"You look so cute in this picture Omkara ji," Gauri smiled walking towards him to show the photo album.

It was mid noon by the time Omkara woke up and decided to freshen up for the day. He didn't have much choice as his mother almost broke the door of his bedroom when she knocked on it that afternoon.

Jhanvi scolded the couple for not eating through the day as both of them had their blissful sleep not caring for their stomachs and ordered them to get ready.

After a late brunch, Omkara decided to work on a sketch in their room while Gauri sat on the bed eagerly unsticking the pictures from one album out of a heap of which she got from her mother-in-law's room.

Omkara looked away from the sketch he was working on and focused on the picture shown by his wife.

He smiled as he said, "Yeah but now I must look hot right?"

"Wow, how humble of you," his wife said in all sarcasm and he laughed extending his hand to her. Placing the album on the worktable, she took his waiting hand with a smile.

He pulled her nearer to the stool on which he sat, made her stand along his side while he brought his attention back to his unfinished work.

Placing a hand on her husband's shoulders, Gauri admired his spectacled look for a few uninterrupted minutes.

Hot was a compliment she considered under descriptive of her love's work look. When he wore his loose v neck t shirts, pulled his hair into a sexy man bun, donned those vicious reading glasses and focused on sketching a picture on the canvas, he looked ravishing to her.

Lately, she found it very difficult not to ogle at him during work. She feared he would leave everything and come to her if he got a whiff of her thoughts on him. Begrudgingly, she focused on her English stories especially ones she found interesting to keep her thoughts away from him.

That day however seemed to be her exception as she looked at him without restraint.

"You would burn me down with that look Gauri."

Her husband's statement made her flush red. 

She hurriedly removed her hand which she noticed was senselessly drawing designs on his arm and tried to move away but he held her close, his grip on her waist firm but gentle.

Why couldn't getting caught red handed be less embarrassing?

She saw his other hand freely move on the paper, his eyes not leaving it for a second.

How did he know?... she thought.

"I can feel your eyes on me wifey," she saw him smirk, though he still didn't look her way.

It took him another ten minutes to complete his work and sigh in satisfaction while his wife stood straight, keeping her wayward hands in control.

Putting his pencil back in the holder, he turned to his wife and gave her his undivided attention.

Raising his eyebrows in question, he spoke, "Now tell me."

As she saw him place both her arms back on his shoulders, she asked in confusion.

"Tell what?"

"That you are finding it difficult to resist my charm," he gave her a wink and she couldn't help but smile.

Her hands cupped his face before she placed a kiss on his forehead.

"I like you like this," she said making him grin.

"Like what?"

"Humorous, liberated and happy."

"Oh, I thought you would say hot, delightful and sexy."

"Omkara ji," she laughed shaking her head as he hugged her waist.

"I am happy because I have you," he mumbled gripping her tight.

She embraced him and gently rubbed his back.

"You should be yourself no matter who stays with you," she replied.

He parted from her and looked at her smiling face.

She gestured towards the album and said, "You very happy even before you met me."

"I was barely five in that picture Gauri. Life didn't happen to me then."

She loosened his hold on her and taking the album walked to the bed while he continued to stare at her.

Once she sat on the foam mattress and leaned on the headboard, she looked at him and patted the place beside her.

He quietly did as he was told, and Gauri opened the book of memories for him to describe.

Putting an arm around her shoulder and pulling her close for comfort, Omkara watched his wife as she turned through the pages.

"That was my first Holi," he said as she looked at a color filled picture.

She smiled and touched his boyish face spewing out laughter while he tried to catch a boy slightly older than him.

"One of the few candid ones taken by chote papa," he added making her look at him in surprise.

"Chote papa ji likes photography? This picture is so beautiful."

"One of the few things he let go because he had to compete with Mr. Oberoi in running the Oberoi empire," he said in disgust.

Gauri again looked at the picture and pointing at the other boy, she asked.

"This must be Bade bhaiyya right?"

Omkara nodded his head in a yes.

"Never did we think that our parents saw us not as brothers who would share but as competitors who would fight for supremacy. I never understood why Choti maa fought with Mr. Oberoi and why my grand-mother got that affected after each fight." 

"We were so happy chasing each other that I never thought I will be forced to go after him for the rest of my life."

She held his hand to link her fingers with his and he took it to his lips to give a gentle kiss.

"Shivaay always excelled in academics but he wanted to become a doctor. When choti maa firmly set the rule that he is to pursue business, he took it up and did his best. He went to Harvard and got a gold medal too. I don't know how he did that but the same was not my case."

"I wanted to do arts and Mr. Oberoi forced me to take up business management. I tried it Gauri, I genuinely did it," he said truthfully and she nodded her head.

"My head would burst with the pressure. Numbers didn't excite me as colors did and I barely made it to the pass mark. My father blamed my mother for her upbringing and reminded me time and again of my uselessness. His affairs became more rampant and I was stupid enough to take the blame," he said, his voice turning heavy.

"Every time something went wrong, he would blame mom. I started to hate him but I never went against him. Mom always told me that under that hard cover, he had love for me. I waited forever to see one glimpse of that love Gauri but the moment never came. It was when he started to force Priyanka to the same torture that I stopped expecting."

"She was just a baby and he would shout at her for no reason. How could I allow that? How can any father be a beast to his own offspring?" he asked her making her heart weep for him.

