"Shhhhh" whispered Om .
"Do not ever say Sorry. It kills me every time I hear it from your mouth. I made you feel sorry for yourself for no fault of your own. But no more of this ominous word from your mouth! Pleasseeee" ,pleaded Omkara in his husky baritone.
Gauri shuddered at the intensity of his words. His voice was so sinfully attractive. She missed this so much. Even when he used to shout , it was raw. She couldn't believe even after all that has transpired between the two of them, she still reacts so strongly to his touch, his voice, his eyes , to HIM!
Oh! How treacherous of her heart!
Om waited with well petted patience for her reaction. He wasn't sure of what to expect . It wasn't even half an hour that he had met her and she had already managed to open a buffet of emotions that he had buried deep within himself. She was so close when she hugged him that he felt it to be some sort of nirvana but then reality might have torn them apart and here they were back to square one. She was reacting as she was supposed to even more civilized than what he deserved. He couldn't ... He didn't dare to hope for more. After all that he made her go through , it would have been a sin to even expect to be near her.
Gauri meekly nodded . Om sighed in relief. He was afraid about what if Gauri decided to leave Shantinagar too just because of his presence. He couldn't allow that to happen. He NEEDED her.
His thoughts suddenly came to a halt when he realized that something really awful must have happened to force Gauri to even tolerate Om's presence. She must be too broken to breakdown in front of him and hug him after all the humiliations that she had faced at his hands! His heart dropped a beat imagining the horrors Gauri might have faced and is still running from. And what was all that about being safe?? Oh no! Is she in some grave trouble?
"Are you ok? What are you running from? Why are you this messy? Why are you scared? Gauri speak up!" , Om burst out urgently at the same time grabbing her by her shoulders. It was an affectionate yet firm grip.
Gauri winced at the mere touch. Om immediately removed his hands. She shut her eyes in pain. Her physical wounds hadn't healed.
Om immediately removed his hands. Now he was dead worried .
He gently took her wrist much to her resistance and slowly pulled up the sleeves of her kurti to expose her miky white skin only to find it scarred with various cigarette burn marks and whiplash marks! He was so stunned that he dropped her hand out of shock .
She moaned in pain at the sudden loss of contact.
He immediately regretted his action and as an apology quickly gathered her in his arms. To say that he was angry would no way justify the rage that was building in him. To hell with anger management!
"Who did this to you?", asked Omkara tightly with his once attractive voice now dipped in poison .
Gauri hugged him back knowing the fact that it was so wrong. So wrong for her self respect. But she couldn't control herself. She needed his care so badly. She was so broken and she desperately wanted to heal and Omkara was that medicine even if for just this moment. She wished she could just die hugging him. To feel LOVED for the very first time in his embrace. She was too tired . She whispered faintly," YOUR MISTRUST".
Omkara hardened at her words. Gauri felt him turning to a stone. She expected him to push her away but she was surprised when he pulled her even closer if that was at all possible. Before passing out in his arms all that she felt were gentle tear drops falling on her cheeks, marking her as HIS all over again.