Rikara Redux: OS#22 The Letter pg 17 - Page 3

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"Don't you dare come close to me, you cheapster!"

Gauri's strong feminine voice could be heard through the loud chugging of the local Mumbai metro as she charged towards her latest target with her slipper in her hand and her eyes full of rage. She had had enough of the snide comments that he had been passing at her and though her Annika di had warned her from creating a scene in public, she couldn't just let this creep go.

Her chaanta left a deep red imprint on the teenage boy's cheek as he looked at her in fear before scrambling away to the other buggy of the train. Triumphantly, she called out, "Next time you'll know that Gauri Vardhan Trivedi is a gundi and she is proud of it. And you won't dare mess with her again.

Placing her slipper back on the ground, she bent over to wear it only to come face to face with the familiar angles of the man that she had been ogling in the Oberoi Mansion yesterday.

The long-haired hippie, she thought as a faint blush travelled her cheeks when she remembered how good-looking she thought he was. It was at Priyanka's roka where she had just managed to sneak into the Mansion and see the glory of a rich people function before her Annika di had caught her and sent her away. Amidst the riches and grandeur of the function, her eyes were locked on this particular man and his long flowing hair as he had lovingly patted his sister's head in blessing.

But, what was he doing in the metro? Wasn't he the rich Oberoi businessman who could afford to buy a chopper to go from one place to another if he so wished?

Dumbfounded, she stood up and held her gaze as she saw him looking at her in awe and astonishment at her latest display of gundigiri. They held each other's eyes for a minute before looking away in embarrassment.

For Omkara Singh Oberoi, it was new. He had never seen a girl openly challenge a guy like that in front of so many people and win. He had noticed the guy's advances to this fair beauty and had been on his way to give him a piece of mind, when the lady in question had turned around and given him and the cheap boy a huge shock with her undeniable confidence and attitude. He could not help but feel a tinge of pride in seeing her independently putting the guy in his place. If all the girls he had known would become a gundi instead of an abla naari, then the world would be such a better place.

He let his gaze slowly wander back to the wonderwoman when he saw her advancing towards him when the train stopped to let others in. Huh? He shifted uncomfortably in his seat as she finally stood in front of him in the crowded metro. They didn't say a word and when the train stopped again for more people to board, they were only pushed closer next to one another in the crowd. Silence prevailed, but not for long.

"Impressive"

His deep, husky voice had Gauri looking up again and momentarily forgetting her answer to his compliment. From up close, he looked even better. His eyes were big and deep as they bore into hers with amazement. Shaking her head, she said, "Thanks! I don't have bodygaurds or a personal chauffer, so I have to make do with these tactics to keep the cheapsters away."

"But, still the way you handled the situation was impressive. Even I was a little intimidated."

She smiled at his innocent compliment. Little did he know, that there was no reason for him to be scared with the way Gauri had caught on to his good looks!

"This is nothing. Once, I was travelling from Baroda for a college academic meet and three guys had surrounded me trying to get fresh. I had one tied to the railing of the train, one hanging on to a seat and the last on his knees bending over my feet." She chuckled. The look in those boys' eyes was something that she would remember for a long time. "There is a reason, they call me Gundi Gauri."

He smiled a full smile at her cute yet ferocious nickname for herself. This girl had something appealingly different about her. On the outside, she was heavenly beautiful and innocent and he had not been able to take his eyes off of her when he first boarded the train. On the inside, though, she was a fighter and a no-nonsense woman that had him keep his mouth shut and maintain his distance.

"Well, hello then Gundi Gauri! I'm-"

"Mr. Oberoi"

Huh? How did she know? He looked to her with a questioning gaze. Was he that famous?

"Well, who doesn't know about the Oberoi family and their business empire. Three handsome brothers - Shivaay, Omkara, and Rudra. Two businessman and the youngest being a supermodel."

She paused in the middle of her rant. "I just don't know which of the three you are."

He chuckled again. This was interesting.

"Well, which handsome brother do you think I am?"

She looked at him with a flash of surprise and blushed at her slip of the tongue before thinking hard. He couldn't be the supermodel, she mused. Although he had an impressive body, he didn't look as built as a supermodel would. That would leave him to be one of the two buisnessmen brothers. Shivaay or Omkara. Hmmm...

