Hearing the loud buzz of the alarm, Rishab groaned & opened his eyes to be greeted by the lovely sight, his beautiful wife sleeping peacefully in his arm.

He felt a small smile tug on his face seeing her. He reached his hand & stroked the hair out of her face & gently caressed her soft cheek.

"Madhu, wake up." Rishab whispered. Then he took her head of his arm as it went numb with her head pressing hard to it & placed her head back on the pillow. He stretched his arms as he sat up on the bed.

"Madhu..." Rishab shook Madhu's shoulder.

"Hmm..." She lets out a soft moan.

"Madhu, if you don't get up now then you will late to work."

"Hmm... Please... Let me sleep." She grumbled & flipped back.

He checked the time on the wall clock & it showed 5.00 in the morning. He thought it was too early to wake her up so he decided to let her sleep for a while & he slipped out of the bed throwing the covers over her. Madhu mumbled something unintelligible in her sleep & covered herself from head to toe with the duvet cover.

After taking his shower, he stepped out of the bathroom wrapping a towel over his waist & with another towel he dried his wet hair.

"Biwi!" Rishab called for her from the dressing room but she didn't respond.

"Wake up, Madhu" he walked out of the dressing room & pulled the duvet from her & threw it away.

"Hmm..." she moaned in annoyance.

"Next time don't ask me to wake you up." he growled at her & walked out of the room to make coffee.

He never thought she was such a sound sleeper. She had difficulties waking up in the morning to work out with him too but somehow she managed by going to bed so early at night. Last night it was different. They slept around 2 after cleaning up all the mess. He told her to go to bed but she offered to help him, seeing him solely clearing the mess. He wasn't actually planning to clean the house but just looking for any clue that would help him in pointing the culprit.

He was sure it wasn't Sultan & his team. Though they were on the loose, his instinct clearly screamed it was not them. They wouldn't bounce back this sooner. Then who the hell dared to ransack his house? He was blazing with rage but masked well in front of his wife & reassured her that everything was okay & they will be fine.

"Madhu, your coffee" Rishab came back to their room & placed a coffee mug beside the table & again tried to wake up her.

"Two minutes, husband." she pleaded sleepily.

Rk sighed not knowing how many two minutes she will ask for & he sipped on his coffee while reading the newspaper.

"Madhu, your coffee will get cold. Get up." Rishab called her once he had done drinking with his coffee.

"Hmm..." he pulled her up by holding her hands & made her sit straight. She hung her head down & continued her sleep in sitting position. With one slight push on her shoulder, she fell back on the bed, back to her comfy sleepy position. Rishab couldn't help but let out a soft laugh. He liked the game so h again pulled her up, made her sit & poked her head with his finger & she fell back without any complaint. Leaving with no other go, he took her hand & dipped her index finger on the hot coffee mug hoping she will wake up.

"Iss..." she winced but then slipping her finger in her mouth, she went to sleep again.

Rishab looked at Madhu & a smile quiver up his lips seeing her sleeping with her finger in his mouth. He quickly took his phone & took a picture of hers. She looked so adorable at one level & so funny at other. He decided to show the picture later to her & tease her.

Two more minutes he looked at her in that pose & couldn't resist himself from kissing so he slowly pried her finger out of her mouth & leaned forward & gently nibbled her lower lips.

Madhu's eyes flung open in surprised shock feeling his lips on hers. Realizing she was finally awake, he tried to pull himself up from her but Madhu quickly encircled her arms around his neck & pulled him closed, deepening the kiss. They kissed deeply, passionately fighting for dominance. They caressed each other with their kiss as a sign of their love... their desperate desire for each other.

"Hmm..mhmm.. no..." Madhu tangled her fingers in his hair & forced him to kiss her when he tried to pull away.

"Breathe, biwi. You need it." Rishab whispered against her lips. She was so breathless as she couldn't even utter a word but want to continue kissing as she didn't want to let the moment go.

"Just 10 secs" Madhu breathed & they stared eye to eye. Madhu didn't let him get up so he was partially leaning on her. After ten blink of her eyes she sealed his mouth with hers. Though she wasn't an expert in kissing she followed his lead & did a tango with his tongue.

"Come to bed." She invited him, breathlessly. Rishab chuckled at her desperate invitation & sat up on the bed, pulling her along with him & hugged her tightly, kissing her shoulder.

"Rishab, Please love me" she whispered tracing her hands at his back.

"Now?" Rishab asked still having her in his arms securely.

"Yes, you only woke me up in the mid of the night... now I am up so you make love to me then only I will let you sleep" Madhu ordered him.

"Sleep? It's morning already, Koala-bala" Rishab chuckled as he playfully hit Madhu's head.

"What? Koala-bala?" Madhu frowned. She wasn't too shocked that it was morning but shocked by the nick name given to her by her husband.

"Then what? You too sleep for hours like a koala bear." Rishab teased her. Madhu hit his arm playfully & looked down to hide her embarrassment.

