Gauri didn't get a chance to dwell on what she heard, when she returned home. There was another storm waiting for them.
Soumya approached her just as she was about to enter her room.
"Gauri bhaabhi, could you please come to my room in a few minutes. Its something important" said Soumya.
Gauri nodded, curious what it could be about. The wedding?
When she entered the room five minutes later she saw, Jahnvi Maaji, Tej Uncleji and Omkaraji, in addition to Rudy bhaiyaa, waiting for her. By the look on Omkaraji's face, he had just arrived, and looked as puzzled as her.
"There is something that I, and Soumya wanted to....discuss with you. I didn't ask Prinku to be here as well, because it might make her nervous unnecessarily, and I didn't feel like involving Shivaay bhaiyaa and Annika bhaabhi...yet, I wanted to discuss it with immediate family first" said Rudra hesitatingly.
"But then Rudy bhaiyaa, why did you ask me....I mean, shouldn't it be between you and your parents, and brother?" said Gauri puzzled, and unwilling to be part of this.
Rudra opened his mouth to reply, but Soumya intervened, "Gauri bhaabhi you are already involved in this, just....just wait, you will find out."
Rudra looked at Soumya questioningly.
Soumya shook her head. She knew what Rudra was about to tell Gauri bhaabhi, that of course, she should be here, because she was, undeniably, connected to Omkara bhaiyaa. But Soumya knew that Gauri bhaabhi would not like to hear that. So, she cut off Rudra to make up some other excuse.
"What happened Rudra, Soumya?" asked Jahnvi, concerned.
"Mom, Dad, just....just sit down, and listen to me...and, please don't say anything till I finish" said Rudra.
Tej gave a shrewd look to Jahnvi knowing that something is up.
"You....you both....Soumya isn't pregnant or something, is it?" asked Tej.
Rudra and Soumya looked stunned, and both gasped,"No!".
Omkara rolled his eyes at his father's comment, while Gauri who looked horrified for a moment, and then ended up laughing.
"I'm sorry, its just Rudy bhaiyaa's expression, that just cracked me up. I'm sure we can trust Ruy bhaiyaa and Soumya. Anyways, I get the feeling that this something else, they suspect that we might take it badly, negatively" said Gauri, looking at them thoughtfully.
Rudra looked guilty, and immediately started off, not giving his father a chance to come up with more bizarre theories.
He explained about Soumya's adoption, how she found out about it recently, and how she was connected to the Kapoors, Tia, and unfortunately Svetlana.
A stunned silence greeted him. He had expected that.
"Listen, Mom, Dad, O, whatever you are thinking right now, just to let you know, that no one blames Soumya in all this, and if someone does, then I won't like it" said Rudra, trying to sound fierce in front of his family.
Tej raised an eyebrow at his son, but Jahnvi smiled slightly. "I'm glad my son is taking his future responsibilities as a partner seriously."
"Firstly, Rudra, you idiot, why would we blame Soumya in this? She didn't choose her parents, or to be adopted. All these things just happened to her. And she has every right to know her adopted family. Secondly, if Shivaay and Annika have no problem with Tia, after all the plotting against them, then I don't care either. In any case, if you can make up with Lady Baba, I never had that much of an issue with her. Looks like the Universe plotted that she will be your sister-in-law, by hook or by crook" Om snorted.
Rudra scowled but laughed at the comment, while Soumya visibly relaxed taking in Om's reaction.
"Yes, but what about Svetlana?" said Tej, slowly. "Though of course, in this case I don't have any right to say anything" he sighed sadly.
Om's expression changed dramatically at his father mentioning Svetlana. He glowered at his father, but kept his silence.
"I was....thinking.....that, now don't be angry, but Svetlana plotted against the family all her life, because of whatever idea of revenge her mother planted in her. So, if we can let Mrs. Kapoor go, if we can let Tia go...then why not..." said Rudra, but this time Omkara cut him off.
"No. No, Rudra this matter is not up for discussion. Don't you remember she tried to kill our mother? She failed her brakes, tried to murder our mother and make it look like a car accident. I feel safer knowing that she is in jail" said Omkara. "Sorry, Soumya, I can't."
Soumya looked disheartened. Rudra felt bad for her, so he turned to Gauri next.
"What do you think, Gauri bhaabhi? You managed to send Svetlana to prison, so you have the right to know everything about her. What do you feel about this?" asked Rudra.
"I....Rudy bhaiyaa, its your family matter. I just helped putting away Sultana in prison, because otherwise she was going to blackmail your family, and try, and get hitched to Omkaraji, or you. But beyond that, she is nothing to me, just someone who tried to harm Jahnvi Maaji, who I respect and care about immensely" said Gauri.
Jahnvi was heartened to hear that, and gave a sharp look to Tej, remembering their argument from earlier in the day.
"Rudy beta, we, your father and me need to discuss this in private. And maybe Om also needs some more time to think about this" said Jahnvi, looking at her son, with a request to rethink his stance on this.
Om looked at his mother, who wanted him to reconsider, and then at Soumya, who looked hurt that he outrightly rejected the idea of pardoning Svetlana, and then at his younger brother who looked defiant in favor of love, and rightly so.
