Shot 7:
Dhyaan se upar laiyye Gauri ko.
Omkara had again started fussing when Gauri had come back home.
Sir yeh humara roz ka kaam hain aap fikar maat kijiye madam ko kuch nahi hoga. One of the attendants replied smiling.
But the frown on Omkara's face refused to leave. The other medical equipment required had already been transferred to Omkara's room, ruining whatever he had prepared for Gauri's arrival.
Room ko bhi hospital ka cabin bana diya. Omkara grumbled in anger as he entered the room along with Gauri. The bedside table was filled with medicines and machines instead of the beautiful roses. A saline bottle was also set up near the bed. A rack had been put up to occupy various medical machines. The room smelled strangely like a pharmacy instead of the expensive room freshner Omkara had ordered to be sprayed.
The attendants put the stretcher on the bed and one of them was about to lift Gauri up to put her on the bed when Omkara stopped him surprising everyone else in the room.
Ruko. Omkara ordered.
Kya huya Om koi problem hain? Shivaay asked clearly confused.
Ek minute! Saying this OmKara went near the stretcher and picked up Gauri in his arms and then put her on the bed.
The thought of another man touching his wife made Omkara weirdly possessive. He knew it was stupid but he had an urge to smack the man who was trying to pick up Gauri on the head even if he was merely an attendant.
Supressing the urge Omkara therefore had himseelf picked up his wife and placed her carefully on the bed.
Fate laughed at the irony. One day Omkara had himself thrown the girl of his room and today he himself had carried her to the bed.
The faces of others in the room also broke into a smile, even Anika's.
Kya baat hain bro...itna possessive? Rudra teased.
Shut up Rudy! Shivaay nudged his brother though he himself was struggling to supress a grin.
Ma...main woh in logo ko bahar tak chodke aata hu. Saying this Omkara practically skipped out of the room while everyone else in the room broke into laughter.
Kya baat hain Chulbul..oops...Gauri bhaabi. Bro ko toh aapne half majnu bana diya. Rudra said to Gauri as he went up and sat near her bed.
Ab n aap jaldi se uth jao aur bhai ko pura majnu banado. Waise bhi maine bto ko challenge ki hain ki aap mere charms se zyaada din taak dur nahi reh paayengi. Rudra's voice choked.
The atmosphere of the room suddenly became heavy.
Main lunch ka intezam karke aati hu. Saying this Jhanvi quickly exited the room.
I...I should help her. Bua Maa quietly followed Jhanvi.
Where did Om go? Yeh ladka bhi na...Rudy chal bahar. Shivaay excused himself from the room taking Rudra along with him leaving Anika with Gauri.
No one had any real work. It was just that the silence in the room was too much to bear. Seeing the lively Gauri so quiet was upsetting for everyone.
Anika walked upto her sister and sat down beside her.
Gauri! She called.
Apne didi se bhi itna gussa ho ki baat nahi karogi? Bhulo maat ke main jethani bhi hu tumhari. Jaldi se utho warna bohot daatungi tumhe. Anika jerked Gauri a little.
Badi kamchor nikli tum toh. Sirf soye ja rahi ho? Ek baar uth jao tum. Itna kaam karne ko dungi ke teen din tak so nahi paogi. Bohot tang karungi. Ekdum woh serial wali jethani ko tarah.
Anika could not control herself anymore. She started crying hysterically.
Main bohut buri behen hu na Gauri? Tum itne dukh, dard sehti rahi aur main kuch nahi kar payi. Mujhe toh yeh tak nahi pata tha ki meri behen kis halat mein hain. Badi dhaasu actress nikli yaar tum toh. Kisiko bhi bhanak tak nahi lagne di ke tum khush nahi ho. Humesa hasti...
Anika could not complete her words. A sob choked her voice.
Yeh sab raita na us Omkara ki wajese phaila hain. Main use kabhi maaf nahi karungi.
Maaf karna bhi maat bhabi. Omkara's voice rang across the room. He had heard the whole conversation.
Main maafi ke layak bhi nahi hu. Kaam jo aisa kiya hain. Omkara looked at Gauri.
Bas ek request hain aapse... Gauri ke samne please don't cry. Use accha nahi lagega. Use kisike bhi aansu nahi pasand.
Anika got up immediately. Looking one last time at Gauri she walked out of the room without even sparing a glance at Omkara.
Jhanvi entered the room as soon as Anika left.
Omkara Anika ko kya huya? Woh aise kyu chali gayi? Jhanvi had seen Anika rushing outside the room.
Kuch nahi Mom woh bas mujhse thodi naraz hain. Omkara replied sadly.
Jhanvi Nodded in understanding.
Om maine neeche lunch laga diya haain khana khane chalo. Jhanvi said.
