Thank you all for voting and commenting on the previous part. Sorry, for not replying to the comments, I am a little busy lately.
Omkara was driving when he hears her sniff and turns to her in shock. "You are crying?"
*BIG SNIFF*
"Why are you crying, Gauri?" Omkara asks her worriedly as he parked the car and made her face him.
"Why did you behave like that?"
"Who is your father to stop you from coming with me?" Omkara asks furiously.
"He is my father!"
"I am your husband!"
"But he doesn't know that! Why do you behave like this, Om?" Gauri asks him sadly as she hugged him.
"I am sorry, Gauri. I don't like anyone coming between us. No one has a right over you other than me. If anyone tries then I just go mad." Omkara tells her as he hugged her tight.
"I hurt Papa because of you."
"Do you want me to take you back to your father?" Omkara asks her.
"You would?" Gauri asks him surprised.
"I can't see you cry."
"I was scared." Gauri whispers to him. "I was scared that if I went with Papa then you would stop talking to me like you stopped talking to your father. I thought I might lose you."
Omkara chuckles hearing that, "You are so innocent."
"You wouldn't stop talking to me?" Gauri asks smiling relieved.
"No... I will just lock you up in my room till you realized that you are to always choose me."
"Will you be locked in with me or out?" Gauri asks him smiling.
Omkara looks at her surprised and starts chuckling, the day would be the day she realizes that she is a bigger psycho than him.
"What?"
Omkara shakes his head and answers, "Obviously with you."
Gauri smiles happily and hugs him. Omkara smiling kisses her on her forehead and Gauri looks up at him and says with a shy smile, "Let's not go to college today."
Omkara starts chuckling hearing her, "You are becoming the epitome of bad student."
Gauri smiles as she hugged him tight, then she sobers up imagining what would happen once she got back home. Her father would lock her up and try to separate Om from her. Her father hated Om, she could see that. She had to fight with her family for Om and she'll. And today was the only day they could be together before their bliss ended.
**********
Evening, Gauri walks back into her house to find her parents furiously waiting for her. Without saying anything she starts to head to her room when Harshvardhan furiously stops her.
"I told you to stay away from him and all this while you..."
"I am sorry, Papa. I couldn't help it. I fell in love with him." Gauri worriedly tells Harshvardhan as she walked towards him.
"LOVE?" Harshvardhan scoffs. "He hates his own father!"
"But he loves me."
"He can't even love his father and you think he would love you?"
"He loves me, Papa. I know that. He can't live without me. He is angry with his father for forgetting his mother and marrying."
"Is that even a reason to hate his father?" Harshvardhan asks in shock.
"He loved his mother a lot." Gauri tries to reason with him as her eyes filled with tears seeing her father's anger.
"Gauri, we have heard from many that he is not normal. He is a recluse and he has no friends." Nayantara tries to make her understand calmly.
"I am his best friend. He doesn't need anyone other than me near him. And he thinks differently from others that doesn't mean he is not normal. Once you get to know him..." Gauri wanted to say love but she knew that would be mighty impossible and substitutes the word, "you would appreciate him."
"What are you saying, Gauri?" Nayantara asks her confused.
"She is getting influenced by him." Harshvardhan accuses her.
"Please, Papa... try to understand me. I love him."
"I don't want you anywhere near him. I am changing your college." Harshvardhan decides.
"NO!" Gauri shouts in outrage.
"I have decided that. If I wasn't worried about him creating a scene in your college today, I would have brought you back home in the morning itself." Harshvardhan tells her angrily.
Gauri's eyes widen in shock realizing how close she was in getting caught by her father regarding the extend of Om's and her relationship.
"You will not see him again." Harshvardhan decides.
"I can't live without him." Gauri pleads him.
"You stay away from him for a few days and you would forget this love-shove stupidity." Harshvardhan tells her. "Give me your mobile."
"Why?" Gauri asks panicking.
"You won't have a mobile from now on. I'll drop you to college and Nayantara or I'll come and pick you up from there in the evening. Till we know for sure that you are out of this silly love thing, you are grounded. Now pass your phone."
**********
Gauri could hear her mobile ringing continuously and her heart was beating fast realizing Om was trying to contact her. Finally giving up, she runs out of her room and towards her parents' room where her mobile was. By the time she reached the room, the mobile had gone silent and she looks into the room to see if she could get the mobile without her parents noticing when she sees her father dismantling her phone and taking out the sim. He breaks it and puts it in the dustbin.
Noticing her, he starts to walk out as he tells her "Come down for dinner, Gauri."
"I don't want."
Harshvardhan turns to her and gently caresses her. "I know you are angry at us. I can understand. It is your age. You would think only he is right and the rest of the world is your enemy. It is normal. I know you love him but he is not the man your mother and I would like to see you settle down with. Mr. Kapoor was telling me how much he had troubled his daughter. Gauri, that Omkara is not right in his head. He has temper issues, he creates problems wherever he goes and you saw the way he was talking to his father. The way he was talking to me. If he can't respect his elders, what respect is he going to give you? Trust your parents on this. We are your parents. We want the best for you and that is not Omkara Singh Oberoi."
"For me, he is the best." Gauri whispers to him. "I know what you are saying is true but I love him with all that, Papa. I know him like I know myself and I love him with all his shortcomings."
"Let's not talk about Omkara Singh Oberoi then?" Harshvardhan asks her like a peace treaty.
"Please don't change my college, Papa."
"I trust you, Gauri but he is a bad influence on you and I want you away from him before he takes my daughter away from us. You are our only daughter, we worry for you all the more and we have big dreams regarding you, Gauri."
Gauri hugs her father feeling completely helpless.
Harshvardhan was taking Gauri to the dining table when they hear the doorbell. It was continuously ringing.
"Who is at this, time?" Harshvardhan wonders out loud as he started to walk towards the door when Gauri runs towards the door beating him to it knowing who would be at the door.
"Om?" Gauri opens the door and sees him standing there.
"Gauri, you alright? Why weren't you picking my calls?" Omkara asks her as he hugged her. "Did your father say anything?"
"Om, you go home now." Gauri tells him seeing her father walk out.
