Unsteady | ✓

Chapter 7 : Of Bygones ( II )

Anika looked down at the kitchen floor, "Omkara told Shivaay that you cheated on him!"

Gauri scoffed, of course, she cheated on him! Tears formed in her eyes. How she wished she could hate him for not being there when she needed him the most!

"I want to hear what you have to say!" Anika spoke looking at Gauri. Her tears were enough testimony that she was hurt.

Gauri covered the pan with the lid and turned to look at Anika. She stepped back and settled on the kitchen floor. Anika's heart dropped, she got off the countertop and sat beside her.

"I don't know, maybe it was my mistake that night, but I wasn't cheating on him. I couldn't... can't even think of it. I thought he'd get over this stupid notion, but he didn't." A tear streamed down her right cheek. "The world can say what it wants, I don't give a damn. But not him, he mattered and still matters." Gauri mumbled hugging her knees.

Anika gently rubbed Gauri's shoulder. "We both attended the same university, started off as friends from the first day itself. The hostel girls were a pain, there was a lot of discrimination cause I was an Indian. So eventually I decided to move out. Omkara offered to let me stay in his flat while. In a few days, I knew my options were trim. Omkara offered to let me be his flatmate. And I accepted it. Over time, I just fell for him. He was the most wonderful person I had ever met. He was kind, sweet, and fun. The typical nerdy guy with a heart of gold." Gauri smiled widely while tears continued to stream down her cheeks

Anika just couldn't digest that. Omkara totally did not fit that description. However, Anika chose to shut up and listen. She didn't know much about Gauri, except that her own mother had helped Gauri cope up with her depression. Her mother spent a lot of time as a life-coach in NGOs. Almost three years back, Anika's mother had met Gauri. A twenty-three-year-old who had undergone a miscarriage when she tried to suicide. Apart from that Anika's mother hadn't really given her more details.

"Befire I knew, I was falling hard in love. I couldn't go on being around him under the context of friendship. I had a hint he felt the same way but wasn't sure. One day, I just ended up telling him that I didn't want to stay with him because I had started developing strong feelings for him. It was sudden and weirdly he just smiled and hugged me. That moment was the best moment of my life. I just knew he'd always be there for me. Or so I thought – " her voice trailed off as her emotions stole her voice.

"Where did it all go wrong then?" Anika asked sadly. Clearly, Gauri loved Omkara. But, strangely Omkara didn't fit Gauri's description. It was hard for Anika to imagine Omkara as she described him to be. He'd be the last guy Anika would have found likeable.

"In the final year, a guy called Liam joined college. It was rather weird, that guy just came up to me and in the next moment, he was kissing me. I freaked out and ran away, told Omkara about it. I thought we could complain or something but Omkara just set out angrily. The idiot had my heart in my mouth when he came back bleeding. He was always protective." Gauri smiled sadly. " A day later Liam came to apologize. He said he didn't know I was dating someone and that it just happened. Everything went back to normal, Liam was actually friendly and nice. He sincerely regretted whatever happened or I was just stupid enough to believe all that facade."

"And then, the party happened. Omakra and I didn't usually go to parties but this one was a friend's so we decided to attend it. I would do anything to gi back in time and reject the idea of attending that stupid party. I did try drinking. I knew Omkara was around so he'd take care if I got high or something. I shouldn't have. I have no clue how much and what exactly I had that night but it was the worse thing ever. I came out of the washroom and the next thing I knew was I was against a couch and a man was over me. I thought it was Om. I don't even remember how it all happened, I just... went with the flow. It was like my mind stopped thinking and my body just reacted to whatever it got." Gauri lowered her gaze to the floor in regret.