Meanwhile Omkara had been restless in his office, pacing back and forth in his cabin running his hand through his hair, unable to think what to do. The moment he took out his anger on Gauri and she walked away, he had felt terribly guilty for doing it. The words that came from his mouth shocked him to the core as he had never meant to say any of it. The poor girl had to be the prey of his anger.
Ever since he had gotten to know about the company’s confidential details being leaked, he had felt so furious that he roared at every person he spoke to that day. Including his own wife!
No Om, you can’t blame it on that! She’s your wife! The woman you swore to protect and keep happy not some doll on whom you have the right to vent out on! And today was her first visit to the office and you made it hell for her...She had come with so much love and you broke her heart!
His heart reprimanded him.
He tried to call her only to realise that she had left her phone in his cabin. As his eyes travelled his cabin, they fell on the food she had brought. He went ahead and open the tiffin, one sniff and he knew she had prepared it. And one look was enough to know that she hadn’t had her lunch either. He closed the tiffin and kept it back in the bag where he found a note.
Dear Omkara
Enjoy your lunch! And get lot’s of energy to do your work! Don’t stress out too much, health is important my dear husband, you’ve been taking a lot of stress recently.
With love
Your Gauri.
Omkara felt like digging a hole and burying himself in it at that moment. If only venting out at her wasn’t already making him enough guilty that now this note had to come up.
‘With love, Your Gauri‘, ‘dear husband‘ written by her in the note replayed over and over in his mind, making him guiltier each second.
She had prepared it with so much love and hope, and he crushed it all for a mistake that had absolutely nothing to do with her. He didn’t even hear her out and told her what
ever came to his mouth. Cruel and cold words that he never even meant to say.
Unable to stay put any longer, he called up home and his Choti ma had picked up the call and informed him that Gauri hadn’t reached. Finally, his worried heart took the better of him and he set out in search of her, handing over some work to Rudra as he left the office. She was more important than any office work.
It was only when he got into his car that he realised he had absolutely no idea where she could be. He ruled out the possibility that she was with a friend because he knew well that she wasn’t the type who sat and complained all day. If anything, she would be alone right now, probably crying her heart out. Even the thought of that scene made him shudder.
Unable to think of a place, he started driving aimlessly through the city hoping to find her somewhere. Three hours later, his phone rang up.
Mom calling..
“Why is mom calling now?” He wondered as he answered the phone. His heart yearning to somehow find and get to Gauri.
“Omkara!” Came the stern voice of his mother. She usually called him Om, very lovingly and the only rare times she would call him Omkara was when she was angry. He wondered what could be the reason of her anger. “What did you tell her?”
Her. It had to be Gauri. He decoded.
Instead of feeling nervous about his mom’s anger that was directed at him, Omkara felt a little relieved that Gauri was safely home.
“What did you tell to that poor girl that she looks so pale now!?” Omkara remembered the blood draining from her face seeing his anger. Jhanvi sounded really angry. “She was so happy and shy before she left for office and then when she came back, it looked like she had been crying for a long time! She had lost her liveliness!”
“She told you…what happened?” Omkara asked his heart beats rapidly increasing thinking about Gauri’s condition.
Jhanvi scowled at him, “What do you think, Om? You think she’d tell me anything? If she did then I wouldn’t be asking you! I tried asking her but that poor girl wouldn’t say a thing. She just tried to make up excuses like she had a really bad headache.”
“Oh.” Omkara felt even more guiltier now.
“Om, whatever you did has broken her heart! Fix it up will you? I don’t want my daughter to be sad because of your foolishness!” Jhanvi screamed and cut the call.
Omkara felt a little happy seeing how his mother cared for Gauri but that happiness went away as soon as it came when his mind flashed a scene of Gauri crying. The very sight of her eyes that were full of life, the eyes that gave him hope, the eyes that showed nothing but love for others, shedding tears pricked his heart and he started to drive faster to get home to her.
Once he reached home, he headed straight to his room and found it empty. Sighing, he thought where could she be? Then it occurred to him that she loved spending time near the pool.
He made his way to the pool room to find all the curtains closed, making the room darker than usual. Sitting by the pool with her legs dipped in the water was his wife.
“Gauri” he called out seeing her. She shuddered as his voice filled the silence in the pool room. A wave of guilt washed over him seeing her shudder.
“I’m sorry.” She replied her back still facing him. Her voice was enough for him to understand that she was still crying. Listening to her apologise for his mistake only increased his guilt. “I shouldn’t have come there and forced you to have lunch. I didn’t want to cause any problem in your work, I just wanted you to eat because I know you’d skip it otherwise.”
He walked towards her cursing himself for being so cold to her. The dejection that she felt was clear in her voice.
She went stiff as he walked towards her, and he could see her hands moving across her face in desperation.
She’s wiping off her tears. He thought. He went ahead and sat beside her leaving some space between them while Gauri looked away to the other side, her hair covering half her face.
“Please forgive me, Gauri.” Omkara said as tears filled his eyes. As if sensing his pain she looked at him in an instant and before she could look away he cupped her face. Gauri felt vulnerable, wanting to hug him and cry her heart out for sometime but she just stayed there. His touch was so gentle and caring, providing her with a sense of safety, making her wonder how the mere touch of this man could give her the comfort and warmth nobody could, despite the fact that she had been crying because of him.
