Rikara Redux: OS#22 The Letter pg 17 - Page 10

Originally posted by: ahsm

hii can you please give me the link for your wattpad

Originally posted by: sirimiri

This was such an emotional and heart wrenching update loved it so much.

Originally posted by: Moumina

Awesome update

Hey guys!! So glad to be back after a short break for finals! I know I promised a 'make up' for this update, but I kinda liked the idea of stretching it just a little!! The song for this one is 'Empty' by Click Five. (Regardless of what Rudi thinks about this song, it is actually a beautiful one that is very close to my heart!❤️)

Note: Love love loved the Om-Gauri scene from the July 31st epi! Kudos to Shrenu for portraying the bold brazenness that is so different from the dignified anger she showed in S1. And Om's calm, composed nature is so refreshing, like the perfect medicine to calm her down!! They are exactly like I imagined them in my Redux!! Thank you CVs for keeping them sane!😆

OS#18 Love and all that Jazz

"You and Pop music?"

Rudra asked as he strolled into Om's room one night after a lazy workout in the gym. Empty' by Click Five played in the background as he caught the frame of his brother slumped against the foot of his bed, staring into space. The slow song was, no doubt, beautiful but so unlike his brother who blasted music from Drake in full volume like it was no one's business.

Om looked up at the footfalls of his brother and saw him sink into the seat next to him. He shook his head with a sad smile.

"Just the mood"

Something in the tone caught Rudi's attention as he turned to actually look at Om. He seemed casually stressed as though it was a regular thing, but Rudi could see past the facade that he put up. If he looked closely, he could see the dark circles under his eyes and the fixed gaze towards the floor. His phone was circling in his hands as if he was deciding whether to call someone and his body slumped against the bed frame like he had lost.

A lot had happened before Om had come back from his urgent business trip to Boston 3 days ago. For one, Shivaay had gotten married to Annika in the most unimaginable way possible and while the family was trying to cope with the forced marriage and Prinku's comatose state, Om had lost his happiness that Rudi had seen in his eyes lately. At first, he just shrugged it off as a symptom of the disease that was wrecking their family, but now that he looked closely, he could clearly see that something else was bothering his brother. Lost was an understatement for the various times one of them had to catch his attention during a conversation or force him to eat when he skipped his meals. And as Rudi reached out to put a hand on Om's shoulder, he could see the restrain that he held to control the emotions lurking in his eyes.

"Om, something is wrong."

"What? Is Prinku okay?"

Rudra sighed. His brother was way too naive sometimes.

"No idiot. Something is wrong with you. Is everything okay?"

Om's circling hands on his phone stopped for a moment as the question weighed in his head. Was he okay? What was okay, really? Because, if he could define it then maybe he was okay. He could survive, breathe, relax, talk, walk and do all the basic things in life. He was okay.

Except that he wasn't.

If okay meant that he could walk through his life barely holding himself together at the loss of his Gundi, the he wasn't okay, because he couldn't even manage that. If he was okay with the fact that he could somehow miss someone so much that it left him out of breath sometimes, then no, he wasn't okay, because it didn't just leave him out of breathe, it left a deep pain in his heart.

And if okay meant that he could forget his worries and force a smile for the rest of his family that was going through a crisis, then no he wasn't okay, because faking happiness left him empty inside.

"Ya, everything is okay."

"No it isn't." Rudra said, his gaze set on Om's face that was now turned away. In the background, Joey Zehr's voice picked up to the music as he sung his heart out about loss, love and relationships. So much for trying to put on a brave face, Om thought sulking into his mind. He hadn't wanted anybody to know about what had happened and the kind of wreck that his relationship was in thanks to his careless, villainous, unfeeling brother. Why? Well, because he was his brother. And while Om fiercely opposed his brother's act of revenge, he also understood what had made him stoop to this level. But understanding lead him nowhere in the long run, because now he was in a mess and he had no way to get out.

"Om?"

Om turned his attention back to Rudi and contemplated whether to reveal what had happened or to let it slide. If there was anybody in this house who wouldn't react extremely, it was Rudi because for one, he knew about her and two, he knew how to keep a secret. Revealing what had happened would also mean acknowledging it and he wasn't sure he would get through that without letting a few embarrassing tears slip along the way.

Rudi shook him out of his thoughts one more time and raised his eyebrows. There was no way he was going to let this slide with Om. There was something seriously wrong. Ever since he had come back from Annika's house that night, he had seemed disturbed. And then, the business meeting that had taken him to Boston without a wink's notice had diffused the disturbance. But, then he had circled to the house again and returned like he was a different person. Why? What had happ-

Rudra's eyes widened. Of course!

