it was 7 pm.. Gauri was doing iron on all the clothes she sewed..
she thought if she should call Jahnvi and confirm by what time they will come back..
"hum phone kar le kya..?"
"nahi.. nahi.. unhone kaha tha.. oo bhejegi kisi ko..hmm.."
"phone kar lete to pata chal jata.. kab tak aayenge.. agar dukan ek ghanta aur kholni ho.."
"nahi.. gauri.. dukan ka niyam hai.. 9 baje band.. to band.."
she was thinking all this and that's when her phone buzzed.. she immediately picked the call but just replied in hmm.. as it wasn't from the ones she was expecting..
1.5 hours passed.. only 30 min were left.. she had packed all the clothes and started working on the order which she had to give them on the next day evening..
her phone buzzed.. and it was an unknown number..
"hello.." she said as she picked the call..
"hello.. Omkara bhandar...?" a guy replied from other side.. but ssshhed as he said the name of the store..
he cleared his throat and said again..
"ji.. wo kapdo ki dukan se bol rahe hai..?"
"jahnvi madam ne kuchh kapde diye the.."
"haan ji.. hum aap hi logo ka wait kar rahe the.. kab tak aayenge aap..?"
"madam ko aane mein thoda samay lag jayega.. aa...aa..aap dukan kab tak kholti hai.."
Gauri wanted to say that she will stay for longer if they want but she didn't.."ji wo 9 baje band ho jayegi.."
"agar kal jaldi chahiye.. to aap humare ghar aakar le ja sakte hai.. hum sab saman apne saath le jayenge.."
"ji.. ek min hold kijiye.."
after a long pause..
"theek hai.. aap address bata dijiye.."
"haan ji.. likhiye.."
"hanuman mandir pata hai aapko... oo badi murti wala..?"
"haan ji.. pata hai.. wo aapki shop k paas hi hai.."
"bas usi sadak se seedhe seedhe ram nagar basti mein 4 number wala makan.."
"ok.."
"kuchh pareshani ho to phone kar lijiye.."
"ok.."
and he cut the call..
Gauri packed her stuffs and waited for the clock to tick 9 so she could leave..
- - - - - - - - - - - -
it was 10:45 in the night.. a car stopped in front of Gauri's house..
"Raju.. oo dekhna.. order lene aaye honge.." Gauri called a little boy from the kitchen and asked him to go and check..
there was no doorbell so the person who came just knocked the door..
as soon as the boy opened the door.. he looked at the person..
"andar aaiye.."
"nahi bas.. wo saman de do.. nikalna hai.."
"achchhi baat hai.. bill laye hai aap..?" the boy asked to which he nodded in yes..
"yeah!.. you get the order.. i'll go and get the bill from the car.."
"sure.." the boy replied..
as he came inside.. gauri asked if he brought the person inside or not..
Raju nodded in no.. "khadoos sa hai.. ye bag le.. main ja raha hu.. late ho raha hai.."
gauri nodded in yes.. "khadoos matlab??" she asked while washing her hands..
"pata nahi.. koi hippi sa hai..bach k raha kar tu" he replied and went into the room to get his bag and left from there immediately..
"hippi sa hai.." as soon as she heard that.. she rushed outside wiping her hands with her dupatta..
she stopped at the doorsteps of her house and saw Om coming from the car...
her eyes turned moist after seeing him.. she couldn't control herself and ran towards him..
Om got stunned seeing her coming to him like that and stood still..
Gauri ran and hugged him.. "Omkara.." his name escaped from her lips with a deep sigh..
she snuggled her face in his broad chest and clutched his kurta tight in her small fists..
"Omkara.." she again called his name..
tears rolled down from her eyes wetting his kurta with their moisture..
Om stood still and didn't reciprocate to her hug..
unknown to himself, he was scared seeing her breaking down like that.. she was crying madly and was just calling his name...
she kept crying and hugged him as tight as she could..
after a few minutes she pulled herself back and looked at him.. his face was straight and expressionless..
to which a meek smile appeared on her lips..
"abhi bhi aise hi aap... sakht.. bina koi haav bhaav..."
she touched his face and caressed his cheek..
"itne kamjor ho gaye aap.. pahle to aise nahi the..." tears rolled down on her soft cheeks..
