He hugged her tight as if trying to take away her pain, trying his best to calm her down her body wrecking with anguish.

She said- he treated me like an animal. He tortured me .. I guess animals were given better treatment than me he. He tied me up in fetters as if I were a vile creature, who would strangle him if unleashed.

I would do that without a second thought though. Cause' monsters don't deserve to live.

You know what Omkara, ironically life is fair because it's unfair to all. I last time I felt so helpless in my life was when I had lost my sister in the frenzy.

The world as usual seemed to be hungry for an innocent soul and all I could do was try to save my soul but I failed. I failed miserably .

I hid myself in the trash to save myself from the world in the hope that people would not come near things that often look ugly and for once I prayed to Shankar ji that if I was worth it, to let me live and since then my faith has been unshakable.

until my foster father found me in the trash he had the love that I always craved for. Life see
pretty normal for more than one and half year after which I lost my father.

But then my Foster father succumbed to illness and I was put to blame. I was called all the vile words that a 12 year child shouldn't have heard. Bad omen.. bitch.. whore . Demon yada yada .

My uncle and my aunt ill treated me in the most horrifying ways possible. The used to beat me and my mother. They took over everything my father had . I had to drop out of school. My mother also fell prey to an illness. I couldn't afford to lose her so I toiled hard. I couldn't afford to lose the last person I had the right to call mine.

Hard for my mother, hard for our survival, hard for the petty demands of my uncle and aunt.

I spent Half of My Life toiling around not realising when I grew up to be a woman . A woman with a pretty face . But Alas! Beauty comes with its own pros and cons.

I had it all stalkers , cat calling each kind of humiliation a girl could possibly face. People even offered me one night stands just because I was poor.

There dabaang Gauri was born . Everyone admired her. But no one knew she was broken soul. No one knew she carried a fake smile around.

I had no drugs , like you Omkara to give me momentary pleasure, relief inspite of its consequences. I had no one to have my back, unlike you.

You had your brother's inspite of the fact that you like to keep things to you. You had a backbone, I envy you.

That's the difference between you and me. I was a lone wolf, fighting to survive a prey to misery.

I had fought my battles pretty long all alone, it was pretty disheartening. I had thought about a zillion times to give up on life but alas the sad truth of life is that it takes more courage to give up life than to live life and I was a coward so I chose to live and pass by.

And the other reason was that I had responsibilities you chose responsibilities and I always had them simple as that not that I hated my responsibilities but it was too much to take in.

Each day I knew that a little bit of my Innocence was sacrificed to be the person I am today. All I am is a cold blooded murderer of my childhood, of my Innocence you know how much that hurts?

I always had my temple business,  making the temple goods so I often visited the temple and there is where Kali's eyes fell on me in such a way that he never averted his gaze.

Thakurian and my father had. A thick bond of friendship, she tried every possible way to keep Kali away from me. But Alas! She failed miserably.

And decided to embrace death ashamed of her husband. Trust me Omkara I carry the guilt of her death more than you do?

My uncle and my aunt sold from a amount of money can you imagine that is the cost of my dignity like I am I that cheap? you know how much that hurt?

To know that your dignity has a price? Kali knew that I could run away because I was that bird who refused be caged , a forlorn rebel.

So he used other sly methods of keeping me caged he kept my mother imprisoned and forced me to marry him and his brothers.

Seriously polyandry, with a woman who was just twenty. Who hadn't even discovered her sexuality yet? Who did I look like Draupadi? Didn't I've the right to love, to choose whom I wanted to spend my life with it? Didn't I've the right to dream?

And there you came like a Knight in shining armour I tried taking help from you but you were too lost in your World to look around and see what what was actually going on.
Not that I blame you.

Feminine fantasies were an alien concept to me . They had long gone with my innocence but you ignited that flame again.

You had your demons and I had mine. You accused me of innumerable things I kept quite . Because I had immense respect for you. Not because you saved my life but because of the glint of the scared soul in your dark chocolate brown eyes .

