"I love you, Ruhi... I love you, Madhu" Rk whispered as he tightly shut his eyes & gripped the knife so hard in his fist hand, his knuckles turned white with the tightness. Suddenly someone rudely pushed his hand away & slapped hard on his face. Rk opened his eyes & found Madhu glaring at him with bloodshot eyes.

"Madhu..." Rk stood up from the bed. "You here... where is Ruhi?" Rk asked not fining Ruhi with her.

"Is everything alright?" Rk asked worriedly seeing Madhu's tear strained face.

"Madhu... please tell me something... my imagination is running wild. Is our Ruhi alight? Where is she?"

Madhu kept sending daggers at him through her eyes as angry tears rolled down her cheeks. She wasn't sure why she was angry or at whom she was angry. Whether she was angry at him for trying to commit suicide like a coward or at herself for running away from him & putting Ruhi's life in danger?

"Madhu..." Rk gently shook her shoulder bring her out of her trance.

"Come with me." Madhu dragged Rk out of his house & took him to her car.

"Where are we going? Where is Ruhi? Please answer me. You are cutting me to the quick here... what happened to my baby girl?" Rk shouted.

"Will you shut up?" Madhu shouted back at him as she sped the car.

"Okay! Okay" Rk put his head in his hand & silently prayed to the almighty God to keep his baby girl safe.

"City hospital?" Rk frowned when Madhu parked the car outside the hospital.

"Come! Ruhi is here." Madhu said & stepped out of the car.

"Ruhi?" Rk breathed as his heart start thumping hard against his chest. They stepped into the elevator & Madhu pressed the button on the pad to the floor where Ruhi was kept in ICU. Rk felt difficult to breathe & unknowingly he took Madhu's hand in his to gain some strength from her. He was glad that Madhu didn't pull her hand away from his grip. May be she needed the comfort too. Her hands were so cold like ice & she was shaking & that feared Rk more. Finally after what felt like an eternity, they reached the floor. Madhu & Rk rushed to the ICU & right then a doctor walked out with a nurse taking something down on the note pad which the doctor was dictating.

"Dr. Mehra, how is my baby?" Madhu asked him.

"She is better now, Miss. Malik. Her temperature as reduced but she has some difficulty in breathing."

"It's all because me... she is in this condition... I shouldn't have let my baby cry all night... I'm so bad..." Madhu cried covering her face. Rk frowned when he heard about Ruhi crying all night but why? He wondered & hesitantly wrapped his arm around Madhu's shoulder to comfort her but he knew she wouldn't like it & push his hand away but to his surprise she wrapped her hand around his waist & cried burying her face in his chest.

"It's okay... It's okay... nothing will happen to our Ruhi..." Rk rubbed her arms in a soothing way but inside he was shit scared.

"Miss. Malik, calm down. Your baby will get well soon. We have given her IV drip now, after it gets over, she will shifted from ICU to a private ward. She will be little weak when she wakes up in the morning but nothing to worry."

"When can I take her home?" Madhu asked composing herself. Rk still had his hand around her shoulder for support.

"We will have her here on observation for a day & by tomorrow evening she will be good to go." Dr. Mehra said with a polite smile before walking away. Madhu slowly walked towards the room & stood beside Ruhi's bed. Rk stood next to her & his vision blurred & his heart ached seeing his beautiful baby girl, lying on the bed, so weak & pale, with a nasal cannula for oxygen & an IV running in her vein. That was one sight both Rk & Madhu never wanted to witness even again in their lives.

"I'm sorry, baby" Madhu whispered as she gently caressed Ruhi's forehead.

"What happened to her? She was fine last evening right? Suddenly... Madhu I need you to answer me... please! This silence is killing me." Rk insisted.

"We need to talk." Madhu finally said wiping her tears off. "Not here... we will go out." Madhu said without looking at him & walked past him. Rk leaned down & kissed Ruhi's forehead before following Madhu to the waiting room.

Rk waited for Madhu to start talking. Madhu held her head in her hands as she tried to come to a conclusion.

"Ruhi needs you as much as she needs me." Madhu whispered shifting in her seat & looking at Rk. Rk nodded his head knowing that was true.

