Rikara One Shot Story Collections I

Taming The Beast

Hello everyone,

How are you all?

Thanks to all for voting and commenting on the previous story. Viraasat (Posted on 23. Feb. 2024)

WARNING

THE HERO IS AN ASSHOLE. PERIOD!

AND THE HEROINE IS AN EVER FORGIVING DOORMAT!

Since the excitement level is WAAAY HIGH... LET'S PARTY!!!!

Omkara furiously walks into his parent's bedroom and glares at his mother, who was lying on her bed.

"What new drama is this?" Omkara asks her angrily.

"I am just tired, Om." Jhanvi tells him softly.

"Then go, eat something!" Omkara orders her.

"I don't want." She says as she looked away.

Omkara turns to glare at his father, who was worriedly sitting with his mother. Then he turns to look at his mother and says, "if you think you can emotionally blackmail me into getting married then you are wrong."

"Don't you care for your mother, Om?" Tej asks him shocked.

Omkara turns to his father and reminds him, "do you remember, how I used to beg you both?"

Tej gulps as he looked away.

"She was after our money!" Jhanvi furiously reminds him. "She took money from us and left you!"

Omkara looks away remembering that day, when he had witnessed Ridhima accepting money from his parents to end their relation.

"It's been two years and you are still crying over that gold digger!" Jhanvi reminds him angrily.

"She is as good as dead to me." Omkara tells them. Her betrayal was so brutal. He had trusted her above his parents. Fought with the world for her. If he hadn't witnessed it with his own eyes, he would have never believed that Ridhima's love for him wasn't genuine.

"Then why don't you get married?" Jhanvi asks him.

"Because I fucking don't want to." Omkara replies.

"Mind the way you speak to your mother, Omkara." Tej furiously tells him.

"I don't give a damn about anyone. Just leave me be."

"Gauri has been waiting for you for all these years." Jhanvi tells him, sadly feeling Gauri's pain.

"I never asked her to." Omkara tells him.

"Still she is waiting for you." Jhanvi tells him and requests him. "Marry her and please start living again."

Omkara furiously glares at his mother and says, "you can starve to death!"

Tej and Jhanvi helplessly watch as Omkara left the room.

Tej turns to Jhanvi and says worriedly. "Maybe, we should find Ridhima and tell him...."

"Never. My son deserves the best and that is Gauri!" Jhanvi furiously tells him.

**********

Omkara furiously walks to his car as he listened to the ringing on his phone.

"Hello, Om?"

"Where the fuck are you?" Omkara furiously asks.

"Home. What happened?" Gauri asks him.

Omkara in reply cuts the call furiously.

**********

Gauri nervously paces the room as she waited for Omkara to reach.

They grew up together. Their parents were friends. Ever since she was a small girl, she had loved him. And like everyone, she believed that one day, they would be married.

But when the family had met to speak of their wedding, Omkara had declared that he was in love with someone else.

It had broken her.

But, she had stepped aside and continued to love him from afar.

She had watched him fight for his love with his parents. She had watched him, when his love had betrayed him. And she had watched when he turned to a whole new person who didn't care for anyone. He had closed his heart to the world.

And she had continued to love him.

She understood the turmoil he went through.

She understood his pain.

She understood him.

Hearing him walk in, Gauri stands up.

"What happened?" Gauri asks him as she walked to him.

"How many times do you want me to tell you that I don't want to marry you?" Omkara furiously asks her.

"Om... I.." Gauri stops in confusion.

"Just fucking stay away from me!" Omkara furiously tells her. "I will never marry you!"

Omkara turns to walk away when she softly calls him. "Om...."

He stops and turns to her furiously.

"Did I ever ask you to marry me?" Gauri asks him gently.

Omkara stops hearing her question.

"Did I ever ask you to love me?" Gauri asks him again, unable to keep her pain away from her voice.

Omkara looks away.

"Have I ever come in front of you other than at unavoidable social gatherings?" Gauri asks him.

Having no answer to her question, Omkara remains silent.

"Have I ever troubled you?"

Omkara turns to her, and tells her angrily. "Stop waiting for me. I will not marry you!"

"That is your choice. And not to marry anyone else is my choice."

Omkara furiously grips her hand and pulls her towards him. "Then why the fuck is your parents so desperately asking my parents to get you married to me?"

"What?" Gauri asks him in shock.

"Don't make me come here again, Gauri." Omkara warns her as he pushed her away.

**********

"Sir, Gauri Madam is here to see you."

Omkara looks at his secretary and tells her. "Not now."

"She said she will wait if you are busy now." She informs him.

Hearing her, Omkara looks out through the glass door and sees her sitting in the waiting chairs.

"Then let her wait."

**********

For the first one hour, he had found pleasure in watching her wait.

The second hour, he started getting irritated.

By third hour, he stared getting angry.

And by the fourth hour, he was furious.

Seeing her patiently wait for him, Omkara furiously opens the door and walks out.

"Why the fuck are you so desperate?" Omkara furiously asks her.

Gauri stands up hearing him, as she looked around to see his staff looking at her.

"Don't you..."

Gauri cuts him off. "I didn't know my parents spoke to your parents."

Omkara stops as he frowned at her.

"They did it without asking me." Gauri explains to him. "Ever since you told us you love Ridhima, my parents never mentioned your name to me. They have been trying to get me married."

"Then get married!" Omkara tells her.

Gauri ignores what he said and continues on. "When I kept refusing to marry they got desperate and they approached your parents. They were emotional but they shouldn't have done that."

Omkara stops hearing that.

"I apologize for them."

Omkara didn't know what to say to that.

"They will never trouble you again. I am very sorry. I will never be a problem in your life." Gauri tells him and walks off.

Unable to understand her, Omkara just stood back as he watched her leave.

**********

Next evening, Omkara walks into his house and sees doctor and nurse there.

Noticing him, Tej informs him, "Jhanvi refuses to eat. They have put her on drips."

"Just shove some food inside her mouth." Omkara tells him in a dismissive tone and starts to walk off.

"You think I didn't try force feeding her? She is spitting it out." Tej tells him helplessly.

Omkara looks away, his heart worrying for his mother.

"I already lost my son. I don't want to lose my wife too, Omkara. Please?" Tej begs him.

Omkara looks at his father and sees tears in his eyes. Without a word, he walks off.

**********

Later, Omkara walks into his parents' bedroom and sees his mother lying on the bed. She looked weak.

"Om?" Jhanvi softly calls him.

"Get up and eat your food." Omkara tells her.

"If you don't want to marry then you don't. And I don't want to eat and I won't." Jhanvi tells him.

"Do you think forcing me into marrying Gauri will solve everything? Do you think I will start caring for her? Her life is going to be hell with me!" Omkara tells her.

"Gauri will fill your life with happiness, Om." Jhanvi tells him.

Omkara scoffs. "Fix a court date, I will marry her." Omkara declares.

"Court?" Jhanvi asks him shocked.

"If you think I am going to give her the wedding of her dreams, then you are mistaken. A court marriage is all she is getting." Omkara declares and walks off.

**********

Tej worriedly looks at Omkara as he sat for breakfast.

"What?" Omkara asks seeing his father attempting to start conversation with him.

"Gauri refused to marry you." Tej worriedly informs him.

Omkara furiously frowns. "What?"

"They said no."

"What the hell is her problem?" Omkara asks furiously as he took his mobile and dialed her number.

"Hello, Om?" Gauri answers.

"Where are you?" Omkara asks furiously as he walked out.

"I am not home. I will come to your office in an hour." Gauri tells him.

**********

"Sir, Gauri Madam is here."

"Then send her in!" Omkara tells her exasperated.

Surprised, his secretary quickly leaves.

Omkara stares at the door as he watched Gauri walk to the door. She opens the door and walks in.

Omkara glares at her.

"Why did you want to meet?" Gauri asks him as she stood opposite to him.

"What are you playing at?" Omkara asks her as he stood up.

"I don't understand."

"You said no." Omkara says as he walked to her.

"Because I know you don't want to marry me." Gauri replies.

Omkara stops hearing that.

"I know Jhanvi Aunty forced you by refusing to eat. She can't force you anymore. I refuse to marry you."

When he remained silent, Gauri tells him. "I have told Jhanvi Aunty also. They will not trouble you in regards of me, again."

"She will just continue to starve and ask me to marry someone else." Omkara points out to her.

"But you don't want to marry me. And that is all, that matters to me." Gauri turns and walks out of his room.

"GAURI!!"

Gauri stops in shock as she turned to look at Omkara. He was coming out of his office. She turns to look and sees all the staff watching them, once again.

"Om, I told you..."

"Marry me." Omkara tells her.

"What?" Gauri asks in shock. "Why?"

"Because I want to marry you." Omkara tells her as he stopped in front of her.

"What?" Gauri asks him, her heart slamming again her chest in shock.

"I have to marry one day. I have known you all my life. I want to marry you, Gauri. I want you to be my wife. Do you have any reason to refuse me now?"

"But..." Gauri starts confused.

"If you still love me then marry me." Omkara tells her.

Hearing that, Gauri's eyes fill up, feeling happy and wanting to cry. "Do you really want to marry me?"

"More than you can imagine."

"Yes." Gauri says as a sob broke out of her and she smiled through her tears.

**********

"Court marriage?" Harsh asks in shock. "She is our only daughter."

"Om wants a simple wedding." Jhanvi says as she looked at Omkara.

"But Gauri has her dreams..." Nayantara says in concern.

"Mom..." Gauri gently holds her hand. "My dream is Omkara." Gauri says as she lovingly looked at Omkara.

Omkara simply looked back at her.

"You used to have a scrap book with plans for your wedding." Nayantara reminds her in shock.

"Those were my immature wishes." Gauri tells her smiling reassuringly. "All I want is to be his wife. I am happy with a court marriage."

"Let's finalize that then?" Tej asks gently.

Her parents half heartedly nods.

Omkara looks down as he smirked. Welcome to hell, Gauri.

**********

They met outside the courthouse. Gauri wearing a red saree with minimal make up with her hands adorned with Chooda. She stops in shock seeing Omkara wearing a casual old tshirt and faded jeans.

"Why is Omkara dressed like that?" She hears her uncle ask her father in shock.

Noticing them, Jhanvi and Harsh comes hurrying to them.

"You look so beautiful, Gauri." Jhanvi tells her with a smile as she lovingly caressed her cheek.

Gauri smiles shyly as she looked at Omkara and sees him watching her.

"Where are your relatives?" Harsh asks Tej curiously.

"Er... everything happened so fast, we didn't have time to call anyone." Tej quickly says.

Harsh and Nayantara looks at each other in shock.

"We'll plan a wedding reception in a few months that time we'll call everyone. It will be grand." Jhanvi tells them smiling. "Come, let's not waste time."

Few minutes later, they stood by each other as they waited to sign. Omkara bends down and takes the pen, he starts to sign when Gauri holds his hand.

Confused, Omkara turns to look at her.

"This is what you really want, right?" Gauri asks him.

"Of course." Omkara replies and he smiles at her.

Gauri smiles seeing him smile. She takes off her hand.

Omkara signs the document and he passes the pen to Gauri. Seeing him smile, she smiles and bending down, praying for their happy life together, Gauri happily signs.

"Congratulations." Everyone around them says and claps happily.

"Jhanvi... sindoor and mangalsutra?" Nayantara asks her happily.

Jhanvi awkwardly looks at her. "Er... we don't have."

Gauri turns to Omkara in shock.

"What? Why?" Nayantara asks shocked.

"Om wanted a court marriage. He doesn't believe in all this." Tej says gently.

"But Gauri believes in them." Harsh reminds them in shock.

"Om..." Gauri looks at him hurt.

Omkara felt a perverse pleasure in seeing the pain on her face and eyes.

"How can we be married without them?" Gauri asks him softly.

"I don't believe in them, Gauri." Omkara replies to her. "I believe in this." Omkara says pointing at the marriage register. "Don't you believe in this?"

Gauri nods.

Omkara shrugs. "That settles it then."

"There is seriously something wrong here." Gauri hears one of her aunts whispering to her mother.

Gauri turns to them and says, "Om is right. If he doesn't believe in them, then it has no value in his eyes. And when he gives something that has no value in his eyes, there is no meaning to it."

Her family reluctantly agrees with it.

Few minutes later, Gauri bids her farewell to her family.

Gauri hugs her mother then she hugs her father.

"Be happy, Gauri. If anything, call us, we are here for you." Harsh tells her as he hugged her tight.

Gauri reassuringly smiles at her father with tears in her eyes.

**********

They get down the car. Jhanvi happily takes Gauri's hand and starts to walk in.

"We've waited forever for this day." Jhanvi tells her happily.

Gauri smiles happily as she looked at Omkara and sees him looking at his driver and gesturing something. She curiously looks and sees that the driver had started unloading her luggage.

"When are you plants coming?" Jhanvi asks Gauri curiously. "I've asked the gardener to make room for them."

"Thank you, Mom. I've made arrangements, tomorrow they will be here." Gauri tells her happily.

Chuckling she turns to Omkara and tells him. "When I asked Gauri what all arrangements I should make for her here, that is all she asked. Isn't she a darling?"

Omkara turns to Gauri and sees her blushing as she smiled at him.

"Omkara doesn't believe in all the rituals, so we didn't arrange anything." Tej guiltily tells her.

"That is okay." Gauri tells them smiling, though she was feeling hurt and disappointed.

Jhanvi starts to walk to the house holding Gauri's hand. Omkara holds Gauri's hand to stop her. Gauri turns to look at Omkara curiously, wondering if he wanted to hold hands while they walked inside together. The thought itself brought joy to her.

"It was your dream, right?" Omkara asks her with a sweet smile. "To be my wife and live in this house with my parents."

Seeing him smiling so sweetly at her, Gauri smiles as her cheeks turned pink.

"Answer me, Gauri." Omkara gently tells her.

"Yes." Gauri whispers as she smiled at him. Her eyes filling with tears of joy, she had given up on this dream a long time ago, and now, it was being fulfilled.

Omkara tightens his hold on her and pulls her close and asks in hatred. "And you thought you would force yourself into my life and I'll fulfill all your dreams?"

"What?" Gauri whispers in shock, seeing the change come over him.

"Om, what are you saying?" Tej asks him in shock.

As he stared into Gauri's eyes with hatred, he says, "I'm saying that this was last time you smiled, Gauri. From now on, you will only be crying."

"What?" Gauri asks in shock, her heart slamming against her chest.

"Have you gone crazy, Om?" Jhanvi asks him angrily.

"Yes, thanks to you three." Omkara replies to her furiously. Then turning to his driver he asks, "Did you keep everything back?"

"Yes, sir." Ajay says.

"Get in the fucking car." Omkara tells Gauri as he dragged her to the car and opened the door. Then he shoves her in.

Gauri falls on the seat as she looked at Omkara in shock.

"Move!" Omkara orders her.

Gauri quickly moves to the corner.

"Where are you taking her, Om?" Tej asks his worriedly.

"Gauri, come out." Jhanvi tells her as she stared at Omkara.

"Did you all forget? We got married an hour back." Omkara reminds his parents, then turning to look at Gauri, he says, "And she is my slave for life. I'll do whatever the hell I want with her."

Then he gets into his car and orders Ajay to drive. His parents watched in shock as his car sped away.

**********

The car stops in front of a moderate house.

"Get down." Omkara orders Gauri.

Still in her shock, Gauri gets down the car as she looked at the house. They had travelled a long way from the heart of the city. She just couldn't comprehend what is happening now, just few hours ago, she had been so excited and happy about the new phase in her life that she had waited forever for, and now she couldn't understand whether she was awake or stuck in a nightmare.

"From now on, this is your palace, Gauri." Omkara sneers at her as he held her hand and dragged her in.

Omkara drags her to the bedroom and pushes her in. Gauri turns to him in shock.

"I'm going to fulfill one of your life long dreams, Gauri. The only one that I'll ever fulfill." Omkara tells her.

Gauri gulps as she worriedly looked at Omkara.

Omkara imitates Gauri in a mocking way. "I just want to be Om's wife."

Gauri's eyes fill up seeing that.

"Guess what, Gauri? You're going to be my wife. From now on, you're going to be only my wife."

Gauri frowns hearing that.

"You're going to stay here and take care of me and this house. That is all you will ever do from now on!" Omkara tells her and furiously walks off.

Gauri stares in shock at the empty doorway. All her life, she had dreamed of this day. Dreamt of a life with Omkara. To be his wife. And finally, when it was here, it was not a dream come true, it was a nightmare. Falling to the ground, Gauri bursts into tears, realizing that forget love, Omkara didn't even like her, he hated her.

**********

"Where is my dinner?" Omkara asks Gauri as he stood by the bedroom door.

Gauri turns to look at Omkara.

"All your life you wanted to be my wife and I thought you'll be a little eager to fulfill your duties." Omkara mocks her.

Gauri looks at Omkara and asks as tears fell from her eyes. "You were a believer. I thought, when you were betrayed in love, you lost your faith. But that is not true, right?"

Omkara walks to her and kneels in front of her.

"You didn't want to give me mangalsutra and sindoor." Gauri accuses him as she cried.

"I didn't. You didn't deserve it, Gauri." Omkara tells her. Then holding her hand, he lifts it up. "Take it off."

Gauri looks at her Chooda that she had worn with so much joy and hope.

When she didn't do his bidding, Omkara roughly starts pulling it out.

Gauri shouts in pain. "You're hurting me, Om."

Omkara immediately stops and orders her. "Take it off."

Sobbing, Gauri starts removing her Chooda.

Once she had removed it all, Omkara gets up and starts to leave the room.

"I asked you, Om. I asked you whether you wanted to marry me." Gauri reminds him as she cried. "You decided to marry me, Om."

"Did you leave me any choice?" Omkara asks her furiously.

"I had said no." Gauri reminds him.

"I told you to move on!" Omkara furiously reminds her.

"I couldn't." Gauri helplessly says.

"And my parents kept chanting your name. Tortured me with your name. Saying you were waiting for me. I never fucking asked for you or your love. Still you forced it on me!" Omkara tells her.

Gauri helplessly cries hearing that.

"Oh by the way, I heard what your father said. You're free to run off to him anytime you want. But if you do, the door to this house will be closed for you forever. Then you can sit at your father's home all your life as my wife."

Gauri stares at Omkara, unable to understand what he wants from her.

"This marriage is for life, Gauri." Omkara tells her then sinisterly smiling at her, he says, "You know, till death do us apart. So, don't even bother trying for a divorce. As long as both of us are alive, you'll live as my wife."

**********

Gauri comes down much later and finds Omkara sitting on the couch with his eyes closed.

"What do you want for dinner?" Gauri asks him.

Omkara opens his eyes and looks at her.

"Where is the kitchen?" Gauri asks him. "What should I make?"

"For tonight, I've asked Ajay to buy food. From tomorrow onwards, if food is not on the table on time, you'll starve, Gauri." Omkara warns her.

Gauri nods. Few minutes later, Ajay comes with the food. They quietly have their dinner together.

While Gauri washed up the plates, Omkara had gone upstairs. Gauri after cleaning up everything, goes up to their bedroom and sees Omkara sleeping on one side of the bed. She quietly walks to the other side and gets on the bed. Seeing her get on, Omkara turns around to sleep on his side, giving her his back.

**********

Next day morning, Gauri had woke up early and started making breakfast.

"Where is my tea?" Omkara asks as he stood by the kitchen door.

Gauri turns to look at him. "I'll make it now."

"Don't make me come and ask for it again." Omkara tells her.

Gauri nods and quickly starts making tea.

Gauri takes the tea to Omkara and offers it. Omkara takes a sip and makes disgusted face.

"Is this how you make tea?" Omkara asks her.

"Is it not good?" Gauri asks him in concern.

"It is disgusting." Omkara tells her as he gave the cup back to her. "Make another one."

"What is wrong with this?" Gauri asks him as she took the cup back.

"Are you challenging me?" Omkara asks furiously as he stood up.

Gauri looks at him confused. "What? No."

Seeing her genuinely confused, he stops in confusion.

"What is wrong with this? Is it not strong to your liking? Or you want it lighter? Or it is the sweetness the problem?" Gauri asks him.

Omkara smirks and asks her. "You've loved me for your whole life and don't even know how I like my tea?"

Gauri gulps as she nervously looks down.

Fed up, Omkara declares. "It is not strong and it is too sweet."

Gauri nods and starts to go back to kitchen.

"It's okay, give it!" Omkara says as he took the cup. "I hate wasting food!"

**********

They had just finished breakfast when Jhanvi and Tej came.

"How did you know we stay here?" Omkara asks furiously then turning to Gauri, he asks. "You told them?"

"They asked me." Gauri informs him.

"Who gave you permission to tell them?" Omkara asks her.

Gauri worriedly gulps.

Omkara irately looks away. Then turning to his parents, he asks. "Why are you two here?"

"We've come to take Gauri home." Jhanvi informs him then turning to Gauri, she says. "Come, Gauri. Let's go home."

"We're staying here." Omkara tells them.

"Here? I promised Gauri's parents that I'll give her all the comforts in this world and you bring her to this hut?" Jhanvi asks furiously.

"Open your eyes and see, Mom. This is a house." Omkara tells her. "If you insult our house one more time, then Gauri will be staying in a hut."

"Enough, Omkara. This is no way to treat your wife." Tej says furiously.

"Dad, you might dance to the tunes of your wife, I don't."

"What is the need to speak to him?" Jhanvi asks angrily. "Come, Gauri. Let's go."

Omkara turns to look at Gauri. Gauri was watching everything anxiously. Gauri looks at Omkara.

"You want to go with your darling mother-in-law and father-in-law?" Omkara mocks her.

