Thanks to all for voting and commenting on the previous story. Dhokha (Posted on 4-Oct-2023)

Too much Imlie influence. Again a forced marriage story.

Warning:

This story has love at first sight/ Instant love.

This story is pretty farfetched, so please read it with an open mind.

Gauri was walking to her cubicle when Ajay steps out of his cabin.

"Where have you been?" Ajay asks her irately.

Gauri checks her watch and tells him. "Office time is in 1 minute."

"So?" Ajay asks her angrily.

"What is it?" Gauri asks him. "Is there something to be done?"

"You're supposed to go to Bareilly." Ajay tells her.

"What?" Gauri asks shocked.

"Go to the bank, withdraw money and go to Bareilly. the deal is through. You'll have to stay there for a couple of days and check the accounts there." Ajay tells her as he extended the cheque.

"Stay there?" Gauri asks still in shock as she took the cheque leaf.

"Yes! Now get going!" Ajay tells her.

Sighing, Gauri turns to head back out as she took out her phone to call her mother.

Gauri was irately speaking on the phone as she walked out of the elevator when she bumps into someone.

"Argh!" Gauri shouts out in anger.

"Careful, darling."

Hearing that Gauri looks up and sees Rudra smiling at her as he held her.

"Mama, you keep my things packed, I'll come in a bit." Gauri says and hangs up the phone. "Hey!" Gauri tells Rudra with a sigh.

"What happened? Going somewhere?" Rudra asks her curiously.

"You don't know?" Gauri asks confused.

"No." Rudra replies confused.

"The deal is through."

"Yeah, that I know."

"So I've to go with the cash and accounting work also." Gauri tells him.

"Ajay is supposed to go." Rudra tells her frowning.

"He told me to go."

"What the hell?" Rudra asks pissed as he walked into the elevator. "Come with me."

Gauri follows him. "Sir asked him to go?" Gauri asks him.

"No, he asked me to go with one of the accountants. But I've to go out of town so he told me to send Ajay instead. So, he can take the cash and check the documents both." Rudra explains as he pressed the button.

Rudra opens Ajay's cabin door and walks in with Gauri following him. Ajay looks up angrily at the interruption and sees Rudra, he frowns.

"What is it, Rudra?" Ajay asks him.

"Why is Gauri being sent to Bareilly in your place?" Rudra asks him frowning.

"Because I can't go." Ajay reply.

"Why?" Rudra asks him again.

"I've other important work here."

"Gauri will handle that, you go to Bareilly."

"No, this is my work." Ajay tells him.

"This is Oberoi Industries and every work we decide how it should be done. So, get going." Rudra orders him.

Ajay smirks and tells him. "When I told him that I'm held up with work here, Big Boss told me to send someone trustworthy and we all know that trustworthy someone is Gauri. so, unless you've the power to override his order, I believe Gauri is going."

Cursing under his breath, Rudra takes his phone. Gauri quickly holds his hand.

"It's okay, Rudy. I'll go. There is no issue." Gauri tells him.

"You don't know that place, Gauri. even I couldn't stay there for a day." Rudra tells her in disgust.

"I'll be fine. Sir is there, so everything will be fine." Gauri tells him with a reassuring smile.

Rudra sighs.

Gauri turns and leaves the cabin. Rudra follows her out.

"Sorry, Gauri. if I didn't have these meetings scheduled..." Rudra starts.

"It's okay, Rudy. It's all cool." Gauri tells him smiling.

"Don't lie, I saw how pissed you were."

Gauri chuckles. "That wasn't for this."

"Then?" Rudra asks confused.

"That was my Mama."

"What about her?"

"She was asking me whether I put up the notice here." Gauri informs him.

"For the paying guest?" Rudra asks her.

"Yeah." Gauri says shaking her head fed up.

"I told you, you can put it up."

"I don't want to." Gauri tells him irately. "I can't think of a stranger staying at our place like that."

"Your mother might be feeling bored alone. It'll be good company for her."

"She has good company there. this is because her salary is cut down and she says this will be a good income for her. I'm taking care of all the expenses but she wants this extra cash. I told her if she needs extra cash I'll give her and she got offended."

Rudra chuckles. "She is an independent lady."

"But don't take away my independence. I want to be at home when I am home, not being a guest in front of a paying guest."

Rudra chuckles. "You go. When you get back, we'll come up with some solution."

Gauri smiles. "We better. Okay, bye." Gauri says as she hugged him and left.

Rudra walks back into Ajay's cabin furiously.

"What now?" Ajay asks him fed up.

"This is the last time you're dumping your unwanted works on Gauri." Rudra tells him furiously.

"She is an employee here. She is my subordinate. She has to do every work that I give her." Ajay reminds him.

"The only reason you're sitting in that chair is because you're mom's sister's son. otherwise, Gauri would have been sitting there. by qualification, hard work and efficiency she is much better than you." Rudar tells him.

"I'm your brother, Rudra." Ajay reminds him. "we should be standing together."

"We are brothers, Ajay." Rudra agrees. "And Gauri is my friend."

"Just because you both joined the office on the same day and worked together as interns doesn't make her our equal." Ajay tells him.

Fed up and furious, Rudra walks out of the cabin, slamming the door shut.

********

Sweating profusely, carrying her bags on her shoulder and with her phone raised up in the air, Gauri struggled as she tried to find range on her phone. She looks around and it was just paddy fields and no one else around. The heat was getting to her.

Hearing some voice, Gauri curiously looks and sees two men sitting on the shade of a tree and chatting. She quickly hurries to them.

"Hello...." Gauri says as she balanced her bags. "Sorry to disturb you. my car broke down and the direction the driver gave me, I think I missed a turn. Do you happen to know where the Oberoi-s live?"

They look at her in shock, up and down.

"Who are you?" One of them asks.

"Omkara." the other call out.

Instantly Gauri sees two legs in front of her, shocked she moves back and looks up to see a man jumping down from the tree.

"She is asking for you." One of them informs him.

Omkara looks at her and then a small smile spread across his lips, as his eyes twinkled in interest.

Seeing the way, he was accessing her, Gauri nervously moves back. "Sorry, you're mistaken. I'm looking for Oberois. Shakti Oberoi, he is my boss. He is at his brother's house now."

Omkara flicks his head with a flirty smile. "This way."

"It's okay. just give me the direction, I'll go." Gauri tells him.

"It's a long walk." Omkara tells her as he walked towards her.

Gauri nervously steps back. Omkara shakes his head and without a word, he takes her bag off her shoulder.

"Leave my bag!" Gauri tells him outraged.

"I'll carry it." Omkara tells her as he started to take the other bag.

Seeing his hand going towards the money bag, Gauri holds on it tight. "I'll carry this."

Chuckling, Omkara starts walking.

Though worried, having no other option or no other people around other than his two friends, Gauri follows him. she turns back to check if the friends were following them and sees them curiously watching her. they start to get up to follow them and Gauri panics immediately.

"I'll see you later." Omkara calls out to them.

Nodding they sit back down.

Gauri sighs in relief and follows Omkara.

"What is your name?" Omkara asks her.

Not wanting to share her details with a complete stranger, she instead says. "You don't have to come. just give me the direction and I'll manage."

"We don't treat guests like that." Omkara tells her.

"I'm not your guest." Gauri tells him as she wiped off the sweat and tried to fan herself.

"You are not from this village, so you're a guest." Omkara tells her.

He stops near a pipe and starts pumping it without a word. Gauri curiously watches as he pumped the pipe. And water starts gushing out of the pipe. Omkara looks at Gauri and points to the water with his eyes.

Gauri steps forward and washes her face and hands and she felt much fresher.

Seeing her step back, Omkara asks her. "Aren't you thirsty?"

Gauri was parched. "Is the Oberoi house very far?"

"ten minutes. It's too hot. Drink." Omkara tells her.

"Is it hygienic?" Gauri asks worriedly.

Omkara watches Gauri for a few seconds, then he leans forward and putting his mouth near the gushing water, he drinks the water. Then looking at Gauri, he asks her, "Hygienic enough for you, ras malai?"

Glaring at him angrily, she tells him. "It's Gauri." Then she bends down and cupping her hands, she gathers water in her palm and drinks it.

Gauri straightens up and sees Omkara watching her.

"Want more, gulab jamun?" Omkara asks seeing the water had stopped.

"It's Gauri." Gauri tells him pissed.

Seeing her so angry, Omkara couldn't help smile.

Seeing the flirty way, he was smiling at her, Gauri glares at him. "Just give my bag, I'll find my way."

Omkara extends his hand towards her. "I'm Omkara Singh Oberoi."

Hearing that Gauri asks with a surprised frown. "Shakti sir's nephew?"

"You know me?" Omkara asks surprised.

"Rudy mentioned you once or twice." Gauri tells him smiling as she shook his hand.

"Rudy?? You mean Rudra?" Omkara asks frowning.

"Yeah."

"How are you two..."

"I work in Oberoi industries. Rudy is my friend. My best friend."

Omkara smiles hearing that. "How is he?"

"He is doing good. He was supposed to come but he had other work, so I came instead."

"My good luck."

"What?" Gauri asks confused.

"If he had come then I wouldn't have met you."

"You're just like Rudy. Too flirty." Gauri tells him shaking her head.

"I'm not a flirt." Omkara tells her.

"Yeah, right." Gauri says as she started walking.

"I'm serious, my ladoo." Omkara tells her as he followed her.

"You should stop doing that." Gauri tells him frowning.

"Doing what?"

"this flirting." Gauri tells him frowning.

"What flirting?" Omkara asks her with a flirty smile.

"Rudy will break your legs." Gauri warns him pissed. "Already he hates you." Gauri mutters under her breath.

"You said Rudra is just a friend." Omkara reminds her.

"Yeah, and he is very protective of me." Gauri tells him.

With a hint of a smile on his lips, Omkara steps closer to Gauri. Gauri steps back seeing him so close to her. her heart beating fast in nervousness having his handsome face so close to her.

Omkara leans down and tells her in an intense voice. "Then you go tell your Rudy, that I'm going to marry you."

"WHAT?" Gauri shrieks in shock.

"I'm going to marry you one day, my kaju katli." Omkara whispers to her.

"Get away from me." Gauri tells him as she hurries off.

"Oh Jalebi, that is the wrong way." Omkara calls out to her.

Gauri stops and turns and sees Omkara gesturing to the opposite direction, she walks to that direction.

********

"Didn't the car come?" Shakti asks seeing Gauri walk in with Omkara.

"It broke down." Gauri tells him.

"This place." Shakti mutters in disgust. "When will it see some development?"

"This place is not developed like the city but it is not under developed too, Chachaji." Omkara tells him.

Gauri looks at Omkara and though his face was calm, she could see the fire in his eyes, burning at the insult to his village.

"This is your employee?" Tej asks him.

"Yes. Gauri. Gauri, this is my brother Tej and his wife Jhanvi." Shakti introduces.

"Nice to meet you." Gauri politely tells them.

Tej frowns and turns to Shakti. "You were booking the lodge room for her?"

"Yes." Shakti replies. "Give him the money, Gauri. let's go from here."

Gauri hands him the bag.

Tej turns to Shakti and asks him. "You were always the bullhead. Who will put a young girl in a lodge?"

Gauri turns to Tej and Shakti worriedly. She had heard from Rudy that Shakti Sir and his brother didn't get along with each other. And they haven't even spoken to each other in decades.

"Do you've a better idea?" Shakti asks him back.

"She will stay here." Tej tells him.

Gauri's eyes widen in shock hearing that.

Shakti looks at her for a few seconds then turning to Tej he nods. "Okay."

Hearing that Gauri instantly looks at Omkara and sees him grinning. Then noticing her looking at him, he winks at her. Gauri's eyes widen in shock and she quickly looks away.

**********

Gauri was going down for dinner when Rudra calls her.

"Hey... what's up?" Gauri answers the call happily.

"You tell me... how is it there?" Rudra asks her.

"Okay... I'm staying at your Tauji's place." Gauri informs him.

"How the hell did that happen?" Rudra asks shocked. "Is Dad staying there?"

"No, he went to the lodge. Only I am staying here."

"How come?"

"Your Tauji said that it is not safe to let a girl stay in a lodge and said I should stay here."

"Wow... that is very nice of him." Rudra says surprised.

"Your Tauji and Taiji are nice people." Gauri tells him.

"Oh Rudra!" Omkara drawls as he joined her from out of nowhere.

Gauri jumps in shock as she turned to look at him.

"Hmmm I don't know... I met them only very few times and Tauji hates me, just like how Dad hates Omkara. by the way, how is he?" Rudra asks curiously.

"He is here. Do you want to talk to him?" Gauri asks recovering as she stepped away from Omkara.

"What the hell am I going to talk to him about?" Omkara asks shocked.

