Thanks to all for voting and commenting on the previous part
When Love Awaits
- a second chance at love.
Gauri happily walks into the cafe and spots Omkara waiting for her. He seemed upset about something, but she was too happy with her news that she decided to share her news before she asked him what was troubling him. And once he heard her news he would be happy too, forgetting everything else. He gets up seeing her and she hugs him happily kissing him on his cheeks. He hugs her tightly, a little more than he usually does.
"I want to talk to you." Omkara tells her.
"Before that I want to tell you something." Gauri cuts him off happily.
"This is important, Gauri."
"This is more important. I talked to my parents and they agreed for the wedding. Bhaiyya said he will also come for the wedding. Isn't it great?" Gauri tells him excitedly.
Omkara sadly smiles at her hearing that.
"You talked to your parents?" she asks wondering whether they refused and that is the reason he was upset, as they had decided that they would wait till they got their parent's consent before they married, they were bound to have objections as she was a Bengali and he was a Punjabi.
"I did."
"But they didn't agree." Gauri says sobering up seeing him upset.
"My sister is pregnant." Omkara tells her.
"Priyanka? But she is not..." Gauri starts and stops.
"The guy is saying that only if I marry his sister, he will marry my sister." Omkara tells her.
"How can he say that?" Gauri asks angrily.
"His sister it seems has been in love with me. I didn't even know that. They are our family friends."
"What have you decided?"
"When I think of Priyanka, I..." Omkara stops as he tried to get his thoughts right. "I don't care, Gauri. I love you. I want to marry you." Omkara tells her in finality.
"What about Priyanka and her baby?" Gauri asks forced to think of his little sister.
"I don't know." Omkara says desperately. "When I think about her I want to sacrifice my happiness for her, but when I think of you, I just want to be with you. My head will burst now." Omkara says as he held his head helplessly. "My parents and Priyanka expect me to sacrifice you for Priyanka but without you I am nothing, Gauri."
Gauri knew him well, all she has to do was tell him and he would marry her, but then for the rest of his life he would live with the guilt that he ruined his sister's and her baby's life. His relation with his family will be broken. He would live in hell and she loved him too much to see him suffer like that.
"I will always be with you, Omkara." Gauri tells him smiling.
Omkara looks at her hopefully.
"So what if we are not married or we are not together physically? We will be each other's support. We will be with each other in our memory and love. Not every love finds its happy ending. Some remain incomplete." Gauri tells him as she lovingly caressed his cheeks.
"NO!" Omkara says forcefully.
Omkara wakes up sweating profusely. It's been 5 years, but he dreams of that day every single time he sleeps. She had left him, without a trace. At times, it felt like those 9 months with her never happened, but the heart ache made it seem real as if it happened yesterday. He wondered where she was, what she was doing now. Maybe she got married and moved on in life. Wherever she was he wished and prayed she be happy. The sacrifice she had made for his sister had only made his love for her all the more intense. Realizing he was sweating, he removes his seat belt and gets up from the seat and goes to freshen up. By the time he had come out, the seat belt sign was on and the announcement was made that they were about to land. He resumes his seat and pulls out the file he had been studying before he fell asleep. He was going to New York to finalize a merger.
The next day, he was ushered into Rudra Chatterji's cabin. Rudra Chatterji was the MD of Renaissance, the company he was planning the merger with. Seeing Omkara, Rudra immediately gets up and shakes his hand with a smile.
"Mr Omkara Singh Oberoi, finally we meet."
"Yes finally." Omkara says with a smile.
"I hope your flight and stay is comfortable." Rudra says pleasantly.
"Everything is fine." Omkara replies.
Rudra gestures him to sit and Omkara sits, and Rudra also sits. They start discussing the merger. They were deep in discussion when the door bursts open, and they both look up in irritation. Rudra's irritation soon changes into a big smile, Omkara looks at the direction Rudra was looking wondering why there was no decorum in this office, you do not barge into an office, specially your MD's cabin.
Finally seeing the intruder, he couldn't help smiling. It was a small boy, hardly 4 years.
"I am here!!!" he shouts happily as he ran to Rudra.
Rudra scoops him up in his arms as he happily smiled. Turning to Omkara regretfully, he says "Sorry. Just a minute."
"Take your time." Omkara says smiling at the boy.