"Leave my daughter." Harshvardhan says furiously seeing Omkara was hugging her.
"Did he hurt you?" Omkara asks Gauri cupping her face ignoring Harshvardhan.
"No, Om. He would never hurt me." Gauri says as she gently released herself from his hug.
"Okay. Why didn't you pick my calls?"
"Om, you go home now. I'll talk to you later."
"What happened here?" Omkara asks frowning.
"Leave before I call the police." Harshvardhan threatens him as he pulled Gauri away from Omkara.
"Listen, Mr. Sharma. Gauri was upset with the way I behaved with you in the morning. I don't want to hurt her. So please stay out of this otherwise I might just lose my temper." Omkara tells him in a calm tone.
"Look at the way he is threatening me. Is this the man you love, Gauri?" Harshvardhan asks outrage.
Gauri who was really pleased with the polite way Omkara was talking was shocked at her father's question. "Papa, he is so polite, now and that too just for me. Don't you see how much he loves me?"
Harshvardhan gapes at her in shock worriedly wondering to what extend had Omkara Singh Oberoi managed to screw with her head.
"Go inside, Gauri." Harshvardhan orders her.
"Om, please go."
Omkara starts to nod when Harshvardhan tells him. "I took her mobile so don't keep calling. You won't get her on line. I am changing her college. So please stay away from her."
Hearing that, Omkara becomes furious and starts to argue with him when Gauri gently tells him, "Please leave, Om. For me?"
Sighing, Omkara walks out.
**********
Gauri was lying on her bed sadly missing Om terribly. Usually this time she would be on the phone with him, silently going about their work. She hugs her pillow and cries as she thought of the day's events. If she had just remained in the car then none of this would have happened. Now how was she ever going to see Om and talk to him?
*knock* *knock*
Gauri sits up in shock realizing the knocking wasn't on the bedroom door. She quickly gets out of the bed and runs to the garden door and sees Om at the other side. She opens the door and throws herself at him as she broke into tears.
"Om, Papa will never let us be together."
"You come with me now, Gauri." Omkara tells her as he hugged her tight soothing her.
"I can't come with you without Papa's permission."
"Then tell him that we are married."
Wiping her tears, Gauri moves back to face him, "No. he is very angry at you now. Later, when everything calms down I'll tell him. Till then, please don't do anything to hurt them."
"Okay."
"Which college are you going to join?" Omkara asks her. "I'll also join there."
"It's a girl's college."
Omkara furiously sighs and tells her, "Then how will we meet?"
"Like this." Gauri meekly tells him.
"In secret?" Omkara asks not liking the idea.
Gauri nods her head. "Please, Om?"
"Okay. Tomorrow, I'll get you a mobile."
Gauri nods her head as she hugged him tight. "Om, I am feeling sleepy. I'll sleep?"
"You go to sleep. I'll be here." Omkara promises her as he kissed on her forehead.
"Good night, Om." Gauri tells him snuggling close to him.
"Where is the TV remote?" Omkara asks as he looked around.
"I don't have a TV in my room."
"Then how do you kill time?" Omkara asks curiously. "I'll get you a TV tomorrow."
"Are you mad?" Gauri asks him as she leaned up to look at him.
Omkara gives her a look.
Flustered she lies back muttering yeah right. "Just don't do anything that would let my parents know that we are still in touch."
"I am not feeling sleepy." Omkara says sighing as he hugged her.
"You want to read?"
"Naah"
"I know." Gauri says excitedly. "For a change, let's talk."
"What is there to talk? And I thought you were sleepy."
"We can talk till I doze off."
"Okay. Tell me."
"Hmmm... first thing... now I am not going to be in college. You will attend all your classes and clear all your papers too."
Omkara sighs tiredly.
"Promise me."
"Yeah... yeah."
Gauri smiles happily and kisses him. "Thank you."
Omkara smiles at her and hugs her tight.
"Om... you don't get along with your father... then how do you have so much money?" Gauri asks him curiously because he wasn't someone who would take money from someone he didn't respect.
"My Maa left me money, you know her shares and her investments. I started investing in stocks a couple of years back. Hence I have money."
"Hmmm. You love your mother so much, right."
"Yes." Omkara says smiling remembering her.
"Will your son love me as much?" Gauri asks him smiling at him.
"Son?" Omkara asks surprised. "We are having kids?"
"You don't want?" Gauri asks shocked.
Omkara shrugs in reply. "Just you and me would be nice."
"I want kids."
"Now?"
"Not now, you psycho! Later when we start living together. Why are you obsessed with now?"
Omkara chuckles softly. "What's the big deal about kids? What is going to happen if we don't have kids?"
"I want!"
"Okay. If you want then we will have." Omkara tells her shrugging and then he pulls her back to him hugging her tight.
"I want two. One boy and one girl."
"Hmmm."
"What will we name them?" Gauri asks him excitedly.
"Adam and Eve."
"What?"
"The first people on earth."
"Adam Singh Oberoi?" Gauri asks smiling liking the sound of it.
"Eve Singh Oberoi." Omkara tells her.
"I want now." Gauri says as she hugged him tight and snuggled on his chest.
Suddenly, Omkara rolls her over and gets on top of her. "Then let's get down to business."
"I was just saying." Gauri starts to protest and gasps feelings his tongue on her neck.
"You have condoms?" Gauri asks feeling excitement her fatigue and sleep leaving her.
"We were on a marathon today. Check my wallet." Omkara tells her against her neck.
Sighing happily, Gauri pulls out his wallet from his back pocket and checks.
"One." Gauri says moaning excitedly as Omkara started moving down.
**********
Very soon, Gauri joined a women's college and started regularly going to classes and even made friends too. Omkara and Gauri continued to meet at her house at night secretly and her parents were not aware of it. Since, Gauri's grades were also picking up, Harshvardhan and Nayantara didn't impose much on Gauri also assuming Gauri was still upset over her split with Omkara Singh Oberoi. Omkara also started attending lectures and even though he wasn't doing as well as Gauri, he was managing to pass for all his papers. Every night, Omkara spend at Gauri's house even during exams time. He would study with her as he liked to hold her fingers when he studied.
