Dedicated to Annika_Ishqbaaz, who wanted to read a piece featuring Omkara as a brother - the challenge is - the sister is not Priyanka!😲 I hope I have done a fairly good job and you find this an enjoyable read. We all deserve some light hearted stuff, after the episodes right?😳
It was impossible to stay mad at him; Gauri concluded finally, pretending to read the magazine in her hand but sneaking a glance at her husband over its pages. He was laying on his stomach on the bed, untied hair covering his face from her view as he studiously applied nail paint on her toes. His strokes were too accurate, she decided then, it simply could not be his practice with the brush, the way he applied the cherry red on her toes without letting even a single stroke to smudge on her skin, spoke of experience, one that she herself lacked when it came to nail painting. Frowning a little she tried to focus not on his other hand lazily stroking her ankle - going innocently up and down her leg in wicked movements - but on the question, for a moment forgetting that she wasn't talking to him.
"How come you're so good at this?"
He looked at the sound of her voice, a dazzling smile breaking his lips, Gauri blinked, trying to salvage the last traces of her anger but found the very thing had vanished from her senses. She smiled back, in spite of herself. When he replied however, his eyes twinkled with mischief.
"Well you weren't the first girl in my life, dear wife." He said wickedly and she grimaced, folding her magazine.
"I can't believe you painted Riddhima's nails, what was it that you two fought about, again? Pink cushions?"
"Why you little green monster," he hopped into the pillow beside her and snatched the magazine. "Jealous, are you?"
"Hardly," she snorted. "Now, come o Mr. Oberoi, out with the truth!"
"You're right," he said, flicking the pages of the magazine himself, his voice distracted. "It wasn't Riddhima, it was Tara."
"Who? Your cousin sister?"
He nodded, "that was a long time ago. When she used to live her summer vacations with us."
**
Tara was sixteen, exactly three years older than Priyanka and a year younger to Rudra. At that time, she had been Omkara's baby sister, of sorts. And to be frankly honest, it all started with a bike - to be more precise with Rudra's new bike - the girls were forbidden to touch; until that very moment.
"Whoa!" Tara screamed, as the bike rounded a corner, with Priyanka clinging to her, slightly shivering, this already tasted like the best adventure ever! When Priyanka spoke however her teeth were clattering.
"If Papa gets to know he'll kill us!"
Tara cracked her neck around, looking at the little girl, her face was a little white, but her eyes were completely round and shining with excitement.
"Oh Prinku, why take Mogambo's name in a moment like this? Loosen up baby, feel the WIND!"
They took a corner, the bike bending dangerously closer to the road and both girls screamed.
"What about Rudra Bhai? It's his summer present after all..."
"Hmm.." Tara pretended to think. "He'd probably cry," she said, pulling her tongue. "Since we scratched his lady love!"
"Can we go more slowly, Tara di?"
"Nope baby," grinned Tara. "This beast only knows to FLY!!"
The conversation had distracted her, that Tara wasn't ready for the car that appeared from the next bend, they went hurling at it and after a desperate try, a throat searing scream the bike lost control and narrowly missing the car went sideways and toppled on the road with a CRUNCH that resonated in their bones.
**
After two hours, seven stiches and a twenty year old Omkara almost crashing his own car with a couple of other vehicles, Tara was back in her bedroom. She had her door firmly closed, tears draining down her face. Her arm was bandaged and slung over her neck; she had broken a bone. Thankfully Priyanka was in tact, except for a minor injury on her knee. It was not the pain that made her cry, but the simple fact that her favorite brother; her favorite person - had slapped her.
Although the guard that had followed them had sorted out the scandal, she had called him; not knowing what to do. In her entire life, she had not seen him more livid. The memory still send chills down her spine. He had been scary.
"I'm disappointed in you, Nayantara!" Was all he had said after that slap. Before turning and marching them into the car and to the hospital. I am disappointed. Tara was disappointed too. Couldn't he see that she had not meant to hurt Prinku? Couldn't he see that she was already feeling fatally guilty for what had happened?
Or was it because at the end of the day, Prinku was really his sister and she was just a cousin? A distant one at that? He hadn't even given her a glance afterwards, not until they reached Oberoi mansion. So Tara too had decided she would put this situation to test. She had to know, if she was right in assuming he loved his sister more than his cousin, or not? She thought huffing to herself as she laid on the bed. Let him come to her, she wasn't going to apologize.
