#2-The Strange Connection
**
She may be a stranger for him,but not a random girl.
Somehow he felt a connection with her.He didn’t know what he saw which locked his eyes with hers.
Her eyes glittered like a star,but it’s the hidden emotions which he saw.
She may be a healthy girl,but it’s her weakness which he saw.
Her lips shivered,but it’s not due to the cold wind,he could see an unknown fear there.
His eyes fell on her glittering gaudy attire.He realized that it was not an ordinary party wear,but a wedding lehenga or say a bridal attire.
His mind had many thoughts:Is she a bride?A run away bride?Oh no…how can a bride leave her mandap and run away like this?There is definitely a solid reason.But what?
Omkara: Are you a bride who ran away from your own wedding?
She was painfully silent.
Omkara: What made you take this bold step?
Her lips trembled in fear.Her eyes let out the fear in form of tears.
Her eyes looked at his eyes deeply as if she wants to say a lot.He could’nt take his eyes off her eyes which were trying to convey a lot of suppressed emotions.
Suddenly hearing a sound she tilted her head breaking their trance.
She tried to get out of his hold.Realizing it,he slowly released her from his grasp. She stood up on her own legs.
Omkara: What happened?Why do you look scared?
Her eyes were on the scary looking people who were rushing towards her.
Afraid of those goons, she tried to run away.
The goons chased her.
Omkara could’nt believe his eyes.
Om:Oh my God!This girl is really in trouble.Guess she was trying to escape from them.Why are they after her?
He saw the goons pulling her hand towards them.
Omkara could not tolerate it anymore.Of course he would have felt the same and saved that person if it was any other girl out of humanity,but this time he felt that someone close to him was in trouble.
He ran towards them and pulled the girl towards him away from those filthy hands.
In the forceful pull she fell onto his chest.
Both felt strangeness in that moment.
Tose Naina Jab Se Mile..
Tose Naina Jab Se Mile..
Ban Gaye, Silsile..
The goons tried to pull her back.
Om gritted his teeth in anger:How dare you all?
He punched them with full force.
They punched him back which gave a punch to the girl’s heart.
Her tears flowed from her eyes like a river:No…please…
Omkara was a soft-hearted artist.He was not a super man who could defeat such fearless strong goons.But since his only aim was to save that poor girl he rose up with full force and energy only to punch them back.
Their violent fight made the girl scream in fear and it gave her too much of stress.
She was too weak to even stand like this.
The goons ran away after a terrible fight. Omkara was relieved that the girl was safe as the goons have gone away.He looked at the girl.
Om:Who are they?Why are they after you?
Her head was spinning and her eyes were blinking due to weakness.
As she fainted he reached there only to let her fall in his arms…again.
He looked at her innocent face.
Om:Oh no…she is unconscious.I can’t leave her here like this.Since I don’t know where she belongs to I can’t even drop her home.First I have to make sure that she is fine.
Omkara caught an auto and got inside with Gauri.He placed her on his lap while his eyes admired her innocent beauty silently.
Naina Naina Laage
Naina Naina Laage
Naina Naina Laage
Naina Naina Laage
The auto reached the Oberoi Mansion.He entered the compound carrying the girl in his arms.
Rudra and Soumya were sitting on the chairs in the lawn playing chess, Shivaay had just got to attend an urgent video conference while Anika had got a client’s call, they both sat in two far away corners of the lawn doing their respective works.
Soumya: No cheating this time.
Rudra:Why should I do cheating?I don’t need to do cheating to win.I am smart enough to win otherwise also.
Soumya:Hey..don’t consider yourself so brilliant because you are not.
Suddenly their eyes fell on Omkara coming closer with Gauri in his arms.
They couldn’t believe their eyes.
Rudra:Soumya…are you seeing what I am seeing?
Soumya:Yes Rudra…Bade Balon Wale Bhaiyaa with a girl…
Rudra: Om..who is this girl?
Omkara: I will tell you everything.But first please call a doctor.
Seeing the girl unconscious in Om’s arms Soumya said:Yes,I will call the doctor now.
Omkara went inside with the girl while Soumya rang up the doctor.But she got it engaged.
Soumya:Oh…I am not getting the doctor online.
Rudra:Don’t worry.Shivaay bhaiyya can arrange a doctor. I’ll go to him, you go inside with Om.
All elder Oberois were shocked to see Om carrying a girl.
Dadi:Om…what is this?
Tej: Who is this girl?
Jhanvi:Why is this girl unconscious?
Pinky asked in broken English:Whose is this girl?
Shakti:Pinky…it’s who is this girl.
Pinky:Whatever..you understood what I said.Right?
Shakti:How can I not understand?After all I have been staying with you for many years.
Jhanvi:Om..why are you not saying anything?
Omkara:I will answer all your questions.But please call a doctor.
Omkara placed the girl on his bed.
Outside, as soon as Rudra approached him, Shivaay stopped the conference midway and rang up the doctor and called him home, then taking Annika(Who had completed talking to her client) and Rudra went inside to Omkara and rest of family.
Tej:Om..what’s happening here?Tell who is this girl is and why you brought her here?
Om stammered:Actually…when…
Suddenly the doctor arrived and so Om’s attention got diverted.
Om:Doctor..please examine this girl well.I don’t know why she fainted and what really happened with her.
Dr:Be calm.Let me first examine.You all please go out.
