Rikara Short Stories Collection

The Last Minute Groom : Part Three

Thanks to all for voting and commenting on the previous part.

Om was on his way to Gauri's house to pick her up. Ever since she left, he had been feeling restless wondering what she was up to. He knew he came on to her too strong, not even giving her time to cry over Ajay or accept her new situation. He just forced himself as her husband he didn't have any other way, they didn't have much time. He decided that the faster she gets used to him, the faster she will accept him as her husband and faster they will move ahead in their marriage. He had decided that he will not give her time to think or act, and he did that. He remembers how she had fixed his breakfast and put his towel in the right place, and he knew very soon she will accept their marriage.

Om drove in to Sharma's compound and was shocked to find his wife waiting for him at the door.

"You are on time." Gauri says impressed.

Om shrugs. "Ready to go?"

"Yes." Gauri replies shocking Om further.

He was fully prepared to force her to go with him and here she was waiting for him.

"Omkara... please come in." Nayantara says warmly as she saw her son-in-law at the door.

After he was welcomed properly and all the rituals were taken care of and had dinner with the family, they decided to go home.

Om walks into his room with Gauri, and seeing her luggage exactly where she had left it she says "I half expected to find all my things unpacked."

"Dandi wanted to do it, I told him no."

"Why?" Gauri asks.

"I wanted you to do it."

"A part, of me accepting this marriage?" Gauri asks.

Om shrugs to that and walks to the wardrobe. He hears a thud and turned back to see Gauri dump her suitcase behind him. Then she opens it and starts unpacking. Om sits down next to her and helps her unpack. She doesn't reject his help. As they finished unpacking and Gauri was about to get up from the floor after closing her suitcase Om again sits next to her on the floor.

"Do you want to tell me?" Om asks.

"Tell you what?" Gauri asks confused sitting back down.

"The sudden change. Why you decided to give this marriage a chance?" Om explains.

"Papa told me."

"What?"

"That you had refused to marry me till I agreed to it and Papa had lied to you. Till after marriage you didn't know that I was unaware of the situation. And when you found out, you wanted to tell me immediately but then my crying changed your mind." Gauri explains.

"And that makes a difference?" Om asks.

"It does. We both are in a marriage that we both didn't want. And you married me thinking you had my consent." Gauri tells him.

"I want this marriage to work, Gauri. Marriage is sacred and I don't want to make fun of it." Om tells her.

"Even for me but I need time, Omkara." Gauri tells him.

"You can take all the time you want, Gauri. But you should know the reason I was pushing you today morning was I wanted you to accept this marriage as soon as possible."

"Why?" Gauri asks confused with his conflicting statement.

"I know my brother. He will come back. The moment his money gets over, he is going to come back. And my parents, they are going to take him back. So I wanted you to accept this marriage before that." Om explains.