It was evident that the boy was Rudra's son, he was his mirror image.
"What are you doing here? Haven't I told you not to come here like this, especially when I am in a meeting?" Rudra lovingly scolds him as he pulled his nose.
The boy starts laughing, "Yes you have told me."
"Then?"
"But I like coming here, Papa." he says.
"Really?" Rudra starts tickling him on his stomach and he starts laughing loudly. "Where is your Mama?"
"Upstairs."
"She knows you are here?" the boy nods his head quickly, a little too quickly.
"Abhi..." Rudra says in a warning tone.
"No." he pouts.
Rudra shakes his head in disappointment. His phone starts ringing and he looks at the caller id, "It's your mama."
"Don't tell her I am here."
"I will tell her." Rudra tells him and quickly takes the phone saying, "He is here, I am sending him up." then he hangs up smiling seeing Abhi pout.
"You are bad!" Abhi says angrily.
"So are you." Rudra replies grinning.
"I am not bad! I am hulk!" Abhi says proudly as he made Hulk pose.
Omkara starts chuckling seeing that.
Rudra and Abhi turns to look at him. Abhi frowns at Omkara for laughing at him.
"You do look like hulk." Omkara tells him to appease him.
Abhi makes the Hulk pose more proudly now.
"Now, go." Rudra says as he gently eased him off his lap.
"Who are you?" Abhi asks Omkara having caught his attention.
"Omkara Singh Oberoi, you can call me Om."
"I am Abhimanyu Chatterji, you can call me Abhi." Abhi says as he puts his hand forward for a shake hand, Omkara takes his hand and smiles at him. Then Abhi smiled at him, at him and his smile reminded Omkara of Gauri's smile. There was an uncanny resemblance in the way he smiled. Omkara's heart breaks realizing that if he had married Gauri, then maybe they would have had a kid like Abhi now.
"You should go now, Abhi. I have an important meeting and your mama is waiting for you."
"Okay." Abhi says pouting.
"Bye Om."
"Bye Hulk."
Making Abhi smile at him, like the way Gauri used to smile at him when she was truly happy.
Omkara watched as Abhi dragged his feet to prolong his stay there. Omkara wanted Abhi to stay back, it was strange he was always weird around kids, but with Abhi he wanted to get to know him, maybe it was because of the resemblance he felt with Gauri.
"He is a cute boy." Omkara tells Rudra after Abhi leaves.
"He is a brat." Rudra tells him proudly, "he is having holidays now and he is bored out of his wits. So, he keeps coming here without his mother finding out." Rudra tells him. "Do you have any plans for the evening?" Rudra asks.
"No."
"Then please come home for dinner." Rudra invites him.
Omkara nods his head.
"I stay in penthouse in this building." Rudra tells him, and then they get back to their discussion.
Omkara promptly rings the bell at 7, and Abhi opens the door for him.
"Om!" Abhi greets him happily.
"HULK!" Omkara greets him making him all excited as he made hulk pose.
"This is for you." Omkara brings his hand from behind and hands over a hulk figurine.
"HUUULLLK!!!" Abhi says excitedly as he grabs the toy from him.
"Who is it, Abhi?" Omkara hears Gauri's voice and he looks up in shock.
He sees Gauri standing there staring at him in shock. A hint of tear in her eyes as she smiled seeing him.
"Omkara." He heard her whisper.
"Come inside!" Abhi says as he drags Omkara in and excitedly turns to Gauri, "See Mama, what he got me. HULK!" then he runs off calling for his papa.
Omkara goes to her and says happily, "Where did you go off to, Gauri? I looked for you everywhere."
"How are you, Omkara?" Gauri asks him instead of answering him.
"Good, you?" Omkara asks back.
"Ah you two met already." Rudra says as he walks in carrying Abhi who was holding Hulk. Gauri quickly wipes her tears and turns to go in. "Gauri, I am famished. Are you ready to set the table?" Rudra asks her.
Gauri nods and walks to the kitchen while Rudra welcomed Omkara inside.
Gauri was silent as they all ate. Rudra and Abhi kept a steady conversation going with Omkara. She still couldn't believe after all these years he was finally here, in front of her. It's been five years and there wasn't a day she hasn't thought about him. She still loved him just like how she had loved him before or maybe more. She wondered whether he was happy in life and with his wife. For his sake she hoped that he has forgotten her and moved on in life. She looks at him and he looks at her at the same time. He sadly smiles at her and she smiles back, her heart breaking silently realizing he still loved her. She could no longer sit there, so close to him and act normal. She quickly gets up from the table in pretense of bringing sweets for them.
