See if I care - A RiKara FF (Part 17 Updated Pg 55) 29/03 - Page 5

Whatever Omkara had been expecting to hear from her, this had not even made the list. Shivaay seemed equally astonished.

"Gauri... tum ye kyun chaahti ho ki main tumhara background check karaaoon?"

"Bade bhaiyya hum aap se kuch chupaana nahin chaahte. Aap ke bhai aur humare beech mein jo rishtaa hai, use wo nahin maante. Humari shaadi jin haalaathon mein hui, usko dhyaan mein rakhte hue hum samajhte hain ki Omkara kyun is shaadi ko maanna nahin chaahte. Aur humein unhe manvaane mein koi dilchaspi nahin hai."

"Ye tum kya keh rahi ho Gauri? What is this Om? Kin haalaathon mein hui tum donon ki shaadi? And why the hell don't I know anything about any of this?"

Shivaay's voice continued to rise with each word, his frustration reaching its limit at finding that he knew pretty much nothing of the major upheavals in his brother's life. He, the Great Wall of Shivaay, had been completely blind to such major changes in his brother's life. And Omkara had stopped sharing... he wouldn't have even known that his brother was married... Married!, if he hadn't found a crying Gauri leaving the OM premises and forced her to give him an explanation.

Before Omkara could even start to explain, Gauri had jumped in, gaining herself another glare from her so-called husband

"Ek minute bade bhaiyya... hum aapko poori kahaani baad mein suna denge. Magar abhi ke liye, aap ka ye jaanna zaroori hai ki Omkara ne humse shaadi humari jaan bachaane ke liye ki thi. Bareilly mein us waqt humare haalaat kuch aise the ki agar us din Omkara humein nahin bachaate, to hum Kaali Thakur ke changul mein phase hue hote aur shaayad abhi tak zinda bhi nahin hote"

She was so intent on giving her explanation to Shivaay that Gauri failed to notice the change in Omkara's expression. His glare had melted into confusion when her explanation made him sound like some sort of a hero, but slipped into something that was a melding of fear, shock and confusion when she mentioned the possibility of her dying, so casually.

Omkara had never heard someone be so callous about their own existence. He'd grown up in a big, joint family where even if everyone didn't exactly get along very well, no one wished someone's death or destruction... at least not until that moment. But here was this girl, talking about the fact that she might've been dead by now had she become Kaali Thakur's wife, as if it was something unremarkable.

For the first time, Omkara realized that there might be something beyond what he'd seen and what he thought he knew about the situation. Anyone interested in money to the extent he thought she was, someone who was willing to sink to the level he thought she was, would definitely be more interested in preserving their own life than she sounded at the moment. It could be another feint, designed cleverly to make him start doubting himself, but the truthfulness in her voice struck him again as being genuine. She really was that unperturbed about the possibility that she might've died.

But he had no time to reflect on these thoughts as she was going on with her explanation

"Aur jab wo Bareilly chod kar aap ke saath Mumbai waapis aa gaye, to hum ne socha tha ki hum un par apne aap ko zabardasti nahin thopenge. Hum jaante the ki wo is shaadi ko nahin maante aur un ko koi faraq nahin padta ki hum is rishte ko maanein ya naa maanein. Humari maa ki khushi ke liye hum Mumbai aa to gaye, magar humne kabhi nahin socha ki Shankar-ji phir se humein Omkara ke saamne laakar khada kar denge."

"Ye kahaani bohot lambi hai bade bhaiyya... agar aapko sab kuch vistaar se sunna ho to shaayad Omkara aapko bata sakte hain phir kabhi. Aap bas ye samajh lijiye ki hum donon... Omkara aur hum, is shaadi ke rishte ko nibha nahin sakte. Hum mein aur un mein bohot antar hai. Aur kaanooni taur par humari shaadi abhi bhi jaayaz nahin hai. Magar ek cheez hai jo humein khaaye jaa rahi hai aur use door karne mein humein aap ke madad ki zaroorat hai"

Both brothers were looking a bit shell-shocked at the moment, though for entirely different reasons. Shivaay couldn't believe that so much had happened and he'd been so involved in his own problems that he'd seen right through all this but not realized half of it was even happening.

And Omkara was blown away by just how clear and precise Gauri was being with her thoughts. She hadn't badmouthed him or blamed him for anything but she also hadn't sugar coated anything. She sounded way less invested in their relationship than he'd thought she would be, considering how emotional she'd been around him. He didn't know what to think... he couldn't understand if this was a recent development because of his behavior or if she'd never been interested in him at all, but rather performing what she felt was her duty as his so-called wife. And he couldn't understand why both options made something hurt inside.

"Bolo... kya chaahiye tumhein Gauri..."

This time, Omkara was surprised to learn that his mind didn't automatically assume that she would want money. Had he become such a shallow person that five minutes of logical explanation had completely turned his thoughts around? When had he become so set in his views that he hadn't even bothered to check if his information was correct before forming an opinion?