"What? No... what will I talk to him about?" Rudra also asks shocked.

"You two are just so alike!" Gauri mutter shaking her head. then turning to Omkara she says, "Can you stop listening to my conversation?"

"So, you guys are friends?" Rudra asks confused.

"Hell no! we are not friends." Gauri replies offended.

Omkara cutely pouts at her.

Gauri makes a face and says to Rudra. "Going down for dinner. Talk to you later."

"Why aren't we friends? Husband and wife being friends is nice, right?" Omkara asks her as he walked with her.

"Can you stop this flirting?" Gauri asks him exasperated. "I'm not comfortable and I am definitely not enjoying this."

"Why, laddoo?"

"My name is Gauri! stop calling me all these names! It is not cute! It is downright creepy."

"Ooo my mirchi bhajji!" Omkara says with a sexy smile and a drawl.

"Just stay away from me." Gauri tells him as she hurried off.

"Hey Gauri!" Omkara calls out to her.

Gauri stops and turns to look at him.

Omkara crooks his finger at her.

Frowning at his high handed method, Gauri walks to him and asks him, "What?"

Cheekily grinning, he asks her, "Is this how you stay away from me?"

Gauri scowls at him and then turning around she stomps off furiously. She hears him chuckle but she doesn't look back at him.

***********

"What are you doing?" Omkara asks curiously as he sat next to Gauri.

Gauri turns to scowl at him and then ignoring him, she turns her attention back to the file.

"Isn't it ours?" Omkara asks curiously seeing the names on it.

"It was. it is the tax and accounting of the land that Sir bought from you. I'm just checking whether everything is in order." Gauri replies.

"Ah... it's all in order." Omkara confirms to her. "I handled it."

"Okay." Gauri replies as she continued to go through them.

"Still you're checking." Omkara points out softly.

"That is my job. I am paid to do this work." Gauri tells him as she turns to him fed up then noticing that he looked a little offended, she realized that he had considered it a lack of faith in him and his father.

Omkara nods accepting her explanation.

"Unless Sir tells me not to go through these, I've to make sure these are in order." Gauri explains to him.

"I understand." Omkara replies, then he smiles at her. "I shouldn't have taken offence. You don't know us and chachaji... I guess doesn't trust us."

"He just wants everything in order. He is very particular about all these things." Gauri tells him.

Omkara smiles nodding.

"So, this land belonged to you?" Gauri asks him.

Omkara nods. "it is not good for farming anymore. it is barren. So, I have found another land. But to buy that I need to let go off this. So, Baba called Chachaji to talk to him about selling it. And chachaji was looking for a land to start a factory unit." Omkara explains to her.

Gauri nods.

"Daddaji, whenever he made any investments, he did it in both his sons names. So, they have shares in each other's business." Omkara tells her.

"Why didn't your father move to city like Sir did?" Gauri asks curiously.

"He likes it here."

Remembering how he had defended his village, Gauri asks him. "Even you like it here, right?"

Omkara smiles, his smile was filled with pride and contentment. "My life is here."

Gauri smiles, when he wasn't trying to flirt, he was a nice guy to talk to.

"You are a farmer?"

"Yes."

Gauri frowns and asks curiously. "So, why aren't you in the field? Farmers are busy with the farming in the mornings, right?"

"I was there till now. I just got back. will be going back after sometime again."

Gauri nods.

"Okay, you carry on with your work. I won't disturb you. if you have any doubts, just shout for me." Omkara tells her as he stood up.

"Thank you." Gauri tells him with a smile.

"Anything for you, my malai kofta." Omkara tells her with a smile.

"ARRGGH... when I thought we could be friends." Gauri says pissed.

"Oh... friends?" Omkara asks smiling happily.

Gauri glares at him and turns her attention back to the file she was holding.

"I'm glad you are taking my suggestion." Omkara tells her.

She knew she should ignore him, but she couldn't help it. "What suggestion?" Gauri asks.

"About husband and wife being friends." Omkara cheekily tells her.

"GET LOST!"

Chuckling, Omkara walks off.

*********

Evening, Gauri had gone to see around the place. As she took in the serene beauty of the place, she hears a sound and curiously looks at the field and sees couple of people working on the field. She takes her mobile and starts clicking the photos. As she clicked photos, she stops seeing Omkara also among the people. He was bare chested and seeing his well sculpted body, she gulps and her heart skips a beat.

She sees him waving at her. she quickly lowers her phone and looks at him. he smiles and waves at her and continues to work. Gauri gives him a halfhearted wave and hurries off.

*********

Gauri was walking back to Omkara's house. as she walked by the field, she curiously and slyly looks for Omkara on the field and sees that there wasn't anyone working in the field.

She walks ahead and as she neared the pipe that she had stopped with Omkara the previous day, she notices Omkara washing himself at the pipe. Gauri continues to walk off, deciding to not initiate a conversation with him as his two friends were there.

As she was walking by him, Omkara notices her.

"Gauri..." Omkara calls her with a smile.

Since, he called her Gauri, she stops and looks at him.

"Where did you go?" Omkara asks her as he stood straight.

Gauri gulps and averts her eyes, seeing the water droplets flow through his chest. That man had not an ounce of fat on his body. She suddenly had the uncontrollable desire to caress his chest, run her hand over his chest.

"Gauri?" Omkara curiously calls her.

"Erm... can you wear your shirt and be a little decent?" Gauri asks him.

Hearing her, Omkara's mouth drops open and he chuckles as he pulled his shirt on. "Happy?"

"I have to go." Gauri tells him.

"I'm also heading home." Omkara tells her as he walked with her waving his friends off.

Gauri doesn't say anything to that and she starts walking.

"So, where did you go? To meet Chachaji?" Omkara asks her.

"Just to see around this place."

"Really?" Omkara asks smiling. "And did you like it?"

"Yeah, it is nice." Gauri tells him smiling, his smile was infectious. "I just walked down straight and came back."

"So you didn't go to the market place?"

"No..." Gauri shakes his head. "Didn't want to get lost."

"I'll take you around tomorrow. Tomorrow afternoon, I'll be free, I'll show you around."

"It's okay." Gauri says shaking her head.

"Come on, after coming here, it is a shame if you haven't been to the market."

Gauri smiles feeling curious about the market place. "Okay."

"Do you need to get permission from chachaji?" Omkara asks her curiously.

Gauri shakes her head in negative. "We'll go during my lunch break."

"So, you'll have to come back fast?" Omkara asks her.

Gauri nods. "An hour."

*********

Gauri was having dinner with Omkara and his family. His parents were nice people though his father was a little grumpy. Gauri just couldn't make out why the brothers had so much issues between them. Omkara's mother was a soft spoken kind lady.

After dinner, Gauri was heading to her room.

"Going to sleep?" Omkara asks her as he walked behind her.

"Normal people sleep at night." Gauri replies to him.

Omkara chuckles. "If you're not sleepy, let's sit in the terrace for some time."

Since, he hadn't flirted with her, she decided to spend time with him. "Okay."

Omkara walks to the terrace and opens the door for her. Gauri steps out and sees a charpoy.

"I sometimes sleep here." Omkara tells her as he walked ahead of her and sat on the charpoy. "Sit."

Gauri sits next to him. "Why do you sleep here?"

"Sometimes, it gets too hot."

"Why don't you get an AC?" Gauri asks curiously.

Omkara shrugs, having no reply.

"Tell me about your family." Omkara tells her.

"What about them?" Gauri asks him, as she leaned back and looked at the sky.

"Who all are there?"

"Just Mama."

"And your father?"

"He passed away a few years back."

Omkara looks at her and sees her watching the sky sadly. he gently keeps his hand on hers. "You okay?"

"Yeah." Gauri nods. "It was a shock then, but I've accepted it."

Omkara nods and takes his hand off her hand. Gauri looks down at her hand, she couldn't help smile that he was just trying to console her.

"Have you ever been to the city?" Gauri asks him curiously.

"Yeah, many times. Why do you ask?" Omkara asks her.

Gauri shakes her head.

"I don't go to Chachaji's place." Omkara tells her understanding.

"What is the issue?" Gauri asks him curiously.

Omkara shrugs.

"They are nice people. Your parents are nice people."

"Sometimes, good people just don't get along." Omkara says.

"Hmmm."

"I think it is ego issue. Ever since I have been small, they were at loggerheads. And Ma says after Daddaji died, they just went their separate ways. I don't remember much, because I was just 4 or 5 when he died."

"You never tried to sort it out?" Gauri asks him curiously.

"They are not kids. And Chachaji always looked down on me. And Baba treated Rudra the same way."

"Rudra is a sweet guy." Gauri tells him.

"I guess I will have to try to get along with him now." Omkara says.

"Why is that?" Gauri asks confused.

"My wife's best friend."

Gauri takes in a sharp breath. "You back to that?" Gauri asks as she stood up pissed.

"When did I leave that?" Omkara asks confused.

"We are not getting married." Gauri tells him angrily.

"We are my Malai Kulfi."

"Just shut up." Gauri tells him angrily and furiously walks off.

*********

Exactly at 1, Omkara was in front of Gauri. "Let's go?"

"What?" Gauri asks him frowning, still pissed about last night's incident.

"We are going to the market place, right?" Omkara asks her confused.

"I'm not going anywhere with you." Gauri tells him.

"Come, Gauri. I want to show you my village." Omkara requests her.

Gauri looks at him and seeing him being so earnest, she gives in.

Gauri neatly keeps her stuff, and grabbing her handbag and sunglass, she heads out of the house with him.

"Bike?" Gauri asks a little shocked seeing him straddle the bike.

"You have to come back in an hour, right?" Omkara asks her confused.

Gauri nods and gets on the bike.

*********

Gauri was happy she had decided to go with Omkara because she had a great time. as Omkara showed her around the market places and the people, she could see why he loved the place so much even if it lacked all the comforts of the city.

Omkara buys sugar cane juice for her. Gauri hesitantly looks at it wondering whether it was hygienic. Omkara shakes his head and grabs a sugar cane, bites it and starts chewing on it.
Gauri takes the juice from him and drinks. "It's nice." Gauri says surprised.

Omkara chuckles as he chewed on the cane and paid the old man.

Seeing the way he was biting and chewing on the sugar cane, Gauri unconsciously licks her lips. There was something raw about it. She quickly looks away.

They were walking in silence for a minute, then Omkara asks her, "How is Rudra like?"

Gauri smiles hearing that. "He is very sweet. A lot like you too."

"How like me?" Omkara asks curiously.

"Friendly and flirtatious." Gauri chuckles.

"I am not a flirt." Omkara tells her shocked.

"Yeah, right." Gauri scoffs as she chuckled.

"I really am not." Omkara tells her shocked.

"Then what do you call what you try to do with me?" Gauri asks him.

"Love." Omkara tells her.

Gauri gets awkward hearing that. "You don't even know me." Gauri mutters. "Let's go. It is getting late."

"It's true that we don't know each other that well but it is also true that I love you." Omkara tells her.

"None sense." Gauri says irately.

"Why won't you believe that I want to spend the rest of my life with you?" Omkara asks her.

"Because I just don't believe it." Gauri tells him getting irritated. "You are Rudra's brother and I'm staying at your house, that is why I have been ignoring your outrageous ways. But not anymore."

"Omkara!"

Hearing the shout, they both turn to look and sees Omkara's two friends coming towards them.

"How come you are here?" one of them asks him.

"I came to show her around this place." Omkara answers. "Gauri, these are my friends, Dandi and Arjun."

Gauri nods politely not wanting to create a scene in front of his friends. "You guys carry on, I'm going home."

"I'll take you home." Omkara tells her.

"It's okay. I'll go."

"I said I'll take you home." Omkara tells her. then turning to look at his friends, he says, "I'll see you both later in the evening."

"Okay." Dandi nods.

"See you, Bhabhi." Arjun tells Gauri with a smile.

"BHABHI?" Gauri asks outraged, her fury hitting the roof.

"I told them that I love you." Omkara tells her gently seeing her angry.

"Have you not an iota of intelligence? Decency? How can you just go tell them all these things? I don't know you and I don't love you. you and me, we are no match for each other. You are an ill-mannered, flirtatious and indecent villager! I will never love you." Gauri furiously tells him and turns to walk off.

Gauri was walking when Omkara comes and stops his bike in front of her. "Get in, Gauri." Omkara gently tells her.

"Get lost." Gauri mutters in anger.

"It's a long walk, Gauri." Omkara persists. "I brought you here and it is my duty to take you back. I won't trouble you, Gauri." Omkara promises.

Seeing the hurt in his eyes, Gauri knew she spoke too much, guiltily, Gauri sits behind him.

*********

Gauri was feeling guilty for the way she had spoken to Omkara. As they sat down for dinner, Gauri couldn't help look at Omkara. He politely smiles at her and looks away and has his food in silence.

