My Nepenthe

Chapter 21

"Who is Ridhima?"

"What?" he dumbly asked.

"You heard it right Omkara ji," she confirmed.

Not expecting the question, he simply stared at her, eyes widened and mind anxious as to why she would ask something like that to break the charm of the passionate moment they just shared.

Gauri gave him time to sink in her words but when the silence stretched to an awkward note, she sighed and placed her hands on his arms which still held her close to him.

"You said you will let me in," she coaxed.

"Why?" he voiced out his thoughts.

"Because I want to know you Omkara ji, before everything else," she said.

Before everything else? What did she mean by that?

"Who told you about it?" he asked instead.

"Does that matter?"

He sighed closing his eyes and opened them in a bit to look into her hazels.

"Are you.... are you mad at me?" he asked and she shook her head in a no.

"Why do you want to know about her Gauri?"

"I want to start with the fresh wounds before digging deeper. She seems to be the most recent one. The one, just before you decided you wont think with your heart," she explained.

"Can we talk tomorrow?" he asked and she thinned her lips showing her disapproval.

"I don't know what to tell about her. What do you want to know?"

"Everything that is worth telling about," she said and he sighed again.

"Do you want to sit?" she asked gesturing towards the couch.

"No, I like this much better," he said referring to their position. "Unless you don't want to..."

She looked away to hide the hint of color on her cheeks and he couldn't stop himself from kissing her temple.

"She was my past and I don't have any touch with her Gauri," he cleared first and she nodded asking him to continue.

"We met at an art exhibition. She was a friendly girl, worked for an NGO and understood my craving for art. We went out few times before we decided to give a serious shot at a relationship. We were sort of compatible with each other."

"Ridhima had been very patient with me and I thought she genuinely cared for my feelings. I realized late that she wanted more than what I could give her," he said and she looked at him confused.

"She wanted all the Oberoi shares on my name and she made me sign on the papers joining hands with Mr. Oberoi. That day I grasped that she never understood me. I asked her to go away and she never looked back."

"Did... did you love her?" she asked the question which has been bugging her mind since she heard the name.

Omkara resumed his silence again before he nodded his head and looked away.

Gauri knew it wasn't necessary but she did feel a sting at his confession.

"Y...you never called her back?"

The darkest days of his life flashed before him and he involuntarily tightened his grip on her.

Was he ready to disclose that phase ever? he asked himself.

No, not yet.

He was uncomfortable to talk to her on such a topic but he relaxed a bit when she gently rubbed his tensed muscles letting him know that she was okay with any answer.