Rikara Scribblings by Savina

Mine Forever

"Stop this wedding!" a deep voice echoed in the huge wedding hall, and everyone turned around to look at the source of the voice. The bride didn't need to look at the man's face to recognize who he was. "Omkara ji..." she whispered softly, while the groom stood rooted to the ground. Omkara looked on in rage at the creep who dared to hold his wife's hand, and with the same loud voice, he said, "Meri biwi ka haat chodo, Ajay..." The creep was too shocked to even react, and Omkara had to repeat himself in a much lower, yet menacing tone, "Leave Mrs. Omkara Singh Oberoi's hand, you filthy animal!" As though struck by a bolt of lightning, Ajay left the bride's hand, and stumbled away from her. "Arrest this man, Officer..." Omkara spoke to the policeman who had accompanied him, when he had received a complaint against Ajay and his family for demanding dowry, and for forcing a married woman to remarry against her wishes. It did not take long for the police to drag the creep and his family away. And even though Richa broke down when the father of her unborn child was taken away to jail, she was relieved that Gauri did not have to marry the creepy man, and somewhere, she consoled herself that Mukesh was never the person meant for her.

Gauri stood at the pandal, looking at Omkara, who looked at her with a small smile on his lips. As he walked towards her, she recalled all of his accusations and hurtful words he had thrown across her face, where he had blamed her for being characterless, shameless and cheap. Even though she was thankful to Shankarji for sending Omkara ji on time to save her from marrying the creep, she could not erase his words that brutally pierced her heart and soul. So, when Omkara stood in front of her and extended his hand towards her so as to take her hand in his, she looked at him straight in the eye, wiped her tears, and shook her head. "No..." she said, causing Omkara to frown. "Hum aapke saath kahin nahin jaayenge." Saying this with a tone of finality, she turned her heel and walked outside the hall, towards her home, leaving her Omkara ji in a state of shock and disappointment. "Tumne mujhe maaf nahi kiya Gauri; I know I deserve it. But tumhari maafi ke bina, main yahan se kahin nahi jaaunga..." he said to himself, as he followed his little chiraiyya.

***

"Gauri ji, darwaza kholiye na..." he said as he knocked on the door. A few seconds later, she opened the door only to find the annoying yet sweet Sardar- Dilpreet Singh standing outside. Omkara, who had now donned the role of Dilpreet, felt his heart breaking into pieces when he saw her in tears; the mascara now spread, making her under eyes look almost charcoal black. "Aap ro rahi thi, Gauri ji?" Gauri nodded as she let him come into the house. "Aapko Ajay ke saath shaadi tootne se itna dukh hua?" Gauri looked at him, and shook her head, "Nahi Dilpreet ji. Humein toh uss bigde hue chirote se shaadi hi nahi karni thi. Who toh Richa ke wajah se humein majboori mein haan kehna pada, shaadi ke liye. Warna hum Ajay se toh kya, kisi aur se shaadi ke liye kabhi bhi haan kehte hi nahi..." "Kyun?" came his question in a softer tone. "Aap toh jaante hain, ke hum shaadi shuda hain. Aur abb, uss Ajay ke wajah se poora Bareilly jaanta hai ke hamare pati ne humein chod diya. Lekin koi yeh nahi jaanta, ke humne woh rishtha Omkara ji ke khushi ke liye thoda tha. Hum jaante the ke hamare pati hamare saath khush nahi the; unhone toh sirf hamari jaan bachane ke liye humse shaadi ki thi; aur kuch nahi. Lekin humne uss shaadi ko, sacche dil se, sacche mann se maana tha, aur maante rahenge..."

She heard Dilpreet take a heavy breath and ask her, "Magar aapne hamare sawaal ka jawaab abhi tak nahi diya ke aap ro kyun rahi thi. Kya aapke pati ko yahan dekh kar aap khush nahi hai?" Unknown to her, Omkara's heartbeat quickened in anticipation. She shook her head again. "Khush hain, Dilpreet ji. Hum Omkara ji ko yahan dekh kar beyhadh khush hain. Aaj shadi ke mandap mein, sab ke saamne unhone hamein apni patni maana; unhone hamein, pehli baar, Mrs. Omkara Singh Oberoi keh kar pukara..." Gauri voice choked with emotion, and Omkara couldn't help but tear up. "Lekin," she continued, "Hum woh sab kuch nahi bhool sakte jo unhone humse kaha; jo ilzaam unhone..." Suddenly, Gauri stopped, realizing she was talking something very personal and private about her relationship with her husband, to an outsider. "Hum ne kuch zyada bol diya, humein maaf kijiye..." she said looking away from him, as she wiped her tears and turned to leave the living room.