Thank you all for reading, voting and commenting for the previous story:)
"Mom, I just don't want you to come with me!" Rudra says stubbornly.
"But why? Even I want to see my bahu!" his mother argues.
"That is why!" Rudra tells her. "You are already calling her your bahu when I haven't even met her. I don't want you coming there to complicate things."
Rudra tells her in finality.
"You can't go alone to meet her."
"O is coming with me." Rudra tells her.
Dolly turns to look at Om who was half lying half sitting on the couch as he flipped through a magazine.
"Omkara, will you make sure he doesn't do anything stupid there?" Dolly asks him.
"For the love of God, what stupidity will I do?" Rudra asks exasperated.
"Like say no!" Dolly tells him.
"Don't worry, aunty. I'll not let him do anything stupid." Om tells her chuckling then looking up at her he adds, "Unless of course I like the girl and decides to keep her for myself!"
"CHUP! Shubh Shubh bolo." Dolly scolds him.
"Liking a girl and deciding to marry her is shubh shubh boling, aunty." Om tells cheekily making Rudra chuckle behind his mother.
Shakti opens the door with a smile and asks, "Rudra?"
"That is me." Rudra replies smiling.
"Please come in." Shakti says and ushers them in. "So... who is this?" Shakti asks pointing at Om.
"This is Omkara Singh Oberoi, he is my best friend." Rudra tells him and Om smiles at Shakti politely.
Shakti smiles at Om and then asks Rudra, "Your mother didn't come?"
"No... I thought it is better I meet Gauri informally before Mom meets her."
"Oh okay."
As Shakti talked to Rudra and Om a lady walks in. "This is my wife, Pinky. And this is Rudra and that is Omkara, Rudra's friend." Shakti introduces them. "Is Gauri ready?" Shakti asks Pinky.
"Yes, I'll call her." Pinky says and walks back inside.
They hear a girl enter and, Om and Rudra look up to see Gauri walking in with a tray laden with tea and snacks.
"Gauri, that is Rudra and that is Omkara, his friend. Give them the tea." Shakti tells her.
Gauri walks towards Om and Rudra and was about to offer the tea when she trips on her saree and the tray slides down pouring tea on Om. "Oh my God! I am sorry." Gauri says worried as she kept the tray on the table and grabbed the tissue box wiping his shirt.
"Ouch... ouch..." Om gulps as the hot tea burned his skin.
"I am so sorry. I am not used to walking in sarees." Gauri whispers to him.
Om looks at her and sees her almond eyes looking at him in worry. "It's okay, it happens." Om tells her smiling.
"You alright?" Rudra asks him and Om nods in reply.
"Gauri!" Shakti says in a disappointed tone while Pinky started hyperventilating.
"It's fine, uncle. No problem." Om tells Shakti. "I should clean this up." Om tells no one in particular.
"Yes sure, please come with me." Gauri says and Om follows her.
Om was washing off his shirt at the wash basin while Gauri stood behind him watching him. Om turns back after washing and kind of gets surprised seeing the change in her attitude. She looked evil suddenly.
"Did it burn you?" Gauri asks him as she walked towards him.
"It's fine." Om says slightly frowning.
Suddenly Gauri bends down a little acting as if she was about to catch his private and he jumps back in shock slamming against the wall. Now that she had him pressed up against the wall, she quickly moves forward and keeps her hands on either side of him imprisoning him.
"This is just the beginning if you don't say no to this proposal." Gauri tells him in a warning tone.
Om frowns at her in shock; did she think he was Rudra? And did she pour tea on him on purpose? "That was no accident, was it?"
"No! And if you don't say no then every morning I'm going to pour hot tea on you to wake you up." Gauri says in a threatening tone.
Looking at her glaring at him like an angry angel he suddenly had an image of her waking him up with a cup of tea. Oh God!
"Did you get me?" Gauri asks him.
"Why do you want me to say no?" Om asks her.
"Now you want a reason? This isn't enough?" Gauri asks pointing his chest with her eyes.
Om looks at the wash basin and turns on the hot water and then quickly holding her hand keeps it under the running water.
"What are you doing?" Gauri asks as she struggles. "The water is getting hot! It is getting hot, you pig!" Gauri says frantically.
Om leaves her hand and says, "If you hurt me, I am going to hurt you back in equal measure. So, it is not reason enough."
