Yuhn Hota Toh Kya Hota- Rikara FF

Chapter 95

Omkara got up next morning with his head feeling heavy. He sat up uncomfortably and looked around, at the bed, and his body covered with a blanket. The top buttons of his shirt were unbuttoned, his hair untied and disheveled. What happened to him? He looked around the surroundings carefully. What was he doing in Dandi's house? 

He looked out of the window and saw that it was pretty early, barely dawn. Where was Dandi? Where was Gauri? He thought of her, and she came into the room. She had already taken a bath and dressed for the day. But then she always got up early. 

"Oh, good, you're awake, I was thinking of waking you up anyways. Now that you are awake, please leave" said Gauri, hurriedly.

"Gauri, what...how did I end up here?" asked Omkara

"You came here, all drunk, last night. And now you need to leave before anyone sees you, or before Dandi bhaiyaa comes home" said Gauri, rushing him.

Omkara understood he had to leave, but he panicked from not knowing what he did when he came here.He got up, tied his hair and made a move to go, but then turned and asked, "Gauri, please tell me what exactly happened here?" 

"There is no time for that, leave before someone sees you, otherwise I'll be in big trouble" said Gauri, nearly pushing Omkara out of the door. 

Omkara didn't want to get Gauri in trouble, so left quietly, trying to make sure no one saw him. 

Back in his car, he released his breadth he had been holding, and thought back to yesterday night, only one thing came back up. He went to the pub with Rudra, presumably he got drunk, and then just one memory: himself kissing Gauri on the forehead, and saying thank you. 

Omkara hit the steering wheel in frustration. What had he gotten up to last night? And why did Gauri throw him out of her house this morning, as if he had stayed over her place like a thief? Well, her reaction was predictable, but Om wished he remembered what he did. 

Yet, again he came to Gauri for answers, and was leaving with more questions. 

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Three weeks had passed  since that day. 

Omkara saw his brother, Shivaay, crumbling before him, becoming a shell of what he used to be. Annika bhaabhi had forbidden them, Om and Rudra, to meet her. God knows how she was faring, though Chanda would respond to Rudra's calls sometimes and report back that she was fine, though depressed. Shivaay's condition became too unbearable to watch sometimes, specially for Om, who knew how it felt to be broken, and never wished it on his elder brother who was destiny's favored child. 

In times like these, he would seek solace. But strangely he wouldn't go to his brother, Rudra or his sister, Prinku, or even his mother, who he loved the most in his entire existence. 

No. He'd go seeking her. Sometimes, in between office breaks, he would stand from afar, and watch her working in the shop on the temple premises, or singing in the temple, or once he caught her conducting a Jagraata in the temple. She was the life of whichever group she was a part of that time. The elderly and kids alike loved her. There was joy and smiles and hope all around. 

Omkara never came near the periphery of her chawl, he didn't want her to get into trouble. He was too embarrassed to approach her after that morning, afraid of what he had done. 

He wouldn't stalk her either, except one occasion, when she looked really melancholy. For some reason, she looked unhappy and lost. She was wearing white that day, and gave the impression of a ghost. Omkara followed her that day, after work, walking behind her as she walked to the Juhu beach. The Juhu beach was very different from the Marine drive, where they had met for the first time in Mumbai.