Hello friends, I am back with the update. This is full of IshOm and a bit long too. Hope you enjoy reading.
Chapter-26
I like her
Ishanya went to the restaurant Paradise after leaving Oberoi Industries, where Omkara is already waiting for her. Omkara is writing or sketching something, but when he saw Ishanya coming towards him he hid it. Ishanya came and sat opposite to him.
“Sorry, I hope you are not waiting for long.” She said sitting infront of him.
“I am waiting from the past 10 mins, now you decide it is long or not.” He said sarcastically.
“Sorry, was struck in the traffic.” Ishanya said and felt low because of his attitude.
Omkara just nodded while the waiter came to them to take their order. They gave their order and waiter left to get it.
Ishanya was hoping that Omkara will talk to her but he just kept silent and was just looking at the menu. This made Ishanya furious but she understood that he is doing this to make her realize how he felt that night. Ishanya drank the full glass of water hurriedly and kept it on the table making noise to get Omkara’s attention.
Her trick paid and Omkara looked at her Ishanya smiled at him which made Omkara understood her intentions and he reclined to the seat looking into Ishanya’s eyes and like he wanted she kept her eyes down avoiding his eye contact. He smiled and cleared his throat to get her attention. When Ishanya looked at him he raised his eye brows in ‘what?’ with the smile still on his lips.
Ishanya took a deep breath and wet her lips with her tongue and started to say, “Look Omkara, I have already apologized to you for my behavior, now why are you being aloof with me?”
“Am I being aloof?” Omkara asked showing fake confusion.
“Omkara please, I said sorry.” Ishanya plead him.
“And I have to accept it!” Omkara said with authority making Ishanya frown at him.
“Omkara, what do you want?” Ishanya asked calmly which made Omkara too calm.
“Answers.” He replied.
“Ask.” She said coolly.
“Why did you start behaving indifferent after coming out of the disc that day?” Omkara asked directly maintaining his calm.
“It was not about you Omkara, I remembered something which made me upset and sad.” She replied honestly.
“May I know what was that?” now, Omkara asked worriedly hearing her.
“Just know this, it is something very personal about me and just the thought of it makes me very upset.” Ishanya said looking lost. This made Omkara more worried.
“I am sorry. I should have understood that you must have your reasons for the ignorance.” He said
“No, Omkara. It’s not ignorance. I was just lost. Lost in the bad memories which made me oblivious to the present.” Ishanya said and a tear slid from her eyes remembering the past.
“I am sorry.” Omkara plead to her.
“Please don’t be. I am fine.” She said wiping the tear and smiling.
Omkara stared at her trying to understand her. He understood that she too had a painful past but he is surprised at her will to surpass the past pains.
Ishanya waved her hand infront of him making him come out of his thoughts. She raised her eye brows asking ‘what?’ and Omkara just nodded nothing while smiling Ishanya too smiled with him. The waiter came with their order and served them before he went.
“So, what are we?” Omkara asked making Ishanya frown.
“I said na, nothing.” She replied.
“Then why did you asked me for lunch?” He asked in confusion.
“Because I wanted to apologize to you.” She said and asked, “Why do you always ask this? Do you have something in your mind? If there is, do tell me now only.”
“What? What…… will be…..there in my mind? Nothing, nothing at all.” He said stammering. Ishanya sensed this but kept calm and nodded.
“Then why do ask this question? Now, you tell me, what are we according to you?” She asked him directly.
“We…..we…. are…..” He stammered again.
“Friends?” She asked raising an eyebrow at him.
“No.” He replied immediately.
“Then what are we?” She asked. While Omkara kept silent thinking for an answer.
“It’s complicated to name , right? Then why don’t you leave it like this unanswered, unnamed, when we are happy with this! Like this we don’t keep any expectations on each other and won’t get hurt.” She said.
“You are right, when we are comfortable with each other like this, what’s the need to name it?” He replied and smiled.
“Exactly!! As long as we are comfortable with each other we don’t need to name it as a relation and when some one of us starts to intrude the other knowingly or unknowingly we can stop all this without getting hurt.” She said and continued to eat her lunch while Omkara still staring at her smiling.
‘What is she? Why am I getting attracted towards her? Why am I concerned for her? What’s happening to me? What is she doing to me?’ He thought while eating lunch.
Ishanya insisted to pay for the lunch as it is her sorry lunch for him and he obliged.
“May I drop you somewhere?” He asked hoping to spend more time with her.
“I have bought my car.” She replied making him upset.
“Can we go to the marine drive?” He said in hurry when she was walking towards her car.
He got nervous when she turned to face him with a frown.
“I mean, the weather is so good today. Shall we go to marine drive it will be beautiful now with the sky changing it’s shades.” He said explaining to her.
“Sorry, not today. I have meetings to attend.” She replied looking at him.
“Just for few minutes, please?” He pleaded her and smiled broadly when she nodded in yes.