"Aap ke bhai ko humare baare mein bohot saari galat faimiyaan hain jo wo shaayad sudhaarna nahin chaahte. Magar hum unki izzat karte the aur aaj bhi humein ye baat chot pohonchati hai ki wo humein ek giri hui aur ghatiya kism ki aurat samajhte hain. Agar aap ne humara... wo kya kaha aapne?... background check karvaaya aur uski report apne bhai ko dikhaai to shaayad unhe sach ka saamna karna pade."

"Hum ye nahin chaahte ki wo humare baare mein apni raai badal lein... hum bas yahi chaahte hain ki unhe sach ka pata chale aur wo ye jaan lein ki unhone hum par galat ilzaam lagaaye hain aur humare baare mein unki soch galat hai."

This felt like a lightning strike on top of an earthquake... the very foundations of Omkara's beliefs were being shaken here. The calm confidence on her countenance, as if she knew that they wouldn't be able to find anything damning her and the disinterest she'd expressed in having him repent for his actions against her were enough to shock him into blankness.

Shivaay on the other hand, was staring at Gauri in a thoughtful manner, assessing her and trying to understand what it was she really wanted. Because he knew that no one in this world gave away anything for free. And here this girl was, giving up her perfectly comfortable life as an Oberoi bahu just to clear her conscience? And she'd also accused his mother of some pretty awful crimes. He just didn't know what to make of her.

Gauri stood in front of both brothers looking as calm as she could... on the inside, she was shaking with nerves and relief at having finally said what she'd wanted to for a long time. Though she wasn't really planning to stay after the detective reports revealed her truth, Gauri couldn't deny that she was emotionally involved with these people... with one particular jatadhari. She knew that it wasn't what people called romantic love... yet. She also knew that given the right circumstances and assurance of returned feelings, what she felt for him could very well turn into the forever after kind of love.

Gauri had no real life examples of romantic love so she'd made do with examples of her Salman ji's films. They were always chockful of amazing romances, action sequences and the happily ever after in the end. She'd grown up learning about life and the finer emotions from Salman ji. Gauri was intelligent enough to know that real life was never like the movies but it didn't hurt to dream. At least it hadn't hurt till the version of love and matrimony that crashed into her life turned quickly from a rose petal filled dream into a nightmare of gargantuan proportions.

And then he'd come to save her... like a true hero, and Gauri knew that she'd started hero worshipping Omkara Singh Oberoi from the day he'd not only saved her life, but also her dignity in front of the entire village. That's when she decided... whether he considered their wedding vows binding or not, it didn't matter to her. In her heart, she considered him her hero... not her husband who she could lay claim to, but her hero who she was content to worship from afar.

Getting to know the real him during her stay at OM as Chulbul had opened her eyes to the many, many facets of this complicated man. And somewhere along the way, her hero had become her friend, a person who's highs and lows she had a share in, someone she'd seen both laughing at silly things and depressed about his life and the callous people in it. Seeing him as a normal person rather than a heroic figure had definitely changed her feelings toward him... but rather than diminish, they'd altered into something different but stronger. She'd felt her reverence turn into affection, her respect for him turn into the grudging but nevertheless true love of a friend who knew their friend inside out and still wanted to stick around.

The hero who'd been out of her league turned into her friend who she could see herself spending hours upon hours doing silly things with. Without even her knowledge, Gauri had started to love this man. She wasn't in love with him... but she did love him all the same. The one thing that could tip this condition of hers into the territory of romantic love, would be him... his feelings for her to be exact.

But Gauri knew that even daydreaming about this man letting go of his ego and admitting he was wrong without being forced into it was as likely as her Shankar ji appearing before her that moment and granting her everything she wanted. With all the anger and hatred locked up inside him turning him bitter and cynical, there would need to be a huge change in him before he could even contemplate frivolous things like feelings.

For the moment, she would settle for the look on his face when he read the detective's report. A little bit of tasteless I-told-you-so would soothe her hurting heart enough for her to sever the connection without suffering monumental damage.

She was pulled from her thoughts as she felt Shivaay Singh Oberoi move across the room to stare out of the window.

He still sounded contemplative when he spoke almost half a minute later

"Theek hai... I don't know what's been happening between the two of you in these last few months, but I promise you... tum donon poori sacchaai mujhe bataaye bina nahin reh sakoge. I will get it out of both of you and I want to know everything. Par wo baad mein bhi kar lenge. Abhi, I understand your point of view Gauri... main apne detective se kehlvaakar jald se jald tumhari poori report deliver karne bolta hoon."

"Thank you bade bhaiyya, humein pata tha ki aap humari madad zaroor karenge. Hum aap ko bata nahin sakte ki hum aap ke kitne aabhaari hain"

He'd just lifted his hand to wave her gratitude off when his phone rang in the tone reserved for his wife.

"Haan Anika bolo... main yahaan mere home office mein hoon. Is everything okay? Tum itni pareshaan kyun sound kar rahi ho?... Theek hai, main yahin par wait karta hoon."

In seconds, there was a knock on the door and upon being opened by Shivaay, they were all witness to a clearly shaken Anika stumble into the room.

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Yay! Anika's here... Story's moving along smoothly and we can expect some more drama in the next update.

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