Finally it was time for celebration in the Oberoi mansion and Trivedi house. The most awaited wedding was about to happen. The preparation was on its peak.

"Listen Mishra Ji... Do hell with your boring pastel collection... It's my sister's wedding... I'm not gonna let her wear these boring dresses... Bring me your best or else you know me..." Annika with her baby bump, roared over the phone while drinking her juice on the couch.

"Listen Khanna... No unlisted guest is allowed... And CCTV camera at every corner... Do you get that?? I have invited the entire Mumbai police as well... I don't wanna see any don drama again... So be alert..." Shivaay instructed Khanna while checking card designs over his phone.

"Oye Puttar... Where's Pandit ji? Please send someone to bring him here... And listen, we should keep spare Pandit for marriage... What if the pandit run away again like it happened in Billu's wedding. No no... We can't take chances" Dadi said to Tej and Shakti while heading towards the Mandir.

"Jethani ji... Let's discuss menu with the chefs... He's eating my brain... And god knows who told him about preparing a pizza cake... What on earth is a pizza cake anyways... Who eats pizza on wedding?? Let's go... " Pinki dragged Jhanvi with her to meet the chef.

"I said carnations and this is what you brought with yourself? Hurry up... We have to decorate the mansion as beautiful as our bride... Move faster..." Bhavya scolded Kabir Over the flowers.

Everyone was super busy doing preparation for the RiKara wedding. Except for one person.

"So??" Rudra asked as he kept looking at the would be bride and groom who were busy selecting their rings completely ignoring Rudra's suspicious stare.

"So?" Both Gauri and Omkara repeated after Rudra.

"What happened?" Rudra asked.

"What happened?" Both Gauri and Omkara repeated in unison.

Ru - what happened with Ishana? She just took her men away from this mansion, freed you both and returned... Just like that... What did you guys do? Tell me... You guys didn't say anything about it... Then you made everyone busy with your marriage preparations... What exactly did you guys do?

Gauri and Omkara looked at each other and smiled before turning their gaze back to Rudra.

Om - it's a looooongggggg story Rudy...

Gauri - very complicated...

Ru - I won't help in the preparations without knowing it... I can't concentrate... I'm curious...

Gauri - okay... Fine... So.... Ishana... Was pointing a gun at me...

Ru - Woah... Then???

Om - then....

*****FLASHBACK*****

"TIME'S UP... GOOD BYE GAURI..."

It was all Gauri could hear before the sound of gun shot took over her senses. Scared to death, she closed her eyes instantly. It's all over. She's just gonna die like that.

But wait a minute, why isn't she feeling anything...? Isn't she supposed to have a hole right in the middle of her head...?? Is she dead already? Is this how it feels to take a bullet in your head?

"Am I in heaven already?? Woah that was quick..." She thought to herself before a certain someone made her realise that she was not specifically dead... Atleast for now.

"You idiot...!!! You aren't supposed to play statue when someone tries to kill you" Gauri opened her eyes hearing Omkara's voice. His back was facing her as he stood like a shield between her and Ishana, holding that gun in mid-air along with Ishana's hand. For a moment, she really thought she was dead and now dreaming about him until he turned his eyes towards Gauri to see if she's alright. He saw her staring at him with a blank expression for a while before falling on her knees and leaving a long sigh... 

"I... I thought I'm done for..." She mumbled between her long sighs... Omkara would have run to her immediately, but unfortunately he was dealing with a bigger problem, a girl who was literally creeping the hell out of him.

"Omkara....??" Ishana said while looking at him in shock. It was unexpected for her to see him there out of all places.

Gritting his teeth in anger, Omkara left her hand and stepped away from her immediately. He wasn't supposed to be there according to Gauri's plan. She strictly told him and Svetlana to hide somewhere away from the manor, but his 6th sense was indicating otherwise, he didn't want to leave Gauri alone with that psycho Ishana. So at the last moment, he decided to keep an eye on both from a reachable distance. However, his instincts were proven right the moment he saw Ishana pointing a gun at her. The next thing he knew, he was running to save his Piddi.

