Rikara Scribblings by Savina

Ranjishein : Part 3

Part Three

Omkara Singh Oberoi sat between his brothers at the dining table, and watched his wife from the corner of his eyes. She was happily chatting along with Annika and Daadi, while buttering a toast. "Gauri..." Pinky intervened, causing everyone to look at her, "Tumhari talks ko thoda times-please karke, hamare inn bacchon ko zara breakfasts dogi, toh badi favours hogi..." she said in her usual harmless taunt. Gauri grinned in reply, "Kyun nahi, Choti Maaji..." She walked around and stood next to Omkara, smiling at him brightly, while Omkara only stared back at her blankly. "Omkara ji," she said as she served him the toast, and a portion of scrambled eggs, "Aapko bhook lag rahi thi toh aapko batana chahiye tha na? Sorry, mera dhyaan hi nahi raha..." Then picking up the buttered toast, she held it close to his lips for him to take a bite.

"O, dekh kya rahe ho? Chulbul bhabhi itne pyar se khila rahi hai, mooh toh kholo?" Rudy chirped teasing him, and Gauri's smile widened, "Kya Rudy bhaiyya, aap bhi na? Yeh sab toh ek patni ko karna hi chahiye. Omkara ji ne hamare liye itnaa kuch kiya; Unke liye itna toh kar hi sakte hain, hain na, Omkara ji?" Omkara looked at her eyes, and smiled bitterly when he saw that her smile did not reflect in her ice-cold eyes. If only she meant what she really spoke. But then, he had condemned himself to the hell he was living in. The bitter confrontation about Piya, from a week back flashed before his eyes.

***

"Hum aapko chod kar kahin nahi jayenge..." Gauri announced in a firm voice, even though she was shivering from cold, after being drenched from head to toe. Omkara, for a moment, did not know how to react. But a few seconds later, his lips curved into a soft smile, relieved that she wasn't going away from him. Taking a step towards her, he proceeded to envelop her in his arms, only to stop when she held her hand up and stepped away from him. "Hamari baat khatam nahi hui hai, Oberoi Sahab!" His smile vanished when he heard her call him that way; a name that was only reserved for those who were strangers to him.

Gauri looked into his eyes. She knew she would be breaking his heart with whatever she was to say, but it was required. It was high time she stood up for herself. Because, if she did not respect herself, she could never expect anyone else to stand up for her. The Oberoi Family did love her a lot, but she also knew that if they had to choose between the son of the house, and the daughter-in-law, they would always choose Him. And so, with a deep breath, she spoke in a cold, emotionless tone.

"Hum aapko chod kar kahin nahi jayenge, kyunki woh sazaa aapke liye bahut asaan hogi. Agar hum yahan se chale gaye, toh aap bass do-teen dinon ke liye udaas ho kar, thode aasoon hamare liye bahayenge. Utne mein, aapke dono bhai bhi aapko sambhaal lenge, hot chocolate pila kar aapko sulayenge aur phir aapko zyada waqt bhi nahi lagega yeh bhoolne mein ke aapne hamara dil, hamara vishwas, hamare aathm-samman ko thod kar kitna chot pahunchaya tha; ke humne aapko aur iss ghar ko kyun choda tha." Omkara looked at her with guilt as she smiled sarcastically. He knew she was referring to the time when he had let her stay back in Bareilly, leaving her behind to get married to the creep called Ajay. Had it not been a push from his brothers, Omkara would have never had the courage to fight for her. "Isliye humne faisal kiya hai, ke hum aapko chod kar kahin nahi jayenge." Omkara knew that something else was to follow her statement, but right now, he was just relieved that she wasn't planning on leaving him. For he knew that the minute she would walk away from him, he would break apart; he would probably not be able to save himself from breaking beyond repair into pieces. And this time if he broke down, he wasn't sure he could be helped, even by his brothers, to put together the shattered pieces of his heart.

"Lekin, iska matlab yeh nahi ke humne aapko maaf kiya. Hum aapke saath rahenge zaroor, lekin sirf ek ajnabi ban kar. Kyunki iss kamre ke chaar deewaron ke andar, na aapka humse koi rishta hai aur na hum aapke koi lagte hain." Omkara froze; she had condemned a worse punishment. Gauri continued, "Iss kamre ke baahar hum dono ek acche aur khush, shaadi-shuda jodi ki tarah rahenge; parivar ke saamne khush rahenge. Kyunki agar aapke gharwalon ko pata chal gaya ke hamare beech mein kuch nahi raha, toh sab log humein hi samjhaane lagenge, aur kahenge ke iss ghar ke beton se galti ho gayi, ke humein aapko maaf karna chahiye, aur ek aur mauka dena chahiye. Iss liye, hum aur aap, gharwalon ke saamne pyaar se aur khushi se rahenge. Lekin iss kamre ke andar, hamare beech mein kuch nahi rahega. Na aap mujhse baat karenge, aur na hi aap hamare paas aane ki koshish karenge."