She serves them ladoo each and watches Abhi gobbling his ladoo.
"Eat slowly, Abhi." Gauri gently tells him.
Abhi nods his head in agreement though he didn't deem it necessary to follow her instructions and continued to gobble. Omkara smiles seeing the way Abhi was eating his ladoo.
"Please don't mind him, when he eats ladoo he has no manners." Rudra tells Omkara chuckling making Abhi glare at him while Gauri's face turned pink in embarrassment seeing Abhi's uncouth behavior in front of Omkara.
"Can I get one more?" Abhi asks Gauri sweetly.
"No. you have been eating ladoo all day. No more." Gauri tells him and turns to Rudra, "Don't give him anymore."
And Rudra in reply eats his ladoo.
Gauri goes back inside knowing that if she stood there for a minute longer, she wouldn't be able to ignore Omkara anymore. Omkara watches Gauri walk away, and he sighs sadly. He knew Gauri was disturbed with his presence in her life. She has moved on and seemed content with her life. He should leave as soon as possible he didn't want to be the reason for her distress. He was about to get up to leave when he sees Abhi watching him. Omkara smiles at Abhi feeling fatherly towards him. Gauri's son was his son also. He cursed his fate for separating Gauri and him, and now Gauri has a son with Rudra. If things had been different then Abhi would have been born to him and not Rudra. For an instance Omkara's heart was filled with hatred towards Rudra. He knew the hatred was baseless. Gauri had a right to happy life and looks like Rudra was giving her that.
"I know magic." Abhi tells him breaking him out of his thoughts.
"You do?" Omkara asks with an interested smile.
"Do you want to see?" Abhi asks.
"Sure."
"I can make your ladoo disappear." Abhi tells him in secret so Rudra doesn't hear him.
Rudra was anyway busy with his phone not paying them any attention. Omkara starts chuckling realizing Abhi was after his ladoo.
"Make it disappear." Omkara says grinning in anticipation.
Abhi looks inside to see if his mother was coming back then looks at Rudra for a brief second and quickly takes his ladoo and pops it in his mouth.
"Gone!" Abhi says with a mouthful of ladoo.
Omkara starts laughing out loudly as he watched Abhi trying to chew the mouthful of ladoo. He had the uncontrollable urge to pick Abhi in his arms and give him a sound kiss. He sees Abhi keeping his finger on lips asking Rudra to keep quiet as he chewed the ladoo. Omkara turns to Rudra to see him shaking his head in disappointment.
"Not good, Abhi."
"It is fine. Anyway I didn't want it." Omkara lies; ladoo was his favorite sweet just like Abhi.
Omkara turns to Abhi and finds him quickly ducking under the table. Omkara knew why and turns to look towards the kitchen and found Gauri standing there frowning.
"Is there a problem?" Gauri asks no one in particular.
"Ask your son." Rudra replies turning traitor.
"Abhi? What are you doing under the table?" Gauri asks in a stern voice.
Abhi who still hadn't finished his ladoo looks at Omkara in panic from the under the table. Omkara turns to Gauri and says, "He is looking for the hulk toy. He can't seem to find it."
Gauri watches him for a second and then shakes her head slightly in disappointment knowing he had just lied. She goes back in without saying anything else.
Abhi comes back up after he had finished eating and turns to Rudra in anger, "You are a bad boy. I don't like you."
"I didn't steal someone else's ladoo."
"You are not my best friend anymore. Om is my best friend." Abhi says as he held Omkara's hand possessively making Omkara smile happily.
"Now who is a traitor?" Rudra asks him.
"YOU!" Abhi angrily tells him.
Rudra rolls his eyes "When Omkara leaves in two days you are going to come crawling back to me." Rudra says arrogantly making Omkara seriously wonder who among these two was actually the child.
"Omkara won't leave me!" Abhi says with conviction then turn to Omkara "You won't go right? You'll stay with me, right?"
Omkara smiles not wanting to lie to Abhi.
"See!" Abhi says proudly.