"You came back... Thank goodness... Finally... I missed you so much" Ishana said with tearful eyes before clinging onto him  . She was so happy the moment he appeared infront of her, that she forgot he wasn't supposed to be there at all. She wasn't really going to kill Gauri in the first place, she just had doubts that Gauri must be behind Omkara's disappearance.  Although she was confined, Ishana believed Gauri was capable of doing something like that to stop Omkara and her marriage. Ishana was pretending to shoot her so that she could spill the beans, but instead Omkara himself magically appeared infront of her... which was actually the reason she unintentionally pulled the trigger all of a sudden.

As if it was a natural instinct of his body, Omkara came out of her hold forcefully even before he himself could realise it. He immediately turned to Gauri was still statued at her place.

"Are you okay?? You aren't hurt, are you?" Omkara asked Gauri as he held her by her shoulders, completely ignoring Ishana's death glare.

Gauri shook her head negatively. Her mind was still blank because of the near death experience of her few moments ago.

Ishana who saw him carefully holding Gauri, started joining the dots which only made her more furious.

Ish - Omkara.... You... Why are you here?

Omkara didn't say anything. Not because he was afraid to answer but because he was trying to figure out what should they do now.

Ish - Answer me damn it!!! You

"I brought him here" three of them looked at the door following the direction of that sudden reply only to find Ishana's father Danish Malhotra standing there with his god like aura and demon like guards.

"Daddy..." Ishana ran to her father and hugged him to greet properly.

DM - I brought him back...

Om(in mind) - what the... What on earth this man is trying to do...

Gauri(in mind) - It's like... I'm back to square one... What should I do... tch!! I don't even know if our family is okay... Oh god... Help me... What should I do about this Ishana... and what this takloo is upto?

"Where's that old hag? Did you kill her?? Damn it!! I wanna torture her myself dad... Please tell me you brought her here... Please please...." Beaming with shear excitement, Ishana asked Danish like a child asking for a toy to play until it breaks.

"She got away... I couldn't...  find her..." Danish answered as if he was angry at himself for not being able to capture Svetlana. Ofcourse it was a facade.... The reason he was there was basically because of Svetlana.

FLASHBACK

"Why would I help her? She literally blackmailed me... Even no one in the underworld dare to go against me, and she tried to manipulate both of us... That little blackmailer and her monkey or whatever he is, they both can meet their ends by the hands of my dear daughter..." Danish replied to Svetlana who asked him to help Om.

Svetlana and Om were together when all of a sudden Omkara decided on staying back with Gauri. Svetlana on the other hand, somehow guessed what kind of blunder could take place, and that's why she literally begged Danish to do something for her newly found friends. But that so called husband of her refused to do so.

Svet - Danny what are you saying... what if Gauri tells her about us?

She thought maybe this one threat would be handy against him. But unfortunately that wasn't the case.

DM - if Ishana discovers about both of them staying together, it wouldn't matter what that girl says next, Ishu won't listen. And about them staying together here... well, I've already prepared a good story... Don't worry, with their closure, no one will ever find out about us...

Svetlana looked at him with disbelief... He still wanted to hide their relationship for the rest of his life... She was wondering how did she end up loving this piece of idiocy of all people.

"Well... I wasn't planning to do so, but you left me with no other choice" Svetlana thought to herself before switching to her gangster mode... The next second, she grabbed his wrinkle-free tie and pulled it, literally strangling him all of a sudden. Her aura was 100 times more dominant then Danish could ever create...

DM - *cough cough* Svetu... What are you... *Cough*

Svet - (softly)Darling... *pause for the dramatics* (Shouting) YOU ARE GOING THERE RIGHT NOW AND SAVE BOTH KIDS FROM THAT PSYCHOPATH DAUGHTER OF YOURS... DO YOU GET THAT??!

"Yes ma'am!!!" Danish exclaimed out of fear...

"Good boy...." Svetlana said with pure satisfaction over her face. After threatening the hell out of her dear husband, Svetlana released his tie making him crash his back against the chair he was sitting. Rubbing his neck for a while, he looked at her in utter confusion.

DM - You... You are fighting me for those two? Svetu I'm your husband... They are strangers... Why did you? Why do you want to save them even if it means to disclose our truth to Ishu?