"Is has something to do with Gauri right?"

Gauri. Om thought. Hadn't it always been about her? Whether it was the dates that he had planned or the kisses he cherished, it had always been her. How was he a fool not to realize it earlier?

"Om. I'm demanding now. WHAT happened between the two of you? I know that something happened ever since the marriage. Did she go Gundi on you? Did she punch you? Did she threaten you? Did she-"

"She broke up with me." Om whispered, finally turning to Rudra and showing him the unshed tears that began to pour even though he tried hard to wipe them away.

"What?" Rudra stopped, shocked.

The room suddenly went quiet with the last lines of the song fading into oblivion and Om felt suffocated with the sudden silence. And so much for the sad song playlist that was supposed to distract me, Om thought shaking his head. Just when he needed it to be there like a deafening noise that would drown out the pain of the words he just said, it had turned off and stopped. The words that he had uttered for the first time in three days hung heavy in the quiet around him pushing their weight on his heart.

Break up.

The music turned back on and began to replay the song in the soft tunes, leaving Om to sigh in relief from the much needed distraction.

"You have this pathetic song on repeat?" Rudi asked disgusted by the sap that his brother had become. Make that an wallowing-in-idiotic-self-pity sap.

"Let go of the song." Om said, glad to have the chance to be annoyed and let out his frustration for once. "It's a good distraction."

Rudi stepped back at the emotion in his brother's voice. Tread carefully, he thought.

"Om, tell me exactly what happened."

Om took a deep breath and let down his barriers preparing himself to speak about what had gone down between him and Gauri three nights ago.

'The scheduled flight from Logan International Airport to Chhatrapti Shivaji International Airport is delayed by three hours due to heavy winds. We apologize for the inconvenience. In the meantime, please keep your seat belts fastened for turbulence. Thank you.'

Damn it, Om thought, hoping he could make it to Mumbai in time to catch Gauri coming out of work and take her out for a dinner and a much needed much delayed conversation. His hair was still in a tight ponytail from the closing meeting that he had with the delegates from their Fashion House. Just the way Gauri didn't like it, Om thought again and sighed. He was going to have to fix that it he wanted to start on the right foot with his girlfriend. So, he pulled the rubber band loose and ran a hand through his hair to set it into his trademark messy style as he relaxed into his business class seat and turned on a movie to kill time.

The movie did little to lessen the tension though.

The way he had left things the night Annika threw him out of her house was the worse thing he could have done to her. He knew now that leaving things open ended the way he had would only create doubts in Gundi Gauri's overthinking, practical mind. Doubts about their relationship and their feelings for one another. True, the feelings weren't very defined on his end, but he knew they were strong enough for him to put up a fight to keep her with him for a long time. Eternity? He didn't know.

What he did know was that Gauri would have used the doubt to stir up a wrath that would evade rational thought and put her in a Gundi mode by the time he got back home. And if his gut was right, then he was in for some hardcore anger, but he was ready to face it all, just for her to come back to him.

He had caught a glimpse of the break in her hope before Annika shut the door and the look haunted him every night since. He never wanted to see that look in her eyes ever again. Shuddering, he forced the thought into the corner of his mind and concentrated on the million ways his mind had thought of to cool her anger in the most romantic way possible. When he fell asleep, he didn't know.

___________

Om made his way to her college courtyard late at night after he searched her office and found out that she had resigned from Sancham Publishers. How could she? And why hadn't she said anything to him?

He had come straight from the airport to see her only to find her desk empty and the intern Dev snidely remark about her resignation as if Om had something to do with it. Did he?

He had searched the area near the chawl next and had asked all her neighbors, but they had no clue as to where she was. She wasn't even at her favorite mirchi pakoda stall or the chai thela that she had loved the first time that they had gone out. Frantic, he rounded up his car and rounded up Khanna to command a search for his Gundi. Somewhere in his heart, he had a sinking feeling that something was terribly wrong.

He drove back to the peak hoping to find her there where they had shared so many beautiful dates and moments, but the place was empty and barren as though it had been vacated years ago. Om didn't know why, but the emptiness broke through the calm facade and tears clouded his mind. He would get her back, no matter what it took. He would get her back and light this peak up again with their laughter. It would not look this barren when he got her here. This was their place, their home and he wouldn't let it go. He wouldn't let her go.

So with a wave of determination, he drove to the last place that he could think of and found her sitting on a lonely bench in the middle of the courtyard staring into space. This isn't Gauri, he thought, but she was. Gone was the chirpiness and the fire in her eyes. There was just calm silence.

