Chapter 6 : A Twist In The Case
O M K A R A
I lazily walked over the cobbled path over to the entrance of mansion. It was the first ever time I had dropped Gauri home. I had no clue what had got into mom. Ever since I had mentioned about Gauri to her she seemed so interested in her. Albeit I admit I never imagined she'd show up at the office. To add to that whatever she had said about Gauri. Thankfully, Gauri wasn't present at the moment. She was a sweet girl. The last thing I would want to spoil is the friendship that was growing between us. I did sense her discomfort at a few remarks my mother made in humor. I shook my head, smiling. That woman was different. I had many female friends but Gauri was so different. Perhaps the little age gap made the difference. But what was even wrong with mom to think I was interested in her. Mom knew my choice. I had always had an affinity for women with strong aura, confident and focused aim in life. Gauri was happy-go-lucky and had an laid back attitude towards life kind.
I had barely reached the corridor when Rudra pulled me to the poolside. Oh, it had been a while we three brothers had a bro-time.
"Shivaay bhaiya, see who I found?"
"Tell me a ghost." Shivaay said not looking up from his mobile screen.
"A long haired one!" Rudra chuckled, and I shrugged his hand of my shoulder smacking the back of his head while Shivaay looked up. I smiled giving him a hug.
"Where have you been, man?"
"Bhaiya, like we don't know." Rudra smirked sitting beside me. I gave him a weird look.
"Oh yes!" Shivaay grinned.
"Guys what's wrong?" I asked looking from one face to the other.
"What's wrong? You're a cheater. You broke the bro-code." Rudra spoke in his popular dramatic tone.
Correction over-dramatic.
"By coming late a few nights? I was busy with the cases."
"Liar, liar, pants on fire." He still whined like he did when he had first learnt that phrase- first grade perhaps!
"Shut up Rudra!" I shot a glare his way.
I felt Shivaay's hand on my back. "When do you plan to tell 'us' about her?"
I turned to him, baffled. "About whom?"
"Your VERY PERSONAL ASSISTANT. Mom told us about her and you today." Rudra broke into the conversation.
"What!" I almost shouted."God, what's wrong with mom these days?"
"Nothing's wrong with her. Everything's wrong with you bro!" Rudra said
"Look guys. I have no clue what's got into mom. Just because I am busy with work at office she thinks I am interested in Gauri. It's not so. You guys know the kind of woman I'd be with and Gauri is far from that. She's two year junior to me. Mom is affected by the get-my-son-married-syndrome. " I spoke covering my face with my palms.
I felt Shivaay's hand patting my back. "If Badi Maa thinks something is there, well then..umm, she's good with her analysis skills you know."
I turned to Shivaay showing him how disappointed I was that he was not on my side.
"Bhaiya is right. You know once, what happened. I will tell you. I came back..." And there Rudra began animatedly narrating how mom always knew everything. Foolish man had very bad orator skills. He'd always turn away from his audience and speak, as though some imaginary camera was shooting his expressions.I had tried a hundred time to teach him orating skills. Never worked.
Shivaay tapped my arm. "I know, it's frustrating at time. But Om, we all need someone or the other to be by us. I was so cranky when mom used to keep flashing photographs before my eyes every now and then. But it all turned out to be so--so magical!" I smiled seeing that broad smile that graced his face. I realised that my arrogant brother had changed so much after marriage. He smiled a lot. His anger did not erupt as often as before. He was a happy man.
I held his hand. "I am so happy for you."
He smiled. GOD he blushed too. Weird. Did mom mean my face turned like that when she said those very descriptive details about Gauri to me in my ears. Damn! I hope not. But well, mom wasn't wrong if I now go back to it. Gauri indeed was a very gorgeous woman. I pushed that sudden not-seeemingly-right thought out of my head before it found permanent residence in a small part of my brain.
"Try giving umm what's her name?"
"Gauri." I answered immediately only got me a teasing grin from Shivaay.
"Maybe there's nothing as you say. But perhaps Badi Maa saw what you couldn't see. She just dropped the hints for you to realise. Omkara, its your mother we are speaking of. She has a very unique way as you do. She saw something you did not, perhaps. See closely maybe you see what she saw."
"and since when did you start using the beat-around-the-bush method?" I grinned meeting his eyes.
"Let me just say Anika's -side-effects." He winked at me.
"Good night!" He gave me a brief hug. "Good night Ruddy!" he called over my shoulder walking away quickly.
I repeated the drill."Good night Ru!"
* * *
I couldn't wipe away from my memory her flushed face as I drove towards home. Staring the day with her sleepy face was actually the cutest start. She was like a bundle of nervous nerves on being caught. Was it mom's words messing with my mind that made me feel she looked prettier today? Perhaps. I had followed Shivaay's advice and had looked closely but slyly and had found Gauri stealing glances at me. At first I felt it was me making a mountain of an anthill. But it was not. I had been blind all these days! Gauri actually did a lot of staring at me. I smiled at the thought. I had always liked straight-forward people. My ex-girlfriend was a very straightforward person. If on a certain day she liked how I was dressed she'd tell me. In fact most girls flirted with me. But Gauri had never got close to that. Did she like me or was I over thinking?
But that blush and hurried explanation of her made me chuckle again. So cute! Poor girl, I think I had embarrassed her a lot. I laughed, it was so much fun. Shaking my head I relaised I had been driving at twenty kilometers per hour. I pressed the accelerator, wondering if I should share the little scene with my brothers. No. They'd tease me and eventually it would reach mom, and everything would be a mess. It was just a little fun what I had there. They'd make it a love-story. Nah. I'm telling them nothing.