Since their semester exams were just a month away, Gauri had already started preparing for it which forced Omkara to also start studying for his papers. He had cleared majority of his arrears during his last semester exams and this was his final semester exams for his MBA and Gauri wanted him to walk out with his degree without any arrears and he had decided to fulfill her wish. So even after she had gone to sleep, he had continued to study holding her fingers.
Hearing the alarm, he looks around confused and Gauri wakes up immediately. She turns off the alarm and turns to him happily and hugging him she says, "Happy Birthday, Om."
"It's my birthday?" Omkara asks surprised.
"YES!" Gauri says as she got out of the bed and ran to her cupboard.
"I forgot." Omkara says amazed.
Gauri smiles at him and hands him a gift. Omkara opens it to find a shirt.
"How did you buy it?" Omkara asks surprised as he checked out the shirt.
"I went during college hours." Gauri tells him smiling happily. "Try it on."
"Later." Omkara tells her as he kept it on the table along with his notes. "Now let's celebrate my birthday."
"I have the bill, so if it is not correct size then we can change it."
"You know all my sizes better than me." Omkara teases her as he kissed her and leads her to bed.
**********
As Harshvardhan drove away, Gauri looks around for Omkara. He had told her that he would meet her before her college today. As she looked around, she spotted him standing at the other side of the road. Making sure that her father had drove away, Gauri crosses the road and hurries to him smiling happily seeing him wearing the shirt she had gifted him.
"Looking good."
"I know." Omkara smirks.
"First bell is about to ring. I've to go now." Gauri tells him hurriedly.
"Today you are going to be with me." Omkara tells her as he held her hand and started leading her towards his car.
"But exams are so close."
"I don't care."
"Where are you taking me? If someone sees me with you and tell Papa then."
"I'll take you to my house then."
"But there..."
"Svetlana was telling Tej about going somewhere today." Omkara tells her as he opened the door for her.
**********
Omkara and Gauri were snuggling in bed happily when Gauri notices a few gift wrapped boxes lying on the ground.
"What's that?"
"Tej's and Svetlana's so called birthday gift." Omkara says in disgust.
"You didn't open them?"
"I don't want anything of theirs."
"They fell in love, Om." Gauri gently tells him.
"He was married. He shouldn't fall in love." Omkara tells her angrily as he sat up.
"Was, Om. He might have felt lonely. You can't help who you fall in love with. Did you have any control over your feelings for me?"
"It's different, Gauri." Omkara says getting uncomfortable.
"It is not, Om. Love is love."
Omkara starts rubbing his neck irately and asks her, "Are you hungry?"
"No but I want to drink something."Gauri replies realizing that he wasn't ready to talk about his father and step mother.
"Hmmm." Omkara says as he grabbed his mobile and started googling.
"What are you doing?" Gauri asks curiously as she hugged him from behind and looked at his mobile.
"Going to make hot chocolate for you." Omkara tells her smiling.
Gauri smiles happily hearing him. Few minutes later, Omkara pulls on his jeans and grabbing his shirt, he starts to walk out when he notices Gauri leaning out the bed trying to grab her clothes.
"Don't get dressed."
"Why?" Gauri asks him surprised.
"I like seeing you naked in my bed." Omkara tells her with a wink and walks out making Gauri blush.
Omkara was walking back to his room with Gauri's hot chocolate when he sees Svetlana. Looks like she was back.
Omkara continues walking to his room when Svetlana calls him. "Om, how come you are here? You didn't go to college?"
Ignoring her, Omkara walks off.
"Hot chocolate." Omkara tells Gauri as he handed her the hot chocolate.
Gauri sits up wrapping the blanket around her securely and take a sip and smiles at him happily, "Nice."
"Om... why are you home? Are you not well?" Svetlana asks worriedly as she opened the door and walked in. then seeing Gauri, she stops in shock.
Gauri gasps out in shock as she quickly got up from the bed leaving the cup on table and wrapping the blanket around her more securely.
"What is she doing here?" Svetlana asks angrily.
"What are you doing in my room? Get out!" Omkara furiously orders her.
"What is happening here, Om? Why are you doing this? And you..." Svetlana turns to Gauri and asks her, "Does Harshvardhan and Nayantara know that you are here?"
Gauri shakes her head in negative then she quickly runs to the bathroom as worry and fear gripped her.
Gauri sat on the bathtub rim softly crying. She shouldn't have come here.
She could hear Om and Svetlana Aunty arguing. Om was getting louder and louder and she caught the word wife. God! Papa and Mama will find out everything soon.
Few minutes later, Omkara walks into the bathroom with her clothes and sits next to her.
"It's okay." Omkara whispers to her.
"She will tell my parents."
"One day they will know, Gauri. Sooner the better. I don't like hiding and seeing you but it is what you wanted."
"But she will tell them that she saw me naked in your bed." Gauri whispers as she cried.
"You are my wife."
"She is going to tell Papa and Mama that too."
Omkara holds her shoulders and Gauri leans on his chest as she cried. "I am scared, Om."
"No one is going to separate us, Gauri. I haven't given anyone the power to separate us." Omkara tells her.
Hearing him say that was a relief and she hugs him.
"Drop me back to college."
"Okay."
**********
Unknown to Gauri, things had already been made clear to her mother.
Nayantara was keeping an eye on the new maid as she cleaned Gauri's room. She was instructing the maid on where all to clean and how to clean. As the maid swept under the bed, along with the sand particles a small foil came flying out catching Nayantara's attention. Curious she walks towards the wrapper and picks it up. The blood drained from her face as she read what was printed all over the wrapper, Durex.
Gauri nervously walks into her house with her father wondering if Svetlana Aunty had informed her parents everything. Her father had been behaving normally with her and that was a relief but till she saw her mother, she couldn't be sure. One look at her mother's face and she knew that her mother was aware of everything.
Gauri remained in her room waiting for either her father or mother to barge into her room to question her about her relation with Om. She wanted to call Om and inform him about it but she was scared he might come home to talk and things might just go out of hand.