It was almost dusk when there was a gentle tap on the door.
"I don't want dinner!" She yelled. There was another tap, more insistent than before. "Go away!" She threw a pillow at the door. At the same moment it opened and Omkara entered, expertly catching the pillow in his hands, before gently throwing it back at her. Tara turned her face away, staring intently at the bedside lamp.
"What? Aur sunna na bhaki hai?"
"Guddi..." her old nickname was back. She huffed. It wasn't enough to fix her mood this time. The matrass dipped as Omkara sat, she watched him in the peripheral vision, he looked completely down. "Maaf kar de na."
"I won't!" She snapped. "You slapped me. Why was that Bhai? Because your sister was hurt because of me?" She couldn't help but voice her pain and he flinched before gripping her chin and making her look at him.
"What nonsense was that?"
"Nonsense? Really Bhai? Isn't it true that you love her, more than you love me?"
"Both of you are my sisters, I love both of you the same."
Tara snorted.
"Yeah right! Then why didn't you realize I was already so damn guilty? I was as sorry as you are that Prinku was hurt! But no! You had to go ahead and hit me too! I had broken a limb already and you slapped me on the top of it!"
His eyes were red and teary when she looked into them once more.
"Does it hurt a lot?" He was eyeing the bandage doubtfully. "Did you take pain killers?"
She nodded, in spite of herself and then reassumed her furious expression. However some part of her anger was already lost, seeing his expression. Omkara seemed to realize that, for when he spoke again, his tone was lighter and playful.
"Toh bathayye madem, what will be my punishment?"
"Hump!" Tara said. "Don't hope to get away easily Mr. OSO, I'll punish you very hard indeed."
"Aap ki hukum sar aanko par," he played along. She held out her uninjured hand for him. "Let's start by painting my nails, I have to look stylish even with a broken arm right?"
Omkara nodded distractedly and brought the nail paints, sitting down to do her nails. He knew her favorite one - the pale silver, Tara watched him work in silence, with the precision that was unique for an artist. She was an only child, but in moments like these, she really felt she had a brother of her own, a big bro, who loved her the most in the world. The silence was comfortable, no longer heavy with guilt or resentment. Finishing her uninjured hand, he moved to the bandaged one and started applying paint on those nails gently.
"I wasn't angry because Prinku was hurt," he said mildly, not looking up from his work. "I lost my head when I saw your condition." He looked up and their eyes met, both shinning with a sheen of tears. "Never put yourself in such dangers Guddi, you're my baby sister - I can't take it when you get hurt."
"I'm sorry Bhai," she said in a small voice. "I really didn't think it'll get so messed up."
"I don't care about scandals," his tone was bitter. "We already have a bunch of those thanks to dad. All I care about is you! Don't you ever forget that!"
"I won't," she promised just as the door opened again and Shivay entered carrying a plate of freshly backed pineapple tarts and behind him came Rudra who looked a lot happier than Tara would have imagined him to be after loosing his brand new bike.
"Kya chal rahi hai yaha?" Shivay asked, setting the plate aside and grinning as he caught Tara drooling over it.
"Best Bhai award ki race," Rudra suggested. "Wow O, painting nails and all huh?"
"Sorry Rudy Bhai," Tara grinned. "Mera vote toh fixed hai!"
Rudra pretended to punch her.
"I know, I know, O ki chamchi!"
And they laughed, Rudra rolling on the bed and Tara hitting him with a pillow, Shivay unsuccessfully trying to pull them apart, while Omkara had the plate of tarts for himself. Grinning he helped himself to one, while the rest of his siblings rolled into a ball of fighting limbs.
"Be careful people, someone has a broken arm!" He called over, munching on his tart.
"O you traitor!" Yelled Rudra, finally gaining his senses. "Leave my tarts along!"
**
Gauri messed his hair, joining into his laughter as he ended relating that childhood tale. She loved moments like those; when her husband looked happier; when his eyes twinkled and he looked a lot younger than he was.
Every time that happened, she fell in love with him a little more, a little deeper. And world turned a bit more beautiful.
**
How was it?
Good? Bad? Normal? Boring?
Please give me some feedback on what your thoughts are.
Thanks for reading!
Sorry if it had been a waste of time!
Love,
Sakura
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