As she unlocked the door and swung it open, her eyes met his eyes.
as soon as their eyes met, something felt unusual. the man was revealed.
man: hi I am om, this happen to belong to this house.
as he handed her the envelope, a current passed through their bodies.
gauri in mind: why do I feel this weird? I have never felt like this for anyone not even ajayji.
om in mind: this weird? I have never felt this weird with anyone before.
gauri: thank you.
as she was about to lock the door, om caught sight of her head which had blood coming out of it.
om: um, your head is bleeding.
gauri: nothing new. I’ll sort it out when I get time.
om: and when will you get time?
gauri thought for a minute looking confused.
she never even has time for herself.
when everyone was out of the house, then she had to use the time to clean the house, make them dinner, this that.
she never even got to rest once.
but that was her fate.
om looked at a confused gauri and said: exactly! you don’t have any time to do first aid on your head. if you like, i’ll do it.
gauri: if…if…you don’t mind.
om smiles and says: it is no problem.
gauri lets him in. as soon as she allowed him in, it seemed much more easier to breathe in.
om placed gauri on the sofa when she screamed.
om: what happened?
gauri: nothing. leave it.
looking at how gauri tried her best to ignore the pain told om that she was not loved at all. that she was instead treated as a donkey but he tried to mind his own business.
om: um first aid.
gauri: I’ll get it.
om: no no I’ll get it.
gauri: arre yaar, I am serious. I will get it.
om: but..
gauri stands up and falls onto the floor. om rushed to her as soon as she fell. she clutched onto his shoulder as he took her in his arms in bridal style. as he did this, the feeling grew stronger and more weirder. om carefully placed her on the sofa and says: sorry if you felt uncomfortable.
gauri in her mind: he is so sweet. I might have only known him for ten minutes but it feels like forever. (talking) it’s no problem. no need to say sorry.
om smiles and says: and now first aid box.
gauri: kitchen.
om entered the kitchen and saw drops of blood on the tiles. something told him that the blood belonged to gauri.
om in mind: just looking at gauri and this house, it seems as if gauri is not even treated as human here.
he grabs the box and goes to gauri. he slowly applies the first aid and once again rikara both felt weird.
saathiya saathiya
saathiya saathiya
om: done.
gauri: thank you. as much as I hate to say this, but you should go because I have a lot of work to do.
om: ok but can I just say something?
gauri: yeah sure.
om: you are really the most beautiful girl I have ever seen. sorry if that makes you feel uncomfortable considering we have met for the first time.
gauri: no no, I know what you mean, the minute I saw you, I felt something weird like….love
their eyes met as she said this.
Kal kya pata milna miley
Nazdeekiyaan o saathiya
Kal kya pata milna miley
Nazdeekiyaan o saathiya
Saathiya saathiya
Saathiya saathiya.. (x2)
just then seeing the sindoor placed on gauri’s maag, om said: wait! you’re married.
gauri felt a few tears rolling down her cheeks and wipes them lightly.
gauri: life…it works in such a weird way na. but if you are a girl, your life is nothing but hell. the second I was born, I was hid behind a curtain and my right to study was taken away from me. I was only 10 when I married a monster who was at least 22 years older than me. my parents didn’t care what was happening, they just thought of me as a burden and wanted to get rid of this burden as soon as possible. apparently marriage was the way to get rid of this burden. it’s been five years since that day. I am treated not even as a human here. as a donkey. as a burden. that monster beats me up everyday for every little thing. he ha trapped me in this house itself. his sister supports him in everything he does to me. when people look at me, they don’t think I am 15. they think I am older than that. why? because I have became so skinny when I can break any minute now. because I have turned completely pale. because I don’t have the glow 15 years old carry with them. I am living in hell. I have lost my freedom since I was born.
she cried and om hugged her tight, her tears made his shirt wet. he was shocked listening to her story. no one cared for her here. they left her alone in this cold world. just then he realized something.
om: ek minute you’re 15?
gauri nods.
om: and you married when you were ten?
gauri again nods.
om: your marriage to ajay can’t be legal.
gauri: kyu?
om: because the legal age to marry is 18 and above. you were nowhere near that age when you were 10. you can leave ajay if you want. and no need for divorce because technically this marriage never happened.
gauri: you mean to say me and ajayji never married? but he was thirty two when he married me. so illegal for me but legal for him.
om: but child marriage is illegal. no matter how old the man is, the marriage will remain illegal meaning it never happened because you are still a child.
gauri understood what om was saying and nodded.
om noticed her eyes, wiped the tears and said: maybe I have only known you for at least half an hour but seeing tears from your eyes stabs my heart. I promise you that I will nevr let tears come through your eyes again.
