Traces Of You - RiKara TS

Two

Colors of you

His exhibition was closing in. After having two or three rounds of arguments with him, Shivay had finally relented and agreed that Omkara needed to start working on the project he had been working on, before meeting with that accident. The date was set as close as Shivay would allow, mostly because he wanted to have something to occupy his mind with, if not, he'd spent his days either thinking about that mysterious wife of his, or following her silently with his eyes; that needed to stop, for the sake of his own sanity. 

But here he sat, staring like a fool at the mold of clay lying in front of him in the work stand and his mind once again roaming the uncharted waters of thoughts concerning that doe eyed woman. He had gone into her room that morning, more likely deceived into going by that brat of a younger brother he had, who he suspected had planted his phone there. Omkara was waiting for an urgent call from his gallery manager in Italy and had no choice but to fletch his phone from wherever it was. Rudra simply winked at him, over the large bowl of Halwa he was gobbling away and  complained that O had no time for him anymore and as a revenge he had misplaced his phone. 

The walls of her room where covered with charts of various kinds. He stopped for a moment, while returning with his phone to check them. It seemed she had restarted on her education, perhaps as a distraction in those three months. The study lamp on her table was still on, and there he found  his wife fallen asleep her history book caved over her head. Gently he picked up the book and kept it on the pile of finished homework by her side. There was a strand of hair fallen across her face and over her nose, she blew air on it unconsciously in her sleep. Her cheek was pressed against the paper she had been writing on, and there was a blotch of ink on her nose. 

Omkara chuckled to himself, as he folded his arms, watching her as she stirred in her sleep. She looked young and cute, he thought unable to help himself and in the meantime she opened her eyes and stared at him a little bewildered. The moment their eyes met, sleep fled her, she sat up straighter and pulled her hair off her face, gathering the strands in a hasty bun. 

"Omkara ji app?

He waved his phone at her. 

"Rudra, he said in explanation. "I did knock, but you didn't hear I guess. Anyway I was leaving. 

"Wo... sorry, I was studying last night and fall asleep. It's late isn't it? She asked him, standing up and gathering her books into a pile. 

"I didn't know you were studying, he told her, genuinely curious. 

"Haan wo...bade Bhaiyya, told me to. Said it was better than idling at home, hamara bhi bohut mann tha ke hum... she stopped abruptly and looked at him, inquisitively. "I'd let it go if you want me to, I mean Papa ji is already annoyed with my tutors coming and going. Agar aap kahe toh...

"Gauri, he said exasperatedly. Exactly which era did this girl belong to? Was he some kind of a god who had right over her life? Omkara did not like it, not even one bit. He believed in equality, of women who could stand shoulder to shoulder with the men in their society. That was how he was used to see it, his mother was successful on her own right, so was his grand aunt, even his daadi had a say in any matter arising in their business. He hoped his wife too would enjoy the same privileges. 

Perhaps it was the circumstances around their wedding, and the surrounding she came from, he thought to himself. Perhaps he never made her feel significant enough. Yes, that must be the reason she always fled him, he might have never given her a chance to get to know him, get comfortable around him like she was around Shivay or Rudra or his mother. 

"Omkara ji? She called him tentatively. "What are you thinking about?

"Oh nothing, he shook his head and smiled at her. "I'll talk with Mr. Oberoi, he won't disturb your studies again.