Thanks to all for commenting and voting on the previous story. Here is a new story, let me warn, it is very long. Hope you guys will like it.

Gauri excitedly keeps her luggage in her hotel room. She turns back to see that her sister had plopped down on the bed.

"What are you doing, di?" Gauri asks her.

"Resting." Ragini replies.

"But why? We just got here, di!"

"It was a long drive, Gauri. Please don't disturb me."

"Don't you want to meet Shivaay bhaiyya? Come on, di!"

"Gauri... please." Ragini moans too tired.

"How is your room?" Nayantara asks as she walked in with Harshvardhan.

"It's nice." Gauri replies as she turned around to look at her parents.

Nayantara smiles as she lovingly caressed her.

"Come, Mummy. Let's go meet everyone." Gauri tells her excitedly.

"Relax, Gauri. We will meet them." Harsh tells her smiling.

"We could have come with them." Gauri tells them.

"Stop acting so hyper, Gauri." Ragini tells her.

"I just don't understand why you don't want to meet Shivaay bhaiyya."

"Because I will meet him later."

Hearing notification on all their mobile, they all pick it up. Tej had send a message on their group called Shivaay-Ragini Engagement.

We are thinking of having lunch. You guys joining?

Gauri quickly replies, Yes.

"Okay. I am going." Gauri declares as she informed everyone.

"Wait, we are coming." Harsh tells her.

**********

"Shine bright like a diamond." Om softly hums as he looked through his phone to check if he got any new mails.

"You know only that song or what?" Shivaay asks him curiously and in exasperation.

"What?" Om asks as he looked up at him.

"You are forever singing that song. Somedays you would be on a loop, it just drives me mad."

Om chuckles, "I love that song."

"Since yesterday evening you have been going on and on."

Om grins at him.

"OM!" Gauri calls out to him as she hurried to him.

Hearing her, Om turns around to look and sees her running towards him.

"She is here!" Shivaay tells Om chuckling.

Om looks around and sees that the people in the lobby were curiously looking at him and Gauri. "She has not an ounce of shame in her!" Om mutters to Shivaay.

"I find her antics cute." Shivaay tells him grinning.

Om gives him a look.

"HEY!" Gauri happily stops near Om. She takes his hand and holds it.

"Gauri, everyone is looking. You are making a scene." Om tells her in a stern tone.

Gauri looks around then she turns to Om and sheepishly say, "Sorry." Then she asks Om, "Do you know it's been 5 days since we saw each other?"

Om just looks at Gauri without replying.

"What?" Gauri asks him when he didn't reply.

"I didn't count." Om replies.

Gauri furiously say, "You drive me crazy, Omkara Singh Oberoi!"

"You are crazy, Gauri!" Om tells her.

Gauri furiously turns to Shivaay and tells him, "I just don't understand why I love him!"

Shivaay grins at her, "I am sure you do."

Om rolls his eyes seeing Shivaay trying to tease her.

"Can we go for lunch?" Jhanvi asks them as she joined them.

Om nods while Shivaay and Gauri vocally agrees.

"Where is Nayantara, Ragini and Harsh?"

"They are coming." Gauri informs her.

"Okay, let's get a table and wait for them then."

They start following Jhanvi and Tej to the restaurant.

"How was the drive here?" Shivaay asks Gauri.

"Too long. We all could have come together."

"Om wanted to get here early." Shivaay informs her.

"Whatever for?"

Shivaay shrugs in reply.

"Why did you want to get here early?" Gauri asks Om as she tried to catch up to him.

"I had work."

"What work?"

"Office."

"You are going to work here?" Gauri asks shocked.

"Yes."

Gauri gives Shivaay an exasperated look.

"Even I do plan to work." Shivaay confesses.

"I don't know what is wrong with you both. You and di are getting engaged and you plan to work?"

"Not full time." Shivaay tells her.

"Hmmm."

They all sit down for lunch and very soon, they were engrossed in the menu. As they were studying the menu, Gauri's family joins them.

"Om, can we share a soup?" Gauri asks Om.

"I am very hungry, Gauri. I am just going to directly eat my lunch."

"What happened? Didn't you have breakfast?"

"Had early breakfast."

"Hmmm." Leaning down on the table, she looks at Shivaay who was sitting next to Om and asks him, "Shivaay bhaiyya can we share a soup?"

Shivaay who was lost in thoughts didn't hear her.

"Shivaay bhaiyya?"

"Gauri is calling you." Om shakes Shivaay as he continued to study the menu.

"Wha...What?" Shivaay asks coming to his senses.

"Can we share soup?"

"Which one?" Shivaay asks her.

"Any. You can choose."

"Okay then, sure."

Seeing that Ragini was sitting next to their mother, Gauri leans towards Om and curiously asks him, "Why is di not sitting next to Shivaay bhaiyya?"

Om curiously looks up at Ragini then looking back down at his menu, he asks her back, "How would I know?"

"Hmm."

"Maybe she has that one thing that you don't have." Om tells her as he continued to study the menu.

"What is that?" Gauri asks curiously.

"Shame."

Gauri furiously takes in a breath then turning to Jhanvi she asks her, "Jhanvi Aunty, why is it that your son rarely talks and when he does, he speaks bitter?"

Jhanvi grins at her and tells her, "What to do, Gauri? Bad upbringing."

"I AGREE!"

Om ignores them, and turns to call a waiter over to place his order.

"I never thought, Shivaay and Ragini would get married." Tej tells everyone at the table smiling in amazement.

Shivaay and Ragini look at each other, then they smile at each other.

"Neither did I." Harsh tells him.

"These two I was sure." Tej says as he pointed at Om and Gauri. "But them... I don't think I ever saw them interact much."

"Sure of them?" Shivaay asks utterly curious. "How were you sure?"

"Since they were kids, you know how Gauri has been around him." Tej reminds Shivaay. "But never thought it will be you both who would get married."

Shivaay nods as he turned to look at Om and Gauri. Om was busy talking to the waiter placing his order while Gauri was listening to Om order. Their fathers were friends, and they all grew up together. And it was no secret that Gauri was madly in love with Om but Om had never shown any reaction to it. It was always Gauri running behind Om while Om never even initiated conversations with Gauri.

"I have placed my order. Are you all ready to order?" Om asks everyone.

**********

They had done with their food, and since some of them had ordered dessert, they were waiting for it.

"Om." Gauri moves to him as she showed him her phone. "Which dress should I wear for the engagement?"

Om who had been busy typing into his mobile replying to an official email, curiously look at her phone and sees the photos of two dresses on a mannequin. "I don't know."

"Come on!"

Sighing he looks at her phone again and says, "I don't know, Gauri. These things don't interest me. I have some office work. I'm going to my room."

Seeing him getting up and walking off, Gauri turns to Jhanvi and asks her in exasperation, "What kind of upbringing is this, Jhanvi Aunty?"

"Oh, Shut up, Gauri." Om calls out to her as he walked off.

**********

By evening, Gauri and Jhanvi had organized a small party in Jhanvi's and Tej's room. Everybody gathered in the room. Gauri was happily chatting with everyone. Shivaay and Om were sitting together and chatting, while Tej and Harsh were having drinks.

"Turn up the music. I love that song." Tej says hearing an old song.

Gauri turns up the music then excitedly tells Tej, "Come on, Tej Uncle. Let's dance."

Excitedly Tej walks to were Gauri was and starts dancing.

"Daddy, come!" Gauri calls him as she started dancing with Tej.

Seeing Tej and Harsh dance, Om tells Shivaay, "My God they are so drunk."

"Gauri?" Shivaay asks shocked.

"No, Dad and Harsh Uncle." Om tells him. Then he adds, "And Gauri is forever high."

Shivaay chuckles hearing that.

"Jhanvi Aunty, Mummy, Di, come on." Om hears Gauri calling out to them.

"Oh God." Om mutters, "I need to get out of here."

"Why? what happened?"

Om was getting up to escape when Gauri calls out to him. "OM! Come on. Let's dance."

"I am going."

"What nonsense?" Gauri asks irately as she ran to him, and then holding his hand she drags him to the middle of all the dancing people. "Shivaay Bhaiyya, come!"

Shivaay very quickly gestures that he is on the phone and acts busy on it.

Gauri starts dancing by holding Om's hands. Om stood in the middle completely lost as Gauri excitedly moved his hands around.

Hearing the song end, Om quickly frees his hand from Gauri. "Okay, that's enough."

"You are such a spoil sport, Om!" Gauri complains as she stopped and watched Om walk back to his seat.

By the time, Om sat back in his seat, Gauri was back to dancing.

Watching her dance without a care in the world, Om tells Shivaay, "She is half assed crazy."

When Shivaay didn't reply to him, Om turns to Shivaay and sees him lost in thoughts.

"You okay?"

"What?" Shivaay asks him as he turned to look at Om.

"Are you okay? you seem lost."

"Nothing." Shivaay replies. "I think I am tired. I'll go to my room."

"Then I'll also come. I'm also tired." Om tells him as he stood up with Shivaay.

"You are going?" Gauri asks Om as Shivaay and he told goodnight to everyone.

"I am sleepy."

"Okay then. Good night."

"Good night."

"Tomorrow I have some shopping. Will you come with me?" Gauri asks him as she walked with him to the door.

"No, Shivaay and I have shopping."

"Okay." Gauri says disappointed.

**********

By afternoon, Om and Shivaay had finished their last minute shopping and had got back to their hotel. While the rest of the family was still held up with their shopping. Om went to his room and got busy with his work.

By evening Gauri had messaged him saying that she was back. He had replied that he was busy and continued to work. While Gauri had decided to take a nap as she was feeling drained after the last two hectic days.

Feeling tired, Om looks at the time and realizes that it was seven in the evening. He decides to take a walk as he was not in a mood to work anymore.

Om was walking by the pool, taking in the fresh air. It was a nice night with a cool breeze. He sat by the pool for some time but very soon he started getting restless.

"Shine bright like a diamond." Om hums as he simply watched the water in the pool.

He just couldn't sit like that as he became even more restless. Giving up he takes his mobile and dials Gauri.

"Om." Gauri answers the call.

"Sleeping?"

"No. I am awake. Just lying in bed. What's up?"

"I am free now."

"Where are you?"

"By the pool."

"Okay... coming."

**********

Gauri reaches the pool and finds Om sitting on one of the pool bench.

"Work over?" Gauri asks him as she sat next to him.

Om moves to gives her space. Gauri stretches out on the bench.

"Yeah. Worked a lot today." Om tells her as he also settled next to her. "Did you get everything?"

"Yeah."

Om stretches his hand and Gauri leans up. Om places his hand and Gauri settles herself in his arms. Then turning to face him, she keeps her head on his chest.

Smiling Om kisses her temple.

"Did I wake you?"

"No... I was awake. Was waiting for you to be free." Gauri tells him smiling.

Om smiles. "Did you decided your dress?"

"I've decided on my dress since you are no help."

Om chuckles hearing her complain.

Gauri takes her mobile and shows him a photo. Om looks at her phone and sees the dress on a mannequin.

"This dress. What do you think?"

"How would I know? It is on a mannequin. I can tell you if you were wearing it."

"I did take a photo when I tried it on but that is on di's mobile. I'll ask her to send it." Gauri says starting to message her sister.

"It's okay. I'll see you on engagement day." Om tells her.

"Everyone said I looked really good in it."

Om smiles and kisses her cheek. "I am sure."

Just then he hears someone walking by and curiously looks up to see a waiter passing by.

"What happened?" Gauri asks curiously as she sat up.

"There are people walking by. Let's go from here."

"Where to?"

"Yesterday I was walking around the garden with Shivaay, there is a nice lawn there. We can go there."

"Okay."

They start walking towards the garden. Gauri wraps her hand around Om's arm and they walk in silence.

"Here." Om tells Gauri as he came to a stop.

"It's nice." Gauri says smiling as she sat down as she took in the garden.

