Kal Ho Na Ho

Gauri was sketching some designs for a new gown that she was going to make for the upcoming engagement ceremony of Mr. Raichand’s daughter Simran. He was one of the business associates of Tej and one day Tej hesitatingly asked her if she would design the gown, an offer Gauri wholeheartedly accepted. While sketching the doorbell rang a familiar two times and glancing at the wall clock which showed thirty minutes past eight, Gauri knew it was her husband at the door.

Rushing she attended the door after which she was taken it the warm embrace of Om which soothed all her pain and worries and made her a carefree child of twelve. Lifting her head with his fingers Om kissed Gauri deep and passionate. After breaking it he said, “Sorry main phire se late ho gaya. I promise main agli baar se khayal rakhunga. I’m sorry.”

Kissing his chest through the fabric of his shirt Gauri replied “Aapko sorry bolbe ji jarurat nahi hai. Hum jante hai aapne jan booch kar der nahi ki hai. Ami aapse gussa nahi hai.”

“Thank you Gauri. Waise sara romance yahin karna hai ya aapne pati ko aander bhi aane dogo, hmm?” Om chuckled hard when Gauri blushed deep and moved out of his embrace to let him in.

The dinner was a silent affair for the two of them; it included no words but a few romantic touches underneath the table, something the rest of the family was unaware of.

Back in their room, when Gauri was setting the bed for them to sleep Om came from behind and hugged her. “Waise mujhe na aaj raat sone ka maan nahi hai. Kyun na tum aur main……….” he trailed off.

“Haat besharam. Aap hatiye hum aapke liye baraf wala paani le kar aate hai.” Gauri said and before Om could do anything she pushed him and went off.

After around twenty minutes when Gauri still did not return to their room Om got worried and wondered where his wife might and went to the kitchen. Gauri was there on the floor trying to pick the broken pieces of the glass and the cold water was all around. Gauri was never a careless person and so dropping the glass of water was very unlikely for her. But then maybe something did happen after all accidents happen accidentally. Chidding away his thoughts he ran to Gauri when she screeched in pain. A glass pierced though her soft hand.

“Gauri yeh tumne kya kar diya?? Oh God. Tumna ekdam careless ho. Tume yeh sabh karne ki kya zarurat thi? Kissi servant ko bol dete. Oh God kitna khoon behe raha hai.” Om scolded Gauri.

“Humne jaan booch kar nahi kya. H-h-hum toh baas……” Gauri sobbed.

“I’m sorry maine tume dant na nahi chahata tha. Par tumhe pata hai na ki main tumhe dard mein nahi dekh sakta. Tumhe kuch hota hai toh mujhe bohot takleef aur dard hota hai. Please maat rona. Main first aid box laata hoon.” Wiping her tears Om went to bring the first aid box. After applying first aid to Gauri’s wounds he carried Gauri to their room and both of them slept off.

Days passed like this and along with Om Gauri too noticed that her fingers used to tremble frequently and dropping things became a kind of habbit to her. But she chidded away her thoughts thinking them to be her carelessness.

But one day Om was setting his paint brushes to start a new painting for his upcoming exhibition. “Gauri zara cupboard se mere naye colours ka box dena. Woh joh second drawer ke left mein rakha hai. Zara jaldi dena.”  Om said.

“Hmm hum abhi dete hai.” Gauri said. But she dropped the box of colours. “Hey Shankerji!” she screamed. Om turned around and saw his new box of paints on the floor, colours bottles broken. It was a disaster.

“Yeh kya kar diya tumhe Gauri??” Om asked a bit furious.

“Humme maaf kar dijiye Omkaraji. Humne jaan booch kar nahi kya. Baas woh haat se phisal gaya.” Sobbed Gauri.

But Om was in no mood to listen and he stormed out of the room while Gauri cursed herself and cried.

Days passed and things got worse. Om used to be a bit grumpy and Gauri used to curse herself. One day when Om was painting Gauri bought him a glass of water with great effort not to drop the glass. While she handed Om noticed her hands trembled. “Gauri tumhare hath kyun kaap rahe hai?” He asked.

“Kuch nahi. Oo baas aisehi. Aap ee pi lijiye aur hamari chinta maat kijiye hum thik hai.” Before Om could further worry himaelf with her and ask questions, Gauri ran out of the room. But Om was not convinced.

Gauri began to worry herself and consulted a doctor. When she was called inside the chamber Gauri told all the symptoms she was having.
“Mrs. Oberoi kya aapko aajkal cheeze pakarne mei takleef hoti hai ya aap frequently faint ho jati hai?” asked the doctor asked.

“Ji. Aur humme kabhi kabhi pair me bohut dard hota hai.” Gauri replied.

“Mujhe aapke kuch tests karne parenge aur reports aapko shaam tak mil jayenge.” The doctor said to which Gauri agreed making a mental note to herself to sneak out of the house deceiving the family’s eyes especially her husband’s.

The doctor checked her reflexes by a patella hammer but the results he hoped were not satisfactory. He pierced needles through Gauri’s body to which she yelped and the doctor had a satisfactory smile. But when he conducted the same test on her calf and right hand she did not respond. The doctor with a frown dismissed Gauri asking her to collect her reports by that evening.

When Gauri successfully managed to sneak out of Oberoi Mansion to collect her reports she was ushered to the doctor’s chamber by the receptionists. He himself handed her the reposts seeing which she was shocked so much that she collapsed on the ground. The doctor could only sympathise.

