The first thing Omkara noticed when Karan walked towards them was that he held Gauri's hand in his while she walked behind him silently, not opposing his touch.

He wanted to peel the guy's hand off her but his brother managed to distract him when he called Pinky Oberoi into the hall along with the rest of the family.

Jhanvi who was just about to enter her room, came back listening to Shivaay's shouts and stood beside the family's matriarch, Kalyani Oberoi.

"Why are you shouting Shivaay?" Shakti asked his son.

"I will tell you papa. Let Mr. Vikram bring his fiancé to the hall," he said turning to his accomplice and gesturing him to do as asked.

Taking that as his cue, Karan nodded and went ahead to bring Anika into the scene.

"I will just come in a minute" Shivaay announced before he walked to his own room.

Omkara looked at Gauri, whose eyes anxiously followed Karan and knitted his eyebrows.

Did she know something he doesn't? Why is she looking worried?  What is he missing?... he pondered for a minute before turning to his youngest brother.

"Rudy" Omkara whispered to his brother.

"Hmm?"

"Did Shivaay take Vikram's name in my room?"

Rudra widened his eyes in realization, "No O, he called him Karan. Oh my God!! he knows the plan. But how?"

Omkara sighed returning his gaze to the tiny woman in the room. Rudra followed his brother's eyes and exclaimed, "Gauri Bhabhi ditched us? But why?"

"I have no idea Rudy. I just hope she did not tell him the truth."

"She doesn't know it herself O," Rudra reminded his brother.

"Then what is he up to? There was something definitely off with Shivaay when he talked to us upstairs. Did you not feel it?"

"I did but I thought that was because we did not support him."

"Me too, but he..."

Omkara was interrupted when Shivaay returned with a set of documents at the same time as Karan brought Anika to the place.

"Well, since everybody is here, let me make my first announcement," said Shivaay turning to his ex-wife.

"I congratulate you Anika, Vikram here said that you are okay to wed in the mansion in two days" he said with a genuine smile, emitting shocked gasps from the family members.

Anika sharply turned to Karan who beamed at her.

"He was being sweet and I couldn't say a no," he said shrugging his shoulders.

Rudra and Omkara silently watched their brother as he made the second announcement of the day.

"As a wedding gift, I hereby write my shares and properties to Anika, soon to be Mrs. Rathore," he said, dropping another bomb while the family stood dumbstruck.

Karan let the silence reign in the room for a while, he let the information sink into people's minds before he spoke his practiced dialogue.

"That was sweet and very gentlemanly of you Shivaay. I am very much pleased... The thing is..."

Pinky who returned to her senses quicker than the others, rushed to her son and took the papers from him.

"What nonsense did you just speak?" she uttered in rebuke.

"Aunty ji, it is only little that he can do for Anika's sacrifice. You know very well what would have happened if she leaked the information outside. That eldest Oberoi, the great wall of Shivaay is nothing but a mirage," he said smirking.

Pinky widened her eyes at the statement.

"What do you mean by that Vikram?" Shakti asked making Karan turn to him.

"Why do you act as if you don't know uncle? Just not saying it out loud. Doesn't change things."

"What will not change? What are you talking about?" Shakti asked impatiently.

"That Shivaay is your and Kamini ji's illegitimate son" he revealed, his words deliberately slow, wishing to make the desired impact.

Shakti take a shocked step backwards while the rest of the elders gasped aloud.

"Wh...what did you just say?" Kalyani asked in a mere whisper.

"Oh God, that is too much acting uncle. Don't you remember Kamini ji? You had an affair with her and she gave you a baby. Since Pinky aunty couldn't mother a child, you gave the baby to her and she brought her up as her own. That does not change the fact that Shivaay is illegitimate. That doesn't black the reality that he was the dirty secret of your..."

He couldn't finish his sentence as Omkara punched his face drawing a drop of blood from his nose, while Rudra stood right beside his brother looking equally angry.

"How dare you?" Omkara roared.

Gauri rushed to his side calling his name to calm him down.

"Omkaraji, please..."

"Stop right there Gauri" he growled stopping her in her tracks.

"Why did you tell him all this?" he asked her diverting his glare her way.

"I did not Omkaraji... I..."

"Om, it is not her fault," Shivaay came forward but Karan gestured him to stay quite.

"Then who told you? Anika Bhabhi wouldn't have said it and I am sure no one else knows of it," Omkara stood his ground.

"Whoever told me things, doesn't change anything Mr. Omkara singh Oberoi. Do you disagree with anything I just said? It might not be good to hear those words against a man who grew up as your brother but we all need a reality check someday. Shivaay isn't you brother no matter what."

Omkara's eyes threw daggers at his opponent and said, "Kabse tere saare harkate bardaash karta aaya huun... ab aur nahi( I have tolerate your actions for long). Get out from here before I kill you with my bare hands."

"Why should I? Shivaay intended to transfer his shares and this mansion to my fiancé. If she has no problem in it and if I have nothing to say in this. Who are you to speak? Should I say you became more materialistic from your artistic and ethical self?"

Anika who was instructed to play deaf and mute by Karan supported him by staying silent, to let the drama continue.

"You don't know a thing here Karan. Just get the hell out of my house, Now!!" Omkara screamed.

"Excuse me? This is not your house anymore remember?" Karan smiled and turned to Shivaay.

"Your brothers are too thick skulled I guess my friend," he smirked when Omkara lunged forward grabbing the man's collar.

Shivaay at once came to rescue, tearing his brother away from Karan.