Om sits next to her.

"Gauri..." Om gently calls her.

"Yeah?" Gauri curiously looks at him.

"I am a little worried."

"Why?" Gauri asks in concern as she turned to him.

"Shivaay looks a little lost."

"Hmmm. Why?"

"I don't know. When I asked him he said he was fine."

"Isn't he happy about the engagement?"

"He wasn't excited. But he wasn't disinterested also."

"Hmmm."

"How is Ragini?"

"Even she is like that." Gauri says then she tells him, "Might be wedding jitters."

"You think so?"

"They are not in love. Maybe that is why."

"Hmmm."

"When I asked you why they don't sit together you said because she has shame!" Gauri reminds him.

"Why do you behave so shamelessly?"

"Because you are so full of shame!" Gauri tells him exasperated.

"Yeah right!"

"Why can't you be romantic?" Gauri asks him.

"Romantic?"

"Yeah. Say you love me, like I tell you."

"Scream out in front of the family and the whole world?" Om asks her sarcastically.

"Yeah."

"Never gonna happen!"

"Arrgh!"

Om chuckles. "Shameless!"

"I am shameless. But you are the double faced creep."

Om chuckles hearing that.

"When everyone is there, you don't even talk to me. when no one is there, you will call me saying, 'Gauri, I am bored. Let's go to the terrace and look at the sky. Let's go for a walk.'"

Om smiles at her.

Exasperated Gauri lies on the lawn. Om leans on her and tells her, "You don't have to come when I call you. why do you come all the time?"

"Because I am crazy!" Gauri tells him furiously.

"I know." Om grins.

Seeing the way, he was smiling so sexily at her, Gauri's breath gets caught in her throat. She forgot her anger and she lovingly caresses his lips. Om stops breathing feeling her touch. He quickly moves away and lies next to her.

"When are you going to kiss me?" Gauri asks Om.

Om doesn't reply but he just smiles as he looked up at the sky.

Gauri gets up and leans on top of Om. "Om!"

"Yeah?"

"Why haven't we kissed yet?"

"Hmmm?"

"Aren't you ever going to kiss me?"

"I am not going to kiss you."

"Why?" Gauri asks getting angry.

"I am not going to make that move." Om says shrugging.

Getting angry, Gauri was starting to get up when Om holds her pulls her down on him. "I never said that you can't kiss me."

Gauri stops in shock and asks him frowning, "You want me to kiss you?"

Om grins in reply.

"You want me to make a move?"

Om winks at her in reply.

"Oh I get it!" Gauri says. "You want me to kiss you so that if someone catches us then you can get away by saying that I kissed you and you didn't initiate it!"

Om laughs out loud hearing her. "How do you come up with these kind of crazy theories?"

Gauri glares at him and was about to get up when Om tightens his hold on her. "Then why do you want me to kiss you?"

Om runs his hand up her arms as he replies "Because when you make a move on me, it turns me on like nothing else."

Gauri gasps in shock hearing him, then feeling his finger run up her arms, Gauri leans down and takes his lips in hers. The moment their lips touched for first time, they started kissing hungrily.

Breaking their kiss, Gauri moves back as she looked at Om. Om sits up as he cupped her face, he leans towards her and takes her lips in his again. Then gently guiding her, her turns her around and makes her lie down. He moves on top of her and continues to kiss.

Om leans up and moving to her forehead, he kisses her forehead, then her eyes and her temple.

"I love you, Om." Gauri tells him as she closed her eyes in bliss.

Om leans down and takes her lips in his again.

Happy, they both lie back.

"Sky looks nice." Gauri says as she looked up at the sky.

Om looks up at the sky and sees that it was an almost full moon night with stars and planets. "Hmmm."

"That one is a star." Gauri points out to one star.

"And that one too." Om points out another to her.

"Shine bright like a diamond, Shine bright like a diamond, Find light in the beautiful sea
I choose to be happy, You and I, you and I, We're like diamonds in the sky, You're a shooting star I see, A vision of ecstasy, When you hold me, I'm alive, We're like diamonds in the sky." Gauri happily sings.

"Diamonds in the sky." Om softly sings smiling happily.

"Our song." Gauri tells him happily.

"That is my favorite song." Om tells her.

"Do you like the way I sing or the way Rihanna sings this song best?"

Om turns to Gauri then grinning he informs her, "You are a terrible singer, Gauri."

Gauri hits Om making him chuckle.

They remained silent for some time.

"Tomorrow Di and Shivaay Bhaiyya are going to be engaged." Gauri says smiling.

"Don't make me dance tomorrow." Om tells Gauri.

"Why?" Gauri asks sadly.

"I don't know to dance. And there will be tons of people at the function, I don't want to look like a fool."

"Okay." Gauri sadly gives in.

"And you do look funny when you dance." Om tells her.

"You are the only one who looks at me when I dance. So it is okay."

Om smiles hearing that.

"Gauri... please don't make a spectacle tomorrow. There are going to be tons of people."

"What scene?" Gauri asks offended.

"Your PDA. And you are so loud. People are going to look. Already our family is teasing us mercilessly. I don't want more people to the list."

"It is fun, Om. And our family loves to see us together."

"It makes me uncomfortable. It is so awkward."

"Okay. I won't even look at you tomorrow."

"Promise something that you can keep, Gauri." Om tells her smugly.

Gauri scowls and hits Om, making him laugh.

Hearing her mobile ring, Gauri answers the call. "It's mummy." Gauri tells Om.

"Hello, Mummy?"

"Where are you, Gauri?"

"I am with Om."

"Oh... okay... we are going to have dinner. You both also come."

"Okay, coming."

By the time, Om and Gauri reached the lobby, their parents, Shivaay and Ragini were waiting for them. Their parents were cheekily grinning at them while Shivaay was gaping at Om in shock.

"Let's eat? I am hungry." Gauri says oblivious to all their reaction.

"What's this?" Ragini asks as she pulled out a leaf from Gauri's hair.

"What?" Gauri curiously asks then seeing the leaf, she says, "Oh Om and I were lying on the lawn it might have got on my hair then."

"Stop talking, Gauri." Om whispers to Gauri seeing how their parents were looking at them.

"Why?" Gauri asks Om confused as she turned to look at him.

Ignoring Gauri, he turns to their parents, "Let's eat?"

"Yes."

They start to walk to the restaurant, seeing that Shivaay was about to say something, Om tells him, "Don't say anything."

**********

Next day, they all meet up for breakfast.

Seeing that Om was done with his breakfast, Tej asks him. "Om... Gauri... last night Harsh and I were talking."

Om and Gauri curiously look at him.

"We were thinking maybe you and Gauri could get engaged along with Shivaay and Ragini today. And you both marry on the same day as them."

"AWESOME!" Gauri says excitedly.

"WHAT? NO!" Om says at the same time.

"Why no?" Gauri asks him.

"I am not ready for marriage. I can't think of marriage for another 2-3 years."

"Every time you open your mouth, you have to say something bitter, don't you?" Gauri asks him exasperated.

Om sighs loudly in reply.

"Seriously, Jhanvi Aunty, did you give him bitter gourd when he was small? Couldn't you give him some honey and sugar?"

"If that is the case then you might have gobbled down honey and sugar when you were small!" Om tells her irately.

"Don't you remember, Om?" Jhanvi asks him with a teasing smile, "Wasn't it you who used to help her get on the counter and steal the honey from my kitchen?"

Hearing that everyone starts laughing.

Om turns a little pink hearing that. Then quickly covering up, he says, "I don't want to get married now. I am not ready."

He gets up and walks off wanting an end to the conversation.

"We are not done discussing this, Omkara Singh Oberoi!" Gauri tells him angrily.

"I am!" Om replies.

Once Om had left, there was an uncomfortable silence at the table. Everyone was at a loss on what to say. Finally, Shivaay decided to address the issue and asks Gauri, "You and Om love each other, right?"

"Yeah." Gauri replies confused at the question.

"Has he told you he loves you? Or you just think that..."

"He hasn't told me." Gauri says getting uncomfortable at the question.

"He never did?" Jhanvi asks a little shocked.

Gauri shrugs unsurely. "But I know he loves me."

"You have told him that you love him, right?" Shivaay asks her.

"Yes."

"And he never?"

"He loves me." Gauri argues.

"How can you be sure?" Nayantara asks worriedly.

"He never said he didn't love me."

"that doesn't mean he loves you, Gauri." Ragini gently points out.

"I know him better than all of you." Gauri tells them getting angry.

"Still, you should talk to him, Gauri." Shivaay tells her gently.

**********

Hearing the knock at the door, Om walks to open it.

Seeing Gauri at the door, Om sighs, "Gauri, I have tons of work. I don't want to talk about this now."

"I want to talk." Gauri tells him as she stepped inside.

Om closes the door and asks her in exasperation, "Why are you getting so worked up about it? In a month you are going to US for your studies."

"What does studies have to do with marriage?"

Om sighs loudly. "Gauri, it might be easy for you to manage both studies and marriage. But it is not easy for me."

"Why?" Gauri asks confused.

"Gauri, I just started working now. Dad and Shivaay, they are amazing at it. Everyone talks highly of them. I need to match up to that and it is not easy. I don't have the natural talent like they do. So, I am working my ass off now. I don't want anyone to say that I am in the company because my Dad owns it. I just want to make a name for myself before I get married."

Hearing him, Gauri starts to feel guilty. "You could have just said that at the restaurant. Do you have any idea what they all were thinking?"

"It is easy for me to tell you, Gauri. Not to them."

Gauri moves to Om and hugs him.

Om hugs her tight and tells her, "You would understand me, they might not. They would think that I am being silly, you would never think that."

Gauri looks at Om and he looks at her. Gauri leans up and takes his lips in hers. As they kissed, Om guides Gauri to the bed and they fall on the bed.

Gauri nervously pushes Om. "Om."

"What?" Om asks breathlessly.

"Your hand." Gauri says completely turning pink.

Om looks at his hand and realizes that it was inside Gauri's top. He removes his hand and adjusts her top. Then sighing, he keeps forehead on hers.

"Let's get back to kissing." Gauri tells him.

Om looks at Gauri in shock and then he bursts out laughing. "How are you like this?"

Gauri shrugs at him. Then she pulls him down on her.

Om lies back next to Gauri. "You are okay, right?"

"What?" Gauri asks him as she turned to face him and hugs him.

"About the wedding."

"Yeah." Gauri replies as she kissed him on his cheek. "We'll marry when you are ready."

Om smiles at her.

"You said you had work." Gauri reminds him.

"Yeah I do. In two hours I have to go see the preparations for the engagement. Won't get time to work."

"Okay, you work then. I'll see you at the engagement."

**********

Hearing the loud banging on her door, Gauri hurries to open it.

"What happened, mummy?"

"She ran away!" Nayantara tells her in panic.

"What? Who?" Gauri asks confused.

"Ragini." Nayantara tells her as she gave her the letter.

Gauri reads the letter and her eyes started filling with tears. Ragini had apologized for running away like this. She realized that Shivaay and she had nothing in common. Shivaay didn't even make an effort to bond with her. by chance she had met her ex-boyfriend and she realized that she would be happier with him than Shivaay. She had no choice other than this.

Clutching the letter in hand, Gauri runs to Omkara's room. After repeated knocks when Om didn't open the door, she realized that he wasn't in his room. He would be with Shivaay. She goes to the next room and bangs on the door.

"Coming!" Om shouts out hearing the continuous banging. A few seconds later, Om opens the door. "Gauri? What happened?" Om asks her worriedly.

"Om."

"Why are you crying?" Om asks as he quickly hugged her.

"Gauri... what happened?" Shivaay asks as he walked to her.

Seeing Shivaay, Gauri turns her face and hides her face on Om's chest and whispers, "Di ran away."

"WHAT??" Om shouts in shock.

"What is it?" Shivaay asks confused. Then noticing the letter Gauri was clutching, he takes the letter from her hand.

