"I hate you

I love you

I hate that

I love you"

~ Gnash.

~•~•~•~•~

'Where are we going?', Rikara asked, angry because of some random uncle she lost her Sunday special lunch.. Mom's special Chicken Biryani.

'Sorry sweetie, but I promise, if we get out early, I will make Biryani for dinner, but now its very urgent.', Gauri almost ran after Ranveer.

A bike was parked outside the rusty collapsible gate of their apartment, "POLICE" sticker pasted on it. Gauri and Rikara hopped behind Ranveer and Ranveer bolted his Royal Enfield off.

*****

'So you're a police.', Gauri adjusted her crumpled kurti.

'Yes. I'm an ACP, Crime Branch, Laalbazar. Follow me in', they entered a large apartment.

Gauri looked around. The apartment was big, well decorated, but yet, it had something missing.. A warmth.. A homely feeling.. And what shuddered her inside was the same coldness in the air that she felt in Panchghani initially.

'Is this your', Gauri was stopped midway as she saw Ranveer taking out a huffing and puffing woman, her ghostly white bony fingers clawed at his broad tanned wrist as she limped behind him, her beautiful face shadowed under dark circles and her wild black curls danced with every step she took.

Beside her, Ranveer was looking as a Greek god in his toned body and raven black hair slightly disheveled. He smiled apologetically at Gauri and turned to the lady who was eyeing Gauri as if she had met a ghost.

'Sh.. Sh.. She's al- alive?', the lady turned to Ranveer who was grinning like an idiot who just bought the most expensive gift for his girlfriend.

'Do you like our special guests today? Happy Anniversary Love', he tried to hug her but she shot away.

'Priyanka?', Gauri squinted her brows.

'Gauri!! Oh my God you're alive!!', Priyanka screeched, pulling Gauri in a bear hug.

Gauri was wondering how much strength those bony hands had while gasping for air and patting Priyanka's back.

'You look more beautiful in person', Priyanka stepped back, observing Gauri from head to toe. And Ranveer snuck out somewhere stealthily.

Suddenly Priyanka's gaze landed on Rikara who was blinking rapidly at the bony woman, 'Awwww.. She's so cute!! Who is she?', she picked Rikara up in her arms, while she made noises under her breath in protest.

'Rikara', Gauri smiled at them, 'Me and-'

'Eyes, brother Om.. Hair, brother Om.. But her face is like you, just like you were in childhood', Priyanka grinned widely.

'Who is brother Om?', Rikara looked around.

Gauri gulped.

'You didn't tell her, did you?', Priyanka gave a torn smile, tears brimming at the corners of her eyes, 'Well, how could you? She doesn't deserve the monster of a father like him!', she turned to Rikara, 'I'm your father's sister, Priyanka aunty. You can call me Prinku Aunty too'.

'I have a father?', Rikara smiled in surprise, but soon her face turned gloomy, 'But why doesn't he meet us? Don't he like us? Mumma, why didn't you tell me about him?? Prinku Aunty, have you seen father? How does he look? How tall he is? Is he as good looking as Antara's father?'

'Whoa.. Whoa.. Oh my my she's so talkative, just like you!', Priyanka exclaimed.

'And who is this Antara's father?', Gauri raised a brow.

'You don't know him?? He is the uncle who gave you red roses and asked to be my father!', she turned to Priyanka excitedly, making animated hand gestures, 'You know, you can see him in those big roadside boards too!!'

'Why didn't you accept his proposal? It was a great chance to escape that hell of a marriage', Priyanka was swinging her lap, putting Rikara upon it, and Gauri was fidgeting with the end of her kurti.

'I couldn't', Gauri averted her eyes, 'By the way, how do you know about me?'

'Brother Om', smiling sadly, Priyanka took out an album, and it was full of Gauri's pictures, from her first night in the mansion to her crazy antics with her guitar.

Gauri ran her fingers over her face in those pictures, and with a jolt she rushed back in those moments. Every picture was a memory, her smiles, how radiant they were back then.. Now she knew only to give away fake polite smiles, only Rikara could bring back the old Gauri in her.

She turned a page and her fingers stunned over a picture. Her nose puffed and eyes reddened, ready to spill tears any moment.

*****

'You can't catch me!!', Gauri ran away, droplets of water still dripping from her delicate pink palms.

'Just wait and watch Jaan', Omkara wiped his splashed face with his palm and shook his head, drizzles of water ran from the locks around his face as he jogged after her in the back garden, letting her win.

But the night of new moon showed Gauri the most beautiful scenery. As she went deeper in the garden, her feet sank into the grass, and fireflies started to fly out from the darkness one by one.

Gauri forgot her game as she stood amazed in the middle of rose bushes, wiggling her toes in the soft grass as more and more and more fireflies started flying around her, twirling round her raised fingers, she giggled like a little girl when palmed one of them.

'I will always stop you from leaving me',she melted in the arms that heated her waist through her silk night robe and her husband's deep, yet soft voice tingled her ears in warmth.

She turned at him, looking up, as his bottomless black ocean gleamed in a wild green glow. He took out a rose from behind and tucking it in her ruffling hair he whispered, 'Your eyes, I  can't describe how beautiful they look with those greenish aura surrounding you hazel seas, you're indeed a dryad, my little dryad', his lips softly brushed over her temple, just where he tucked the flower.

Gauri was falling hard for her ritually wedded husband and true, she didn't care of his past anymore. He was the epitome of beauty, beauty of love and being loved.

So, without any other word, she put her palms over his chest as he plastered themselves more to each other. His heart thundered thousands of love poems upon her palms as the wild beating of her maiden heart made him giddy.

So convenient it was, a beautiful night, swarms of fireflies flying surrounding them in a loop of never ending circles, and they glowed in a beautiful green of unripe love, set in a frame of eternity.

... Who clicked our pic there?', Gauri mumbled.

'Mumma!', Rikara whined.

'Oh! Sorry sweetie I zoned out.. What happened?', Gauri smiled sheepishly at Rikara.

'Mumma! What is Uncle doing there with you in the picture?'

Gauri's hitched at her throat as she looked at Rikara petrified.

Priyanka sensed the need to handle the situation. Patting Rikara's head she put her pointer finger on Omkara's face in the picture, 'He, is not your Uncle, he, is your father.'

This chapter is dedicated to aashisood, my favourite Aashi di.. Sorry for being so late and maybe the last to wish you a very very very happy birthday... Asking God for all the best wishes I can remember for you..🎂💐❤ Stay happy, stay healthy, and let me call you di forever.. ❤❤❤❤❤❤× infinity😂

Couldn't think of a better gift than this.. 😂😋😜

And... How're you all?? Hope this update can make you happy. Actually I have another exam on 9th August, but couldn't help myself from coming back. I will be active till Sunday and, let's see.. How many updates I can give you..

Finally, the exam was a mixture, one of my honours papers went pretty bad and I was very upset, but the following two exams were blows and blasts and I'm finally smiling. That's also a reason I came back.😊

Okay, now enough of my faaltu bakwas.. Let's get some sleep😪😴

Happy reading!
With love,
Sarani.