gauri: that is the most sweetest thing someone has ever said to me.
om kisses her forehead. just then gauri realized something.
gauri: those three come back in six hours and I still have to finish everything.
om: do you want me to help you?
gauri: what are you saying? this is my work, I should do this.
om: same soul, same heart, same mind, same life.
gauri: huh?
om: just say it gauri.
gauri: what? the I love you?
she covered her mouth actually smiling for once in her life.
om: say it again.
he trapped her in his arms. she tried to escape and saw om smiling at her. she smiled back and said once more: I love you! and as weird as this sounds we have just meet but I feel like I have known you my entire lifetime. now I want to hear something from you.
om: I love you.
gauri hugs him tight.
om: so if we love each other then we share same heart meaning our heart beats as one. same soul. same mind. same life. I don’t mind helping you.
gauri: lekin phir bhi…
om: shh!
he placed a finger over her lips and said: I am going to help you whether you like it or not. if you want to get beaten up, ok….
gauri: ok, you can help.
om: what? because you have accepted that we should help each other because of love.
gauri: that and the whole getting beaten up.
om laughs and helps gauri walk to the kitchen.
five hours later:
rikara was done with the work.
gauri: thank you once again for helping.
om: there is a rule in both friendship and relationship.
gauri: kaunsa?
om: no ‘please’ and no ‘thank you’
gauri: oh okay! sorry.
om: and no sorry as well.
gauri hugs him tight making him respond to the hug.
om: now I have to go but hope to see you soon.
gauri: tomorrow.
om: tomorrow? but doesn’t everyone know you here?
gauri: I have a burqa.
om: why’s that?
gauri: sometimes ajayji wants me to hide my face so he makes me wear it. so if I wear it tomorrow, no one will notice and besides there are hundreds of girls here who wear a burqa so if I wear one, no one will notice.
om: ok, it’s a date.
gauri: date?
om: when a boy and girl, who love each other, hang out.
gauri: oh! now I understand.
once again he pecked her forehead and left but as he left. something felt weird. as she locked the door, once again she couldn’t breathe in the house. she slowly walked, her hair flying in the wind which only she could feel. everything felt like in slow motion and she started seeing him everywhere.
Mainu ishq tera lae dooba
Haan ishq tera lae dooba
Aisa kyun hota hai
Tere jaane ke baad
Lagta hai haathon mein
Reh gaye tere haath
as for om, whilst he was walking, he started to see gauri everywhere.
Tu shaamil hai mere
Hansne mein, rone mein
Hai kya koyi kami
Mere paagal hone mein
gauri in mind: love? I heard it’s a very strong word. and for my entire life I never got to even feel it but today… today everything feels different and new as if I have been born again.
Mainu ishq tera le dooba
Haan ishq tera le dooba
Mainu ishq tera lae dooba
Haan ishq tera lae dooba
om in mind: I have met a million girls in my life but none of them have been that close to me. gauri…she is different….unique. I feel like I can just spend a lifetime with her.
Har dafa wahi
Jaadu hota hai tu jo mile
Ho… sab sanwar jaata hai
Yaara andar mere…
Ik lamhe mein kitni
Yaadein ban jaati hain
Main itna hansti hoon
Aankhen bhar aati hai
once again gauri smiled thinking of om and om smiled thinking of his chiraya.
an hour later:
since ajay, kiya and Sameer came back, gauri didn’t even get slapped once.
and for once ajay actually letted her to sleep on the couch.
it was better than sleeping on a bitter cold floor.
that night:
gauri was still thinking of om and she couldn’t sleep that night whereas om was sketching eyes. but not any old eyes. her eyes. those eyes which were the type of brown that was like a sweet chocolate. The chocolate that melts at the slightest bit of the heat from love, or happiness. But that chocolate can also grow hard from the cold harsh reality that is apparent in this world. Heartbreak, or the depression that she hid from all those around her so well.
Mainu ishq tera le dooba
Haan ishq tera le dooba
gauri: I love you omkaraji.
and she smiled.
Mainu ishq tera lae dooba
Haan ishq tera lae dooba
om: I loved you gauri.
as he smiled and continued sketching.
Fursatein kahaan
Aankhon ko hai meri aaj kal
Ho… dekhne mein tujhe
Saara din jaaye nikal
Aur phir aahista se
Jab chhu ke tu nikle
Teri aanch mein dil mera
Dheeme dheeme pighle
Mainu ishq tera lae dooba
Haan ishq tera lae dooba
Mainu ishq tera lae dooba
Haan ishq tera lae dooba