weight of proving his love pressed down on him. It was a daunting task but he couldn't bear to lose her.
There she was behind the door, sleeping with a conflicted face. He peeped through the window on the door and was in pain already.
"I can't meet her, Krish," he whimpered like a child. Krish patted his back, "You need to know what happened if you want to make everything alright again!"
Vikram, determined by the motive, approached inside the room and walked near the bed. Krish brought a weary-looking physician to investigate.
"She has been brought by some locals in an unconscious state," the doctor informed them in a consoling tone, "She had a fever, which might be due to some shock. If she rests for two days, she will be alright."
Vikram gulped and looked at the floor.
"She wasn't assaulted in any way," the doctor continued as if she read Vikram's inner voice. "No signs of force as well. Anything else?"
Her words were soothing to Vikram's weak nerves.
"One can stay in her room," the doctor informed them.
"That will be her mother!" Praneet roared in the hallway and exchanged a nasty stare at them.