They went out of the room.
Pinky to Jhanvi:Jethaniji why our Om is so worried about this girl?
Jhanvi was silent while Tej stared at Pinky.
The doctor came out of the room.
Om:Doctor..how is she?
Dr:Nothing serious.Guess something very traumatic happened to her.Because of trauma,stress and fear only she fainted.Don’t worry.I have given her injection.She will regain consciousness soon.I am giving you a prescription.Give these medicines to her.
Om:Ok doctor.Thanks a lot.
The doctor went back.
Dadi:Om…at least now tell us who she is.
Shivay:Yes Om…Rudra told me about the girl, enough of this silence and tell us.
Om:Actually I saw this girl been chased by some goons.I saved her from them.In between she became unconcious. So without any second thought I brought her here as I felt that it was not safe to leave her alone on the street.
Jhanvi:You did the right thing Om.
Dadi:I am proud of my grand son.
Tej:But you have any idea about this girl’s identity?
Om:No.
Pinky: Her name?
Om:No.
Shivaay: You don’t even know her name?
Om:Everything happened so fast that I couldn’t talk to her anything.
Anika who was told everything on the the way by her smart Devar said:Don’t worry.We will ask her when she is awake.
The girl opened her eyes.Om was relieved.Though she was conscious she was very weak.
Girl:Where am I?
Om:Don’t be scared.I am Omkara Singh Oberoi and I brought you to my house as you were not well.You are with my family now.So you are safe.
The girl tried to smile:Thank you Omkaraji.
Om:May I know your name?
She:Gauri Kumari Sharma.
Om repeated her name with a smile:Gauri Kumari Sharma?
Gauri nodded her head.
Om:Seeing you in a wedding attire I guess you are a run away bride.Tell me why you ran away from your own wedding?And why were the goons after you?
Her eyes got filled up with tears.
Gauri:I ran away to escape from the biggest Don of our place Bareilly…Kaali Thakur.
Om:What did he do to you?
Gauri:He tried to marry me forcefully though he is double my age.He threatened me and my poor mother to marry him.But I could’nt…For me becoming the wife of that cruel womanizer who treats women like a tissue was worse than death.So I eloped.Those goons were his men.They want to take me back to that devil’s den.
Gauri burst into tears.
Omkara who was shocked to hear her story raised his hand to wipe her tears.But he himself pulled his hand back.
Om:Don’t worry.Those goons have gone away.They will not come back.
Gauri:They will not accept defeat so easily.They will come in search of me.I am worried about my mother who is left alone in Bareilly.
Om:Don’t worry about your mother.I will make sure that she will be safe.I will protect her.And you stay here till Kaali Thakur is defeated.
All other family members who reached there were stunned to hear Om’s decision.
Shivaay: What did you say Om?
Om:Did I say anything wrong Shivaay?Gauri …I mean her name is Gauri. Gauri’s life is in danger.How can we send her away knowing that?
Dadi:Om is right.This is about a girl’s life.
Jhanvi:Yes she should be protected.
Anika:I also agree with Om.Gauri should stay here.We all are here to protect her.
Shivaay:I also think that you all are right.
Rudra:Very good decision.
Soumya:We will sort out the problems together.
Tej who was in dilemma left the room.Dadi,Jhanvi,Shakti and Pinky went after him.
Jhanvi:Tej!
Tej:How can you all support Om’s decision without knowing anything about that girl’s background?
Dadi:The girl looks innocent.
Tej: Appearances are deceptive.What if she is not innocent actually?
Jhanvi:Tej…I think you are simply doubting her.
Pinky:Jethaniji..I think Jethji is right.We can’t trust her blindly.I feel that she is a gold digger.
Dadi:Stop it Pinky.Gauri will stay here until things get sorted out.That’s my decision.Our family has always helped others and it will continue.
Gauri :No Omkaraji…I can’t stay here.
Om:But why Gauri?
Gauri:Sorry..I know that you all are trying to help me.But I don’t want to be a burden on all of you.
Om:No Gauri.You are not a burden for us.
Gauri tried to leave the room while Om was upset.Suddenly Anika held her hand.
Anika: Where are you going?We Oberois do not let anyone go like this.No one is a burden for us, specially not a sweet innocent girl like you.
Shivaay: In fact we are only happy when there are more people around us.
Rudra:Are you worried if you will die of boredom here?Then don’t worry…We promise that we will crack so many of jokes that you will never get time to think of any thing.
Soumya: And Rudra is a born joker.Just sit near him for some seconds.The whole day you will laugh, Its a tried and tested formula.
Rudra was embarrassed while everyone laughed except Gauri.
Gauri:I am sorry if I hurt you all.I have to leave.
Anika:But Gauri…
Om:Gauri…you are too weak to walk now.You need rest now.
Gauri:Omkaraji…don’t worry about me.I will try to manage myself like always.Please let me go.
They were helpless.As Gauri moved towards the door Omkara felt an unknown pain of losing something of his.As Gauri reached near the door she felt dizzy and felt that her head was spinning.
She slipped down due to weakness and Omkara rushed towards her to hold her.
She fainted in his arms.All were shocked to see her condition.
He looked at her emotionally.
Tose Naina Jab Se Mile..
Tose Naina Jab Se Mile..
Ban Gaye, Silsile.. (Mickey Virus).