"aap us din dukan se yun chale gaye.. h..hum..." she couldn't complete her sentence and her voice choked.
she hugged him again...
"itne mahine ho gaye.. aap us din.. aise hi humein chhor kar chale gaye.. hum kuchh nahi jante the.. aap kahan hai.. theek hai ya nahi..."
"logo se pata chala ki station par ladai hui thi aapki... "
"aap nahi jante.. hum kitna dare hue the aapke liye.." Gauri cried again..
"aaj sanakr ji ka laakh baar bhi dhanyavaad kare.. to kam hai..."
she once again looked at him.. and caressed his face..
"humne to kabhi sapne mein bhi nahi socha tha.. ki aap phir milenge aapse.. lekin phir bhi ek visvas tha.."
"us din dukan mein aapke parivaar k samne hum kuchh nahi kah paye aapse.." her throat was choked...
she was overwhelmed after seeing Om.. she once again leaned her head over his chest and caressed her hand on his shoulder and heart..
"kitni kosis kari humne aapko dhundne ki.. oo ladai ki baat sunkar hum itna dar gaye the.. dilli gaye the hum.. par kuchh pata nahi chala aapka.."
"jis din se aap gaye.. har ek ghadi yaad karte rahe hum.." she caressed her hand on his chest and then hugged him again..
"aap kahan hai..? jahan bhi hai.. theek hai ya nahi...?"
she again pulled herself back and looked at him..
as he did not reciprocate to any of her talks, feelings or actions.. she felt that something was wrong with him..
"humara man ghabra raha hai.. aapko yun dekh kar.. sab kuchh theek hai na Omkara..?"
"aap bahut badal gaye hai.. warna ab tak to aap humein do baar zameen par patak chuke hote.." Gauri chuckled..
Om held her arm and pulled her away...his expressions were rough and tensed..
"main badal gaya. par tum nahi badli.. ameer aadmiyon par girne padne ki aadat gayi nahi tumhari.." his voice was full of anger and hate...
as Gauri heard him she took a few steps back..
"hum saman late hai.."
within a minute she brought the bags and gave them to Om.. Om gave her the money for the full order.. but Gauri returned some money saying that order is not yet complete and will take the full money tomorrow evening..
as Om was about to sit in his car.. Gauri stopped him..
"Omkara...! hum nahi jante ki aaj bhi aap hum se itni nafrat kyun karte hai.."
"hum bas ee kahna chahte hai aapse.. ki aapke liye humare man mein jo pyaar hai.. use aainda paise aur laalach ka naam mat dijiyega.. "
"hum bas ek baar aap ko dekhna chahte the..aap samne aaye to hum khud ko rok nahi paye.."
"humein bahut khusi hai.. ki aap theek hai.. sahi salamat hai.. aur apne parivaar k saath hai.."
"apna dhyaan rakhiyega.." saying that Gauri turned and left from there..
without looking back at Om who had not yet left.. she closed the door of her home and Om saw that right after she closed the doors... her house's lights were switched off as well..
Om came back to the hotel and gave all bags to Jahnvi.. even before she could ask anything.. Om left to his room..
he threw himself on the bed and recalled the moment when Gauri hugged him and cried..
"she was worried for me.." he thought..
"this was the first time i met her in months..."
"i could have said something nice to her..."
"could ask her if she was doing fine..."
"she looked depressed... she has changed a lot.."
"but.. why...?" Om rubbed his temple across his forehead...
"why did i say those things to her..."
"why did i poured all my anger on her...?" Om thought..
he tried but wasn't able to sleep.. he got up.. did office work until he was so tired that his eyes went weary...and he fell asleep..
- - - - - - - - - - - -
it was 6 in the evening.. Gauri was working on the order as fast as she could..
but today, she was late.. really late..
perhaps it will happen for the first time that she won't be able to deliver the order on time..
she was moving machine as fast as possible..
she cursed herself for waking up late and opening her shop almost 4 hours late..
whole night she kept thinking about Om and crying..
she was busy in her work.. when she got a call..
"hello.." she picked the call while working..
"hello.. Gauri baat kar rahi hai??" the lady from other side asked..
"haan ji.. batatiye.." Gauri asked while moving her hands on machine with double speed..
"beta.. Jahnvi baat kar rahi hu.. wo kapde taiyyar ho gaye?"
