There you go.... A double update....😇😇

Location: Shetty house, Bareilly.

Omkara asked Svetlana to accompany him for the long evening ahead and she gladly agreed. It was half past six in the evening and she was arranging the Shagun Thalli to be given to Gauri when Omkara came with a small jewelry pouch in hand. He handed it over to her and she opened it to see a pair of beautiful bangles inside. When she looked at him, he answered "My mother's bangles"

"But... ghar ke badi bahu ke liye hote hai na ye (it should be given for the elder son's wife right?)"

"Let her keep it ... I cannot imagine anyone else in her place"

"Omkara... how are going to ...."

"Madam...let us discuss this later... she must be coming anytime now... where is Rudy?"

"In the hall... waiting for her" she said bitterly. He nodded and without further comments walking out.

Omkara reached the hall in time to see Gauri along with Sahil entering his house with a smile and Rudra jumping up from his place, rushing towards her to engulf her in a hug.

Fisting his hands tightly, Omkara turned his face away from the gut wrenching scene and called for Svetlana to come out.

After the initial formalities, they sat down in their respective chairs, Rudy sitting close to Gauri while Omkara along with Svetlana sat opposite them. Sahil took the mini chair to take his seat beside Gauri.

Gauri looked at Omkara with a smile and he returned it with a slight lift of the corner of his lips.

"Acchaa... Di... you are here... good... we can start to discuss the wedding arrangements then" said Gauri while Svetlana fake smiled.

"Wedding arrangements? Bhai told you about it?" asked Rudra smiling at her and she nodded "Yeah... he asked me for my hand in marriage... with you Rudy" she explained.

"What?" asked Rudra baffled at the information making Svetlana look at them in doubt.

"Yeah... I said okay...and asked him if I could come over and discuss it with you... It is our marriage... we should plan it to our taste right?"

"What?? Bhabhi what the hell is going on?" he said agitatedly and Omkara's head snapped in his direction.

"Bhabhi?"

"Bhaiyaa... what were you thinking? Me and Gauri... God...how could you think like that? She loves you" Rudra said and Svetlana squealed in delight jumping up from her place while Omkara gaped at him.

"Didn't you hear a word I told you in the morning? Where was your head?" he said raising from his place and walking towards his brother who stood up to his height.

"You told you loved Gauri and she loved you too" he said dumbly.

"Haaa... as my sister in law... I told you after that she has been in love with you for two years and was weary to talk to you" he said and Omkara cursed under his breath.

He stopped listening to anything after his brother's first sentence... Rudra must have told him and he failed to grasp it.

Seeing his brother in shock, Rudra repeated what he said to him that morning "Remember when I came home for the last vacation, we went to the temple for jagrata....I saw her stealing glances at you that night and I asked her then... She confessed that she likes you and asked me to talk to you about it. I had to return earlier than planned for college last time because of my project and I promised her that I will come back soon" he explained.

"That is why I returned a day prior bhaiyya... to talk to you... I told you all this today... what were you doing if you were not listening to me?"

"You still didn't get it Rudy?" asked Gauri calmly, still sitting on her chair and everyone looked at her.

"Your brother loves me" she said and stood up while Rudra gasped.

"The moment you said you love me, he didn't listen to anything after that" she said "Being the loving brother he is, he decided to sacrifice his love once he assumed that you loved me... forever burying the truth... great...isn't he? I wouldn't have known about it too if Sahil had not told me that your brother was interested in me few days back"

"Bhaiyya... are you mad? You hid such a big thing from me?" shouted Rudra while his brother still stared at Gauri who looked positively fuming.

"If we are done with the revelations... I will take my leave" she said and turned around when Rudra stopped her coming in her way.

"Bhabhi please... sorry... it was just a misunderstanding... I never kept things from him and your issue was the only thing I managed to hide for that long... I must have errored in explaining to him... please don't be hurt"

"No.. I am extremely proud that I got to love such a man... but I can't marry your brother Rudra... I just can't... get out of my way" she said and pushed him away while she walked to the door.

Rudra shook his brother's arms who stood still not even trying to stop her.

"Why are you standing like a statue... go and stop her" he said pushing him and Omkara begged his brain to come alive. He ran after her calling her name.

"Gauri... Gauri stop" he called on reaching her while she struggled to open the door which seemed to be locked from the outside.

"Who is this... who locked the door? Sahil" she shouted and got a "Yes" from the kid.

"Sahil... open the door.... Now!!" she threatened.