"Last night was difficult. Ruhi was crying her heart out for you. Only thing she kept reciting was "Papa"... I so mercilessly let her cry... I should have called you... but I thought once she sleeps off she will forget you in the morning but..." Madhu's voice choked as her eyes started to well up again. "I brought her here unconscious... And she was running a high fever. Her body was almost burning hot. I thought I lost her, the only reason for my existence. Ruhi is my life..." Madhu took a deep breath. "...For her sake I will do anything... anything! Nothing matters to me now... Just my Ruhi & her happiness... And you are her happiness." Madhu pointed to Rk. He just stared back taking in everything she was willing to tell him. He couldn't utter a word as his mind was partly thinking about his baby girl. The baby he failed to acknowledge as his was crying for him. He was at awe at his one year old baby girl's love for him. That thought made him love his daughter thousandfold more. Come high hell or water, he was never going to let go his daughter or his daughter's mother. He vowed to himself. "...I should have thought about this before... If I had, then it wouldn't be for Ruhi here... I put her in this state..." Madhu sobbed covering her face with her shawl. "...at that time I thought only about my life... My pain... How selfish am I! I never thought what will happen to Ruhi... I so easily gave up her to you... I know she will be in the same state if she was with you & without me... God! I brought this to my Ruhi... If anything had happened to her, I wouldn't be living now." Madhu started crying hysterically. It hurt Rk badly to see her like that. He cursed the day he f**ked up everything. He just wished he could go back in time & set everything right. Then he would be living happily with his daughter & even married Madhu by now. They didn't have to go through all this shit!

"Madhu... Madhu, calm down. We will talk later when you are ready." Rk said, patting her back.

"My nani used to ask me 'if you ever come back into our lives what I will do?" And I said instantly that I will shut all the doors for you to enter into our lives but that wise woman told me I should not do so! I should give you a chance if you truly regret what you have done to me... to Ruhi... She told I should give a chance for you to repent. For you to make good all loses but I was stubborn. I was so sure too that you would never cross our ways... But unfortunately you did." Rk looked down, hurt. If he hadn't met them, Madhu would be happily leading her life with Ruhi & Ruhi wouldn't be here, suffering. That made him even more guilty.

"But then I just wanted to get rid of you from our lives... I was planning to move to abroad taking Ruhi with me... without telling you... to a place where you will never find us... That way you will also forget Ruhi & just go back to your superstar life."

"When? When you were planning to move?" Rk asked in shock. He was aware that Madhu loathes him to the death but taking Ruhi away from him forever... Was horrid!

"The moment you gave Ruhi back to me & promising you won't come into our lives again... I thought if we stayed here somehow we will happen to meet you again & you will find the urge to stay close with Ruhi as I know you both have formed a bond... So I even made arrangements for our move in two weeks but before that.. All this happened."

"Baby Ruhi's attendee?" A nurse called out entering the waiting room.

"Um... Me. I am her mother." Madhu stood on her heel & walked to the nurse & Rk followed her.

"We need these medicines. Could you please get, now? Hospital Pharmacy is in the first floor."

"I will get it." Rk took the prescription paper from the nurse's hand & walked out without waiting for Madhu's protest.

When Rk returned back with the meds, he handed it to the attending nurse & she informed him that Ruhi was shifted to a private room & also informed her mother had gone along with her to the private room, in the fourth floor. Rk muttered his thanks & headed to the fourth floor.

Madhu was sitting on the couch, her eyes transfixed on the bed where Ruhi was sleeping. Rk walked in & stood by the bed watching at Ruhi, wishing her to wake up soon with her beautiful smile.

"You want something? Tea or coffee?" Rk asked sitting beside her on the couch leaving a reasonable private space for her. She shook her head in no looking down at her fingers.

"Lately, she was gaining weight & getting little chubby but now she is back to her weak, thin self. It's worrying me." Madhu muttered softly, her voice pained.

"Just for few days. Once she starts eating healthy she will gain the lost weight."

"I love Ruhi, Rk. I'm not a careless mother..."

"Madhu, you don't have to give me any explanation. I know you love Ruhi and no one can take care of her better than you."

"What wrong that poor baby ever did to anyone? Why she has to be the ultimate sufferer for the mistakes we made in our past & we are making now?"

"I'm sorry, Madhu" Rk whispered looking down at his shoes, ashamed of his deeds. When he looked up, he found some movement in Ruhi, so he stood up & walked closer to her.