He made his way to her slowly.

"Gauri"

Gauri turned at the sound of the voice. She had recognized it immediately, but what surprised her was the fact that its owner was here in the middle of the night in her college courtyard, two weeks after the fateful night that had broken her to pieces. What was he doing here?

Om could see, even in the dim light of the lamp next to them, that there were raw tears that stained her face. Something burst and broke inside him. In a swift motion, he sat down next to her and cupped her face to wipe her tears, but she moved away quickly, maintaining her distance. Oh right, she is pissed, Om thought, receding immediately to the opposite end of the bench.

"Gauri, what are you doing here so late in the night? Baby, I was so worried. And I've been trying to call you ever since I landed, but-"

"landed?

Gauri looked up to see Om dressed in a business suit and a long trench coat thrown casually over his tall frame. The only thing she recognized about him was his long, wavy hair. And those big, beautiful, coal eyes that were now staring back at her with all the care and concern in the world. But she couldn't let herself fall again, not after she had tried so hard to put herself back together.

"Ya, I had to go to Boston for an urgent business deal. I had to leave the night that..." Om let his voice trail, knowing that he was poking where it hurt. So, he rerouted the conversation.

"And then Shelly lost my phone in the security check while at the airport, so I couldn't call anybody until I reached the hotel room. I had this deal for the Fashion House that I had been working on..." Om realized the tangent he was going on and shook his head. Not important, Om. Focus.

"Shelly?"

"Shelly is my 60 year old secretary." Om said with a slight smile. He would tease her about this some other time.

"But that isn't important. What is important is you and what you think about us."

He saw Gauri suck in a deep breath and stand up at the mention of 'us'. Om stood up too, determined to have this conversation with her.

"I don't want to talk about this."

"But I do. I know you are mad and you may have assumed things especially after the way I left...that night. I shouldn't have. I should have stayed and talked to you. But, Annika was saying all these things about Shivaay and asking me all these things about you, I..." Om felt at a loss of words seeing Gauri's plain expression. He had expected her to react at the mention of that night, but all he got was stoic silence.

"I'm not mad." Gauri said simply and then turned around quickly to walk towards the emptied street. She had thought she could do it: have a conversation with him and keep the tornado raging inside on pause to enjoy the semi-normal talk she had gotten with him after the barren two weeks. Who am I fooling though? she thought, shaking her head as the tears quickly poured down her cheeks and covered her vision. She could here his footsteps behind her, quickly catching up to her small steps on the darkened road. Damn those long legs she thought, distracted for a moment.

"Gauri wait. Where are you going? We need to talk. I need to say what I didn't say that night, that no matter what I won't-"

"Don't" Gauri burst out, finally letting go of the pool of tears in her eyes. "Don't say anything that you don't mean, because you don't know how much it hurts."

"Gauri" Om whispered inching closer to her. "What makes you think I don't mean what I just said?

"Because" Gauri sighed through her tears. "Because you don't. And it is a good thing that you left that night without saying anything. I understood what you meant, you don't need to explain anything. You were very clear about what you wanted, it was me who got all fuzzed up in the romance."

"What are you talking about? When did I mean anything that I didn't explain?" Om asked, letting out his frustration. This wasn't the way he had planned for this to go, but Gauri continued like she hadn't heard him.

"It was me who started caring way too much in our relationship, maybe because it was my first time. And like you said, firsties are always special." Gauri quivered, fighting hard to catch her breath. She had to do this. She had to set herself free if she wanted an end to this pain. "It was me who let my imagination run wild with what could become of this relationship, beyond the short term future that you thought about. I began to love everything about you, from the long wavy hair, to the boring business deals you bored me with. I began to dream."

"Gauri" Om inched a step closer, putting his hand on her shoulder, but she shrugged them off. She wouldn't be able to do this if he touched her like that.

"But I should have known better. You never made any promises about the future or about love. You were clear...crystal clear." Gauri said again as her voice broke.

"Gauri, I care about you, more than I have for anybody else and I don't think about the relationship as something temporary." Om shouted exasperated with the way this conversation was going.

"I want you in my life and I am not going to just let go because of one stupid misunderstanding. I not letting go of your friendship, not your Gundigiri, not your care. Not you."

Gauri shook her head sadly and turned to walk down the street only to be pulled back roughly in his arms.

"I'm not done yet. What is it that you want me to do to make you believe that I won't let you go?"

Om had thunder in his eyes and a fierce determination that took over the passive conversation that they were having until now.