She remembered one of her college mates gushing about Shivaay Singh Oberoi, the ruthless businessman with...blue eyes. Yes! Blue eyes was the way to distinguish them. She looked up into this Mr. Oberoi's eyes for a brief moment, mesmerized by the amusement she saw. They were deep coal and dreamy and...beautiful. Then, she took a deep breath and forwarded her hand.

"Nice to meet you Mr. Omkara Singh Oberoi."

He smiled at her in a nod before taking her hand as a dim flash of current ran through both their bodies at the contact of skin. Something was familiar here yet something was different. And both of them looked at each other surprised by their contact before pulling away from each other's hand reluctantly.

"By the way, Omkara, I never thought I would see you in a metro. I mean you have the money to travel comfortably in a chopper or car, then why trains?" Gauri asked, curious.

"It's just Om. And, I love travelling in trains. It's freeing in a refreshing way."

Travelling in trains had always been his way of being grounded amidst the rich offerings of his business and his family prestige. Sitting among middle class people as they made their daily struggle to get to work and college reminded him of the previleges that he and his brothers had been so fortunate to receive.

Om. She repeated in her head with a blush. "I love trains too. I take it most of the time when I have enough money."

For her, travelling in trains was an adventure. As the train blurred through the crowds of Mumbai and the occasional fields and barren land in the outskirts of the city, she felt llke she was seeing a whole new world in front of her. In the thirty minutes of travel, she felt like she had travelled across countries and cultures. But like everything in her life, taking the train was a luxury that she couldn't afford every time.

Enough money? God, I never expected her to have to worry about something like this. He thought with a pepper of sympathy, but that washed away when he saw the pride on her face as she spoke about her family.

"Om, we may not have enough money, but we are self-respecting people. My sister is the one who takes care of me, my brother and my chachi. And I want to just grow up fast and take care of all of her responsibilities so that she can focus on her life, instead of wasting it behind us."

Gauri's thoughts wandered to their current situation. Though homeless, she was a self-respecting woman who hated the fact that she had to be at the mercy of somebody's act of kindness. And she had vowed to finish college early and work to make enough money to take the burden off of her sister.

"What does your sister do?"

Gauri broke out of her thoughts and smiled at his question with a knowing smile. Little did he know that the shy yet determined wedding planner friend of Priyanka's was actually her Annika di.

"She plans weddings."

Om smiled. Something about the way Gauri talked about her sister reminded him of Annika, the wedding planner. Like Gauri's sister, she also seemed to be a hardworking person who deeply cared for her siblings.

Just then, the train stopped at his station and he moved to get off of the train. But then he remembered Gauri and turned to wave a good-bye only to see her making her way to the exit herself. Smiling a confused smile, he made his way out of the metro and then caught up to her as they walked outside the station.

"Hey! I didn't know this was your stop too! You must live close by in this area then. Where do you live?"

Gauri looked at him for a moment before looking away and replying.

"What makes you think I am going to tell a person I just met today where I live, no matter how famous he is?"

No doubt, she wanted to meet this long-haired handsome Oberoi again and ogle some more at the handsome face and long lacks that swayed with the wind. The way he had eased into a conversation with her so effortlessly had left an impact on her heart. But, meeting him was out of her league. He was a rich businessman with a line of girls vying for him and she was a street gundi who lived in a one-bedroom chawl in the busiest neighborhood of Mumbai. So, whatever it was that had brought them together in the train would have to be cut short and be stopped before it made its way into her mind and heart.

Om backtracked for minute, reminding himself that he wasn't just talking to any girl, he was talking to Gundi Gauri. The Gauri who doesn't take any sort of nonsense from anyone. If he had learnt anything about her in the fifteen minute train ride to the station, it was this: Gauri doesn't take any prisoners. But he wanted to still meet her again. The way she talked, smiled, laughed was intriguing and his heart wanted more. He leaned sightly closer to her face, so that he his eyes met hers in an intense gaze.

"Well, I can tell you one thing. Tomorrow, same train, same place, same time. I'll be waiting." Om whispered before winking and heading to the opposite direction of the station to the waiting car outside.

Gauri didn't realize that she had been holding her breath until she sighed once he turned in the direction of his car. She smiled a surprised smile before muttering under her breath, "Tomorrow? Well, we will see..."

And with that, she made her way to the waiting bus that would take her to the Oberoi Mansion and to her family.

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The ending is bit abrupt because I didn't know how to end it well. Anyway, let me know what you think!!

Thanks!