"No Gauri... bahut ho gaya aap dono ka... I want a happy ending today itself.... Resolve the matter and we can go home then" said Sahil making everyone except Gauri chuckle.

"Stop your non-sense.... Open the door" she yelled and banged on the door but it refused to obey her.

"We are going to the other room bhaiyya... Bhabhi ko manane ke baad hi aana (come only after she forgives you) we are locking the door from inside" called Rudra while Gauri still struggled with the door.

"Gauri" said Omkara gently touching her shoulder and she turned around glaring at him.

"Don't even dare to touch me"

"Gauri... I am sorry..... I misunderstood the situation"

"What should I do with your damn sorry... I was expecting you to propose me today... and what did you do?... Tell me one thing... if you really loved me how did you plan to stay with us after I marry Rudy? Do you plan to run away? Would he be happy then?" she asked him and he sighed.

"Why are you so noble... righteous... honorable... Omkaraji... I am a simple girl with simple tastes... I didn't expect my husband to be the prince charming but I wanted a man who would stand up for what he wanted... this sacrificial kind is not to my taste" she talked further not giving him a change to speak.

"I can't have someone who listens to half truth or half conversations before making up his mind or who jumps to conclusions without knowing the other side of the coin... in future if we fight and Rudra asks you to leave me will you do it? then what will become of me?" she asked and when he neared her she pushed him away.

"How can you not know that I love you... your brother could tell it in seven days and you took two years and even then you are unaffected by it... and kindly enlighten me Omkaraji... What kind of girl you think me to be? that I will hug anybody or let any man touch me? Didn't you feel anything even after last night?" she asked tearfully.

This time, he pulled her in for a hug not caring for her protests.

"Sorry Gauri... I don't have answers to any of your questions... all I know is that I love you and I will try my best to keep you happy" he said and she stubbornly tried to loosen his hold on her.

"Please Gauri... just a few minutes... no one gave me time to even process and feel the happiness after knowing that you love me" he whispered and she stopped fidgeting for a moment.

"Just for some time... please...let me come to terms with the fact that all this is real and not some wild dream of mine... that you really are in my arms right now after knowing that I love you... you can scold me to your hearts content after that Gauri" he continued to plead and she gave in hugging him back.

Omkara's life returned to him that moment... he still couldn't believe she loved him and he was an idiot to waste two years of them being together owing to his fear of rejection...He tightened the hug, hiding his head in the nook of her neck while she gently passed her fingers of one hand through his hair, rubbing his back with her other.

They stayed like that for the next few precious moments, Omkara trying to believe there is a chance for him being happy and Gauri trying to tame her anger.

Didn't she deserve a normal husband, who asked for her hand in a normal gentlemanly manner and have a normal life? She had to fall in love with this noble soul who gives up his share of happiness for his brother to cry till death....

Itna drama kaun jhelegaa....(who will bare all this drama) just forget him... you can have someone sane enough...her mind warned her.

He loves you and you wouldn't get a man like him ever... her heart screamed in reply.

As every other time, her heart won over her brain and she gave in to his love.

"Gauri" said Omkara in a bare whisper.

"Hmm"

"I love you so much" he said planting a kiss on her temple and she smiled.

"Not more than you love your brother" she replied and he parted from her to look at her face.

When he noticed the smirk, he sighed relieved and cupped her face bringing her forehead close to his.

"You have a separate place Gauri... and Rudy has his... you both are important to me" he said and she nodded understanding.

"Am I forgiven?" he asked caressing her cheek and she shook her head in a no.

"What... I will say sorry to you every day... ab maaf bhi kar do na... in my defense... Rudy took a bad start... he said he loved you... now how am I supposed to think that he is talking of you and me"

"Acha... so you are blaming your brother entirely? He did explain you everything later... you had been the deaf one"

"I know... the thought that I couldn't have you almost killed me Gauri... I couldn't breathe properly forget hearing and understanding whatever he said later" he confessed and she placed a gentle kiss on his cheek.

"So much for drama... your eyes are swollen... all that crying for nothing" she said as she kissed his eyelids... "I guess I should say sorry too...I was too hurt when you asked me to marry your brother and I deliberately withheld the information to let you suffer for a bit longer" she confessed and he wound his hands around her waist pulling her closer.

"Pain preceeds happiness they say... had I not known how it feels to lose you I wouldn't be feeling like the luckiest man now when I have you with me" he replied and she smiled placing her hands on his shoulders.

