​Thanks to all for voting and commenting on the previous story.

Previous story : Undeserving Love

Missed me😊 ?

I am not back to full fledged writing, but this is a start 😊....

Note:

The starting is a little like DBO, I tried to think of different scenarios but nothing worked out for me, so I decided to just go with the DBO one. And I feel, because it is the only serial I am watching now, my stories are having an "Imlie" influence in them.

Lately, I've been writing stories with good guys because I like stories with good guys. I am at that head space where I think that the guy and girl should be worthy of one other from the get go. I don't want one to go through hell to be worthy of the other's love, specially a bad boy hero who is so not worth it. Saying all that, I just couldn't help with the way, how Omkara in this story behaves like an ass and Gauri has to go through hell for him.

for a while now, I have been wanting to write a story where the city bred hero comes to a village and falls in love with the village girl, a completely light hearted story but when I started thinking of the story, I couldn't help with the way, this story was formed. So, I am with this almost of an ass hero and an all bearing heroine.

I do hope to write that lighthearted story one day😊

For now, I hope you guys enjoy this story.

P.S: I know, this hero is a lot like Shivaay but... 😉

Warning: this story is riddled with clichés, and it is long.

Forgive me: for the medical blunders in this story.

As the train came to a stop, Omkara drops his bag onto the platform, then he picks up the second bag and drops it next to the first one, then picking up the third bag, he puts it on his right shoulder and jumps down the train. He stands on the platform as he looked to his left and right, trying to find a porter to carry his bags. The train honks to signal its departure. He unconsciously rubs his left arm which was still on a sling as he tried to figure out what to do next.

"MOVE! PLEASE MOVE! GET OUT OF MY WAY!"

Hearing the loud pleas, Omkara looks to the sound and a sees a disheveled girl running towards him waving her hands frantically.

"PLEASE MOVE!"

Realizing she was intending to board the train, Omkara moves to the side. Then realizing that his bags were a hurdle for her, he bends down and starts to move it out of the way.

Gauri, who had noticed the bags on the ground, had moved to the side taking a wider path to the train, when Omkara without realizing that, throws his bag to the side, right on her path. Before Gauri could notice it, she had tripped on his bag and had fell flat on the ground.

Hearing her shout out in pain, Omkara looks up and realizes what had happened.

"I am sorry..." Omkara says as he tried to give her his good hand to help her up.

Gauri looks up and notices that the train had started. "No... no... I've to get on the train." Gauri says frantically as she tried to get up.

"Take my hand." Omkara tells her feeling guilty for having caused her to almost miss her train.

Gauri keeps her hand on his and he pulls her up. Gauri was about to run to the running train which was picking up speed when she tripped again. Omkara quickly wraps his hand around her waist to break her fall.

"DON'T LET HER GO!"

Hearing the furious order, Omkara turns to the sound and sees a group of people coming hurrying to them.

"Leave me!" Gauri screams in panic seeing them.

Omkara quickly let go off her and Gauri starts to run and trips again. feeling something heavy on her legs, she looks down and finds his bag's strap tangled up on her ankles. She frantically starts to kick her leg to free herself as she turned back to look at the angry mob and sees that they had reached her. by the time, she freed her leg the train had left the platform.

"GET HER!"

"They are going to kill me." Gauri tells Omkara in panic.

Omkara frowns hearing that. "What?"

He notices a man about to grab Gauri, and he quickly holds that man and pushes him away.

"What are you doing?" Omkara asks them in fury.

"shehri, stay out of this." One elderly man orders him. "This is a matter of the panchayat."

"What are you going to do with her?" Omkara asks him.

"She is an immoral girl and she is to be punished."

"I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING." Gauri protests in fury.

"She is a liar!" one man screams.

"You are the liar!" Gauri accuses him. Gauri turns to the stranger who seemed to wanted to help her and tells him. "I was working in his house as a maid. He was troubling me for days. I told his family but they just ignored it. Then I left that job but he still continued to trouble me, so I complained to the panchayat and he brought fake witnesses and proved to them I was trying to seduce him. now, they have ordered to stone me to death."

Omkara reels in shock hearing the girl. Her story was such a sore point for him that his eyes filled up with furious tears. Omkara gently holds the girl and moves her behind him shielding her.

Noticing that, a man come forward to take Gauri. Omkara furiously kicks him. seeing that a man comes charging with a sword aiming at Gauri. Omkara quickly grabs on the sword. His palm started bleeding, but he doesn't let go. He kicks him and the man staggers back.

Seeing the man losing his balance, Gauri pushes him with all her might, and he falls back. His grip on the sword loosened, Omkara quickly holds the sword and aims it at the mob.

"It is not your place to punish her." Omkara tells them furiously.

"You don't come into our place and fight us." the elderly man says as he gestured to the guards.

Soon, there were about six people standing in a semi-circle in front of them with swords.

Realizing that he was out numbered, Omkara tells them. "If she has done some crime then take her to the police. You have no right to take a life."

"This is our land and it is our panchayat. We are the law."

"Let her go." Omkara warns as he pointed the sword at the man.

"Why are you getting in between all this? Who is she to you?"

"She is no one to me."

"Then step aside. You've no voice in this matter."

"What nonsense?" Omkara asks in outrage.

"This is your last warning."

"You go otherwise they will kill you too." Gauri tells him as she fought her tears. Her heart breaking realizing that she was going to die.

"What?" Omkara turns to look at her in shock. "They will kill you."

"They will kill you too if you interfere." Gauri tells him. "Thank you for trying to help me."

Seeing the girl trying to be strong as she fought her tears in the face of death, his resolve to protect her became stronger. He turns to the elderly man and tells him, "I can't let you kill her."

"Let?" the man asks offended. "Who are you to come in between all this? This doesn't concern you. move out of our way otherwise it won't be good for you."

Omkara turns to the Gauri and asks her, "Are you married? Do you have any relatives?"

Gauri shakes her head in negative. "I am an orphan. I don't have anyone."

Omkara sighs.

"Thank you for thinking for me. I don't want you also to get hurt. You go." Gauri tells him.

"You heard her. now, move."

Omkara shifts the sword to his left arm and takes his bleeding hand and rubs it on her forehead. Gauri's eyes widen in shock.

Omkara turns to the men and sees them all staring at him in shocked confusion.

"I married her. She is my wife now. now, this is my matter. However, my wife is, it is my personal problem, I'll handle it."

"This is no marriage!" the man she had accused says in fury.

"He filled her maang." The elderly man says.

"That doesn't mean they are married!"

"It does." He declares. "Now, it is his problem. The panchayat won't interfere." Saying that, the elderly man walks off, and the people follow him.

Gauri steps forward and stands next to the stranger as she glared at Ajay and Ajay furiously glares at her.

"Stop staring at my wife." Omkara orders him.

Ajay furiously looks at Omkara.

"Or do you want me to call all those people back here and do a panchayat on you?" Omkara asks him.

Glaring at both of them, Ajay walks off.

When the last man also walked away, Omkara drops the sword.

Gauri loudly sighs in relief and says a silent prayer thanking God for sending this man to save her. she looks at him and sees him shake his bleeding hand in pain. Gauri quickly grabs his hand to check on his hand.

"it's bleeding." Gauri worriedly tells him.

"It's okay." Omkara replies as he freed his hand and shook his hand to ward off the pain.

"Come with me." Gauri tells him as she bends down and took his bags.

Omkara starts to take the bag from her but she shakes her head. "Both your hands are hurt."

Not wanting her to carry all three bags, he takes the heaviest, and puts it on his shoulder.

Gauri takes Omkara to a tap and helps him wash his hand. Then Gauri walks to the small medical store in the dilapidated railway station with Omkara tagging behind her.

"Bhai saab, do you have something to dress his wound?" Gauri asks him.

He nods and hands Gauri a packet of gauze, cottons and medicine. Seeing the condition of the store, Omkara quickly takes the items and checks the expiry date and manufacturing details.

"We sell only first quality items here." The shopkeeper says offended seeing Omkara checking the items.

"First quality, this?" Omkara asks him in a mocking tone.

"If you don't want give it back then."

"No... no... we want them." Gauri quickly says.

Omkara pulls out his wallet from his pocket and takes out the cash and gives to the shopkeeper.

"Show me your hand." Gauri says as she opens the items.

Omkara gives her his hand, and Gauri starts dressing his wound.

"Thank you for saving my life." Gauri tells Omkara as she looked at him.

Omkara shrugs in reply.

"You didn't have to do all that, but you still did. I'll never forget it. Thank you." Gauri tells him, her eyes filling up. The kindness he had shown her, no one ever did.

"What are you going to do now?" Omkara asks her.

Gauri shrugs sadly. "I don't want to stay here. Whichever train comes next, I'll take that."

"When is the next train?"

"I don't know."

"Find out. I'll stay till then."

Gauri nods and walks to the station master to find out.

"Saab, when is the next train?"

"Tomorrow afternoon." He replies and walk off.

"Oh." Gauri whispers in disappointment, she turns and sees Omkara behind her.

"What will you do now?"

"I'll wait here. You go." Gauri tells him.

Omkara looks around the empty station and realizes that it was no safe place, especially for her. "If one of them comes back and finds you here alone, you could be in trouble again."

Gauri nods helplessly.

"You come with me. stay the night and then come back at the time of your train." Omkara tells her.

"But..." Gauri whispers scandalized.

"You won't be safe here."

"It won't be decent if I come with you." Gauri tells him in shock.

"You'll be safe with me." Omkara tells her, shocked at her looking at proprietary at such a time. "And they all think you are my wife now."

Gauri nervously gulps considering going with him.

"But if you don't want to do that then I'll stay here with you till tomorrow."

"No... no... I'll come." Gauri says not wanting to trouble the kind man anymore.

Omkara nods, "Let's go then."

"Where are you going?" Gauri asks him.

"I need to find a place to stay actually." Omkara informs her.

"There is a lodge outside the station."

"Let's go there then." Omkara tells her.

Gauri nods and walks with him. "I am Gauri."

Omkara turns to look at her and nods, then realizing she was waiting for him to tell her his name, he says "Om."

Gauri smiles and nods.

*********

"I'll do it?" Gauri asks gently seeing Omkara struggling to hold the pen.

"Thanks." Omkara says as he gave her the pen.

Gauri starts writing the details while Omkara watched her write Om in the lodge register.

"Address?" Gauri asks him.

Hearing that question, Omkara's heart skips a beat. What was he going to give as his address?

"Address?" Gauri repeats again.

"Is it necessary?" Omkara asks the manager.

The manager who was staring at Gauri, looks at Omkara. "Yes."

"I have no address."

"No address, no room." he replies then he turns to Gauri and asks her, "Is that blood on your forehead?"

Gauri touches her maang realizing she hadn't washed off his blood. Gauri nods and ignoring him, she starts writing in the register.

Curious, Omkara looks at what she was writing, and sees that she had written C/O Gauri and an address of an orphanage.

Gauri looks at Omkara and sees him reading what she had written.

"That is where I grew up. Till I get a permanent address, the matron told me I can use the orphanage's address." Gauri explains to him.

Omkara nods. "Thank you."

"Please don't say thank you to me." Gauri tells him.

"Are you two the ones who got married in the railway station today?" the manager asks curiously.

Gauri and Omkara turns to him in shock, wondering how he had found out that.

"Are you?" he asks again.

Omkara nods in yes.

"Do you even know each other?" he asks them.

"Your job is not to ask questions." a man furiously tells him from behind him.

The manager quickly turns back and look at the man.

"Did he give an address?" he asks him.

The manager looks at the book and says, "She gave an orphanage's address as her address."

The man walks forward and looks at the register book with a frown.

"She is the one they were going to stone to death today." the manager says in a loud whisper.

Omkara was about to blast him when the other man furiously turns to the manager and asks him, "They were going to stone someone to death and you were simply sitting here? Why didn't you call the police?"

"You only tell me not to interfere." The manager worriedly replies.

"With the guests! Not with these things!"

"How can I go against the panchayat? Not everyone is like you!"

"Panchayat!" he says in disgust and curses under his breath. Then he looks at Gauri and asks her gently, "Are you okay now?"

Gauri nods her head in yes.

"Give them the key." He orders the manager then turning to Omkara and Gauri, he tells them, "If you need anything let me know."

Gauri and Omkara nods.

"Ask for Shivaay."

"Thank you." Gauri tells him.

He nods. "I'll have someone bring your food to your room by dinner time."

********

"I've heard of him." Gauri tells Omkara as they walked into their room.

"He is famous?" Omkara asks her as he looked around the room disapprovingly.

"For a time. actually, infamous." Gauri tells him.

"Hmmm."

"A dispute regarding his father's last rites. He went against the whole panchayat."

"Why does this panchayat always interfere in everyone's personal issues?" Omkara asks feeling disgusted.

"It's not like that. If you go to the panchayat with your problem, then they will take it up." Gauri explains to him.

"And look what that got you." Omkara scoffs.

Gauri looks down hurt and heart broken. "I thought they would give me justice."

"Anyway, you are leaving this place. There is a world outside this place, where real law and order exists." Omkara tells her.

Gauri sighs feeling anxious about going to a strange and unknown place.

Hearing him open his bag, Gauri turns to look and sees him taking fresh clothes. Omkara closes the bag as he looked around frowning in confusion.

"Where is the bathroom?" Omkara asks shocked.

"It might be outside." Gauri guesses.

"No attached bathroom?" Omkara asks shocked. "What kind of..." Omkara stops realizing what he was about to say. Shaking his head, he starts to take off his sling.

Seeing him struggling, Gauri walks to him and without a word, starts helping him remove it.

"Thanks. Lock the door." Omkara tells her and goes for his shower.

*********

Noticing the heating rod, coffee powder and sugar on the table, Gauri walks to the table to make coffee.

"Gauri..." Omkara calls her as he knocked on the door. "It's Om."

Gauri quickly opens the door for him.

"Do you want to take a shower?" Omkara asks her curiously as he kept aside his dirty clothes.

"I don't have change of clothes." Gauri tells him.

Omkara thoughtfully looks at her and then he asks her, "If you want I can give you my clothes. it will be loose for you but for the night, it would be fine."

"You won't mind?" Gauri asks him curiously.

"You can keep it." Omkara tells her with a shrug as he pulled out a pair of t-shirt and pajama.

"Thank you." Gauri tells him as she took it from him.

"It's okay." Omkara replies, as he took his sling to wear it.

"Give." Gauri says knowing that he would need her help. Omkara hands it to her.

Gauri starts putting the sling for him while Omkara bit on the knot on the gauze on his other hand to remove it. Gauri finishes off the sling then she helps him remove the gauze that had got wet when he took his shower.

"Do you want to change that too?" Gauri asks him pointing to the bandage on his forehead as she finished up his hand.

Omkara nods as he pulled out fresh bandage.

"What happened to you?" Gauri asks as she gestured him to sit so she can see his forehead clearly.

"Accident."

Gauri nods as she removed the bandage and saw the stitch marks. Looks like his forehead was going to have a scar.

"Thanks." Omkara tells her once she was done.

"I told you, you don't have to thank me." Gauri tells him.

"I was about to make coffee for me, do you want some?" Gauri asks pointing at the table.

Omkara looks at the table and seeing the items kept there, he shakes his head in disgust. "That doesn't look hygienic."

"It is." Gauri replies shocked.

"I don't want." Omkara replies with a shrug.

Gauri starts to make coffee by putting the heating rod inside the mug after filling it with water. She turns on the switch and waits for the water to boil.

Hearing a knock at the door, they curiously look at each other.

"It might be the food." Gauri tells him, as she opened the door which was right next to the table. She stops in shock seeing Ajay with two of his friends.

Gauri quickly tries to close the door at the same time, he pushes on the door to open it. "Om." Gauri calls him worriedly.

"Who is it?" Omkara asks as he hurried to the door and sees Ajay at the door.

Furious, he runs to the door and kicks Ajay squarely on his chest. Ajay staggers back. Omkara was about to kick him again when Ajay's friends hold him.

"Get her!" Ajay tells his friend.

Omkara kicks him again and he falls down.

"Gauri, close the door." Omkara shouts to her as he struggled to fight the men, his both hands were useless at present. Omkara turns to the man on his right, and with all his might, he head-butts him.

The man falls down, and Omkara kicks the other down. Then he moves to Ajay, his frustration and restlessness of the last one month, hitting a crescendo and he goes full berserker on Ajay, furiously thrashing him.

Suddenly he was pulled back by the two friends. Ajay staggers up, though he wanted to thrash Omkara, he didn't have the strength for it.

"Gauri, close the damn door." Omkara screams seeing that Gauri was still staring at them. "Don't you dare go near her, you bastard!" Omkara screams seeing Ajay walking into the room.

Omkara was about to push off the men when he hears Ajay howling in pain, all three stop in shock and look to the room, they see Ajay staggering back.

"You, bitch," Ajay screams in fury.

Gauri comes out of the room, holding the heating rod in her hand and the mug in her other hand. "Om." Gauri gestures him to come to her side.

Pushing off the two men, Omkara moves near Gauri. When Omkara moved away and she had a clear path, Gauri throws the hot water on the two men. They howl in pain. Omkara take the heating rod from her and pokes it on Ajay's chest and he howls.

Since, Gauri had took the heating off the plug, Omkara knew it was starting to cool down. He kicks the guy on the floor, when the other one grabs his leg to stop him.

"Let go off him!" Gauri screams as she ran to the men.

Omkara noticing Gauri, quickly wraps his hand on her waist, and pick her up.

Gauri looks at Omkara in shock.

"Kick him on his face." Omkara instructs her, as he swung her around.

Gauri wraps her hands around Omkara's shoulders and with all her might, kicks him on his face and he falls back screaming in pain. Omkara swings her towards Ajay and she kicks him as she well.

"What the hell?" Shivaay asks in fury seeing the scene before him. "Call the police." Shivaay instructs the manager and runs to help Omkara and Gauri.

Seeing Shivaay joining them, Omkara sets Gauri down and he fights the men. Seeing that, Gauri couldn't stay back, she also joins in the fight. Soon, all three men were a bloody pulp on the floor.

********

"You okay?" Omkara asks Gauri after the police had left with the men.

Gauri nods her head as she rubbed her hands on her arms as she tried to ward off the chill from the scare she had experienced.

"I don't know what would have happened to me, if you weren't here." Gauri worriedly tells him.

"If I wasn't here, then you wouldn't be here." Omkara points out to her.

"I would have been dead, if not for you." Gauri reminds him.

Omkara sighs, not knowing what to tell her.

Hearing a knock at the door, Gauri goes white in fear.

"They are arrested." Omkara reminds her and opens the door.

One of the staff brings in the food for them, after keeping it on the table, he leaves.

"Let's eat." Omkara says realizing he was famished.

Gauri nods realizing she was starving. They sit together and eat in silence.

"didn't you want to take a shower?" Omkara asks her curiously seeing her making no moves to take her shower after their dinner.

"It's okay, I don't want to." Gauri replies.

"Gauri, they are in jail now, no one is going to hurt you." Omkara tells her realizing she was scared.

Gauri shakes her head, she was too shaken to think straight.

"Come, I'll stand outside the bathroom while you shower."

"No, it's okay."

"Come." Omkara says and walks out.

Seeing him walk out, Gauri quickly grabs the clothes he had given her and hurries behind him.

"Thank you." Gauri tells him as she came out after her shower and found him leaning on the wall looking out the window in the corridor.

"They can't hurt you anymore." Omkara tells her.

Gauri nods as she looked down.

"You should sleep, we have to go to the police station tomorrow morning. Then you have to get to the railway station also."

*********

"I will sleep on the floor." Gauri tells him as there was only a big bed in the room.

"It's a big bed, we can sleep on the bed." Omkara tells her, he had chosen the room with double bed for that.

"What?" Gauri screeches scandalized.

Omkara looks at her in amazement, wondering how the panchayat believed she was immoral?

"We can't sleep on the same bed." Gauri tells him.

"I can't sleep on the floor." Omkara tells her in finality.

"I will sleep on the floor; you take the bed."

"Okay then." Omkara replies and gets on the bed while Gauri took the pillow and got comfortable on the floor.

They both twisted and turned, trying to get some sleep. Gauri was worried about her future while Omkara was thinking about his past, and more than that, he was uncomfortable with the hot room and the lack of AC.

Unable to lie down, Gauri sits up and wraps her hands around her legs. She rests her head on her lap, as she thought of the events of the day and her future.

She couldn't help wonder if the sarpanch was right and now she was married to Om. she knew that he had done it because he had no other way to help her. but still a part of her couldn't help wonder if she was his wife? Did she consider herself his wife? She had no answer. And what did she know about him other than his name? absolutely nothing. And he didn't seem to want to share more about himself. All she knew was that, she is alive now because of him and in no way, was she going to cause any trouble for him. she didn't even know if he had someone waiting for him. she had no doubts that he didn't consider them married. And that alone should be reason enough for her to not contemplate on this. Tomorrow, she was leaving this place and they would never meet each other again.

"I told you to sleep on the bed." Omkara tells her as he sat up.

Gauri looks up at him in shock hearing him. she had assumed he had slept. "What?"

"You don't have to lie there uncomfortably. The bed is big enough for the both of us." Omkara tells her.

"It's not that. I am used to sleeping on the floor." Gauri tells him.

"Then why aren't you sleeping?" Omkara asks her confused.

"Why aren't you sleeping?" Gauri asks him back wondering what his issue was for lack of sleep.

"It's hot." Omkara shrugs.

"It gets very hot during summer and very cold during winter." Gauri tells him. "We have got used to it."

"So, why aren't you sleeping?" Omkara asks her.

"I was just thinking about tomorrow." Gauri tells him as she worriedly sighs.

"About leaving?"

"Yes. How long are you going to be here?" Gauri asks him as suddenly a thought struck her.

"Haven't decided." Omkara replies looking away thoughtfully.

"If the panchayat finds out that I am not here, won't they realize that we didn't really get married? They could take you to trial." Gauri worriedly tells him.

Omkara looks at her with a frown realizing that she was right. if anyone saw him without her then definitely questions will arise.

"You take my number, if anything like that happens, you call me immediately. Wherever I am, I'll come back." Gauri tells him urgently.

Omkara nods and takes his mobile and save her number.

"If anyone asks for you, I'll tell them that I send you to my home as you were no longer safe here, especially with what had happened tonight." Omkara tells her.

"Ah, that is a good idea." Gauri says smiling feeling relieved that he wouldn't be in any problem because of her.

"Why are you here?" Gauri asks him.

Omkara looks at her for a few seconds then without replying he looks away, as he had no idea why he was there.

"If you don't want to tell me, then it is okay." Gauri quickly tells him.

"I'm a painter. I'm here for inspiration." Omkara replies without looking at her.

"That is so nice." Gauri says smiling. "There are lot of beautiful places here." Gauri tells him.

