She turned to him and frowned.

“Kya bolu?”

(Tell him what?)

He took a step closer and whispered.

“Yahi ki tu pyaar krti hai mujhse.”

(That you love me.)

Her eyes widened and her cheeks reddened.

“K-kuch bhi! Maine bola tha na aisa kuch nhi hai.”

(Wh-whatever! I told you it’s nothing like that.)

He held her chin and made her face him.

“Jooth! Uss waqt bhi jooth. Aur abhi bhi jooth. Teri aankhon mai saaf saaf likha hai. The jealousy, the tension, the longing, the love. Sab kuch.”

(Lie! A lie back then. And a lie right now. It’s clear in your eyes….Everything.)

He whispered and snaked an arm around her waist, pulling her flush against his chest. She gasped and held his bicep.

“Nhi darti na uncle se. Aane de unhe. Ghar se niklenge na. Let him see.”

(You’re not scared of uncle. Let him come. He will come out of the house.)

“O-om! Are you crazy! Chhodo mujhe. Papa kya koi bhi dekh lega.”

(Leave me. Let alone papa, anyone could see.)

“Let them see!”

“Mai thappad mar dungi, Om!”

(I will slap you, Om!)

“Do it! Aaj sach saamne aa hi jaane dete hai.”

(Let the truth come out today.)

She could see how serious he was. She pleaded through her eyes as whispered.

“Please!”

His jaw clenched for a brief second. He sighed and let her go. The florist came back right at the moment with the bouquet he demanded.

“Don’t think that the topic is over. I know you’re hiding something. I can read you, Isha.”

He whispered before heading out. She sighed and watched him retreat. His words sounded like a promise. A promise she wanted to hang onto. 

Omkara couldn’t pinpoint the reason for Isha's reluctance. He could see the love for him in her eyes. She was holding herself back. But why?

He recalled their conversation from the first day he returned. He remembered how everyone suddenly got quiet when he mentioned Mahima di. Maybe knowing about that mystery would give him some answers.

He smiled and sat beside his mother, keeping his head on her shoulder. She smiled and caressed her his face.

“Mahima di ke saath kuch baat hui thi kya? Maine uss din baat kri toh sab ajeeb se ho gye the.”

(Did something happen with Mahima di? Everyone got weird the day I asked about her.)

He directly came to the topic. His mother’s hand stilled on his face. She sighed and said.

“Usne bhaag kr shaadi kri hai.”

(She eloped and got married.)

Omkara sat up straight in shock. He looked at his mother wide eyed.

“Tere jaane se kuch ek hafte pehle ki baat thi. Wo bhaisahab aur Meetu ke paas gyi thi. Ritesh ke baare mai batane. Par bhaisahab ko toh tu jaanta hai. Wo kitne against hai love marriage ke.”

(It started a few weeks before you left. She went to Meetu and her father. To talk about Ritesh. But you know her father. He is so against love marriage.)

Now he understood what might have happened for Isha to react like that to his confession.

“Hum sab samajh sakte hai wo aisa kyu sochte hai. Jo kuch bhi unki behen ke saath hua…wo asaan nhi tha. Unhone pura support kia tha apni behen ko. Apne papa ke against jaa kr. Lekin kya hua unke saath ye hum sab jaante hi hai. Bhaisahab khud ko zimmedar maante hai. Unki maut ka. Unka wo trauma hai.”

(We all understand why he feels that way. Whatever happened with his sister…was not easy. He supported her. Went against his father. But we know what happened with her. He blames himself. For her death. He has that trauma.)

Omkara knew this. Isha’s bua had a love marriage too. But her husband turned out to be a monster. He subjected her to so much cruelty that she committed suicide not even an year after her marriage. The man was arrested and was in jail but it had left a deep trauma on Naresh’s mind. 

“Lekin Mahi bhi galat nhi thi. Bina uski baat sune aur samjhe bhaisahab ne saaf mana kr dia. Uss bachi ne kitni koshish kri, hum sabne kitni koshish kri. Par bhaisahab maane hi nhi. Balki uske liye dusre rishte dhundne lage. Zabardasti. Ye bhi toh sahi nhi tha na.”

