Kal Kya Patah, Mile Na Mile, Nazdeekiyan... O' Saathiya - RiKara TS

Part 1

"Just shut up Pinky!" A distraught Jhanvi snapped. She had felt her own heart re-shatter as she watched her son break, but a voice inside her whispered defence of the girl who had suffered through so much. Jhanvi loved Gauri as much as she did Priyanka - she always allowed her children space to figure out their own lives, but had always assumed they knew they could approach her with their problems. If Gauri had felt trapped in her marriage surely she would have approached her before taking such an action. Standing their Jhanvi began to question how well she truly knew her children - all her kids having eloped in one way or another... she had not given any of them a real wedding. Omkara was destroyed before her eyes... Gauri was God knows where... Rudra had turned marriage into a joke... And Priyanka... when had they last spoken? A dread filled her heart. She had failed. She had spent years as a failed wife - now she had lost as a mother too. Mentally making a note to contact her daughter, she turned to the issue at hand.

"Om... Please Om, relax. Don't take a wrong decision in haste. Marriage is a huge commitment... it doesn't just end like this. Gauri must have made a mistake. She's just a child Om, still so young. Forgive her... save your marriage. Please, Beta!" Jhanvi pleaded.

Seeing the state of his wife, the guilt already present in Tej magnified. Today Tej had seen his Omkara break and the agonised man before him transformed into the little boy who strived to impress his father. For the first time in years he could see his little boy's pain, could feel his anguish, and the dormant father in him roared. How could this be happening to his son?! To Tej Singh Oberoi's son? Maybe because he is Tej Singh Oberoi's son... Maybe now he's paying the price of your sins.' A quiet voice whispered inside him, silencing the lion that had just reared it's head. Yes, maybe this was the price of Tej's own crimes in love - in marriage - but Tej would be damned if he let Omkara pay it. He may not deserve a happy marriage himself, but his son surely did. From today Tej would work on fixing his son's marriage. Only then could he atone for his sins. Whereas Rudra and Priyanka had always remained slightly guarded from TejVi's isssues, Om had bourn the brunt of them. He looked again at his wife - the mother of his children - the woman he had wronged. He grasped her hand tightly in silent support. Tej had single-handedly destroyed Omkara's childhood, but this time he would join hands with his true life-partner and ensure that Omkara's marriage and family life flourished. Putting aside his ego and ideals of Naam, Khoon and Khandaan, this time Tej would be a Father. A divorce would only further damage Om's psyche... what he needed was to see a marriage work... Omkara needed to make his own marriage work.

"Your mother is right Omkara. Now is not the time for haste. Let Gauri return home. I will talk to her myself. You can get couple's counselling. this is not the end. You still have a chance, my son. I have wasted all the opportunities that your mother has given me, but Gauri is not me. That girl is willing to die for you... She's proved it again and again. She must have a reason for straying. Have you been giving her time, or have you been busy with the exhibition? Your marriage is new and you haven't even had your honeymoon. Maybe this man has mislead her. Let her explain herself. Maybe she just feels neglected. We can fix this, my son. We can fix it together." Tej tried to reach out to his son, but found his path blocked by Shivaay.

"Yeh aap kya ke rahein hain Bade Papa? What are you saying Bade Papa? This matter should be dealt with swiftly and discreetly. Omkara needs no more of this in his life. I am his brother I know what's best for him."

"I am his father, Shivaay." Tej countered, his chest puffing out.

"Forgive me, Bade Papa, but it would be best we didn't start that topic." Shivaay replied.

Instantaneously, Tej deflated and stood down, silenced under the weight of his own sins.

"I am his brother too Bhaiyya, and I know O can't live without Chulbul Bhabhi. Please stop trying to dictate his life." Rudra re-entered the discussion.

"Please Rudra! Tu abhi bhacha hai. You are still a kid. You don't understand relationships."

"I am not a kid. And are you... seriously YOU... giving relationship advise? I mean you don't have the best track record yourself - no offence Bhabhi." Rudra turned to Anika, who wasted no time jumping in to her husband's defence. Although she had liked Gauri, she would not stand for anyone harming HER family.

"Nahin Rudra, Shivaay sahin hain! Jho Gauri ne kiya uski koi maafi nahin hai! No Rudra, Shivaay is right! What Gauri has done deserves no forgiveness!" To Anika marriage was sacred... had it not been sacred to Gauri too? Was she not the one who constantly remembered ShivParvati? How had she stooped so low? Anika would never forgive her!

"Par Bhabhi... iss baat ki koi aur explanation ho sakti hain na? But Bhabhi... there can be another explanation for this too, right? We should go and ask Gauri Bhabhi." The ever logical Inspector Bhavya intervened, only to be cut off by Pinky.

"Don't talks in our family matters! Badi aayi 'Bhabhi' ki Chamchi! Bhabhi's sidekick!"

Anika quickly jumped to Bhavya's defence knowing how it felt to be a receiver of Pinky's taunting, and that started the Saas - Bahu debate, with everyone jumping in to say their piece. Everyone except for Omkara who was at his wits' end.

"SHUT UP! All of you shut up! This is between me and MY WIFE! I don't need your advice! Just... just leave me alone!"

With that Omkara walked away heading to his room (#Mike drop moment). He had not talked to anyone since, refusing to meet the lawyers Shivaay had called and taking his meals in his room - of which he ate very little. At all other times he sat facing the main doors, waiting for his wife. He both dreaded and awaited her arrival. After a week his family were completely lost, all having tried to reach Gauri and failed.

It was after two weeks that something strange happened. There was a visitor to the Oberoi Mansion... One that would change Omkara's life.

Dandi (Don't killl me - I'm trying to fix the errors of the show)

The last two weeks had been a jumble of tiredness and worry. His work had been going well but that meant long hours and unavailability for his loved ones. His Sister had tried to contact him 14 days ago but Dandi had left his phone lying around and only received the 12 missed calls later. Since then he had tried on and off to get in touch with her between his own work, but he had failed miserably. When he had called OM a servant had said his Sister was out on some task (How useless are the Oberoi's servants?) So today he had come to visit her personally, only to be stopped by this ridiculous Khanna.

"Sorry sir, but no strangers are permitted inside." The bigger man explained as he held Dandi back. Never one to give up, he began screaming Gauri's name.

Omkara had been ignoring the commotion outside until he heard his wife's name. Instantly he rose from the sofa and ran outside. Disappointment filled him when he only spotted her adopted brother, then it was quickly replaced by rage. This man had mislead him about his wife. What was he doing her now? Had he come to sprinkle salt on Omkara's wounds?

"What are YOU doing here?" Omkara's voice came out as a husky growl, having been out of use for so long.

"I am here to see my Sister. Call her out to see me!" Dandi demanded.

Surely Gauri would have told her beloved brother before leaving... right? Omkara felt a ocean of dread brewing within him. Gauri had contacted nobody in his family, he knew. Could it be she was out of contact with everyone? Why?...How?

Omkara motioned to let Dandi in. It was time to have a real conversation with him. It was time to find out exactly where Gauri was...