"You love this place." Omkara points out in amazement, seeing her talk nice about the place that gave her such a horrible experience.

"This is the only home I know." Gauri replies to him.

"Where are you planning to go?" Omkara asks her.

"Wherever the train takes me."

"And then?" Omkara asks her curiously.

"I'll find some work." Gauri replies with a shrug.

"Hmmm.... You take my number. Wherever you go, call me and tell me which city you are in. maybe I will be able to help you get a job." Omkara tells her.

"You can?" Gauri asks unable to hide her excited smile and relief. She quickly grabs her phone and look at him expectantly to give her his number.

Seeing the smile on her face, he finally noticed that she was a beautiful girl.

"Om?" Gauri calls him seeing him lost in thoughts.

Shaking his head at his silly thoughts, Omkara looks at his phone and dials her number, and her phone rings. "That's my number."

"Thank you." Gauri says smiling as she cut the call and saved his number. "It won't be a trouble for you, right?" she asks him in concern.

Omkara shakes his head in negative. "I don't know whether I can help you for sure."

"I understand. I don't want to trouble you anymore."

Omkara nods. "If you get to Mumbai then I'll definitely be able to help you. other places, it would depend."

Gauri nods. "Are you from Mumbai?" Gauri asks him curiously.

Omkara looks away hearing her question. "You should sleep. it is late."

Gauri nods realizing he didn't want to talk about himself.

*******

The next day, Omkara and Gauri reached the police station to give their statement against Ajay and his friends. While they were giving their statement, Shivaay also reached to give his statement.

"What is your name?" the writer asks as he finished recording their statement. "And your Aadhaar Card too."

Omkara's heart skips a beat hearing that, he knew he couldn't get away with just a Om here.

Taking a deep breath, he says, "Omkara Singh Oberoi." He takes his Adhaar Card from his wallet and gives it to him.

Hearing his full name, Gauri turns to look at him in surprise realizing that Om was just a shortened version of his name.

After noting down the details, he hands Omkara his card back and turns to Gauri. "Name and ID?"

"Gauri."

"Gauri what? Full name?" he asks as he wrote down Gauri.

"Just Gauri. no surname." Gauri whispers as she looked down feeling helpless. "I'm an orphan."

"oh... do you have any ID?" he asks her.

"Old one from orphanage."

"Give it."

Gauri takes her ID from her purse and gives it to him.

"You are no longer an inmate of the orphanage so you should be getting a proper identity proof." He tells her as he looked at it.

Gauri nods in reply. he quickly starts taking down the necessary details.

"Aren't you filing a case against the panchayat?" Shivaay asks Gauri in a whisper.

Gauri shakes her head in negative. She wasn't going to be here to handle all that.

Shivaay sighs furiously hearing that.

*******

"When there is a police station here, why did you go to the panchayat?" Omkara asks her in confusion as they walked out.

"No one goes to the police here. Everyone goes to the panchayat. Police take forever and the court case. Panchayat is immediate justice." Gauri tells him.

"Of course, it would be immediate. they don't investigate, just give verdict." Omkara says in utter disgust.

Gauri looks down realizing that he was right. sadly, she had to learn it the hard way.

"Omkara!" Shivaay calls him from behind.

Omkara and Gauri stop and turn to look at Shivaay. Shivaay walks to them with a slight frown on his face.

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

"Why are you here?" Shivaay asks him with a frown.

"What?" Omkara asks frowning at the audacity of the man to question him.

"Why are you here? Are you related to someone here? Or are you here for something else?" Shivaay asks him.

"Why do you ask?" Omkara asks him.

Shivaay shrugs with a frown.

"He is a painter. He is here for inspiration." Gauri answers seeing them staring at each other without saying anything.

Shivaay looks at Gauri then he turns to Omkara waiting for him to confirm.

"I don't know anyone here." Omkara truthfully replies. "I don't understand why it is any of your business why I am here."

Shivaay nods. "I was just curious." Shivaay replies and walks off.

They both watched as Shivaay left on his bike. Gauri turns to look at Omkara and sees him frowning thoughtfully.

"I've to get my stuff." Gauri tells him.

"Where is it?" Omkara asks as he turned to look at her.

"At the orphanage, Matron let me stay there till I find another work. So, I'll get it and go to the station from there."

"You are leaving?" Omkara asks shocked, his heart skipping a beat not realizing why he was having such a reaction to her departure.

"Yes." Gauri tells him. "Thank you so much for all that you did for me."

Omkara nods.

Gauri smiles at him, her eyes filling at the thought of leaving the one person who had gone above and beyond to help her. "If there is any problem, call me."

"You also, call." Omkara tells her, his heart beat raising, panicking at the thought of her leaving.

"Bye." Gauri tells him with a sad smile.

"Bye."

Gauri walks off while Omkara stood there and watched her leave.

*******

After collecting her stuff, Gauri was walking to the railway station in a hurry, praying that she doesn't run into any of the panchayat members. Though, she had decided that if they ask something, then she would lie that she had gone to collect her stuff and was meeting her husband at the lodge. As she reached the station, she heaves a sigh of relief for having got to the station undetected.

Seeing a now, familiar figure in front of the station, Gauri frowns as she hurried to him.

"You are also leaving?" Gauri asks Omkara curiously.

"I wanted to talk to you." Omkara tells her.

"Yeah, tell me." Gauri replies.

"I was thinking..." Omkara nervously starts.

Gauri nods.

"Do you have to go?" Omkara asks her, nervously gulping.

"I didn't understand." Gauri replies confused.

"Do you want to stay here with me?"

"You've some work with me? Do you need my help here?" Gauri asks him confused.

"No."

"Then?" Gauri asks with a confused frown.

"I don't know anyone here."

"But everyone thinks that I am your wife, and if I stay then..." Gauri reminds him feeling confused.

"That is what I meant." Omkara explains.

"What?" Gauri asks shocked.

"I've no one. Even you don't have anyone. We could be together."

Gauri frowns hearing that. "Do you think we are married?"

"No." Omkara replies. "That was a drama. We can get married."

Gauri's heart skips a beat hearing that. "But we don't know each other." Gauri reminds him in shock.

"I know that." Omkara nods. "I've no one but when you said your goodbye, for the first time I felt alone."

Gauri looks down gulping, didn't she also feel as if she was leaving a part of herself behind when she left him earlier.

"Think about it, Gauri. Whatever you decide, I'll accept it." Omkara tells her and he turns to leave so that she could make a decision without his presence.

"I'm alive because of you, Om." Gauri tells him.

Omkara turns to look at her. "I didn't save you for this, Gauri."

"Still I'm alive because of you. there is no one I trust more than you in this world."

"Take your time and think, Gauri." Omkara tells her.

"I'm alone and you are alone. Maybe that is why destiny brought us together." Gauri tells him with a loving smile and a hint of tears in her eyes, "You have no one and I have no one. So we could be there for each other. Maybe you filling my maang might have been a sign by God. So, we could be a family together."

Seeing her looking at him with so much trust, he couldn't lie to her. "Gauri..." Omkara nervously takes a deep breath.

Gauri smiles at him as she looked at him, waiting for him to continue.

"I've parents, a brother and a sister." Omkara tells her, his heart slamming against his chest.

"But you said..." Gauri starts feeling utterly confused.

"I am alone now. Things happened that I don't want to share with anyone. Including you."

"Oh." Gauri thoughtfully looks down.

"I know you might have your apprehensions and doubts on me hearing that, but I didn't want you to be in any misconception and I am also not comfortable sharing it with you. so, think well before you take a decision."

Gauri looks at him and smiles, "You could have hidden that from me but still you chose to be honest with me. you proved that you deserve my trust. I'll marry you."

Hearing her, Omkara sighs in relief and happily smiles at her.

Seeing such a beautiful smile on such a handsome face, Gauri blushes and shyly looks down.

Omkara smiles even more seeing her blush, he takes her bag and puts it on his shoulder. "Let's go." Omkara tells her, as he took her hand in his.

Smiling happily, Gauri holds his hand and they walk together.

*******

By evening, Gauri took Omkara to the temple and they got married there.

They walk out of the temple, as now true husband and wife.

"We'll stay at the lodge today too. Tomorrow, we will look for a house." Omkara tells her.

Gauri nods as she shyly looked down. Feeling a blush creep at the thought of them as husband and wife.

"Why are you blushing?" Omkara asks her with a chuckle.

Gauri blushes even more as she shook her head.

Omkara chuckles seeing her being so cute. "Come."

They walk to the lodge without saying anything, both lost in thoughts though apprehensions for the new relation was there in both their mind, they were happy too.

Seeing the lodge, Omkara stops in despair.

"What happened?" Gauri asks him seeing him stop.

"Is there a better place to stay?" Omkara asks her.

"It is the best in here." Gauri tells him.

"That?" Omkara asks her shocked as he pointed at the lodge.

"Yes. Why you think it is not good?"

"It doesn't have the basic amenities." Omkara tells her still reeling from shock.

"Oh." Gauri thoughtfully looks at the lodge then she turns to him and asks, "You are from the city, right?"

Omkara nods.

"There the lodges are better?"

"Yes." Omkara replies thinking of all the 7-star hotels that he had stayed.

"Maybe because you are used to all that you feel this is not good. I found it very amazing." Gauri tells him.

"Once we leave this place I'll take you to a proper hotel so you can see the difference."

Gauri smiles as she thought of a life with him.

They start walking and Gauri tells him, "Here, the people aren't that rich and we don't have much tourists. So, maybe that is why we don't have the type of hotels like in the city."

Omkara nods realizing that this low class lodge is the best place he could provide for his wife that night.

******

Gauri was looking out the window at the deserted road. There was a single street light that provided a little light. Rest everything was dark outside. Just like her life, how it was all dark and with Om, suddenly there was a glimmer of light. She feels Omkara keep his hand on her shoulder. She turns to look at him and he gently smiles at her. she smiles at him.

"You are happy, right?" Omkara asks her.

Gauri nods in yes. "And you?"

"Yes." Omkara tells her with a smile.

Omkara moves closer to her and Gauri shyly moves towards him. he leans down and kisses her forehead. Gauri closes her eyes feeling blissful and happy.

Gauri moves to him and keeping her face on his chest, she hugs him. Omkara hugs her and holds her close.

"We should sleep." Omkara tells her a few minutes later.

Nodding, Gauri moves back.

"Are you still going to sleep on the floor?" Omkara asks her with a teasing smile.

Chuckling Gauri shakes her head in no. Chuckling, Omkara leads her to the bed. After she got on the bed, he walks around and gets on the other side of the bed. Then they lay on their sides, facing each other, without talking much.

******

"Seriously, Gauri? you call this a house?" Omkara asks her in exasperation looking around the one room house.

"You don't like anything!" Gauri replies in exasperation. this was the third house they had visited that day.

"I like you." Omkara replies cheekily making Gauri blush.

Omkara chuckles seeing her blush.

"You really didn't like this?" Gauri asks him.

"No. let's go." Omkara replies as he walked out.

Gauri sighs and follows him out. "I don't know of any other houses. These are the ones, I found asking around."

"It's okay, we will find one." Omkara tells her. "We will buy today's paper. Maybe there would be something in the classifieds."

"Classifieds?" Gauri asks him in shock.

"You don't advertise in the papers here?" Omkara asks her confused.

"We don't even have a newspaper office here. We get the newspaper here at 11'o clock only."

"The more I get to know this place, the more I hate it." Omkara mutters in exasperation.

"Then why are we staying here?" Gauri asks him confused.

Realizing he had said that out a little loud, Omkara shrugs. He had no answer because he himself didn't know what he was doing there or why he had come there.

"Then how are things done here?" Omkara asks her.

"Word of mouth." Gauri replies. "Then there are brokers but..."

"There are real estate agents? Then why didn't you tell me?" Omkara asks her shocked.

"They are day light robbers. The commission that they take..."

"Let's go meet one." Omkara cuts her off.

"But Om... they will ask for too much money."

"Gauri, I don't want to stay in a lodge indefinitely. Let's go find one real estate agent. Where is the office?"

"Office?" Gauri asks confused. "One of them would be there somewhere in the market."

Finally, Gauri found a broker in the market. While Omkara spoke to him, Gauri sat back near the shade of a tree, tired after walking around in the scorching sun.

******

"Is this the best you have?" Omkara asks unimpressed seeing the two-bedroom house with living room, dining room and a closed kitchen.

"This is the biggest house that is available for rent." The broker informs him with a frown. "And you said only two people are staying, right? this is more than big enough for two people."

Hearing that Omkara stops in thought, it is true that the house was convenient for Gauri and him, but compared to Oberoi Mansion this place was a dinge.

"Om!" Gauri calls him as she hurried to him.

"What?" Omkara asks as he walked to her. "Is there something wrong with the house?"

"It is too big, Om." Gauri whispers to him in shock.

"Did you like it?" Omkara asks her.

"I can't afford this big a house." Gauri tells him worriedly.

Omkara gives her a look. "Gauri, I can."

Gauri looks at him in shock then confused, she asks him in a whisper. "Are you like a famous painter?"

"Shouldn't you have asked that before marrying me?" Omkara asks her with a grin.

Gauri bites her lip hearing him.

Nothing had tempted him like that innocent action.

"So, are you?" Gauri asks him again.

Remembering the lie, he had told her, Omkara quickly comes out of his haze and tells her, gently and remorsefully, "I lied to you, Gauri."

"What?" Gauri asks as she worriedly looked him in the eye.

"I haven't even sold one painting. Painting is just my hobby."

"Then why are you here?" Gauri asks him confused.

"I don't know." Omkara replies shaking his head. "I had no place to go and this place came to my mind, so I just came here. I don't know why I came here or how long we are going to be here."

"Oh..." Gauri thoughtfully looks down.

"I don't want to lie to you, Gauri. but there are things that I am not comfortable in sharing. Please understand." Omkara requests her.

Gauri nods her head and smiles at him reassuringly. Seeing her acceptance of him without any demands or questions, Omkara couldn't help feel deeply for her. he leans down to kiss her forehead and Gauri pushing him, quickly jumps back.

"What? Are you angry with me?" Omkara asks her confused and worried.

"No... there is someone here and this is someone else's home." Gauri whispers to him flustered.

Omkara gapes at her and asks in outrage, "What the hell were those panchayat people thinking, calling you immoral?"

"Did you like the house?" Omkara asks her.

"It is a mansion; why wouldn't I like it?" Gauri asks him in shock.

"This is not a mansion, Gauri." Omkara tells her. "This is a house."

"You, city bred people have such extravagant life." Gauri tells him making a face.

Omkara grins hearing that.

"Did you like the house?" Gauri asks him.

"Meh."

"What?" Gauri asks shocked.

"It is the best we saw so far and he is also vouching that it is the best. We'll take it then."

******

"TV." Omkara says as he looked around the room thoughtfully.

"We'll buy important things first."

"TV is a necessity, Gauri." Omkara tells her in shock.

"It is?" Gauri asks him back in shock.

Omkara shakes his head at her. "TV."

Gauri writes TV in the list of things to purchase.

"Wifi."

"Don't you have net on your phone? Even I have net on my phone."

Omkara rolls his eyes. "And what about for laptop and TV?"

"TV? Why does TV need wifi?" Gauri asks confused.

"To watch movie!"

Gauri chuckles hearing that, "Buddhu, you need cable for that, not internet!"

"You are such a know-it-all, Gauri!" Omkara sarcastically tells her.

Gauri smiles with a mix of smug and blush.

"I'll explain about the TV and internet later. Let's finish the list now."

"Okay."

"AC." Omkara thoughtfully says. "Wish we could have made it centralized AC, if I am to do that, then I might as well rebuild the whole damn house." Omkara mutters as he looked around the house.

"What?" Gauri asks confused.

Omkara shakes his head as he quickly made a count. "5 AC."

"5?" Gauri screeches in shock.

"Yeah, two bed room, living room, dining room and kitchen. 5. Did I miss any?"

"What is the need for AC in all the rooms?" Gauri asks shocked.

"You only said it gets very hot in summer."

"Yeah but... you only said we won't be staying here forever. So why waste money like that?"

"So, instead we bare the hot weather?" Omkara asks her shocked.

Gauri starts to write it with a frown, then she looks up at him and asks, "Did you like rob a bank or something?"

"Shouldn't you have asked me that before marrying me?" Omkara asks her with a grin.

"Erm..." Gauri looks down.

"I used to work, Gauri. I've savings."

"But till you find work here, shouldn't we use as little as possible?" Gauri asks him in concern.

"I haven't decided on work yet, Gauri."

"Oh."

Seeing her look at him in concern, Omkara lovingly keeps his hand on her cheek. "You said you trust me. So, trust me, I can manage it."

Gauri smiles and nods in yes.

Omkara smiles at her.

"What else?" Gauri asks as she wrote it down.

"Bed and mattress."

"But there are beds and mattresses in both the rooms."

"Somebody already used it, Gauri." Omkara says in disgust.

"What?"

"Yeah... the previous tenant would have definitely been sleeping in them."

"We will get new bedsheets."

"write that too."

"The lodge bed also would have been used by other people." Gauri points out to him.

"That we had no choice. But we use the same bed, day in and day out that was already used by other people..." Omkara shrugs in disgusts.

"How much money do you have?" Gauri asks him in shock.

"You know; you should have..." Omkara cheekily grins.

"I just assumed that you are a painter... I didn't think of money and all when we decided to get married."

"What did you think of when you decided to marry me?" Omkara asks her curiously.

"I thought about you."

Omkara leans to her and kisses her cheek. "Very rarely people think of me for me."

Gauri was affected by the cheek kiss so much that she didn't think of asking him to explain more on it.

It took them nearly two weeks and 2 trips to the nearest town and tons of online ordering for them to set up their house.

******

Omkara wakes up hearing a melodious voice singing. He turns to the side to look for Gauri and finds it empty. He sits up and sees Gauri singing a bhajan with her eyes closed and hands folded. He smiles listening to her sing. He couldn't remember the last time he had woke up feeling so peaceful and happy. Before his accident, he had been a workaholic that he had been too preoccupied and stressed to appreciate someone singing like this.

Gauri finishes her prayer and turns to check on Omkara and finds him awake. "Did I wake you?"

"You did but it felt nice. You sing so well." Omkara tells her.

Gauri smiles hearing that. "Why didn't you join me to pray then?"

"I don't believe in all that."

"You don't?" Gauri asks shocked.

Omkara shrugs as he got out of the bed. He was walking to the bathroom when he hears Gauri's question.

"We had a religious marriage. if you didn't believe then..."

Omkara turns to her confused. "What?"

"Why did we have a temple wedding?" Gauri asks confused.

"Court marriage would take days, Gauri." Omkara explains.

"But you don't believe..."

"I don't believe in rituals. I believe in our marriage. and to get social acceptance to our marriage, we had to get married properly in some way, right?"

Gauri nods. "Normally, atheists prefer registered marriage... that is why I asked."

"Lot of paperwork for that, Gauri. and we have time to register our marriage. we'll get it registered."

Gauri nods.

******

Omkara opens his laptop bag and pulls out all the items as he looked for his phone charger.

"Is that your diary?" Gauri asks curiously seeing a diary among the things.

Omkara looks up curiously and sees his company diary on the table. He didn't even realize that he had one lying inside the bag.

"Do you write diary? I always wanted to start writing one but never had a diary."

"You can take it." Omkara tells her.

"You don't need it?"

"I don't use it. The company gives it as complimentary. I use my laptop and phone to note all my appointments and schedule."

Gauri smiles and takes the diary. "It would be nice to write diary. Couple of years later, we can read about our initial days of marriage and how it was. what all we did... how we got to know each other..."

Omkara smiles and turns around, sitting on the table and asks her. "How many years from now?"

"Hmmm 10 years?"

"That is too long, Gauri." Omkara says cutely frowning. "And if you manage to keep the habit for that long then you would have 10 diaries."

"Oh then when?" Gauri asks him smiling, already feeling excited about that day.

"Hmmmm how about after first baby?"

Hearing about baby, Gauri couldn't help the blush and she quickly looks down.

"What say?"

Hugging the diary to her chest, Gauri shyly nods in yes.

Omkara grins seeing that.

"Thank you for the diary."

"Do you have pen?"

"I'll get it when we go out."

Remembering, Omkara opens the laptop bag and takes out the Montblanc pen. "Here, you can use this."

Gauri takes the fancy pen and looks at it.

"Keep it safe and use it only for the diary."

"Why?" Gauri asks confused at the strange instruction.

"It was a new year gift by Prinku."

"Prinku?" Gauri asks curiously.

"Priyanka. My sister."

"Oh, then you should keep it." Gauri says offering the pen back to him. "Prinku would feel bad if she finds out that you gave it to me."

"I don't think there is any better use to this pen than you writing about our life together." Omkara tells her. "Keep it."

Gauri smiles hearing that. she moves to him and kisses his cheek.

Omkara smiles and wraps his hand around her waist pulling her close to him. "Make sure you write that."

"Write what?" Gauri asks shyly knowing what he had meant.

Omkara gently rubs his nose against hers and says. "Your first kiss to me."

Blushing, Gauri hugs him, hiding her face on his neck. Omkara chuckles and hugs her.

"Will Prinku feel bad that I am using this pen?" Gauri asks him as she moved back from him.

"No, she won't." Omkara tells her with a reassuring smile.

"What is your brother's name?"

"Rudra. You can call him Rudy." Omkara says with a smile remembering his brother.

"Your parents?"

"Tej and Jhanvi." Omkara replies as he looked down with a sigh, remembering his family.

"You miss them, don't you?" Gauri asks him gently seeing him suddenly going sad.

Omkara nods. "I don't want to talk anymore on this, Gauri." Omkara softly tells her.

"Okay." Gauri replies with an understanding smile.

Hearing her, Omkara looks up at her in surprise. "Do you know what I like the most in you?"

"What?" Gauri asks him smiling.

"That you give me my space. You don't hound me for anything."

"I do want to know more about you, Om. but when you are ready. I'm happy with the tidbits that you share with me. and when the time is right, you can tell me whatever it is."

"What if I don't ever want to share?" Omkara asks her worriedly.

"If you feel like telling me then you tell me, otherwise it is okay. our future is what matters, not your past." Gauri tells him reassuringly.

******

"Gauri, I'm running out of cash." Omkara tells Gauri as he stood by the door.

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

"Yeah." Omkara tells her as he looked inside his wallet.

"It's okay, we will manage." Gauri tells him with a smile as she walked to him and held his hands.

Omkara frowns hearing that and asks in confusion. "How?"

"I have been making Mata Rani's chunri for years. I can find a job. Don't worry, Om."

"Gauri..."

"But we should cut down our expenses a little." Gauri gently tells him. "Maybe, you don't put AC 24x7. We can use it only at night."

