“Where is she,” mused Omkara as he continued to search for Gauri among the buses that were soon to leave for their respective destinations. He had screwed up big time, she had intended to help him with his exhibition by giving him an inspiration, and he had hurt her so much by citing his misunderstandings of her in the past. So she had decided to leave him for good this time. Everything that Dandi said came back to him again, why had he been such a idiot? For all his preachings about truth and Rudy calling him Sach ka boyfriend, he had refused to see the truth nor find it. He had believed all his own assumptions by relating it to his past. And now, when he wished to find her and talk things out, she is nowhere to be seen.
Gauri looked at her ticket and sighed. This is for the best, she thought. Why stay back in that house and hope that Omkaraji will one day accept her as his wife, when all that was happening was her getting hurt by him and suffer from Choti ma’s venomous tongue. She had her mother waiting back in Bareilly, she had to take care of her. She had her whole life ahead, then why was it still hurting her? She knew why, because she loved him, had dreamt of a life with him, the moment he had married her to protect her. All she had wished was for a simple life, but nothing will always happen as we wish for. He had abandoned her, saying that the marriage was an act and that he will never accept a gold digger like her into his life. And yet, they kept on crossing each other’s roads, she helping him in get rid of that Swetlana, him helping her in her mother’s treatment, and her saving him from Bua maa’s schemes. And yet, when she dared to hope that he might accept her, not as his wife, but at least as his friend Chulbul, he had dashed them away, and throwing at her face all those accusations, and not even listening to a word of hers. This is it, she decided. She couldn’t live there anymore, when she was of no meaning to him.
All of a sudden, she saw Omkara walking through the aisle of the bus she had boarded. She immediately hid behind the seat infront of her so as to not to be seen by him. After a few minutes, she looked up to see whether he left the bus or not. Not seeing him, she straightened herself when she felt an all too familiar presence standing a little behind to her seat. She slowly turned her head behind to see Omkara looking down at her in an amused manner. “That was a really terrible place to hide, you know”, he said, with a smile on his face. “Does it matter?”, she asked with a disgruntled look on her face. “Gauri, I…"" Don’t”, she said, standing up from her seat. “Huh?”” Don’t Omkaraji. I am not interested to have a fight with you here, this is public.” “Then Let’s go out and talk” “I don’t want to talk about anything, Omkaraji, please leave me alone.” “But Gauri, I..” “I said no” she said, her voice a tad bit higher than usual. “Either you are coming with me or I am going to drag you from this bus” “Neither are going to happen, Omkaraji”. Omkara looked a bit down hearted, after which a mischievous smirk appeared on his face which had Gauri’s eyebrows furrow. All of a sudden, she felt herself being lifted up from her seat. Omkara tightened his arms around her as she started thrashing. “Omkaraji, let me go right now,” she said, as she started hitting his arms. “Not happening, Gauri, unless you are willing to come with me”, he said, with mischief shining in his eyes. “Fine, fine, I’ll come with you. Just place me down now.” Omkara smiled hearing her and continued walking. “Wait, wait, I said to put me down!” He stopped walking and looked at her with a smirk on his face. “Not a chance, Gauri, what if you take off the moment I place you down? So, sorry” without an ounce of regret on his face and continued walking to his car with Gauri thrashing in his arms.
