Madhu POV
"Papa… I've been thinking about quitting my job,"I finally said
The look on his face made my heart skip a beat.
"Why? Is there any problem at work?" he asked nervously.
I didn't know where to begin. I had been working so
hard on finding the confidence to speak up. Suddenly, my mini-me whispered, You
can do it.
I closed my eyes and rubbed my palms together.
"No. I want to apply to the NYPD as a counselling
psychologist," I said.
He closed his eyes, removed his glasses, and leaned
back against the sofa. Silence filled the room.
I didn't say anything for a few seconds. My heart
pounded wildly. I turned my head toward Vasu, who was sitting beside my father.
Our eyes met briefly.
Then my father spoke.
"Why this sudden interest in the crime department,
beta?" he asked
I looked back at him and replied firmly,
"It's not sudden. I've always been interested in it."
I heard a light knock on the door.
"It's Karan, papa. I'll leave," Vasu said, getting up
from the sofa.
My father immediately caught his arm.
"Stay," he said.
Vasu nodded.
"Come in," my father called out.
Karan entered, closed the door behind him, and leaned
against the wall.
Before my father could ask anything, he started speaking
"Papa, seriously, I don't know anything about her… crazy idea. I found out only when I picked her and Talia up from the hospital.
She didn't even tell me—Talia did," he said, letting out a sigh.
I turned toward my brother, shot him a dagger look, and whispered, "I will kill you.
"Okay, beta. Can you tell me about the bandage on your head?"
I looked at him. I couldn't tell him what really
happened—he would grill my brother alive.
"Papa, like I mentioned earlier, I hit my head in the elevator. It's just a scratch," I said.
He nodded, then stood up from the sofa and walked toward the door.
I knew this moment was coming.
I closed my eyes and rubbed my palms together. My head began to spin again.
"Okay, Madhu," my father said calmly. "All the best for your new job"
I opened my eyes and saw Vasu smiling at me.
"But," my father continued, turning back, "under one condition."
I straightened and looked at him.
"Only if you promise me that you will stay safe ," he said with a smile.
For a moment, I couldn't believe my ears.
My father had agreed.
"You did it, babe," my mini-me whispered proudly.
With excitement in my voice, I asked, "But,Mamma?"
He smiled, put his glasses back on, and said, "I'll handle her. Don't worry," giving me a playful wink.
A smile spread across my face as tears welled up in my eyes. I ran toward him.
"Thank you, Papa. Thank you so much," I said, hugging him tightly.
He hugged me back and tapped my shoulder. "I'm so proud of you. But be careful," he whispered into my ear as he gently pulled
away.
I nodded "Promise!"
He left the study room.
My eyes then fell on my brother, who was standing near the door. I raised one eyebrow at him.
"Proud of you, little one," he said, giving my
shoulder a playful punch before walking out.
I was about to leave the room when I suddenly heard a voice behind me.
"Congratulations, sweetheart," Vasu whispered.
I turned around. He was standing just a breath away. Startled, I took a step back.
"Thank you" I said with a small smile.
He nodded. "Can I talk to you for a second?"
Before he could continue, I spoke. "Thank you for being there for my father. It means a lot. He admires you so much," I said
sincerely.
He smiled and leaned one shoulder against the wall.
"My turn to talk," he said.
I nodded, folding my arms across my chest.
He looked different—there was a spark in his eyes. He was smiling… something that happened once in a blue moon.
"Can I pick you up from the hospital tomorrow?" he asked. "Just you—not Talia. I can drop her at the metro station."
My eyes widened. "What… but why?" I asked.
His hand moved to my cheek, gently caressing it. He brushed a strand of hair aside, and his thumb lightly traced my forehead over the bandage.
"I'll tell you tomorrow," he said softly. "Change the dressing before going to bed, Madhu. If you don't, I'll do it myself," he added
with a smirk.
I swallowed hard. "No, I'll do it," I said quickly.
"Don't forget—pick me up at 3:00 p.m. tomorrow. Good night," I said.
"Good night," he replied. "And if possible, wear something white," he added with a wink.
My eyes bulged. "Don't do that, please. Bab—"
He stopped himself.
"What did you just say?" I asked.
He cleared his throat. "Nothing. Good night," he said,walking past me.
I let out a sigh and shook my head
I was in the living room when my mother handed me a glass of milk. I rolled my eyes.
"Don't argue with me, Madhu.
Drink it now," she said firmly.
I knew better than to argue with her, so I drank it.
I stood in one corner of the living room.