Gauri glares at him.
"So?" Om asks her.
Gauri stomps her feet and sighing says "This is not me! I didn't want to cheat you."
"What is not you?" Om asks confused.
"THIS!" Gauri says as she gestured herself top to bottom and bottom to top, twice.
"I didn't get you." Om says confused.
"God! You are an idiot. I am not this. This saree girl! But my parents want me to be like this and are emotionally blackmailing me into acting as this. This is not me. I am not this saree clad temple going girl. I am a party girl. I like to party. I like getting drunk. I like going out and meeting people. I want to have a love marriage. Not marry someone of my parents' choice but my own." Gauri tells him passionately.
"But you still don't want to upset your parents."
"They are my parents, you mutt!" Gauri tells him as if he had missed an important point.
Om starts smiling, "Hmmm... what if I am a party animal? And I like getting drunk, once in a while?"
Gauri starts frowning at him.
"Do you sleep around?" Om asks her.
"WHAT?" Gauri asks shocked.
"How dare you ask me such a thing, you pervert?"
"A man's gotta ask what he's gotta ask." Om says shrugging.
"I don't know why it is any of your business but no!"
"Good!" Om says smiling.
"So, say no!" Gauri tells him.
Om starts chuckling.
"What is so funny?" Gauri asks frowning.
"I cracked a joke in the morning." Om tells her still chuckling.
"And you are laughing now? Oh God! How dumb are you?" Gauri asks frowning. "And you laugh at your own jokes?" she asks in disgust.
"No, I just realized how true it has become." Om tells her.
"Huh?" Gauri asks shocked.
He suddenly holds her and turns around slamming her onto the wall, "I had joked that if I liked the girl, then I might decide to keep her for myself." Om tells her.
"What?" Gauri asks frowning.
"And guess what? I am going to keep you." Om tells her and slams his mouth on her kissing her passionately.
They were kissing passionately, when Om slowly pulled away and Gauri was looking at him as if in daze.
"Come what may, by hook or crook you are going to be mine." Om tells her.
Suddenly realization dawns and Gauri slaps him, "You PIG! How dare you kiss me? How dare you? You ruined my very first kiss! OH MY GOD!!! My first kiss in a stupid bathroom with a bloody stranger!" Gauri moans.
"You are just making me all the more crazy about you." Om tells her grinning.
"Crazy? You stupid! You don't even know me!"
"But I like you." Om tells her.
"And I am not ever going to marry you!" Gauri tells him stubbornly.
"You are. And please don't think that I go around kissing random girls, I don't. I might have kissed a couple of girls only because they were my girlfriends." Om tells her and starts to walk off then stops and turns to her smiling, "Your first kiss might have been in a stupid bathroom with me, don't worry sweetheart we are going to be kissing all around the place and I know you loved the kiss just as much as I did."
Om walks back in and sits next to Rudra.
"Fine?" Rudra asks him in a whisper.
"Yeah." Om replies smiling and smiles even more seeing Gauri walking back frowning and looking very confused.
"Chutki, come sit here." Shakti tells her and Gauri hurries to sit next to him.
"If you two want to talk alone..." Shakti starts and Om cuts him off, "No Uncle, this is an informal meeting..."
"So?" Rudra asks confused.
"Talk in the open." Om says shrugging.
Rudra looks at Om giving him an are-you-crazy look.
Om leans towards him and slightly whispers, "If you are going to talk to her alone, it is going to be considered a done deal. First you see if you like her, then if you do, come with your mother to talk alone."
"Oh yeah! You are right." Rudra whispers back and turning to Shakti, Rudra says "He is right."
"Oh... okay." Shakti says shrugging.
"So, Gauri tell me something about yourself." Rudra starts.
Gauri who was looking down, looks up at Om and starts, "What about me?"
"Like what you studied for starters." Rudra replies.
"Oh... I just finished my MBA in Marketing." Gauri says looking at Om.
Om slowly shakes his head at her in no and slightly flicks his head towards Rudra. Gauri looks at Om confused and Om again points his head towards Rudra again. Finally realizing what he was telling her Gauri gasps loudly slightly jumping in her seat.
"Chukti? What happened?" Shakti asks in concern.
"Is everything alright?" Rudra asks at the same time.
