"This is all your fault!" Shivaay repeated. "I mean who takes that kind of car for a road trip. You take a range rover or anything but that."

"Point duly noted, Shivaay. Stop repeating!" Omkara muttered annoyed as he walked ahead.

"God, look at you! So excited at the thought of traveling by a train!" Shivaay remarked.

Rudra chukled while the two of his older brother went on bantering. 

"Shut up!" He heard them both turn and rebuke in unison. 

He threw up his hands, "I should have traveled with the others. I don't know why I thought this road trip would be a cool idea with you two oldies." And there again, he received two glares. He quickly pushed up his sunglasses. "Are you sure there's a railway station around? This looks less for a village also." He murmured.

"Who even gets married in some village called Neemran!" Shivaay rumbled.

Omkara shook his head walking ahead,  "It's Neemrana!" He corrected his brother. "And that's the railway station!" He added pointing to a small wall, as he spotted the railway track hidden behind the trees.

"Wow! Is this in the Guiness World record?" Rudra asked catching up with Omkara. "Like, this has to be the smallest railway station ever!"

"Come on!" Omkara said leading the way.

Some forty minutes later, Rudra finally sat on the bench where Omkara and Shivaay were sitting. "I burned almost thousand calories and still the train hasn't come." Rudra whined.

"Exaggeration!" Omkara remarked dismissively.

"The network sucks here, it takes approximately four minutes for my text mail to open." Shivaay muttered. "We should have so called a taxi instead. I don't why I take your advice seriously, man!" He said throwing a disappointed glance at Omkara. 

"Fine, call your taxi here!" Omkara muttered and almost three seconds later, a faint sound of an engine's horn was heard. Omkara smiled, "the train is here!"

"Finally!" Rudra said springing up from the bench.

Minutes later the train was charging away from the namesake station. Omkara stood at the entrance, by the door looking at the vegetation swipe past as the train gained speed. 

It reminded him of life. It just swipes past you and you're just left to wonder why it happened and what purpose it was for. He sighed leaning against the door of the train. Why wasn't he happy from inside like he was from outside? The only time when he truly felt happy was when he was in the company of his brothers. 

Life should come with a guidebook to happiness.

* * *

"Wow!" The word fell out of Shivaay's mouth as he stood at the main entrance of the fort of Neemrana.

"Damn, this one's like a whale in fish tank!" Rudra remarked.

Omkara smiled, admiring the magnificence of the royal fort, "well, never judge a book by it's name or cover!" 

"Shivaay!" Came a feminine voice and the brothers didn't have to turn to know who it was. Omkara smiled as within the next few seconds Shivaay was int he embrace of his wife. 

"Are you guys, okay?" She asked soaking up her husband's presence.

"Yeah, we are fine! You should stop overreacting." Shivaay murmured as she pulled away.

Omkara sensed a coming up banter."Bhabhi, why don't you lead us in? As it is we are very hungry!" He said to put off their possible exchange of not so lovely words to later.

"Yeah!" Anika exclaimed coming to his side. "Come on!" She said looping one arm around Omkara and the other around Rudra, giving a glare to her husband. 

Omkara smiled as Shivaay rolled his eyes and followed. 

"Omkara, you should also have a destination wedding in a place like this." Anika remarked as they walked past the widespread garden to the staircase that led inside.

"Yes bro!" Rudra exclaimed checking out a few girls who walked past him. 

"I would recommend an out of India destination!" Shivaay added from behind them.

"No way. It should be Indian and royal like this!" Anika dismissed Shivaay's suggestion. 

"I still can't believe Ruhaani di is getting married!" Rudra spoke as they made their way up the stairs that had potted plants on either side. 

"Yeah, even Om hasn't been hitched who is two years older than her!" Shivaay added.

"Shivaay, please don't be an aunty!" Omkara said loud enough to make Shivaay conscious of people around while Anika laughed out loud.

"Your brother is way orthodox than you two know!" Anika remarked looking at her husband before walking to the reception.

"OmRu! Keys to your room." She said tossing the key to Rudra who immediately caught it. "Good catch!"

"Thanks, Bhabhi!"

