"Is this the end of our story, Omkaraji?'

~ Gauri
(The Fairytale I Never Dream Of)

~•~•~•~•~

'Rikara, at least let me pack my own bag sweetie', Gauri breathed out harshly, she was looking for the power adaptor of her laptop.

'Gauri, I cannot find my green tie, can you please look for it', Omkara hurried in, fumbling with the buttons of his shirt sleeves.

'Enough! Both of you! Just shut up and let me breath at least!!!', Gauri glared at the father-daughter duo, hands on her hips, 'I'm not your servant that you are barking orders at me! And for your kind information, I also have to go to office!!'

'Sorry', they resonated in unison, their hands held high in the air, surrendering.

Gauri finally zipped her bag and turned around to see Omkara tying the laces of Rikara's shoes.

'Let's go', he walked out holding Rikara's hand, not daring to look at Gauri's eyes.

The journey in the car was awfully quiet. Suddenly Omkara piped out of blue, 'We have an angry bird in car today', and fist-bumped with Rikara who was in the backseat.

'I'm listening', Gauri grumbled while putting her head at the car windrow, sitting at the co passenger seat.

'And we want you listen this thing', Omkara grinned widely.

'Hopeless', Gauri banged her head in her palms.

After dropping Rikara at her school, they entered the office together. Everybody turned at them in admiration, greeting.

Well, it had been two months since that awful night of Gauri's exclusion from her apartment. She was living with Omkara since then and to their surprise, their colleagues were very pleased to see them together. Why wouldn't they? They still remember the day after one week of Gauri's extrusion, when the ladies who bullied her came to her to apologize for their misdeeds, that too in front of each and every member in the office. They were just released from police custody and these was arranged by their very kind CEO, Omkara Singh Oberoi. The whole office shipped them, and they were more than happy to board the sailing ship of office romance. But, much to their dismay, Gauri and Omkara both were strict professionals and haters of PDA.

That day was two days past Mahalaya. The whole building was filled with excited buzz of people, asking each other excitedly of their Puja plans. Gauri too was very excited. She already had planned to cancel their annual tour and show Omkara the celebration of Durga Puja in Kolkata. And the reason was very small.

Almost one and a half month ago, the residents of the township came to Omkara requesting him to make a idol of Goddess Durga for their suddenly planned Puja. Omkara was denying at first, but melted when they said that the Kumartulis had already stopped taking orders and they cannot arrange for an idol in such short notice.

On the auspicious moment of the misty cold dawn of Mahalaya, when Virendrakrishna Bhadra's recitation was filling the ears of the city from FMs, Omkara took both Gauri and Rikara to his studio. He let Rikara hold the brush dipped in black colour and made her draw the three eyes of Goddess Durga. With the guidance of his skillful fingers clasping Rikara's little hand, the eyes stood out perfectly. Clueless of what to do, Gauri took the conch shell the maid taught her to blow, and blew it with all her force.

After the office hours were over, they took Rikara from crèche and went on a shopping to buy themselves some Bengali clothes. Omkara had contacted a reputed designer's boutique. Omkara chose some finely knit Dhakai with intricate patterns, real Murshidabadi silk whose saree could pass through a ring that we wear in our fingers, a red bordered white saree and some Balucharis, marvellous threadworks adorning them.(all these are types of sarees Bengalis wear)

Though Omkara was petrified to see the huge pleats of dhotis, Gauri made him buy them along with some kurtas.

Finally, they bought a set of ready to wear saree for Rikara, and some cute and comfy dresses for her.

All set to rock the Durgotsav!!

Priyanka, Ranveer, Richa and Mukesh moved in Omkara's bungalow for Puja celebration. The local ladies were so happy with the beautiful idol of the Goddess that they immediately jelled up with the living in couple and pulled Gauri in every Puja with them, throughout all these four days.

Omkara should have been dismayed to lose her warmth in their morning bed (Okay, hold back your horses, Rikara sleeps between them). But each dawn made him fall harder for his Gauri. He stared longingly at the balcony through the half opened French doors, his heart hammered upon his ribcage as he enjoyed every moment when she brushed her wet hair with a towel, making golden drizzles of water fly around, her wet chocolaty brown strands glowed in golden streaks. Numerous droplets of water glistened at her fair back as beads of liquid gold. He loved the chimes of her golden bangles when she moved her hands, he melted in those moments when she entered the room wearing two heavy bell anklets, and called him meekly to tie the strings of her blouse. He felt sparks running through his veins when his sleepy fingers sluggishly traced her wet back and goosebumps raised under his touch.

The three families along with Dandi as their driver explored the streets of Kolkata at nights. Though exhausted by the crowd and walking, they enjoyed each other's company and obviously, was amazed to see the lighting and decoration of each pandal, along with the various stunning themes the organizers spent fortunes upon. Omkara literally planned to start theme based idol making and mentally calculated the huge sum of profit it could earn him. Though, he didn't like the idea of renunciation of those hardworks.

Finally came the day of renunciation. Their guests had left the night before because, Gauri, Omkara and Rikara would be busy in the process of  welcoming the Goddess before renunciation.

After subjugating and feeding sweets to the Goddess, the ladies, all clad in different types of red bordered white saree and chaplets of white jasmines tucked in their hair, came down holding trays of vermilion heaped on them, from the dias of the Goddess.

'Aschhe bochhor, abaar hobe',( the upcoming year, we'll come again)

With this huzza they threw fistful of vermilion in air, and the crowd got busy in smearing vermilion upon each other.

Gauri was looking for Omkara in the crowd holding Rikara's hand tightly. She found him slightly blurred due to the red dusty fog when he jumped down from the truck, after helping the men in lifting the idol. He was sweaty and the thin organdi kurta was sticking to his toned muscles. But he was still facing trouble in managing the pleats of the dhoti.

He felt a soft warm palm brushing over his stubble cheeks, smearing cold vermilion on them. He leaned upon the palm as he stared lovingly in those hazel orbs, shining as gold under the yellow fairy lights that decorated the street.

Smirking, he also took out a fistful of vermilion from behind and smeared upon her forehead, forwarding his hand over her hairline, filling it up to her crown. Then his heated fingers traced her cheeks, pulling streaks of red on them, and rubbed his thumb sensually over her lips, while Gauri tearfully stared at the idol of Goddess Durga behind him.

The blaring drum, heavy bells and conch shells hid Rikara's surprised scream when someone hit Omkara's head from behind his back. Gauri's trance too broke when his heated sensual gaze turned into a pained longing. He immediately grabbed her hand in his fist as another blow hit his head. Gauri felt someone putting a cloth over her face from behind her, and she felt her senses blurring. She tried desperately to maintain her hold on Rikara's hand, but eventually her grip loosened and someone snatched Rikara away. Omkara stared at her drooping eyelids although blood oozing from his cuts and tears blurred his vision. A final blow of heavy shoe in their entwined fingers, made their hands fall limp and both of them were dragged in opposite directions, their fingers brushed for the last time before they went apart.

Both Gauri and Rikara were taken in a car, while Omkara was thrown in another. Rikara was struggling to free her herself from the bulky man's grip, and she shouted towards a unconscious Omkara in despair,

'PAPA..!!!'

Twist in the story... Dun! Dun! Dun!
😨😰😱 inn bechaaron ki khushi ko kiski nazar lag gayi? Who did these? Why did these? How could they do these to Rikara and RiKara??

Happy reading!
With love,
Sarani.