She could see it in his face that her words had really hurt him. Even though she knew that she wasn't in the wrong, her words were cruel. He hadn't said anything to her since, no flirting and no conversations of any kind. She felt guilty and maybe... missed talking to him.

After dinner, she looks for Omkara and couldn't find him in his room or the terrace. She was curiously looking for Omkara around the house when she hears his parents.

"Don't lock the door. Omkara hasn't come back." Tej tells Jhanvi.

"Where is he?" Jhanvi asks.

"His friends were here. He is outside with them." Tej tells him.

"Okay." Jhanvi closes the main door but doesn't lock it.

His parents went off to their bedroom to sleep. Gauri decides to check on Omkara.

She curiously steps out of the house. As she scanned the dark area, she sees a figure walking towards the outhouse. Realizing it was Omkara, she follows him.

She peaks through the ajar door and realizes that it was not an outhouse but kind of like a barn or storage room as there were lots of gunny bags filled with things.

"Hi."

Omkara turns in shock and sighs seeing her. "You scared me." Omkara says.

"I scared you?" Gauri asks with a gentle smile as she walked towards him.

"No one comes here at this time." Omkara tells her as he tied the sack.

"What were you doing?" Gauri asks curiously.

"Have to sent these out for delivery tomorrow. Just making sure everything is in order." Omkara replies as he got back to work.

Gauri steps closer to see what he is packing. "Sweet potatoes. I love them. Even Mama." Gauri tells him smiling.

Omkara smiles hearing that. "When you leave, you take some back home."

"No... no... it's okay." Gauri quickly says.

"Please, I insist." Omkara tells her as he looked at her.

Gauri smiles gently. "Thank you."

Omkara smiles and gets back to work.

"Vegetables and fruits in your home, they are very tasty and fresh. You cultivated them?" Gauri asks him.

"Yes, it is all organic." Omkara tells her.

"They are very nice."

"Thank you."

They remained silent while Omkara worked and Gauri watched him.

"I'm very sorry for earlier." Gauri gently tells him.

Omkara stops and looks at her. "It was my mistake."

"I was rude and cruel. I am sorry." Gauri tells him regretfully.

Omkara shakes his head. "Just because I am in love with you, I shouldn't expect you should also to love me."

"You don't love me, Omkara. You are just attracted to me." Gauri tells him shaking her head.

Omkara frowns and tells her as he stood straight and looked at her. "Gauri, you are not the most beautiful girl I have met."

Gauri frowns hearing that. She didn't know why, but she didn't like hearing him say that.

"If beauty is what I was interested in, I would have fell in love with Durga."

"Who is Durga?" Gauri asks, unable to understand why she felt possessive and jealous.

"She is from here only. Very beautiful."

"Are you trying to make me jealous?" Gauri asks suspiciously.

"Jealous? I just told you that I don't love Durga. I love you, Gauri." Omkara tells her.

"You don't know me to love me." Gauri tells him. "You just met me."

"Some times, just one meeting is enough."

"Seriously, Omkara... how can you possibly believe that you love me?"

"Because I do. I know my heart."

"There is no use talking to you." Gauri says giving up.

"I won't trouble you, Gauri. I understand you don't feel the same for me like I feel for you. I accept it."

Gauri nods.

"My work here is over. Tomorrow morning, we will be leaving."

Omkara looks at her and gently nods.

"Bye." Gauri says softly and turns to leave.

"If you ever change your mind then know this I am waiting for you here." Omkara tells her.

Gauri stops hearing him, her heart beating fast but then she just walks off without looking at him or replying to him.

She pulls the door and frowns seeing it stuck.

"I can't open the door." Gauri tells Omkara as she tried pulling the door.

"Did you close it? Sometimes it gets a little tight." Omkara tells her as he walked towards her.

Before Gauri could step aside, Omkara stops behind her and holds the door on either side of her.

Gauri stops nervously as he tried pulling the door open. He smelled so fresh. Outdoors and manly. Gauri gulps. The heat radiating from his body was intoxicating.

"This is locked." Omkara says frowning in confusion.

"Who could lock it?" Gauri asks confused.

"Baba maybe." Omkara replies. He bangs on the door, calling out loudly. "BABA! MA!"

"But they went to sleep." Gauri tells him. "I saw them going to their room."

"Then who could lock it?" Omkara asks as he tried pulling hard on the door.

"Does anyone know that you are here?" Gauri asks him. "Your Baba thought you were with your friends."

"Then he might have seen the door open and locked it without checking." Omkara says sighs.

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

Omkara shrugs having no clue.

"Do you have your phone?" Gauri asks him.

"I've but there is no range here." Omkara tells her as he pulled on the door.

Gauri sighs and slouching down, she walks out under Omkara's hand and moves to the wall and lean on it.

Omkara looks at her then he walks towards her and leans on the wall next to her.

"You do your work." Gauri tells him as she slightly moved away from him in the pretense of facing him.

"If we don't get someone to open the door then we will be stuck here till morning." Omkara tells her.

"How are we going to do that?" Gauri asks feeling nervous about being in a closed room with him for one whole night.

Omkara shrugs.

She didn't love him but she couldn't deny the on and off raw physical craving that she felt around him. She had this fear that being in a closed room with him might make her say or do something that she is going to regret her whole life.

She runs to the door and bangs on the door. "JHANVI AUNTY! TEJ UNCLE!"

"There room is on the other side. They won't hear you." Omkara informs her.

"SOMEBODY HELP ME! GET ME OUT OF HERE!" Gauri calls out loudly freaking out.

Seeing her freaking out suddenly, Omkara frowns feeling offended. "Gauri, I am not going to rape you."

Gauri turns to him and tells him. "I know!"

"I will not even touch you without your permission." Omkara tells her still offended.

"That is not what I am worried about." Gauri snaps at him.

"Then?" Omkara asks confused.

Hearing his question, Gauri stops and looks at him nervously.

Seeing her looking at him nervously and a maybe a little bit of guilt, Omkara stops in shock.

Gauri quickly looks away as she tried pulling on the door. "Get me out of here."

Confused, Omkara walks towards her and stops behind her. The moment he did that, Omkara notices, Gauri gasping and pulling herself together. Confused he holds the door, a little above her hand. The moment he did that, Gauri's grip tightens on the door. Then he noticed the goosebumps on her hand.

"You like me." Omkara whispers in shock.

"It is attraction, nothing more." Gauri nervously says as she moved away from him.

"You're attracted to me." Omkara couldn't help the smile.

Gauri quickly looks away as she tried pulling the door. "Your life is here and my life is there. This is out of question." Gauri declares.

Before Omkara could say anything more to it, the door was opened from the outside.

"Sarpanchji... what are you doing here?" Omkara asks confused then he sees that the whole panchayat was there.

*********

Gauri's head was reeling in shock hearing the accusations.

Immoral!

Fornication!

Blasphemous!

Ruining the culture!

All because of what? She and Omkara were in a closed room!

And the solution was what? Marriage or death!

"We were just talking and someone locked the room from outside!" Omkara furiously says.

"Why were you two inside that room at so late in the night?" Sarpanch asks him.

Omkara looks at Gauri and sees her looking so worried. "Like I said we were talking."

"What does an unmarried man and girl talk about so late in the night in a closed room?"

Gauri turns to a shocked Jhanvi and pleads her. "Jhanvi Aunty, we didn't do anything wrong. We were just talking. Please trust us."

Jhanvi nods and holds Gauri close to her. "We know, Gauri. We know our son."

"I just want to go home." Gauri helplessly cries.

Jhanvi wipes her tears and hugs her. "Everything is going to be fine." Jhanvi says as she prayed hard watching her husband and son trying hard to convince the panchayat.

But seeing how volatile that panchayat was being, Jhanvi knew that there was no saving Omkara and Gauri.

And within an hour they were forcefully married.

*********

Omkara helplessly watched as Gauri cried her heart out.

"What was the need to go there to talk?" Tej furiously asks Omkara.

"We were just talking, baba!" Omkara furiously screams at him.

"Stop blaming the children." Jhanvi tells him in shock.

"I am not blaming Gauri. I am blaming him!" Tej furiously says.

"Me? For what they did?" Omkara asks him angrily.

"Gauri doesn't know. But you know how things are here."

Omkara looks at Gauri and sees her looking at him guiltily. It was she who had followed him there to talk.

"They had no right to do this." Omkara argues in a gentler tone.

"But you two are married now!" Tej reminds him angrily then hearing the car, he curses under his breath.

Omkara and Gauri look outside as they waited for Shakti to come inside.

"YOU SAID SHE IS GOING TO BE SAFE HERE!" Shakti furiously screams as he marched in. "IS THIS HOW YOU KEEP HER SAFE?"

Seeing Shakti, Gauri runs to him.

"Sir, I didn't do anything wrong. We were just talking." Gauri tells him as she cried.

"I know you, Gauri." Shakti tells her as he gently hugged her. "It is the people here. Uncivilized bunch. I am sorry, I wasn't here to protect you."

"I don't want to stay here. I want to go home." Gauri tells him.

Hearing that, Omkara walks out without saying anything.

"I am going to file a case against everyone of them. They are going to jail." Shakti warns.

Tej nods agreeing with him.

"How did you let this happen? I trusted you!" Shakti says furiously seeing Tej nodding.

"There is no use talking about all that now, Shakti. They are married now." Jhanvi gently tells him.

"I don't accept this marriage. I am going home." Gauri declares as she looked at them.

"But Gauri..." Jhanvi gently starts.

"This is not a marriage!" Shakti says furiously. "She is my responsibility and I am taking her home."

They hear a loud argument and screams. Hearing that, temporarily distracted they hurry outside. They stop in shock seeing Omkara furiously hitting his friends.

Gauri stops in shock seeing Omkara furiously slapping and hitting Dandi and Arjun. And somehow she just knew why he was doing that.

"Om... what are you doing?" Tej asks in shock.

"It's them! They locked us in there and called the panchayat!" Omkara furiously informs them.

"Them? Why would they do that?" Tej asks shocked.

"Who are they?" Shakti asks angrily.

"Omkara's friends."

"His friends?" Shakti asks outraged. "You call them friends?"

"You love her." Arjun reminds him.

"Yes, I do!" Omkara furiously accepts as he pushed Arjun away.

"What?" Shakti shouts in shock while Tej and Jhanvi looked at each other in shock.

"She refused to marry you. She was..." Dandi accuses angrily.

Omkara furiously holds his collar and pulls him close. "That doesn't mean you force her to marry me. You humiliated the woman I love. You made the panchayat think that she was immoral."

"We did it for you." Dandi reminds him.

Omkara furiously looks at them. "Get out. If I see you both anywhere near Gauri or me, I'll kill you." Omkara warns them.

Once they left, Omkara regretfully looks at Gauri. "I'm sorry, Gauri. It was my fault. I shouldn't have told them."

Gauri nods. "I'm leaving." Gauri tells him and runs inside the house to get her stuff.

Tej and Jhanvi watches Gauri in shock.

Tej turns to Shakti and tells him in shock. "They are married."

"Didn't you hear what she said? She doesn't accept this marriage." Shakti reminds him angrily then he turns to Omkara and tells him. "My lawyer will prepare the annulment papers and send it. You better sign it."

*********

"Just consider this a bad dream, Gauri." Shakti gently consoles her on their way back.

Gauri wipes her tears and requests him. "I don't want anyone to know about this, sir."

Shakti nods.

"Please don't tell Rudra also." Gauri tells him.

Shakti frowns hearing that. "Shouldn't he know?"

"Later, after I get the annulment. I don't want anyone to know about it till then."

Shakti nods.

"Mama will be really hurt if she finds out what happened with me. I don't want her to know about this." Gauri tells him.

"Whatever you decide, Gauri." Shakti tells her.

*********

"So, how was Bareilly?" Rudra asks as he sat on Gauri's desk.

Gauri's heart skips a beat hearing the question, then composing herself and plastering a smile on her face, she looks up at him. "Okay."

"I can't stand that place." Rudra tells her.

Even though, she lived through a nightmare there, she couldn't help remember Omkara, Jhanvi Aunty, Tej Uncle and the scenic beauty of that place. "It is not bad." Gauri gently says.

"So under developed and the people are so backward." Rudra tells her.

"Your uncle and aunt are nice."

"Hmmm yeah, maybe it is the experience." Rudra admits. "I don't have a good relation with them. You obviously had, so you liked the place and people. All I know is them and the heat there."

"Omkara is there." Gauri gently points out.

"You guys are friends now?" Rudra asks shocked.

"He took me around the place." Gauri informs him nervously.

"That was nice of him." Rudra admits.