"main bhej deti hu kisi ko.. hum bas mandir k liye nikal hi rahe hai.."
"aunty ji...bas 1 ghanta aur lagega.."
"beta.. late ho jayega.. pooja ka time liya hua hai.."
"aunty ji.. aap chaliye.. hum sab saman lekar aate hai.. humare yahan se to paas hi hai.."
"hum pahunchte hi phone karte hai aapko.."
"yahi number hai na.."
"haan.."
"ji.. dhanyavaad.. aap tension na lena.. hum la denge.. aapko pooja se pahle mil jayenge.."
"ok.." Jahnvi said and they cut the call..
- - - - - - - - - - - -
"aunty ji..! ye lijiye.. sab saman hai ismein.." Gauri gave the bag to Jahnvi..
"sorry aunty ji..hum late to nahi hue.."
"nahi.. beta.. thank you.. aap yahan tak aa gaye saman lekar.."
that's when the priest came and asked them to follow him.. Jahnvi asked Gauri to come with them.. but Gauri nodded in no..
"beta.. saman aapne rakha hai.. humein dekhna padega..aap jaldi de doge.."
"aapko koi pareshani nahi hai to..."
Gauri nodded in no.. and followed them.. which none of the Obross liked..
as Jahnvi kept asking.. Gauri kept giving the required stuffs to her.. and she passed them on to Om...
who was doing prayers..
"aapka vivah ho gaya?" priest asked Om..
"ji.." Om nodded in yes..
Gauri looked at him with shocked expressions as she heard him saying yes...
"ye mante hai humari saadi ko.." she thought and tears rolled down from her eyes due to happiness..
"ji patni ka naam bataiye.." priest asked..
Om looked at Gauri and their eyes met...Om's expressions turned even more harsh as he saw a smile on gauri's lips and tears in her eyes..
"h.." Gauri was about to say that it's her..but almost ate her words as she heard Jahnvi telling the name of Om's wife..
"Svetlana.." Jahnvi said..
Gauri dropped the bag on floor and looked at Om with wide eyes..who was looking at her only..
her smile vanished and tears flew down from her eyes..
she looked at Om with questioning eyes.. as if seeking for an explaination from him..
Om gulped his saliva down and looked back at the priest.. he had no strength to look at her and answer her silent questions..
Jahnvi gave pooja thali to Om and he did the aarti as instructed by the priest..
Gauri was about to leave.. but Jahnvi stopped her..
it was being very difficult for her to stay there anymore.. her knees were melting while her heart was throbbing constantly..
she just kept standing there holding bags in her hands..
"pooja sampann hui.." after a few minutes, priest said..
"pandit ji.. bas mere bete ko aashirvaad dijiye.. ki uski zindagi mein khushiyan aaye.." Jahnvi said..
she asked Om to touch priest's feet and he did the same without any questioning or protesting..
he took a few steps back.. and bumped into Gauri..who was standing there holding the black thread in her neck..
her one hand was clutching the corner of her suit tightly.. as if just controlling herself somehow..
as soon as Gauri saw him.. her eyes went teary..
she looked at Om.. her lips were shivering.. and Om could see that despite having no relationship between them.. she was feeling betrayed right now..
Gauri realized that their pooja was over.. she looked at Jahnvi and tried to smile..
"aunty ji.. hum chalte hai.. bahut der ho gayi hai.." and without waiting for Jahnvi to answer.. she left from there immediately...
"arey beta..?" Jahnvi was about to call her.. but she disappeared from their eyes...
"wo bina paise liye chali gayi.." she said in worry...
"Rudra.. beta dekh kar aana.. wo humare kaam se hi aayi thi.."
"pata nahi.. wapas kaise ja rahi hogi.."
"mom.. kal morning mein de dena.. kya hua.."
"nahi beta.. aaj raat ki Delhi ki train hai.. kab denge..."
"ok..let me find her.." Rudra said and was about to leave.. but Om stopped him..
"you go with mom.. i'll go and check.."
"ok bhai.. " Rudra nodded and took Jahnvi with him to the car..
it was a huge mela and was fully crowded.. he was wondering that he came to look for her.. but how will he find her..
he tried to call her name but it was useless.. music was playing on full volume.. people chattering around.. shopkeepers screaming about their products to sell them...
there was no way he could find her like that..
he rushed towards the exit.."there was no way she would roam around in this mela.." he thought..
he came out and finally saw her near the 2 wheelers parking area..
he was about to rush towards her but saw a group of 3 guys trying to surround her..
she got scared and took two steps while she almost got hit in a bike..
she was about to fall but one of the guy held her arm which she immediately got freed from him..
