(challenge 40 votes)

He knocked on the door, there was no response. He tried again, and then he heard the voice that had haunted not only his dreams but every waking moment. His Gauri...

"Aaye..."

He could feel the moisture in the corner of his eyes. His throat constricted in pain and anticipation.

He heard the door unlock.

The door opened almost in slow motion, to reveal his Gauri...

He was stunned for a moment. Perhaps he would again wake up and realise that this was just a dream and that she really was not there. He stared at her tiny frame, cast against the sunlight like an effulgent fantasy.

She was still as beautiful as ever something was different about her. Hr claothes were more sedate than the ones she had used when they first met in Bareily and Mumbai. Her face devoid of make. Her once boisterous jewellery was no replaced with functional stud earings a black braided thread adorned her neck a pendant was concealed in the folds of her cream dupatta but what struck him was the presences of the Sindoor that decorated the path of her head.

"Omkaraji, you..." Gauri asked. Shocked to see him on her.

Hearing her voice, he snapped out of his daze. She was really here. Alive and well. Totally oblivious of the chaos she had created when she left Mumbai. He grabbed her wrist, wanting to make sure that she was not an apparition that was going to disappear in the mist as she had done so many times in the past three months.

He pulled her into an embrace, moulding her tiny frame to his. As if he would never let her go again. He eased his hold slightly and raised his right hand and cupped her face.

"Dammit Gauri," he croaked barely able to control the tears that now threatened to flow.

Gauri looked at him confused, "What is wrong, Omkaraji." She asked, concerned that some tragedy had struck the Oberoi's.

He looked down into her elfin face. Still shocked that she was in front of him. He released her from his embrace only to cup her face in both of his hands.

"Now..." he paused "Nothing." He replied again pulling her into a tight embrace.

Gauri was quite surprised. She had been his wife and lived with him for eight months. In all of that time Omkara had never willingly shared any physical closeness with her, unless he was forcing her out of the house or his room or if he had been under the influence of some drug that had made her acceptable to him she thought recalling the time when Buama had attempted to drug Omkaraji. Was he under the influence of the same drug again, she wondered.

She raised her hands, and caressed the side of his face. She had missed him so much. She never believed that she would see him again. Let alone be in his arms.

She gently broke free of his hold allowing him access to her home..

AUTHOR' NOTE

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