Rikara Short Stories Collection

Once And Always : Epilogue

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

10 years later

Om walked into his house to see his 6-year-old son, sitting and sulking with his pet mouse.

Om walks towards his son and sits next to him. "What did you do Ferocious Oberoi?" Om asks gently rubbing his finger over the mouse's head.

"He didn't do anything." his son pouts.

"SASSY!" Om calls out to his daughter loudly.

Few minutes later he sees his 6-year-old daughter coming running towards him "Daddy! What's cooking?" she asks as she jumps on him.

Om smiles hearing her, just like how Shaurya had taken after him exactly like that Sahasra has taken after her mother. She had already started sticking to only wearing black, she has picked up on Gauri's yo style and last few days she has been sneaking into their room and using Gauri's makeup also.

"What did you do to Shaurya?" Om asks her.

"I didn't do anything." Sassy says immediately.

"She got a pet." Shaurya complains and Om finally figures out what the problem was.

Of late, Sassy has wanted a cat as her pet which Shaurya was completely against as he feared her cat would eat his mouse, and looks like finally Sassy found a cat she liked much to Shaurya's disappointment.

"Omki is nice." Sassy says.

"Omki?" Om asks shocked.

"Yup! Mama said that Omki is as ummm... koot and"

"You mean cute?" Om asks her gently

"Yes... cute and seky"

"You mean sesky?" Om asks her.

"Ahh sesky as you, so we decided to name him Omki." Sassy explains while Om frowned, an animal named after him? But then he realized there was more important issues to address at first, like telling Gauri to watch what she is saying in front of their kids, and of course Shaurya's complaint.

"Papa, tell her she can't keep Omki here. Ferocious is so scared of him." Shaurya says.

"Okay... firstly let's just call him, Sassy's pet for a while and secondly Shaurya I told you before itself, when I let you get a pet of your choice how can I stop Sassy from getting a pet of her choice?"

"But Ferocious...'"

"Sassy and you both will just have to make sure that your pet stays away from the other animal." Om declares. Before either could say anything further Om asks "Where is Mama?"

"Yo, you are home! Why didn't you call me?" Gauri asks him.

Om looks at her and then screams out loudly. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAA"

Gauri was standing with a python loosely hung over her shoulders. At the same time Ferocious starts squeaking and jumps off from Shaurya's hand and runs off to find a place to hide while Shaurya ran behind him.

"What is that doing in my house?" Om asks as he jumped up from the couch and ran to the other end of the room.

"That is Omki." Sassy says.

"That is your pet? AND STOP CALLING IT OMKI!"

"I knew you would bring the house down because of the name, Sassy we will call him Cuddly." Gauri says.