Hello everyone...

Thank you so much for voting and commenting on the previous story. due to Eid holidays, I have been a little busy and didn't get time to reply to comments and PMs.

Previous story: Insane Hearts (Posted on 21 – Jul – 2021)

A REQUEST TO SILENT READERS

I HAVE ASKED THIS BEFORE ALSO, I AM ASKING YOU AGAIN, CAN SILENT READERS PLEASE STOP SENDING ME STORY REQUESTS?? IF YOU CAN'T SPEND ONE MINUTE TO LEAVE A FEEDBACK, THEN I DON'T THINK I HAVE TO SPENT DAYS TO WRITE STORIES THAT YOU WANT ME TO WRITE. I AM DONE BEING NICE AND POLITE, FROM NOW ON, I AM JUST GOING TO IGNORE YOUR MESSAGES!

I AM NOT ASKING YOU TO COMMENT; I AM ASKING YOU TO SHOW BASIC DECENCY BY NOT ASKING ME TO WRITE STORIES FOR YOU WHEN YOU HAVEN'T BOTHERED TO LEAVE A WORD OF APPRECIATION!

This story is pretty much inspired from a Malayalam movie. Hope you guys will like it.

Haven't really planned a story as such, just going along as I write.

This story and Omkara are going to piss off some people royally, so please read at your discretion.

"Who is this Gauri?" Dadi asks confused.

"She is my friend, Dadi." Anika replies. "She got a job here and she has no one to stay with."

"But how can we let a stranger stay in our house?" Dadi asks her.

"She is Anika's friend, Dadi." Shivaay tells her.

"I don't have a problem, you check with your Bua Saas and Chachi Saas." Dadi tells them.

"You talk to them." Anika quickly tells her. "You know, they still don't like me." Anika tells her softly looking down.

"No one asked you two to run away and get married." Dadi cheekily points out.

"They were not letting us get married." Shivaay points out to her with a frown. "They were all set to get me married to either Ridhima or Ishana."

"Because of you my poor Om is suffering."

"Dadi!" Anika calls her in shock.

Dadi gives her an embarrassed smile. "Sorry, it came out in the flow."

Anika scowls at her.

"You know, I love you."

"Yeah." Anika rolls her eyes.

"You know what they are doing is wrong. You should put a stop to it." Shivaay tells her.

"After your parents had passed away they had raised you and Om like mothers. Roop never got married for you two, and after Shakti's death, you both are all Pinky has."

"But they are wrong, Dadi." Shivaay tells her. "Om would have his dreams and wishes."

"I know... I tried my best to make them understand but when have they ever listened to me? they are busy fighting. Whether Om chooses to marry Ridhima or Ishana, it will end up hurting one of his mothers." Dadi says sadly.

"Oh please, can you all at least stop saying those names!" Omkara asks tired as he walked in hearing them.

"How did your date with both of them go?" Dadi asks curiously.

"Oh my God, Dadi, you are making me sound like a playboy." Omkara tells her in disgust. "Dates! Two dates! Lunch date and Dinner date!"

"Yeah, that doesn't make you sound like one!" Shivaay replies rolling his eyes.

"If you had married either of them then I wouldn't have to go through this!" Omkara tells him exasperated.

"Oh my God, Om you too?" Anika asks shocked.

"I didn't mean that, Bhabhi. You know, I love you." Omkara quickly says ashamed.

"Yeah right!" Anika mutters irately.

"They love you, darling." Shivaay tells her.

"Of course, I know!" Anika replies exasperated. "Now, Gauri!"

"Gauri?" Omkara asks as he looked at Shivaay.

"Anika was asking Dadi about letting her friend, Gauri stay here." Shivaay explains.

"Oh." Omkara nods. "I don't think Bua and Chachi would agree."

"Dadi, this is your house, only your consent is required." Anika tells her.

Dadi thoughtfully looks at her. "Let her stay here for a few days, if I don't like her then you will have to ask her to leave."

"I am sure you would love her." Anika tells her smiling.

"It would be fun, if you like Gauri, and you want Om to marry her. then we can really have world war 3 with Bua and Chachi." Shivaay cheekily tells her.

"Very funny!" Omkara sarcastically tells him.

"Shut up, you bloody fool." Dadi scolds Shivaay.

"Dadi..." Anika whispers seeing Roop and Pinky walk in.

"Om, how did your date with Ridhima go?" Pinky asks excitedly.

"Om, how did your date with Ishana go?" Roop asks at the same time. "Have you both taken a decision?"

"What decision?" Pinky turns to her with a frown. "My son is going to marry Ridhima!"

"No, he will marry Ishana. He will never betray me." Roop says as she pointed looked at Shivaay.

Shivaay looks away hurt hearing that, and his eyes fall on Anika who was looking down hurt.

"My Om knows what all sacrifices I made for him, he will marry the girl that I approve of."

"You made sacrifices? It was me! I raised him. for both of them I didn't even get married." Roop argues.

"Shakti and I didn't have kids for them!" Pinky argues.

"So you say... what if either of you had some problem?"

"Bua!" Shivaay says her name in anger.

"Chachi is our mother just like you." Omkara gently tells her.

"We could have adopted, we didn't." Pinky points out. "We didn't want Om and Shivaay to feel that we didn't love them."

"We know, chachi." Omkara tells her. "We know the sacrifices that you both made for us."

"But what you are asking Om in return is not right." Shivaay tells them.

"You don't say anything." Roop scolds him.

"At least you don't betray us, Om." Pinky pleads him as she caressed his cheek.

"Shivaay and Anika Bhabhi fell in love. Why don't you accept them? when you love us so much, why can't you love the one he loves?" Omkara asks them.

"If he loved us then he should have loved the one we love." Roop points out.

Omkara sighs tiredly.

"Not marry an orphan who has no family and relations." Pinky replies then shaking her head, she turns to Omkara. "Tell me, how did it go with Ridhima?" Pinky asks him.

"Before that tell me how it went with Ishana?" Roop asks him.

"I told both of them about what is happening here and that I am not going to choose either of them by hurting either of you." Omkara tells them.

"How could you do that, Om?" Pinky asks shocked.

"Oh my God, why did you do that, Om?" Roop asks. "What did Ishana say?"

"Did Ridhima feel bad?" Pinky asks worried.

"Like usual they are too dense to understand that I don't want to marry them." Omkara replies irately.

"Thank God." Pinky says in relief.

"For them being dense?" Shivaay asks shocked.

"For being understanding and so loving to wait for Om." Roop tells him.

Tired and fed up, Omkara walks off.

"Pinky... Roop... tomorrow, Anika's friend is coming to stay with us for a few days." Dadi informs them.

"What?" Pinky asks frowning.

"Why is her friend staying here?" Roop asks frowning.

"Because this is Anika's house too." Dadi tells them and walks off.

Seeing both her mothers-in-law were glaring at her, Anika quickly walks off.

"He is not happy, he is suffering." Shivaay tells them.

"Ishana will make him the perfect wife and fill his life with happiness."

"Ridhima will make him the perfect wife." Pinky sternly adds on.

Shaking his head, Shivaay walks off.

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

Next evening, Gauri comes with her luggage.

"Is she going to stay here forever?" Pinky asks frowning seeing three huge bags.

"I don't like strangers in our house." Roop mutters irately.

They watched as Gauri was introduced to Dadi by Anika. Then Anika turns to them.

"Gauri, these are..." Anika starts to tell her.

"I know Roop Bua and Pinky Chachi." Gauri tells her with a smile. "hello... I've heard so much about you both that it is like I know you all."

"Heard about us?" Roop asks surprised.

"Yeah..." Gauri nods. "From Shivaay and Anika."

"ladki ko tameez nahi hai." Roop mutters.

"Why do you say that?" Gauri asks confused.

"Because you should not call someone elder to you by name." Roop tells her.

"Oh So, I should call Shivaay, Shivaay bhaiyya?" Gauri asks curiously. Then turning to Anika, she asks "If he is bhaiyya then you will become Bhabhi, right?"

"Bhabhi?" Pinky frowns. "Aren't you same age?"

"No, she is my junior."

"Junior? In school or college?" Pinky asks curiously.

"College."

"College? So, you know Shivaay and Om too?" Pinky asks.

"Yeah, Omkara was my classmate." Gauri replies.

"Oh." Roop nods.

"Anika take her to her room. Let her rest for some time." Dadi says.

They were about to go to her room when Omkara walks in.

"Ah your friend is here?" Omkara asks. "hello. I am Omkara." Omkara says with a smile.

"What?" Pinky turns to Omkara in confusion.

"Don't you know her?" Roop asks him in shock.

"Know her?" Omkara asks shocked.

"We were classmates, Om." Gauri reminds him in shock.

Omkara looks at Gauri in confusion.

"You don't remember seeing her?" Pinky asks him in confusion.

"My boy doesn't look at girls only." Roop proudly says.

"Yeah, he always had his head hidden inside his book." Gauri replies with a smile.

"Maybe that is why." Omkara replies flustered.

"So, where did you stay when you were studying here?" Pinky asks her in confusion.

"College hostel."

"You should look for some working women's hostel then." Pinky tells her.

"I've been staying in hostels for so long that I just couldn't stay in one any longer." Gauri tells her.

"What?" Pinky asks in shock hearing that. "So, you don't plan to move out?"

"Where are your parents?" Roop asks at the same time.

"They were in Bareilly. now, I don't know." Gauri honestly replies.

"What do you mean you don't know?" Roop asks shocked.

"They should be there only. Where would they go from there?" Gauri asks with a chuckle. "I'm so stupid. Yeah, they would be there."

"Why don't you know where they are?"

"I cut off from them when I turned 18. I disowned them." Gauri explains.

"what?" Pinky and Roop shout in shock.

"What do you mean by that, puttar?" Dadi asks her.

While Omkara, Anika and Shivaay exchanged worried glances.

"I was treated like a second class citizen at my own home. I didn't have the freedom that my younger brother had. they didn't even want me to study. So, when I turned 18, I left home. I came here as I had got scholarship." Gauri explains.

"Feminist." Pinky whispers to Roop.
"Yeah!" Roop agrees.

Anika worriedly looks at Shivaay and Omkara seeing the shocked and scandalized expression on all three women.

"You can get to know Gauri slowly. You should be tired, Gauri. why don't you take her to her room, Anika. Anyway dinner should be served shortly and Gauri might want to freshen up before that." Shivaay tells his wife.

Anika nods. "Come, Gauri."

They all stood silently as they watched Gauri and Anika walk off. once, they were out of ear shot, Dadi turns to Shivaay, "Why didn't you tell me all this?"

"What is there to tell, Dadi? Her family was wrong and she fought against them." Shivaay defends her.

"You don't disown your family for anything." Pinky tells Shivaay in anger.

"If that was the case then we would have disowned you the moment you married that orphan." Roop tells him.

"Dadi, you promised Anika. Let Gauri stay here." Shivaay tells her.

Dadi nods.

"But ask her to start looking for another accommodation." Pinky tells him.

"She looked like she has come to stay here forever. Did you see her luggage?" Roop adds.

Fed up and tired, Shivaay walks off. Omkara was about to follow him when Roop calls him.

"Yes?" Omkara walks to him.

"That girl is no good news, Om. you stay away from her." Roop tells him.

"Just continue to ignore her the way you did in college." Pinky tells him.

"I wasn't ignoring anyone in college. You know, I am not rude." Omkara tells them with a frown.

"Still you ignore her." Pinky tells him.

"That girl definitely has her eyes on you." Roop tells him.

