Thank you all for voting and commenting on the previous part.

WARNING: This part contains physical and mental abuse/violence against women. I don't support such behavior but it  is the need of the story.

Tears silently fell from her eyes as Gauri lovingly looked at her mangal sutra on her palms, the heart break was unbearable, this was killing her, with a loud sob she takes her hand to her chest to keep her mangal sutra close to her heart when her hand brushes against her new mangal sutra. She looks down at the new mangal sutra in dread. Why was life so cruel to her? What did she do to deserve this? She hears the door open and looks up to see Omkara stagger in, he was drunk. Seeing him, Gauri quickly gets up from the bed.

"Look at you, all ready for our suhag raat." Omkara mockingly tells her.

Seeing him coming towards her, Gauri moves back in fear. The drinks, the hatred and seeing her fear were making him feel all the more determined. He stalks her till she reaches the wall and she looks around in panic. Seizing the opportunity, he moves quickly towards her and keeps his hands on either side of her entrapping her.

"Why are you crying, Gauri? Didn't you get exactly what you wanted?" Omkara asks her furiously. "Stay in my house and become the owner of all our properties!"

Gauri gulps in fear. Omkara furiously grips her chin and Gauri winces in pain. Seeing her in pain Omkara smiles, "I am realizing that marrying you is not a bad thing." Gauri looks at him in shock. "Do you have any idea how much I am enjoying seeing you in pain and tears?" Omkara asks her. When Gauri remains silent, he says, "I am going to make your life a living hell."

Gauri closes her eyes and bites her lips to stop herself from crying out loud. Omkara roughly caresses her lips, "Did you know that my brother and I drew straws to decide who was going to seduce you?" When she remained silent with eyes closed he continues, "Unfortunately my brother won and you ruined his life." Omkara keeps his hand on her shoulder and sees her shrinking in disgust. He smirks seeing her discomfort and gently and sensuously runs his finger down the length of her arm.

"Om... please?" Gauri pleads him as she closed her eyes.

Omkara furiously grips her arms, "My brother used to call me Om!"

Gauri looks at him in fear and begs him, "Please Omkara, leave me."

"Did you forget that you are my wife and it is your duty to take care of all my needs? Even sexual?"

"Please Omkara... I am begging you."

"Why Gauri? I want to see what my brother found so great about you." Omkara says as he leans down and takes her lips in his. Gauri starts pushing against him and that is when he feels the mangal sutra on her hand. He turns to look at her hand and sees it. He furiously snatches it from her hand, "Even in death won't you leave him alone?" Omkara furiously asks her as he fisted it in his hand.

"That is mine!" Gauri says angrily.

Omkara smirks and puts it inside his pants pocket. "Take it."

Gauri hesitates for a few seconds then nervously she takes her hand to his pants pocket near his crotch. She keeps her hand on his pocket and hesitates for a bit then closing her eyes she starts to put her hand inside his pocket and he quickly holds her around her waist and pulls her towards him. Gauri starts struggling in his arms and as she struggled, she brushes against his erection and stops in shock and panic. She looks at him in fear.

"I am your brother's wife." Gauri tells him in fear.

"You are my wife." Omkara reminds her.

"Please don't."

"Do you really think that I will give up my chance in tormenting you?" Omkara asks her and a second later his lips were on her neck.

Gauri struggles against him as he devoured her neck. Omkara's hand moves to her stomach and gently starts caressing her. Feeling the tingling effect on her stomach, Gauri stops in shock as her body started reacting to him. Feeling her going limb in his arms, Omkara gentles his assault on her. He drags his mouth to the other side of her neck sensuously and she softly moans as her breathing became erratic as her body reacted to his touch even more. Feeling himself getting turned on even more Omkara takes in a dragged breath. Hearing him Gauri comes out of her daze and realizes what was happening to her and what was she letting him do to her. Gauri starts pushing him again.

"Stop acting! I know you are enjoying this." Omkara tells her.

Gathering all her energy, Gauri screams out loudly, "ARMAAN!"

Hearing his brother's name, Omkara steps back in shock realizing what he was doing. The moment he stepped away, Gauri furiously pushes him away and runs out of the room. She runs all the way to Armaan's bedroom, which had been their bedroom for three years. She gets in and locks the door. Falling on the ground she starts crying her heart out.

Gauri was sleeping on the floor when she wakes up hearing loud knocking on the door. Gauri gets up and hurries to the door and opens it.

"Come out." Omkara orders her.

Gauri steps out hesitantly. The moment she steps out, Omkara slams the door shut and locks the door. "Never enter this room."

"That is my room!" Gauri argues angrily.

"No, sweetheart! Your room is not this. From now on you'll be sleeping with me in my room. Got that?"

"You hate me. Then why?" Gauri asks him helplessly.

"I hate you and that is why I love to torture you. You took my brother away from me! Now I'll not let you go anywhere near his memories."

"You said you'll let me stay here if I married you!" Gauri reminds him.

"Yes. I am letting you stay here but you'll stay with me in my room, biwi."

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!"

Omkara furiously grips her chin and lift it up to look her in the eyes, "Never raise your voice at me, biwi."

Omkara walks away and Gauri helplessly watches him go.

Jhanvi, Bua Ma and Omkara sit down for breakfast. He looks around for Gauri and noticing she was missing he screams out for her. Few minutes later, Gauri comes down.

"You called me?" Gauri gently asks him.

"Where were you?"

"Room."

"Your husband is here for breakfast and you are not around to serve? If I remember correctly when my brother was having his food, you would be like a hawk all over him. Why this double standards, biwi?" Omkara asks her.

Gauri turns to look at Jhanvi and Bua Ma and they were furiously looking at her.

"Serve." Omkara orders her.

Gauri walks towards him and gently starts serving him. "Serve everyone." Omkara orders her.

Gauri turns to serve them when Bua Ma furiously says, "Do you think water will go down my throat if she touches it?"

Gauri stops midway and hesitates.

"Leave it." Omkara tells her and Gauri keeps the bowl back on the table.

"DANDI!" Omkara calls out to him.

"Yes, Chief?" Dandi comes running to him.

"What all do you do here, Dandi?" Omkara asks him.

"I clean, cook, wash clothes , iron them, buy grocery, look after the garden."

"From now on you will just supervise."

"Supervise?" Dandi asks confused.

"From now on, biwi will do all that. Your job is to make sure that she does a brilliant job of it. If she doesn't then you have the right to make her do it again and again till she does it correctly. And if I am not happy with the way things are here then I'll fire your ass." Omkara tells him.

Dandi turns to look at Gauri in shock while Gauri remained composed.

"She won't cook!" Jhanvi says furiously. "Do you want her to poison us and kill us too like she killed my son?"

Omkara sighs and says, "She will cook and Dandi will be watching over her making sure she doesn't try to kill any of us. Is that clear?"

Dandi nods his head.

"Biwi, go get my clothes ready for office."

Without a word Gauri goes to his room.

Gauri was sitting in Omkara's room which was now hers too and crying as she read the letter from Armaan. Why did you do this, Armaan? We were happy. Weren't we? Then why did you do this?

