Dear Friends.
Please find below the last update of Infallible Attraction.
Bear with it, it is a very looonnnggg update.
I had to close the story here. As every update starts with
the point of view of one out of the four central characters
and their perspective on life and time, I hope you noticed
that. 😆 😉
This update is dedicated to Farri25, sorry for making you wait dear, but I hope it was worth a wait and I did some justice . Do let me know.
I hope all readers like it.
I may write an Epilogue if you are nice and give me enough comments - he he
Without further ado, here it goes:
INFALLIBLE ATTRACTION
Part 4 ( Last )
Life is full of possibilities, and time, full of potential': Jhanvi Singh Oberoi
Jhanvi was surprised about what she had just heard on the intercom. Her son, Omkara, had just agreed to give an interview to Gauri! She wondered what had brought that about. He, who guarded his thoughts with his life, had agreed to speak to a writer, her biographer, which will go in a book, for all to read! She tried to fathom her feelings. Should she be happy? Should she be afraid? What was going on in his head?
She was a survivor. She had gone through a lot in life with the passing away of her much loved husband at a very young age, but she never let herself become bitter at the world or fate. She was an eternal optimist who believed in good things and good people.
Jhanvi was a very intuitive person when it came to people. She almost had a PhD when it came to those close to her, specially her sons. She knew exactly what they wanted, when and how, having brought them up single handed from when they were a tender age, she had to be their father and mother both. After Tej passed away, she had to look after the business, the estate and her two sons, but she fulfilled all the roles impeccably. Both the sons had reacted differently to Tej's death. Whilst Rudra was inconsolable for months after, Omkara just shut down. He didn't cry, or react or showed his grief. He had to be strong as the elder son of the house, as his mother's helper.
She was concerned about Omkara when he was growing up; he always had this shield around him, that no one could breach, a shield - of passiveness. He wanted the world to believe he had no heart, and that he didn't get affected by people and that emotions meant nothing to him. It was some sort of a defense mechanism he had come up with, after he got hurt when his father left him for the next world. When it came to any emotions, even be it love, Omkara was not available.
He was introduced to art then, by Jhanvi, as some sort of therapy. When he wouldn't open his heart to anything or anyone, his paintings gave him an outlet. He would hide away in his little boudoir which he built himself and paint for hours. Only she and Rudra were allowed to see his paintings, they were not for the world. He didn't want the world to see his vulnerability. But what he was working at this time, he had allowed neither her nor Rudra to see. She knew this because she heard Rudra complaining about it.
It was true; Omkara was behaving strangely from a past few weeks, ever since Gauri's arrival, Jhanvi had allowed herself to kindle a ray of hope. He was never so inappropriate or out of control as he was when Gauri was around. His impeccable manners and best behaviour were somehow put on a back-burner where she was concerned, without him realising it. Didn't she hear him shouting at one of the servants the other day when he spilled water on Gauri? Omkara ! Who never raised his voice? And there were numerous other little things about him that had changed. He certainly was losing his grip on his resolve, on his shield, there were holes developing in the armour which could be now breached. She let herself believe that her intuition was right, about Gauri.
But she had to be certain, she had to know. With this resolve she walked towards Omkara's room. She entered the room almost on tiptoe so as not to disturb anything. It was empty. She had picked a good time. She knew Omkara often went for a walk around this time, far to the dunes. She made her way to his studio where the easel stood with a life-size canvas on it, covered from top to bottom with a trace roll. She gently pulled the string which sent the pulley in action, lifting the roll, bit by bit, revealing what was underneath.
Standing before her, painted in beautiful colours, was a life-size painting of Gauri wearing the sharara she had gifted her for the wedding the other week. She looked stunning in the painting, maybe even more beautiful than she was. This was Omkara's masterpiece, his best work she had seen so far, as if he had poured his heart and soul into it. But when did Omkara see her wearing that dress?
Jhanvi was in shock, in disbelief. Inside, her heart was doing a dance but she didn't want to allow herself to dream, lest it would be shattered. But she was an optimist, wasn't she? She decided it was time. Strike the iron when it is hot for maximum impact, she thought. She quickly put back the cover the way it was and walked out of the room.
Her next detour was to Gauri's room. She knocked on the door twice and entered when Gauri said come in'.
"M'am, aap? You could have asked me, I would have come to you, why did you bother? Gauri was conscious.
