RiKara SS - You and I Collide [COMPLETE] pg 63(19/4) - Page 25

We came a long way, only a stone's throw more to go. Hopefully you will enjoy!

Chapter 12

Better half

For the umpteenth time in his life, Omkara Singh Oberoi was wrong. He was certain, he had seen last of a certain Gauri Kumari Sharma, back at that pub in Delhi. He had struggled with the bitter taste of her memories since then, had cursed himself and somehow tackled all those thoughts to the back of his mind, before setting off to Bareilly; in search of his brother's culprits and in the pretense of completing the deal Shivay had left mid way. But there was not much he could find out, other than the fact that Shivay had visited a certain abandoned manor during his trip. The partner, Kali Takur was driving him crazy, and Khanna was of no help. Back in Mumbai, Rudra was under too much pressure, handling both family and media almost single handedly. He wanted to return to him as soon as possible and the continuous failures were getting to his head.

He had needed a moment to gather himself, but fate apparently had different plans.

The last person he had imagined he would be seeing in the practice room of the hotel's gym was already there, dressed in her pristine white judo costume, her hair tucked into a blue hair band and practicing her moves alone. Her figure was shadowed against the sunlight streaming from the window she had been facing and in spite of all his rational thinking, Omkara found himself transfixed, eyes following her athletic movements. He had always felt that fire inside her, it was a part of the pull she had in luring him in. But that day it was different, she was different.

Something, inside her was broken. Her movements were of perfect technique, easily evident practice worth of years behind each reflex, but there was something uneven, in the pace, the flow, something that did not belong to the calculative girl he knew. She reminded him of a wounded predator. A lion surrounded by hunters who knew it was about to go down, but continued to pounce, growl and scratch, in an attempt to take down as many as possible with it. She had never let the anger consume her, he had reluctantly admired it. But that moment, she was drowning in hatred, it was reflected in every strike she aimed at the air. For some strange reason Omkara could not take it.

Khanna had opened his mouth to interrupt, make their presence known; but Omkara held his hand in a gesture of silence and his bare feet stepped into the mat behind her. Gauri was still oblivious to his presence.

Her mind was reeling, frustration boiling within. She wanted to hit something desperately, make some ever lasting damage. That would make her feel less disgusted with herself. With each puff of exhale she could recall the way those eyes roamed her body, and her insides coiled with repulsiveness. That man; who was barely younger than Ragav himself, was supposed to be her husband in a matter of weeks.

She had always known, Ragav would not be searching for a prince charming. She had always known her marriage was going to be kind of a deal, but this - this was beyond anything she had ever imagined to be possible. With a shiver she replayed his words, wincing as her wrists started to sting with the red welts he had given her.

"I'm sure we're so going to enjoy the company of each other," he had said, pulling her closer to him by twisting her wrist, his breath tickling her earlobe. "I love wild ones." His whisper was rough.

She had stumped on his foot, making sure the killer heel she wore found his toes, Ri recalled with satisfaction, had it not been for the man's iron like hold, she might have given him a very painful kick too. But the look he gave her, that maniac glint in his serpent like eyes, was not lost on her. Other than a momentary victory, she might not win against this man in the long run. That knowledge exhausted her. He eyed her like someone sizing up a bull, knowing that eventually the beast would tire down, knowing that he could eventually tame it to abide him. That look made her disgusted with herself. He saw her as a challenge, a chance to prove his manliness.

All the while she struggled with him, Ragav had been watching. Doing nothing, mute, a faint smile twisting his mouth. She knew that expression; it was victory. He was enjoying her condition, enjoying the fact that he had ultimately brought her down. Ri pulled at her hair, biting her lip. She would not give him the satisfaction of watching her break apart, she would not. She would not go down without a fight.

And someone blocked her strike, with a perfect elbow joint lock, that completely stilled her in her tracks. Ri jerked her neck, throwing back the locks that had escaped her hair band and looked up, struggling to free herself. His dark gaze boring into her golden one, Omkara stood in front of her. Ri puffed another exhale. She had forgotten how much she hated him, and those eyes that saw too much.

