"Om", she called out to the figure she saw walking up the stairs.
Omkara turned and walked up to her.
" Meet Gauri, the designer!"
Omkara smiled cordially and turned to look at the small figure.
His smile slowly faded, his eyes dint blink as they registered in every bit of the face. He felt weird tinglings in his entire body.
His eyes now blinked, as his mind wanted to make sure he wasn't hallucinating. That wasn't a face he could easily forget, no matter how much he wanted to.
"Om!" His mother's voice brought him out of his stance.
"Huh?" He turned to her, only to find her indicating him to shake Gauri's hand that she had extended.
He turned back to her, holding her hand.
"Gauri!" She introduced herself.
He simply shook her hand as flashes of the past ran before his eyes.
She quickly looked away from his eyes. There was something about them, something very intense. She gulped looking at her hand he still held. He looked at their hands too, and swiftly pulled away his hand.
"Gauri this is Anika, the elder daughter in law of this family." Introduced Jaanvi.
Gauri hadn't even noticed when the fourth person had arrived. She hesitantly gave Omkara a quick look and turned to the taller lady. "Hello.Gauri!" She extended her hand towards Anika.
A relief swept through her as Anika's warm hand shake was quite contrary to Omkara's and left her with a warm feeling.
Anika went on and on appreciating Gauri's creativity. "Jaanvi Aunty showed me the designs yesterday. They were khidkitod."
"Thank you Ma'am!" She replied softly.
"Ma'am? Call me Anika."
Gauri-"But, aap hum se,..
"Ahaan, call me Anika!" Jaanvi pulled Anika's ears. "And what did you just call me?"
Anika squealed, "Sorry Sorry Jaan...Badi Maa, woh aadat hain naa!"
Jaanvi pulled Anika's cheeks and kissed her cheek. Gauri smiled adoring them.
"Anika has a point, yeh Ma'am nahi chalega garh par"
"Lekin.." Gauri protested.
Finally Gauri had to agree to address Anika as Di and Jaanvi as Aunty. Not that she actually minded. On the contrary she felt nice having someone she could address informally.
Omkara's eyes hadn't moved from Gauri. That dint go unnoted by his cat-eyed brother, who very intently noticed every bit of Om's expression.
"Come I will show you around!" Anika smiled. Gauri followed, and something made her look back at him.
His gaze was still on her. She smiled slightly at the others and quickly met his eyes. They were telling something. Screaming to be specific. Something she wasn't able to comprehend. But something about him left her restless.
Om paced up and down his room. Her face still very much afresh before his eyes. Soon he caught a glimpse of her through the slightly open door of his room. He quickly stepped aside as he saw them approaching his room.
"And this is Omkara's room!" Spoke Anika.
Gauri looked around interest evident in her manner. The mysterious man's room! She din't fail to note his impressive choice of colors and room decor.
As they moved to leave Anika got a call and hurriedly left asking Gauri to take the other corridor to get back to the living hall.
Gauri walked timidly down the huge corridor. She suddenly turned back, why did she feel she was being followed? Setting aside her thoughts she clutched tightly to her bag and started walking again. She stopped only when she found a beautiful carving of Lord Shiv on the wall. Highly attracted by it she touched it slightly. The art was a a marvel. She closed her eyes and folded her hands before it. He watched her with transfixed gaze. She then turned right down the corridor only to find his towering form blocking her way.
"Yahan kya kar rahi ho?" His voice was cold and crisp.
She gulped. "Ah...Sir...WO...actually Anika Di...was showing me around and she got a call and left."
He took a step closer, his eyes boring into hers. She gulped stepping back and bending backward. "Go."
She nodded and left hurriedly, as fast as her little feet could take her.
***
He only reached inside his room from his balcony when he saw her leave the gates of the mansion.
