Changed - RiKara FF

Finding Herself

They say that people who lose themselves can take years to find the person they were meant to be, but on one warm Tuesday in Summer Gauri Omkara Singh Oberoi found herself in all of twenty minutes. Strangely enough it was Pinky Singh Oberoi who lead to this discovery.

Gauri Omkara Singh Oberoi listened with her head bowed as she was called a 'Gawaar'. Her lower lip trembled as her clothing, speaking and general living sense was called into question. Tears flooded her eyes as she was called an opportunist that was attempting to reach far above her 'Aukaat'. Her 'Naam, Khoon, Khandan' all judged and found lacking. Just when she thought she would break down, that she could take no more... she looked up at the woman in front of her.

She began to shake... but not with sorrow or weakness. The tears that left her eyes were not of misery but of hilarity. She let her laugh escape her fully for the first time since leaving Bareilly. Wiping away the tears and controlling her laughter she asked the shocked sparkle clad lady in front of her: 'Aap hai koun?'

Confused, Pinky looked at the girl she had just been berating for the past twenty minutes: 'Oh my mata! Loh... Yeh neech ladki ab pagal bhi hogaye. Main Pinky Singh Oberoi hoon. Iss ghar ki bahu. Oberoi khandan ki bahu.'

'Toh Pinky Singh Oberoi, Oberoi khandan ki bahu... aap meri kya lagti hain?' Gauri raised an eyebrow.

'Teri kya lagti hoon? Bala main kyun teri kuch lagna chahungi! Tujh jaisee ladki ke main moon bhi na lagoon!' Pinky scowled.

'Areh waah! Aap ne toh humare moon se sabt hi cheen liye. Ab hatiye humare raaste se. Nahin moon lagte apke!' with that Gauri shoved past her verbal tormentor and headed to Omkara Singh Oberoi's room. It had been Gauri Omkara Singh Oberoi who had been intercepted by Pinky, but it was Bareilly ki chirraya Gauri Kumari Sharma who walked away from her.

Gaur whistled a tune as she packed her things making sure not to leave any trace of her behind. Then she sat to to write a letter to her husband... correction Omkara Singh Oberoi. She sighed. She didn't love him - she never had - but today she realised something. Gauri Kumari Sharma hated Omkara Singh Oberoi. She hated him. She hated him more than she hated Kali Thakur. More than she hated her Chacha, Chachi. Not for his bitter words, his coldness or his misunderstandings. Not for labelling her a 'Giri hui ladki'. She hated him for these six months in which she had looked in the mirror every morning and found a stranger gazing back at her. Kali Thakur had tried to take her izzat. Omkara Singh Oberoi had stolen her identity - her very being.

Mister Oberoi,
Aaj hum Gauri Kumari Sharma aap ko yeh khabar dehne ke liye likh rahin hain, khi ab hum apki yeh naukri chod rahe hain. Yeh hamara Istifa hain. Hum jab iss naukri ke liye raazi hue the, tab hum ko pata nahin tha ke yeh kitne din ka kaam hoga, par ab hum ko lagta hai khi hamari yaha koi zaroorat nahin hai. Aap fikar maat kijiye, hum kisi ko bhi kuch bata ke nahin jaa rahe, aap ko jo bhi samjhana hoga app samjha dena. Keh dena ke aap hamari jaise neech girihui ladki se koi rishta nahin rakna chahte the. Aur aap yeh bilkul mat sochna ke hum apki koi bhi cheez apne saath le kar ja rahein hain, hum chor nahin hai, pad kyunki apko hum pe iss baat par bhi shak hoga, aap khud hi tasaali kad lena. Jhanvi Madam se pooch lena unhone humme kya kya diya tha, sab yahin almirah mein hoga.
Ab hogaye kaam ki baat, chalien ab hum hamaare apas ki baat karte hain. Agar hosake toh aap kabhi apni shakaal humein maat dikhayega. Waise toh aap humse kabhi baat karte nahin hain, par phir bhi... humein na apse milna hai, na apse koi baat karni hain. Hum bhi apke saamne nahin aayenge, nahin apke parivaar se koi rishta rakhenge. Hum apna number badal rahe hain, aur dobaara baat nahin hogi. Maa ko hum khud samjha lenge, aap apne parivaar ko sambhaliye.
Ab hum woh kahenge joh itne mahine apse nahin keh paaye. Jis Jhanvi Thakurain ke kaatil apne humein tehra diya hain, aap uske baare mein jaante kya hain? Jisse aap hamare shaatir dimaag ki bechaari shikaar samaj rahe hain, woh asiliyaat mein bohot saare beggunaa bachon ki gunhegaar thi... unke parivaaron ki gunhegaar thi. Haan nahi hua dukh unke marne paar. Aap hum par yakeen na kare, Bareilly ki kisi bhi thane mein se apko pata lag jaayega kitne case chal rahe the unke khilaaf. Woh apne pati ke saath bachon ko bhejthi thi paaison ke liye. Unhi ki vaja se hum uss Kali Thakur ke changul mein aaye the. Hum ko woh kisi aur ko bhejne wali thi par unki pati ki nazaar humpe par gayi. Khair chodiye aisi baatein ko, ab unke piche aap koi aasoon mat bahana. Unke layak nahin thi woh.
Khush rehna,
Gauri Kumari Sharma

Translation:
Mr Oberoi.
Today I, Gauri Kumari Sharma, am writing to inform you that I am leaving this job. This is my resignation. When I agreed to this job, I did not know how many days it would take, but now I feel I am no longer needed here. Don't worry I am not informing anyone before leaving, you can tell them what you want to tell them. You can say how you could never keep a relationship with a low and fallen girl like me. And definitely don't think that I am taking anything of yours with me, I am not a thief, but because I know you will doubt me on this too, you can check to assure yourself. Ask Mrs Jhanvi what she had given me and you will find it all in the cupboard.
Now that the business is out of the way, lets talk about the personal. If you can manage it,don't ever show me your face again. You don't ever speak to me anyway, but still... I don't want to meet you, I don't want to talk to you. I will also never come in front of you, or maintain any relationship with your family, I am changing my number and we won't talk again. I will explain everything to my mother, you handle your own family.
Now I will say what I have been failing to say to you for all these moths. The Jhanvi Thakurain that you have declared me the murderer of, what do you actually know about her? Who you are thinking of as the poor victim of my cunning mind, was actually the culprit of many innocent children... of their innocent families. Yes I was not sad at her death. Don't believe me, you can find out from any police station in Bareilly how many cases were ongoing against her. She used to sell kids with her husband for money. She was the reason I got caught in Kali Thakur's trap. She was going to sell me to someone else, but her husband's eyes fell on me. Anyway leave such talks, just don't shed any tears over her now. She was not worth them.
Stay happy,
Gauri Kumari Sharma

With her head held high, Gauri Kumari Sharma walked out of the Oberoi Mansion. This time no curtains blew, no Saathiya played and there was nobody to stop her as Shivika were busy in farak games, Pinky was chanting Oh my Mata and the rest of the Oberois were busy being wallpapers.