Om watched as Shivaay read the letter. Then without a word he hands the letter to Om and walks out.

"Shivaay!" Om frees himself from Gauri and starts to run after Shivaay.

"Leave me alone, Om."

Om stops helplessly as he watched Shivaay walk out. Then he looks at the letter.

"What are we going to do now, Om?" Gauri asks him worriedly.

"What is there left to be done?" Om asks her furiously.

"Om." Gauri helplessly calls his name.

"Didn't you ever talk to your sister?"

"She never said anything to me."

"How can you not know?" Om asks her furiously.

"Om... I didn't."

"Do you realize what Shivaay is going through? The humiliation that my parents will have to face?"

Gauri helplessly cries hearing him.

"Why didn't she say anything? Why did she have to do it at the last minute? Three days we all were here and she didn't say a word!"

"I don't know why I am wasting my time here! I have to be with my family." Om tells her furiously.

"Om!"

"My family needs me!" Om furiously tells her and walks out.

**********

Gauri watched silently as her family and Shivaay, Omkara and his parents explained to the guests why the engagement was called off.

As the last guest walked out, Gauri felt dread creeping up in her. their parents hadn't talked much to each other. It was worrying her the most.

"Tej..." Harsh starts.

"Thank you so much for everything." Tej tells him furiously.

"We didn't..."

"Friendship with you was the biggest mistake of my life." Tej tells him. Then turning to Jhanvi, he tells her, "Let's leave."

Gauri looks at Om, and sees that he was running after Shivaay who had left.

**********

"OM!" Gauri calls after him as she ran behind Omkara and his family as they walked to the car with their luggage.

"OM!"

Om stops and turns to Gauri. She runs to Om.

"Om... please don't go like this." Gauri pleads to him.

"I don't have time for this, Gauri. Shivaay left without telling us. We don't know where he has gone. We are going home to see if he went home. Right now, my brother needs me. My family needs me."

"I didn't know anything, Om."

"Don't lie, Gauri." Tej furiously tells her. "You make it a habit to know everyone's business. So don't lie now."

"Gauri didn't know, Tej. None of us did." Harsh tells him.

"I don't believe anyone of you."

Wiping her tears, Gauri tells him, "Om, I didn't do anything wrong."

"We don't have time for their nonsense. Let's go, Om. Get out of our way." Tej tells Gauri in disgust. "Don't know what new lies they would cook up now. Move. Out of our way!"

"DAD!" Om furiously turns to his father. "When you speak to Gauri, you'll do it with respect!"

"What is wrong with you?" Tej furiously asks him. "Did you forget what happened?"

"Whatever Ragini did, Gauri is not responsible for it." Om reminds his father.

"Om." Gauri cups his face as she cried. "Daddy and Mummy were saying that Ragini betrayed us. That she didn't even think of Gauri. That what would happen to Gauri and Om. Mummy was saying that Om doesn't even love Gauri. She was telling me, that you would not marry me now and I should be prepared for that. I should be brave. I am getting scared, Om."

"Is that why you were running behind me?" Om asks her in shock.

Gauri nods. "Please Om, say something. I am getting very scared. Don't you love me?"

"I thought you were trying to get me to talk to our parents and sort out the issue."

"We are getting late, Omkara. We need to find Shivaay." Tej reminds him.

"Can't you see Gauri's condition, Dad?"

"Did you forget Shivaay?" Tej asks him furiously.

"We will find Shivaay! But I will not leave Gauri in this condition like this."

"Do you love Gauri, Om?" Jhanvi asks Om in confusion.

"Why are you asking me that?" Om asks her in shock.

"Nobody here believes that you love me." Gauri tells him.

"What about you?" Om asks her.

"I..."

"You refused to marry her today morning." Tej reminds him.

"I never refused to marry Gauri. I said I didn't want to marry now." Om tells his father in shock.

"This marriage will not happen." Tej tells Om.

Hearing Tej, Gauri hugs Om tight.

"You do love her, don't you?" Nayantara asks Om in shock.

Om looks at everyone in shock then he looks at Gauri and asks her, "Is that why you asked why I don't say I love you in front of everyone?"

Gauri shakes his head in negative. "that I simply asked."

"Then? Such a huge thing was going on and why didn't you tell me?"

"It happened today morning. You were busy."

"So?"

"I didn't believe them then..."

"But now you believe them?" Om asks her furiously.

"No... I... I just didn't know what to think. I am sorry. I lost faith... I am sorry."

Om cups her face and tells her, "There is nothing and no one more important in this world to me than my family, Gauri. But you Gauri, you are my whole world. I love you."

Happily crying Gauri hugs Om.

"I won't allow this, Omkara." Tej tells Om furiously.

"Why?"

"Did you forget what happened with Shivaay already?"

"I didn't and I'll never forget it. But why are you punishing Gauri and me for Ragini's crime?"

"We will not have any relations with them."

"I understand you are angry, you are hurt. But I will not leave Gauri. I love her."

"Om... Tej.... Please stop creating a scene here. We need to find Shivaay." Jhanvi requests them.

Om nods and turns to Gauri. "I've to go, Gauri. You don't worry. I am yours and you are mine. Nothing in this world is going to change that."

Gauri nods as she wiped her tears. "You go. Shivaay Bhaiyya is going to be fine. He is very strong."

Om smiles hearing that. "I know."

Om quickly leaves with his family. Gauri also leaves with her parents.

**********

Om dials Gauri's number as he walked into his room.

"Om? How is Shivaay Bhaiyya?" Gauri asks as soon as she picks the call.

"He is not home." Om tells her sighing. "He is not answering my calls. I am going to go look for him."

"Where are you going to look for him?"

"I just don't know." Om says sadly. "I'm just going to change my clothes and go."

"Did you try messaging him?"

"Hmmm... I'll... wait let me just message...did you reach?"

"Yes."

"Okay... just a sec." Om tells her and starts messaging Shivaay.

Shivaay, where are you? please answer the call. We all are worried. please come home.

"How is everyone at home?" Om asks her.

"They are sad. Mummy was crying and Daddy hasn't said anything."

"Don't worry, everything will be fine."

"Yes. What about Jhanvi Aunty and Tej Uncle."

"They are in the room. Dad said that he will not agree for our wedding."

"Hmmm."

"You don't worry. Anyway we were not planning to get married for some time now. Once his anger dies down he will come around."

"Yes." Gauri says hopefully.

"Okay. I'll call you later." Om tells her and was about to hang up when he stops and says, "Gauri?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

Gauri felt sad hearing that. "I am sorry, Om that I lost faith in us. You don't have to say it to make me feel secure. I know you love me."

"But you were insecure."

"Not anymore. When everyone said all that, and with what happened... I just..."

"It's okay. I was always conscious about the people around us. It is my fault."

"Don't say that."

"Ever since we were kids, they used to tease us and I just got really conscious about it."

"I know, Om. I understand."

"Wait I got a message." Om tells her as he checked the message. "It's Shivaay. He says he will come home in a while."

"Thank God."

"I'll just go tell Mom and Dad."

"Okay. Bye."

**********

Hearing the doorbell ring, Om hurries out of his room to check if it was Shivaay. He reaches the entrance and finds Jhanvi hugging Shivaay.

"I am fine." Shivaay tells Jhanvi and Tej.

"I'm sorry, Shivaay." Tej tells him as he kept his hand on Shivaay's shoulder.

"It is not your fault, Dad. I'm just glad it got over now than later." Shivaay tells them. "I'm just going to my room. I want to sleep."

Jhanvi and Tej nod. Shivaay starts to walk off when he notices Om. The brothers hug each other. "I'm fine, Om."

Om nods.

"I just want to be along. I just need to think."

Om nods and steps back.

**********

Om was talking to Gauri in his room when he hears a knock.

"Gauri, I've to go. Someone is at the door."

"Okay."

"Om." Jhanvi calls out to him.

"Coming, Mom." Om answers as he cut the call and walked to open the door.

"How are you?" Jhanvi asks him as she lovingly kept her hand on his cheek.

"I am okay, mom. How are you?" Om asks her as he hugged her.

"I don't know. I am happy Shivaay was saved from a marriage with Ragini, but what happened was not right."

"Shivaay is strong, Mom. He will be fine."

"I know." Jhanvi tells him as she stepped back to look at him. "I came to talk to you about Gauri."

"Hmmm. What about Gauri?"

"Om, at present Tej is really upset and hurt. He loves you and Shivaay a lot."

"I know, Mom."

"When all this calms down, I'll talk to him, Om. He'll agree to yours and Gauri's wedding. He loves her a lot. More than her house, Gauri grew up here. He has always seen Gauri as the bahu of this house. Right now, he is only thinking about Shivaay and what happened with him."

Om nods. "I understand, Mom. But the way he talked to Gauri was not right. And when it comes to Gauri, I..."

Jhanvi smiles at him in amazement and asks, "How did you hide your love for her from all of us all these years?"

"You all used to tease us too much. It had become torturous. So, I just didn't show anything in front of you all."

"I am sorry for that." Jhanvi apologetically tells him.

"Gauri used to adore it." Om tells her smiling.

"She did." Jhanvi agrees.

"She is crazy." Om tells her chuckling.

Jhanvi smiles. "I am so happy you love her."

Om hugs her happily. "I love you, Mom."

Jhanvi hugs him then turning a little serious, she tells him "But Om, please be patient. Don't do anything that would hurt Tej. Once Shivaay is happy again. When Shivaay gets married... I'll talk to Tej."

Om nods.

"As time goes, when everything calms down, Tej will agree for your wedding. Have faith in him."

"I do, Mom. I know he loves Gauri."

Jhanvi smiles. "It might take time."

"We will be patient. Don't worry. And Gauri would be going for her studies next month."

Jhanvi nods. "I couldn't talk to Gauri as I was only thinking of Shivaay then."

"She knows that, Mom."

"I'll call her soon. when everything calms down here, I'll. You just tell her that."

"Will do." Om smiles at her.

**********

Om knocks on Shivaay's door. "Shivaay, it's me. please open."

Shivaay opens the door and tells Om in exasperation, "Om, I said I am fine. I just need to be alone now."

"I want to talk to you."

"Not now, Om."

"Now, Shivaay." Om tells him stubbornly.

"What is wrong with you, Om?"

"I want to talk to you, Shivaay."

"I just don't want to talk."

Sighing, Om informs Shivaay, "I love Gauri."

Shivaay looks at Om in utter shock, and asks, "You do? Since when?"

"Why the hell is everyone reacting like that?" Om asks exasperated. "As long as I can remember I have loved her."

"WHAT?"

"Yeah! I love her."

"Come inside." Shivaay tells him.

After Om walks in, Shivaay closes the door. "You say she is crazy and shameless."

"Because she is both. that is true."

"But you don't even talk to her nicely."

"I am always nice to her." Om says offended.

"She is always running behind you all the time."

"So?"

"I have never seen you take any interest in talking to her. yesterday I was shocked to see you both together. And I just thought maybe she followed you there."

"No, I called her there."

"Oh."

"And if I even smile at her, you all make a big deal out of it and start teasing us. So, I just try not to show any reaction in front of you all."

"Oh."

"Tell me this, Shivaay. If I didn't love her, do you think I would let her come near me like that? That I would string along a girl whom I didn't love?"

Shivaay thoughtfully sighs, "I am still shocked."

"How are you doing?" Om asks him gently.

"I am fine."

"Did you love her?"

"No."

"You'll find someone who will love you, Shivaay, like how Gauri loves me."

"Hmmm."

"And you are going to love her."

"Like how you love Gauri?" Shivaay asks cheekily.

Om chuckles. "Yes."

"How is she and her family doing?"

"They are upset."

"And Dad and mom?"

"Dad is furious, hurt and humiliated. Mom is sad."

"Hmmm."

"They both are worried for you."

"I'll be fine."

Om smiles hearing that.

"Dad and Harsh Uncle... was there any issues?"

