A/N:
Hello dearies!! Before you start entering the chapter, please take a look in this apparently useful author's note.
I don't know exactly how many chamelis will be on their way to hit me when you finish reading this, but I need to inform you of this.
I'm already on four stories writing simultaneously. But, I really feel pathetic. I always read my stories repeatedly to point out mistakes. And while going through 'Love? 2' I realized that my writing quality and choice of words gradually decaying. I'm just putting down dry descriptions, not a very enjoyable treat to my reader's eyes. And worst of all, its happening with other stories too. They are not coming up as how I  want them to. They lack the soul that I want them to have. And, the last nail to the coffin is my University Exams. I got really busy with my due honours and pass papers and its kinda stressing me to focus on different plots of different stories. I know I'm being pathetic, but I really need a break. No, I'm not going off, I just decided to pick up books one after another and finish them.
Therefore, I chose 'The Fairytale I Never Dream Of' to be the first on line. Its solely because of you guys. Your constant feedbacks are really motivating me and I want to make this book my first preference. This concept is a always favourite to me, and I am currently reading Browning's poems. And, really sorry that I will leave other books on hold, but I promise you sooner updates on 'The Fairytale...'. Its just because I'm not as skillful as you guys, compared to your ability to conduct different plots once and all. Hope, you will forgive my incapability and show your love to this useless attempt.

                            ~•~•~•~•~

'Run! Run! Gauri, run!'
She was running through a dark forest of leafless trees with black twisted stems and branches looking like withered claws of century old witches. A voice constantly encouraged her from behind, and whenever she looked back, she saw the same skeletons back from the cellar running shortly behind her. She was afraid, terrified of her circumstances as she felt him stopping her harshly and forcing her to land among the skeletons.. Her on mossy ground, surrounded by them, slowly approaching her.. And his animalistic growl echoing in the forest...

'Nooooo..', she jumped off the bed(?).

She looked around her horrified. She was on a plush crème bed of the softest mattress she had ever laid on, comfy feather pillows rested proudly on the headboard around and beneath her throbbing head. The whole room was brightly lit by numerous ceiling lights, their bright yellow light illuminating the whole room in golden aura. There was an enormous closet at one wall with crème and golden design, a huge princess style dressing table with mirrors like threefold doors. Two bedside tables of intricate crème and golden detailing, a door leading to god knows where, and there was a full length mirror at the opposite side of the mysterious door and her bed.

Back in Bareilly, she barely imagined of such luxuries, for she used to sleep on the floor of her mother's room since her father's death. Hands as her pillow, she used to stay wide awake due to the recurring asthma attacks of her Maa. Being their foster daughter, she was appointed to household chores too and it was a challenge for her to continue her studies.

She cuddled in the soft, furry, red blanket more, feeling the slight chill of the ac. But a servant interrupted her,

'Ma'am, Master has invited you to join in breakfast with him. You have thirty minutes before he gets to the dining hall.', he bowed deeply and left.

Her stomach took somersaults at Master's mention. At once the events of previous night flooded back in her memory cells and she started sweating profusely. A maid, tall, fair with catty brown eyes and luscious chocolate brown hair and athletic physique, entered the room.

'Ma'am, I'm at your service to make you presentable, now if you please..', she bowed.

Gauri felt strange. They all behave as they have emerged from the pages of the books on the History of Mediaeval Europe, bowing and addressing.

'Okay', she smiled faintly, 'help me in here and with the rules. Your Master seems a tough and grouchy guy.'

'Follow me in the shower Ma'am.'

Gauri followed her in the huge bathroom. The drawing room of her home in Bareilly would easily fit in here. The maid prepared a bubble bath and ushered her in. On entering the gigantic crème bathtub, she felt stings on her bruises due to the soapy water. The maid washed her hair massaging her scalp gently. But she whimpered feeling the burns at the cuts on her skin and left the bathroom hastily wrapping a fluffy towel around her. Opening the door of the closet, her jaw dropped to the floor. With the dresses in the closet reminding you of a giant's gape would easily fill the showcases of at least seven shops. And boy, they were freaking expensive. Her whole month's income would drain away to own only one dress.

So, she stood there dumbfounded as the maid picked up a white chiffon short dress with powder blue butterflies. The bodice was off shoulder fitting her like a glove and the flowy lower part lined with butterflies reaching just before her knees. The maid braided her hair loosely so that some locks brush around her face and she wore pure white diamond tops and bracelet matching her dress. The maid finally put heavy makeup on her, hiding her purple-mauve bruises.