"you are what? Hmph... A man who doesn't have the guts to accept his wife infront of the world... Shouldn't consider himself as a husband. You're nothing but a coward... They are nothing like us Danny... They know how to protect their relationship... that's why I want to help them... Ishana is doing exactly what Ishana's mother did... But unlike you, Omkara won't let her hurt Gauri, and unlike me... Gauri won't accept the her Madness

DM - Svetu...

Svet - Danny I've been doing whatever you've asked me. You decided to let that woman took away our time together... I watched in silence... You made me your assistant although I am your wife...  Even after so many years, you kept hiding about us from your dear daughter... Even when she called me different names... You remain silent... Those two kids... They won't stay silent Danny... Leave Ishana... Even you, the mighty king of Underworld couldn't break them apart... That little girl Gauri... She tamed you like it was nothing... And Omkara... Well, You should have seen that guy scaring my men when we brought him here... Danny... you and I have done many illegal things in our lives... may be that's why we couldn't live a happy life... This time, let's do something right... Stop Ishana Danny... You know only you can do it... Not just for Gauri and Omkara... For her sake as well... Don't let her turn into a monster like her mother... Save her....

It was the first time Danish realised how similar their situation was. Similar and yet so different. Unlike him, those kids weren't afraid of the situation... maybe he should do what his wife is asking for... May be he should do what's right.

"Dad... when are you going to catch her... It's a shame for us that she's still alive you know..." Ishana's voice brought broke his thoughts about what happened earlier. Gauri and Omkara in the background were in daze... Trying to figure out the true intentions of this old man.

"Listen to me Ishu..." Danish said with a sound of urgency in his voice, but Ishana was suddenly focused on the lovely couple who were stuck with each other.

Ish - Om... Get away from this woman at once... you guys aren't a pack of mushrooms you know...

Showing a rebellion against her demand, Omkara's grip on Gauri got tighter... Gauri on the other hand was trying to stop him from making the situation worse than it already was... But her monkey was as stubborn as ever not to let go of his possession.

(Ru - Mushroom? What on earth is this analogy?

"Oh... I'm taking some inspiration from my lunchbox, don't take it seriously"

Ru - you are weird you know that?

"I do I do... Genuinely heartfelt"

Ru - 🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️)

DM - Ishu... Leave them...  I have something really important to tell you...

Ish - Dad one minute... First of all let me take care of this girl...

DM - Ishu listen to me!!!

Ish(irritated) - what is it?

DM(in mind) - I don't know if it's gonna work or not but... Little blackmailer... I hope you can follow my lead... (Says) Ishu... This man (pointing at Omkara) already is FATHER OF A CHILD...!!!!

Ish - what?😕

Om - Child? What....🙁

Omkara's grip on Gauri was loosened as he was stuck in his place with shock.

Gauri - hain????

After almost half minute of silence, it was Ishana who came out of this shocking revelation first. Leaving a sigh with a disinterested face, Ishana said...

Ish - Dad... Aapne drugs lena start kiya hai kya? Kaisi baatein kar rahe hai aap... Om ka baccha?? Aisa kaise ho sakta hai...

(Dad... Have you started taking drugs or something? What are you saying... Om having a child?? How's this even possible??)

DM - Ishana I'm serious... this brat is...

Ish - ridiculous... Look at Omkara's clueless face... And... I'm sure it's another stupid plan of this Gauri... She told you this right??? She tried to put this on your mind so you never agree to my marriage with himm....

DM - No Ishana... She...

"No... No.... Nooooo!!!!!!!!" covering her face with both her hands Gauri screamed all of a sudden as she fell on her knees, making Danish stop at his place. Her reaction was enough to make him understand she was on right track.

"What happened... Why are you screaming all of a sudden?" Ishana asked while Omkara kept looking at Gauri cluelessly wondering the same. Gauri on the other hand, slowly raised her head, looking at Danish through the gaps between her fingers. That man was staring back at her with a slight hint of smile. Then she saw him slowly blink his eyes, giving her the necessary signal.

"Shankar ji... Be with me..." Gauri thought to herself before starting her Oscar level acting.

"Oh god... No.... No... Not this....😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 How could you... Takloo uncle how could you... No...." Gauri cried again...

"Piddi... what happened?" Omkara called out her name with concern.... not knowing what he was about to witness... Omkara was surprised by the sudden breakdown of Gauri that he almost forgot what Danish just said. His preoccupied mind couldn't realise he was about to become a father.... FOR REAL....