"Was he the same to Rudy bhaiyya as well?"

Omkara nodded a yes and Gauri felt immense anger for her father in law.

 "I wonder how he bore all that without a word. Priyanka used to cry but he never did that," she heard her husband say.

"He had you and bade bhaiyya. He must have believed that you both will take care of him," said Gauri.

"That was what daadi used to say," he told her with a small smile before he continued.

"I decided to pursue what gave me peace of mind. College was my hideaway from home which always gave me nightmares. It was then that I first came in touch with a rookie. At first it was just a play which one of my rich friends introduced me to."

"The problems after that only grew, but then I had the aid of something which would make me forget things. My mom was drowned in her own pain to recognize it and Mr. Oberoi was never at home. It was Shivaay who first noticed the change in my behavior ," he said.

Taking a pause he added, "Arjun did too. He tried to stop me but I couldn't give up my only escape."

"You were his best friend," Gauri said with a smile and he nodded.

"He was the only one I really got attached to. He was from a very humble background and I helped him out with money, the only thing I had in abundance. Our friendship started with gratitude and ended with misunderstandings."

"He told me what he did wrong Omkara ji, he was just carried away by..." started Gauri.

"I don't hold a grudge against him Gauri. I know we both were immature at that time but I cannot trust him. Lying is something I hate because my father did it so often. He lied to me, my mother, his mother and to the whole world."

"I despise it, it is a reflex reaction. Nothing conscious in it."

She nodded her head in understanding and he explained further.

"Arjun had been a closed chapter. We haven't talked for almost a decade and I didn't have him in my thoughts until I came to know that he will be your professor. I cannot just go say a hi and be friends with him. It will be very awkward. In fact I thought even he forgot about me until that day when you told me about Himani and him."

"I don't think it will be awkward Omkara ji. He still considers you as his best friend. If Himani reminded him of you, it only means that he never forgot you. You should try. That is what I feel," she stressed kissing his hand.

He nodded his head in agreement.

"I will try," he paused "for you," he completed with a smile.

She looked into his smiling eyes and tried to make light of the situation.

"You would anything and everything for me except saying for saying I love you. Right?" she mocked him with a playful glare and he shook his head with mirth.

"Nandi bail," she huffed.

Omkara laughed aloud and tried to hug her close when she wriggled out

"Leave me, let me see more of your happy pictures. I need to know of each of your fun moments," she said, making him sigh with a roll of his eyes.

"You can do that while I hug you too."

"No, keep distance. You will distract me," she accused, moving away a little.

Omkara frowned at her but didn't disturb for a few pictures when he dutifully answered her questions.

It was on the twentieth picture that his patience wore thin and he pulled the album away.

"Aree... I want to see more pictures," she protested pulling it back.

"No, time up. I need your attention on me now," he said on a firm note.

"Okay, one last picture."

"No Gauri," her husband opposed.

"Please?"

"What is in it for me?"

"Anything," she declared and he happily grinned handing the album back to her.

"Isn't this Priyanka?" she asked pointing to the baby girl who sat between the three brothers.

"Who else?" her husband responded impatiently.

"Can I ask you something about her?" she hesitated and he frowned.

"Why? What is wrong?"

"She looked like a naughty little creature in all the other pictures except for the ones taken during her college days when she looked disturbed, unhappy. I know a little about how Ranveer threatened her but I do not know the details. You did not consider me family then and I did not ask later on."

Omkara went on to explain about the accident which served as a trigger for his drug abuse, the reason for her sister's constant fear before she got married and their equation with the woman who was injured in that mishap.

"So Prinku still takes care of Ranveer's sister?"

"Yes, that is one of the reasons that she married him."

Gauri nodded her head and thought about the facts.

"What are you thinking about?"

"I pray that I am wrong but I think she is not happy with her pregnancy Omkara ji."

"What?" he asked with widened eyes.

"No, don't be worried. It might be just a fight with her husband or with that Kamini. Why don't you call and check on her?"

"Will do it now," he said hurriedly getting up from his place and she stopped him.

"Did you forget that she must be resting for the day? She sleeps in early. Anika Bhaujai told me," she reminded him, showing the clock which struck nine at night.

"You can call her the first thing in the morning tomorrow," she assured him and he sat back.

Not long after, they heard Jhanvi shouting their names, asking for their presence at the dinner table.

Giving a quick kiss, Omkara got up from the bed and along with his wife walked out of the room to reach the dining hall.

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"The stage is set. Now I just have to play my cards carefully so that she will fall into the trap," Ajay informed his boss.

"Great but be careful. If Omkara gets to know that you work for me, you can say a goodbye to your payment," warned Svetlana.

"Don't worry about it. He will not know about you," he assured with confidence.

"Nice, get on with it then. It is party time," she said in glee.

"Right on time," Ajay said before he hung up the call.

***********************************************************************

Hola.👻👻

How are you??

I was in two minds whether to write everything of Omkara's life in his words. But yaar it would turn boring if I repeated the same thing again and again.

So, I stuck to the parts which were not discussed before.

I made Tej a full on villain and I do not regret it any bit. I didn't like him at all and I also didn't like how he was forgiven 😑😑😤 with just a sorry.

In case I forgot anything or if there is something you think needs a mention, please remind me in your comments.

Bye... see you later, love you.❤❤

Signing off... yours Soujanya.😍😍