"I understand Tej uncle is a little serious. But Jhanvi aunty is very kind and sweet. Why aren't you close to her?" Gauri asks curiously.

Rudra shrugs. "Dad doesn't get along with them. Tauji never showed any interest in me. So, I never felt close to him. And they are settled in that village. So, we never met them much."

Gauri nods.

"Anyway, I think it is good that you went. You seem to have had a good time. I would have been bored out of my wits." Rudra tells her.

Gauri fakes a small smile, trying her best not to cry and not to think of Omkara.

*********

"Sign everywhere I have marked an X." The lawyer tells her.

Gauri nods and starts signing the annulment papers. Though she wanted to get out of the forced marriage, there was a unexplainable pain and sense of loss in her heart.

Gauri signs and passes the papers back to the lawyer.

The lawyer looks through all the papers to check if she had signed it all. "Perfect." He says as he tapped the papers on the table to arrange them. "Shakti Sir said that you want the annulment as quickly as possible and as quietly as possible."

Gauri nods.

"I will get these papers to your husband and once he signs them, we'll submit it to the court at the earliest."

Gauri gulps hearing Omkara being mentioned as her husband. Was he really her husband? Gauri shakes her head, he was not. This marriage was forced without consent.

"He has agreed for annulment, right?" The lawyer asks curiously.

Gauri looks at him in shock and says in realization. "I didn't talk to him."

"Oh. Why didn't you? If he doesn't agree then this will take time."

"Sir spoke to him." Gauri tells him worriedly. "Sir said he will sign."

"Good then."

*********

One week later

"Gauri, you've a visitor." Receptionist says through the phone.

"Who is it?" Gauri asks curiously as she wasn't expecting any visitors.

"He said his name is Omkara."

Gauri's heart skips a beat hearing that. "I'm coming down." Gauri nervously says.

As she took the lift down, her heart was beating in anticipation, nervousness and dread. It was strange, she didn't want to meet him but at the same time, she wanted to meet him.

She steps out of the lift and immediately sees him waiting for her. Taking a deep breath, she walks towards him.

Omkara gently smiles at her.

Gauri hesitantly smiles back.

"How are you?" Omkara asks her.

Gauri nods. "You?"

Omkara shrugs.

Even though she didn't want to, she couldn't control her smile. Seeing her smile, Omkara smiles.

"These are for you." Omkara tells her as he extended the bag.

Gauri looks at the bag curiously and sees vegetables and fruits inside. "Why did you..."

"You said you liked sweet potatoes. Then there is cabbage... carrots... Ma said you liked these while you were staying with us."

"You didn't have to." Gauri hesitantly says.

"Please?"

"Thank you." Gauri takes the bag with a hesitant smile.

Omkara smiles at her.

"Annulment papers?" Gauri asks him.

Omkara's smile drops realizing that she thought he was here to give her the annulment papers.

"I haven't signed it." Omkara informs her.

"Why?" Gauri asks shocked, her heart skipping a beat.

"My heart is not letting me give up on us." Omkara confesses.

Gauri's heart starts slamming against her chest hearing that. She felt like crying and laughing at the same time.

"Omkara, that was a forced marriage." Gauri argues to him in a whisper.

"That day, you said that you were attracted to me." Omkara reminds her.

"But I didn't ask for this." Gauri tells him in anger. "I don't accept this marriage."

"I accept this marriage, Gauri." Omkara tells her.

"No." Gauri tells him as her eyes filled up. "I don't want this."

"All I am asking is that you give me a chance before we end this." Omkara requests her.

"You are crazy, Omkara. We are from two different worlds. We don't make sense together. Why don't you understand that?" Gauri asks him, fighting angry tears.

"One month, Gauri."

"You won't sign the annulment papers till then?"

Omkara shakes his head in negative.

"Then you are not giving me much of a choice, are you?" Gauri asks sadly.

"Whatever the reason be that got us married, I just can't give up on our marriage without at least fighting for us." Omkara helplessly says, his eyes filling up.

Seeing tears in his eyes, Gauri's heart ached. Gauri shrugs giving in as she fought her tears.

"Thank you. If at the end of this month, you still believe that we are not meant to be then I'll sign those papers."

"One month is too little time to make a life changing decision! You think I would take a decision as big as my marriage in that little time?"

"I just need some time, Gauri so I won't live in regret later."

"You are not going to achieve anything in that time, Omkara." Gauri tells him and walks off.

*********

"Oh my God, I have never had this tasty sweet potatoes before." Vasundhara says relishing the sweet potatoes.

Gauri couldn't hold her smile or the way her chest filled up in pride hearing that. Omkara had made those.

"It's organic." Gauri says seeing her mother looking at her.

"I know. I had the fruits, they were delicious. I am thinking what to make with the cabbages."

Gauri smiles seeing her mother so excited about the vegetables and fruits that were a result of Omkara's hard work and dedication.

Gauri sighs, her thoughts going to Omkara. She wondered whether he went back to his village already or he was staying somewhere here for the night before he head back tomorrow. If he was staying where was he staying? Was he staying in a hotel or staying with Rudra's family.

"Shouldn't we invite him home?" Vasundhara asks Gauri.

"Omkara?" Gauri asks shocked.

"Yes. First they let you stay in their house and now, he brought all these. Shouldn't we call him home for dinner or something?" Vasundhara asks her.

"I think he went back already." Gauri replies.

*********

Next day Gauri was getting out of the lift when she sees her colleagues snooping around near their Boss's office.

"What happened?" Gauri asks one of them.

"Some arguments." Anita informs her.

"Started before we all got here." Rita informs her.

"Arguments? Between?" Gauri asks confused.

"Sir's some relative has come." Anita informs her.

Gauri's heart skips a beat wondering whether it was Omkara.

The office door opens and Rudra steps out. Having noticed everyone hanging around, he had come out. "All of you, get to work!" Rudra furiously orders them.

Everybody hurries off.

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

"Gauri, I can't talk to you now." Rudra tells her.

"What happened?" Gauri asks as her heart slammed against her chest.

"It's a family thing." Rudra tells her as he closed the door. "That Omkara!" Rudra says fed up.

Gauri stops in shock as she realized that Omkara didn't leave. He was here. He was here for her!

Without thinking, she pushes open the door and runs in. She comes to a stop when three pairs of eyes turned to look at her.

Gauri turns to Omkara and asks him, scared out of her wits, "What are you doing here?"

"Gauri, I told you it is a family thing." Rudra tells her in shock. "I'll explain later." Rudra says as he started to lead her out.

"She is family." Omkara informs him.

Gauri stops in shock while Rudra turns to him in confusion.

"What?" Rudra asks confused.

Gauri worriedly looks at Rudra, then at Shakti then finally at Omkara. "What are you doing? Why didn't you go back?"

"You gave me a month time, Gauri." Omkara reminds her.

"Did you, Gauri?" Shakti asks her shocked.

"For what?" Rudra asks confused.

Shakti looks at Rudra, feeling sorry.

"He refused to sign otherwise." Gauri tells Shakti.

"Sign what?" Rudra asks confused.

Gauri looks at Rudra then she looks at Omkara and requests him. "You can't come to my office and disrupt my work."

"It's my office too." Omkara calmly informs her.

"What?" Gauri asks in a whisper then remembering she says, "Your father has share."

"He transferred his share to me. Before Daddaji passed away, he gave his share to Rudra and me. I own 30% of this company. Rudra just has 10%." Omkara tells her.

"All these years, you never cared about it. Now, why are you here?" Rudra asks him shocked. "You can't just come in and demand to be a Director without any experience! Omkara, just name your price, I'll buy your share."

"He won't sell." Shakti informs his son.

"What?" Rudra asks his father in shock. "Dad, we have share in all their farming businesses, we have never bothered them with it."

"But we religiously send you, your profit share." Omkara reminds him. "Every single penny."

"Even we have send you, your profit share." Rudra reminds him outraged.

"I don't deny that." Omkara says.

"Then just sign over your share. We'll sign over our shares too."

"He won't." Shakti says tired.

"Why?" Rudra asks shocked. "Are you okay with him, now wanting to run our business?"

"I am not. He has no clue about business."

"Then?"

Fed up and furious, Shakti says, "Because he is not here for the company."

"Then?" Rudra asks confused as hell.

"Sir..." Gauri quickly shakes her head at Shakti.

"I'm here for my wife." Omkara informs Rudra.

"Wife?" Rudra asks confused. "Who is your..." Rudra stops as he turned to look at Gauri in shock. "Gauri?"

Gauri turns to Omkara and asks him, outraged and with furious tears, "Why are you doing this, Omkara?"

"Because, I can't give upon us without fighting for us." Omkara tells her helplessly.

Furious, Gauri turns and walks out of the room. Omkara quickly follows her out.

Seeing that, Rudra looks at his father and asks him, "Why is he calling her his wife?"

"You sit down..." Shakti gently tells him and then tells him what had happened there.

"You didn't protect her." Rudra accuses his father.

Shakti guiltily nods. "Now, Omkara wants to fight for his marriage."

Rudra furiously sighs. "Why didn't you tell me this?"

"Gauri told me not to." Shakti tells him. Then he hastily adds, "It is not her fault."

Rudra gets up and starts to walk off.

"Rudra..." Shakti calls him hurriedly as he stood up.

Rudra turns to look at his father.

"Are you okay?" Shakti asks him as he walked to him.

"Gauri is in this mess because of us. Now, he is using us to get to her." Rudra tells his father.

"I didn't meant that." Shakti says.

"Then?"

"You... are you okay?"

"Me?" Rudra asks confused. "Because he has more share than me in the company?"

"No." Shakti says then he stops in shock as he stared at Rudra.

"Dad?"

Shakti sighs as he looked away.

"What?" Rudra asks him confused.

Shakti looks at him and says in shock, "I thought, you and Gauri... loved each other."

"What?" Rudra shouts in shock. "She is my best friend."

"Oh." Shakti nods in shock.

"Why would you think that?" Rudra asks him. "We are just friends."

"That Ajay..." Shakti says shaking his head.

"He has always been after Gauri's life. He might have been trying to get Gauri fired." Rudra says pissed.

"Why would I fire her if you and she are in love?" Shakti asks confused.

"Because that low is his thinking." Rudra says fed up and walks off.

*********

"Gauri..." Omkara follows her.

Gauri ignores him and walks to her cabin. Omkara follows her to her cabin.

"Gauri..."

"How can you do this?" Gauri asks him angrily.

"Where else am I supposed to meet you?" Omkara asks her.

"Not in my office!"

"Technically I do own this office." Omkara reminds her.

"You never cared about it!"

"I care about you."

"Why can't you understand that we don't know each other! We are not compatible!"

"Still fate got us together."

"Your sicko friends did!"

"They are no longer my friends." Omkara gently tells her.

Gauri stops hearing that.

"They hurt you and it is unforgivable."

Gauri helplessly sighs. "Omkara, you just think you love me. You're just attracted to me."

"Gauri, I already told you, I love you. I know my heart. My heart has never felt for anyone the way I feel for you. Only, you've touched my heart." Omkara earnestly tells her.

Gauri gets uncomfortable hearing that.

"You're attracted to me. I know that."

"What then?" Gauri asks tired. "Will you leave your village and settle here? Because I won't leave this life."

"There is a solution for everything. We'll find one." Omkara tells her.

"Yeah, right." Gauri says as she turned to look away then she asks in confusion. "What about your farm?"

"Baba will handle everything. Then, I've people to handle things."

"Your parents are with you in this?" Gauri asks him.

"You're my wife."

"Stop saying that."

"Okay, my tangdi kebab." Omkara says with a flirty smile.

"Stop saying that." Gauri says, as she turned slightly pink hearing that.

"Ah, we've a favorite! Jackpot!" Omkara says grinning.

"You're crazy! Get lost." Gauri says as she walked to her table, trying to hide her blush.

"I'm here for you."

"I'm working." Gauri reminds him.

Hearing the door open, they both stop and look. Rudra walks in and seeing Omkara, he also stops.

"You okay, Gauri?" Rudra asks her.

"Yeah. Omkara was just going."

"No, I am not." Omkara replies.

"This is my work! I've work to do." Gauri tells him in a dismissing tone.

"You gave me only a month's time. I can't go away whenever you say you have work. You'll keep saying you've work." Omkara says shrugging.

Gauri turns to him, and says in a bid to make him leave, "After I am done with my work, I'll give you time."

"Are you willing to give me 6 months time then?" Omkara asks her.

"What? No!"

"Then, I am going to hang around." Omkara tells her.

"Leave, Omkara." Gauri orders him. "Don't make me kick you out."

"Tangdi kebab, I'm your boss." Omkara reminds her with a flirty smile.

Hearing him call her that, Gauri turns pink and a smile escapes. "God! You're infuriating." Gauri says as she looked away.

