“Why don’t you go and give it to him yourself beta?” Jhanvi asked Gauri who had been packing food for Omkara.
Gauri looked up from her work to face her mother-like mother in law in surprise, “Mom..?”
“Ya beta that way you both can eat together as well.” She said with a smile.
“No mom, he would be busy there, I shouldn’t bother him during work hours, it won’t be right.” Gauri said.
“Arrey beta, can’t he spare some time for his wife? If he can’t, then how can he be a good husband?” Jhanvi asked disapprovingly.
“Mom!” Gauri called out in surprise, “He is the best husband one could ask for!”
Jhanvi looked at her in surprise, never having seen her daughter in law get offended. Sometimes, she wondered how her daughter in law was so patient. She surely hadn’t expected to see Gauri offended, and that too when she was talking about her own son!
“Don’t be such a fool, Gauri. I’m his mother, I know him well. He is a gone case. I don’t even know how you manage him.” Jhanvi complained, deciding to see how far Gauri will go to defend Omkara. She was liking this newly discovered side of her daughter in law for she had almost given up trying to tease Gauri who was mostly unaffected by her teases.
“Mom, what are you saying?” Gauri asked in disbelief. “Omkara is everything I could ever ask for! I agree he is dramatic and sometimes a little annoying but that’s what makes him him. And he is the most understanding and caring person I’ve ever known.”
“Gauri, don’t get blinded beta. And I know what good of an husband he is. Tell me, does he even spend time with you? Is he even romantic? It was my mistake, I was the one who was behind him to get married to you. Because of me you are stuck with an unromantic man!” Jhanvi said rolling her eyes.
“Mom, I can’t even imagine a life without him anymore.” Gauri replied shaking her head. “And he does spend time with me, he is romantic. Every night we-”
“Chee che che! Beta, what’s wrong with you? Why are you telling me all this? These are personal things between you both. I’m his mother, you shouldn’t be discussing your private moments with me!” Jhanvi cut her off, scandalized.
Gauri looked at her confused then her eyes grew wide as she understood that Jhanvi mistook the meaning behind her words and didn’t even hear her entirely. “Arrey no mom, it’s not like that, we-”
“Chup!” Jhanvi said keeping a finger on her lips, “Not another word!”
Gauri looked down in embarrassment and defeat. What was her mother in law going to think now? She and Omkara hadn’t even made it past cheek or forehead kisses!
Jhanvi let out a small chuckle and when Gauri looked at her confused, she clarified, “I was teasing you about Om. I had never seen you get offended until today so, I thought, why not play along a little.” She said sheepishly.
Gauri looked at her dumbstruck, “Now I know from where Omkara has learnt to be dramatic!” She exclaimed, “I didn’t know that you were so dramatic, mom!”
Jhanvi winked at her, “Like mother, like son. But he doesn’t have my swag. He has a long way to learn!” She said shaking her head in mock disappointment.
Gauri rolled her eyes at her mother in law’s antics. She couldn’t help but feel lucky to have Omkara and this family.
“Anyway, I still think you should go and give it to him in his office. That is, only if you can. But I do think it would be good.” Jhanvi said.
So, finally on Jhanvi’s insistence, Gauri had gone to give lunch to Omkara in the Oberoi headquarters for the very first time.
After talking to the receptionist, she made her way towards his cabin. But before turning the knob, she stood startled in her place by the voice of a roaring lion. She quickly recognised the voice to be her husband’s but it seemed completely unfamiliar to her as he had never used that tone infront of her, except once with that Ajay incident.
“How many times am I supposed to excuse you for your absence in work!? Where is your concentration Rishi? You think I will believe what you said!? It’s stupid! Is this how you’re supposed to work in a company? Are these the manners? How could you work against us!? You’re fired!” Omkara roared angrily while the other man in the cabin pleaded with him. But the lion showed no mercy to the deer. “Get out from my cabin right now!”
Gauri moved away from the door and saw the employee- a man in his early thirties, Rishi walking out with tears in his face. The empathetic girl in her awoke and she went behind the stranger.
“Listen..” She called out to him, “Can I talk to you?” She quickly introduced herself after taking him away from the staff area to avoid any drama.