Om nods. "Dad said he no longer wants Gauri and me to get married."

"WHAT? What is wrong with him? What does Ragini and my issue have to do with you and Gauri?"

"I don't understand." Om shrugs. "I just want you to know that I have told Dad that I will marry Gauri."

Shivaay looks at Om surprised.

"I am not being disloyal to you, Shivaay.I can't live without her. I don't want to be rebellious or anything. I just felt that our stand should be clear to all. I'll not give up Gauri for anything. Please I want you to understand us."

"Gauri calls me bhaiyya, Om. Even you don't call me that. She is my sister."

Om smiles hearing that. "Even she loves you a lot. She is closer to you than she is to Ragini."

Shivaay nods. "Ragini is a closed chapter in my life. I am actually relieved it is behind me now."

Om smiles hearing that. "I know you are going to be fine, brother."

"I am stronger than all these shit put together." Shivaay tells him grinning.

Om moves forward and hugs Shivaay happily.

"I'll talk to Dad about you and Gauri."

"No need, Shivaay. Let him calm down first. We are not in any hurry. I spoke to Gauri today morning and she had agreed to wait for 2-3 years for the wedding."

"Okay." Shivaay smiles.

"When you are ready to talk to Gauri... She is Ragini's sister, I know you would need time. But whenever it is, you call her. how much ever time you need you take. She wanted to call you, I told her that you would call her when you are ready."

"I will."

**********

"Shivaay bhaiyya called." Gauri excitedly tells Om as soon as he picked up the call the next day.

"He did?" Om asks smiling.

"Yes. He is not angry with us. He told me not to worry that he would convince Tej uncle for our marriage."

"You are happy, right?"

"Very." Gauri tells him excitedly. "Shivaay bhaiyya is fine. He told me he is not sad. He was just upset about what our family had to go through. I am just so angry at di. Why did she have to do that? Why couldn't she just tell Shivaay bhaiyya or us if she didn't want to marry him?"

"How are your parents?"

"They are still sad. They didn't sleep last night. I slept in their room. They are just so heartbroken. I told them that I won't go to US next month, I will go next year. But Daddy told me to go and not to postpone. I am so worried for them, Om."

"They are going to be fine, Gauri. You don't worry."

**********

Hearing her mobile ring, Gauri checks it to see that it was Ragini calling her.

"Why are you calling now, di?" Gauri furiously asks her as she picked the call.

"Gauri... please listen to me." Ragini tells her worriedly.

"Why did you do this, di? If you didn't want to marry Shivaay bhaiyya you could have just told him or us. Why did you have to humiliate everyone like this?"

"I was helpless, Gauri."

"You were not. Yesterday our parents, Shivaay bhaiyya and Om were helpless. Not you. Shivaay bhaiyya didn't deserve it, di. Yesterday, everyone told him to leave the venue and they would handle the guests. But he refused to leave, he said he would never abandon his family to save himself from humiliation. You lost a man like that, di."

"Gauri... I am not blindly in love like you that I don't see what is happening in front of my eyes."

"What is it that I am not seeing?" Gauri asks her furiously.

"Gauri, you are so madly in love with Omkara that you are not seeing that he doesn't care for you. he doesn't even look at you. you saw how he refused to marry you without a single thought to your feelings. Still you fought for him and thought he loved you. I didn't want my life also to be like that. I realized that if I married Shivaay then my life would also be like that."

"What are you saying, di?" Gauri asks her angrily.

"Shivaay was behaving exactly like Omkara. We were getting engaged and Shivaay never bothered to talk to me. he didn't make an effort to get to know me better. He was always busy with his work."

"So? You would run away?"

"Gauri you would find it all normal because all your life you have been desperately running behind Omkara while he ignores you."

"Om doesn't ignore me. He has never ignored me."

"See you are so blindly in love that you are not ready to accept it."

"You don't know anything, di! You don't know Om, and our relation."

"He wasn't even willing to share your soup with you!"

"Is that your idea of love?" Gauri asks her in exasperation. "that he should have soup even if he doesn't want to just because I want to have soup? You heard him say that he didn't want soup. Didn't you hear him say that he was hungry?"

"You are so loyal to him that you are still not seeing it. Now that he is out of your life, you'll be able to see everything with clarity. You will understand that I did this for you also, Gauri. I knew that you would always run behind Omkara and he would continue to take you for granted."

"If you didn't know then you should have asked. Then I would have told you that Om is a shy person and he doesn't talk to me much when there is a third person present, when we are alone, he showers me with his love. He loves me. he talks to me and listens to me talk. That he loves me so much that he told his parents yesterday that he will not let anyone separate us. He didn't care that my sister humiliated his whole family, for him all that mattered was me."

"What?" Ragini asks confused.

"If Shivaay bhaiyya didn't show any interest in you, then you could have told it to Daddy and Mummy, me, Shivaay bhaiyya or even Jhanvi aunty. They would have talked to him and if you were not still convinced then they would have stood by you and called off the wedding in a dignified manner. It is not your fault that you want to marry someone who loves you, it is your right but you had no right to humiliate our families like that. Nobody was forcing you into this marriage. And nobody would have. And don't you dare try to pin this on Om. This is all your fault."

"Gauri..."

"I don't want to talk to you anymore. I'll give the phone to Daddy." Gauri tells her in finality.

"Daddy... di is on the phone." Gauri tells Harsh as she offered him the phone.

Harsh takes the phone from her hand and he cuts the call. Then he hands the phone back to Gauri. "Don't ever take her calls."

**********

"Gauri told me you called her." Om tells Shivaay smiling happily.

"Yeah." Shivaay replies as he got ready. "Poor thing was really upset."

"Are you coming to office?" Om asks surprised.

"Yeah." Shivaay replies.

"Maybe you could take the day off, Shivaay."

"My engagement broke, Om. it is not the end of the world. I am ready to face the world." Shivaay tells him. "You don't worry about me."

When Om looked unconvinced, Shivaay tells him, "There are somethings that I need to sort out in my life."

"What?"

"I'll tell you later." Shivaay tells him.

"Okay." Om starts to walk out when Shivaay's voice stops him.

"You know... she wasn't wrong."

"She humiliated you." Om reminds him in anger.

"Yeah, running away, she was wrong."

"Then?"

"She said that I didn't make an effort in forming a relation with her. that is true."

"Why didn't you?"

"It never occurred to me." Shivaay confesses shrugging.

"Why were you distracted last few days, Shivaay?" Om asks him suspiciously.

"Someone was plaguing my thoughts." Shivaay tells him. "And it wasn't Ragini."

"Who was it?"

"Maybe later?"

Om nods.

Om was walking to his room when Gauri calls him.

"Gauri, I am about to get ready to leave for office."

"I wanted to tell you something."

"Can it wait?"

"Di called me."

Om stops in anger, "Gauri, she is your sister... she is your family. I understand that. But never mention her again to me."

"I want to talk to you, Om."

"No, Gauri."

"I said I want to talk to you!" Gauri tells him irately.

"Fine! Tell me then!"

Gauri tells him everything Ragini told her.

"Hmmm so she was trying to save you from me?"

"I don't know what her problem was. If she cared so much for me, wouldn't she have tried to talk to me?"

"I think Shivaay loves someone else."

"WHAT?"

"He didn't say anything clearly. But I feel so." Om tells her.

"So was di right?" Gauri asks confused.

"She could have just told Shivaay that she felt neglected and she didn't think they would work out. But she never cared for anyone else and ran off. She didn't even care what your parents or you would do."

"If she had only stayed back and tried to sort everything then none of this would have happened." Gauri tells him sadly. "Anyway, you go. You will be late for office."

"Okay... you take care. I'll call you later."

**********

Things went on like that for the next few weeks. Then it was time for Gauri to leave for US. on the day, she was to leave Om goes to her house to see her before she left.

Harsh opens the door to find Om there.

"Om? what are you doing here?" Harsh asks shocked.

"Hello Harsh uncle." Om says smiling. "Gauri is leaving today, so I came to see her."

Harsh hesitantly walks out. "Om, I understand you and Gauri love each other. And we have always encouraged you both, but now things have changed."

Om's smile drops hearing him. "What has changed, Harsh uncle?"

"Tej is no longer happy about this relation and I don't want to do anything that would hurt him. He has suffered a lot due to my one daughter. Now I won't have my other daughter increase his troubles."

"Dad will agree. He is just upset now." Om tries to reason with him.

"Then till he agrees; I don't want you to come here." Harsh tells him.

"Why are you doing this, uncle? What did we do wrong?"

"You haven't done anything wrong. But I can't encourage this relation now. I am sorry, Om. you can't come in."

"I know what you are going through. But I don't understand why you are doing this to Gauri and me. Still I will respect your feelings." Om tells him.

Harsh nods his head thanking him.

"And you'll have to respect Gauri's and my love. I'll not come inside your house but I am not going to leave without seeing Gauri." Om tells him and without waiting to hear anything more, he walks out.

He takes his mobile and dials Gauri's number.

"Om? When will you reach?"

"I'm outside your house."

"Okay."

Seeing Gauri running, Harsh tries to stop her. "Gauri..."

"Daddy, Om is here." Gauri tells him and runs out the house.

Seeing Om, Gauri runs to him and hugs him tight.

As Om wraps his arms around her, Gauri felt her eyes fill up with tears. "Do you know how many days it has been since we saw each other?"

"I didn't count."

"23 days."

Om hugs her tight.

"Why didn't you come inside?"

"Harsh Uncle doesn't want to hurt Dad. He said till Dad agrees he won't support us."

Gauri looks at Om as she started crying, "Everything is getting messed up. I don't want to go. What if everything gets worse?"

"It won't. I promise."

"I am scared."

"Don't worry. You go. This was your dream. I'll manage everything here."

"Will you come to airport?"

"Harsh uncle won't like it."

"When will I see you again?" Gauri asks as she wiped her tears with his shirt.

"Soon." Om tells her. "Time will fly."

**********

"You're a shooting star I see, a vision of ecstasy, when you hold me, I'm alive." Om hums as he walked into his house.

"Om." Jhanvi calls him.

"Yeah, Mom?"

"How come you are home early?"

"You forgot? Gauri is leaving today. I went to see her."

"Oh no. has she left?"

"She is at the airport. Her flight is in an hour."

"Okay, let me call her." Jhanvi says as she quickly took her mobile. "With all that have been happening here, I didn't call her all these days."

"It's okay, mom... she understands."

**********

Very soon, Gauri got settled in her university. Om and Gauri kept in touch through calls and video calls. As they got used to their new situation, things at home remained the same.

"Dad, did you call me?" Om asks as he walked to his father.

Seeing a stranger next to his father, he politely smiles at him.

"Yes, Om." Tej replies. "He has brought a proposal."

"Marriage?" Om asks curiously since this man was not a business associate.

"Yes. Shivaay isn't here. He said he will be late."

Om nods waiting for him to continue.

"It's a good family. They have two daughters. Elder daughter is working in the family business and the younger one is doing her final year MA."

Om frowns hearing that.

Then noticing the broker handing him a paper, Om curiously takes it.

"The younger daughter is the one for you." the man explains.

"Tomorrow we will have to go see the girls." Tej tells him.

Om felt fury rise in him like never before. It was one thing to oppose his relation with Gauri but it was totally another thing to even suggest that he give Gauri's place to another girl in his life.

Realizing he was still holding the paper, Om was about to return it when he notices. He curiously looks and it was the profile of this supposed younger daughter.

"Is this her phone number?" Om asks curiously.

"No, that is her father's." the broker tells him. "After you meet you can call her. they belong to a pretty conservative family."

Om ignores him as he dialed the number.

"Who are you calling?" Tej asks him angrily.

Om returns the paper to him in reply as he waited for someone to pick the call.

"Omkara, I asked who are you calling?"

"Hello?"

"Hello, is this Mr. Kapoor?"