Your rudness seemed to just be a layer , like those of an onion. I came to Mumbai I swore to myself I won't ever force myself on you.

But fate had other plans , I meet of you. For my Maa and then the rest is known to you..

You became the friend I never had I thought about it a zillion times to confess but then I was selfish to cling to the one person who belonged to me .

And then the truth came out .. and..

She couldn't continue further, that day was still afresh in her mind when he pushed her away to the devil's cage.

Om shut his eyes in guilt , ashamed of his exsistance he looked at her with guilt filled eyes as he broke the hug feeling too unworthy to touch her he backed off gently, confusing her and said- I let the demon have you. In spite of knowing that the demon didn't have a heart nor mercy. I know my apologies wouldn't soothe your soul but you deserve it . And I don't deserve to be forgiven .

The quiver and the guilt in his voice was pretty evident making her heart thaw a little bit. She never wanted to see him that way . Never ...

She gently moved closer to him and raised his head , it took a little effort though stubborn as he was and gently cupped his face as her head rested on his.

There she gazed directly into those dark chocolate brown orbs of his and he in those amber eyes , each trying to wipe out the pain they carried through.

Not sure if they would succeed but it was worth a try. She gently shut her eyes and nodded in a no asking him to not cry.

So laden with emotions they were that words seemed to be too much of an effort to be put into action.

So laden with emotions that words seemed such a waste when eyes could convey what words failed miserably at.

So much pain, their hearts carried but the proximity had a soothing affect on their hearts.

They rested their head on eachother trying to garner some courage to pick up their broken hearts, their heavy breath fanning on eachother's lips as their nose brushed against each other.

They could feel the slight touch of their lips brushed against each other as  if gently displaying their need  for survival.

And there they locked their lips, they fit together as if they were a perfect piece of a jigsaw puzzle.

They didn't care whether it all happened at the spur of the moment or who started it.

All they cared was about the effect that it had on their soul, it felt like rain on a barren land such was it's soothing effect.

Unlike the other kisses it wasn't the one initiated for the desire for flesh. It was initiated for the desire of ataraxia and love. Which they both were hunting for all along. When it lay right there.

If it wasn't due to the selfish need of their respiratory system they wouldn't have broken out of their spell.

Both of their eyes widened at the realization of what had happened, but somewhere deep inside seem to do a tiny victory dance. They moved away feeling the tension in the air.

They were equally flushed both spoke together- I'm sorry .. I didn't intend to.. and it was followed by - it's completely fine ...

Both hadn't dreamed of their first kiss in such circumstances , but things never happened as planned in life .

He saw her in deep thought afraid that he had messed it up. She finally spoke after what seemed like an eternity to him.

I should leave ,she said, with uncertainty. A part of her wanted to stay back, and hold on onto him. Crash in his arms , sob out loud and throw a fit at him for being such a jerk.

A jerk whom she still loved somewhere deep down without her own knowledge . But a part of remembered the scar he had given her soul, which had somehow turned fresh after today's meet .

A lot had turned fresh after today's meet. Memories of him, of them be it good or bad. It made her smile.

The way they complemented eachother made her smile. The way they fought, bickering as if they were Tom and Jerry made her smile.

But their end made her smile die down . Were they supposed to end like that?

was true love always tragic? She was a huge bibliophile now , and of course her favourite genre was romance, but almost every beautiful love story ended on a unhappy note. Was it always necessary she thought?
Maybe she guessed. But there lay the beauty . As one could live the ending in a million of different beautiful ways.

He didn't know what to do , only if he could  hold on to her and never let her go. The last time they parted he survived but this time he doubted his survival. He could already feel the hollowness coming back . As if it always belonged right in his heart.

Just for once only if he could reverse time , at any cost be it his life, he would have done it. But there lay the problem , there was an abyss in between his want and right. He wanted her as he need a fresh breath of air to keep himself kicking in.

