Love Is Our true Destiny: A Rikara FF

Chapter fifteen

Annika's mouth fell open, in her characteristic style, when she saw Gauri coming down the stairs, with Omkara.

It is not like she, or the others, hadn't been witness to Gauri's slightly cold, but amused attitude, but the full force of her persona hit Annika, seeing the latter dressed in a heavy but elegant banarasi saree, pleated in a fashion Annika hadn't seen before, but guessed was typical of North Indian upper-class families.

She turned to look at Rudy, and from his expression, he was having the same thoughts as her. Shivaay, on the other slightly raised his right eyebrow, and frowned. 

Tej frowned too. He had planned this press conference to throw off that mite of a girl, but far from being thrown off, she looked at the gathering with careful condescension, as if she were gracing them with her presence.  

Well, the night was not over yet, lets see how she handles the press, thought Tej. 

Omkara grinned slightly. He didn't have to look at his father, to know how the cogs of his brain were turning. His father didn't expect Gauri to take up this challenge without any sign of discomfort. 

"You are amused" remarked Gauri in a low whisper, looking at the direction of some reporters who were clicking away without a pause.

She could feel it? thought Omkara

"Well, I like to see someone get better of my Dad" confessed Omkara.

"I certainly hope we do, but the night isn't over yet" said Gauri, in an undertone, making sure that no one could hear them. 

"Here you are" came Jahnvi's voice from their left. 

Gauri turned to see Jahnvi walking towards them, holding an elder woman's arm. Looking at her age and face, Gauri guessed that this could only be Jahnvi's mother.

"Maa, this is Gauri" said Jahnvi.

Gauri bent down to take the older lady's blessings. 

She gave Gauri an appraising look, as if trying to figure her out. 

"What no 'hello', 'hi' for me?" said Omkara, as he hugged his maternal grandmother. 

"Definitely not. Om beta, do you have any idea of the stress you put your mother through, when you disappeared like that? She was sick with worry. Never pull a stunt like that again" said Nani, her eyes glistening in unshed tears.

"I'm sorry, Nani. I just...just couldn't handle it. I am truly sorry, for what I did on impulse" said Omkara, sounding ashamed of himself.

"I didn't mean to scold you. And impulse reminds me, did you marry on impulse too? Not that I blame you, Gauri looks like a doll" asked Nani, in a teasing tone.

Omkara almost laughed out loud. A doll? If only....

He looked at his 'doll' for her reaction. 

Gauri smiled the sweetest smile possible, but only Omkara could correctly interpret the glint of amusement in her eyes. 

"It wasn't on impulse Nani, or well, not totally on impulse. I had been living in Gauri's village for close to three months, and then, well..."  Omkara was never good at lying, and didn't have any idea how to circumvent the topic. 

"And then when you thought of coming back to us, you realized you couldn't leave Gauri behind?" prodded his Nani, giving her own romantic twist to the story.