"Don't you dare Omkara!" Tej furiously stands up.

Om moves back as he glared at his father.

"Yes. Who is this?"

"This is Omkara Singh Oberoi."

"Oh yes... I spoke to your father sometime back. He said you all will be coming tomorrow morning."

"I am sorry I won't be coming."

"Oh did something come up? Should we postpone?"

"The thing is I am in love with someone else. I will not marry anyone else. I'm very sorry we wasted your time." Om says and hangs up. Then turning to his father, he tells him furiously, "Don't ever try this again!"

Om didn't stay back to see how his father or the broker was taking it. He was least interested. He tries calling Shivaay to let him know what had happened, because there was a proposal for Shivaay also. Since Shivaay didn't answer the call, Om sends him a long message explaining everything.

Few minutes later, Shivaay replies.

Ha ha ha. Good.

Om quickly messages him,

I am sorry. There was a proposal for you too but I lost it then.

Shivaay replies.

No worries. And did you forget?

Realizing Shivaay was hinting at the girl that he liked Om messages him.

You never said anything after that, so I thought maybe it didn't work out.

Shivaay replies.

It's a work in progress ;). Will talk soon.

**********

Om was walking to his room at night as he passed by Tej's study, "Om." Tej calls him.

"Yes, Dad?" Om asks as he walked in.

"Sit." Tej tells him as he continued to drink.

Om sits as he realized his father was a little drunk. Then before Tej could say anything, Om asks him, "How could you even think that I would give Gauri's place and right to someone else?"

"Gauri has no place in our life now."

"She adores you, Dad. I have never hidden anything from her. but today, I wasn't able to tell her what you did. Ever since we were kids, you all have been teasing her with me. you all had always told her that she would be my wife one day. Then why did you do this, Dad? She adores you, she would be heartbroken if she knows what you did today." Om tells him sad.

Tej looks away feeling a little guilty.

"Didn't you love her like your own daughter?"

"What Shivaay and we had to suffer was not right." Tej tells him.

"And Gauri had no hand in that. Neither did her parents. We have been one family all these years. He is your best friend. Decades of friendship and don't you realize that?" Om asks him. "Harsh Uncle said he doesn't even want me to go to his house till you agreed because he couldn't hurt you. Why are you being so stubborn? Why are you punishing all of us for Ragini?"

"You think this doesn't hurt me?" Tej asks him. "That was a decision I had to take to protect my family."

"Protect from what?"

"Do you think Ragini is going to stay away from her family forever?" Tej asks him furiously.

Om was at a loss of words at the question.

"At the end of the day, she is their daughter. Gauri's sister. Just like how we would forgive you and how Shivaay would forgive you, they are going to forgive her."

"It's their decision. And it is our decision if we want Ragini to be a part of our family."

"Are you saying that you would ask your wife to not let her sister come to your house? That you would tell your wife that whenever you go to her house that her sister can't be there."

Om looks away.

"The man she left Shivaay for and ran away with, would be there. Always. Rubbing it on all our faces! Do you realize what Shivaay would feel when he is faced with them? Reminded of his humiliation every single time?"

"Shivaay is stronger than that." Om says softly as he looked away.

"I am not that strong. I will not forgive someone who hurt my family like that."

"Dad..."

"I'll never forget the way my wife had cried that night. I'll never forget the look of despair on her face. I'll never forget how Shivaay had stood there with his head held high, answering to all the guest's questions. The insult and humiliation he had felt but he stayed strong."

Om felt his eyes fill with tears remembering what his family had gone through that day.

"I have nothing against Gauri. I realize that I was rude to her that day and she didn't deserve it. I still love her like I did. But I can't let her be a part of our family anymore. I'm sorry, Om. I've to look at the bigger picture. A relation with the Sharma-s will no longer be a harmonious one like before."

He started wondering whether his father was right.

**********

Gauri was getting worried sick as Om wasn't replying to her messages nor answering her calls, his phone was coming switched off.

She started wondering whether she should call Shivaay Bhaiyya again. But she didn't want to increase his worries too. The wait was torturous. She tried Om's number yet again and it was again coming switched off.

She was starting to give into her tears when her mobile starts ringing. Gauri quickly checks and sees that it was Om. sighing in relief and thanking the Lord, Gauri quickly answers the call.

"OM! Where are you? why was your phone off? Do you kn0w how worried we are? Why didn't you reply to my messages? Where are you?"

"I am here, Gauri."

"Here? Where? Shivaay Bhaiyya called saying you were not home. He said they all were worried. what happened to you, Om?"

"Gauri, I am here." Om tells her again calmly.

"Here? As in here?" Gauri asks shocked.

"Yes."

"YOU ARE HERE?" Gauri asks shouting in excitement. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming?"

"I wanted to see you. so I came." Om tells her feeling his eyes fill up as he smiled. "I am sending you my hotel booking. It is supposed to be the closest to your university. Can you check if you can come there? There is a location map in the mail, so check that. Otherwise, I'll go to my hotel, freshen up and come pick you."

"Don't waste time, I'll meet you at your h0tel." Gauri tells him excitedly.

"First you check and tell me, if it easy." Om tells her. "Okay, I am reaching my hotel. You message me after you check."

"Okay... should I call Shivaay Bhaiyya? They are really worried."

"No, I will call him in a few minutes."

"At least message him now."

"Will do. You check about the hotel, okay?"

"Okay."

Gauri quickly checks the booking and realized that it was a hotel she had seen often. She quickly messages Om that she can get there quickly. Gauri quickly runs to her dorm to pack an overnight bag. Then curiously she checks the mail to see for how many days he had made the booking for so she could pack accordingly.

She scrolls through the mail reading the details.

"Room 1... Guests 2... Omkara Singh Oberoi. Gauri Kumari Sharma... 3 days???" Gauri stops feeling depressed that he was there only for 3 days.

Then angry at herself, Gauri shakes her head. She had been worried about him in the morning, she had no idea she would be seeing him today and now he was here, she was thinking about his departure already. She should cherish this time.

She starts packing her bag. Just then Om messages her.

Okay great... see you soon... love you.

Going for a shower. Messaged Shivaay, will call him after my shower. Bring an ID. You would need it. You can collect your key card from the hotel reception. Room 1503.

Gauri smiles and replies.

See you soon. I love you.

**********

After his shower, Om dials Shivaay's number.

"Om! Where are you? We have been trying to contact you since yesterday!" Shivaay tells him angry.

"Are you alone?" Om asks him.

"Wait, Om... I can't hear you... I think there is some network problem, let me go to the next room." Shivaay says making Om smile, his brother was smart.

"Okay, I am alone now. Where the heck are you?"

"I came to see Gauri."

"WHAT? You are in USA?" Shivaay asks in furious whisper.

"Yes."

"Why the hell didn't you tell us? You could have told me."

"There was no time. When I checked there was a flight in three hours, so I just took it."

"Okay. is Gauri with you?"

"No. I am waiting for her. she will reach soon."

"Okay, love to her."

"Don't tell Dad and Mom."

"Okay. I'll just lie that you are with one of your friends."

"Okay good."

"I'll say you just went to clear your head. You needed to get away."

"You are a fast liar." Om says shocked.

"At least, I've never done something like this!" Shivaay retorts.

Om smiles, "I will be back on the 24th."

"Okay. I'll manage everything here."

"Thanks, brother."

After hanging up, Om was about to call Gauri to check whether he should go to pick her up when he hears a sound at the door. He turns to look at the door to see if it was Gauri.

"OM!" Gauri excitedly opens the door.

Seeing Gauri after so long, Om was filled with relief that he couldn't move, couldn't take a step forward.

"OM! YOU ARE HERE!" Gauri excitedly runs to him and hugs him tight.

Om hugs her tight as he lightly lifted her off the ground.

"Why didn't you tell me you were coming?" Gauri asks him. "I was so worried when I couldn't contact you yesterday."

In reply, Om just cups her face and hungrily takes her lips in his.

"I missed you so much." Om whispers in between kisses.

"I still can't believe that you are here." Gauri tells him as she hugged him happily.

"I just had to see you."

"Do you know how many days it's been since we met?"

"I didn't count."

"73 days."

Om hugs her tight. "There is something I want to talk to you about."

"Hmmm. Tell me."

"It is really important."

"Okay." Gauri says as she stepped back to see his face.

"Sit here." Om guides her to the bed and kneels in front of her.

"What happened, Om?"

"Please don't say no, Gauri."

"Have I ever said no to you?" Gauri asks him as she lovingly cupped his face.

"This, you are going to say no." Om says as he took her hands in his and kissed them.

"Tell me."

Om grips her hand as he took a nervous breath. "Let's go to Vegas and get married."

"What?" Gauri asks too shocked to think.

"I am here for three days. We can leave for Vegas now. We could be married by tomorrow or day after." Om tells her.

"What happened, Om?" Gauri asks him in concern.

"We won't have to tell our parents. We will just go on as is."

"What happened?" Gauri asks him as she cupped his face.

Om tells her about what had happened with Tej regarding the proposal and his talk with Tej.

"After listening to him, I was thinking maybe he is right. That I was selfish. I shouldn't only think of our life. I should think of my family too. I don't know why I thought like that. But Gauri for a second, I did. I don't even know why I thought like that."

Gauri lovingly smiles at him. "And you feel guilty?"

"I am feeling scared." Om tells her honestly.

"Om... it is normal. You are human. You love your family. It is natural for you to feel like that."

"What if I feel like that again?"

"Didn't I lose faith in us when di ran away?" Gauri reminds him.

"It is not the same, Gauri."

"It is not." Gauri agrees. "And it is not that different too."

"I am scared, Gauri."

"Will you be able to live without me?"

"I can't even think of living without you." Om tells her.

"Then why do you have to be scared?" Gauri asks him smiling.

Om nods.

"I've been waiting forever to marry you, Om. but we will get married only when our parents give their consent."

Om nods and hugs her.

"By the way, what happened to your not marrying for 2 years?"

Om cheekily grins at her, "If our parents were ready for our marriage, then I would have wanted to be a little more established in my career."

"I knew it." Gauri tells him with a teasing smile.

"So now that we are not getting married... are we going to Vegas?"

"Whatever for?" Om asks.

"Gamble." Gauri shrugs.

Om chuckles. "You are crazy."

Gauri grins happily as she hugged him.

Gauri was lying on Om's chest in bed as they talked.

"You didn't say anything about what Dad did... are you okay?" Om asks her gently.

Gauri doesn't say anything in reply as she hugged Om tight.

"Gauri.... Love, please look at me." Om tells as he kept his hand on her chin and gently lifted her face.

His heart break seeing the tears in her eyes.

Seeing him sad, she tells him as she tried to smile, "It's okay, Om. he is angry. I know that. Once his anger cools down, he will agree for our wedding. I know he loves me."

"Don't you believe it, Om?" Gauri asks him when he remained silent.

"I do." Om tells her. "But at times, it scares me."

"Why do you have to be scared?" Gauri asks him lovingly as she leaned up to face him.

"What if he never agrees?" Om asks her.

"Aren't you mine?" Gauri asks him smiling.

"You know, I am yours."

"Am I not yours?"

"You are." Om replies smiling.

"Then what is there to be scared about?"

Om smiles happily then leaning up, he takes her lips in his. Gauri wraps her hands around his neck as she kissed him hungrily. Om rolls her over and gets on top of her as they kissed.

They had spent the whole night talking. Having been apart from each other for so long, they couldn't stop talking, so happy to be together again. They both dozed off by the wee hours of morning.

**********

Om wakes up and rolls to Gauri and finds her side of bed empty.

Sleepily he sits up. "Gauri?" Om calls out to her as he rubbed his eyes.

Gauri slides the bathroom door open and pokes her head out.

"Taking a shower." Gauri tells him. "Five minutes."

Om nods as he gulped. His heart slammed against his chest. He knew the bathroom had no lock. All he had to do was just slide the door open, and she would be there on the other side of the door, naked.