Watching Abhi, Omkara realized that he didn't want to go anywhere else. He was willing to sacrifice his life back home for Abhi and Gauri, but he knew Gauri would never leave Rudra she was not the girl to leave her husband.
Gauri didn't come in front of him after that and finally he decided to leave as Rudra sends off Abhi for his bath.
"I should leave." Omkara says as he stood up.
"Hey come on, the night is still young. Let us go grab a drink." Rudra tells him and shouts at Gauri without waiting for Omkara's reply. "Gauri, I am going out. Lock the door. And you go to sleep, I have the key and I'll let myself in." Rudra walks out with Omkara and Omkara has no choice but to follow him.
Omkara silently drinks as Rudra talked. He just kept nodding not listening as his mind was elsewhere. He still couldn't believe that he now knew where Gauri was, and Gauri has a son with another man. Somewhere deep down he had believed that Gauri would never marry but then he did not blame her for not waiting for him. Now seeing Abhi his guilt had intensified. If only he had taken his stand earlier then Gauri and Abhi would have been with him.
"You seem so off. Are you normally like this or am I boring you?" Rudra asks chuckling.
"Just tired from my travel." Omkara says shrugging. He hated to admit it, but he liked Rudra.
"Why don't you go home then? I think I found some company." Rudra tells him winking at him.
Omkara frowns and turns to look at what Rudra was looking and sees in shock it was a girl who was giving him all smiles and looks indicating she was interested.
"See you tomorrow!" Rudra says as he started to walk towards her.
"Hey what are you doing?" Omkara asks furiously as he held Rudra's hand.
"What do you think I am going to do?" Rudra asks cheekily grinning at him.
"But..."
"Come on please don't lecture me about sex being taboo." Rudra says rolling his eyes. "And please do me a favor. If Abhi ever asks, tell him that I was with you the whole night. That little brat has a habit of telling Gauri everything. And she is so ancient. She will go on and on about love and marriage. I don't need that now. What I need is to get laid. I don't know why she finds it so difficult to understand that body has needs! Anyway, see ya!" Rudra says and walks off towards the girl.
Omkara stood there watching in shock Rudra joining the girl at the table. Omkara was about to go kill Rudra for cheating on Gauri when he realized that doing something like that would hurt Gauri and Abhi. He quickly leaves from there.
Gauri opens the door at the insistent ringing and finds Omkara at the door. "Omkara, what are you doing here?" Gauri asks worried.
"He is cheating on you, Gauri." Omkara tells her.
"Who?"
"Your husband!"
"My husband?" Gauri asks shocked.
"Rudra! He is cheating on you. He is with another girl." Omkara tells her urgently.
"Oh!" Gauri says as realization dawns on her.
"I thought he was a nice man, but he is not! He doesn't care for you, Gauri."
"He is a nice man!" Gauri tells him defending him.
"Don't you believe me? I am telling you the truth."
"It doesn't matter."
"Why, Gauri? How can you be with him after knowing that he is cheating on you?"
"What do you want me to do then?" Gauri asks him calmly.
"Leave him." Omkara tells her and stops himself from saying come with me.
"I think you should leave, Omkara." Gauri calmly tells him.
"Gauri..."
"Please, this is my life. I don't want you to interfere in this. If Rudra is sleeping with someone it is not your problem." Then she closes the door ignoring him banging on the door.
When Gauri refused to open the door, Omkara hurries back to the pub to find Rudra still chatting up the girl. He realized he was just in time as Rudra and the girl were getting up to leave. Omkara marches to him and punches him on his eyes and starts punching him on his face ignoring all the people watching them.
"You bastard! How could you do this to her?" Omkara asks furiously as he pulled Rudra up by holding his collar.
Rudra kicks Omkara on his shin and Omkara howls in pain as he moved back.
"I didn't do anything to her. I was just hoping. But how the hell do you know her? You should have told me before itself when you saw me going to her."
"HER?" Omkara asks pointing at the girl. "I don't even know her!"
"Then what the hell is your problem?"
"I am talking about Gauri! Abhi! Your family you asshole!"
"What about my family? And what the hell does it have anything to do with you?"
"You have a family? You told me you were single!" the girl says outraged.
"He has a family! Do you know how blessed you are to get a family like that? People die to get a family like that." Omkara tells him furious thinking of the injustice done to Gauri and Abhi.
