"You didn't answer me."

"What are you doing here? At this time? Who's that guy with you? He doesn't look fine. He looks like a criminal."

"I asked the question first. I won't repeat it again, Rishab. Who is Pam?"

"She works with me. She is Sub-Inspector Pameela"

"You better stay away from that Parasite!" Madhu ordered.

"Stop behaving like a typical jealous-wife and tell me what's wrong?"

"I came here to file a complaint."

"What happened?" Rk asked and Madhu briefed him.

"I told you to go by car but you won't listen to me ever." Rk growled at her.

"I like my Scooty." she said in her defense.

"It's not safe, Madhu. See, that bloody moron stopped you and threatened you for money. If you were driving car this wouldn't have happened."

"No guarantee. All these criminals have their own ways to stop a car and attack. What if he had punctured my car and got me out of it? What if he had thrown himself in front of my car... What if..."

"In such case you could have just ran over him."

"That's wrong."

Rk couldn't argue with his stubborn wife.. "Good thing you had the common sense to carry your gun."

"Thanks to you"

"Come, I will take you home."

"I haven't given my statement about the incident."

"They will handle him." He referred to his other police guys on duty.

"I don't want you people to put fake cases on him. He is not that bad. He did a small mistake to save his family."

"How do you know all this?"

"He told me."

"You were conversing with a criminal."

"Rishab! Keep him in the lockup for few days and release him. I told him I will find him a job in my office... Say like a tea boy I can appoint him."

"Madhu you are out of your mind..."

"I am leaving home. Bye."

"Hey! I haven't done talking with you."

"But I am done. I am tired. I want to go home." She said and walked out of his cabin. She head straight to the cell were the guy was kept in lockup.

"What's your name Robber?"

"Rahul, madamji"

"Rahul." She tested his name. "Hmm... Such a heroic name. You should do good things like heroes not these bad things. Okay, forget it. I told my husband about you..."

"Madamji, please take me out. These people will kill me."

"They won't. Once you are out of punishment you know where to come and meet me but promise me you will change and be a nice man and work for your family."

"I promise, madamji." He cried emotionally.

"You have phone number?"

"My wife has a cell phone."

"Give the number. I will inform your wife..."

"Don't tell I am locked up in police station. This is my first failed crime. She will be so disheartened if she comes to know that I stooped so low to earn money."

"I guessed you were new to this business with the way you held the pocket knife of yours. Okay I will just tell her you found a job and you are sent out station on work. You don't worry; I will pay some money to your family to meet the next few days till you come out"

"Madamji, thank you so much. I will forever be indebted to you."

"Rishab, make sure you guys don't step beyond your limits." Madhu whispered to Rishab who was standing behind her and hearing their conversation.

"I will." He promised. "Keep him in the lockup. Don't do anything to him. I will come and handle him in the morning." Rishab instructed the other police men. "Now come. It's already so late." Rishab lead Madhu out of the station.

"I have my Scooty."

"Madhu you are..."

"I am not coming in Govt. vehicle. If you want you can escort me from behind."

"Gah! You are one hard headed stubborn annoying woman."

"Thank you." She said and started her Scooty.

Rk quickly asked his driver to follow Madhu's Scooty.

"You are still mad at me?" Rk asked, his car moving beside her Scooty.

Madhu turned her head and glared at him.

"So you are mad." Rk understood that from her angry glare. "I didn't mean to shout at your babies (her fishes). You were taking too long this morning cooing with them when I was in a hurry to go to the court so I just politely asked you to get my breakfast ready."

"Politely? You said you will shoot my fish tank if I didn't bring your breakfast." Madhu accused him.

"Tsk tsk tsk... too bad." Rk's driver commented.

"You stop listening to us and drive the car, Patil."

"And then what you did this morning in the court?" Madhu asked. She had gone to the high court for news coverage.

"You were inside the court hall and when you walked out with the criminal and when I asked what the judgment was what you did? You smirked at me and walked away. You insulted a reporter. You didn't answer to my channel... you you..." she took her hand from the handle bar and brought it near to Rk's neck but then she slightly lost her balance so she steadied by holding the handle bar with both her hands.

"Judgment wasn't in my favour. That bas***d got bail. So I wasn't in the mood to answer you press people's infuriating questions so I just walked away."

"But why you smirked at me?" she questioned.

"You would have thought you would get answers to all your questions from me and sell the news to your channel because I'm your husband but I didn't let that happen and that made me smirk at you." he said sheepishly.

"You are right. I thought so too that I will get a sneak peek from you... but you know what? You behaved so rudely."

"I hate press people, always nagging behind people for information. We say one thing but you cook one new story and project it so I always try to ignore them"

"No, we don't do that. And wait... do you hate me?"

"You are my wife."

"That's not my answer."

"No. You and your profession are two different things for me." Rk said and Madhu nodded her head convinced with his reply.

"All my colleagues teased me. I got so embarrassed." Madhu said sadly.

"Why? Because I didn't answer to you?"

"Yes. They teased that I was a silly wife who couldn't even wrap my husband in my little finger and make him dance to my tune. I can't even use my wifey authority and get information to the channel!"

"Tell them you are an amazing wife who is not forcing her husband to do anything against his will and you are letting him live in peace."

"Really?" Madhu asked happily as she turned to his side.

"Watch out!" Rk shouted but it was little late as Madhu hit her Scooty on a car while taking a left turn in a narrow street.

"Madhu" Rk quickly jumped out of the car and went to help her up. "You okay?" Rk asked in concern lifting her Scooty off her leg as she sat down on the road.

"I'm okay." Madhu stumbled up on her feet dusting her back. Rk scanned her body for any sign of injury while Madhu scanned her dear Scooty.

"OMG!" Madhu shrieked.

