Demons: They never go away. They're never asleep, on the contrary wide awake; hiding in shadows waiting to attack the target. They only attack when they spot the hole, the void, the void that makes their target vulnerable. 

Something like that was happening with Omkara. His past was standing right before his eyes. Just that, only he knew it was his past. He had bottled up his fears, his guilt, his anger, his hurt and everything else that sucked the life out of him. He thought he was successfully burying them and moving ahead. 

Was he really?

"Why?" He asked when the sobbing boy beside him started murmuring how he didn't want to do it but he had no option.

Mason sighed wiping his tears. "I've-- I've had  a difficult childhood." He muttered cautiously.

Omkara simply turned his head and looked at him in the eye. 

"My ...mother ...she's... she--" he closed his eyes struggling to get out the dark truth. "He beats her up!"

Omkara's lips parted feeling the pain the guy felt. 

"But she just doesn't leave him. I can't see her...in pain." Mason sobbed.

"I don't understand why people still choose to stay with people who hurt them." Omkara muttered.

"Love apparently!" Mason replied bitterly.

Omkara sighed. "Yeah. Go away."

"What?" Mason uttered looking at him.

Omkara took a deep breath. In Mason, he saw his younger self. "Your happiness is your responsibility, Masonville. People are selfish. They won't give a damn about how you feel." Omkara spoke looking into empty space. 

After a pause, he turned to look at the guy beside him. "Don't give in to that." He said pointing to that small packet of powder that lay between them. "It gets still harder to come out." 

"How-- how can you..."

"Been there, done that. Trust me Mason, that is... a one way street. You will beg to come back and won't be able to. The guilt with be thousand times worse. I wish someone was there to tell me this when I was where you are right now."

The boy broke into sobs again and this time clung to Omkara. Omkara was taken aback. He had never been great and consoling and comforting people. He swallowed the lump in his throat and put an arm around the guy. 

Half an hour had rolled by and Omkara was still with Mason in that dimly lit abandoned classroom talking about life and other things.  

"London School of Art!" Mason answered when Omkara asked him where he'd like to study.

Omkara's face lit up. "Have you applied yet?"

"No. It's impossible." He replied dryly.

Omkara frowned, "You're passion about art and your skills can get you there."

"If it were that easy..." he scoffed.

"You can get scholarships you know." Omkara couldn't believe he was the one being the optimist in the conversation. But for some reason he wanted to help Mason.

"Even if I do get accepted and arrange the money... I don't want to leave mum behind."

Omkara sat silently pondering. If he was in Mason's shoes, would he leave behind his other with an abusive father, even if his mother chose to be with him? 

"Tell her then. Tell her that you want to be at London Art School. Tell her that you'd like her to come with you. Tell her that she deserves better."

"She won't.... will she?" Mason asked warily.

Omkara sighed, "there's only one way to find out." Having said that, Omkara got on his feet. "Give me that!" He said stretching put his palm before him.

Mason placed the packet onto his palm.

"All of it, Mason!" Omkara said solemnly.

"I will sell it to someone else. I can make a few bucks." He said sheepishly.

"No one deserves it." Omkara replied curtly.

Mason sighed pocketing out two more identical packets and placed it on his plam. 

"Meet me on Monday afternoon with your application draft. We'll go through it together."

Mason looked at him horrified. "That's...too little time."

"You have the weekend. If you're deserving, you'll be able to." Omkara spoke turning away. He picked up the loaded syringe from the floor and turned back to look at Mason. "I need your portfolio ad well!"

"That's insane!" Mason mumbled. 

"Time is ticking!" Omkara said with a smirk.

Mason huffed and got on his feet. He walked past Omkara making his way out. He looked over his shoulder, briefly before leaving the room. "Thank you!"

Omkara nodded with acknowledgement. Once Mason was gone Omkara let out a sigh, looking around.  He then stared at the substance in his hand. He made his way out. 

Omkara had dumped the syringe and flushed the substances in the washroom.For once he felt proud of himself. He hadn't given into that temptation to save those for himself. He made his way back to the main hall. However, that dull ache in his heart remained, like always.

"Omkara, where were you?" Gauri asked when he approached her. "I was looking for you. I thought you and Linda went out for a private drink or something. I don't see her around too."

Omkara smiled at her attempt to get out information, "Nothing like that. I was jus....catching up with a few students. As for Linda, I am not sure. Where's Ryan?" He asked looking around.

"His mother's car broke so she called him for help." Gauri answered munching on the potato fries.

Omkara picked one from her plate. "I am going to go grab a plate!"

Gauri smiled sheepishly saying, "I need a second filling!" 

Omkara chukled as they together made their way to the food counter.

* * *

"Do people really get funnier after drinking?" Gauri asked ad they were seated on a table at the side of the room observing the young crowd dance, laugh and click selfies.

"You have never?" Omkara asked surprised.

"Nope. Had some pretty strict rules growing up!" Gauri mumbled peering at the girls who were laughing and dancing. They definitely seemed a little high.

"Most people get still more pathetic than they already are..."

Gauri glanced at him. "Really?" He nodded.

"Is it bitter in taste?" 

Omkara looked at her amused. "Well, it depends on the kind of drink. They generally do have a very strong— flavor."

"What's the best for beginners?"

