Omkara sat at the edge of his bed, listening to his father for the past one hour. "I hardly expected this from you, Om! Do you know how hard it is to build a reputation? It doesn't take more than a second to bring it all down." Tej was standing by the window, smoking a cigarette, looking at the view outside. He had been informed by one of his associates about Omkara being spotted with a girl and that the two of them seemed to be quite close. He also learned about Omkara sending a guy to jail on account of molesting the woman. He asked, "Om, do you know what would happen if the media got to know of this? That you sent a guy to jail because he was allegedly molesting the girl; a girl who's sharing a room with you?" Omkara looked up and said, "Not allegedly, Dad. I saw it happen. He was trying to rape her. Did you expect me to do nothing; just stand there and watch her being molested?" Tej turned around at his harsh tone and looked at Om, "Now you're going to argue with me for that girl? Why?"
Omkara frowned, thinking about the answer to that question, as Tej continued, "Look, what you've done is a noble thing. i agree. But, do you realise the impact of it? And to make it worse, the girl is staying in your room! Only you and I know that she's been using the spare bed. But how does it sound, Om? Imagine Riddhima comes to know about it? How would she react, knowing that her to-be husband is sharing a room with a random woman?" Omkara tried to swallow the lump in his throat. Not because he cared about what Riddhima would think; but because he had lied to his father that Gauri had occupied the spare bed, which was only half of the truth. "Look, Om," Tej said as he doused the cigarette in his hand, "You aren't a child anymore. You're going to get married in a few months time. Please don't disappoint me or Riddhima. She'd your fiance, the heir to the Gupta Industries and the future daughter-in-law of the Oberoi empire. We are from well-known families. Don't do any such thing that would end up ruining our reputation. I don't want my son's personal life to appear on the front pages of a gossip magazine, alright?"
Omkara simply started at the floor with no response. "Om..." Tej called out to him, "I'm talking to you, son..." and he nodded, while speaking with a heavy voice, "I heard you, Dad. Don't worry. I won't let anything sabotage my relationship with Riddhima, nor will I disappoint you." Tej nodded, and proceeded to freshen up before he could leave for a meeting with a few delegates. "Aren't you coming along for the haldi ceremony?" Om asked, and Tej said that he couldn't afford to postpone the meeting. "I'll be back quite late, Om. You have fun, and don't forget what I told you. Do whatever you want to; just don't spoil what between Riddhima and you." With that being said, Tej went about doing what he had to, and then left the room.
***
Gauri looked at herself in the mirror. She could hardly recognize herself. Talking over the phone to her mother had made her feel slightly better a while ago, but soon all those thoughts came rushing back to her. That room; his fragrance; his touch... Was this all going to be so painful from now on? She wiped her tears and smiled bitterly, "It's all still so fresh and raw. It will take time, Gauri. Once you leave Manali, you'll forget all about him. Like he'll forget about you..." That made her throat close, as she choked on a hard lump. And to add to her misery, her mind whispered, "He won't wait to leave Manali to forget you, Gauri. You never mattered to him anyway. He's probably forgotten you already..." And with that, she fell to the floor and wept her heart out. She wanted to cry and forget all those memories, that hurt her like pointy shards of glass. If only it would be so easy to forget it all...
***
Omkara reached the venue quite early. Not because he had nothing to do. In fact, Tej had asked him to accompany him, but he made an excuse saying he wasn't really looking forward to working while on vacation. Tej had no choice but to go alone. Omkara was here early because secretly, a part of him wanted to see Gauri Sharma. And when he did see her, he frowned. Walking with a tiny bowl of turmeric paste towards the pandal where Bhavya was seated, Gauri looked extremely gorgeous in her embroidered high-collared backless blouse and a flowing yellow skirt. However, that wasn't what Omkara frowned at. Even from a distance, Omkara could see the purplish scar on her back, which had already gotten three to four women gossiping.