"Hey, baby girl" Rk smiled as a tear dropped rolled down his cheek. Ruhi turned her head & tiredly looked up at her father, and then she stretched her arms for him to take. Rk gave both his index fingers for her to take. Ruhi grabbed his fingers securely in her puny hands & held it close to her chest. Then she struggled to sit up so Rk pulled his fingers up which were in tight grab of Ruhi, lifting her body up.

Ruhi sat up with Rk's help & then she crawled closer to him, holding his waist belt, she stood up with her wobbly legs & rested her head on his torso, hugging him around his waist. Rk leaned down & kissed her forehead. When Rk turned, he saw Madhu adoring them with tears in her eyes.

"Here, hold her." Rk picked Ruhi up in his arms & passed her to Madhu.

Madhu gently took Ruhi & kissed her cheeks. Ruhi gave her momma a beautiful baby smile & tiredly put her head on Madhu's shoulder as she silently watched her dad & soon her eyes drooped as she went back to sleep in Madhu's arms.

~~0~

(Two days later)

Last evening, Ruhi was discharged from the hospital & Madhu wanted to take her to her home & Rk reluctantly agreed because he had no right in stopping her & forcing her to take them to his place but to his surprise Madhu asked him to stay with Ruhi in her house & Rk was only too willing to stay with his daughter.

Rk was trying to feed Ruhi but she kept spitting the food out. "If you keep spitting out then you will never grow big my little lady" Rk ruffled Ruhi's soft hair. Ruhi just stuck her tongue out & giggled making Rk's heart swell with love.

"You are my life line to live & breathe, Ruhi" Rk whispered emotionally & embraced his baby girl.

"Give it to me. I will try." Madhu asked Rk to pass the food bowl as she walked into the room. "Baby, here, come to momma?" Madhu called & Ruhi freeing herself from her dad's hold crawled on the bed & sat on her momma's lap & opened her mouth for her to feed.

Rk's mouth dropped down to the floor seeing his naughty girl quietly eating from her momma's hand when he was begging her to eat for the past half an hour.

"Shall we take Ruhi to some park or beach so that she will get some fresh air?" Rk asked.

"Sure" Madhu nodded as she continued feeding her daughter.

~~0~~

"Chief!" Bittuji, Rk's PA stood outside Madhu's house & called for Rk. The main door was open but he couldn't find no one in the front hall so he just stood outside & waited for someone to answer as kept shouting for his chief. Hearing the loud voice Madhu walked out to check the person at the door.

"Bittuji, Rk is inside, playing with Ruhi. Come in." Madhu invited him.

"Hello, Bhabhiji. How are you? & how is baby Ruhi?" Bittuji asked as he walked in.

"First thing, I am not your bhabhiji..." Madhu said curtly. Bittuji gulped & nodded his head. "We both are fine." Madhu answered his other question with a polite smile.

"Chief!" Bittuji nodded his head at his chief before walking around the bed to coo little Ruhi.

"You are here, bittuji?" Rk asked with a frown. Ruhi scrambled away from bittuji & hid behind her father. Rk laughed & said "Bittuj, you are too big for my little Ruhi. She might have got scared that you will swallow her as you already look like you have swallowed two or three babies & they are inside your pot belly."

"Chief!"

"Don't pout bittuji. You don't look cute at all." Rk teased him. "So tell me why you are here?"

"Chief, I wanna confirm the release date of Qayamat'..."

"I don't care, bittuji. Ask the producer to release the movie whenever he finds convenient." Rk said in a disinterested tone as he watched Ruhi now playing with her momma.

"Okay, chief."

"You have something else to say?" Rk asked

"Chief, four directors are ready to narrate their stories to you. If you like any of the script then we will go ahead with the new project. So when you would like to meet them & hear their stories?"

"Not now. Not anytime sooner. I need a break." Rk said firmly. He wanted to spend time with his family.

"But Chief..." Rk shut him up with his chilling glare. Bittuji, wisely decided not to push him & he took his leave.

~~0~~

Rk & Madhu sat down on the beach sand as they watched Ruhi play with her ball.

"So what were you doing the other day when I entered your house to take you to the hospital to see Ruhi?" Madhu asked.

