"I felt my heartbeats stop at once, as dread caused fluttering in my stomach and fear tingled my skin with goosebumps."

~•~•~•~•~

'Mumma see!', Rikara put up a earthen doll in her hand, her face, hands and clothes splashed with colours and her thick black bangs falling on her face.

'Its very nice sweetie, I love it!!', Gauri ruffled Rikara's hair.

'Grandpa Pal, can I keep it??', Rikara showed the doll to the old man.

'Sorry dear, I have to dry it before you take it, else it will lose its colour and paint your hand eventually', He took the doll carefully and kept it with other dolls to dry in an oven.

'Grandpa Pal!! How long are you going to give me those dolls to paint only?? I'm five years old now and I'm big enough to make a doll by myself!!', Rikara whined.

'Its for safety reasons dear', the old man patted Rikara's head, 'I don't want you get hurt by the splinters in the soil. But since you are asking so much, I'll give you a freshly refined dough for clay modelling, okay?', he handed her a ball of greyish pile of alluvium, freshly collected from beneath of the river Ganges.

Gauri wanted to protest, but the old man smiled at her assuring. Gauri gave off a hesitant smile, she came to know by living here that the alluvium collected from river Ganges was very sacred and they were used for making idols of Gods and Goddesses only. But this old man loved Rikara so much that he gave her that alluvium for practising.

Rikara was trying to make a shape out of the dough, but every time it collapsed on the ground. She pouted for sometime, watching the stubborn dough, her eyebrows squinted. Gauri chuckled at her troubled daughter, but raised her hands in air surrendering, after receiving a glare from Rikara.

*****

Omkara was strolling in the dimly lit alleys, snapping photographs of the unfinished idols, tall, intimidating. Some of the idols had only clay smeared over the main structure of bamboo and hay, some were painted in all white - the base colour, some were painted in different monotones as, pink, yellow, blue, green, etc. There was a lot of touch ups needed for them.

This alley was the unofficial studio of a clay modeler, namely, Sri Jatin Pal. As he crossed the alley covered by large polymer canvases, making the whole area darker than it actually was, he stepped in an opening. The area was quite big and many idols, stood there for a sunbath to dry their clay smeared skins up. At a distance, a small girl was trying to make something out of a pile of greyish clay. The bangs on her forehead kept falling on her eyes as her lady companion, maybe her mother, traced them back behind her ear and took out clips from a little sidebag to tuck them away from her forehead. The girl was around five, her little hands, and the front of her dress was smeared with clay. Time and again, she showed the twisted and deformed masterpieces she made to the lady and the old man. He could see only the chocolate brown curtain from behind, shaking as she nodded at the girl vigorously, increasing the little girl's enthusiasm. He smiled fondly at them, glowing in an orange aura of setting sunlight, a sense of fullness covering his heart as a comfortable blanket of happiness. He felt a tug at his heart, but he retreated from there, but, after clicking a pic of them.

*****

'Wooooow!!', Richa drawled, 'You're looking soooo hot! Mukesh, don't even dare to look up at Gauri, or I'll have you murdered I swear! Oh my God, men in your new office are gonna kiss the floor you walk on tonight!!'

'I'm getting fat with your endless buttering Richa. Now let me take a look on Rikara', Gauri got up from the stool before the dressing table.

Rikara jumped up in front of her, dressed in a black frock jacket with oversized collar and golden buttons. Her hair was pulled back by a golden hairband, 'I'm ready mumma!! Wow, you look so beautiful, like those ladies in the big roadside boards!'

'Thank you sweetie, and you look pretty too', Gauri kissed her forehead.

'But not as beautiful as you', Rikara pouted.

'You will, when you will grow up as tall as me or Richa aunty', Gauri ticked Rikara's belly and she bursted in laughter.

Richa took the keys of Gauri's apartment as she came to the garage to see her off. They lived in the same area, but different apartments.

'Bye Gauri, kill men with your looks!'

'Shut up Richa!! We have a minor here!', glaring embarrassedly, Gauri got into her car, after tucking Rikara safely at the passenger seat inside.

'Bye Rikara baby, keep an eye on your mumma!!', Richa shouted from behind.

'I will', Rikara shouted back.

'You guys are impossible', Gauri pressed the accelerator, shaking her head.

*****

Omkara entered the hall of Grand Hayat, with his new PA, Ms. Naynika Mathoor. He was ten minutes earlier than the actual time. Most of the guests had arrived and soon he got busy in greeting the members of board, management, lead software programme designers, as well as the chairpersons of other companies acquainted with former SmarTech.