"Come, Gauri." Jhanvi tells her sternly.

Gauri turns to Jhanvi and says worriedly. "Om won't come."

"Let him rot here, you come!" Jhanvi tells her.

Gauri shakes her head as she moved close to Omkara. "I won't leave Om."

Jhanvi and Tej looks at Gauri in shock.

Omkara smirks at his parents. "You heard my wife."

"What is wrong with you, Gauri? We've come to take you home." Tej tells her.

"Where Om is that is my home." Gauri tells them.

"If you come then he will come behind you!" Jhanvi tells her fed up. "What is he going to do here alone?"

"He won't come. I know him." Gauri tells her.

"He will!" Jhanvi insists.

"You can try." Omkara challenges with a smirk.

"Come, Gauri." Tej gently tells her.

Gauri looks at Omkara and he was standing proud and arrogant. She turns to look at her in-laws. "If I leave, he will be alone. And he knows it would hurt me the most if he is alone. So to hurt me, he won't come. I'll not come."

Omkara stops still for a second hearing that, then ignoring his crazy heart beat, he stares at his parents.

"Don't be a doormat, Gauri!" Jhanvi scolds her.

"If there isn't anything else, then you both can leave." Omkara tells them. "And next time, don't just walk in. Take an appointment."

Jhanvi furiously turns around and walks off. Tej immediately follows her. Gauri starts to run after them when Omkara holds her hand and pulls her back.

Gauri stops realizing that he didn't want her to go behind them. She hears the car drive off. Omkara lets go off her hand and walks back to the couch.

Gauri turns to Omkara and asks him. "Why are you so angry with your parents, Om?"

"I'm married to you and you're asking that?" Omkara asks her back.

Gauri shakes her head. "You've been like this with them ever since Ridhima left."

Omkara stops hearing that, and he looks away.

"They realized Ridhima was a gold digger and offered her money to prove to you their point. They were worried for you and they did the only thing they could to save you. Ridhima took the money and left. Why do you hold it against your parents? Would you rather live with Ridhima's fake love than realize the truth?" Gauri asks him gently.

Omkara furiously glares at her. Though his mind was screaming. For a period, didn't he think like that? How did Gauri realize that? Now, he didn't care for Ridhima. He hated her with the same passion he had loved her, then why was he still so angry? He had no answer.

"Your anger against Ridhima and your parents, has now turned towards the whole world and against yourself, Om. If you don't let go, then it might hurt you." Gauri worriedly tells him.

"When I need your advice, I'll ask for it." Omkara tells her in a clipped tone.

Gauri nods and walks off.

**********

Omkara was working on his laptop when he hears a mobile ringing then he curiously looks up and sees Gauri running towards him. He curiously frowns seeing that.

"It's my parents. Can I tell them that we're living here?" Gauri asks him.

Omkara was astonished by her question. He nods in daze.

"Thanks." Gauri says with a relieved smile and hurries off to answer the call.

**********

"Why would you move out, Gauri?" Harsh asks in shock after Gauri had informed him about their change in residence.

"You know, how Om wasn't ready for the marriage initially. And his past. We thought we'll live separately for a while, away from everyone, so we will have privacy and work on our marriage." Gauri tells them.

"But so far away, Gauri?" Nayantara asks her.

"We're in the same city, Mom."

"Yeah, but earlier it was just a 5 mins drive. Now, it will take more than an hour and a half." Nayantara says disappointed.

"We wanted to be a little away." Gauri lies.

"Why?" Nayantara asks shocked.

"We wanted to be away from family and friends. So, we'll have time for just the two of us." Gauri tells him.

"Hmmm... didn't expect you would go so far away." Harsh says disappointed.

"That is why I didn't tell you earlier." Gauri lies.

"Hmmm okay."

"We've a cute house." Gauri excitedly tells them. "But I need to set it up, it will take time, but I am so excited. Once we set it up, we'll invite you guys home."

**********

"I've told them that we'll invite them after we set up this place. They won't come before we invite them." Gauri tells Omkara as she walked to the living room.

Omkara shrugs as he ignored her.

Gauri walks to him and kneels down in front of him, keeping her hand on his knees.

Omkara looks up at her, his heart beating fast feeling her proximity. What the fuck is wrong with him? Before all hell had broken lose, they have hugged each other a million times. Then what the fuck is up with his heart?

"What is it?" Omkara asks her in a gruff tone.

"Dad had sent my plants to your mansion. I told him I would coordinate with the driver. Can I get my plants here, Om?" Gauri asks him.

Omkara stares at her as he thought of his answer.

"I won't ask for anything else, Om. Just this one. Please?" Gauri requests him.

"I am not going to hire a gardener." Omkara tells her.

"I don't want one." Gauri tells him quickly.

"You've to look after my comfort, the house, will you manage the plants too? If the backyard gets dirty, Gauri, you will get it from me." Omkara reminds her.

"No, I'll take care of everything. I promise." Gauri tells him.

"Fine."

"Thank you, Om." Gauri says excitedly as she stood up and then she hurries off to coordinate with the driver.

Omkara frowns in shock, why the fuck is she acting as if he was doing her a favor?

**********

The next day, Omkara went to office. The morning was hectic for Gauri, because starting with turning on the heater for him, making tea, getting his clothes ready, and finally making breakfast, she didn't have a moments rest.

"Where is my lunch?" Omkara asks her frowning.

"What?" Gauri whispers in shock.

"My lunch?" Omkara reminds her.

"I didn't realize." Gauri worriedly says.

"that I have lunch?" Omkara asks her.

"that I have to pack lunch for you." Gauri replies then she asks. "Can you send your driver around mid morning. I'll send your lunch with him."

"For today, I'll manage. But tomorrow onwards, Gauri, you better have my lunch too ready."

Gauri nods.

"For someone who has been so desperate to be my wife, you are a fucking disappointment." Omkara cruelly says to her.

"I'm not your wife, Om. I am your slave." Gauri sadly reminds him.

Omkara smirks. "Thank God, at least you got that right."

**********

Once Omkara had left, Gauri had finally got free time and she had explored the house. It was a house with three bedrooms, a living cum TV room cum dining room and the kitchen with a small backyard. Even though it didn't have the luxury and comfort of Sharma or Oberoi Mansion, it was convenient for them. A little small for what she was used to, but she knew she could adjust there.

Last evening, finally her plants had come. She had all her plants in the backyard. Omkara hadn't bothered to step out and check out the plants. She kind of felt a relief in that and she didn't know why.

She cleaned up the house, made dinner and finally, stepped out to spend some time with her plants.

**********

Omkara walks into his house and finds it empty. He curiously goes around the house as he looked for his wife. He didn't know why, but in office, his thoughts had kept going back to his wife. Finally realizing that he couldn't concentrate on his work, he had come home earlier than usual. And now, his wife was missing.

Hearing someone speaking, curious he walks to the backyard and stops seeing Gauri standing by a flower and speaking.

At first he had thought, she was speaking on her phone with AirPods then he realized that she was speaking to her flowers. He stops as he looked around in shock. Gauri had more than 15 various flower pots set up in the backyard.

He never knew that Gauri was a flower person. Their parents used to meet often earlier and because of that they used to meet and were friends, but she had never mentioned anything about gardening then. This was actually a unpleasant surprise for him. He didn't understand why he didn't like that there were things about Gauri that he didn't know.

"When did you come?" Gauri asks him as she walked to him.

"Been a while. I guess it was too much to hope that my devoted and loving wife would be at the entrance to receive me." Omkara snubs at her as he walked back in.

"I didn't realize you would come now." Gauri tells him.

"So, I should get your permission before I come back home?" Omkara asks her as he walked to the couch and grabbed his laptop bag and pulled out his laptop.

"Are you going to work?" Gauri asks him.

"What does it look like?" Omkara asks her back.

"Do you need anything?" Gauri asks him.

"Peace of mind." He replies.

Sighing, Gauri walks off to the dining table and grabs the list she had made. She then walks to the front door. Omkara curiously looks up as she walked off.

**********

"Ajay..." Gauri calls Omkara's driver, who was busy on his mobile.

Gauri frowns when he didn't look at her. She was so sure that was his name, she had heard Omkara call him that.

She steps out and walks to him. "What is your name?" Gauri asks him.

"Ajay." He replies without even bothering to look up.

Gauri felt offended with the way he was behaving with her. "I tried calling you."

"Yeah, I heard."

Gauri takes a furious breath, none of the staff at her home ever behaved in such insolent manner with any house members. She extends the list to him, "Go and buy this from the supermarket."

Ajay looks up at her and asks, "Who are you to order me?"

Gauri stops in shock. "You are Omkara's driver, right?"

"He is my boss. Not you." Ajay tells her.

"What is happening?" Omkara asks from behind.

Ajay stands up straight while Gauri turned to him.

"Om, he..." Gauri starts.

"She is ordering me, boss." Ajay informs Omkara. "You've told me that I should follow only your orders."

Omkara frowns at Gauri and asks her. "Who are you to order him?"

"Om..." Gauri whispers in shock. "I wanted to get a few things for the house. I was asking him to get it."

"Whatever it be, who are you to order him?" Omkara asks again.

"I'm your wife, Om." Gauri reminds him, her eyes filling up.

"You're my slave, Gauri." Omkara reminds her. Then he just wanted to hurt her, so he says. "And Ajay is my driver. You do realize that the status of a driver is much higher than a slave."

Tears start falling down her cheek, she quickly walks off into her house.

Omkara watched in satisfaction seeing her crying. Yesterday and today, she had been acting as if, it didn't matter to her how he treated her, and that had drove him crazy. Now, he felt at peace.

Omkara turns to Ajay with a smug smile. "Take the rest of the day off, Ajay. You earned it."

"Thank you, Boss." Ajay replies excitedly.

**********

Omkara walks back in, and he looks for Gauri. He finally finds her in kitchen busy cooking as she watched a cooking video on YouTube. Omkara couldn't help his grin. One thing he knew about Gauri was whenever she was stressed she would start cooking.

He still remembers how when she was writing her board exam, her parents used to often call them home because Gauri would be cooking to deal with her stress. Because of that, he had tried out various cuisines as Gauri experimented with cooking as a way of stress outlet.

Gauri trying out a new recipe meant only one thing, his marriage was on the right track. The one that he wants.

**********

Next day, Omkara comes home from work and sees Gauri's BMW in front of his house.

Gauri opens the door for him just as he was about to put the key in. Gauri smiles at him, and that irritated him.

"How did your car come here?" Omkara asks her as he walked past her.

"Driver brought it." Gauri tells him as she closed the main door on Ajay's face.

Hearing the door bell, Omkara stops as he turned. Gauri walks past him.

"Didn't you hear the bell?" Omkara asks surprised as Gauri was standing near the door when the bell rang.

"Oh, I am a mere slave. I neither have the status or quality to speak to your driver." Gauri tells him.

Omkara stares at Gauri in shock as she walked off to the kitchen. The bell rings again. Omkara furiously walks to the door and rips it open. "Why the fuck are you ringing the bell like this?"

"She saw me coming still she closed the door." Ajay complains to Omkara, suppressing his anger.

"What do you want?" Omkara asks pissed, still reeling from Gauri's statement.

"To keep these inside." Ajay says worried, he could see that Omkara was angry.

Omkara looks at his hand and sees it was his laptop bag, lunch bag and car key. "So, keep it inside. Why are you standing there?" Omkara asks irately.

Ajay walks past Omkara and hurries in. He keeps the key in the key holder, laptop bag on the couch and walks to the kitchen and keeps the lunch bag on the floor as he stared at Gauri who was furiously looking at him.

After Ajay left, Omkara comes to the kitchen just as Gauri finished making his tea. She pours it to a cup and hands it to him.

"I don't remember giving you permission to bring your car here." Omkara says, he was pissed with Gauri and he wanted to pick a fight, no matter how petty it was.

"That might be because I didn't ask for it." Gauri tells him. "Is the tea fine?"

Omkara was taken aback by Gauri's attitude. "Gauri..." Omkara starts angrily.

Gauri cuts him off. "I'll tell this to you once, Om. If I am dying and my life depends on it, then also I'll not sit in a car that Ajay is in."

Omkara stops in shock hearing that.

"You are not going to drive me around. So, if I want to go out then I need to take care of it, so I got my car. Unless you have plans of keeping me locked inside this house, never letting me go out, then do whatever you want with my car." Gauri tells him in finality.

Omkara stares at Gauri in shock, realizing that Gauri has made up her mind.

"And if you find it beneath you or you simply can't do the easy task of bringing in your laptop bag, tiffin bag and car keys, then ask Ajay to leave it outside the main door. I'll collect it." Gauri tells him.

"What?" Omkara asks confused. "Why?"

"Ajay will not step inside my house. EVER!" Gauri tells him.

"Do you think you can order me?" Omkara asks her furiously.

"I am a slave, who am I to order you?" Gauri asks him back. "You are my husband. I love you. And that is the only reason I take the crap that you put on me. I'll not take it from another person. Specially from your asshole driver." Gauri tells him.

Omkara takes a furious breath and says, "Gauri, I had already told him never to take orders from anyone else other than me. He was just taking following orders."

"I don't fucking care, Omkara!" Gauri tells him.

Omkara furiously glares at her. "Ajay will come inside this house. What will you do? If I want, I will ask him to stay in one of the bedrooms here. What will you do then?"

Gauri steps closer to Omkara and she tells him. "You know me, Omkara. When I make up my mind, nothing can change it. I fell in love with you, the whole world had turned against me, but I stood by my love."

"What does that have to do with this?" Omkara asks furiously. How dare she compare her love for him to that fucking Ajay and their kitchen politics?

Gauri looks into his eyes and says. "If Ajay steps inside my home, then you can very well marry him and live the rest of your life with him. You will never see me again. And that, Omkara, is Gauri Omkara Singh Oberoi's promise to you."

Omkara gulps hearing that, his heart slamming against his chest.

"If I am not here, then who are you going to torture? So, Ajay will not step inside my house ever." Gauri tells him then leaving behind a shocked Omkara, Gauri walks out to the backyard to spend time with her best friends.

**********

Next day, Gauri opens the door for Omkara. She sweetly smiles at him. He ignores her and starts to walk in when he sees her looking behind him frowning furiously. Curious, he turns and sees Ajay taking the bags from the car.

He turns to look at Gauri and sees her watching him with mild curiosity.

Hearing footsteps behind him, he turns back and sees Ajay walking in. His gaze on Gauri. Omkara turns to look at Gauri and sees her still watching him calmly.

Fuck! Omkara turns to Ajay and grabs the bags from him. "Where the fuck do you think you are going?"

"Wha..." Ajay stops in shock and confusion.

"Leave it at the door, Gauri will take it from there. Don't step inside the house." Omkara tells him. Then he turns to Gauri and sees her smiling sweetly at him.

He shoves the lunch bag into her hand and walks in.

Gauri turns to look at Ajay and sees him looking at her in shock and confusion. With half a smirk, Gauri slams the door shut on his face.

Omkara who was putting the car key in the key holder, almost jumps in shock hearing the loud bang.

Her turns to look at Gauri, and she walks past him. "I'll bring your tea now. I think I got the tea right, I called up the chef at Oberoi Mansion and he told me how to make your tea."

**********

As they had quiet dinner, Omkara was still fuming. He had let Gauri control him. She had made him helpless with her threat. He knew she can be as stubborn as a mountain. He would still reconsider his decisions, but Gauri would never. So, if she had vowed that she would leave then she would. The thought of her going away, his heart starts slamming against his chest as he thought of her leaving him. He couldn't understand why that thought scared him to his core. He had panicked in that second when he saw how Gauri was watching him, waiting.

Why did he panic?

Then his mind screamed.

Leave that! Gauri got the upper hand on you! Put your head in the game!

"God, Omkara!" Gauri declares so loudly.

Omkara looks up at her frowning.

"So what I won this round?" Gauri asks him.

How the hell can she read his mind?

"You'll get your chance." Gauri tells him as she stood up and grabbed her plate. "You know, I'll happily lose to you, not to that asshole." Gauri walks off saying that.

Omkara relaxed hearing that. Fuck! She was too good for his ego!

**********

The next few days goes without any issue. Finally, it was the day, Gauri had to get back to work.

Seeing her ready in the morning, Omkara frowns at her.

"Why are you dressed up?" Omkara asks Gauri, looking at her dressed to kill in formals.

"I'm joining back work today." Gauri informs him hurriedly. "Om, last few days you haven't taken your house key. Remember to take it. What if I get late in coming back?"

"What work, Gauri?" Omkara asks her as he tied his hands at his chest and looked at her.

Gauri turns to him confused. "What do you mean by what work? Didn't you know that I work with Dad?"

"You used to, Gauri." Omkara tells her.

Gauri frowns hearing that, her heart slamming against her chest.

"I told you, you can only be my wife. And nothing else." Omkara tells her.

"Om, you can't mean that." Gauri tells him starting to panic.

"You know me, Gauri. Do you think that I'm simply saying it?"

Gauri worriedly goes to him. "Om, I'll take care of all the work at home. I'll handle all your duties. There will not be a hitch. You and our home will be my priority. Please I want to work."

"If you want to work, then please, Gauri, go." Omkara tells her.

Gauri gulps worriedly, realizing there was more.

"After work, go to your home. And stay there forever. Don't bother coming back."

Gauri's eyes fill up. "Om, please..."

"You can either be the Director of Sharma Group of Companies or be my wife. It is your decision." Omkara tells her and leaves.

**********

Usually, she opened the door for him. Today, she didn't. He had the key with him, still he was gloating and smug, so he rang the bell. He was sure that she wouldn't have gone for work. Omkara smirks, She can't live without him.

Gauri opens the door, as she avoided eye contact with him.

"How was your day, Gauri? I had an amazing day." Omkara tells her with a smug smile.

Gauri doesn't say anything as she grabbed the stuff from the floor and walks off to the kitchen. She hands him his tea and walks out to the backyard.

**********

Omkara mentally smirks, seeing 2 different dishes on the table. He smirks seeing the new dishes, Gauri was experimenting today.

"I told Dad that I am taking a break from work because I want to settle well into our marital life." Gauri tells Omkara as they were finishing dinner.

Omkara looks at her smugly. "Really? How long are you going to keep up that lie?"

"As long as it can be kept like that." Gauri tells him. "Dad was not happy. If he ever speaks to you, just tell him that it was my decision and you'll not interfere in it."

"You want me to lie for you?" Omkara asks her arrogantly. "What makes you think that I will ever do anything for you?"

Gauri looks at him and says, "My parents are old, Om. I hurt them a lot because of my love for you. They were under tremendous stress and pain, and that time, I couldn't help myself. If they find out that after all that, this is the state of my life now, it is going to kill them. Dad and Mom will ask me to go back home. I'll not hurt them or put them under any kind of stress ever again. So, if they ask me to go back home, then I'll leave you and go back home."

Omkara sits up hearing that. His heart slamming against his chest. He knew Gauri was being serious right now. She would choose her parents over him?

Omkara grabs her hand and asks her, "Have you stopped loving me?"

Gauri shakes her head. "But I'll not hurt my parents for your games. Rest is up to you." Gauri says and walks off.

**********

Meeting a friend for coffee. Will be home before you get back.

Omkara reads the message Gauri had sent him. He keeps his mobile aside as he got back to the conference call.

Much later, he receives a call from Gauri. He cuts the call as he was engrossed in the call, she might have called to check why he was getting late.

Today was a hectic day with back to back calls.

As he wrapped up the call, he checks the time and realized that he had time to get home before the next call. Lately, he hated working late. He liked getting home on time.

Omkara frowns, as Gauri didn't open the door like she usually does. He rings the bell and waited for almost a minute for her to open the door. Then he furiously takes out his key and unlocks the door.

God, if she was going to throw wifely tantrums at him for being late then she will get it from him!

Seeing the house dark, Omkara kicks the door shut as he turned on the lights. He walks to the couch and pulls out his laptop.

"Gauri!" Omkara calls out loudly as he turned on the laptop.

When she didn't come running, he got pissed.

Hasn't he told her that she should be there to receive him when he gets home? He really didn't have time to deal with her nakhres, he had an important call.

Omkara runs up the stairs to their room. He opens the door. "Gauri..." he stops as he took in the dark room. He switches on the light and finds the room empty.

Omkara runs down the stairs to check the backyard. Finding it empty, he takes his mobile and dials her number.

"Om..." Gauri answers the call.

He could hear loud traffic.

"Where the hell are you, Gauri?" Omkara asks her angrily.

"My car broke down."

"WHAT?" Omkara shouts furiously. "Why wouldn't you call me?" Omkara asks furiously.

"I called you. You didn't answer."

"So, you won't call again?" Omkara asks her unable to control his fury and panic.

"I thought you were busy."

"So?" Omkara asks angrily.

"Did you reach home?" Gauri asks him.

"Yeah! Where the hell are you?"

"Highway. Around 20 mins from home. I tried getting an uber. But it is difficult to pinpoint the location. One that came, it came on the opposite side of the road. The other cancelled the booking after half an hour of waiting. I'm trying to hail a cab. But every cab looks full."

"How long have you been standing there?" Omkara asks shocked.

"Been a while." Gauri tells him.

"What the fuck is wrong with you, Gauri? You could have been kidnapped! A car could have hit you! You could have freaking died there!" Omkara says starting to lose it with each scenario.

"Om, you're screaming." Gauri tells him softly.

"Then what do you expect? Did you expect that I would sing a freaking lullaby?"

"Om, I am so tired. I had a long day." Gauri groans tired. "I just want to come home."

"Send me your location."

"Are you coming?" Gauri asks.