Gauri(between her sobs) - I'm so sorry... *Sob* I didn't wanna hide it from you Monkey... *Sob* I swear... But... But... Maggie... *Instant crying*

Om - Maggie??🙁 Now???

Ish - Maggie? As in ramen noodles? Are you crying for noodles in this situation? Are you trying to piss me Gauri?

Gauri - 😭😭😭😭😭 My Maggie...

She cried as loudly she could...

Om - piddi... Get up... What happened??? Why are you crying???

Ishana's stomach began to ache from the tension that was building because of the constant sobbing of Gauri Trivedi.

Gauri(looking at Ishana) - it's not noodles Ishana... It's the name of our... (Looking at Omkara) our daughter... *Crying again*

"huh??" Omkara was glued to his spot. He was looking at his piddi like someone standing on a land mine would look at the bomb itself... It took almost 2 minutes for him to digest what he heard... And another 30 seconds to realise his Piddi was about to pull another plan out of her sleeve.

DM - Ishana... I've always brought you the best... But my dear... This man... He's not worthy of you...

Ish - Dad please!!! Stay quiet... *Looking at Om* it's all a lie right? You would have told me if there was something like this hai na?? There's no way you... Say something...

Omkara didn't reply because he was still trying to digest this new lie... but Gauri slowly got back on her feet in order to give Ishana a perfect blow.

Gauri - he doesn't know Ishana... It's all my fault... Maggie...😭😭😭😭

Ish (in mind) - If this girl again cries in the name of Maggie... I swear I'm gonna shoot her as well as myself....

Gauri - Magg...

Ish - Shut up.....!!! Kabse Maggie Maggie laga ke rakkha hai... Usse aage bhi bologi kuch?? Aur Om... Tum kya mooh mein dahi jama ke baithe ho? Kuch bolte kyu nahi?

(Shut up...!!! Enough of this Maggie Maggie chants... Speak further will you??!! And Om... Are you having yogurt in your mouth? Why aren't you saying anything?)

Om (in mind) - I bet itni Hindi toh is ladki ne poore ek saal mein nahi boli hogi jitni abhi bol di... Piddi bhi naa...

(I bet she haven't spoken this much hindi in a whole year... This Piddi I tell you...)

Gauri dramatically wiped off her tears and immediately hugged Omkara while crying loudly. Ishana was mind blown to the point that she couldn't bring herself to tell Gauri not to cling into Omkara like that. Meanwhile Gauri was giving a brief instruction through whispering into the ears of her monkey.

"Just follow my lead... We can do this..." she uttered using minimum time before breaking the hug... The next thing she did was even crazier... She charged at Ishana and took her in her bone crushing hug in an instant... Leaving the two men in deep shock as they saw her crushing Ishana with their mouth open.

DM(in mind) - Wha... Is she crazy?? She's hugging Ishana....

Om (in mind) - tsk... Piddi... Stop playing with fire for God sake.... You're gonna give me heart attack like this... This girl just tried to kill you few minutes ago...

"Hey!!!! Wha... Wait... What are you doing... Let go of me you... Gauri!!!!" Ishana shouted... but Gauri was in no mood to let that chance go out of her hands. Ishana was damn confused to even push her away using her strength.

"Aahaaa.... 😭😭😭😭😭... Ishu...." Gauri cried again hiding her face... Intentionally wiping off her runny nose on Ishana's branded clothes as a tiny revenge.

Ishu(screamed) - eeeeewwww!!!!! leave me right now...!!!! Yuck... What are you... Aaaaa... Gauri

Gauri - 4 SAAL PEHLE....

(4 YEARS AGO....)

Om(in mind) - ho gaya iska shuru...

(And she began...)

"I won't believe you no matter what... so stop lying... And get your hands off me now!!!" Ishana said jerking off Gauri with all her might... But little did she knew how persistent Miss Trivedi was...

Gauri (being overdramatic) - Mat karo mera yakeen... Usse sach nahi badalne wala... *Looking at Om* Monkey tujhe yaad hai woh raat?

(You may not believe me... But that's not going to change the truth... *Looking at Om* Monkey... Do you still remember that night?)

Om - kaunsi raat?🤔

(which one?)🤔

DM - Omkara!!!😱 How many nights you have spent with her that you don't even remember which one?