"Should I paint it into one of Banksy's street graffiti that you love tremendously? Or should I pull out a Shakespeare love ballad from his collection of Sonnets that you adore and recite a poem of it for you? Should I climb up onto the peak that you and I have so many memories with and scream it out from the top of my lungs or should I paint the words into the heights of the sky with firecrackers that will leave a permanent reminder in your mind because apparently, my promise isn't enough?"

Why couldn't she understand how much her needed her in his life? These two weeks that he went without talking to her were some of the worst times in his life and he wasn't about to let himself go through that again. Om was frustrated, angry, sad, impatient and instinctive all at once, but nothing prepared him for what she said next.

"All you really needed to do was say it from the heart." Gauri said, looking through the tears in her eyes. "But you couldn't, because it was never really there. Love, she thought. Love was never really there.

She broke her way from his arms and put distance between them. "And now Annika di needs me more than ever after what your brother put her through. That is why I'm going to move on and live it for her. I'm sure Prinku and Rudi need you too. Go and take care of them. Don't think about me. I'll be fine."

And with that she ran down the street and into the darkness leaving Om frozen with emotion in the dark.

_______

"And you just left?" Rudi asked in disbelief. His brother was not only a sap, he was a hopeless sap.

"What else could I have done?" Om asked. His voice was hoarse with the tears and now that he had let out his emotions, the song was beginning to annoy him in the background.

"Run after her, you idiot. And tell her how much you love her."

"Love?" Om asked, truly beginning to feel like an idiot. He should have thought harder instead of getting swept in with the anger and frustration.

"Don't tell me that you didn't figure this out until now." Rudi said letting his hand swing so that it hit Om's head in a light slap. He deserved it.

"For how many of your ex-girls have you sat around, listened to freaking Pop music and cried about after the break up? None, right?"

Om nodded.

"And how many of your ex-girls have managed to pull you straight from the airport and make you run around the city in search of them? None?"

Om nodded again.

"And most importantly," Rudi leaned closer, "how many girls have made your heart jump with joy on being with her and break in tears on her absence."

"None, but what about the future?"

"Who cares as long as you only see it with her? Live life with her one day at a time, because it is the moments that count, not the time that you've passed."

Om nodded, feeling lightheaded at the thought of living every moment with Gauri by his side.

"There you go, mere bhai. You are hopelessly, irrevocably and cheesily in love with your Gundi."

And somehow those words made his heart swell in his chest and burst into a shock of brilliant white light that ran through his body in currents of electricity. A smile peeped through his lips before spreading out to reach each cheek in joy. How had he not known? How had he been so clueless when it came to love when the world's most beautiful woman was right in front of him?

He got up instantly, his heart pumping loudly in his chest.

"You going now?" Rudi asked grumbling as he got up too.

"Don't want to waste another minute." Om said with a million watt smile on his face. He had a lot of work ahead of him, but for the first time he was sure with what he wanted to do. I'm coming Gauri, he thought, because it has always been right here...in my heart.

But before he ran off, he had to do one more thing.

"Rudi, can you do me a favor?"

"Anything bro?"

"Turn off that effing Pop song and put Drake back on, will you?"

And with that, he ran out to his car to drive to where his heart lay.

_______________

Thanks!

What did you guys think??

P.S. I posted this story on Wattpad as well under the title 'The Redux of RiKara', so do check it out and let others know!! Pleeeaaassseee!!!!!😉

This was amazing loved it so much.
Eager for the next update.

Beautiful

Great update

Loved the teaser waiting for an update.

Hey guys!! I'm back with a bang! So, this one is an out and out romantic comedy one with a little tribute to SRK! Also, I tried something different this time, so I hope you guys like it! The song for this one is 'Crush' by David Archuleta.

OS#19 Dastaan-e-Om Gauri Om 😆

"Gauriii "Sahil shouted, hoping his sister would hurry up. He had been standing in the dim light of the hallway waiting for Gauri to get ready so that he could enjoy his evening of fun with his sister, like they always had. If it was up to him, they would go out everyday to escape the gloominess of the chawl that had plagued the house ever since Annika di had left, but Gauri thought otherwise. Gauri had seemed to think otherwise about a lot of things lately. She no longer played the board games with him or took him to watch SRK movies. And whenever he mentioned the long-haired hippie best friend' that had been an important part of her life, her face had crumbled into visible pain before straightening into a fake smile. He hadn't been a fool though, he knew something was wrong, but there was an extent to which he could annoy the answer out of his Gundi sister. So, instead he directed his efforts to getting Gauri out of the house to catch the train to Juhu so that they could have their planned Pav Bhaji date on the beach amidst sunset.