After dinner, Gauri was waiting in her room for Om to reach wondering why her mother didn't say anything. Maybe, I was just imagining everything. Gauri tried to console herself.
As the house grew quiet, Gauri started to sigh in relief knowing that her parents had gone to bed. She was relaxing as she waited for Om to come she hears a knock at the bedroom door. Heart in her mouth, Gauri opens the door to see her mother standing there furious.
Nayantara quickly gets inside the room and locks the door.
"Mama?" Gauri gulps in panic.
"What is this, Gauri?" Nayantara asks her as she held the condom wrapper in her hand. Seeing that the blood from Gauri's face drained completely. "Why would you need condoms, Gauri?"
"Mama..." Gauri gulps as she moved back in fear.
"Are you still seeing Omkara Singh Oberoi?" Nayantara asks her angrily.
Gauri nervously nods her head.
"And he comes here?" Nayantara asks as all her hope on the condom wrapper being in Gauri's room to be something entirely innocent left her. She felt betrayed and beaten in the worst way.
Tears starts flowing from Gauri's eyes seeing her mother's condition. She had betrayed her parents. In her love, she had turned a blind eye on the trust her parents had on her.
"Have you thought of what Harsh will feel if he finds out what you have been doing in our house right under his nose?" Nayantara asks her as tears fell from her eyes. "How could you do this, Gauri? We gave you everything you wanted and this is how you thank us? By cheating us?"
"I am sorry, Mama." Gauri cries as she hugged her.
Nayantara furiously pushes her away. "I am ashamed to say that you are my daughter. After everything, we had trusted you, Gauri. You had a chance to get out of that relation but still..."
"I love him, Mama." Gauri whispers to her.
"Stop this, Gauri." Nayantara tells her tiredly. "What will I tell Harsh?"
"Please don't tell him, Mama." Gauri pleads her worriedly. She couldn't see the same disappointment and hurt in his face for her like her mother's.
"How can I not tell him, Gauri? You are his daughter."
"Please, Mama."
"No, Gauri... I'll have to..." Nayantara stops midsentence hearing the key turn and she stares at the door seeing a shadow on the other side. "WHO IS THERE?" Nayantara shouts as she pushes Gauri behind her to protect her. "HARS..." Gauri covers her mouth to stop her from shouting out to Harshvardhan.
"It's Om, Mama. Please, don't call Papa." Gauri pleads her just as Omkara walks in. He had a key to the garden door.
"Gauri? Why are you crying?" Omkara asks worriedly not concerned about Nayantara's presence.
Nayantara covers her mouth to hold her sob in and she sits down as she silently cried seeing Omkara Singh Oberoi in Gauri's room at that time.
"Mama... I am sorry, Mama." Gauri begs her as she kneels down in front of Nayantara.
"How could you do this, Gauri?" Nayantara asks her in between her tears.
"Gauri?" Omkara calls her to get an answer.
"Om... she..." Gauri turns to him as she cried, her guilt eating her up for what she did.
"You and him... In our house, Gauri?" Nayantara asks her in furious tears.
"You wouldn't let us see each other and Gauri didn't want to hurt you both by coming with me." Omkara explains as he stood next to Gauri and held her.
"So you would do this?" Nayantara asks them furiously.
"I am sorry, Mama." Gauri pleads her because there wasn't anything else she could say. She hurt her parents and there wasn't any excuse.
"We didn't do anything wrong." Omkara says frowning.
Nayantara looks at him in shock while Gauri turned to him and requested him. "Please, Om go home."
"Gauri..."
"Please? Mama is upset already. Please, Om go home." When Omkara remained stubborn she pleads him, "I'm begging you, Om."
"I'll go." Omkara tells her calming her down. "But if there is anything, you call me. okay?"
"Okay."
After Omkara left, Gauri turns to Nayantara and tells her, "Please don't tell Papa, Mama. He'll hate me."
"You should have thought of that before, Gauri." Nayantara tells her as she got up to leave.
"Mama?"
"Go to sleep, Gauri."
**********
Omkara walks into his house furious at himself for leaving Gauri's house like that. He didn't want to leave Gauri alone with her mother to face the music but ever since he had the face off with Harshvardhan and made Gauri cry he had been making a conscious effort to not to hurt Gauri again. Gauri cared for her parents and he loved her too much to create problems between Gauri and her parents, and that is the only reason he hadn't revealed to her mother that they were married in spite of she making their love sound so dirty. He decides to keep quiet for the time being and let Gauri handle everything. If her parents came between them then he would take care of it.
He was about to go to his room when he overheard Tej and Svetlana talking about Gauri and him. Hearing their names, he stays back to listen.
"I have known about Om and Gauri for a while now." Tej informs her tiredly.
"But this is too much, Tej. Bringing her to our house to... and he is saying that she is his wife." Svetlana tells him agitated.
"Wife? They got married?" Tej asks in shock.
"That is what Om told me. You know him, he wasn't willing to tell me more."
Tej sighs hearing her.
"What are we going to do?" Svetlana asks him helplessly.
"You noticed how he has changed?" Tej asks her. "He seems happy lately. He is going to college and there haven't been any complaints about him lately. It's so peaceful at home now. He looks peaceful." Tej tells her with relieved smile.
"You are saying it is because of Gauri?"
"Yes. She loves him too. I saw it that day when she went against her father to be with Om. She was upset and hurt but she didn't leave Om. She loves him. She is a good influence on Om. I like her. She will keep my Om happy."
"She is a nice girl but will Harshvardhan and Nayantara agree?" Svetlana asks him worriedly.
"They won't. I already talked to Harshvardhan about their wedding. But Harshvardhan isn't happy about the relation and he doesn't want Gauri to even talk to Om. He changed Gauri's college to keep her away from Om. He has heard about Om from others. I tried to make him understand but he is adamant."
"Maybe we could try talking to him again."
"I practically begged him but he is adamant that Om is bad for Gauri."
"Then what will we do? What if Om goes against everyone and brings Gauri home?"
"He will." Tej tells her confidently. "It is just a matter of time."
"And what will we do then?" Svetlana asks worriedly.