With no other care in the world, and forgetting everything else, Omkara held Gauri by her wrist and pulled her away from the crowd, while glaring at her so she didn't yell out and draw attention. Dragging her behind a pillar, he stared at her and she matched his hard stare, "How dare you! What is wrong with you?" she said in a harsh whisper, ignoring the flutter she felt with his fingers digging into the skin of her hand. Omkara grit his teeth in annoyance, "Exactly! What is wrong with You?" She frowned, not quite understanding the meaning of what he was trying to say. "Your back is almost bare, as if on display!" he whispered in an unintentionally breathy tone and her frown turned deeper, "You are a sick and disgusting pervert, Omkara Oberoi!" she said and was about to move away, when he held her arm and pulled her back. This time, her back collided against his chest. Bending slowly, he whispered in her ear, in a calm and composed manner, "Your back has a visibly dark hickey."
To say that Gauri was shocked would have been an understatement. "Here..." he said in a husky tone, pointing out to the scar, and in the next second, she felt his finger on her back. Dipping his fingers into the bowl that she was still holding, he applied the paste on the scar in a lame attempt to cover up the scar, and then kept his fingers running till the hook of her blouse. Omkara began to feel the air around him turning thick and tense. Gripping her arms, he turned her around. Time almost stood still when she looked into his eyes, slowly lifting her gaze that was hiding beneath those thick lashes. Holding her chin with the tips of his fingers, he drew her close.
You can't hurt me. You're not someone who holds an important place in my life, anyway... Well, glad to know the feeling is mutual... the words rang in her ears like an alarm, ringing bells of warning in her ears as she saw him slowly close his eyes and bend his neck to press his lips against hers. Pushing him away, she stood staring at him, expressionless.
It took a whole moment for Omkara to register what just happened. He was about to almost say something in anger when he saw her eyes well up with tears. Immediately, his anger melted and a strange sense of agony overpowered him. Her tears literally caused his heart to ache with heaviness and pain. Taking a step towards her, he stopped suddenly when she held her hand up. "Don't, Omkara. Stay away from me..." she said with a shaky tone and quivering lips, trying hard to stop those tears in vain. Before she could break down in front of him, she ran away. A minute later, Omkara realised that he had to make sure she was okay before she could get into any further trouble or pain. More importantly, he needed to know she wasn't hurt by him or his gestures.
***
"Gauri, open the door!" Omkara said trying not to panic, knocking twice. He could hear her sobs, and right now, he did not wish to ponder about the restlessness he felt while hearing her cry. "Go from here, Omkara..." she yelled from the room. "There's no f*cking way I'm going from here without knowing you're fine, got that?" Gauri walked to the door in anger, and leaning against it, she asked, "Why do you care? I'm not that important, right?" Omkara swore under his breath, "Will you just open the door, for the love of God?" Gauri sniffed, "No, Omkara. Please leave. I have nothing to say to you or anyone... Please go..." Omkara took a deep breath, calming himself down and said, "Look, Gauri. I know you're upset with me, and don't even try to deny it." She closed her mouth, letting her argument die prematurely, and leaned her forehead against the door as he continued, "Gauri, I will go, I promise. But I just want to make sure if you're okay... Please? Open the door?"
After what seemed like ages, he heard the lock click on the door. Without waiting for her to open it, he pushed the door and rushed inside. The sight that met his eyes shattered his heart. Her cheeks were stained with tears, and her eyes were bloodshot red. Did he do this to her? Was he the reason behind her tears. He didn't have to wait for an answer; her eyes told him what he needed to know. Trying to temporarily push aside the guilt, he asked with hesitation, "Gauri, are you okay?" She stared at him, and then, with fresh tears welling up in her eyes, she shook her head in a No. Omkara simply pulled her into his arms, and enveloped her in a tight embrace. "Please don't cry... please, Gauri..." He tried to hold her face to make her look at him, but she refused to lift her head, and continued to hide her face against his chest.