"Even you noticed?" Pinky asks surprised.

"Noticed what?" Omkara asks confused.

"She has her eyes on you."

"what?"

"The way she was smiling it was obvious that she likes you."

"Really?" Omkara asks with a surprised smile.

"Why are you smiling for that?" Pinky asks frowning.

"Don't even think about her." Roop warns him.

His smile drops immediately and sighing tiredly. "Okay then." Omkara says and starts to walk off.

"Where are you going? There is something I want to talk to you. come to my room." Pinky tells him.

"Before that, I want to talk to you." Roop tells him.

"Is it about Ridhima and Ishana?" Omkara asks tired. "If so, can we not do it?"

"Chup chaap chalo."

*********

Much later, Omkara tiredly sat by the pool as he thought about all the mess in his life. Bua and Chachi had ate his brains off with their Ridhima and Ishana jaab. Try as he may, he couldn't just take a bold stand and shut them down. He loved Chachi and Bua too much to hurt them like that. he had seen how broken they were when Shivaay had eloped. It had nearly killed him to see his mothers cry and now even he was doing the same to them. he doesn't remember his parents as they passed away when he was just a year old, but he never missed them because both Chachi and Bua had raised him with so much love. They competed with each other in loving him and Shivaay. Hearing a sound, he turns back to check and sees the servants switching off the lights. Realizing that everyone had gone to sleep, he waits for a few more minutes to be double sure.

Omkara was about to knock on the door when he notices that it was ajar. He opens the door and walk in to find Shivaay and Anika with Gauri.

"What are you guys doing here?" Omkara asks them.

"Checking on her. what are you doing here?" Shivaay asks him back.

Omkara shakes his head and asks them in confusion, "Wasn't it decided that we would behave as if Gauri and I were complete strangers?"

"Ask her." Anika points at Gauri.

"It kind of slipped out."

Omkara shakes his head tired and taking a deep breath he asks her, "Gauri, you are here to win all their hearts. Why did you tell them about your family?"

"They asked me.do you expect me to lie?" Gauri asks frowning. "I want them to like me for me. not as the perfect picture fitting into their concept of ideal bahu."

"They are already not impressed, Gauri." Anika gently tells her.

Gauri shrugs in reply. "It is important for him, not me."

"He loves them, Gauri." Shivaay gently tells her.

"And he loves me too." Gauri points out.

"And I don't want to choose." Omkara says tired.

"Shivaay bhaiyya married Anika bhabhi and he didn't have to choose."

"It is not easy, Gauri." Shivaay tells her.

"And Gauri, Om is not Shivaay. You know that." Anika gently tells her.

Gauri sighs shaking her head. "I can't believe that I went and fell in love with the most timid guy ever." Gauri mutters.

Embarrassed, Omkara looks at Shivaay and Anika and sees them grinning.

Seeing Omkara embarrassed, Anika says "Now, Gauri, he isn't that timid. After all he proposed you."

Gauri turns to Anika in shock and surprise, "What gave you that idea? That he proposed me? I proposed him!"

"What?" Shivaay looks at Omkara in shock.

"jootey!" Anika accuses him.

"I didn't lie. I asked her out on a date. You didn't propose. You threatened me." Omkara points out.

"Threatened you?" Gauri asks offended.

Omkara turns to her and reminds her, "I see you drooling over me and following me around, either you take me on a date or if you have no honorable intentions, I'll break your legs for being a lecher."

"I wasn't sure whether it was love or lust with the way you were salivating after me." Gauri replies with a shrug.

"Still you went on a date with him?" Shivaay asks shocked.

"I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself." Gauri replies. "And Om..." Gauri turns to Omkara remembering, "I'm not here to win any hearts. I'm here because now I am your wife and this is my house too."

"Sshhh Gauri, softly." Omkara whispers in panic as he closed the door.

Gauri sighs exasperated.

"Is that why you brought all your stuff?" Omkara asks her. "Chachi and Bua noticed that you brought so many stuff."

"Yeah."

"You vacated your flat?" Omkara asks her shocked. "I told you not to do it."

"I'm not as rich as you Oberois to pay rent for a house that I am not even staying in."

"I would have paid the rent." Omkara replies.

Furious Gauri moves towards him, then glaring into his eyes, she asks, "When I have a house here, why should we pay rent for a flat?"

Omkara gulps feeling scared.

"What happened? did you two fight?" Shivaay asks to break the awkward moment.

Omkara shakes his head as he stepped back.

"Anyway, it is late, you guys go sleep." Omkara tells Shivaay and Anika.

"Good night, Gauri." Shivaay and Anika wishes her.

They were walking out when Shivaay notices Omkara not making any moves to leave. "Aren't you leaving?"

"Erm... you guys go."

"If Bua or Chachi finds out..."

"I'll go before they wake up."

Shivaay sighs and mutters as he walked out, "I guess, only for these things, you have the balls."

"Right!" Gauri replies as she glared at Omkara.

Omkara closes his eyes embarrassed.

******

Omkara closes the door and locks it once Shivaay and Anika left. He turns back to see Gauri and sees her walking off to the bed. He quickly hugs her from behind.

"I love you." Omkara tells her.

"Get lost."

"I kept my promise, didn't I? I brought you home in two weeks."

Gauri furiously turns around and tells him, "As some random girl. Not as your wife."

"I told you, Gauri. I need time for that." Omkara gently tells her.

"How long, Om?"

"I don't know." Omkara whispers helplessly. "Please baby, please be patient."

Gauri closes her eyes tired. Then she turns to walk to bed.

"By the way, both Bua and Chachi were saying that the way you were smiling at me, showed your love for me." Omkara tells her smiling as he held her hand and pulled her towards him.

"Really?" Gauri asks as she looked at him.

"Yeah." Omkara replies smiling as he wrapped his hands around her waist.

"They didn't see your love for me in your eyes and smile?"

Omkara's smile immediately drops.

"I am wondering whether I should rethink."

"We haven't even been married for a month and you are already threatening me with divorce!"

Gauri sighs softly, "I don't want to give you another ultimatum like I did for bringing me home. This time, I want you to do it yourself. It is not easy, Om but I am trying to give you a chance."

Omkara nods.

"I love you, Om. more than anyone or anything else in the world." Gauri tells him as she cupped his face.

"I know, love." Omkara lovingly smiles at her. "Otherwise you wouldn't sacrifice your self-respect like this and come and stay here as an unwanted guest."

"You know, I don't hesitate from fighting for my rights and what is rightfully mine. I want to give you a chance to set everything right. please don't make me ask and fight for my rights as your wife. I don't want to come between your family and you. you are the only one who I will tolerate shit from. I won't tolerate it from anyone else, I am not Anika Bhabhi. So please don't bring it to that."

"I know, love. And that is what I love the most in you. your courage and boldness." Omkara tells her smiling.

"Because you don't have both?" Gauri teases him.

Omkara chuckles hearing her.

"It's late. You go to your room." Gauri tells him as she kissed him on his cheek.

"What? I am sleeping here."

"Whatever for?" Gauri asks him frowning.

"What else for?" Omkara asks her with a sexy smile as he leaned down to kiss her.

"No way!"

"Come on, baby." Omkara whispers to her as he took her lips in his. "You know, I am not timid in bed."

"You have just two tracks, 1 your two mothers and second this!"

"I have a third track, that is constantly on my brain, heart and mind, and it is Gauri... Gauri... Gauri."

"Cheesy! Cheesy! Cheesy!"

Omkara chuckles, "I know even you want to."

"Take me to your room then." Gauri tells him.

"What?" Omkara stops in shock.

"I'm your wife, take me to your room. We will make love only there."

"Not here?" Omkara asks her.

Gauri shakes her head.

Realizing Gauri would be stubborn about it, he quickly lifts her up in his arms and walks to the door.

"Stop." Gauri says seeing him about to unlock the door.

"What?" Omkara looks at her.

"Your brain is really down there isn't? you only think with that."

"I am too horny to think from anywhere else."

Gauri shakes her head at him. "I'll not sneak into your room like a midnight booty call. I'll come to your room as your wife."

Omkara whispers in guilt, "I'm sorry, I am making you do all this. I just don't want them to hate you, Gauri."

"I know, Om. it doesn't matter to me, but it does to you and that is why I am putting up with all this."

"Thank you." Omkara lovingly smiles at her as he kissed her cheek.

Gauri smiles at him as she kissed his cheek. then she flicks her head to the bed.

"Bed?"

"Making love to my husband is my right." Gauri tells him as she leaned towards him and took his lips in hers.

******

"Good morning." Gauri wishes everyone as she stopped near the dining table.

Omkara doesn't even look up at her while Pinky and Roop give her haughty looks, Dadi, Shivaay and Anika politely smile at her.

"Come. Gauri. sit." Dadi invites her.

Gauri pulls up the chair next to Anika and sits down. Gauri starts serving for herself.

"Did you start looking for other accommodations?" Pinky asks her.

"No. I'm just getting settled in." Gauri replies.

"Before you settle in here, you should find another place to stay." Roop tells her.

Gauri looks at Omkara and sees him gesturing to Shivaay.

"Chachi... Bua... Gauri is Anika's guest." Shivaay reminds them.

"Anika herself is a guest here!" Pinky mutters.

Shivaay furiously bites down his teeth while Anika looked down hurt.

"Stop it, Pinky." Dadi tells her sternly.

"Chachi, please don't do this." Omkara requests her.

"Pinky chachi are you a guest here?" Gauri asks her.

"What? Are you crazy? This is my house!" Pinky replies offended ignoring both Dadi and Omkara.

"If you are not a guest then how is Anika bhabhi a guest here? Isn't the status of you both the same?"

"Status?? Of both of us?" Pinky asks getting angry.

"Yes, as that of the bahu of the Oberoi family. If you are not a guest, then how is she one? And if she is a guest then how aren't you one?" Gauri asks her.

"You think that makes us equal?" Pinky asks her angrily.

"Aren't you both married to the sons of this family?" Gauri asks her back.

"It is not the same." Pinky grits back at her.

"It's not? You were married to the son of this family."

"Yes." Pinky replies to her furiously.

"Oh... I didn't know that Shivaay bhaiyya was adopted."

"WHAT?" Pinky shouts in outrage.

"That is why, Anika Bhabhi is treated like a second grade citizen here." Gauri replies nodding.

"SHIVAAY IS OUR SON."

"Then why is Anika Bhabhi not treated like his wife?"

"Enough!" Shivaay says fed up. "Gauri is right. Anika is the bahu of this house and she should be treated like one. I didn't commit any crime by marrying the girl I love. Anika didn't commit any crime by loving me or marrying me. so, she will not be punished for it. I don't care who it is, if you don't treat my wife with respect then you'll have me to answer to."

Everyone except Gauri stares at Shivaay in shock.

"See what is happening?" Roop turns to her mother. "This girl hasn't been here for a day and already she is breaking up the family."

"I am sorry, what breaking up?" Gauri asks her with a frown. "I just reached yesterday but this family has been cracked up for a while otherwise one member wouldn't be kept outside your so called family. So, please don't blame me for your short comings. You both as mothers and saas is not able to keep this family as a whole. So don't look elsewhere to place your blame. Just lay it at your own feet."

"How dare you come into our home and talk to us like this?" Roop asks her.

"Get out of our house." Pinky tells her.

"No." Gauri replies before anyone could say anything.

"What?" Roop and Pinky looks at her in shock.

"I was invited by the beta and bahu of this house and till they ask me to leave, I'm staying here."

"Shivaay look at the nerve of this girl." Pinky says in shock.