"Gauri has made my son happy. I already love her like a daughter. So if he brings her home then we will welcome her." Tej tells Svetlana with a smile.
Soon the talk turned to marriage and welcoming Gauri home talks and Omkara walks to his room a little shaken with the conversation he overheard.
**********
"Om?" Gauri answers the call after the first ring.
"Gauri... is everything alright there?"
"Mama is so hurt." Gauri tells him as she broke down. "I have never seen her like this. I have hurt her so badly."
"You are my wife, you haven't done anything wrong."
"I broke their trust."
"I'll talk to your parents, Gauri. You don't worry."
"Mama will tell Papa, Om." Gauri whispers to him in fear.
"Tomorrow, I'll come to meet your parents."
"No, Om... just give me some time. I'll tell you when to come." Gauri tells him deciding to wait to see what her mother would do next.
Omkara sighs loudly and says, "Okay. You go to sleep. I'll be here."
"Okay... even after I sleep off, be on line okay?"
"I'll be here, Gauri." Omkara promises her.
Gauri was dozing off when she remembers about Svetlana Aunty and asks him, "Did Svetlana Aunty tell Tej uncle about us?"
"Yes."
"And?" Gauri asks worriedly.
"Gauri..." Omkara starts confusedly as the conversation played again in his mind.
"Yes?"
"Today when I came home, I heard them talk."
"What were they saying?"
Omkara proceeds to tell her everything.
"He considers you as his daughter because you make me happy. And he was saying he almost begged your father for us."
"He loves you, Om." Gauri says happily relieved that at least his family had no problem with their relation.
When Omkara doesn't say anything, she continues, "Give him a chance, Om. If he can accept me in spite of me being from a middle class family just because I make you happy then he can do anything for you."
"Hmmm"
"Just talk to him once, Om."
"He forgot Maa, Gauri."
"Maybe he didn't. Maybe he still loves her."
"What about Svetlana?"
"They say that sometimes, you can love two people." Gauri gently tells him.
**********
Nayantara was confused and worried sick thinking about her daughter and her relation with Omkara Singh Oberoi. She wondered whether she should tell Harshvardhan about it. But how can I tell him? How would he react? He will die if he finds out about Gauri's deception. And if I don't tell him then what? Gauri will continue to see that Omkara. This will continue till Harshvardhan finds out about it. He will find out about this one day and what will happen then? Will he be able to bear it? Maybe I shouldn't tell him. I can't hurt him like that. But Gauri is his daughter; he has a right to know about this. How long can I keep that Omkara Singh Oberoi away from Gauri?
**********
Early morning, Omkara decides to talk to Tej only for Gauri. When Tej without even him asking him was willing to support them and accept Gauri, then like Gauri said he should give him a chance to talk. Omkara knocks on Tej's bedroom and Svetlana opens the door.
"Om?" Svetlana says shocked.
"I want to talk to Tej."
"Come in, Om." Tej says surprised that Om was seeking him out.
"I want to talk to you alone."
Tej turns to Svetlana politely and Svetlana quickly leaves the room.
"Is everything alright? Is it about Gauri?" Tej asks him happy that his son had come to talk to him after years.
"I heard you two talking yesterday." Omkara tells him.
Tej nods waiting for Om to go on.
"You want Gauri and me to be together."
"I saw how much she loves you and you also love her."
"Then how could you not love my Maa?" Omkara asks him furiously.
"I love Jhanvi. I still do." Tej explains calmly.
"Then what about Svetlana?"
"I love her too."
"You were married to Maa. You had no right falling in love with her sister." Omkara furiously tells him.
"After your mother died, I was alone. You were alone. You had gone into depression. You became so quiet. I just didn't know what to do or how to help you. Then Svetlana came. She started taking care of you." Tej explains. "I was missing Jhanvi. Svetlana and I used to talk about her. Svetlana used to keep Jhanvi's memories alive in me. I don't know from a support to how she became a necessity. I fell in love with her."
Omkara looks at him helplessly not knowing what to say or do anymore. He needed Gauri with him now.
"You were 15 then. You rebelled about the marriage and we thought it was your age. Once, you get used to the idea of our marriage then everything would be fine. You would be happy for us. You would accept Svetlana as your mother. She is your maasi, she loves you like her own son. So we thought things would be better but then everything went from bad to worse."
Omkara sits down on the bed helplessly. Not sure what he was supposed to think.
"Om, we love you. You are our son. Svetlana is with me but I still feel lonely at times because you don't talk to me. Svetlana also feels the same. We are together but there is a void in our life that only our son can fill."
"She is not my mother."
"For her, she is." Tej tells him with a gentle smile.
Tej sits next to Omkara and taking his hand in his, he gently tells him, "Trust me, Om. Neither Svetlana nor I have forgotten Jhanvi. We know that Jhanvi would want us together. Jhanvi would be hurt if we had led a lonely life. We still love Jhanvi. She still holds that place in our lives that she did before her death. Sometimes, love happens because of a deep emotional need. You will understand that only when you are in the position. But I pray to God that you are never in that position. You and Gauri remain together your entire life. Losing someone you were supposed to spend your whole life is just too painful. It would feel worse than death."
"Do you miss her?" Omkara asks him in concern.
"No." Tej says with a smile. "How can I miss her when you are there? You are her mirror image."
Omkara smiles hearing that.
"Please Om, try to understand us. If we had the slightest doubt that you would react like this and we would lose you then we would have never got married. You are our son. We can never hurt you."
"I hurt you... didn't I, Papa?" Omkara asks him as he looked away as his eyes filled with tears.
Tej smiles with happy tears hearing his son call him Papa after 7 long years. "I could understand you, Om. We understood you and we had hoped that you would understand us one day."
"She can never be my mother." Omkara tells Tej in finality.
"She is going to be hurt to hear that." Tej tells him sadly not wanting to push Om and lose him again. He could see that Gauri and love have mellowed him down, but still he didn't want to take any chance.
"She is Maa's sister. She will always remain my Maasi, I guess." Omkara tells him.
Tej smiles hearing that. "Thank you." Tej says as he hugged Omkara happily.
**********
Making up her mind, Nayantara calls up Harshvardhan.
