Omkara was irritated, annoyed and confused. He was carrying a few bags that were in his room to the room which was occupied by Shivaay's parents, who had arrived from Mandawar, after visiting a relative.

After dropping the bags at the room, where Shivaay was explaining the Tej situation to his parents he made his way back. He was so done. He wanted to go back to Mumbai. But it would be offensively rude to leave the main event. He had to somehow get through this day. He had decided that he wouldn't attend the main wedding ceremony which was planned to be held in a hall a kilometer away from the hotel. 

He was making his way to the elevator when he heard voices. Fate had a twisted and wicked sense of humor. He could easily tell it was Gauri's voice.

"This not fair Papa. I don't want to marry Omkara. You always do this. It's my life, you can't go around making decisions." Came her loud, shaky voice.

The words were like hit coals being hurled at his poor sensitive heart. But he deserved that. He was mad at himself for hurting Gauri. He looked around and moved closer to the ajar door of the room, where the voices were coming from. His eyes looking down the corridor to make sure no one was around.

"Gauri, stop screaming will you? Omkara is a nice guy. He's a renowned artist. Just Google his name and you'll know what a worthy man he is. He is Tej's elder son. The Oberois are nice people, Gauri. You'll he happy with them."

"Last time I checked, Tarun was an Oberoi too."

"Yeah, but... Tej revealed some really upsetting things about Sujeet. I am not letting you marry into that Oberoi's family."

"I can't believe you're doing this again. I shouldn't have come back at all."

"Gauri!" Her father raised his voice. "I want the best for you. It was my mistake to not see that Kamal wasn't exactly a good man. But this time, I have. Omkara is a nice person. "

"I don't want to marry him."

"You're hurrying this up. At least meet him once." Her father tried to make her understand.

"I have met him. Tarun introduced me to him and his brothers. I don't want to--"

"Gauri, Gauri. Just think over it. I am giving you the time. We'll talk about this later. Get ready, we will leave in thirty minutes." His father said with an air of finality. 

Omkara quickly made his way towards the staircase. He glanced back after moving up a few steps up to see Rajeev Verma walk into the adjacent room. The loud bang of the room's door echoed. The storm wrecking his soul only intensified after overhearing the conversation. Did Gauri lie to him? Or was she lying to her father? Either way, he shouldn't be thinking about it, but he was.

* * *

"Omkara! What is it?" 

Omkara let out a troubled sigh, as Shivaay approached him as he sat at a table in the terrace cafe of the hotel.

"I don't want to come for the function."

"Why?" Shivaay asked, pulling a chair and settling down on it. Looking at the clear skies. 

Omkara maintained a silence. He knew sooner or later he had to let it out. There was nobody better than Shivaay who understood him.

"I don't want to run into Mr. Tej Singh Oberoi, Riddhima, Tarun or Gauri. I am done with everything and everyone!"

"What happened?" Shivaay asked looking visibly concerned.

"Gauri's dad told her that he's... he is considering to marry her to me. She asked me about it yesterday. "

"And?"

"I said a no." Omkara muttered.

"Okay. What's bothering you then?"

Omkara finally looked away from the distant peak of the hill to Shivaay. "How did you deal with your feelings when Anika accepted Daksh's proposal?"

Almost immediately, Shivaay's lips formed into tight line. Omkara could easily read the intense conflict in Shivaay's blue eyes. Maybe he had touched a sensitive nerve.

"I didn't know it was still a sore topic. Sorry." He apologized.

"He is not. Just that it always makes me realize a few things that I wouldn't like to see. But," He took a brief pause, "to answer your question. "I didn't deal with it, Om. I bottled it up, locked it away. It only deepened my envy and erupted in the worst way and I ended up hurting her."

A resonating silence fell.

"Don't do it to yourself, Omkara. Sometimes you just need to let it go or hold on to it with everything you have. There is no in between that will work. Don't hurt her, if you care for her even a little bit, even if it just as a friend. I learned it the hard way."