"I need to think as well" he conceded, nodding at his mother.
He turned to leave, and surprisingly, took Gauri's hand and left the room.
Jahnvi gave a smug look to Tej, which clearly said, 'What did I say?' Tej frowned at that.
"Rudra, Soumya, you trusted us with this truth when you could have hid it, I'm glad you chose honesty. Now just let me mull over this, it is....too much to take in one go" said Jahnvi, sensibly.
Rudra nodded, and Soumya managed a smile.
Jahnvi patted their heads, and gestured Tej to follow her to their room.
"About the best we can hope for" said Rudra, looking at Soumya, and she nodded in response.
**************************
"Omkaraji, what are they going to think?" said Gauri, as soon as they reached his room, and she extricated her hand from his.
Omkara shut his door.
"I don't care. First, let me apologize" said Omkara, turning to face Gauri.
"Apologize?" said Gauri confused. For what? This was something she definitely did not expect.
"You remember, you had asked me once, when we were living at my, our, Nanaji's place? That what could be Svetlana's motive for doing all this, and I had rudely dismissed your questions saying that she was doing it for money and power? Well, you were right, as you always are, and I am sorry for snapping at you that day" said Omkara.
Gauri was surprised, because she had almost forgotten about this. So much had happened since then, so much time had passed.
"Its okay Omkaraji, I didn't even remember it" said Gauri. She looked at Omkaraji's grave expression and asked, "Is there something more you want to say?"
"What did you mean when you said you helped us with Svetlana, because you care for my mother? It was only about my mother, then?" asked Omkaraji, looking slightly hurt.
"No, of course not, Omkaraji. But you don't like me mentioning how much I owe you for saving my life in Bareilly, so I didn't say anything there" said Gauri simply.
Of course, she owed him. Gratitude. But he couldn't fault Gauri for feeling only gratitude that time, towards him.
"What do you think about all this?" asked Omkara, coming to the main issue.
"Well, I agree with you, Soumya is not at fault for all this" said Gauri.
"No, not about that, I mean, about...you know, what Rudra said" said Omkara, looking thoughtful.
"Umm, will you sit down Omkaraji?" said Gauri.
Omkara looked at Gauri suspiciously but complied with her request, and sat down on his work stool. Now he was down to Gauri's height, maybe a little below her level.
Gauri looked at him searchingly trying to gauge his thoughts, before she started, carefully weighing her words.
"Omkaraji, since I am a woman, maybe I can understand Sultana's position in all this better. Just....just listen to me" said Gauri, when it looked like Omkara might interrupt. He shrugged and gestured her to continue.
"Omkaraji, from a young age Sultana shouldered the responsibilities of her family, her mother, her younger sister. She must have had to work double to provide for Tia. Once, Tia grew up, she dedicated her life to this....revenge. But she also gave up so much. Agreed, she is a malicious woman, but there are circumstances that made her so. And she is not alone in whatever happened, I hate to say it, but Tej Uncleji is equally liable. He is a clever businessman, so one can't pin blame on Sultana for cuckolding him. And if he is free and thriving, then why should Sultana alone suffer the consequences?" said Gauri.
"I never forgave Mr.Oberoi, Gauri, you know that. And I will never forgive him. If he is thriving, then that is because of my mother. She is, as always, besotted with him" said Omkara, with a defeated expression on his face.
"And if your mother forgives Sultana, and is fine with her release from prison?" asked Gauri
"Then more fool she. But I won't oppose her. Svetlana is her culprit more than anyone else's, so if she is fine with Svetlana roaming around freely, then who am I to stop her? But won't it be stupid, to let our enemy go, so that she can hurt us again?" asked Omkara.
"That won't happen, we'll figure some way out of it" said Gauri.
"But Gauri, Svetlana hates you, you put her behind bars, she will try to hurt you if she comes out" said Omkara, looking worried.
"No, I don't think she would, I mean, I can find some way out" said Gauri, thoughtfully.
Omkara knew that expression very well. Some madcap scheme was forming in that way.
He took hold of Gauri's hand and pulled her close to him.
"You, Gauri Kumari Sharma, are not going to do anything stupid, or endanger your life, or take some mad risk, to resolve this problem. Promise me, now" said Omkara seriously.
"No, no this time, I have nothing strange in my mind, and how can she harm me from prison?" said Gauri.
"Promise me" Omkara repeated.
"Okay, fine" said Gauri. "I won't try anything like you said, though let me just say that I wasn't going to, I was planning to only talk to her."
"Talk to her?" asked Omkara confused.
"Yes, just talk" said Gauri, meditatively. Omkara nodded.
"How was your presentation? Did you get the order?" asked Omkara, casually.
Gauri remembered everything, everything that Tej uncleji said as well.
"Yes, it went well, we did get the order, but on a lower margin than I hoped for. Still it worked out well for us. Anyways, excuse me Omkaraji, I'm tired, I need to sleep now" said Gauri, abruptly, freeing herself from his hold, and leaving the room hurriedly.
What happened to her? What did I say? thought Omkara.