Smoke and Mirrors - a RiKara OS

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She lets him turn her around in their dark room as she stands at the window, staring at the lone star that twinkles faintly in the absence of the moon.

Omkara crushes her against his chest, having missed her in the 36 hours that they spent between Goa and Mumbai. The familiar scent of jasmines invades his senses and he feels himself relax, his body engulfing hers completely before he turns his head and presses his lips to the nape of her neck.

She inhales sharply, fighting the urge to give in while he stays still against her.

Trembling, she raises her arms with difficulty to hug him back weakly. He exhales softly in response, burrowing his face into the crook of her neck. God, he had been an idiot to give in to Rudra's childish demand and leave.

"Gauri." he whispers a moment later, moving to brush his lips against her shoulder. She doesn't reply, gulping down the lump in her throat as his arms tighten around her. Her hands move from his wait to the nape of his neck in a sensuous move, setting him ablaze with desire. He wonders how just a small touch could have the power to turn him on just as her fingers move lightly, one hand caressing his hair. His eyes drift shut of their own accord, savouring her touch.

"I missed you," he says after a pause, when her fingers wander over his shoulders in light touches, arousing him more than he'd like to admit. She feels tears prick at the back of her eyes as he sighs against her neck.

"Sach me?" this time she manages to choke out, indignation slipping in the two words.

"Bohot zyaada. Tumhe andaza bhi nahi hai ki kitna miss kiya maine tumhe," he murmurs, his lips now just under her ear, not registering the coldness in her voice.

She almost falls for the adulation in his voice while his searching lips break down her resolve bit by bit. Time to stop it before he works his magic on her, the charm that could make her do things she wouldn't usually do, she decides with distress. Humiliation and anger tear through her as the image of that woman and her pati swim across her vision.

Gathering herself together, she speaks,"Itna zyaada miss kiye ki raaste me milne wali pehli ladki ko aapne..." That's as far as she gets before tears spill out in a rush.

His arms are off her body instantly as he staggers back. She stands her ground, looking at him with accusatory eyes, the warmth absent.

"Kya keh rahi ho, Gauri?"

"Vahi jo aap Goa me kar ke aaye hai," she wipes the traitor tears harshly.

He stares at her in shock, wondering how she could know of the whole fiasco with that girl.

"Itni jaldi bhool gaye?" she asks, bemused. "Ha, ap to apni kidnap kar ke laayi hui patni ko bhool sakte hai to phir to bed se aane-jaane wale ladkiyaan kya cheez hai, hai na?" she plasters a bright smile on her face.

"Chaliye, yaad dilaa hi dete hai," she snatches the mobile off the window sill, furiously poking at it before shoving the very same video he had received, under his eyes.

Terror floods through him, of the unknown kind and he closes his eyes in horror only to snap them open as she sends the phone crashing on the ground.

"Jaisa tum soch rahi ho vaisa bilkul bhi nahi hai Gauri," he starts, trying and failing to explain the situation. There really was nothing in his favour except to own up his mistake.

"Acha? Matlab ye video jhoot hai? Chaliye aap khud hi bataiye sachaai kya hai phir. Hum sun rahe hai," she folds her arms across her chest.

"Piya ki car kharaab ho gayi thi. Humne bas usse lift di and ussne hume kuch colddrink di thi. Usske bad mujhe kuch yaad nahi hai Gauri. Mera yakeen karo," he says in an urgent tone, lunging forward to take a hold of her hand.

Her only response to it is a dazed laugh. "Yakeen kare hum aapka? Jaise apane kiye the? Apane to sirf ek naam dekhe the, ek aisa naam jo Uttar Bharat me har aathvi ladki ka hota hai. Aapne to hume kuch kehne ka mauka bhi nahi diya tha. Par hum aapko safaai dene ka mauka de rahe hai," she says when her laugh turns to tears that run down her cheeks.

"Gauri, unn drinks me kuch tha jiski vaje se mai, hum teeno iss tarah..." shame washes over him, prompting him to go down on his knees in front of her.

"Drinks me? Theek hai," he looks up at her hopefully,"Maan lete hai aapki baat. Bas aap humaari ek baat ka sach sach jawaab de. Kal ko agar humaara aisa koi video aapke paas aaye to aap kya karenge? Maaf kar denge? Humaari baat sunenge? Safaai dene ka ek mauka denge? Nasha har cheez ko maaf kar dene ki vaje hoti hai? Bataiye hume," she clenches her teeth, dragging out each word as she looks down at him.

She doesn't wait for an answer and he doesn't really have to think of what he'd do. Because they have experienced what the very thought of a stray Gauri could do; of the destruction it has already evoked. It isn't something he'd repeat, he knows that but when she puts in the context of the video, he feels his anger reach boiling point within moments. The very thought of it impales his ability to think; let alone rationally.

She let out a short giggle, quite inappropriate for the situation, following his train of thoughts. He gulps the lump in his throat as he looks up at her, eyes brimming with tears of self-loathing and fear. She pretends to not notice them.

"Gauri, main-" she holds up her hand to stop him from talking.

"Bohot acha tareeqa hai, Omkaraji. Hum to itne paagal hai ki ab tak sab kuch sach samajh rahe the. Aapka humaari taraf jhukaao, aapki baatein, aapke vaade, aapka pyaar! Sach me paagal hai hum!" she jerks her hand away from his hold. His tears escape finally at the cruel way her hand jerks him away.

"Tum galat samajh rahi ho, Gauri," he starts explaining. She doesn't hear him.

"Par ab nahi." She looks down on him, dismissing the tears that run down his cheeks.

His heart stops beating at her words before he starts begging, "Gauri, please mujhe chod ke mat jaao. Please... mai nahi jee paunga. Please Gauri, ek chance do mujhe. I'm really sorry, galti ho gayi mujhse. Mai nashe me tha-"

"Nasha to bas bahana hai, Omkaraji! Hum samjh chuke hai ki aap humaare saath vahi karna chahte the jo aapko lagta hai humne aapke saath kiya," she steps back from him, freeing her hand from his.

"Nahi, Gauri. Mera aisa koi iraada nahi tha. Yeh maine nashe me-" he again takes her hand in his, desperate to make her understand. She cuts him off.

"Ab se hum vahi karenge jo appko itne mahino se lagte aaya hai," she says in a steely voice. "Abse hum bas aapka istemaal karenge. Aapke naam ka istemaal. Gauri Omkara Singh Oberoi hai na hum? Iss ghar me rahege, aapki patni ban kar. Sirf naam ki patni," her voice takes the note of a sneer before trailing off.

"Kya?" he whispers in dread, ice settling over his heart at the meaning of her words.

"Vahi jo aapne sune. Talaaq nahi denge hum aapko, kyunki ab hume aapko takleef deni hai. Roz takleef deni hai aap ko hume. Tab shayad aapko ehsaas hoga ki aapne kya kiye hai. Aapko poori choot hai, jiske saath jaana hai, jaha jaana hai, jo bhi karna hai, kijiye; par iss kamre me hum aapko nahi jaante. Humaara rishta bass bass kamre ke baahar hi hai, duniyaa ko dikhanae ke liye. Aapne hume Tej Singh Oberoi bann ke dikyhaaye hai, hum ab aap ko Jhanvi Singh Oberoi ban ke dikhaayenge." With those final words, she condemns Omkara Singh Oberoi to a life in hell before shutting herself in the bathroom, leaving him on his knees, broken beyond repair.

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Loved it.

Anyways...Do cont and pls pls pls PM me as i Due to exams miss out updates

-Sakshi :)