Clutching the letter to her chest Gauri remembers Armaan. She had met him in college. He was her senior, even Omkara. Armaan was every bit like Omkara, a womanizer and a disrespectful guy. They never respected women. Then one day, she had caught both the brothers' attention. Armaan had decided to seduce her. He had tried many ways to seduce her and somehow he had ended up falling in love with her, which had led to gaps in Armaan and Omkara's relation, as they started having issues and Omkara blamed her for it. After college when they had informed his family about their relation, they had refused to accept them except for Papaji. Seeing the change she had brought in Armaan's life he had accepted her with open arms ignoring the fact that she was a poor orphan. With his blessings they had got married. But she was never accepted into the household because on the way from their mandap to the house, they had met with an accident which had almost cost Armaan his life. Bua Ma and Mummyji blamed her for it and said that she was bad luck to Armaan. Fearing the way everyone at home hated her, Papaji had given all his properties to Armaan on his death. And Armaan had worked hard and took the company to heights while Omkara continued his rebellious behavior. When the Pundit had told Mummyji and Bua Ma that, for Armaan's long life he should have a kid soon, they started pressurizing her for a baby and she had to tell them that she could never conceive. Soon they started pressurizing Armaan to divorce her. She had supported him in every single thing but he had left her because he couldn't see the way she was treated by his family. After transferring all the properties into her name and the house to Omkara's name, Armaan had committed suicide. She remembers the day she had woken up to find his suicide note on the side table. Gauri starts crying remembering that day.

Omkara walks into the room to find her sitting on the floor crying. Hearing him she looks up in shock and then getting up quickly she hurries to her cupboard and keeps the letter inside the drawer.

"What were you unsuccessfully trying to hide?" Omkara asks her mockingly.

Gauri gulps and whispers, "It's a letter Armaan wrote me."

Omkara stares at her for a while and then he walks away. Gauri sighs in relief.

"Omkara..." Gauri gently goes towards him.

"What?" Omkara snaps at her.

"Can I have the key to Armaan's room?"

"You killed him once. Stop killing him again and again!" Omkara furiously whispers to her. "There is nothing more torturous to his soul than having your presence in our house."

"That is not true." Gauri whispers to him as tears fell from her eyes.

"Mom is right. You were a curse on him. Ever since you entered his life, he has been having accidents one after the other. He realized you were a curse on him but he loved you and couldn't say that to you. So he decided to end things. He didn't kill himself. You killed him!" Omkara furiously tells her. "So stop torturing my brother! Let him rest in peace at least!!!"

Gauri was sweeping the floor when she stops in front of Armaan's room. Dropping the broom, she gently walks towards the door and caresses it lovingly. Her Armaan's soul was still in there. She had felt him in there.

"Bhabhiji... Chief will fire me." Dandi hesitantly tells her.

Gauri turns to look at Dandi and he was helplessly looking at her. "Sorry." Gauri whispers and takes the broom and starts sweeping again. But her mind was elsewhere. Omkara had asked her to transfer the property back into their names and she had refused. So he had threatened to throw her out of the house and she had begged him to stay there and threatened him with the properties. So he had offered her a deal, marry him so that the property would remain with the family though in her name while he would let her stay in his house. She had agreed because her Armaan was still alive somewhere here. But now, Omkara wouldn't even let her go to Armaan's room. Was it worth it? Omkara was slowly taking away all her memories of Armaan, could she live like this? If she leaves the house at least then she would have Armaan in her memory and no one will accuse her of killing him anymore.

Hours later, Gauri had made up her mind, fearing Omkara would catch her on the phone, she sneaks to the terrace and dials Armaan's lawyer.

"Ajay... Gauri here." Gauri whispers to the phone.

"Hello Gauri... how are you? How is Omkara?"

"Ajay... can you tell me what is the procedure to file for an annulment?"

Omkara who had come to check on Gauri after seeing her sneak into the terrace, stops in shock hearing her.

Gauri walks into the bedroom to see a furious Omkara as he gulped down drink after drink. Ignoring him Gauri tries to get ready for bed.

"So what advice did your lawyer give you?" Omkara asks her.

Gauri stops in shock as she went pale.

"Annulment!"

"I don't want to be here anymore." Gauri tells him.

"Transfer the properties back into our name." Omkara tells her.

"No!" Gauri says forcefully.

"How dare you?" Omkara asks her furiously as he threw the glass on the floor furiously.

"My Armaan worked hard to bring the company to this level. I will not let you waste and destroy all that with your debauchery!" Gauri tells him furiously.

"Who are you to decide that?"

"Armaan's wife!"

"You are my fucking wife!"

"No!"

"Transfer the property back to us and I'll give you a divorce."

"I'll get the marriage annulled before that." Gauri tells him.

"Let's see you do that." Omkara challenges her. He pulls her towards him and tells her, "You are going to be my wife, Gauri." Then he pushes her on to the bed and says "There won't be any more grounds for you to file for an annulment."

Omkara sits up in shock remembering the events of the previous night. He was drunk and furious. Omkara runs his hand over his face trying to clear his mind. He had been so angry when he heard her talk on the phone and when she refused to give back his properties. He had a couple of drinks but he was not so drunk that he didn't know what he was doing. Somehow he had thought that consummation would stall of an annulment. He remembers her fighting him and struggling, but he hadn't given up. He wondered if she had screamed out for Armaan, the music system was so loud that he was not sure if she did. He knew she had tried to get him to leave her, but he had very deftly touched her and teased her in the right places with his experience. He knew exactly what to do to get her to react to him and she did. She had stopped fighting and she never even realized that she was responding to his touches. He had taken to her to an all-consuming passion where she started vocally responding to him and gave herself to him. Once she had come to her senses, she had panicked and quickly she got dressed up and ran out of the room. And that was when he had realized. Omkara holds his head in shock and confusion. She had been a virgin. Three years of marriage and she was still a fucking virgin! He had been too shocked to react, or go after her or ask her anything. He had started drinking and finally he had passed out.

Omkara walks out of his room as he wanted answers. He was about to go look for her when he thought of checking Armaan's room first. He turns around and sees Gauri sitting on the floor with her head resting on the door. She was sleeping, her tears dried up all over her face. Omkara was about to wake her up when he resisted and gently lifts her up in his arms.

"Armaan." Gauri gently whispers.

Omkara looks at her face and she was still sleeping. She looked so lost and helpless then.

"Why did you leave me, Armaan?" Gauri asks in a heart breaking voice.

She did love his brother. And he knew how much Armaan loved Gauri, then why was their marriage never consummated? Omkara wondered as he carried her to his room. He gently places her on his bed.

"I am sorry I betrayed you, Armaan." Gauri says. "Please forgive me, Armaan. Om and I..." Gauri starts loudly crying in her sleep. "I love you, Armaan. Please forgive me. Please don't hate me."

Omkara watches in shock as she cried in her sleep. Feeling pity, he gently whispers, "It's okay."

"Sorry, Armaan."

"Calm down, Gauri." Omkara gently tells her as he wiped her tears away and that is when he realized that heat he had felt was not her body temperature that she was burning up.

Omkara had sat by her side and took care of her. He made sure either his mother or Bua Ma was with her when he had to step out. His head was screaming with questions and he wanted Gauri to wake up and answer his questions. Why did they never have sex? They were so in love then why? Armaan was no saint, Armaan had had his fair share of women in the past then what had gone wrong? Did he never love Gauri? no... he did. Then did Gauri never love Armaan?

"You said once she transfers the properties to you, you will divorce her." Jhanvi reminds him angrily.

Omkara turns around to see his mother behind him. "I did."