Ish(annoyingly) - Dad please... Stop spouting nonsense...!!! (To Gauri) - which... Um... which night you're talking about??

Gauri (fake blush) - actually...

Ish - stop blushing... will you??

Gauri - tsk... Let me speak... Will you?

Om(in mind) - oh god just end this... Will you...??

Gauri - 4 years ago... One day... I mean one night... I got drunk and went to monkey's room through the the window... *Blush* *blush* no one was in Oberoi mansion and we... 🙈

(Reference:- Part - 21 & 22)

Ish (gritting her teeth) - You...!!

" So that's when Maggie was made... But Piddi... Why did you hide it from all of us? I have a daughter and I don't even know... That's cruel... How could you do this to me???" Omkara said rather emotionally... Not as much as Gauri, but his drama skills weren't half bad.

Gauri(fake crying) - Monkey what was I supposed to do? It was your dream to study abroad... Our family would have eventually make us marry even before our career starts... I didn't want that... Your goals... My career... I didn't want them to get crushed because of our child... I went to Bangalore for one year in the name of special training... There... Maggie was born... I wanted to tell you but I was afraid you'd leave everything and come there... When you returned, I wanted to tell you about Maggie as soon as possible... But you brought Ishana with yourself... I...

Om(even more dramatically) - you despised me piddi... 🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧 You... 😭😭😭

DM - arey keep aside your melodrama.... (to Ishana)did you hear him Ishu? How pathetic... He took advantage of a girl who was drunk... You still want to marry him? Disgusting... I would never....

Ish - dad please... shut up...!! (To Om) Om... You.... You both are lying... I don't believe you!!! I don't believe you at all...

Gauri - don't believe me... But that won't change the truth... We have a daughter together you can't change that fact.... 😒

Ishana went silent for a moment before having a comeback...

"okay... fine... I want to meet her then.... Dad... Where is this Maggie... You know??? I want to meet her..." Ishana asked her dad. But knowing Ishana, DM and Gauri both knew this would happen. So they already thought of a counterattack... Danish shook his head completely pushing this matter to the master mind's court. Gauri Trivedi herself.

"do you really think I would ever let you meet my Maggie?? I would never let you or your father harm her..." Gauri told rather like a defensive mother...

"Listen Gauri..." Raising her one eyebrow, Ishana was about to begin with her never ending threats again... But this time, Gauri was on another level of performance.

"No you listen to me now!!! You want Omkara that badly...?? Fine... Go ahead and marry him like you wish to do... I don't mind at all... just leave my Maggie alone... But you know what? That will make you the person you hate the most....

Ish - what... what are you talking about?

Gauri - You hate Svetlana because she wanted to take your father away from you... She tried to break your family... right?

Ish - What of it? 😠

Gauri - That's what you're planning to do to my Maggie... Congratulations Ishana... That will make you another Svetlana... Svetlana part 2...

"No...!!! Don't compare me with that woman... I'm nothing like her... you're lying... There's no child... Omkara is a perfect man only I can have... He can't have a child with you.... No..." Ishana frantically stated. Her mental stability reached its limits and his father was aware of it. That's why he came up with this "baby" plan of his. However, he still was amazed how Gauri read between the lines and executed the plan perfectly.

"I wonder... How did she realise that being compared to Svetlana would be unacceptable to Ishana and it would eventually make her go insane??" Danish thought to himself.

"Perfect man? Who???? This Monkey???" Gauri asked Ishana as if she never heard such an hilarious joke before.

Ish - Ofcourse... That's what I like about him... He's perfect... Just like me... Only I should stay beside him... The way he talks... The way he walks... The way he eats... the way he...

"Woah woah woah... Stop right there dude..." Gauri stopped Ishana before she could say how Omkara Singh Oberoi can even shit perfectly... Ishana's twisted feelings towards Om was beyond normal... If only she considered him imperfect, nothing that happened would have happened in the first place.... But nobody ever tried to show her how imperfect a man like Onkara could actually be... Nobody could possibly do that except for one person... His Best Enemy Forever... The girl who knew all his flaws... weaknesses... Little did Ishana knew that Gauri was about to tarnish Omkara's perfect image in her mind....
......................................................................

In the next chapter that is 👀