"That... I... I completely lost my mind & took such foolish decision to end my life... I just couldn't bear the excruciating pain of losing Ruhi and..." losing you! He wanted to add but he restrained himself as she wouldn't like to hear that but she nodded her head, hearing his unsaid words.

"... The thought of you & Ruhi leaving me fills my heart with dread. I don't think I can survive a day without..." He sighed as he ran both his hands through his hair. "Please don't leave me" he pleaded.

"Didn't I survive without you? Didn't I over come your betrayal? Didn't I cope up with the pregnancy? Didn't I bring our baby safely to this world? Didn't I..." Madhu bursts out.

"I know! I know! Well, without any shame I am admitting it to you... I am not strong like you, Madhu. You are a superwoman! But me? I am so weak! My exterior appearance of a strong arrogant powerful man is just a facade... but my interior is so fragile & vulnerable." Rk said, bowing down his head. Madhu didn't know what to comment about that.

"You don't know me, Madhu... but I am not blaming you... because I had never given you a chance to know me... the relationship we had in our past been purely based on lust. I was ruthless then... I didn't believe in love..."

"Why you didn't believe in love?" before her mind could process, the words were out of her mouth.

"You won't understand the depth of my depravity"

"Maybe I can" Madhu shrugged. Rk looked at her for few seconds before deciding to tell her about his past.

"I didn't believe in love... I just loved being the nations superstar, loved by my crazy fans... spent my time sleeping around with top models... then only day, I set my eyes on you in the auditorium when you danced so gracefully like someone so beautiful has descended from the heaven. In that instant I wanted you to satisfy my manhood. I know I tricked you... you were so young & ambitious... I thought so wrongly about you back then. I thought you were behind me for my money & also faking your pregnancy."

"I'm not a wh**e or a gold-digger!" Madhu spat angrily.

"I know. I am sorry. I just couldn't trust you or trust anyone..." Rk said & took a deep breath before continuing "... when I was 12 years old, my mother eloped with her secret lover, a business magnate guy, who was also a divorcee... You know my father was in film industry, he was a great producer...he was so respected by everyone but in a blink his name got tarnished when my mother betrayed him & ran with the businessman... Everyone rubbished that my dad sold my mother for money... he couldn't take all the insults thrown at his face so he committed suicide leaving me all alone." Like father like son! Didn't he try to committed suicide when life gets tougher? "Even he betrayed me, Madhu... no one cared for me, neither my mother nor my father... I lead a lonely life all my childhood. Bittuji was my dad's loyal employee, he took care of me & he only helped me enter this industry... I became a star! A superstar! At that time I cared only for my name & status. I didn't want to fall in love with anyone & end up heartbroken like my dad..."

"I wasn't like your mother. I loved you... I did everything for you... I was even ready to sacrifice my dream..." Madhu sighed. "...Whatever excuse you give me RK, I am not going to buy it... I am not going to melt down at your feet & feel sorry or sympathize for your lose. I am deeply hurt & broken... You shattered my life into pieces when I didn't do any wrong... I didn't deserve to go through all that..." Madhu yelled at him, as she cried. Rk closed his eyes in pain seeing her in pain.

"I'm neither justifying my act nor asking you to forgive me, because I don't deserve one, I know I f**ked up big time." He said cutting her off. "You were the first person to love me truly but I didn't respect your love... I thought you were so childish & I was just your teenage crush..." hearing him, Madhu scowled at him. "You must be so stupid to think my love as mere infatuation or teenage crush."

"Sorry!" Rk turned to look at Ruhi, sitting on the sand, her legs spread wide, her ball placed between her legs & she was showering her ball with the sand. Rk couldn't help but smile at his little girl's game. "Ruhi's innocent love broke the ice in my heart & she mended my wounds... she showed me the pure unadulterated love. I still have a lot to learn from her... she is just amazing!"

"She is!" Madhu agreed with a smile.

"So are you Madhu! You are just amazing too! You are so strong & brave! Wish I was in Ruhi's place so that I would have got the chance to feel your motherly love! I envy Ruhi for having such a lovely mother." Rk said meeting her eyes.

Madhu turned her face away slight embarrassed of his compliment. "Ruhi, healed my wounds too. She brought back the light in my life. She is a blessing to me!"