Om quickly shakes his head as he tried to clear his head. She would tell him when she was ready. He knew that. And he had always wanted her to take the lead in their relation.

Few minutes later, Gauri walks out of the bathroom, shaking all of Om's resolve. She was just in a bathrobe and her hair wrapped in a towel. Om gulps seeing her like that.

"I am done. You go shower." Gauri tells him.

Nodding Om gets up and grabbing fresh clothes, he walks to the bathroom.

After his shower, Om walks out of the bathroom to find Gauri still in her bathrobe. She was wiping her hair as she stood in front of the mirror. Dropping his dirty laundry on the floor, Om walks to Gauri and hugs her from behind. He starts kissing her neck all the time fighting his urge to slip in his hand inside her bathrobe.

Hearing the doorbell, Om steps back quickly. Gauri was completely pink with blush. Om couldn't help it and he kisses her quickly.

"Open the door." Gauri whispers to him.

Smiling Om nods. "Did you order something?"

"Yes."

"Good. I was starting to get hungry. You change while I set the table." Om tells her as he walked to the door.

He opens the door and the waiter hands him a small packet.

Om curiously turns to Gauri as he closed the door. "I thought you ordered food. What is this?"

"Check." Gauri tells him blushing.

Seeing her blush, Om curiously opens the small packet and a packet of condom slips out. He looks up at Gauri in shock. Gauri grinning happily, she winks at him.

"Gauri..."

Gauri with one finger, gestures Om to come to her.

Om walks to her, still in shock. But the excitement was spreading throughout him, and his blood was flowing south.

As he reached her, Om pulls her towards him and wraps his hand around her.

"You said, when I make a move it turns you own like anything." Gauri tells him happily blushing.

"You'll be the end of me, Gauri Kumari Sharma." Om tells her as he took her lips in his. As he gently kissed her, he whispers "I love you."

"Make love to me, Om." Gauri nervously whispers.

Om hungrily starts kissing her as his hand went to her bathrobe tie.

**********

Happy, spent and breathless they lay side by side. Om takes her hand and lovingly kisses it. Gauri looks at him and happily giggles as she tried to catch her breath.

"Did you really call up the reception and asked for condom?" Om asks as his raising heart beat had calmed.

"Yeah." Gauri tells him chuckling happily.

"You are utterly shameless." Om tells her grinning.

"I know." Gauri laughs without a care in the world.

Lovingly hugging him, Gauri asks him, "You were ready for this, weren't you?"

"To make love to you?" Om asks her surprised. "I was born ready."

"WHAT?" Gauri asks shocked as she leaned up to look at him.

"Yeah! I even got condoms on your 18th birthday thinking we were going to do it that night."

"Why didn't you say anything then?"

"I wanted you to lead. And I knew you would tell me when you were ready."

"My foot! I thought you were not ready. It took you so long to kiss me itself."

"Correction, it took you long to kiss me." Om tells her.

"You should have told me that you wanted me to make these decisions."

"It was always your decision, Gauri."

"You mean to say I was simply carrying this virginity for so many years?" Gauri asks outraged.

Hearing her question, Om bursts out laughing. "You are so adorable, love."

**********

Gauri and Om take a cab as they decided to go out for dinner.

"Did you really want to go to Vegas?" Om asks her as he leaned to her in the seat.

"To go to casinos?"

"Yeah."

"Yes." Gauri tells him excitedly.

"Next time I come, we will go."

"You'll come again?" Gauri asks him excitedly.

Om looks at her and smiles, "Yes."

"I love you... I love you... I love you." Gauri says excitedly as she hugged him.

"Hey... our song!" Gauri says excitedly then leaning towards the front she asks the cab driver, "Can you please turn up the volume?"

Find light in the beautiful sea.

"Hey!" Om says excitedly hearing the song. They silently listen to the song.

Once song was over, Om turns to Gauri and tells her, "Do you know this is the first time I am hearing the song?"

"What?" Gauri asks him shocked.

"You know I don't listen to English songs."

"But you said this was your favorite song."

"Yeah."

"Then?"

"This song I have only heard it when you sing it."

Gauri gapes at Om in shock for a second then moving towards him, she whispers to him. "I want to make love to you, right now."

Hearing her, Om's eyes widen in excitement then quickly moving towards the front he tells the cab driver, "Can you take us back to the hotel? We forgot something."

Few minutes later, the cab driver pulls the car over in front of the hotel, they hurry out of the car while Om handed the cab driver the money. "Keep the change." Om shouts out to him as he held Gauri's hand and ran in.

**********

"Tomorrow this time, you'll be in the flight." Gauri whispers as she hugged him tight.

Feeling wetness on his chest, he looks up at her. "Baby, please don't cry."

"I'll miss you." Gauri tells him as she hugged him tight and hid her face on his chest.

"Even I'll miss you like crazy." Om tells her as he hugged her.

"This time we didn't see the night sky." Gauri says as she looked at him sadly.

"But I saw diamonds in the sky." Om tells her lovingly.

Smiling happily, she hugs him tight.

"We could still make it." Om whispers to her as he hugged her. "All you have to do is say yes."

Gauri looks at Om and says, "Then we will be like di, Om. I don't want to do what she did to our parents."

Om nods understanding.

"We are not wrong. And our love is not wrong. So, we don't have to hide from our family and do this. We'll marry when our family supports us."

"Okay."

The next day, Om took the flight back home.

**********

Spreading out the sheet on the terrace, Om sits on it as he kept his mobile nearby. He looks up at the sky as he thought of the numerous times he had spent the night with Gauri there.

"Shine bright like a diamond."

Hearing his mobile, Om quickly grabs it and sees Shivaay calling him.

"Yeah, Shivaay?"

"You are not home?"

"I am in the terrace."

"Okay."

Om hangs up and wrapping his hand around his knees he watches the stars.

"You're a shooting star I see, a vision of ecstasy."

"You really don't know any other song or what?" Shivaay asks him as he walked to him.

Om stops as he looked at Shivaay and chuckles. "It's our song."

"Ah I should have guessed." Shivaay says smiling as he sat opposite to Om on the sheet.

"I'm not doing it on purpose. It's just that, when I think of Gauri or miss her, I unknowingly starts singing."

"Oh ho." Shivaay teases with a grin.

Om chuckles. "I never noticed it. Only when you pointed it out that I figured it out."

Shivaay smiles. "What are you doing here?"

"Waiting to call Gauri. She should be free in half an hour."

"Okay."

"Whenever she stays here, we both come here. We would lie here and talk."

"But I have never seen you both come here." Shivaay says confused.

"After everyone had gone to sleep." Om explains.

"Oh." Then smiling, Shivaay tells him. "You've become expressive. You're freely talking about her now."

"I am missing her terribly."

"I understand. You guys have been together since childhood and now being apart like this, it is really difficult, isn't it?"

Om nods. "Drives you mad at times."

Shivaay smiles, "How is she doing?"

"She is doing good. She is keeping herself busy. Making friends."

"That's good."

"At times it worries her about the situation at her home, and here."

Shivaay listens as Om talked.

"She behaves immaturely but she is a strong girl. Very bold." Om tells him. "But sometimes, all these comes to her and she gets worried, and it kills me. she is so far away from home, all alone, worried and that time, there is nothing I can do for her." feeling a tear drop from his eye, Om wipes it away slyly.

Shivaay holds his hand in reassuring manner. "She will be here soon."

Om nods.

"Was she excited to see you?" Shivaay asks knowing full well that she would have been, he just wanted cheer up Om a little.

"Yeah." Om replies smiling as he remembered her excitement.

"It still shocks me." Shivaay tells him chuckling.

Om chuckles hearing him. "It is a bigger shock to Gauri that you all thought I didn't love her."

"Because we never see you talk to her."

"Because you all tease us like crazy. I can't even look at her without one of you making a comment on it."

"It was fun for us." Shivaay tells him smiling.

"I know." Om replies smiling.

They remained silent for a while, lost in thoughts. "You know, we never had any proposal or love confession as such."

"Really?" Shivaay asks smiling.

"It was here." Om says as he looked up at the sky as he patted the sheet. "We were lying here, looking at the sky." Then chuckling he adds, "Trying to spot stars."

Shivaay smiles hearing that.

"Suddenly, Gauri says, 'Om, I want a destination wedding. With all the people we know present.'"

"Ha ha... and how did you react?"

Om shrugs and says, "I said I want a small wedding with just our family present."

Shivaay looks at Om in surprise.

"She says, 'Om, we are getting married, so shouldn't you make some adjustments for my happiness.' I replied, 'since you are going to be my wife, shouldn't you be also willing to make adjustments for my happiness?'. She got offended and fought with me and went off." Om tells him chuckling.

"How old were you guys then?"

Om thinks for a while, "She was 19 and I was 23."

"You guys knew then that you would get married?" Shivaay asks shocked.

"She is really slow in these kind of things. Took her forever to say it." Om tells Shivaay, remembering how disappointed, shocked and heartbroken he was on her 18th birthday night, when she hadn't suggested that they go to his bedroom.

"And you?" Shivaay asks him suspiciously.

"You would think I am lying."

"No, tell me."

"Ever since we were kids."

"No way!" Shivaay says in disbelief.

Om smiles, "Even before I knew what love, what marriage was, I knew Gauri was someone special. Gauri was different from the rest of the world. Gauri was above everyone else. I just didn't know what that was. But she was special. Then everyone started teasing us and I slowly figured out what it was."

"I did wonder whether you guys fell in love because of all the teasing. Whether we all pushed you two to it."

Om shakes his head in negative, "You, Ragini, Gauri and me, we grew up together. But it was just Gauri and me who were stuck to each other like glue. You and Ragini would hardly talk to each other. And after a point, our parents noticed that things were kind of different and special between Gauri and me. they started teasing because there was something there between us."

Shivaay smiles.

"Enough of Gauri and me, you tell me about you and your girl." Om tells him.

"You know her."

"I do?" Om asks surprised.

"Anika."

"Anika Trivedi? Our legal advisor?"

"Yeah." Shivaay replies smiling.

"Wow." Om says surprised.

"You guys do spent an awful lot of time together when we start any new project. I never thought much about it." Om says amazed.

Shivaay smiles. "She told me she loved me couple of months back."

"And?" Om asks surprised.

"I screwed up." Shivaay replies shrugging.

"How?"

"I said no."

"Oh."

Hearing the mobile buzz, Om checks his message.

Will call you in 5 minutes.

Gauri had messaged him. He quickly replies to her that he was talking to Shivaay and will call her after.

"She intrigued me. she was fun. She is super intelligent and smart. I used to flirt with her. but she is headstrong and so am I. She is egoistic, so am I. She has this terrible temper and you know my temper. So, I thought, in a practical world, our marriage wouldn't survive. We would fight and end up ruining everything. So, I thought why get married and ruin something special? Instead, just treasure the friendship we have."

Om shakes his head in a little bit disappointment.

"I told her that. She was hurt that I led her on. Then Ragini's proposal happened and I said yes. Thought in a practical world that marriage would work. We grew up together, we knew each other pretty well, families were friends. But every time I looked at Ragini, I thought of Anika. I knew what was happening was not right, but I was just worried to take the plunge."

"The first thought I had when I read Ragini's letter was, relief." Shivaay confesses. "The only thought I had was she had the courage to go after what she wanted in life, then why was I so scared to do that?"

Om silently listens to Shivaay, taking in what he was saying.

"That night you came and told me about you and Gauri, how you were fighting with everyone for Gauri. I realized that if I didn't fight for Anika now then I would regret it the rest of our lives."

Om smiles hearing that.

"Anyway, she said no. she doesn't trust me anymore." Shivaay says finishing.

"Oh I am so sorry, Shivaay."

"I gave up once, I am not giving up again." Shivaay tells him confidently.

"What are you going to do now?"

"That's what I am here for. I want your advice."

"You want my advice?" Om asks surprised.