"You like him!" Rudra whispers in shock.

"I don't!" Gauri replies quickly.

Omkara grins as he looked at Rudra. "Your brother like best friend is smart."

"Brother?" Gauri asks confused.

"Dad told you?" Rudra asks Omkara in exasperation.

Omkara nods. "But Gauri had told me, you're only her best friend."

"What?" Gauri asks curiously.

"Ajay told Dad that we are dating." Rudra informs her.

"What? Is he crazy?" Gauri asks in shock.

"He is." Rudra shrugs.

"Who is he?" Omkara asks curiously.

"My cousin brother."

Omkara frowns then understanding, he nods. "From your mother's side."

Rudra nods then he looks at Gauri and tells her, "If he troubles you, let me know, I'll kick him out."

"He is troubling me!" Gauri quickly says.

Omkara turns to her and asks cheekily. "Do you want your husband and your best friend to fight, my spicy momos?"

Gauri turns pink and says, "I am not food."

"You look delectable." Omkara says with a flirty smile.

Gauri turns completely red hearing that.

"Ewwwwe." Rudra walks out. "Cringe!!!!"

*********

"There is no canteen here?" Omkara asks her curiously as he walked with her to the pantry.

"No." Gauri replies as she took her seat on a table.

Disappointed, Omkara sits opposite to her.

"Rudy and Sir goes home for lunch. Why didn't you go with them?"

"I'm not staying there. I'm staying as a paying guest." Omkara tells her.

"There is a restaurant opposite the road." Gauri informs him.

"Do you want to go out for lunch?"

"I bring my food from home." Gauri tells him as she took out her lunch box.

Disappointed, Omkara sits back.

"You're not going?" Gauri asks him as she opened her box.

"Not hungry." Omkara lies.

"You can order food online."

"How long will it take?"

"An hour, maybe."

She will finish lunch by then. Omkara shakes his head. "Nah, it's okay."

Gauri looks at him then she moves her box to the center of the table. Omkara looks at her and Gauri gestures him to the box and starts eating.

Grinning, Omkara starts eating from her box.

*********

From then on, Omkara mainly hung out in Gauri's cabin. Wherever she went, he followed her around. In a bid to avoid any gossip, Rudra made everyone think that Gauri was helping Omkara learn their business.

Gauri couldn't understand why she couldn't just end things with Omkara and send him away. A part of her was happy that he had come for her, he was fighting for them but the practical part of her believed that they will never work out. So, she kept lying to herself that, she is not insisting him to go back because even if she asks him to leave, he stubbornly won't.

*********

"Are you freaking crazy?" Gauri asks shocked. "We are getting annulment."

"Even then." Omkara says.

"I don't want your share in this company." Gauri tells him.

"I've no need for this."

"Then give to Rudra."

"You're more close to me than him."

"I don't want it." Gauri tells him restless. While they were talking, Omkara had randomly declared that whether they remain together or not, he will be transferring his shares to her at the end of the month.

"It's my wish what I do with it. And it is your wish whether you want to accept it or not."

"What will your wife say?" Gauri asks him restlessly.

"You're my wife, Gauri."

"After we end this marriage, you'll..."

"You'll be the only girl in my life. Whether you are in my life or not." Omkara declares.

"You are just attracted to me. You don't even know me!"

"I'm getting to know you. And I love you."

"This is just physical attraction, Omkara!"

"Gauri, I don't deny that. I am attracted to you. But I love you. If it was just attraction for me, I would have proposed Durga long back."

Durga! Gauri didn't understand why she felt this murderous rage towards a woman, she had never even met.

"You said you were not attracted to Durga." Gauri says like a jealous wife.

"I didn't say that. I said, I wasn't in love with her."

"Then stop saying Durga! Always Durga! Durga! Durga!" Gauri says furiously.

"I do? When?" Omkara asks confused then realizing he smiles happily. "Oh butter chicken, are you jealous?"

"I'm not." Gauri replies turning pink, realizing she was jealous.

*********

Gauri was getting irritated. She was trying to work while Omkara was speaking to someone on the phone. It was so distracting.

Sighing loudly, she says gently, "You are disturbing me, Omkara."

Omkara stops and looks at her.

"I work with numbers. I need to concentrate." Gauri tells him.

"Sorry." Omkara mouths to her and walks out.

Gauri gets back to work.

After sometime, she hears the door open, knowing it would be Omkara, she doesn't bother to look up to check.

Omkara walks around her and kneels next to her.

"Just a sec." Gauri tells him as she entered the amount. Then she turns to Omkara and asks him in a fed up and tried tone, "What now?""

You know, you are contradicting yourself." Omkara asks her cheekily grinning.

"What?" Gauri asks confused.

Shaking his head, he shows her his iPad.

Gauri curiously looks at the iPad and sees Apple Orchard's photo.

"Your apple farm?" Gauri asks as she swiped the photos with a smile. "It's so beautiful."

"It's the one next to mine." Omkara tells her smiling.

"Where is this?"

"Shimla. This one is for sale. It is actually distress sale. I'm thinking of buying."

"How will you handle it?"

"I'll hire people. I just have to go in between. I've vineyard and other orchards."

"Oh okay." Gauri nods. "So, you're buying it? Can you afford it?" Gauri asks him remembering he had to sell his land earlier to buy new land.

"I'll have to take a loan."

"Okay. Nice." Gauri says as she passed the iPad to him.

"You're okay with it, right?" Omkara asks her.

"Why would I have an issue?" Gauri asks him.

"If I die then you'll have to repay the loan." Omkara points out to her.

"Why do you talk like this?" Gauri asks angrily, her heart skipping a beat thinking of him dying.

"I was just joking." Omkara tells her.

"I don't like these kind of jokes." Gauri tells him.

"And it is not funny.""

Sorry." Omkara tells her.

"My Papa went for work one day and evening, his body came back." Gauri tells him angrily.

"Gauri, I didn't..." Omkara guiltily starts.

"Death is not a joke, Omkara!" Gauri tells him as her eyes filled up.

Omkara cups her face. "Sorry. I am sorry."

Gauri nods and looks away.

*********

"God, he is so hot."

Gauri curiously turns back hearing someone murmur. She sees Anita and Rita ogling. She turns to were they were looking and sees Omkara walking up and down the corridor as he spoke on the phone.

How dare they? Gauri wanted to punch those girls for ogling at her husband.

"You know, he is from a village." Anita says as she drooled watching Omkara.

"Yeah... but he looks like those historical romance heroes. Muscular and tanned." Rita says sighing.

Gauri turns to look at Omkara and she could sees his ripped biceps. She wanted to wack him. Doesn't he know how to dress appropriately?

"God, those muscles. I hear he is a farmer." Rita says.

"These village people are very raw." Anita says thoughtfully.

"Yeah... maybe... I don't know." Rita replies.

"You think he will raw and rough in bed?" Anita asks as she looked at Omkara.

And every thought left Gauri. All she could think about was Omkara and Gauri between sheets, going raw and rough.

Gauri stops breathing as her body reacted in ways, that it has never before.

They were hot and bothered.

"You okay? You look flushed." Rudra asks as he stopped next to her.

"Huh?" Gauri stares at Rudra in shock, coming back to reality.

"What?" Rudra asks her.

"I am not thinking anything." Gauri quickly tells him and then turns and runs off.

"What?" Rudra asks her retreating back, confused.

*********

Gauri gulps down the hot coffee to calm herself.

"Gauri? What happened?" Rudra asks her confused.

"Nothing." Gauri says shaking her head. "Just wanted coffee."

"How come you are alone today?" Rudra asks her.

"Omkara is on the phone." Gauri tells him as she tried to calm herself.

"How are you? It's been a while since we spoke." Rudra asks her smiling.

Gauri looks at him and gently smiles.

Ever since, Omkara had come, he was with her. And Omkara and Rudra, didn't even try to be friendly with each other. They just avoided each other. Because of that, Rudra also didn't hang out with her much.

"How long has it been?" Rudra asks curiously.

"Two weeks." Gauri tells him then she says. "Only two more weeks." Gauri says feeling relieved. After what happened just now, she just wanted Omkara gone!

*********

Gauri knocks on Ajay's door.

"Come in."

Gauri walks in and Ajay looks up at her.

"What is it?"

"Ajay, it is the year end..." Gauri starts.

"I know that." Ajay arrogantly replies.

"I wanted to go through the files before we take it for audit." Gauri tells him.

Ajay points to the corner of his table.

Gauri noticing the files, she starts picking up one by one.

"Got everything. Just the procurement file. Did you keep it anywhere else?" Gauri asks him.

Ajay looks at her and says, "I handled that."

"Yeah, I know. Where is it?" Gauri asks him.

"You just do your job." Ajay tells her irately.

"This is my job."

"Get out, Gauri. If I have any work for you, I'll let you know."

*********

Gauri sat in front of her laptop as she contemplated on what to do. Hearing the door open, she looks up and sees Omkara walk in.

"Orchard is locked. Baba will be going for the registration." Omkara informs her happily.

"Congratulations." Gauri smiles at him, feeling happy for him.

He had been coordinating not just this, but harvesting, sowing, irrigation of his farms in different parts of the country from here.

"Thank you. You looked serious. All okay?" Omkara asks her.

Gauri looks at him excitedly.

"What?" Omkara asks smiling seeing her happy.

"What's your login?"

"What login?" Omkara asks confused.

"Company login."

"Don't know." Omkara shrugs.

"You're director here. IT would have created a login for you. Check your mail." Gauri tells him.

Omkara starts scrolling through his mails as he walked to her.

"Got it." Omkara says.

"Give it."

Omkara passes her his phone. Gauri quickly login.

"What are you doing?" Omkara asks her as he looked at her screen.

"That Ajay was acting a little suspiciously. He didn't want me to see the procurement file." Gauri says as she started searching for them.

"Procurement? For what?"

"Everything. We make purchases for different projects. Then we compile it into one procurement file. Ajay was handling it. He has the hard copy. But the soft copy is there in the system."

"Why do you need my login for that?" Omkara asks her curiously.

"Because Ajay had locked that folder. Only he can access them." Gauri tells him then turning to look at Omkara, she says smugly, "But you are a Director here. You can unlock any folder using your login in the company network."

"Ah." Omkara grins. "This is why I am giving you my share."

"Don't start now." Gauri tells him as she started going through the details. "Don't disturb me, I'm busy."

*********

"What the?" Gauri shouts in outrage.

"What happened?" Omkara asks her curiously.

"There is inconsistency." Gauri tells him then looking at him, she says in shock. "27 lakhs!"

"What?" Omkara asks in shock.

Getting up, Gauri furiously walks out of her cabin. Omkara hurries behind her.

Gauri opens Ajay's cabin door and walks in.

"Who gave you permission to come in?" Ajay asks her angrily seeing her march in.

"27 lakhs are missing! Where is it?" Gauri asks him, just as Omkara walks in.

"Who are you to question me?" Ajay asks her furiously.

"Where is it, Ajay?" Gauri asks him again.

"You work for us! Don't forget that. Get out." Ajay furiously tells her.

Omkara walks to him and grabs him by his collar and pulls him up. "When Gauri asks you a question, you bloody answer her!"

"Who are you to order me?" Ajay asks furiously. "Just because you've some share that doesn't make you my boss!"

"What is happening here?" Rudra asks as he walked in hearing the noise. Seeing, Omkara holding Ajay, Rudra asks frowning. "What do you think you are doing? Let him go!"

"I'll." Omkara replies then looking at Ajay, he says. "After he answers Gauri's question."

"Gauri?" Rudra turns to her in confusion. "What is happening?"

"Who is she to question me?" Ajay asks him furiously.

"She is my wife!" Omkara replies to him furiously.

"Omkara!" Gauri shouts in anger.

Omkara looks at her then he looks back at Ajay and tells him. "No one disrespects my wife."

"Will you do something?" Ajay asks Rudra, getting scared seeing Omkara's fury.

Rudra looks at Ajay and asks Gauri, "Did he answer your question yet, Gauri?"

"Who are these outsiders to question me? Us? We are family!" Ajay furiously reminds Rudra. "We are brothers!"

"We are. And Omkara is also my brother." Rudra reminds him.

Omkara turns to look at Rudra in shock and surprise but Rudra was furiously looking at Ajay.

"You are my brother, Ajay. But Ajay, this is Oberoi Industries. And that is Omkara Singh Oberoi. He and his wife have more rights here than you. So, when they ask you a question, you fucking answer them." Rudra tells him.

"Rudra, i asked you to find out what the problem was..." Shakti stops seeing Omkara holding Ajay.

"Mamu...." Ajay helplessly calls him.

"What nonsense is this?" Shakti asks him furiously.

"Ajay has been steeling from the company." Omkara informs him.

