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Gauri got up from the sofa and said: what?! Marriage and that too my marriage?!
Swarna: yes your marriage.
Gauri: but why?
Manish: because you are 22, you did your studies in India and now...now it's just better if we get you married. Besides my business partner's son has asked for your hand in marriage and we said yes.
Gauri: why did he ask for my hand in marriage and you couldn't ask me for my opinion first?
Swarna: he saw your picture and we spoke a lot about you.
Gauri: so you told him about my past?
Swarna: of course not, no one needs to know that our eldest daughter was pregnant at 16 and that her child died on the day that she was born.
Gauri's face went expressionless. She couldn't believe that the major trauma of her life could be reduced to a single sentence, but there it was.
Manish: we only spoke about you studying abroad and that you obey everyone, you are well traditional etc. Your engagement is tomorrow.
Gauri: what? Tomorrow?
Manish: yes tomorrow.
Gauri: as always you guys never ask me for what I want. You didn't ask me if I wanted to go to India...you packed my suitcase and booked me a ticket then threw me out of the house. Now you guys arranged for my engagement to take place tomorrow without even asking me if I am ready to marry. I don't even know the guy!
Swarna and Manish rolled their eyes.
Swarna: so what? Will you never marry?
Gauri: I will marry when I want to! My life and my future cannot be a pawn in business. I only have a right to my life, my future, who I choose to marry, who I want to spend the remaining of my life with. I WILL NOT MARRY THAT PERSON YOU CHOSE AND THAT IS FINAL!
Swarna: YOU WILL MARRY AJAY AND THAT IS FINAL! YOU ARE STILL LIVING UNDER OUR ROOF GAURI! YOU MAY BE AN ADULT BUT ME AND YOUR DAD KNOW VERY WELL THAT YOU WILL JUST MESS UP YOUR LIFE!
Gauri: of course...you two always think that I mess up everything so I will mess up this marriage.
Manish: DON'T YOU DARE!
Gauri stayed quiet. She turned to go upstairs when Swarna spoke: your lehenga will come tomorrow morning, we want you up at 7:30.
Gauri didn't say anything, she just ran upstairs. Once she was upstairs, Anya decided to speak: why are you two always after didi? Fine I know that getting pregnant at 16 isn't ideal and no one should get pregnant at 16 but that doesn't mean you two will rub it in her face and continue to remind her about it.
With that said, she and Sapphire went upstairs leaving Swarna and Manish downstairs.
Gauri entered her room and locked her door with a bang. She went into her cupboard and tossed out all the salwar kameezzes until she found a sparkly short black dress.
...
Naina was in Om's room, jumping on his bed. Isha was also in Om's room, laughing at Naina.
Naina: his bed is so bouncy.
Isha: really?
Naina: yes!
Om came into his room, he was earlier putting away the party supplies which was used for Naina's birthday. He entered his room to find Naina jumping on his bed.
Om: oh Miss 150 dollars, don't jump on my bed.
Naina stopped jumping but she stayed standing on the bed as Om came in front of her. She crossed her arms and said: then why do you have such a bouncy bed Mr Stingy?
Om: I don't know but what I do know is that I don't want you jumping on my bed.
Naina: the world won't end if I jump on your bed.
Om: for me, it will.
Naina: you are very strange Mr Stingy.
Isha laughed but Om rolled his eyes.
Om: why are you laughing? Go to your room Isha.
Isha: okay I will.
Before she went, she whispering to Naina: goodnight cutie.
Naina: goodnight.
Isha went and Om-Naina focused their attention back on one another. Naina continued jumping on his bed but Om picked her up, she tried to get out of his arms but he was too strong. She made a face at him.
Om: no more jumping on my bed.
Naina: but I have a right to jump or do whatever I want. You have no right to take away my right from me.
Om: oh really?
Naina: really?
Om: but I have the right to make the rules like if you are in my room, then don't jump on my bed.
Naina: and I have the right to break the rules besides rules were made to be broken.
Om: who told you this?
Naina: maybe when I was in my mother's tummy.
Om stayed quiet...Gauri was someone who would always say 'rules were made to be broken'. It was her little catchphrase from since they were children.
Naina: why did you go quiet all of a sudden?
Om: hmm..oh no reason. Do you miss your mother?
Naina: I never meet her but is it normal to miss someone you never meet?
Om: yeah it is, it is normal.
Naina: then yes I miss her, I miss my dad also. People tell me that I am an orphan because my parents are dead....they could be or maybe they are alive. Maybe I will bump into them one day, maybe they will come to find me. I would love my mother to be like Gauri didi.
Om smiled and said: why like your Gauri didi?
Naina: she is so sweet, so kind and she loves me a lot!
Om: you're right, she is very sweet like sugar.
Naina: true. Now put me back on your bed so I can jump.
Om: you are really full of energy. Do you ever get tired?
Naina: sometimes. Now let go of me.
Om: why?
Naina: because I said so.
Om: then promise me that you won't jump on my bed.
Naina: oho fine.
He put Naina down and she made a sad face since she couldn't jump on Om's bed. Om bent down to her height and said: sorry for saying that you can't jump on my bed, do you want to have some cake with me?
Naina: there is still cake left?
Om nodded, Naina gave him a smile and the two went down to have some cake.
...
Gauri had successfully managed to sneak out of her house. She decided to ditch the traditional clothing and wear a short dress, she grabbed her id and some cash, then she snuck out of her house...during her teenage years, she would normally sneak out to meet Om or to meet some friends. She was surprised that she still knew how to sneak out after 6 long years because she didn't dare to sneak out in India.