Omkara smiled, "what's on your mind?"

Gauri casually shrugged. "Just for general knowledge."

Omkara's lips curved up, "You want to try drinking. Why?"

"Why not?" Gauri asked instead of defending. "I mean... I am curious and I am an adult. Almost more than half the population takes liquor. People are crazy about it. I just wonder why..."

"Listen, the world is a crazy place, okay? Liquor sucks. I mean...it's nice to have it occasionally. But, it easily becomes an habit. Especially for women." He added his mother's image clouding his mind. "You're better off without it." He added as an afterthought.

"I know. But I really want to experience how it's to be drunk."

"Hold on, there's difference between drinking and getting drunk."

"I want to try both!" Gauri spoke.

"Wait, are you drunk by any chance?" Omkara asked teasingly. 

Gauri chukled.

Some forty minutes later they decided to head home. They were walking across the ground towards the parking lot when Gauri finally decided to ask, "Omkie, can I borrow your jacket please."

Omkara looked at her, slightly taken back by her request. He had taken off his jacket while eating. He literally felt hot in there. "Sure!" He said handing her the jacket.

"Thanks!" She mumbled. Omkara stole glances at her as she wore his jacket. It was way huge for her. Her slender bare arms disappeared inside it like stars in a black hole. She held up her hair and dropped it over the back. She gathered the lapels of the jacket closer. Omkara felt his heart get a kick as she pulled his jacket closer to her body. He smiled looking ahead. She definitely managed to look cute without any effort.

* * *

"Here you go!" Omkara spoke getting in the car, handing her the bottle.

"What's this?" She asked.

"Sparkling wine." Omkara answered.

Gauri nodded. She had always wanted to try drinking. She had finally convinced Omkara to buy her some nice tasting liquor. But now that they were home and she sat in front of the bottle her heart dropped. Did she really want to try it?

"I -- I don't think I want to try it anymore!" Gauri exclaimed as soon as Omkara was going to open the bottle. 

Omkara looked at her amused. "You ate my ears away to let you try it."

"Yeah. But... I don't think I can."

"Cool!" Omkara said not forcing her.

"Okay fine I will try it."

"Final?" He asked teasingly. Gauri had somehow managed to lighten his mood and make him forget about everything that had happened. It was strange how he felt happy wholeheartedly when she was around.

"Okay. Let's do it " Gauri said more to herself than to him.

Omkara poured out some of the wine in a glass and pushed it towards her.

She picked up the glass and took a sip. "Not bad.. " she remarked taking another then another.

"You won't have?" She asked.

Omkara shook his head in a negative. "Not today." He then saw how she went for another sip. "Gauri, slow!" He exclaimed.

Gauri giggled. "This definitely isn't bitter. It's nice and fruity."

Omkara smiled, "take the aroma and take pause between sips. That's how you have wine."

"You've taken what ...classes on how to drink wine?" Gauri mocked.

"As a matter of fact, I have. Wine tasting classes."

"Seriously?" Gauri asked looked at him with wide eyes.

"Yes. They teach how to hold a wine glass, how take its aroma, how to understand the tatse...yadda yadda!"

"Woah! That's well... weird. But I love how this tastes it's like fruity soda  with a zing effect." She smiled taking a sip. "Do I sound drunk?" 

Omkara chukled. "Nope, not yet!"

"This is funny!" Gauri mused. Finishing the content of the glass. "I don't feel weird at all."

Omkara, "Don't base your knowledge based on Bollywood!"

Gauri laughed. "You know this scene, in Sholay with Veeru going all Gaon Waalo... That's my favorite! And of course 3 idiots scene."

Omkara smiled, she was definitely slowly getting under the effect. She pushed the glass towards him for a refill. "No more, Gauri!"

"What? This is like fruit soda. I don't even feel drunk!"

"You are trust me. You can have it some other day. Okay? Now let's call it a night."

"Half a glass?" She asked with pleading eyes. "I don't even feel drunk. Like... nothing." She said tapping the table with her palms.

Omkara sighed, "You will puke if I give you more. And then you will have a really bad headache. It's your first time. One glass is more than enough."

Gauri pouted, and then a hiccup left her mouth. "Okay..."

Omkara stared at her.

"Can we dance?" She asked.

Omkara's eyes widened at that. "What!" The liquid was definitely hitting her.

Gauri burst out laughing. "Look at that look on your face. Like I said, I am in my senses." She winked getting up from the chair.

"Thanks!" She said wholeheartedly.

Omkara smiled picking the bottle to find a place for it in the kitchen cabinet. When he walked out, the sight made his heartbeat pick up the rate. Gauri was getting out of his jacket. His eyes on their own accord admired the skin at her neck and the slightest glimpse of he cleavage. He looked away cursing his thoughts. He just didn't like it when his body started to react to Gauri in a lecherous way. 

"Omkie, thanks for this!" Her words made him turn to look at her.

"Don't mention!" He smiled gazing into her brown orbs. 

"Good night!" She wished walking away to her room. Omkara exhaled deeply. What was with his damned hormone driven body! First Linda and now Gauri. He made his way to his room, deciding to stop thinking about anything from the day and just get some sleep. However, as he lay on his bed, the encounter with Mason began looping in his head. 

Would love to know your thoughts. 

-Anami!♡