***
His jaw clenched he looked at his empty drawing sheet. How dare she! She dared to come back into his life and pretend as though nothing had happened and she dint know him! He swiped his hand on his working table causing the paints to crash into the carpeted floor in the dark hour of night. He had been a fool once won't be again. He knew very well women like her.
"Welcome Gauri! I knew it. Tum waisi hi ho jaise Maine socha thaa!
Lekin tute huye ko toda nahi jaa sakta, tuta hua todta hai! "
His fiery eyes swore to destroy her before she could.
***
She sat by the window caressing the photo frame in her hand, and looking up at the stars in the sky.
Today she felt different. Meeting the Oberois made her feel nice. Jaanvi and Anika were like the most genltle and kind souls she had met. Not to miss out the younger Oberoi, Rudra, he was such a cutely funny soul. She loved the way he called her Gauri Di at first conversation itself. The elder brothers were well strange creatures she had concluded. The one with the kanji eyes and the other with long hair. She wondered how Anika and that Mr. Shivaay Singh Oberoi could be husband-wife. She was like the careless summer shower, and he was freezing winter, that different they seemed to her. Then there was that man with mysteriously deep eyes and piercing gaze. What was it about him!? Perhaps she was just overthinking.
She got up and put the frame back in place, she missed her mother, she missed her very much today. She had seen a slight reflection of her mother in Jaanvi today. She smiled. God had his way. He had taken away her mother but had given her a mother like figure in Jaanvi.
***
It had been a week. Gauri had worked more on the event decor with Anika than on the designs of the gallery. No one complained. She had got used to the family's ways. That said, she still found the long haired man bewildering. His eyes were always deep pools hiding a lot unknown and unexpressed. She would work an hour or two on the designs and he would simply look. His gaze was never warming. It was the kind that would run shiver down your spine. But for a reason unknown to herself, she found herself getting lost in this entangled mess of a mysterious man.
"Gauri, please go see where Om is! Guests have started arriving but he isn't seen around!" Spoke Anika hurriedly, smiling at the guests who were arriving at the door. Gauri was invited as well to the Sangeet of Rudra and Saumya. The mansion was beautifully decorated this time in an altogether different way,suprising not just the guests who frequented the functions of the Oberois but also the family members.
"Ji Di!" She replied affirmatively.
The last thing she would want to do is go looking for him! Setting her duppatta on the way she hummed softly as she made her way to his room.
"Ahhh!" He cried rubbing the cotton dipped in antiseptic over his bleeding hand as he blew over it at the same time.
She was startled seeing blood on his hand. She looked around to find the broken piece of glass with blood. Her eyes moved back to his face. He was wincing in pain. As much as she wanted to stay away she couldn't let him struggle like that in pain. In quick steps she was before him. "Let me help. " she blowed, cleaning it.
"I..." He was about to reject her help, by a sharp sting in his palm's wound made him screw his eyes shut. The reason for his pain was trying to be his healer!
Ever since he had met this woman he was never able to be at peace. One year and still there was something very very strange making him still think about her, giving him pain. Why did he hate this woman so much? Why?
"I can manage." He said coldly pulling back his arm.
"You can't. Zakhm Gehra Hai!" She pulled back his hand.
"Kuch Zakhm Samay ke Saath Aur Gehre Ho Jaate Hain,
Aur kuch Naa hoke bhi reh jaate hain,
Dard dono hi dete hai,
Faraq itna hai kuch dikhte hain aur kuch nahi."
The words came right from his pained heart that carried the burden of the past. The burden that still held him down, the burden that left wounds and left him crouching down to the ground.
She met his eyes at once. This was much more. His eyes accused her. His eyes hated her. His eyes showed how much he despised her. She feared, why was their so much of what she thought was hatred in them?
"Dard se itni dosti mat ki jiye,
Ki dard aap ko chod naa paaye!"
Her eyes looked straight into his. Today she was going to find her answers. He will have to give her. She had noted that he was always very rude and cold to her. His words indirect and accusing. Today he will have to use his words to tell her what was it that she dint know!
