Rishabala : The Elevator (One Shot)

The Elevator (One Shot)

Rishabh Kundra hurried to the lift, he couldn't believe of all days today he is late. He is supposed to meet the prospective bride today and he was late for that. The meeting had taken forever to finish and now he was whole of ten minutes late. Finally the lift decided to grace him with it's presence and Rishabh quickly got in and pressed the button for the rooftop restaurant. The lift was about to close when it again opens, Rishabh looks up in irritation when she entered. Madhubala Malik. The prospective bride. Rishabh starts grinning, even she is late. Rishabh was about to say hello to her when he noticed that she was talking on the phone, and looks like she didn't really notice him if he was to go by the lack of reaction from her side. "Trishna, I'm so tensed. I just don't know what I'm going to do...... yeah yeah I remember everything. *taking deep breaths and confidently says* I'll handle this Kundru.... hey let's go through it one more time... movie won't start for another five minutes Trishna.... wait... one last time... Trishna? Hello? " Rishabh who was listening to her conversation starts frowning handle Kundru? KUNDRU? How did she find that out?

"Hello." he hears Madhubala saying, he turns his attention back to her. Is she blind? I'm standing next to her and she is looking at the door? "Hi" she says again. "Erm.. hi... I'm here." Rishabh replies really wondering whether she had some problem with her eyes. Madhubala suddenly turns to look at him frowning "I'm not talking to you." she informs him. Confused Rishabh starts looking around for the third person in the elevator. "I'm practicing." Madhubala says irritated seeing him looking around. "Oh." Rishabh says thoughtfully. Is she crazy? She is practicing in front of me what she is going to talk to me? And why is she not recognizing me? "I'm Madhubala Malik, I finished my post-graduation..."Is she here to see me or for an interview? Suddenly everything goes dark and the lift comes to a halt. "What happened?" both of them asks out loudly shocked and tensed. The emergency light starts blinking and then it turns on. "What is it? Did the electricity go? Power cut?" Madhubala asks. "I don't know." Rishabh replies and he picks the phone to talk to operators.

"What did they say?" Madhubala asks him seeing him hang up. "They said that there is a major power failure and we will have to stay here for a while, maybe up to an hour." "WHAT? One hour? I am supposed to meet Kundru. He is waiting for me." I am Kundru! No I'm Rishabh Kundra! Get that right woman!  Rishabh was about to tell her that he is THE Kundru, when Madhubala starts talking on the phone. "Hello Baba... no I didn't meet him... I'm in the lift and there is some power failure here and I'm stuck in here for sometime... they said that it could take time... okay baba... bye." Madhubala hangs up the phone seeing the stranger frowning at her she gives him a hesitant smile and Rishabh smiles back at her. Why is she lying? I'm standing right in front of her. Hasn't she seen my photo? "Hello." Rishabh greets her in order to start a conversation and find out why she is not recognizing him. "Hello." Madhubala replies back. "Are you here to meet someone?" Rishabh asks suddenly confused whether he got the right person. "Yeah." Madhubala smiles as she turns to look at him. "There is this proposal for marriage, so I came to meet the guy." "I assume that guy is this er.. *shuddering* Kundru you mentioned." Rishabh asks her. "Yes." Madhubala confirms. Okay so it IS her! Then why is she not recognizing me? "So practice was for that?" Rishabh asks her again. Suddenly frowning she asks him "Why are you so interested in all this?" "We are going to be stuck here for a while, so I thought we could just talk." Rishabh replies with a shrug. Madhubala keeps staring at him for a while then replies "Yeah." After that they were silent for a while each lost in thoughts. Rishabh's cell starts ringing bringing them out of their thoughts. Rishabh picks up the phone it was his father calling to inform him that Madhubala was stuck in the lift, without telling his father that he was also stuck in the lift along with Madhubala, Rishabh hangs up.

Noticing that Madhubala was sitting down on the ground Rishabh also sits down. Madhubala again dials a number, and starts talking on the phone, "Hey Trishna... I'm stuck in the lift there is a power failure" then she looks at Rishabh and then whispers "No I'm not alone... who is with me? I don't know. Some guy." Looks like Trishna was a loud person, because Rishabh heard her asking Madhubala whether he was good looking.  Girls. "Yeah, you could say that." Madhubala replies not realizing that Rishabh heard Trishna's question. Rishabh smiles hearing that making Madhubala cautious. "Trishna, can we get back to the matter in hand?" Madhubala asks getting all serious. "Once more can we go through this?.... Come on... the movie hasn't started... because I can hear the advertisements over the phone... please Trishna don't do this... I'm so nervous... don't... hello? Hello?" Madhubala looks at her phone in shock and mutters "she hung up on me! AGAIN!" she sees Rishabh watching her and mutters "so easy for her, married and pregnant." Rishabh chuckles. "What are you laughing at?" Madhubala asks pissed. "Nothing." Rishabh replies while she glares at him, then an idea occurs to him. "If you want, I can help you." Rishabh offers, this way I can know her better and also know more about her. God knows what this Trishna has coached her. "Help me?" Madhubala asks confused. "Yeah... you wanted to like practice what you were going to say to this *shudders * Kundru with this friend right? Since we are going to be stuck here for a while, and nothing to do I can help you. And always better to practice with a guy than a girl in matters regarding men." Rishabh explains. Madhubala gives him a suspicious look for a while then with a shrug starts "I'm Madhubala Malik. I finished my Post Graduation last year. I got fifth rank in my university..." "Wait" Rishabh says making Madhubala stop. "Yeah?" "Let me get one thing straight. Are you here to see this guy so you can decide whether you want to marry him or are you here to apply for the post of his wife?" "WHAT?" Madhubala asks giving him weird looks. "You sound like you are at an interview." Rishabh explains. When Madhubala looks confused, Rishabh says "Okay, let's start at the beginning. A simple Hello would do. A smile goes a long way." Madhubala smiles and says "Hello." "Perfect. And you have a beautiful smile." "Thank you."Madhubala smiles. "So, Madhubala tell me something about you." Rishabh says "acting" like the prospective groom. Madhubala looks lost for a moment and then starts "okay... let's see... ermmm... ermmm..." Madhubala looks panicked as she brainstormed something to say, though there were lots to say, everything was going to come out like she is at an interview. Rishabh smiles, "First time?" "Yeah." "It happens... okay, then I'll say something about myself." Then Rishabh starts thinking for a while then chuckles "Even I'm at a loss." Madhubala laughs hearing that and then says "it's okay, leave it. I know this won't work out. I just came for my baba and the experience. But thanx for trying to help me." Madhubala says with a shrug. "Experience?" Rishabh asks frowning. "Yeah, so next time when I'm meeting some other guy I won't be nervous."Madhubala explains. "Why do you feel this won't work out?" Rishabh asks confused. "Because I know, he and I won't work out." Madhubala explains. "Why do you feel like that?" "Lots of reasons." Madhubala replies. "Tell me some." Rishabh persists. "Why are you getting so worked up about it?" Madhubala asks frowning. Rishabh tries to act casual, "Just curious. And we don't have anything else to do."  If she was going to reject him, then he will damn well know the reasons.