"What?" Shakti asks in shock as he stared at Ajay.

"He is?" Rudra asks Gauri in shock.

"They are lying, Mamu." Ajay frantically says.

"Gauri has proof." Omkara informs him.

Shakti stares at them in shock then looking at Gauri, he tells her. "Come with me, Gauri."

Gauri nods and starts following him.

"Just Gauri!" Shakti orders seeing the other three were going to follow them.

*********

"27 lakhs?" Shakti asks angrily.

"He didn't want me to see those files. I don't have any proof that it is him. All I know is that he didn't want me to see the files and he was handling procurement accounts." Gauri tells him.

"He could have asked me. What is the need to steal?" Shakti asks.

Gauri doesn't say anything.

Sighing, Shakti tells her. "Everything he touched. Go through them with a fine comb."

Gauri nods.

"You can go."

Seeing Gauri hesitating, Shakti asks her, "Is there anything else?"

Gauri looks at him unsurely.

"What is it, Gauri?" Shakti asks her gently.

Sadly, Gauri asks him. "When I asked Ajay about the missing money, he asked me who I am. Omkara told him that I am his wife. Rudra said that I am Omkara's wife, so Ajay should answer my questions."

Shakti nods hearing that.

Eyes filling up, Gauri asks him. "Ever since I joined this company, I have worked hard and honestly. I gave my sweat and blood to this company. Doesn't that give me any right to ask questions? Do I have to be Omkara's wife to ask questions if I feel someone is cheating the company?"

Shakti sighs as he thoughtfully looked at her.

"Sir?"

"I gave Ajay this job because my wife insisted." Shakti tells her.

Gauri silently listens.

"I knew you deserved the post, but I gave it to Ajay for my wife."

Gauri looks down, it had always hurt that she had been looked over for the promotion.

"I thought you and Rudra loved each other. I curbed my guilt thinking that once you two get married then Gauri will become the CFO then it will be all fine." Shakti guiltily says.

Gauri looks at him in shock.

"From now on, you are the CFO, Gauri." Shakti informs her determined.

Gauri stares at him in shock.

"It is not because you are Omkara's wife. It is because you deserve to be the CFO. You have been loyal to the company and it is time, the company show it's loyalty to you." Shakti tells her.

Gauri's eyes fill up hearing that. "Thank you, sir."

Shakti smiles at her. "Go."

Gauri stands up to leave then stopping, she says. "Omkara keeps saying whether we remain married or not, he will transfer his shares to me."

"It's his share. It's his wish." Shakti says shrugging.

"I don't want it. I never wished for it." Gauri tells him. "If he does as he says, I'll transfer it to you."

"My father gave that to my brother. My brother and I don't speak to each other. If we wanted we could have asked for our shares in each other's business back. We won't disrespect our father like that. He gave it to my brother. And my brother to his son. And his son, to you. I've no right to it." Shakti tells her.

Gauri looks at him in shock, wondering if he is for real.

"But if you think to sell it, then it should be only me, who buys it."

Gauri looks at him confused.

"I'll gladly buy it from you. But I won't have you give it to me." Shakti tells her.

Gauri nods.

*********

Meanwhile, Omkara walks into Rudra's cabin and simply hugs him from behind.

"Who is that?" Rudra asks shocked and panicking as he turned to look behind him. "You?"

"You said we are brothers." Omkara tells him smiling.

"Because we are." Rudra admits. "Whether we like it or not."

"We don't have to hate it. Gauri really wants us to be friendly with each other." Omkara tells him.

"I guessed as much." Rudra says shrugging with a smile.

"How? She told you?"

"You never left her alone for me to speak to her." Rudra says cheekily.

Omkara chuckles.

"I know her. If she didn't feel anything for you, she would have filed a police complaint long back and got her annulment also." Rudra tells him.

Omkara grins smugly. "She likes me. She is just being stubborn."

"I know."

Chuckling, Omkara tells him. "You should see the way, she at times looks at me."

"Yeah!" Rudra turns to him in astonishment. "Like she is raping you with her eyes."

Sexily smiling, Omkara tells her. "Not rape. It is consensual."

Rudra shakes his head as he laughed. Omkara also laughs.

"Do you want to go get a coffee?" Rudra asks him.

"Yeah." Omkara says smiling.

*********

"Gauri..." Omkara calls her as he walked in to the cabin.

Gauri runs to him and holds his hand. "I am the new CFO!"

Omkara smiles excitedly. "Wow! Congratulations!"

"Thank you." Gauri says happily. "Okay, I've lot of work. Have to meet HR, have to start the process and all. I was waiting to tell you."

Omkara smiles hearing that. "Rudra and I am going out for coffee." Omkara informs.

Surprised, Gauri asks him. "When did that happen?"

"Your best friend and your husband, decided to give it a shot for you." Omkara tells her.

"I feel so loved." Gauri says smiling cheekily then realizing what she said, she stops. "I mean..."

"You accept that I love you." Omkara cheekily says. "Bye!" Omkara calls out and runs off.

"No, I didn't mean that." Gauri calls out to him but he doesn't reply.

*********

"Why we didn't get together before?" Rudra asks Omkara.

"Because we are stubborn like our fathers." Omkara admits.

"Yeah!" Rudra agrees. "They are too stubborn."

Omkara nods.

"Dad thinks Tauji is still stuck in 1960s. Not progressive and always looked down upon him for wanting to move forehead."

"Baba felt that chachaji in a bid to go ahead always looked down on him. Severed his roots to move to city."

"Ego!" Rudra declares. "And thinking only they are right!"

"True." Omkara agrees.

"But from now on, we are brothers!" Rudra tells Omkara and gives him a flying kiss.

"We are!" Omkara says then he says confused. "I've never seen anyone getting high on coffee."

"I'm not high." Rudra tells him.

"Seems like it."

"Leave that! You come home with me!" Rudra tells him.

"Chachaji is barely tolerating me in the office." Omkara tells him.

"But it is my home too." Rudra tells him then laughing he says, "Dad doesn't see you as Tauji's son."

"Then?"

"Now, he sees you as Gauri's husband." Rudra chuckles.

"What?"

"He loves Gauri. She is the daughter, he never had." Rudra tells him.

Omkara smiles hearing that.

"Gauri said you were very protective about her."

"I'm. But then she likes you. That is why, I let you go after you started stalking her here." Rudra tells him.

Omkara smiles. "She is so stubborn."

"Hmmm."

"Just one more week. After that if she still says no, then I will have to leave." Omkara tells him worriedly.

"I'll not let that happen. Your brother will help you!" Rudra declares.

"I don't know what to do. I'm running out of time."

"Why fear when Rudy is here?"

*********

"Guess what, Mama?" Gauri excitedly shouts just as Vasundhara opened the door.

"That you've a new paying guest?" Omkara happily asks her.

"Omkara?" Gauri stops in shock seeing him there. "What are you doing here?"

"I was looking for a place. And Your mother was looking for a PG. what a small world?" Omkara asks her excitedly.

"Is that small world's name Rudra Singh Oberoi?" Gauri asks him outraged.

Omkara smiles at her then looking at Vasundhara, he says. "I can't confirm that. I'm not a snitch."

"I love this boy, Gauri." Vasundhara says chuckling.

"Mama, we decided that we don't want a paying guest." Gauri tells her mother as she pulled her aside.

"Gauri, you stayed in his house. What kind of behavior is this?" Vasundhara asks her shocked. "And how could I say no to him? And it is just for a week."

"A week?" Gauri asks softly.

"Yeah, he said his work here would be done by then and he'll go back in a week." Vasundhara tells her as she walked off.

Gauri's heart starts beating fast realizing that their time was coming to an end. He will go away. And they will no longer be married. Gauri fought her tears while she gripped her hand to control her panic.

*********

"So, when will you officially start as CFO?" Vasundhara asks as they had dinner.

"Unofficially from tomorrow. Just need to finish some paperwork. Should be done in a day or two." Gauri tells her.

"So, you're going to be more busy from now on."

"Yeah, maybe." Gauri replies shrugging.

Vasundhara nods then she looks at Omkara and says, "The fruits and vegetables you gave were so delicious. I can't remember when was the last time I had such food."

Omkara smiles at her. "Thank you. I'll send more."

"Oh no, don't trouble yourself." Vasundhara says hastily.

"It's no trouble." Omkara tells her with a smile.

Gauri looks down as the thought of him leaving starting to scare her.

"I saw your balcony, Mama. You can actually have a small garden there." Omkara tells her. "I can set it up for you."

"But maintaining it will be difficult, right?" Vasundhara asks in concern.

"I'll explain everything." Omkara promises.

Vasundhara smiles excitedly. "I need to make a list of vegetables we should have."

"Mama?" Gauri asks shocked.

"He asked me whether he can call me Mama. I said okay." Vasundhara says smiling.

Gauri turns to look at Omkara in exasperation and he politely smiles at her.

*********

Gauri was getting ready to sleep when she hears the soft knock. Angrily, Gauri marches to the door and rips it open.

"Going to sleep?" Omkara asks her as he leaned on the door frame with a flirty smile.

"You got some nerve!" Gauri tells him pissed.

"Ssshhh Mama will wake up."

"She is my mama!" Gauri whispers.

Omkara pouts. "I thought you were possessive only about me."

"Oh please! I'm not possessive about you." Gauri scoffs.

Omkara thoughtfully says, "Gauri, you know, I've been thinking. When we have a daughter, we should find a name starting with D for her."

"You'll not name my daughter Durga!" Gauri furiously tells him as she pulled his collar.

"I didn't even mention the name Durga." Omkara reminds her cheekily.

Gauri scowls hearing that.

"Our daughter?" Omkara cheekily asks.

"I meant my daughter." Gauri says as she quickly left his collar and nervously moved back.

Omkara cheekily grins as he walked in.

Wanting to change the topic from their daughter, Gauri says. "You can't do this, Omkara. First my office. Now my home!"

"Technically, that is my office too." Omkara cheekily points out as he softly closed the door.

"This is not your home!" Gauri reminds him pissed.

"My sasural, tangri kebab!"

Gauri glares at him, she wanted to kick him and kiss him at the same time.

"You're so infuriating." Gauri says fed up as she turned around and walked to her bed. She sits on the foot of the bed.

Grinning, Omkara walks around her room. "Nice room." Omkara says.

Gauri glares at him.

Omkara turns to her and seeing her glare, he decides to distract her. "I had a nice time with Rudra."

"Obviously." Gauri mutters. "That is why you're here."

Omkara chuckles.

"He actually asked me to move to his house."

"Why didn't you?" Gauri asks him.

"Chachaji won't like it."

Gauri suspiciously looks at him.

"I can stay there another time. Right now, I've only a week." Omkara tells her.

Gauri's heart skips a beat.

"If you refuse to accept our marriage and when I go back." Omkara turns to her and asks softly. "Will you miss me?"

Gauri gulps hearing that, she nervously sits up.

Omkara walks to her and kneels in front of her. "Will you miss me, Gauri?" Omkara asks her a little sadly, a little hopefully.

Gauri couldn't lie to him and she couldn't tell him the truth. Sadly, she keeps her palm on his cheek.

Understanding her unsaid words, Omkara leans towards her and gently takes her lips in his.

Gauri wraps her hand around his neck as she closed her eyes and kissed him back.

They hungrily kiss each other as Omkara gently pushes Gauri on the bed and lies on top of her.

Gauri moans as she gently ran her hand over his chest.

Omkara breaks the kiss and looks at her as he loudly inhaled. Gauri leans up to take his lips when he moves slightly back.

"Say it, Gauri." Omkara tells her.

"What?" Gauri asks him confused.

"Say that you are my wife." Omkara tells her.

Gauri stops hearing that. She stops breathing.

"Say it, Gauri."

Gauri gently shakes her head in no.

Seeing that, Omkara gets up.

Gauri sits up as she looked at Omkara. He was hurt and it hurt her to see him like that.

"Omkara..."

Omkara just turns around and walks out of her room.

*********

Next day, Gauri didn't see Omkara in the morning. Her mother said that he hadn't woken up. But she knew he was angry with her and avoiding her. She waited around for a bit to see him but he hadn't come out of his room. Finally, she had left for work.

Gauri was feeling restless in her cabin because she was alone. She missed him. She had gotten so used to having him around. And she couldn't handle it that he was avoiding her.

Wanting to clear her head, she goes looking for Rudra. Maybe screaming at him for a bit might help her concentrate.

"Isn't Rudra here?" Gauri asks Rudra's assistant, Cathy.

"Sir didn't come in today."

"Oh... all okay?"

"He said he is working from home."

Gauri sighs realizing that he didn't come to escape from her. She turns to go back.

"Congratulations, Gauri. I forgot." Cathy says with a smile.

"Thank you." Gauri replies smiling.