"Ask her to leave." Roop tells him.

"She is Anika's guest." Shivaay replies.

"You make her leave otherwise I am calling the police." Pinky warns him.

"Call." Gauri tells them. "I'll explain I was invited here. There is at least one person here who wouldn't let the police take me."

"There is more than one, Gauri." Shivaay tells her with a loving smile.

Gauri smiles hearing that. then turning to Roop and Pinky, Gauri says, "Anyway, let's eat. I'm very hungry."

Furiously huffing, Pinky stands up. Roop instantly follows. Then they both walk off. rest looks at them in shock. Then Omkara gets up and leaves the table. Seeing Omkara leave, Dadi also leaves. Anika and Shivaay look at each other, then with an apologetic look at Gauri, they both leave the table. Gauri watched everyone leave their food and go off. Shrugging, she starts eating her food.

*********

"You didn't eat anything." Gauri says to Omkara as she walked to him.

Omkara, who was sitting by the pool with his legs dipped in the water, replies without looking at her, "I can't eat when my family stays hungry."

"I will not stay hungry just because you are showing your anger on food." Gauri tells him.

Omkara couldn't help smile hearing that.

"Are you angry with me?" Gauri asks him as she walked closer to him.

"They have been horrible to bhabhi." Omkara tells her.

"I know."

"I was always scared that they would treat you the same way that they treat Bhabhi. I would have to always protect you from them."

"I can take care of myself."

"I know... that is why I have started wondering..."

"What?"

Omkara turns to her and says, "whether I should be protecting them from you."

Gauri couldn't help smiling hearing that. seeing her smile, Omkara smiles at her.

"Go easy on them." Omkara tells her.

"You shouldn't have fallen in love if you were forever going to be your mamas' boy." Gauri tells him.

Omkara smiles hearing that. "I'm sorry they were rude to you."

Gauri waves it off. then looking around she says with a smile, "So, this is your favorite place."

Omkara nods. "It's very peaceful, right?"

"Yeah because two people aren't here." Gauri replies.

Omkara gives her an exasperated look.

"I was just joking." Gauri replies with a smile.

"Hmmm. I call you from here."

"It's pretty open here."

"No one comes here. Only Shivaay and me. then cleaning staff."

Gauri sits next to him. "I want to learn swimming."

Omkara grins and looks at her, "Want me to teach you?"

"Now?" Gauri asks him.

Omkara shakes his head. "I'll teach my wife."

"In front of everyone?" Gauri asks him shocked.

Omkara laughs hearing that.

"Om!"

They both quickly turns back to find Pinky.

"What are you doing here with her?" Pinky asks frowning in anger.

"Just talking, chachi." Omkara replies as he stood up.

"I told you to stay away from her." Pinky tells him then turning to Gauri, she sternly tells her, "Stay away from my son."

Gauri was about to reply to her when she sees Omkara giving her pleading looks. Gauri doesn't say a word.

"You wanted something, chachi?"

"Yes." Pinky turns to him with an excited smile. "Ridhima is here."

"Oh no." Omkara whispers as he looked at Gauri.

"She is here? I have been dying to meet this Ridhima and Ishana." Gauri says as she starts to walk off.

"Where are you going?" Pinky asks frowning.

"To see how great this Ridhima is."

"No need. Just stay somewhere here. There is no need for you there."

"Awww, chachi you are so cute." Gauri says as she lightly pulled on her cheek. then she walks off.

"Don't call me chachi. You are not my family." Pinky calls after her.

"Sorry chachi... got used to it. now, you also get used to it." Gauri calls back at her.

Pinky turns to Omkara in anger, Omkara who was watching Gauri, sees that she was heading towards the living room, he quickly runs after her realizing that she was really going to meet Ridhima.

*********

"Hello..." Gauri says with a smile as she walked towards two young ladies standing with Roop. "Chachi mentioned only Ridhima, I see that Ishana is also here."

"Who are you?" Ridhima asks with a frown.

"Gauri." Gauri replies. "Now, who is Ishana and Ridhima?"

"Why do you want to know?" Roop asks her with a frown.

"Just curious." Gauri replies with a shrug as she expectantly looked at both the women.

"Gauri!" Omkara calls her as he ran into the room.

Gauri turns to Omkara and smiles, "It's good that you are here. Why don't you make the introductions?"

"You are just a house guest. Why don't you stay as one?" Roop asks her angrily.

"Come on, Bua. We are a family now." Gauri tells her with a smile.

"You are not family!" Roop tells her with a frown.

"Can you stop it?" Omkara whispers to Gauri.

"I'm just being polite, Om." Gauri replies.

"Who is she, Omkara?" Ridhima asks him with a frown.

"Ignore her, Ridhima." Pinky tells her as she walked in.

"But still who is she?" Ishana asks frowning.

"She is Anika's friend." Roop says in a dismissing tone. "She is staying here for a few days."

"Since Bua answered you, I am assuming you are Ishana and that makes you Ridhima." Gauri deduces.

"Just go inside, Gauri." Omkara tells her.

"What makes you think that I would listen to you, Omkara?" Gauri asks him back.

"Why is she talking to Omkara like this?" Ridhima asks angrily.

"After all she is just a guest here!" Ishana replies angrily.

"Gauri... please?" Omkara requests her.

"Sorry, Om. this is too entertaining for me to miss it." Gauri replies and she walks to the couch and sits down. Then she eagerly watches them. "Dandi bhaiyya..." Gauri calls him seeing him. "Can you please get me popcorns?"

Omkara looks at Gauri in exasperation.

"Ignore her." Roop says glaring at Gauri. "Om, Ishana has come to meet you. you both go and talk."

"Ridhima is here to meet him. Om, you go with her." Pinky argues.

"Why do you think Ridhima and Ishana are the perfect partner for Om?" Gauri asks Roop and Pinky.

"We don't have to give you any explanation." Pinky tells her in anger.

"Yeah, but if you pitch your girl properly then maybe Om can make a firm decision."

"What the heck are you doing?" Omkara asks her in irritation.

"Helping you choose the perfect girl for you. after all we are friends, Om."

"Friends?" Ishana asks with a frown. "You are Anika's friend, right?"

"Roop Bua... ladki ko tameez nahi hai." Gauri loudly whispers to her.

"What?" Roop asks her with a furious frown.

"because you only said you should not call someone elder to you by name." Gauri reminds her. "Call her Anika Bhabhi or Didi, Ishana. One point cut for you."

"God! Gauri!" Omkara whispers in exasperation.

"Gauri Madam." Dandi comes to her with a bowl of popcorn.

"Thank you Dandi bhaiyya. You are a God sent." Gauri tells him as she took the popcorn and started munching on it.

"Will you go inside?" Roop asks her in anger.

"And miss this?" Gauri asks her in shock. "I even got popcorn to see who gets Om."

"Badtameez ladki!" Pinky mutters. "Go, Om... Ridhima is waiting."

"Ishana is waiting, Om." Roop sternly tells him.

"Who do I give an application to pitch in my name for this competition?" Gauri asks putting up her hand.

"What competition?" Roop asks her furiously.

"Kaun Banega Omkara Ki Patni." Gauri replies.

Omkara had half a mind to do a fainting drama to escape from this nightmare of a situation but then knowing Gauri, she would just dump bucket load of water on him to bring him back to "conscious" and she would continue this scene. So, having no other option, he turns to her. "Go inside now, Gauri!" Omkara tells her.

"Not happening." Gauri replies then looking at a shocked and furious Pinky and Roop, she asks, "So, how do I apply?"

"So that is your intention? Is that why Anika brought you here?" Pinky asks her furiously.

"It will never happen. Pack your bags and leave our house now!" Roop tells her furiously.

"Why am I disqualified?" Gauri asks them.

"Do you even have to ask?" Pinky asks furiously.

"Yes. Why are these two better than me?" Gauri replies.

"Because Ishana belong to a good family, Ishana is from well to do family and is of our status." Roop replies.

"Even Ridhima is no less. She has naam, khoon and khandan." Pinky replies. "What about you?"

Gauri sighs. "If that is the case, I accept defeat."

"Good, you realized it!" Ishana replies with a smirk.

"Yeah, I'm too over qualified." Gauri replies shaking her head sadly.

Omkara looks away to hide his smile.

"What?" Ridhima asks with a frown.

"I'm above and beyond these shit." Gauri replies as she sat back eating popcorn. "Anyway, we have to make a decision between Ridhima and Ishana!"

"that we will decide. You leave!" Pinky tells her.

"Yeah, get out of our house." Roop tells her.

Ignoring what they said, Gauri continues, "As I see it... Ridhima and Ishana have the same qualities. It looks to me that these two are pretty interchangeable. No wonder, Om can't choose one. And of course he is scared that he would hurt one of his mother if he chooses his other mother's best friend's daughter."

"What are you even saying, Gauri?" Omkara asks her shocked.

"I have a solution, Om." Gauri tells him excitedly.

"What?" Omkara stops in shock.

Turning to Ridhima and Ishana, she says, "Ishana take one hand of Om, and Ridhima you take his other hand. Then you both pull him. whoever, gets him, Om should marry that girl. And Chachi and Bua should accept that girl as his wife without guilt tripping him."

"Have you gone crazy?" Omkara asks her outraged.

"Let's do that!" Ridhima says and holding Omkara's hand, she pulls him towards her.

Omkara who wasn't expecting that, stumbles to her side.

"We didn't start only!" Ishana argues as she held his other hand and pulled him forcefully.

"Good thing, you both didn't want an intelligent and mature wife for Om, Chachi and Bua. Otherwise both your contestants would have been disqualified now." Gauri points out seeing the way the pea brained women were fighting over Omkara.

"STOP IT" Omkara furiously screams.

"Let go of my Omkara!" Ishana tells Ridhima ignoring Omkara completely.

"He is my Omkara!" Ridhima screams at Ishana furiously.

"In your dreams!" Ishana argues.

"LET GO OFF ME!" Omkara says furiously as he struggled to be free.

"What are you two doing?" Pinky asks furiously.

"Stop it, Ishana! Ridhima!" Roop says.

"He is mine!" Ishana says furiously.

"He is mine!" Ridhima says and she kisses Omkara on his cheek.

"YUCK!" Omkara screams in outrage as he wiped his cheek.

Gauri furiously stands up and forcefully turns Ridhima to face her and slaps her.

Everyone stops in shock seeing that.

"Pinky Aunty!" Ridhima turns to Pinky in shock as she kept her hand on her cheek which was paining, her eyes filled with tears.

"How dare you come into our house and slap Ridhima?" Pinky asks her furiously.

"You both accused me of being a feminist. I'm a proud feminist who believes in equality. If I see a guy kiss a girl without her consent, then I will slap him. and if I see a girl kiss a guy without his consent then I will slap her. just like I did now!" Gauri angrily tells her.

"Thank you, Gauri." Omkara says so both his Bua and Chachi can hear him. "Stay in your limits, Ridhima."

Ishana turns to a shocked Ridhima and says in fury, "Kuthi, Kamini, you bloody rapist!" she furiously jumps on Ridhima.

Soon they were pulling each other's hair and rolling on the floor fighting and screaming at each other.

"HOW DID I MISS THIS?" Shivaay asks in shock seeing the scene.

"Oh my God, somebody stop them!" Dadi says in shock.

Anika was about to run to pull them apart when Shivaay holds her hand and pulls her back. "Don't! this is too much fun!"

"STOP THIS NONSENSE!" Omkara screams furiously.

Roop and Pinky runs to the fighting girls and pulls them apart.

