"You scream, you plead, I let my heart bleed, for this is my LOVE, silent tears of BLOOD.

~•~•~•~•~•~

A stink entered her nostrils. Her guts twisted and tangled, preparing to throw up the little snacks she had.

Her mouth and eyes opened simultaneously and she gagged. But, each and every upchuck came out empty, increasing the twisting in her stomach more.

She gasped and gulped a large amount of air, her eyes so dilated that they would pop out of their sockets anytime, but the strangling pungency cut out even her most primal necessity.

Looking around as a dear caught in headlight, she screamed again.

Skeletons! Skeletons! And skeletons! Everywhere she turned, there was a skeleton, coming closer to her, a pungent rotten smell dissipating from them, engulfing her senses, muffling her cries.

'O-m-k-a-r-a-ji...!!!, Omkaraji!! Please take me out.. I'm afraid of ghosts, please take me out.. Please... Please!!
Omkaraji!!!',
she shrilled at the top of her voice, hoping him to hear, but poor girl didn't know that the basement cellar had soundproof walls, thus, only she could hear her screams.

'Help me! Help! Is anybody out there?? Help me!! I'm stuck!! Help!', she cried until her throat dried, voice stumbled down.

'No! Don't come near me! You are dead, I'm not.' Her voice became almost inaudible, her energy draining out due to the immense pressure her brain got under, 'I know, you can't move, you are dead. I'll not go with you! You all are tricking me, right? I'm not falling for your tricks.. Uh nah.. I'm not falling for your tricks...', she continued to mumble, shaking her head.

But the skeletons didn't seem to budge anytime soon. They continued to surround her, their bony fingers lightly curved, approaching her neck to squeeze the life out of her body.

'I.. I don't wanna die. Please don't kill me! I didn't harm you.. By any means.. Please don't kill me, please..', she continued to swing her head feebly, mumbling incoherently until their fingers were hairlines apart from her neck..

O Death!! Dear Death! Hold me in thou embrace..

*****

'Dandi! How long is she in there?'

'Around twenty two hours, why?'

'Idiot, tell the maid to give her some water, she may be thirsty now', Omkara was smoothening the surface of a clay model, his hands covered in soft muddy clay, his black glasses hanging at the edge of the bridge of his nose.

'Yes Master.' Dandi left.

*****

'Dandi sir! Dandi sir!', the maid ran up to Dandi, standing near the staircase leading to basement.

'Dandi sir! Ma'am is unconscious!', she panted noisily.

'What? Oh no!', Dandi ran towards Omkara's studio.

'Master! Gauri Ma'am is unconscious!', he announced breathlessly as soon as he bursted the door open.

'Shit!', Omkara cursed under his breath, 'don't touch her, I'm coming.'

His clay model left there undone, he rushed out, dodging the pillars of the hall, as he ran towards the back of the manor, the staircase of the basement.

*****

'Doctor! Is she alright?', an appalled Omkara shot the doctor, as soon as he came out after checking Gauri.

'See, Mr. Oberoi, she is not alright at all, her whole body is burning in fever.. Her temperature is 104°F right now, and yes, she is dehydrated completely. And the fever is solely due to fear. She became severely afraid of something and had a panic attack, sort of. She needs complete rest, both physically and mentally. I gave her a sedative, but judging her condition, I would suggest you to comfort her when she wakes up, from time to time, or she will have nightmares.', the doctor gave a long speech upon nightmares and panic attacks, nodding his head understandingly.

'Ye.. Yes doctor. Dandi..'

Dandi escorted the doctor outside. Exhaling deeply, he faced the maid, bowing her head down.

'Uh, you may leave now. Just keep reminding me of her medications.', he nodded.

'As you wish, master.', she left.

Omkara climbed the bed, carefully, not to disturb her sleep. Slowly shifting her head in his lap, he started stroking her hair, blowing air softly on the beads of sweat formed on her forehead.

It wasn't my fault, Jaan. You should've listened to me for once. You have to accept your punishment, I can do nothing about that.. Omkara was lost in his own world until an incoherent blabber entered his ears.

'D.. Don't kill me! Please don't kill me! No, keep away your claws.. they are scaring me.. please, keep away your claws..', Gauri mumbled, her eyes still closed.

'Jaan! Jaan! Do you hear me? Jaan, you are okay. Perfectly okay. Nobody will kill you.. Jaan? Jaan? Can you hear me?', Omkara whispered hastily in her ear, cradling her face near his chest.

But alas! Her breath evened again, and she slipped into a deeper slumber.

*****

Omkara didn't know what the time was. He was stroking her hair and face for an eternity, lost in her paled frame.

'Uhhh.. My head.. ', Gauri mumbled.

'Jaan!', Omkara was alert at once.

'What the hell.. Even Death is calling me Jaan.. Death's voice is too like Omkaraji..', Gauri slurred.

'Oh gosh Jaan! You're not dead. Its me, your Omkaraji!', Omkara shook her lightly.

'O.. Omkaraji! Omkaraji!!', Gauri jumped on him, her legs around his waist and hands around his neck, she sobbed in the croon of his neck like a scared little girl, 'is it really you Omkaraji?? Am I not dead? Those.. They didn't kill me, right??'

Omkara rubbed her back soothing her hiccups, 'Shh, its okay Jaan, whoever was scaring you will not anymore.. I'm here Jaan, I'm here.'

'Th.. Those skeletons.. They were scary, they will strangle me.. They will kill me.. I.. I'm scared of ghosts.. I'm scared of them..', Gauri sniffed again, tightening her hold around him.

Though her clinging was almost choking him, he didn't falter. For he knew, what a phobia can do. He himself suffered from it. Ugh! No! Stop surfacing yourselves, filthy memories!!

'Shh, shh, Jaan, its okay.. its okay.. See! No skeleton here. I'm with you na? The skeletons fear me, so they will not come near you.. Now, now, wipe your tears,' he wiped her tears using a scented tissue, 'no tear stains! Now, you will look like a cute little matryoshka doll with your red button nose..', he bent to kiss her nose and rub his nose with hers.

'Sleep now, Jaan..', he cooed.

He was getting up from the bed, but she stopped him tugging at his wrist, her hazel orbs hidden in her  thick droopy lashes.

'Will you please lie down with me?'

Awww...😍😍
Rikara first night... Innocent one😒😒

I got many complaints regarding the presentation of Gauri as a fragile woman. But, she is not. She is not a fragile kitten, if you read her actions and reactions in the last chapter, you will also understand it.

Those who want to yell that why is Gauri scared of ghosts, I want to say that, everybody fears of something.. It can be anything, fire, water, height, spider, etc. So don't jump to any conclusion. Please🙏

Finally,
Happy reading!

PS: I posted a character interview of Omkara by sharancasprock, in my new Instagram account anonymous_word_player, follow and read it, if you like.💖

With love,
Sarani.