"Why did you stop Omkara... Why Shivaay?" Pinky spoke her lines next.

"For once your brothers are right. Throw this fatichar ladki and her fiancé out of the house" she yelled.

Getting his chance, Shivaay played his last stroke.

"Maa, don't you know what Anika had to go through to protect me. She left me only to withhold the truth from me. My brothers supported her only because I cannot handle the reality... we should..."

"What truth? What reality?" Pinky said having enough.

"There is nothing she was protecting you from. I cannot see you going blind and entrusting your hard earned fortune into this low life's hands," she spat and turned to Anika with disgust.

"I thought I was successful in casting you out of my child's life the last time but the shameless thing you are, you returned with the fiancé of your likes. You now whish to take over my son's properties? The hell I am going to let this happen" she screamed at her taking a threatening step towards her.

Karan held Anika, moving her away from the woman spewing hatred, passing her a displeased look.

"You were the one who told her everything aunty ji. She wished for your love and you only gave her hatred. In spite of that, she protected your secret with her life" he said.

"Shut up!! She didn't do any favors to anyone here. I lied to her that Shivaay were Shakti ji's illegitimate son so that I could get this woman out of my son's life" she shouted and turned to her son.

"This is the truth Shivaay, I lied to her. She wasn't protecting you from anything. Everything was a drama to get your assets. You are my blood; my son and I will go to any lengths to protect you from this vile woman who doesn't deserve to sweep the floor you walk."

The family watched the drama unfold in front of their eyes too revolted to utter any words. They realized how low a woman who is neck deep into hatred can stoop to get her wish fulfilled.

Shivaay stood numb in shock hearing to his mother's hateful words against the woman he loved. His heart bled, thinking of the time when he misunderstood Anika who wanted nothing but his happiness. He cursed the day he believed his mother more than his wife.

As Kalyani swiftly took a step forward and slapped her daughter in law for creating a rift in her favorite grandson's married life, Shakti too scolded his wife for her nefarious ways.

Not caring for anyone's opinion, Pinky slowly walked to her son in desperation.

"Shivaay, please don't listen to them. They are egging you against me. Don't you know how much I love you? I did everything only for you Shivaay. Only to get this mendicant out of your life. You deserve much more Shivaay... please believe me... I did..."

"NO!!" her son spoke in a low tone stopping her cries.

"Shivaay," Pinky uttered in a plea, tears streaming down her face.

"Y..You did this for your happiness mom. All this drama, you did it for you. Not me" he said making his mother wail louder.

"Please, please stay away... No... you stay here. You said that whatever I am is because of you right?"

"This name, blood, lineage, that I was so proud of was because of you mom. The Shivaay who never looked beyond name and lineage was your upbringing mom. It was your fault that I stopped seeing people for what they are," he growled, his voice dripping with guilt.

"It was your doing that I never realized Anika's love for me. It was because of you that I became a living stone" he roared pushing her back.

Anika and Gauri rushed to his side holding him back when he continued to talk.

"Shivaay, stop it. Let it go," Anika mumbled caressing his arm.

"This woman whom you thought didn't deserve me, was the one I was ready to die for" he cried.

"I loved her and my life stood still until she walked back to me. Couldn't you realize that I will die without her? Did it not occur to you that I might break down if the one person who I trusted purely with my heart betrayed me? Why did you do it mom?"

"You are my blood, yet you back stabbed me. What kind of a lineage should Anika have to let go of the person she loved only because it will keep him from a fact that would shatter his ego? Surely not the one we have. Isn't it."

Pinky staggered back not knowing how to answer her son's questions.

"This girl," he said pointing to Gauri.

"She isn't a royal like you. My brother married her and brought her home as a pawn to help our family out of a problem. She could have gone back after her work was done but when my brother was lying on the bed as a vegetable for months together, she took care of him."

"Even when he woke up only to badmouth her, she stood true to her responsibility as a wife, as a daughter-in law of this house, always helping him out of trouble. When I needed her, she stood by me as a sister. What lineage does she have mom? Didn't you insult my sister a few days back?" he asked, his eyes blood shot with anger.

If his questions hurt Pinky, they tore at his brother's heart. Omkara tried to breath as the pain crippled him.

How did he ever think she was a gold digger?

"This guy here, his name is Karan. He doesn't have any relation to this family but to help me, he listened to you curses, took a punch from my brother for no fault of his. Why?"

"There are emotions more valuable than money, prosperity, name and lineage mom. Love, sisterhood, friendship, accountability, these are priceless."

"My brothers kept the truth from me because they love me. My daadi supported my love because she understood me but you..." he shook his head with a mirthless laugh.

"You didn't mom. You did everything for your own happiness and now, I will do things for my happiness," he declared.

"I do not want you in my life anymore. You are not my mother any longer" he said as Pinky stood stunned, her heart taking the intended blow.

"S..Shivaay" she meekly uttered as her son walked away from her taking his wife and sister along.

The rest of the family followed him, though Shakti stayed back to help his wife who fell to the floor, crying her heart out.

The one thing she never wanted, has happened. Her son, whom she never wanted to loose, left her all alone and chose his wife over her.

Life is a mirror; you get what you give. Nobody deserves misery but sometimes it's just your turn.

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I am sorry if this were boring but I couldn't cut anything.

No matter how much I hated drama, there are some scenes which hold their importance. This scene couldn't be cut off completely so I added some Rikara parts into it for my satisfaction.

Let me know how you felt about it.

Signing off, your Soujanya.

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