"Do you want me to send Superman instead?"

"If you come then you will be coming on the opposite side of the road." Gauri says thoughtfully. "Should I try to cross the road to save time?"

"HAVE YOU FREAKING LOST IT?" Omkara asks furiously.

"To get the U turn you have to go for a while and I will have to stand here till then." Gauri says softly.

"SO? DO YOU HAVE A DEATH WISH? YOU FUCKING STAY THERE!" Omkara says as he grabbed the key and started to head out. How can she be so crazy, so irresponsible?She will be the end of him!

"Okay, sending."

Omkara was heading out when he hears the ringing on the laptop. "FUCK!" He screams furiously. He forgot about the call.

"Ajay..." Omkara calls him as he walked out to give him the car key.

"Yes, boss." Ajay comes running.

Seeing Ajay, Omkara remembered Gauri's warning. "FUCK! FUCK! FUCK!" Omkara screams furiously.

"Boss?"

"Get out of my way! I'm going to fucking kill her!" Omkara says as he furiously got inside the car and he started calling his secretary to reschedule the call that was happening just then.

Ajay watches in shock and confusion wondering what happened. All he understood was Gauri has done something to piss off Boss royally. He smirks, she was going to get it!

**********

Omkara notices Gauri's car by the side of the road and stops behind her car. He gets out as he furiously walked to her car. Seeing him, Gauri quickly gets out of the car and locks her car.

The moment he reached her, he started screaming at her. Painting a very colorful picture of what all could have happened to her if she wasn't this lucky. All the horrible things that could have happened if she had ran into an immoral man or a wayward vehicle.

Seeing him getting so worked up, Gauri hugs him.

The moment she hugged him, he calms a little.

"I'm fine, Om. I'm perfectly alright." Gauri whispers to him.

"I don't give a damn whether you are fine or not." Omkara grumbles as he hugged her.

"I know, Om.. I know." Gauri replies to him as she listened to his heart slamming so fast in his chest.

"God, I am going to kill you." Omkara tells her.

"Can we go home and do it? I just want to lie on our bed. I am so tired."

"Come." Omkara says as he lead her to the car.

They get in, and Omkara asks her. "Why were you taking this road home?"

"I went to drop my friend." Gauri informs him.

"What happened to your car?" Omkara asks her.

Hearing the question, Gauri quickly turns to gaze out the window. "It is full moon."

"It's not." Omkara replies frowning. "What happened to your car?"

"Om, I am really tired. Can I take a nap? Will you wake me when we get home?"

Omkara murderously turns to Gauri, realizing that she was purposely not answering him. "What.happened.to.your.car?"

Gauri gulps hearing that.

"Gauri!"

"Er... petrol gauge had gone to reserve. My friend said that even if it shows that, it would go an addition 10 km than that. I thought, I'll fill petrol from the pump near home." Gauri tells him worriedly.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Omkara asks her furiously.

"I would have had to drive back for the pump. So, I thought better to..." Gauri stops nervously.

"I'm going to lock you up at home, Gauri!" Omkara tells her furiously.

"I would have got home, Om." Gauri argues.

"Then why didn't you?" Omkara asks her back.

"After dropping my friend, I was coming back...google map started acting weird and I got lost." Gauri tells him softly.

"God, Gauri, if the petrol had got over before you could get to the main road, do you have any idea how I could have found you?" Omkara asks shuddering at the thought.

"Enough, Om. How much more will you scream at me?" Gauri asks him fed up. "I didn't plan for it to happen. It just happened."

"You never think, Gauri. You just do what you want to do."

"As if you think." Gauri scoffs.

"I'm better than you."

"Did you com to pick me up so you could scream at me?" Gauri asks pissed.

"Why else?"

"Fine! Stop the car! I'll get down here." Gauri tells him. "I'm leaving."

Omkara stops the car to the side. "Fine!"

Gauri looks at him in shock.

"What? Not going?" Omkara asks as he started the car again.

"Shut up! I am done talking to you! Just take me home!" Gauri tells him tired.

Glaring ahead, Omkara drives. Hearing his mobile ring, he looks at the screen and screams frustrated. "Only this was left to make my day!"

Gauri curiously looks and sees Omkara answer the call. "What, mom?"

"Why didn't you attend the conference call, Om? How can you be so irresponsible? Why did you have it rescheduled? Is this the way to behave? Have you lost all your professional ethics?" Jhanvi asks furiously.

"Something came up and I couldn't attend the call."

"What could be more important?" Jhanvi asks angrily. "Don't you realize how important this was for us?"

Gauri quickly starts to tell her what happened when Omkara puts up his finger as he glared at her. Seeing that, Gauri quickly closes her mouth.

"Screaming at me won't change what happened. So save your energy. I'll handle it. Bye!" Omkara cuts the call.

"Why didn't you tell her that you had to come to pick me up?" Gauri asks him.

"Then what? She is going to call you and scream at you for being so fucking stupid." Omkara tells her.

"She would scream at me." Gauri agrees, she knew how her mother-in-law was about their company.

"She would have!"

"Only you can scream at me." Gauri whispers realizing why he covered for her.

"You are damn right!"

"Why did you come?" Gauri asks him, her heart warming up at the thought that he had left his work and come for her.

"Would you have come if Ajay had come to pick you up?" Omkara asks irately.

"I could have waited for a cab or waited for you to finish your call."

Omkara furiously glares at her.

"You could have taken the call in the car." Gauri gently points out to him.

Omkara looks at Gauri in shock. Why didn't he think of that? "FUCK!" He has totally lost it!

**********

"See you in the evening." Gauri says sweetly.

"Whatever." Omkara replies as he grabbed the car keys.

Gauri rolls her eyes. Somethings never change.

"That's my car key." Gauri tells him.

"I know!"

"Why are you taking that?" Gauri asks curiously.

"Do you have plans to leave your car on the road till someone steals it?" Omkara asks her.

"No." Gauri replies softly.

"I'll fill petrol and bring it when I come back."

"Thank you." Gauri says excitedly.

Omkara grumbles something.

"You'll drive it, right?" Gauri asks him as she followed him.

"Seriously, Gauri, if you would just make peace with him, my life would be much less complicated." Omkara tells her as he turned to her.

"It's okay. I'll bring my car." Gauri tells him as she snatched the keys.

"Give it here!" Omkara says as he snatched the key and left.

**********

Couple of months later, Omkara frowns seeing three different dishes.

Gauri was getting too stressed. She didn't act it, but he knew it. She was experimenting with her cooking almost everyday. He was starting to get worried about her stress. And he just didn't know how to broach the topic with her.

Omkara watched as Gauri spoke to her flowers. He liked watching her speaking to them. She looked the happiest with them. She was at peace when she was with them. He liked watching her when she didn't realize that he was watching.

It was just Gauri and him there. Their parents pretty much left them alone. His parents were too pissed with him, and disappointed in Gauri that they hadn't even bothered to call Gauri. Omkara sighs, for all the torture his parents did in making their marriage a reality, when Gauri didn't do their bidding, they had pretty much abandoned her. And that didn't sit well with him, he didn't know why, all he knew was the way they were behaving with Gauri, was making him all the more angry with them.

And Gauri's parents were the other extreme. They were in constant touch with Gauri. They spoke to Gauri daily. They at times, called him up too. He always tried to keep the conversation to minimum though pleasant because he didn't want them to get suspicious about them. Gauri had been very clear regarding that.

"Did you want anything?" Gauri asks him curiously.

Omkara comes out of his thoughts realizing that Gauri had caught him watching her. "Yeah..."

Omkara looks around for something, anything...

"Om? What did you want?"

"Have you seen the dirt on the floor? I told you I want the house spic and span." Omkara tells her frowning.

"But I cleaned it." Gauri says confused. "I'll do it again."

"Do it tomorrow!" Omkara says.

"Okay..." Gauri says. "You finished your work?"

"Yeah."

"Then I'll watch TV?" Gauri asks him.

Omkara nods. He really needs to consider changing one of the bedrooms to his study or a TV room.

**********

Omkara reaches home and rings the bell twice before taking his key and unlock the door. He frowns seeing the house dark.

"Gauri..." Omkara calls out loudly as he switched on the lights. "Gauri..." Omkara calls again as he turned to close the door then noticing Ajay keeping the stuff there, he picks them up and closes the door. He starts putting them in their place.

"Gauri..." Omkara calls her as he headed up to their bedroom. He knew Gauri was home, she never left anywhere without informing him.

Seeing the bedroom pitch dark, Omkara switches on the lights. "Gauri..."

"Switch off the lights, Om." Gauri groans from under the duvet.

"Are you sick, Gauri?" Omkara asks her as he hurried to the bed.

"Switch off the lights, Om. It hurts."

Omkara switches off the light and sits next to her on the bed. "What happened, Gauri?" Omkara asks worriedly as he kept his palm on her forehead.

"I'm having headache." Gauri tells him.

"Oh..."

"It hurts so bad, Om." Gauri moans in pain.

From her voice, he could make out that she was on the verge of crying. "Is it so bad? Should we go to the doctor?"

"It is migraine."

"Did you take any pain killers?"

"There isn't any."

"Why wouldn't you tell me, Gauri? I would have brought it." Omkara asks her in shock.

"It hurts to look at the screen, Om. The light makes it worse."

"Since when do you have this pain?"

"Afternoon."

"God, Gauri!" Omkara whispers as he walked out of the bedroom.

Ten minutes later, Omkara comes back carrying food. He keeps the food on the side table.

"Gauri, please sit up."

"No, Om. My head will burst." Gauri moans.

"Gauri, you've to eat before you take pain killers." Omkara tells her as he gently pulled her up.

"What is this?" Gauri asks as she falls back with her eyes closed.

"Last night's dinner."

"I didn't make dinner for you." Gauri tells him, remembering.

"that is okay, I'll manage."

"But there was only a little left."

"I'll order something. Now, open your mouth." Omkara tells her as he took the plate and started feeding her.

Even though they were in the dark, Gauri looked at his dark figure, her eyes filling up seeing his care for her, he would die before he would admit that he cared for her.

But she knew and that was enough for her.

After feeding her, Omkara makes Gauri lie back on the bed. Then he goes down to keep the plate. Gauri hears the door bell and knew the medicine was here.

Few minutes later, Omkara comes back. "Gauri, have your medicine."

"Who got it?" Gauri asks him.

Omkara takes a furious breath. Then as quietly as possible he says, "You can't keep your eyes open but you won't let go off your ego clash with a driver?"

"Who got it, Om?" Gauri asks him.

"I called the pharmacy and they delivered it because I knew you won't have it if Ajay got it."

"You're screaming." Gauri tells him almost crying.

Omkara takes a calming breath. "I won't scream. You've your medicine and go to sleep."

Omkara keeps the medicine on the tip of her lips. Gauri opens her mouth and takes it in, Omkara then keeps the water to her lips and she drinks it.

Gauri was about to lie down when she feels something on her head.

"Wear the eye mask. It will make it more dark. You sleep with this." Omkara tells her as he put the eye mask for her.

Omkara was starting to get up, when Gauri quickly holds him. "Om."

"What happened, Gauri?" Omkara asks her as he cupped her face.

Gauri hugs him and says, "Don't go. stay with me."

"Okay, you lie down."

"You lie with me." Gauri tells him as she pulled him with her.

Omkara stretches out next to her. Gauri keeps her head on his chest and hugging him tight and she closes her eyes.

"You go to sleep." Omkara tells her as he gently runs his hands on her back.

"I love you, Om." Gauri whispers as she snuggled him, fighting her tears.

"I know, sweetie." Omkara whispers and a second later, she feels a light kiss on her temple.

**********

A week later

"Did my parents call you?" Omkara asks Gauri as they got ready for bed.

"Regarding their wedding anniversary dinner tomorrow?" Gauri asks him.

"Yeah."

"Dad had called. He said they will be inviting my parents too."

"Hmmm okay. So, you'll come to the restaurant directly?"

"Actually, I was thinking. I've to give my car for servicing. So, I'll bring my car. I want to go home too, so I'll visit Dad and Mom then I'll come to your office and we'll go together for dinner and we can come back together." Gauri tells him.

"Your parents are coming for dinner. So, you come with them directly for dinner."

"No, I'll come to your office."

"Why? You can come with them." Omkara asks confused.

"Because I want to go with you." Gauri insists.

"Fine. If you want to tax yourself, then be my guest."

Gauri grins hearing that as she got on the bed moves to the center, almost touching Omkara. Ever since she had slept hugging him, she wanted to sleep closer to him since he never made any move towards her, she just moved as close to him as she could without making it obvious to him.

**********

"Bye, Om." Gauri says as she smiled at him.

Omkara nods as he picked up the key.

Gauri quickly moves to him and kisses his cheek.

Omkara turns to her in shock, his mouth dropped open.

Gauri cheekily grins at him.

"Did you just kiss me?" Omkara asks too shocked.

"Yup." Gauri tells him smugly.

"Who gave you permission to kiss me?" Omkara asks her.

"I don't need your permission." Gauri replies shrugging.

"Did you forget that you are my slave?"

Gauri's smile drops and she glares at him. "Get lost, you asshole!"

Omkara holds her and pulls her towards him. Gauri looks at him in shock, as her body brushed against his. He wraps his hands around her waist.

"What?" Gauri asks him in a whisper.

"You can kiss me again." Omkara tells her.

Gauri looks at him in shock then she laughs, "Oh Om... you're so desperate."

Omkara tightens his hold on her waist and pulls her tighter towards him.

Seeing the way, he was looking at her, Gauri felt heat spread through her. Her cheeks turn red.

"Kiss me, Gauri." Omkara tells her.

Blushing, shyly, Gauri kisses his other cheek. Then throwing her arms around his neck, she hugs him as she hid her face on his chest. She smiles, feeling his heart beating so fast.

Omkara hugs her tight and teasingly says. "For someone who has been in love with me forever, it took you so long to get to a cheek kiss."

Gauri smiles hearing that.

"I wonder how long it is going to take you to bed me."

Gauri leans back as she looked at him in shock. Sees him cheekily grinning at her.

"That also I have to do?" Gauri asks him in shock.

"I'm not desperate." Omkara tells her shrugging.

"I can see that." Gauri scoffs at him. "Go, you are getting late for office." She says as she turned to walk off.

Omkara holds her tight and pulls her back towards him. Seeing the way, he was hungrily looking at her, Gauri nervously keeps her hand on his shoulders.

"You're getting late, Om." Gauri nervously whispers.

"I want you, wife." Omkara tells her a he looked into her eyes.

"I'm yours, Om." Gauri whispers to him as she blushed.

"I know." Omkara replies as he leaned down and kissed her cheek. He places gentle, teasing kisses on her cheeks as he travelled to her ears. "I don't want to wait anymore, Gauri."

Gauri blushes as she savored his kisses.

"I can't wait anymore." Omkara groans. "You are practically sleeping on top of me now a days."

Gauri blushes.

"I'm tired off taking cold showers in the middle of the night."

Gauri smiles and leaning up, she kisses his cheek in promise.

"I'll cancel tonight's dinner?" Omkara asks her eagerly.

"What? No! Go, now." Gauri tells him as she blushed and pushed him off.

Sighing loudly, Omkara walks out. Ajay hurries to him as he took the bags and key from Omkara.

"What time will you start from here?" Omkara asks her as he turned to her.

"I told Mom that I will be home for lunch. I'll leave maybe in 3 hours. I got some work here. Have to water my plants too. Did you see my blue orchid is in bloom now?" Gauri asks him excitedly.

Omkara shrugs. "No, I didn't."

Gauri makes a face as she turned her face away. Omkara grins as he got in the car.

**********

Gauri's driver stops the car in front of Omkara's office.

"Please don't forget to check with them when they can give the car back." Gauri tells her driver as she started to get out.

"I'll."

"Let me know when they can give, so, I'll come with Om that day and take the car." Gauri tells him.

"Or I can bring it to your home."

"Oh yeah... we'll see and plan. Thanks." Gauri tells him smiling as she got out.

Gauri walks in and starts to head to Omkara's cabin. She notices his secretary and smiles at her.

"Hello Madam, are you here to see sir?" She asks as she stood up.

"Yeah, I'll just go in." Gauri tells her with a smile.

"But Madam, sir doesn't like anyone going in without permission." She tells her worriedly.

Gauri smiles at her. "It's not a problem, Priya. I'll just go in. He knows that I am coming."

"He'll blast me if someone just walks in without prior permission. Just give me a minute please, I'll just check with him." Priya tells worriedly.

Gauri sighs. "Okay."

Priya was about to pick her phone when it starts ringing.

"Yes, sir?" Priya answers quickly. "Yes, I'll tell her."

Gauri turns to look at the cabin door, even though she could see only her reflection, she knew he could see her. She points at her watch and gestures him to hurry up.

"Okay, sir..." Priya turns to Gauri and extends the phone to Gauri. "Sir, wants to speak to you."

"Hel..."

Omkara cuts her off. "I'm in the middle of a meeting. Stop dancing around."

"I am not dancing. I am telling you it is time." Gauri frowns offended.

"Do you want to waste time in arguing or I finish this meeting soon?"

"Fine!"

"Priya will take you to the leisure room. You keep yourself busy there."

"Keep myself busy? How long are you going to take?" Gauri asks frowning.

"As longer as it is going to get you to keep the phone down."

"Dog!" Gauri grumbles as she kept the phone.

"This way, Madam." Priya tells her as she guided her.

Gauri follows her to the leisure room.

"Can I get you anything, Madam?" Priya asks her with a smile.

"No, I'm fine. Thank you." Gauri smiles at her.

"You weren't in town? It's been a while since I saw you." Priya asks her politely. "Usually, we meet for meetings with Sharma Group. Haven't seen you for any meetings."

"I'm taking a break from work. You know, settling into married life." Gauri tells her smiling.

"Married life?" Priya asks shocked. "You got married?"

"What?" Gauri asks equally shocked.

"But that day, you and sir were speaking about getting married." Priya says in confusion then realizing she quickly says, "I am sorry. I didn't mean to intrude. Please forgive me."

Gauri stares at Omkara's secretary in shock as she apologized and left. Didn't she know that Omkara was married to her?

**********

Gauri was still upset about the incident as she walked out with Omkara. Omkara was busy on the phone that she couldn't ask him about it. Then she sees Ajay stop the car in front of them. Seeing him, she stops.

Omkara starts to get in the car when he notices Gauri wasn't following him anymore. He stops and turns to look at her. Not having the patience for it, he tells her, "Get in the car, Gauri."

"Is he driving?" Gauri asks him.

"Yes. Now, get in." Omkara tells her.

"No."

Omkara furiously hangs up the phone and tells Gauri. "I tolerated your bullshit for a long time, Gauri. Stop acting so fucking immature and get in the damn car."

Gauri looks at Omkara, then her gaze turns to Ajay who had come out to open the door for Omkara, he was looking at her with a smirk.

Gauri felt her fury rise. The whole fucking world knew that Ajay was Omkara's driver, and Omkara's secretary didn't know that she was his wife.

"Go with him, Omkara. I'll take a cab."

"Stop being a baby, Gauri. Get in the car. Don't make me drag you in." Omkara warns her.

"And you know what will happen then." Gauri reminds him as she stared into his eyes.

Omkara takes a furious breath. "We are already late. I am tired and I can't drive now."

"I'll drive." Gauri tells him.

"No, this has to end one day and it ends now. You'll get in the damn car now." Omkara sternly tells her.

"Bye, Om. I'll see you at the restaurant." Gauri tells him and starts to walk off.

"You are going to pay for this, Gauri!" Omkara furiously says.

Omkara grabs her hand and rips open the front passenger door and shoves her inside. "Get the hell out of my way." Omkara tells Ajay as he walked around him furiously.

"Boss, what should I do?" Ajay asks him as he ran behind him.

"Go home!" Omkara irately replies to him.

"But my bike is at your place." Ajay informs him.

"Do you fucking expect me to drop you home?" Omkara furiously asks him. "Just get lost." Omkara says fed up as he got in and drove off furiously.

Ajay watched as Omkara drove off. Never has anyone treated him like this. That Gauri was going to pay for it. And he knew exactly how she was going to pay.

**********

"Did you two have a fight?" Nayantara asks them as she watched them curiously.

"No." Both of them reply angrily.

Nayantara and Harsh chuckle seeing that while Tej and Jhanvi looked at each other worriedly.

"Remember, when we were newly married, how we fought?" Nayantara asks Harsh chuckling.

Harsh grins. "She wouldn't speak to me for days." Harsh turns to Omkara. "She would make me go behind her and beg till she gave in." Then smiling sweetly, he says. "You're lucky, Om. Gauri is taken after me. She doesn't keep grudges like her mother."

"So you think." Omkara mutters as he looked away making Gauri glare at him.

"Oh please, the things that you did, I was very lenient on you." Nayantara declares.

"Every newly wed couples fight. It brings them closer and makes their bond stronger." Tej says quickly to defuse the tension, he was worried that Omkara would lose it and blow up, revealing the real situation regarding their marriage to Gauri's parents.

"We haven't fought." Omkara repeats, biting down his temper.

"Who are you trying to fool?" Jhanvi asks him irritated. "Since the moment you two have come, you both have been angry, snubbing at each other and haven't eaten anything."

Seeing Omkara furious, Gauri politely says. "It's true we had a fight. And we'll sort it out. We don't want you guys to make a joke of it."

Harsh and Nayantara quickly becomes contrite.

"Sorry, baby, we didn't mean to interfere. We were just trying to make the situation lighter." Harsh quickly tells her.

"It's okay, Dad." Gauri replies.