"Okay, Madhu. I'll go home
now. You take rest, and don't worry about my physiotherapy session—Vasu will take care of it," Sharadha Ma said.
I knelt down to hug her. She hugged me back and whispered into my ear,
"I don't believe the story behind your bandage."
I pulled away slightly. "It's nothing, Ma. I'll tell you tomorrow," I said.
She gently used the edge of her shawl to wipe the milk foam from my lips.
"You're still a child," she said with a smile.
"Okay, Ma. Take care. I'll see
you tomorrow," I told her.
"Let's go, Ma," Vasu said as he pushed her wheelchair toward the exit.
Soon, the living room emptied. My room—the master bedroom upstairs—was where Talia
and I stayed.
I pushed the door open and saw Talia sitting on her bed, working on her laptop.
"T, have you seen my stuff? I can't find it," I asked.
"Have you gone blind? Look on your bed," she replied without taking her eyes off the laptop.
"Thanks," I said.
After finding my things, I sighed in relief. I opened my wardrobe and picked out my nightwear—a black round-neck T-shirt and a white full skirt. I went to the bathroom, freshened up, and changed.
Standing in front of the mirror, I put on my glasses.
My eyes paused on the bandage on my forehead.
I remembered what Mr. Vasu had said:
"Change the dressing before going to bed, Madhu. If you don't, I'll do it myself."
"How will he even know if I don't change it?" I whispered to myself, smiling.
I switched off the light and moved to the dressing table. I combed my hair, braided it loosely, leaving a few natural strands
framing my face.
The room was unusually silent. Normally, Talia would be talking nonstop. I turned toward her—she was still sitting with her laptop.
"Are you okay, T?" I asked.
She nodded.
I knew something was bothering her. I leaned against the dressing table and folded my arms.
"Come on, say something. This isn't you, T. Your silence is killing me," I
said.
She rolled her eyes, finally closed the laptop,
dropped her head, and covered her face with both hands.
I heard sobs.
"Are you crying?" I asked, alarmed.
She didn't respond.
I rushed to her. "Hey… hey… look at me." I
gently pulled her hands away and cupped her face. She looked terrified.
"What happened? Did someone say something to you?" I asked.
She shook her head.
"Tell me what happened. You're
scaring me," I said.
She hugged me tightly.
"I'm sorry…" she whispered.
I hugged her back, smoothing her hair.
"Shh… shh… tell me what happened," I said softly.
"I'm sorry because of me you
got hurt. If I hadn't told Karan about your resignation
plan, he wouldn't have been shocked, he wouldn't have slammed the brakes, and you wouldn't
have been hurt," she whispered through her tears.
"Oh my God, crazy girl," I
said gently. "It's nothing.
Look at me—I'm fine."
She pulled back. "You fainted," she said, still crying.
I sighed. "I'm fine. I was just very tired today. I had a rough day with my
patients too."
She slowly began to calm down.
I wiped her tears. "See the
mess you've made of yourself. Go freshen up. I'll bring you something to eat," I said.
She nodded and went into the bathroom.
"Crazy girl," I muttered under
my breath.
I grabbed my phone and went downstairs to get food for
Talia. I knew her well—when she was scared, she wouldn't eat or drink anything. She was my friend, but I always thought of
her as my little sister.
In the kitchen, I saw my mother cleaning.
"What do you want?" she
asked.
"Nothing, Ma. I just came to get something for Talia," I replied.
She opened the fridge and took out a brown cover.
"I made a sandwich for her, but she didn't eat dinner. She said she had an important meeting. Give this to
her—she won't sleep unless she
eats something," my mother said.
I nodded.
She handed me a water bottle and kissed my forehead.
"Good night, Ma," I said.
"Good night, beta. Sleep tight."
I took the sandwich out, placed it on a plate, and
kept it in the microwave.
Just then, the doorbell rang.
"I'll get it. I know who it
is," I said.
"It's Vasu," my mother and I said together—and laughed.
She headed to her room.
I opened the door—and there he was, standing with his
hands behind his back. He was wearing a black round-neck T-shirt and white
night pants. I immediately assumed he had come to see my brother; they probably
had some work.
"What happened? It's almost 10 p.m.," I asked.
He was still leaning against the wall near the door.
"Is there any emergency in the department? I'll call
him," I said, turning around.
Before I could move, he grabbed my arm and
straightened up.
"Mr. Vasu—" I began, but he cut me off.
"You forgot something," he said.
"What did I tell you before leaving the study room?"
he asked, raising one eyebrow.
I tried to think.
Just then, my brother appeared behind me.
"Hey! Come on in!" he said.