"When is the party?" Cathy asks her.

"Soon." Gauri says, though she really didn't feel like throwing a party, because her mind was on Omkara.

"By the way, is it true about Ajay?" Cathy asks her curiously.

Gauri just shrugs.

Realizing that the news was already spreading about what happened.

"He also didn't come today. Big Boss told HR that Ajay is fired."

"Really?" Gauri asks surprised.

*********

Since Omkara wasn't in office, Gauri came back home early. She was surprised and pissed to see him having a jolly time with her mother. Both of them were in the balcony as they planted various vegetables.

Seeing her, Omkara politely smiles at her then completely ignoring her, he turns to her mother and continues his discussion with her regarding gardening.

"Why didn't you come to office today?" Gauri asks Omkara with a frown.

Omkara turns to her and asks cheekily. "Why? You missed me?"

Gauri scowls hearing that.

"Was there any important work? You said you didn't have any work today." Vasundhara asks confused.

"No work." Omkara replies.

Vasundhara smiles. "How is our new garden?" Vasundhara asks Gauri.

"He is going to go in a few days. What are you going to do after that?" Gauri asks wanting to scream at someone because she was too restless.

"You have any doubts, you call me." Omkara tells Vasundhara. "And when I come here, I'll visit you."

"You should." Vasundhara tells him smiling.

*********

"What do you want, Omkara?" Gauri asks him tiredly when he walked into her bedroom at night.

"You know, what I want." Omkara tells her.

"Why don't you understand that what you want is not possible?" Gauri asks him helplessly.

"Why can't it be possible?" Omkara asks her as he walked to her.

"Will you leave everything and come and stay here? Because I am not going to leave my life here and come there?"

"I've been thinking. I've a solution." Omkara tells her as he walked to her and held her hand.

"What solution?" Gauri asks without any hope.

"You stay here and I'll stay in Bareilly." Omkara tells her.

"What?" Gauri asks shocked. "What kind of solution is that?"

""How many couple are there where one of them stays in India while the spouse is in another country? We don't have that issue. We are just hours apart. I'll come here every Tuesday evening. Go back Thursday early morning. You come to Bareilly every friday night. Come back Sunday night or Monday morning." Omkara tells her.

"What kind of stupid solution is that?" Gauri asks him shocked.

"We can do this, Gauri." Omkara tells her.

"Every week you are going to travel up and down?" Gauri asks him. "Do you even realize how tiring that is?"

"It is to see you." Omkara tells her.

"For how long, Omkara? You think this is going to work? This is not a solution." Gauri says shaking her head.

"I love you, Gauri. I know you love me. If this is the price we have to pay to be together, I'll happily do it. Won't you do it?" Omkara asks her.

"This is going to tire us out. It won't work." Gauri tells him shaking her.

"Then for as long as it works." Omkara tells her. "It is better than not being together ever."

"This is a gamble, Omkara. And I can't gamble with my life like that." Gauri tells him.

"Gauri, not even for our love?" Omkara asks her, his eyes filling.

Unable to see his tears, Gauri looks away as she stood up. "You should go back, Omkara. Please stop all this and just go back."

"How can I go when I know even you love me?" Omkara asks her.

If anything she understood from today, then it is that, she has gotten so used to having him around that now, it is going to be difficult to be away from him. She can't get anymore involved with him.

"JUST GO, OMKARA." Gauri tells him fed up.

"Gauri... listen to me, love." Omkara turns her to face him and holds her hand.

"I don't want to hear anything, JUST GO!"

"Gauri..." Vasundhara opens the door and worriedly hurries in. She stops seeing Omkara. "What are you doing here, Omkara?" Vasundhara asks him frowning angrily.

"We were just talking, Mama." Gauri quickly tells her.

"I heard you scream, Gauri." Vasundhara says as she stood between Gauri and Omkara. "What were you trying to do, Omkara?" Vasundhara asks him furiously.

"Mama... I told you." Gauri starts.

"Gauri didn't want me to let you stay here. I should have known then itself that something was wrong. Did you think that we are two helpless women that..."

"ENOUGH MAMA, YOU WILL NOT TALK TO OMKARA LIKE THAT!" Gauri says furiously as she walked around and stood in front of Omkara in a bid to protect him.

"Gauri..." Vasundhara stops in shock and confusion. "What is happening? Why did you scream?"

"Like I told you we were talking." Gauri furiously tells her.

"Why did you scream then?" Vasundhara asks her.

"Because I can." Gauri replies. Turning to look at Omkara, she says guiltily. "Because I can do what I want and he would take it."

Omkara looks at her and gently smiles hearing that.

"What are you saying?" Vasundhara asks confused.

Gauri turns to her mother and asks in outrage. "Has he done anything that you start suspecting his intentions? Didn't he treat you with love and respect?"

Vasundhara nods, starting to feel guilty.

"Then why did you baselessly accuse my husband?" Gauri asks her mother.

"Husband?" Both of them asked, one in shock and other in joy.

Gauri stops in shock realizing what she said. She looks at Omkara and sees him, smiling happily.

Gauri shakes her head softly. "No, Omkara. I can't."

"Gauri... trust me, we can..." Omkara starts.

"He is your husband? What are you saying, Gauri?" Vasundhara asks in shocked disbelief.

Gauri turns to her mother and helplessly sighs.

"Why would you hide it from me?" Vasundhara asks her sadly.

"Because it happened without my consent." Gauri tells her. "I didn't want to hurt you, so I didn't tell you. I was trying to get that marriage annulled."

"What? What do you mean?"

**********

"You don't like him?" Vasundhara asks Gauri after hearing everything.

Vasundhara had asked to speak to Gauri alone.

"His life is there, Mama." Gauri tells her dejectedly.

"He is a very nice boy, Gauri." Vasundhara tells her.

"You think, I don't know that?" Gauri asks her. "But it won't work out. We want different things in life."

Vasundhara sadly sighs.

"Omkara will go back in 5 days, Mama. Then we will file for annulment." Gauri tells her.

**********

Omkara opens the bedroom door, and sees Vasundhara at the door. He politely smiles at her and she gently smiles back.

"Gauri went to office." Vasundhara informs him.

"I heard." Omkara tells her.

"Why didn't you come out?" Vasundhara asks him curiously.

"I dint want to force her. And I didn't want to beg also. I would have done either of this if I saw her." Omkara tells her defeated.

Vasundhara lovingly smiles at him. "I made tea for you. Come."

Omkara follows her to the sitting area. Vasundhara hands him his tea cup and they sit side by side.

"I'm sorry, I misunderstood you last night and accused you baselessly." Vasundhara guiltily says.

"It's okay." Omkara tells her.

"I really like you, Omkara." Vasundhara tells him sadly.

Omkara nods.

"But this is about Gauri's life and the decision should be her's. I can give her my opinion, but can't ask her to abide by it."

"Gauri loves me."

"But her concerns are valid, right?" Vasundhara asks him.

"Just because of that, should we give upon our relation?" Omkara asks her. "Our marriage? Our love?"

"We can't force her." Vasundhara tells him.

"I know." Omkara sadly agrees.

"If you stay here then she might be forced to accept you. And then one day, what if her fear comes true? Then she would hate you. You would hate her."

"You want me to leave." Omkara says understanding.

"Give her time. If after sometime, she feels differently then she will come to you." Vasundhara tells him.

"I promised to sign the annulment papers." Omkara tells her.

Vasundhara smiles sweetly. "So what? Can't you get married again?"

**********

Gauri walks in home in the evening. She lightly smiles at Vasundhara as she curiously looked around for Omkara. He hadn't come to office today.

"He left." Vasundhara informs her.

"Left?" Gauri asks shocked. "He moved into Rudra's house?"

"He went back." Vasundhara tells her.

"What?" Gauri asks in shocked whisper, her heart breaking. "He left?"

"He left this for you." Vasundhara informs her as she handed her the annulment papers.

Gauri opens it and stops in shock seeing that he had signed them. "He signed?" Gauri asks, her eyes filling up.

"Isn't this what you wanted?" Vasundhara asks her.

Gauri looks at her mother, as she tried to control her tears. This is exactly what she wanted, then why does she feel abandoned? That her life was draining from her?

**********

Two days later, Gauri was in office, lost in thoughts.

She was missing Omkara. She was miserable without him. She wanted to run to Bareilly to be with Omkara but the practical part of her was stopping her.

"Yo!" Rudra says as he opened the door.

"Yeah??" Gauri looks up at him.

"Where is it?" Rudra asks her.

"What?" Gauri asks him confused.

"Annulment papers." Rudra replies surprised. "Omkara said he signed them. We've to submit it. Lawyer is waiting. You wanted it done quietly and quickly, right?"

"It is at home." Gauri lies as she looked away.

"Okay, I'll get it from your place in the evening."

"No, I will bring it tomorrow."

"Why delay it? Just free yourself and Omkara." Rudra tells her. "I'll come in the evening."

**********

"Where is it?" Rudra asks as he walked in.

Gauri gulps as her heart slammed against her chest.

"Gauri?"

"It's in my room." Gauri whispers as she went to her room to get it.

Gauri opens her handbag and takes out the annulment papers. Her eyes fill up. She couldn't believe that Omkara finally gave upon them. He gave upon their marriage.

Gauri opens the folded paper and looks at his sign. Tears start flowing through her eyes, realizing that if she submitted these, then that would be the end to them. She couldn't.

Gauri tears up the paper as she ran to her cupboard and opens it.

"MAMA! MAMA!" Gauri calls frantically as she picked up dresses from the cupboard.

"What?" Vasundhara asks as she and Rudra ran in.

"Where is my duffel bag?" Gauri asks her.

"Duffel bag?" Vasundhara asks shocked while Rudra happily smiles.

"I'm going to Bareilly." Gauri informs her. "My bag?"

"Now?" Vasundhara asks shocked.

"Yes! I kept him waiting for too long. MY BAG?"

"Top of your cupboard." Vasundhara tells her.

Gauri turns to get them.

"You love him?" Rudra asks her excitedly.

"Yes." Gauri admits. "Since the moment, he put his life on hold and came here for me." Gauri says as her eyes filled up with love.

"But... you're going now?" Vasundhara asks sadly.

"Yes!"

"But.. so soon?"

"Yeah!" Gauri replies exasperated.

Vasundhara hugs her. "I'll miss you."

"What?" Gauri asks confused as she looked at her mother. "I'll come back on Monday!"

"What?"

Gauri grabs her bag and starts stuffing her stuff.

"You'll come back? What about Omkara?" Vasundhara asks confused.

"He'll stay there. I'll stay here." Gauri tells her.

"But... how will it work?" Vasundhara asks confused.

"We'll make it work." Gauri tells her as she zipped up her bag. Looking at Rudra, she tells him. "Rest of the week, I am off."

"Take my car." Rudra tells her smiling as he handed her his car key.

"Thank you." Gauri says happily as she hugged him.

"He is heart broken, but I'll not tell him you are coming." Rudra tells her.

Gauri grins. "Bye Mama! Bye Rudra!"

**********

Gauri was walking into his house when he notices a car. He stops realizing that it was Rudra's car. The car stops in front of him, he stops in shock seeing Gauri step out.

"Gauri?" Omkara walks to her.

Gauri runs to him and hugs him. "For as long as this works!"

"We'll make it work." Omkara tells her as he hugged her.

"I love you." Gauri tells him as she kissed his cheek. "Sorry, I kept you waiting for so long."

"I love you too." Omkara tells her as he hugged her.

"Come." Omkara says as he took her hand and lead her to his house.

"Whose car.." Tej stops seeing Gauri with Omkara. "Stop!"

Gauri and Omkara stop.

"Wait! Wait!" Tej instructs them as he turned and hurried in. "Jhanvi! Bahu is here." Tej calls out excitedly.

Gauri and Omkara smile happily.

As they waited for his parents, Omkara leans down and kisses her cheek.

Gauri blushes as she smiled at him.

"Where are they? Will we have to have our suhag raat right here?" Omkara asks impatiently.

Gauri laughs. "Your panchayat then will say that they were right and we are immoral."

"Oh they are in jail! Baba is the new sarpanch."

"That's amazing." Gauri says happily.

"Where are they? MA? BABA?"

"Coming! Wait!" Jhanvi excitedly calls out.

"They are so happy." Omkara tells her.

Gauri smiles then she stops in shock. "Who is that?" Gauri asks astonished.

"Who?" Omkara asks curiously as he followed her gaze.

"That." Gauri says as she watched a woman walking by, she looked equal part sexy and innocent. Like a heavenly beauty.

"that is Durga." Omkara informs her. "She had come to buy vegetables."

"That is Durga?" Gauri asks shocked as she stared at Durga.

"YEs."

"How didn't you fall in love with her?" Gauri asks astonished.