"You should have sorted it out before coming here and making a fuss." Jhanvi says frowning. "I expect these kind of immature behavior from Om, never from you, Gauri. You should know better."

Harsh and Nayantara look at Jhanvi in shock.

Omkara furiously stands up as he threw away the napkin. "Who the hell are you to criticize Gauri?"

"Om, you are making a scene." Gauri tells him as she held his hand and tried to pull him down.

Omkara furiously pulls his hand away, ignoring all the people that were watching their table. "How many times do I have to tell you not to interfere in my life? Why can't you keep your opinions to yourself? Why do you want to micro manage everything? Why can't you let others live their life?" Omkara furiously asks his mother.

"Oh my God, Omkara. It's been years. Forget that gold digger! She is gone! Value the gem that you have. I got you Gauri. Be grateful." Jhanvi tells him furiously. "Just grow up!"

Gauri turns to Jhanvi in shock, her words piercing her heart.

"What are you saying, Jhanvi?" Nayantara asks her then turning to Gauri, she asks worriedly. "You and Om are happy, right, Gauri? You told us everything was good between you both."

Harsh holds Gauri's hand. "Gauri, is everything okay between you both?"

Before Gauri could reply, Omkara declares. "We are leaving."

"What?" Gauri asks him in shock.

"That's mature." Jhanvi mutters.

"Jhanvi, please keep quiet." Tej requests her. "Om, please sit... just calm down."

"Thanks for the wonderful dinner. Happy anniversary both of you." Omkara says mockingly. "Let's go, Gauri."

"Om..." Gauri looks at him in confusion as she looked at her parents who were in shock.

"Are you coming with me or not?" Omkara asks her as he stared into her eyes.

Gauri nods and she turns to her parents. "I'll call you tomorrow." Gauri tells them.

"Gauri..." Nayantara worriedly calls her.

"Everything is fine, Mom." Gauri tells her as she hugged her parents. Then she turns to her in-laws. "We'll leave."

Tej nods disappointed.

Jhanvi stares at her angrily. "You are letting him sit on your head. If you can't learn to control your husband then..."

Omkara cuts her off. "I am not spineless like your husband."

"Shut up, Om!" Gauri says fed up. "If you can't keep quiet then stay here and fight with your mother, I am leaving."

Hearing that, Omkara stops. Then without a word, he turns around and walks out with Gauri.

**********

Gauri and Omkara didn't speak to each other the rest of the night. One was furious while the other was depressed. Morning, Gauri was still feeling depressed and she goes to the backyard to spend time with her plants so she could clear her mind. She steps out to the backyard and the first thing she noticed was her blue orchid which was fully dry. Gauri runs to the plant and touches it and the leaves crumbles in her hands. Seeing her beloved plant dead, Gauri falls to her knees and burst into tears.

**********

Omkara steps out to the backyard and sees Gauri sitting in the garden.

"Is there no breakfast today?" Omkara asks her pissed. "Gauri, I have told you..." Omkara stops finally noticing the dead plant in front of Gauri. Shocked he starts to walk to her.

Gauri turns to him with tear stained face, and she asks him. "You said you will make me pay. But why would you do this, Om?"

"What?" Omkara stops in shock as he stared at Gauri. "What are you saying, Gauri?"

"I troubled you yesterday and you killed my plant in revenge? How could you do this, Om? This is a living being. How could you kill this? What did it ever do to you?" Gauri asks him crying.

"I didn't do anything, Gauri." Omkara tells her in shock and outrage.

"You hate me, so kill me. Why kill this harmless thing?" Gauri asks him as she wailed.

"Gauri, I swear I didn't do this. You have to believe me." Omkara tells her as he knelt next to her. "Why would I do anything to this? I don't even know what happened to it."

"Just go, Om." Gauri tells him.

"Gauri..." Omkara holds her hand.

Gauri furiously pushes him away. "GO AWAY! STAY AWAY FROM ME!"

"Gauri, you know I just say things. I don't mean them. I just said I will make you pay. You know I won't do anything. Then how can you even think that I would do this? Do you think I am capable of doing something like this?" Omkara asks her furiously.

Gauri turns to look at him and says, "I never thought you were capable of marrying me to destroy me."

Omkara stops in shock hearing that. Unable to face her, he turns around and walks back in.

**********

Omkara agitatedly paced in the living room as he thought of Gauri's allegation. He had to prove to Gauri that he had nothing to do with that. Why would he do anything to her plants? He knew how much she loved them. Not even in his dreams would he think of hurting them. Then how could Gauri think that he would do it?

Omkara furiously shakes his head. He will prove to Gauri that he didn't do anything to her plants. He had to find what happened to the plant.

How?

Damnit! Only if he had put up security cameras. He could have checked it and found out.

Omkara sighs. He didn't know how that plant died. Was it some natural cause? Some bug infection? But it doesn't die overnight. Gauri had mentioned that it had bloomed, then how could it fall so sick suddenly and die?

Omkara stops in shock realizing that someone did something to the plant.

But why would anyone do anything to the plant? Who would come and kill a plant?

Then Omkara's heart stops as he went white as a ghost, as a scary thought occurred to him. What if Gauri was home when he had come?

Omkara starts breathing fast as he realized, the whole day Gauri was alone at home. They didn't have many neighbors. There was no security. Gauri had been alone and unprotected these days. He never thought of her security. In his bid to hurt Gauri, he had put her in danger.

What would have happened if someone had realized that Gauri was alone the whole day when he went to office?

Omkara's heart slams against his chest as he thought of what all could happen to Gauri.

He couldn't stay here anymore. He had to make sure Gauri was in a safe place. How could he have been so careless and blind?

He had to do something about that. But first he needs to find who had come home. No one comes to their house. It was just them and Ajay.

Ajay.

Omkara turns around and hurries out. "Ajay..."

Ajay comes running to him gleefully.

"Gauri's plant..." Omkara starts.

"You saw?" Ajay asks him excitedly.

Omkara stops in shock. "You saw?"

"I did it." Ajay excitedly informs him.

"What?" Omkara stares at him in shock hearing that.

"I poured vinegar. But I had to use the full bottle on that one plant. There wasn't enough for the rest." Ajay says a little disappointed.

"You poured vinegar on her plant?" Omkara asks reeling from the shock.

"Yeah, she pissed you off yesterday, right?" Ajay asks him. "Even I got angry."

Omkara furiously slaps him. "And you killed her plant?"

Ajay keeps his hand on his cheek in shock. "She loves her plants, so I thought..."

"So you thought?" Omkara asks furiously.

"She was acting too smart yesterday. She thinks she is better than me."

Omkara stares at him in shock, finally realizing. "Gauri's issue with you is not that you didn't follow her order once. Have you always been this condescending towards her?"

Ajay looks at Omkara in shock and confusion. "You were so happy that day. You told her she is below me."

Omkara furiously walks towards him and Ajay walks back in fear.

"You said she is your slave." Ajay reminds him in panic.

"I'll say whatever I want. But SHE IS MY WIFE!" Omkara says furiously as he slapped Ajay again. "You made my wife cry." Omkara slaps him hard again and again. "You'll pay for hurting my wife."

Omkara pushes him off and starts to walk off then he stops and turns to him. "Where did you get vinegar from?"

Ajay looks at Omkara scared.

"Did you get inside our home?" Omkara asks him furiously.

Ajay breaths fast in panic.

"Did you?" Omkara furiously asks.

"The door to the backyard is easy to open." Ajay whispers scared for life.

Blood drains from Omkara's face as he remembered Gauri's warning. If Ajay steps inside my home, you will never see me again.

Screaming furiously, Omkara grabs him and starts punches his nose and mouth as blood dripped from them.

**********

Hearing Omkara step out, Gauri ignores him as she rocked herself.

"Ajay poured vinegar." Omkara informs her in a bare whisper.

"Did you tell him to?" Gauri asks him as she refused to look at him.

"No, Gauri. I didn't." Omkara tells her in shock as he knelt down.

"If you didn't tell him then why would he? He only follows your orders." Gauri reminds him.

"Because of yesterday." Omkara tells her then because he couldn't hide from her, he hesitantly says, "He thought I will be please with him. He thought I will reward him."

"Did you?"

"What?"

"Reward him?"

Omkara holds Gauri and makes her face him. "I didn't, Gauri. I never wanted to hurt you plants, Gauri. You've to believe me."

Gauri doesn't look at him.

"Gauri, I never realized why you were so angry with him. I thought you were upset that he didn't listen to you that day. If I had realized that he was being disrespectful to you then..."

"You wouldn't have done anything, Om." Gauri cuts him.

"Gauri..."

"I heard you tell him that he had earned the rest of the day off. You would have rewarded him more if you knew how he had disregarded me that day."

"Gauri, sweetie, I am so sorry. I wasn't thinking straight those day. But I swear I wouldn't have let him get away."

"What is this blood?" Gauri asks in shock seeing the blood on his knuckles.

"It's his."

Gauri looks at Omkara in shock. "Where is he?"

"Police."

"Police?"

"I handed him to the police. They will come later to take your statement."

"My statement?" Gauri asks confused.

"This plant was your property and he destroyed it."

"Property?" Gauri whispers in shock as tears spilled from her eyes.

Omkara wipes her tears. "Please don't cry, Gauri."

"I was alone, Om." Gauri whispers. Then she turns to look at her flowers. "You had rejected me. You told everyone that you are going to marry Ridhima. I was heart broken. It killed me, Om. Everyone told me to move on, but I couldn't. Nobody was willing to hear my pain, they all had just advices and criticisms. They asked me to move on. They said I was desperate and I had no self respect. I was all alone. No one was there to understand my pain. Then these flowers came into my life. I started speaking to them. The things that I couldn't share with others, I could tell them. I just wanted someone to listen to me. And they did. They never judged me. I could tell them all my pains. And to make me happy, they would bloom and give me flowers." Gauri looks at Omkara and cries. "They are not my property, Om. They are my life. My best friends."

Omkara hugs Gauri, his eyes filling up seeing her pain.

Gauri didn't hug him back, she just allowed him to hold her while she looked at her flowers.

**********

Much later, Gauri wakes up in her bed. Gauri looks around in shock. She had been sitting in the backyard with Omkara. She realizes that she had slept off and he had brought her up. Feeling her stomach growl, Gauri sits up. She hadn't had anything since last night. Even Omkara.

Gauri hurries down and finds Omkara.

Seeing her, he walks to her and cups her face. "Gauri..."

"I'll make something to eat." Gauri tells him as she avoided looking at him.

"I ordered food. I was waiting for you. You sit, I will get plates." Omkara tells her.

They silently had food. Omkara attempted to speak to her but she wasn't in the mood to speak, so he let her be.

"Police took the plant pot as evidence." Omkara informs her.

"It doesn't matter. My plant is gone."

"It matters, Gauri." Omkara insists.

Gauri shrugs and gets up. Omkara takes her plates from her and walks off to the kitchen to wash it.

"You don't have to do all this. I can do it." Gauri tells him as she snatched the dirty dishes from him.

Realizing that she was going to be stubborn, he lets her have her way.

After finishing the dishes, Gauri steps out to the backyard. She stops in shock seeing a new blue orchid in the place of the old one. She walks to it and gently touches it.

She hears Omkara step out. "You got this?"

"Yes." Omkara replies as he walked to her and hopefully asks, "does this make you happy?"

Gauri lets go off the flower and turns to walk back in.

"Gauri... please?" Omkara holds her hand. "I got the flower so you would feel better. You would be happy."

Gauri turns to look at him and asks. "After Ridhima left, I replaced her in your life. But where you ever able to love me like you loved her? Did I mean even a percent of what Ridhima meant to you?"

"What the hell are you saying, Gauri?" Omkara asks her shocked.

"You should know better than anyone that nothing can replace anything. That flower can't replace the one I lost. And I can never replace Ridhima." Gauri tells him as her eyes filled up.

Furious, Omkara holds her arms and pulls her close to him. "How can you even say that, Gauri? How dare you compare yourself to Ridhima? Ridhima betrayed me! You were always loyal to me. Ridhima abandoned me! You never abandoned me! She left! You stayed, Gauri! You always stayed! Don't you dare ever compare yourself to her!"

Gauri looks at Omkara in shock. They kept looking at each other then they slowly move close to each other till their lips touched. Omkara pulls her close to him. Gauri hugs him as she opened her mouth for him. Hugging her tight, Omkara hungrily kisses her.

They part as they breathlessly looked at each other.

"Don't ever compare yourself to her." Omkara tells her again.

Gauri looks at him in amazement, she lovingly caresses his cheek. "Do you love me, Om?"

Hearing her question, Omkara steps back in shock, his heart slamming against his chest.

"Om?" Gauri softly calls him.

Having no answer to her, Omkara turns and just walks off.

Gauri watches him walk off, her heart breaking. First the conversation with Priya, then Jhanvi, then her plant and finally this was the final straw.

She couldn't go on like this. She needed to think. Take a decision and for that she needed space and time from Omkara.

Next morning, Omkara comes down looking for Gauri. After how things had ended the previous night, he had slept in one of the empty bedrooms. He still didn't want to face Gauri but he knew, he had to. He had found the note kept on the dining table immediately. Curious, he picks it up.

I am going home.

I will send someone for the plants.

**********

Nayantara and Harsh welcomes Omkara home.

"She has been locked up inside her room since she came." Nayantara informs him worriedly.

"She said she doesn't want to talk to us." Harsh informs him. "What happened between you both?"

"I want to see her." Omkara tells them.

Realizing even he wasn't going to tell them anything, Harsh and Nayantara gives up. They were about to tell him to go up when they noticed that he was already on his way up.

Omkara knocks on Gauri's bedroom.

"I don't want to talk to anyone. Just leave me alone for sometime please?"

"Gauri... open the door." Omkara tells her.

Gauri opens the door in shock. "What are you doing here?" Gauri asks him.

Omkara pushes her aside and walks in furiously as he shut the door. "I didn't allow that Ajay to come inside our home. He sneaked in! I never let him come inside! Don't make me drag you back home! Come with me, right now!"

"What Ajay?" Gauri asks him in confusion.

Omkara looks at her in confusion. "You didn't figure that out?"

"Figure what out?" Gauri asks him perplexed.

"That Ajay sneaked inside our home." Omkara tells her.

"That asshole sneaked in?" Gauri asks shocked.

"So, you didn't leave for that?" Omkara asks her confused.

"What? No!"

"Then why the hell did you leave?" Omkara asks her shocked. Then holding her, he says panicking. "Gauri, we keep threatening each other that we will leave each other but we know, we will never leave each other. Then why did you leave me?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Gauri asks him.

"You left me!" Omkara furiously reminds her.

"I wanted to think. So I came here."

"What?" Omkara asks confused. "You said you will send someone to bring your plants here."

"I said I will send someone to take care of the plants. It is too much to hope that you would water my plants."

"I did." Omkara tells her in shock.

"You did?" Gauri asks shocked.

"I know how important they are for you." Omkara tells her. "Let's go home, Gauri."

"No." Gauri shakes her head.

"Why can't you think at home?"

"Because I wanted space from you." Gauri tells him fed up.

"Space from me?" Omkara asks her shocked.

"I came here to take a decision, Om."

"What decision?"

"About us. Our marriage."

"What about our marriage?" Omkara asks, his heart slamming against his chest. "Is it because of last evening?" Omkara asks her worriedly.

Gauri sits down helplessly.

"Gauri... whatever it is, we will go home and sort it out. Let's go home, Gauri." Omkara tells her as he knelt in front of her.

Gauri shakes her head. "I took my decision, Om."

"What decision?" Omkara asks her, his heart going to burst in worry.

Gauri's eyes fill up. "You always rejected my love, Om."

"Gauri..."

"No, you won't speak in between. Today I'll speak." Gauri tells him.

Omkara helplessly nods.

"You never wanted my love, Om. And I never blamed you for it. I was happy and content to love you from afar. As long as I can remember, I have loved you, Om. And when I thought we were going to plan our wedding, you told everyone about Ridhima. It broke my heart, Om."

Omkara's eyes fill up seeing Gauri's pain.

"Then I watched Ridhima break your heart. You were so broken. And I saw how your mother started torturing you to marry me. You were betrayed. Your heart was broken. But she wanted you to marry me. She wasn't bothered about your pain. She just wanted you to move on as if nothing had happened. You were alone. And I realized that I was the main thorn in your life. So, I stayed as far away from you as possible."

"Your mother tortured you to the point that you agreed to marry me. I refused to marry you knowing you were forced. But you told me you wanted to marry me." Gauri looks at him and says heartbroken. "I trusted you, Om."

Omkara gulps hearing that, tears falling from his eyes.

"I married you. And I realized why you married me. It broke my heart again, Om. But I understood you. You were tortured because I couldn't stop loving you. I thought... even if it is to torture me, you married me. All I ever wanted was to love you. Be your wife. I thought I will love you and maybe my love will heal your wounds. So, I stayed with you, Om. So my love could heal you and give you solace."

Gauri takes calming breaths as she tried to control her tears. "You were rude to me. You kept insulting me. I knew you were saying it all to hurt me and you didn't mean half the things you said, but it always hurt me, Om." Gauri tells him as she broke into a sob.

"Gauri..."

"I am not done!"

Omkara takes a deep breath as he prepared for more. He knew he deserved it all. He did all that to her. His pain now was nothing compared to hers.

"You always said that I meant nothing to you. That you didn't want me. That day, you humiliated me in front of Ajay. You said I didn't have the value and respect that Ajay has in your life. I am your wife and you said that. It broke my heart. I started feeling jealous of your driver."

"Gauri, he is nobody. You are my wife."

"Stop talking!" Gauri tells him fed up.

Omkara keeps quiet.

"I tried to do everything that you wanted me to, Om. I wanted you to be happy. I found my happiness in keeping you happy. I didn't let the rude things that you said hurt me. I told myself, you didn't mean any of that. Things started getting better and I realized you cared for me. I was happy with that. I didn't want anything more."

"Then I find out that your secretary didn't even know that you had married me." Gauri tells him then she asks him. "Were you so ashamed to tell people that I am your wife?"

"Gauri, you know that is not true. I never tell anyone about my personal matters." Omkara argues.

"I don't expect you to flaunt me. I don't expect you to shout out to the world that I am your wife. But if people in your inner circle doesn't know that I am your wife, then it really shows that this marriage and I have no value in your eyes." Gauri tells him.

"Those people are just my work..."

"Even your relatives doesn't know that you married me, Om!" Gauri accuses him.

"Gauri, at the time of marriage, I was so angry, I told my parents if they informed anyone then I won't marry you. I just wanted hurt my parents, it had nothing to do with you."

Gauri ignores him and continues on. "That day, your mother said that you were still stuck on Ridhima. I know, that is the truth. Otherwise, why wouldn't you accept me as your wife? I was the fool who had thought that you had moved on."

"Gauri, you are my wife. Ridhima doesn't matter." Omkara tells her. "Mom was just blabbering things."

Gauri shakes her head. "I can't take this anymore, Om. I am tired. Loving you has started hurting me. I have lost all respect for myself in my own eyes for loving you like this. I have lost all respect for the love I have for you. I hate myself that I love you. Now, I understand why you could never love me. The whole world was right, I was shameless and desperate to love a man who neither respected me nor the love I had for him."

"Please don't say that, Gauri." Omkara pleads her.

"You won, Om. You won." Gauri tells him as she wiped her tears. "I know why you married me and did all that. Everybody tortured you because I wanted to marry you, I wanted to be your wife. So, you did all this. You won, Om. I will say what you vowed yourself that you will make me say when you married me."

Omkara stares at her, scared out of his life, knowing what she was going to say.

Looking at him, she begs him. "I am sorry I fell in love with you, Om. I am sorry I wanted to be your wife. Please set me free, Om. I don't want to be your wife anymore."

"No, Gauri... no... no...no." Omkara grips her hand as he panicked as he stood on his knees.

"Please leave me alone, Om." Gauri tells him as she looked away.

"No, Gauri... please don't stop loving me." Omkara begs her. "If I don't have your love in my life, I will die."

Gauri looks at Omkara in shock hearing that.

"All the people I cared about, they had turned against me. Ridhima abandoned me. My parents turned against me. No one understood me, Gauri. Only you did. You were the only constant in my life. If anything I was sure of in my life, it was that I have your love. I am sorry, I insulted you. I am sorry I kept rejecting you. I am sorry I didn't respect you. I was scared, Gauri. What Ridhima did to me, when she left, I not only lost my love, I lost my parents too. I was so angry. I was so lost. I was so hurt. And everyone around me started pressurizing me to marry you. I didn't know when your love became a burden for me, Gauri."

Gauri looks down hurt.

Omkara cups her face and makes her look at him as he desperately said. "Slowly, slowly, I saw how you had continued to love me without any expectations. And I started believing that no matter what, you would love me. You'll not abandon me like the rest of the world. No matter what I do. You would stay. But I was scared to say it out loud. Because I had believed the same of Ridhima and she had abandoned me."

"After all these years, you thought I was like her?" Gauri asks him hurt.

Omkara helplessly sighs. "I was scared, Gauri."

Gauri nods accepting.

"I knew no matter what I do or say, you won't leave me. And I knew, no matter what you say or do, I won't leave you. We had each other. We couldn't stay away from one another. I took you for granted. I am sorry, Gauri. In my fear, I did everything a husband shouldn't. I am sorry, Gauri."

"Please give me a chance, Gauri. I'll be the best husband. I swear to you. I'll be the husband that you wanted me to be. We'll have the life that you always dreamt of. I'll fulfill all your dreams and wishes. I promise that I will keep you always happy."

Gauri helplessly looks at him, not sure what to do, what to decide.

