Changed - RiKara FF

Interlude (Farri's Cameo)

After the disruption posed by Mr Chatterjee, the small house-hold once again quietened down. Of course Omkara did not miss the fact that Gauri had yet to eat anything, keeping herself busy with the intricate stitching of the bridal gown she was slaving over. He felt a pang in his heart as he took in the vibrant red of the lehenga. Gauri had not worn red on their wedding day... she had been stained red in blood; she did not sparkle with the Oberoi family heirlooms... instead her eyes glittered with ever-flowing tears... Despite all the pain surrounding their union... all the hatred before and after... Omkara could still only remember their nuptials fondly. Yes he had behaved appallingly towards her at the time... Yes he hated those men who had shed her blood with an intense passion (so much so that he had insured that they spent the rest of their lives behind bars)... Yes the validity of that wedding had been scorned by him at numerous occasions... But there had been something sacred about their nuptials that he had never felt in any other wedding... and he'd attended a fair few due to the eccentricities of his own family. As a confirmed Athiest, Omkara could not claim he had felt the presence of divinity in those moments... but there had been something... a pause... a solace... a feeling of an age-old prophecy being fulfilled...

The words of the aged Fakeer came back to him... he was right... they were partners... humsafars in the path of life... Gauri had always been more spiritual than him and of course she had taken the old-man's words to heart and accepted him with open arms... regretfully it had been he who had faltered...

Marrying Gauri that day had been the best decision of Omkara's life... something that had taken him far too long to realise and for which he had paid a great price... surviving years with a gaping hole in the place of his heart. Of course he knew he was undeserving of her... that his darkness could very easily drown out her light... but he refused to let it do so. Omkara would rise above his shadows for his Gauri... for their Aadya... for their family...

He felt an increase in pressure on his index finger. Aadya had given the digit a tight squeeze as if she somehow knew what he was thinking and she wanted to show her agreement. Omkara leaned down and nuzzled her petite nose gently before pressing a kiss to her forehead. Aadya was truly his biggest comrade in winning back his wife's heart.

"Just how are we gonna convince your mama?" He muttered, as if she would supply him with a verbal response. Aadya looked up at her father, smiling widely at his focusing his attention on her. "Yes, I know it's not going to be easy. But we'll get through it, you and me. You're on Papa's side, na?"

Gauri huffed. Just who did Mr Oberoi think he is, sharing secrets with her baby? Yes, she should hear his low whispers as she was no longer using the sewing machine, even if she couldn't make out his exact words. No doubt he was plotting how best to annoy her now. Omkara Singh Oberoi was hazardous to her health. She had accepted this fact three years ago and distanced herself from him. Now, she would never forget the volcano that lay waiting to erupt behind a genteel faade. She looked back down at the fruit of her labour, unwilling to spend another second thinking of the man who coveted the truth, yet always remained blind to it. The wedding dress was a manifestation of the bride's shy requests and her own hidden thoughts of what a wedding dress should be. Yes, Gauri Kumari Sharma did have an ideal of what bridal attire should be like. Red... not the beautiful bright colour that Keerthi (the blushing bride) had picked for her wedding day, but a darker red, bordered with minimal gold... No heavy work... no puffed-out skirt... no strange draping... a light dupatta...

She had worn many wedding dresses but not one had been her dream dress... but then again, when had her dreams
ever come true? A whispered voice in her head corrected her... Aadya... Aadya was Gauri's one wish that had been fulfilled. Gauri grinned to herself and looked across at her baby, only to feel the smile slip of her face. That Jhattadhari Hippie was occupying all of her baby's time! She stopped from herself from demanding he leave again. She needed to get this done for Keerthi, who was counting on her.

*Outtake*

Just as Gauri got back to stitching the detailing of the final corner, a knock came at the door. It was quickly followed by more vigorous and desperate knocking. She was about to rise and answer it, but Mr Oberoi had swiftly deposited Aadya in her cot and reached the door.

Swinging the door open, Omkara prepared himself to punch the daylights out of that old drunkard, but instead he found a teenaged girl on the other side.

"Omkieee!!!!!" Omkara covered his ears at the squeal. He was surprised at the volume this tiny girl could achieve and even more so at the fact that she had addressed him as such... maybe she was related to BuaMa... Before he could question her her, she had brushed him aside and run inside.

"Riii!!!" The girl jumped on Gauri, who was equally perplexed by this stranger as Omkara was. "Kaisi ho? Itna time hogaya, na? Par finally hamari life mein badlav aa hi gaya! How are you? It's been so long, no? But finally some CHANGE has come to our lives!" the girl chirped away in her melodic voice.

Both Gauri and Omkara were still fighting their shock when the girl turned her attention towards the cot. "Aadu!!! Tumhe kitna miss kiya maine... kaisi hai? I missed you so much... how are you?"

Realising that the strange girl intended to touch her baby, the protective mother in Gauri sprung forward, but Papa-Kara had beat her to it.

"Khon ho tum? Who are you?" OSO began to show his face as he shielded the cot from the young girl.

"Me? Farri25... AKA Farro... AKA ChulbuliFarro... If it weren't for me, you would still be conducting a half-completed inner-monologue. I petitioned everyday to get you on a screen near me. And you don't recognise me?" the girl (Farro) spoke these strange words as if they made perfect sense. "Anyways, leave that. I don't have long before the late updater strikes again, and they don't call me #opportunist for nothing. I want you guys to trust me that I will keep petitioning and asking and whining for you and Aadya. I won't let you guys become figments of the imagination of a poor updater. And that's all the time I have, so bye. But before I go... can I sing you guys a song. I'm a good singer, promise."

Before either of the two could respond Farri began to sing a beautiful rendition of Saathiya. As she reached the last line, she blew Aadya a kiss; took baliya of Gauri and Omkara and hightailed it out the door.

Gauri and Omkara looked at one another and shrugged... what a strange girl...

*End of outtake*