"It's so hot, Gauri." Omkara tells her shocked. "And don't forget, every night after I go to sleep, you switch off the AC."

"But you wake up and switch it back on too." Gauri points out to him.

"Because it is too hot."

"Room would be cold by then that is why I off it."

Omkara shakes his head. "Anyways, that is not what I am talking about."

"Then?" Gauri asks confused.

"I was saying my cash is over."

"I understood, Om." Gauri tells him reassuringly.

"Gauri, I was about to ask you where the ATM is." Omkara clarifies.

"Huh?" Gauri's mouth drops open hearing that.

"The money I withdrew the last time we went to town is getting over. I haven't seen an ATM around here..."

"Oh... there is one here... but I don't know if it is the same bank as yours."

"That is okay, where is it?"

******

Gauri and Omkara had decided to go for a walk one evening. They were walking as they talked about random things about each other.

"When is your birthday?" Gauri asks him.

"3rd November. Yours?"

"27th September." Gauri replies and noticing him flexing his fingers on left hand and asks him. "Are you excited to get out of the sling?"

"yes! Had enough!" Omkara says in relief. "Can't wait for tomorrow."

"I've never broken a limb in my life." Gauri tells him.

"Even me till now." Omkara tells her. "When we were small, Rudy was forever breaking his hands and legs. I used to actually crave to have a sling when I was a kid. Thought it would be fun, now I realize how frustrating it is."

Gauri chuckles hearing that. "I'm glad your head and hand wound also healed completely."

Omkara looks at his palm and now it was just a line that was fading. "There is no scar." Omkara tells her. then touching his forehead on his scar, he says, "This one won't go. Doctor said the scar would always be there."

"You survived an accident, you should have some medal to show that you are a survivor."

Omkara rolls his eyes at her romanticizing his scar like that.

******

"One more set."

"No, Gauri." Omkara replies gasping in pain.

"Doctor said three sets, Om." Gauri coaxes him. "Please?"

"It hurts, Gauri."

"The physio is as important as the sling. Do it, Om." Gauri makes cute faces at him.

He couldn't resist the cute faces she was making. Taking a deep breath, he does the hand exercise.

"Good boy." Gauri tells him as she ruffled his hair.

Omkara makes a face at her making her chuckle.

"Do you need me for anything?"

"No. I feel like painting. I'm going to paint." Omkara tells her.

He had converted the second bedroom into a small art studio.

"Okay... I'm going to write my diary."

"Then sit there in the studio and write." Omkara tells her.

******

"Let's sleep?" Omkara asks Gauri as he stood behind the couch.

"You sleep, I'll come after this episode." Gauri replies as she anxiously watched the TV.

"I'm very sleepy, Gauri. Come."

"after this episode. Everything going crazy! What is Professor going to do?"

"I shouldn't have introduced you to Netflix." Omkara mutters irately as he walked around the couch and sat next to her.

Gauri cheekily grins at him. ignoring that, Omkara lies with his head on her lap.

Gauri was surprised at the way he had laid on her lap. Omkara gets comfortable and closes his eyes to sleep. smiling lovingly at him, she caresses his hair. Omkara holds her hand, he takes it to his lips and kisses it. Then holding her hand, he goes to sleep.

******

Omkara was painting when he felt Gauri keep her hands on his shoulder. He smiles as he continued to paint. Gauri leans down and hugs him from behind.

"You are so talented." Gauri tells him seeing the beautiful painting of the market place.

Slightly turning his head, Omkara kisses her cheek in reply.

"Why haven't you sold any paintings?" Gauri asks him curiously.

"I never did any exhibition."

"Why didn't you?"

"Never felt like it." Omkara replies with a shrug.

"Hmmm."

"Finished your chunri?"

"Taking a break." Gauri tells him.

"I thought you have to deliver it day after."

"I'll finish it by tomorrow." Gauri tells him.

"hmmm."

"Bitiya?"

"Kaki is calling, I think she is leaving. I'll come now."

"Okay." Omkara replies with a smile.

Gauri walks out to check on her maid servant. When it came to her doing household chores, her husband had acted a little snobbish and insisted on hiring a servant. Though she had thought it waste of money to get a servant for a home with just the two of them, she had given in for him.

"I finished all the work. I've kept the food in the casserole. I'll come tomorrow."

"Okay." Gauri smiles at her and walks her out.

"For a man who hates this place, you do draw awful lot of paintings on it." Gauri tells him as she hugged him from behind.

"You love this place a lot." Omkara points out. "And this place did give me you."

Gauri smiles hearing that.

"Would you have stayed on, if we hadn't got married?" Gauri asks him.

Hearing the question, Omkara shudders.

"What happened?" Gauri asks him in concern.

"I was wondering how my life would have been if you had refused to marry me."

Hearing that, Gauri hugs him tight. Omkara lovingly holds her hand as he leaned on to her.

The doorbell rings and they both part.

"Kaki might have forgot something. I'll check." Gauri tells him and hurries to open the door.

******

Gauri was taken aback seeing four strangers at the door. and they all looked at her in confusion.

"Yes?" Gauri asks politely.

"Omkara stays here, right?" the elderly man asks.

"Yes. Please come in." Gauri says as she opened the door wide for them. "Are you his..." Gauri hesitantly asks.

"I am his father." Tej replies.

Gauri's face breaks out into a big smile. "Please sit, I'll call him."

They walk to the couch and all of them sit.

"Om!" Gauri excitedly calls as she ran to his studio.

"Yeah?"

"Om! Come here." Gauri says excitedly as she ran to him.

"What happened? Who is it?" Omkara asks curiously smiling seeing her excitement. He takes the rag and starts wiping his fingers clean.

"Come! look who is here." Gauri tells him as she grabbed his hand and pulled him.

Omkara throws the rag on the side table and goes with her. "Who is it?"

"See for yourself." Gauri tells him as she pulled him out and gestured to his family.

Omkara stops in shock seeing his family. Seeing them after a month, tears filled his eyes.

"Om..." Jhanvi calls him as she stood up, her eyes too filling with tears.

Omkara quickly looks away.

"Why did you go away like this, Om?" Tej asks him hurt.

"We've have come to take you home, bhaiyya." Priyanka tells him.

"You've to come with us." Rudra insists adamantly.

Hearing them, Omkara quickly starts to walk out.

"Om?" Gauri calls him in shock seeing him about to leave the house.

Omkara turn to look at her. his eyes filled with tears.

"Om, where are you going?" Gauri asks him as she hurried to him.

"I can't do this, Gauri."

"But Om..."

Omkara cuts her off. "I just can't. Please, Gauri... I can't." Omkara tells her trying his best to compose himself.

Gauri helplessly looks at him.

Omkara turns to walk off, then stopping, he turns back to look at Gauri. he keeps his hand on her shoulder and says as he looked at her. "This is Gauri, she is my wife." Then without saying anything further, he turns around and leaves the house.

Gauri turns to look at his family and sees them staring at her in shock.

"You are Om's wife?" Jhanvi asks her in shock.

Gauri nods her head in yes, still reeling from the shock of what Omkara did.

"But how?" Tej asks in shock.

"It's just been a month since Om left home." Jhanvi says in a whisper.

"How long have you both known each other?" Rudra asks her in confusion.

"I met him the day he reached here."

"WHAT?" Rudra shouts in shock.

"Please sit, I'll explain everything." Gauri tells them, realizing his family needed answers and explanation. She proceeds to tell them what had happened.

******

"You were a maid?" Rudra asks her in shock.

"Yes." Gauri replies, feeling uncomfortable at the question.

"An orphan?" Priyanka asks reeling from shock.

"Yes."

"And Om knew this?" Tej asks her.

"Yes."

"Still he married you?" Rudra asks her shocked out of his wits.

"Yes." Gauri nods, feeling her heart break at their questions. She was starting to realize that her husband was much more well off than she had assumed him to be.

"Is my son happy with you?" Jhanvi asks her with worried tears.

"Yes."

"Is he?" Jhanvi asks her again.

Gauri nods her head in yes.

"O is really happy with you?" Rudra asks her in an unbelievable tone.

Hearing them asking her the same question a third time, Gauri runs to the room and grabs her phone. She dials Omkara's number as she put it on speaker and walked back to his family.

"Hello?" Omkara answers the call in a dejected tone.

"Om..."

"They left?" Omkara asks her.

Gauri looks at them and replies. "No."

"I can't come there, Gauri."

Gauri worriedly looks at them and they all looked hurt. "Om, you are on speaker."

Omkara sighs, "Why are you doing this, Gauri? I..."

"It's not that, Om." Gauri quickly tells him.

"Then?" Omkara asks her confused.

"They are asking whether you are happy with me."

"Ah so?" Omkara asks still not understanding.

"I told them you are."

"Okay." Omkara replies in a confused tone.

"They don't believe me, Om." Gauri worriedly informs him.

There was silence on the other end.

When he remained silent, Gauri tells him "They all are worried about you, Om."

"I'm very happy with you, Gauri." Omkara tells her.

Gauri smiles hearing that, and she looks at his family. They were looking at each other thoughtfully.

"I love you, Gauri." Omkara says.

Gauri's eyes pop out hearing him declare his love so randomly. She turns completely pink, blushing happily at the same time, she couldn't help look at his family and they all were looking at her in utter shock.

"Do you love me, Gauri?" Omkara asks her.

"Om, you are still on speaker." Gauri quickly shouts to him turning pinker.

"Do you love me, Gauri?" Omkara asks her again.

Gauri panicking she quickly presses the button to take off the speaker. Gauri keeps the phone to her ears. "Om, they are still here." Gauri hurriedly whispers to him.

"Do you love me, Gauri?"

"what happened to you?" Gauri asks in shock and turning pinker realizing his family was listening and waiting to hear her answer.

"Do you love me, Gauri?"

Realizing he wasn't going to give up, she covers the mouth piece, then turning around, she whispers "Yes, I do. Stop being so shameless."

Omkara chuckles hearing her. "I love you. I'll see you later. Call me after they leave."

"Hmmm." Gauri wanted to ask him why he didn't want to spend time with his family that he missed so much but she didn't want to push him also.

"Gauri..."

"Yes?"

"Spend as much as time you want with them. don't worry about me."

"Okay." Gauri says and hangs up the phone.

She turns to look at his family, and sees them all watching her with an amused smile.

"I don't know what happened to him. he has never behaved so shamelessly." Gauri says flustered and too embarrassed to even look at them.

"Awww she is so adorable." Jhanvi says as she caressed Gauri's cheek, chuckling happily.

Gauri blushes shyly as she looked down. She bends down and touches their feet to get blessings from them.

"O has changed a lot." Rudra says in shock.

"He has." Tej agrees as he took his wallet and took all the money. He blesses Gauri and he offers her the money when she stood up.

Gauri looks at him in confusion. "I don't..."

"It's shagun. Take it." Jhanvi tells her as she removed her bangle from her hand.

"Thank you." Gauri says with a smile as she took it from him.

Jhanvi takes Gauri's hand and slips in the bangle. "I didn't know that you both got married. If I did, then I would have..."

"It's okay." Gauri tells her smiling. "I am so glad to have met you all."

"Bhabhi... you might not know us..."

"Prinku and Rudy." Gauri tells them smiling.

"You know us?" Rudra asks surprised. "O talks about us?"

"Not much but he does talk about you all." Gauri tells him. "And he misses you a lot. It hurts him to be away from you all."

"Then why is he staying away like this?" Rudra asks her hurt. "Why did he leave home like this? Without telling anyone. He wouldn't even answer our calls. Do you know how worried we were with no news of him?"

"How did you find out he was here?" Gauri asks them curiously as she had no answer to his questions.

"He used his card to withdraw money. He used it in a nearby town. We were searching for him there that time, we found out that he withdrew money from here. And when we heard this place, we knew he would be in this village." Tej tells her.

"Why did he come here?" Jhanvi sadly laments. "Doesn't he care for us?"

"Did he find out anything?" Rudra gently asks her.

Seeing them looking at her for an answer Gauri replies, "He said he didn't know why he came here or for how long he is going to stay here."

"You know why he left home, right?" Rudra asks her confused.

Gauri shakes her head in negative. They all look at each other in shock and confusion.

"You should know, Gauri." Jhanvi decides.

"No, maaji... Om said he wasn't comfortable with me knowing. If he wants to tell me, he will tell me." Gauri politely tells her.

Hearing that, Jhanvi nods surprised and shocked.

"Come, Bhabhi... show us your house." Rudra tells her seeing that there was an awkward silence.

Gauri smiles happily seeing that his family had accepted her. Gauri spent hours with his family, talking and getting to know them. by evening, they left. Once they left, Gauri calls Omkara home.

******

Gauri opens the door for Omkara. Seeing her, Omkara hesitates for a second then looking down, he walks in. he walks to their bedroom without saying anything.

Gauri follows him to their room and sees him agitatedly looking around, clueless and restless. Seeing him like that, her heart goes out to him. she walks to him and gently turns him around to face her. he turns to her but doesn't meet her eyes. Seeing his downcast eyes, Gauri leans up and hugs him, resting her head on his shoulder. Omkara wraps his hand around her waist, pulling her close to him, he hugs her tight as he hid his face on the crook of her neck. He softly starts sobbing.

Gauri hugs him tight as she placed loving kisses on his head.

"I know I am hurting them... but I just can't..." Omkara tells her as he sobbed.

Gauri nods as she lovingly rubbed his back to calm him down.

After some time, Gauri guides him to the bed and lovingly wipes his tears.

"Everything will be fine." Gauri tells him reassuringly.

Omkara nods as he calmed down.

"You rest for some time." Gauri tells him.

"Did they tell you why I left home?" Omkara asks her as he looked down.

Gauri smiles and sits next to him. she holds his hand and tells him lovingly, "I told them that you will tell me when you are ready."

Omkara holds her hand, which she had kept on his.

She was about to get up when he tells her, "I was a very different man."

Hearing him, Gauri sits back down and looks at him.

"So different that you would have never loved me."

Gauri was about to argue that she would have loved him because she couldn't imagine not loving him.

Omkara looks at her and tells her, "I would have never loved you also."

Gauri stops in shock hearing that. "You wouldn't?" Gauri asks him in shock.

"Everything that you are, I would have seen it all as wrong, would have hated every last bit."

Gauri looks down hurt hearing that.

"Nothing is wrong with you, Gauri. things were wrong with me." Omkara quickly tells her. "I was a classist. Elitist. Status conscious. Prejudiced. I was arrogant. So blinded by my pride and small thinking that I believed that all poor were out to loot the rich."

Gauri nods.

"Gauri..." Omkara gently calls her as he turned her face to face him. "I can't think of a life without you now. I love you a lot."

Gauri gently smiles hearing that. seeing her smile, Omkara smiles a little in relief.

"Right after college, I joined Dad in business." Omkara tells her as he looked away from her. "Succeed. Go far ahead than the rest of the world. Make money. Acquire more wealth. Go ahead in life, that was all that was there in my life."

Gauri quietly listens to him.

"My family is so different from me. they are so down to earth. Compassionate people. They go out of their way to help others. I hated that and I felt that I had to protect them from all those people."

Gauri was shocked to hear him say that, the one he was talking about was so different from her loving and caring husband.

"Few months back, my parents thought it was time for me to get married. We had a business associate, his daughter, Ridhima had been in love with me." Omkara stops, even without looking at Gauri he knew that she had tensed up. He turns to look at her and tells her, "My marriage was fixed with Ridhima. I agreed for the wedding because we were of the same status, same family background, and it was good for business."

Gauri gulps hearing that.

Omkara lovingly holds her and tells her, "I didn't love her, Gauri. I didn't feel anything for her. I've only felt for you ever in my life. with Ridhima it was just a business deal for me. I want to tell you everything, without hiding anything. please, Gauri?"

Gauri nods in yes.

"Thank you." Omkara whispers with a loving smile.

"Tell me." Gauri tells him as she caressed his cheek.

Omkara nods and continues, "Two months back, I had an accident. I needed blood, my blood group is O negative. My Dad is A positive and mom is AB positive."

Gauri turns to him with a frown.

"I am adopted." Omkara tells her with a sad sigh. "I didn't know."

Gauri holds his hand her heart going out to him, she couldn't comprehend how he might have felt when he found out that his parents were not his parents, his siblings were not his siblings.

"Rudy and Prinku found out, they both agreed to hide it from me. but Ridhima and her family who had come to the hospital had found out. Her father told me that they didn't want to associate with someone like me and called off the wedding. that is how I found out."

Gauri squeezes his hand realizing that he found out the truth in the worst way possible.

"I confronted my parents. They told me everything. Long back, they had come here. Dad was planning to make some investments here. One night they found a pregnant woman lying on the side of the road. She had been hurt bad." Omkara turns to look at Gauri and tells her, "She was stoned and left to die."

Gauri's heart skips a beat hearing that.

"Her husband accused her of adultery. That the baby she was pregnant with wasn't his. He proved to the panchayat that an accident had left him incapable of fathering a child. They ordered her to be stoned to death. My parents took her to the hospital. She died giving birth to me."

Gauri gulps hearing that and she holds his hand tight to console her.

"When I saw you, it was like what had happened to my mother was happening again."

"That is why you did everything to save me." Gauri realizes loudly.

"Yes." Omkara nods. "All the way to the hospital, my mother kept saying that I was legitimate and she never cheated on her husband. Her husband was lying as he wanted to marry someone else and said this to get rid of her."

Gauri leans to Omkara and keeps her head on his shoulder.

"My parents took me and left this place. They told everyone that I am their son." Omkara chuckles sadly, "Omkara Singh Oberoi, the heir."

"They love you a lot, Om."

"I know but I just couldn't handle it, Gauri. I was everything I hated. I was everything that I couldn't tolerate in others. I was so proud of being an Oberoi that I looked down on people, insulted them... when the truth is I wasn't an Oberoi. I was so angry at myself. I was so ashamed of my past behavior. I was so angry with my family for lying to me all throughout my life. my whole life was a lie. I tried, Gauri... I tried to go on but at home, at the office, I couldn't find peace. The realization that I didn't belong, that none of it was mine... I stopped talking to my family... I stopped going for work... I felt like I was losing my mind and one night, I just packed up and left home. I just didn't know where to go.... All that was in my mind was this place and I ended up coming here."

"Are you here to find your birth family?" Gauri gently asks him.

Omkara shakes his head in negative. "I don't know why I came here. I don't know what I expected to find here. I don't know why I am still staying here. I just don't know."

"You should tell your family that, Om. I think they think that you are here to find your family."

Omkara scoffs, "How am I even going to find them? All I know is my mother's name, Varada, nothing else. And she died 28 years ago."

They remained silent for a while, both lost in thoughts.

"How do I find a family when I don't even know who I am." Omkara whispers softly.

"Om, you are Omkara Singh Oberoi."

"That is not my name, Gauri." Omkara tells her with a sigh. "I have no right to that name."

"Your parents love you, Om."

"I know... but Gauri, if I continue to live on as an Oberoi, then isn't that the biggest gaali to my mother, who vouched for her chastity and my legitimacy?"

Omkara helplessly turns to her and asks her with tears, "If I take my mother's name, then doesn't that mean that I no longer consider my parents to be my parents? That I am not their son? That I am no one to Rudy and Prinku?"

Gauri didn't know how she could answer and help him with that turmoil of his.

"But if I continue on as their son then isn't that like turning my back on my mother who had fought death so she could keep me alive? I don't know who I am. I don't know what I am supposed to do."

Gauri helplessly continues to hold his hand.

"When people ask me my name, I don't know whether I should say I am Omkara Singh Oberoi or Omkara Varada... I just don't know. So, I am now just Omkara."

"that is why I still haven't registered our marriage. because how am I going to fill my name? that is why I still haven't got you any proper Identity proof, because every form I checked... even a bank form, asks for husband's name and I just don't know what to fill there." Omkara helplessly tells her.

"Surname..." Gauri says softly. "I know what you mean Om... all my life even I craved for a surname. To belong. To have a family... I understand, Om."

"Gauri..." Omkara quickly turns to her. "Gauri, you've a surname. No matter whether I am Omkara Singh Oberoi or Omkara Varada, you will always be Gauri Omkara. You have my name, and you'll always have that."

Gauri smiles through her tears and hugs him. Omkara hugs her tight.

"However I am... whatever I am... however broken I am... I am all yours." Omkara vows to her.

"I love you, Om."

"I love you, Gauri."

*******

Gauri was keeping the bangle and money that Om's parents gave her safely when Omkara hugs her from behind.

"You didn't tell me anything about how it was to meet everyone."

Gauri turns to him happily smiling. "They all are so amazing and loving."

"I knew you would love them and they would love you." Omkara tells her smiling.

"You knew they would accept me?" Gauri asks smiling happily, the difference in their social stature was too big.

"Who cannot love my darling?" Omkara asks her as he kissed her forehead.

Gauri smiles with a slight blush.

"They gave me these as shagun." Gauri tells him as she showed him the bangle and money.

"That is Mom's favorite bangle. Dad got her this, she is always wearing it." Omkara tells her surprised as he lovingly caressed it. "She might have loved you so much to give you this."

Gauri smiles hearing that.

"What are you going to buy with the money?"

"I won't buy anything. I'll keep this money safe."

Omkara rolls his eyes. "Don't be such a silly emotional fool."

Gauri pouts hearing that.

"One demonetization and it will be worthless. Buy something with that money and keep that as a gift from Dad." Omkara tells her.

"Hmmm what should I buy?" Gauri asks him.

"We'll see.... Buy some jewellery." Omkara says with a shrug.

"Okay." Gauri says with a smile realizing that a jewelry she could wear as a blessing from her in-laws. "Do you think they would have reached home by now?"

Omkara checks his watch for time and he mentally calculates. "They would have reached the airport now."

"Hmmm." Gauri thoughtfully looks down.

Omkara couldn't help smile seeing her like that. "Gauri..."

"Yes?"

"They are your family. Whether I talk to them or not, you have every right to talk to them and build a relation with each one of them. I just need time to sort out my head... you don't have to wait for that. you can talk to them whenever you want."

Gauri smiles excitedly hearing that. "I can?"

"You don't need my permission. They are not just my family; they are your family too." Omkara tells her.

"You should have told me. I would have taken their numbers. Maaji took my number but I wasn't sure whether you wanted me to talk to them as you don't talk to them, so I didn't ask her for her number." Gauri laments.

Omkara chuckles and takes her mobile from the table. And turns the screen to scan her retina to unlock. Gauri widens her eyes for it to unlock making Omkara chuckle all the more at her adorable action. he smiles remembering how shocked she was when he gifted her this phone, because it was beyond her understanding that when he was getting her such a big phone, what was the need for such a big TV? They could have watched everything on the humangous phone.

Unlocking the phone, he feeds everyone's number. Then he offers her the phone.