"I have never asked anyone for anything, Gauri. Now, I am begging you for your love. Please don't stop loving me. Ridhima left me, you please don't leave me. I will die if you leave me, Gauri. Please, Gauri." Omkara cries as he begged her.

Gauri hugs him as she broke into tears.

"You're my faith in life, Gauri. Without you, I am nothing." Omkara tells her.

"Why did it take you so long to realize all this?" Gauri asks him crying.

"Why did it take you so long to think?" Omkara asks her back.

"Now, it is my fault?" Gauri asks him as she moved back to glare at him.

Omkara smiles and wipes her tears. "I am sorry, Gauri. I am sorry for everything."

"Now, if I hear you call me your slave once more..." Gauri warns him with fake anger.

"I am your slave, Gauri. You are my queen." Omkara tells her as he cupped her face.

Gauri shakes her head. "Why can't we be equals?"

"Anything that you say." Omkara promises her as he smiled at her.

Gauri smiles and she hugs him.

"Gauri..."

"Yes?"

"Please don't threaten to leave me again." Omkara requests her. "You almost left me today, now if you threaten me, I don't know how I will handle it."

"I won't." Gauri promises him as she hugged him then smugly says. "You can threaten to leave me. I know, you'll never leave me."

Omkara squeezes her as he hugged her tight.

**********

Seeing Gauri and Omkara holding hands and walking down happily, Harsh and Nayantara smiles in relief.

"So, all sorted?" Harsh asks them happily.

"Yes." Gauri replies as she looked at Omkara smiling happily.

"Can we ask what it was about?" Nayantara asks them with a smile.

"No." Gauri replies laughing.

"I was an ass. Rest assured, I have learned my lesson." Omkara replies as he lovingly looked at Gauri.

"Glad to hear that." Harsh replies grinning.

Omkara and Gauri walks to them.

"Are you both leaving?" Nayantara asks them.

"Why you want us to leave?" Omkara asks her back.

Nayantara looks at him surprised then cupping his face, she says, "You suddenly seem like our old Om."

Omkara smiles hearing that. Then he looks at Gauri and says. "I hope to be that man that Gauri fell in love with."

"We believed that man was somewhere in you, Om. Otherwise we wouldn't have got our daughter married to you." Harsh tells him softly smiling.

Omkara smiles hearing that.

"Since, you both are here, I just wanted to ask when Gauri will join office again." Harsh asks.

"Tomorrow." Omkara replies.

"What?" Gauri looks at him in shock.

"Yea, tomorrow."

"No..." Gauri shakes her head at her father. "I'll tell you, Dad."

"How much more do you want to settle into your marriage?" Harsh asks exasperated.

"Gauri will join soon." Omkara tells him.

**********

Omkara hangs up the phone and turns to look for Gauri. He sees her speaking to her father. He looks around and finds Nayantara going up the stairs. He runs after her.

"Om... where are you going?" Gauri calls out to him.

Omkara puts up his pinkie.

"There is toilet here down." Gauri reminds him.

"It is not my first time here. But I'll use the one in your room." Omkara replies.

"Do you want me to come?" Gauri asks him.

Omkara turns to her and tells her. "I know to do my business and flush."

"Ewwwe Om!"

Omkara turns and sees Nayantara gaping at him. "That should shut her up." He whispers to her and runs up. "Follow me."

"I thought you knew to do your business." Nayantara tells him as she followed him. "And you are calling the wrong Sharma lady."

Omkara turns to her and reminds her. "There is only one Sharma lady here. That is my Oberoi lady. Now, come with me."

Nayantara follows him into Gauri's bedroom. Omkara quietly closes the door.

Seeing him closing the door, Nayantara excitedly asks him. "Are we sharing secrets or planning surprise?"

Omkara grins seeing that. "You are so smart, this is why you were always my favorite."

"I know." Nayantara says smugly shrugging.

"You had said that Gauri had a scrap book for our wedding, where is it?" Omkara asks her.

Nayantara smiles hearing that. She walks to the drawer and opens it, she pulls out the scrap book.

Omkara walks to her and takes the scrap book and flips through it. His heart breaks seeing all that Gauri had planned. There were venue details, her dream dress, what he should wear, the location, the food menu, the songs to play, the mehendi design, every single detail was there.

"Gauri had been planning this for years." Nayantara tells him.

Omkara nods, he could see that over the years, she had changed things as the corrections were visible.

"She really wanted this." Nayantara says sadly. "But you didn't believe in all this."

"I was wrong." Omkara tells her guiltily.

"Gauri would never say it, but we know even she was hurt that you two got married in court. Your parents had said you'll have a wedding reception but that also didn't work out. After a point we stopped asking them and Gauri." Nayantara softly complains.

"I want to give Gauri the wedding of her dreams." Omkara tells her as his eyes filled up.

"She deserves it." Nayantara says softly.

"She deserves more than that. She deserves better than me." Omkara tells her.

Nayantara smiles at him as she kept her hand on his cheek.

"In four months, it is our first wedding anniversary. Gauri and I should get married with all rituals then." Omkara tells her.

"That would be great." Nayantara says excitedly.

"It will be a surprise for Gauri." Omkara tells her.

"We'll plan this." Nayantara gives a thumbs up.

"We'll."

**********

"We are not going home?" Gauri asks curiously seeing Omkara turn left instead of right.

"We are." Omkara tells her smiling.

"Then why are we going this way?" Gauri asks him in confusion.

Omkara winks at her in reply.

Few minutes later, Gauri looks in surprise as Omkara drove the car inside Oberoi Mansion gates.

"Om, we are visiting your parents?" Gauri asks him surprised.

"We are moving in, Gauri." Omkara tells her smiling.

"What?" Gauri asks him in shock.

Omkara keeps his palm on her cheek and lovingly says, "It was your dream to live here with my parents and me."

"But I know, you are not comfortable with your parents, Om." Gauri tells him.

"Gauri, before marriage, I was living here. You know why I moved out." Omkara says softly.

Gauri nods.

"I won't lie, Gauri. It was more peaceful and happy in our home." Omkara tells her.

"I like our home, Om." Gauri tells him.

"It is not just that, Gauri." Omkara tells her. "I made this decision yesterday. I realized that you are all alone at home. There is no security, no cctv cameras. It is not safe, Gauri."

"We can hire security, Om."

"And I do want to improve my relation with my parents. It's been too long. I just want to get rid of all toxins from life. I am happy in life, so, I should just forget all the bad things that happened." Omkara tells her.

"You are really happy about moving in back here?" Gauri asks him.

"Yes."

Gauri smiles hearing that. "Then let's do that."

Smiling excitedly, Omkara gets down the car and runs around to open the door for her. But Gauri had got out by the then. Happily smiling, Omkara takes her hand and walk towards the entrance.

Gauri smiles as he held her hand. The last time she had come here, she had wished to walk inside holding hands with him. And it was happening now. She decides not to mention that as she knew he will be upset and not happy hearing about that day.

The door opens, Gauri stops in surprise seeing Jhanvi and Tej, standing with arti.

"They knew we were coming?" Gauri asks surprised.

"I called them from your place." Omkara tells her as he stood with Gauri while his mother did their arti.

Then Jhanvi keeps a pot filled with rice and asks Gauri to kick it. Gauri kicks it then she steps on the vermillion water. Gauri looks at Omkara happily as her eyes filled with happy tears. Omkara smiles at her, as he held her hand and led her inside.

They were made to do many rituals and Gauri and Omkara did everything happily. At night they walk into their bedroom. Gauri stops as she stood in the middle of the room filled with nostalgia.

Omkara hugs her from behind. "Yeah, even I am thinking that." Omkara says disappointed.

"What?" Gauri asks frowning with a smile.

"Why didn't they decorate our bedroom?"

Gauri chuckles. "I wasn't thinking that."

"Why not?" Omkara asks her frowning.

Gauri laughs. "We've been married for months. They might assume we had our suhag raat."

"They have no idea, what a tease you are."

"What?" Gauri turns to him frowning.

"You used to brush up against me. Lie hugging me at night. I used to be in hell."

Gauri laughs. "I like hugging you and sleep."

"You never told me." Omkara tells her smiling.

"I guess, I didn't want to sound desperate."

"Oh please, Gauri. I was waiting for you to give me some kind of hint."

"You knew I loved you."

"Still... I would also like to be desired physically. You used to drive me crazy." Omkara tells her.

Gauri grins as she leaned up and took his lips in hers. They hungrily kiss.

"Om..." Gauri softly calls him.

Omkara smiles understanding. "You had a long day, Gauri. Last two days were not easy for you or me. We have time to make love."

Gauri smiles and hugs him. "I am really so tired." Gauri tells him.

"I know. Even me." Omkara hugs her tight. "So, what were you thinking when you came in?"

"Remember how we used to spend time in your room? Playing games, talking, fighting."

Omkara smiles remembering those good old memories.

"I need something of yours to wear." Gauri tells him.

"You take whatever you want from my cupboard or if you prefer your own clothes, it's there in the bag." Omkara tells her.

"How did you get my clothes?" Gauri asks him surprised.

"I asked your mom to pack something for you for tonight and tomorrow. We'll get our stuff from home tomorrow." Omkara tells her.

"I'll go change then." Gauri tells him happily as she went to check the bag.

They settle on the bed, and Omkara moves closer to Gauri. She blushes seeing that. Omkara leans up on his elbows as he looked at her.

"I thought, you liked to hug me and sleep." Omkara tells her.

Gauri blushes hearing that.

Omkara leans down and takes her lips in his and gives her a slow sweet kiss.

Omkara leans up and looks at her with a smile. He gently runs his finger over her face.

"I thought you were tired." Gauri tells him blushing.

"I am." Omkara replies.

Gauri smiles. Even she felt dead to the world, but didn't want to sleep.

"Can I tell you a secret?" Omkara asks her grinning mischievously.

"Yeah?" Gauri asks smiling seeing him grin.

"You were my very first crush." Omkara tells her.

"What?" Gauri asks in shock.

"Why are you shocked? We grew up together."

"You once had a crush on me?" Gauri asks reeling from the shock.

"Once?" Omkara asks her. "You were my on and off crush."

"On and off?" Gauri asks shocked.

"Gauri, you had terrible phases." Omkara says shaking his head.

"What?"

"that whining period. You used to cry for everything. Then that rebellious period, where you had to fight with everyone. You used to drive me crazy those times. And I would decide that never in my life I will be friends with you. Then next time you call, I'll be like friends again."

Gauri chuckles hearing that.

Omkara leans down and bites her nose.

"Ouch."

Omkara chuckles. then he says softly. "Then you went away for college. That time I met Ridhima."

Gauri nods as she also stopped smiling.

"You were not here. That was the main reason Ridhima and I got together. After Ridhima left, I used to wonder, if you hadn't gone off to college then maybe we would be married with kids by now." Omkara tells her.

"Maybe." Gauri agrees.

"Do you want children, Gauri?" Omkara asks her.

"I do." Gauri smiles.

"Soon?" Omkara asks her.

"No..." Gauri shakes her head. "I just got you now. I don't want to share you with anyone. Couple of years later."

"Whenever you want." Omkara promises her.

"What about you?" Gauri asks him. "Do you want now?"

"I want whatever you want." Omkara tells her then cheekily grinning he says, "Your wish is my command."

"You are so happy now." Gauri tells him as she lovingly kept her hand on his cheek.

"I know." Omkara agrees. "I think, I always believed that you would never leave me. But I think in my heart I had this fear. Ridhima didn't love me enough to stay. I was a disappointment for my mother. So, I think I had this fear maybe you would also leave me one day, though a part of me strongly believed that even if the whole world abandons me, you would never leave me."

"I'll never leave you." Gauri promises him.

Omkara smiles. "You almost left me today, Gauri. But we worked it out. You stayed. I think that fear is gone. I feel liberated."

Gauri smiles hearing that, she leans up and hugs him.

"Okay, now you sleep. We can talk tomorrow." Omkara tells her as he hugged her and laid down on his back holding Gauri to his chest. With yawn, Gauri settles on his chest.

**********

"When are we going home to get our stuff?" Gauri asks Omkara as she brushed her hair in front of the mirror.

"Mom was saying it is your pehli rasoi." Omkara says as he looked through his old clothes to wear after his shower. "We'll go after that."

"What about office? I should be getting my car today. Maybe I'll go and get everything." Gauri asks him.

"I'm not going to office today."

"You didn't go yesterday also. Mom is not going to be happy."

Omkara shrugs.

"I've to arrange a small truck to bring my plants. It would be better if we are there when they come. So, I'll arrange for it by afternoon?" Gauri asks him.

Omkara grins.

"What?" Gauri asks confused.

"Come with me."

Gauri walks to him with a cute frown.

Omkara walks behind her, holding her shoulders, he leads her to their bedroom and then to their balcony. He opens the door and takes her out.

Gauri gasps seeing her flowers down on the garden.

"You can see them from our room too." Omkara whispers to her.

"When did you bring it here?" Gauri asks surprised.

"At your place yesterday, I coordinated with Mom's gardener and had him bring everything."

"That was very thoughtful of you." Gauri says smiling as she kissed him.

Omkara kisses her as he wrapped his hands around her waist.

**********

Omkara stares in shock seeing three dishes on the table.

"You made all three?" Omkara asks Gauri in shock.

"Yeah." Gauri says excitedly.

Frowning worriedly, Omkara holds her hand. "Come with me."

"What happened? You have to taste them, Om." Gauri tells him as she followed him.

Omkara turns and holds her hands. "Gauri, are you not happy?" Omkara asks her worriedly.

"I am, Om." Gauri replies with a surprised smile.

"You made three dishes." Omkara tells her pointing at the table.

"Yeah, I did." Gauri tells him.

"But you cook when you are in stress." Omkara says anxiously.

"Oh that." Gauri smiles happily.

"What?" Omkara asks confused.

"I used to cook when I felt stressed. Stirring while cooking was kind of therapeutic for me." Gauri tells him.

"Oh... and now?" Omkara asks confused.

"I really enjoy cooking for you." Gauri tells him happily.

"What?" Omkara asks shocked.

"Yeah, you have no idea how many dishes are there in my list that I want to try out. We can eat only three times a day, so I have like a bunch." Gauri tells him.

Omkara stares at her in shock.

"What?" Gauri asks him.

"So, all these days, I was simply getting worked up thinking you were stressed while you were just experimenting with cooking?"

"Awww... why didn't you ask me?" Gauri asks as she pulled his cheek.

"I was an ass and I just couldn't ask that without making you realize how much I cared." Omkara tells her embarrassed.

"I knew you cared, Om." Gauri chuckles. "You were never able to hide it."

"Oh." Omkara blushes embarrassed.

"I misunderstood you didn't care that day but before that I truly believed you cared for me." Gauri tells him then grinning she adds, "And I knew you would die before you would tell me that."

Omkara chuckles hearing that.

"Gauri, you don't have to cook and do all these for me." Omkara tells her regretfully. "I was an asshole when I made you do that."

"But I like doing them for you." Gauri tells him smiling and she lovingly cups his face. "I love being your wife, Om."

"These are not the duties of a wife, you know as well as me."

"I like it, Om."

"You've to start working again, Gauri." Omkara reminds her.

"Yeah, I will." Gauri says in a dismissing tone. "Now, you come and taste the food."

Omkara sighs as he followed her.

"Did you know, you have to give me a gift if you like the food I cooked?" Gauri asks him.

"I know, Mom had told me." Omkara grins.

"You already got it?" Gauri asks him surprised.

"No, but I know what I am getting you." Omkara smugly says.

**********

Later they were on their way to their home when Omkara calls Priya in the car.

"Yes, sir?" Priya answers the call.

"Priya... I won't be coming in today. Hold all the calls. Reschedule any meeting or calls for today."

"Okay sir."

Omkara was about to hang up when he sees Gauri looking out the window. Grinning, he adds. "Don't disturb me unless it is absolutely important. I want to spend the day with my wife."

Gauri turns to him in shock then seeing his cheeky grin, she rolls her eyes as she silently chuckles.

"Wife?" Priya asks in shock.

"Yes."

"Oh... congratulations sir."

"Thanks." Omkara chuckles as he hangs up.

"You are a clown, Om." Gauri declares.

Omkara laughs as he turned the car towards the jewelry store and parked.

"What are we doing here?" Gauri asks curiously then guessing, she says. "Oh my pehli rasoi gift."

Omkara smiles as he took her hand and walked in.

"I was thinking what to get you, all I could think of was jewelry. Then I thought, why not get us both wedding rings?" Omkara asks her.

"You mean a ring for you also as my pehli rasaoi?"

"Yes." Omkara grins. Then he says quickly, "Only if you want the ring. If you want something else, then we'll get that."

"Wedding ring. I love it." Gauri smiles.

"Pick whichever you like." Omkara tells her.

**********

"What are we going to do with this house?" Gauri asks Omkara as they put bedsheets on their couches to cover it.

"This is our first home. I don't want to sell it." Omkara tells her.

"Even I don't want to sell it." Gauri tells him smiling.

"And my parents are going to drive us crazy, we need a place to escape to." Omkara tells her grinning.

Gauri chuckles hearing that.

"I'll hire a caretaker. So, he will keep it clean so whenever we feel like it, we can come here." Omkara tells her.

"I'm going to miss this place." Gauri says with a sad smile as she walked to Omkara and hugged him.

"Me too." Omkara says, he lovingly tucks her hair behind her ear and says, "After a long time, I felt peaceful here with you."

Gauri smiles hearing that, she leans up and takes his lips in hers. They hungry kisses each other.

"Om..." Gauri gasps as she gripped his collar.

Understanding what she wanted, Omkara replies as he kissed her. "No."

Gauri steps back in shock. "Now, who is being a tease?" Gauri asks disgruntled.

Omkara chuckles. "Let's leave, we are getting late."

**********

They were about to reach Oberoi Mansion when Omkara stops the car in front of a store.

"I'll come now." Omkara tells her and quickly runs out to the store.

Gauri watches Omkara come back with a brown paper bag. He gets into the car and grinning, he puts the cover on her lap. "Here."

Gauri opens the bag to check what it is and blushes seeing lots of condom boxes. "Are you going to kill me?" Gauri asks blushing beetroot red.

"I'm going to gobble you up." Omkara tells her as he kissed her hungrily.

Holding hands, Gauri and Omkara starts to run to their bedroom. Seeing the servants, shyly smiling at them, Gauri smiles back at them.

"I think everyone is happy to have us back home." Gauri tells Omkara happily.

"Yeah, I bet." Omkara replies as he tried to hide his laughter.

Gauri runs into their bedroom and stops in shock, seeing it decorated for suhaag raat. Omkara locks the door. Gauri turns to him in shock.

"You got this done?" Gauri asks him in shock.

"I owe you a suhaag raat." Omkara tells her, and he was too happy and excited that he was grinning ear to ear.

"Oh my God." Gauri whispers embarrassed. "They all will know that we are going to do it."

Omkara chuckles as he walked to her. "So what if the whole world knows? You are my wife."

"How will I face them tomorrow, Om?" Gauri asks shocked.

Wrapping his hands around her waist, Omkara pulls her close. "You don't face them. You only look at me."

Gauri blushes feeling his body press up against her. She feels heat spread through her body. She brushes her body against him as she slammed her mouth on him.

**********

Omkara leans up on his elbow as he looked at Gauri. She was glowing in the aftermath. Omkara leans down and lovingly kisses her on her cheek.

Omkara leans up back and gently pulls the blanket down to see her naked body. "Have you had fantasies about me, Gauri?" Omkara asks her.

Gauri shyly pulls up the blanket. "What do you think?"

Omkara pulls the blanket down. "I think you did." Omkara tells her with a grin.

Gauri chuckles as she pulled her blanket up.

"Which was the most repeated fantasy?" Omkara asks as he pulled the blanket down again.

"Stop it." Gauri tells him as she pulled the blanket up.

"Tell me." Omkara tells her as he pulled the blanket again down.

"Against the wall." Gauri tells him as she pulled the blanket up.

"Against the wall? That is so..." Omkara looks at her with a frown. "Mediocre."

Gauri chuckles. "I was under the assumption that you had to be that horny to be willing to do it against the wall too."

"Ah... I like the way you think." Omkara grins as he dragged the blanket down.

"Did you have fantasies?" Gauri asks as she tried to lift the blanket up and feels it stuck.

"My puberty and crush happened back to back. I had only fantasies." Omkara says grinning as he picked a rose petal from the bed.

Gauri looks at the blanket and sees that he was holding it. "Let go off the blanket, Om. I'm feeling shy."

"No."

"I thought my wishes were your command?" Gauri grumbles as she turned pink.

"That is true." Omkara says then he takes the rose petal, gently, slowly and seductively runs it around her nipples.

Gauri felt goosebumps all over her body.

"But a horny husband is a horny husband." Omkara tells her.

Gauri blushes hearing that. "What was your fantasy?"

"I told you I had lots." Omkara tells her then he says, "of late, it has been in office."

"Office?" Gauri asks surprised.

"Yeah, I used to be so horny that your thoughts would come up when I am busy working. Then I would fantasize of you coming to office to see me and I am going to town on you in office." Omkara tells her.

Gauri laughs hearing that.

"Gauri..." Omkara softly calls her.

"Hmmm?" Gauri looks at him, sees him nervous.

"I know you have had these fantasies about me... for years, you would have dreamt of our first time... was it... did you..." Omkara nervously looks at her.

"It was more beautiful than that." Gauri tells him as she lovingly smiled at him. "Er... what about for you?"

"I can't remember clearly, Gauri." Omkara says cheekily as he rolled on top of her. "I think I need a refresher."