"You are crazily in love with Anika!" Omkara smiled.

"Whatever you will call it." Shivaay muttered clearing his throat, looking around.

Omkara smiled, wondering why the word 'love' made Shivaay so uncomfortabl. A secret even he couldn't crack. "Please let me be here. I need some time with myself. Cook up some excuse." 

"Fine, but only if you promise to answer my calls quickly, if I call and you attend the reception today evening."

"Deal!"

"Take care Om!" Shivaay patted his shoulder and walked away.

Omkara couldn't be more thankful to Shivaay, for not asking any more questions about his feelings. Probably, he knew where Omkara was stuck or he simply related with the inner struggle, that conflict of emotions where nothing makes complete sense.

* * *

Gauri had to use extra make up to cover the puffiness of her eyes. Omkara had rejected her outright. That pierced her heart. At least, he was honest. Gauri should have been accepting to the fact. However, she couldn't digest it. She didn't know why it hurt her so much. It had also ruined the friendship between them. She had no clue why losing Omkara meant so much sadness. She didn't know know she had bawled her eyes out last night sitting inside the washroom. She hadn't felt so bad before, at least not for a guy. 

Gathering herself together she got ready and wore a smile. She had always thought she was a strong willed, practical woman who wasn't an emotional fool. This Omkara situation had begun to give her doubts. Why was a rejection so hard to accept? She had a line of suitors waiting to get a mere glimpse. But her heart cried for the man she couldn't get.

She watched Ruhaani and Gaurav exchange glances and smiles as they sat beyond the holy fire. Her heartache intensified. She wanted that perfect destination wedding, bollywood style. That perfect groom who had his eyes just for her. She also wished for that fairytale, like many girls out there. 

"Lemonade?"

Gauri turned sideways to Tarun who sat beside her, her thoughts interrupted.

"No, thanks!"

"Are you sure? You haven't had anything since the past one hour. At least have some water."

She smiled and took a glass water from the tray that the water held out for her. Her gaze went back to the mandap. What was wrong with her? Why was she so blind to Tarun? He had always been a perfect gentleman. 

"Gauri,"

"Hmm," she answered, giving him a glance.

"I have been wanting to talk about... us. The possibility of an us." He forced out a chuckle. 

"I know our fathers really want this, for their own business growth. But I wanted to let you know that... I... I can't really do an arrange marriage with a closed eye. I would like to know you before actually tying the knot. Gauri, I am not sure what you think about it and I would more than love to know what you think of it. But, I had to let you know what's on my mind. I like you, Gauri. But I need to know you better before being sure that you're the person I would like to spend my entire life with."

Gauri smiled, despite the storm in her mind. Did Tarun still think that their fathers were considering their marriage? She wondered why the miscommunication. Her dad made it damn straight that his choice was Omkara. Why wasn't Tarun or his father made aware of the fact? What was her father up to?

Whatever it was, the bottom line was that all their parents were hopeless. 

"Tarun!" Bua Ji called, as Gauri tried to think of something to say. 

"Coming, Bua Ji!" He answered and turned to Gauri, with an apologetic smile , "We'll talk later." 

"Yeah," Gauri mumbled, thankful for the intervention. Her gaze went around the hall. Where was Omkara? She hadn't seen him since the morning. She could see his brothers and Anika. But he didn't seem to be around. 

* * *

Omkara had spent the afternoon at the stepwell again. But this time he was making a painting of the place. The painting was beginning to look exactly what he saw before his eyes. But the painting had a couple seated on the steps, that wasn't physically present but a fragment of his imagination. 

Omkara knew he was headed toward a calamity. His heart wanted something, his mind had a different plan. They were at war with each other.  He was being torn apart thread by thread, but couldn't do anything about it. 

He reached the room by the evening. The guests had started coming back from the wedding ceremony venue. He had slept away for an hour, tired after his overthinking through the day.