"What? You hurt?" Rk asked. Madhu pushed him aside and marched towards the guy who drove the car from the other side.

"Hey, do you think it's a racing track? You were coming in such a speed in this narrow road? Look what you have done? My Scooty's mirror is broken."

"Madhu, it's our mistake." Rk hissed from behind.

"No, it's not. He came in full speed." Madhu shouted at her husband for not supporting her but defending that stranger guy.

"Sorry, Sir. Sorry, Ma'am" the guy said taking blame on him. "I can compensate you for the damage." He offered.

"No, it's okay. Just don't go beyond the speed limit." Rk warned.

"You can't let him go so easily." Madhu whined.

"It's okay. It's okay. You come with me." Rk tried to drag her back when Madhu blocked the guy's way. Suddenly they heard some sound coming from the car. They couldn't see anyone through the tinted windows but they were sure someone was inside and struggling to get out. Rk looked at the guy as his hand went to the gun holster.

"Who is inside your car? Are you kidnapping someone?" Madhu asked daringly taking a step forward. She had experience of being kidnapped so she could guess from the low whimper. A sweat broke from the guys face.

"No... no... no one is inside." He stammered. Rk held his gun firmly with one hand and with other he was about to open the rear side door of the car but before that the guy pushed Madhu roughly making her fall hard and hit her head  on the ground though not badly.

"Bloody idiot" Madhu screamed and rolled back and pulled his ankle with her right hand making him fall down on his face.

"Ouch!" Madhu yelped as a sudden pain shoots in her right hand which was already injured.

"Patil, catch him" Rk ordered his driver to hold that guy and he knelt down beside Madhu and picked her in his arms.

"You are so stupid. Stupid, Madhu" Rk grunted and gently rubbed her right hand while she cried in pain.

Patil quickly handcuffed the guy and called extra policemen from the station. Then he opened the rear door of the car and a girl clambered out. A tape was stuck on her mouth and her hands were tied with a rope.

"Sir." Patil called. Rk looked back still holding Madhu in his arms. "You can stand?" Rk asked Madhu. She nodded gently. Rk set her down but still had his arm around her to support her.

"Free her from the tape and rope. Get her written statement and drop her at her home safely. Take this shit..." Rk kicked that guy hardly again and again on his stomach making him cough blood "...to the station and lock him up. I'll just take my wife to the hospital and be back in an hour."

"Yes, Sir." Patil agreed. Soon two other police came to the spot and took the guy and the kidnapped girl with them.

--0--

"I'm okay, Rishab. Just take me home." Madhu protested when he took her to the hospital. He glared at her gritting his teeth but didn't say a word.

"Rishab, I'm telling you I won't get admit here if the doctor asks me to do." Madhu said. Rk didnt reply to her but only took her to the doctors cabin

"She had not fractured her hand, luckily. Just a muscle spasm." Doctor said after testing her right hand thoroughly.

"She hit the back of her head too, doctor." Rk informed the doctor.

"Oh" Doctor asked Madhu to turn and sit and asked her to show where she had hit.

"Is it bleeding, Doctor." Madhu asked panicking as she felt slight wetness in her fingers. She took Rk's hand in hers and he gave her a gentle squeeze.

"Nothing deep... just a slight bleeding. I will clean and cover it." Doctor assured her. "But then if you have severe headache or blurry vision I would advise you to come and meet me immediately. We will take a head scan then."

"Sure, Doctor."

"Now, I will prescribe you some medicine to ease your pain and take it without fail."

"Okay, Doctor. Thanks" Madhu said with a smile.

--0--

"Such a shitty day." Madhu said as they stood in their apartment elevator.

"We started the day with a fight and whole day went so badly."

Rk stood beside her silently with his arms crossed over his chest as he looked down.

"Let's better not fight."

"You are not going talk with me?"

"Why are you so silent? Well, you are always silent but this is different. Are you angry at me?"

"Rishab, talk to me, please."

"What's the use in talking with you when you don't listen what I say and do whatever pleases you?" Rk asked softly as he opened their apartment door.

"Rishab, I am sorry."

"What was the need to hold the guy's leg and stop him from running when you were already hurt with the fall?"

"He pushed me, Rishab. How dare he do that to me? So I made him fall. Tit for tat!" she shrugged as if she did the right thing.

"But you hurt your hand."

"I'm okay." Madhu hugged him tightly.

Rk sighed tiredly and wrapped his arms around her burying his nose in her hair. "You are so careless, Madhu. You react without thinking."

"I know."

"Please do show some concern for your personal safety. I just can't see you in pain, Madhu" he said and kissed lips softly.

"I will and I'm sorry"

"Good"

"Rishab, where is my Scooty?" she asked. Rk had taken her to the hospital and brought her to home in his official vehicle.

"I asked Patil to bring it here in the morning."

"Oh okay."

"But you are not going to use it. You are gonna take our car to your office from now on."

"But Rishab..."

"No buts. It's not a request. An order"

"Yes, Sir"

"You want something to eat?" Rk asked once they both got freshen up. Madhu had changed into her PJ's and Rk had changed into his blue denim and black shirt.

"No. I'm not hungry. I will just take my medicines."

"Drink a glass of milk and take your tablets." Rk suggested and she agreed to it. After giving her milk and tablets he got ready to go back to the station.

"Rishab, you are not tired? Why don't you sleep for few hours and go in the morning?"

"No, Madhu. It's urgent. I just wanna know who that girl is and why that guy abducted her." Rk said with a frown.

"You should take care of your health too, Rishab"

"Say that line to yourself, Madhu"

"Okay, bye." She said and lay down on the bed. Rk covered her with a blanket and kissed her forehead whispering "Take care. Good night."

... To be continued!!

Vote, Comment & Share!!!