Gauri awoke earlier than usual.
Maybe it was her subconscious telling her that it was inappropriate to be in Omkaraji's bedroom, now that their marriage was dissolved. She looked at Omkaraji asleep, peaceful, his head still resting on her lap. She looked at him, adoringly; he looked much younger, he looked like what she had heard he was before his mother attempted suicide. She liked this version of him the most.
But now was not the time to admire him. It was still a little dark, dawn just breaking in. Good time for Gauri to sneak out of the mansion, hoping that no one saw her coming back with him yesterday night.
Dandi bhaiyaa would be anxious back home as well, and she had school today too. Gauri carefully extricated her body from under Omkara's head, replacing that space with a pillow. She rushed out of the room, but not before looking back to catch a last glimpse of Omkaraji sleeping contentedly.
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There were fruit bearing trees all around, it was a day of spring. Not something he had seen in India, but in London. The white, orange, pink flower petals raining all around him, softly. And falling on a girl, dressed in all white, who was spinning slowly, with her arms out to gather them, welcoming the beautiful day with her smile. A smile that surpassed the aura of the sun itself.....
Omkara smiled in his sleep and woke up to the sunlight replacing the moonlight, filtering through his windows.
He expected to see Gauri holding him, but instead of her there was a cold, unfeeling pillow supporting his head. That dampened his spirits right in the beginning of the day itself. Gauri left him? He hoped after yesterday night she would stay back, with him. But she didn't.
Omkara looked at the time, it was time for Gauri's school. Yes, of course, she couldn't miss school, education was important, and Omkara understood that. He hoped that Gauri had left him a note or something, but maybe she was in a hurry.
Omkara relived last evening in his head. He didn't realize when he had a bath, got dressed and went downstairs to have breakfast. It was a late Sunday breakfast so everyone was there at the dining table. Omkara didn't really pay anyone much attention, beyond wishing them good morning. He retreated in his own happy thoughts, smiling to himself.
"Er, O, why are you smiling to yourself, like an idiot?" asked Rudra curiously.
Shivaay and Annika also broke up their conversation to look at this. Omkara's parents were also surprised to see their son smiling for no good reason.
"Shut up, Rudra" said Omkara as usual, but only out of reflex.
"O, you look weird. Your eyes are all unfocused.....Earth to O, Earth to O" chortled Rudy, while Soumya elbowed him not to make Omkara conscious.
"Oh my maata! I know why Om is so absorbed in his own thoughts" said Pinky, with a slight victorious glint.
The atmosphere tensed up.
After her exposure and Annika's accident, everyone had become cold to Pinky, specially Shivaay, though Pinky tried hard to make amends for her behavior. He rolled his eyes, just as his mother made this comment.
"What are you talking about, Pinky?" asked Jahnvi, a little short with her.
"I saw some girl entering with Omkara last night, really late, when I was going to the kitchen to drink water. Pehle toh Rudra aisi harkatein karta tha, ab bada bhai bhi shuru ho gaya. Biwi ke chhode huye sirf kuch hafte huye hain, aur lo dekho inki kartoot. Sirf mera Shivaay, hai jo, iss parivaar ka achcha beta hain" (Earlier only Rudra would up to such things, now his elder brother has started as well. Its just been a few weeks his wife left him, and look at his doings. Only my Shivaay is the good son of the family), said Pinky with a satisfied smile.
"Shut up, shut up. Haven't you wreaked enough damage this year? Stop badmouthing my brother who let himself be declared as illegitimate only so that you could succeed in your vicious idea to separate Annika from me" spat Shivaay.
Omkara was disgusted, that his Chhoti Maa, could think something so low about Gauri. They didn't know it was Gauri, but to make spiteful comments about any girl was distasteful to Om. He couldn't bear it, so he got up to leave, but before leaving he turned to Pinky and said, "Nothing like what you are insinuating happened yesterday, I would explain, but someone with such a small thought process wouldn't understand." And having said his piece, Omkara went to his room.
