Part 1

Part 1

A 5 year old girl was tugging dupatta of her mom who was busy in her shopping. "Yes, what happen Madhu?" asked Padmini.

"Mom, look ice cream. I want one." Said excited 5 year old little Madhu pointing towards a ice cream vendor on bi cycle.

"Madhu cant you see I am busy. I'll get you one in the evening." Padmini chided her and asked the shopkeeper to show sarees in red color.

"Look mom, he is going. I want ice cream now." Madhu started crying.

"Offo, ye ladki bhi na....Behenji aap saree dekhiye main abhi aati hoon." Padmini said to Radha with whom she had come for shopping.

"Arre Padmini, tum baitho na." Radha held Padmini's hand and called her son.

"Rishabh, come here Beta."

"Yes mom, now what is it? And firstly, please call me RK not Rishabh. RK sounds cool. replied her 11 year old tall and charming boy Rishabh.

"Ok baba, RK, I have to...." Radha started but RK didn't let her complete.

"Please don't ask me again about your sarees. To me all looks same." RK rolled his eyes at her mom.

"I am not asking you about sarees. See Madhu wants ice cream. She is disturbing Padmini again and again. So you take her and get her an ice cream and look after her." Radha said while giving money to RK.

"What? As if it was not enough that you dragged me with you for carrying your shopping bags now you want me to babysit that girl." RK retorted back as he felt the task of babysitting little girl was repulsive.

"Come on RK, just help us out me and your aunt Padmini has lot of shopping to do for todays function." Requested Radha.

RK sighed, "Ok first and the last time." RK said as he held Madhu's hand and started dragging her with him.

"Mom!" Shouted Madhu on being dragged like this."

"Don't worry Madhu, RK will get you an ice cream and bring you back safely." Padmini assured her.

Madhu looked up at RK. He was not only taller than her but also taller than most of the boys of his age. "What are you looking at kid?" asked RK as he noticed Madhu.

Madhu just shook her head in no and pointed towards the ice cream vendor who had already started riding his bicycle and was going away from their reach. "Oh be quick we have to run" RK said and started running holding Madhu's hands but little Madhu's legs gave away as she could not run fast.

She stopped, "I cannot run any more. Now I cant have my ice cream the ice wala bhaiyya is gone" Madhu started crying.

"Hey stop crying ok. People are looking at you. Don't create scene." RK chided her getting embarrassed.

Madhu started crying loudly now on being scolded. "Ok...ok...stop crying. I have an idea." RK said and picked up Madhu in his arms and placed her on a nearby stairs of a shop. Then he turned around asked her to climb on his back for a piggy back ride. Madhu instantly liked the idea and she excitedly climbed on his back holding him around his neck. RK made sure she has held him tight and he started running after ice cream vendor.

"Bachho ko bahut der ho gayi gaye hue Radha abhi taka aye nahi?" Padmini asked worriedly.

"Don't worry, RK hai na sath mein aate honge abhi...wo dekho dono aa rahe hain." Radha pointed in their direction.

Both Padmini and Radha smiled as they saw RK was walking leisurely carrying Madhu and she was enjoying her piggy back ride while having her favorite ice cream cone. They came to the shop where their moms were waiting for them and RK put Madhu down.

"Mom! I enjoyed a lot with RK. He is so tall, so strong and he runs so fast and he got me not only one but two ice creams. "Madhu told them excitedly. Padmini smiled at her little doll.

"He did this so much for you Madhu and you ate two ice creams alone. You should have offered him one na" Padmini asked her daughter as she put her hand on her head lovingly.

"Sorry mom, I forgot. RK, tum khaoge ice cream?" Madhu asked innocently as she offered him her already half eaten ice cream.

"Madhu, RK tumse bada hai na...kya sikhaya tha maine bado ko kaise bulate hain?" Padmini asked.

"Oh yes, aap keh kar. Sorry mom. Sorry RK, Aap khaoge ice cream?" Madhu asked again as she cutely tilted her head on one side. RK looked at the already half eaten melting ice cream with disinterest.

"No thanks." He replied.

"Madhu, tum bhi na...dusro ko apna jhootha offer nahi karte beta." Padmini again chided her.

"But mom aap toh dad ka jhoota khate ho. I have seen you some times." Madhu asked curiously.

"That's because we are married. Its ok between married couple to eat each other's 'jhoota'" replied Madhu thinking this answer would satisfy her ever curious daughter but what Madhu said next she was not expecting anything like that.