A few weeks later, after dinner Om was searching some important documents in the drawers related to his clients when he came across a black file on which it was written in bold letters ‘Gauri Omkara Singh Oberoi’. As he opened the file and read through it he felt the ground under his feet slipping away.

When Gauri entered the room it was dark and gloomy. She feared for her Omkaraji as she moved forward. It being dark she was unable to see clearly and she stumbled but was caught by a pair of familiar protective arms.

“Omkaraji……..” Gauri started but was stopped as she sense her Omkaraji  unstoppable tears. She dread at the thought of him finding her reports out.

“Kya main itna nalayak hoon jo tumne mujhse sach chupaya?? Kya tum mujhse pyaar nahi karti?? Kya tum mujh par bharosa nahi karti??? Kyun tumne mujhe nahi bataya k tumhe motor neurone disease hai …….Aur tum zyaad din bach…….” Om could not complete before a fresh set of tears left his eyes. The mere thought of Gauri going away from him was dreadful.

But before Gauri could answer Om latched his lips with hers conveying his immense love her. “Please mujhe chor kar maat jao. Main jee nahi payunga Gauri. Please.” Om requested.

“Aisa nahi ho sakta. Par hum aapka intejar karenge par aap humse milne se phele aapni zindagi puri tarah jeeyenge. Humare bina. Aapko yeh humare liye karna padega.” Gauri said trying to control her tears but she failed miserably. Om nodded promising her, giving her his word. Gauri kissed Om hard and whispered in his ears “Humse mohabbat kijiye Omkaraji. Hum aapse juda hone se phele ek bar phir sirf aapke banna chahate hai. Humme aapse pyaar karna hai, khudko aap mein sama dena hai.” Omkara understood her and kissed her before sliding off their clothes. That night they made love for the last time. The darkness of the room witnessed their profound love for each other, the passion the two love birds possessed for each other.

Eventually the family got to know of Gauri’s condition. Earlier they made frequent visits to her to make her last days memorable but eventually that too stopped slowly since her condition got worse by the day and she was such a darling to the family that no one could see their chirpy Gauri like that.

Days and months passed and Gauri’s condition detoriated. She no longer could feel the emotions she used to. She had given up her hopes on life and wanted to live no longer. She no longer was the chatterbox she used to be once. She presence was as good as her numb self. She longer conversed with anyone and only blinked her eyelashes to answer Om the only person she tired to talk to – one blink for a no and two for a yes.

One night when Om came into the room Gauri was listening to ‘Kal Ho Na Ho’ a song she loved but never thought would be the biggest truth of her life. Om came and sat beside her and both listened to it.  Once it was over he looked at Gauri with love and guilt. Gauri bated her eyebrows twice as if acknowledging him to do what he wanted to because she could read her husband like a book and knew what was in his mind. She gave him a pleading look as if requesting him to perform the final act.

Om bent down and kissed her passionately and whispered “I love you Gauri. Maine humesha tumse pyaar kiya hai aur aage bhi karta rahunga. Ab toh baas yehi dua hai ki tumse jaldi mulaqat ho.” He got up and looked at her eyes and she blinked twice. Before he could change his mind he grabbed a pillow and placed it on her face and began to press down. Her features twitched a bit before all came to a halt. Lifting the pillow he saw her lifeless face but with a serene smile. She could no longer bear the pain. His love for  her made her free of all her pains. He knew that this was probably the greatest gift he could give her.

The next morning when ShivRu entered the room they saw the most horrifying sight. Gauri was lying lifeless on the bed whereas Om was in a pool of blood on the floor, blooding oozing out from his left wrist and a piece of blade lying nearby.

While Rudra collapsed on the ground crying Shivay maintained his demeanor and moved to the table where there was a note. It read…

ShivRu,

I’m sorry. Shayad jaise Mr. Oberoi  kehete hai, main shayad sach mein nalayak hoon. Maine waada kiya tha ke tum dono ko kabhi chorke nahi jayunga you know ‘One for all, all for all’  but main aapna waada nibha nahi paya. I’m sorry. Main kya karta? Kaise Gauri k bagair jeeta? Uske bina kuch theek nahi  lagta hai. Ab tak shayad tum dono samajh gaye ho ki Gauri ki jaan maine liya hai. Main shayad tum dono aur baki parivar ke nazro mein ek khooni hoon par main majboor tha. I know Shiv ke bina Om nahi aur Om ke bina Ru nahi par aab iss Om ko aapni Gauri ki bohot zarurat hai. Main aab ussi ke paas ja raha hoon. Tum dono aapna aur poore parivar ka khayal rakhna. Alvida.

Om.

Shivay for the first time had tears in his eyes after entering the room. No his brother was not a a murderer, he was a life saver. He had again proved his worth. Even before dying Om has made his brothers proud of him. Shivay silently prayed that the soul of the two lovebirds rest in peace.

**********************

In some parallel word,

“Hum aapse baat nahi karenge. Aapne aapna waada toda hai.” Gauri pouted.

“I’m sorry par tumhare bina yeh dil bechain ho gaya tha. Aur tumare bina nahi jee paraha tha ek lambha bhi isiliye main tumhare paas harhariye ke aa gaya.” Om winked. Gauri giggled.

“I love you Gauri.”

“Hum bhi aapse bohot pyaar karte hai Omkaraji.”

With that the shared a kiss full of love.

Please do tell me how it was. It is my first work here. Hopefully you all will like it. Thank you.