"I WILL NOT MARRY EITHER OF THEM! AFTER THIS NEITHER OF YOU SHOULD EVEN MENTION THEIR NAMES!" Omkara says to Roop and Pinky.

"Why are you blaming them?" Pinky asks furiously.

"Didn't you see how that girl was manipulating and causing this? She started this fight!"

"Gauri is not the cause for this. It is them." Omkara tells them. "Gauri was just trying to make you both see that neither of them would make a good wife or bahu. Gauri didn't ask them to fight! It was them who started this unnecessary scene and fight! Both of you, get out."

"Om, how can you say that?" Pinky asks her eyes filling up.

"For a girl who came just yesterday, you are treating them like this?" Roop asks hurt. "Did you forget what Ishana means to me and Ridhima means to Pinky?"

"We want the best for you, and that is why we were even fighting each other." Pinky tells him.

"And did you forget how she was saying she wants to be your wife?" Roop asks him angrily.

"It was a joke, Bua!" Omkara says. "Now, ask those two girls to leave. I don't want to marry either of them!"

"We know what is best for you, Om!" Pinky tells him angrily.

"ARE YOU GOING TO ASK THEM TO LEAVE OR NOT?" Omkara asks them angrily.

"Because of this girl, you are screaming at us?" Pinky asks him.

Omkara looks away seeing tears in their eyes.

"Ridhima, Ishana... both of you go home now." Dadi tells them gently. "Nobody is in the mood to listen to anyone here. You both go home."

They both look at Pinky and Roop, and they both gestures to them to leave with a gentle nod. They both leave.

"Anika... I don't think your friend should be staying here anymore." Dadi tells her. "We've enough problems here and we don't want to increase them."

"I won't leave." Gauri whispers to Omkara.

"I don't see Gauri at fault here." Omkara says. "So, I don't think she should be asked to leave."

"I agree." Shivaay replies.

"She didn't do anything wrong, Dadi." Anika tells her.

"This has never happened before. Why does Gauri have to involve herself in our family matter?" Dadi asks her.

"This is my family too." Gauri replies.

"Can you keep quiet? I'm handling it, right?" Omkara asks her in a shocked whisper.

"Where? I am not seeing it." Gauri replies.

Omkara sighs. "This is bhabhi's house, so if she wants her friend to stay here then her friend will stay here."

"Why are you showing so much interest in her?" Roop asks him with a frown.

"Yeah, what is going on between you two? I saw you both earlier also." Pinky asks with a frown.

"What do you mean?" Dadi asks Roop and Pinky in confusion then turning to Gauri, she asks "Why are you calling our family as your family?"

"For Gauri, I'm her family and my family is her family." Anika quickly says.

"You are no family." Roop mutters.

"Who are you to say that?" Gauri asks her with a frown. "Anika Bhabhi has as much right to this family as you."

"I'm the daughter of this family." Roop proudly reminds her.

"And Anika is my wife. Or do you not consider me a part of this family?" Shivaay asks her angrily. "If that is the case then please do tell, I'll leave this house with my wife."

"Stop it, Shivaay!" Dadi says angrily.

"You would leave us, Shivaay?" Pinky asks hurt.

"When you mentally torture and verbally abuse his wife, you are not making this a peaceful atmosphere for him." Gauri tells her. "I'm surprised they lasted this long."

"Just stop!" Dadi tells Gauri. "Keep to matters that concerns to you!"

"Okay then. I'll be in my room then." Gauri tells them all in a dismissing tone.

"You are leaving our house!" Roop tells her.

"As long as there are people who want me here, I'm staying here." Gauri replies to her and walk off.

"Look at her nerve!" Pinky turns to Anika in anger.

"She is acting as if this is her house!" Roop says in anger.

"Enough! Gauri will stay here. There will be no more discussion on this." Shivaay tells them in finality. "If Gauri leaves then we will leave too."

"That ends all discussions then!" Pinky accuses and walks off.

Roop also follows her. Dadi leaves tired. Once everyone left, Shivaay walks to Omkara.

"I don't even know why you married her if you can't even stand up for her." Shivaay tells him in a furious whisper.

"I know my wife. She doesn't need anyone to stand up for her and fight her battles. She can take care of herself." Omkara replies.

"This is not her battle. This is yours!" Shivaay points out. "And she is fighting it for you!"

"When she fell in love with me, she knew that I'm not as strong as her. she loves me with all my shortcomings." Omkara tells him and walks off.

********

At night, Omkara walks into Gauri's room after everyone had gone to sleep. he finds her on bed reading a book. He closes the door and locks the door. he leans on the door as he watched her.

Gauri finally looks up at him from her book.

"Look at you peacefully reading after the earthquake you caused here." Omkara tells her with a teasing smile.

Gauri chuckles hearing that. grinning Omkara walks to her. Gauri keeps the book on the side table as he got on the bed. They move towards each other and kiss.

********

"Are you okay?" Omkara asks her as they settled to sleep.

"Yeah."

"Ridhima and Ishana..." Omkara gently says.

"Wow! How nice of you to say their names when you are naked and in bed with me!"

"Gauri, I'm serious."

"They don't matter, Om. your mothers are the ones who are my concern."

"Wow! How nice of you to mention my mothers when I am naked and in bed with you!"

Gauri chuckles as she turned to hug him. "I can make you forget them." Gauri tells him in a sexy tone.

Omkara grins hearing that. "In five minutes? I want to talk to you before that."

"Wow! Might be serious if you are saying no to love making!" Gauri teases him.

Omkara chuckles hearing that.

"Tell me..."

"Shivaay was furious with me that I didn't stand up for you." Omkara tells her.

"Whatever you said, I didn't even expect you to do that." Gauri tells him as she looked at him.

"I fall weak when it comes to chachi and bua." Omkara tells her.

"I know, Om. I don't like it but I accept it. I love you and I love you with all your shortcomings. Just like how you love me with all my shortcomings."

"Do you regret loving me and marrying me?"

"If I did then I wouldn't be here with you."

Omkara smiles and takes her lips in his.

"Where you upset with what I did?" Gauri asks him.

"I'm surprised you stopped with just that." Omkara replies with a grin.

"I've more days." Gauri cheekily tells him.

Omkara chuckles hearing that. then turning serious he tells her. "Please just go easy on them, Gauri."

"All these days, I've been hearing about it all from you but now when I witnessed it..." Gauri thoughtfully stops.

"What?"

Sighing Gauri continues, "your relation and attachment to your mothers are very toxic."

"Gauri, they are my mothers. They raised me." Omkara defends with a frown.

"And what they are doing to you now is not right. even after what Ridhima and Ishana did they are still vouching for them. they just don't care that you can't stand both of them."

"They think that Ridhima and Ishana are perfect for me."

"It is not their place to think that."

"Gauri, they are my mothers."

"They seemed toxic today."

"Stop it, Gauri. I'll not hear a word against them." Omkara says getting angry.

"There isn't anything else I've to say about them."

"Then don't!" Omkara replies angrily as he got out of the bed and furiously started wearing his clothes.

"If you showed half this anger on them then they would have got in line long back." Gauri mutters as she sat up pulling the blanket over her chest.

"Gauri, the whole day you were arguing and insulting them, and I had remained silent because you were right then!"

"And now I am wrong?" Gauri asks him back.

"Yes. So, shut up!"

"If you've blindfolded yourself then there isn't anything that I can do."

"Then don't!" Omkara furiously says and walks out of the room.

********

Gauri was sleeping when she feels Omkara hugging her and kissing her cheek.

"Sorry, love." Omkara whispers to her as he hugged her and continued to kiss her cheek.

Gauri turns to look at him. "You didn't sleep?"

"You know I can't sleep when we have a fight."

"I slept."

Omkara makes a face hearing that. Gauri grins seeing that.

"I can't hear anything against them, Gauri. they raised me with so much love."

"I am not denying that, Om. but you need to understand that parents can also go wrong."

"I know they are wrong, Gauri. but I just can't..." Omkara helplessly looks at her.

"Just because they raised us doesn't mean that they can dominate our lives. They lived their life the way they wanted, and now you should be able to live your life the way you want to."

"Gauri, it is not easy."

Gauri sighs loudly and looks away.

"It was easy for you because your family didn't love you but my family loves me."

"It was not easy for me, Om. it was the scariest decision I made in my life." Gauri tells him frowning at him.

"I know, love. I didn't mean that. I meant deciding that your family didn't deserve you."

"Om, I am not asking you to leave your family. I'm asking you to be honest and treat your mothers like mothers and not some God."

"I just don't want to talk about this anymore." Omkara tells her softly.

"Okay." Gauri replies and closes her eyes to sleep.

"I am just not ready to listen to all this. I know you are right... but Gauri, I just can't." Omkara tells her as he hugged her.

"What will you do when I demand for my rights as your wife, Om?" Gauri asks him.

Omkara's heart skips a beat. He leans up to look at her.

"Look at you all white as a ghost!" Gauri tells him. "Relax, I'm not going to ask you that in the next one or two days."

"Gauri, I need more time than that." Omkara worriedly tells her.

"I can't promise you that, Om. Sorry." Gauri replies and went to sleep while Omkara spent a sleepless night.

********

The next two weeks went uneventfully as Roop and Pinky didn't interact with Gauri much and they all stayed away from each other. Roop and Pinky had wisely decided to not mention about Ridhima and Ishana for a few days because of the scene that had happened the last time.

Gauri comes out of the bathroom after changing into her nightclothes and find Omkara locking the door.

"You are early today."

"Didn't see anyone, I think everyone went to sleep early." Omkara replies as he walked to her. "Didn't see you the whole day. you were even late in getting back home."

"I just went for a walk after work."

"What happened?" Omkara asks her seeing that she seemed upset.

"When are you going to talk to Bua and Chachi about us?"

Omkara nervously looks down.

"If you can't tell them then I'll do it, Om."

"Gauri, what happened suddenly?" Omkara asks her.

"Does anything have to happen?" Gauri asks him.

"Gauri... you know..." Omkara helplessly says.

"I know everything, Om. I also know that today we have been married for a month and I'm still living like a guest in my own house."

"Gauri..."

"Let me correct myself, as an unwanted guest!"

Omkara helplessly gulps.

"How much more time do you need?" Gauri asks him.

"Gauri, I don't want to hurt..."

Gauri cuts him off, "Whether you tell them today, tomorrow or after a year, they are going to be hurt. Because what they want is not what I am."

Omkara knew that was true. Any time they find out they were going to be hurt.

They hear a knock and they stop in shock looking at the door.

"Who could it be at this time?" Omkara asks her in a whisper.

Gauri shrugs in reply. "Who is it?" Gauri calls out loudly.

"It's me." Dadi replies.

"Dadi!" Omkara whispers to her. "Shit!" Omkara mutters as he runs to the bathroom to hide.

Gauri opens the door for Dadi and she walks in.

"what happened, Dadi?"

"Didn't you sleep?" Dadi asks Gauri with a frown as she looked around the room.

"Was about to. You wanted something?"

"What is Om doing in your room?" Dadi asks her frowning.

"What?" Gauri asks her in shock.

"I saw him come into your room. it's been 5 minutes and he hasn't come out yet. Now, he seems to be hiding. Now do you want me to be more explicit than that?" Dadi asks her angrily.

"I am intelligent enough to understand what you are insinuating." Gauri tells her as she walked to the bathroom. "And Dadi, we are two grown adults. Don't think you should be interfering in personal matters." Gauri tells her as she opened the bathroom door.