Vasu waved at him. "It's okay. I'd like to speak with
your sister about a girl who forgets important things. I honestly don't know
how to handle her."
My brother laughed. "Okay, carry on. Good night," he
said and walked off to his room—leaving me alone with Vasu yet again.
"Come in," I said reluctantly.
He closed the door and followed me into the kitchen.
"Okay, go on. Who's the girl?" I asked.
He stood in one corner of the kitchen, one hand in his
pocket, the other behind his back.
"I want this to be quick because Talia needs to have
her dinner," I said, pointing toward the microwave.
"Alright," he said with a smile. "Where should I
start?"
I frowned at him. "Hmm… how about starting with her
name?" I said, smiling as I took a sip of water.
He laughed, brushed his hair back with his hand, and sighed softly.
"The girl's name is Madhu Krishnan."
I froze.
The shock made me spit out the water and start coughing.
"What?!" I exclaimed.
Smiling, he walked closer. "Now do you remember what I
told you before leaving the study room?"
I shook my head, still coughing. "No… I don't
remember,."
He grabbed a tissue and gently wiped my mouth, his
breath dangerously close. Suddenly, in one swift movement, he wrapped an arm
around my waist and pulled me closer
"Arms over my shoulders, Madhu," he said firmly.
I obeyed—because I knew him well enough to know he
wouldn't let me go otherwise.
He lifted me onto the kitchen slab. Our gazes locked.
"Do you remember now?" he asked.
I shook my head again.
He raised his hand, and my eyes followed it—straight
to the first-aid kit
My eyes widened. "No… no… not again!"
I tried to escape, but this time he held me tighter,
both hands gripping my waist. The sudden movement made my hands clutch his
arms.
"Please let me go. You already did the
dressing—please, not again," I pleaded.
He stayed silent.
Then, calmly, he said, "Let me remind you. I told
you—if you don't change the dressing before going to bed, I'll do it myself."
I avoided his gaze.
"Sorry, darling," he added, his voice edged with
irritation. "You can be careless about yourself, but I can't."
I was confused—why was he angry?
I held onto the kitchen slab, knowing exactly what was
coming.
He opened the first-aid kit, removed the bandage,
cleaned the wound, applied ointment, and dressed it again. This time, I didn't
protest. His tone scared me.
Our eyes met once more.
He brushed a strand of hair away from my forehead,
then rested his forehead against mine. He inhaled sharply, eyes closed, one
hand on my cheek, the other on the slab.
"Please take care of yourself," he whispered.
He helped me down gently and packed the first-aid
items back into the kit.
As he turned to leave, I finally asked, "Why do you care so much about me?"
He turned back. His eyes held a mix of fear andvemotion.
"I'll pick you up at 3 p.m. tomorrow. Don't forget the dress code," he said—and left.
I stood there, confused.
Why did he care so much—about me… about us?
I locked the door, switched off the kitchen lights, grabbed Talia's food and my phone, and headed upstairs.
In the room, Talia was drying her hair.
"Hey, girl, where have you been?" she asked.
I handed her the sandwich, sat beside her, closed my eyes, and covered my face with my palms. My mind replayed everything that had
happened downstairs.
What was he thinking?
Why was he so concerned?
"Honey, what happened to you? You look lost. And when
did you change the dressing?" she asked.
The word dressing snapped me back to reality.
"Vasu…" I blurted out.
She grabbed my hand. "What happened? What about him?"
I don't keep secrets from Talia. I told her
everything—about Papa, about Vasu picking me up tomorrow, and what happened in
the kitchen.
She burst out laughing.
I stared at her, completely confused.
"It's not funny, Talia!" I half-yelled at her.
She pulled me into a hug, but I didn't understand what
was happening.
"Maybe he likes you, babe," she said softly.
"What?!" I asked in a shaky voice, jerking away from
her.
"No… no… that's not possible. How can he like me? I
mean… look at me, Talia. Who would like a fat girl?" I stammered, rushing
toward my bed.
Suddenly, Talia snapped.
"Stop it, Madhu! Just stop it," she said in a
pissed-off tone.
"Don't dwell in the past just because some stupid man
once told you he didn't like you. Move on, girl!" she yelled, getting off the
bed.
She grabbed my hands firmly.
"Look—no one in this world is perfect. Nobody. But
even imperfect people can make a perfect couple," she said, cupping my face and
wiping the tears from my cheeks.
I closed my eyes, not knowing what to say, and hugged
her tightly.
"I don't want to get hurt again," I whispered.
She sighed and gently patted my back.
"Give yourself another chance, sweetheart. Everything will be fine."
