Location: Ghaziabad railway station, UP.

"Daksh...I am waiting for you at the railway station.... Where are you?" asked a girl dressed in a wedding lehenga, a heavy bag in hand looking like a model for a jewelry ad turning heads of people in her direction.

"Gauri... I saw you... I am coming your way in a few seconds" said the man and hung up the call.

True to his word, the man reached her and she smiled at him hugging him. He hugged her back and said "Gauri... did you bring all the jewelry with you?" he asked and she nodded her head in a yes.

"Good.. come we should get into the train" he said taking the bag from her.

As they boarded the train and settled in their seats it started its journey to a destination unknown to her. Gauri looked at the large bulky men before her and gave them a doubtful smile which they didn't bother to return.

"Daksh... your friends look scary... where are they from?" she whispered leaning to his side.

"Don't mind them Gauri.... they will just help us in getting married and settle down in the new city... we both are new to the city environment right" he told her and she nodded her head

"Daksh....Where are we going to? What are we going to do there? When are we going to get married? Where are we going to live after that... should both of us start working? How much salary is needed to..."

"Gauri.. gauri... stop baby... take a breath" Daksh asked her with a smile and she took in a large breath as told to fill her lungs.

"Good... I will explain everything once we reach there... till then keep quite... can you do that for me?" he asked and she nodded her head with a smile.

"Can I use the washroom?" she asked and he nodded getting up to take her there. "I will go.. you sit" she said and walked through the compartment which was nearly empty except for one or two occupants other than those five bulky men with Daksh and herself.

She finished her business and exited the bathroom when she heard a distinctly gruff voice which she knew definitely belonged to one of the bears sitting with them.

"Yes sir... she is beautiful... Daksh did do a great job this time... we are in for a jackpot" he said and she rushed from there having heard enough.

She hurriedly walked to her place and removed her bag from under the seat.. "When is the next station coming" she asked the cheater.

"Why Gauri? why do you appear so agitated?" he asked in his ever calm voice and she glared at him.

"Itna besharam insaan ko mein kabhi aank tak na doon... tujhse pyaar kaise kiya humne... ye hame samajh nahi aa raha hai (I wouldn't have lifted an eye to disgusting people like you.... Who did I ever love you I what I don't understand)" she said and he looked shocked for a moment before he smiled.

"Ohh... you fnally know... I am sick of answering your questions anyway... Sit quietly and don't create a scene" he threatened and she spoke back "Kya kar loge( what will you do?)"

"Bahut kuch kar sakta huun sweetheart (I can do many things) but I don't want to have any less of a bargain by raping you now... innocent girls have a high demand in the market" he said and she gasped at the meaning.

She slapped him across the face and kicked the gruff guy who came to stop her. As the rest of the men reached out to her, she ran past them running away her heavy lehenga decreasing her speed... nevertheless she crossed the next compartment and was about to run past the washroom when she hit against a hard chest and two strong hands steadied her.

She looked up to see a handsome man with shoulder length hair and a single sparkling ear stud... staring down at her. She never saw him before but a sense of safety washed through her in his arms. The eyelock broke when she heard the bear men call her name. She hid behind him and looked at them who reached her.

One of the man looked at the longhaired man challenging him to stop him take the girl who hid behind him.

"Do you think you are a hero? You will fight five of us and take her away?" the bulky man asked.

"The long haired man lifted his hands cluelessly "Hi... I am Omkara... I don't have any idea who she is... she just hid behind me... you can take her if you want man" he said and Gauri stared at him.

"Please...Omkaraji save me... they are going to sell me away ... please"

"See madam... I am alone and they are five with bodies twice as the size of me... I am young and I want to live... so please... don't mind my lack of empathy" he said and walked away.

"Omkara ji please... Shankarji ka naam rakhke aap aise kaise kar sakte hai (how can you do this after keeping Shakarji's name)" she screamed but he didn't bother to turn.

"Please...I will give you how much ever money you want" she called and this time he stopped and turned to her.

"Really?"

Gauri felt hope and vigorously nodded her head "Please save me"

"Okay madam" he said and kicked the man holding her hand freeing her from his grip. Two of them came to him screaming in rage when he ducked and punched them in the stomach. They fell back taking the other two down with them. Omkara held her hand and ran past them to the door of the compartment.

At that moment the train coursed through a bridge with a river flowing beneath it.

"Do you trust me?" he asked looking at the water below them and Gauri obviously nodded a no.

"Decide for yourself... we cannot fight them... there isn't any other way" he said in irritation stretching his hand for her to take. Gauri looked back and saw the men recovering from the punches and rushing towards them. She took a leap of faith and held the hand of a stranger she didn't know would be a major part of her life later on.

Omkara smiled at her before pulling her to him "Take a deep breath" he instructed her and jumped straight into the water below.

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Gauri opened her eyes tiredly to see a handsome jatadhari looking at her in concern. The incidents of her very recent past flashed before her.... Her chacha chachi(uncle-aunty) selling her off to marry an man twice her age, she dressed up in her wedding outfit fleeing from her wedding trusting her six months boy friend Daksh only to be betrayed and finally jumping into the water with a man who could be a kidnaper or worse a rapist.