They broke apart and he gave her a mock bow, wordlessly they circled each other, sizing each other up and waiting for the perfect moment to strike. His dark hair pulled to a full ponytail, highlighted those high cheekbones and his sharp jaw. He reminded her of a black panther, his eyes focused on the prey. It reminded her why she was attracted to this man, it was this way he made her feel. He made her feel alive, powerful, an equal worthy of a fight. He made her feel herself, albeit in a different way.

"Omkara," her greeting was brisk, so was her bow, a mere tradition of the battle they were engaged in.

"Gauri," he said shortly. "What are you doing here?" The moment they made contact, he blocked her easily.

"Give me one reason to answer that question." She said with a sarcastic smile twitching her lips. He tripped her and held her in mid fall, his grip on her wrist was painful, but she kept her expression blank. He was too good. She thought reluctantly. He stared at her wrist, with an unreadable expression.

"Who did this?"

Ri snorted. "Why do you care?" She blocked his throw and bounced off, slithering off his expert joint lock and circling him again. "Because the last I remember you made it clear that, we are nothing to each other, right?"

Omkara pounced at her, locking both her elbows to her sides and holding her against his hard chest. Ri knew this was going to happen, the man was almost twice her size.

"Stop it," his voice was a growl in her ear, barely audible over the sound of their ragged breathing. "Stop this act." She struggled frantically.

"Why don't you stop acting all concerned?" Her words were dripping with venom. He let her go but it did not stop her from attacking again and again. She was not looking for victory after all, some pain will do, for the time being. But since when had Omkara Singh Oberoi given her what she wanted? He continued to block her, throw her on her side so swiftly that she could bounce back in no time. Soon, Ri had reached the limits of her patience.

"Stop playing around and hit me god damn it!" She muttered , trying to trip him. His composure was frustrating her.

"I'm not playing with you," his tone was dark, and brows frowned. He tripped her and threw her on the mat once more. This time Ri was ready for it that she pulled him with her, tripping his feet as she collapsed.

"You are," she breathed, striking him with her elbow. "You all are! You think you're the only one with feelings, you're the only one who gets hurt? What do you think I am, a toy? A doll?"

It took her a minute to realize he had her pinned to the mat, immobilized against his muscular arms. His eyes bored into hers once more, his hard form flushed against her soft one. Ri drew in a breath, her eyes watering.

"Maitta! (I surrender - a term used in judo)" Her voice broke, as she choked on her breath. She had forgotten, there was no person who could hurt her to this extent, just by his presence. "I've had enough."

Something almost like a regret flashed in his eyes, as his hold slackened. Gripping her shoulders he pulled her back to her feet. Her balance wavered and he supported her with an arm sneaked around her waist. Taking a gulp of air Ri looked into his eyes, her face blank.

"Why are you doing this?" Her tone was curious. One of his long fingers tucked an escaped strand of her hair back, its tip caressing her cheek in the process. Ri gulped, the darkness of his eyes was drowning her again.

"I -"

What he was about to say Ri never knew for that very moment a seething Ragav decided to make his entry. He threw the folder in his hand, documents landed scattered at her feet.

"What is the meaning of this god forsaken thing?" he demanded, in a livid voice.

Ri looked into his eyes calmly, a momentary pleasure breaking through her.

"It's an agreement uncle, that says in return of marrying the guy of your choice, you'd be returning my father's property to me." Omkara let his hand fall, numbly to his side, his features mirroring a disgust. She did not care, but the loss of contact suddenly made her feel cold and isolated. Even without meeting his gaze, she knew he was disappointed. Only, it did not matter anymore. This was her battle, which he had no part in. "Unless you sign it, I won't be going ahead with the marriage."

"You damn -"

She did not hear what Ragav had said, everything had gone blank. Her eyes followed Omkara, who left without a word.

Would you ever trust me enough, to stand by me all the way through?

**

I'm open to thoughts, waiting to your reviews. Please take a moment to share your take with me.

Sorry for any disappointments and thanks a ton for reading!

Love,

Sakura