Rikara One Shot Story Collections I

Lonely Hearts

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Before the flight had come to a complete stop, Gauri had quickly got up and grabbed her bag from the overhead compartments. Then she restlessly stood in the aisle waiting for the air hostess to open the door. Every now and then a tear would drop from her eyes and she would quickly wipe it away. She still couldn't believe they were no more, all of them. She quickly wipes her tears and forces herself to not to cry and sees the door opening and she pushing people out of the way runs out. She ran through the airport not even realizing the curious looks she was receiving. She comes out of the airport and turns around looking for any familiar face. She didn't know who had come to pick her up. Was it her family driver or theirs?

"Gauri!" Om calls out to her.

Gauri quickly turns to the sound and sees Om waving at her. Without even realizing she starts running to him and the moment she reached him she hugs him tight and bursts out into tears. Om hugs her as tears filled his eyes.

He let her cry for a few minutes and then finally he gently tells her, "We have to hurry, Gauri. We can't keep them anymore."

Gauri nods and steps away from him. Om takes her bag in his hand and leads her towards his car.

Om stops the car in front of Oberoi mansion and Gauri ignoring everyone's sympathetic and curious looks runs inside and stops in shock seeing all the bodies on the floor. She breaks down and starts wailing loudly. Suddenly, someone hugs her and she cries into their chest ignoring their words about God's decision', fate', be strong'.

Om walks in to see Gauri crying in Svetlana Aunty's arms. Gauri's relative. He looks at Gauri helplessly for a minute and realizes that he couldn't do anything for her, so he goes to make arrangements for the funeral.

Om was talking to Dandi regarding the funeral when "How did it happen?" a stranger asks Om.

Om sighs, "Accident."

"You were not with them?"

"No." Om replies.

"Where did it happen?" he asks curiously.

Om turns to Dandi angrily and Dandi turns to the stranger, "You come with me. I'll tell you." Dandi takes the stranger with him and Om turns to look at his parents' body when he notices Gauri next to her parents' body. He watches as Gauri cried seeing their lifeless body. The tears he had been trying to suppress started coming out. He sighs; their family had been wiped out with one accident - His parents, his brother, his bhabhi and Gauri's parents. Gauri's parents had come to stay with their daughter i.e his bhabhi as they were planning to celebrate Gauri's 18th birthday in grand scale. All of them had gone for a movie and due to work he couldn't go. On their way back, they had met with an accident and all of them were gone at once. He closes his eyes in pain, he had been at work when the call came, he had been shattered then. But somehow he had the presence of mind to tell Dandi to not inform Gauri about the death as Gauri who was studying in a residential school was having her final board exams and just one more exam to go. She was supposed to come the next day after her exams. He had Dandi inform Gauri's school and have all the newspapers removed. After her exams, someone from her school had informed her about the deaths, and put her on a flight home. Om had contemplated on going and getting her but then he changed his mind as he couldn't just leave everything here and go to get her.

"Sir... it is getting late." Dandi whispers to him.

Om nods and taking a deep breath he walks towards Gauri. He kneels down next to Gauri and gently touches her shoulder, "Gauri..."

"Om..." Gauri turns to him pointing at all the bodies crying.

"It's time, Gauri. We have to take care of the cremation." Om gently tells her.