"Then what is she talking about?" Jhanvi furiously asks him.

Gauri was being delirious again. "It's between Gauri and me."

"Did you forget what she did to our Armaan?" Jhanvi asks him furiously.

For the first time he asks, not to his mother but to himself, "What did she do?"

Jhanvi looks at him in shock then she says furiously, "She was unlucky for him. She brought in bad luck. Ever since Armaan married her, his life was always in danger. The only way to protect him was to have a child and she is infertile!!!"

How could Gauri even know she is infertile if she never had sex? If she loved him so much then wouldn't they try to have a baby?

"Omkara!!!"

Omkara irately looks at her. What was he going to tell her? And how can he discuss what happened between Gauri and him to his mother? Wasn't that wrong and disgusting?

"I am not going to discuss this." Omkara tells her.

"Armaan." He hears a faint call.

"I have to go, mom." Omkara tells her and walks into his bedroom.

Omkara wakes up and turns to his side to check on Gauri and finds her side of the bed empty. He sits up immediately wondering if she had gone off to Armaan's room. He starts to get down from the bed when he notices the coffee kept on his side. He had ordered her to have coffee ready when he woke up. He sighs as he turned to look at the couch and as usual his office suit was spread out. He had made her do that, and suddenly it all felt petty.

Omkara walks around the house looking for her and finally finds her in the garden watering the plants as Dandi supervised. Omkara walks to her and holds her. Gauri turns to him in shock and seeing him she goes pale. Without a word he walks back to the house dragging her along with him.

Omkara locks the bedroom door and turns to her. "How is your fever?"

"It is all gone." Gauri replies without looking at him.

Furiously, he roughly feels her forehead and Gauri moves back quickly. "You still have fever. Then what were you doing out in the cold?"

"Just because I slept with you, you don't have to act all concerned." Gauri tells him and starts to walk out.

"I don't give a damn about you. But if you die then, I don't want people thinking I killed you to get the properties." Omkara tells her.

"I have work downstairs." Gauri tells him and starts to walk off.

"After you tell me." Omkara tells her.

"Tell you what?" Gauri asks acting innocent.

"Don't act as if you don't know."

"I don't know."

"I want to know why you were a virgin."

"I was not." Gauri replies.

Omkara looks at her in shock wondering if she was for real. "Tell me why."

"I was not a virgin. Did you forget that I was married for three years?" Gauri asks him furiously.

Omkara looks at her in shock unable to believe that she was lying to him on his face even after knowing that he knew the truth. "I took your virginity! So tell me dammit why you were a virgin?"

"I was not." Gauri replies still standing her ground.

"Didn't my brother think that you were good enough to take to bed? Did you not let him?" Omkara asks her.

"I am not answerable to you."

"You are my wife and he was my brother."

"I am Armaan's wife."

"Armaan is dead! I am your fucking husband now!!!!" Omkara says furiously.

Gauri remains silent.

"You know, before you entered his life... I used to call him a gigolo."

Gauri's eyes fill with tears hearing that.

Seeing the tears he steps back and asks her helplessly, "What happened to my brother, Gauri? There was a reason for his depression, right? There was a reason why he killed himself, right?"

Gauri looks at Omkara helplessly for a while then unable to control her tears she turns around and runs into the bathroom locking herself in.

"Gauri... I need answers!" Omkara says as he banged on the door. Tears started flowing from his eyes, his brother was a healthy man then? "Open the door, Gauri!" then he hears the faint sob from inside. He stops tired and helpless. He was starting to realize that Gauri was way too loyal to Armaan. She will never tell him that Armaan was impotent but he had to find out. Omkara helplessly looks around wondering what to do.

He thought he knew his brother so well. They were so close till Gauri came into their life, then everything changed. From best friends to they had become strangers. He still hadn't forgiven his brother for killing himself or not leaving behind a suicide note, so that they could know why he ended his life. Omkara stops in shock, what if he had left Gauri a suicide note? Omkara remembers Gauri hiding a letter from Armaan, he had assumed that was a letter that he had written to her when they were dating and she had hid it thinking he would take it from her.

Omkara opens her cupbard and checks the drawer. There were photos and few items, he assumed to be Gauri's collection and memories of her relation with Armaan. He starts moving things around and finds a letter that was now almost torn with repeated folding and unfolding, it was slightly crumbled and tears socked. He quickly opens the letter.

My Darling Gauri,

I wish I could tell you how beautiful you look while you sleep. You have never looked so beautiful or innocent. I wish I could tell you once more how much I love you but I can't wake you up now. By the time, you read this letter everything would be over. I am sorry, Gauri. I can't live anymore. I can no longer be a burden on you, Gauri.

You have told me time and again, that sex is not important but it is, Gauri. You should live a complete life, that of a wife, daughter and a mother. I made you my bride but could never make you my wife. How I wish that my accident had happened on my way to the mandap, then I would have never married you, Gauri and ruined your life. My impotency didn't affect your love for me, but every time I saw love in your eyes for me, I died a little and I hated myself a lot. I tried to fight and live, Gauri, for you but I couldn't help feeling a coward.

There are two things I want to tell you, the lies.

The accident on the day of our wedding, other than that none of them was accidents. It was all my unsuccessful attempts to kill myself, but every time, you took care of me and brought me back to life.

And, artificial insemination was possible, but I lied to you it wasn't as I couldn't do that to you, Gauri. How can I? I knew, one day or another I would end things, and you would be all alone to fend for our child. You will never marry again, and you will spend the rest of your life looking after and raising our baby without any support. That is not what I wanted for you. I wanted you to lead a happy and fulfilled life. So I lied, but when I found out what the Pundit had told Mom and that you lied to her that you can never conceive to protect me, Gauri, I realized how selfish I have been. I never had the courage to tell anyone that I was impotent as my ego and pride will never be able to take a blow like that. You knew it and you protected my secret taking all the blame on yourself. I love you so much; Gauri and I can't let you suffer anymore.

I am sorry, Gauri and please don't think that I am dying because of you. You gave me the courage to live for three years but now I can't take this suffering anymore. I am going to leave all the properties in your name because Om is a little immature. Om needs a little guidance and he'll be a better man than I could ever be, I know that and I want you to tell him that. We used to be very close then things went wrong but he is still that little brother that I love. That is why I am going to leave the house in his name.

Mom and Bua Ma, I know they haven't accepted you but they are not bad people, Gauri. Just a little prejudiced. They will accept you soon; I just know it in me.

I know it would be difficult for you to go on without me, but know that I am still here. This house has a lot of our memories and I can never leave this house. I will be still here in this house. When you miss me, remember that I am still around.

I know you are going to be hurt by my death but one day, you will stop hurting, for that you need someone to share your pain. I want you to remember me with a smile not tears and for that you need someone who loves you by your side. It might feel cruel or selfish but I don't want you wasting your life crying over me. I want you to move on, get married and have children. You are going to watch them grow up, you are going to live the life that I never could, with someone who loves you and who you love. There is nothing wrong in falling in love again, Gauri. I know you would always love me but what you don't realize, Gauri is that you can love two people. You will be able to love the new man in your life and me at the same time. And I am sure that you are going to get a man who will understand your love for him and for me. Only a man capable of loving unconditionally will be able to accept that kind of love, and you will get a man like that. When love comes knocking on your door, please don't turn away from it for some misplaced loyalty to me. You deserve a happy life and love and you'll get that.

