Omkara and Rudra were sitting in Omkara's room. They were silent for a long time. Then Rudra couldn't take it, so he said.
"O, do you think its true?" almost pleading with Om.
Om thought over whatever happened today.
He couldn't sleep properly yesterday night; he kept looking at the couch, then at the door, then at the empty wardrobe, and then finally at the 'gifts' Gauri had left behind. He felt uneasy thinking about all the things that were unsaid between them, all the answers he never got, because he never asked the right questions. He decided to wing it, and meet Gauri. He wanted answers, he can't leave a thing unfinished between them. He would make some excuse, he still had her payal, he would say he came to return that, and talk to her. Coming to this conclusion, he finally dozed off at four in the morning.
He woke up in the morning dreading breaking the news to his family. He went quietly to his mother's room, telling her that Gauri had left. Jahnvi was not impressed, but she knew the truth. She was just disappointed because she hoped Omkara and Gauri would perhaps think of the marriage they had entered into, and give it a chance. But she also remembered how she and Tej fell in love madly and entered into a whirlwind romance only to see it fail badly. She nodded her head, as she took the papers Omkara gave her. She would file those papers with the Registrar today, on the way to office.
Omkara expected questions from the rest of the family, but in a nightmarish twist, Annika bhaabhi took up all the attention today. She started behaving so strangely that the entire family was shocked and upset to see the change in her. What upset Shivaay the most was that she withheld the shareholding papers from him, and refused to give any shares to OmRu.
Om and Rudra did not care two hoots for the Oberoi wealth, but they cared for their bhaabhi. So, they went and asked her, whats wrong. At first, Annika wasn't forthcoming with the truth, but then she broke down due to their affection for her, and confessed that Pinky aunty has kept a condition: she has to willingly create a scenario, so that Shivaay will throw her out of the house, otherwise she will tell him the truth, that Shivaay is illegitimate. It was clear now why Chhoti Maa was creating so much drama since the last few days, to discredit Annika bhaabhi in Shivaay's eyes. To get rid of her.
"O, please, do you think its true?" asked Rudy again.
"I don't know Rudra, I mean, why would a woman call her own son illegitimate, if he's not?" said Omkara. "But I do feel that Chhoti Maa, has a lot of affection for Shivaay, to an extent that she is obsessed. So obsessed that she can't see anyone else sharing his affection. No wonder she is cold to us also sometimes. She didn't have a problem with Shivaay marrying Tia, because Shivaay didn't love her, but she knows as does everyone, that Shivaay has feelings for Annika, and that, she can't tolerate" said Omkara angrily.
"But O, if Shivaay bhaiyaa loves Annika bhaabhi, then we are doing a great disservice to him by agreeing with Annika bhaabhi to separate them. Annika bhaabhi is still new to the family, we aren't. She is ready to sacrifice everything, but she doesn't need too. We can try to stop her" said Rudra, earnestly
"Rudra, we tried, but Annika bhaabhi refused. We have promised her to help her.....break off her own relationship. To cause Shivaay pain. I can't take it either, bro, but I don't know what else we can do" said Omkara helplessly, clutching his head.
"Lets go" said Rudra, suddenly getting up.
"Where?" asked Om
"Just...... when we can't do anything...we can just forget it" said Rudra, sounding desperate, pulling Omkara with him.
*************************************
Getting sloshed, this was Rudra's great plan. Omkara held up his hands.
But could he really blame his brother? His brother had only asked him for company, not to actually drink with him. But Omkara also wanted to get lost in well....nothing, his head was bursting with so many thoughts burdening him. His issue with Gauri was hardly out of his mind, when he was looking at hurting his brother, in collusion with his bhaabhi, who herself was hurting right now.
In their sorrow over what was about to come, both Om and Rudra forgot that Om wasn't supposed to even touch an intoxicant. By the time, Om remembered, he was already through his third glass, and his brain was getting foggy.
Rudy got up and turned to leave. "Rudy, where are you going, man?" asked Om, after him. But Rudy shrugged him off, and said, "I have to go...talk to her....I need to talk to her....."
Rudra was too incoherent for Om to understand what he was saying, but he gauged that this was about some girl. Uff! Rudra and his girls! Even in a time like this, this idiot boy, thought of girls. Om was fed up of him, and the boy was already out of the door. Om followed him outside to see that Chubby was there, holding Rudra.
"Oh great! Thank god you are here Chubby. But how did you know where would be?" Om said, his speech slurring.
"Om bhaiyaa, are you drunk too? But you are not supposed to....Soumya texted me, she had called Rudra many times but he didn't pick up, so she was worried. I knew that if Rudra is not picking up, this is his favorite pub, so he might be here....but what's wrong?" asked Chubby.
"Chubby, you came in your car, no? Take Rudy back to the mansion with you, and crash at our place tonight" said Om. Chubby nodded, and asked, "But Om bhaiyaa, you are not supposed to drink. Leave your car here, I'll drive you both home. You need help."
"Yes, Chubby, I know I'm not supposed to drink, but if I go home like this, there'll be a huge scene. You take Rudy, I know where to get help" and saying so, Om walked towards his car, and drove off. Chubby, shook his head at Om's strange behavior, but he had his hands full with Rudy so he forcibly made Rudy sit in his car, and drove to the Oberoi mansion.
Omkara's first instinct was to go to his maternal grandparents place, but they lived on the other side of the city, and it would be too much for him to drive.