"Harshvardhan, can you come home now?"
"What happened?" Harshvardhan asks confused.
"I want to discuss something with you."
"Regarding what?"
"I'll tell you when you get home. Please come home soon."
"Okay... I'll come in an hour." Harshvardhan tells her and hangs up the phone. Hearing a knock at the door, he looks up to see Tej Singh Oberoi.
"Mr. Oberoi, come in." Harshvardhan tells him in a very formal polite tone.
"I wanted to talk to you about Gauri and Om."
"I've told you that there is nothing to talk about it." Harshvardhan says sternly getting slightly angry.
"Om called me Papa today. We have sorted out our difference. Your problem was that right? that Om was against me, he no longer is."
"I don't care about what your relation with your son is, I care only about my daughter."
"Your daughter is the reason I got my son back and I want to give him his love."
"Gauri has moved on. She is happy without him."
"Is that what you think?" Tej asks shocked.
"What do you mean? I changed her college. Her marks have improved. She is back to being focused. Ever since she is away from your son, she has become her old self."
"She was in my house yesterday." Tej politely informs him.
"What? You are lying. My daughter will not break our trust. She made a mistake and we forgave her. She will not break our trust by continuing that mistake."
"She was in my house. Svetlana saw her with Om. Yesterday was Om's birthday."
"He might have forcefully taken her." Harshvardhan argues furiously wanting to defend his daughter.
"Om told Svetlana that they are married."
Harshvardhan steps back in shock hearing that.
"Whatever you think, Om and Gauri are still together. They love each other. Please I am begging you, please don't try to separate them. You will never be successful. You might just end up losing your daughter. Let them be together and they will be happy always."
"You are like your son! Stubborn and thickheaded. Can't you understand that my daughter is no longer interested in him?" Harshvardhan asks furiously.
"It is you who is being stubborn. Gauri is very much still with Om. Please Harshvardhan, just let them be together. Om will not let anyone come between Gauri and him. You will lose your only daughter because we know, if she has to choose between you or Om, she would choose Om. She has done that before. Om and Gauri are married. Om will not let you take his wife away from him. My son has led a very lonely life ever since his mother died. Now he is happy and peaceful. I am begging you, please don't snatch his happiness away from him."
"You can leave, Mr. Oberoi." Harshvardhan tells him having enough of this discussion.
Tej sighs irately and tells him, "I just came to try one last time before things went out of hand. If the need arises, I will stand by my son and help him, come what may. And you be assured that my son will fight you or anyone for Gauri."
"Your son is mad! My daughter has nothing to do with him now!!!" Harshvardhan furiously tells Tej and walks out not wanting to hear any more on this.
**********
Hours later, Harshvardhan furiously walks into his house to find a frantic Nayantara.
"You said you would come in an hour and you are coming now?" Nayantara asks him. "I was getting so worried."
"Where is Gauri?" Harshvardhan asks still reeling from what Tej had told him.
"In our bedroom." Nayantara informs him. "I want to talk to you."
"I'll talk to you after I talk to Gauri."
"This is about Gauri." Nayantara worriedly tells him.
"What is it?" Harshvardhan asks with a frown as worry gripped his heart.
Gauri was sitting in her parents' room as her mother didn't trust her to leave her in her bedroom where Omkara Singh Oberoi could easily come. Gauri was getting worried as she wondered whether her mother would tell her father everything. She started praying hard for help. She needed Om. She wanted him to hug her and tell her everything was going to be fine. She wanted to hide in his arms. She wanted to hear his voice but her cell was in her bedroom.
Hearing the door burst open, and she quickly gets up to see her father furiously standing there.
"Papa..." Gauri nervously says.
"Harshvardhan, calm down... we'll make her understand." Nayantara worriedly tells her husband as she tried to hold him back, seeing him so furious Gauri moves back in fear.
"What are you going to make her understand?" Harshvardhan furiously asks her. "Is there anything left?"
"I am sorry, Papa." Gauri whispers in tears.
"SORRY? Is that what you have to say? We trusted you, Gauri! We thought our daughter would never break our trust! And you? Didn't we tell you that we don't want him anywhere near you? And you..." Harshvardhan looks away in disgust and anguish.
"How could you, Gauri?" Harshvardhan asks her when she remained silent. "What is so great about him that you just forgot us? That you so willingly hurt us."
"I am so sorry, Papa. Please forgive me."
"Forgive you? FORGIVE YOU?"
"Harshvardhan, calm down. Neighbors will hear." Nayantara tells him as she pulled him back.
Harshvardhan tiredly sits down in tears and Nayantara sits next to him as she tried to console him.
Gauri kneels down in front of him and cupping his face, she tells him, "I am sorry, Papa. But I love him, Papa. I can't live without him. I will die without him. I couldn't stay away from him. He is my life. I just couldn't, Papa. I couldn't even think of leaving him. I am sorry I hurt you both but I can't go on without him. I'll go mad. I love him so much, Papa... I am nothing without him."
"We lived for you, Gauri." Harshvardhan tells her hurt.
"If he meant so much to you, you should have made us understand. You should have tried to convince us and showed us that your love is true. Not this. What you have with him is not love!" Nayantara tells her in disgust.
Gauri could never tolerate anyone pointing fingers at Om's and her relation. "We are married."
"What?" Nayantara asks in shock.
"Is there anymore way left to betray us, Gauri?" Harshvardhan asks her defeated.
Gauri looks down hurt hearing her father.
"Where did you get married? Who else knows? Was it in court?" Nayantara asks her frantically as she furiously pulled up Gauri raising her hand to hit her.
"In college. He filled my maang."
Nayantara stops in shock hearing that.
"And?" Harshvardhan asks frowning.
"And?" Gauri asks him back confused.
"He filled your maang and that is it?"
Gauri nods her head.
"THAT IS NOT MARRIAGE!!" Nayantara furiously shouts at her.
"We are married." Gauri tells her frantically.
"Just filling your maang doesn't mean that you are married!" Harshvardhan furiously tells her.
"I am his wife, Papa. For us, it is marriage."
