Rikara Scribblings by Savina

Shattered Pieces of My Heart : Part 2

Part Two

"Kya lengeaap? Chai-coffee?" she asked as she walked ahead of him while he followed her into her house. He momentarily paused at her question, wondering if she had already forgotten about his dislike for coffee and his preference for a particular taste of tea. "Glucose biscuit-wali chai milegi?" he asked taking a seat, as he watched her freeze for a fraction of a second while arranging the cushions on the sofa. "Hamareghar par glucose biscuit koi nahikhata, lekinaapko chai zaroormilegi." Omkara was about to say something, but she quickly disappeared into her kitchen, leaving Omkara to rehearse his apology in his mind.

When she brought the tray and placed it in front of him, and he tasted the first sip, he winced at the bitter taste of the tea that had absolutely no sugar. "Yeh diabetes kemareezonwali chai peenakabshurukiyatumne?" he mused, smiling a bit as she sipped her tea too. He knew how she loved her tea- strong and sweet. "Hameinkadwaahat ki aadathochukihai." she said as she stared blankly at nothing in particular, but her words had surely hit its target. Omkara felt a sharp pain in his chest at the sullen tone of her voice and the implication of her words. "Gauri... main..." "Kuch aur chahiyeaapko?" she asked, and he shook his head in refusal. "Tumsebaatkarnihai, Gauri..." She nodded at his words, without sparing him a glance, "Hum sunnrahehain."

"Gauri," he began with an unsure tone when he saw her stare at the floor. He had to try his level best to not yank her by her arms and give her a good shake, making her look at him. However, he had no right to demand her attention. In fact, he was glad that she hadn't shown him the door when he landed at her house to talk to her. Taking a deep breath, he continued, "I know kemainepichleaahtmahino se tumharesaath jo bhikiya, wohgalattha. Maine tumhesamajhnemeingalti ki. Tumnehamesha mere liye aur mere parivaarkeliye bahut kuchkiya, aur mainehamesha ki tarahtumhegalatsamajhkar, najaanegussemeinkyakuch kaha. Tumnehamesha meri aur mere parivaar ki khushiyon ko apnikhushi se zyada prioritize kiya, aur badlemeinmainesirftumhetakleef di. Main jaanthahoonke main tumharemaafikelaayaknahihoon, par kya tum mujheek aur mauka de saktiho?"

He took a deep breath and looked at her in anticipation, while she stared at the floor, still lost in thoughts. After closing her eyes for a minute, she looked up at Omkara, and while staring into his eyes, she asked him, "Kya aapchahthehainke hum aapkomaafkarein?" He nodded sincerely. She continued, "Aapkomaafkarnekebadlemein hum aapsekuchmaangein, tohkyaaaphumein who dengein?" He frowned while giving it a thought. Gauri was definitely not someone who struck deals in relationships. The Gauri he knew was always selfless and giving- someone whom he took for granted. However, desperate for her forgiveness, he nodded, "Mujhse jo hopaayega, main who karunga. Bass mujheekbaar, aakhribaar, maafkardo Gauri" She gave him a slanted smile, which failed to light up her eyes, "Tohphirthikhai. Humneaapkomaafkiya..." Omkara nodded, not content with the lingering silence, knowing there was something coming up, and his doubts were confirmed when she said, "Badlemeinaap, aajkebaad, apnishakalhameinnahidikhayenge."

Omkara felt a chill run down his spine at her words. He knew he would have to grovel and apologize to get her to forgive him. And for a moment, his heart skipped a beat when she readily forgave him. But the condition she placed before him gashed his heart. Three months without Gauri was an everyday hell for him, although he'd never admitted this fact to himself. When he'd found out about her, after all these months, all he wanted to do was reach out to her, so that he could hold her tight enough and tell her what she meant to him. She was the first warm ray of sunshine on a cold winter morning; she was the gentle summer breeze; she was the first drop of rain; she was the color to his colorless canvas; she was the meaning to his otherwise empty life. Yet, here she was making a bargain for her pardoning; demanding a price to exonerate him by asking him to walk away from her forever.

"Impossible, Gauri. Main yahantumsemaafimaangneaayahoon; hamarerishte ka saudakarnenahi." She smirked without looking at him, "Har rishtaeksauda hi hotahai, Oberoi Sahab, jahandil dene kebadlesirfzakhm, dard aur taqleefmiltihai." The sombre intonation of her voice made him miserable. Where had his lively Gauri disappeared? Where had this apathetic woman surfaced from? What had this woman done to his warm and loving Gauri? "Nahi Gauri. Muhjetumhari yeh baatmanzoornahi. Kya issrishte ko todnaitnaasaanhaitumhareliye?" Gauri laughed, lacking humour in her voice, "Aapkotoh do second bhinahilageussrishte ko khatam karnekarnekeliye? Aajaaphumse pooch rahehainke hum ussrishte ka maanrakhein? Wah Oberoi Sahab!" Omkara looked away in guilt, "Main jaantahoonkemujhsegaltiyaan hui hai..." "Galtiekbaarhotihain, Oberoi Sahab. Jo dohraayajaaye, wohgaltinahi, gunaahhotehain. Aur gunaah ki koi maafinahihoti. Hotihai, sirfsazaa."