Gauri was pondering on the same question since last night. She asked her beloved Shankarji to show the way. As she finished her morning prayers, she thought she might as well ask Omkaraji, hoping that he will not be triggered.
"Om...Omkaraji?" Gauri called him. Om just came out of his bath.
"Yes?"
"Do you mind if I ask you something....about Sultana?" said Gauri, apprehensive that he would fly into a rage.
Omkara frowned. Svetlana wasn't the first thing he wanted to think or talk about in the morning. But since Gauri had done nothing but help him since she arrived back in Mumbai, especially yesterday when she defended him, he couldn't just dismiss her questions.
Omkara nodded.
"Omkaraji, why is Sultana doing this?" Gauri straightaway came to the main issue.
"What do you mean?" asked Omkara puzzled.
"Why is she hell bent on becoming an Oberoi bahu? Yesterday, setting up that officer against you, wasn't to get you trapped in some fake case. She knows there was no proof for that imaginary story she fed that Dhurindhar. The police wouldn't even take notice of such things. The only thing she could have achieved was put our marriage under scanner, which is done, and ultimately expose our marriage as fake. She is doing this so that she can marry you. Why is she hell bent on marrying into the Oberoi family?" asked Gauri.
"What do you mean? Well, not to boast, but being an Oberoi bahu means a lot of money and power" snorted Omkara.
"No, money she could have got by scamming your family too. Power....yes, that could be a good reason. But there are other rich men she can trap for that. No, I get this feeling that she wants to ruin your family, but why? Does your family have any connection with her?" asked Gauri curiously.
"Not that I can think of. But, I don't know power and money seems a good enough motive for me" said Omkara
"But Omkaraji..." said Gauri, only to be cut-off by Omkara
"Thats enough, please, I don't want to talk about her. I am a simple man, I believe what I see, and to me it looks like she wants to marry into this family for a share in the property. Forgive me, I, unlike you, don't like or believe in delving into what compels a person into doing something. Maybe you can fathom why Svetlana is doing what she is doing, after all you were also ready to marry a...." Omkara stopped realizing what he said, what he implied.
He just compared Gauri to Svetlana.
Gauri's eyes turned glassy. She picked up her bag and left for work.
Omkara sighed, he shouldn't have said that. After all, who knows why Gauri did or did not do in Bareilly? And after all the help, she had given him. Omkara rued himself, for never having a control on his temper, especially since his mother's suicide attempt. With all the unpleasantness and troubles Svetlana was making his family go through, he had just become a ticking bomb, ready to explode at the slightest provocation, Svetlana's name was enough to set him off.
Gauri was hurt. After all the time they had spent together, he thought so lowly about her. Gauri knew that he didn't trust her, but that he actually compared her to that woman. Did he think there was no difference between her and that Sultana? After all this time, this is what he thought of her all along. Gauri sighed.
The best thing for her now, would be to put her plan into action and get rid of that Sultana from the Oberois' life. The sooner this happens, the sooner Omkaraji would be free of her, and she of him.
*********************************
Svetlana had been patient for years. All the years of training and planning and plotting. She had lost too much over this revenge. Last year, it seemed that everything was finally working in her favor. But those Oberois managed to worm their way out of everything. Now Tia had given up on the family plan, and was happily living with her husband, expecting a child, their mother was rotting in prison, and Svetlana had to get her out, and their sister.....
Tej had sent a notice today morning, revoking his previous sanction of releasing a salary to Svetlana every year till her retirement. Svetlana had funds but they would soon dry up, and now that she didn't have that steady income to rely upon. In addition, Svetlana had spent a lot resources in planning that mole in Omkara's office, the attempt on Jahnvi's life, bribing the bank officials to release information about Omkara's bank transactions....No, the cost was getting higher. On top of everything else, Tej had blacklisted her name in the business circle, so that she could not get future jobs easily.
Svetlana understood his plan, he was trying to cripple her financially, to derail her, de-track her. But Svetlana had waited too long for her plans to fruition. She wouldn't be deterred any longer.
That village bumpkin had come in way of her plans. Apparently, she refuted all accusations against Omkara yesterday. Well, Svetlana had to find a way out of this.