"See what you did Pinky? You won't let us be happy" said Dadi, shaking her head gloomily, as one by one everyone followed Omkara and left the breakfast table.
Omkara went back to his room, feeling angry, but he calmed down thinking about the marvelous sight yesterday. What did he do when his emotions got better of him?
He picked up his pencil, and lightly made a stroke on the blank canvass before. Until yesterday, he didn't know what to do with it, but now he knew. Slowly and steadily the vision from his mind, started translating on the canvass before him....
Omkara emerged from his room, after a few hours. He was so absorbed in his work, that he didn't notice the time, and realized late, that he missed lunch. He made his way to the kitchen, and saw Shivaay emerging from his room, meditating about something.
"What's up brother?" asked Om, as he approached Shivaay.
"Annika's doctor came for her check up, just to make sure she is progressing fine" said Shivaay, still a little lost.
"Is everything fine with bhaabhi?" asked Omkara, putting his hand on Shivaay's shoulder concerned.
"Yes, yes everything is fine with her. So, much happened in such short span of time. Its just been a little over a week since Annika met with an accident. I was caught up in her recovery and the other tensions at home, and then Rudy's birthday, I just forgot that the doctor wanted to talk to me about something. He showed me Annika's blood reports" said Shivaay, now fully looking at Omkara.
"And?" said Omkara, a little worried, remembering Gauri donating blood to Annika.
"Om, the doctor said that there is fifty percent match in Annika and Gauri's blood type" said Shivaay weighing his words carefully.
"Blood type? But of course they share the same blood group don't they?" asked Om.
"No, I meant the doctor did some tests on Annika, and he had Gauri's medical report transferred to him from the doctor who treated Gauri for the accident outside Svetlana's house" said Shivaay. "There are certain similarities between Annika and Gauri's blood characteristics."
Omkara's heart stilled, but how could it be possible....
"Shivaay, what are you trying to say?" said Omkara, cutting to the chase.
"Annika is adopted. And Gauri told her that she is adopted too. I know that the chances are slim, but what if....I've taken some hair samples from Annika, and Gauri's too from her house back in the chawl" said Shivaay.
"You broke into Dandi's house?" exclaimed Omkara, alarmed.
"Don't worry, just sent Khanna there with a couple of men cut out for the task. No one was at home, and they are experts in their job, plucked out a few hairs from Gauri's comb, thats it" said Shivaay, trying to calm Om.
"Shivaay, remember the last time you tried to find out about Annika bhaabhi's parentage? She was so upset with you" said Om.
"I know, thats why this time, I want to be sure. I don't want to give any false hopes to her. Once its confirmed I'll break the news to her and Gauri, they'll be elated. Imagine if Gauri turns out to be Annika's sister" said Shivaay.
"Yes, imagine that" said Omkara slowly.
Shivaay was too lost in his own calculations to notice his brother's face darkening.
Omkara went back to his room. So, Gauri was adopted? And she never told him?
Omkara didn't mind her telling Annika bhaabhi, she might have felt some solidarity, and maybe even connect, who knows they might be related.
But if he had to be honest with himself, he thought he was the closest to her, even closer than his mom.
Yesterday, she told him about her father, her adoptive father, Om corrected himself. She almost elevated him, Om, to the position of her savior.
And yet, she never told him this essential part of her identity? Why? Was it only him who felt that they shared a connect, beyond words, but not beyond expectations. Was Omkara wrong to expect? Was he not important to her? Had he again, unwillingly trusted a person, with the knowledge of his entire childhood, who didn't trust him with the most important truth about herself?
************************************
Gauri made her way straight to the Oberoi mansion after school.
She didn't get a chance to talk to Omkaraji this morning, because she had to leave early. But she couldn't just behave like nothing had happened, after yesterday.
The Oberoi mansion, was unusually quiet this evening. It was a Sunday, why was it so....empty?