"Yeah... on how to win her."

Hearing that Om bursts out laughing. "You want my advice on how to win a girl?"

"Yeah." Shivaay says smiling and sheepish.

"Oh my God." Om continues to laugh. "I can't believe it."

"Come on, Om." Shivaay says feeling embarrassed.

"Me?"

"Yeah."

"What am I going to tell you? what do I know?" Om asks him.

"You and Gauri are in a relation. Of course you can give some advice."

"Shivaay... my dear brother... did you forget that Gauri was handed to me in a golden platter?" Om asks him laughing.

Hearing Om's question, Shivaay couldn't help but chuckle.

Once they calmed down, Om takes his mobile and dials Gauri.

"Gauri." Om says smiling. "Shivaay needs your advice."

"Advice? Tell him red tie really doesn't suit him."

"Red tie?" Om asks confused. "Love, he has a topic in mind."

"Oh okay. what is it?"

"He is in love with someone. I'll tell you in detail later. In short, he broke her heart. She doesn't trust him anymore. And he wants to convince her that he truly loves her. he needs our advice on that."

"Give the phone to him."

"She wants to talk to you." Om tells him as he passed the phone then he adds, "And red tie doesn't suit you."

"Why? I love that color." Shivaay says offended as he took the phone. "Hi Gauri."

"How did you break her heart? Did you cheat on her?"

"WHAT? Of course not! I said no when she proposed."

"Oh okay. I don't know what advice to give you Shivaay bhaiyya,"

Shivaay sighs loudly.

"All I know is to love without any inhibitions. Just show your love. Make the other one realize how much they mean to you."

Hearing that Shivaay stops as he took in the advice.

"You could be shameless like me or shy like Om, either ways, make the other realize that your heart only beats for them. Don't be ashamed to show your love."

"Thank you, Gauri. You are the best."

Shivaay hangs up the phone.

"I thought of telling Dad regarding Ragini and Anika. Then I felt that maybe it would hurt him more to know that I was rejected again and this time by the girl I love."

"Yeah, true." Om agrees.

"I am sorry that I ruined things for you and Gauri." Shivaay apologizes.

"You haven't ruined anything." Om tells him.

"It has become difficult."

"Dad will eventually agree."

"Yes."

"But I have decided that even if he doesn't agree I am going to marry her."

Shivaay nods.

"It is going to be difficult to convince her but I know she will agree."

"Did you talk to her about it?"

"I went to see her, so that I could take her to Vegas and get married." Om confesses.

"What?" Shivaay asks in shocked whisper. "And did you?"

"She said no."

"And if she had said yes?"

"Then I would have been her husband by now."

Shivaay watches Om for a few seconds then he says, "I hope it doesn't come to that. But if it does, then let me know, I want to be a part of your wedding."

Om smiles hearing that.

"Okay... you call Gauri. I'm going."

**********

Harsh and Nayantara were waiting outside the airport as finally Gauri was coming home after finishing her studies.

"Daddy! Mummy!" Gauri excitedly waves at them as she hurried to them pushing her trolley.

Stopping her trolley near them, she happily hugs her parents.

"I missed you both." Gauri says happily as she hugged them.

"Even we missed you."

"How was your flight?" Nayantara asks.

"It was okay... good."

"Okay... let's go home." Harsh says as he took her trolley.

"Where is Om?" Gauri asks them as she looked around.

"He is not here." Harsh replies confused.

"No, he said he would meet me here." Gauri says as she looked around.

She quickly spots him as he stood a few feet away from her, happily watching her.

"OM!" Gauri waves at him excitedly and was about to run to him when Harsh quickly holds her hand.

"Gauri, I told you... till Tej..." Harsh starts to say.

"Later, Daddy... I'm going to see Om now." Gauri says as she freed her hand from his and ran to Om excitedly.

As her parents watched, Gauri excitedly runs to Om.

Gauri runs into Om's open arms and hugs him tight.

"Why were you standing away?"

"You are meeting your parents after so long that I thought I will wait till you had your reunion with them." Om says, her parents hadn't let Gauri come home for vacation fearing that it would cause more problems.

"Do you even know how many days it has been since we met?" Gauri asks him pouting.

"I didn't count."

"Why don't you ever count?" Gauri asks upset.

"Because it would make me depressed."

Gauri couldn't help leaning up and kissing him on his cheek. "68 days."

Om kisses her forehead.

"Your parents are watching."

Gauri nods as she stepped back a little.

"You go home; I'll see you in the evening."

"Will you come home?" Gauri asks surprised.

"No, we will go out somewhere."

"Okay." Gauri says smiling.

**********

Few weeks after Gauri had come back, Anika finally said yes to Shivaay. The evening Anika said yes, Shivaay went to his parents.

"What did you want to talk to us about, Shivaay?" Jhanvi asks Shivaay.

"I am in love." Shivaay says without any preamble.

"Really?" Jhanvi asks excitedly. "Who is it?"

"I've been hearing some office rumors." Tej says softly.

"If it is about Anika then it is true. I love her."

Tej smiles, "She is a nice girl."

Shivaay smiles hearing that.

"You know her?" Jhanvi asks smiling excitedly.

"She is our legal advisor."

"Oh nice... when do we get to meet her?" Jhanvi asks Shivaay.

"Soon. but before that there are somethings I wanted to clear with you both."

"What?" Tej asks curiously.

Shivaay honestly tells him about Anika and Ragini.

"Dad, it wasn't completely Ragini's fault." Shivaay tells him gently. "I was also wrong."

Tej looks away thoughtfully.

"Dad, I am not angry at Ragini. I'm grateful to her. Anika is in my life because of her. let Om and Gauri be together, Dad."

"Tej... please don't stand in the way of their happiness." Jhanvi requests him. "They will be so happy together. Om ad Gauri loves each other so much. They will never be happy without each other."

"Dad, isn't Gauri also our family. Hasn't she showered Om with so much love all her life that your love for him has always fell short?"

Tej nods agreeing as his eyes filled with tears.

"Let's get our children married." Jhanvi tells him.

"I hurt them a lot, didn't I?" Tej asks them filled with guilt.

"And you still have the power to give them all the happiness in the world." Shivaay tells him smiling.

Few minutes later, Tej calls up Harsh.

"Hello, Harsh."

"Tej? It's so nice to hear from you." Harsh says happily. "It's been years."

"I know. I am sorry."

"You don't have to say sorry. It is not your fault."

"Harsh... I was wondering if we could come to your house today."

"Tej, you are always welcome here. This is your house too."

Tej smiles happily in relief. "We should fix Gauri's and Om's wedding."

"Indeed." Harsh says happily then he adds in a soft whisper, "I was starting to worry that she was going to run away with him."

Tej chuckles, "There is no need for that, we will get them married."

"Yes."

"I'll see you in the evening."

Hanging up the phone, Tej turns to Shivaay and tells him, "Ask Om to come home soon."

Shivaay was trying to call Om when Tej's mobile ring. Tej quickly answers.

"Yes Harsh?" Tej says onto the phone. Then chuckling he says, "Okay, then let's do that."

Seeing Tej hanging up, Jhanvi asks curiously. "Do what?"

"Harsh said not to go there. Gauri wants to come here. So, they are coming here. Gauri wants to stay here tonight."

"That is brilliant." Jhanvi says excitedly.

Shivaay smiles hearing that. "It's going to be fun."

"Let me go tell the cook to make all of Gauri's favorite dishes." Jhanvi says excitedly.

"Gauri's favorite dishes?" Om asks curiously as he stopped behind them.

Before Jhanvi could answer, Om's mobile starts ringing.

"Hello, Gauri?" Om quickly answers the call.

"TEJ UNCLE CALLED! WE ARE GETTING MARRIED!" Gauri says excitedly.

"What?" Om asks shocked then he turns to look at his parents and sees them happily beaming at him. Seeing them smiling at him so happily, Om's eyes fill with tears. He asks his father, "It's true, isn't it?"

"I'm sorry, I hurt you both, Om." Tej tells him sadly.

Om walks to him and hugs him tight. "I had faith in you, Dad."

Tej smiles as he hugged him.

"You did scare me, but I had faith in you. Even Gauri." Om tells him.

Tej pats him lovingly while Jhanvi caressed his hair happily.

"You talk to Gauri, I think she is still on the phone." Tej tells him.

Om smiles and steps back. "Gauri."

"Om. I am so happy." Gauri says as she sniffed happily.

"Gauri..." Om starts and stop in shock seeing his parents and Shivaay, smiling ear to ear as they watched him talk on the phone. "I'll call you later."

"Is that all you have to say?"

"Everyone is watching, Gauri." Om softly whispers to her. "I'll call you later."

"No need! I'm coming there in sometime."

"You are?" Om asks surprised unable to hide his smile.

"I guess she told him that she is staying here tonight." Shivaay tells Jhanvi.

"She is staying here?" Om asks surprised.

"Oh, Om is so happy." Jhanvi tells Shivaay in a teasing tone.

"You guys have to stop doing that!" Om says exasperated. Then turning around, he whispers her, "I'll see you soon." then he quickly hangs up.

"You don't have to hang up, we are going." Tej tells Om. they quickly leave.

Om smiles in relief. He wanted to cry and shout out in join. Just like, how in a blink of an eye their lives were in turmoil, in a blink of an eye it was restored to bliss.

Om was about to walk to his room, when he stops in shock.

Condoms!

Gauri was staying home, he needed condoms.

**********

"JHANVI AUNTY!!!" Gauri excitedly calls her as she ran to Jhanvi dropping her overnight bag on the floor.

"Gauri, my bachcha." Jhanvi says happily as she opened her arms for her.

Gauri happily hugs her. "I missed you!"

"Even I missed you." Jhanvi says as she hugged her happily.

Tej felt his eyes fill up and he lovingly caress Gauri's head. Gauri turns to him and happily hugs him.

"I am sorry, I hurt you, Gauri."

"It's okay, Tej Uncle. I had faith in you." Gauri tells him as she leaned up on tip toes and kissed his cheek.

Noticing Harsh and Nayantara behind Gauri, Tej walks to them.

"I am sorry." Tej tells them.

"You don't have to say sorry. If it had happened to us, then even we would have behaved like that." Harsh tells him.

As Tej, Jhanvi, Harshvardhan and Nayantara had their reunion, Gauri notices Shivaay and runs to him.

"Shivaay bhaiyya!" Gauri hugs him happily.

Shivaay hugs her happily, "Anika said yes."

"SHE DID?" Gauri asks jumping excitedly.

"Yeah, today." Shivaay tells her grinning.

"Is that why Tej Uncle had a change of heart?"

"Yeah." Shivaay agrees.

"When do I get to meet her?"

"Soon. even she wants to meet you." Shivaay tells her smiling.

"She knows me?"

"She knows all about you and Om, and what happened with Ragini."

Gauri smiles. "Where is Om?"

"He went out."

"WHAT? Where?" Gauri asks shocked.

"He said he will come soon. said it was emergency." Shivaay says shrugging. "Didn't say much."

"He didn't tell me anything."

They were sitting and chatting while Gauri was waiting for Om. Tej was filling in Harsh on Shivaay's wedding.

"Tomorrow I was thinking of going to Anika's house and talking to her family." Tej informs Harsh.

"Can I also come?" Gauri asks excitedly.

"Of course." Tej tells her smiling.

Then turning to Harsh, he says "Harsh... there is something I wanted to clear with you."

"Yes, tell me." Harsh asks him.

Tej tells him about how Shivaay had been in love with Anika at the time of his engagement with Ragini and that was a major reason for her to elope.

"I'm really sorry for everything." Shivaay tells Harsh and Nayantara.

They nod their heads.

"I just wanted to clear with you that we have no issues regarding Ragini." Tej tells him.

