"I feel you burning in my heart, but I can't point your identity out."

~•~•~•~•~

Rudra, Bhavya, Shivaay and Anika bursted open the door of Omkara's bedroom almost together. They froze for a moment when the completely crumbled man looked up at them, his eyes dilated and red, body shaking in inexpressible pain.

'Om?', Shivaay carefully asked.

Omkara ran to Shivaay and hugged him like a scared child, sobbing as he croaked,

'I.. I killed an woman Shivaay! With my bare hands!!', he left Shivaay and stumbled back, looking at his shaking palms, as he fell on the floor on his butts, 'I strangled her.. throat..', his nostrils flared and wide lachrymation washed off his reddened face, as he gasped like an asthmatic patient for dear air.

Though a victorious smirk of satisfaction designed Shivaay, Anika and Rudra's faces, Shivaay covered it quickly with a look of fake concern as he crouched down beside his brother to hold him in his embrace.

'Why are you acting so weird Om? It was just a nightmare. Please calm yourself, did you take your medicine after dinner?', Shivaay asked him like the caring brother he pretended to be to him.

'I did take them Shivaay, still', Omkara was sushed as Shivaay spoke up, 'Don't worry Om, Dr. Ghoshal has already prescribed some tranquilizers for your sleep. I guess you should start taking them before you sleep from tomorrow. Now, wipe your tears and try to sleep- Rudra,' Shivvay wiped Omkara's face and Rudra fetched him a glass of water.

Gulping the ice water, Omkara looked at his visitors apologetically, 'Shivaay, Anika, Rudra, Bhavya, I'm sorry guys, I woke you up midnight',

But he was cut by Anika, 'This is what family is for, Om. Do tell us if you feel troubled, okay?'

'Okay, thanks Anika.'

'Good night Om',they left, but Bhavya turned at him at last, her eyes misted in concern and helplessness.

*****

Everybody was elbowing each other standing outside the kitchen, worried looks etched on their faces as Omkara slowly stood beside them. Bending at Ansh's level, he whispered,

'What's going on champ?'

'Haw! Shweeping (sleeping) beauty! Dangwah(danger) dinnewe (dinner).. Mumma ish cooking todaa(today)', Ansh put his little hand on his heart, acting surprised.

'What's wrong in mumma's', his question was immediately answered as soon as a stench of burnt onions entered his nostrils. Sighing loudly, he shook his head. Ignoring the different types of glares shot at him, he strode towards Anika, who was now mixing garlic powder in water. Her face was sweaty and streaks of flour adorned her face and hair, as if she had played holi with flour.

'Anika, what are you cooking?', Anika jerked her head up to meet two black irises, twinkling in amazement.

'I, uh, trying to make channa-bhatoora, but, its getting spicier than Shivaay's preference!', Anika sighed, exasperated.

'Mind if I help you out?', Omkara poured the burnt onions in a bin and kept the cauldron aside in basin.

'Om.. Its okay', Anika didn't had the tiniest bit of her heart wishing to cook with him. But as she herself had the cook sent away on a holiday, she had to cook something edible for her family.

'Please Anika, let me help you in this', Omkara took out a nonstick pan, 'You see Anika, whenever you use this type of utensils, the required amount of oil is drastically lessened.'

He sautéed some cinnamon, clove and cardamoms, partially crushed. Adding some squarely cut onions in the oil, he gave her the spatula to stir the onions, when he started making a paste of ginger and garlic.

Anika felt a lot ease around him as he showed her how to toss ingredients, helped her out in flattening the dough pieces of bhatoora, and boy, they were perfect circles.

Once done, he wiped his hands on his apron and stopped Anika from leaving the kitchen.

'Uh.. Indian menu and no sweets??'

'What should we make?'

'Find some ghee, I saw some sevaayi in today's grocery bag.. Let's make some!!'

'Okay!', Anika squealed like a child, sevaayian was her favourite.

*****

'Delicious!', Tej commented.

'Anika is a really nice cook Dad', Tej choked on his food as his eyes dilated like saucers, 'Anika!?!'

'Tej uncle!!', Anika gave him a glass of water to soothe his cough, when Omkara spoke up, 'Sorry Dad, I didn't mean to startle you.'

'Haa.. Huh..! Its fine! I'm fine!', Tej hurriedly said.

'Actually Om helped me in cooking', Anika smiled, hiding the gingering feeling stinging her heart.

Omkara grinned widely. It has been almost four months since he came back home. Everybody here seemed as if despising him for some unknown reason. Their behaviour was cold and distant, but Bhavya and kids were the striking exceptions. From some chat sessions with Bhavya, he came to know that he used to live in a different house, alone. He actually had not much chances to gel up with his family. But she carefully dodged the questions related to the girls he saw in his dreams, where he generally murdered them brutally and as much as he wanted to sleep, the screams of the dying girls woke him up at midnight and he had to spend the rest of the night wide awake.

This lack of peace of mind and sleep had been taking a toll on both his physical and mental health. Now he started taking overdoses of the tranquilizer, to calm his chaotic mind down. He started painting again, as distraction from the haunting nightmares that jumbled his mind during consciousness too.

Shades of grey and blue became his newest favourites as he painted night landscapes, on nights of different moons, apart from those, he suddenly started having obsession for a pair of hazel irises, shining in streaks of gold in the setting sun. Only the hazel irises and black pit of pupils contracted and dilated in different emotions started haunting him day and night and he finally brought a 6'×8' canvas, just to paint those lively irises, with careful detailing of each and every swirl.

*****

'Are you sure, Mishra?? Would we get the games company?'

'...'

'Okay, you settle things up in there.. Kolkata is not a very close city to Mumbai. Let's see whom can I send in there..', Shivaay disconnected the call, his brows etched in deep, troubling thoughts.

'Shivaay', Omkara tapped Shivaay's shoulder.

'Ah! Yes Om!'

'Uh.. Um.. May I go there to handle things?'

Though Shivaay was delighted to have a chance to get him out of Oberoi Mansion to rot in his own dungeon of imagination alone, he had to show off fake acts of a sensible brother.

'N.. No Om, I think Mishra or Tewari would be enough.'

'No Shivaay, I want to go far away from here. I guess these nightmares will stop chasing me only if I have a change in atmosphere.. And Kolkata seems a nice option. Please Shivaay, if I remain in here for more time, I'm sure, I'll lose my sanity.'

'But your health, office work, along with painting and sculpting.. You will fall sick. Who will look after you in there?'

'What I'm now experiencing is much more horrendous than feeling sick. I feel like killing myself. I can't even muse of anything as those faces and screams push me off my limits of restraint. I want to go Shivaay, just let me go! Please..', Omkara bowed his head down in defeat.

Sorry if I offended anyone by choosing Kolkata. But, simply, I just know about this city more than any city on this earth and the charms of the city is also needed in the story. So I chose the one I would be most comfortable with describing.

Kolkata..

Happy reading!
Sarani.