"Coming Sahil! Why are you in such a hurry?" Gauri exclaimed, clad in her classic red kurti and jeans. There was nothing special about the way she had dressed, but it oddly reminded her of the first time she had seen him. She had been wearing the same kurti on the train ride that day.

Before her thoughts could slip out of her tight leash and down the rabbit hole of misery that came about when she thought about him, she turned to Sahil and raised her eyebrows.

"Just" Sahil said and shrugged, but on the inside he was excited for the anticipation of this train ride. Trains had always been a favorite part of his evenings with Gauri because he got to cook up all kinds of stories about the places that he saw and the fields they ran through, but today was special. Why? Well, that was a secret...

Together the brother-sister duo made their way to the familiarity of the station and sat in anticipation of the train. Gauri could not help but reminisce the first time she had seen him on this very train months ago. Both of them were so new to each other then, not knowing and not caring about how messed up their relationship would become in the future. Gauri wondered if she would have still ogled at him if she knew how things would end up. Would she have still gone on the coffee non-date that led to their friendship? Or maybe the biryani lunch and the rain dance after that had pushed her to this pain? If her logical mind could just pick and tear at the broken pieces of their relationship and figure out where she went wrong then probably she would be able to handle the gaping hole in her heart that he had left when he left.

The sound of the train chugging towards the station brought her out of her thoughts. Sahil hopped up excitedly and literally dragged her to the far end of the coach where the seating was a little less crowded and the atmosphere was quiet. She had insisted on climbing into any available coach that would have seats for them, but he was adamant on getting on this very seat. If there was something strange about his behavior, she didn't pay much attention to it. Whatever made Sahil happy would be fine with her.

Together, they walked to the far end of the coach and found exactly two empty seats next to a young man who sat with his back to them. Gauri didn't want to disturb this peaceful stranger who seemed to be deeply engrossed in his music, but she had no choice as Sahil quickly tapped on his back and motioned for him to scoot over. When they had settled next to him on the adjacent seats, he smiled at her and said, "Hi! I'm Varun. You have a very cute brother!"

Isn't this how they had met? A simple compliment that had led to a beautiful conversation and a beautiful friendship. Probably way too beautiful which is why it was bound to break.

"Thanks" Gauri mumbled, too conscious to start a conversation with this stranger. Been there done that, she thought. So, she turned her attention to Sahil and focused on her brother's movements to make sure he wasn't straining his leg too much.

"You didn't mention your name."

Varun had his eyebrows raised as he waited for her answer. She weighed his request in her mind. He seemed like a half-decent guy who wouldn't hit on her in a crowded train. And just in case he did, she had the Gundi in her to pull through. Also, there was Sahil and his daredevil crutch. We're okay. Anyways, what's in a name, she thought.

"Gau-"

Just then, the unusual quiet of the coach was fiercely interrupted by a rather surprisingly true rendition of one of her favorite songs.

Tujhe dekhaaa...toh ye jaana sanam...

Pyaar hota hai... deewana sanam...

And that was it. The voice was faint, but powerful as it inched closer to her seat on the coach. Gauri's eyes widened a little as she turned her head, curious to see who had the guts to sing the enthralling romantic song in a train full of strangers that was apparently going nowhere.

Sahil seemed a little too interested in the voice that he had just heard as he inched closer to the edge of the seat and poked his head in the narrow corridor between the seats to see its owner. He couldn't see anything though. So after a little shoving and nudging from his sister, he sat back down on the seat and stared out the window.

Gauri let the beautiful voice echo in her head as she closed her eyes and imagined her SRK spreading his arms wide for her to run into them just as Simran had years ago. But that was the fairytale...real life is far far different, she thought, feeling stupid that she had let herself think that it could be real.

But that was not it.

This time the voice was accompanied with a guitar as it continued to inch a little closer to where she now peered through the empty corridor.

Tujhe dekha toh yeh jaana sanam

Pyaar hota hai deewana sanam

Ab yahan se kahan jaaye hum

Teri baahon mein mar jaaye hummm...

Who was this person and why did he seem so familiar? And why was she suddenly feeling like DDLJ's Simran who heard Raj's mandolin playing everywhere she went. Well that's coz she was in love with him in the movie, Gauri thought sadly. She was in love with him too, but there was no way that he was going to come here and sing the most romantic song of all time for her in a crowded metro. It was just not possible. Try explaining that to my heart, she thought wryly.