Gauri excitedly takes the phone and dials Jhanvi's number. Omkara watches as she happily spoke to his mother.

Later, Gauri was watching Omkara sleeping. She gently caresses his hair as she watched him and processed all that he had said to her. hearing about his mother, she realized why he had fought so much to save her life. if he hadn't come, then she would also have died like his mother. Gauri sits up in shock, remembering hearing about a very similar incident not so very long ago.

*******

Gauri was finishing up the chunri when she hears the bedroom door open. She looks up and sees Omkara walk out.

"Good afternoon." Gauri tells him.

"Why didn't you wake me?"

"You were sleeping so peacefully." Gauri tells him with a smile as she continued to sew.

"I slept well. Felt like a load off my chest." Omkara tells her smiling as he sat next to her. he holds the one end of the chunri looking at her work and says "Beautiful."

Gauri smiles hearing.

"There are some things we have to discuss." Omkara tells her with a grin.

"What?" Gauri asks curiously as she looked at him.

"Are you done with this?" Omkara asks her.

"Almost done. Tell me."

"You finish this. I don't want you distracted." Omkara tells her grinning.

"You seem so happy." Gauri says smiling. His smile was infectious.

Omkara happily chuckles in reply. Gauri smiles and continues to sew while he simply watched her.

Seeing Gauri taking the scissors and cutting the thread very neatly, Omkara holds the ends of the chunri realizing she was done. He stands up, and Gauri holds the other ends and they neatly fold it up. Omkara hands it to her and Gauri securely keeps it in the cover to deliver.

"Tell me." Gauri turns to him.

Holding her hand, he walks to their bedroom. He closes and locks the bedroom. Gauri curiously looks at him.

"In all the big issues of yesterday, I forgot the biggest thing." Omkara tells her as he walked to her.

"What?" Gauri asks feeling nervous and shy with the way he was looking at her.

Omkara wraps his hand around her waist and pull her close to him. "That my wife loves me."

Gauri blushes as she shyly smiled at him.

Seeing her blush, Omkara leans down and takes her lips in his. Gauri closing her eyes, kisses him back. Omkara hungrily kisses her as his hand went up her back and gently started untying her dori.

Gauri stiffens feeling his hand.

Feeling her stiffen, Omkara stops and says against her lips. "I want to make love to you, Gauri."

Breathing nervously, Gauri looks into his eyes, and says "I want to make love to you, Om."

*******

Gauri takes her diary, and opens to that day's page. She blushes at the thought of what to write. She turns to look at her husband and sees him in deep sleep. she blushes more thinking how they had made love. She turns to look at her diary, and she blushes at the thought of writing about it. She was feeling so shy to write it, they both were going to read it together one day. she couldn't write it. Gauri decided.

She just draws two interlinked hearts.

Blushing, she closes the diary, and keeps it on the side table safely with the pen. Then she turns to Omkara and moves next to him. hugging him, she closes her eyes. Omkara, sleepily, hugs her and pulls her closer to him.

*******

Gauri was talking to Rudra on skype when Omkara walks into the room. seeing Omkara, Rudra goes silent as he watched Omkara.

Omkara not realizing Rudra was on call, continues on and opens the cupboard.

"Gauri, where is the money I kept here?" Omkara asks her as he turned to her in exasperation.

Gauri turns to him and asks him back, "Where did I ask you to keep money safely?"

"House owner is here for the rent, I kept it aside for that." Omkara tells her as he opened the draw inside the cupboard and took the money from the small box Gauri had kept inside that.

"But you should safely keep it." Gauri tells him.

"How many times have I told you not to move things from the place I have kept them?"

"And I have told you a thousand times that everything has a place assigned for it."

"Not thousand, maybe three or four times." Omkara tells her grinning.

Gauri smiles seeing him grin. Omkara starts to walk off.

"Hello, O." Rudra says gently.

Omkara stops in his track. Gauri watches him as he hesitated. Gauri watches him close his eyes in pain then without looking at Rudra, he just walks out.

Gauri turns to Rudra and sees him looking down hurt.

"He just needs some time, Rudy." Gauri gently tells him.

Rudra looks at her and nods.

"He misses you all a lot." Gauri tells him sadly.

"I know, Bhabhi." Rudra tells.

******

"Was Rudy hurt?" Omkara asks Gauri that night in bed.

"Yes." Gauri replies as she hugged him. "He understands."

"I don't know when I can be their old Omkara." Omkara says thoughtfully.

"They don't want you to be the old Omkara." Gauri cheekily tells him.

Omkara turns to her with a smile, hearing the laughter in her voice.

"They all like Omkara 2.0 better." Gauri cheekily tells him.

Omkara chuckles hearing that. "I was an asshole." Omkara admits.

Gauri giggles hearing that. "By the way, Rudy was asking why we are renting a house instead of buying one."

"Hmmm?"

"How rich are you that you buy houses where you plan to stay just temporarily?" Gauri asks him shocked.

"You should have asked all that before marrying me." Omkara cheekily tells her.

Gauri laughs hearing that.

"Right after college, I joined work. I made money then, then I have made lot of personal investments, I've shares, I've properties, I have regular incomes from a lot of these investments..."

"How rich are you?" Gauri asks him as she leaned up to look at him.

"You should have, love... you should have..." Omkara cheekily tells her.

Gauri draws circles on his chest as she wondered about it.

"Even if I don't work, we can live a comfortable life." Omkara tells her.

"really?" Gauri asks him shocked, eyes going wide.

"Actually, you would call it an extravagant life." Omkara tells her grinning.

"How much money do you have in your bank, right now?"

"I would need to check for the exact amount." Omkara replies.

"Do you have like 7-digit money?" Gauri asks him in shock.

Omkara bursts out laughing hearing that and lovingly pulls her cheek. "You are so cute, love... so very cute."

Gauri falls on top of him, thoughtfully hugging him. "You have more money than I can imagine, right?"

"Tomorrow I will give you full details." Omkara tells her with a grin as he hugged her.

"What was I thinking when I decided to marry you?" Gauri asks aloud in wonder.

Omkara chuckles, "Seriously what were you thinking?"

"That I will take care of poor Om." Gauri says still reeling from her shock at having married a very rich guy.

Omkara smiles hearing that. "That you do, love."

******

Hearing the bell, Omkara opens the door and stops in surprise seeing Shivaay.

"Shivaay?" Omkara says in surprise, he hadn't met him after Gauri and he had left the lodge and that was more than a month ago.

"Hello." Shivaay says.

"Hi... come in." Omkara tells him as he opened the door for him.

Shivaay walks in. Omkara gestures him to the couch and they sit opposite to each other. Omkara expectantly looks at Shivaay and Shivaay also expectantly looks at him.

When he didn't say anything, Omkara finally asks, "Why are you here?"

"What?" Shivaay asks him confused.

"Why did you come?" Omkara asks again.

Shivaay looks at Omkara utterly confused and offended. "What the heck? Gauri came to the lodge today morning and she asked me to come home in the evening."

"She did?" Omkara asks surprised and confused. "She didn't tell me."

"She said it is important." Shivaay tells him.

"Oh... Gauri... Shivaay is here for you." Omkara calls out to Gauri as he started to walk to the bedroom.

The bedroom door opens and Gauri comes hurrying out. "You are early." Gauri says nervously.

"I was free... so..." Shivaay says with a shrug.

"What happened? You had some work with him?" Omkara asks her confused.

Gauri nervously takes Omkara's hand and leads him to the couch. "I wanted to tell you something."

"Hmmm." Omkara nods with a frown.

"I didn't know, how else to tell you." Gauri tells him.

"What is it? Does it have something to do with him?" Omkara asks confused.

Gauri nods and gestures him to sit. Then she nervously sits next to him.

"Remember, I told you that I had heard about Shivaay bhaiyya before?" Gauri nervously asks him.

Omkara nods.

"Bhaiyya?" Shivaay asks in a shocked whisper.

Gauri nods then she looks at Omkara. "He was called by the panchayat. His father had died and he refused to do his last rites. The panchayat told him that if he didn't pay his respect to the dead then they wouldn't let him inherit his father's wealth. He still refused to do it."

"Why are you discussing this?" Shivaay asks as he stood up furiously.

"Please... just two minutes. This is very important." Gauri hurriedly requests him.

"Gauri, what are you doing?" Omkara asks her in a shocked whisper. "It's his personal matter."

"He refused to do the last rites because on his father's death bed, his father confessed to him that he had lied to the panchayat that his mother was immoral and had his pregnant mother stoned to death so he could marry his second wife."

"What?" Omkara asks in a shocked whisper as he looked Shivaay, blood draining from his face. he sees Shivaay furiously looking at him.

"You lied to me, didn't you? you came looking for him." Shivaay furiously accuses him.

"He didn't come looking for anyone." Gauri quickly says.

Shivaay scoffs. "Then why are you telling him about my father?"

"What is your mother's name?" Gauri asks him as she stood up.

"Why?" Shivaay stops in confusion hearing that.

"Because 28 years ago, Om's parents found a pregnant woman left to die by the panchayat. She died giving birth to Om."

Shivaay stops in confusion as he looked at Omkara, his heart slamming against his chest.

"His mother's name is Varada and he was born on 3rd November." Gauri tells him.

Shivaay's eyes fill up hearing that. "You are lying." Shivaay accuses her.

"Gauri doesn't lie." Omkara says as he stood up to defend Gauri.

"It's true?" Shivaay asks him in shock.

"Gauri doesn't lie." Omkara repeats in an assertive tone.

"You are my brother?" Shivaay asks him in shock. "You survived?"

Hearing the question, Omkara looks away, not knowing how to answer that. the thought that he had a big brother was so shocking.

"I thought you were his illegitimate son who had come to claim his rights." Shivaay tells him still reeling from shock and tears falling from his eyes. "There were too many women in his life. I thought you were... I never thought that you could be you. everyone said wild animals took her body."

"Dad and Mom gave her a funeral." Omkara tells him finally looking at him.

Shivaay smiles in relief hearing that. "after maa died, Nani raised me, so I never got to see him much, that is why it took me a while to realize that you look like him."

"I look like him?" Omkara asks unable to handle that shock, disgust and hatred.

"You look like how he looked in his younger days. You should be proud, Omkara." Shivaary tells him cupping his face.

"Proud?" Omkara asks in fury.

"Yes, your face is the living proof that our mother was virtuous and pure." Shivaay tells him.

Omkara was taken back hearing that. his eyes fill up realizing that it was true.

"Your face proves that our father was an evil man who intentionally had our mother murdered. He was the immoral one."

"The panchayat killed an innocent woman." Omkara says in suppressed fury. "Even now, they were going to kill innocent Gauri."

Shivaay turns to look at Gauri and asks Omkara with a smile, "That is why you married her?"

"No, I married her because I liked her. I was alone and she was alone. So we decided to be together." Omkara says as he looked at Gauri then turning to Shivaay he says. "our mother is the reason why I fought for her and saved her."

Shivaay nods with a smile.

"We are really brothers?" Omkara asks Shivaay still not able to believe it.

Shivaay smiles with happy tears. "Yes."

Shivaay moves forward and hugs Omkara. Omkara slowly hugs him back.

"This is Maa." Shivaay tells Omkara as he passed his mobile.

Omkara takes his mobile and looks at the screen, it was a photo of an old photo. Omkara smiles seeing the slender woman. He gently runs his finger over her face.

Seeing Gauri move towards him, he shows her the photo.

"She is so beautiful." Gauri tells him smiling.

"How old were you?" Omkara asks Shivaay as he continued to look at his mother's photo.

"About 3. I don't remember her much." Shivaay tells him.

Omkara hands him the phone.

Shivaay scrolls through the phone as he says gently. "I never believed that she was what everyone said her to be. Even nani. This is her and nanu."

Omkara takes the phone and look at the elderly couple's photo. "Nanu passed away before I was born. Nani passed away 3 years back. She would have been happy if she knew about you."

Omkara sadly looks at his maternal grandparents' photo. He feels a sense of loss for having not met his grandmother.

"I don't have his photo. I hate him so..." Shivaay tells him. "I can look for it... there should be at least one somewhere at home." Shivaay tells him.

Omkara shakes his head. "I don't care for him. Don't bother."

Shivaay nods. "So, you were raised by...?" Shivaay curiously asks him.

******

Omkara closes the door after Shivaay left and turns to Gauri.

"Are you okay?" Gauri asks him as she hugged him.

"Hmmm." Omkara says as he hugged her back. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I was worried that you might say you don't want to meet him. that you might feel guilty that you were going away from your family."

"Maybe." Omkara agrees.

"He is alone now. he has no family. We both know how it feels to be alone." Gauri asks him as she looked at him. "So, I did it for him also... he is your brother."

"Thank you, Gauri." Omkara tells her feeling grateful to her.

"You are so lucky, Om." Gauri tells him smiling at him. "You have two families."

Omkara nods with a smile. "Even you."

Gauri smiles hearing that.

******

Gauri was watching TV one afternoon when Omkara walks to her and without a word, he lifts her up in his arms.

Gauri yelps in shock and laughs for having her husband cradle her like that. "What?"

"Why are you watching naked guys on Netflix when your husband is always excited and eager to strip for you?" Omkara asks with a sexy smile.

Gauri blushes hearing him and wraps her hand on his shoulder. "What naked guys?"

"It is a Netflix show, someone will pop up naked sooner or later." Omkara tells her with a shrug as he walked to the bedroom.

"Kaki is here." Gauri whispers to him understanding his intend.

"No, Gauri, I'll not strip for her. I'll only strip for you."

Gauri gaps hearing his outrageous comment and hits him on his shoulder.

Omkara chuckles as he kicked the door shut and Gauri locks it.

******

Shivaay drops in to meet Omkara one evening.

"I know you said you didn't want to see him, but still..." Shivaay tells him passing an old photo to him.

With hatred and disgust, Omkara takes the photo and looks at it. He almost gasps in shock. In first glance people would just assume that he had dressed up in a dhoti and took the picture. That man looked almost like a mirror image of his. On staring he could make out the tiny differences but the similarities were too many.

He turns to look at Gauri and sees how she was reacting to it and sees her staring at the photo in shock.

"I always wanted to prove maa's innocence." Shivaay tells Omkara.

Omkara looks up at him curiously.

"But I never knew how. Now, you are here... I want to get justice for maa."

"What do you want me to do?" Omkara asks him in a determined tone.

"All those people died. Our father, his witnesses, his second wife, all those members of panchayat, but even today, there are people who still believe that maa was wrong. I want to file a case against the panchayat. Before I had no proof. Now, you are there and you are our proof."

"Let's do it." Omkara tells him ready for battle.

******

"I want to have a puja at home." Gauri tells Omkara that evening.

"Puja? Why?" Omkara asks her curiously.

"So many issues. I want everything to go well."

"Okay, but you know I don't believe in all this."

"Yeah, but you'll attend, right?"

"Yeah." Omkara agrees.

"We'll call Shivaay bhaiyya also?" Gauri asks him.

Omkara thinks for a second then he says, "yeah, I'll call him."

Gauri smiles hearing that.

"Gauri..." Omkara hesitantly starts.

"Hmmm?"

"You told them everything... but it would be nice if Shivaay and they meet and talk to each other."

Gauri happily smiles hearing that. "When Shivaay bhaiyya comes for puja, I will get everyone to talk to him."

"Thanks, you are the best." Omkara tells her as he lovingly kissed her cheek.

******

"You look angry." Priyanka points out in confusion.

"This is the first puja I am having and why does he have to interfere?" Gauri asks pissed.

"What did he do?" Jhanvi asks her with a humorous smile.

"He is an atheist. Why does he have to micromanage my rangoli? I was making rangoli, he came and ruined it!" Gauri complains.

"He messed it up?" Tej asks shocked.

"Yes! Just because he is a painter, he thinks only he knows colors? Even I know color combinations!" Gauri says offended.

"Awww." Jhanvi says.

"I got first prize in rangoli competition. He ruined my beautiful rangoli. I had such a beautiful idea. He came and started criticizing it, and one half of it, he did his stupid artistic design." Gauri says as she walked to the rangoli and showed them.

"That looks like a half and half pizza." Rudra says seeing the rangoli was like split in two with either side design that had no correlation or connection to each other.

"You tell me which side is better? His blending of color palettes or my design of vivid colors?"

They all worriedly look at each other wondering which one was which.

"Tell me!"

"Both are beautiful." Priyanka tells her in an appeasing tone.

"You are his litter sister; you will say that only to please him." Gauri scoffs.

Rudra gasps in shock. "Mom, O is rubbing off on Bhabhi."

"Tell me, which one is better?" Gauri insists stubbornly.

"Obviously the one you made, Gauri." Tej tells her with a smile.

"Yes, even I liked yours the best." Jhanvi tells her.

"Definitely yours, aesthetically beautiful." Rudra says.

Gauri nods, smiling satisfied.

Omkara who was sitting opposite to her, gets up and walks past her muttering loudly, "Why don't you ask them which one they think is yours?"

Gauri looks at him in shock as she watched him walk off. then she turns to the screen and sees them all watching Omkara.

"Which one is mine?" Gauri asks them frowning suspiciously.

"Lef... righ...?" Rudra says in a dragging way hoping she would choose the right answer herself.

"Om was sitting there?" Jhanvi asks her feeling emotional. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"He is always near me when I call you all." Gauri informs them with a smile.

"Really?" Jhanvi asks her eyes filling up.

"He misses you all a lot."

They all smile happily hearing that.

"Gauri, Shivaay is here." Omkara informs her as he walked back in.

"Shivaay bhaiyya is here." Gauri excitedly informs them, as she got up taking the phone and hurried out to meet Shivaay.

"Everyone, meet Shivaay bhaiyya." Gauri tells everyone as she stood next to Shivaay. "Shivaay bhaiyya, this is maaji, papaji, Rudy and Prinku."

"Hi." Shivaay says with a smile.

"Yo Shivaay bhaiyya." Rudra says with the yo sign.

"Hello, Shivaay bhaiyya." Priyanka says with a smile.

Tej smiles at him and says, "You look like your mother."

"You remember maa?" Shivaay asks shocked, he had met her for a short time and that too 28 years ago.

"She is our Om's mother, how can we ever forget her?" Jhanvi asks him with a loving smile.

"Thank you for taking care of Om, uncle and aunty."

"You are our Om's brother, you should call us Dad and Mom, Shivaay." Tej tells him.

"You are also our son." Jhanvi tells him.

Shivaay's eyes fill up hearing that.

Gauri gives Shivaay the phone and walks to Omkara who was watching them talk. Seeing her come to him, Omkara puts his hand over her shoulder and pulls her close to him. Gauri looks at Omkara and sees him watch Shivaay and his family talk with a smile on his face.

*******

Few days later, Shivaay and Omkara were called by the panchayat to discuss about the court case they had filed against the panchayat.

"We hear that you have filed a case against the panchayat." The sarpanch says.

"Yes, for murdering our mother." Shivaay answers furiously.

"Your mother died decades ago. This panchayat had nothing to do with it."

"your predecessor, found our mother guilty and stoned her to death when she was innocent."

"That was the old panchayat and how can you say your mother was innocent when you were a kid and had no idea what was happening?" the sarpanch asks him. "That panchayat might have listened to both sides and made the decision."

"This is my brother. The doctors were able to save his life not our mother's." Shivaay says pointing at Omkara. Then walking to sarpanch he hands him a photo of their father. "You remember our father? That is his photo. Look at that and tell me that Omkara is not his son." Shivaay challenges him.

The sarpanch looks at the photo and Omkara, scrutinizing.

"that man in the photo with our father died 13 years ago. So, you can't question the authenticity of the photo and say that is Omkara only. That photo isn't morphed. We have submitted documents verifying the authenticity of the photo in court. Omkara and I are biological brothers and we have submitted scientific proof of that too. I look like our mother and Omkara look like our father, so it proves that we were born of same father and mother. Then how did you find our mother guilty of adultery?"

"Again, it was a mistake of the old panchayat."

"Mistake? You call murder a mistake!"

"There is nothing this panchayat can do..."

"We don't want you to do anything. we want to end this panchayat. We want our father's property that the panchayat has attached because I didn't do his last rites. Omkara and I have legal rights on all his properties whether we do his last rites or not. You can snatch that from us. We don't want your rule on this land that runs on the prejudiced and narrow minded thinking of you all and giving death punishments and banishments as if you own this land. We don't need a parallel government here. Court might take time in giving a verdict but they don't do injustice like you all do in the name of law and order."

"We have always done justice!" sarpanch argues furiously.

"JUSTICE?" Omkara shouts furiously. "Remember this girl?" Omkara asks as he pointed at Gauri. "She had come to you asking for justice! And what justice did you give her? you ordered her to be stoned to death!"

"We had witnesses..." he says as he looked at Gauri.

"Where are your witnesses now?" Omkara asks him angrily.

The sarpanch uncomfortably shifts in his seat.

"They are in jail. For attempted kidnaping, assault and attempted rape of Gauri. how did you find the criminals innocent and the victim as the criminal? What justice did you serve then? If I hadn't filled her maang then Gauri would be dead now. I had without her consent filled her maang and you who is all for justice had declared her my wife without even asking whether she wanted to be my wife."

Hearing everything the sarpanch and the rest, discusses among themselves for a while. Finally, a decision was made.

"This panchayat has come to the conclusion that the panchayat was wrong at the time of both Varada and Gauri. this panchayat apologizes to both and declare them innocent. Gauri, if you want then you can complain against Omkara for forcibly marrying you. The panchayat already has Omkara's confession regarding marrying you without your consent."

"He did that to save my life. after that he asked for my permission and with both our consent we got married. I have no complaints against him." Gauri informs them with a frown at their audacity.

The sarpanch nods and continues on, "Even though, Varada's case wasn't at the time of this panchayat, we still see the error in judgement and the loss to Varada's family. So, to honor the pious woman that she was, this panchayat will erect a statue of Varada to immortalize her. and your property will be returned to you both." the sarpanch declares.

Omkara and Shivaay look at each other in shock without saying anything.

"We hope the panchayat's verdict is to your satisfaction." One of the men says when both of them remained silent.

Omkara turns to look at the elderly men and says furiously, "Fuck you!"

"See you all in court." Shivaay furiously challenges them.

*********

"Are you nervous?" Gauri asks Omkara as they waited.

"A little. You?" Omkara asks her with nervous excitement.

Gauri shakes her head in negative.

"You are sure?" Omkara asks her surprised.

"No... we've time... if not this time then next time." Gauri tells him smiling.

Omkara smiles and holds her hand.

"Gauri?" one nurse calls out.

"Yes?" Omkara replies as they got up and walked to her.

"Your test results." She tells them and hands the paper.

Omkara and Gauri open the paper.

"What does all of this mean?" Gauri asks seeing some random details. There was no mention of pregnancy positive or negative.