Harsh turns to Tej and tell him, "You know we are not strict parents, we have given our daughters all the freedom. Gauri wouldn't be like this if we were strict. They had all the freedom, and if Ragini had felt that she wouldn't be happy marrying Shivaay, all she had to do was tell us. We would have accepted her decision because it is her life. But she didn't. instead, she ran away and humiliated all of us. It is not easy to forget and easy to forgive her."

Tej nodding holds Harsh's hand understanding.

"Where did you go?" Gauri asks Om as she ran to him.

Hearing Gauri's loud question everyone turns to look and finds Om walking in.

"Hello." Om smiles at everyone. He was about to walk to Gauri's parents when Gauri threw herself at him and hugs him.

Om was about to hug her back when he notices their parents cheekily grinning at them. Freeing himself from Gauri, he asks in soft voice, "Gauri, what are you doing? Everybody is watching."

Hearing Om, Harsh and Nayantara gapes at him in shock. Jhanvi and Tej looks at each other in confusion. Shivaay, who had so far never witnessed Om hugging Gauri in public, unlike their parents, found it all normal.

Gauri steps back in shock hearing that.

"Behave, Gauri." Om whispers to her and starts to walk to her parents.

"YOU BLOODY DOUBLE FACED CREEP!"

Om turns to Gauri and rolls his eyes, "You are making a scene, Gauri."

Pushing him in anger, she walks to Shivaay and sits next to him. "He is like a dog's tail!"

Shivaay chuckles as he patted her hand, "You know he is shy."

Gauri snorts loudly in reply.

"Come Om. join us. we were planning to get you and Gauri married along with Shivaay and Anika." Jhanvi informs him as she gestured him to join them.

"Oh... I was thinking of get married only next year." Om tells them hesitantly.

Gauri gasps in furious outrage.

Seeing her fury, not to start a fight, Harsh quickly says, "Whenever you both want, we just wanted to let you know that we are ready for your wedding."

Om smiles at them then he says lovingly, "Harsh Uncle."

Om walks to Harsh and Nayantara. Harsh lovingly hugs Om.

"I am sorry for hurting you both." Om tells them. "I know you didn't want to hurt Dad... But I just couldn't... I'm very sorry."

Nayantara lovingly caresses Om while Harsh smiles at him. "It's okay, Om. We were not hurt. We were just worried how it would affect Tej and Jhanvi."

Om nods hearing that.

Harsh then chuckling, tells him, "To tell you the truth, you were our only relief."

"How is that?" Om asks surprised.

"Because we were worried that Gauri would pester you to elope. But since, it was you, we had faith that you wouldn't let anything happen like that."

Om gives him an embarrassed smile. Shivaay started coughing to cover his laughter.

"WHAT THE HELL?" Gauri jumps up in furious outrage.

"Gauri, just sit there." Om quickly tells her.

"Oh! You would like that? don't you?" Gauri asks him then turning to her father, she tells, "Daddy, your darling, innocent Omkara had come running to see me and asked me to run away to Vegas and get married."

"What?" Harsh and Tej asks at the same time.

"Gauri, shut up!" Om tells her sternly.

Ignoring him, she continues, "We went to Vegas once to gamble that time also he was telling me we will never get a chance like this, let's get married. I SAID NO! Even the last time he came, he was begging me to run away. It was ME who said NO. Not only in US, just day before yesterday, he was telling me that he was getting scared and we should register our marriage. I SAID NO. not your trustworthy Omkara, ME!"

"What?" Nayantara asks softly.

"IF you don't believe me, ask Shivaay Bhaiyya. He even told Om that he wanted to be there for our wedding and when we run away we should tell him also."

"You knew?" Tej asks Shivaay.

Turning to Om, Shivaay asks "Doesn't anything stay in her stomach?"

"For the love of God, please keep quiet, Gauri!" Om tells her.

"Fine!"

"Gauri..." Jhanvi gently calls her.

"Yes?"

"You said the last time Om came... how many times did he visit you in US?"

"4 times... no 5." Gauri says.

"And where did he stay all those times?" Nayantara asks her.

"Hotel."

"And you?" Nayantara asks her as casually as she could.

"Where else, Aunty..." Om starts to answer.

"No, let her answer, Om." Nayantara tells him.

Om closes his eyes in dread and starts praying hard, please don't lie, Gauri. Please don't lie.

Gauri's eyes widen in shock as she finally realized why Om was asking her to shut up.

"Gauri?"

"Dorm, Mummy. Where else?" Gauri asks acting all normal.

"Dammit!" Om mutters under his breath.

Harsh coughs softly, then he asks her. "Do you expect us to believe that Om was in town and you stayed in your Dorm?"

Gauri's mouth drops open in panic.

"If you had said that you stayed with him, we would have assumed it was all innocent. But you lied. If you haven't done anything wrong, why did you lie, Gauri?" Harsh asks her.

Hearing the question, Gauri turns to Om in panic and whispers to him, "Om... help me."

Even with a packet of condoms in his pocket, Om tries one last attempt, "I told her to lie if anyone found out. I didn't want you all to scold her. that is why she lied. There isn't anything like you are thinking."

Tej looks at Om in utter shock and says, "You also can't be trusted."

"Tej." Harsh says as he stared down Om and Gauri, "I don't care whether these two are ready or not. They both can't be trusted! I want them married as soon as possible."

"Definitely." Tej agrees.

**********

Late night, Om messages Gauri.

Everybody slept.

Gauri replies quickly, Terrace?

Okay.

Few minutes later, Gauri softly closes the terrace door and walks to Om who was already lying on a sheet. Seeing Gauri, he extends his hand to her. Gauri takes his hand and lies next to him.

"Are you mad at me?" Gauri asks him as she turned to him.

Om shakes his head as he chuckled.

"Now they all know that you are not an innocent baby like you act in front of them." Gauri tells him grinning.

Om chuckles as he happily hugged her.

"Shine bright like a diamond." Gauri happily sings as they looked at the sky.

"I missed this." Om tells her as he hugged her tight.

"Me too. Feels like forever ago." Gauri tells him.

"It was."

"Are you okay about getting married soon?" Gauri asks him.

"Dad gave me the responsibility of a new project and it's deadline is in one year, so I thought I would be super busy that time and what if I am not able to give my wife the time she needs... that is why I said after a year."

"Maybe that time, he will give you another project that time." Gauri tells him.

"That's true." Om agrees. "And I am not okay with getting married."

"Why?" Gauri asks him leaning up to look at him.

"You never proposed." Om points out.

"Why should I be the one who do everything?" Gauri asks offended.

"Because you're the one who decides everything." Om tells her.

Gauri smiles hearing that, then she asks him, "Omkara Singh Oberoi, will you marry me?"

Om excitedly smiles at her, "Of course. you didn't even have to ask."

Gauri scowls at him in anger, "Sometimes I feel like hitting you."

Laughing happily Om hugs her. "I promise; I'll always keep you happy."

"I know." Gauri happily hugs him.

"By the way, where did you go earlier?" Gauri curiously asks him.

"To buy condoms."

"You got condoms?" Gauri asks surprised. "Then what are we doing here? Let's go to your room."

"That is what even I was wondering, why you called me to terrace." Om tells her as he helped her up.

Seeing the way, Gauri was holding his hand and leading the way, practically running, was too much for Om. just as they were about to reach his room, Om pulls her hand and Gauri comes slamming against his chest.

"Is anyone here?" Gauri asks in whisper ready to hide.

"No." Om says as he pushed her to the wall and slammed on to her. "Do you have any idea what it does to me when you take the initiative?"

Gauri turns completely pink hearing that. Seeing her blushing, Om slams his mouth on her and starts kissing her hungrily.

**********

"Good morning, everyone." Gauri announces as she walked into the dining room.

"Good morning." Tej, Harsh, Jhanvi, Nayantara and Shivaay wishes her.

"When are we going to Anika Bhabhi's house?" Gauri asks as she took a seat.

"Evening." Jhanvi informs her.

"Okay." Gauri smiles excitedly. "Om hasn't come down yet?"

"He should be coming now." Jhanvi tells her. "You start eating."

Gauri nods. Gauri was serving for herself when she notices Om walk in. Om smiles at her happily then he quickly looks away realizing that full family was there.

Seeing him walk to the opposite side chair, Gauri tells him. "Om, where are you going? Sit next to me."

Om stops as he scratched his head feeling embarrassed.

"What? Sit here. They all know that you are no doodh peeta bacha."

Om's mouth drops open in shock realizing that Gauri had recovered from the embarrassing situation with their parents and now she was as usual taking it in her stride. Om turns to look at their parents and they were looking at each other not knowing whether they should be awkward or laugh. He looks at Shivaay and sees him silently laughing.

"Om! I am hungry." Gauri tells him.

Having no other way to shut her up, Om walks to her and takes the chair next to her.

"Do you want Poori?" Gauri asks him as she served for herself.

"You're embarrassing me." Om whispers to her.

"How?" Gauri asks offended.

"Gauri, please shut up."

"What did I do now? If you didn't want poori you can just say that."

Hearing that Shivaay couldn't help it and he bursts out laughing.

"Why are you laughing, Shivaay bhaiyya?" Gauri asks him curiously.

"Gauri, shut up!" Om whispers to her.

"You are being rude!" Gauri tells him. Then turning to Shivaay she sweetly asks him, "Please Shivaay bhaiyya, tell me. even I want to laugh."

Shivaay turns to her as he laughed.

"Not a word, Shivaay." Om warns him.

"Sorry, Gauri." Shivaay says.

Om sighs in relief hearing that.

Then Shivaay continues. "I am scared of Om, as you know, Om is no longer a doodh peeta bacha."

Saying that Shivaay bursts out laughing and soon the whole family starts laughing.

"Oh, is that why you were rude to me?" Gauri asks Om as finally she realized.

"If you didn't shut your mouth then I am going to shove all that poori into your mouth now!" Om tells her at his patience's end.

Gauri gasps out loudly and turns to Jhanvi. "Did you hear that, Jhanvi Aunty? Is that how you raised him? What kind of upbringing is that?"

Jhanvi grins at Gauri and tells her, "I agree, Gauri. Very bad upbringing."

Gauri nods feeling satisfied.

"Do you know why I always agree?" Jhanvi asks curiously.

"Because he is brought up very badly." Gauri tells her.

"True. But I never really understood why you blame me for it."

Gauri looks at her in confusion.

"You see, Gauri. I never really got to raise him after a certain age."

"What?" Gauri asks confused.

"It was pretty much you, who raised him. Always covering up his mistakes, never letting us scold him, always justifying his actions, scolding us for scolding him. You raised him, Gauri."

Om couldn't hold in his chuckle then he turns to look at Gauri and sees her looking at Jhanvi in shock as her mouth dropped open.

"What kind of upbringing did you give him, Gauri? Very bad!" Jhanvi tells her shaking her head as she tried her best to hold in her laughter, while the rest of the family started giggling.

Gauri turns to look at Om in utter shock.

Finally, seeing Gauri speechless for the first time in their life, Om lost all his self-control and he leans towards her, "What kind of upbringing did you give me, Mommy?" Saying that he kisses her cheek.

There were "AWWW" all around the table.

"Dammit!" Om mutters realizing that he did the one thing that he vowed never to do. PDA.

*** The End ***

For a while now, I have been toying with the idea of Gauri being so madly in love with Om and Om being very reserved with her. Then his brother's and her sister's wedding gets fixed. Then knowing that Gauri loves him, their parents fix their wedding also. One night Gauri and Om sleep together. Then the sister runs away and Om in anger breaks up with Gauri and lies that he never loved her. Gauri gets pregnant and leaves town. Later, Shivaay gets married to Anika, by then Om is in regrets as he realizes that he had ruined their happiness and tries to get back with Gauri. While Gauri is angry with him and raising their daughter alone. The story was getting too melodramatic for my taste and I thought of why not make Om take a stand for his love? And that is how this story was formed. I know it was resolved easily and there wasn't much of a conflict. But I still hope you guys liked it. Please vote and comment.

- Lazy