I am leaving a letter along with this (don't read that), that is for the man you marry and fall in love with. Give it to him, there are things I want to tell him.

Love you always. Keep smiling.

Armaan.

Omkara read the letter again and again, as guilt and anguish took over. Everyone had blamed Gauri for Armaan's death when the truth was something entirely different. He had tortured her. He had hurt her so much and she hadn't said a word. Omkara closes his eyes as the tears fell. He never realized that his brother had been going through hell. How didn't he realize? They were so close then what had happened between them? Why did he let his brother go away from him like that? So far that he couldn't even share his problems with him. And he had blamed Gauri for the distance between them. Ever since Gauri had come into his life, Armaan had slowly started changing. He changed so much that he had started feeling like a different person to him, and he had easily blamed Gauri for it. He had accused her of taking Armaan away from him. The fights and arguments over Gauri had become a constant thing between them. Then after the marriage it had worsened, with Armaan's mood swings and depression. He had become like a ghost, a haunting existence all over the house but didn't interact with anyone. He had tried once to talk to Armaan which had led to a huge argument between them, and he had dragged Gauri's name into it and Armaan had fought him. that was the end to their relation, and it was so easy to blame Armaan and Gauri but now knowing the personal hell they both had been through what he went through was nothing, and it was his own doing. It was his possessiveness and unwillingness to accept Gauri as the more important person in Armaan's life, and added to that the accusations of Mom and Bua Ma, it had been so easy to hate and blame Gauri for everything. On the hindsight, he wondered what was Gauri's fault in all this? Was it that she was not born in a rich family? That Armaan fell in love with her? Or that Gauri loved Armaan so much that she was willing to take everyone's hatred and protect Armaan? He had made a marriage deal with Gauri, and she had agreed because she believed Armaan's soul was somewhere still in this house. Omkara closes his eyes in pain, he had tried to snatch away Armaan's memories from Gauri and tortured her so much that she had started thinking of leaving this house and Armaan's memories. Why did he hate her so much for loving Armaan? For his own shortcomings, he had punished her. He had forcefully seduced her. How he was so blind that Gauri's pain never registered to him or that he never saw beyond his pain and Armaan's betrayal of brotherhood? Why did he torture Gauri for all this? Why did he forget that she was Armaan's widow? Why did he never realize that Gauri is his wife? Realizing what Gauri had gone through and how she had supported Armaan throughout, he finally understood the meaning of marriage and those saath vachans. He understood what a husband should be like and his responsibilities to his wife. Now, Omkara Oberoi not only had the responsibilities to Gauri as her husband, he had to fulfill all of Armaan's responsibilities to Gauri. He have to be not just Gauri's husband Omkara, he has to be Gauri's Armaan too.

Hearing the bathroom door open he looks up and sees Gauri stepping out. Her eyes were red. Guilt he had never felt pierced his heart. Out of respect for his brother, he had decided to meant his ways and lead a more grounded and respectful life, he had stopped unnecessary partying and women, but he had slept with Gauri, the girl his brother had loved and the girl who still loved his brother.

"THAT IS MINE!" Gauri says furiously seeing the letter in his hand. Before he could react she had snatched it from him. "HOW DARE YOU TAKE IT? DID YOU READ IT?"

Omkara looks at her looking at him so fiercely trying to protect his brother yet again.

Omkara steps forward and walks towards her then when he reaches her he hugs her tight. Gauri starts struggling in his arms and stops in shock hearing his question, "Why didn't he ever tell me, Gauri? Did I mean nothing to him?"

"He loved you, Omkara. He always talked about you." Gauri tells him. "He didn't want to hurt you. That is why he never told you."

"Please don't tell anyone." Gauri pleads him.

Omkara steps back to look at her and he says, "Now I see why my brother loved you so much. Went against everyone and married you."

Gauri looks at Omkara in shock as fresh tears filled her eyes.

"How could he not love you, Gauri?" Omkara asks her with a gentle smile.

Gauri starts whimpering then she starts crying out loudly, "Then why did he leave me, Om? Why did he think that sex was more important to me than him? Why didn't he give me a baby, Om?"

Omkara hugs her tight to console her and suddenly it was too painful to see her cry, "Because he loved you, Gauri. He wanted you to be happy."

"How can I ever be happy without him?"

Omkara remains silent but lets her cry all the while promising himself and her that he will give her all the happiness in the world.

Gauri had stopped crying though she was still hugging Omkara and thinking about Armaan. Omkara held her close understanding her need for comfort.

"I didn't kill him." Gauri gently whispers to Omkara.

"You didn't, Gauri." Omkara tells her looking at her. "It was never your fault... maybe if we had accepted you, Armaan might have..." Omkara stops as he looked away realizing how much they had hurt Armaan and in a way responsible for his death.

"No... Don't think like that... Armaan loved you all. He had thought of moving out of here but then he will not be able to live without you all, especially you. That is why he stayed here. You are not responsible for his death." Gauri tells Omkara looking at him.

"He loved you a lot." Omkara tells her.

"Not enough to live." Gauri tells him sadly as tears filled her eyes.

"It was his love for you that made him live for three years after the accident and not anything else, Gauri."

"You think so?" Gauri asks him looking all hopeful.

"Yes." Omkara tells her smiling.

Gauri smiles in relief and without thinking she leans her head on his chest getting lost in her thoughts.

The phone rings breaking them out of their thoughts. Realizing that she was hugging him, Gauri moves back embarrassed. Omkara not wanting to embarrass her any further turns around and answers the call.

"I need to go. A meeting got rescheduled." Omkara tells Gauri.

Gauri nods.

"I'll be late to get home." Omkara tells her as he got ready and Gauri nods again suddenly very uncomfortable with him.

Finally he gets ready and starts to walk out when he stops near the door, and looks at her.

"Did you forget something?" Gauri asks him uncomfortable with the way he looking at her.

"Yeah." Omkara replies and walks to his cupboard, and takes something from the drawer. He walks towards her and takes her hand in his. Gauri gulps uncomfortably. Omkara gently places her old mangal sutra and Armaan's bedroom key on her palm.

Gauri looks at him in shock.

"Sorry." Omkara tells her and walks out.

Late at night Gauri comes out of Armaan's bedroom. Ever since Omkara had left, she had been inside this room as she thought of her time with Armaan. He shouldn't have died. Gauri thought sadly. In between she had slept off and had dreamt of him. She had apologized to Armaan for what had happened between Omkara and her, and he had started laughing and called her silly. She had come awake in shock. Strangely the guilt had lessened but the guilt was still there somewhere in her.

Gauri walks into Omkara's bedroom and sees him reading on the bed.

"When did you come?" Gauri asks him surprised. Usually when he reaches he would call out to her to make her do some work.

"About two hours." Omkara replies as he keeps away the magazine on the side table.

"I was..." Gauri starts to explain.

"I know." Omkara calmly replies to her. "How is your fever?"

"Gone." Gauri replies as she uncomfortably looked around wondering what to do.

"Are you ready to sleep?"

Gauri nods and walks to her side of the bed and gets on the bed.

"I am sorry, Gauri."

Gauri looks at him in question.

"For the way I treated you and hurt you. You were all alone here. I promise you, Gauri that I will be a good husband to you and my family will accept you and treat you the way you deserve." Omkara promises her.

Gauri looks hesitantly and gently tells him, "I don't want a husband. I just need a friend."