Omkara check the reference for the hCG levels and softly chuckles.

"Tell me... tell me... tell me." Gauri says excitedly seeing him chuckle.

Omkara turns to look at her. his eyes filled with tears and a big smile on his face. he sniffs happily, "6 weeks."

"6?" Gauri asks smiling happily as her hand went to her stomach.

Omkara nods happily, fighting his tears.

Gauri excitedly hugs Omkara, laughing happily. Omkara hugs her and kisses her on top of her head lovingly.

********

"If I ask you for something will you do it?" Gauri asks him.

"You have doubts?" Omkara asks her lovingly.

Gauri holds his hands and asks him, "I never had a family, Om. I always wanted to have a family. But I never got a family to grow up with. I want our baby to have his family with him always, Om."

Omkara's eyes fill up hearing that. "Even I want my family, Gauri."

Gauri smiles happily hearing that.

"Let's go home." Omkara tells her smiling excitedly.

Gauri hugs him happily. "I love you."

"I'm sorry, I kept you waiting for so long." Omkara tells her as he hugged her.

"I knew we would go home one day, Om. I had faith in you."

Omkara smiles hearing that.

"I'll inform them we are coming. when are we going?" Gauri asks as she grabbed her phone to call home.

"Don't tell them about the baby." Omkara tells her.

"Why?" Gauri asks shocked.

"I want to tell them." Omkara tells her. "I hurt them a lot, Gauri. they all suffered because of me."

"They know that you love them, Om." Gauri reassures him.

Omkara nods. "This joy, I want to give them."

"Okay." Gauri tells him smiling happily hearing that.

"Will you be able to keep it a secret till we reach home?" Omkara asks her with a teasing smile.

"Yes!"

***********

Omkara and Gauri were walking out of the airport when Omkara's phone started ringing.

"Hello, Shivaay?" Omkara answers as they continued to walk out.

"Om, did you reach?"

"The flight was late. We just landed. Going out the airport now."

"Okay... call me after you have your reunion with your family."

"I'll."

"By the way, I'm getting married."

"What?" Omkara asks in a surprised shout.

"Yeah." Shivaay replies with a chuckle.

"Awesome, congratulations!" Omkara says happily. "Who is it? Do we know her?"

"What is it?" Gauri asks curiously.

"Shivaay is getting married."

"WHAT?" Gauri asks excitedly. "Why didn't he tell us before?"

"Because he proposed only today." Omkara conveys what Shivaay said. "Her name is Anika and she is his neighbor."

"Wow." Gauri smiles excitedly. "When is the wedding? Is he planning an engagement or direct wedding?" Gauri eagerly asks.

"Will you let me talk to him to know all that?" Omkara asks her exasperated.

Gauri makes a face and looks away making Omkara grin.

"Om, they all are here!" Gauri says excitedly noticing the family getting out of the car. "Maaji, Papaji, Rudy, Prinku!" Gauri excitedly calls them and runs to them waving happily.

"Gauri, careful!" Omkara calls out to her seeing her running across the road to reach everyone.

"Yeah!" Gauri replies as she hurried to the family.

"Gauri!" Jhanvi happily opens her arms to her.

Gauri runs to her and hugs her happily.

"I am so happy you both are finally home." Jhanvi tells her hugging her tight.

Gauri happily hugs everyone and chats with them.

"Where is O?" Rudra asks her.

"He is talking to Shivaay bhaiyya. Shivaay bhaiyya is getting married."

"Oh that is nice." Tej says with a smile as he looked at Omkara.

Seeing everyone looking at him, Omkara starts heading towards them after hanging up the phone. His eyes filling with tears seeing them. fighting a sob, he happily waves at them.

"OM WATCH OUT!" Tej shouts seeing a car heading his way.

***********

"He is awake; you can see him." the doctor informs them as he came out of the room.

Hearing him, Gauri quickly runs in. "Om..." she calls him seeing him half sitting and half lying on the bed.

Omkara frowns seeing her.

Gauri runs to him and hugs him. "Om... are you okay?" Gauri asks him in between sobs and she showered kisses on him.

"WHAT THE HELL? WHO THE BLOODY HELL ARE YOU?" Omkara asks furiously as he pushed her away.

"Om?" Gauri steadies herself in shock hearing him.

"What are you doing, Om?" Tej asks him in shock.

"Dad, who is she? Why are they letting such people in? Has the quality of the hospital come down so low that they are letting these kind of people roam free here?" Omkara asks in disgust.

"Why are you talking about bhabhi like that?" Priyanka asks him in shock.

"Bhabhi?" Omkara asks shocked as he stood up all the while staring at Gauri in shock.

Gauri was staring at Omkara in shock, not really understanding what was happening.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Rudra?" Omkara asks furiously as he looked at Rudra. "You married this lowlife?"

"Gauri Bhabhi is your wife, O." Rudra reminds him in outrage.

"My wife?" Omkara asks shocked. "Have you lost it? This random girl will come and tell you that she is my wife and you all would believe it?"

"Random girl?" Jhanvi asks shocked. "Gauri is your wife, Om."

"How many times I have told you all that these kind of people can never be trusted? See, what is happening now! This..." Omkara looks at Gauri in disgust. "This comes and tells you that she is my wife and you all believed her?"

"You only told us that she is your wife, Om." Tej reminds him.

"What?" Omkara stops in shock. "She? My wife?" Omkara asks in outrage and disgust. "I don't even know her!"

"Om..." Jhanvi gently starts.

"And Ridhima?" Omkara asks her cutting her off.

"What?" Jhanvi asks in shock.

"Ridhima? You do remember that last week I got engaged to her?" Omkara irately reminds them.

"That was months ago, Om." Tej reminds him in shock.

"What?" Omkara asks in confusion.

"You and bhabhi have been married for about 3 months now." Rudra tells him.

Omkara looks at them in shock then turning furious, he asks "What kind of joke is this?"

"Go, call the doctor." Tej tells Rudra.

Rudra quickly leaves the room.

"Om..." Gauri calls him as she fought her tears and walks to him. "Don't you remember me?" Gauri asks him, her heart breaking.

Seeing her about to cup his face, Omkara furiously says, "Don't you dare touch me."

Gauri stops in shock as tears fell from her eyes.

"Get out. If I see you anywhere near my family, that will be the end for you." Omkara furiously warns her.

Hearing him Gauri softly starts sobbing as she saw how her loving husband was treating her.

"I said get out." Omkara tells her.

"Om, just calm down." Jhanvi tells him.

Omkara ignores her and stares at Gauri who was staring at him. "If you don't leave then I am calling the cops."

When Gauri didn't make any move to leave, Omkara turns around looking for his mobile. Seeing that, Jhanvi and Tej gestures to Priyanka. Priyanka gently holds Gauri and leads her out of the room.

"Why are you going with her, Prinku?" Omkara furiously asks.

"Priyanka is taking Gauri home." Tej informs him.

"You are bringing that into our home?" Omkara asks outraged as he pointed at Gauri.

"Her name is Gauri!" Jhanvi furiously tells him.

"Mom?" Omkara turns to her in shock at having her scream at him like that.

Fighting her tears, Jhanvi tells him, "You might be still in the shock of your accident. You might be having memory issues. Whatever it is, I have told you a million times that you have no right treating another human being like this."

"You have always screamed at me for people like her." Omkara accuses her in a softer hurtful tone.

Taking a calming breath, Jhanvi tells him gently, "You love her, Om. we all love her."

"What kind of black magic did she do on you all that you all believe that I could love her?" Omkara asks in shock.

***********

Gauri was lying on her bed and crying as she thought of what had happened. How did Om forget her? She keeps her hand on her stomach realizing that he would have forgot their baby too. That thought itself killing her. they were so happy. They were going to be with their family then how did everything turn into a nightmare?

Hours later, Tej and Jhanvi come to check on Gauri and finds her sleeping.

"She had been crying all this while." Priyanka informs them sadly.

"Poor thing." Jhanvi whispers as she caressed Gauri's hair. "She always spoke of coming home with Om and now..." Jhanvi stops as her eyes filled up.

"Om's treatment started, everything will be fine soon." Tej consoles her.

"He has become that old Om. I am scared, Tej, he might refuse to accept her." Jhanvi worriedly says.

"Tomorrow when he comes home, we will tell him everything." Tej tells her.

Jhanvi nods.

***********

Gauri hopefully looks at Omkara as she walked to the living room. he had come home an hour back but she hadn't seen him till now. She looks for a glimmer of recognition on his face but all she saw was pure hatred. She looks down her heart breaking again.

"Before you say anything, just listen to what we have to say." Jhanvi says seeing Omkara opening his mouth to insult Gauri.

Omkara furiously closes his mouth.

"OMKARA!" Ridhima calls him as she came running to the house.

Everyone stops in shock seeing her.

"Ridhima?? What are you doing here?" Jhanvi asks furiously.

"I called her." Omkara replies frowning at his mother. "Why are you taking that tone with her?"

"Omkara!" Ridhima throws herself at him.

Gauri's heart skips a beat seeing that. everyone worriedly looks at Gauri. Gauri couldn't control her tears. Seeing that Priyanka holds her hand to console her.

"He doesn't remember, Bhabhi." Priyanka worriedly reminds her.

Gauri nods as she looked down trying to not break down.

"What the hell, Ridhima?" Omkara furiously pushes her away. "What the hell is wrong with you?" Omkara asks her in fury.

"Omkara... I..." Ridhima stammers.

Gauri looks at him in shock, feeling a little bit of relief seeing that he had rejected Ridhima's hug.

"Good khandaani ladkis don't do all these." Omkara furiously whispers to her.

"I was so happy to see you... I..." Ridhima says turning pink.

Omkara nods with a frown. "Behave yourself."

"Why did you call her here?" Jhanvi asks him.

"She is my fiancé."

"Om, you are married now." Jhanvi tells him.

"Mom, I don't know why you believe her. I don't want Ridhima's family also to believe her lies. So, I called her here so that at least her family has no misunderstandings."

Jhanvi turns to Ridhima and asks her in anger, "He forgot everything but you remember. You remember that Om got married. We told you that he is married and the engagement is off, then why did you come?"

"Mom! You think I am a cheat? That I would get engaged to one girl and marry another?" Omkara asks her. "That I would decide this girl is a better wife for me than Ridhima? You think I am a fool? Marrying Ridhima was the best thing for business then why would I marry her? Ridhima has the perfect bloodline, perfect family, perfect social status... what does this girl have?" Omkara asks her incredulously.

"Just stop, Om." Tej says fed up and tired. "Listen to what we have to say before you keep insulting your wife."

Omkara shuts his mouth and walks to the sofa and sit. Seeing that, everyone sits down and Tej gently starts narrating everything.

"Wait a minute..." Omkara interrupts him in disbelief.

"What?" Tej asks him.

"I got down a train? Me? on a train?" Omkara asks in utter disbelief. "Then she comes running because this so called village rulers decided to stone her to death because she is immoral? And I filled her maang to save her?"

"It is true, Om."

"How can you believe all this bullshit?" Omkara asks shocked. "Why would I fill her maang? Why would I risk my own life to save a girl I don't even know? In which place on earth do they stone people to death?"

"It all happened, Om." Jhanvi tells him.

"If I see something like that then I would call the cops on them. not get involved." Omkara tells them. "And you!" he calls Gauri.

Gauri looks at him hearing him call her.

"Just because I filled your maang doesn't mean you are my wife." Omkara tells her.

"You married her the next day, Om." Tej tells her.

"What?" Omkara turns to his father in shock.

"Yes. Just listen to what we have to say?"

"What the hell was I doing in that place?" Omkara asks them still not believing.

Tej and Jhanvi worriedly look at each other wondering what to tell him.

"You said you were there for inspiration for painting." Gauri answers seeing everyone worriedly looking at each other.

"For painting?" Omkara asks her in a mocking tone.

"That is what you said." Gauri tells him.

"I paint but that is just a hobby. I haven't taken painting so seriously that I would leave everything and go looking for inspiration." Omkara tells her in an accusing tone. "I can't believe why you all are keeping her here after listening to all these."

"Will you listen to the rest, Om?" Tej asks him.

"Fine!"

Tej continues to tell him everything that Gauri had told them.

"I proposed her?" Omkara asks incredulously.

"Yes, you did."

"A maid? An orphan?" Omkara asks shocked out of his wits.

His family uncomfortably look at each other while Gauri looked down, trying her best to not burst into tears in front of all these people.

"What kind of catastrophe struck me that I thought I only deserved her?" Omkara asks furiously as he stood up.

Gauri closes her eyes tight hearing his insult. Knowing the answer to his question, he found out that he was adopted.

"Stop it, Om." Tej tells him furiously.

"Why are you not believing us?" Rudra asks him furiously.

"Do you expect me to believe that I picked a girl from the street and made her my wife?" Omkara asks him incredulously. "How did you believe that?"

"Because you told us that she is your wife. We were there when you told her that you love her." Rudra furiously tells him.

"Why would I do that?" Omkara asks him.

Everyone stops in shock, not knowing how to convince him without telling him the truth about his adoption.

Feeling someone standing in front of her, Gauri opens her eyes and looks up. She sees Omkara staring down at her. Gauri slowly stands up.

"What kind of a girl are you? that you married a man that you didn't know? That too a day after you met him?" Omkara asks her.

"You saved my life, you put your life in risk and fought for me. There was no one I trusted more than you."

Omkara scoffs, "A girl from a good family wouldn't do that. but then you are..." Omkara stops as he gave her a disgusted smirk.

Gauri looks down hurt unable to look into his face and see the disgust for her.

"If you are here for money then just tell me what you want to leave us alone." Omkara tells her.

"I don't want your money. I never wanted your money." Gauri tells him.

"Yeah, right!"

"You used to make fun of me for marrying you without realizing how rich you are. You told me that I was one of the few people who had cared for you for you and not what you represent." Gauri tells him.

"I told you all that?" Omkara asks her sarcastically.

"Yes."

Omkara loudly sighs in exasperation. "So, you are my wife?" Omkara asks her.

"Yes." Gauri replies.

"Do you have any proof of our marriage?"

"We got married in temple. It was just us and pundit."

"No wedding photographs? What about Marriage certificate?"

"We didn't apply for one." Gauri whispers.

"Seriously? We didn't? did we have a reason too?" Omkara asks her in a mocking tone.

Gauri gulps hearing the question.

"Did we?"

"I didn't have any ID... we were going to get some ID proof for me first..."

"What do you mean you don't have ID?" Omkara asks her confused.

"The orphanage I grew up in, didn't get me Adhaar card or voters ID..."

"You don't have any ID proof?" Omkara asks her shocked.

"No."

"In short you don't even exist!" Omkara declares. "Is your name even Gauri?"

"Yes."

"I don't believe you." Omkara declares. "You are a liar." Omkara accuses.

Gauri closes her eyes tightly hearing his accusation, she couldn't help remember the last she was called a liar, he had vehemently defended that she doesn't lie, and that was a time when he was given one of the biggest shock of his life that he has an elder brother, but more than that, what had affected him was the slander on her character. Where did that husband of hers go?

"We showed you the photos of you two bhaiyya."

"Two photos from three months of marriage?" Omkara asks in exasperation. "I'm sure they were morphed."

"Om..." Jhanvi starts but Omkara ignores her.

"You know, in that whole story, the only thing I believe is..."

Gauri looks at him when he remained silent.

When she looked at him, he says, "That you are immoral. That is the only thing I believed."

Gauri gasps in shock as tears fell from her eyes.

"How dare you?" Priyanka furiously asks him as she pushed him away from Gauri. "If someone says that to me then you would kill that person. Then how dare you say that to her?"

Hearing that Omkara steps back feeling guilty and ashamed.

"If you can't talk to Bhabhi with respect then you will stay away from her." Rudra tells him as he came and stood by Gauri.

"I don't want her to stay in our home." Omkara declares.

"This is her house, she will stay here." Tej tells him in finality.

"Why aren't you believing us, Om?" Jhanvi asks him hurt.

"Because I know she is lying and you all have fell in her trap."

"She is not lying, Om."

"I checked my room. there isn't a single thing of hers in my room." Omkara points out.

"Because you were living with her in her village."

"Why?" Omkara asks her.

"For painting..." Jhanvi hesitantly lies.

"Why would I leave everything behind and go off like that to paint?" Omkara asks shocked.

When everyone remained silent, he shakes his head. "You all are the champion of the poor and downtrodden that you believe her lies. I don't."

"Om..."

"If I stayed with her there then there might have been some reason. Some compulsion. And I'll find out what that is." Omkara declares. "Maybe she was blackmailing me with something."

"You used to call me, Omkara. You promised me and consoled me that you would solve everything and come back and marry me." Ridhima tells him.

"I did?" Omkara asks shocked while everyone else looked at her in horror.

"Yes." Ridhima tells him.

"Did I tell you what the issue was?" Omkara asks her eagerly.

"No but you assured me that we would get married."

"We will, Ridhima. I will solve this and we will get married." Omkara promises her.

"You believe that?" Rudra asks him shocked.

"That is the only thing that made sense to me." Omkara says then looking to a heart broken Gauri he declares, "Nothing else did."

Hearing him, without saying anything Gauri walks off.

***********

"We should tell Om the truth." Jhanvi worriedly says to everyone.

They all had followed Gauri to Priyanka's room.

"No." Gauri quickly says.

"Gauri, he is not believing us because he doesn't understand why he would behave the way he did." Tej explains to her. "Without telling him the truth, he won't believe us."

"When he found that out, it had nearly broken him. he was hurt and it took a long time to make his peace with it." Gauri tells him.

"But he did make peace with it. He will do it again." Rudra points out to her.

"He left home when he found the truth last time. what if he leaves again?" Gauri worriedly asks them.

They all remain silent because everyone was worried about that possibility, Omkara leaving again.

"And what if this time after finding out the truth he goes to Ridhima?" Gauri asks in fear.

"Her nerve!" Priyanka mutters furiously. "How she lied about Bhabhi like that? and bhaiyya used to call her? when he was engaged to her also that time he called her father more than her. Mom used to beg him to make time for her!"

"Why is she here now? Om told me that she was in love with him but they had called off the wedding when they found out about Om." Gauri asks confused.

"It is our fault." Tej laments sadly.

"How?" Gauri asks confused.

"When Om left home... we were searching for him... and we thought when he comes back he should have everything that he lost." Tej tells her. "So we spoke to her family. Their main concern was that because Om is adopted that we won't give him properties and shares like we would give Rudy and Prinku."

"So, Rudy and Prinku signed off half of their stakes on all of our property in Om's name. they even made us promise that we should never disclose that Om is adopted. They agreed for the wedding after that. we came there to tell him all that and that is when we found out that you both got married. Seeing how he was happy with you and that you both loved each other, as soon as we got back, we told Ridhima and her family that Om is married and that engagement was off." Jhanvi explains to her.

"How can she lie so shamelessly?" Gauri asks in shock as she looked down at her joined hands resting on her stomach.

"The moment Om remembers everything, she will be out of all our lives, Gauri." Jhanvi reassures her.

Gauri nods. "I trust Om. I know he will set everything right."

Jhanvi hugs her in relief. "Everything will be fine. Gauri."

"I'm calling her father and telling him what she is up to." Tej says as he walked out of the room.

***********

"Did you call Ridhima's father and asked him to stop her from coming here?" Omkara asks Tej the next morning with Ridhima towing behind him.

"Yes. You are married. She has no right coming to our house or forming a relation with you." Tej replies.

"Dad, how many times do you want me to tell you that I am not married. I would never marry her with my free will." Omkara says pointing at Gauri.

"Om, you don't remember what happened in the last few months." Jhanvi tells him.

"Yes! That doesn't mean I would believe her."

"So, till you get your memory back, stop this." Jhanvi says gesturing between him and Ridhima.

"Bhaiyya, you never bothered about even talking to her before, now why are you insisting that she be allowed to come home?" Priyanka asks him confused.

"Do you think I have time for all that?" Omkara asks her in exasperation. "I've a million things to do at office, and I don't want to deal with these kinds of kitchen politics! So, stop with all these. I don't want to waste my time on consoling Ridhima and reassuring her that everything would be fine."

"Why are you so concerned about her? you were never this concerned before!"

"Because there was no issue like this."

"She is a liar!" Rudra tells him.

"What did she lie about?" Omkara asks him.

"That you called her and reassured her that you will be marrying her."

"That is the only thing I believe because I am not a cheat. I would have reassured her that I wasn't cheating on her." Omkara argues.

"You called her and told her that you were stuck in some situation that had forced you to marry Bhabhi... then why you never told us?" Rudra asks him.

"Maybe I didn't want to worry you." Omkara replies.

"So, you would act as if you are in love with Bhabhi in front of us?"

"Maybe." Omkara shrugs.

"Thank you for at least not saying yes to that. otherwise I would have thought that that blow to your head not only affected your memory but your intelligence too." Rudra tells him in irritation and walks off.

***********

Hearing a mobile ring, Gauri curiously turns to check, and sees Omkara stopping midstride with a frown looking at the mobile screen.

"Hello?" Omkara answers the call. "Who is this?.... Shivaay? Shivaay who?"

"That is for me!" Gauri screams and runs to Omkara.

"What?" Omkara looks at her confusion.

Gauri runs to him and snatches his phone from his hand.

"What the hell?" Omkara furiously says as he walked to her to take the phone back.

Gauri quickly moves back, as she spoke on the phone. "Hello, Shivaay bhaiyya?"

Omkara stops hearing that.

"Gauri... just called to check how your reunion was going? How come you guys didn't call?" Shivaay asks her.

"I forgot to call, Shivaay bhaiyya." Gauri worriedly says her eyes on Omkara.

"Ah okay... what happened to Om? he was behaving weirdly."

Gauri gently informs him as she moved away from Omkara, "Om had an accident."

"Oh my God, is he alright?" Shivaay asks worriedly.

"He is."

"Give the phone to him."

"Bhaiyya..." Gauri hesitantly says.

"What is it, Gauri? Is Om alright?" Shivaay asks worriedly.

"He doesn't remember anything that happened after his last accident."

"What?" Shivaay whispers in shock.

"He has memory loss."

"Last accident? Does he remember you?" Shivaay asks realizing.

"No." Gauri whispers sadly.

"And he doesn't remember me also." Shivaay says understanding.

"Yes."

"How is he with you?" Shivaay asks her.

"He doesn't believe that I am his wife." Gauri tells him sadly.

Shivaay was silent as he thought about it. "He said he was a different man before his accident... is he the Om we know?"

"No." Gauri whispers as she closed her eyes fighting her tears.

Shivaay sighs hearing that.

"He thinks I am a liar trying to cheat him out of money." Gauri tells him as she sobbed.

"Gauri, you shouldn't be taking this kind of stress. It is not good for the baby."

"You know?" Gauri asks shocked. "We didn't tell anyone."