Gauri bounced up to Omkaraji's room, and knocked on the door, not knowing that just moments before Omkara had discovered about her birth, and was still simmering in hurt and anger, and other confused feelings.
Omkara opened the door, to see the one person, he hoped not to see at this moment.
"Gauri" he remarked.
"Omkaraji, I'm sorry I left for school, I wanted to talk, I just....why do you look so strange?" asked Gauri suddenly wary of Omkara's dark eyes.
"Gauri, I don't want to talk right now" said Omkara curtly, trying to shut her away, but Gauri held on to the door.
"But why? What happened?" asked Gauri.
"I can't talk about it right now, and anyways, you keep saying we don't owe each other answers" said Omkara, throwing back Gauri's words spoken days ago back at her.
"What do you mean? Are you still referring to....Omkaraji this can't go on, you can't keep swinging between being nice and then becoming furious. No, I won't tolerate this anymore. You have to answer me, whether you owe it or not: why do you this? Care about my safety but accuse me of lies? Bring my mother here, but refuse to look at me right now? You have to tell me what place I have in your life, this cannot go on like this, if you don't answer today, then I will never return to ask again" said Gauri, equally angry now.
"Fine, you want an answer? I'll give it you: you don't matter to me, you have no place in my mind, in my life and my heart. Happy? Satisfied?" said Omkara, deep in the throes of rage.
Gauri was disappointed, but if she was true to herself, she knew that Omkara could always reverse back, he always did that.
And she would take that no more. Gauri left the mansion that moment.
Omkara breathed heavily as he saw her leaving. He took deep breadths to calm himself, and sat down on his couch, holding his head. He didn't mean to shout at Gauri, but she made him so angry. He wanted time to cam down before he met her, but the timing was so wrong.
After some while, Jahnvi knocked on his door.
"Mom" said Om.
Jahnvi's eyes were moist. She looked at the half finished outline on Om's canvass, and looked at her son, with a mixture of pride and contentment to see her son back.
"Om I'm so glad to see you back to painting. I'm glad that your father realized his mistakes, finally, and for the first thought about you before himself. Another thing I have to thank Gauri for" said Jahnvi.
"Gauri?" asked Om puzzled.
"Yes, didn't Gauri tell you? Maybe you haven't met her since Rudra's birthday. Tej met her to apologize for his distrust and disregard for her life. She apparently said something to him, and he came back in the evening, resolved to repudiate your contract. Anyways, I came to say, that I'm happy that you are back to painting, but maybe missing meals is not such a good idea. Come and have dinner with us" said Jahnvi, and saying this she left.
The last of Omkara's anger ebbed out of him swiftly. How could he hurt Gauri? He knew he was wrong, even as she left, but now he felt terribly guilty over not having a handle over his temper.
Like a hurt child, he raged at her, for something that wasn't even her fault, because his precious feelings were hurt, that Gauri told about herself to Annika, instead of him.
And why should Gauri tell him? Had he ever shown any trust in her? No. No, from the first time he met her in Bareilly, he judged her, was confused about her, always tried to figure her out. Did she have any reason to trust him with this truth about herself? None.
Omkara wanted to go right this moment to apologize to her, but decided that maybe he should give space to her, after their argument. He will go tomorrow first thing in the morning to make up for his temper tantrum.
But next morning when he went there, there was a lock on Dandi's house door. He asked one of the chawl people if the brother sister duo went out for work, but they told him that they went with travel bags and food, they were traveling out of Mumbai for a few days.
Omkara tried Gauri's number, but it was switched off. He tried Dandi's next, but the latter didn't pick up his call. Were they avoiding him? Was Gauri so angry with him that she was not going to talk to him? Had she....had she grown fed up and left for Bareilly?
Where are you Gauri?
P.S. Don't hate me peeps! Its just that some conflict is necessary to bring out Om's commitment issues.