There was really only one other place he could go to, in fact, the one person he had been thinking of since the morning. Who was always at the back of his head. Gauri.
**********************************
"Rudra, are you fine?" asked Soumya. She had already asked this question twice before, but no lucid response.
Chubby was in the washroom changing. Rudra used this opportunity to drunk dial Soumya, and though Soumya looked down upon drunk dialing, she remembered when Rudra had taken care of her when she was drunk, so she waited patiently for a response.
"Sumo, I'm sorry, just don't be disappointed in me. I know you find drunk dialing stupid, but I'm so worried" said Rudra, awkwardly crying.
"Rudra, stop talking nonsense, and tell me what's got you so worked up?" asked Soumya with concern.
"I have to do something, I don't like, because Annika bhaabhi asked me to, but its going to hurt her, in fact she is already hurt, and I'm hurt, and O is hurt, and we are all worried because we have to hurt Shivaay bhaiyaa" explained Rudra.
It was too cryptic for Soumya to understand, but she said, "Then don't hurt him. Or you can't help it?"
"Sumo, we all have to hurt him, because this is to protect him" said Rudra.
"Sometimes, we don't realize how strong people actually are, maybe you should show some trust and faith in Bade bhaiyaa. Maybe he can bear more than you think. Maybe you and Bade baal vaale bhaiyaa, and Annika didi, are all hurting yourself worrying for nothing" suggested Soumya.
Rudra hesitated. He couldn't tell Sumo what exactly happened, but he couldn't keep it to himself either, should he confide, should he not? Before he could decide, the phone was taken from his hand.
"Sorry, Soumya. Rudy, the stupid man, honestly, he drunk dialed you. He's been saying some gibberish, I can't make sense of. I think I'll call you tomorrow, and put him to sleep now" said Chubby.
Soumya agreed and disconnected the call, while Chubby put Rudra to sleep.
*******************************
Omkara parked his car outside the chawl compound. He shouldn't have come here. It was dark, and god knows who might be watching. But he was here so...
Gauri was not able to concentrate on her studies. Majmudaarji was considerate of her health, and made no complaints that she had missed work for a week, mostly because Omkaraji had spoken to him. She came back home early from work today, no more living on the other end of the city, no more traveling long distance.
Dandi bhaiyaa was happy to have her back, Gauri was happy to be back....and yet there was this uneasy feeling, like she left some unfinished business behind her.
Someone knocked on her door. Who was it? At this time? Dandi bhaiyaa, said he had a night shift, he wouldn't be back so early.
Gauri opened the door to find a stumbling Omkara, who almost fell on her. Whats wrong with him? Gauri pulled him inside the house, and closed her door shut, quickly hoping no one saw him coming to her house.
"Omkaraji, what happened to you?" Gauri asked worried, as she made him sit on Dandi bhaiyaa's bed.
"I drank...I'm not supposed to...its not good for me....but Rudra..." was all Omkara could manage, before he passed out on Dandi's bed. He had been holding this off for long, but once he reached Gauri, he felt safe, safe enough to submit to the darkness.
Maybe Rudy bhaiyaa got him drunk? But why would he come here? There is something not right, thought Gauri. She tried called Rudra, but his phone was on silent, so he didn't pick up. She tried Annika bhaujaai next, but she didn't pick up either. There was definitely something wrong, but before Gauri could think further she saw Omkara shaking in his unconscious state.
Whats wrong with him? Gauri thought he had passed out from the alcohol, she could it smell it on him, but his body was seizing up. He was sweating and shivering. Then she remembered Priyanka tell her about Omkara's near escape from drug addiction. Maybe that addiction had made Omkara weak to any kind of intoxicant? She remembered Omkara refusing pain killers in the hospital after he had been injured by Kali's goons.
There was no time to waste, Gauri switched on her internet chaachi, and tried her best find out what to do in such situation. It seemed like she had to take care of him like a person suffering from a fever. So, she got cold water and cloth, and started wiping his face with it, while covering him with blankets, to stop his shivering. After almost an hour, of doing this, he stopped shaking completely, and fluttered his eyelids.
Gauri forced some water down his throat, hoping to cancel out the alcohol. She just followed her internet chaachi, and hoped she didn't make matters worse for him, after all she was no doctor.
Shankarji, please make him alright, she kept praying continuously.
Omkara sighed and his breathing became normal. His facial features relaxed and he seemed calm. After a little struggle he managed to get up, but when he opened his eyes completely, he still looked like he was caught in the throes of some delusion.
"Gauri....I wanted to ask you something....but...." he managed to say, breathing heavily.
"Let it be, Omkaraji, we can talk tomorrow morning, you please try to rest, sleep now" said Gauri.
Omkara remembered how she had once held his hand when he was caught in his nightmare. "You...will....be...here....with...me?" asked Omkara, his voice sounding feeble.
"Always" said Gauri, without thinking deeply.
Omkara half-smiled, pulled her closer, and kissed her forehead. "Thank you....for..." but all this was too much exertion for him, and he passed out again.
Gauri wasn't expecting this, but she dismissed it quickly as actions of an inebriated man.
She made him lie down. She noticed he had started sweating again, he should have never got up and exerted himself.
Gauri started wiping his forehead with cold water again for the next hour. Omkara recovered slowly, and soon he slipped into actual sleep.
Seeing him breathe normally, Gauri also slept off on the makeshift sofa on the other end of the room.