Omkara sulked at the idea of sharing a room with Rudra. He'd have to tolerate his C grade flirting with girls over phone in the most odd hours of the night and Rudra would use all his grooming necessities, despite having his own. Perfect beginning!

"Come on, the lunch is ready. The dining hall is that way." Anika spoke glancing at he husband who had suddenly come to stand close beside her.

"I need to freshen up first." Shivaay declared. "Keys?" He asked opening his plam before his wife.

"I am hungry!" She asserted.

"Okay, go eat. Just give me the keys to our room."

"I waited so that we could eat together!" She told him explicitly.

He sighed, "Take OmRu along. I can't eat without freshening up!"

"Fine." She muttered placing the keys on his plam. "Let's go. Let the Baagad Billa go bath!" She said leading the grinning brothers to the dining hall.

Omkara had to agree with Shivaay, Anika had changed a little after marriage. The Anika he knew, wouldn't have waited for Shivaay to eat. She would have eaten if she was hungry. He looked on as Anika only stuck to salad, time and again her gaze moving to the entrance of the dining hall. 

"Why are you still waiting for him?" Omkara asked amused, glancing around to see what was taking Rudra so much time to get a refill. Ahaan, he was standing with a group of three girls smiling and talking. Such a flirt!

"I don't want him to be awkwardly eating alone."

Omkara smiled appreciatively, not bothering to say out loud that Shivaay would be the last person who would be awkward eating alone. In fact, he would probably join someone or the other and delve into talking business over lunch. 

It was late afternoon when Omkara and Rudra were making the way to the room allocated to them. 

"O, aren't you excited. There are so many pretty girls around. This wedding is going to be a blast."

"I thought you said you weren't going to enjoy much because Saumya wasn't coming."

Rudra let out a chukle, "I didn't know this place would be filled with so much beauty."

"Ru, you really are just friends with Saumya?" Omkara asked looking at his brother observantly.

"No way. Not just friends, we are best friends Om." Rudra replied his eyes gazing down the corridor with a wide smile.

Omkara sighed and turned to see what had got his brother's attention. His eyes widened and lips parted in shock. 

That couldn't be Gauri, or could she?

The woman was dressed in a ruby colored anarkali dress, with hair left open, a bunch of the curls on her shoulders. Her ears adorned big jhumkas. Her face prettier than ever appearing to reflect a small pink glow. She wasn't looking up and walking, her eyes were on a paper she held over a book. That... couldn't be Gauri!

Omkara blinked and looked at her again. As though feeling his glance she looked up. Her eyelashes flickered a little before her eyes were wide open staring right into his. 

"Gauri!" He drawled as she halted a few steps away from him. His own steps faltered.

She looked as shocked as he was. "Omkara!" His name escaped feebly through her lips. 

"Did I miss something?" Rudra turned to his brother.

"What are you doing here?" He asked shocked.

Gauri looked away and then noticed the other man beside Omkara who smiled at her.

"O," Rudra muttered smiling at Gauri. When his brother didn't respond he nudged him turning to look at him. "O!" He said again, to bring his brother out of statue mode.

"Yeah!" Omkara blinked.

"You know her?" 

"Yeah, I ... uh, she's Gauri."

"Hi, Gauri!" Rudra greeted warmly, "I am Rudra O's brother!"

Gauri nodded briefly staring at Omkara again. He looked just like he looked the last time she saw him, a little over an year back, when he left her.

"Excuse me!" She mumbled walking past him. 

Omkara looked confused and turned quickly, calling her name, "Gauri!"

She stopped and turned to meet his eyes again. 

"Why are you running away? What are you doing here?" He asked.

"I have work. It's my cousin's wedding!" Her eyes seemed to be accusing him and her words were cold. Having said that she marched away. 

Omkara stood stumped. He didn't think he'd ever see her again. He looked at her figure that retreated down the carpeted passageway. His mind briefly playing all the memories he had with her. There were so many questions he needed answers for!

How was that?

Waiting to know your thoughts!

-Anami!♡

P.S. - I have started another book on Rikara called Unsteady you can find it on my profile.