Thanks!!! I will try my best to make a sequel! Im not really good at those, but I'll give it a shot!😉

No problem!! Hope you liked it!😉

"Gauri, do you have late classes today also?"

Sahil asked hoping against hope that his sister didn't have to leave him alone in the unfamiliar corners of the outhouse. Sure, his mother was there, but all she did was continuously talk about how Annika di and Gauri were the most shameless people in the world and how they didn't have any right to live with them and use their money. Sahil was young, but he knew the negativity surrounding his mother's taunts was nothing but jealousy and irritation. He couldn't bear to hear the insults his mom kept pouring at the two most favorite women of his world. However, like both of them had warned, he kept quiet most of the time. Gauri, in particular, had promised violence if he ever tried talking back to his mother. He knew that if his Gundi sister made a promise, she would stand by it. So, he hoped that she would stay back home and play board games with him rather than going out to these mysterious extra classes for a difficult' subject she was taking in college.

Gauri felt a tug on her dupatta, something she rarely wore, and turned to see her brother making his famous puppy dog eyes to convince her not to leave him home with the chachi'. She felt a pang of guilt for what she was doing and almost agreed not to go, when her phone beeped with a message. Diverting her attention to the touch screen of her phone, she read the message and concealed a faint smile.

"I'm waiting outside. Come quick -Om

It had been two weeks since their coffee outing and as promised Om's thela had been amazing. They had talked for hours about Gauri's college and her friends and the pranks that they got away with. Gauri was in her last year and after studying for so long, she couldn't wait to jump headfirst into real life and handle her di's financial problems. Om had sat back and listened to this girl talk non-stop about her life as her face changed with varying expressions that he all found extremely cute. He had sensed the fireball in her on their first meeting on the train, but little had he known that there was so much depth to her character. Needless to say, he hadn't been paying much attention to the story that she painted with her life, because in his head he was painting another picture of this Gundi Gauri. On the outside, she seemed like the daredevil, but the more he found out about her, the more innocence and cuteness he came across and he liked it. A lot.

When Gauri had realized that he hadn't spoken a word that evening, she had expected him to cut his losses and say good-bye before going back to his rich lifestyle and forgetting that he had ever met her. But when he dropped her a little far away from the outhouse, as per her request, he had smiled and said that he had a good time and wanted to meet her again. Gauri didn't know when and how she agreed, too shocked that a rich guy like Omkara Singh Oberoi would want to continue to hear a chatterbox like her. Coffee lead to ice cream (on her insistence) and then to dinner at his favorite Pav Bhaji joint in the city. On their second meeting, she had been conscious enough to not dominate the conversation partly because she had been a little shy, but also because she wanted to hear more about him. Who he was, what did he stand for, what goals he had, what memories he cherished - who was Om behind the handsome facade of his rich life?

In between double scoops of roasted almond vanilla ice cream from Natural's they talked about Om's years at the prestigious London School of Business where he had quite a racy lifestyle. Gauri listened with wide eyes at his escapades with his girlfriends and his love for travel. He had always had a passion for photography and had planned to pursue it. But then Shivaay's parents died and it left the family business in a mess. The circumstances that surrounded their death was not something that he revealed, and she had a feeling that she shouldn't ask.

The silence that followed, hadn't lasted for long, because he started to describe his latest Australian deal that they had, in fact, cracked. When he went from surface details to specifics on the marketing plan for their latest launch, Gauri didn't know. She started zoning out, wondering what it was about business that attracted him so much. With his long hair and calm personality, Gauri would have mistaken him for a philosopher or an artist. Still, whether long flowy hair or crude business strategies, Gauri couldn't help but admit that he was seriously good looking and a dangerous man when it came to matters of the heart. Which is why when he asked her if she would come to dinner with him and a couple of his friends at Juhu's famous Pav Bhaji corner, she had nodded faking confidence.

"Gauri pleease, tussi na jao" Sahil whined when he realized that his sister had been lost in her thoughts. She seemed to be doing that a lot lately. Maybe the difficult subject' really was giving her a tough time. As a last resort, he channeled SRK, Gauri's ultimate hero, to convince his sister to stay back, but she had made up her mind.

"Sahil, I have to go. But, when I come back, I promise to play two extra games of Sequence with you."

"and watch SRK's latest movie" Sahil demanded.

"and the latest movie."

"And popcorn?"

Gauri sighed. "And popcorn."

"And ice cream on the way back?"

