“Bhabhi! Good morning!” Rudra greeted as he jump-walked into the kitchen with a huge smile. Gauri glanced at her brother in law with a smile and turned her attention back to the work at hand.
“Good morning Rudy!”
“Kya bana rahe ho aap?” He asked as he looked into the vessel on the stove.
“Poha!”
“Oho, Bhaiya ka favourite huh?” He teased to which she blushed.
“Rudy, tu bhi na!” She said rolling her eyes, trying to cover her blush.
“How do you even manage him bhabhi?” Rudra asked shaking his head in disappointment. “Humseha kaam kaam kaam hi hain unko! Aapko time dete hain bhi ki nahi?“
Gauri looked at him in confusion wondering why he was saying like that.
“He can’t spare some time for his only brother! I asked him if we could watch a movie together today as it is a sunday and you know what he said?” He complained and when she shook her head in no, he continued mimicking Omkara, “Rudy, mujhe disturb mat kar, kaam hain.“
Gauri looked at him surprised by his words as she remembered how Omkara had been pursuing her the entire morning trying to romance with her secretly without anyone watching them. Unknowingly, a blush crept up on her face thinking about how he lied to his brother about work when actually he had been doing this to her.
“Don’t worry, Rudy boy! Why fear when bhabhi is here?” Gauri asked him raising her eyebrows. “Tumhare bhai ko main dekhlungi. Aaj sab milke movie dekh lenge okay?“
Rudra’s eyes sparked up immediately and he jumped in to hug her, “You’re the Best, bhabhi!“
“Which movie are you planning to put by the way?” She asked smiling at his happiness.
****
“Gauri, please yaar!” Omkara pleaded as he followed his wife who was busy arranging clothes in the cupboard.
“Kya please?” Gauri asked with a frown. “It’s so boring, Omkara! I suggest even you shouldn’t go.”
“Gauri, I don’t want to stay away from you. Please join me, it’s going to be so time consuming and if you’ll be there, it will be fun!” He said with a puppy face while she burst into laughs.
“That’s what, you should come to the point instead of beating around the bush.” She said shaking he head at his antics, “So you want me to join you so I can entertain you?”
“When did I say that?”
“But that was what you meant!”
“No I’m just a poor loving husband who wants to spend time with his wife.”
“Oh really?” She asked keeping her hands on her hips.
“Of course Gauri.”
“But seriously out of all places another party?” She asked helplessly.
“Does that mean you’ll come?” He asked as his eyes sparked.
Gauri looked at her husband for a whole minute contemplating on whether to play a little more with him or give in. Finally she decided to give in.
“Fine!” She said rolling her eyes and Omkara hugged her out of happiness.
“You’re the best!”
“But I have a condition!” She declared with a wicked smile.
“Condition?” He asked her with a frown. What condition?
“We’ll all watch a movie together today like how Rudra said. It’s been such a long time and I’m not going to buy any of your excuses!” She declared with a tone that meant she wasn’t going to take no for an answer.
“But…”
“No buts!”
“Okay.” He said giving in.
So I won’t get her to myself today also! He thought in disappointment.
Don’t worry Om, she’s only yours for the whole evening and night. His heart assured him.
****
“Blue or green?” Gauri asked Omkara as she displayed two gowns infront of him.
“Blue!” He said as he imagined his beauty walking in that ocean blue gown looking like an enchantress.
“Okay!” She smiled in content finally having decided her outfit for the night. It was a birthday party of one of his business partners and he was hoping to find some business leaders there. So she was still wondering what she would do there but since he had asked her with so much love, she couldn’t deny him.
And so in the evening after watching a movie with the whole family, they both went to the party.
“Can I have a dance with you?” A guy asked Gauri as he saw her standing alone. Omkara had gone to talk to one of the business leaders and Gauri had excused herself since she hated listening to business talks.
“Um…I’m taken.” Gauri hesitated as she looked around for Omkara. She wanted to reject the guy’s offer as politely as possible.
“You look absolutely stunning!” The guy said looking at her from head to toe making her feel uncomfortable. His gaze on her didn’t seem like any normal gaze but instead, one with wrong intentions.