Chaliye Mom. Omkara looked at Gauri once before walking out of the room with his mother.
At the dining table:
The dining table was unusually quiet. On other days it would be filled with constant bickering of Shivaay and Anikka and Gauri's endless stories about life in Barailley. But today everything was missing.
Aree aap sab itne chup kyu ho? Huya kya hain? Omkara asked astonishing everyone.
Huya kya hain???? Anika got up immediately her voice filled with rage.
Bhabi meri baat suniye Omkara said without allowing her to speak further.
Mujhe Pata hain Gauri bimaar hain. So rahi hain. He refused to use the word coma. Par jab woh jaag jayegi usse kaisa lage ga yeh jaanke ke sab uske liye kitna pareshaan the? She will feel bad agar use pata chala ke uski wajese sabne hasna chod diya. Agar woh yaha hoti toh kya woh aaplogo ko itna chup dekh paati?
Toh hum kya kare Om. Shivaay asked in a tired voice.
Shivaay we have to act normal. Jaisa har lunch aajtak hasi mazak mein hota aaya hain waisa hi hoga. Taki jab Gauri ko hosh aaye tab sab kuch same rahe. I know yeh difficult hain but Gauri ke liye please try kijiye. Omkara folded his hands in request.
Aur Rudra tu har din ka breakfast, lunch aur dinner record karega. I don't want Gauri to miss even a day of her life.
Okay bro. Rudra followed his brother's order and quickly took out his phone.
As If on que Shivaay asked Anika. Anika yeh roti tumne banai hain kya? Picking up a perfectly round chapati.
This looks like Australia. Shvaay laughed.
Yeh Australia hai? Anika's nose flared up in anger. Kabhi khud roti banake dekhi hain...
And thus started the daily ritual of Oberoi's lunch table.
Omkara smiled as he headed back towards his room.
Are Om ja kaha rahe ho. Khana kha ke jao. Buaa Maa called him back.
Bua Maa maine khichdi mangwai hain. Room mein Gauri ke saath khaunga. Saying this Omkara ran back upstairs leaving a stunned family behind.
Par Om ko toh khichdi bilkul pasand nahi. Jhanvi exclaimed in surprise.
Gauri ko pasand hain. Came Anika's hoarse whisper.
In the room:
An attendant had served plain khichdi to Omkara and left. Omkara took his plate and sat beside Gauri.
Dekha Gauri aaj tumhari wajase mujhe khichdi khani pad rahi haain.
Omkara took a spoonful of the food and put it in his mouth.
Itni buri bhi nahi hain waise. Omkara said as he swallowed it down.
Parvati ji ne Shivji ke liye tapasya ki thi aur yaha main tumhare liye khichdi kha raha hu. Tumhare case mein sab ulta hi hota haain na? Omkara joked.
Ho bhi kyun na. Tum ho hi thodi si tedhi. Akhir dabangg Gauri ho. Barailley ki chiraiyya. Pativrata patni suna tha tumne toh mujhe patnivrata pati bana diya.
Aaj tak tumne mere liye bohot kuch kiya Gauri. Mere parivaar ko itni khusi di. Itne sacrifices kiye. Ab meri baari hain. Omkara said as he finished his plate of khichdi. He gingerly kissed Gauri's forehead and went out of the room.
8 months later:
The eight months had been a torture for the whole Oberoi family but Omkara had been affected the most. He was a changed man. That serious cold Omkara was gone. Omkara now always smiled and joked. He voluntarily involved himself in family matters and helped the family cheer up everytime they were sad. He had not wasted a drop of tear in these eight months. But if one noticed properly they could see that underneath his bright eyes there were dark circles. His face had paled. And hIs smile never reached his eyes. He held up a fake cheerful image to hide his turmoil within.
In these 8 months he did everything that one could possibly do and even more for Gauri. He fed her medicines everyday on time and even if the nurse was late for a minute he would take the whole house on his head. He supervised everything related to Gauri's health and lEt no one overtake that area. As a result, Gauri's health was getting better eAch day. She was officially out of danger but still had not regained her senses.
Omkara sat beside her all day wwhispering to her the details of everyday. Even the minute details. Nothing was left unsaid. He requested her to come back everyday but never cried. He did not even allow anyone else to cry in front of Gauri. They all behaved very normally with her.
Only for three hours everyday Omkara left Gauri's side. He then went to his art studio. No one else was ever allowed in there. For that time one of the family members, mostly Anika would stay near Gauri. She wasn't left alone for a second.
The rest of the family had forgiven Omkara except Anika. She still avoided him like plague and Omkara knew that he deserved every bit of it.
That day was a bit different. From the morning Omkara could not be seen. He had recruited Bua maa in his place and had gone outside. Omkara returned an hour later, his car filled with all different kinds of flowers, mainly roses.
