"I can't love you in the dark
It feels like we're oceans apart
There is so much space between us
Maybe we're already defeated
Ah-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah everything changed me
We're not the only ones
I don't regret a thing
Every word I've said
You know I'll always mean
It is the world to me
That you are in my life
But I want to live
And not just survive
That's why I can't love you in the dark
It feels like we're oceans apart
There is so much space between us
Maybe we're already defeated
Cause ah-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah everything changed me
And I-I-I-I-I don't think you can save me"
Adele ( Love in the Dark)
A month later Gauri had been called by Tej and Om to the once cheerful Oberoi hall where the major decisions of the Oberoi clan were taken, but she had no say.
Gauri as such didn't feel like getting up, for a number of reasons . Firstly everyone behaved like unsupervised kids always bickering and cursing eachother,now it had began to give her major headache. And secondly she didn't have the energy to do so.
She felt void... Void of energy... Void of life.. Void of love.. She felt hollow deep inside. These days she even failed to comprehend what was she even feeling . The love she felt for all including Om seemed to be fading out.
And that scared her , because she didn't want to be stone hearted. Being stone hearted was a choice she once believed .But now it seemed like heart broken people who have reached their resilience point were forced to become stone hearted.
All the stone hearted were victims of their past, and all they were doing was protecting their weak heart which had already felt innumerable heartbreaks.
Being stone hearted seemed to be a need to her. But unfortunately she was white not grey.. Her and her never ending miseries she smiled painfully.
And she hadn't been keeping well, her limbs and muscle were sore and everything hurt when she moved . But she knew the consequence of not going , she had to face the chaotic Oberoi carnival again. Plus disapproval was one thing Gauri wasn't entitled to in the Oberoi family.
She was more like a puppet whose string everyone had. When people said laugh, she had to do so and when people say cry , she had to do so. And when they were done with her , they threw aside in a corner. And didn't even care to acknowledge what the puppet had done for them. Like her husband.
She dragged herself to the hall, preparing herself to taken in another round of accuses and taunts. But then she realized she didn't have any more strength to take in. She was guessing where had she messed up now?
And then she realized it ain't necessary for her to mess up also. Accusing her was more like freebies. Gauri the scapegoat, the loyal dog. No matter how many times you kick her she'll forgive. Cause' apparently she has a huge heart.
Om was the one who brought her out of her reverie and asked her- itna time laga Diya( you took so much time).
Gauri said- sorry voh tabiyat thodi kharab lag rahi thi.( Sorry I wasn't feeling well). Om nodded.
She tried to find a trace of concern on her husband's face but to no avail. She shut her eyes in disappointment , as tried to control her tears who were to eager to come out.
It was Rudy who asked - Gauri Bhabi ap theekh hai?( Gauri Bhabhi are you alright?). And she gave a fake smile and nodded.
And from the other side pinky
taunted- krti kya ho Maharani? Jo tumhari tabiyat kharab hogaye? ( What do you do queen? That you got ill)
For a moment her facials muscles twitched and she wanted to shout back loud at least she does something except taunting and trying to be a queen. She does a lot, in fact she doesn't get paid for her work. Doesn't mean that it ain't worth it.. there are things beyond monetary value and Pinky wouldn't surely understand this..
In fact this wasn't only Pinky's fault the whole Oberoi clan seemed to have been oblivious to the fact of how much she was doing for everyone... Except Rudy.
Tej interfered saying- enough pinky. Jo kaam ke bulaya hai voh krne do( enough pinky. Lemme do the work I've called her for).
Gauri- called Tej..
Ji ( yes) papaji.. answered Gauri..
Tej said- mujhe tumhare bare mein kuch details chaiye ( I need some details about you).
Gauri looked inquisitively but dared to ask and said- ji.
Tej asked- when and where you born? And what's is your blood group? He needed the details for some reason.