"Sahil you are pushing it. "

Sahil sulked in mock anger waiting to be royally manaofied, but all Gauri did was place a tight kiss on his forehead and smile before hurrying out the door of the outhouse. He sat there shocked. One of these days, he was going to have to tattletale to Annika di about her, especially these late classes that kept her from the outhouse...

_______

Om was momentarily dazzled when Gauri opened the door to his car and sat in the front seat. This was the first time he was seeing her in a salwar suit with her long hair open and light. Every time he saw her, he realized that he had forgotten how beautiful she really was. But, this time, he could make out the tiny efforts she had made on her appearance with the colored lips and kohled eyes.

Smiling a half-smile, he asked, "So, what do you want to do?"

Gauri shrugged, not knowing what would be a fitting reply. She knew a hundred things that they could do, but none of them seemed suitable for the Omkara Singh Oberoi.

So they sat there in silence for some time waiting for the other to suggest something that would maximize their time together, but none spoke. So, out of awkwardness, Gauri reached over to the radio and turned up the volume, hoping that the songs on the radio would temper the sudden silence between them.

Pehli baar mohabbat ki hai

Aakhri baar mohabbat ki hai...

Mohit Chauhan crooned through the radio with his slow sensous song, making the awkward silence terrifying. Om quickly turned off the radio. Sure, he liked Gauri, but he didn't want her to be getting any ideas about romance with him. They were just strictly hanging out as friends and there was nothing more to it. Was there?

Gauri turned to the other side of the window horrified by the song. They were just friends and were just spending time together. She didn't even know him that well, so why did she feel this rapid heartbeat at the thought of what could be?

Time to be Gundi Gauri, she thought. Enough with the sharmana.

With a direct stare in her eyes, she looked back at him and said. "Maybe we could go up to the peak behind the children's park. I haven't been there in a long time."

Peak? Heights? This was new, he thought. Without a word, he drove to the place with Gauri's directions and ended up on a clifftop that overlooked the beautiful Bay and the busy lights of the city below. The time was just right for sunset and the whole sky was tinted orange with specks of pink and purple. Beautiful, he thought, immediately at ease after a long tiring day at work. He turned at the sound of the car door shutting, and saw Gauri run to the edge of the cliff and spread her arms wide in excitement. Her open hair was flowing with the wind and she looked heavenly. A little jump in his heart reminded him of his thoughts and he shook them off before heading towards her to the edge of the cliff.

When Gauri felt the presence next to her, she turned and smiled at him, too happy with the beautiful sight below her to be conscious of what he thought about her maniacal hair at the moment. The wind was blowing, the lights were twinkling, the sun was shining in the West and the whole world just felt at peace. This was what she wanted to see and to be sharing this with him was endearing.

"So, you like heights?" Om asked pleasantly surprised to discover this side of her. He himself was a big fan of rollercoasters and skydiving, but the memory of his last girlfriend's fear of heights had led him to believe that he was the minority.

Gauri rolled her eyes. Was this even a question? "Of course I do! When we were younger, me and Annika di used to come here often and just run around in the park and play till the sunset. One time Sahil had gotten lost here and so after that Chachi forbid us from coming here." Gauri let her voice drift with the swaying wind, letting herself enjoy the sunset and the tranquility of the surroundings. She would think about the gorgeousness that was standing beside her enjoying her view later.

"I love heights too. Especially the ferris wheel when the capsule goes all the way to the top and you feel like-"

"-you are closer to heaven than you have ever been." Gauri smiled in understanding.

"Right, but, uh, how do you know?"

"Well, I haven't been to the fancy ferris wheels like you have, I'm sure. But our chawl would have a small mela during Diwali where Sahil and I would sit on it and ride it to the top so that we could see the fireworks better. Annika di was always afraid of heights, so she would stay with our bags of pink buddhi ke baal-"

"you mean cotton candy?

"Haan wahi toh kaha." Gauri dismissed, too engrossed in her stories to notice the amused look on Om's face.

"In fact, I even made a sketch of the mela to capture the memory, because God knows when Annika di would have the time to take us again." There was a hint of melancholy in her voice that touched Om's heart and the urge to remove it flared stronger than it should have.

"So, you sketch?"