“Listen-“
“Come on,” the guy said grabbing her hand and Gauri looked at him wide eyed as she tried to free her hand. “It’s just a dance, sweetheart.”
“Excuse me.” A stern voice called out to them and Gauri turned back and thanked the Gods above for sending her saviour, her dear husband. “She’s booked, Sir. You may find someone else.” Omkara said as he walked closer to them and freed her hand from the guy’s and then threateningly added, “Didn’t you hear what she said? That she’s taken? Don’t you dare touch her or any other girl without their will. Now if you’ll excuse us, we have other things to do.” He finished flashing his best smile at him.
Omkara took Gauri with him a little away from the guy who looked at them wide eyed. “Will you dance with me?” He asked with a smile and Gauri nodded with a blush.
“Thank you.” Gauri said as they danced.
“You know it was my duty.” Then turning a bit serious, he said, “I’m sorry for letting you stand alone.”
Gauri shook her head in negative and kept her head on his chest as they danced.
“Doesn’t he know you’re the mother of four children? I should’ve told him that!” He said shaking his head in disappointment while Gauri looked at him in shock.
“Omkara!”
“Yes biwi?”
“Aap ka na kuch nahi ho sakta!” She said rolling her eyes.
“What Gauri? If I’m the father of four kids then aren’t your their mother too? Are you gonna divorce our kids?” He asked in fake amusement.
“Divorce? And that too kids? You are mad!” She exclaimed.
“Didn’t you already know that?” He asked with a frown. “I am mad in your love, sweetheart. And if I remember correctly, so are you!”
“You’re impossible!” She said with a blush remembering her confession.
“Are those cheeks of yours turning pink for me?” He asked huskily sending shivers down her spine.
“Shut up!” She exclaimed burying her head on his chest while he just laughed holding her tightly.
“I love you Omkara.” She said after some time.
He lifted her chin up and said, “I love you too.”
Soon they were swaying with the music, completely immersed in eachother’s eyes thanking God for sending the other to their life. They were now truly eachothers, by all means. It wasn’t some legal paper or the confused strings of the heart that tied them together anymore, but a golden yet invisible string that had always kept them tied to the other right from the start- 11 years ago. A string that chained and then defeated all of Gauri’s demons and a string that changed Omkara’s hope into reality. A string whose sole purpose was to bring these two together. To tie them together.
~A single thread of gold tied me to you~
After a while, Omkara was again talking to a business leader, while Gauri had been on phone with Jhanvi. He kept glancing over at Gauri who stood a few meters away as he talked. Something in him told him something was off. He felt uneasy but couldn’t point out why.
“OMKARAAAA!!!” He heard his wife scream, breaking his talk. But before he could reply, Gauri came crashing into his arms, hugging him tight as he stood rooted to his place in shock at her sudden stunt.
Bang. The sound of a bullet being fired echoed through the walls of the huge function hall, earning gasps from everyone. Panic spread among the people as they desperately looked around to find the source of it and if someone had been hurt.
“I’m sorry, Omkara. I love you.” Gauri said, panting, her voice barely a whisper. Her hazel brown eyes were looking right at him- bloodshot- as the tears fell. Then composing herself a little, her expressions softened and she smiled at him clutching onto his shirt. Omkara who was too shocked by the sudden turn of events, could feel warm liquid covering his hands as he held her.
The people around were in distress and for them it felt like there was chaos spread in their calm land- like the world was rotating too fast but none could see that for Omkara the whole world had stopped moving. As he held up his hand, his vision blurred, finding it all red. The smell of blood filled his lungs as she closed her eyes and collapsed making his entire world come crashing down.
“Gauri…” Her name left his mouth like a bare whisper.
To be continued…
Song reference:
~A single thread of gold tied me to you~
This is a lyric from the song Invisible string by Taylor Swift. If there are any swifties out there, reading this, then I’m sure you would’ve got the reference even before me mentioning it! I just got an inspiration to write those lines while I was listening to that song.
So how was the chapter? Shocking? What do you all think will happen next?
Thanks for reading!
Stay safe!