He gently wiped away the tears that fell from her eyes with his thumb while her eyes were glued on his. “I’m really sorry Gauri. Please punish me but don’t cry.” He pleaded. “Mom’s right, I’m a fool. Whatever I said…I never meant any of it. Something terrible happened in the office and I was consumed by it, I don’t know how I took out my frustration on you. However, I know that’s no excuse…please forgive me Gauri. I swear I-”
“It’s okay Omkara, I understand. The fault was mine.” Gauri interrupted him, tears falling from her eyes.
“No it’s not okay, and neither was it your fault. If anyone is to be blamed then it’s me. Gauri, no matter how frustrated I am, I shouldn’t be releasing it on you.”
“I’m your wife Omkara, you have the right to express your feelings infront of me!” Gauri said.
“You’re not some squishy ball for me to release my anger on you. I had no right to do what I did.” He protested and then gently placed kisses on her tears, sucking them away. Gauri’s breath got stuck in her throat at the sudden action.
“But..”
“Shhh..” He shushed her, keeping his finger on her lips. Both could feel a spark at the contact but chose to ignore it. “Please forgive me.” He said holding his ears. Meanwhile she admired just how adorable, charming and cute her husband was, even though those words he said at the office were mean. “What I did, I shouldn’t have and I swear I didn’t mean to say all that. I was just..”
Gauri kept her hand on his and gently squeezed it. “I understand Omkara. It happens.”
“No Gauri, it was wrong, it shouldn’t have happened. I had no right to do what I did. I had no right to tell all that mean things. You know what Gauri? You should’ve just slapped me. Because I know what I said..it wasn’t true. I know you care about me. I know-”
“Shhhh.” Gauri shushed him as she sat closer to him now wrapping her hands around his arm and keeping her head on his shoulder. “It doesn’t matter anymore. What matters is that you are here with me now and are sorry about it.” Then looking at him she rolls her eyes she as said, “I forgive you.”
“No that’s not done. You have to give me some punishment. Or atleast ask for something, so that I feel little better. Tell me Gauri what can I do for you?” Omkara asked holding both her hands in his.
Gauri was about to reject the offer when she remembered Rishi. “You really wish to do something for me?” Gauri asked and Omkara nodded his head. “Then please promise me that you’ll look into the case, I mean the office confidential cases being leaked. I don’t think Rishi is at fault, Omkara. Please…”
Looking at his adorable wife and how adorably she asked for it, he couldn’t deny her request. So he simply accepted it and then asked her how she came to know about it. Gauri then narrated the whole incident to him.
“Wait, Omkara you should be at the office now, why-” Gauri started as realisation hit her.
“Shhhh” Omkara shushed her again, “Nothings more important than you, biwi. Everything else can wait.” He said with a smile.
“But Omka-” Gauri tried to protest but was interrupted.
“Did you have your lunch?” Omkara asked. She hesitated for a while and then shook her head in no.
He went in, took his tiffin bag and came back. Then he took a piece of the paratha, dipped it in the chutney and brought it near her mouth.
“Omkara but…did you-” Gauri started but was cut off, again.
“You first. Now open your mouth, I’m starving!” Omkara said and Gauri opened her mouth. Then she fed him.
Jhanvi watched them from a distance as they fed eachother and sighed in content. At this point she was just happy that they were together, she didn’t care if they had taken their relationship to the next level or not, she could see how happy they were with eachother. As a mother, she already knew how much Omkara loved Gauri, but she also knew that Gauri loved Omkara just as much he loved her. Only thing was that Gauri hadn’t realised that herself yet. But one day she would eventually realise it.
“Ouch!” Gauri exclaimed as she shook her finger in the air, far away from his mouth. Omkara winked at her and then kissed on the very same finger that he had a moment ago bit. She looked at him in disbelief and beat him on the chest, “Shethaan ladka! Haye shankar ji, inka kuch nahi ho sakta!” She said looking at the ceiling. Her husband was truly a charming devil, she mentally made a note.
“Haye! Kya naam raka hain tumne!” He said naughtily and she rolled her eyes at his antics. He loved to make her crazy!
****
“Did you really think that you aren’t important to me?” Gauri asked after some time resting her head on his shoulder. She couldn’t help but wonder if some part of him did actually think that.
“Not anymore.” He replied, “Ever since our marriage got fixed and you told me about what you felt, I knew I was important to you…but I don’t know why I said what I said..maybe I had become a little insecure.” He paused for a while before saying, “I’m sorry for hurting you Gauri.” His hold around her waist tightened, pulling her closer.
“I’m sorry if I don’t express it enough.” The tears that had long gone away had made its way back in her eyes now. “But I swear you’re more important to me than everything and everyone else. What you think, what you feel, your smile, your tears, everything matters to me so much more than I could even imagine. I can’t even think of living without you, Omkara.”
Although they weren’t facing eachother, both could sense the tears that had started to form in each other’s eyes.
“I’m sorry Gauri, I really am.” Omkara said his heart breaking to know how deeply his words had made an impact on her. But on the other hand, his heart also did a small happy dance hearing her confession.
“I know.” Gauri said, now looking up at his tear filled eyes. She leaned up and gently kissed him on the cheek shocking him. Then she wiped away his tears while he continued to stare at her in disbelief. “Think whatever you want, but don’t you ever underestimate your importance in my life!”
“Understood mam!” He said, his heart dancing in joy realising that it was her first kiss to him. And that kiss had made him feel like a silly love struck teenager.
Well, she always does that to me. Omkara thought with a smile.
To be continued…
Hey everyone! How have you all been? This chapter is a little longer than the usual update and I honestly have no idea how this became so big but I think I just went too deep in expressing their emotions. Please do tell me what you think of the chapter and the current situation their relationship is in. Also, please let me know what you think of my writing.
Thanks for reading!
Stay safe!