"Yeah, I know. Om told me."

"When? He didn't tell me." Gauri asks as Omkara told her about every big and small thing.

"Last time I spoke to him, at the airport. he said that is the reason he was going home as he wanted to be with his family and he wanted you and your baby to have a family. That he wasn't abandoning me or leaving the court case halfway through." Shivaay says.

"You know he loves you." Gauri tells him.

"I know, Gauri. we are brothers." Shivaay tells her. "You come here, Gauri. Once Om remembers everything he will come and get you."

"No, Shivaay bhaiyya. I can't leave Om."

"Okay." Shivaay gives in. "If you need anything call me."

"I'll. He won't be able to come for your wedding."

"Marriage can wait. Let Om get well first." Shivaay tells her.

Gauri smiles hearing that. "I'll call you later, Shivaay bhaiyya."

"Bye Gauri. take care."

"Bhaiyya, I haven't told anyone here."

"You should." Shivaay tells him.

"Later, bhaiyya."

"Hmm okay." Shivaay hangs up the phone.

Gauri walks back and finds Omkara waiting for her. She gives him the phone.

"Next time, don't touch my things without my permission."

Gauri nods.

"Why did he call?"

"just to see how I am doing."

"I asked why did he call on my phone."

"Because he has your number." Gauri shrugs as she looked away.

"And he doesn't have your number?" Omkara asks her sarcastically.

"Maybe he didn't get through." Gauri says with a shrug.

Omkara irately looks at her. "And you say you are an orphan, then where did this bhaiyya come from?"

"He is like my brother." Gauri tells him, then looking at him, she adds, "Like how Rudy is my brother."

"Rudy is my brother. Not yours." Omkara warns her.

"I believe that is my decision and not yours." Rudra says as he stood by Gauri, protectively keeping his hand over her shoulder.

Omkara looks at Rudra in shock. Then getting angry, he says, "She is breaking up our family."

"All she ever did was to try to keep the family together, and that is what you loved most about her and was grateful to her for." Rudra tells him.

"She? Keeping our family together?" Omkara asks in astonishment. "And I was grateful to her for that? Rudy, we are family, we don't need anyone's help to stay together."

"O, please stop." Rudra pleads to him. "When you remember everything, then you are the one who is going to be devastated for the way you treated Bhabhi. Don't bring this doom on yourself."

"Never." Omkara replies arrogantly. "I don't care whether she lives or dies."

Hearing Omkara say that, Gauri turns to Rudra and hugging him, she breaks into loud sobs. Rudra quickly hugs her.

Omkara stops seeing Gauri break down in front of him like that, her sobs were like a stab to his heart. he steps back unable to take her sobs. He couldn't understand why he was having such a strong reaction to her crying.

"You should go, O. just leave her alone." Rudra tells him.

Omkara looks at Rudra and sees him glaring at him. he couldn't help, and he looks at Gauri.

"I'll take you to your room, Bhabhi." Rudra tells her and walks off with Gauri.

While Omkara just stood back and watched them not able to understand why someone's tears were hurting him so much.

Rudy was right, he should stay away from her!

***********

After that, Gauri rarely saw Omkara. He went early to office and came back very late. Her pregnancy was taking a toll on her and she was sleeping very early and waking up very late.

One day, Gauri was taking clothes out of her bag when she notices her diary. She takes it and lovingly runs her hand over it. She had stopped writing her diary. The last time she wrote it was the night before their travel. Even though she had promised Omkara she would write in her diary daily, she couldn't bring herself to write on it anymore. Because if she wrote it, it would be about the pain she was going through because Om forgot her. When Om remembered everything, and when he reads her diary, she didn't want him to go through her pain. That would kill him. hearing someone walk in, Gauri quickly keeps the diary back in her bag. She turns to check and finds Priyanka.

"You look angry." Gauri points out.

"That shameless creature is here!" Priyanka says in disgust.

"Oh!" Gauri looks down. Ridhima didn't come home after that, but Gauri had no idea whether Omkara was meeting Ridhima outside their house regularly.

"Om is home?" Gauri asks.

"No but I think he will be reaching soon." Priyanka says with a shrug.

Gauri nods.

***********

Gauri walks to the living room and finds that Omkara had reached and the whole family was there.

"Dad, it is Ridhima's father's birthday. They have invited the whole family. Why aren't you coming?" Omkara asks his father.

"Her father is supporting her in this besharami. I don't want to see that shameless people ever and you expect me to go to his house?" Tej asks him back.

"Dad, after all that happened they are still so understanding, and you are blaming them?"

"After what happened, Om?" Jhanvi asks him.

Omkara stops irately, then noticing Gauri, he tells his parents "You are insulting Ridhima and her family for this girl."

"You are insulting your wife for this shameless girl!" Jhanvi accuses him.

"She is not my wife." Omkara stubbornly says.

"Why is it that you don't trust us, Om? why wouldn't you believe us when we tell you that Gauri is your wife?"

"Because I will never believe that I married her willing. I would never do that." Omkara argues.

"O, trust us, even we were shocked. Even we didn't believe it. But you yourself said that you were very happy with her." Rudra tells him.

"Might have been out of some compulsion." Omkara tells them. "You all were here while I was in that village, so obviously you were not there to know what was exactly happening. You believed what was said to you."

"Maybe you lied that you were very happy with Bhabhi when we asked, but no one asked you whether you loved her, it was you who said that you love her and you kept asking her whether she loved you till she said she did." Priyanka tells him.

Omkara stops in shock and confusion. He looks at Gauri and then his family confused, not understanding what was happening.

Seeing that, Ridhima, quickly asks him sadly, "Omkara, will you at least come?"

Omkara looks at her and then he turns to his family, "Will you all come?"

"No."

"Dad, you and mom made a promise to Ridhima and her family, seeing this girl you might have forgotten it, but I haven't."

"It is you who have forgotten the promises you made to me, Om." Gauri tells him sadly.

Hearing the pain in her voice, Omkara couldn't even look at her face. her pain was starting to affect him and he didn't know why.

"Omkara, let's go?" Ridhima asks him.

Omkara nods and without a word he leaves.

***********

Omkara couldn't get Gauri's hurtful face and accusation out of his mind. as much as he tried to keep himself busy with talking to the various business acquaintances or the possible business prospective, his thoughts kept going back to Gauri.

"Omkara, Dad is going to cut the cake. Come." Ridhima comes and calls him.

Omkara turns to look at her then he looks at her family gathered near the cake.

"Come, Omkara." Ridhima tells him as she pulled on his hand.

It felt all wrong to join her family as a member of the family to him. he felt as if he took a step towards that direction then he would be betraying Gauri. he hated that feeling.

"Dad is waiting, Omkara."

"You go." Omkara tells her.

"You also come."

"I will be here. You go."

"You've to come, Omkara. You are my fiancé." Ridhima insists.

"I told you twice that I am not coming. do you want me to leave this party before the cake cutting?" Omkara asks her irately.

"Okay..." Ridhima gives in disappointedly and walks off to join her family.

***********

"You are back so fast." Rudra says seeing Omkara walk into his bedroom.

"Will you be honest with me, Rudy?" Omkara asks him.

Rudra nods his head in yes.

"At the party everyone was asking why I had disappeared without a word for months. Some even mentioned that I had been behaving very differently after my accident. Did something happen that caused me to leave?" Omkara asks him.

Hearing the question, Rudra quickly looks away.

"Did Gauri have something to do with it?" Omkara asks him.

"Of course not! You need to stop treating Bhabhi like this." Rudra vehemently tells him.

"Then why did I leave? It definitely is not for inspiration. Something happened because some even said I was depressed before I disappeared."

"Being so close to death, you realized the error in your behavior and you took the trip to become a better person. Then you met Bhabhi." Rudra lies as he looked around.

"What?" Omkara frowns hearing that.

"You found God, O. you became a believer."

Omkara stares at Rudra in disbelief. "God?"

"Yes, O."

"Maybe that is why I got married to Gauri in a temple instead of a register office."

"Yeah." Rudra eagerly nods.

"Is that the reason that you were not part of my wedding?"

"Erm.... Yeah maybe..." Rudra shrugs.

Omkara looks at Rudra incredulously. "Don't you dare fucking bullshit me, Rudy!" he furiously shouts at him.

"It's the truth, O."

"That is not the truth. But I realize there is a truth and I am going to find it." Omkara vows and leaves the room.

Rudra quickly takes the phone and messages the rest of the family what he told Omkara and asked all of them to stick by that story.

***********

Omkara was leaving for office the next day when he notices Ridhima getting out of her car. He walks to her.

"What are you doing here?" Omkara asks her.

"I came to check on you. you seemed upset yesterday when you left the party." Ridhima tells him.

Omkara shakes his head thoughtfully as he leaned on the car.

"What happened, Omkara? Tell me." Ridhima asks him. When he immediately didn't tell her anything, she keeps her hand on his shoulder. "We are getting married, Omkara. We should be sharing everything. Tell me what is troubling you. you know how much I love you. I can't see you like this."

"Do you know why I left?" Omkara asks her as he looked at her.

"What? No." Ridhima quickly says shaking her head nervously.

Omkara frowns seeing her nervous. "You don't know?"

"No, Omkara. How would I know?" Ridhima asks him.

"my whole family is saying some bullshit story. I know they are hiding something from me. You said I called you often to reassure you that we would be getting married. That time, I didn't say anything?"

"No, just that Gauri was forcing you and you were trapped. You were finding a way out."

Omkara frowns hearing that. "Doesn't it matter to you that I was married to her? that if what my family is saying is true then we would have been living as husband and wife for the last three months."

"You are not a cheat, Omkara. You told me that." Ridhima tells him.

Omkara thoughtfully looks away.

"Even if you had to, then also it doesn't matter to me because I love you so much." Ridhima tells him and she kisses his cheek.

"WHAT THE FUCK?" Omkara shouts as he moved away from her in fury.

"Omkara... I love you."

"Don't be so bloody shameless!" Omkara furiously tells her. "Stop behaving like a tramp."

"We are getting married, Omkara." Ridhima tells him worried and hurt.

"We are not married yet!" Omkara points out.

"What is wrong in kissing, Omkara?"

"Because we are respectable people, we don't behave like trash." Omkara tells her furiously.

"Omkara, why are you so narrow minded and prejudiced?"

"Ridhima... you are being shameless and you are pointing fingers at me? if you behave like this one more time then I will break off the engagement." Omkara warns her. "If you can't behave with the dignity of Oberoi bahu then you can't be one."

Ridhima's eyes fill up hearing that.

But that had no effect on Omkara, he tells her in finality. "I don't care about the business deal. I can find hundred other equally good or better alliance. Still I am fighting my family and standing by this commitment is because my parents made a promise to your parents. They might have lost their way, but it is my duty to honor their promise. I don't want anyone raising any finger at them, that is the reason I am still with you. if you want then you can call off the engagement I don't give a damn but if you can't behave yourself, then I might convince myself that maybe this time, I don't have to honor their word. Got it?"

Ridhima nods her head as she fought tears.

Without another word, Omkara turns and walks to his car. He was about to open the door of his car when he sees his reflection in the glass. There was a lipstick mark on his cheek. furiously he looks at Ridhima and he sees her leaving. Cursing her under his breath, he walks back into his house to wash his face.

He was walking to his room when Gauri comes out of Priyanka's room. they both stop in shock seeing each other unexpectedly. Omkara was about to turn his face away when he sees her staring at his cheek. he sees her eyes fill up. His heart breaks seeing tears in her eyes. Then she looks at his eyes. Omkara's breath gets caught in his throat seeing the accusation in her eyes. Seeing him uncomfortably looking at her, Gauri turns around and walks back into the room.

Gauri closes her eyes tight to get the image out of her mind. she wanted to cry out loud see that Om was going away from her like this.

"What the heck is wrong with you?" Omkara furiously asks as he walked behind her.

Hearing him, Gauri turns to look at him and sees him so furious, she had never seen him this furious.

"You are acting as if I am a bloody cheat!" Omkara accuses her. "How dare you act as if I committed a crime?"

"I just want to be alone, Om." Gauri tells him not having the strength to go through this, right now.

"I didn't kiss her. she kissed me!" Omkara furiously tells her.

"Why did you let her come close to you to kiss you?" Gauri asks him.

Hearing her question, Omkara steps back feeling guilty. He hated that she was making him feel things that he didn't want to feel. Hating feeling guilty for something he wasn't guilty off, Omkara furiously says, "I don't owe you any explanations."

"Then don't give me any. Just leave, Om." Gauri tells him.

"Fine!" Omkara says and walks out the room. he slams the door shut and was about to walk away when he hears her break down into loud sobs. Hearing her heart breaking sobs, his eyes fill up. It was starting to feel like he could bear anything but not her pain. Why was she affecting him like this? How could a girl like her affect him like that?

***********

Omkara came back home earlier than usual that night. Omkara couldn't stay in office. His thoughts kept going back to Gauri. it was the strangest thing, he wanted to avoid her but at the same time, he wanted to see that she was fine.

He couldn't help himself and he goes to her room and finds it empty.

"Where is everyone?" Omkara asks one of the servant.

"Jhanvi Madam is watching TV and rest everyone in their rooms, Sir."

"Everybody is not in their room." Omkara replies to him irately.

"Oh you mean, Priyanka Madam? She has gone for a friend's birthday party."

"What about everyone else?" Omkara asks him getting irritated.

"Room, sir."

"They are not there." Omkara tells him angrily.

"Who are you looking for, sir?"

"Get lost." Omkara tells him and walks off.

He walks around the whole house looking for Gauri finally he decides to check the TV room, maybe Gauri might be watching TV with his mom, how she loved those Netflix shows!

"What happened, Gauri?"

Omkara hears Jhanvi's loving voice as he neared the TV room. He stops hearing that, with baited breath he waited for her answer.

"You have been quiet whole day." he hears Jhanvi's voice again.

he waits for about a minute to hear Gauri's reply. When he didn't hear anything he walks in and stops seeing Jhanvi sitting on the couch and Gauri lying on the couch with her head on his mother's lap. He felt emotional seeing them be like maa-beti.

Hearing him, they both look to his side. Gauri quickly looks away.

"You are early." Jhanvi says seeing him with a surprised smile.

Omkara nods.

"You wanted something?" Jhanvi asks him curiously.

"No."

"Then?"

Omkara shrugs as he looked at Gauri. but she wasn't looking at him.

"What are you watching?" Omkara asks as he walked to the couch and sits on the floor leaning on the couch.

Jhanvi and Gauri look at Omkara sit on the floor instead of the lazyboy chairs and bean bags in the room.

Knowing his mother's eyes would be on him, Omkara stares at the TV because he had no idea why he wanted to sit close to Gauri just then.

Few minutes later, he couldn't resist and he turns to look at Gauri, and sees her watching him with tears falling from her eyes. Seeing him look at her, Gauri quickly looks away. Omkara looks away, as he couldn't see her like that.

"Oh." Jhanvi whispers softly after a few minutes.

Omkara turns to look at his mother and sees her looking at a sleeping Gauri.

"She slept?" Omkara asks in a whisper as he leaned towards Gauri.

Jhanvi nods. "She was upset the whole day. didn't talk to anyone. I don't know why." Jhanvi tells him in a whisper. "Do you know? Did you talk about anything?"

Omkara looks at Gauri and asks his mother, "Do you want me to take her to her room?"

"You would?" Jhanvi asks feeling a little happy.

Omkara nods.

"I don't want to wake her. poor thing, she is going through hell, Om." Jhanvi tells him sadly.

Omkara's heart break hearing that. "You love her a lot, don't you?"

"Yes. We all do."

"Is it because she kept the family together?" Omkara asks her softly.

"She did keep the family together, Om. but we loved her the moment you said that you are happy with her and love her. and she said she also loves you." Jhanvi tells him smiling with so much love.

Omkara looks up at his mother and asks her, "If I left home to become a better person, why did that break up the family? I don't become a better person by cutting off my family. So, why did I leave? Why Gauri was needed to keep the family together?"

Hearing his question, Jhanvi goes white realizing that Omkara had trapped her.

When his mother remained silent, Omkara gets up, and very gently lifts Gauri into his arms.

Feeling, someone lift her up, Gauri wakes up.

Seeing her waking up, Omkara whispers as he left the TV room, "Sleep, love."

"Om?" Gauri whispers opening her eyes.

"I am here." Omkara whispers as he cradled her.

"Om." Gauri says happily smiling as she wrapped her hand around his shoulder and hugged him tight.

Having her hug him and hold him so close to her, it suddenly felt to him like this is where she belonged, safe and protected in his arms.

He was about to place her on the bed when Gauri hugs him tighter, "No... no... no."

"Sleep, Gauri. you are tired."

"No, Om. Please don't leave me." Gauri pleads him.

"You sleep, Gauri."

"Om..." Gauri softly caresses his cheek.

"Hmmm?" Omkara turns to her, stopping.

"You once told me that if we had met before your accident, then you would have never loved me. that you would have hated everything about me. And you said that even I wouldn't have loved you."

"I did?" Omkara asks her shocked.

"Yes. but I still love you, Om. then why don't you still love me? you told me that however you are, whatever you are, however broken you are, you are all mine. Then why are you with Ridhima now? how did you forget me? how did you forget us, Om? how can you hate me?" Gauri asks him sadly. "Is it so easy for you to hate me?"

Omkara couldn't help react to her pain and whispers, "I don't hate you, Gauri."

Gauri smiles in relief hearing that. she leans up and lovingly kisses his cheek. "Then I'll fight for you, Om."

Omkara smiles feeling her loving kiss. "Now, you rest."

"Okay." Gauri gives in, and promptly goes to sleep.

Omkara was putting the blanket on her when Gauri in her sleep, takes his hand and holding it, she keeps it on her stomach.

Omkara couldn't help smile at her actions, he gently frees his hand from hers and turning off the light, he quietly leaves the room.

***********

Next morning, Omkara decides to go for work late and joins everyone for breakfast, he looks around the table for Gauri. he felt disappointed that Gauri wasn't joining them for breakfast.

He was playing around with his food when he hears, "Come, Gauri." he looks up and sees Gauri.

Gauri stops seeing Omkara at the table. She starts frowning seeing him.

Seeing her frown, Omkara frowns wondering if she was still upset with him regarding that damned kiss.

"What happened?" Priyanka asks her.

Gauri looks down and shakes her head. "I just remembered a dream I had last night."

"what dream?"

"It was a dream." Gauri says in a what's the use talking about it way.

Omkara didn't know what to think about Gauri thinking last night was a dream.

Gauri sits down and the moment the food was passed to her, she was hit with a wave of nausea, she couldn't bear the smell. She quickly moves away and gets up.

"What happened?" Jhanvi asks her curiously.

"I'm not hungry, I'll eat later." Gauri says quickly.

"Why? What happened?"

"I don't want."

Omkara frowns hearing that, he thinks that she was so pissed with him regarding the kiss that now she didn't even want to sit with him at the same table.

"I don't feel like eating." Gauri says as she started to walk off.

Seeing her starting to walk off like that, Omkara lost it. "You are the one who keeps saying that we should never disrespect food. About how many people are dying of hunger. Now, why are you showing fuss? Or those rules are only for me?"

"I am just not hung..." Gauri stops and asks Omkara in shock. "How do you know that?"

"Know what?" Omkara asks frowning. "Sit down and eat."

"O, you just said..." Rudra points out in shock.

"Said what?" Omkara asks frowning as he tried to recollect what he said. Then realizing what he said, the blood drains from his face, his heart starts slamming against his chest. "How did I know that?" Omkara whispers in shock.

"This is a very good sign, Om." Tej says smiling happily.

"But it doesn't prove anything." Omkara says reeling from his shock as he stood up.

Tired and fed up, everyone just sighs. Gauri leaves the dining room not wanting to have another scene.

***********

"Why didn't you eat?" Omkara asks Gauri as he followed her.

"I didn't want to eat." Gauri says as she continued on.

"What the fuck is wrong with you, Gauri?" Omkara furiously asks her.

Shocked, Gauri turns to look at him.

"I already told you that I didn't kiss her. she kissed me. why can't you get that into your head?" Omkara asks her. "Stop thinking that I am a bloody cheat."

"Why do you care what I think about it?" Gauri asks him.

"Are you coming to eat or not?" Omkara asks her as he had no answer to her question.

"I don't want."

"WHY THE HELL DON'T YOU WANT?"

"BECAUSE YOUR..." Gauri stops as she looked away in panic. She was going to say your baby is as fussy as you.

"Why don't you complete it? You are what?" Omkara asks her getting angry.

"Stop it, Om." Gauri says tired.

"Why don't you say what you were thinking? That I am a cheat. Isn't that what you were going to say?"

"Why does it matter? Why do you care what I think about you?"
"I don't." Omkara says as he looked away.

"Then leave it."

Omkara turns to her in anger and says, "Leave it? You are calling me a cheater and you are saying leave it?"

"I didn't call you a cheater!"

"You are thinking it." Omkara accuses her.

Gauri sighs tiredly.

"I am not a cheater, Gauri. You very well know that I am not like him! I'm not a womanizer." Omkara furiously tells her.

Gauri stops in shock hearing him. realizing what he had said, Omkara stops in shock.

"Who is him?" Omkara asks Gauri in confusion.

"Huh... what?" Gauri asks gulping in panic wondering how she was going to tell him that him was his father.

"Whom did I mention?" Omkara asks her in confusion. "I know I meant someone when I said that but why I can't I remember who that is?"

"You mentioned him, Om. not me." Gauri points out to him.

"But who is it? Don't you know?" Omkara asks her getting restless.

"What makes you think that would I know?" Gauri asks him not knowing how to get away without blatantly lying to her husband which she didn't want.

"Because you are my..." Omkara heatedly says and stops before he finished it. he stops breathing in shock realizing what he was about to say.

"Why don't complete that sentence, Om?" Gauri asks him unable to hide her hurt.

Omkara looks away unable to answer her.

Gauri sighs and tells him. "You are fighting with me. screaming on top of your voice that you are not a cheater. But it is looking like you are standing in two boats. Your heart is telling you that I am your wife but your brain is telling you that Ridhima is your fiancé. Now, you are no longer being disloyal to me, you are being disloyal to Ridhima too."

Omkara knew that what Gauri was telling was the truth. He couldn't fight her on what she said. Maybe he could turn a blind eye on things that he didn't want to believe but his actions were starting to speak louder than everything that he believed in.

When Omkara remained silent, Gauri turns to walk off.

"I never cheater on you Gauri. I never crossed my limit with Ridhima. Forget Ridhima, I have never crossed my limit with anyone." Omkara tells her, because he wanted her to know and understand him.

"Says the man who gave my place to another girl without a thought for me." Gauri whispers and walks off.

Omkara stood rooted to the ground unable to handle that big an accusation, and he knew that it was the truth too.