* * *
Third person
The morning after the night, witnessed an unusually smiley Omkara. There was none except his mother who noticed the shine of his eyes. She wondered if her arrow had landed on the bull's eye. She'll have to wait to see what comes. Nonetheless the idea of Gauri being a possible daughter-in-law made her smile. Gauri was a lively girl. She'd teach her son to see the bright-side of life which he had not known fully yet. They say that what is missing in an individual is completed when he unites with his soulmate. Perhaps!
* * *
Omkara reached his office cabin and was surprised to find no Gauri. He smiled remembering the previous day when he was greeted by a sight of Gauri dozing away on the table. He grinned getting to his table. That woman was an altogether different specimen of human species. A cute one!
Omkara was smiled as he heard her sweet voice, "excuse me sir, may I"
"yes" he said immediately looking up and greeted her with a smile wondering what made her late. She was late by half an hour. Very unlikely of her.
"I am sorry, something came up." She said with a small formal smile.
"No problem. I wanted K.K Trading Company's case files." He quickly came back into the professional mode.
"Yes Sir." She answered.
"Omkara is better." He said casually burying his gaze into the file in hand.
Gauri smiled. But her smile did not reach her eyes. She sighed sitting at her work desk removing the files from her bag. She quickly separated the files he had asked for and set them aside. Then she slipped out the paper from between the files. She stared at it biting her lower lip. Her stupidity had to end. Perhaps this was it. She had to become serious in life. Not everything was rosy and not every girl a princess in fairy-tale. Taking a deep breath she picked up the files and walked over to his desk placing them on the side. Walking back to her desk she picked up the sheet and looked at him.
"Can I talk to you for a minute?" She asked softly.
Omkara looked up. "Yeah." Gauri walked over to his desk and extended towards him the typed letter.
He took it curiously and his face fell when he read what it said. 'Resignation Notice'.
"You want to- you are resigning?" He asked removing those huge dark framed glasses from his eyes and looking up at her.
"Yes." She said fidgeting with the end of her saree. She hated what she was doing. But this was the only thing that seemed sane - resignation. She had to give a two month prior notice according to the firm's policy. Two months and then she'd not see his handsome face everyday. Her heart felt heavy. Things would be so different.
"Why?" He asked softly.
"Personal reasons." She said not mentioning anymore than what was written in the letter.
He gazed at her thoughtfully. "Alright, I will have Alia do the formalities. We'd have to look for someone to replace you. Would you mind doing the job postings?"
"No. I will do it." She smiled despite the anger and hurt that was slowly filling her heart. She was cross at him. Even though he spoke on a professional level, it still hurt. Even though she had no right to be cross at him. Oh she had been so stupid. She turned to walk to her table.
"Gauri," She immediately turned answering, "yes".
"If there's anything you want to talk about, I am a good listener." He smiled. That adorable smile. It should've made her feel better, but it only added to the unknown pain in her heart. She'd perhaps never see him again. She had formed this inexplicable attachment with him. Her mere crush became first love. But now she wondered if she'd ever be able to erase him from her memories, from her mind, from her stubborn heart. She nodded getting back to her seat.
* * *
It had been three days to the day when Gauri had submitted her resignation letter. Omkara had noticed her aloofness, her disinterest. She wasn't herself. She wouldn't crib with a smile on her face. Her eyes wouldn't go wide when he gave her work. She didn't talk much. Previously he had to remind her that she had work apart from talking about things. Suddenly the office atmosphere seemed grey. Maybe he was thinking too much because the way he was teased at home. He wasn't great at counseling or emotions but he wasn't so dumb top not understand that something was bothering Gauri. But she never said anything. It was like she was lost in her own mind, fighting her own battles quietly.
He sighed sipping the coffee.
"Tell me about it." His elder brother spoke sitting beside him with a coffee mug in his hand.
"About?" Omkara smiled lightly blowing the foam.
"About that, that has left creases on your forehead."
"Really?" Omkara asked surprised touching his forehead.
"There you gave away." Shivaay chuckled.
Omkara sighed shaking his head smiling.
"Tell me."
"It's almost nothing." Omkara wondered whether to open up or not.
"Still tell me." Shivaay looked his way.
"Gauri.." Omkara finally decided to speak out his ind to the sanest of his family tribe.
"I so knew it." Shivaay grinned.
"Shivaay!" Omkara looked displeased.
"Alright. Tell me what about her."
"She gave me her resignation three days back." Omkara stated.
"And?"
"I don't know she's not herself ever since then." Omkara looked at some faraway point thoughtfully. "She said it was due to personal reasons, nothing more. she seems lost. I truly don't understand."
"Why do you want to?" Shivaay turned to his brother.
Omkara blinked and turned to face Shivaay.
He shrugged his shoulders in response.
"Are you sure its only professional reasons why you don't want to let her go or..
"I never said I didn't want her to go." Omkara said cutting off his brother's statement." She's been like a friend, Shivaay. And I want to be one for if she needs one."
Shivaay looked at Omkara thoughtfully. "Talk to her like a friend that shouldn't be hard."
"It is. I don't want to seem like I am interfering in her personal life for my reasons."
"Om," Shivaay placed his hand affectionately on his brother's shoulder. "Friendship is not professional, it's personal. Honestly, you really mustn't mix both. I am sure you live by that principle too, in so many years I have never seen you making friends within your firm. At least not so much that you sit and think about it this way. If Gauri is different than anyone else, then it must mean that you value whatever little or more you share with her. You know what, try understanding her. One thing I have learnt about women is that they never share pain they're more likely to put up with it themselves. I am not saying all women are like that. It takes trust for them to share. She might not tell you right away what's bothering her. If you really want to find out you'll find a way yourself, you'll understand her silence."
"Hmm." Omkara sighed. "Why are women so complicated?"
"Hmm..that's an interesting question that no man on earth has ever found answer for." Shivaay chuckled.
Omkara chuckled.
-Anami!