"Did you just..." Omkara asks in shock having heard what Gauri had said just before opening the door.

"Dadi saw you coming inside my room and now she wants answers." Gauri explains.

"Dadi..." Omkara calls her as he nervously stepped out.

"What is this, Om?" Dadi asks him angrily. "What are you doing with her? and she! Look how she is behaving even after all this?"

"Even after what?" Gauri asks her frowning.

"Stop it, Gauri." Omkara tells her sternly.

"Fine!" Gauri replies as she tied her hands at her chest.

"Roop and Pinky are worrying for you, they are fighting for you and you are cheating them like this?" Dadi asks him hurt.

"Why are they doing that? isn't it only Omkara's decision who he wants to spend his life with?" Gauri asks her.

"Gauri!" Omkara calls out to her in a fed up tone.

"I don't want to talk to the likes of you." Dadi tells her.

"Likes of me?" Gauri asks angrily. "What do you even know about me to say that?"

"Whatever I know of you, is more than enough."

"Stop it, Dadi." Omkara tells her with a frown.

"What are you doing with her, Om?" Dadi asks him and turning to Gauri, she asks, "Is this why you refused to leave our house even after we all asked you to leave? Enough is enough. Tomorrow I want you out of my house."

"I'm not leaving." Gauri replies.

"I myself will throw you out! Be thankful even after all this I am not throwing you out in the middle of the night."

"You caught Om and me together, then why am I the only one being thrown out?" Gauri asks her back.

"Gauri will not leave this house, Dadi." Omkara sternly tells her.

"She will!"

"If you are going to be throwing me out then you should throw Om also out. If you still haven't figured it out, then we both were consenting adults."

"Will you shut up, Gauri?" Omkara asks her in exasperation. "What are you even saying?"

"I am just asking her why she is just throwing me out when we both were equally responsible for whatever crime that she thinks we did!"

"Do you really have to get technical each and every time?" Omkara asks her in exasperation.

Gauri shrugs in reply. "I just wanted to understand her reasoning."

"This is Om's house. that is why you are asked to leave our home." Dadi tells her in irritation.

"This is Gauri's house too." Omkara informs her.

"What?" Dadi turns to Omkara with a frown.

"It is, Dadi."

"This is not her house. she is just a guest here who misused our hospitality and betrayed the trust we had in her."

"Trust? Seriously?" Gauri asks her. "Wasn't it your daughter and daughter-in-law who accused me of eyeing Om?"

"You proved them right." Dadi replies.

"Enough, Dadi. Not another word against Gauri." Omkara tells her in anger.

"Have you left anything else to be said?" Dadi asks him.

"YES!" Omkara replies fed up. "If you both had let me speak then I would have told you that Gauri is my wife."

"Wife?" Dadi steps back in shock. "You got married Om?"

"Yes, Dadi. I'm sorry, I should have told you." Omkara regretfully tells her. "I didn't know how to tell Bua and Chachi, after Shivaay's marriage you know how they were."

"But her?" Dadi asks in shock. "You just met her two weeks ago! You said you didn't remember her from college and in two weeks...?" Dadi stops in shock.

"That was a lie so that Bua and Chachi wouldn't get suspicious." Omkara tells her.

"What do you mean?" Dadi asks him in shock. "Anika and Shivaay knows?"

"Yes, Gauri and I've been together for 6 years now."

"6 years?" Dadi looks at them in shock.

"Yes, Dadi."

"If you were in a relation why didn't you tell Roop and Pinky? Why all this nautanki with Ridhima and Ishana?"

"They weren't willing to listen to anything other than what they wanted me to do." Omkara helplessly tells her. "And Gauri is not like the bahu they both want."

"How long have you been married?"

"One month."

"One month?" Dadi asks furiously.

"Yes. I'm sorry, Dadi."

"One month and you didn't tell us?"

"I just... I thought once Bua and Chachi stop with their Ridhima and Ishana tantrums then I would tell them."

"And till then you would hide your wife like a dirty secret?" Dadi asks him.

"It's not like that, Dadi." Omkara hesitantly replies.

"It is exactly like that, Om." Gauri tells him.

"Gauri..." Omkara turns to her feeling hurt hearing her.

"Whether we accept her or not, you don't treat your wife like this!" Dadi tells him.

"I don't like hiding her like this, Dadi..."

"If you don't have the courage to accept your marriage then you shouldn't have got married?" Dadi tells him in anger.

"Actually, it wasn't a planned thing, Dadi." Gauri quickly starts to explain. "we kind of had a pregnancy scare."

"What?" Dadi asks in shock.

Omkara closes his eyes. "She didn't even ask why we got married, Gauri."

"Wouldn't she be curious?" Gauri asks him.

"I thought you got married because Pinky and Roop were forcing him to marry Ridhima and Ishana. Are you pregnant?" Dadi replies in daze.

"No, I am not. When we went to the doctor to confirm, he said it is too soon to tell and asked us to wait for a couple more days before we tested again. but you know how Om is when he panics, and he just adamantly took me to the temple and married me. we didn't even have time to inform Shivaay bhaiyya and Anika Bhabhi. Next day, I got my periods. I was just late and not pregnant."

Dadi looks at both of them in shock, not knowing how to react or what to say.

"Dadi... I'm sorry for hiding the truth from you all."

"What do you plan to do now, Om? are you going to keep your wife here as a guest forever?"

"No, Dadi." Gauri replies then she turns to Omkara and tells him in finality. "You asked me for time and I gave you time. Now, I want my rights as your wife."

"Gauri... please... I just need some more time." Omkara requests her, his heart slamming against his chest.

"I know you, Om. how much ever time you get, it will be less for you. still I wanted to give you a chance and gave you a chance."

"I know, Gauri. let me at least handle this Ridhima and Ishana issue first."

"You've a week, Omkara. Either you tell your mothers that I am your wife or forget me and marry someone to please your mothers." Gauri tells him in finality.

"You have been fighting for Anika but never fought for yourself, why?" Dadi asks Gauri softly.

"Because I understood Om's limitations." Gauri tells her as she looked at Omkara.

"I didn't like you because I thought you were unnecessarily interfering in our family and creating problems. I didn't know you were a part of the family." Dadi says as she lovingly caressed her cheek.

Gauri smiles hearing that and she looks at Omkara and sees him happily smiling hearing Dadi.

"Pinky and Roop are wrong, Ridhima and Ishana are not the perfect partner for Om. you are the bold and confident partner this spineless coward needs."

Gauri smiles with a blush while Omkara turns pink in embarrassment.

"He is an emotional fool, Dadi, not a coward." Gauri tells her.

"Yeah, whatever!" Dadi rolls her eyes. "Anyway, Gauri gave you a week's time, Om. don't ruin it." Dadi advices him as she left the room.

Omkara closes the door and turns to Gauri. "You are blackmailing me, Gauri."

"Didn't you prove it that you only react to emotional blackmailing?" Gauri asks him back.

Omkara sighs helplessly.

********

"You should just tell Chachi and Bua, Dadi." Shivaay tells her the next day.

They all were sitting by the pool and talking about Omkara and Gauri.

"I just want to give this idiot at least a chance to do something." Dadi replies.

"He managed to cause a pregnancy scare. So, you can't say he didn't do anything." Shivaay points out.

"Chup, khotiye." Dadi says as she hit him on his head.

Omkara turns red hearing Shivaay while Gauri grinned at Omkara.

"I still can't believe that you both are married and you turned out to be shatir and brought your wife home without telling anyone of us." Dadi says still in shock.

"Why are you giving him credit for that?" Shivaay asks her. "Gauri gave him two weeks to bring her home or she would file for divorce."

Dadi's mouth drops open in shock.

"She is always threatening me, Dadi." Omkara cutely complains.

"Yeah right!" Gauri replies rolling her eyes. "If I hadn't given you the ultimatum then I would be sitting in my apartment now and you would be sitting here."

"With the way she is, I'm surprised that she stuck on with you for all these years." Shivaay says amazed.

"Really, with her character, she would have slapped him senseless and gone on her way." Anika says amazed.

Gauri chuckle while Omkara grinned.

"She loves me." Omkara smugly replies.

******

Everyone had left, and it was just Omkara and Gauri left. Gauri was starting to leave when Omkara stops her.

"What you said last night.... Are you still adamant on that?" Omkara asks her.

"Have I ever changed my word? ever?" Gauri asks him back.

Omkara shakes his head in negative.

"I am tired of all this acting and hiding, Om." Gauri tells him.

"I just don't know how to tell them, Gauri." Omkara whispers to her. "They won't accept it like Dadi did."

"If it is easier for you to end things with me than tell your Bua and Chachi the truth then let's do that, Om." Gauri tells him softly.

Hearing her, Omkara's eyes fill up. "This is the second time you are threatening me with divorce, Gauri."

"I know, Om. you are not leaving me with any other choice."

"Is it easy for you to leave me, Gauri?" Omkara asks her very hurt.

"It is not." Gauri replies shaking her head. "I know I'll be miserable, I'll regret it forever but I'll still do it, Om."

Omkara looks away as he fought his tears.

"We have been together for six years. These six years, you hid our relation from your Bua, Chachi and Dadi. I never hid our relation from anyone. Now you are making me hide our relation. before you used to hide from your family and meet me. you used to spend hours and at times days at my apartment lying to your family. We used to talk, sing, laugh, dream together, make love... there were times we spent the whole day in bed. I was happy then because I was your girlfriend then. Now, you ignore me the whole day, forget talking, you don't even look at me. you come to me at night like a thief. Now, I don't feel like your wife or girlfriend, I am starting to feel like your mistress." Gauri tells him as her eyes filled up.

"Gauri, that is not true." Omkara heatedly argues. "You are my wife."

"I don't feel like it, Om. I feel like a dirty secret. I feel like a mistress who a man hides from the world and sees at night secretly." Gauri tells him.

"Gauri, why are you thinking like that?" Omkara asks her as tears fell from his eyes.

"I love you, Om and I would do anything for you but there is a limit to what I am willing to sacrifice even for you. there is a limit to the hit on my self-respect that I am willing to overlook."

"I'm sorry, Gauri. you know, I am not doing all this to make you feel like that." Omkara tells her.

"Still I am feeling like that." Gauri replies hurt.

Omkara walks to her and lovingly cups her face. "I am sorry, Gauri. I am very sorry. I promise, I'll set everything right."

Gauri nods as she wiped his tears. She hugs him. Omkara hugs her tight.

"I don't want to lose you, Om." Gauri worriedly tells him as she hugged him tight.

"You won't." Omkara promises her.

Gauri leans up and takes his lips in hers and kisses him lovingly. Omkara kisses her as he hugged her tight.

"Bye." Gauri tells him as she walked back into the house with Omkara.

"Bye. I'll tell them both everything soon." Omkara promises her.

Gauri nods and walks off.

"What were they two doing near the pool?" Pinky asks Roop with a frown noticing Omkara and Gauri.

"Most probably she is trying to trap him in her chaal." Roop replies frowning.

"She had so proudly proclaimed that she wanted to be his wife." Pinky reminds her.

"Hmmm... we should do something. Om is too innocent for the likes of her."

"Yes."

******

"Did you call me?" Omkara asks as he walked into the living room to find Ridhima and Ishana with Roop and Pinky.

"Yes, Om. Come." Pinky tells him.

"We've come to a decision." Roop tells him.

"Decision? What decision?" Omkara asks as he frowned at Ridhima and Ishana.

Pinky was about to answer him when she notices Gauri walking in with Dadi and Shivaay and Anika trailing behind them. "Maa, why are you bringing her here? I told you to keep her away from here!"