They both reached Marine drive in their respective cars and Omkara took his bag of art stuff and unfolded the canvas board.
“You travel with your art stuff?” Ishanya asked in amusement.
“Yeah, every artist does.” He replied.
“May I ask you something?” She asked while he is arranging the board and he nodded in yes and said, “Ofcourse.”
“What did you hid when I came to the restaurant?” She asked and he turned to look at her.
“It’s ok if you don’t want to tell. I was just asking you casually.” She replied smiling at him. Omkara smiled at her and took out a neatly folded paper from his pocket and he gave it to her.
“A shayari.” He said when she was looking at him questioningly.
Ishanya smiled and went ahead to sit at the shore. She read it out loud while Omkara started painting.
“Nahi pata ki yeh kaya hai
Nahi pata ki yeh kyun hai
Bas itna jaanta hu ki yeh tumhara diya hai
Par mein dosh du bhi toh tumhe nahi khudko
Kyun ki tumhe who haq diya hai mein ne.
Kya pata iss ehsaas ka naam kya hai
Kya pata iss ehsass ka mol kya hai
Lekin agar iski mol chukana chahu tujhe
Khud ki zindagi bhi kam pad jaaye mujhe”
“Such a beautiful poem. For whom you wrote it?” Ishanya asked turning her face half towards him.
“Is it about us?” She asked again when he kept silent.
Omkara was still silent and this made Ishanya restless and she got up and went to Omkara to ask again but got speechless seeing his painting.
Omkara looked her shocked face smiling while wiping his hands with the towel.
Ishanya stared at the water colour painting in awe in which she is sitting face towards the shore and her face turned left. She looked at Omkara after staring at it questioningly.
“What is this Mr. Artist? Looks like you haven’t found any new inspiration these days or I say you are getting obsessed to paint me?”
“What’s the matter Artist?” She asked wiggling her eye brows playfully, just then a balloon came flying to her and she held it and gave it to the little boy who came running for it.
Omkara just stared her and noticing her antics, her smile, her flowing dark brown hair, her luscious lips, thick eye lashes, ocean deep mysterious eyes… everything. He asked himself the same question why is he painting her more now-a-days? Why is he concerned for her? Why does he want to spend time with her? And this time he got the answer.
He likes her…….
Yes he like her a lot. At first he thought of his attraction towards her as sympathy or the respect for her. But now he is accepting his attraction without any reasons. That is why he realized now that He likes her.
He like Ishanya he thought and looked at her who was questioning what in signing. He just nodded nothing while smiling broadly. Seeing her smile which is reaching her eyes his smile broadened.
He doesn’t care if she doesn’t reciprocate his feelings but he is happy to know the answer of his questions. It was such a simple answer and he couldn’t figure it out he thought.
“Shall we leave?” She asked making him come out of his thoughts. He just nodded and Ishanya gave him the paper which has the poetry while saying, “bye. See you later.” And went
towards her car but before getting inside the car she turned to see Omkara who is now having a huge smile and waved at him.
Omkara still in the hangover of his realization reached Oberoi mansion. Rudra saw him walking towards his room smiling and went with him to the room to which Omkara is oblivious.
“What’s the matter O? You look so happy?” He asked Omkara.
Omkara looked at him and hugged him tight while saying, “Because, I am so happy.”
“O! O! O, please leave me. I am not that type!!” he exclaimed coming out of the hug seeing Omkara blushing.
Hearing this Omkara stopped smiling and slapped Rudra at the back of his head.
“O!!” he whined
“Any way, tell me why are so happy?” He asked
“I got to know the answer to the question which was making me restless from few days.” He replied
“And what is it?” Rudra asked.
“I like her.” Omkara said dreamily blushing.
“O!! You are blushing! And you like someone! Wow!!” He exclaimed.
“I thought you are going to make girls away from you after Riddhima, but I happy that you found some one” Rudra said and hugged him only to earn another slap on his head from
him.
“O!! Now what I did?” he asked whining.
“This is not that type of liking, you idiot.” Omkara said confusing Rudra.
“This is liking without any relation or expectations.” He said only to make Rudra more confused.
“O!! Now this is very confusing, will you please explain?” he asked eagerly.
“Rudra, This is the type of liking which is not reciprocated, like we admire the celebrities. You like Sonam Kapoor that film heroine. That type of like.” He explained.
“Oh!! Crush?” He asked.
“Not crush, something more than it but not like girl-friend boyfriend kind of liking.” Omkara said.
“You mean half-girl friend?” He asked.
“No yaar, it is nothing like girlfriend-boyfriend. It is just admiration with respect and friendship” He replied.
“O!! Whatever it is, you have the clarity and you are happy, then that’s it! I don’t want to know more.” He said again hugging him.
“Yes, I am very happy.” Replied Omkara returning him the hug.
How is it?? I am waiting eagerly for your replies. Please comment, long.