Gauri waited impatiently in the living room pacing back and forth, her eyes repeatedly stealing glances at the door.
Omkara had promised to come home early so they could go somewhere outside. A date that he had set as a way to make up to her for the other day. But he was an hour late and on top of it he wasn’t even picking up her calls. And to make matters worse, her sixth sense told her something was terribly wrong.
“Bhabhi, he didn’t show up yet?” Priyanka asked curiously as she came to the living room. When Gauri worriedly shook her head in no, Priyanka tried to assure her everything was fine, “He must be stuck in traffic, you know Mumbai traffic right?”
“Prinku…” Gauri started worriedly, “I’m getting a bad feeling…”
“Nothing bad will happen bhabhi,” Priyanka tried to assure but something about her sister like sister in law’s state made her worried too.
Suddenly the house telephone rang and both the girls exchanged quick glances and Gauri immediately reached for the phone.
“Oberoi house?” The speaker on the other end asked. When Gauri replied positively, the woman continued, “I’m sorry to inform you but Mr. Omkara Singh Oberoi has been admitted to the city hospital since he had an accident. Can I know who I’m speaking to?”
It felt like Gauri’s whole world came crashing down. The phone fell from her hand only to be caught in time by a worried Priyanka who could sense the tension in the air.
After she was done with the phone, Priyanka fell onto the couch in shock and disbelief. Gauri was still standing frozen unable to take in the news. No one spoke for a minute.
“I’m going.” Gauri said frantically to no one in particular but Jhanvi came in right then.
“Where?” Her mother in law asked in confusion. But one look at the girls face and she knew something bad had happened. “What happened?” She asked almost immediately.
“Bhaiya..” Priyanka started and with great effort informed Jhanvi of the accident. By now Bhavya too had come and was trying to console a panicked Jhanvi.
“Mom, I have to go.” Gauri said meeting Jhanvi’s eyes and almost immediately ran out. Before anyone could follow her, she had left in one of the cars. Although her heart knew he would be safe, the worry she felt couldn’t be put away.
Bhavya immediately called up Rudra and Tej and found that they weren’t aware of the accident as they were still in the office.
***
“He’s out of danger now and would be gaining consciousness in a few hours.” The doctor informed Gauri. “But until he doesn’t wake up, we can’t confirm whether he’s entirely alright.”
“What do you mean doctor?” Gauri asked worried.
“We can’t make sure if the accident has caused any damage in his memories until he wakes up, Mrs Oberoi.” The doctor replied casually. “Physically he is fine, mentally we can know only when he wakes up.”
All those daily soaps she watched over the years played in her head as the words of the doctor sunk in. The hero loosing his memories of the heroine, misunderstandings between them, the separation track…..And then leap!
She stood there in dread as she hoped against hope that nothing of that sort happens. She couldn’t bear to loose him, in her whole life, no one had loved her or made her feel as important as he did. Not even her parents, God couldn’t snatch away everything from her now that she began to love her life, or could he?
Watching serials was a terrible idea. She thought as she waited for the doctor to finish checking on him. Despite trying her best to think positively, her mind couldn’t help but think of different scenarios that would happen once he woke up.
What if he forgets me?
What if he thinks of me as his enemy?
What if he forgets everything about himself?
What if he wakes up as an entirely different person?
What if he refuses to accept me as his wife?
She felt like she would go mad thinking all these things. And no one from the house had reached there yet to console her either. Thankfully, the doctor came out and gave her permission to get in.
She walked in slowly as her heart broke to see him lying there, the monitor showing his heartbeats. He also had many machines attached to his body and a band aid around his forehead. The sight infront of her was something she had never wished to see.
As per the doctor it wasn’t a major accident. The driver behind him had lost control and crashed into his car making him hit one of the sidewalks. Hopefully, no one else had been hurt except the driver and Omkara. The doctor had added that he didn’t have any fractures but only a small injury in his head.
A lone tear escaped her eyes as she tried to gather herself. She sat next to him on the chair and slowly took his hand caressing it. Placing a kiss on it, she intertwined her fingers with his holding on to it as if her whole existence depended on it. The tears streamed out of her eyes without any mercy as she thought about him. Slowly, wiping them away, she looked at him determined.
“Omkara.” She pleaded, “Please wake up.” Getting no response from him she couldn’t help but fear the worst, “Omkara, please talk to me, please irritate me, please do something.. Don’t lie here like this..please Omkara.”
She closed her eyes trying to calm herself and enclosed his hand within both of hers, “You told me you loved me right, then won’t you listen to me? Please wake up Omkara. Your Gauri is calling you. Don’t give up on me like this…please…” Gauri burst into sobs as she said the words. “Please don’t forget me.”
“Don’t tell me you thought one of your serial tracks were going to happen to our lives.” Omkara said with a chuckle making Gauri force her eyes wide open in bewilderment. She looked at him in utter shock while he continued playfully with a smirk, “So what next? The heroine confesses her love?”
“Youuuuu!!!” Gauri said irritated and in disbelief as she beat him on his chest. “Stupid!”
“Ouchhh! that hurt.”
She looked at him in panic, concerned if she actually hurt him then seeing him trying to hide a smile, she turned her gaze away trying to sound angry. “You’re so cruel! And heartless!” Gauri exclaimed with a pout.
Omkara acted to be hurt making Gauri raise an eyebrow. “What a thing to say to your husband who came back from the dead.” The, he smiled seeing that she had stopped crying now, he had successfully managed to distract her.