"Oh, I thought you told me to bring her here!" Dadi lies.

"You go, you are not needed here." Pinky tells Gauri in a dismissing tone.

"I don't have anything else to do." Gauri replies with a shrug.

"So? Just go!" Roop angrily tells her.

"Do I scare you, Bua?" Gauri asks curiously.

"Of course not!"

"Then what difference does it make whether I sit here or not?" Gauri asks her.

"Because it is a family matter!"

"And we are one family." Gauri tells her.

"Look at this shameless girl!" Roop says in anger.

"Shameless?" Omkara asks her with a frown. "I have told these two that I don't want to marry them and they are still here! And you are calling Gauri shameless?"

Pinky and Roop look at each other in shock.

"Because I know, Om that you want to marry me but you are denying because you don't want to hurt Roop aunty." Ridhima tells him.

"You wish! If he is cordial to you then it is only because of Pinky Aunty, otherwise Omkara and I would be married by now." Ishana tells her.

"Why are they here?" Omkara asks Pinky and Roop in exasperation.

"We realize that we have been unfair to you, Om." Roop tells him.

Omkara starts feeling relieved hearing that. he sighs in relief.

"You haven't been able to make a decision because you didn't want to hurt either of us. and we have come to a compromise that you would marry whoever you want." Pinky tells him.

"Thank you, Chachi... thank you, Bua." Omkara says smiling in relief and joy. "I knew that you would finally come around."

"Is he a fool or acting like one?" Shivaay asks Gauri in a whisper.

"He is too innocent for this world." Gauri replies shaking her head.

"So, who do you want to marry? Ridhima or Ishana?" Pinky asks him smiling.

"What?" Omkara stops in shock.

"You can marry either of them and we won't feel bad whoever you choose." Roop promises him with a smile.

"Them?" Omkara asks in shock, all his dream castles crashing in an instant.

"Yes. Who else? Tell us your decision. We'll have your engagement this weekend." Pinky tells him smiling.

"Why are you silent?" Dadi asks Gauri.

"Whatever I had to say, I have said it to Om, now it is his turn." Gauri replies to her.

"You are placing too much trust in him." Shivaay whispers to her.

"It is his decision now."

"Om, tell us." Pinky asks him with an excited smile.

Omkara looks at Pinky and Roop and says, "you two patched up. You two decided to let go off your egos and compromise but still you refuse to even consider what I really want."

"Why are you saying that, Om?" Pinky asks him shocked.

"If we didn't consider your wish we would have just told you whom to marry." Roop tells him shocked.

"Aren't you doing that even now?" Omkara asks them. "You are telling me that I can marry only either of these two girls."

"We want the best for you."

"And they are the best." Pinky argues.

"Might be for you, not for me." Omkara replies. Then he turns to the girls and tells them. "I just don't know how much more I can make it clear to you both that I don't want to marry you."

"Omkara, I know you are saying all this because you don't want to hurt Pinky aunty." Ishana says.

"I am saying this because I don't want to marry you!" Omkara replies in exasperation.

"I knew Omkara, that you want to marry me! Didn't I tell you, Pinky aunty?" Ridhima asks excitedly.

"It means that I DONT WANT TO MARRY YOU BOTH!" Omkara says furiously. "Now, leave!"

"Om... we asked them to come."

"You are to marry one of them!"

"Can't you even hear what he is saying?" Shivaay asks them in shock.

"You don't talk in between this... you did enough! First you married her and then you bring this girl..."

Omkara cuts her off, "I wanted to talk to you both alone today. I wanted to do it in a calm and peaceful environment but you both brought it to this."

"What?" Pinky asks with a frown.

Omkara turns to look at Gauri and sees her watching him. "I love Gauri." Omkara says without taking his eyes off her.

"WHAT?" Roop shouts in fury.

"WE WILL NEVER ALLOW THIS!"

turning to Ridhima and Ishana, he says ignoring his mothers, "you got your answer. Now please leave!"

"You are lying, Om. You can't love her!" Ridhima says furiously.

"I would have definitely loved you, Ridhima or Ishana if I wanted to spent the rest of my life with a bimbo, but I am sorry, I am more into character and depth." Omkara says fed up, tired and furious.

"Om... how dare you say all that to them?" Roop asks him furiously.

"I was so blinded by my love for you both that I turned a blind eye to the hell that I was making Gauri go through. I didn't realize that I was humiliating Gauri. she is so strong and confident that I didn't even consider that she could also doubt her self-worth." Omkara tells her. "Not anymore."

"She has brainwashed you!" Pinky says in shock.

"How many times did we tell you to throw her out? See what she did!" Roop screams at Shivaay and Anika.

"Even if they had listened to you, I would have never let Gauri leave." Omkara informs them.

"Om, you have never spoken to us like this and because of this girl, now you are...." Pinky says sadly.

"Because of her, I am standing up to you and fighting for my happiness!" Omkara cuts her off. Then turning to Ridhima and Ishana, he says, "why are you both still here? Are you so desperate to marry me?" Then before they say anything, he says, "I am married, go find some unmarried guy."

"What?" Roop shouts in shock.

"You are lying." Pinky accuses him.

Omkara turns around and walks to Gauri, he offers her his hand, Gauri keeps her hand on his. He leads her to Pinky and Roop. "Gauri is my wife."

"She is not." Pinky furiously replies.

"We will never accept her." Roop says.

"I wanted you to accept her, I wanted you both to love Gauri, that is why I made Gauri go through all this. Now, if you don't want to accept my wife, then so be it!" Omkara tells them.

"You changed a lot, Om." Pinky tells him her eyes filling up.

"For a girl you met yesterday, you are forgetting us." Roop accuses him sadly.

"Gauri and I have been married for a month now, we have been in love for the last 6 years."

"What?" Ishana asks in shock.

Gauri looks at both Ridhima and Ishana and says, "you two were misled by Bua and Chachi, but that is no excuse because Om told you both that he doesn't want to marry you but you refused to believe him."

"Shut up!" Ishana tells her furiously.

"You, shut up and get out." Gauri replies glaring down at her. "Both of you, get out, this is my house and this is my family."

"And I belong to Gauri." Omkara tells them in finality.

Ridhima and Ishana leave.

"How could you do this to us, Om?" Pinky asks him sadly and in shock.

"How could you betray us for this girl?" Roop asks him.

"If you had been considerate about my feelings then I wouldn't have had to do this."

"How can you talk like this to us, Om?" Pinky asks him.

"We lived for you and you..." Roop stops as she started feeling sick.

"Bua..." Omkara hurried to her.

"Don't touch me." Roop tells him before she fell down.

**********

"It is because of stress and shock." Shivaay informs everyone as Omkara walked out with the doctor.

"What did the doctor say?" Dadi asks worriedly.

"Asked her to take rest. Prescribed medicines too." Shivaay replies.

"Can we see her?" Anika asks him.

Shivaay shrugs in reply.

"Come." Shivaay says as he noticed Omkara also coming back.

Everyone walks into the room and find Roop lying on the bed and Pinky half sitting and half lying next to her.

"Ask her to leave." Pinky says glaring at Omkara.

"Gauri is my wife, Chachi." Omkara replies politely.

"We don't want her here." Roop tells him.

Gauri holds Omkara's hand. "I'll be outside. Call me if you need anything."

Omkara shakes his head as he started to walk out with her.

"Stay here. I know you want to be here with her."

"Gauri..."

"You don't have to choose, Om. stay here. I'll be fine." Gauri tells him.

Omkara nods giving in.

********

Much later, Gauri was sitting with Anika and Shivaay when Dadi and Omkara comes out of the room.

"How is she?" Shivaay asks them.

"She is so stubborn, not having medicines and food. I really don't know what to do." Omkara says tiredly shaking his head.

"Even Pinky also started, bhook hartal." Dadi says irately.

"Do they want me to leave?" Gauri asks Omkara.

"They are refusing to accept you as my wife and their bahu. Anyway, I'm just so tired and don't know what to do." Omkara informs her.

Gauri nods.

"Anyway, you take all your stuff from the guestroom." Omkara tells her.

"You are leaving the house?" Anika asks him shocked.

"No." Omkara replies shocked. "Gauri will move to our room."

"Om, they are already upset and angry. Do you want to do this now?" Shivaay asks him gently.

"They know that Gauri is my wife. The worst is over. Now, it is up to them whether they want to accept Gauri or not. Whether they accept it or not, it is not going to change the truth." Omkara tells them then turning to Gauri, he tells her, "You start packing, I'll ask Dandi to move your things."

"I already shifted." Gauri informs him.

"What?" Omkara asks shocked.

"You all were with Bua and Chachi, and I was feeling restless and I didn't have anything to do, so I shifted." Gauri explains with a shrug.

Omkara chuckles hearing that.

*********

At night, Omkara quietly gets on the bed next to Gauri.

Gauri turns to him and asks, "Did they eat anything?"

"You didn't sleep?" Omkara asks surprised.

"How can I sleep when you are so worried?" Gauri asks him as she lovingly kept her hand on his cheek.

"I just don't know what to do, Gauri. they are not eating anything." Omkara tells her worriedly.

"It's okay. we'll do something." Gauri tells him.

"I didn't want to hurt them, Gauri. you know, I didn't want to hurt them." Omkara tells her breaking down.

"Ssshhh... I know, Om." Gauri says as she quickly hugged him.

"All this is happening because of me, Gauri." Omkara tells her as he hid his face on her chest and cried.

Gauri hugs him tight and gently rubs her hand on his back as she silently listened to him lamenting.

*********

Next day, Gauri walks into Roop's room to see Omkara and Shivaay coaxing both Roop and Pinky to eat.

"I will not even drink a drop of water if that girl stays in this house." Roop stubbornly says.

"Doesn't look like you'll last much longer at this rate." Gauri points out.

"GAURI!" Omkara turns to her in shock.

"Isn't that what you want? Getting us out of your way?" Pinky asks furiously.

"Out of the way for what?" Gauri asks her confused.

"To rule over this house." Pinky furiously says.

"You think I am jobless? That I have nothing to do that I will come and rule this house? for your information, I have a job." Gauri tells her. "What am I going to get by ruling over you, handful of people?"

"Gauri, please." Omkara tells her.

"I just came to check on them, Om. you were crying your heart out for them last night. I wanted to see if I could help." Gauri explains.

"Whatever you did, it is more than enough." Roop replies.

"Gauri didn't do anything, Bua. Stop blaming her." Omkara tells her sternly.

"It is true that beta becomes paraya after marriage." Roop says.

Omkara looks down hurt.

"It is nice that even if it is to taunt, you accepted that we are married and I am his wife." Gauri points out.

Roop turns pink in embarrassment. "Get out."

"Sure." Gauri replies as she took her mobile and started walking out.

"Gauri..." Omkara starts to go after her.

"I just need to make a call, Om." Gauri tells him and walk out.

*********

Almost an hour later, Shivaay, Omkara and Dadi were trying to make Roop and Pinky eat something when Dandi walks in.

"There is a police here." Dandi informs them. "He is asking for Roop Madam and Pinky Madam."

"What?" Shivaay asks with a frown.

"What does he want?" Omkara asks shocked.

"Get out of my way."

They hear someone say to Dandi and a second later, a policeman walks in.

"What is it, officer?" Shivaay asks the man.

"What are you doing, Gauri?" Omkara asks her in shock seeing Gauri and Anika walk in.

"I called the police." Gauri replies with a shrug.

"What?" Omkara whispers in shock.