"How could you forget Abhi? Your own blood!"
"Abhi my blood? Oh please! You don't think he is my son, do you?" Rudra asks shocked.
"Did you just say Abhi is not your son?" Omkara asks furiously taking a step towards Rudra.
"You have a son?" the girl asks shocked.
"Is sleeping with her so important to you that you are saying Abhi is not your son? Now you will say Gauri is not your wife also!"
"Have you gone crazy, you moron?" Rudra asks shocked.
"You have a wife too?" the girl asks outrage. "You bastard! I am out of here." With that she marches off.
"Damn you!" Rudra tells Omkara angrily.
"If you ever hurt Gauri and Abhi again, I'll kill you!" Omkara angrily tells him.
Rudra starts laughing, a mirthless laugh. "I have had people thinking Abhi as my son. Got to agree that brat looks just like me but Gauri as my wife. Gawd! That is rich, sick and INCESTUOUS!" Rudra angrily tells him.
"Incestuous?" Omkara asks shocked.
"If you still didn't understand it then it means she is my sister, you FREAK!"
"Gauri, your sister?" Omkara asks shocked as he sits on the chair behind him in shock.
"YES!"
"But Abhi looks like you."
"D'oh! I am his mamu!"
"But he calls you Papa!"
"That is because he doesn't know who his father is, and till he meets his father he asked me whether he can call me Papa and I told him he could. I couldn't love him more if he was my own son. So, I said he can call me Papa as long as he wanted!" Rudra tells him.
Omkara's heart was running a mile per second as he thought about Abhi and Gauri. If Gauri was Rudra's sister and that they are not married, could it mean that Abhi was his son?
"You cut me, you asshole" Rudra says feeling his lips bleeding.
"Who is Abhi's father?"
"I don't know." Rudra shrugs.
"How can you not know?" Omkara asks angrily.
"Because I was not a part in creating him!" Rudra says exasperated. "And why the hell does it matter to you, anyway?"
"I want to know. Please tell me everything that you know." Omkara begs him.
Rudra watches him for a while and sighs "I do need that merger! What do you want to know?"
"Everything."
"Our parents migrated to US when they got married. I was born first and then Gauri. When she was some 9 or 10, our parents sent her to India fearing she would get Americanized if she stayed here. I never understood their theory. Whether you are raised in America, India or any part of the world, you are gonna have curiosity of sex and your body. You are going to have needs. Some act on it and some don't. And the country has nothing to do with it." Rudra says.
"Can we get back to the topic?" Omkara asks impatiently.
Rudra stares at him furiously for a second then takes a sip of his drink just to prolong. "She met a guy and fell in love with him. Our parents agreed but his had some family issue. His sister got pregnant and he had to marry her boyfriend's sister to get his sister married! I don't know! Something like that. What a complicated story!!" Rudra mutters. "Then Gauri broke up with him so he could marry the other girl. She came back here and found out she is pregnant. Then our parents threw a fit and Gauri threw a bigger one. I don't know, my parents think that she needs a man by her side to raise her son. Some crap like that. Utter nonsense! How many women are raising their kids without the father? Gauri is an independent girl and she never took my help in raising her son. She has managed to do it without anyone's help. She just moved into my place for a few days as there was some work at her apartment. Once that is done, she and Abhi would go back. My parents are still not talking to her but I am only proud of her. So what if she got pregnant without getting married first? It's one's choice! From what I have heard from her, the guy was a stand-up guy. It is a sad thing he doesn't know about Abhi though. Can't blame him also, she dumped him. He is just unaware that she is still waiting for him."
"She is still waiting?" Omkara asks shocked.
Rudra turns to Omkara and says, "Get this, my sister never forgave me for Abhi looking like me and not his father. She thinks I had sent up a prayer for that!"
Omkara starts laughing hearing that.
"Yeah yeah she is crazy!" Rudra mutters as he gulped his drink.
"What does Abhi know?"
"I think except for the name, he knows everything." Rudra shrugs.
"I am going to see her." Omkara tells him as he got up.
"HEY! I want the business! But I am drawing the line there!" Rudra says angrily.
"I need to see her, Rudra!" Omkara says reasonably though unable to hide his joy.
"Why?" Rudra asks frowning.