The man who was singing seemed to have gained a bit of a crowd though as he continued to repeat the song's first verse in a melodious tune that had Gauri smile faintly and turn her attention once again to the people surrounding him. From what she could see, he hadn't just sung SRK's song, he had also transformed himself into the look alike of the classic 90's Raj that was the epitome of her romantic hero. Her smile widened. Whoever this man was trying to woo would have to give him points for putting in the effort. He had gone all out with the leather jacket, the feather dusted hat and the slightly long hair that framed his shoulders. He had long hair too, Gauri thought before brushing it away and concentrating on this mystery man and the song that seemed to have gained him appreciation. He had his back to her, but she could make out the strong shoulders and hands that held the guitar as he now stood a few feet away.

"Gauri, he is so good at singing na?" Sahil asked looking in awe at the man who was strumming his guitar.

"Hmm..." Sahil watched his sister spellbound by this man as she refused to tear her eyes away from him. He smiled to himself. And when this mystery man was only a foot away from them he turned and looked straight into Gauri's eyes.

Everything was happening in slow motion for her. One minute, she was quietly admiring this man's voice and his outfit that resembled her favorite star and the next he had morphed into what her heart had conjured up in a far-reaching dream. It was his face, that all too familiar deep rugged stubble that framed his upturned mouth and the straight, taut nose that held him up righteously. And how could she forget the beautiful deep, dreamy eyes that held hers as he continued his ascent to her seat in the now crowded metro.

Om, she gasped, shrinking back into her seat.

There was no way he could have been doing this and saying all those things in front of all these people for her. Practical Gundi Gauri could not believe it. Yet, here he was. Singing. Not to mention, in a SRK costume that peppered his inherent sexiness with a pinch of cuteness. Why was he doing this? Wasn't it clear after how things had ended between them? Apparently, he didn't think so, which is why he slid into the seat opposite her now, leaned forward still holding her gaze and began to sing again to the soft strumming of the guitar that rested on his lap.

Haan tu saamne...na na na

Baithi rahe na na na

Mein tujhe dekha karoon...

He was smiling with a glint in his eyes as his gaze bore into hers. Om knew this was risky and wooing this mad Gundi in front of everyone was a gutsy thing to do, but anything was possible to get her back to the way he wanted. This was probably the most romantic thing he had ever done in his life, but looking into the beautiful hazel eyes of his Gauri had him convinced that it was the right thing to do. The crowd of young girls and boys who he had requested to help him with his mission, now crowded their seat and clapped to the guitar tunes as he continued to play before pausing to extend his hand.

"Your turn now, Gauri."

Gauri looked up at his sound with tears pooling in her eyes. Why the show and the noise and the grand gestures? Why was he making things so difficult when she knew that he didn't feel the same way?

"My turn to do what?"

Om smiled. He had sensed the impatience in her tone that assured him that his plan was working. This was exactly what he wanted. He needed her to get out of the passive, heartbroken mode and into an active fury state so that she would release the doubts and tears that plagued her mind. And only after releasing that tornado inside her would he really be able to break through and grab her tight, never to let go. He could feel Gundi Gauri edging close to the surface and she needed just another little push before she exploded her anger onto him.

"To do the over the top romantic gesture that assures the rest of the world that you are in love with me. Maybe, you could start with singing the melodramatic 'Tujhme Rab Dikhta Hai' since SRK is your favorite."

From the corner, Sahil passed a snide wink to his favorite Mr. Oberoi. This was going to be fun, he thought.

Gauri clenched her teeth to keep from screaming out at him or worse, smacking him with Sahil's crutch. How dare he bring SRK into this? But, giving into what her mind wanted to do would require a reaction and right now, all she wanted to do was enjoy the few minutes that she was spending with him. She hadn't seen him smile and laugh since so long and the thought of removing that by showing her anger simmered it.

Om wasn't going to back down so easily though. He stopped strumming his guitar and raised his eyebrows expectantly.

"Gauri c'mon. What are you waiting for?"

And that was it. She couldn't take it anymore.

"Mr. Omkara Singh Oberoi. Who do you think I am? Someone you can fool around with? Someone who can treat carelessly and then leave? Or somebody who can fall in love with you so that one day you leave them when they need you the most?"

The tears now rolled down her cheeks, but she was too far gone in her anger to care.

"Well listen up and listen well, I am not that someone for you. I deserve better than that."

She heaved a breath of relief in letting the anger burst out, but as the stunned silence took over the train, she realized what she had just done. So what? He deserves it after the way he walked out.