Her eyes filled with warm tears and she cursed her luck again. What is the path of life's journey she should take now? Whom does she have to go to? She felt utterly alone in the big bad world.

She never saw the face of her parents... all she ever listened as a child was curses from her uncle and aunt. They never failed to make her feel she was no more than a sinned burden for their lives. The only time she felt supported was when she was with her so called boyfriend and turns out all of it was an act. What had she done in her past life to deserve such fate??

She worriedly got up and looked around to search for her bag which had her certificates. The only thing she refused to let go was her studies. In spite of all the work she had to do and the sleepless nights she had to endure due to the body pains, she always excelled in her studies. She always stood first in her village Masuri since a child  and came zilla first in her twelfth. Beyond that her village did not have a college and she had to hold back her inquisitive urge until she married someone who would take her away from the hell hole. Though a few times her uncle took her to Ghaziabad the nearest city to her village, she never sauntered alone.  

That was three years back and things have gotten worse from then. She bore all the torture and curse from the only family she ever had but she couldn't let them ruin her life and her chance to be happy. She rebelled and stood her ground when they put forth the disgusting idea of marrying a pedophile old man which led to her forceful marriage and her elopement. Frankly she came with Daksh as her last hope at freedom but it too withered away into thin air after today.

"Are you hurt or are you in pain? Why are you crying now?" asked Omkara and she shook her head in a no. If anything, she didn't want anyone's pity on her.... And concern... she wouldn't expect it from someone who would leave a girl with a bunch of gangsters and helped her only when she offered him money.

"I am okay... what is this place...are we in a jungle?" she asked as she shivered when a cold wind passed through her already wet clothes.

"Yes.. we are. I know the route from here to the highway. Where would you want to go?"

"That question again brought a fresh set of tears.... Where would she go to?"

"Ummm... I would have given you a handkerchief but my clothes are wet" he said shrugging his shoulders and she smiled at him wiping off her tears.... Good he doesn't pity her... just what she needed now.

"I don't have anywhere to go... can you show me a place to stay for a few days till I decide?" she asked and he looked at her in doubt.

"I will pay you Omkaraji" she said and he rolled his eyes.

"Do you realize that I am a stranger and when I am asking you if I can drop you anywhere you like... you are saying that you will come with me? I could literally kidnap you now... don't you think it is dangerous to trust anyone?"

"Yes... but if you have that intention...You wouldn't be advising me now right? As I said I have nowhere to go and you are the only option... me going with you seemed to be safer than me going alone.. I never left my village alone before today" she answered.

"I am going to my village Bareilly... are you interested in coming?" he asked and she nodded her head.

"Great... we should start now... to reach there before sunset" he said getting up and offering a hand which she took to stand up.

"Will you change?" he asked looking at her bag and she nodded a no... "They are wet too... let us go... may be we can find something on the way" she said and he nodded before walking ahead showing her the way.

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Omkara looked heavenwards for the infinith time since they started their journey home. The woman is a question bank... what ever she sees and wherever they went she asked innumerable questions which he tried to answer patiently... but God... his patience is getting thin by the second.

"So your name is Omkara... Omkara what?... who all stays with you... what did you study? Are you employed.... Do you do part time jobs like helping people for money? Are you married? How many children you have ... what are their name? what does your wife..."

"Urgghhhh... stop" he finally snapped making her stop and rapidly blink her eyes which for some unknown reason appeared too cute to him.

She isn't bad to the eye... in fact she was what he would call the 'wife material' minus her questions. Sadly... he is not interested in marriage.

Clearing his throat he said "I am Omkara... only Omkara.. I am an orphan... I live in Bareilly... I studied enough to get a good life... yes I have a job... no I don't do part time jobs... I had a scarcity and you offered to help... I just grasped the opportunity..." he said taking a deep breath "No I am not married nor do I have any intention to get married soon" he completed. "Can we please go now... I shouldn't be rude because you are paying me.. but you do ask a lot of questions"

"Sorry... what about kids then?" she asked again and he looked at her baffled.

Gauri realized her folly a second later "Uhh... sorry" she apologized again and he sighed walking with her.

They reached the village late in the evening travelling by all possible means of transport on road except for a bicycle. They first took a bus... then asked for a lift in a car... then via a motor bike which he currently drove through a narrow colony.

As he neared a group of houses, she saw a group of three men... two of them young and one of her chacha's age and a woman her chachi's age sitting in the veranda and giggling away time. When they saw the bike approach, they got up from their places and neared them.

Omkara parked his bike before his house and asked Gauri to get down.

The group who neared them passed a looks in her direction which could be described as assessing, judgmental and doubtful which made Gauri squirm and look at Omkara.

"Omkara? Who is she?" asked the woman.

"Pinky maa.... She is Gauri... actually" started Omkara but was soon cut off.

"Uhh... I eloped from my marriage with him" said Gauri shocking all of them.

"Oh my maata" exclaimed Pinky.

"What the hell" chorused the two younger men.

"Oh my goodness" said the older man.

Omkara just looked at Gauri in shock when she neared him, took his arm and gazed at him lovingly.

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Dhan tan aaan......... there you go people...

Tell me your thoughts asap... what do you think...

Till then... signing off... yours Soujanya.