She called that number again.
***********************************************
Gauri returned home late in the evening. She hoped that Omkaraji won't be there at home, but luck was not favoring her, as she opened her door to see Omkaraji poring over some heavy files.
Gauri put her bag down, and went to the bathroom to change and freshen up. Once she came out, she took her school books and started revising. It was difficult to study a new language at this age; English was proving too challenging for Gauri. She was the most behind on this subject, compared to other subjects.
Omkara coughed, calling Gauri's attention.
Gauri looked up to see Omkara looking embarrassed. "Er, I'm sorry about today morning, I shouldn't have said that" said Omkara, looking genuinely apologetic for what he said.
Gauri nodded. He was apologetic for saying what he did, but not for thinking what he did? Did that mean, he held such disgusting opinions about her? Well, she should not let his opinions of her, affect her.
Gauri went back to her books, when Omkara called her attention again.
"Er, Gauri, this notice came today in the morning when you weren't there" he said sheepishly.
"What does it say?" asked Gauri.
"Its from that Dhurindhar's office. According to the notice, they are going to monitor us, and most probably would conduct some sort of test to see whether we are actually in this marriage like husband and wife or are we pretending, and this is all a....you know what they said yesterday" explained Omkara
"Can the law really interfere in people's lives like this? Its ridiculous" remarked Gauri.
"Yes, it is. But in any case, Nana pointed out to me that if we have to keep up this farce for that Dhurindhar, we better get to know each other properly, at least enough to answer any questions" said Omkara, looking unhappy about the whole thing, the pretense.
"Well, okay, I know most of the things about your family, you know about my mother. I know you were an artist before, and now you are in business, you know about my shop in Bareilly.." counted Gauri, off her fingers.
"Yes, but where do you work now?" asked Omkara.
"Oh, sorry, I forgot that only Jahnvi auntyji knows about this. I work in a similar shop, under a Majmudaarji in that temple where I met your mother" Gauri replied.
Omkara nodded. "What are your hobbies?" he asked.
"Hubbies?" Gauri looked confused.
"No, hobbies, I mean, what do you like to do?" Omkara repeated the question.
"Oh, I like singing, I think, apart from my stitching clothes, which is my profession" Gauri replied, after thinking for a while. "What are your hobbies, unless its art?" asked Gauri
"I like.....I like reading and writing poetry" said Omkara, looking somewhere far away.
Omkara was thinking about what Gauri said. Of course, singing had to be her favorite thing. He himself, was mesmerized by her voice when he heard her the first time.
Gauri felt sad for the man who seemed to find life in painting and poetry, to be pushed into something he doesn't like, for the sake of his mother's happiness, or whatever he could save of his mother's happiness.
But she stopped herself from feeling too much, because after all what was the point? He didn't trust, didn't like her, and most importantly, she was a guest for a few days, what will she gain, by getting emotionally attached to these people?
"Gauri...Gauri what's you favorite color?" Omkara asked the next question.
"Yellow. Its the color of Vasant (spring)" replied Gauri simply.
Yes, that would be her favorite color. Bright, positive, optimistic, just like her.
"What is yours?" asked Gauri in turn.
"Blue. All shades of blue. The color of the sky in the morning, light, fresh, soothing. The indigo of night, lit up with stars and forming a backdrop to the moon. The calm but tremulous blue of the ocean, hiding so many secrets beneath its waves" said Omkara, contemplatively.
Gauri was hypnotized for a moment by his words. But also suppressed a secret urge to giggle, at the complexity with which he described his favorite color. She had just asked to be polite, but Omkara went into a full-blown study. Gauri sighed. This man was so complex, and he was forced into worldly matters, which he doesn't want, and frankly, cannot handle.
"Maybe, thats enough for today. I am tired, I'm going downstairs to have dinner and then sleep" announced Gauri, and then left the room.
Maybe she doesn't want to know me at all, thought Omkara. Yesterday, Omkara was happy thinking Gauri knew him, and defended him, and today he seemed quite upset that she got up and left after two questions. Maybe she wasn't interested in him as a person. Gah! This woman was so confusing. He can never make her out, what is she thinking, why does she do what she does, she was so strange.