"Gauri beta, relax. Even I need some exercise, so I came to you, is that a problem. In fact, I came to ask you for a favour Jhanvi made her comfortable.
"Yes, of course, anything for you, don't call it favour, I will be happy to do, whatever you ask of me Gauri smiled.
"Omkara has finally agreed for an interview. I am quite surprised to be honest and happy at the same time. Beta, I wanted to request you, before he changes his mind again, would you be so kind to do the interview now? Jhanvi was persuasive.
"Now? Who? M'am. Now? I don't think I am ready. Woh? Gauri was like a deer caught in the headlights.
She certainly didn't want to face her nemesis at this time, as it is she felt vulnerable around him, and now? She was going to script the whole interview with him beforehand, so there is no opportunity for any distraction/ divergence. But if she had to do it now impromptu, It was a recipe for disaster!
"What happened beta. You don't need to prepare anything; you have interviewed the entire household by now, atleast fifty people, only Omkara is remaining. Please, do it for me. Jhanvi insisted.
"Yes, M'am, s you say. But he, is he ready? Gauri wanted to make sure she wasn't interrupting anything.
"Yes, he told me himself. He will be returning from his walk in the next half hour, then you can talk to him Jhanvi held Gauri's chin in her fingers, bent and kissed her forehead and left.
Gauri was agitated. She picked up her journal and turned the pages to when she first met him and started reading "my heart was pounding ...I had lost all the will to protest... I wanted this, his lips on mine
She couldn't read any further and shut the book with a bang.
"Uff, why? Why are you doing this to me Shankarji? What is happening to me? Why can't I control my senses in his presence? Why? Gauri was a fiercely independent woman, a self-made person. She guarded her freedom with all the power she had, and now she was losing a grip on it, when he was around, she certainly felt different.
"No. She will fight this, whatever it is, until her last breath.
With this resolve, she picked up her file of Jhanvi's biography and walked towards Omkara's room.
"I will fight this. I will get over it, I have to. Omkara was going over this mantra in his head over and over hitting the punching bag several times when he heard a knock.
"Come in he ordered, not knowing who it was. His room was dimly lit, with just night light on, in the columned enclosure around the central space.
She opened the door slightly, and he found his entire room had lit up with this person's beautiful aura, dressed in white, her chiffon dupatta flowing behind her, she looked like an angel. And he felt his resolve slipping.
"M'am informed me that you are ready for an interview. But it's ok if you prefer another time Gauri spoke, not looking at him directly; she was trying to find ways to escape.
He was sweating profusely with all the punching he had just done, his hair wet, water droplets dripping on his shoulders, when he came and stood next to her, very close.
"Why? Now you can't even bear my presence even for a second, is that it? he was still angry, furious, the image of her laughing around the fountain still alive in his head.
"No. nahin. I never said that. Why are you drawing your own conclusions out of nothing she was going to give it back to him tit for tat. She thought. But she was already stammering by now.
"No. You never say it, do you? But you don't need to, you have your ways of showing me he taunted her.
She was getting upset now. How dare he accuse her when he...? He was already affecting her. She felt like crying, she was angry, really angry. He made her cry in the morning without lifting even a finger. She had escaped from the breakfast table with headache as an excuse and now this!
"What? What did I do now? You are the one who were ... She blurted out in her anger, her words were losing dignity...she recalled the image of him with Ishana, she had cried in her room for hours after that. He had an undeniable power over her, he could make her feel things, really feel, and she wanted to take it back- that hold he had on her, coz there was no future.
"I am the one who - what? What did I do Miss Sharma? he was walking towards her, making her walk backwards until she hit a column. She looked back, there was no escape, he had her cornered. Her back was against the column and both his hands were on either side of her, blocking her.
"I am waiting Miss Sharma. He was really looking at her, straight through her eyes, teasingly caressing, egregious, and insinuating, nudging her heart-strings, blood was rushing to parts of her body she couldn't bear to think even.
"I am the one who did what... He repeated, this time in his sexy undertone, the one he had used on her the fated night, of the kiss. He moved even closer to her, his head bending over hers, his breath heating up parts of her cheek.
"Nahin. Stay away, why are you standing so close, let me go... She tried to divert him, in her stammered, slurred speech with much difficulty, her heart pounding again, her chest heaving.
"Why? Does it bother you when I come close to you? he was still very close to her, his opulent male scent filling her up, he didn't take his eyes off her even for a second, as if he was enjoying this, a smirk was developing on his face. Finally he had her, where he wanted her.