Gauri fumbled. How had she let that slip out? Nobody really knew about her sketching except for Sahil and Annika di. It was her way of coping with the stress that life through at her. Whether hard exams or a cheap chichora who would make a pass at her, sketching had always been her saviour. With soft Kishore Kumar music on and a peaceful breeze blowing, she would often picture small pieces in her book and cherish them as her way of expression.

Om took her silence as a yes and wondered what her sketches looked like. From what he could see, they seemed to be something that was very personal to her and that had him even more curious than before. The more he peeled back the layers of this Gauri, the more he found himself surprised and intrigued. He was about to ask her to show him some of her sketches when the blazing sound of his phone's ringer disturbed the peace and quiet of the cliff.

Rudi's photo flashed and he quickly picked up the call before his brother spammed him with hundreds of messages.

"O, where are you? Dadi's waiting at home for Priyanka's engagement ceremony. There are tons of things to do and you are nowhere..."

"Rudi, Rudi, I'm coming. 15 minutes."

"O, but where are you? And a girl's voice behind y-"

"Ru-"

And then there was hysterical laughter on the other end of the line, loud enough for Gauri to look up from her fixed stare on the ground and raise her eyebrows.

"Om, if you are on a date, then take your time, bro. I got it covered here.

"Rudi, I'm not-"

"O, no need to explain. I should have known when I saw you sneaking out for ice cream the other night." Rudra giggled again before shouting something loud enough for both Om and Gauri to hear and blush. They quickly got up from their spot on the cliff in shock and in embarrassment.

"I, uh, think we should go back." Om stuttered hoping that Gauri hadn't caught on to the date' joke that Rudra had infused in his mind. Little did he know that Gauri had heard the innocent remark and had blushed bright red at the mention of a romantic evening with him. She knew nothing like that was in his mind, but she couldn't help but wonder. They were just two friends who were hanging out. Sure, she liked him, but that didn't mean they were on a date, right?

They made their way to the parked car when Gauri received a call from Sahil as well asking her to come home fast as their Nikhil jiju was coming home for Annika's hand in marriage. Finally! Finally her Annika di would be happy. Forgetting the awkwardness of the current sitiuation, she sat hurriedly in the car and urged Om to drive home soon. Once he was seated, Om drove to the mansion without a word and dropped her at her usual spot a few blocks away from the mansion. He hated how abruptly their meeting had ended, but he didn't know how to face her with Rudra's remarks humming like a buzzing bee in his mind. Maybe he needed a change to get out of this headspace and meet her with a fresh start and Priyanka's engagement seemed like the best opportunity. So, he muttered a half-hearted good-bye and made sure she entered the outhouse before taking the car up further to the driveway of the Oberoi Mansion.

_____

Gauri sneaked into the doors of the outhouse careful not to make too much noise, but Sahil's piercing "Gauriii!!!!" had her drop her caution and sink into the chair next to her.

"Gauri, you came home early!!!!" Sahil exclaimed, excited that he didn't have to wait long for her to come back.

"Of course, Nikhil Jiju is coming, how could I have missed it. God knows how long Annika di has waited for him to come with his parents, but finally, he is coming! I am so excited!! Annika di ki Shaadi!!!" Gauri couldn't help but pull her brother into a tight hug and share his enthusiasm.

"Gauri, too tight. Please...leave... " Sahil panted and when she pulled apart reluctantly, he said, "But how did you get out of 'class' so early?

And that had Gauri go quiet for a minute. Hmm... How was she going to explain this one?

Sahil waited for a minute before leaning closer to her ear and whispering, "By the way, your 'class' is very handsome. Is he the Mr. Oberoi, lambe baalon wala?"

Gauri looked up at him in wide eyes and mouth open in shock. How had he known that she had been sneaking around? She had made sure that nobody would get to know, but then how did-"

"I saw you getting out of his car through the window and meri Gundi behen was blushing. Haan?"

Sahil wiggled his eyebrows in mock teasing and when he saw the embarrassed face of his sister he only laughed and put his tiny arms around her neck.

"I promise to not tell Annika di on only one condition." Sahil said, having thought this out before hand.

"What? Gauri whispered, ready to do anything to keep her outings with Om a secret.

"You have to get me the ice cream along with the popcorn, the movie and the Sequence games that you promised." Sahil said triumphantly knowing he had won this round with his sister.

Gauri stared at her brother in disbelief. Since when did he become a sharp and astute businessman, making deals that she couldn't say No to? Well, probably since she started hanging out with a lambe waalon wala handsome businessman who lived right next door...

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