After showing the bouncer her id, she was allowed to enter the club. The club was all rainbow lights. The dance floor was lighted up by different kinds of lights that sparked through the club. The DJ was playing fast music like pop or dance items.
The smoke twisted in its artistic way, forming curls in the gloom, illuminated only by the age-speckled bar lights. Along the wall was every hue of amber liquid in their inverted bottles. Gauri went to the bar and leaned against the wooden surface, her brownish-black hair lying over one shoulder of her sparkly black dress. The bartender came up to her and asked: what do you want to drink mam?
Gauri: whiskey neat please.
The bartender nodded and went to get her drink. Within seconds, he gave her a glass containing her whiskey neat. Gauri looked at the amber liquid and the golden glow of the glass-like cubes. She was never a fan of alcohol but today, she needed to give her head a rest so she was going to drink and enjoy her time at the club. She picked the glass up and kept it to her mouth. A sour and vile taste slipped into her mouth.
...
A little while later:
After eating some cake, Naina managed to wrap Om around her tiny little finger...how? After the cake, she made him watch a movie with her, then made him play with her....they played Raja Chor Mantri Sipahi with Isha and Dhruv. Everyone was surprised that Naina knew the game but Naina said that she and Nidhi used to play with some other orphan kids.
Naina won the game five times in a row. Then she managed to make them all play charades. Om was about to go to his room to sort some stuff related to uni out but Naina easily convinced him to play charades and to be on her team. Now after all the maasti, Naina had fallen asleep in Om's room since earlier she and Om were playing Uno. Om kept the blanket on Naina and smiled at her.
Om: little Miss 150 dollars, you are really a replica of Gauri. When me and Gauri were little, she always won everything. We used to be on the same team for charades and we always won...we always knew what each other was on about.
Naina gave a smile in her sleep. He kissed her forehead and was about to change into his pyjamas when his phone started ringing.
Om: hey Sam, is everything okay?
Sam: Gauri is at the club.
Om: I'm sorry what?
Sam: yes I just came to the club and she is really drunk.
Om: Gauri? Drunk?
Sam: if you don't believe me, come to Club Ember.
Om: okay.
He cut the call. He went to Dhruv and Isha who was watching TV in the living room.
Om: guys, can one of you stay with Naina? I need to go out.
Dhruv: sure bro but why?
Om: I have something to sort out. I will be back soon.
Isha: okay.
Om went out of the house and into his car. He started driving till he reached the club Sam told him about. He went out to find Sam outside.
Sam: good you're here. Got your id?
Om nodded and they went in, the bouncer had already seen Sam so he allowed him in, once Om showed his id, he was allowed to go in. He and Sam looked around the club then Om's eyes caught a very familiar girl dancing.
The club was electric tonight, everyone feeding off of the smiles and fast dancing but Om didn't focus on everyone else, he only focused on one person, one girl who was moving in her dress like her hips were made to sway, the glitter on her dress caught the disco ball light that twirled above - launching small dots of every shade of the rainbow into the darkness.
Om: Sam, found Gauri.
Sam: good, I suggest you take her home.
Om nodded and went to Gauri.
Gauri: you? Good thing that you are here. I was starting to feel very lonely...now you are here, we can have fun.
Om: fun time over, time to go home.
Gauri: no! I don't want to go home! I don't like home! I am staying here.
Om: no you are coming with me.
Gauri made a face: you will only drop me home.
Om: let's just go.
He held her hand and they started walking but then he noticed that she was struggling to keep her balance. He kept his arm around her, helping her to walk to his car. He kept her on the front passenger seat, texted Sam that Gauri was going with her. He started driving.
Gauri: don't drop me home, I don't want to meet my parents.
Om: first tell me this, you always said that you would never drink alcohol so why did you drink today?
Gauri: I wanted...I wanted to give my head a rest. Princess's death...her birthday...our breakup...my parents...my self hatred...I decided that alcohol would help me feel a little happy, a little free maybe.
Om: you didn't have to drink though.
Gauri: are you...you going to give me..me a lecture? I don't want to listen to lec...lectures.
Om: fine baba. So if you don't want to go home, do you want me to take you to my house?
Gauri: no no. Let's go....umm...let's go to the tree.
Om: tree? Now?
Gauri: yes please. Then...then I will tell you every...everything that I didn't say when I was sober.
Om: we are going to my house.
Gauri: but I want to go to the tree.
She managed to make Om look at her as she gave him her puppy eyes and sad pout...damn it! She knew that he couldn't say no to her cute face, even after 6 years, her cute face still made him say yes.
Om sighed and went left to the tree. Gauri started clapping her hands like a little kid.
Gauri: yay! We can go to the tree.
They reached the tree, Om parked the car then the two got out.
Gauri: I'm cold!
Om took off his jumper and made Gauri wear it.
Gauri: but now you are cold.
Om: I am not cold.
Gauri: you wear your jumper else you will be cold.
Om: it's fine, I won't get cold.
Gauri: pakka?
Om: haan baba pakka.
Gauri started climbing the stairs but she lost her balance at one step and fall into Om's arms. He picked her up in bridal style then walked up the stairs with her in his arms. She looked at him, he was truly amazing...why couldn't she marry him instead of some random guy she has never met?
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And we are done! Sorry for a super boring chapter. Also sorry for a little of a late update. I was trying to figure out what to write and then yesterday night, I came up with an idea.
So what will Gauri tell Om whilst she is still in her drunk avater?
Will Om find out about her marriage?
Will Gauri end up marrying Om?
Will Naina get a mother like her Gauri didi?
Hint of the next chapter: their breakup truth
Thank you for reading and please complete the target: 20+ votes and 10+ comments