"You have gone mad along with him!" Nayantara says furiously as she moved back.
Gauri was about to walk towards them when she saw Om come in running and she stops in shock. He might have heard Mama screaming and had come up. Gauri was about to signal him to leave when she hears her father.
"Why did you do this, Gauri?" Harshvardhan asks her in a calmer tired tone. "Whatever you asked we gave you, we took care of all your needs and you couldn't leave him for us? If you thought you were married to him then you should have told us. You should have told us what was happening."
Gauri keeps looking at Omkara in panic.
"There is still time to get out of this madness, Gauri. Please for your own good leave him. Forget him like a bad dream." Harshvardhan requests her.
"What are you saying?" Nayantara asks him in shock hearing him. "Harshvardhan... they have..."
"I know... but he is mad! I won't have my daughter living with a psycho!" Harshvardhan cuts her off.
"You can't separate us. Gauri is my wife." Omkara tells him.
Harshvardhan and Nayantara turn to him in shock and Harshvardhan asks him furiously, "How dare you come in here?"
"I came to meet Gauri and heard you all screaming at her." Omkara says frowning furiously at them as he walked to Gauri and pulled her close to him.
"Why can't you leave her alone?" Harshvardhan asks him furiously.
"She is my wife!"
"She is not! That is not a marriage!" Harshvardhan says furiously.
"Please Papa... I love him." Gauri says as she moved close to her father. "I love him so much, Papa." Gauri pleads him as she hugged him and burst into tears. "Please don't say anything against our relation, Papa. Our relation is not dirty. It is very pure. It is the purest relation for us."
Harshvardhan furiously pushes her away.
"TREAT HER WITH RESPECT!" Omkara furiously says as he held Gauri.
"Don't shout at him, Om. He is my Papa." Gauri requests him.
"I'm taking her with me!" Omkara tells Harshvardhan as he held Gauri's hand. "Come, Gauri."
"No, Om." Gauri says as she gently freed her hand from his. Omkara turns back to her in shock.
"Gauri... I said come."
"I'll come, Om but not today. Not like this. The day Papa gives us his blessing, I'll come with you. I won't come with you by disgracing my parents. I don't deserve to be called their daughter after what I did but I am still their daughter. And I love them. I will not hurt them anymore. We'll wait for the day they give us their blessing."
Omkara furiously looks at her, wanting to drag her away from this, to take her somewhere only they both are and no third person is there between.
"Please Om?" Gauri pleads him, and hearing that Omkara realized that he loved her too much to go against her wishes and hurt her.
"We'll wait but if anyone tries anything to take you away from me then I'll take you away." Omkara warns her.
Gauri nods her head. "Papa would never do anything to hurt me."
Omkara turns to Harshvardhan and tells him, "Don't hurt her. Don't raise your voice at her. If you bring a tear to her eyes then..."
"He won't." Gauri replies confidently.
Nodding, without a word, Omkara takes her hand and walks out of the room.
"Om... where are you taking me?" Gauri asks him as she worriedly glanced back at her parents who were just looking at them in shock.
**********
Omkara walks into Gauri's room and locks the door.
"Om... what are you doing? Papa and Mama are there." Gauri says worriedly as tears stung her eyes for hurting her parents yet again by this action of his.
"You are fine, right?" Omkara asks cupping her face.
"Yes. Om... open the door... Papa and Mama..."
"Did they hurt you?"
"No... Om..." Gauri replies as she pushed him away and opened the door and stepped out to see her parents in front of their room about to knock.
"Papa... Mama..."
"Ask him to leave, Gauri." Harshvardhan sternly tells her.
Gauri turns to Omkara and gently tells him, "Om... you go home, now."
"And task him to come with his parents tomorrow." Harshvardhan instructs her and walks off.
Gauri's face breaks out into a smile hearing that. She was about to hug him but he had walked off.
"I can bring them now." Omkara offers.
"Tomorrow." Nayantara tells him frowning at the psycho then turning to Gauri she tells her, "From now on, you will be sleeping upstairs."
Gauri nods just too happy to have her parents' consent.
Seeing that her mother was waiting for her to send off Om, Gauri turns to Omkara and tells him happily, "You go home now. Tomorrow, come with everyone."
Omkara nods and ignoring Nayantara he hugs Gauri. Then he leaves while Nayantara locks the door and leads Gauri to the guest bedroom.
**********
Next day, Omkara comes with Tej and Svetlana. Harshvardhan and Nayantara politely welcome them though they weren't thrilled with the turn of events.
"I don't like him." Harshvardhan tells Tej pointing at Omkara. "But my daughter loves him. And yesterday I realized how much she loves us too. I don't want to trap her between a tug of war between him and us. So I decided to give him a chance."
"Om will not disappoint you. He will keep Gauri happy." Tej promises him.
"When can we have the wedding?" Svetlana asks them.
"Gauri is still studying. She has to finish her studies first and then get a job. After that only, I'll think about her wedding."
"But she is just in first year of college." Tej says shocked. "It would take some 4-5 years right for her to finish studies."
"She is just turning 19. I won't marry her off so young." Harshvardhan tells them sternly.
"We can wait." Omkara tells Harshvardhan.
"But let me tell you, if ever my daughter comes and tells me that she made a mistake and she doesn't love you anymore, you will be out of her life."
"She will never say that." Omkara replies confidently.
Harshvardhan ignores that and continues, "You can meet Gauri but here in my house in this living room. Not anywhere else definitely not sneaking into my house at night. You will come through the front door. I want you to give me your word on that. I don't trust Gauri anymore. So I want you to promise me that."
Gauri looks away hurt hearing her father, seeing her upset Omkara tells Harshvardhan, "Come on, I am her husband. You can't blame her for choosing me over you."
"I don't consider your marriage." Harshvardhan says furiously.
"We do."
"Can you promise me that?"
"Yes." Omkara replies.
"You will have to be working too at the time of the wedding." Harshvardhan tells him.
"After his studies, Om has told me that he will join our office." Tej tells Harshvardhan happily.
Harshvardhan nods.
"Is there any timing to meet Gauri?" Omkara asks Harshvardhan curiously.