Gauri replied- hamre blood group O negative hai. Aur hamare janam din 14 th December 1995 ko ata hai.( My blood group is O negative , and my birth comes on 14th December, 1995).
Everyone gasped at this piece of information. Om was the most surprised of all, he had always known that Gauri was younger to him , but eight years was a huge gap and younger to Rudy not at all. For a moment he was stunned at the maturity she had which was often deceptive. Earlier he thought her looks were deceptive because she looked younger to her age but it wasn't like that.
Rudy was the first one to ask- Bhabi ap mujhse choti ho? Matlab mein bacha Nahi Hun.. mean sabse chota Nahi hun ( bhabi you're younger to me? Means am not a kid . Am not the youngest).
Gauri genuinely smiled she understood how annoyed he got at times when he was hushed with the only apparent excuse that he was the youngest which wasn't even liable.
Gauri smiled and said- Ji Rudy Bhaiya, is liye toh hum apko Bhaiya bolte hai.( Yes Rudy Bhaiya , that's why I call you Bhaiya).
Rudy smiled and did his logic wala sign and said- logic.
Gauri smiled seeing the remnants of the old Rudy and was glad to see it.
Om asked in tone as if betrayed- pr Tumne Kabhi batya Nahi . (But you never told me).
For a moment Gauri wanted to laugh out loud thinking that her husband kind of felt betrayed. But then what was the use of knowing a piece of information, when he didn't care for her anymore ?
Gauri replied in a cold and curt tone - jarorat he Nahi padi. Aur Jankar kr kya krenge ap Omkaraji?( There was no need as such. And otherwise also what would You've done knowing about it Omakraji?)
Everyone was surprised except Rudy he had seen it coming. He had seen his Gauri Bhabi being humiliated each day and the way she had bottled up her emotions was applaudable. But Rudy knew everyone had a limit and she had reached hers.
Om felt hurt and offended not in his wildest dreams he had thought his wife would behave with him like that and he was baffled with the turn of events.
He said in - Biwi ho meri .. hak hai mujhe ( you're my wife and I've the right .)
Gauri gave a sarcastic smile and said mockingly- biwi?? Hak??. Apko toh sirf hak jatana ata hai .( Wife?? Rights? You only know how to claim your right).
Om was beyond hurt , it was a different kind of pain. It stinged harder than the pain of his so called Bhai and Bhabi's departure pain. He could feel something break inside him. He failed to comprehend where was this coming from? He looked at her and she also looked at him. He was beyond shock. He couldn't find the warmth and love for him in those hazel orbs.
Gauri .. he called out in a low painful voice in disbelief..
For a moment she wanted to go and comfort him , she felt bad for him.. But then she had to make him know they weren't the same anymore. She couldn't love him blindly. He no more was her bhagwan, that dedication, was long gone . She no more worshipped him but she surely loved him but she couldn't love him in the dark .
The last month had created such a distance between them. That she doubted if they could ever cover the distance and be back to normal. Back to normal was now like a dream. She wished to be back to normal but she knew she couldn't act like nothing happened.
Because wounds heals and scars remain.. and those scars remind you the pain. So indirectly the pain remains intact in you till you live. The pain ain't of the wound but the memory of how you got the wound . And she had to many scars on her soul and now for the sake of her sanity she could afford no more.
Tej got enraged seeing things going out of control and Pinky was enjoying the drama and smiling,of course sadistic pleasure she was getting.. Shakti as usual the mute spectator, but this time he was joined by Jhanvi and Dadi and Rudy the empathizer.
To bring back equilibrium Tej asked - Gauri Tumne be Nahi bataya tum kahan pr pada hue( Gauri you didn't tell where were you born). Not knowing it was going to make matters worse.
Gauri smiled sarcastically and said - hume Nahi malum ( I don't know).
Surprising everyone again, Gauri noticed her husband's eyes on her, he wasn't going to move his eyes away, she knew. She knew that he was trying his best to read her. But what he didn't know was that he'll never know her completely cause a woman's heart was an ocean of secrets.