"I am ACP Ranveer Randhawa. You two are Roop and Pinky?" Ranveer asks pointing at his nameplate on his chest as he walked to them.

"Yes. What do you want?" Roop asks seeing him.

"I've received a complaint that you two are attempting suicide."

"What?" Pinky asks shocked.

"They are saying they will starve themselves to death." Gauri informs him.

"Do you know that suicide is a crime?" he asks. "You both are arrested."

"WHAT?" Pinky shouts in shock.

"Do you even know who we are?" Roop asks him.

"Whoever you are, you are committing a crime." He tells them.

"They are refusing to eat and take medicines till I leave this house." Gauri explains.

"What are you doing, Gauri?" Omkara asks her in shock.

"You keep quiet, Om. I'm handling things!" Gauri tells him.

Omkara sighs loudly putting up his hand.

"So, domestic violence and blackmailing?" Ranveer asks. "You both will be going away for a long time."

"I'm calling our lawyer." Shivaay says angrily.

Gauri quickly shakes her head at him.

Confused, Shivaay looks at Omkara and Omkara slyly lifts up his hand, telling him to wait a bit.

"Call, Shivaay." Pinky tells him as she stared at Gauri.

"Ask him to come to the Commissioner's office." Ranveer tells her. "Let's go, Aunties?"

"What? No!" Pinky says furiously.

"Are you willing to end your hunger strike then?" Ranveer asks them.

"No!" Roop replies.

"Okay then let's go. I'll get you nice food in jail," Ranveer tells them.

"Will you two just eat?" Omkara asks them exasperated.

"Only if she leaves." Roop replies.

"Okay, then, domestic violence it is." Ranveer says nodding. "That will be the main charge, rest everything will be add-on."

"JUST EAT, ROOP AND PINKY!" Dadi tells them furiously. "the moment he takes you outside our house the press would be all over it. Do you want the whole world to see that this is how the Oberois behave?"

"Okay." Pinky replies softly.

"Only for our family." Roop says softly.

Omkara and Shivaay quickly passes them the food. They start eating.

"Okay then, I'll take your leave. If anything call me, Gauri." Ranveer tells her and walk out.

Gauri nods and quickly follow him out. Seeing that Omkara and Shivaay hurries behind them.

"How could you, Gauri?" Omkara asks her shocked.

"Om, you were upset and I had to do something." Gauri justifies.

"But how could you call the police on Bua and Chachi, Gauri?" Shivaay asks her shocked and hurt.

"Police?" Omkara asks him exasperated. "This is her colleague Rudra."

"What?" Shivaay asks shocked.

"Did you really think that she would call the cops on them?" Omkara asks him shocked.

"It is her; she would do it." Shivaay replies shrugging with a grin.

"Be glad that today is a Sunday otherwise, I wouldn't have been free and she would have definitely called the cops." Rudra jokes.

"You!" Gauri pokes him. "Which ACP comes for such small silly cases?" Gauri asks him in shock.

"I wouldn't look convincing as a SI or CI, Gauri." Rudra tells her.

"Then you should have come as DGP, why just ACP?" Gauri asks him in exasperation.

"The uniform had gone for rent." Rudra replies with a shrug.

"Oh my God! You trusted him with your big plan?" Shivaay asks shocked.

"Be glad they were convinced." Omkara says shaking his head. "And Rudra, you know, after this you can never come here again. if they realize that Gauri did this drama..."

"Do you have any hot sisters that he would want to keep coming here?" Gauri asks him. "You go, Rudra. Thanks for your help."

"Any time, Gauri." Rudra replies and leaves.

"They might have been really hungry, both are hogging down the food." Dadi whispers to them happily as she joined them with Anika.

Omkara sighs in relief. "But Gauri, how could you bring an outsider to our family matter?"

"Om, it was Dadi's and my idea. Gauri just executed it." Anika tells him.

"What?" Omkara turns to look at an embarrassed Anika and a proud Dadi.

"What?" Shivaay whispers in shock and asks Anika, "How did you suddenly come with the plan? Where you ever really tempted to call the cops on them?"

"Of course, I was." Dadi replies and walks off.

*********

"See what she did!" Pinky says scornfully seeing Gauri walk in with the rest of the family.

"You all were vouching for her! Now, you understand how vicious she can get. A girl who had abandoned her family, what more can we expect from her?" Roop asks hatefully.

"Gauri told you clearly why she left her family!" Omkara furiously tells them. "You have no right dragging her family into this."

"She has no place in our house and family." Pinky says furiously.

"Good thing, you ate. You both seemed to have gained some energy." Gauri points out.

"Look at this badtameez ladki! How shameless she is. Even after what she did, she is acting as if she did us all a favor." Roop says furiously.

"She did you all a favor." Dadi tells them. "I told her to call the police. She and Anika refused to do that. Anika didn't want to see you all in trouble and Gauri wanted to give you a chance before she called the real police on you."

Omkara's eyes widen hearing Dadi telling the truth.

"What?" Pinky asks in shock.

"that was not a police?" Roop asks in shock.

"No. now, stop acting like unruly adamant silly kids and act like a mother and mother-in-law." Dadi furiously tells them. "You will sit and talk to them and sort out this issue."

"No!" Roop says.

"Never! Get out!" Pinky tells Gauri furiously. "Don't ever show us your face."

"You are barking up the wrong tree. Gauri doesn't take shit from anyone." Omkara tells them tired at their tantrums.

Roop and Pinky furiously glares at Gauri.

"I don't think you heard Dadi properly, she said I wanted to give you a chance before calling the real cops on you. Don't make me do it." Gauri warns them.

"We didn't commit any crime!" Pinky says vehemently.

"You are trying to throw me out of my own house. it is called domestic violence." Gauri tells them.

"You just stand there and listen to her threaten us like this!" Pinky tells Omkara furiously.

"When Gauri is speaking the truth, how can I ask her to shut up?" Omkara asks them back.

"Truth?" Pinky asks in shock.

"Yes, the truth." Omkara confirms.

"Even before Om told me, I knew that you both would have reservations in accepting me. From all that Om shared about his family, I knew each one of you very well. But I want to know, why are you so adamant that I will not make a good wife for him? Isn't it only his prerogative to decide who would make him a good wife?"

"We know what is best for him!" Pinky tells her furiously.

"Like how you knew that he would be a good businessman?" Gauri asks them back.

"Yeah, look how successful he is." Roop points out.

"Aren't you even ashamed to say that?" Gauri asks them shocked.

"Why should we? He is what he is because of us." Pinky tells her.

"He wanted to be a singer! He wanted to learn singing." Gauri tells them in exasperation. "But you both decided that the glory and success that he would get from Oberoi business is much higher than a singing career."

"And it is true!" Pinky says.

"Look how successful he is." Roop tells her.

"It is because of his hard work and dedication. It is because he had learned to be happy with what his mothers chose for him." Gauri tells them angrily.

"He would have been happy with either Ridhima or Ishana also." Roop replies.

"Why? Because they have a rich family background and they belong to your class and status?"

"Yes!"

"Do you even realize that you don't want a wife for Omkara, you want a trophy wife for him?" Gauri asks them in exasperation.

Roop and Pinky stop in shock hearing that.

"And I knew that I can never be your ideal bahu because I'll die before I become a trophy wife for anyone, Omkara included!" Gauri tells them.

"Ishana and Ridhima loves him." Pinky softly says.

Gauri loudly scoffs, "Didn't they also agree to marry Shivaay bhaiyya before he told you all about Anika Bhabhi? They don't want Omkara or Shivaay bhaiyya. They want the Oberoi family and status."

"No." Roop replies though there was no force in her reply.

"If you had a third son, then the moment Om told them he is married they would have fell in love with him and agreed to marry him." Gauri tells them.

"They are not like you." Pinky tells her.

"Oh please! They can never be like me! Whatever I am, it is because of my hard work not because of my family or family background." Gauri replies offended.

"You saw how they are. Do you think either of them can handle Om? do you think they can take care of him? he already has two interfering dominating mothers in his life, do you think he would be ecstatic with a clingy wife too?"

"Gauri..." Omkara softly calls her shaking his head at her.

"Is that how you see us, Om?" Roop asks him hurt.

Omkara helplessly looks at them not wanting to lie and not wanting to tell the truth too.

"What decision concerning his life has he taken by himself?" Gauri asks them. "The only decision was me and that he had to hide from you and take."

"And we can see what a disaster that is." Pinky mutters softly though not as vehemently as she would have usually done.

"If that is what you are going to say then I am done!" Gauri replies fed up.

Omkara walks to the bed and sits opposite to Roop and Pinky.

"I love Gauri. and all I wanted was the two important women in my life, love the most important woman in my life." Omkara gently tells them.

"She is more important to you." Pinky picks from what he had said.

"Yes, you know why?" Omkara asks them. "She loves me and she has never asked me ever to repay her for loving me."

When they remained silent, he says, "Gauri and I have been together for 6 years, all these years, she never asked me for anything. only thrice she demanded me for her rights. In 6 years and just three times." Omkara tells them.

"Remember in first year of my college, I had come to you both and told you that I am in love with a girl in my class. You both didn't even bother to ask me about the girl, all you both said was forget all these love business and concentrate on my studies. when the time is right, you would get me married to the perfect girl. it hurt a lot but I decided to do what you wanted me to do." Omkara tells them then he sadly says, "We decided to act like strangers because I was worried you both would figure out that Gauri was the girl that I was in love with, but you both didn't even remember that."

"It was so long back ago." Roop softly whispers.

Omkara shrugs and continues "I decided to do what you wanted but I couldn't control my feelings for her. by third year, Gauri had figured out that I was watching her a little too much. And she had come to me and demanded that if I felt something for her then to pursue that relation or else to stop following her around. When I realized that Gauri also felt for me like I felt for her, I decided to follow my heart instead of what you both wanted me to do."

Pinky and Roop silently listened to him.

"As days went on, I fell more deeply in love with her and Gauri loved me back. She understood me, she understood my limitations, my timid nature, my need to please you both, she understood everything, and she loved me with all that. she stood by me and when needed she became my shield. She was everything that I wasn't. she was everything I wanted to be. I didn't deserve her but she still loved me and trusted me with all her heart."

Omkara eyes fill up remembering their old times and tells them, "Last month, we thought Gauri was pregnant."

"She is pregnant?" Roop asks shocked.

"She is not." Omkara replies. "The doctor said we had to wait a few days before we could confirm. I got scared. But Gauri..." Omkara smiles remembering. "She wasn't scared. She was calm because she trusted me and she had faith in me. she trusted me so much that she didn't even ask me to marry her. the second I realized that, I knew I had to live up to that trust. No matter what, I had to show that I deserved her trust. I forced her to marry me. she didn't want to marry me then without getting all your permission but that time, I didn't think of you both, Ishana and Ridhima, the supposed baby, all the problems, nothing. All I had wanted was to prove to Gauri that I was worthy of her trust."

"After marriage, the coward that I am, I panicked thinking on how to break the news to you. I asked Gauri to stay in her apartment till I told you both the truth. Gauri didn't agree because we were married and she didn't want to hide that from the world. I asked her for a month's time. she gave me an ultimatum, to get married was my decision, so it was my duty to honor that marriage and give her the rights of my wife. She gave me two weeks' time to bring her home else she would file for divorce because whether pregnant or not, she didn't want to be my secret wife. Second time, she was asking me something, and she had asked for her right, instead of giving her the right, I brought her to our home like this. Gauri put up with it because she knew that I couldn't hurt you both."