(just a brief.. there is a group of 3 guys.. who always try to molest Gauri.. as one of them wants her..Gauri always protested.. and even stabbed him once.. but i'll skip this part because i don't like writing about molesting or eve-teasing scenes...)
Om heard them teasing her about her marriage and husband..
commenting on how her husband left her on the same day he married her..
Gauri tried to move several times but they didn't let her..
as soon as they tried to reach out to her and touch her.. Om couldn't see it anymore and stepped in..
he held the wrist of the guy and asked them to stop..
Gauri looked at Om and felt even more disgusted..
"niko yahan se.." Om told the guys to leave..
"kaun hai be tu..?" one of the guy came forward and punched Om in anger making him almost fall down..
"Omkara.." Gauri got scared and screamed..
Om balanced himself.. he didn't want to fight them.. but as soon as the guy hit him.. he hit him back..
within a few minutes, Om beat them black and blue..
they warned Om and Gauri and left from there in anger..
Om didn't ask her anything.. but as their eyes met.. tears rolled down from Gauri's eyes..
without asking her anything.. without telling her anything.. he just let her walk and followed her silently...
Gauri was crying constantly.. because of what just happened now.. or what she witnesed in temple.. she wasn't sure...
as soon as they came on main road.. Om hired an auto.. and made Gauri sit in that..
without asking for her permission.. he sat in the auto with her and asked driver to go to the address...
it took them 15 minutes to reach home..minutes which were completely silent.. all Om could hear was her sobs.. and all she could hear were his deep breaths and sighs..
Om stepped out from the auto so Gauri could.. Gauri paid the auto bill and came out..
Om noticed that her house was locked.. "she lives alone.." he thought..
he stood there until Gauri unlocked the door.. he gave her money for the remaining order amount..
Gauri closed the door from inside and Om turned his back to her..
without saying a word he sat back in the auto and asked him to leave...
after just 2 minutes.. he asked the driver to stop the auto and paid the bill
he dialed Rudra..
"Hello Rudra.."
"bhai, where are you..?"
"i'm at the school.."
"aap wahan kya kar rahe ho..?"
"i do have some work.."
"wo.. shop wali lady mili aapko??"
"h...haan... i gave her full amount.."
"okay good.. jaldi aao bhai.. phir station k liye nikalna hai.."
"Rudra, tum aur mom jao.. I'll stay here for one more day.."
"par bhai.. "
"kal school ka setup check karne ke baad aata hu.."
"Delhi mein milta hu.. mumbai saath chalenge.. don't worry.."
"okay bhai.. i'll tell mom.. take care.."
"okay.. bye..."... and he cut the call..
- - - - - - - -
Gauri was sitting on the floor.. leaning her head on the foot of her bed...
her room was full of dark..
she couldn't dare to close her eyes.. every time she closed them..
an unknown face who claimed to be Om's wife appeared in front of her eyes...
"aapka vivah ho gaya?" Priest's words were constantly echoing in her mind..
"Svetlana.." despite trying to shut her ears tight..once again.. Jahnvi's voice echoed in the room..
"nafrat karta hu main tumse..." Om's words echoed in her mind which he said to her before he left from Bareili..
she was lost in her thoughts.. leaning her head back on bed, she hid her face in her palms and cried...
she shivered in fear as she heard the knock on her door..
she wasn't herself and didn't even care to worry about who it could be..
she switched on the light of the hall and came to the doorsteps..
wiping her tears with her dupatta.. she opened the door..
her eyes got widened with the next sight..
it was Om standing there panting and breathing heavily..
"Gauri..." he whispered her name...
tears welled up in her already swollen eyes.. this was the first time, he called her with her name..
her heart felt a sharp pain..she couldn't feel her legs for a moment and held the door for support..
"Om...k..." she could not even say his name properly and her voice choked..she broke down and hid her face in her palms..
Om opened the door and coming forward to gauri, he took her in his embrace...
"I'm sorry Gauri.." he said and hid her in himself trying to console her...
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