***********

"I am so glad you called to meet." Ridhima says excitedly.

"I think we should take a break." Omkara bluntly tells her.

"What?" Ridhima stops in shock hearing him.

"Till I clear my head and know for sure that Gauri is not someone I had willingly married; I don't want anything to do with you." Omkara tells her.

"Omkara, you didn't marry her willingly." Ridhima vehemently argues.

"I don't know that for sure."

"Why would you marry a girl like Gauri?" Ridhima asks him. "Just think, Omkara."

"There is nothing wrong with Gauri." Omkara vehemently defends her.

Ridhima was shocked to hear that. she reminds him, "Omkara, she was a maid. She was an orphan. Why would the great Omkara Singh Oberoi marry a girl like her?"

Omkara furiously looks away. He had no answer to that. he fucking had no answer to that.

"Omkara, just think what is happening... you are proving yourself right."

"What?" Omkara turns to her in confusion.

"Gauri manipulated your family. Now she is manipulating you."

"Gauri is not manipulative." Omkara argues frowning furiously.

"She turned your whole family against you."

Omkara looks at her in shocked outrage. "My family is not against me. they are standing by Gauri."

Ridhima was shocked hearing that. "She is so manipulative that you don't even see that. If she is not, then how did you end up married to a stranger?"

Omkara closes his eyes tired as he couldn't come up with a logical answer to that. "Till I sort it out, our engagement is off. you are free to move on or marry anyone you want."

"I love you, Omkara." Ridhima tells him desperately. "I waited for you all these months."

"Ridhima... I..."

"You asked me to wait for you and I did."

Omkara helplessly stops.

"You take your time, sort out your issues, but we will be together. I'll support you, Omkara."

"I am not ready to leave Gauri right now." Omkara tells her in finality.

"Don't. I'll stand by you."

"Gauri is not willing to share me with anyone. Why are you ready to share me with her?"

"Because I love you more than she ever could." Ridhima tells him as she held him by his shoulders.

"Don't touch me, Ridhima. I am starting to believe myself to be a married man." Omkara tells her as he pointedly looked at her hand.

"She is manipulating you, Omkara. You always protected your family against these kind of gold diggers. Now you are falling prey to them."

"Gauri, is not..." Omkara starts vehemently.

"If you fall weak then who will protect your family, Omkara?" Ridhima asks him.

And his family was Omkara's Achilles' heel.

***********

Omkara walks to his home with Ridhima and finds Gauri sitting and sewing.

"What are you doing?" Omkara asks her curiously.

Gauri looks up and noticing Ridhima with him, she looks down at the chunri and continues sewing. "Three days later, Maaji is planning a puja at home and I am making Mata ki chunri."

"Okay." Omkara replies as he remained there, not knowing how to share his decision to Gauri.

"Anything else?" Gauri asks him.

"I am not breaking my engagement with Ridhima." Omkara tells her, his heart slamming against his chest.

Gauri's hand stills hearing that. then composing herself, she continues to sew. "Okay, I'll leave then."

"What?" Omkara whispers in shock, his heart skipping a beat.

"Shivaay bhaiyya had told me I can stay with him. I told maaji that I will help her with the puja I'll leave after that."

"Gauri, please don't make it so hard." Omkara tells her hurt and panic hitting him at the thought of her going away.

"No, I'll make it harder on myself and stay here and watch my husband flaunting his fiancé."

"Have I ever flaunted Ridhima?" Omkara asks her angrily.

Gauri looks up and looks behind Omkara at Ridhima. "Oh husband, I think you didn't realize then, your darling Ridhima followed you into my home."

"Don't you dare ever call her my darling." Omkara furiously tells her.

"What is she doing in my home then?" Gauri asks him as she stood up to face him.

"Your home?" Ridhima asks furiously, trying to overcome the insult Omkara had rendered her. "This is not your home! This is Oberoi Mansion."

"Don't you dare ever take that tone with my wife!" Omkara furiously tells her.

"Wife?" Ridhima gulps in shock.

Realizing that he called Gauri his wife so openly, Omkara turns to Gauri in shock and sees her smugly smiling at him.

Gauri leans up and pecks him on his lips. "I knew you wouldn't let me leave husband."

"What?" Omkara whispers in shock.

Grinning Gauri starts to walk off, then stopping she says, "Oh and..." she turns back to look at Omkara and asks him rather smugly, "How did I get to the bedroom from TV room?"

Omkara gulps hearing that.

"I know it was no dream." Gauri tells him with a smirk. Then turning around, she sings and walks off. "O bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao, ciao, ciao"

For a few seconds, Omkara was so mesmerized hearing her sing.

"When I kissed your cheek you called me a tramp and when that..."

"Don't say a word." Omkara warns her and declares. "Engagement is off, Ridhima."

Omkara was about to walk off when she asks him. "What about your parents' promise?"

***********

"I don't go for these parties!" Omkara irately tells Ridhima.

Gauri looks up from the chunri she was working on. After the scene yesterday, she hadn't seen Omkara. She sees Ridhima following Omkara into the living room. she looks at the family and they all were watching the scene with a fed up face.

"I know, Omkara but this is a family function and you have to come with me." Ridhima tells him adamantly.

"I am busy." Omkara replies.

"You don't even spend time with me." Ridhima complains.

"I am going through a million problems and you expect me to spend time with you?" Omkara asks her.

"We decided that we sort out everything together, right?"

"Stop eating my brains and go home!"

"What is wrong with you, Ridhima?" Gauri asks her in shock as she stood up.

Omkara looks at Gauri with a frown hearing her. Gauri had never confronted Ridhima.

"You don't talk to me." Ridhima angrily tells her.

"I just don't understand you, Ridhima." Gauri tells her completely clueless before Omkara could say anything to Ridhima.

"What is your problem?" Ridhima asks her furiously.

"That is what I am asking you." Gauri tells her. "What is wrong with you? what are you lacking?"

"Lacking? Me?" Ridhima asks in fury. "Will you answer your so called wife, Omkara?"

"Why? You can't fight your battles by yourself? You need him to fight it for you?" Gauri asks her in a mocking tone.

Omkara's eyes widen in shock and his lips starts twitching into a smile seeing that Gauri was serious when she said she was going to fight for him. He looks to his family, sees that each and every one of them were smiling proudly.

"How dare you?" Ridhima asks her furiously. "How dare you talk to me like that? you bloody servant! You are hanging on to him for his money and you are insulting me?"

"Stop it, Ridhima." Omkara tells her in an angry tone hearing her insult Gauri.

"You ask her to stop it! How dare she..."

"You are right." Gauri cuts her off. "I was a maid. I am an orphan. I don't know who my parents are. I am a pauper. I was at my most desperate moment. and that was the moment Om asked me to marry him. I had nothing to offer him. he knew that very well. all he wanted was me."

Ridhima scoffs hearing that. "Yeah right."

While Omkara listened intently.

"It is true. I don't have a rich father or high society family. My father didn't have any business deal to offer Om. still he chose me. can you say the same for yourself?" Gauri asks her.

Ridhima turns red hearing that.

"If your father says he has no business to offer Om, he will dump you on the spot." Gauri tells her. "You see, it is pretty obvious to all of us here that you are not what he wants, it is your father's business."

"It is me that he wants." Ridhima says in fury.

Gauri looks at Omkara and he was looking at her in astonishment. Without taking her eyes off Omkara, she tells Ridhima, "Why don't you ask him to say that? I guarantee you that he won't say it. Because he had told me that he was an asshole but one thing he is not is a liar and a cheat." Then turning to look at Ridhima, she tells her, "I challenge you to ask him that."

Ridhima furiously glares at Gauri, her eyes filling with angry tears, not having the courage to do that.

"I thought so." Gauri replies. "So, that is why I am wondering... what is wrong with you? is there something the problem with you? that you are so desperate to marry a man who treats you like shit. That too a married man!"

When Ridhima remains silent, Gauri shakes her head, "Tsk.. tsk... tsk... even on the worst day of my life, I have lived with more self-respect than this."

"He is not marrying me for business!" Ridhima vehemently argues.

"Really? It is news to me because that is what he told me. he told me that he agreed for the wedding because you both were of the same status, same family background, and it was good for business. He never felt anything for you. it was just a business deal for him."

Omkara stares Gauri in astonishment, because those were his exact thoughts when he had decided to marry Ridhima.

"He is not marrying me for business!" Ridhima argues.

"No?" Gauri asks her in a mocking tone.

"His parents promised my parents. And he is marrying me to keep that promise." Ridhima furiously tells them.

Gauri looks at Omkara in shock.

"Is that true, Om?" Tej asks Omkara in shock.

"You both promised her, Dad." Omkara reminds them.

"It was her father who..." Tej starts.

"So not even for you?" Gauri loudly cuts him off.

Tej stops realizing what he was about to say.

"So he is not marrying you for you or your family. He is just keeping a promise?" Gauri asks Ridhima in shock.

"You don't have to keep this promise, Om. we had broken it with her family." Tej tells him.

"What about the promise Omkara made to me?" Ridhima asks them furiously.

"A promise which only you are aware of." Gauri points out.

"Your marriage to him is also something only you are aware of." Ridhima points out.

"Really?" Gauri asks with a mocking smile.

"Yes!"

"They all know." Gauri says pointing at the family. Then she asks, "And what did Omkara call me yesterday? I am sure you still remember that."

Ridhima looks away hearing that.

"Do you want to enlighten her, husband?" Gauri asks him.

Omkara who was frowning, asks Ridhima with a frown. "What was the promise I made to you?"

"that you would marry me."

"When?" Omkara asks her.

"After you sort out everything with Gauri." Ridhima replies as she glared at Gauri.

"So, you were aware of my marriage with Gauri." Omkara points out.

"What?"

"You knew about Gauri's and my marriage. THEN HOW DARE YOU CALL MY WIFE A LIAR?" Omkara furiously asks her.

"What?" Ridhima asks in shock. "Omkara... she forced you..."

"How dare you come into our home and call my wife a liar?" Omkara asks her again.

"she was accusing me... so, I..."

"So, you would call my Gauri a liar?" Omkara asks her furiously.

"Calm down, husband. She doesn't know that you are fiercely protective of me." Gauri tells him as she gently ran her hand over his arms.

"Get out, Ridhima." Omkara tells her.

"Omkara, I..."

"What capacity, Ridhima?" Gauri asks amazed. "You still have the strength to take in more insults?"

Ridhima furiously glares at Gauri as she shook in anger, humiliation.

"Why don't you go home, recharge and come back tomorrow for your next round of insults?" Gauri asks her.

"Leave, Ridhima." Omkara tells her. "And don't come back here."

"What about your promise?"

Gauri turns to Omkara and sees him furious, as if he was biting down words from spilling.

"Say it... I know you want to." Gauri tells him with a teasing grin.

Omkara turns to Gauri and gives her an exasperated look.

Gauri sighs dramatically. "Okay, you can do it tomorrow then when she comes back for more insults. For today, you did good." Gauri tells him as she patted on his biceps like a proud mother hen.

Omkara scowls at her while Ridhima furiously left.

Rudra runs to Gauri happily hugs her and loudly kisses her on her cheek. "I told you Mom, O was rubbing off on Bhabhi!"

Gauri chuckles then looking at Omkara she says. "If I didn't stand up to her then my husband would have been very disappointed in me."

"Now stand up to your stupid husband too." Priyanka tells her.

"He is coming around." Gauri tells her as she grinned at Omkara.

Omkara couldn't help smile hearing her.

Seeing him smile at her, Gauri grins even more.

"Let's dance." Rudra tells her as he pulled her for ball dance.

Chuckling Gauri holds his hand.

"Sing Bhabhi." Rudra tells her.

"Una mattina mi sono alzato, O bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao, ciao, ciao, Una mattina mi sono azalto, E ho trovato l'invasor." Gauri sings as she danced with Rudra.

Omkara closes his eyes in exasperation. she and her silly crush on that damned Professor. Then he stops in shock, frowning. Now, who the fuck is this Professor?

*******

"Aren't you tired?" Omkara asks her as he stood next to her.

"I am used to it." Gauri replies as she looked up at him.

Omkara sits next to her and looks at the chunri "This is beautiful."

"Thank you." Gauri says smiling.

"Do you want me to get you a sewing machine?" Omkara asks her.

Gauri smiles and shakes her head in negative, "It is handwork."

"You make it often?"

"I used to make them for a shop to sell."

"You were a maid, right?"

"before marriage."

"And after marriage?" Omkara asks confused.

"I used to make chunris for a store."

"And I allowed that?" Omkara asks shocked.

"Why do I need your permission?" Gauri asks him.

"My wife doing such menial jobs..."

"You never demeaned any jobs, Om. you knew every job had a dignity." Gauri tells him frowning.

"This... Gauri... this... I don't understand." Omkara tells her tired.

"Your thinking was small, Om but you did become the best version of yourself." Gauri tells him. "And I fell in love with that man."

"How did I become that man?" Omkara asks her helplessly.

Gauri looks away hearing the question.

"Gauri, I just can't believe that I married you. I can't believe that I broke my parents promise like that."

"Do you believe that Ridhima was telling the truth about you calling her?" Gauri asks him.

"That was the only thing that made sense to me. that I at least did that."

"That you were this perfect gentleman that you want to believe yourself to be. That you wouldn't stain your perfect bloodline by mixing with someone like me? that you would never cheat on anyone? You are above all that."

Omkara looks down in humiliation and disgust at himself for his way of thinking. "Yes."

Gauri looks away hurt.

"If I married you because I wanted to, then why do you still look like a lower middle class girl?"

"Because you had learned to accept people the way they were. You had stopped judging people by their bank balance, blood, family ties or clothes."

"What made me change, Gauri? how much ever I try to accept that I chose you, these things come and stick like a question mark. I don't have any answers to those, Gauri." Omkara helplessly tells her.

"Does it bother you that your wife was a maid and an orphan? That she doesn't know her lineage?"

"Why did I leave home, Gauri?" Omkara asks her instead of replying.

Hearing the question, she looks away. she knew he had been asking this question to every family member. She had been hoping he wouldn't ask her and had been relieved too when he hadn't made any moves to ask her, because she didn't want to lie to him.

"You said that I told you, however broken I was I was all yours. Why was I broken, Gauri? What happened that I left my family and went away?" Omkara asks her helplessly. "What happened, Gauri? that you had to come and help us become a family again?"

Gauri nervously looks down wondering how to answer him.

"Please tell me... if you can give me an answer that I find remotely even convincing, I swear to you, I'll accept you as my wife." Omkara tells her as he looked at her.

"Accept me? You don't have to do me any favor, Om. you don't have to make any sacrifices with your life. if you think I am not good enough to be your wife then I'll go. You can marry whoever you think..."

Omkara furiously cups her face and tells her, "Don't you dare ever say that again. you very well know that I can't live without you. don't ever talk about leaving me!"

Gauri stops in shock, her heart skipping a beat, hope rising in her heart, "Do you mean that or..."

"Asshole Omkara is telling you that, not the so called better version." Omkara tells her.

"Omkara 2.0 Rudy used to call you that." Gauri tells him chuckling, her eyes filling up with tears.

Omkara chuckles hearing that.

"Please tell me, Gauri."

Gauri looks away helplessly.

"Whatever it is our family and I survived once, we can survive again." Omkara promises her that.

"Please Om, I can't tell you that. please don't make me do it." Gauri pleads him as she cried.

"Don't cry, love... please don't cry." Omkara tells her quickly wiping her tears. "You've always given me my space. You've always accepted me for me. you never forced me to do anything, and I will also not do that to you. you tell me when you are ready."

Hearing him say that, Gauri tells him hopefully. "Maybe like how all these are coming back to you, you'll remember everything."

"Maybe." Omkara agrees as he looked away.

Gauri keeps her hand on his. "Om..."

"I am scared, Gauri." Omkara confesses as he looked down.

"Why, Om?"

"That Omkara was worthy of you. This Omkara doesn't deserve you, Gauri. what if the journey for this Omkara to become your that Omkara take too long?"

"You are not the same Omkara that I saw at the hospital or the next day. you have come a long way from that Omkara." Gauri tells him.

"I hurt you a lot." Omkara says his eyes filling up remembering the way he had behaved with her.

"It's okay. I forgive you."

"I was so cruel. Why didn't you leave me, Gauri?" Omkara asks her as he looked at her.

"You should actually thank Ridhima for that." Gauri tells him chuckling.

"What?" Omkara asks her shocked.

"If she wasn't there then I might have given up and left thinking I wasn't worthy of you. that you had married me because you really thought you couldn't do any better."

"Don't ever think like that. you are my blessing."

"Words like blessings from an atheist sounds strange." Gauri teases him.

Omkara chuckles.

"Does it bother you that I am an orphan and was a maid?"

"You being orphan is not your fault, Gauri. And you were earning a living. You were living a life with dignity. You weren't robbing or stealing from others. You were self-reliant. I am proud that you are my wife. I love you, Gauri."

"I love you, Om." Gauri tells him smiling.

Omkara smiles as he lovingly caressed her cheek. "So, you were all set to leave me?"

"But that Ridhima was here and I had to protect my low IQ husband from her."

Omkara chuckles hearing that. "I think she was lying."

"Even now you are just thinking?" Gauri asks him exasperated.

"I know." Omkara corrects himself. "She is a liar."

"If you weren't clouded by your prejudiced thinking then you could have proved her a liar in a minute." Gauri scoffs at him.

"How?" Omkara asks her surprised.

"I am not going to spoon feed you everything. That is not how we roll." Gauri arrogantly tells him.

Omkara bursts out laughing he moves to her and takes her lips in his.

*******

"Good morning, love." Omkara whispers seeing Gauri wake up.

Gauri turns to look at him and smiles feeling happy and joyous. "I forgot the last time we woke up like this."

"It was the day we took our flight here." Omkara tells her.

"You remember?" Gauri asks shocked leaning up.

"Just guessing." Omkara cheekily tells her.

Gauri chuckles hearing that. "I missed you, Om."

"I am so happy that I found my way back to you, Gauri." Omkara tells her.

Gauri moves to him and hugs him happily. Omkara hugs her lovingly.

"There is something I want to tell you." Gauri tells him.

"Yeah tell me." Omkara tells her as he snuggled her.

"Later. One at a time."

"Why? Tell me now."

"Actually you already know, you just forgot." Gauri cheekily tells him.

"Oh that's news to me." Omkara says sarcastically.

Gauri laughs. "Come, let's go tell everyone that we are together."

*******

"Bhabhi, when did you wake up? I didn't see you when I woke up." Priyanka asks Gauri seeing her walk in followed by Omkara.

"Actually, I just want to tell you all something." Omkara says not wanting Gauri to get embarrassed answering Priyanka's question.

"What?" Jhanvi asks curiously.

"I don't know whether you all remember it, I definitely don't." Omkara starts.

"what?" Tej asks confused.

Keeping his hand on Gauri's shoulder, he pulls her close to him, "Everyone meet my wife, Gauri Omkara Singh Oberoi."

"what?" Priyanka jumps up in shock.

"Whom, I love very very much."

"You remember everything?" Rudra asks excited.

"Nope."

"Then?" Jhanvi asks excitedly smiling.

"Then...? I am going to try being a worthy husband to Gauri." Omkara happily vows.

"You were an amazing husband." Gauri tells him.

Omkara grins.

Seeing them so happy together, everyone happily hugs them.

*******

"Shivaay bhaiyya!" Gauri excitedly says as soon as he answers the call.

"Hello, Gauri... I was about to call you."

"Oh yeah, what happened?'

"You seem happy?"

"I am very happy." Gauri tells him excitedly.

"Om remembers everything?" Shivaay asks excitedly.

"No, bhaiyya."

"Oh then?"

"We are together now." Gauri tells him happily.

"That is amazing, Gauri. I am so happy for you." Shivaay tells her feeling relieved.

"I am very happy, Shivaay bhaiyya."

"I hope he remembers everything soon."

Gauri's heart goes out to him realizing that Omkara still didn't know about him.

"We got the date for next court so I need to submit another doctor's certificate about Om's condition to apply for extension." Shivaay tells him.

Hearing him, Gauri started feeling guilty, in their bid to protect Omkara and fear of his reaction they were doing injustice to both Omkara's mother and brother.

"Shivaay bhaiyya, tomorrow there is puja at home. Will you be able to come for it?"

"Will that be a good idea?" Shivaay asks her worriedly.

"Yes, bhaiyya. You've to come."

"Okay, Gauri."

*******

"Come, sit here." Gauri tells Omkara as she made him sit on the bed and knelt in front of him.

"What happened?" Omkara asks her curiously.

"Om, why we didn't tell you about why you left home..." Gauri nervously starts.

Omkara nervously nods realizing she was going to tell him what had happened.

"You had taken it very badly. You became depressed. You had left home... so, we were scared how you would react when you find out."

Omkara nods. "You'll stand by me, right?" Omkara asks her worriedly.

"Of course, Om. whole family will." Gauri promises him.

"Then I'll handle it, Gauri. I promise."

Gauri nods, and she nervously starts, "When you had your accident, you needed blood."

"Tell me." Omkara says seeing her nervously stop.

"Your blood group and papaji and maaji's didn't match." Gauri nervously says.

Omkara nods, "Yeah, it happens at times... genes... alleles..." Omkara waves his hand brushing it off, "sorry, tangents. You tell me... so what happened?"

Gauri looks at Omkara in shock, not knowing what to say just then.

"Gauri..." Omkara gestures her to continue.

"Om, that is not the reason."

"Then?" Omkara asks confused.

Gauri worriedly gulps, thinking of the gentlest way to tell him, his truth.

Omkara frowns seeing her hesitation. "Gauri... you don't mean that..." Omkara stops, not even able to finish that sentence, his heart breaking at the thought that his parents were not his parents, that Rudy and Prinku were not his brother and sister.

"Om, please listen to me." Gauri quickly says cupping his face. "They love you a lot. You are their son. You are Rudy's and Prinku's brother."

"How can I be adopted, Gauri? They are my family." Omkara asks her his eyes filling up.

She hated that he was going through the same pain a second time. "Please, Om. please listen to me."

"There might be some mistake, Gauri." Omkara tells her. "We'll do a DNA test and it will be clear that I am their son."

"Om, please... there is more. Please, Om, for me... just listen."

"What more, Gauri?" Omkara asks her helplessly, his heart breaking at the thought of what else could be there.

"Your parents convinced Rudy and Prinku to keep this a secret from you, so that you don't get hurt." Gauri continues.

Omkara looks away hearing that.

"Ridhima and her family found that out."

Omkara frowns hearing that and he turns to look at Gauri.

"Her father, told you about it and said that he doesn't want to have Ridhima to marry you because he thought that since you are adopted, Rudy and Prinku would get major share. So he called off the wedding."