But did he have the right to?
Hadn't he given it up long ago?
Wasn't he then one who removed the mangalsutra from her neck?
But he had done so, because he knew no matter how hard she wanted her happy ending , she couldn't untie that mangalsutra, because he knew what marriage meant to her. What he meant to her. He didn't want her to go through the same emotional turmoil again. Did he still mean something to her ?

"Omkara" - she called out, bringing him back to reality.

Their eyes meet and her eyes lead him to a view, he smiled at himself. That was how badly he wanted to hold onto her he realized.

Unconsciously he had held her hand.
He looked up to meet her teary brown orbs . And there are story was told , emotions were expressed in the best way. Because love didn't need words to be expressed, all it needed was an act,an act out of love.

For a moment she thought he was all ready to stop her but she couldn't confess how badly she wanted to stay, because all she wanted was assurance of a home, of love she never had.

I'm sorry , I just got a little carried away- he said.

Carried away - she repeated lacing her disappointment.

Yeah- he replied .

Then it's goodbye she said, as she headed toward the door .

The hollowness which had kind of resided in their hearts like those uninvited guests seeped in .

He just couldn't let her go, he could give her the fairytale ending she deserved or at least try. After all another heartbreak was worth a try he thought.

Gauri -he called out as she unlocked the door .

She turned her head her eyes full of anticipation.

Yes- she replied..

I wanted to say that.. I- he fumbled.

She smiled as nostalgia hit her and she said- old habits die hard if there's something you wanna convey you can ring my office Omkara. It's pretty late I should leave .

He heard the door click open, he could again feel the same pain he had felt eight years ago.

I know we can never be us again. I mean the old us. But we can start afresh. We can turn our dreams into reality. Your demons and mine we can fight them together for us. Don't you think Gauri it's too long that we're stuck in the storm . Don't we deserve a happy ending? Isn't another chance worth it ? The shore is waiting for us. Just once.. it your wish .. I can wait a lifetime if you want.. but when your ready come back home . Please... - he said in a bated breath.

She was taken aback with the sudden confession the door behind her shut with a thud. Emotions which she had just managed to control seemed a message again.

She looked at him trying to confirm what she had heard. Right there he was with open arms waiting for her . All she had to do was take the leap of faith.

One thing she was scared to do so after all that had happened in life . But was it worth?

She looked into his eyes full of anticipation and love, and there she knew it all. She went running into his arms with a thud and he took her into possessive bone crushing hug.

And gently layed a numerous pecks on her head as she giggled out loud out of joy.

He said- I missed you..

I love you, I always have- she replied.

I love you more - he answered back .

I love you to the square of infinity -she retorted.

He smiled saying- isn't that too cheesy?

She replied with a fake angry pout- pyaar aur Jang mein sab jazewz hai( everything is fair in love and war.)

He laughed his heart out after ages and replied- Ahan!

Gauri replied- I can't breathe ..

Om broke the hug and cupped her face with worry and said -are you fine? Do you want me to call the doctor!

Gauri smiled at his concern and said- arey.. jathadhari hippie you hugged me too tight..

Pagli- he replied, as he took her into another hug .

It's feels like home -she said in a heavy voice.

It sure does , home is the where the heart is- he replied..

Indeed, home is where the heart is , home never needed a roof and four walls all it needed was a heart to belong to . A heart to reside in and to remembered when forget me nots withered .

The End!!!
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Phew!! Finally am done.. am sorry am pretty late. Lost whatever I jotted twice it's so disappointing, so it mayn't be up to the mark. My apologies if you feel so.. and please do state if you.feel so.

This has been by far one of my favorites works on Rikara, so I wanted it to be kind of perfect but I really don't know how it ended up to . Thanks loads for loving this story and your constant support.

And if you didn't like the kiss apologies but all I wanted to show is sometimes emotions take control of your situations.

That's it for my rant. Pretty nervous though . Plus I've my sems beginning from tomorrow so wouldn't be able to update as such. But would give it a shot. Have some OS ideas would think about them.

And yes if you liked the update do hit like and leave your precious cmnts. Thanks a ton for reading regards Ana 😊💙💞.

PS- an epilogue would be up if time permits . Or if you want one.