Omkara turns to look at her with a smile. "I understand and I'll be all that you want me to be." Omkara tells her.

"Thank you, Omkara." Gauri tells him hesitantly smiling. It felt weird to smile at him. He had never talked to her in a normal way and now he was behaving like this and she was smiling at him.

"My brother used to call me Om." Omkara hesitantly tells her. "You are the closest person to my brother, so I would like it if you could call me Om."

Gauri looks at him surprised then says with a gentle smile, "He used to call you Om and hearing him talk always about you, even I got used to that name."

Omkara smiles at her. "He used to talk about me?"

"Yes. Always. He used to miss you a lot and always used to say that that he felt like a part of him was lost when you are not with him."

"I hurt him a lot." Omkara says sadly.

"But a part of him was happy about the distance. He never told me but I knew."

"So he wouldn't have to tell me about..." Omkara guesses.

Gauri nods. "Maybe that is why he never tried to mend the differences because before marriage he had told me that once we get married, he will talk to you and clear all the problems between you both. But he never did." Gauri tells him sadly.

"I should have tried." Omkara tells her regretfully.

"He wouldn't have let you get close to him. Last one year, it felt like he had built a wall around him and I couldn't just get to him." Gauri tells him as tears filled her eyes.

Omkara moves close to her and hugs her. Hiding her face on his chest, Gauri cries herself to sleep, after a very long time feeling secured.

Omkara wakes up to find Gauri missing. He sits up and turns to the side to see coffee waiting for him. He sighs. The way he had treated Gauri was now feeling like something stuck in his throat that he could neither spit out nor swallow. The guilt he felt for the way he had treated her all this while and the way his family treated her was killing him, the guilt would never leave him, and he couldn't just say sorry to Gauri, because sorry was too small for what he did to her. Every time she does something for him, his behavior towards her comes back to stab him on his heart.

Omkara walks to the dining table to have breakfast and sees his mother and Bua Ma already seated.

"Where is Gauri?" Omkara asks her.

"Kitchen." Jhanvi answers with a frown.

Omkara nods and walks towards the kitchen when Gauri comes hurrying out. "I was coming to call you." Omkara tells her.

"Me?" Gauri asks surprised.

"For breakfast. Come." Omkara tells her and walks back to the table. He sits down and sees Gauri's hand in front of his plate as she started to serve him. Omkara holds her hand and he tells her still looking at his plate, "From now on you will eat with us."

"Have you gone mad?" Bua Ma asks him furiously.

Omkara looks up at her and says sternly. "Gauri is my wife and your bahu. She will be treated like that from now on."

"She did her black magic on you also!" Jhanvi says furiously.

"Don't say anything against Gauri. I don't care who it is, I won't stand it." Omkara tells them both then turning to Gauri he tells her, "Sit."

"I'll have later." Gauri hesitantly tells him.

"DANDI!"

Dandi comes running towards him.

"From now on, meals will be served only once. Whoever wants to eat will eat together at the table. If they are not at the table then they can starve. Got it?"

"Yes, chief."

Omkara turns to Gauri and Gauri gently sits down. Seeing her hesitating Omkara starts serving for her.

"I will take." Gauri tells him wanting him to stop. She was not comfortable with the way he was behaving.

Sighing Omkara sits back and watches her serve. Once she starts eating he turns to Dandi "From now on, Gauri will not do any work here. If you want get more helpers, but no one should trouble Gauri."

Dandi nods in shock while everyone looked at Omkara in shock and surprise.

Omkara was walking towards his car when Gauri runs behind him. "Why did you do that?"

Omkara turns back to Gauri and calmly tell her, "It is my duty as your husband and friend."

"Armaan is my husband."

"Yes, Armaan is your husband but you are my wife too." Omkara reminds her. Gauri looks away uncomfortably. "I will see you in the evening." Omkara tells her and leaves for office.

Gauri keeps looking at Omkara from the corner of her eyes as she fluffed out the pillow.

"Why don't you get it off your chest?" Omkara asks her sighing loudly.

"Please don't create a scene like that again for me."

"I didn't create a scene, I just told them what I felt." Omkara tells her shrugging.

"That is not the way to talk. They are your mother and Bua Ma. You should treat them with more respect." Gauri tells him frowning at him.

"Now I understand why Armaan didn't fight for you with Mom and Bua Ma much. You used to eat his brains off when he did... didn't you?" Omkara asks her smiling.

"He used to fight for me." Gauri defends Armaan.

"I know. But you still used to attack him like this, didn't you?"

Gauri looks away slightly blushing, "yes."

"I knew it." Omkara says smirking.

"Why are you doing this?" Gauri asks him as she sits on the bed confused.

"All this while, I had been seeing you through my eyes which were completely wrong but now I know you, and I realize that I haven't treated you well. I want to correct my mistakes." Omkara tells her ashamed.

"You don't have to do anything for me." Gauri tells him surprised to hear him.

"I think differently." Omkara tells her. "I know saying that I am sorry is not going to wash away all that I did to you, but I want you to know that I am truly very sorry."

Gauri looks away and tells him, "You read Armaan's letter, right? I couldn't tell you what he wanted me to tell you. I was so lost in my pain that I never truly realized that even you had your crosses to bear. I am very sorry for that. You don't have to feel guilty for the way things ended with Armaan and you. Armaan still loved you and worried for you."

"Thanks."

Gauri smiles at him gently, "You don't have to worry about the way you treated me. If it makes you feel better then I forgive you."

Omkara smiles at her then he hesitates for a bit and tells her, "I know you want us to behave as if it didn't happen... but I am..."

"I don't want to talk about that." Gauri tells him looking away.

"Okay." Omkara nods.

"Why don't you join office?" Omkara asks Gauri as they settled on bed the next day.

"Me? Office?" Gauri asks surprised.

"Yeah... it will be a good change for you, and you will get to meet lot of people instead of simply staying here all the time." Omkara tells her.

"What will I do there?"

"Work." Omkara chuckles.

"Hmmm."

"Think of it." Omkara tells her and closes his eyes to sleep.

"Armaan used to tell me to join office." Gauri tells him as she turned to look at Omkara.

"Then why didn't you?" Omkara asks her as he turned to her.

"I thought no one would like it here."

"If you are interested then you join." Omkara tells her.

"Armaan used to love working." Gauri tells him.

Omkara smiles at her realizing that she was not sharing information, she was enjoying talking about Armaan. "Everyone at the office loved him. I can never match up to him."

"Armaan used to say that once Om takes responsibilities of the office then he is going to take the company to those heights that we can never even imagine."

"He said that?" Omkara asks her smiling and feeling happy.

"More than once." Gauri tells him smiling.

"Armaan always knew what to say and when to say." Omkara says in admiration. "I don't even think before I talk."

"You are no less than Armaan, Om. Armaan always says that you are a good man a little misguided; now I see that it is true." Gauri says then grinning she jokes, "You have the potential to be a good man."

Omkara chuckles hearing her then seeing her smile he says "It is nice to see you smile."

Gauri's smile drops as realization dawns on her. It's not even been a year since Armaan died and she was smiling?

Realizing Gauri was starting to feel guilty he asks her "It feels nice to talk about him with a smile, right?"

Gauri looks at Omkara surprised and says amazed, "Yes. He wanted that."

"Smiling and being happy, doesn't mean that you forgot him. It just means that you are giving him peace."

