Happenstance – A Rikara Story By AditiB Part 3

Happenstance?

Part 3?

Gauri looked at me, with all her honesty gleaming in her eyes. I knew she was genuine when she helped me, and was genuine all this while. She finally asked for her leave; although I didn’t want to let her go, I had to.

The only way to increase my presence with her, was to drop her home. This way I could know of her residence. She was repeatedly urging to let her go by herself, but I was adamant. I just wanted to be with her, for as long as possible.

She sat beside me in the front seat. I drove her to her home. I couldn’t help but stare at her longingly. A woman so strong, that she could think of someone’s issues, while she was going through a lot herself. I just wonder if I had had someone like her in my life. A perfectly cherish able person, a complete human being. Looking at her, presented me with the inner most serenity, I knew this from the moment I saw her. I would like to see her more often, but I rarely could say this to her.
I stared at her, and she somehow stared back, my eyes trying to gulp in her sight. I think I got my muse. I think I got my love.

Isn’t it just too early to declare that I’m in love? My doubts again clouded my mind, my commitment issues sprang up all of a sudden. The fear of disapproval, the fear of her leaving me made me go berserk. Perhaps I was overthinking, and I somehow concentrated on my present.

She gave me her address, but that didn’t seem to be sufficient. I wanted to talk to her, meet her as often as I could.
“Thank you for your kind gesture, Om.” It didn’t go unnoticed that she called me by my pet name.
“It’s my pleasure Gauri, can I ask you something?”
“Yes…”
“I think you are really fond of gardening, aren’t you?”
“Yes, I’m very fond of gardening. But why did you ask that?”
“Well, I go to some of my friend’s gardens now and then. Would you like to accompany me?”
She looked at me for some time, I could fathom, she was trying to be sure of me.
“Yeah, absolutely. I’d like to go.” Her answer relieved me.
“But how’d I know if you’re busy or not? If you don’t mind, can I have your contact number?” I made it look clean, I didn’t want to look desperate in front of her.
“Okay…..” and we exchanged our numbers. She bid me goodbye, and I left her house, contented and happy.
……………….

This exchange of few words just left me in a new aura. I was thinking of her and my brush refused to budge. It was not a creative block, but a state of confusion, I lost my love, and the next moment I started feeling love lorn. Isn’t it confusing? We can feel someone’s proximity, but how can I just  fall again? My mind was a firece commitment phobic, but my heart urged me to go on. But I knew, if this time it doesn’t work out, I’d be shattered forever.

My mind was boggled, but my heart took the strings to my art and started a sketch. I was remembering her face when she touched those flowers and incidentally smiled looking at their beauty.

(P. S. This is one of my sketches?‍♀️. I am giving this as a sample of Om’s imagination of Gauri. He drew it to express himself. I know there can be some anomalies? in it, kindly ignore.?)

I was shocked for rarely did my instincts move me to my canvas. I could feel the beauty of the flowers getting enhanced by her gleeful smile. The flowers reminded me of her, their smell brought back her presence to me.

I couldn’t recover from the experience, the beautiful pain lurched in my heart. The loss of Inaya was nowhere in my heart now, for someone else came up to heal me.

………………..

We were meeting up often, her presence lingering around me. We went to gardens, farm houses and all the beautiful places I could think of. And all this had brought her closer to me, and my heart seeping in her sweetness everytime she was with me.
We were headed to one of my favorite farm houses, to her happiness it was full of flowers and had huge open spaces. I rarely visited these extravagant places, but her company was now my priority.

We were sitting in the back seat of my Car. Mundane conversations happened, just to exchange our thoughts and ideas.
“So how is your new job going on?” I enquired.
“Nothing much, the work load is quite less, and my collegues are much more supportive here than the ones earlier. Are you brothers doing well?”

When she asked of my Brothers, I realised they had to know of her. It was really stupid of me that I didn’t care to tell them of Gauri.

” Ya, they are perfectly fine, Shivaay’s busy with business and Rudy has just become serious about his ambitions and studies. I hope his studiousness lasts longer this time.” To this we both smiled together, knowing the volatile nature of Rudra.

“And how’s your mother doing? I think it would take longer for her to get through your brother’s deeds.”
“Indeed,she’s trying to be fine for me, but deep down she’s hurt, and that’s quite evident. That stupid kid has ushered tons of grief onto both of us.”
She was getting angry, but I placed my hand on hers to placate her.
“It’s okay, let it go. I know your brother would realise his mistake someday.”
“Thanks for being by my side, I needed someone to handle me, my mother was just so broken, I didn’t know how to….”
I snapped in between, “It’s absolutely fine, just keep this in mind, I’ll always be there for you.”
“Your presence makes me feel secure.” Her words made me feel the inportance I have in her life. But only if I could tell her, mine revolves around her.

My admiration for her increased every new day, the novelty in our relationship was ever existent. I harboured the love secretly in my heart, keeping it away from the World to just let her discover it slowly.

The busy schedule of my brothers rarely had me in a row to have some of their time. But this time I was convinced to talk to them and tell them of the serendipitous moments of my Life.
“Long time no see,” both my brothers entered my room and shouted in chorus.
“It should be me saying that.” I smiled at both of them followed by warm hugs and fist bumps.
“Really O, it has been a long while that I have seen those indecipherable paintings of yours.” Rudy retorted and got my glare in return.
“No but seriously Om, you weren’t just in this World for some days, where were you?” Shivaay expressed his concerns.
“Treading in some planet filled with sweetest of pains and nectar of Love.” I gave them a thick reply.
“Some better words O, understandable for mere mortals like me and Shivaay bhaiya.”
Their scorns made me laugh.
“Okay okay, I broke up with Inaya.”
“It’s not possible O, she must have broken up with you.”
“Really Om?”
“Yes, she left me.”
“See I knew it.” Rudra gave a know-it-all look.
“But, but gentlemen, I’m not done yet…..”
“What?” Shivaay was turning impatient.
“I found a girl, just after some moments of Inaya’s departure.”
“What!? It’s a magic or something? Tell me the spot O, next time I’ll break up with my girlfriend there and *bam* another chic crosses my path.” Rudra was thinking it was all a joke.
“That’s definitely not how it works you idiot.” Shivaay hit him on his head.
“But Om, how’s it possible? I still can’t get it. I’m in dire need of an explanation bro.”
And I narrated them the whole turn of events.

They were amused, happy and surprised all at once. 

“So how’s it all going for the commitment phobic ha?”
“Shivaay, I don’t know but, I just want to be with her. I feel it was all bound to happen.”
“You sound desperate, O.”
“This isn’t desperation Rudy. Om, see, you don’t need to hurry. Give time to Gauri and to this relationship, after all she has to feel the same as you, right?”
I found reason in Shivaay’s words. But my only worry, and all my fears lied in just one thing: her feelings for me
??????
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Copyright: AditiB
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Thanks for reading all my lovely readers. I hope you all like this story, so do tell me of you opinions regarding this story line. Give a thumbs up or down as you wish. I’ll give the next update soon.
Lots of Bhalobasha,
AditiB.