Lost
Omkara heaved a sigh and fidgeted with his glasses. He looked around to get a glimpse of a single person not wearing torn jeans or gay colored t-shirts. None. His awkwardness was increasing every second as he noticed people staring at him. Surely, they haven't recognized him as the sculptor OmKara Singh Oberoi, have they? No, that can't be the case. These people are the last ones who would recognize a sculptor. But why are they staring? He
"O..." Om looked up at his brother whose voice seemed to be laughing at his expense and scowled.
"O...just relax okay? You seem like a girl caught without make up. Even though you have long hair you are not one. Just chill." Rudra burst out laughing at his own joke. His brother was least amused.
"Shut up Rudra...Why the hell are these people staring?"
"O... What do you expect? How many people do you see over here wearing kurta and glasses with long hair and a matching beard? O... This is the most fashionable college in Mumbai. You look like one of the rare species." Rudra chuckled and Om hit him. This was the last place he wanted to be. Rudra's college was bad news to him. He shuddered remembering the time he was chased by Rudra's wayward girl friends. Yet he was there all because of that impish little girl-
"Soumu...!" Rudra exclaimed excitedly and Om whirled to look at the person he was addressing. Speak of the angel and she appears. The brothers grinned as she ran towards them with a bright little smile adorning her face. Rudra jumped and squished her in a hug as she came close.
"Rudy...Yaar! I missed you so so much. How was spring break? Did you have fun? ..." Om folded his arms and sighed as Soumya began talking animatedly about the spring break and Rudra began looking at her like a kid who saw Santa completely ignoring his presence. Finally he cleared his throat and Soumya took notice of him. Om smiled as he saw her expressive face lighting up. He opened his arms and wriggled his eyebrows at her and Soumya ran into his arms.
"Om bhaiya...I missed you too." She said as she buried her head in his chest.
"Chal jhooti... You didn't even notice your so called bhaiya and was busy talking to this Bandar like always." Om complained teasingly gauging the expressions of the youngsters. It was a mystery to him and Shivaay how the two were ignorant of their feelings for each other. And to Om's disappointment once again they seemed completely oblivious to his hints. Rudra was still lost in Soumya and Soumya got out of the hug.
"Bhaiya...sooorrry." Soumu pouted and held her ears. Om pinched her cheeks unable to resist her cuteness.
"I missed you too Soumu and I kept the promise too. See I am here for your competition." Soumu grinned in delight. It was a big day for her. The state Music and Dance festival was taking place in their college and Soumu was going to sing in front of a crowd of thousands for the very first time in her life. She had been getting cold feet and whining about the same to the brothers over Face Time throughout the spring break until finally Om promised to be there along with Rudra. Shivaay wanted to join them too but he had to fly to Singapore for an urgent meeting, leaving Om to be stuck in Rudra's college apparently dressed inappropriately too. Rudra's phone began ringing.
"It's Shivaay bhaiya. It's for you Soumu, he wanted to talk to you before competition." Rudra handed over the phone to her. "You guys wait here. I will get a paratha for soumu. It will calm your nerves." Om looked on amused as Rudra skittered off to get a paratha. These kids. He smiled indulgently as Soumya chattered off on the phone with Shivaay. Shivaay wasn't a person who would indulge people other than his family. Heck even in his family Shivaay would only allow Rudra, Om and Dadi to talk to him unlimitedly of which Rudra was the only real talkative individual. But somehow Soumya found a way into his heart so much that he seemed to care for her as much as he did Rudra and Rudra, he was only too happy to share his brother with her. Shivaay saw what Om saw too and that only increased the affection.