"Do you think he would be watching us?"

"I would like to think so." Omkara replies.

Did he see us that day?

Omkara could hear Gauri's unspoken question loud and clear. "He would be watching over us, and I would like to believe that wherever he is, he is laughing his ass off that we both ended up getting married."

"He will find it funny." Gauri says thoroughly upset and disappointed at Armaan. Omkara chuckles hearing her.

"You used to shoplift?" Gauri asks shocked. It has become a habit of theirs to talk about Armaan as they went to bed.

"He never told you?" Omkara asks her surprised.

"He told me once that he has shoplifted but the something came up and we never really talked about it."

"Well... it started like, we used to go to these supermarkets and take chocolates and walk around eating it, then once we are done, we will throw the wrapper in between shelves or behind other products." Omkara tells her proudly.

"Wow." Gauri says amazed.

"Then once we stole a ring from a shop."

"Oh my God!" Gauri says shocked. "Why did you guys have to steal? Didn't you get pocket money?"

"It was for the thrill. Second time we tried we got caught."

"Then?"

"Then Dad had to get us out on bail."

"Yeah! That I know, you had to stay in the lock up for a night, right?" Gauri asks him excited. "But no... that was for some fight regarding some girl, right?"

"Yeah." Omkara replies grinning. "That was so fun."

Gauri shakes her head at him. "Then that drunken driving also, you both were arrested."

"Oh yeah! I forgot that." Omkara says as he remembers those adventurous times with his brother.

"He was drunk and driving. Police caught you and they were going to take him to the station and asked you to take a cab and go home because you were not the one driving. You didn't want to leave Armaan alone, so you slapped the constable, right?"

"Good thing Dad came when he did, otherwise I would have been bashed up in jail." Omkara says chuckling.

"You two used to trouble Papaji a lot." Gauri says shaking her head at Omkara.

"It used to be fun." Omkara says smiling then his smile turns sad realizing that now both Dad and Armaan were no more.

"He was a nice man." Gauri gently says sobering down remembering her father-in-law, he had accepted her with open arms and loved her as if she was his daughter.

"Yeah." Omkara drawls as he sadly thought of his father.

"He so badly wished to see you mend your ways." Gauri tells him softly as she looked at her fingers.

"I know." Omkara replies as tears filled his eyes.

"He would be so proud of you if he sees you now." Gauri tells him.

"There is nothing in me to be proud of, Gauri. I disappoint everyone and I hurt everyone. I only give pain."

"That is not true, Om." Gauri tells him as she turned to look at him and held his hand. "You have been looking after mummyji, Bua Ma and me so well. You have become so responsible now. And you are working so hard. However you were before, you are no longer like that."

Omkara look at her amazed as tears fell from his eyes, "How can you even say that, Gauri? Did you forget what I did to you? Every time I think of what I did to you, I feel like killing myself. I used to look for ways to hurt you and..."

"You are not hurting me now. You are so supportive now. You take care of me and worry for me, like no one has ever done before." Gauri tells him and then cupping his face she says with tears, "it is because of you that I am happy now. Because of you, I can talk about Armaan with a smile."

Unable to control himself any more, Omkara leans down and takes her lips in his. Gauri stiffens in shock for a moment, but as the gentle kiss turned passionate Gauri forgets everything and gives into passion.

As the passionate haze left her, Gauri realized what she had done. She had sex with Om again. As guilt and disgust took hold of her, Gauri started panicking. She wanted to run. She loved Armaan but every time Om touched her, she forgot everything and became his. How could she love Armaan and let Om touch her at the same time? Gauri thought as tears fell from her eyes. She wanted Armaan, she wanted him to tell her that he still loved her. Gauri starts to get up and go to Armaan's room when Omkara holds her. Gauri turns to look at him in shock she had thought he had slept off.

"Please don't leave me, Gauri." Omkara pleads her.

Gauri looks at him helplessly.

"I love you, Gauri." Omkara tells her as her held her wrist. "I need you, Gauri."

Gauri looks at Omkara in shock, she wanted to be angry at him and scream at him for daring to love her but she couldn't, as she could see the pain in his eyes which were so like hers. "I love Armaan." Gauri whispers.

"I know, Gauri and it is okay. Even if you never love me, it is fine. All I want is for you to be by my side." Omkara tells her.

Hearing him, tears starts flowing from her eyes. Omkara leans towards her and gently kisses her tears, "Let me take your pain away, Gauri. Please let me heal you."

Bursting out into tears, Gauri hugs him.

Things slowly started changing between Omkara and Gauri, as life started taking center stage, they started spending more time with each other like husband and wife and even though they still talked about Armaan and the good memories with him, the frequency had reduced considerably. Even though Gauri still loved Armaan, she started relying more on Omkara and their love making to take away her pain.

Few weeks later, Omkara and Gauri walk back into the house. "I can't believe you liked that oyster." Omkara says in disgust.

"I liked it. It was different." Gauri argues.

"Yeah. It has no taste and was yuck." Omkara says shuddering remembering the oyster.

Gauri gently smiles seeing him make faces; he looked very cute when he made faces like that.

"I don't even know why I let you talk me into going there." Omkara says.

"Because I was growing tired of your steak obsession." Gauri replies.

"I so missed steak today." Omkara tells her as they started to climb the stairs.

"Omkara." Jhanvi calls him from behind.

"Yeah, mom?"Omkara turns to her with a smile.

"Come to my room, I want to talk to you."

Omkara's smile drops seeing her serious look. "Can we do it tomorrow? I am really tired."

"No. now." Jhanvi tells him stubbornly.

"Go." Gauri gently whispers to him as she gave him a slight push.

Sighing loudly Omkara runs down the stairs.

"What is it, mom?" Omkara asks her as they walked into her room.

"Why haven't you got our properties back? And when are you going to divorce her?"

"I am not going to divorce her." Omkara calmly tells her.

"What do you mean? You told me you would divorce her after we get the properties back, right? That is why I let you marry her."

"I know, mom."

"Then? I have been seeing you always with her, smiling and laughing forgetting everything that she did." Jhanvi says furiously. "She killed my Armaan!"

"Gauri didn't kill anyone." Omkara says furiously. "Armaan died because he couldn't be a husband to Gauri."

"Yes, she was torturing him!" Jhanvi says.

"No, mom. There are things that you don't know. Gauri has forbid me from telling you but trust me when I tell you that, Gauri is not the cause for Armaan's death." Omkara implores her.

"Why did my son die, Omkara?" Jhanvi asks him suddenly. "You know the reason for his depression, right?"

"Yes."

"What is it?"

"I can't tell you but Gauri is not the reason." Omkara tells her and turns to walk off, "I love Gauri and I will not live without her. Please see the goodness in her and try to accept her. You have hated her and hurt her for no fault of hers all this while, please stop that."

Omkara walks back into the room and Gauri looks at him curiously, "Is everything alright?"

"You know." Omkara replies with a shrug.

"Properties or divorce?" Gauri asks him gently.

"Both."

"What did you tell her?"

"That I love you and I can't live without you." Omkara tells her as he walked towards her.

Gauri looks away hearing him, and asks him softly, "You didn't tell her about Armaan, did you?"

"No." Omkara replies.

"Thank you." Gauri says smiling in relief. "I have been thinking for a few days."

"What?"

