Rikara Scribblings by Savina

The Trial Honeymoon : Part 5

This story is a work of fiction, and is supposed to be treated like one. Anyone who finds the story lacking values and culture, please avoid reading this story. I cannot and will not stop writing this story because there are quite many readers who find this story interesting. Should any of you feel uncomfortable, please ignore the thread. Thank you , Savina 

Ps: This was didu's words back then when many messaged her saying that they do not like the content.

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Omkara Oberoi looked outside the window, shaking his head. A chatty Miss. Gauri Sharma had befriended the fifty year old chatty driver- Gulabh, and the two of them were now getting along like they were long-lost childhood friends. So by now, Omkara learnt that Gauri was raised single-handedly by her step-mother, Pinky Sharma, who was now a retired bank employee and had taken up embroidery as her passion. Gauri was a post-graduate, who was done with her course since a year and a half, and was looking for a job at present after her sixteen months of her stint as a financial analyst at an investment firm which she bagged through campus recruitment.

Omkara also learnt that their cab driver Gulabh had been married for twenty three years, had a daughter aged 21 and a son aged 19, who were aspiring to become doctors. He also learnt about Gulabh's wife's maternal cousin's daughter being married to a man from Lucknow, the very same place which Gauri had once visited during her school days with her dad and step-mom. Omkara looked at the passing scenery. If it weren't for this constant chatter, he would be able to lean back and watch the beauty of the landscape in peace. Instead, now he had to listen to the tiny woman's unnecessary queries about that random guy from Lucknow.

"Saheb, we reached..." Gulabh informed as he brought the car to a halt, and Omkara leapt out of the vehicle as quickly as possible. The first destination was a temple, that was located in the midst of a forest, surrounded by pine trees. Omkara took a deep breath; if "peace" had a fragrance, it would be exactly like this; the whole place smelled of tranquillity. And suddenly, Omkara missed the chattering. Looking around for that tiny source of chatter, he noticed that, while Gulabh had approached his fellow-cab-drivers at the tea stall nearby, Gauri had already run up the stairs to pay a visit to the temple. Omkara shook his head and followed her. The temple was mesmerizingly beautiful, wherein the effigy of the goddess which was made up of brass, was gorgeous.

Right in front was Gauri, with her eyes closed and her hands folded in prayer. She looked lost in the divinity, and Omkara couldn't help but stare at her. She looked so... ethereal, with that small smile on her face as she prayed for something so earnestly and honestly. She opened her eyes and looked at Omkara who stood next to her, and he quickly looked away, as if admiring the architecture of the temple. They spent a few minutes there, in silence. Then, walking out together, she whispered to him, "It feels so peaceful, right?" Omkara nodded with a small smile, "It does. You know why?" She raised her brows asking him, to which he said, "Because you weren't talking aloud here." Gauri frowned at him, and looking at her, he couldn't help let out a small laugh. "You should laugh often; a smile looks good on you!" she said with a smile, already forgiving him for that taunt, and Omkara's smile vanished. He walked faster, ahead of her, saying in a dry tone "Walk quick; we don't have all day to be here!" She rolled her eyes, "And the khadoos is back!"

After a quick breakfast at the tea stall, despite Omkara's fuss about the hygiene factor, they visited the museum which displayed the culture and folklore of the place. Gulabh went on to describe about the unique collection of antiques including religious relics, household objects, weapons, instruments, and scale models, among many other things, and Gauri conversed with him about the same. This time, Omkara listened to their entire conversation attentively, and most importantly, without a frown. When they exited the museum, Omkara found Gulabh persuading Gauri to get her picture clicked while wearing the traditional dress of their place. Gauri was more than willing to try it on. Gulabh asked Omkara if he would try it on, and he refused. "He's khadoos; don't ask him to have fun. Yeh insaan jawani mein hi buddhe ho gaye hain... He's scared to enjoy life!" Omkara heard Gauri whispering to Gulabh. Omkara smirked; if she thought that she would say such things and challenge him, getting him to do such childish things, then she was wrong!