"There. I did the over the top 'romantic' gesture you wanted. Now can you leave me alone? "

"Nope"

Pat came the reply. And Gauri looked up surprised about the fact that Om wasn't surprised about the surprise she thought she had given him. What was he up to now?

"So then Om bhaiya, what are you going to do to get Gauri back?" Sahil piped in easily slipping into the public conversation that the two lovebirds were having.

Om Bhaiya? Since when did her brother switch to a first name basis with her ex-boyfriend and current blessing from hell? And then slowly the puzzled pieces fell into place. Sahil's insistence on the Pav Bhaji outing, his rush to the train station, and his eagerness to save this very seat for them. She turned to her brother with a twisted look of anger and betrayal before fixating her gaze on the half-smirk that labelled his face. Oh that cheekiness was going to take him down some day, she thought.

Om took off his feather black hat and let his hair loose momentarily distracting Gauri before turning to their audience with a smile.

"Irritate her, annoy her, hold her, kiss her, love her and then pause and repeat the whole thing again." Om said in a blinding smile as he flicked Sahil's nose and winked at Gauri in the process. If Gauri had a ready reply to his romantic gesture then it died with what she had just heard from Om's mouth. Love me?

"Om, why are you doing this?" Gauri asked resigning to the situation.

"To tell you how much I love you and how much I am looking forward to the future with you by my side."

This time Om's voice held a softness that matched the tenderness in his eyes.

"Who said anything about the future when she isn't even willing to give you a chance in the present?"

The quiet passenger Varun spoke up for the first time mocking Om's confidence in a male dominated mental fight. Om didn't even spare him a glance.

"For this, my friend, you will need to understand our whole love story. Right from the start, which ironically started right here in a train ride to nowhere, months ago." Om smiled, reminiscing the first time he saw his Gundi in action. His eyes still held Gauri's as she looked away in pain. She was crying and he couldn't hold it in him anymore. So, he reached out, held her hand and continued to hold it even after she tried to pull away.

"Then what happened?"

Another girl from the troupe this time. She looked on in curiosity as Om relaxed back into his seat and then spoke with a practiced speech.

"We talked about trains and she showed me the true Gundi she is." Om mused.

"And then she knocked on my heart's door and invited a bliss

"Waah waah, bhai, waah waah!" The crowd erupted in applause. If he looked closely at Gauri's face, which he did, he could make out a faint smile that peeped through the tears at his pathetic attempt at poetry. So, he was winning, he thought and continued.

"Dancing and Art birthed a friendship so pure

Leaving me in a spell with an unknown cure."

Sahil beamed at his Om bhaiya. Who knew this man could pull poetry off as though he had thought of it himself?

"Then, Om Bhaiya?"

"I was confused and attracted and caught up in desire

so I risked a date which pushed our feelings higher."

The smile smoking on Gauri's lips rose as she looked up to see Om staring at her with a knowing look. Only they would understand how higher' held a meaning much more than what Om had said in his surprising poetry. An image of their hot air balloon ride on that first date flooded her mind before she could force it out.

"Then where did things go wrong?"

This time it was the snide jerk Vikram. Why was he so interested in their fight? Om thought.

"Fear of love and commitment clouded the feelings I figured out

And...walking away stamped an approval on her doubt."

Gauri's eyes didn't flicker away like they had been doing lately. Not because she wanted to stare into his eyes, but because what she saw in it was real. What she saw was pain, guilt and love all mixed into a villainous concoction that mirrored her own. What she saw was a man who was willing to do anything to get her back. And what she saw the most was that he meant it.

Om let himself be vulnerable to the moment so that he could wordlessly convey to Gauri how much he needed her and how much he had repented the foolish fear he had of her love. She needed to see and know that things were going to change. So, he straightened his face, put on a smile and continued.

"But distance and heartache showed me how I needed her too

So, I laid down my fears, looked into her eyes and said I LOVE YOU"

And the tears that had been waiting to be released from the prison of her eyes set free as they fell in streams down her cheeks.

"There. I said it. From the heart, like you wanted." Om whispered. No pretence, no poetry, no rehearsal, just a pure feeling conveyed from one heart to another.

"I know." And that was all she said.

"So?" Om asked, needing her to say what he wanted to hear since he had set foot on this train.

"So, what?"

"Do you love me back or is it just me who has fallen deep into this mess?"

"You know the answer to that." Gauri quivered giving way to more tears that Om now moved forward to wipe. The audience that was watching them with dreamy eyes was long forgotten.

"You still have to say it though."

"Don't hurt me again." Gauri whispered, yet there was defiance in her voice.