We stayed like that for a while—until my phone started ringing.
We pulled away
Vasu's name flashed on the screen
My eyes widened, and I looked at Talia. She looked
equally excited.
"Just answer it and tell him I'm asleep," I said
quickly, wiping my tears.
"Please, —do it for my sake."
She answered the call. Her expression changed
instantly.
"What happened?" I asked, but she didn't reply.
My heart skipped a beat. I grabbed her arm.
"What is it?"
"It's Sharadha Ma…" she said.
I snatched the phone.
"Vasu, it's me. What happened to her?" I yelled.
His voice trembled.
"I don't know… she's having difficulty breathing,
sweating a lot, and her temperature is high…'
"I'm coming. Open the door now," I said and
disconnected the call.
I grabbed my black overcoat and my first-aid kit and
ran downstairs.
"Talia, wake up Karan and inform him!" I shouted as I
sprinted out.
Before I even reached Vasu's house, the door flew
open. He stood there, terrified, tears filling his eyes.
"What happened?" I asked, rushing inside.
Sharadha Ma was on the bed, gasping for breath.
"Ma… it's me. I'm here. Try to breathe slowly," Isaid, holding her hands tightly.
Knowing her medical history, I immediately called her
doctor and explained everything. They guided me through the steps to stabilize
her and warned me to bring her to the hospital if her condition worsened.
I sensed Vasu behind me.
"Can you pass me the first-aid box?" I asked.
He stood frozen.
"Vasu… hey!" I raised my voice.
He snapped out of it and handed me the kit.
"Please wait outside," I told him gently.
He didn't argue.
Following the doctor's instructions, I stayed with
her. Slowly, her breathing steadied.
I let out a long breath of relief.
Holding Sharadha Ma's hand, I suddenly remembered
Vasu.
I need to tell him.
I tucked her in carefully and stepped outside.
He was leaning against the wall, holding a wet towel,
his head lowered.
I took the towel from his hand.
"How is she?" he asked, still not looking at me.
"She'll be fine," I reassured him. "It looks like she had a panic attack. What happened?"
Tears welled in his eyes.
"It's my fault," he whispered.
"What are you saying?" I asked, alarmed.
He covered his face with both hands, unable to speak.
"Vasu… what happened?" I asked again.
He finally sighed.
"The day after tomorrow is my father's death
anniversary. I told her I have a 24-hour duty that day. She wanted me home to
perform a pooja… I said I couldn't come. That's when she panicked…"
I held his hand and intertwined my fingers with his.
"Hey… look at me," I said gently.
Our eyes met.
"It's not your fault. She'll be okay," I assured him.
Suddenly, he pulled me into a tight hug, resting his head on my shoulder and breaking down.
I wrapped my arms around his neck, soothing him, running my fingers through his hair.
"Let it all out… I'm here," I whispered.
He clung to me, crying.
The doorbell rang.
We pulled apart.
"I'm… sorry. I'll check," he said, wiping his tears.
At the door stood Karan.
They hugged. My brother patted his back
"She'll be fine," he said.
Vasu glanced at me before heading back to his mother's
room.
"Thank you… for everything," he said.
I nodded.
My brother turned to me.
"What happened?"
I told him everything—except the hug.
After checking on Sharadha Ma, he came back.
"Okay, let's go," he said.
I shook my head.
"I need to stay. She needs monitoring tonight. If she has another panic attack, we'll have to take her to the hospital."
He nodded.
"Okay. What do you need?"
"Just my phone charger… and a good-night kiss to my
niece," I replied.
He chuckled.
Vasu came out and asked, "Is she going to be okay?"
My brother reassured him, "She'll be fine by tomorrow.
She's receiving the best care, and she'll be staying here tonight."
I nodded in agreement.
Vasu looked at me in surprise and turned fully toward
me.
"She needs monitoring throughout the night," I said.
"So you don't have an option. Just bare me for tonight alone."
A small smile formed on Vasu's lips.
My brother hugged me and reassured me that he would
bring my phone. After some time, I went in to check on Sharadha Ma and
saw that she was doing much better.
It was almost 11 p.m. I sat on the sofa beside her
bed, finally feeling a sense of relief.
As I sat there, I suddenly became aware of Vasu
standing in front of me.
"Ma is fine. I just checked," I said.
He handed me a blanket, a pillow, and my phone.
"Thank you. Where are you going?" I asked.
He frowned slightly. "I'll be outside. If you need
anything, just call me."
I quickly grabbed his hand, stopping him.
"Sit down," I said firmly. "I need to talk to you.
It's about Ma."