"When I continued to hide her like a dirty secret. Meeting her in secret, she started feeling humiliated. Instead of my wife, she started feeling like a mistress and for the third time in life, she demanded me for her rights, she demanded that I acknowledge her as my wife to you both or she would leave me forever. It killed me that she felt like a mistress." Omkara stops as he gulped in pain, tears dropping from his eyes. "She is my wife and I was humiliating her like this. And I couldn't have that. Now, nothing is more important to me than giving Gauri her rights as my wife. And I was thinking of the gentlest way to tell you both my truth when you brought Ridhima and Ishana. I couldn't have Gauri be humiliated anymore. And I had to tell you the truth in the worst way possible."

"You betrayed us, Om." Pinky tells him.

"He is telling you why he did what he did and that is all that you heard?" Shivaay asks them outraged.

Pinky and Roop look away uncomfortably.

"You both raised me with so much love that I never missed my parents." Omkara tells them sadly. "But right now, I wish they were alive and they had raised me. if they had raised me then they would never have asked me to repay them for raising me. repay the debt of loving me."

"You think we asked you to repay us?" Roop asks him shocked and hurt.

"We lived for you both." Pinky tells him.

"All my life I have been repaying the debt of you both loving me as mothers." Omkara replies.

"Om..." Pinky whispers his name in shock. Both Pinky's and Roop's eyes filling up realizing how tortured Omkara was feeling because of them.

"To not marry and to not have children were both your decisions. It was your choice and your decision, then why did you ask us to repay you back for the choices you made in life?" Omkara asks them. "You took your decisions, made your choices and lived your life the way you wanted then why were you snatching away our choices and decisions from us."

"We wanted the best for you both." Roop replies hurt understanding how unfair they had been to their sons.

"No, you wanted what you thought is best for us." Shivaay tells them.

"You thought Ishana and Ridhima were best for us. Do you really think that either of them would put up with all your fuss and demands like Anika Bhabhi does? Do you think either of them would fight and protect me like Gauri does? Do you really think Ridhima or Ishana would have been happy with a Mamas' boy like me? Do you think they would understand my vulnerability in going against you like Gauri does? However dysfunctional our family is, we are still a family. And they would be the first one to break up the family. Gauri and Anika Bhabhi didn't have a happy life with this family, but they still put up with all the shit this family dished out to them."

Roop and Pinky gulp realizing what Omkara was saying the truth. Ridhima and Ishana wouldn't have been the perfect wives for Shivaay or Omkara like Anika and Gauri were.

"I am sorry, Om. I thought I knew what was best for you because you are my little boy." Pinky tells him with tears in her eyes.

"Just accept my Gauri and all will be forgiven." Omkara promises them.

"Come here, Gauri." Roop says extending her hand to Gauri with a smile and tear filled eyes.

Gauri walks to her and takes her hand with a smile.

"Sorry, Gauri." Roop says as she hugged her.

"Do I have to do a part of that speech with replacing Gauri with Anika or you going to accept my wife too?" Shivaay asks them.

"Shut up, you idiot!" Pinky tells him chuckling. "Come here, Anika." Pinky tells her extending her hand to Anika with a smile.

Anika happily walks to her and takes her hand.

"We are sorry, Anika. You are perfect for Shivaay." Pinky tells her hugging her.

"And you are perfect for our Om." Roop tells Gauri. "Just that we need to give you some honey and sugar to reduce the bitterness from your tongue."

Gauri chuckles hearing that.

Omkara happily smiles seeing his mothers hugging Gauri and Anika. Suddenly, someone whacked on his head from behind.

"Idiot, if you did it earlier, we wouldn't have to go through all this for so long." Dadi tells him.

"Even you could have done this." Omkara points out as he rubbed his head.

"I am the matriarch of this family in namesake only, I have no real powers." Dadi says sadly.

"Don't know what all you would have done, if you had some power." Shivaay tells her.

Everyone chuckles hearing that.

*********

At night, Omkara and Gauri were snuggling in bed.

"It's so nice to see you so happy and relieved." Gauri tells him as she lovingly kissed his cheek.

"I'm feeling so peaceful. I am so happy that Bua and Chachi accepted you and Anika Bhabhi. We are now truly one family." Omkara tells her smiling happily.

Gauri smiles hearing that.

"Gauri, don't you want to meet your family?" Omkara asks her gently.

"It's been 8 years, Om. not even once they looked for me. one time I tried to get in touch with them, they were not interested. That part of my life is done and over." Gauri tells him.

Omkara lovingly kisses her in reply. Smiling Gauri hugs him.

"You know, in all these confusions and tensions, we didn't talk about the baby and pregnancy." Omkara reminds her.

"Hmmm."

"Even though I panicked, I was actually little excited and happy for a baby." Omkara tells her.

Gauri smiles hearing that. "Even I was excited and was thinking how it would be with a baby."

Omkara turns to her smiling excitedly asks her, "What do you think?"

Gauri happily smiles at him in reply.

*******

8 years ago

"Enough! Can you just stop giving us every topic as assignments and start teaching us?"

Omkara looks up in shock hearing the loud and angry voice. He sees a girl standing and glaring at their Professor.

"Who is she?" Omkara asks Arjun.

"Don't you know? That is Gauri."

"Gauri?" Omkara asks softly. "She is going to be in shit trouble."

"Gauri?" Arjun scoffs. "Professor is in trouble."

"What?" Omkara asks in shock.

"How dare you talk to me like that?" Professor asks angrily.

"I'm paying fees to study here. You are being paid to teach us. if I wanted to study everything by myself, then I wouldn't spend money and time to come here to study. I would have opted for distant education." Gauri tells him.

"Get out of my class." Professor tells her.

"I am a student and I am studying. I am doing my job. You are a Professor and you are obviously not doing your job. So you get out of our class!"

"Did you just tell me to get out?" Professor asks her going completely red and furious.

"If you can't teach us properly then leave!"

"Till you apologize for your behavior, I'll not teach this class."

"You mean you won't give us home works and assignments?" Gauri asks him back. Gauri turns to look at the class, "Anyway he is going to be giving us the whole portion as assignments, so, I think it is best he doesn't teach us. I'll learn the portion and teach you all from tomorrow's class onwards."

"Gauri, he will fail you." one of her friend whispers.

Gauri turns to him and warns him, "If either me or anyone in this class doesn't get even deserving one mark then even if I have to go to court I will and I will make sure you don't get to dress up like a Professor anywhere else."

The Professor furiously leaves the class.

"My God!" Omkara whispers in shock. "How did she do that?" Omkara asks him amazed. He didn't even have the courage to show his displeasure to his mothers and this slender girl was fearlessly blasting the Professor.

********

Next day, Omkara eagerly waits to see what happens and the moment the bell for business studies rang, Gauri walks to the front of the class and starts teaching.

"What the heck are you doing?" the Professor asks her furiously from the door.

"Your job." Gauri replies as she continued to teach.

"Come to the Principal's office NOW!" Professor says furiously.

Omkara worriedly watched as Gauri left the class with the Professor. each passing second, he was getting worried for her.

"I hope she doesn't get into trouble." Omkara tells Arjun worriedly.

"You really don't know her or what?" Arjun asks him shocked.

"What?" Omkara asks in confusion.

"Stop hiding inside your book and look around the class at least once in a while." Arjun tells him.

Omkara shakes his head. "I just hope they don't suspend her."

"It is fricking Gauri! Professor will be lucky if she doesn't manage to get him dismissed!" Arjun tells him.

"What?" Omkara asks in shock.

"that girl can argue! Don't know what she is doing here. She should be doing law." Arjun replies.

15 minutes later, Gauri walks back into the class.

"So, everyone, it is decided that I'll be teaching you all till the management can find a replacement for Professor Arvind." Gauri says.

Everyone starts clapping and cheering for Gauri.

"Let's start." Gauri happily says and starts teaching.

"She is amazing." Omkara says dazed as he stared at her.

"Omkara!" Gauri calls him after few minutes.

"What?" Omkara asks in shock as he sat up.

"You look lost. Are you not following me? Do you want me to explain again?" Gauri asks him.

"No... no." Omkara quickly replies shaking his head.

"Okay." Gauri nods and resumes teaching.

The moment she turned around, Omkara excitedly turns to Arjun and asks him excited, "Did you see that? she called me Omkara! She knows my name. Gauri knows my name!"

"Of course she knows your name. everyone knows your name." Arjun replies with a frown wondering if Omkara lost it. "You are a fucking Oberoi, you are Shivaay's brother, the whole college knows you."

*******

6 years ago

Omkara couldn't help it, he just wanted to keep looking at Gauri, so everywhere she went, he just followed her. Right now, Gauri was going to the canteen and he was following her. she turns the corner and he follows her and turns the corner. And he jumps back in shock coming face to face with Gauri.

"What?" Gauri asks him.

Omkara shrugs.

"Then?" Gauri asks him.

Omkara worriedly shakes his head and quickly turns to run off.

Gauri grabs his collar and pulls him down. Staring into his eyes, she tells him, "I see you drooling over me and following me around, either you take me on a date or if you have no honorable intentions, I'll break your legs for being a lecher."

Omkara's mouth drops open hearing her and realizing that she knew that he was in love with him.

"Got it?" Gauri asks him.

Omkara nods.

"Coming to canteen?" Gauri asks him.

Omkara nods.

"Let's go then." Gauri tells him with a smile.

Omkara smiles realizing that even she liked him. Smiling, they walk to the canteen.

***********

Next day, after college was over, Omkara runs after Gauri seeing her leave the class.

"Gauri!" Omkara calls her.

Gauri stops and turns to him. seeing him, she smiles at him. she turns to her friends and asks them to carry on.

"I was going to get the hockey sticks from the sports room to break your legs." Gauri jokes.

Omkara smiles hearing that. "I have been thinking of the perfect way to ask you for a date."

"Ah." Gauri smiles.

"This is all I could come up with." Omkara tells her.

Gauri nods smiling expectantly.

Omkara nervously starts singing. "Baaware Se Iss Jahaan Mein Baawara Ek Saath Ho, Is Sayaani Bheed Mein Bas Haathon Mein Tera Haath Ho." Omkara stops as he put his palm out.

"I love that song." Gauri replies slightly blushing as she kept her hand on his.

Omkara holds her hand smiling and blushing lightly. "Let's go?"

Gauri nods and they walk together. "You are a beautiful singer."

"Thank you." Omkara replies with a smile.

"Why aren't you pursuing singing?" Gauri asks him curiously.

"I have to join family business." Omkara replies.

"Oh you prefer business to singing?" Gauri asks him.

Omkara shrugs. "Where do you want to go?"

"I thought you were taking me on a date." Gauri reminds him with a smile.

"Yeah... I don't have much experience in all this." Omkara confesses to her embarrassed.

"as if I have." Gauri replies rolling her eyes.

Omkara chuckles hearing that. "I guess we will have to find our way around this whole dating and love business."

"Don't worry, we can do it." Gauri tells him smiling.

***** The End ****

The working title of this book was Spineless Love but while I was writing it, I happened to hear Bawara Mann from Hazaron Khwaishein Aisi, and I couldn't help keep this title. The whole flashback was to justify the title. I had no plan to write the flashback, so forgive me if it came across as absurd.

The story was inspired from the Malayalam movie Poochakkaru Mani Kettum, though towards the end did it feel like Bommarillu/ Santosh Subramaniam? Someone, had long back asked me to write a story on Bommarillu, so please consider it my version of that movie.

I hope you guys liked this story.

Please do vote and comment.

- Lazy