Yuhn Hota Toh Kya Hota- Rikara FF

Chapter 31

Gauri was surprised to see that Omkara had no problem sitting down with them on the Chowpaati beach, on the mats on sand. He was surrounded by people from the lower economic background on all sides, but that didn't seem to bother him. He didn't seem to like the pav bhaaji kept in front of him on first sight, but he ate it without a complaint. Gauri had suspected earlier that Omkara didn't care about socio-economic differences, because of how he saved her from the village, but she was also confused since he emptied the temple land of shops in a half a day and ran a car into her shop. 

Now, however, Gauri was convinced, that Omkara was one of those men, to whom class difference didn't matter much. After the meal was over, he took out his purse to pay, but Dandi firmly stopped him. Since he was dining with them, he was their guest, and thus won't pay here. Gauri thought Omkara would insist on paying for them, but he kept his silence to persevere Dandi's pride. Instead, he said, "Thank you for this nice dinner today, promise me that next time you guys will dinner at my place, my treat." The rest of the group was awed by his genuineness and lack of arrogance. 

After dinner, they all went for a long walk on the Marine Drive. As decided before, Gauri walked off a little separately with Omkara. 

"So, what? Are you going to spill the beans? Have you decided to take any action to stop your sister from marrying that guy?" Gauri asked.

"I'm glad you want to help. I am not usually this open to strangers, I share all my problems with my brothers, but for circumstances I can't divulge now, I have to live separately from my family, my brothers." Omkara sighed. Gauri was curious but she didn't want to pry. So she kept quiet. 

"I don't take to strangers....easily, but something tells me I can trust you. Maybe its because of that night you came to my aid, without knowing me, without any reason to do me a good turn. So, I'm going to trust with you something big, just promise me you won't prove me wrong, and my faith in you wrong." Omkara said, looking Chulbul in the eye.

Gauri was in big trouble. Here this man was placing such immense trust on her, and here she was lying to him through her teeth. On one hand, Gauri really wanted to do something for Omkara, after all he had saved her life, on the other hand the guilt of lying was already weighing her down. She wanted to run away and promise him to keep his secret, both at the same time. In the end, the desire to do something for her savior, proved greater than the truth. Gauri decided that she would help him with this issue, then they would be even, and after that she would disappear from his life. This way his problem would be solved, she will be lighthearted that she managed to return the favor, and he will never know the truth, so he won't be disappointed about Gauri's fake identity. 

Gauri looked him in the eye, and said, "I promise." 

Omkara smiled. "Then let me tell you what happened", and with in the briefest way possible, without going into the details, Omkara explained how a few years back Prinku and he, had caused an accident, when a lady fell off the bridge, and now it turned out that she was in coma, and her brother, Ranveer, was out to take revenge for his sister by blackmailing Prinku into marrying him, so that he could ruin her life. 

Gauri didn't say anything as Om spoke for a while. Omkara sighed as he ended his narrative. 

"And  you believed him?" Gauri asked, sounding a little incredulous. 

"What do you mean?" asked Omkara.

"You never saw the face of the woman your car hit. And you didn't find her body on the road or under the bridge, so you have no idea what really happened. How do you know that the woman you hit and Ranveer's sister, are the same?" asked Gauri.

"But how else would Ranveer know of the accident, Chulbul? The only one who was there on the spot, was me, Prinku and that woman, who we hit accidentally. If she didn't tell him, before going into coma, I suppose, then how else would he know?" Omkara questioned back. 

"Exactly, it was only the three of you there, or it looks like only the three of you there. You say the night was dark and the lady came out of nowhere. Did she even see your faces? And even if she did, how does she know your identities? You said yourself, that you and Prinku have always maintained a low profile, then how will anyone know? Its too far fetched to assume that the lady saw and remembered your car number plate and conveyed it to her brother, and he traced it down, all before he went into coma. No, there is too much coincidence at work here. This is India, if it were so easy to trace culprits, then our police system would not have been criticized so much." said Gauri, following her own train of thought. 

Then she noticed Omkara's face darkening. "Sorry, I didn't mean it like that. I don't think you or your sister are culprits." said Gauri hastily.

"But we are Chulbul, we are. We are responsible for that lady being in coma now." Omkara held his head in his hands, feeling a  mixture of frustration and guilt. 

"What you and your sister are, is gullible. The only way that lady's brother could have known it for a fact that you and your sister were responsible, is if he was there. Which means that the road was not empty, as you thought. There is definitely something fishy here. Give me some time to think. What about we meet here day after tomorrow, and then decide the next plan of action?" asked Gauri.

"Sure" said Omkara. "And Chulbul...thanks for not judging me and my sister."

"I know that you will never deliberately hurt anyone." Gauri said without thinking. 

"What do you mean?" Omkara asked, curious.

"Erm...I just know, achcha I have to rush now, see you day after tomorrow. Bye!" said Gauri, and quickly departed from there with her group of friends, who all said bye to Omkara before leaving. 

"Weird kid." said Omkara to himself for the second time, but he was also glad that Chulbul trusted him without a doubt.

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Rudy wondered whether he should. or rather, whether he can ask Soumya. On one hand, she was at liberty not to tell him, and she might be even be offended, plus their friendship was not sufficiently mended for him to take this risk. On the other hand, he wanted to know, he had to know. 

Soumya entered the library just as Rudy decided that maybe he would ask her tomorrow. As usual she put her phone on silent, and Rudy saw his name.

"Are you still seeing that guy, Rehan?" Rudy blurted out, before he could control himself. 

Soumya paused. Then she replied, "Rudra, we are coming here to study. I don't think who I talk to is any of your business, really. But yes, I am seeing him." 

The last Rudy remembered, was that Rehan and Soumya's parents were meeting up, to decide on their future together. But after that, they both were so caught up in Romi's plans, then Shivaay bhaiyaa's shaadi, Shivaay bhaiyaa getting shot, Rudy's almost engagement, and all other issues, that Rudy had forgotten about Rehan. 

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry." Rudy mumbled. 

 "Its okay. Since, you asked, Rehan and I, took sort of a break, because I thought it was too soon, I mean, I hadn't even finished college. He wanted to get serious, I wasn't sure, so we mutually decided to give this relationship thing a rest, until we were sure about it. We reconnected just a few weeks back. Its not like we are serious now, we are just going to see where it goes till college ends. If it works out, then maybe we'll get engaged after college." explained Soumya. She was not obliged to tell him, but since she had asked and Rudy had answered all about Priyanka and the family issues yesterday, she felt that she owed him this much. 

Rudy nodded his head. He didn't feel too happy about Soumya and Rehan being together again. They had a patchy relationship, but what Soumya did or who she saw was not actually his business. Its not like their drunken accidental wedding was real anyways. But Rudy did not like Rehan, he was a strange, pompous sort of fellow. 

Rudy sighed. He didn't like this situation, he didn't like it all. 

P.S. Ranveer-Prinku marriage angle was covered in IB 2017 episodes, if anyone wants to watch.