It seemed like Soumya was relating the whole Spring break story to Shivaay, Om thought as he snapped out from his reverie. He looked up to find Soumya missing. Great. Now he was standing alone in the hall way amidst all the college kids. The awkwardness returned with full force. Why are you feeling awkward you idiot? Weren't you a student too? He decided to look for Soumu and with a gulp walked straight down the hall way. The place was decked up for the Music and Dance festival. Students ran around and Om tried as hard as he could to not get hit by one of them. He was about to enter the main corridor when he took notice of the impending disaster. Paint bombs. Uh-oh. Kids wielding balloons filled with paint entered the corridor screaming. Om did what any sane person would do. He screamed and ran the way he came. He found a small corridor to his left and ran into it
After what seemed like an eternity Om stopped running. The paint ball wielders were nowhere near sight and he was tired to death. He took in his surroundings. He seemed to be in some kind of passage with windows on both sides open to a part of the college he had never been to. Great. He leaned on to the wall and sighed. How was he supposed to find the entrance now? It was not a good idea to go the way he came. He shuddered at the thought of paintballs. He decided to go forward hoping to find someone. This part of the college seemed to be deserted he thought as he walked down the passage which seemed to lead to more class rooms.
Omkara froze as his ears picked up the sound of bells coming down from the hall way. As he moved closer the sound became more profound. It didn't take Omkara much to recognize it as the sound of ghungroo, something which he was very familiar with from his art gallery. The sound of the ghungroo was now accompanied by a faint music. He entered the room from which the sound emanated drawn by curiosity. Much to his surprise the room was a large studio which seemed to be separated by a curtain. Omkara smiled as he made out the music to be of Nritya. The song was Praise to lord Shiva from Shakthi, his better half. Someone was practicing Kathak on the other side of the curtain.
Hesitantly yet driven by curiosity Om moved towards the curtain as soundlessly as possible. He didn't understand why he was snooping but he moved forward. Ouch. He almost yelped as he stepped on something sharp. He bent to pick up the object of his torment from the floor. It was a lone bell, a bell from a ghungroo . It must be the bell of the dancer he decided. He slowly parted the curtain to get a view of the dancer and that was it. Time stood still for Omkara Singh Oberoi.
Her feet were the first thing he noticed about her. The pair bearing the ghungroo with the missing bell. They moved with a fervor which had the capacity to construct and destruct his world. The sound of the ghungroo became the rhythm of his heart. Her hips swayed to the rhythm of the music and his heart lost its rhythm. Her hands moved zealously, expertly catching the mudras. Her waist length hair seemed to be braided loosely swayed with each turn she took. Her white salwar flowed lazily around her. And her face. Omkara inhaled deeply as he took in her face. Strands of her raven black hair hung loosely on the side. Her ears were adorned with intricately crafted golden Jhumkas. But they did nothing to the divinity she was. Intangible. He decided. That was how ethereal she was. He let out a low groan in irritation as to the fact that he couldn't see her eyes. She was deeply immersed in her own universe of dance and had closed them in ecstasy which only she could comprehend. She looked bare. Raw. And he felt the need to be raw.
Omkara longed to have a taste of her bliss. He longed to mould her. He closed his eyes and imagined the feel of clay beneath his fingers. He opened his eyes to burn her into his memory, to etch every minuscule detail onto his heart. He watched as her expression shifted from one of coyness to ardent devotion and he stepped forward. She danced on unaware of his presence. Shakti praising her Shiv, dancing narrating his glory. Omkara's heart thumped in fervor. Oh how he wished that she was dancing for him. He slowly stepped further towards her and lifted his hand to touch her face and the music stopped.
Her eyes snapped open and Om lowered his hand. She stilled as she noticed the presence of the stranger. His eyes met hers for the very first time and his heart hummed in contentment. Her eyes were hazel with tinges of gold worthy enough to drown for an eternity.
"You are... She began. Om cleared his throat loudly.
"I am lost... Could you...could you please help me find the entrance?" He asked in a whisper. She nodded slightly.
"Just go right from the door and you will end up outside the building, from there you can easily find the entrance." She said in one breath.
"Thank you Miss...?" Omkara stopped short hoping to hear her name.
"Ishana." She smiled kindly.
"Thank you Miss Ishana." She nodded her head in a gesture of welcome. With a lingering look Omkara turned around and left the room.
"Om Bhaiyaa..." Om looked up at Soumya's voice. "Where were you?"
"I was lost." Om smiled as he gazed at the broken piece of bell on his palm.
PS- Not proof read or thought through😆. A spurr of the moment kinda thing. So thats how Ishkara met and Om fell in love at first sight (dont believe in that but any thing can happen in fiction lol)