He simply wrapped her closer in his arms, and held her tight, allowing her to cry. "Gauri..." moments later he called in a soft voice, and that was when she parted from him. Wiping her tears, she put up that brave smile again. How it hurt him to see her smiling in such a broken manner! "Gauri... I..." "I know, Omkara. It isn't your fault... It never was... You had made it clear... It's not your fault that I..." Gauri couldn't say the rest of the sentence without breaking down. Omkara cupped her face in his hands, "It isn't your fault either. Sometimes certain things happen, which is beyond our control." He wiped her tears with his thumbs, and on an instinct, he kissed her forehead. "Omkara, you must leave..." she said still crying. He smiled sadly; there was a time when he had asked her to stay away, and today, ironically, he was the one being asked to keep away from her.
"And what if I want to stay?" he asked, surprising himself, and her. The words he blurted out made him look at a bleak future; a road that had a dead end. "Then you're not allowed to leave..." she whispered. He looked into her eyes, and he saw a certain uncertainty and fear in her eyes. How could he stay back? Unconsciously, he touched the platinum engagement ring he was wearing, which she noticed, while pondering over his decision to stay or leave. "Gauri... I... I cannot..." he stammered, and she simply smiled, saying, "I know, Omkara. I understand you. You don't need to justify. Go..." she said, and held the door for him to go out. He'd seen the brimming tears in her eyes already. And he knew she was going to break down the moment he would step out. Yet, knowing it all, he walked out of the door and saw the door being shut on his face.
Gauri found herself feeling sick. Her tears, her sudden feeling of being choked up; for a moment, she felt like throwing up. She began to feel suffocated. It was all over, forever; and just when she thought that, she heard a knock. Opening the door, she saw Omkara stand helplessly at the threshold. "I can't leave, Gauri. I don't want to leave..." he whispered. And before she could react, he closed the distance between them, and kissed her, while kicking the door shut with his foot.
"Om..." she yelped between the kiss, when she almost tasted blood on her lips at the way he kissed her hard. It wasn't gentle; he was no more patient and understanding. That kiss conveyed all the underlying fears, the helplessness, the vulnerability, the anxiety, the dilemma... everything. He pulled away, while she was still trying to process what was happening. He held her face in his hands and leaning against her forehead, he said, "I don't care if I am important to you or not, and I don't know if you will ever do what I'm going to ask you to do... But please, you're not allowed to cry, ever. Not because of me, not for me, not on account of anything or anyone. Okay?" She shook her head with a small smile, "Are happy tears allowed?" she asked, placing her hands on top of his, which were still at her cheek. "No... no tears... not even happy ones..." he said with a smile, kissing the corner of her mouth that had curved up in a smile.
Pulling away from her, he looked into her eyes while moving her disarrayed hair away from her face and tucking them behind her ears. Slowly, she pulled away from him when he looked at her lips, knowing well what was on his mind.
Laagi Tum Se Man Ki Lagan
Lagan Laagi Tum Se Man Ki Lagan
My heart seeks you,
my heart goes out for you,
Gali-Gali Ghume Dil Tujhe Dhundhe
Tere Bin Tarase Nayan
Lagan Laagi Tum Se Man Ki Lagan
Lagan Laagi Tum Se Man Ki Lagan
my heart wanders street after street in search of you.
Without you my eyes pine,
my heart seeks you,
my heart goes out to you
Gauri turned around, with her back towards him. He walked closer to her, with his gaze on her back that was stained with yellow turmeric; the very same turmeric he'd applied in haste a while ago. With no inhibitions, he undid the string on her blouse, and with one tug, it fell onto the floor. Without turning around, she turned just her head to look at him, and with a mysterious smile, she walked into the bathroom. Omkara followed her, as he loosened the buttons of his kurta.
Aa Jaa O Meri Jaan, Mere Dil Kaa Jahaan
Maage Teri Khabar, Dhundhe Teraa Nishaan
Laagi Tum Se Man Ki Lagan
Lagan Laagi Tum Se Man Ki Lagan
Come to me my Beloved, my everything and my all,
my heart wants to know more of you, its seeks for a trace of you.
