Delicate - A Rikara Tale (Completed!)

One

A/N: Thank you for the votes and comments. They really helped me get inspired. Dedicated to @Sh_aarohi for encouraging me to post this story on wattpad.

When he had given up the company of his beloved canvases and the endless possibilities that the colours could allow him to create he had also given up the luxury of being alone with his own thoughts. Getting involved in the business had not been him giving up his art but running away from the monster that was overthinking. The same wicked creature that had pushed him into thinking that life was not worth living. The files and the subtle politics of the business world had made him numb and too exhausted to think and that was preferable to the imagined conversations with all the people who were to blame - Mr Oberoi, Svetlana, Ishana, Riddhima. So he could forget that a small, selfish part of him, the part that he kept pressed down with his upbringing, also blamed his mom for not loving herself enough to walk away from Tej Singh Oberoi.

Omkara shook his head hard, wanting to shake the poisonous, vicious thought out of his mind. How could it return now, when he was least prepared to battle with it, unable to keep it pressed down so no one would get hurt? He had hated this side of his ever since he had been old enough to understand the difference between right and wrong. That dark shade of red and blue that came together to bleed a purple, possessive hue. A hint of pride and rage and hunger that wanted what Omkara felt robbed of all his life- control. His half broken, dysfunctional family, his disastrous love life and the muse that had deserted him made him feel like his existence was spiraling out of control. Like a man lost at sea, he was grabbing onto the steady log of business so that he would not sink into the depths of depression and let himself be consumed by drugs again. Business was safer. It had rules. Structure. Everything that Omkara had dismissed and disowned all his life he had embraced to ensure his survival. What was one more pawn sacrificed on the chessboard?

The pawn in question was Omkara's marital life. After his luck with women, he had vowed to not marry. Svetlana's devious plans had threatened him and he had all but resigned himself to the idea of a loveless marriage as his future lot. What did it matter then, if he had that unhappy future with a different gold digger and home breaker than originally intended? Yes, he had originally intended to yell at her to go her own way, that the marriage was a sham to save her life. But he stood to gain more if he accepted her and brought her home. It was a win-win after all. She had the luxuries she had wanted and he had himself a wife who was not Svetlana. Svetlana would be out of the house and he would have to ensure Gauri understood her limits and respected his family.

This way he was making his own choice to lift the cup of poison to his lips and not letting someone else force it down his throat. Omkara Singh Oberoi was very much intoxicated by the idea of taking his life back, just like he had done before. By accepting Gauri, he would not only be defying Mr. Oberoi's expectations but also society's classist expectations and dealing a fatal blow to Svetlana all at once. A worthy sacrifice if any existed, a smart move that made the best of a worst-case scenario. Business was like chess after all. You had to see what you stood to lose and what you stood to gain and then place your bets. And Om was placing his on the desperation and relief in his wife's eyes.

"Do you have family here?" Omkara made sure he did not yell at her, even though his blood boiled. Mind over Matter. Mind over matter. He had to let his brain control his interactions, not his emotions if this was going to work.

"Maa..."

Gauri's soft whisper made Om move closer to her involuntarily so he could hear her better.

"I...I only have my maa. She's sick." Gauri's tear-filled eyes closed and she took a deep breath "Thanku for saving my life. I don't know how to repay you-"

"You are my wife now, Gauri. It is my responsibility to take care of you. I would like to meet your Maa." Om forced himself to sound civil and not threatening. As much as he disliked Gauri, he needed her. And it would not do to have her know it nor have her scared of him. Not yet. "We will get our marriage registered and then we are going home."

Gauri's eyes widened. Her petite frame shook a little. She pressed her palms together and looked at him "Pleej...hum Maa ko aleeka chood ke nahi ja sakte..." A tear rolled down her cheek and she bit her lips. "Maa is sick. I have to stay so I can cover her medical expenses. Please don't be angry at me."

Unbelievable.

Omkara grabbed Gauri's wrist gently and forced a smile "You are my responsibility now. I'll take care of your Maa's medical expenses, have her shifted into the best hospital in Mumbai. You will be able to visit her as much as you want. Will that put your mind at ease?"

He was not going to let her back out of this. She was coming with him to Oberoi Mansion even if he had to drag her there, kicking and screaming.

"Gauri Omkara Singh Oberoi, answer me." Om shook her lightly.

"Yes. I'll come with you. Thank you. For everything."

He had expected triumph in her eyes.

All he found was disbelief and hope mixing together to create something truly painful. He knew what it was. He had experienced that all too well.

Helplessness.