Gauri laughs heartily then she gasps when she felt his lips replace the rose petal.

**********

"Why are you not going to office?" Omkara asks her as he stepped out of the bathroom.

"I'll, Om." Gauri replies as she picked out his suit for him, she turns to him and sees him walking around the dressing room just in his towel. "Suddenly, you have become an exhibitionist."

Omkara stops and turns to her. Seeing her looking at him, he pulls on his towel and lets it drop to the floor. Then he gives her a come-and-get-me look.

Gauri runs and jumps on him as she straddled his waist. Omkara holds her as he turned around and held her against the wall.

**********

Omkara reaches home in the evening and finds Gauri in the garden. Seeing him, she smiles at him. He walks to her and hugs her.

"How was your day?" Omkara asks her.

"Good... I was setting up my things in our room. How was your day?"

"Missed you." Omkara tells her as he smiled at her.

Gauri leans up and kisses his cheek. "I missed you too."

"Come, the blue orchid you got me has bloomed." Gauri tells him as she took his hand and led him to the plant.

Omkara smiles seeing Gauri's joy seeing the flower. He kisses her lovingly on the cheek. Happily holding his hands, Gauri takes him around the garden.

"Thank you for the blue orchid." Gauri tells him as she smiled at him. "I really love it."

Omkara smiles hearing that. "I'm so happy, Gauri. I'm sorry about your old plant."

Gauri shakes her head. "Let's not talk about it anymore."

Omkara nods.

"I want to get you something, Om." Gauri tells him as she looked at him.

"Me?" Omkara asks smiling happily.

"But I don't know what to get you. You seem to have everything. Is there anything that you need?" Gauri asks him.

"I was actually going to order something." Omkara tells her smiling. "You can buy it for me."

"Okay. What is it?" Gauri asks him excitedly.

Omkara takes his mobile and taps on it. "Have sent you the link."

Gauri takes her mobile and checks it. She looks at it with a surprised frown. "Lawn bench?"

"I love to watch you speak to your flowers." Omkara tells her as he held her close. "Now, I don't feel the need to hide and watch you like a stalker. I can leisurely sit here and ogle at you to my heart's content."

Gauri happily smiles hearing. "I'll gift you the bench then."

Omkara laughs, and seeing a beautiful red rose, he starts to pluck it. Gauri hits his hand angrily.

"What?" Omkara asks her shocked.

"Why are you plucking it?" Gauri asks him frowning at him.

"To give you." Omkara replies.

"By cutting short it's life?" Gauri asks him.

"Erm.. erm.."

"Flowers look beautiful on the plant."

"On bouquets too." Omkara shrugs. "On your hair too."

"When the plant feels like giving us it's flower, it will drop it. That time you can take. Otherwise don't touch my plants." Gauri orders him.

"Okay." Omkara says as he worriedly put up his hand.

**********

"Hi Priya..." Gauri calls out as she walked past her.

"Hello Gauri Madam." Priya says as she stood up. "Are you here to see sir?"

"Yes." Gauri replies smiling.

"I'll just..." Priya says as she started to get her phone.

Gauri takes the phone from her and puts it back down. Then holding Priya, she says. "Come with me."

Seeing Gauri taking her to Omkara's cabin. Priya freaks out. "He'll fire me. Please Madam, let me just..."

Gauri pushes the door and it opens with a bang. Priya shrieks in shock. Omkara looks up with a frown.

Seeing Gauri leaning on the entrance as she looked at him, Omkara asks in confusion. "What is with the dramatic entry?" Then he asks thoughtfully. "Did I do something?"

"Priya wasn't letting me come inside." Gauri declares.

"What?" Omkara asks frowning in displeasure. "Priya..."

"Don't look at her." Gauri tells him. "You didn't do your job properly." Gauri declares.

"Oh." Omkara smiles realizing. He looks at Priya and sees her looking at him worriedly. "Gauri can come as and when she pleases, Priya." Omkara tells her.

"Yes, sir." Priya nods.

Gauri glares.

Then cheekily grinning, Omkara tells Priya. "Only when I need saving or needs to hide from my wife, you'll stop her."

"Wife?" Priya asks in shock as she turned to Gauri.

"That would be me." Gauri points at herself.

"Oh... sorry, Madam, I didn't know." Priya quickly tells her.

"Darling, it's not your fault." Gauri tells her.

"Gauri..." Omkara calls her with a frown.

Gauri turns to him. "What?"

"You are allowed to call only me darling." Omkara tells her.

Both Gauri's and Priya's mouth drop open in shock.

"Priya..." Omkara very sweetly calls her.

"Yes, sir?" Priya answers, she couldn't help stare in shock. He was sweetly smiling at her with his chin on his hands.

"Is there anything I can do for you?" Omkara sweetly asks her.

"No, sir." Priya quickly replies.

"Then shoo... go away... give me and my wife privacy." Omkara says as he waved her off.

Priya's mouth drops open again seeing him be so jovial.

"Don't worry, he is not possessed." Gauri whispers to her.

"I was thinking alien abduction." Priya whispers back to her.

"Would you rather I fire you, Priya?" Omkara very sweetly asks her.

"No, sir." Priya replies as she ran off.

Gauri shakes her head as she closed the door and walks in. "You didn't take lunch today also." Gauri says as she lifted the lunch bag.

"I would have ordered." Omkara tells her in shock.

"We can eat together." Gauri tells him smiling happily.

Omkara nods as he stood up and watched her. "Gauri, tomorrow morning, we've to go somewhere."

"Where?" Gauri asks curiously.

"It's a surprise. Be ready."

"Okay." Gauri smiles. "What should I wear?"

"Nothing fancy." Omkara tells her.

After they had lunch, Gauri was leaving.

"Wifey..." Omkara calls out loudly as he leaned on the door.

Surprised, Gauri turns and looks at him, along with all the staff in that area.

"Thanks for the lunch." Omkara tells her then to her utter shock, he gives her a flying kiss.

Gauri turns completely red seeing him. Omkara sexily chuckles as he gave another flying kiss. Turning around, Gauri quickly leaves ignoring all the stares.

**********

Gauri growls seeing him stop the car in front of her office.

"Get down." Omkara tells her.

"I told you, I'll go back to work."

"I doubt it. You are enjoy being a home maker a little too much." Omkara tells her as he got out.

"What is wrong in being a home maker?" Gauri asks pissed as Omkara opened her door.

"Nothing wrong. But your dream was to surpass your father. Take Sharma Group to those heights. We were going to compete each other. Forgot?" Omkara asks her as he pulled her out.

"I'll do all that. Just a few more days." Gauri tells him as she tried to move back.

Seeing that, Omkara bends down, lifts her up and throws her over his shoulder.

"Oh my God, Om. People are looking. Put me down." Gauri says freaking out.

Omkara ignores her protests and walks to the lift.

"Everybody is looking, Om." Gauri tells him in shock seeing her staff watch them in shock as they got out of the lift.

Omkara puts her down on her feet. And Gauri sees her father. Her eyes widen in panic.

"Make sure, she stays here." Omkara tells his father-in-law.

Tying his hand at his chest, Harsh glares at his daughter. "Oh I'll."

"Bye sweetheart, I'll pick you up in the evening." Omkara says and walks off.

**********

"How was it to be back in office?" Omkara asks Gauri in bed.

"It was hard, I was feeling lost, hectic and tiring." Gauri tells him grumbling.

"And?" Omkara asks her.

Smiling giving up, she says. "I felt happy to be back."

Omkara smiles hearing that.

Gauri leaning up, looks at him. "You were right. I enjoyed being your wife a little too much that I forgot how much I enjoyed work."

"I know, baby." Omkara tells her smiling.

Smiling, Gauri lies on his chest.

"Om..." Gauri softly calls him.

"Hmmm?"

"Tell me about Ridhima." Gauri gently tells him.

Omkara shudders hearing that. "Why?"

"Simply... all I know is that you loved her and she took money from your parents and left you. I know, you never had anyone to share your pain about your heartbreak with. Tell me, Om." Gauri tells him.

"We were friends, Gauri." Omkara tells her. "It was the time when you went away for college. I was kind of lonely that was when she proposed me. She was a sweet girl. Her parents had passed away and she was looking after her younger brother, Ankit. I said yes. Then I fell in love with her. Wanted to marry her. Then all that happened."

"Hmmm."

"When I think back there were times, that I felt that she genuinely loved me. I think the reason I was angry with my parents were maybe because of those moments with her."

"Do you still feel anger towards your parents?" Gauri asks him.

"No... I just don't like them interfering in my life. I am not angry with them about Ridhima." Omkara tells her then he hugs her tight. "Leave her, she doesn't matter. She is my past."

Gauri snuggles him as she hugged him tight.

**********

"Hello Gauri..." Omkara answers her call.

"Om, I'm done with work."

"I'm busy, Gauri."

"Will you be late?" Gauri asks him.

"Yeah, Gauri. I'll see you at home later."

"Ok... since you are busy, I think I'll go see Mom." Gauri tells him.

"Now? You are going?"

"Yeah. I'll see you later. Bye." Gauri says and hangs up.

"Shit shit shit." Omkara says panicking as he gathered up all the papers.

"What happened?" Nayantara asks him.

"Gauri is coming here. I've to go." Omkara says as he put everything in the folder hurriedly. "Put this back." Omkara tells her as he handed her the scrap book.

"Okay."

"Don't forget."

"I won't."

"Don't forget about the dress." Omkara tells her as he grabbed everything.

"I'll. You don't have to message me every 10 mins." Nayantara tells him.

Omkara stops and gives her a look. "Have I ever messaged you after you have taken care of the work I gave you?"

"I have other works too."

"This is the most important one!" Omkara reminds her exasperated.

"I should have just planned it alone without letting you be a part of it." Nayantara mutters.

"I want to get married on our first anniversary. Not our 10th!" Omkara reminds her. "And it was my plan, not yours!"

"Go! Your wife is coming!" Nayantara dismisses him.

**********

"Hi Priya." Gauri says as she walked past her.

"Gauri Madam..." Priya stands up as she quickly called her.

"I am not here to see Om." Gauri tells her smiling as she tried to walk off.

"It's not that." Priya tells her happily.

Gauri stops and looks at her with a smile.

"Did Sir tell you? Day before yesterday, he asked me to give an appointment to someone and I accidentally gave it to someone else."

"No, he didn't tell me." Gauri tells her confused, why she was telling her that.

"Sir screamed at me." Priya tells her.

"Oh... you should have been careful, Priya." Gauri gently tells her.

"It's not that." Priya tells her happily.

"Then?"

"He only screamed at me. If it was before, he would have fired me." Priya tells her.

Gauri smiles hearing that. "He used to be a little short tempered."

"He was an angry young man." Priya tells her laughing.

Gauri laughs.

"Thanks to you, I have my job." Priya cheekily tells her.

Gauri smiles hearing that.

"Are you trying to stop my wife again?" Omkara asks frowning as he stood at the door.

Gauri turns to him and informs him, "I'm not here to see you, husband."

"You're not?" Omkara asks shocked.

"I have a meeting with Mom. You remember, we do have some collaborations." Gauri tells him as she walked to him.

"Maybe I should handle those." Omkara tells her grinning.

"No..."

"Mom is hard to work with." Omkara tells her.

"You are also not easy to work with. But the thing is, there are lot of things that I can learn from her." Gauri tells him grinning.

"Is it any wonder she loves you so much?"

Gauri chuckles. "Bye, can't be late."

Omkara watched as Gauri walked off. Her gentle sway of hips in the figure hugging knee length dress. God, his wife knew how to dress to kill.

"Priya, let me know when Gauri is done with her meeting with Mom."

**********

Seeing Gauri stepping out of Jhanvi's office. Priya calls and informs Omkara.

Gauri was about to walk to Omkara's cabin when Omkara opens it.

"I was just about to come and tell you that I am leaving." Gauri tells him.

Omkara shakes his head. "I need to speak to you."

"Om, I've a meeting. I need to hurry."

"In how many minutes?" Omkara asks her.

"12:30."

Omkara looks at his watch then nods. "We will be done before that." Omkara holds her hand and pulls her inside. "Priya, no calls. No interruptions."

"Yes, sir."

Omkara closes the door and turns and Gauri slams her mouth on his.

"I know that look." Gauri tells him as she kissed him.

"We have to be as quiet as possible." Omkara tells her as he hungrily kissed her while his hand slides up her legs.

"I like challenges." Gauri replies.

**********

Omkara and Gauri had gone out for a drive. As Omkara was navigating the car, he turns back in shock.

"What happened?" Gauri asks curiously.

Omkara shakes his head as he looked through the side mirror.

"Om?"

Omkara shakes his head. "Nothing... I thought I saw Ridhima."

Gauri turns in her seat and looks behind. "Do you want to take a round and see?"

"Why?" Omkara asks her surprised. "What is the need for all that?"

Gauri shrugs and sits properly. Then she keeps her hand on his. Omkara turns to her and smiles at her. He takes her hand to his lips and kisses it.

**********

That evening, Harsh and Nayantara had come to visit Gauri and Omkara as they were going on their honeymoon next day.

Jhanvi calls over a servant as she turned to Harsh and Nayantara. "What would you like to have?"

"Tea." Nayantara replies.

Omkara who was sitting next Nayantara, tells the servant. "Make sure, Dad's tea has cardamom and Mom likes hers with ginger."

Servant nods and leaves.

"How did you know that?" Gauri asks shocked.

"Huh?"

"How?" Gauri asks surprised.

"Er..."

"What kind of question is it?" Nayantara asks Gauri acting offended. "He grew up in our house. It will be disappointing if he didn't know."

"Haan." Gauri nods.

"Nice save, mom-in-law." Omkara whispers to her.

"You're welcome, son-in-law." Nayantara whispers.

"You'll handle the wedding planners till I get back right?" Omkara asks her.

"I'll."

"Don't mess it up."

Nayantara glares at him. "It would have been so much better to plan with Gauri."

"Then you can manipulate her and make the wedding the way you want." Omkara accuses her.

"Half the things in that scrap book was when she was a stupid teenager. There are lot of stupid ideas in it."

"It should be exactly like the book." Omkara tells her.

"What are you two whispering about?" Gauri asks curiously.

"We've our secrets." Nayantara says with attitude.

Omkara winks at her.

Gauri shakes her head and looks away.

"You know, a good boy when he plans a marriage like this, would have send the girl to her parents till the wedding." Nayantara tells him.

"Awww are you missing her?" Omkara asks her sweetly.

"Yes." Nayantara says with a sad smile.

"Nice try." Omkara glares at her. "Try for another baby. My wife stays with me."

"Oh my God! What a besharam!" Nayantara says as she hit Omkara.

"God, these two started again." Harsh says tired.

"What do you mean?" Gauri asks confused.

"They are always fighting. Drives me crazy." Harsh says.

"When?" Gauri asks shocked.

Harsh's eyes widen hearing that. "They talk on the phone."

"You guys talk on the phone? You never told me." Gauri tells Omkara in shock.

"She keeps calling me." Omkara says in a disinterested tone.

"Fine, I won't call you again! You also don't call me!" Nayantara declares.

"And don't call me also when she doesn't answer your call on the first ring." Harsh adds on.

**********

Omkara hangs up the phone and smiles seeing Gauri next to him.

"You and Mom." Gauri says smiling. "It is nice to see you both like before."

"I was more close to her than my mom." Omkara says with a smile.

"I know." Gauri smiles.

"Did you speak to the new driver?" Omkara asks her.

"Yeah, I did."

"Did you like him? I'll hire him?"

"He is going to be your driver, Om. Hire whoever you want." Gauri tells him then cheekily she adds, "Or do you think I am going to be jealous of your driver? Please, you are not that special."

"I am not?" Omkara asks her glaring.

"No."

"Take it back." Omkara tells her.

"No."

"Take it back... take it back." Omkara starts tickling her, Gauri laughing runs off with him running behind her.

**********

Nayantara smiles seeing Omkara and Gauri smiling and talking to each other.

"They are so happy together." Nayantara says smiling, her heart filling with so much joy.

"I made it happen." Jhanvi says arrogantly.

Others nods hearing that as they watched them speaking happily.

"Om has become like our old Om." Harsh says happily.

"I knew, Gauri could do it." Jhanvi says.

They watch as Omkara ticking Gauri and they both running off laughing.

Tej says smiling. "They are like children in love."

"Yes." Harsh agrees. "After going through so much pain, they finally got the happiness that they deserve."

"True. Can you believe that idiot thought Ridhima was the real deal." Jhanvi asks. "But I got rid of her."

"Why are we speaking of her?" Nayantara asks shocked. "Ridhima was Om's past. Now, only Gauri is in his life."

**********

Hearing his mobile ring, they both stop running as they gasped for breath. Seeing an unknown number, he answers the call.

"Hello?" Omkara says. "Yes, that's me.... What?... and is she okay?... my contact?... no, I am not coming.... Don't call me again." Omkara says hanging.

Seeing Omkara frowning in confusion, Gauri asks him. "What happened? Who was it?"

"It is from the hospital." Omkara says still reeling from his shock.

"Hospital?"

"Ridhima is admitted there. She met with an accident. She gave my number as emergency contact." Omkara says confused. "I don't know why she gave my number. How did she even think that I will go running to her?"

"Oh." Gauri's heart skips a beat.

"Leave it." Omkara says shaking his head, uncomfortable with the call.

"You are not going?"

"Why should I, Gauri?"

"She is admitted in the hospital, Om. She might need your help. Don't you feel that you should go and find out what she wants?"

Omkara looks at her confused and unsure. "I don't know. Should I?"

Gauri lovingly keeps her hand on his cheek. "You used to love her, Om. She had an accident. It is natural to feel concern for her. You go see her. Maybe she needs your help. Or she wants to apologize for what she did."

"Will you be sad if I go?" Omkara asks her worriedly.

Smiling Gauri leans up and kisses his forehead. "Go."

Omkara nods. "I'll come fast."

Gauri nods.

Omkara turns to go then he turns to her "Gauri..."

"I won't tell anyone." Gauri tells him with a smile.

**********

Omkara walks into the hospital room and stops seeing Ridhima half sitting and half lying on the hospital bed. There was a bandage on her forehead and her wrist was also wrapped up. She looked so weak and thin. Hearing him, she turns to look at him. Seeing him, she was taken aback in shock.

"How long was I unconscious?" Ridhima asks in shock.

"What?" Omkara asks confused.

"Why do you look so different?" Ridhima asks him.

"Different?" Omkara asks her confused. "What do you want, Ridhima? Why did you give my number?" Omkara asks her getting angry.

"Why are you angry?" Ridhima asks him in confusion.

"You are asking me that?" Omkara asks her back.

"Are you upset about this?" Ridhima asks him.

"This?" Omkara asks confused.

"My accident. I'm sure it was not my fault." Ridhima tells him then helplessly she says. "I've been trying to remember how the accident happened. I can't seem to remember. You didn't tell Ankit, right? Don't tell him, he is going to get worried."

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Omkara asks her fed up. "I haven't spoken to Ankit in years! You know that!"

"Years?" Ridhima asks him confused. "We met for lunch last week, Omkara."

"Last week?" Omkara asks her exasperated.

Ridhima stares at him in shock. "You look so different... you said years... how long was I unconscious?" Ridhima asks him shocked. "But the nurse said I was unconscious for just a few hours."

Hearing that, Omkara hurries to the bed and rings the bell for the nurse.

Ridhima quickly holds his hand. Omkara turns and looks to her.

"I am getting scared, Omkara." Ridhima whispers as she kept her head on his arms.

Omkara moves back uncomfortably. Ridhima looks up seeing him moving back, her eyes filling up.

A nurse comes in.

"She needs to see the doctor. I think she has issues with her memory." Omkara tells her.

The nurse walks to Ridhima and asks her gently. "Can you tell me the date?"

"22nd July, 2021."

The nurse looks at Omkara and says. "I'll get the doctor."

They watched the nurse leave.

"Omkara, what's the date today?" Ridhima softly asks him.

"It's 2024."

**********

"So, she still thinks that you both are dating?" Gauri asks Omkara as she sat on the bed facing him.

"She was with me for money. What difference does it make what she thinks?" Omkara asks her as he got ready to sleep. "When she finds out that I know the truth then she herself will stop."

"Are you going to the hospital tomorrow?" Gauri asks him.

"We are going to Greece tomorrow morning, Gauri." Omkara reminds her.

"I know you, Om." Gauri tells him as she held his hand. "You'll be worried. We can take a later flight."

"Gauri..." Omkara hesitantly shakes his head.

"You loved her, Om. We both respect the love you had for her. She might not have loved you but you did. And I know, you would want to help her out now that she is in trouble. Go to the hospital tomorrow. Make arrangements for her treatment. We'll take a later flight." Gauri tells him.

"I don't know I can't help this uneasy feeling. I do feel that I should help her out at least on humanitarian grounds." Omkara helplessly tells her.

"Then do it. I'll never stop you." Gauri tells him smiling as she moved and hugged him.

**********

Omkara walks into Ridhima's room and finds the doctor with her.

"Mr. Oberoi, I was just speaking to her." Doctor informs him. "Good news, her memory is back."

Omkara looks at Ridhima and sees her looking at him with tear filled eyes.

"She just need rest. You can take her home tomorrow." Doctor informs him and leaves.

Omkara walks to her. "I'll settle your hospital bill. Don't ever try to contact me ever again. Stay away from me."

"I was coming to see you, Omkara." Ridhima tells him as she cried.

"Why? Did you need more money?" Omkara asks her.

"Ankit died, Omkara." Ridhima wails as she hugged him.