"He called off the wedding?" Omkara asks frowning.

"Yeah, you were really hurt..."

Omkara cuts her off and asks, "He called off the wedding?"

"Yes." Gauri nods, not understanding why he was stuck on that.

Omkara furiously stands up, "So, he broke the promise? And that Ridhima made your life miserable manipulating me with that promise?"

"What?" Gauri asks shocked wondering why he was again going on another tangent.

"That bitch made me make you go through hell!"

Gauri stares at Omkara in shock wondering how she forgot that he always only saw the slight on her, even when his life is in a turmoil.

*******

Ridhima walks into Oberoi Mansion and sees the family gathered to perform puja. They all stood back as Gauri did the arti. Ridhima sees Omkara standing by the end, unlike the rest of the family who had their hands folded and praying, Omkara was standing with his hands tied at his chest. She walks to him and stands next to him.

Feeling someone next to him, Omkara turns curiously and finds Ridhima smiling happily at him.

"What are you doing here?" Omkara asks her.

"I wanted to talk to you and I knew there was puja here today, I thought it was the perfect time." Ridhima tells him.

"You should be doing arti with Bhabhi." Priyanka tells him frowning seeing Ridhima there.

"I don't have to." Omkara replies as he watched Gauri finish the arti.

Gauri turns around sees Ridhima. "Did you call her here?"

"No, but I was planning to." Omkara replies

Ridhima smiles hearing that.

Gauri walks to her and offers her Prasad. Ridhima takes it with a smirk. Gauri walks past Omkara without giving him Prasad and continues to give everyone.

Seeing that Ridhima breaks the ladoo and offers Omkara. "It's okay, Omkara. We will share our Prasad."

"He is an atheist. For him arti is just hand exercise and that is just a sweet, not a Prasad." Gauri tells her as she continued to give the rest of the family. "And he doesn't like ladoo."

"My wife is right." Omkara tells her.

"Wife?" Ridhima asks in a clipped tone. "Again Omkara?"

Omkara turns to Gauri and asks her, "Is the puja done?"

"Yeah but step out of mandir area."

Omkara nods and gestures Ridhima to leave the mandir area as he also stepped out. Gauri also walks to them and stands next to Omkara. The rest of the family also curiously watches.

"Omkara... I came here to talk to you privately and why is she standing with us?" Ridhima angrily tells him.

"Ridhima, wasn't it pretty obvious the last time you were here that for me, my wife is Gauri and our so called engagement was over?" Omkara asks her.

"What about the promise you made to me?"

"Please, at least this time." Gauri pleads to him excitedly.

Omkara looks at her grinning lovingly, then turning to Ridhima, he says, "No promise is bigger than Gauri."

"Whaa...?" Ridhima whispers in shock.

"What?" Gauri shouts in shock.

"What?" Omkara asks her confused.

"I thought you would say promise gaya tel lene."

"Ewww what a tacky middle class dialogue." Omkara replies.

Gauri rolls her eyes hearing him making him grin. "Yeah, for you the F word is high society."

"I thought for the great Oberoi-s their promise was their life!" Ridhima accuses them.

"It is, Ridhima." Omkara replies as he took his mobile and started scrolling through it. "And you, wife, exaggerates a lot. It took me ten minutes, not just a minute."

Gauri chuckles hearing that.

Omkara looks at Ridhima, and shows her his phone screen. "That is my phone bill. Can you find that call in there, where I called to reassure you about marrying you?"

Ridhima goes white hearing that. "I... I called you... you didn't call, I used to call you."

"Oh." Omkara thoughtfully looks at her. "I thought you said I called you."

"Yeah, I used to call you... I meant it as when we spoke."

"Oh okay." Omkara nods.

"I used to call you, Omkara." Ridhima reassertains again.

"Swipe left, Ridhima." Omkara tells her.

"What?" Ridhima asks confused.

"Swipe left and find me that call from your phone bill."

"How did you get my phone bill?" Ridhima asks shocked as she looked at the bill.

"You forgot, I am Omkara Singh Oberoi." Omkara arrogantly reminds her. "and swipe left once more to find your landline bill."

"Omkara, listen..." Ridhima starts.

"You made me hurt my wife." Omkara furiously accuses her. "You made me hurt my family. My family went through hell because of you."

Ridhima gulps in fear hearing that.

"How did you think that you could get away after hurting my wife? You manipulated me and called my wife manipulative?" Omkara furiously asks her as he stared down at her.

Ridhima looks at Gauri and sees her glaring at her, she looks to his family and sees them all glaring at her.

"Stop calling her your wife! I have loved you for the longest time!"

"You call that love?" Omkara asks her. "Treachery and manipulation is not love."

"What were you even thinking, Ridhima? Did you think even if you get me out of his life or get married to him, he would remain yours? Didn't you even wonder that the moment he remembers everything he would leave you and tries to be with me?" Gauri asks her.

"Why would I look for Gauri when I have you, isn't that what you thought?" Omkara asks her in a mocking tone.

Ridhima looks away as she gulped.

"Gauri is my wife. Oberoi's bahu, did you think you could so easily replace her? and we all would allow that?"

"Oberoi bahu?" Ridhima scoffs. "For that you've to be Oberoi beta!"

"RIDHIMA!" Tej furiously shouts.

"Get her out of here!" Jhanvi tells Rudra worriedly.

Rudra was about to walk to her when Gauri holds him back.

"That is right, you are not their son!" Ridhima tells him venomously.

"Om, you don't listen to her!" Jhanvi says worriedly as she tried to make him face her.

"Get out Ridhima!" Tej tells her.

Ignoring them, Omkara looking into Ridhima's eyes, says "I was, I am and I'll always be their son and Rudy's and Prinku's brother."

"You are not! Just like how you picked her up from the streets, you were also picked up from the streets."

"I was picked up from the streets but Gauri is not. I requested her to marry me and she did. She honored me by becoming my wife."

"Om..." Jhanvi worriedly keeps her hand on Omkara's shoulder.

"I am okay." Omkara tells her reassuringly.

"You remember everything?" Rudra asks him in confusion.

"No, Gauri told me everything."

"You did?" Tej asks shocked and surprised.

"Shivaay bhaiyya and Varada maa are also his family." Gauri tells them.

They nod smiling in relief at having everything out in the open and Omkara not hurting like the first time.

Omkara turns to Ridhima and accuses her, "Your father made my brother and sister sign off their properties to me. How did you even think that I would take what was their right? They forced my parents to agree that they would always hide the truth that I was not borne to them? who are you to demand that I disrespect my mother like that?"

"You should be thanking me that I was willing to take you even when you were this nobody." Ridhima tells him in outrage and fury.

"I am not a nobody." Omkara proudly tells her. "I am the lucky one who has two families. I am the lucky one who has a wife like Gauri. I am the lucky one, whose every single family member, had happily made sacrifices for me."

"Leave, Ridhima." Gauri tells her. "We just want to be with family now, and you have no place here."

Ridhima turns to walk out.

"Ridhima!" Omkara calls her.

Ridhima turns to look at him.

"You messed with my family. I promise you that I will make you all pay for it." Omkara vows.

Once Ridhima left, Omkara turns to his family.

"I'm sorry, I hurt you all. I shouldn't have left like that but if I didn't I wouldn't have met my Gauri, so, I don't regret it." Omkara tells them with a sad smile.

"Even we don't." Tej tells him with a chuckle.

"Shivaay bhaiyya!" Rudra shouts seeing Shivaay walk in. he runs to Shivaay and hugs him happily. "Finally, we meet!"

Shivaay happily hugs him and Priyanka who had run to him.

Omkara turns to look at Shivaay, and seeing him, his eyes fill up.

"Sorry, I couldn't reach in time for puja." Shivaay tells Tej and Jhanvi.

"We are just happy that you are here finally." Jhanvi tells him smiling as she hugged him.

"Shivaay bhaiyya, come meet Om." Gauri tells him as she held his hand and lead him to Omkara.

"Hi." Shivaay says smiling happily, not knowing how to behave now that Omkara didn't know they were brothers.

"Do I call you bhai or Shivaay?" Omkara asks him smiling.

"You remember?" Shivaay asks shocked.

"No, Gauri told me." Omkara replies as he walked to Shivaay and hugged him.

Shivaay happily hugs him, "I missed you, Om."

"Everyone thought I was fragile. They didn't realize that I have my super woman Gauri with me." Omkara tells him with a chuckle.

Shivaay chuckles hearing that.

"Come, let's sit." Tej tells Shivaay.

"I'll get you Prasad, Shivaay bhaiyya." Gauri excitedly tells him and runs to the mandir.

Omkara turns and sees Gauri running. He asks her in exasperation, "For heaven sake, can you stop running around, Gauri? you are pregnant!"

Gauri stops in shock and turns to Omkara and sees him staring at her in utter shock.

"Pregnant?" Jhanvi asks in shock while everyone turned to Gauri and Omkara in confusion and excitement.

Omkara stares at Gauri in shock and asks her in bewilderment "Are you pregnant, Gauri?"

"How are you screaming out information like this when you have amnesia?" Gauri asks at her wits end.

*******

Couple of months later

"Why won't you let me go?" Omkara asks Gauri in exasperation.

"Because you are pure evil." Gauri tells him as she rubbed her swollen belly.

"She accused you of being with me for money and now she was marrying him for money." Omkara says in anger. "I hope, he at least made her sign the prenup."

"Why you never made me sign any prenup?" Gauri asks Omkara curiously.

Omkara cheekily grins at her, "You should have asked about all that before deciding to marry me."

Gauri chuckles hearing that. then she keeps her hand on his hand, and gently tells him, "Stop it, Om. this is enough."

"They could have stayed out of it. but they didn't and you all were hurt because of that. I was making it hard on you all, and they added to it. she egged me on, Gauri. She made you cry and her father supported her in it just because he knew I was the major stake holder in all our business."

"Now, it is enough, Om. I don't want her or her family to be ever a topic in our life."

Omkara nods and gives in. he had gone after Ridhima and her family with such vengeance, he had attacked their business so much so that, just last month her father was trying to declare for bankruptcy. That was when Kaali Takur had proposed Ridhima to be his wife. For money, she had agreed inspite of Kaali Takur being elder to her father by 4 years, and his daughters were elder to her. the eldest daughter had two kids too.

Omkara chuckles softly. "She is going to be a grandmother in half an hour."

Gauri hits him on his chest in exasperation. "Stop it."

"I really hope she will be the children's favorite grandmother." Omkara tells her.

Gauri couldn't help but grin.

Seeing her smile, Omkara hugs her happily.

"You are keeping me away from a sight I have been craving to see for months now. you need to give me something in return." Omkara tells her.

"Can't you wait a little longer?" Gauri asks him in exasperation.

Omkara keeps his hand on her stomach, "This one is taking too long, Gauri."

"I am just two days over my due date, Om."

"We won't know how many days more." Omkara argues.

"But we decided to read it after our first baby."

"We are going to be busy with the baby. we won't have time to read your diary peacefully. And there are some things that I still don't remember. I just want to know every single detail of our life together."

Hearing him, Gauri gives in with a smile. "Fine, go and get it."

Omkara grins happily and kissing her loudly, he hurries to get it.

Gauri smiles watching him go. Omkara had accepted his reality much better and faster than the first time, maybe the main reason for that was the way he was told, and she had full information to give him, unlike the last time.

And he had accepted everything proudly. He had proudly proclaimed to the world that he was adopted and his mother was a brave and pious woman. Shivaay bhaiyya and he had worn the court case the previous month. They even had two more people joining them against the panchayat, both their family members were stone to death, though one of them was guilty of the crime they were accused of, in the eyes of law it was still a murder. Now, panchayat had the right to only judge those crimes that were legally allowed to be tried in panchayat. The sarpanch and other members were now fighting legal charges of murder, assault and corruption.

They even got all their father's property. The next day, they had sold everything except for his house and a plot of land. Now, using that money and the house, they started a small scale industry that were run for and by women, with Anika Bhabhi in charge to handle it. they have started construction of a school in the land that would provide the best education for free for all, and both were named after their mother. Shivaay Bhaiyya would handle the running of the school while Omkara would handle getting the funds for the smooth running of both.

"Let's start." Omkara says as he sat next to her excitedly.

They both open the diary, together start reading it. it started with Gauri's brief explanation of Ajay and her going to the panchayat, the trial and the verdict.

Gauri looks at Omkara as he read about his family's visits and how he had shared everything with her. Gauri turns to look at him and sees him calmly reading it.

"I'll turn the page?" Omkara asks her as he finished.

Gauri nods.

They both stop in shock seeing the next page.

"What?" Gauri stops in shock.

Next to the two interlinking hearts she had drawn, it was written CHEATER!!!

"That is my handwriting." Omkara says surprised the full page written with his writing. "You didn't tell me I wrote in this."

"I didn't know you wrote in it."

"You never checked the previous page?"

"We were supposed to read it together, so I never did."

"Let's read then."

"Yeah, give me." Gauri takes the diary from him, so she could read properly.

For three days, I was fighting myself, and was so anxious to know what you had written about the first time we made love and finally I decided this one time I'll cheat on you and you just drew two hearts? How can you cheat us like that? you were supposed to write every single detail!

I thought I'll write about it, but now even I am feeling shy. Can you believe it? I am shy! LOL.

Since, I started writing it, I want to write something, so we can read it when our baby is born together. You are sleeping next to me now, and it amazes me that I found you in my life. as I watch you sleep, it is these rare moments in my life when I feel that maybe there is a God, and he is watching over me. Otherwise, I would have met you before my accident, and you would have hated me for the man I was.

That night, at the lodge, after you had gone to sleep, I had watched you for a long time. I couldn't help admire the strength of character that you exhibited on the lowest point in life. in a way, we both were running away. I was from my previous life and you from the injustice.

You were looking at a bleak and scary future, still you had the two things that I didn't, hope and belief in yourself. You are a fighter and you had fought so valiantly, both physically and mentally. I think it is your strength of character that attracted me to you. when you left me the next day, I felt truly alone, I had left everything behind and I was alone, but I wasn't lonely. That I felt when you had left the police station.

The most impulsive decision I made in my life was to propose you and that was the most right decision I made in life. you are the most perfect wife and companion everyone hopes to find, only a lucky few like me, get them. I am so deeply in love with you, Gauri.

Your ability to be happy no matter what the situation is, amazes me to no ends, Gauri.

these two days, I have been watching how you are forming and building a relation with my family. It brings a sense of peace to my heart because your love right now, is washing away all the hurt that I gave them. you are no longer my relief and solace, you are our families too.

Other than my family, not many people have cared for me for me, they all cared for was the Oberoi heir, Omkara Singh Oberoi. I am starting to understand it was because of the horrible person that I was. it was not the other person's fault, but my own. you accepted me for me. never asked me questions. You never tried to change me. Even after you being such an ardent believer in God, you had accepted that I am an atheist without any questions. Even my family, had tried to change my believes. You never did. Just like how you were a believer, you accepted that I am a non-believer.

I am so glad that I found you after I became a changed man. It is a relief for me that you never knew me before that, because I still worry at times, if you realize how small and low my thinking was, you might not love me anymore.

I am so proud and happy that I am your husband. The proudest moment in my life is, when you come back after you deliver the chunris that you had worked so hard in making and you would so happily bring the little money that you made. I make thousand times more in a day than you did in a month, but I have never felt so proud in life as I feel when I see your smile and you show me the money. You prove to me again and again that every job has a dignity.

Without even trying, you are making me a better person, Gauri.

I love you, Gauri. and I am so grateful that you found me good enough to be your husband.

*sniff* Gauri wipes her tears reading it.

"So cheesy." Omkara mutters.

Gauri turns to glare at him and sees his eyes filled up.

"I feel all that and more." Omkara tells her as he looked her in the eye.

Smiling happily Gauri hugs him.

***********

3 years later

"Varad Singh Oberoi!" Gauri shouts in anger.

Laughing happily, Varad runs under the dining table and crawls to the opposite side.

"I said stop!" Gauri shouts at him.

Varad comes out from under the table and runs off, pushing a table, and the vase on top of it.

"THIS BOY!" Gauri screams in exasperation.

"What is it?" Omkara asks as he walked in with Tej and Jhanvi hearing the sound.

"Your son!" Gauri tells him in exasperation.

"Oh!" Jhanvi whispers seeing the broken crystals on the floor.

"I told you to have the Rudy's and Prinku's roka function in some hotel." Gauri tells them tired.

"Function is tomorrow, Gauri." Tej tells her in an appeasing tone.

"For that we need the house tomorrow. Since he found out that Shivaansh is coming with Shivaay bhaiyya and Anika Bhabhi, he is acting out."

"He is always acting out." Omkara tells her.

"He has gone crazy now!" Gauri tells him angrily.

Omkara grins hearing that.

"I'll have one of the cleaning staff, clear it." Jhanvi tells her and walks off.

Tej also leaves with her.

"You stop smiling." Gauri warns Omkara.

Omkara chuckles hearing her.

"You start being a believer. You should be praying hard for your son. Because I am sure, one of these days, one of the cleaning staff is going to give your son rat poison." Gauri tells him.

Omkara laughs hearing that.

Gauri was about to blast him for laughing at such a time, she hears another loud sound.

"Stop it, Varad!" Gauri screams and runs out of the room.

Chuckling, Omkara kneels down, and starts picking up the broken pieces.

"Sir..."

Omkara looks up and sees one staff had come with the sweep.

"Sorry." Omkara tells embarrassed, his son was breaking everything in his way always.

The staff nods and starts cleaning it up with Omkara.

*******

Moaning in orgasm, Gauri falls on Omkara. Gasping for breath, Omkara hugs her.

"that was amazing." Omkara whispers.

"As always." Gauri replies smiling as she looked at him.

Omkara grins hearing that. "Shouldn't we be trying for another baby?"

Gauri glares at him in anger. "One of these days, my hips are going to break in two because the whole day I am running behind your son and bending down and picking up after him, and at night you have your cricket match with me."

"Isn't that a little hypocritical of you to say when you woke me up from my sleep and you are actually riding me?" Omkara asks her with a grin.

"You and your son are too much for me." Gauri declares.

"This is too much, Gauri. I've been patient and tolerating it for so long." Omkara tells her frowning.

"What?" Gauri growls at him.

"Your constant your son taunt."

"Because he is your son!"

"I was a very well behaved kid. We know, among the both of us it is you who always have springs on her legs, and always excited and hyper. My son might look like me, but he is completely taken after you."

"I am very mild mannered." Gauri defensively says.

"Yeah right!" Omkara rolls his eyes.

"No more kids!" Gauri tells him in finality. "At least for another 5 years."

Omkara also glares at her.

"Mama."

They both turn to the baby monitor and hear again, "Mama."

"Go, you are the one who wants more babies. Go, do your son's potty duty." Gauri tells him as she got off him.

Sighing, Omkara gets off the bed and pulls on his clothes while Gauri laid back and watched him.

"Mama."

"Coming, Varad." Omkara calls out as he walked to the adjoining room.

"Dada..." Gauri hears him from the baby monitor.

"Come, Varad. Dada will take you to bathroom."

Few minutes later, she hears them come back from the bathroom.

"Good night, Varad." She hears Omkara say through the baby monitor.

"Dada, shtory."

"It is late, Varad."

"Shtory, Dada..." Varad adamantly insists.

"Okay... hmmm... once upon a time, there was a very rich prince. He had so much money but he had a poor heart."

Gauri smiles hearing that.

"Then a beautiful girl entered his life. she was poor but she had a rich heart."

Gauri happily hugs his pillow as she listened.

"Boring!" Varad declares. "Another shtory."

Gauri chuckles hearing that.

"I'm telling you a story."

"Always same shtory. Another shtory." Varad says as he jumped on his crib.

"Stop jumping... okay another story..." Omkara says quickly.

"Hmmm... okay... there was this cute little Prince... like my Varad." Omkara tells him.

"Prince Vaadu." Varad says happily.

"Prince Vaadu." Omkara says lovingly. "And one day, Prince Vaadu wanted a little sister called, Princess Varada."

Gauri smiles hearing that, they had decided that they would name their children honoring his mother, while Omkara would honor his family by keeping the name that they gave him.

"No!" Varad shouts in protest.

"Oh okay... then Prince Vaadu wanted a brother, Prince Varadhan."

"No! No shsishter and no brother. Only Prince Vaadu. Next shtory."

"What?" Omkara stops in exasperation.

Gauri chuckles hearing that.

"Next shtory."

"Let me think."

"Shtory..."

"Wait!"

"Mama... Mama..."

Gauri quickly gets up and wearing her night gown she hurries to his room.

"I am here."

"Mama... shtory..." Varad says as he stood in his crib.

Gauri grins at Omkara as she walked to their son. "Got your answer, husband."

"Mother and son are after me." Omkara mutters.

Gauri grins then she tells him, "he will come around."

Omkara grins seeing her give in. He kisses her cheek happily. "Thank you."

"NO!" Varad shouts as he ran to the end of crib, to Gauri. He quickly hugs her possessively. "Only Vaadu kissie Mama."

Gauri laughs happily as she hugged him and kissed him on top of his head.

While Omkara scowls at his son and mutter, "Not the cleaning staff, one of these days, I'll give rat poison."

*** The End ***

I know this story had gone haywire through out. It is because this not how I had planned this story. my initial story idea had, Omkara being a little too stubborn, and fighting the truth that Gauri is his wife. He is too caught up in Gauri but Ridhima is able to manipulate him always. Ridhima is able to create a misunderstanding, that Gauri thinks Omkara found out about her pregnancy and chose Ridhima. While, Omkara is confused and not aware that she is pregnant. Finally, when Omkara decides that it is Gauri that who he wants to be with, Gauri would have left home. Then Ridhima tells him that he is adopted when he says that he wants to be with Gauri. but that time, Omkara is more affected by Gauri thinking he doesn't want her than his birth secret. Gauri disappears and Omkara searches for her. he reads her diary at this time and he reads what he had written in it. Omkara is broken at having hurt Gauri so much and her missing. Finally, he finds her after she had given birth. The conversation they had towards the end, was supposed to happening as two conversations. One before she leaving, and one after they meet again. by this time, Omkara and Shivaay have won the case, Omkara tells Gauri, all those mentioned in the part before the final leap. And Shivaay and Anika are now waiting for her to come back to get married.

Gauri shares her concern about Omkara having married her because he really thought he couldn't do better, and Omkara shows her what he had written in the diary.

That was the initial story idea, but this Omkara just wouldn't stop screaming out Gauri is his wife... I tried to steer the story to the track I wanted a lot of time, finally, I stopped and let the story flow the way, it wanted, because I don't force the story to go the way I want, and let the characters take the story forward.

So, if you feel disconnect and illogical it is because of this reason.

But I do hope you guys liked this story.

Please vote and comment

- Lazy