"No. Why should it bother me? It doesn't bother me at all she gathered her nerves and replied, standing defiant, protecting her freedom.
He gave her a knowing look raising his eyebrows, raising his right hand caressing her left shoulder above her dupatta.
"So it doesn't affect you when I touch you, like this he traced his fingers lightly, feather-touch almost, over her shoulder and down.
She got shudders as she felt his touch, but he wasn't unscathed either, he felt an electric current run through inside him, and a magnetic energy, which was keeping his fingers on her elbow, unable to pull apart.
"Nahhhiiinnn. Why should it affect me...when you touch me? No, I am not affected she was still defiant, not letting it show that she was holding onto the last straw of resolve before she would drown in the river of emotions. She could feel a flood coming, how long the dam of resistance would sustain, she did not know.
"And now, do you feel anything now he moved closer, his lips mm apart from hers, he was just going to bend down and kiss her when she raised both her hands removing his hands from the column.
"Enough. What do you think of yourself? Why are you doing this? What do you want to prove? she shouted with all her will. She was angry and crying now, her eyes bloodshot. She was already fighting this demon inside her and he was making her life impossible, she had to do something.
"I hate you. Suna aapne. That's what I feel. Why does it even matter to you, what I feel? These were Gauri's last words when she ran out of his room wiping her tears.
Omkara was shocked out of his wits. He didn't realise how far he had taken the harmless banter, it's just that he didn't have any control over his actions, thoughts and feelings when she was around him.
He hit the column with his bare fists to vent out his anger. He was angry with himself, for taking it too far. But then how far was too far, between them? Hadn't they kissed? Wasn't that the truth? Then why pretend as if nothing had happened? But then he realised. It only happened if it meant anything to her, if it meant anything to him. Did it mean anything to him? He probed inside. And he was not surprised to hear the answer!
He looked at the column where she had been standing minutes ago, the space now empty, lifeless, devoid of her aroma, her beauty and her presence which filled his senses with ...what? Is that right? He questioned himself.
Thunder rumbled outside and a gust of wind blew in, shaking the chandelier and lifting the trace over her portrait. He saw the space which she left empty just now and the portrait which filled his canvas, back and forth and he knew.
He knew what he wanted, and what he had to do.
He ran outside to look for her, down the stairs, in the courtyards, from one to another, from one corridor to another from one part of the palace to another and then a whiff of wind told him where she would be. She went upstairs to the terrace of rani mahal where she was staying.
She was standing in the chhatri on the terrace, her back to him, the wind was blowing her hair and her dupatta, she had been crying, her tears glistening in the moonlight. He felt his heart pierced with a thousand needles seeing her cry, he could not bear it.
Heartbeats fast, colours and promises, how to be brave? How can I love when I am afraid, to fall...
Watching you stand alone, all of my doubts suddenly goes away somehow...He rushed to her side and turned her around to face him. He wiped her tears with his fingers.
Thunder rumbled again and lighting struck in the sky. Rain announced itself with a downpour that replaced the sound of the wind and the smell of petrichor filled his senses.
He took it all in, breathing it, really feeling it, he put his hands on her arms and shook her so she was looking at him, in his eyes.
"You know why it matters to me how you feel? Because you are like the raindrops falling on this parched earth. I have waited for you all these years. Without you I am lifeless like the desert, I am aroma less without this petrichor filling my senses right now, and I never want to ever feel that empty space again that you left behind when you walked away from me just now, because I will not be able to bear it Omkara was emotional, a deluge he had been holding inside him was out, he felt relieved.
She looked at him, and she understood him, she understood herself. She wiped his tears with her fingers, when he grabbed her hand and kissed it.
Time stands still, beauty in all she is, I will be brave,
I will not let anything take away standing in front of me,
Every breath, every hour has come to this...END
So, what do you think folks?
The text in inverted commas is from the song - "Thousand Years" by Christine Perri
Do hit the like button if you think this write-up deserves it.
If you like my writing - catch up with my other ongoing stories:
- Aankhon ki Gustaakhiyaan
-When we meet
-Sherlock vs. Homes
-A Homecoming
All stories are on Rikara.
Thanks a lot for reading.
Ciao.
INDEX of Complete and Ongoing Writing Projects:
http://www.india-forums.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=4967448
Edited by RingsOfSaturn - 7 years ago
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