(But Mahi was also not wrong. He denied without even listening to her side. She tried a lot, we all tried a lot. But he did not listen. Instead, he started searching for other alliances for her. Forcefully. This was also not right.)

Omkara listened carefully. Grasping each word and trying to understand everything.

“Haan usne risk lia ghar se bhaag kr…lekin jo bhaisahab kr rhe the wo bhi sahi nhi tha. Agar wo Ritesh se milke, usse samajhne ke baad mana krte toh shayad Mahima bhi ye na krti. Par unhone love marriage ka naam sunte hi mana kr dia. Khair jo bhi hai. Aaj khush hai wo. Lekin bhaisahab abhi bhi apni zid pr atke hai. Yaha aake milti hai wo Isha aur Meetu se. Chhupke se.”

(Yes she took the risk of running away…but what he was doing was also not right. Had he denied Ritesh after meeting him and understanding him, Mahi wouldn’t have opposed. But he denied simply after hearing about love. Anyway. She is happy today. But her father is still stubborn. She comes here to meet Isha and Meetu. Secretly.)

Pooja shook her head and sighed, feeling sad for the girls and Meetu. Omkara understood everything. Why Isha was still not accepting her feelings.

He decided to pay his dear future father-in-law a visit. Meetu opened the door and smiled seeing Omkara.

“Namaste aunty! Uncle hai kya ghar pr?”

(Hello aunty! Is uncle home?)

He asked as he bent down to touch her feet.

“Haan hai. Aaja aaja!”

(Yes he is. Come on!)

He smiled and entered. He saw Naresh sitting in the living room, scrolling through the TV channel. Upon seeing Omkara enter, he kept the remote down and smiled wide at him.

“Arre Om! Aao beta!”

(Come on!)

Omkara smiled and took his place beside Naresh. Meetu brought water for him. He thanked her and asked her not to worry about bringing anything else.

“Ye mai aapke liye laaya tha. Imported hai.”

(I got this for you. It’s imported.)

Omkara said with a wink as he handed Naresh a bottle of one of the finest scotches. His eyes sparkled like a child’s.

“Arre waah! Ye toh bhut badiya hai.”

(Wow! This is amazing.)

He said and patted Om appreciatively. Om grinned and chuckled.

“Waise Isha kaha hai?”

(By the way where is Isha?)

He asked, looking around. Naresh was still observing the bottle and mumbled.

“Kaam pr gyi hai. Tumhe kuch chahiye tha?”

(She went to work. You had some work?

“Haan wo mujhe pata chala interior designer ban gyi chuhiya. Toh kuch kaam tha.”

(Yes, I heard the little rat become an interior designer. So I had some work.)

Naresh nodded with pride at the mention of his daughter’s flourishing career.

“Haan! Bhut badiya kaam krti hai. Shaam ko aayegi toh mai bhej dunga usse.”

(Yes! Her work is excellent. I will send her when she returns.)

“Haan uncle. Thank you. Wo actually uska naya number nhi hai na mere paas. Nhi toh mai khud call kr leta. Shaam ko aayegi toh le lunga usse number.”

(Yes uncle. Thank you. I don’t have her new number. Otherwise, I would have called myself. I will get her number when she returns.)

Naresh nodded and Omkara took his leave in some time. Step 1 of Mission Sasurji Patao accomplished.

Isha reached home and saw her father in the living room. She smiled at him and noticed that he was unusually happy today.

“Ishu! Wo Om aaya tha. Usse mil aa zara. Kaam tha usse kuch.”

(Om came here. Go meet him. He had some work.)

She froze mid-step and stared at her father. 

“K-kaam? Om ko?”

(W-work? Om?)

“Haan. Kuch interior ke baare mai baat krni thi usse. Jaake ke mil aa pehle.”

(Yes. He wanted to talk something about interiors. Go and meet him first.)

Isha nodded in daze and turned on her heel. She walked aimlessly to the opposite house and rang the doorbell. Pooja opened the door and smiled.

“Hello aunty! Wo Om ne bulaya tha. Keh raha tha ki kuch kaam hai usse.”

(Om called. He said he had some work.)

“Achha? Kamre mai hai wo apne. Jaake mil le.”

(Really? He is in his room. Go and meet him.)