Omkara hugs her in shock, remembering Ridhima's little brother. He was a sweet kid. He had met him only a handful of times, but had thought him to be a well behaved kid who was so attached to his sister.

"How?" Omkara asks her in shock as he sat next to her. "He is so young." Omkara says, as he mentally tried to calculate, he could be around 20 yrs now.

"You are all I have now, Omkara." Ridhima says as she cried as she hugged him.

Omkara pushes her away. "I'm sorry that Ankit is no more, Ridhima. But after what you did to me..."

"Can you bring that bag please?" Ridhima asks him as she pointed at a bag.

Frowning, Omkara walks to the table and takes the bag and keeps it next to Ridhima. As he kept it, he immediately recognized the bag. He had seen it only once in his life, but it was imprinted in his memory.

Ridhima opens the zip and shows the money. "The money your parents gave me."

"What are you trying to prove, Ridhima? You took this money!" Omkara tells her angrily.

"I had no option, Omkara." Ridhima helplessly tells him. Ridhima picks up a mobile from inside the bag and fidgets with it then she turns the screen to Omkara.

Omkara looks at the screen and frowns seeing Ankit and a girl getting into a room, it looked like a hotel.

"What am I looking at?" Omkara asks impatiently seeing that the video was just the corridor of the hotel.

"Please watch." Ridhima says as she forwarded the video then she stops.

Omkara looks at the video and sees Ankit come out buttoning up his shirt then after he left, the girl comes out. Her clothes torn, she had scratch marks on her arms and face, crying and trembling in fear she had ran off.

"What the fuck?" Omkara asks in shock. "Did he..." Omkara stops unable to believe that the boy he had met could rape a girl.

Ridhima shakes her head as she cried. "She was in his class. You know how shy he is. She went behind him. He fell in love with her. She took him to the hotel. He swore to me that all he did was kiss her and she had initiated it."

"What?" Omkara asks her, his heart slamming against his chest, fearing why she was telling him all this.

"Your mother hired her. She knew, that I would do anything for my brother. She threatened me that girl would file rape case against Ankit. This would be proof. And she was just 17 years when this happened. Ankit didn't even know that. She told me if I didn't leave you then they would arrest my brother. I had to make you believe that I was with you for money. I had no choice, Omkara." Ridhima tells him crying.

Omkara gulps hearing that. His heart filling with pain and fury.

"I was so heart broken that I didn't realize that my brother blamed himself for what happened to us. He turned to drugs, I didn't realize it, Omkara. He OD'd." Ridhima tells him as she hugged him and cried.

Omkara hugs her as his eyes filled up.

"I came to tell you the truth, Omkara. I wanted to tell you that I never stopped loving you, Omkara. I knew you would wait for me like I was waiting for you."

**********

Omkara furiously walks into his mansion and sees his parents with Gauri.

"Om..." Gauri stops in shock seeing him so hurt and furious. She runs to him and takes his hand. "What happened, Om?"

Omkara stares at his parents. "How could you do this?" Omkara asks them.

"Do what?" Jhanvi asks frowning.

"Om?" Gauri calls him as she shook his hand.

Omkara looks at Gauri and informs her, "They blackmailed Ridhima to leave me."

"What?" Gauri asks in shock as she turned to look her in-laws in shock.

"What nonsense?" Jhanvi asks him. "She is a liar."

"I saw the video!" Omkara says in outrage.

"What video?" Gauri asks, unable to understand what is happening.

Omkara tells her everything that Ridhima told him.

"Oh my God, how could you do that?" Gauri asks her in-laws in outrage and shock. "And all these time, you kept calling her a gold digger! When she was as much a victim as Om!"

"Her brother is a rapist! She took the money to save him!" Jhanvi argues furiously.

"My God, Mom, that kid is dead. An innocent boy died because of you!" Omkara furiously tells her.

Jhanvi looks away hearing that.

"You saw him suffer for two years, why wouldn't you tell the truth to him in all this time?" Gauri asks in shock as her eyes fill up.

"Then that girl would have been here in your place." Jhanvi furiously reminds her. "You should be thanking me!"

"For what? Breaking Om's heart? For ruining Ridhima's life? For killing a boy?" Gauri asks furiously. "You had no right hurting them like that."

"Ridhima will be discharged from the hospital tomorrow. She doesn't have anyone else, I'll be bringing her here." Omkara declares.

"That girl will not step foot inside my house." Jhanvi furiously says.

"Try stopping me." Omkara challenges her.

"You would bring your ex-girlfriend to the home where your wife stays?" Tej asks him in shock.

Omkara hesitates hearing the question, he looks at Gauri.

Seeing his hesitation, Gauri looks at Tej and replies. "he will."

"You both better stay away from Ridhima." Omkara warns them.

Omkara looks at Gauri then he turns around and leaves.

"Om..." Gauri runs behind him.

"Ridhima is alone... I've to go." Omkara tells her as he looked at her.

"Do you want me to come?" Gauri asks him.

"She doesn't know that I am married." Omkara tells her as he looked at her unsurely.

"Oh." Gauri nods.

"I don't know when I'll come back." Omkara tells her.

"Don't worry." Gauri tells him then she tells him, "I'll call Priya and tell her to cancel our flight and hotel bookings."

Nodding, Omkara leaves.

**********

Gauri was sitting in the balcony as she waited for Omkara to come home. She didn't call him and he didn't call her also. It was night and he hadn't come home yet. She was starting to get worried. As she thought about what had happened, her heart started filling with fear. She knew Omkara was happy with her. But Ridhima was someone he had loved. Now, she was back. Just like how he had loved her, she had also loved him.

Gauri sees Omkara's car drive in. She hurriedly gets up and goes to the bedroom to wait for him. Even after ten minutes, when he didn't come to their room, Gauri went looking for him. She finds him sitting in the living room with his head on his hands.

"Om..." Gauri keeps her hand on his shoulder.

Omkara turns to her in shock. "You didn't sleep?"

"I was waiting for you." Gauri tells him as she started to sit next to him.

"I just want to be alone now, Gauri." Omkara whispers as he looked away.

Gauri stops and steps back.

"You sleep, Gauri." Omkara tells her.

Gauri helplessly looks at him then she walks off to their room.

She stayed awake for a long time waiting for him to come. Finally, unable to wait, she goes to check on him and sees him sleeping on the couch. She takes a duvet and covers him.

Then goes to their room, and she breaks into tears, as her fear became strong and gripped her heart. If Om decides to go back to Ridhima, then she wouldn't stop him. She couldn't even blame him, she understood his turmoil, he had loved Ridhima once, Ridhima was forced to leave him. She had truly loved him, and now she was all alone in this world.

Omkara might choose Ridhima over her.

**********

Gauri woke up hearing Omkara walk into the room, she looks at him and sees him going to the dressing room without looking at her. She hears him get into the bathroom. Gauri goes to the dressing room, and sets out his clothes for him to wear. Tears fall from her eyes, as she couldn't help wonder whether this would be the last time she would be doing this for him.

Wiping her tears, she comes out of the dressing room as she realized that he would be bringing Ridhima home. Gauri's heart start beating fast realizing that Ridhima didn't know that Omkara was married to her now, since Ridhima would be staying here, should she go to their home?

Hearing the door open, Gauri looks at Omkara and sees him dressed in the clothes she had set for him.

He looks at her. "I've to go to the hospital."

Gauri nods.

Omkara starts to leave, and Gauri calls him to ask whether she should go home. "Om.."

"I am getting later, Gauri." Omkara tells her and leaves quickly.

**********

Gauri was walking back inside after spending the whole day in her garden when she notices her in-laws. She ignores them and starts to walk to her room.

"Is he really bringing that girl here?" Jhanvi asks her.

"Yes." Gauri replies.

"Gauri, you shouldn't allow that." Tej worriedly tells her.

"You shouldn't have done what you did." Gauri reminds him.

"If you don't control your husband then he is going to set home with that girl." Jhanvi warns her.

Gauri's heart breaks hearing that. "Then that would be his choice. He has the right to decide who he wants to be with. I'll never stand in the way of his happiness." Gauri tells them and walks off to check whether the maids had got the guest room ready for Ridhima.

I got the downstairs guest room ready for Ridhima. I wasn't sure whether she could climb the stairs.

Gauri messages Omkara.

She can but downstairs one is fine.

Omkara replies to her.

How is she doing?

She is sleeping. I'm working. I am a little busy, I'll talk to you later.

Gauri sighs seeing that.

Okay. My parents think that we are in Greece, I haven't told them about Ridhima.

Okay.

**********

Gauri watched as Omkara helped Ridhima out of the car. She had never seen her before, only heard of her. From her balcony, she couldn't make out her face much. Gauri gulps seeing Ridhima wrap her hand around Omkara's waist for support. Omkara keeps his hand around her shoulders as he helped her. Then as if sensing her, Omkara looks up and their eyes lock with each others. Seeing Ridhima starting to look up, Gauri steps back, so she doesn't see her.

Rest of the evening, Gauri stayed in their room. Omkara didn't come up. Her mother-in-law did. To criticize her for giving a free reign to her husband. Then declaring that Gauri was a bigger disappointment than Omkara ever was and that Gauri was not deserving of being the Oberoi bahu as she had thought her to be. Oberoi women were never such a weakling. Gauri had ignored her and once Jhanvi realized that she was screaming at the wall, she had furiously left the room.

When Omkara hadn't come to their room by night, Gauri steps out into the balcony and sees him sitting on the bench that she had gifted him. Her eyes fill up seeing him sitting with his head thrown back, lost in thoughts.

She wished he would talk to her and share his feelings. He was avoiding her, and she knew it. Did he think that she would not let him go if that is what he wanted?

Feeling his gaze on her, Gauri looks at him and sees him watching her. They kept looking at each for a minute then he gets up and walks into the house. Heart slamming against her chest, Gauri turns around and looks at her bedroom door. Then she sees the door handle turn and the door opens. Omkara steps in and looks at her for a few seconds then he turns and locks the door.

Seeing him lock the door, Gauri walks back into the room. Omkara turns and looks at her, then he walks to her. Gauri runs to him and hugs him.

**********

"Om..." Gauri softly calls him.

He was lying on her chest, lost in thought. He hadn't said a word to her.

"Hmm?"

"Do you want to talk?" Gauri asks him.

Omkara hugs her tighter. "I just want to be in your arms." Omkara replies like a lost child.

"Okay." Gauri replies as she gently run her hand over his head.

Gauri leans up and gently kisses on the top of his head. Feeling her kiss, Omkara looks up at her. Then he crawls up and takes her lips in his. He possessively kisses her. Gauri kisses him as she cups his face. Then she feels his hands hurriedly lifting up her clothes.

**********

"Did I hurt you?" Omkara asks her as he leaned up on his elbow.

Gauri looks at him. Today it had been very different between them. Omkara was always a very giving lover, very mindful of her pleasure. But tonight, it had been different. It was like he wanted to possess her, he had been very demanding. He kept demanding and demanding till she had completely surrendered to him.

"Gauri?" Omkara softly calls her.

"It was different." Gauri says shyly smiling. "I liked it."

Omkara takes her lips in his and kisses her hard.

Omkara pulls her on his chest and hugs her.

"Om..." Gauri softly calls him.

"Hmmm."

"I was worried that you would want to go back to Ridhima." Gauri confesses to him.

Omkara leans up in shock, dislodging her. He turns and cups her face. "Oh Gauri... Gauri... Gauri... my darling." Omkara whispers as he kissed her.

Gauri hugs him as she kissed him back.

**********

Gauri was taking her shower the next morning when Omkara starts knocking on the door. "Gauri... Gauri..."

"Om, I am in the shower." Gauri calls out.

"Open, Gauri... it's important." Omkara says as he anxiously bit his nails.

Gauri opens the door, dripping wet. "What happened?" Gauri asks as she grabbed the towel and wrapped it around her.

Omkara stares at her glorious wet naked form as she wrapped the towel on her body.

"Om?"

"Haan?" He looks at her lost.

"You said it was important." Gauri reminds him with a frown. "What is it?"

"Yeaaah." He looks at her face then his gaze drops down.

"God, Om!" Gauri says exasperated. "This is not anything you haven't seen before. Let me remind you that you have been seeing this almost daily, multiple times."

"Not like this." Omkara tells her.

"Focus! You said it is important!"

"Ah!" Omkara finally remembers. "I didn't use condom last night."

"That is your important thing?" Gauri asks shocked.

"Yeah, we made love twice." Omkara reminds her.

"That is okay."

"But you said you didn't want babies soon."

"I'll get the pills." Gauri tells him brushing it off.

"Don't forget. It has some time limit."

"I won't." Gauri tells him. "Anything else?"

Omkara hungrily looks at her. "Have you gotten over your OCD regarding making love in the bathroom?"

"No bathroom floor." Gauri tells him.

"No." Omkara promises as he quickly pulled off his shirt.

**********

"How is Ridhima?" Gauri asks as they got dressed.

"She is getting better." Omkara tells her.

"I didn't tell your parents that Ridhima doesn't know we are married. If they realize that they will inform her immediately." Gauri tells him.

"She will have to find out one day." Omkara tells her.

"Does she still believe that you love her?" Gauri asks him.

Omkara shakes his head. "I didn't speak to her about all that. She was talking about her brother. We actually didn't speak much. She was resting most of the time."

"Okay, you go down. She might be awake."

**********

Omkara knocks on Ridhima's bedroom.

"It's open." Ridhima says.

Omkara opens the door and steps in. Ridhima smiles seeing him.

Omkara smiles at her. "Did you sleep well?"

Ridhima nods.

"You have medicines. I'll have someone bring your breakfast."

"We can have our breakfast together." Ridhima hopefully says.

Omkara stops hearing that, if he has his breakfast with her then Gauri will have to eat alone or with his parents, and neither options were acceptable. He gently says, "Sorry, Ridhima. I've to have with my family."

Ridhima nods. "I understand. No problem."

"I'll have to go to office. I'll come early, you've to go to the hospital to see your doctor." Omkara tells her.

"I'll be ready." Ridhima tells him.

He turns to walk off when he notices his parents at the door.

"How long is she going to stay here?" Jhanvi asks him angrily.

"As long as she wants." Omkara replies. "What are you two doing here? I told you both to stay away from her."

"She can't stay in my house." Jhanvi tells him in finality.

"Om, we are telling for your better. She should leave." Tej tells him gently.

Omkara furiously glares at his parents then he turns to Ridhima and tells her. "I've been meaning to tell you this, Ridhima."

"What?" Ridhima asks him.

"My parents blackmailed you, mentally tortured your brother that drove him to drugs and that eventually killed him. If you want to file a case against my parents, I will support you." Omkara tells her.

"Thank you." Ridhima says as she stared at his parents in hatred.

Hearing that, Jhanvi furiously turns around and leaves. Tej follows her.

"You take care. I'll have someone bring your breakfast." Omkara tells her and leaves.

**********

"Give Ridhima her breakfast in her room. Make sure she gets her food at the correct time. Ask her what she wants and make it for her." Omkara tells the maid.

"Gauri Madam already told me, sir." She informs him.

"Okay. Set our breakfast too. I'll get Gauri."

"But she asked to give her meals in her room."

Omkara frowns hearing that, realizing that Gauri was hiding in their bedroom so that she doesn't run into Ridhima. "I'll call her. We'll have it in the dining room."

"Gauri, let's have breakfast. Come down." Omkara tells her as he stood by the bedroom door.

"Om, I'll have it in the room. What if Ridhima sees me?"

"She is in her room, Gauri."

"Still what if?" Gauri asks in concern.

"Gauri, I brought Ridhima here, so she could recuperate. I am taking care of her. That doesn't mean that you should hide in our bedroom or adjust. This is your home, come, lets go down for breakfast." Omkara tells her.

**********

Omkara and Gauri walk into the dining room and finds his parents already seated. Ignoring them, Omkara pulls the chair for Gauri and she starts to sit.

"Omkara?" Ridhima softly calls him.

Omkara and Gauri looks up in shock and sees Ridhima staring at them.

"Come, join us for breakfast, Ridhima." Jhanvi says with a smug smile.

Omkara looks at his mother realizing she had somehow figured out that Ridhima wasn't aware of his marital status.

"Isn't this, Gauri?" Ridhima asks him in shock. "The one your parents wanted to marry?"

"Yes." Omkara replies gently.

"What is she doing here?" Ridhima asks him, worriedly as she looked at him and Gauri.

"Gauri is my wife." Omkara tells her.

"You got married?" Ridhima asks in shock, her eyes filling up.

"We have been married for 10 months now." Omkara tells her as he walked towards her. "I wasn't trying to hide it from you. I thought I will tell you once you got better."

"You married her?" Ridhima asks, her heart breaking. "Why?"

"His parents forced him." Gauri tells her, her heart going out to Ridhima.

Ridhima looks at Omkara and asks him, "Is that true?"

"It is." Omkara agrees. "But Ridhima, you should know, I..."

Jhanvi in between says excitedly. "Come on, Gauri. Don't just say half truths."

Ridhima looks at Jhanvi frowning worriedly.

"We forced him to marry her. But 2 months back, it was him, who demanded that we welcome Gauri into the home with all the rituals. Drove the house staff nuts with decorating his bedroom for their suhaag raat." Jhanvi informs her smugly.

"You are disgusting, Mom." Omkara tells her in disgust.

Ridhima holds Omkara's hand and she says as she cried. "Omkara, they made me lie to you. I will never believe anything they say. If you tell me that she is lying, I'll believe you, Omkara. I swear."

Omkara's heart breaks seeing her tears, his eyes fill up seeing her pain.

"Omkara... tell me, she is lying, right? They might have forced you to marry her, but rest everything is a lie, right?"

Omkara looks at her, and tells her gently. "Every word my mother said is true."

"It's true?" Ridhima asks in shocked whisper.

"I wholeheartedly accepted Gauri as my wife." Omkara tells her.

Hearing that Ridhima turns and walks off.

"Ridhima..." Omkara starts to follow her.

Ridhima turns to him, as she puts up her hand to stop him. "Please... just... please... don't." She just walks off to her room crying.

"How can you be so heartless?" Gauri furiously asks Jhanvi.

"I'm doing what you should be doing." Jhanvi tells her. "Putting the other woman in your husband's life in her place!"

"Is that what you think of your son?" Gauri asks her outraged.

Omkara furiously holds his mother's hand and pulls her up. "If you speak to Ridhima ever again, I swear I will slap you."

Jhanvi smirks hearing that. "We all know you are just words, Omkara."

Omkara stares into his mother's eyes and vows. "I swear on Gauri, I'll slap you. Now do you think I am just words?"

Jhanvi turns white hearing that.

Letting go off his mother, he walks off.

**********

"I just don't want to stay at home, Gauri. I just want to get out of here." Omkara tells Gauri as he paced the room frustrated.

"Om..." Gauri gently holds his hands.

"How can she be so cruel?" Omkara asks her angrily. "Doesn't she feel any guilt for what she did?"

"Why don't you go out? Go to office." Gauri tells him.

"I don't think I can work in this mind frame." Omkara tells her.

"Then why don't you go and fight with my mother for sometime."

Omkara smiles hearing that. "You told them?"

"Yeah, I did. Today morning."

"What are they saying?"

"They were shocked with what your parents did. They were worried about how it would affect our marriage. I tried reassuring them, but I think they are a little concerned since Ridhima is staying here." Gauri tells him.

"I'll handle your parents. I know how to ease your mother and drive her up the wall." Omkara tells her grinning.

Gauri smiles hearing that.

"But I don't want to leave your here alone. You come with me." Omkara tells her worriedly.

"One of us should be here, Om. Your parents can't be trusted." Gauri gently tells him.

Omkara sighs, "I know."

"You go, I'll be fine."

**********

Gauri goes to Ridhima's bedroom and sees her lying on the bed crying.

"Ridhima..." Gauri gently calls her.

Seeing Gauri, she says, "Just go away."

"I'll." Gauri tells her. "You haven't had food. You need take your medicines. Please eat."

"You don't have to act as if you are concerned about me." Ridhima tells her.

"I'm not acting. I do care for you." Gauri tells her as she kept the food on the side table.

"Why?" Ridhima asks her as she looked at Gauri.

"Because Om cares for you. Because you care for Om."

Ridhima's eyes fill up hearing that. "Please just leave me alone." Ridhima tells her then seeing Gauri gesturing to the food, she says, "I'll eat. I'll get well soon and I'll leave. Please just go."

**********

"Gauri, I am on my way." Omkara tells her. "How is everything there?"

"Silent." Gauri tells him. "Ridhima was crying."

Omkara sighs. "Gauri, I don't want to hurt her but I can't be the man that she wants me to be."

"You should talk to her, Om." Gauri tells him.

"Yeah, I will. I don't want to do this when she is physically and mentally weak." Omkara tells her guiltily.

"I understand, Om."

"I think I will just wait a few days and talk to her."

"Okay." Gauri replies.

"Did you get the pills?" Omkara asks her.

"No... I'll go to the pharmacy."

"What?" Omkara shouts in outrage. "Are you going to just get any over the counter medicine?"

"Hmmm."

"God, Gauri!"

"Okay, I'll call my gynec and get the medicine."

"Do one thing, any way I am going to the hospital. You call and get the prescription ready, I will get the pill." Omkara tells her.

"Okay."

**********

Omkara and Ridhima sat side by side as they waited for the doctor in the VIP room. They hadn't said anything to each other since he picked her up from home.

"Ridhima..."

"I just don't want to speak, Omkara." Ridhima whispers to him. "I would really appreciate it if you would just give me some space."

Omkara nods understanding. They remained silent both lost in thoughts. Both suffocating in the silence. Finally, the doctor calls them and after the consultation, they were coming out of the doctor's room to see a nurse waiting for them.