My heart seeks you,
my heart goes out to you
Omkara's hands wander on her back under the water falling from the shower head, washing away the yellow paste, that left a light hue behind. She turned around and standing close to him, she pressed her forehead against his beating heart. "I did not mean it when I said you weren't important, Om." He smiled, listening to her calling the shortened version of his name. He would never tell her, but he had observed she called him Om only during the throes of passion. To have her call him as Om right now, sent a mild jolt through his body. "Neither did I... Gauri, I dont know how to explain..." he said, feeling altogether overwhelmed. She looked up at him, and laced her fingers through the gaps between his fingers, "I don't need an explanation, you're here, right now, that's enough for me..." And with that, she pressed her lips against his, smiling through tears.
Teraa Tujhko Saup De Kya Laagat Hai Mor
Mera Mujhme Kuchh Naahi Jo Hovat So Tor
I give back to you that which was always yours,
Nothing was ever mine, all that is, is yours
He wrapped her in that fluffy bathrobe and carried her to the bed. Making her sit on it, he sat next to her and wiped her hair dry. She looked at him, and he could almost see her heart in her eyes. Making her lean back, he lay down next to her, while caressing her face, and kissing every inch of her. He held her hand in his, and kissed the tips of her fingers and the middle of her palm. He saw the intial of his name decorated in henna that was darker than ever. Smiling, he kissed her wrists and proceeded his way up her arms. Kissing her shoulder blades and the nape of her neck, he proceeded to repeat the same with her other hand. Gauri felt herself tear up at the tenderness. Holding her face, he brushed his nose against hers, "What did I tell you about tears?" She smiled with a nod as he gave er a small smile.
Tere Bin Meraa Man, Jaise Vann Me Hiran, Jaise Pagali Pawan,
Laagi Tum Se Man Ki Lagan
Lagan Laagi Tum Se Man Ki Lagan
Without You, my heart is like a deer in the forest, it's like the crazy winds.
My heart seeks you, my heart goes out to you
That night, for a change, they did not have sex. But they did make love; not with their body, but with something beyond the physical aspects of whatever they shared, whatever that transpired between them. Both of them had seeped into each other to an extent that there was no existence of any void in them. He had cuddled her, holding her tight in his arms. and she had felt solace, resting in his tight embrace. And it was all going good, until Om woke up in the middle of the night due to a phone call. Looking at the caller's name, the color of his face drained while he saw the woman in his arms sleeping blissfully unaware. Untangling himself from her, he walked to the window to answer the call.
"Om... Where the hell are you?" his father growled. "What happened, Dad?" he asked calmly, trying to ignore the rage in that voice. "What did I tell you this morning? You had to pick Riddhima from the airport!" Omkara frowned as he tried recalling, but failed. "You did?" he asked, only to have Tej yell at him, "Where was your head when I was talking to you this morning?" Omkara sighed, "Fine, what time do I have to pick her up?" This time, Tej's annoyance blew the roof, "She's waiting at the airport already, Omkara! Learn to be a little responsible, for f*ck's sake!" Tej said and cut the call, leaving him to feel guilty.
Omkara looked at the phone. His father had warned him against doing anything that would sabotage his relationship with Riddhima or could tarnish the reputation of both families. The wedding cards were already being distributed. The preparations were going on in full swing. And in the midst of this chaos, his heart found the perfectly imperfect timing to voice out its feelings towards the petite woman he'd come to know, to understand and to... love... Yes, a feeling named love. The same feeling that burned a hole in his chest when he saw her crying; the same feeling that made him miserable when he saw sadness in her eyes; the same feeling that made his heart bubble up with joy whenever she smiled. A small smile crept up on his face, involuntarily.
Omkara looked at Gauri who was peacefully asleep. With a sigh, he ran his fingers through her hair and placed a kiss at her temple. She seemed to have been lost in her own little land, and probably dreaming about them. He smiled. And then he remembered Riddhima when he saw his engagement ring shine in the dim light. A tiny tear made its way down his eyes. "Forgive me, Gauri. I have no right to be selfish. I have no right to make decisions on behalf of us both. But you deserve better. For that, I'm going to be breaking your heart soon. With tomorrow morning, things between us are going to end forever..." He inhaled the fragrance of her hair... sweet, pure and untainted, unlike him and his manipulated world.