"You are a nice guy, Rudra. But you are stupid!" Omkara tells him grinning.
Rudra stares at him for a while and then realization dawns "IT'S YOU!"
"Yes!" Omkara smiles and starts to leave.
"What about your wife?" Rudra suddenly asks furious worrying about his sister.
"Don't have one. Never had one!" Omkara tells him.
Rudra starts smiling and then taking his key he throws it at Omkara. "You might need that."
Omkara lets himself inside Rudra's flat and he could hear Gauri and Abhi talking. He follows their voice and finds Gauri and Abhi in bed as both played with the Hulk toy he had gifted Abhi.
"Mama, I want to get Om a gift because he got me this." Abhi tells her.
"What do you want to gift him?" Gauri asks smiling happy at least Abhi got to meet his father.
"I don't know. I will ask him what superhero does he like tomorrow. Then we will get him that."
"He likes Iron Man." Gauri tells him remembering Omkara's obsession with Iron Man.
"How do you know Om likes Iron Man?" Abhi asks frowning.
"I know. And don't call him by his name." Gauri tells him.
"Then what should I call him?" Abhi asks frowning.
"Papa, Dad, Daddy, Pa whatever you fancy." Omkara tells him as he walked in.
"Omkara, what are you doing here?" Gauri asks shocked as she stood up.
"Why should I call you Papa?" Abhi asks at the same time as he stood up on the bed.
"Because I am your father."
Abhi turns to Gauri in shock and Gauri watches Omkara as tears stung her eyes.
"Mama, is he my Papa?" Abhi asks her.
Gauri nods her head in yes as she stared at Omkara silently crying.
"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" Abhi asks Omkara hurt as his lower lip trembles.
"Because your silly Mama never told me thinking I was married. I found out only when your mamu told me." Omkara explains smiling at Gauri and Abhi.
Gauri gasps in shock.
"Come here!" Omkara tells Abhi as he opened his arms for him. Abhi turns to Gauri for permission and Gauri nods her head asking him to go. Abhi runs to Omkara and hugs him. Omkara scoops him up in his arms as he hugged his son tight and both of them cried happily.
A while later, Omkara leaves Abhi.
"Why don't you sit here for a bit while I talked to your Mama outside?" Omkara asks.
Abhi pouts sadly.
"Five minutes." Omkara promises.
"Okay. Come fast." Abhi tells him.
"Will do." Omkara tells him as he kissed him.
Leaving Abhi in the room they both walk outside. The moment they were out of Abhi's ear shot, Omkara furiously turns to Gauri and asks, "How could you think that my niece was more important to me than my own son?"
"I didn't." Gauri tells him. "When I found out that I was pregnant I called you to tell you that. But someone else picked up your phone and told me that you had gone for the wedding reception. So, I thought you got married and decided not to hurt you by telling you about Abhi."
Omkara closes his eyes in pain and tells her "I never got married, Gauri. I told Priyanka that I would never marry Ridhima and told she should never marry a man who kept conditions to accept her and their baby. When Priyanka realized what I was telling her, she gave Ranveer an ultimatum. And Ranveer realized that he loved Priyanka a lot and didn't want to lose her. So he married her. The wedding reception was Priyanka's and not mine." Omkara explains.
"Oh!" Gauri says sadly realizing what had happened. "What about your parents?"
"They were angry at first, but after Ridhima got married they started pestering me to get married. Since last year they have been asking me to somehow find you and marry you, as they didn't want to see me alone all my life."
"FIVE MINUTES OVER!" Abhi screams from the room.
"It's been just 2 MINUTES, Abhi!" Gauri replies making Omkara chuckles.
"Feels like five!" Abhi mutters.
"He is taken after you." Gauri tells him smiling as she held his hand.
"Really?"
"Of course! Don't you feel a Dejavu when you see his obsession with Hulk?"
"I was so not obsessed with Iron Man!" Omkara replies insulted.
"Do you still have your Iron Man collections?" Gauri asks him grinning.
Omkara maintains a dignified silence.
Gauri laughs.
"FIVE MINUTES!"
"Coming!" Omkara replies laughing.
Omkara starts to walk towards the room when Gauri stops him by holding his hand, "Omkara, we are getting married right?"
Omkara smiles at her with all his love and asks her "Where do you want to get married? Here or in India?"
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- Lazy