“Mam, I’m very sorry for what I did. You too took me here to scold me right?” He asked nervously.
“Areey no bhaiya, I didn’t call you for that. Can you tell me what the matter is?”
Rishi hesitated for a moment but looking at how concerned his boss’ wife looked, he decided to let her know. “Actually mam, some of the company’s confidential data got leaked from my computer.” He said, looking down in guilt. “Sir thinks I did it purposefully for the rival company. But I swear mam, I can never think of betraying this company.”
Gauri’s instincts were always right, so this time too, she decided to go with it. And her heart told her that the man infront of her wasn’t lying. His eyes reflected his innocence and she couldn’t stop herself from consoling him. “I’ll talk to your sir, just give me some time. Don’t worry, bhaiya.”
The man looked at her in surprise and admiration at her humble behaviour but then the thought of his boss’ actions made him wonder if she could do anything to change his mind. “Thank you so much mam.” Rishi said as he hoped for some miracle to happen.
“Is your boss always like this? Angry young man?” Gauri asked him, frowning.
“He isn’t like this at home?!” Rishi asked back in disbelief. When Gauri shook her head in no he said, “Hmm…Sir isn’t always like this, but if he gets angry then there’s no escaping. It’s like how Lord Shiva’s third eye opens, everything infront of it will turn to ashes.” Rishi said with a shudder.
After talking for another 2 minutes Gauri decided to go back to Omkara. On reaching his cabin, she knocked on the door carefully.
“Come in.” Came an irritated Omkara’s voice.
Gauri slowly opened the door and looked around a little scared.
The cabin looks fine. No signs of an earthquake so far. Wait – the papers are lying all around the table. Such a messed up table he has! God, how can he work when the table is so messed up?
She thought to herself as she observed the room.
“Gauri?” Omkara asked amused and that’s when she realised that she had looked at everything but her long haired husband.
“I came to give you lunch.” She said with a small smile.
“What was the need? You could’ve sent it with the driver. You didn’t have to come all the way.” Omkara said a little sternly and she wondered whether it was the office that brought this side of his into action. The arrogant, angry and cold businessman.
“Actually Mom suggested and I thought to come..”
“Thank you.” Omkara replied and then continued looking into the papers in his hand. Gauri stood there fidgeting with her dupatta unsure of what to do next. Mom had asked her to have lunch with him, so she decided to ask him.
“When will you have lunch?” Gauri asked.
“I’ve some work right now. I’ll eat after that.” Omkara replied still looking into the papers as if nothing around him mattered to him. This clearly annoyed Gauri but she just tried to ignore it convincing herself that this was his work time.
“Omkara-”
“Gauri, please. I’m a little busy right now.” Omkara interrupted her.
“I know but you should eat first then you can do all the work in this world.”
“Please Gauri..”
“Omkara just have little food. Mom-”
“For Godsake just leave Gauri!” Omkara said frustrated and now looking into her eyes. “Stop acting like you care about it! You don’t have to do all this for mom!”
“Omkara..” She whispered softly as her heart shattered hearing his accusing tone. She wanted to tell him that mom had told her that when he was at work, he would even forget to have his food, so there was no way that she would leave without seeing him have his food.
“Whatever you do for our marriage is what mom asks you to do. Have you ever done something on your own?” Gauri stood there in shock as his words rang in her ears. “Stop acting like it matters to you if I have lunch or not. Stop pretending like you care! Please just, leave. I’m busy.”
Gauri could feel her heart break into a million pieces as the words left his mouth. She wasn’t angry because of his behaviour, she was rather shocked and heartbroken. Her eyes filled up as she tried to think of something to tell him, to tell him how much he mattered to her. How could he think that he meant nothing to her?
“Leave.” Omkara said in finality without even looking at her. She fought her urge to cry and immediately left the cabin not sparing another glance at him.
Without even looking around her, she paced towards the lift and finally exited the office. Then, putting her helmet on, she drove away on her scooty. It was only when she had reached a park that she stopped the vehicle, found a bench where people weren’t around and cried her heart out.
How could even he think all that? Does he not know how much he matters to me?
She wondered as the tears overflowed from her eyes.
To be continued…
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