"I'll transfer the properties to you. I didn't do that before I thought you would misuse it and destroy everything. Now that I know how much you are working hard, I will transfer everything in your name." Gauri tells him smiling.

Omkara things for a while and says, "Okay... not because I want the properties in my name. I want everyone to know that I am with you because I love you and not for the properties."

Gauri gently smiles at him, she was getting used to the way he always declared his love for her.

"Talk to the lawyers tomorrow." Gauri tells him.

Omkara nods, "When will you be joining office?"

"I will. Maybe in a few months." Gauri tells him.

"Whenever you are ready." Omkara says smiling.

Omkara stretches his arms as he slowly come awake and turns to his side to find that side of the bed empty. He sighs with a smile and taking Gauri's pillow he hugs it and closes his eyes as he waited for his wife to come and wake him up for office. Even after a while when there was no sign of Gauri, Omkara sits up frowning, it was not like her to be so tardy. She was usually by his side by this time with his coffee pushing him off to get ready for office. Where did she go? Omkara gets up and decides to freshen up and go look for her. Was it a Sunday? Omkara wondered as he walked into the wash room, usually on the weekends she let him sleep late.

When Omkara doesn't find Gauri anywhere around the house, he decides to check on Armaan's room, Gauri never went to the room as often as before, now mostly she went in there to clean up the room and keep it exactly the way Armaan had wanted it kept. He was about to knock on the door when Gauri opens the door. Omkara's heart breaks seeing her tear stained face.

"Gauri? What happened?"

Gauri look at him helplessly and then without a word runs to their bedroom.

Omkara hurries in behind her and finds her on the bed crying her heart out.

"Gauri... what happened? Why are you crying?" Omkara asks her as he knelt down next to her. "Please tell me, Gauri... what happened? Are you missing Armaan?"

Hearing his name Gauri starts crying even more.

"Gauri... please tell me what it is." Omkara pleads her.

Gauri turns to look at him as she stopped crying for a few seconds.

"What happened, love?" Omkara asks her lovingly as he caressed her face.

"I am pregnant." Gauri tells him as she broke into loud sobs.

Pregnant? A baby? Omkara's face breaks out into a big smile realizing that he was going to be a father. Before he could give into his joy he hears her hiccup. He turns to look at Gauri and she was looking at him sadly. Omkara smiles lovingly realizing why she was crying. "I am Armaan's brother, Gauri." Omkara gently tells her as he helped her sit up and wipes her tears. "We share the same gene, so maybe our baby would look like Armaan."

Gauri looks at him in shock and surprise at what he was saying, ever since she realized that she was pregnant, the guilt had been killing her that she had become pregnant with Om's baby and not Armaan's. She was realizing how far she was going away from Armaan.

"We will name him Armaan." Omkara promises her as he gently kept his hand on her stomach.

"How can you love me so much, Om?" Gauri asks him finally truly realizing how much he loved her, she doubted whether even Armaan loved her like this. "What kind of love is this?"

Omkara shrugs, "I know to love only like this, Gauri."

I am sure that you are going to get a man who will understand your love for him and for me. Only a man capable of loving unconditionally will be able to accept that kind of love, and you will get a man like that.

Armaan had written her that.

"Please smile, Gauri otherwise he would think that you don't like him." Omkara tells her.

Gauri quickly smiles wiping her tears as she realized that she did like her baby, in fact love her baby, and she didn't want her baby to think otherwise.

"That's like my Gauri." Omkara says as he kissed her on her forehead.

"It could be a girl too." Gauri tells him smiling happily.

"Hmmm no... it is a boy." Omkara tells her confidently.

"What if it is a girl?" Gauri insists.

"Hmmmm then we will name her.... hmmm.... How about Sameeha?"

"Sameeha?" Gauri asks shocked. "What kind of a name is that? Did you mean Sameera?"

"No... Sameeha... my first girlfriend." Omkara tells her with a wink.

Gauri looks away furiously as a pang of jealousy filled her heart.

"I was just joking... Mom had planned to name me that as she had thought I was going to be a girl."

Gauri looks at him in shock.

"It means desire... longing. Same meaning as Armaan." Omkara tells her.

Gauri looks at Omkara for a few seconds then she hugs him as her heart was suddenly filled with Om.

"Mom... Bua Ma..." Omkara gently says to get their attention as he walked into his mother's bedroom.

"What is it, Omkara?" Jhanvi asks him irately, she was still angry with him for siding with that Gauri forgetting everything.

Omkara sits next to her on the bed and hesitantly starts, "You asked me why Armaan committed suicide. Whatever Gauri feels about it, I think you should know the truth."

"Why did he kill himself?" Jhanvi asks him frantically as tears filled her eyes.

"This is the suicide note he wrote to Gauri." Omkara tells her as he handed the letter.

Jhanvi quickly takes the letter from him and she starts reading it while Bua Ma reads with her. Soon they were in tears as finally understanding the truth. They both burst out crying as they finished the letter. Omkara quickly takes the letter and folds it and keep it in his pocket so that they don't destroy the already damaged paper.

"Please, mom... never let Gauri know that you know. She will never forgive me." Omkara tells her as he tried to calm her and make her listen to him.

"Why didn't she ever tell us anything?" Jhanvi asks him as she cried.

"Because she love him a lot, mom. Please mom... accept Gauri. She needs you now. She is pregnant."

"She is?" Bua Ma asks as she smiled softly at the good news.

"Yes." Omkara says smiling. "She needs both of your care and love. Please don't hurt her anymore."

"No... I'll not hurt her anymore. Everything was our mistake not hers." Jhanvi tells Omkara.

"Thanks mom. Don't tell her that you two know."

They nod in reply.

Omkara walks into the room and sees that Gauri was still sleeping. He keeps back the letter and sits on the bed next to her.

"Om?" Gauri opens her eyes as she felt him sit next to her. "Where did you go?" Gauri asks him as she rubbed her eyes.

"I went to talk to mom and Bua Ma... didn't you sleep?"

"I did... then I woke up in between and you were not here then I don't remember anything. I think I slept again." Gauri tells him confused as she moved to him and put her head on his lap.

Omkara gently starts caressing her hair, "I guess during pregnancy you are going to be feeling more sleepy."

"Hmmm."

"I guess now you won't be able to join office for a while."

"I never wanted to work." Gauri tells him chuckling.

"HA!" Omkara chuckles hearing her.

"What were you talking to mummyji and Bua Ma? Is it about the properties? Didn't you tell them that I transferred everything in your name?"

"I did. I was telling them about the baby." Omkara tells her.

Gauri sits up and asks him worriedly, "What did they say?"

"They are very happy, and told them that the doctor made a mistake in the fertility test."

Gauri nods. "They are really happy?" Gauri asks him worried.

"Yes. Losing Dad and Armaan in the span of two years, they are so happy for the new member."

Gauri smiles relieved hearing that. Hearing a knock at the door, Omkara goes to open it.

Jhanvi and Bua Ma walk in with arti and sweets. Gauri looks at them in surprise. Jhanvi sits next to Gauri and keeps her hand on Gauri's cheek lovingly.

"Mubarak ho, beta." Bua Ma tells her.

Gauri's eyes fill with tears hearing her.

"No... no more tears. We have hurt you a lot, not anymore. We are going to be one family now." Jhanvi tells her as she kissed Gauri's forehead. "Om made me realize that, life is too short to hold grudges and anger. Now, I am going to be a good mother to you and a good grandmother to my grandchild." Jhanvi promises her.