“Oh really?” Gauri asked keeping both her hands on her hip, “And what about you Mr Husband? What a thing to do to your distressed wife? Here I was worried sick about you, and you were having entertainment at my expense! Since when were you awake?”
Annoyed wife does look damn cute! Omkara mentally made a note.
“Well, I did hear you telling me to wake up, irritate you and all but it was hazy. And then you held my hand tightly. That’s when I opened my eyes…I was about to call you but you were busy rambling on something so I thought, why not enjoy a little?”
“Idiot.” Gauri muttered, looking everywhere but him.
“Whatever I am, I’m yours.” Omkara replied cheekily while Gauri tried to control the sudden blush, God this man knew how to change her moods every single time! “By the way you said something, what was it? Ahh…Your Gauri?” He asked in slight amusement, quoting her words.
She looked away shyly and he smiled gently. He had seen the accident coming when the truck behind him lost control. At that time he wasn’t worried about his life, but hers. It was her face that had appeared infront of him in the middle of all that chaos as he fell unconscious.
“You know how worried I was…?” Gauri said looking at him concerned. “My whole world stopped when I got the call from the hospital.”
“Why?” Omkara asked coming out of his thoughts. God! He loved to hear her concern for him!
“Because I can’t bear to see you in pain. Because I can’t live without you.” Gauri replied as tears escaped her eyes. “I don’t want to loose you, Omkara. I can never be the same without you. Even the thought of something happening to you scares the hell out of me. I can’t think of my world without you.” She leaned in and kissed the area between his eyebrows softly making him surprised at her sudden gesture but then his heart fluttered and a blush made its way on his cheeks.
Gently wiping away her tears he asked her to lean in. Then placing a kiss on her forehead, he said, “Don’t cry Gauri. I can’t see you in pain. It makes me feel like a bad guy when I know these tears are for me.”
“You’re not a bad guy.” Gauri replied with a pout.
“Then what am I?” He asked curiously.
“My husband.” Gauri replied with a smile that made even Omkara smile.
“Now that I think about it, it is true that I’m indeed heartless.” Omkara said thoughtfully while Gauri frowned in confusion. “Because I no longer have my heart with me. It’s with you.” He finished with a wink while she looked at him in shock, then getting shy she looked away unable to control her blush.
“What a cheap pick up like!” She said rolling her eyes.
“Oh really? And someone here was blushing I suppose?” He teased.
“Shut up!”
“Why biwi?”
“Not another word!”
“Okay fine, but I think this is my punishment for hurting you yesterday.” He said, “See, God is looking after you really well.”
“How sick of you to think that!” Gauri exclaimed as a tiny bit of anger made it’s way on her nose. “This is not your punishment, this is mine for taking you granted.”
“Gauri..?” Omkara whispered looking at her who had looked away now. But he could tell she was wiping away her tears. “Ri, look at me.”
When she didn’t bulge, he said again, “Look at me Ri.”
This time she did and his heart pained to see the tears in her eyes. “Gauri, what are you talking about?” He asked as his hand made its way up to her cheeks and wiped her tears away.
“I’m sorry Omkara. I always take you for granted don’t I? I’m such a bad wife who isn’t even fulfilling her duties as a wife…to please you..But it’s just that…I..I just am not sure enough if I truly lov-”
“Shh.” He said keeping a finger on her lips. “No more tears. And didn’t we agree that we’ll give it time? That you will take your time and accept me? And what’s with pleasing me and all? If physical intimacy was what I wanted then why do you think I waited all these years? Gauri I want you, not your body but your heart. Yes I want you to be mine in all ways but only when you are ready for it. Until then we’ll be like how we are now. Cause I can’t imagine a life without you. And I want you to accept me with every cell in your body. I don’t care if I grow old by then, I don’t care if I’m sitting on a chair with no teeth and big spectacles trying to read a stupid newspaper. I don’t care Gauri. Yes, I do wish you would reciprocate my feelings and confess but I don’t want you to lie. I don’t want you to do anything thinking you are supposed to do it, I want you to do what your heart wants.”
Gauri looked at him in great admiration and respect. He was a true gentleman, Anika was right, he was a keeper. And she was glad he was hers and only hers.
“You know what I love about you?” Omkara asked her with a gentle smile and she shook her head in no. That was something she couldn’t figure out in all these years. “Your innocence, Gauri. Your truth and your honesty. And each time you surprise me even more with it. I’m so lucky to have you in my life, I don’t know what I would’ve done without you. I really don’t know.”
“Why do you love me so much?” Gauri asked innocently, as tears filled her eyes hearing his words. “How can you be so selfless?” How could he love her so selflessly even when she couldn’t reciprocate his feelings?
“Because I was made to love you.” He replied flashing his best smile at her. “And I’m not selfless, I am selfish because I don’t want you falling in love with anyone else. But then again, if you do..then-”
“Never.” Gauri said shaking her head. “I won’t ever fall for anyone else, Omkara. It’s only you or no one.”
“Haye main marjawa!” He exclaimed keeping his hand in his heart.
“Oh god!” Gauri stood up frantically and Omkara frowned in confusion “I didn’t even inform the doctor you’re awake! Wait I’ll come now.”
Saying this, she ran out of the room without even giving him a chance to speak.
To be continued….
I had been caught up with some works and I felt like I really needed to work on this chapter. Not my best, but here it is. Do let me know what you think about it!
Thanks for reading!
Stay safe!