The first servant appeared at the door when she was struggling to stand on the sky high platform heels because it seemed almost impossible due to the cuts at her feet from last night.

'Ma'am, Master is expecting you in the dining table.', he bowed again.

'Ye.. Yeah! I.. I.. I'm coming!',  She straddled towards the door adjusting in those mini Everests.

*****

Omkara was tapping his foot impatiently glancing at his watch repeatedly.

What's taking her so long? His mind chided, but a small voice said in his head, women take time to get ready, and with her experiences last night, she will take more.

But the continuous bickering of the two voices stopped as a clacking of heels moved his attention towards the staircase.

She was hell nervous. She wished him to turn blind during the breakfast because his lustful analyzing gaze made her heart pound in her ribcage frantically as she took every step down the dining table.

She is so beautiful, he ogled at her unashamedly, oh come on! She is my property after all! But she has a fire in her hazel eyes and they are telling me to beware of her wrath. Wrath?? Ha ha ha!!!! What would a petite woman be capable of?? But yet, I don't want her to end up in the cellar, as a skeleton, I don't know why, but I strongly feel it.

'You are five minutes late', he whispered in her ear as he pulled out the chair for her.

She took her seat uncomfortably. 'Sorry Omkaraji. It'll not happen again.', she softly said.

Though she badly wanted to know whose skeletons were there? And most importantly why? But the mere memory of the slap last night made her flinch and wince in pain.

'Good morning, Gauri. Did you sleep well?', oh! His voice..

'Ye.. Yes Omkaraji. G.. Good Morning.', she replied biting her lower lip, trying to draw back the tears that were threatening to fall. The only memories of the night that turned her life upside down were making her giddy.

'Let's start eating.', he dipped his fork into some flattened noodles, as Gauri looked down at her plate helplessly.

There was grey coloured pile of rice, and steak with grossiants. The whole table was filled with different dishes whom Gauri firmly believed belonging to another planet.

She slowly spooned a little of the grey rice and carefully put in her mouth. Umm,  the rice is not as bad in taste as it looks, she moaned in its deliciousness.

But she choked on her food when she felt a socked toe tracing her calf slowly, teasingly. On looking up at Omkara, she found him acting normally, his focus solely on the weird shaped noodles.

Feminist devil bit her brain and she lifted her free foot, placing the pointed heel on his free foot, and pressed with much force causing his eyes to snap up at her.

Now I'm definitely going to get my ass kicked pretty badly, She swallowed hard when the twirls of his black iris twisted more and the whites of his eyes pulled all the blood at their surfaces.

She landed on her back upon the floor, as one thump by his hand had the tablecloth fly away, and a firm kick by his teasing foot flipped Gauri's chair. He stomped towards her and yanked her off the ground grabbing her hair in a tight fist.

Though pain blazed her scalp, she didn't give him the luxury to witness her tears as she glared back at his livid black orbs, despite of her hammering heart.

'How dare you hurt me?', he shook her head by her hair.

'You have no right to touch me improperly', she gritted her teeth to subdue the pain and tear.

'I bought you, do you get that?? I. Bought. You.', he chewed every word as he slapped across her face with the back of his palm, ' you are none to tell me how to behave with my property.'

'You dare to kick me??', he was furious. How can a woman even think of disrespecting him! He kicked her until she fell limp, but she didn't even whimper. No, she will never surrender to this beast. She will fight till her last breath. She will show him, he cannot own a human. He never can.

As he left stomping his feet on the polished mahogany floor after blowing a last kick on her ribcage that produced a cracking sound, she slowly braced herself on her palms, trying to get up, but he returned.

'I hate women who think so high of them!!', he roared while delivering a final kick on her stomach before Dandi pulled him hurrying away from her worriedly. 'I just hate women! I just hate the whole species!!', he continued to yell.

Gauri tried again to get up, but suddenly the world around her started to spin, and she threw up everything from her stomach, her nose bleeding, but she didn't cry out in pain. Silent tears ran down her cheeks and everything went black.

Do you yourselves feel like throwing up? I do. Omkara is blinded in hatred. What would have happened to him? But Gauri badly needs to keep a restrain on her dabang avatar, else she would end up in something horrible.
Pray for our poor chirraiya.
Happy reading!
With love,
Sarani.