Tej asked - apni Maa se call krke puch lo( Call your Mom and ask)
Gauri said- unhe bhi malum ( she also doesn't know), confusing everyone.
Pinky is the one who poked in with a question- yeh kaise ho sakta hai?( How is this possible).
No one knew the pain of being an orphan. Except Anika, but at least Anika had a family at least for a while unlike her no roots, no respect , forced labor, sold, married, used and then used again. And now when she apparently had a family she was used like a toy again. No one realized she was also hungry for love. Love which never was given to her, the love which she deserved. No one realized that they were opening her old wounds, and it was hurting bad.
Gauri replied in a low tone- kyunki unhone Hume janam Nahi Diya( because she didn't give me birth).
Everyone gasped for Om it was too much to take in.. It just made him realize he had no clue about his wife's past, he was ashamed of himself. He want go and hug her but as he recalled the previous events he knew she wouldn't like it. It would only create problem.. He just held Rudy for support.
Pinky taunted saying - Oh! My Mata no naam khoon khandan.. na Jane kiska khoon hai? Is liye toh aise hai( oh! My Mata no name, blood and family. Don't know whose blood is she? That's why she is like this)
This was the last straw for Gauri's tolerance she said in a loud audible- Hume apki ijat krte hai, is liye hum chup the is Ka Matlab yeh Nahi hai choti maaji Hum sab kuch bardash kr lenge. Hum Jaise bhi hai. Hum hum hai. Jo bhi hai Jaise bhi hai hum khush hai. Hume Garv hai khud pr. Gauri Kumari Sharma ne Zindagi mein jitna Dekha hai aur seekha hai ap kya Jano? PR apka koi hak nahi banta Kisi kie ghav pe namak dale, aur unhe aur takleef de.. aur agar ap bhul Gaye hai toh hum apko Yaad dila de ghav sab ke Hote hai. Apke bhi honge.. koi unhe khurde ( scratch) apko Acha Nahi lage ga ( I respect you that's why am quiet but that doesn't mean I'll tolerate everything. No matter how I'm.. I'm who I'm. No matter who I'm and what I'm, I'm proud of who I'm. Gauri Kumari Sharma has seen so much in life and learnt what would you know? But you've no right to put salt on someone's wounds. And if in case you've forgotten everyone has wounds. You may also have them . And if someone scratches them you wouldn't like that). She ended in a warning tone, shutting Pinky up.
And she was about to leave for her room when she looked back at her gazing husband and said- aur ap biwi Ka tappa ( stamp/tag) toh laga liya.. pr use biwi ke liye khada Hona toh sikho. Vaise bhi hume apse yehi umeed this( and you . Have put a stamp/ tag of wife on me.. at least learn to stand for her . Otherwise also I expected exactly this from you).
And she leaves everyone baffled ,behind.. Feeling a bit lighter though she felt bad for talking like that to Om but , she couldn't keep it all within her anymore. But would Om realize it before it was too late ??
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Promo- I'm not nothing.. that's all for this part..hope you like it .. btw I know it was over dramatic..😂🙈.. sorry if it ain't up to your expectations..
Ps Gauri being the person who she is won't take a stand unless necessary but she has a good amount of resilience power. But it has its own limits.. plus being true to Ri's nature she can remain mum but when her loved ones are butchered . She butchers people back.. that's is what it was exactly an outcome of .. she loves her biological parents a lot so thats why she gave back to pinky. And with Om it was just frustration. And pain .. btw do you want a happy ending?? Cause' i don't think this is going towards that. But yeah I can give an alternate ending alter on . Sorry for the rant.. and it may turn out to be FS instead of Ts hope you're okay with that.. I'll try and end it within the next part..
Do leave your suggestions and comments, and votes , it motivates me to write further.. thanks for reading regards Ana 😊💙.