"When either my wife or I am at home." Harshvardhan tells him.
**********
Omkara rings the bell and as expected Harshvardhan opens the door with Gauri standing behind him with a nervous smile.
"Come in." Harshvardhan says as he stepped aside. Omkara steps in and smiles at Gauri. Harshvardhan without a word walks inside.
When her father was out of sight, Gauri quickly hugs Omkara and kisses him. "I missed you."
Omkara smiles at her as she took his hand and led him to the couch.
"How was first day of office?" Gauri asks excitedly. Om had finished college last week and he had joined office today.
"Good but too much talking." Omkara tells her irately.
"Okay, then you sit quietly." Gauri says understanding his need for some silence.
Omkara smiles at her and sits next to her as they held hand.
Hearing a sound Gauri closes her eyes while Omkara looks up humorously and sees Harshvardhan Sharma sitting on the dining table and cleaning his revolver. That is what he does every time Omkara came over to meet Gauri.
Omkara smirks at Harshvardhan and ignores him while Harshvardhan murdered Omkara with his eyes wiping his revolver down.
"Now I know where your madness comes from." Omkara teases Gauri making Gauri chuckle. "Will you bring that to office too, when we have meetings?" Omkara asks Harshvardhan curiously.
Harshvardhan furiously opens the gun and starts loading it making Omkara roll his eyes.
**********
Few weeks later, Omkara walks into his house and sees Tej and Svetlana together.
"Om... did you have dinner?" Svetlana asks him as she got up.
"Yeah... but I want tea, masi."
"I'll get you tea now." Svetlana says smiling happily and walks off. Omkara was about to walk to his room when Tej calls him.
"I need to talk to you. Sit here." Tej says as he called him over.
Omkara walks towards him and sits next to him.
"This Friday is my graduation. You and masi should come." Omkara tells him before he forgets.
"We will come." Tej says happily as he smiled proudly at his son. Om had passed MBA with an average of 55%.
"What did you want to talk?"
"Om... there is something... please don't get upset over this..." Tej starts hesitantly.
"I won't." Omkara promises him.
"You know... how... every woman has this need to be a mother..." Tej nervously starts.
Omkara frowns hearing that.
"You refuse to accept Svetlana as your mother... and she..."
"She wants to be a mother?" Omkara asks him.
"All these years, we thought you wouldn't like it..."
"I can never accept her as my mother." Omkara tells Tej. "And I have no right to snatch her right to be a mother."
"You won't mind?" Tej asks him smiling.
Omkara shakes his head in no. "But only if it doesn't affect her health. I don't want you to lose your love again."
Tej smiles happily at him and hugs him. "Thank you."
**********
Couple of months later, Omkara had come to meet Gauri and excitedly informed her about the big news.
"WOW!" Gauri says excitedly and turns to her father who was reading a magazine, he had stopped bringing out his gun a month back. "Papa... Svetlana masi is pregnant!"
Harshvardhan looks at Gauri in shock hearing the news.
"I am going to be a big sister!" Gauri says excitedly. "I'll go tell Mama and come." Gauri tells Omkara and runs inside excitedly.
"She is a little old..." Harshvardhan starts hesitantly.
"33... doctor said she needs rest otherwise she is perfectly healthy." Omkara informs him.
"Ah okay." Harshvardhan nods and goes back to his magazine.
Omkara sits back as he waited for Gauri to come back. Harshvardhan and he talked only when they were in office and when it was needed but he could see that Harshvardhan was no longer hostile towards him.
**********
"Don't you feel sexually frustrated?" Gauri asks Omkara one day over the phone.
Omkara bursts out laughing hearing her, "I do."
"Maybe we should..."
"I promised your father. I don't break my word."
"HMPH!"
"Jack off! That is what I do." Omkara tells her chuckling.
"YUCK!" Gauri says in disgust.
"What is so yuck about it? Do you wanna have phone sex?"
"Ermmm"
"Or better... we'll have video call."
"When did you get so dirty?" Gauri asks in shock.
"Since I have been forced into celibacy."
**********
A couple of years later, Harshvardhan open the door to see Omkara with baby Aditi in his arms.
"Come in, Om." Harshvardhan says affectionately as he caressed Aditi. "You are early today. Gauri is taking a shower."
"Aditi was driving Masi crazy, so I thought I will take her out." Omkara tells Harshvardhan as he walked in behind him.
"Ah! That is nice."
"Sit... Nayantara has gone to inform Gauri." Harshvardhan tells him as he sat opposite to Om.
Omkara sits down and sets Aditi free. Aditi starts roaming around the living room while Omkara kept an eye on his little sister.
"I wanted to take Aditi to the beach. So I was thinking if Gauri could come with us."
"Yeah, sure." Harshvardhan agrees quickly. It had amazed him that Om had stood by his promise all these years and that and his love for Gauri had won over their hearts.
"Now that Gauri has finished her studies." Harshvardhan starts.
"She is expecting gold medal." Omkara informs him.
"Really?" Harshvardhan asks surprised.
"It's for you both." Omkara tells them smiling.
Harshvardhan smiles proudly hearing that. "Anyway, I was thinking that now it is time that we started thinking about your marriage."
"What about Gauri's job?" Omkara asks curiously.
"She can look for a job after marriage too."
Omkara smiles happily hearing that.
"Tomorrow, Nayantara and I'll come to your house to talk to Tej and Svetlana about the wedding."
"Aditii!" Gauri calls her excitedly as she comes running to the room.
"Haahi..." Aditi calls her excitedly, she still hadn't learned to say the word bhabhi.
Gauri picks her up and kisses her happily while Aditi started talking excitedly and the only thing she caught was Umm aai which meant Om Bhai.
"Gauri, Om wants to take Aditi to the beach, you also go with them." Harshvardhan tells her. Gauri's mouth drops open in shock hearing that.
"I go?"
"Yes." Harshvardhan tells her as he walked inside to give them privacy.
Gauri turns to Omkara in shock. "What happened?"
"Omkara happened." Omkara replies with a smirk.
*** The End ***
I hope you guys liked this story as a whole. Please vote and comment
- Lazy