"Madhu..." Rk moved to her side & knelt in front of her & held her hands. When she tried to pry her hands he only tightened his grip. "I might sound like a broken record... but nothing can change the truth! I have never loved anyone before the way I love my daughter &..." You! I love you so Madhu that it hurts! "...I want you both back in my life. I can't see our daughter growing up without either of her parent. We should live as a family whether you like or not... for our Ruhi we should do this... I know it's hard for you to take me back after all the gory things I did to you... but you know Ruhi needs me as much as she needs you... trust me, this one last time, Madhu... I will never hurt you or our Ruhi... just give me a chance..." Rk asked earnestly.

Madhu kept staring at him not knowing what to say though she knew he was right.

"I'm begging you, Madhu... just one chance... please!" Rk begged kneeling down in front of her still holding her hands. Ruhi got curious at her parents serious talk so she discarded her ball & came running to them & wrapped her arms around Rk's chest & leaned closer to him.

"Please, Madhu" Rk pleaded her.

"Puleech" Ruhi repeated the word her dad uttered.

Rk & Madhu couldn't help but laugh at Ruhi. Ruhi didn't get why they were laughing but she too joined them in their laugh.

"You will be the death of me, my darling girl" Rk hugged Ruhi tightly minding not to crush her.

"For the sake of Ruhi... I going to give you the benefit of doubt" Madhu said looking at Ruhi. All she wanted was her baby girl's happiness.

"Thank you... thank you so much, Madhu" Rk cried as he smiled. He felt like his life was dragged to the pit of hell & thrown back again to the earth letting him to live & spend his life a little longer with his two lovely angels.

"But I have two conditions!" Madhu said.

"What are they? Whatever are they I am willing to do anything to earn a second chance from you."

"First thing, the fact which I have already established to you the other night when you proposed me for marriage... I am repeating it again... There will be absolutely No boyfriend-Girlfriend relation' or husband-wife relation'. We are nothing to each other... just co-parents sharing the responsibility of bring up Ruhi. Is that clear?"

"Yes!" Rk agreed. He could ask for nothing more. He will spend all his life loving & protecting his two favorite women.

"I don't mind about your personal life. You can have sex with any women..." He sucked in a deep breath as if she had slapped him. She wasn't feeling anything for him. No love! No possessiveness. No jealous! Well, why would she? She wasn't his girlfriend or wife! "...but never bring them to our home" Home? That's better. The disappeared smile kissed back on his lips.

"My second condition..."

"What?"

"If you want to be part of Ruhi's life then you should move in with us..."

"Oh!" Okay he will do anything to be part of their lives. He owes them that.

"And we are not going to stay in India..."

"Where you are planning to move?" Rk asked curiously.

"I don't know... France, US, UK, Italy... anywhere in this world but not here..."

"May I ask why?" Rk asked in utter confusion.

"Superstar Rk, I want you to stop acting in movies. I want you to say goodbye to your fans!" She said evilly. She really wanted to punish him some way or the other. "You should lose your Superstar status... Your damn pride!" Madhu said gritting her teeth.

Fair enough! He f**ked her dream career & she was going to do the same to him. Cool!

Rk couldn't help but smirk at her. She was so cunning, vindictive & challenging! Deadly combination!

"Vengeance hun? I like it!"

"Will you be able to live your life only as Ruhi's daddy?"

"Have you ever heard the quote "Any man can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a daddy"?... I feel special to be Ruhi's daddy, Madhu... and of course I will live... soHappily!" Rk kissed Ruhi's cheek & she with a heart melting smile kissed her dad back & went back to fill Rk's shirt pocket with sand. She got bored with her parents never ending talk so she thought to entertain herself by picking up the sand in her little hands & dropping almost all the sand in between her fingers as she tried to keep it secured in her tight fist & she put the little left sand in her dad's pocket. Madhu smiled at Ruhi, finally feeling contented that her daughter will have both her parents in her life.

"And one more thing..." Madhu stood up & Rk follow suits picking up Ruhi in his arms. "...Don't thing you can win everything with your daughter's support, Rk" Madhu said pointing to the little lady clinging to Rk. Though she knew he wasn't taking Ruhi's love to his advantage & getting things in his way... but she just warned him as she felt little insecure of their growing bond. She was insecure that her daughter will love her dad more than her momma.

"I have won Ruhi & that's enough" for now! One day I hope to win your heart too! Rk thoughts.

... to be continued!

... To be continued!!!

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