Gauri quickly nods her head and then she stares at Om in shock then remembering their kiss her hand flies to her lips, seeing that Om winks at her with a sexy smirk. Gauri gives him a murderous look and turns to Rudra who was watching her curiously. She gives him a fake smile.
"When is your birthday?" Om asks Gauri.
"Oct 29." Gauri replies.
"Scorpio! Even me. Nov 10." Om says excited.
"You know what, Scorpio- Scorpio are very compatible in marriage if emotions are right." Om tells her smiling.
"What?" Rudra asks shocked while Shakti and Pinky give him weird looks.
"Yeah..." Om says shrugging then adds, "Rudra is a Libran, Sep 30th. Scorpio and Libra make great friends, like us. But marriage, I am not sure." Om tells giving a fake sympathetic look.
"What are you saying?" Rudra asks shocked, "and when did you believe in all this?"
"It's marriage. We shouldn't take any risks. So, we should consider all these too, right Aunty?" Om asks Pinky.
"Yes... yes." Pinky says nodding in worry.
"Ask her whether she cooks." Om whispers to Rudra covering his mouth so no one notices him.
"What?" Rudra whispers back frowning.
"Ask." Om again whispers and turns to look at Gauri and she was frowning at him.
"Do you cook, Gauri?" Rudra asks.
Gauri turns to Rudra frowning slightly, "No."
"Hmmm... but she can learn after marriage." Om tells chucking it off as if it is no big deal.
"Are you a non-veg?" Om asks her.
"Yes." Gauri replies frowning.
"Oh Ho!" Om says disappointed.
"Why? Is that a problem?" Pinky asks worried alternating her looks between Om and Rudra.
"Rudra, is a pure vegetarian." Om tells her then turning to Rudra he says, "You remember my cousin who got divorced last month? Vikram?"
"Yeaaah." Rudra says not understanding where Om is going with this.
"They had major issues between them. One of the main issues was that Vikram was a veg while Ragini was a non-veg. He wouldn't let her eat non-veg at home. And they used to fight a lot regarding that, Ragini saying Vikram was not giving her space and Vikram saying that she was not understanding his feelings. Once when we went out for dinner, they fought in the restaurant. It was embarrassing. It was a matter of time before they got divorced." Om tells Rudra casually as Rudra looked at him in shock while Pinky and Shakti were looking at him in panic.
Om looks at Gauri, and since everyone was looking at Om, Gauri furiously flicks her head slightly to her side asking him to come aside.
"If you don't mind, can I use your bathroom?" Om asks Shakti.
"Yeah... yeah sure." Shakti says.
"I'll show you the bathroom." Gauri says getting up.
Gauri takes him to her bedroom.
"Wow... this is your bedroom?" Om asks as he looked around.
"What the hell is your problem?" Gauri asks him in a furious whisper.
"You don't want to marry Rudra, I don't want you to marry Rudra. So, I'm just taking care of it." Om tells her.
"What kind of a friend are you? You pig!"
"HEY! You don't know my friend and you don't know the friendship we have. The moment we step out of this house, I am going to tell him everything and he is going to laugh his ass off." Om tells her.
Gauri looks at him in shock, not knowing what to say or do then finally making up her mind she says, "Please just take your friend and leave."
"I'm not going to stay here. Please, I am all for women liberation but I am not into staying in my wife's house for eternity." Om tells her.
"I am not going to marry you." Gauri tells him.
"You are."
"No!"
Om sighs, "I am not going to be a bad husband. I'll be a good husband. I am going to give you complete freedom but you just have to make sure you don't hurt my family, me, or my male ego in any way."
"WHAT?" Gauri asks making a disgusted face.
"We are going to be very happy." Om says and turns to walk off then he turns back to her with a smile. "Now that you managed to get us alone again, why shouldn't we take full advantage of it?" and he pulls her towards him and kisses her.
Soon they were kissing each other hungrily. Realizing they had to stop before someone found them, Om slowly breaks off the kiss and smile in pure male satisfaction when Gauri moans in disappointment.
"We are going to have a very short engagement else by the time we get married, a couple of little Oberoi-s would be running around." Om whispers to her as he kissed her neck making Gauri blush and sigh.
"Marketing... that is an interesting field, Chukti." Om says smiling.
"Gauri." Gauri says in a clipped tone.
"Sorry?" Om asks.
"Only my family calls me, Chukti. Others call me Gauri."
"CHUTKI!" Pinky admonishes her.