Gauri hugs her as she cried happily while Omkara watched on with a smile and relief that Gauri bought his lie on the reason for change in heart of his mom and Bua Ma.

Gauri was sitting with Jhanvi and Bua Ma as they taught her on how to knit baby clothes. Omkara comes in excitedly, "Gauri... Gauri..."

"Haan?" Gauri looks at him smiling happily seeing him so happy.

"Get ready, we are going somewhere."

"Where?"

"Secret. Pack an overnight bag." Omkara tells her.

"Where are you two going?" Jhanvi asks him curiously.

"It's a secret, Mom." Omkara says rolling his eyes.

"Take care of Gauri properly... she needs complete rest."

"Yes, mom." Omkara promises her and taking Gauri's hand he walks towards their room.

The next day morning, Gauri went with Omkara even though she was feeling depressed and upset. If Omkara noticed that he didn't show it or ask her about it. Finally, they reached their destination.

"Taj Mahal?" Gauri asks surprised as she stood in front of Taj Mahal and stared at it.

"Yes." Omkara tells her smiling then turning to look at Taj Mahal he says, "Happy Birthday, Armaan."

"You remembered?" Gauri asks him shocked.

"How can I ever forget?" Omkara asks her with a sad smile.

"Armaan has never seen Taj Mahal." Gauri tells Omkara.

"I know... he always wanted to see Taj Mahal. Every time we plan a trip something or the other would come up. The last time was he wanted you to join us and I didn't want to go with you." Omkara tells her as he looked at her.

"I once told him that we should come here and he wouldn't go without you." Gauri tells him.

Omkara smiles at her sadly as he pulled her towards him and looks at Taj Mahal and says gently, "Now he has seen it."

Gauri turns to look at him in surprise hearing him.

"Armaan was never complete without either of us, and it took me a long time to realize that."

Gauri watches Omkara looking at Taj Mahal and calmly tells him, "I love you, Om."

Omkara turns to look at her in shock. "What?"

Gauri smiles at him happily, "I love you. I never wanted to fall in love with you because I thought that would be like betraying Armaan but now I realize what Armaan had told me was the truth, I can love Armaan and you at the same time. I don't know why it took me so long to realize it. I can never stop loving Armaan and I cannot stop myself from loving you."

Omkara starts smiling and hugs her, "I so wish you would have told me this some place where I could have kissed you."

Gauri chuckles and says shyly, "Then take me there."

"Why is that you never asked me for the letter Armaan left you?" Gauri asks him curiously as they got ready to get to bed. They had got back home that morning.

"That letter was for the man you would fall in love with, and I thought you would give it to me when you fall in love with me." Omkara tells her smiling.

Gauri smiles at him happily and takes the letter and hands it to him. Nervously, Omkara opens the letter and noticing that Gauri was getting ready to sleep he asks her, "You are not reading it?"

"He had told me not to read it. So you read." Gauri tells him smiling as she loosely hugged him and closed her eyes and seconds later she was fast asleep.

Omkara smiles at her sleeping form and looks at the letter.

So are you in love with her or are you in love with her, Om?

Don't be surprised, why do you think I left you the house and her the properties? Because I knew you would force her to marry you for the properties, and to make Gauri agree I had to dish out some bullshit on me being somewhere in the house. I don't know where I am going to be and whether I will be watching you two, I wish I can watch over you two. Wherever I am, I wish that you two are happy and I am able to see you two happy with each other. The two people I love the most, happy together.

I am sorry for the way things turned out between us, Om. I know you always blamed Gauri for the way things went bad between us but it was never her fault and I hope you realize that now. It was our fault that we let ourselves go far apart. You blamed me for changing when the truth is that you could never love me or accept me for the way I had changed even though it was for the better. And I never tried to understand your insecurities and your possessiveness, and just called it your selfishness. We were at fault that we went two ways, and I regret that. I am sorry for hurting you and going away from you, and don't worry, I know even you are sorry and I forgive you for that.

By this time, I am assuming that you know about my impotency. The accident on my wedding day had left me impotent, but Gauri had stuck with me as my strength and weakness. I know you would be wondering why I never told you, it was not because of you, it was my ego that had stopped me. I tried talking to you a few times but the words would never leave my mouth.

Gauri has suffered a lot because of me, and I want you to give her all the happiness in the world. Please make Bua Ma and Mom accept her. Gauri will never tell them and I will never have the courage to tell them the truth, so I am leaving that job for you to do. Please do it.

When I decided to end things, the only thing worrying me was Gauri's future and that is when I realized that no one will ever understand her love for me like you will, and I also knew that when you let yourself love someone then you love them whole heartedly. And I knew that I had to get you two together. And I did all I could to bring you two together. And I know I did the right thing because you two were destined to be together.

I am not being melodramatic when I say that, there is something I have to tell you. I have never even told Gauri also this. That day, when we drew straws to decide on who would seduce Gauri, I had cheated. You were supposed to win but I had cheated. So maybe, you two were always destined to be together but I don't regret what I did. I am happy that I got to love her and she loved me. Thanks, Om for being so distracted by Gauri that day, that it gave me a chance to be with her. Now it is your rightful chance to be with her for a lifetime.

Take care of our Gauri.

Love you brother,

Armaan.

Omkara closes the letter as he felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from his chest. His brother had told him whatever they needed to tell each other and gave each other peace and closure. He looks at Gauri and smiles wondering whether it was really their destiny to be together. Would he have fell in love with her then? He would. Omkara realizes with a smile. Like Armaan, he was happy that he got a chance with her, so what if he was the second man in her life? He got her and that too for a lifetime and that was enough for him. Omkara kisses her lovingly and hugs her tight.

"Omkara... wake up." Bua Ma shakes him up.

Omkara sits up in shock, "Gauri? how is she?" Omkara asks her worried. "What time is it?" he checks the time and notices that it was 5 in the morning. "9 hours? What is it? An elephant?" Omkara asks in panic.

"A boy." Bua Ma says smiling happily as she pointed at the baby Jhanvi was holding.

Seeing his son, Omkara quickly gets up and hurries to his mother.

"How is Gauri?"

"She is fine. Your son." Jhanvi says smiling.

Omkara takes his baby in his arms gently and looks at the baby lovingly.

"He looks exactly like how you were when you were born." Jhanvi tells him happily.

"Om..." Gauri says his name as he walked into the post-operative room.

Omkara hesitantly smiles at her.

"How is the baby?" Gauri asks him as worry gripped her.

"Sleeping."

"What happened?" Gauri asks him in concern.

"How are you?" Omkara asks her as he gently caressed her forehead.

"I am fine. What happened?"

"We can't be sure so soon.... But..."

"What? Om, you are scaring me." Gauri says panicking.

"Mom was saying that Armaan looks exactly like me when I was born." Omkara tells her upset.

"Really?" Gauri asks with a smile. "Good."

"Good?" Omkara looks at her in shock. "You wanted him to look like..."

"You." Gauri cuts him off.

"Like me?" Omkara asks surprised.

"Yes." Gauri says smiling. "I started feeling disloyal to you when you said that our baby would look like Armaan, I didn't realize it then but I did later. And I wanted our baby to look like you."

"You do?" Omkara asks smiling happily.

"Yes." Gauri says as she lovingly cupped his face, "I wanted our baby to be exactly like you."

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