"Promise" Om nodded holding her shoulders.

"And don't walk out like that ever again or Gundi Gauri will seriously kick your butt."

Om nodded impatiently. How many more things was this woman going to torture him with before he got to hold her in his arms again?

"And-"

And the rest of the sentence died in her mouth because his lips descended on hers with an urgency that left her frozen in his arms. All around them gasps echoed and Sahil squealed in disgust before covering his eyes in horror.

But to the two that were involved in the embrace, they couldn't care less about what was going on around them. They were in each others arms after weeks, kissing each other like they had never left and showering the love that both had held back before. It was blissfully beautiful for both as they slowly pulled apart after a few seconds.

Gauri knocked her head against his as his lips left a smile on her face. Things were finally falling in place, she thought as her once broken heart surged in her chest with the thought of what was going to become of her relationship with the man in front of her.

"Gauri, I promise to never ever walk out on you. I promise to love you forever and I promise to stand by your side even when you are being the weirdest person ever. Is that enough?"

"Enough for what?"

"Enough to kiss you again" Om said, but he didn't wait to hear her answer as his lips caught hers again in a heartbreaking kiss that rocked them both.

"Ommm Bhaiyaaa" Sahil squealed again with his eyes still covered. "Don't do the kissies with Gauri. It's yucky...please?"

Om and Gauri pulled out of the embrace and chuckled at Sahil's antics. This boy deserved huge credit for getting his Gundi back to him today, Om thought, and if that meant saving the 'kissies' for later, then so be it.

"Okay Sahil. I promise not to do the 'kissies' with Gauri. Now can you open your eyes so that we can get off this train and go enjoy the Pav Bhaji outing?"

Sahil peeked through his hands and when he made sure that Om and Gauri were in a sane position, he smiled and nodded, excited to be getting to the part of the evening that he had bargained for.

Yup, that's right.

Anybody would have been a fool to think that he would help his Om Bhaiya without a bargain, right?!

Right.

_________

A few days later, Om and Gauri were back on their Peak lying next to each other as the setting sun cast a glow over the city that stretched below. Om turned to Gauri and saw a blissful million watt smile on her face that made him smile. Who knew life could be so beautiful with a little love in it, he thought.

Gauri turned to him to find him smiling with a look that she had come to describe as the lovegaze. The look when Mr. Clingy Singh Oberoi stared at her for no reason and just smiled with lovestruck goofy eyes. But no matter how much she made fun of him for it, she always blushed when he looked at her like the way he was staring right now.

Blushing yet again, she snuggled into his arms feeling safe and loved.

She could see it clearly now. She could clearly see how their life would progress beautifully as their relationship grew in strength and dignity. And then when the right time came, they would take the next step to get the seal of matrimonial bliss. She was all ready for the next step, but knowing her lambe baalon wala boyfriend, she knew she would have to take this slowly with him. Still it didn't mean that she couldn't have fun while she was at it, she thought as a mischievous smile crept up her face.

Still snuggled in his arms, she turned so now she was slightly on top of his body in a proximity that allowed her the upper hand.

"Om, I've decided on one thing, and I need you to agree."

"Gauri, if you are talking about the shabby pink bath rug in the bathroom, then no I'm not letting that go. It's my lucky rug and-"

"Om...Om, no I wasn't talking about that, although that is something I would like for you to agree on." Gauri said remembering the hideous pink rug that looked so out of place with the rest of the exquisitely furnished bathroom. Oh well, that was a discussion for next time, she mused.

"Then what were you talking about, sweetheart?"

"I've decided that we should get married." Gauri said, inwardly giggling at the shock that she knew her boyfriend was going to go into. And like she thought, his whole body went rigid underneath her as he stared at her not knowing how to react to something so sudden. How was he going to tell Gauri that he needed time for something as huge as this, that he wasn't ready to be married just yet, that he was enjoying this new phase of thier relationship without any complications like marriage.

"Gauri, um, I-I need-"

"Ssshhh" Gauri whispered leaning closer as she ran her finger down his stubble in a sensuous slither.

"Not right now though. We've got time. I'll wait until you get used to the idea."

And with that she let out a burst of giggles that had Om sigh in relief before he dumped her on the ground and punished her prank with a series of squeals and kisses that echoed across the Peak around them...

____________

Thanks!

All the poetry that you've read is written by me, so criticism is very welcome😆 I tried my best. Also, this is probably the second last OS in the series as I want to move on to writing other concepts for Rikara!

Hope you guys liked the update though and I hope I lived up to the expectations!😳