On coming back he literally pushed Bua Maa out of his room and started decorating it. After allmost half an hour the room looked like a flower garden. There were flowers on every corner of the room. Red, yellow, pink, orange. All shades and all colours.
Placing a bouquet of fresh blood red roses on Gauri's bed beside her sleeping figure., Omkara sat down.
Tum yeh soch rahi hogi ki aaj maine is room ko rainforest kyu bana diya hain na? Omkara smiled at Gauri.
Tum bhool gayi na? Aaj hUmari shaadi ki pehli salgirah hain.Our first anniversary. AaAj h ke din maine tumhe us kali thakur se bacha kar tumse shaadi ki thi barailley mein. Aur phir...
This time Omkara's voice choked. Tears welled up his eyes. He brushed them aside and continued.
Badi bhullakar nikIi yaar tum toh. Sab kehte hain ki ladkio ko yeh sab dates humesha yaad rehti hain. Aur tumhe dekho??? Duffer ho tum ek number ki. Gauri stIll did not reply.
Are yaaar!!! React hi nahi karti tum. Accha yeh news sunke na tum harharaike ke thik ho jaogi dekh lena. Guess karo pehle...
Omkara waited for a second and then continued.
No guesses? Accha thik hain main hi batata hu. Anika bhabi is pregnant!!!!! Omkara almost squealed.
Main chacha banne wala hu aur tum chachi. His eyes glistened with tears.
Tum use kya bulaaogi? I mean bacche ko? Anika bhabi toh Ansh Ansh chillaye ja rahi hain. She is sure ki it is a boy. Shivaay wants a princess. Har time ladteh rehte hain dono. Frankly main Shivaay ke side pe hu. Princesses zyaada cute hote hain. Omkara's voice became heavy.
His mind flashed pictures of mini Gauri whenever he thought of kids nowdays. Which was almost all the time. The way the the little girl would stumble as she would walk. Talk in a baby voice in that Barailley accent. Would wear mini sunglasses and rainbow coloured dresses in full dabangg Gauri ishstyle.
A laugh left Omkara's voice when he thought of Gauri's children. Notorious they would be for sure. Breaking things here and there. Gauri running after them to punish them and they would come and hide behind their father. And Omkara would try his best to save those little munchkins from their mother's wrath. He would scold them later for sure but very softly...He would never shout on his princesses.
He would be a better father than his ever was.
Fathher? Princess? What was he thinking? Omkara snapped out of his thoughts. His heart was beating erratically. A family. His family. With Gauri. The thought filled Omkara's heart with warmth. His Stomach felt weird as of a thousand butterflies were flying about trying to break free.
Was this the feeling that Anika bhabi called michmichi? The word fit very well.
He looked intensely at Gauri. Her cold and almost lifeless body made his heart shatter.
This time Omkara broke down completely. All the pent up grief that Omkara had stored in him for eight months came gushing out. Omkara hugged Gauri and started sobbing. His body shaking violently.
Aur kitni maafi mangu main Gauri? Aur kItni baar bolu sorry? Aat mahine se roz tumse maafi mangta hu. Har roz tumhe uthne ke liye kehta hu. Tum kabhi nehi sunti. Itna bhi kya gussa Gauri? Aur kitni saza dogi mujhe? Galti maine ki hain na toh inme gharwalo ka kya kasoor? Unhe kyu itna dukh de rahi ho tum haan??? Omkara shouted.
Hasna bhul chuke hain woh Gauri. Woh to tumse pyaar karte hain na? Unke baare mein toh socho. Uth jao please.
Mujhse aur nahi jota Gauri. Aur khush hone ka natak nahi kar sakta. Har din marta hu tumhe aise dekhke. Isse accha tum mujhe ek baar mein maar deti. Dum ghut tah hain mera yahan Gauri. Samajhti nahi htum.Kyu itni ziddi ho haan?.Aur zid mat karo.
Omkara jerked her.
Uth jao. Aur kuch dino tak tum aisi rahi toh meri jaan nikal jaayegi Gauri. Maar jaunga mein. Please uth jao na. I am sorry please. Maine tumhe galat samjha. Aur kabhi dukh nahi dunga tumhe. Please meri yeh saza khatam karo. Please uth jao. Omkara cried has he hugged Gauri. He could not take it anymore. Death was better than the pain he was going through for the past eight months.
Suddenly the machines started beeping. Omkara got up with a jolt. Gauri was breathing heavily.
Gauri? Omkara shook her a little.
Gauri kya huya? Gauri!!!!Omkara panicked.
GAURI!!!!
This was the seventh part. Thank you for the immense support.
Please ignore the typos.
Anupamaa