Later that evening  when they were getting ready for the wedding reception Rudra asked him, "Are you feeling well?" 

He saw concern in Rudra's eyes. "Yeah, I was just a little weird in the afternoon. Probably the heat." Omkara lied, not meeting his brother's eyes, combing his hair.

"You're hardly here, with us. And now you're lying, O,"

Omkara sighed and looked at Rudra. He didn't want to spoil the fun event for Rudra, but he also had no heart to lie to him again.

"I am okay. We'll talk about it on the way back home tomorrow!"

"Omkara, Rudra, are you two ready?" Shakti stormed into their room.

"I am!" Rudra answered. "O will take a lot of time with his hair." He gave his brother a smile.

"Okay, Rudra, you come with me. Bua ji's complains will never find an end. Come on!"

Rudra nodded, glancing at Omkara. "See you downstairs, in the lawn."

Omkara took a deep breath after shutting the door. He wasn't ready to face Gauri. He decided to steer clear of her path and return as quickly as possible to his room. With that resolve he tied his hair into a neat manbun, wore his coat, straightened his bow.

Omkara tried to remain in the shadows of the beautifully lit up lawn. He was careful enough to avoid company. However, his hiding came to an end when they had to go on the stage to wish the newlyweds and take the customary photograph with them. 

He had quietly followed Rudra up the stage. He smiled, greeting his relatives. It was hard to even smile with all the conflict that pressurized his mind. He looked up, trying to take interest as his brothers teased Gaurav. After a few pictures, Gaurav's cousins were also called up on stage for a picture with all the cousins. 

Omkara's breath hitched as Gauri made her way to the stage. Dressed in a golden off-shoulder satin gown she walked carefully towards the steps. She looked up and sideways and smiled. Omkara's gaze fell on Tarun, who offered his hand to help her up the stage. He hated how they exchanged smiles. 

"Om!"

"Om!"

He turned to Shivaay, their gazes meeting. Shivaay's gaze went to Gauri and then came back to meet Omkara's. In a beat, Omkara knew that Shivaay had understood what he felt. It made him feel too exposed. He managed a smile. "I will get on the other side, this side's getting too crowded." He made an excuse and moved to the other half of the stage and stopped only when he had reached the extreme.

"Om Bhaiya! Why are you on that side? Come on, on my side!" Ruhaani said when the photographer was almost ready to click. Omkara couldn't have been more unlucky. Everyone looked at him. He forced a smile and quietly moved to the other end. But his ordeal wasn't over, the photographer asked him to come forward and change spots with Tarun for the sake of symmetry. He ended up being right next to Gauri. 

She didn't even look at him. 

Omkara didn't know why that didn't go well with him. He tried his best to put up a smile. Being so close to her, his hands brushing against hers, yet being so distant was bothering. He knew his stupid heart already had started making a place for her. But he couldn't let it invite heartbreak again. This time around, he was almost sure, that there would be no way to keep it together, if his heart broke again. It was too much of a risk. A risk he wasn't willing to take. 

A loud cheer echoed as a  few photographs were taken. The crowd on the stage started dispersing. Gauir finally turned to look at him. She smiled, a smile not quite reaching her eyes. Omkara's lips mechanically pulled up returning the gesture. She moved a step away only to stop as the material of her gown was stuck on his watch.

"Sorry," He mumbled, moving closer, using his other hand to free her dress. It took a couple of seconds for him to release her dress. Her smile had faded. Her gaze met hers. Omkara didn't know why there was nothing in her eyes, or perhaps he wasn't able to read her always expressive eyes. 

"Thanks!" She offered a mumbled word of gratitude, and walked away.

Omkara followed her trail from a good distance away joining Shivaay and the others.

"You and Gauri look nice together!" Anika remarked softly, turning to him. "Made for each other kind!"

For the first time since the last evening, Omkara felt nice, even if it was short lived and didn't show up on his face.

A very confused Omkara! 

Would love to know your thoughts!