"We are going to be a family, right?" Om asks her cheekily grinning.
Gauri glares at him and then asks "Who exactly are you?"
Pinky gasps while Shakti says in an angry whisper to Gauri, "Stop it!"
"It's okay, Uncle. We all are going to be a family she can ask me whatever she wants." Om says smiling while Rudra glares at her for insulting his friend.
"I am Omkara Singh Oberoi, I'm Rudra's best friend. Hmmm have you heard of Oberoi industries?"
"Yesss." Gauri says in a slow tone eyes going wide.
"Chutki got an interview call from there." Shakti tells him.
"Really? Interesting." Om says grinning.
"You work there?" Pinky asks him.
"That's his company." Rudra tells them.
"Dad retired last year, so I'm managing it now." Om informs them.
"When is your interview scheduled, Gauri?" Om asks her.
"Thursday."
"Hmmm... I'll be in office on Thursday." Om tells her.
"That would be nice." Pinky says happily smiling at Om.
"But..." Rudra starts.
"What?" Om asks frowning.
"I don't want my wife to work." Rudra says.
"WHAT?" Om & Gauri shouts in shock.
Rudra looks at Om and Gauri trying to figure out who he should answer to and finally deciding on Gauri, he says "I don't want my wife to work. In our family the women don't work."
"You joking?" Om asks him in a whisper.
"Of course not!" Rudra says offended that Om would suggest he would joke about such a thing. "I'm earning well. I can look after my wife and the family."
"Don't you think your wife should have an identity of her own? Why did her parents spend so much on educating her if all she was going to do was sit at home simply?" Gauri asks unable to hide her anger.
Seeing her angry expression Om was going crazier about her, he liked that she had a temper.
"But that is how things are in my family." Rudra says shrugging.
"I can't give up my self-respect and depend on my husband on everything." Gauri says with finality.
"Will you stop this?" Pinky asks Gauri in anger.
"No, Aunty. She is right." Om says supporting Gauri. "She doesn't have to compromise on her life like that."
Gauri's eyes go wide hearing that.
"But..." Pinky starts and Om cuts her off, "Everyone has their own views and we should respect that. Rudra doesn't want his wife to work, as long as his wife doesn't mind that we should just respect it, and Gauri wants to work and her husband should respect that."
Shakti turns to Pinky silently asking what the hell is going on here?
"How do you like India, Gauri?" Om asks her.
"Now what?" Gauri asks tired.
"Chutki!" Pinky says turning pink.
Om smiles seeing Gauri's expression, "Rudra is moving to US by the end of this year. So, I was wondering if you would like to live outside India." Om explains.
"NO! I want to live in India. My parents are here, my family is here!" Gauri says in finality.
"But Rudra always wanted to move to US. You know, he was in US till high school. He holds an American passport too." Om explains to her.
"I am not leaving India." Gauri tells Rudra.
Om looks down as he took his mobile smiling ear to ear. "I need to make a call, please excuse me." Om says and gets up and walks off.
Gauri turns to look at Rudra who was very uncomfortably looking at his shoe, then she looks at her father who had his face covered very tired and finally at her mother who looked she would cry any minute now. It was a matter of minutes before either Rudra or her father declares that this marriage would be a bad idea. Gauri smiles happily then she asks Pinky, "Mama, did you give Omkara tea?"
"Oh no! I forgot." Pinky says as she started to get up.
"Wait, I'll ask him if he wants tea. Don't simply make if he doesn't want." Gauri says and hurries out before anyone could stop her.
Gauri walks outside her house to find Omkara on the phone.
She hears him talk on the phone, "Bhavyaaaa! Guess where I am... no love, Rudra and I'm here to see a girl for Rudra... I just thought I should inform you about it... so you know... you have a final chance to maybe change your mind... I didn't think anything was going to come out of it, but this girl... what a beauty she is... If I say so myself, you should know how beautiful she is... and Rudra looks so smitten already. You are my friend, so I thought I should give you a heads up." Om hangs up the phone and turns around to find Gauri standing behind. "Hey!" Om smiles at her.
"Rudra has a girlfriend?"
"No... he has been in love with this girl for a while... but she was acting very pricey... so I just gave her a push." Om tells her shrugging.
"Hmmm"
"Rudra kind of gave up on her, and I thought why not try once more."
"For your selfish reasons."