Omkara grins as he looked at her. "Because only you touched my heart. Not her. The first time you looked at me, it pierced into my heart, tangri kebab."

"You are so cheesy." Gauri tells him happily smiling as she took his lips in hers. "I love you."

**********

Epilogue

"What are you wearing?" Omkara asks curiously as he looked at Gauri on the video call.

"My new nightclothes. Like it?"Gauri asks him back.

"You know, I like you without all that, tangri kebab."

"I know."

"Take it off."

"Wait, let me lock the door." Gauri says excitedly as she sat up.

The door swings open and Sassy runs in, and seeing Gauri on video call, she asks excitedly. "Is it Baba?"

"Yes." Gauri replies disappointedly as she sighed looking at Omkara.

Omkara chuckles.

"Give me... give me... give me... give me..." Sassy says as she ran to Gauri and grabbed her phone.

"Sassy, I'm talking to him." Gauri tells her as she held her phone tight.

"Give it!" Sassy as as she got on bed and pulled hard.

"I'm talking to him."

"No, give me.. give me!" Sassy remained stubborn.

Giving up, Gauri lets go. Sassy falls back on the bed, but without breaking momentum, she says, "Baba!"

"My khargosh." Omkara says happily.

Sassy chuckles. "Do you know what happened in school today?"

"What?" Omkara asks smiling happily.

Gauri watched as Sassy and Omkara spoke to each other.

"I was thinking of getting you a rabbit, Sahasra." Omkara tells her.

"Really?" Sassy shouts excitedly. "Mama, did you hear that?"

"Yeah, I heard. But how will she manage, Omkara?" Gauri asks in concern. "When she comes here, what about the rabbit?"

"I'll bring it with me." Sassy declares.

"It is not easy taking a pet up and down, darling." Gauri gently tells her.

Sassy, Omkara and she had got used to and adjusted to their travel up and down.

"Nani will watch my rabbit." Sassy says hopefully.

"You've better luck with Dadiji watching your pet than Nani." Gauri tells her grinning.

"Let the rabbit be here. I'll take care of it. When I am not here, Ma will watch the pet." Omkara tells them.

"YES!"

**********

Next day, Gauri comes home from work and Sassy was already home.

"Mama!" Sassy runs to her excitedly. "I have holiday day after."

"Really? How come?" Gauri asks as she picked her up and kissed her.

"Some renovation work there." Vasundhara informs her.

"Ah."

"When Baba goes back, I'll go with him." Sassy tells her excitedly.

"But, bacha, Baba is going to be busy with sowing when he goes back. Will you get bored?" Gauri asks her.

"No, I'll go with him for sowing." Sassy says excitedly.

Gauri smiles. "Okay."

"Don't tell Baba when he comes. We'll surprise him." Sassy tells her excitedly.

Gauri smiles happily. "Okay, then go and pack your bag now itself before Baba reaches tonight."

"Okay." Sassy excitedly gets down and runs off to their room.

Gauri smiles. Starting this year beginning, Gauri had asked Sassy to pack her bag herself. But without her knowing, Gauri checks her bag after she was done to see if she forgot something. Lately, Sassy has learned to pack her bag perfectly.

"Gauri... why did you agree without checking with Omkara first?" Vasundhara asks her in concern.

"Why?" Gauri asks confused. "What is the need to ask?"

"But you've to ask."

"You never ask me. Omkara is her father."

"But it is not like that. Will he be able to manage? you said he is busy." Vasundhara quickly justifies.

Gauri looks at her mother offended and says. "Omkara will look after her much better than you and me. And he'll be happy too."

**********

Hearing the doorbell, Gauri and Sassy runs to the door and opens it. Omkara happily picks up Sassy and kisses her. Then holding his daughter, he hugs Gauri.

"Ah you reached?" Vasundhara asks smiling as she saw him.

Seeing her, Omkara stops smiling and says. "The mangoes are not ripe. It needs to be stored properly for a few more days. You are not going to do that, so, I kept it there. I'll bring it next week."

"Hmmm okay." Vasundhara says disappointed as she hugged him.

"You're worse than Sassy." Gauri says shaking her head.

Hearing that Sassy frowns at Gauri. "I am the best, isn't it, Baba?" Sassy asks Omkara.

Omkara chuckles. "Obviously."

Gauri and Omkara look at each other grin.

**********

Omkara gets out of the lift with Sassy in his arms.

"Mama has a meeting now. So, we'll go to Uncle Rudra's office, okay?" Omkara asks her.

"Okay." Sassy replies then noticing Shakti, she happily calls him. "Grandpa!"

Shakti turns and seeing her, he walks to her happily.

Omkara lets her down and Sassy runs to Shakti.

"You again." Shakti says disinterestedly seeing Omkara.

Omkara cheekily smiles at him.

"Every Wednesday the productivity of my company goes down!" Shakti says.

"Oh that is so sad. But I am happy to know that it is my wife and brother who is keeping this company afloat."

Shakti scowls at him then ignoring him, he turns to Sassy.

"How come you didn't come last week?" Shakti asks her as he picked her up.

"Baba and I went to the zoo."

"Oh nice. Did you have fun?"

"Yes! There were lots of animals." Sassy says excitedly.

Shakti takes Sassy and walks off. Omkara goes to Rudra's cabin.

"Where is Sassy?" Rudra asks seeing Omkara walk in.

"Stop butchering my daughter's name." Omkara tells him.

"Your wife started it." Rudra reminds him laughing.

"I can't say anything to her. She hated the name but still let me keep the name." Omkara tells him chuckling.

Rudra chuckles.

"I saw chachaji outside." Omkara informs him as he took a seat.

Rudra laughs. "Last week, when you didn't come. He got so worked up. He kept asking indirectly whether everything was fine between Gauri and you."

Omkara laughs. "Gauri told me. I think, there is still fear in everyone that Gauri and I'll fail."

"You both are happy. Sassy is happy. I don't know why people still fear that things might take a turn for the worse." Rudra says.

Omkara grins. "They care for us."

"Yeah." Omkara says then hearing his mobile ring, he checks. "It's Gauri. Her meeting is over." Omkara says standing up.

"I'll see you later then." Rudra says.

Omkara nods and goes to Gauri's cabin.

He had transferred his shares to Gauri long back, and she is now one of the Directors.

**********

Early next morning, they wake up as it was time for Omkara to leave.

"Baba... guess what?" Sassy asks him excitedly.

"What?" Omkara asks curiously as he looked at her as he got ready and stops in shock, seeing her bathed and ready.

"I'm coming with you." Sassy informs him excitedly.

"What? What about school?" Omkara asks surprised.

"I've holiday." Sassy informs him.

Surprised he turns to Gauri. "You should have told me, Gauri. I would have brought car."

Omkara took the bus up and down, as he used that time to catch upon his sleep.

"She wanted to surprise you. You take my car, I'll come by bus tomorrow." Gauri tells him.

"No, I want to go in bus with Baba... please, baba?" Sassy cutely pleads.

Seeing her, pleading Omkara smiles. "Okay. Let's go?"

"YES!"

Omkara picks her up and throws her in the air, making her laugh happily.

**********

"Where is Sassy?" Gauri asks Omkara over video call that evening.

"She is playing with her friends." Omkara tells her as he turned the back camera on and showed her Sassy playing with her friends.

"My God, she is so dirty!" Gauri says shocked.

"She came with me to the fields. She was enjoying it like anything." Omkara tells her smiling as he shifted the camera to front.

Gauri smiles.

"Feels like, she is going to want to be a farmer one day."

Gauri smiles hearing that. "My husband and my daughter farmers? I don't think anything else can make me more prouder than that."

Omkara smiles then he asks lovingly. "How are you? First time, you are not staying with her."

"I miss her. House is so silent. How do you stay without her?" Gauri asks him.

"Are you staying without me?" Omkara asks her back.

Gauri shakes her head. "You never made me feel like that."

"Even you two never made me feel that you two are not with me somedays." Omkara tells her smiling.

Gauri smiles hearing that.

"I forgot, the dress you ordered reached. She is wearing that." Omkara tells her as he turned the back camera on.

Since, they kept going up and down, they had wardrobes in both places so they didn't have to carry their clothes. Sassy's clothes had become small for her and Gauri had ordered some.

"Ah it is correct size for her." Gauri says.

"Yeah... some are a little big. But she will grow into them in a bit." Omkara says.

"Oh my God... she is so beautiful." Gauri gushes.

Omkara looks at his daughter. There were mud on her clothes and body. Her hair was a mess. He smiles lovingly. "Yeah, she is."

"How didn't you ever fall for her?" Gauri asks in shock.

Confused and frowning, Omkara looks at the screen and sees Durga in the far end talking to her husband.

"Gauri... at times, I get a little concerned seeing your crush on her." Omkara gently tells her.

"How come you never had a crush on her?" Gauri asks in disbelief.

"Because beauty is not everything." Omkara tells her.

**********

Gauri smiles seeing Omkara waiting for her with Sassy sitting on his shoulders. She parks her car and gets out. Omkara walks to her and hugs her. Gauri picks up Sassy in her arms as she hugged Omkara.

After meeting her in-laws, seeing Sassy's new rabbit and then having dinner, Gauri and Omkara retires to their bedroom.

Gauri hugs Omkara and they kiss each other happily.

"I want to tell you something." Gauri tells him happily.

Seeing her, so happy, he guesses excitedly, "You are pregnant."

"Yes." Gauri says excitedly as she hugged him.

Omkara hugs her happily.

"And I have decided." Gauri tells him as she looked at him.

"What?"

"I asked Chachaji, and he gave permission. For the next one and a half years, we are staying here. I'll work in the factory here." Gauri tells him.

"What? Why?" Omkara asks shocked and surprised.

"Because when I was pregnant with Sassy, you said it is not safe to travel back and forth. I can't stay five days and all without seeing you."

"What about Sassy's school?"

"I spoke to her principal. Sassy will join a school here. Then when we shift back, they will take her in."

"You sure?" Omkara asks her.

"Yes."

Omkara smiles as he hugged her happily. "What about Mama?"

"I told her that I'll be staying here for 1 1/2 years."

"Did you tell her about the baby?"

"No, how can I tell anyone else before you?" Gauri asks smiling.

Omkara smiles. "So what did Mama says?"

"She asked what about her mangoes!"

Omkara chuckles. "What about her having to stay alone?"

"I gave her permission to get a paying guest for the time we are here. And she is coming next week to get her mangoes."

Omkara chuckles.

"Mama... Baba..." Sassy knocks on the door.

Omkara opens the door for her and Sassy walks in carrying her pet cage. "Bunny and I am sleeping here." Sassy declares as she kept the cage in a corner.

"What happened to sleeping with Daddaji and Dadiji?" Omkara asks curiously.

"Dadiji slept off then Daddaji also." Sassy frowns as she got on the bed.

Omkara and Gauri gets on the bed, on her either side.

"We want to tell you something, khargosh."

"What?"

Omkara and Gauri smile happily at each other. Omkara tells her, "You are going to have a baby sister or baby brother."

"REALLY?" Sassy asks excitedly. "When will the baby come? Tomorrow?"

They chuckle hearing that. "No, Sahasra. Baby is in Mama's tummy now. Baby will come in..." Omkara stops and looks at Gauri.

"8 months." Gauri says.

"8 months?" Sassy asks disappointed.

"Time will fly and till then you and Mama will be staying here."

"Really?" Sassy asks excitedly.

"Yes."

Gauri was dosing off, when Sassy pokes her. "Mama..."

"Yes?"

"How did the baby get inside your tummy?"

"Huh?" Gauri stops in shock hearing that.

Omkara softly chuckles hearing that.

Hearing that, Gauri says, "Ask Baba."

"Baba..." Sassy turns to him. "How did the baby get inside Mama's tummy?"

"Hmmm... you know, when Baba had come there... or maybe when Mama had come here... you saw how Baba sowed the seeds?"

Sassy nods.

"Like that Baba sowed the seeds."

"What?" Gauri sits up in shock. "I can't believe you just told our baby that!"

"What else was I supposed to say, tangri kebab?"

Gauri glares at him in shock.

"Baba..."

"Yes?"

"I want a baby in my tummy."

Gauri glares at Omkara.

"Er... no... no baby in tummy before marriage." Omkara hastily says.

Sassy pouts sadly.

"Both of you, go to sleep." Gauri orders as she laid down.

"Baba..."

Gauri hears the soft whispers.

She turns to look.

"Hmmm?"

"i want to get married." Sassy whispers to him.

"God! Like father like daughter!" Gauri declares then looking at her tummy, she orders, "You better not be like them!"

*** The End ***

The long epilogue was to show that it did work for them.

Hope you guys liked the story.

Please vote and comment

- Lazy.