"Annika, listen to me..." Shivaay closed his eyes in frustration.

"I DID NOT BUY THIS HOUSE FOR PEOPLE TO HAVE SEX HERE SHIVAAY!" Annika yelled at the top of her voice.

"Bhavya, I guess wrong timing," Rudra whispered to Bhavya as they stood at the threshold of Annika's apartment, Swasthi. Bhavya nodded vigorously and they turned to leave.

"Where do you think you both are leaving?" Annika asked sternly. Shivaay kept muttering 'Be patient' to her, but she was in no mood. As soon as she saw the packet in the dust bin, she went back to the pictures taken in the party. She remembered frowning at how intimately Rudra and Bhavya were dancing, but she had shrugged it off. But connecting two dots, she understood why Bhavya had told her about how things changed in one day, rather night. She had immediately called Shivaay and they decided to confront the other two in concern. While Shivaay wanted to do it in a collected way, Annika was popping firecrackers.

"DO YOU BOTH UNDERSTAND TWO FAMILIES ARE INVOLVED? WHAT IF THINGS TURN UGLY?" Annika barked at them. Shivaay pitied the two clueless faces in front of him. He stepped in.

"Guys, we found out what's going on between the two of you." He explained. Their eyes widened for a minute and they shrugged.

"So?" They asked in unison.

"SO? ARE YOU..." Annika started, Shivaay placed his hand on her shoulder and shushed her. She had to calm down. He knew she was thinking about all the worst things that could possibly happen. He made her sit and turned to them.

"If the families found out about the two of you..."

"But Jiju," Bhavya interrupted. "I don't think it is anyone's business right? It's not like we are doing a crime! We are just..."

"HOLD IT THERE YOUNG WOMAN!" Annika inhaled deeply before speaking again. "Do you understand that Rudra is the younger brother of the man your sister is married to? In this day and age, this might not be wrong, but still you should have thought about the consequences!"

"Bhabhi, we still don't understand why you're over reacting! The reason we hid it from everyone is because we hear there is a ship that all of you are meaning to sail called 'RuVya'," Rudra rolled his eyes. In a family of loudmouths, words spread. So naturally, Rudra and Bhavya felt the necessity to hide what they were doing.

"I understand we have delusional people in our family..." Shivaay paused to give a pointed look to Annika. "But still Rudra, you should have thought about better disposal means!"

"So, you don't think what they are doing is wrong Shivaay?" Annika asked in utter disbelief. There were millions of possibilities on her minds that very moment on how the family would react if they even caught on a clue. This wasn't a Hollywood movie where no strings attached could work; this was India where shit like this went downhill.

"I don't think we have the rights to meddle Annika!"

"Guys, one minute!" Rudra spoke a little loud before the two went on another argument. "Disposal means bhaiya?"

Shivaay lifted up the cause of the commotion, the dustbin. Bhavya and Rudra peeped in and looked at each other horrified.

"EEW! DI NO!" "WHAT THE FUCK!" "OH MY GOD! WE AREN"T!"

Annika and Shivaay were slightly taken aback to see their exclamations. The genuinity in it could not be missed.

"Wait! Only four of us have the key to this place. If it isn't you, Shivaay or me, this has to be..."

All their eyes widened when realization dawned into them.

Gauri wiped her tears and sat back up. His last words before leaving her in misery were still haunting her.

"This was a mistake."

Well, it wasn't until he claimed it was. Was it all her illusion that the night had manifested into something very beautiful that she could not decipher? His every touch had set her free; his every kiss had healed her scars. The intoxicated night had intertwined their souls along with their body, at least that's what she had felt. Until, he said those words. Initially, Gauri thought they'd settle over talking. But every passing moment unleashed deeply buried wounds. Omkara did not seem remorseful during the wedding. There was a certain coldness that had crept into his demeanor. The more she thought about it, the more she could not help but feel that she had fallen for the wrong man. Again.

"Ri Di hasn't left her room for long the past days. Vilashi Ma said she isn't feeling well. And when I went to check on her, she was sleeping." Bhavya said thoughtfully.

"And I haven't seen Om since Annika left for Germany!" Shivaay added.

"I caught O staring at Gauri Bhabhi's photo with pain the other day..." Rudra immediately bit his tongue. He let it slip through, and he was sure Om wouldn't forgive him for that. He looked up to see whether his Bhabhi and Bhavya had caught on his blunder, and it seemed like they had. Shivaay shot daggers at him.

"Bhabhi?" Annika and Bhavya exclaimed in unison.

"Well, Om kinda is in love with Gauri!" Shivaay scratched his neck. He knew his fire spitting dragon wouldn't spare him for hiding it from her, but he had to be the dutiful brother. Shivaay looked anywhere but at Annika, but he was surprised to see her deep in thoughts.

"Something went wrong. We will have to fix it before its too late guys." Bhavya was worried.

"I have a plan," Annika said in a determined voice.

Om looked down at the message from his Dadi. He did not understand why he was needed at the Advani Mahel after Annika's Pag Phere. But Dadi had left a message to his office studio and it said urgent. He did not have the energy to face Gauri. He should've had some control over his actions. He had no doubt that Gauri hated him and did not want to face him at all. He remembered how she was after the wedding, completely drained. He was the single cause of her misery. He somehow couldn't forgive himself for that night.

Trahi trahi main nath pukarun,
Yahi avasari mohi, aani ubaro.

(Help me, Help me, I call upon you oh Lord,
At this very moment, I beg you to bless me.)

Lai trishul shatrun ko maro,
Sankat se mohi aan ubaro.

(Bring your trishul and kill my enemies,
And free me from all kinds of troubles.)

Maatu pita bhrata sab koi,
Sankat men puuchhat nahin koi.

(I have a Mother, Father, Brothers and Other relatives,
But when I am in trouble no one can save me.)

Swami ek hai aas tumhari,
Aay harahu ab sankat bhari.

(Oh Lord, you are my last hope,
Please come and take away everything that heavily troubles me.)

Annika and Bhavya stood near the Advani Puja hall, as they watched Gauri play her veena while singing with distress to her Shankar Ji. It was no secret that after Abhishek, Gauri was miserable. Even the thought of Gauri being in the same state again shook the cords of Annika and Bhavya. Gauri finished her chalisa and stood up after offering her prayer.

"Di! You're here!" Gauri rushed to her arms. She fought back tears. She smiled weakly to Annika, who looked at her as if trying to contemplate something. "I'm tired Di. I'll sleep for some time." Gauri gently pulled back from Annika and ran off. Before Annika or Bhavya could react, Vilashi stood in front of them.

"You both need to talk to her," She said with concern. Annika and Bhavya exchanged glances. There was no way they could get the elders involved.

"She is sick nah Choti Mom. She will be alright!" Annika tried to seem casual about it. Vilashi held her arm firmly,

"Annika, I know what happened."