"Not really... I care for him and want him to be happy too. So, for him and for us." Om tells her.
"Hmmm"
"Why are you here?" Om asks her smiling.
"Either Papa or Rudra will be saying no any minute now."
"Good."
"And then?" Gauri asks him.
"You tell me." Om tells her smiling knowing where she was headed.
"My parents want me to marry someone of their choice but I want to marry someone of my choice."
"Okay..."
"You are neither here nor there." Gauri says looking down.
Om bursts out laughing hearing that, "You mean to say, I'm neither your choice nor your parents? Or that I should somehow become your parents' choice and at the same time be your choice too?"
Gauri doesn't reply.
"What made you change your mind?" Om asks her.
"I haven't changed my mind. You just have to make me fall in love with you." Gauri tells him shrugging.
"How about we decide on an arranged marriage and slowly fall in love?" Om asks her.
"I could live with that." Gauri tells him still looking down.
Om puts his hand forward, "Let's shake our hands on that?"
Gauri finally looks up at him and asks, "How about we kiss on it?"
Gauri walks in and informs her mother, "he just wants cold water." And she goes to the kitchen to get it.
By the time she comes with the water, Om was back and sitting next to Rudra. Gauri offers him water and Om winks at her as he took the glass making her slightly blush. They remained silent for a bit then Rudra's mobile starts ringing. Rudra quickly cuts it and it again starts ringing.
"Who is it?" Om asks him in a whisper.
Rudra shows him his phone display.
"Maybe you should take it." Om tells him seeing Bhavya calling.
"Okay." Rudra whispers and turns to the others and says, "I am sorry, I need to take this. Please excuse me."
As Rudra hurried out Om turns to Gauri and she was looking at him expectantly and he nods slightly.
"Nice house." Om says looking around the house.
"Thank you." Shakti says with a polite smile.
"What kind of a guy are you looking for Gauri, uncle?" Om asks.
"I am sorry." Shakti looks at him shocked.
"I am just asking conversationally." Om says shrugging.
"A guy from a good family with a good job. Good behavior. Someone who would always keep her happy."
"I totally fit the bill!" Om tells him confidently.
"WHAT?" Shakti and Pinky shouts at him.
"I am so sorry." Rudra says as he hurried in. Everyone turns to look at Rudra confused. "I need to leave. And Gauri... you are a nice girl, but we clearly don't match... it won't work out... I'm sorry. O let's go." Rudra says and pulls Om up.
"Wait, I'm in the middle of something here." Om tells Rudra as he was dragged out. Om turns to look at Gauri and she was looking at him panicked. "Rudra, wait."
"No time, Om." Rudra says as he dragged him out.
As they reached the gate Om shouts, "WAIT! I need to talk to them."
"Bhavya says she loves me and she wants to meet me." Rudra tells him as he hurries out.
"I know, I called her up few minutes back." Om tells him.
"What?"
"I told her that you were on the verge of saying yes to Gauri. That freaked her out and she realized she loves you. I always told you, she needs a solid push."
"Oh!"
"Now, wait. I need to talk to Gauri's parents."
"Talk what?" Rudra asks confused.
"About Gauri's and my marriage."
"WHAT?" Rudra asks shocked.
"What did you think I was doing there all this while?"
"I thought you were doing that because you thought I was doing a mistake by marrying her when I was in love with Bhavya."
"No... no... I want her." Om tells him shrugging.
"Bhavya?" Rudra asks shocked out of his wits.
"No! Gauri... I've decided to keep her." Om tells him grinning.
"What?" Rudra asks shocked and laughing he asks, "But how?"
"It happened. Even kissed her." Om says shrugging, he was not the one to kiss and tell, but Rudra had to know what had happened behind his back.
"You kissed her?"
"Three times. Details later." Om tells him. "Now, I'll talk to her parents and come."
Gauri and Pinky were clearing the table when they hear the bell.
"Did you forget something?" Shakti asks frowning unable to hide his anger.
"No. I wanted to ask you all something." Om says as he and Rudra stepped inside.
"Ask what?" Shakti asks him while Gauri came forward smiling happily.
Om walks to Gauri and looking at Shakti he says, "My friend said no to her."
"I know." Shakti says irritated.
Om smiles and turns to Gauri. "So, I wanted to ask you all, if my parents come tomorrow, will you all say yes to me?"
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- Lazy