"Sahil was suggesting I came with a bat to hit your head so that you learn your lesson"

"That boy... never fails to make my life miserable... I have to thank him for today though"

"Hmmm... Omkaraji... can I ask you something?" she asked and he nodded smiling at her.

"What did you give Vijay Thakur yesterday?"

A blush automatically appeared on Omkara's face and Gauri laughed "Humare sharmile chirotaa... ab batayenge bhi? (can you please tell me?)"

Omkara leaned to her and whispered the answer in her ears making her widen her eyes.

"Haaaw... I thought you are a sanskaari chiroota... how did you know all that?"

"That is different... it is basic knowledge" he said in his defense.

"Is the knowledge theoretical or you practiced it too" she asked narrowing her eyes and he vigorously shook his head in a no.

"Hmmm... good" she said gently tracing his shoulder blade with her fingernail.

Omkara looked at her eyes and then her lips.... which were too inviting at the moment... having her close always clouded his mind with unholy thoughts and he couldn't help the sudden urge to kiss her senseless.

When he still contemplated if it is proper to kiss her prior marriage, Gauri looked at him wondering why he went silent all of a sudden. When she noted the look of un-adulterated desire in his eyes she blushed.

"Do... do you want something?" she asked him a minute later and he thought for a moment before nodding a no making her frown.

"Hey Shankarji... itna bhi sanskaari chiroota nahi chahiye tha humko (Good God... I never wanted such a good boy)" she exclaimed before tiptoeing and kissing his lips squarely.

Once he got a taste of her soft lips Omkara didn't hold back anymore crushing her to him and kissing her hungrily, stealing her breath. As he plundered her mouth mercilessly, she struggled to keep up with him. When she couldn't hold on anymore, she tried to extricate herself and he refused to let go.

"Omkaraji... I can't breathe" she mumbled incoherently catching her breath with difficulty when he left her for a second.

"Learn to deal with it... I am not leaving you anytime soon... breath with your nose" he said before he closed his mouth over hers again. This time Gauri got the hang of it and didn't stop him soon.

"I love you" he said in between the kisses and she replied "I love you too humare Omkaraji" smiling.

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

"Bhaiyya.... Can we come out... I am hungry" shouted Rudra from inside the room but Omkara payed no heed.

"Me too... Gauri... can I open the door now... you won't hit me right?" asked Sahil and Gauri managed to stop Omkara parting from him.

Adjusting their looks, Gauri banged on the door mumbling a come inside while Omkara proceeded into the kitchen after asking his brother to come out.

"All set? Should we take it as happy ending and start with the wedding arrangements?" asked Rudra while Sahil looked at Gauri eagerly waiting for her response.

"Yes..." came the response from Omkara who emerged with a glass of water and handed it over to Gauri.

"Are waah... this early? you managed to calm her down bhaiyya... how did you do it?" asked Sahil.

"I have my own ways" he said putting his arm over her shoulders and pulling her to him.

Svetlana looked at Gauri's swollen lips and blushing cheeks and widened her eyes. Rudra and Sahil looked at one another in surprise.

"One day with him and you got rid of the Shy and silent Omkara... Gauri... I am impressed" said Svetlana winking at them.

"Right... pata nahi aage kya kya dekhne ko milega (don't know what all we might get to see in future) Let's get them married as soon as possible" said Rudra and Sahil nodded in agreement.

Gauri smiled at them and looked to her side. She blushed when her supposedly sharmile (shy) chirota winked, sending a secret kiss her way.

Love makes the shy brave and the brave shy---- C.C. Aurel.

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

Yaay... with that we come to an end of the first plot of Once upon a time in Bareilly.

So many of you have asked me why I'm stopping it here... there are many reasons

1) I basically am not a fan of hero s who are shy ... this is the first time I wrote something like this. I cannot forever stretch this...

2) The plot isn't my idea... as I already mentioned... I couldn't think beyond this... what should I write with a not so well educated hero and heroine... that has been a backlog.

3) I planned it to be a short story from the start and thought may be I could develop it but the lack of votes and appropriate response made me think twice.. Surprisingly this is the book which got the least number of votes compared to all my other stories... I don't know the reasons but I kept mum because I never asked for votes really.. I believe if people liked something they will vote on their own... That being said I think "Shy Omkara" might be the reason for the low response... or the plot??? I am not sure... so I'm giving this a happy ending and starting with the next one on an enthusiastic note. ❤🥳

Hope you understand.

Let me know your thoughts on the chapter as well as the story...

Till the next time... signing off... yours Soujanya...