"Madhu..." Rishab cupped her face with his palm & made her look at him. She blushed hoping he was going to kiss her again. "...never ever ask me to walk you up. Next time I won't be this patient. I will just spank the shit out of you to bring you awake." Rishab said in a serious tone crashing Madhu's hope for another kiss.

Madhu pouted & pushed him away from her. Rishab shook his head & got up from the bed & walked straight to the windows & pushed the curtains wider inviting a ray of sunlight to enter their room.

When Rishab turned back, Madhu was giving him a dreamy look. "You look hot with your messy hair, husband" Madhu drooled.

"Any plans of dropping out of your job?" Rishab asked with a smirk, folding his arms over his chest & leaning back at the window sill.

"Nope!"

"Then go. Get ready."

"What's the time?" Madhu asked lazily stretching her arms & yawning, planning to go back to sleep again if her husband was in a hurry to go for work & not in the mode to take her 'come-and-kiss-me' invitation.

"5.43 AM"

"Oh! What I will do by going to office this soon? I have never stepped into my office before 11 AM"

"Didn't you tell me you were supposed to report at office by 6.30?" Rishab asked with a frown.

"Oh shit!" Madhu cursed. Shuffling the covers off her & she scrambled out of the bed & rushed to the bathroom but halted suddenly & looked back at her husband.

"What?"

"Can you please get my cloths out?"

"Okay, which one?"

"Blue jeans & white kurta." Madhu said as she stepped into the bathroom.

"Okay"

"Don't forget my bra & panties." Madhu shouted from inside as she started stripping her night cloths. Rishab took a deep breath to keep his hormones in check.

"Rishab!" Madhu slightly opened the bathroom door & poked her head out.

"Now, what?" Rishab asked in exasperation.

"Do you wanna run me a bath?" Madhu asked cheekily, blushing.

Rishab stood still with his mouth slightly parted.

"Gotcha!" Madhu laughed as she shut the bathroom door.

"You will pay for teasing me, Madhubala" Rishab shouted & walked out of the room.

"Madhu, ready?" Rishab asked as he picked the car keys from the coffee table.

"Yeah, one sec." Madhu called back & put lip gloss to her pouty lips.

"Come... come... come... let's go." Madhu came running to the living room throwing her hand bag over her shoulders.

"Your breakfast?"

"No time. I will have something later once my tummy wakes up."

"But..."

"Rish!"

"Okay" Rishab rouse his hands up in defeat & let Madhu wake out of the main door.

"Oh shit!" Madhu hit her hand on her head. "I forgot my I-card"

Rishab sighed & opened the door lock again. Madhu quickly dashed in & searched for her I-card. She wasn't an organized girl. She just threw her things at random places once she gets back from work.

"Madhu..."

"I couldn't find my I-card!" Madhu shouted from the bedroom while she searched under the pillows.

"It's here."

"Where?" Madhu came running to him. Rishab pressed his lips to stop the bubble of laughter as he pointed to the fish tank. Her I-card was drowned inside the fish tank.

"Aww... baby... move... move... let momma take her I-card" Madhu cooed to her Betta fish, her favorite royal blue color fish, which had its bright long fins spread over her I-card.

"Madhu, quick yaar." Rishab was never fond of fishes... well, he was fond of fried fish sprawled on top of his food plate but never an alive fish swimming inside a tank. But Madhu love fishes more than her life.

"Yeah, yeah" She tried to take her I-card with the fish net. Losing his patients Rishab dipped his hand inside the fish tank & took the card out & thrust it to Madhu & dragged her out.

"Husband, wait." Madhu stopped him once again from locking the door.

"I will go grab the sandwich you made for me. I will eat that in car."

"You are crazy" Rishab barked at her but then let her go in.

"Drive fast." Madhu mumbled with her mouth full of sandwich. Rishab gave her a glare before pressing his foot on the accelerator.

"So what important work that forced you to go to office this early?" Rishab asked glancing at Madhu before focusing his eyes on the road.

"I have no idea, Rishab. My boss just told me to report early or I m fired."

"Hmm..."

"He better have a better job for me... something thrilling & exciting..."

"Whatever it is, just be careful as you know what all things happening around us." Someone roaming around, being a threat to his Madhu's life was killing him. He was just waiting to figure the f**ker who was messing with them, and then he wouldn't hesitate to insert a bullet on his head.

"I know, dear" Madhu rubbed his arm, giving him a smile.

"Have you come to any conclusion that who could have possibly broken our house last night? Do you think it could be Sultan?" Madhu probed.

"I don't think so." Rishab shook his head.

"How could you be so sure?" Madhu asked. "They already have a failed kidnapping record... they are now like wounded pigs so desperate to attack..."

"Exactly! They are wounded pigs. They need time to heal." Rishab smirked.

"Besides, if my hunch is right, there was a girl in our house, last night."