"Excuse me, are your Omkara Singh Oberoi?" she asks Omkara.

"Yes."

"Dr. Ashwini Gupta gave Gauri Singh Oberoi's prescription."

"Thank you." Omkara takes it from her.

"I need to get these." Omkara tells Ridhima as he waved the prescription.

"Is Gauri sick?" Ridhima asks in concern.

Seeing her concern, Omkara smiles. "No, she is not."

"Then the medicine?"

"Er..." Omkara looks at the prescription then at Ridhima. "It's personal, Ridhima."

Ridhima nods. "Sorry."

"No worries." Omkara smiles at her as he headed to get the medicine.

After getting the pills, they were walking out when Ridhima notices the list of doctors and she curiously looks for Ashwini Gupta.

"Is Gauri pregnant?" Ridhima asks in shock.

"No." Omkara replies shocked as he turned to her then noticing her staring at the doctor's list, he says. "We are not planning a baby."

Ridhima looks at Omkara, her eyes filling, she walks off.

Omkara follows her to his car.

"It's close to three years since you left me, Ridhima." Omkara gently reminds her.

"I know. I know I shouldn't have kept any expectations but I really believed..." Ridhima looks at him, as her eyes filled up.

"I'm sorry I caused you pain." Omkara tells her. "But right now, other than friendship I can't offer you anything."

Ridhima gets in the car, her heart breaking hearing that. She wanted to scream out loud. Omkara was hers. She had loved him. He had loved her. They were supposed to be together.

Ridhima looks down the car seat, between Omkara and her, she sees the medicine cover. On the medicine cover it was written Gauri Omkara Singh Oberoi. Why was she always in between them?

If she hadn't come in between them before then they would have been together now. She looks at Omkara and sees him looking out the window. Only if she had fought to keep Gauri out of their life before.

Heart slamming against her chest, Ridhima grips her hands together, maybe she can still do it. She can tell Omkara that Gauri was in on the plan with his parents from the beginning.

**********

They were walking into the mansion.

"Omkara, I want to tell you something." Ridhima tells him.

"Yeah?" Omkara turns to her.

"I don't know how you will take this.... There is something I didn't tell you..." Ridhima nervously starts, her heart filling with guilt and shame for the lie she was about to utter.

"What did the doctor say?" Gauri asks as she walked to them.

Omkara turns to Gauri and smiles at her. Ridhima stops seeing that.

"Everything is fine. He asked her to stop the medicines except for the vitamins." Omkara informs her.

"That is nice." Gauri tells them smiling then noticing Ridhima looking at her, Gauri says, "I was going to the garden."

Omkara nods and watches Gauri walk off. Then he turns to Ridhima, "You were saying?"

"I'm staying in your house and I shouldn't be saying this." Ridhima tells him as she avoided looking at his face.

"You can say whatever you want, Ridhima." Omkara gently tells her.

"I just need some time to accept everything. If you could just leave me alone for sometime..."

"I understand." Omkara tells her.

"I will look for another place...."

"No need for that. You can stay here and be how ever you want." Omkara tells her reassuringly.

Ridhima nods and walks off to her room. She locks her room. After that, she didn't come out of her room for the next few days, she only spoke to the maid who was there to take care of her. She cut off from the rest of the house.

**********

Few days later, Ridhima finally comes out of her bedroom. She looks around and sees that no one was around. She aimlessly walks around, finally finding herself in the garden. She sees Gauri walking in the garden, taking care of the flowers. It took her a few seconds to realize that Gauri was speaking to the flowers. Seeing her, Gauri smiles at her happily, Ridhima politely smiles and looks away. She walks to the bench and sits down as she watched Gauri.

"You are in my seat." Omkara says.

Ridhima looks up and sees him sweetly smiling at her. Seeing him, smiling, she smiles back.

Omkara sits next to her. "I am so glad to see you out of your room. Gauri and I have been really worried about you." Omkara tells her.

Ridhima replies regretfully. "Sorry, I've been the worst house guest in the history of house guests."

Omkara laughs hearing that. Hearing his, laughter Gauri looks at him smiling, he smiles seeing Gauri smiling.

"You know, your face lights up when you look at her." Ridhima tells him.

Omkara looks at Ridhima and smiles. They both turn to look at Gauri.

"She always speaks to the plants?" Ridhima asks curiously.

"Yeah..." Omkara replies smiling. "They are her best friends." Then cheekily adds, "After me , of course."

Ridhima chuckles. "And you sit here?" Ridhima asks him as she looked at him.

Omkara looks at her and nods, his gaze turning to Gauri. "I like watching her when she is with her flowers."

"She is a nice person." Ridhima tells him

"She is." Omkara replies smiling.

"I have heard the way your mother screaming at her regarding me."

Omkara sighs tired.

"Gauri gives it back to her too at times."

"I know." Omkara smiles proudly.

"I find it so satisfying to see the one person your mother fought so much for, puts her in her place." Ridhima tells him.

Omkara softly laughs hearing that. "Gauri knows when to answer back and when to ignore. I don't."

"When I found out that you married her, and she was getting all your love, I hated her. I wanted to lie to you that she was a part of the plan with your parents." Ridhima confesses to him.

Omkara turns to look at her in shock.

"Then I saw the way how you smiled when you see her. And I couldn't break your heart again." Ridhima tells him.

Omkara looks away as he said softly. "I don't think my heart would have been broken. Maybe I would have been hurt."

Ridhima looks at him in shock hearing that.

"After you left, I used to think of our time together. There were moments when I felt that you genuinely loved me. Now, those memories feel like from another life time, another life. I don't relive them. I don't think of them. But those memories are there. It were good memories. And your lie would have tainted it all. Ruined it all, ruined everything I felt for you, the care I feel for you now. Thank you, you didn't lie, Ridhima." Omkara tells her as he looked at her.

Riddhima realizes that he wasn't speaking of heart break regarding Gauri, it was regarding her. "You wouldn't have believed me."

"Not in a thousand births. I know my Gauri." Omkara tells her, then turning to her he says. "When you came back, I wasn't sure whether I should come to the hospital. It was Gauri who told me to go. It was Gauri who told me that I could do whatever I wanted to help you."

Ridhima nods feeling more guilty.

"When I told the truth why you left, she fought with my parents for you. She stood up for you." Omkara tells her. "I know Gauri loves me and she would never leave me, but when I saw her do that, I suddenly got this fear that, she would ask me to be with you. You lost your brother, you were all alone, all because you loved me, and I started fearing that Gauri would tell me to do the right thing, and be with you. So I avoided her." Then adding with a small chuckle, he says, "I started hiding from her."

"It didn't occur to me till she told me that she was worried that I would choose to be with you." Omkara tells her as he humorlessly chuckled. "We know we can't live without each other but we get worried about things that could be solved in one simple conversation. We can be really immature."

Ridhima nods hearing that, gulping her pain.

"And I told her, why I was hiding from her and she had replied, Om, you are not a toy that I would pass on like a gift. What matters most to me is what your heart wants." Omkara looks at Gauri and says with a shrug. "My heart always wanted her."

"I was jealous. I felt she stole you from me." Ridhima tells him as she looked down.

"She didn't." Omkara shakes his head. "Ridhima, I never asked you why you never came to me when my parents were blackmailing you. Why you didn't place your trust in me, why you would choose to abandon me instead of fighting for us? It was a choice that you made. I don't understand why you made that, I might never understand. But it was your choice. In my life, everyone told me what I should do, it was only Gauri who always put my choice above everything else. She would die before she would hurt me in any way."

Omkara looks at her and says, "You know, Gauri and I grew up together. We were best friends. You know how my mother is, and how my father doesn't speak a word against my mother. My life was not a happy one. I was more close to Gauri and her parents than my own family. Then Gauri went away to college. She got busy with her new friends, life and all. I felt lonely and abandoned. I was so depressed that I didn't realize that Gauri didn't abandoned me, she was just not available to me 24x7, she called me but not as frequently as I wanted, so I felt she had abandoned me. She was busy with her new friends. I was lonely, that was when you had proposed me." Looking into her eyes, Omkara tells her, "If I knew Gauri loved me, I would have never said yes to you."

Ridhima looks away hearing that.

"Then slowly I fell in love with you." Omkara earnestly tells her. "I did love you truly."

"Never as much as you love Gauri." Ridhima add on.

Omkara nods. "I have loved Gauri all my life. As my friend, as my companion, as the girl next door, as my dream girl, as my best friend, as my wife... I loved Gauri always, just that in different phases of life, it took different forms."

"You just know that I was forced to marry her. The truth is I was a horrible husband to her, the worst, but she understood me and stayed by my side. I knew she loved me with all her heart, but still I was scared to admit to her that I loved her because I was scared that she would also leave me like everyone else. I wanted to protect my heart, but I had forgot that my heart had always been the safest with her. She almost left me and that is when I was able to left go of my fears." Omkara tells her.

"I'm happy for you, Omkara, that you are happy in life." Ridhima tells him honestly.

They were silent for a few minutes.

"I'm sorry if I caused discomfort for you and Gauri by staying in your house. I had no where else to go. No one else." Ridhima tells him.

Omkara turns to her and says, "Living in this house with my parents, it suffocates me. Not with you."

"Then why are you staying here?" Ridhima asks him shocked.

"It was Gauri's biggest dream to live in this house with my family as my wife." Omkara tells her. "I can't snatch Gauri's dreams from her. So, Ridhima, you can stay here as long as you want. Gauri and I will never ask you to leave. If staying here gives you joy then you should stay here, we will be happy to have you here. If it doesn't, we won't stop you. It is your choice. We'll always be there for you. We'll always be friends." Omkara promises her.

Ridhima nods.

Omkara smiles at her then he gets up and walks to join his wife.

Ridhima watched as Gauri smiles when Omkara joined her. They were speaking to each other with a smile. Just then a red rose falls down from the plant, Gauri picks it and gives it Omkara. He tucks it in her hair.

Ridhima sighs as she stood up, realizing that she should leave, her heart needs to heal and for that she needs to be away from Omkara.

**********

Gauri and Omkara were walking back inside when Ridhima meets them in the living room with her luggage.

"You are leaving?" Omkara asks her shocked.

"Yes, I shouldn't be staying here." Ridhima tells them as she lovingly smiled at Omkara.

Gauri steps forward, and offers her a yellow rose. "My plant gave this. I thought to give you."

Ridhima looks at the rose that Omkara had stuck on her hair, and smiles at Gauri. She takes the rose Gauri offered from her. "Thank you."

"Ridhima, I know it hurts you to see me. But I just wanted to tell you, you will always be dear to us. We both fell in love with the same man, that doesn't mean we should hate each other. We can be friends too." Gauri gently tells her.

Ridhima smiles hearing that. "I would love that."

Gauri steps forward and hugs her. Ridhima hugs her back.

Ridhima picks up her bag and walks to Omkara then leaning up, she kisses his cheek. "I don't think I can ever be friends with you, Omkara. Not now any way. Maybe later."

Omkara nods.

Then Ridhima just walks out.

Gauri walks to Omkara and keeps her hand on his arms. "Let's go pack."

"Greece?" Omkara asks confused.

Gauri shakes her head. "We are going home."

"Home?" Omkara asks her shocked. "But you like it here..."

"You are not happy here, Om. Where you are happy that is my home. All these days, because Ridhima was here I didn't say anything. I didn't think it was fair to her to ask her to move to a house with just the two of us. She would have been miserable. Now, it is time we should go home." Gauri tells him.

Omkara's eyes fill up. "How do you always know what I need?"

"Because I live in your heart, Om." Gauri reminds him.

Omkara chuckles hearing that.

Much later, Jhanvi watched the girl she had so valiantly fought for, walk off with her only son, leaving them behind forever.

**********

It was the afternoon before their first wedding anniversary. Gauri was in her parents place as Omkara was out of town. Even though now they had full time security, maid and CCTV camera, Omkara never let Gauri stay alone when he wasn't in town.

Omkara had told Gauri that he wanted to fulfill one promise that his parents made to her parents and that was a grand wedding reception. So, he had planned to have their wedding reception on their anniversary. So, all of her relatives were now camping at her place to attend the wedding reception.

Gauri realized that this was what Omkara had been sneaking around with her mother. Oh, she had figured it out last month itself, when Omkara would be huddled with her mother in a corner and her father trying his hardest to distract her.

"You know what?" Gauri says on the phone to Omkara as she got dressed.

"What?"

"I am putting mehendi today right, for tomorrow's photoshoot?" Gauri asks him. It was Omkara's idea that on their wedding anniversary, they dress up like bride and groom and take couple of wedding photo at the beach, so they could put it up in their bedroom. "When my cousin sister, Bhavya heard that, she was like I should put haldi too. She is saying I will glow. Then everyone just jumped on it, and Mom is trying to arrange it."

"That is nice. But make sure they don't come and ruin our photoshoot. Nobody should come, Gauri. Just you and me." Omkara tells her.

"Yes, how many times will you tell me that? Mom was even grumbling about not having a wedding family photo. I told her we can take it at the reception."

"Good. I'll reach in the morning. I'll meet you at the beach."

"I'll be busy in the morning because the beautician will be coming. So, I'll see you there." Gauri tells him.

"Your mom insisted that you wear a different dress for photoshoot from the reception. She was boasting she will arrange a dress for you. Did she do it?"

"Yeah, I am so excited about the dress. I'll tell you later why." Gauri tells him excitedly.

"Okay." Omkara smiles. "I've to go, darling."

"Okay. Bye. See you tomorrow."

**********

Seeing the decorations in the beach and the cars parked, Gauri's heart starts beating fast in anticipation. She stares at it in shock when she sees Omkara step out near her car. She gasps seeing him wear the exact same sherwani that she had put in her scrap book. And she was wearing the same dress that was in her scrap book.

She had assumed that her mother had come up with the idea to get the dress from the scrap book. But now she knew.... Her eyes fill up as she stepped out happily.

Omkara smiles at her as he held her hand.

"You look so beautiful." Omkara tells her, his eyes with tears and joy.

"Since how long have you been planning this?" Gauri asks him as she sniffed her happy tears.

"Four months. Your mother is the worst party planning partner." Omkara grumbles.

Gauri chuckles.

Hearing the music, Omkara tells her, "Let's go."

"Om..." Gauri holds his hand. "You didn't have to do all these. It was just a silly childhood dream."

"It's not." Omkara tells her. "That song was there in your scrap book."

Gauri listens and hear Kudmayi from Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani.

"That song came out after our marriage. And you made that change in your scrap book while we were freaking planning this wedding."

Gauri blushes hearing that. "I thought you two were planning the reception, and if you used the book for reference, then..."

Omkara laughs hearing that. Gauri also laughs.

"Let's get married." Omkara tells her.

"You go, wait at the mandap." Nayantara tells Omkara.

"Where is Mamu?" Omkara asks as he looked around.

"I'm here. You go." Gauri's uncle says.

Omkara looks at Gauri happily. "Love you."

"I know. Now you go... I want to get married!" Gauri tells him.

Laughing Omkara hurries off. "Oh and wedding reception is tomorrow. Tonight is suhaag raat 2.0!" Omkara calls out.

Gauri turns completely pink hearing that making her parents and her uncle shake their head with a chuckle. Just as Omkara left, her relatives came to take her to the mandap.

Gauri's uncle moves forward and takes her hand in his, then he starts slipping in her chooda. Gauri's eyes fill up seeing that.

He kisses her lovingly. Gauri happily smiles at him. She looks at Nayantara and Harsh, and smiles at her. "Thank you, mamu, Mom, Dad. Thank you, all of you."

"This was our dream too, Gauri." Harsh tells her as he kissed her.

"But not this kind of stupid ideas." Nayantara grumbles.

"What?" Gauri asks grinning.

"Beach, Gauri? Sushi as finger food?" Nayantara asks horrified.

Gauri blushes hearing that.

"And this color doesn't suit me." Nayantara points at her saree.

"Yeah." Gauri agrees nodding.

"Your husband threatened me that if I wear anything else, he will throw me in the water." Nayantara grumbles as she led Gauri with her husband and their relatives to the mandap.

Gauri smiles seeing Omkara smiling at her as he waited for her. She looks around to see the numerous people, her relatives, her friends, his relatives, his friends, their coworkers, everybody was there. Seeing Ridhima, Gauri waves at her. Ridhima waves back with a smile.

Thank you. Gauri mouths to her.

Anything for you. She mouths back.

Gauri gets on the mandap and sits next to Omkara. They happily smiles as the pandit started the wedding.

Omkara had just tied the mangalsutra when the wind picked up, and sand started flying.

"Told you!" Nayantara says loudly.

Omkara and Gauri starts laughing, Omkara turned and held Gauri against his chest to shield her eyes from sand. Holding her to his chest, Omkara takes the sindoor and puts it on her maang.

**********

7 years later

Omkara opens the door and victoriously sighs. Gauri who was lying on the bed looks up at him. "Slept?"

"Yeah! Told you I can do it." Omkara says as he took in her wear her white flowy nightgown, that he loved so much. He could make out she wasn't wearing anything underneath. God, it's been too long!

He was about to close the door when it was pushed open and he fell back. He sees his twin 3 year old sons running inside and running to Gauri.

Gauri chuckles as she gave Omkara a look.

"You both had slept." Omkara says in shock.

"We just acted as we slept so you would stop reading the story and leave." Josh declares as he got on the end next to Gauri.

Sammy jumps over Gauri and lies next to her. Both hugging her.

Sighing loudly Omkara closes the door. He watches his sons as they started animatedly speaking to Gauri.

Gauri was their favorite. They never left her side when she was home. It was not that he was not their favorite. When they had decided to have a baby, he had decided that he will be a stay at home Dad.

Gauri went back to work shortly after her delivery while he worked from home. He had nanny and maid, but he was the one who had taken care of the babies. He only went to office if it was absolutely necessary, something that drove his mother to a rage. He and Gauri had as usual ignored her. Ridhima had decided not to file a case, and Gauri and he never spoke to his parents unless it was professional.

When he went to office, then Gauri would stay home that day, so one of them was with the kids. The kids adored him, and wanted him around with them always, but when Gauri was there, they discarded him like an used tissue.

While Gauri was in her last trimester, he and Gauri had moved into her parent's place. That time, he had converted one bedroom to kids room, one to his study.

But the kids refused to sleep in their room, and now, Gauri and he has to run around the house to find a little privacy. Earlier, it was Gauri's fantasy to do it against the wall. Now, that is all they did. Finding quiet corners in the house.

Their fantasy now was doing the good old boring missionary pose on their bed. The kids never slept on their bed. The kid's bed was too small for Gauri and him. And it was the living room couch, which was pretty open considering the kids and servants in the house. Now, the kids were starting school, and Gauri had finally agreed the year before to move back to the city. She had loved this place too much to let it go. But now that kids were starting school, they realized that they should move to city to avoid travel for kids. He bought a penthouse and the work has been going on for a while. It would be ready in a month.

Omkara gets on the bed as Gauri cheekily grins at him. Oh they were so very ready for some boring unadventurous sex tonight.

"Daddy..." Sammy lovingly calls him as he turned to look at Omkara.

"Yes, my Sammy." Omkara lovingly smiles at him.

Sammy, very sweetly asks him, "There is no place here, can you go sleep on the living room couch, please?"

Omkara murderously glares at him. "If there is no place then go sleep in your room."

Sammy glares at him as he turned around, his foot kicking Omkara's shin.

Omkara could have sworn on his life that Sammy purposely kicked him.

And it took all he had to not kick his son back.

Slowly, the room quietened down, and the kids slept off. Omkara looks at Gauri and she looks at him. They both get up and walk to the single seater in the corner. Omkara sits down and Gauri sits on his lap.

"They are driving you crazy, right?" Gauri asks him as she lovingly kept her hand on his cheek.

"Gauri, I won't lie, sometimes I wish I can lock them up in the bathroom for a full day." Omkara tells her. "But they are our devils."

Gauri smiles hearing that. "They are."

Hearing the mobile, Omkara picks up the phone and sees a message from Ridhima.

I am pregnant!

"Why is she sending me message like this in the middle of the night? What will people think if they see it?" Omkara asks shocked.

"Oh my God!" Gauri gushes in excitement reading that. Then turning to her husband, she tells him, "First of all, it is daytime where she is. And secondly, it is my phone."

She takes the phone and excitedly messages her.

Congratulations babe! I am so happy for you. What is Arjun saying?

Immediately Ridhima replies. Didn't sleep?

Was putting the little boys to sleep. Now to put the big boy.

Omkara rolls his eyes.

Hahaha... Arjun is very happy. He is so damn sure it is a girl.

Awww... what about you?

I don't know... I am excited whether it is a boy or girl. Gotta go... doctor is calling us.

Okay... bye.

"See even they are having a girl." Omkara points out.

Gauri gives him a look. "Arjun thinks they will have a girl."

"Even I want a girl." Omkara makes puppy face.

"Omkara, we at least have some corners of the house, do you want to lose that too?" Gauri asks exasperated.

"Oh God, no." Omkara replies shocked.

Grinning, Gauri wraps her hand around his neck and takes his lips in hers. Omkara kisses her, as his hand went up, and gently started rubbing her nipples.

Gauri moans softly feeling turned on.

Hearing that, Omkara holds her hand and stands up. "Let' go find some quiet corner."

*** The End ***

Did this story feel like a long epilogue? When I planned it, it didn't feel so, but while writing, I felt like that.

Hope you guys enjoyed this story.

P.S: Should I start posting the new stories in a new thread called Rikara Story Collection 2, as this might take time to load for some?

Please vote and comment

- Lazy