"Then no problem mom. Main badi hokar RK se shadi kar lungi." Madhu declared. Padmini, Radha, RK looked at Madhu for sometime then Padmini and Radha burst out laughing while RK was so embarrassed that he wanted to runaway from there. He saw even the employees at shop were laughing at him.

"Oh God! I hate little girls" thought RK and went out of the shop.

Padmini and Radha came back home. They lived in the same colony in Motihari. Their bunglows were opposite each other. Padmini's husband Shamsher Malik and Radha's husband Mohan Kundra were very good friends and business partners. They owned textile business and belonged from same village. They both started their journey together and became successful. They decided to settle in Motihari. Over the time their wives Padmini and Radha had also bonded well. Both the families were very close. They felt like more than business partners they were like extended family. Today was Radha and Mohan's marriage anniversary for which they have thrown a party due to which Radha and Padmini have gone for last minute shopping.

Everyone was enjoying the party. Men were busy in discussing business and cricket while ladies were busy gossiping and discussing fashion. Madhu was continuously following RK wherever he went. RK was trying very hard to avoid her or hide from her but she was stick to him like his shadow.

"Hey is it my imagination or that little girl is following you?" asked RK's friend Mukund.

"Not your imagination. That little thing is stick to me like fevicol since afternoon." RK replied as he glared at her angrily while Madhu smiled at him cutely.

Mukund laughed at his expression and then looked at Madhu who looked besotted by his friend, "Looks like she is your fan girl. Hey little missy. Why are you following RK?" asked Mukund to tease Rishabh more.

RK looked at Madhu horrified and prayed to God that she would not say anything stupid. "Because I love him and main bade hokar unhi se shadi karungi." Replied Madhu as she blushed.

RK closed his eyes as he heard his friend Mukund chortled at him. RK went to complain to their parents stomping his feet. "Mom, dad, uncle aunty look what Madhu is doing. She is following me everywhere. All of my friends are laughing at me." RK complained.

"Madhu, did you trouble him?" asked Padmini.

"No mom. How can I trouble him? I was just practicing to be a good wife by following him everywhere." Replied Madhu innocently.

"See this is what I talking about. Since afternoon she is like this." RK said as he throws up his hands in frustration.

"Now my friends will make fun of me for lifetime." RK said and went from there and Madhu followed him again.

"What was that about?" asked Shamsher Malik as he laughed at the kids. Padmini and Radha narrated the whole scene from afternoon. All four of them laughed at Madhu's cute antics and Rishabh's frustration.

"By the way, If we think about it. Its not a bad idea." Said Shamsher Malik.

"Are you out of your mind? They are just kids." Padmini admonished him.

"Waise main bhi yahi soch raha tha....aur abhi wo bachhe hain par baad mein toh bade honge hi na." Mohan agreed.

"Mohan, don't tell me like filmy father you are fixing this alliance in childhood or are you planning for their child marriage?" asked Radha shocked. Mohan and Malik both laughed at her reaction.

"No Radha, but think about it. We are family friends and business partners. We know each other very well. Would'nt it be awesome if our children end up marrying each other?" asked Mohan.

"And ever since my little doll is born I started worrying about her marriage and the fact that one day she will go away from us. But if she comes in this house. She will always remain in front of my eyes and under the care of people I trust most in this world."  Malik gave his opinion.

"The idea is very appealing I must say." Radha said.

"But still, they are children. How do we know what future holds for them and how they would turn out as grownups?" Padmini shared her opinion. All of them agreed with her and brushed off the topic but none of them could fully scrap this idea from their mind. And unconsciously an image of their children getting married to each other was stuck in their mind forever. Years passed by, Madhu and Rishabh grew up but this desire of their parents only grew stronger.

Madhu was in school in 10th class now but her feelings for Rishabh grew stronger with time. She used to blush whenever there was RK's mention. Their parents knew about her affection for RK and they never hide their desire of getting them married in front of Madhu. The fact that their elders also support her gave more encouragement to Madhu and she literally started believing herself to be RK's wife. She had already given her heart to RK when she was five but with the passing time she put him on the highest pedestal in her life. For her he was everything. She worshiped him with all her heart.

On the other hand, RK has left the city 3 years ago to take admission in college in Delhi. When he was in Motihari also he was never interested in Madhu and now after all these years he has completely forgotten about that childhood incident. He never interacted much with Madhu as she was a shy girl. Unaware of her feelings RK still considered her as that silly little girl.

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to be continued.....