"Girl?" Madhu asked in shock. "How could you say that?"

"I got the smell of a ladies perfume... the fragrance of that perfume was so strong... so I guess it was 'Pure Poison' perfume that hit my nostril when I entered into our house first." Madhu threw a look at him hearing his reason. Pure Poison? Is he an expert in sniffing perfume on girls? How could he be so accurate? Madhu! Stop there! And focus!

"They were just been there few awful seconds before we reached our house. May be they would have taken the other elevator & gone down while we were getting up. We f**king missed them!" Rishab said through gritted teeth as he hit the steering wheel.

"Last night would have been fun if we had encountered them." Rishab said disappointed shocking Madhu. She actually lost the count on how many times she had thanked the almighty for nothing happening to them last night.

"So you think there was a girl in the gang or only a girl who did everything?" Madhu questioned, recovering from her shock. She can understand her husband's strategy. If they had encountered them last night, things would have come to an end then & there. First Sultan escaped & now these unknown attackers? What more to crawl out from the woods?

"If I go by the dirty foot prints of large sized shoes, then there were more people. Not just a girl."

"Do you have any crazy Ex's? Who is coming after you now?" Madhu asked suspiciously.

"No!"

"You sure?"

"Yes, I am sure. I never dated a crazy girl but ended up marrying one."

"You mean to say I am crazy?" Madhu asked wiggling her brows.

"You are asking me as if you are ignorant of the fact, biwi?" Rishab teased her. Madhu pouted & gave him a hard punch on his arm.

"That's a strong one." Rishab appreciated her punch.

"Hmm... May be your hunch is wrong. There wasn't a girl at all & it could possibly be Sultan & his fellow boys." Madhu reverted to the topic.

"I wish so... but what you will say for this?" Rishab pulled out a hook drop earring & showed to Madhu.

"Is this yours?" Rishab asked. Madhu scrutinized the ring before shaking her head in no.

"I found this last night on the floor."

"Oh! Nothing goes missing from your naked eyes." Madhu smirked at Rishab. Rishab just shrugged his shoulders. So there was definitely a girl in there! But who? That was the question to be answered.

"My instinct strongly says there is someone else on the loose but I couldn't point my finger rightly." Rishab said tapping his fingers on the steering.

"Well, we are here." Rishab pulled the car to halt.

"Thanks for the speedy ride." Madhu said & leaning over she hugged him.

"Don't worry about all these shits, Madhu. Just leave it to me. I will handle it." Rishab said awkwardly returning her hug. "You just stay safe."

"I will." Madhu leaned up & kissed his cheek.

"And Madhu, if you need me... I will be there for you." he promised her.

"I know, love" Madhu smiled caressing his chest. "You too stay safe." Madhu whispered masking her worry for him.

"I am big & ugly enough to look after myself so you don't worry about my safety." Rishab said in a brisk tone. Madhu smiled fondly. Nothing can change his attitude!

"Okay go. You have two more minutes for the clock to tick 6.30 am" Rishab said & released her from his arms.

"Wish we were in home... in bed... making love!" That was her parting shot before jumping out of the car & running into the office, leaving Rishab dumbstruck.

(3 hours later)

...

...

"Drop your guns, ACP Kundra!" he said with a smirk

Rk only tightened his grip on the gun.

"If you don't, then one slit... here..." he yanked Madhu's hair making her head tip back so that he can point to her neck. "... just one deep cut here... then your beloved wife..." He whistled looking above the shy. "...Gone" he gave a evil smirk. Madhu tried to free herself from his hold but her hands were tied at the back. If she tried to move her body front then the knife, the guy was holding inches away from her neck will cut her skin.

"Rish... Rishab..." She looked straight at her husband with teary eyes.

"I won't put your life in danger... You yourself will do." Rishab's words from long back rung in her ears when he said he deliberately distanced himself from his family to keep them save & she joking teased him that he was going to put her life in danger with his risky profession.

So true! She endangered her life with her own folly.

"...I am sorry" She breathed. Rishab looked at her so helplessly.

When Rishab tried to take a step closer, the guy locking Madhu in his arm brought the sharp edge of the knife even closer to her neck piercing it a little.

"Ahh..." Madhu winced as a drop of blood oozed out from her neck.

"No! No!" Rishab shouted & backed off but didn't drop his gun down. He just held it in position, pointing straight at Madhu.

"One move, I will kill her" the guy threatened Rishab.

"I will never do mistake with guns. If I ever shoot you then it will be deliberate one." Just yesterday, he said those lines to his wife & he never thought that day will be coming this sooner & he will be deliberately shooting her.

"Who the f**k are you to kill her? She is mine! My wife!" Rishab growled & fired the bullet straight at Madhu.

With the force the bullet hit her; she was thrown back & fell down on the hard floor with a thud & closed her eyes as darkness consumed her. Peace!

... To be Continued!!!

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