But his attention was moved towards the entrance as a huge wave of 'ooh's and 'wow's hit his ears. Looking at the source of the sounds, he found the same girl from Kumartuli was entering the hall holding the hand of a lady, maybe the same one who was there with her. And all the men and women eyed the lady as if they had collided with Venus on earth. And her appearance justified the behaviour of the onlookers. Clad in a long black wraparound leather sleeveless dress that had a slit, letting her left leg peek out, strapped in a golden stiletto, and her hand was adorned by a golden handcuff detailed with black stones. Two sets of long golden chains ran from her dangler and ended in her finely draped dutch hairdo, secured by golden maple leaf pins. Golden eye-shadow glistened the inner eyelids of her eyes, dissolving in the long winged eyeliner that framed her golden-hazel irises. Her delicate cheekbones were highlighted by golden powders and her lips were painted in wine red, giving her a dangerously seductive look.

But as soon as her eyes met his, he could feel his heart beating erratically, his eyes unable to restrain himself from checking her out from tip to toe and the world around them went blur, her each step inside happened in a slow motion, he was so engrossed that he could point out the chains swaying lightly along with some rich chocolaty brown outran curls.

But Gauri stiffened in alarm at his sight. Her stomach churned and flipped as her palms grew cold and sweaty. Though surprised by the look of strangeness in his eyes, she felt it better to hide herself from his eyesight and pray that his attention never get on her.

Much to his surprise, the lady averted her gaze quickly, but he couldn't miss the look of fear that covered her figure at once. She gripped the girl's hand tighter and scooted in the crowd, mingling herself with other guests. Much to her uneasiness, she got attention from everyone in the party, even from those whom she didn't know.

'She looks so hot', a man commented to another standing near Omkara.

'Yeah, if she hadn't the kid, I would have kidnapped her to somewhere private and fuck her like -', the another man nodded, but his voice died at his throat as soon as his gaze fixed at Omkara's intense glare.

One word more or I'll fucking shoot you like pigs, I swear, Omkara didn't know why he was feeling so protective over the unknown woman.

But, Naynika couldn't bear her nemesis getting all the attention. So, she clicked her stilettos on the polished marble floor and turned Gauri to herself by gripping her upper arm forcefully.

'What the.. Naynika!?!', Gauri asked surprised.

'Yeah, remember me, bitch?'

'One second', Gauri put a headphone over Rikara's ears and gripped her hand tightly.

'Now, now, classless slut! How can I forget such artificial plastic beauty?', Gauri readied herself for a drama.

'Don't fly so high bitch, I got your fiancé, I'm his PA now..', but Gauri cut her in middle.

'Tsk tsk tsk.. After an engineering degree, you're becoming a personal whore? That's so low of you.. But, who cares, if you yourself don't remember your standards?'

'You bitch..', Naynika laughed out loud, 'Do you know, why he is with me now?'

Because you are his new toy to play wedding-wedding with, Gauri thought, but said only one word, 'Why?'

'Because, he attempted suicide five years ago, and recently has woke up from coma, forgetting everything, even his own name!! So, my dad has accepted my plan to get married to him! By the way, is the kid his?? Then, you're in deep trouble -'

But she was shut up by Gauri as she pulled Naynika in a hug screeching, and pecked her cheeks excitedly, 'Has he forgotten everything?? Please tell me again, tell me that he has forgotten me!!', Gauri jumped holding Naynika's hands.

'What are you getting so happy about, bitch?? Yes, he has forgotten everything!!', She has officially lost it, Naynika thought.

'Though its awkward, but, thanks Naynika!! And listen psycho bitch, you two psychos are perfect for each other, like bitch, like club!! All the best', Gauri gave a flabbergasted Naynika double thumbs up, her teeth on proud display.

Naynika ran into Omkara's arms, shaking her head in despair.

'Where were you?', Omkara asked as soon as Naynika ran from the beautiful lady who was laughing like a maniac.

'Uh, just said hello to one of my college friend.. Omkara,' she drawled, 'Can we go for clubbing after this boring party?'

'Umm okay.. But where?', Omkara tried to make peace with his would be beneficial girlfriend.

'There is only place for clubbing in Kolkata.. Park Street!!'

'Okay.'

'Thank you Omkara, you're so cute!!', Naynika almost jumped upon him.

She didn't regret her skimpy black short dress with golden hem now. Because, even if she was deprived of the men's attention in the party.. She was sure that she would be able to seduce an intoxicated Omkara in the club.

So, our self proclaimed queen bitch is back. And, the clubbing part is hung for tomorrow, I'm tired AF.. 😪

Happy reading!
With love,
Sarani.