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

Previous Story: Best Friend's Sibling Duology 2 - Winds of Love (Posted on 9-Jun-2021)

Warning:

I don't know whether many would like this story, as this isn't a romantic/love story. it is more of a journey/coming of age/ state of Gauri. more like a phase in Gauri's life, and more of a family drama, and this story is excruciatingly long.

P.S: I have been watching Imlie for a while now, and that has crept into this story, sorry, couldn't help it.

Major warning:

Omkara might come across like a hypocrite, it was intentional.

After ending her disastrous marriage of 10 years, she was finally back to her home. Pinky takes a deep breath as she tried to breath in the fresh air, wanting to go back to her good old life when her parents were alive and she was happy.

"Memsaab..."

Hearing the hesitant voice, Pinky turns to the sound and finds a woman and boy. Pinky smiles at her.

"I'm Jhanvi and this is my son, Omkara." Jhanvi tells her smiling.

Pinky smiles at her. "You are the cook, right?"

"Yes. Thank you for letting me bring my son with me. after his father's death, I don't have anyone to leave him with."

"It is not a problem. How old is your son?" Pinky asks her as she caressed Omkara's cheek.

But Omkara's attention wasn't on Pinky or his mother, his attention was solely on the one-year-old baby in Pinky's arm.

"he is 6."

"Can I take the baby?" Omkara asks her.

Pinky smiles seeing him so in awe. "Sure, be careful and she is a little cranky."

Omkara nods as he took the baby in his arms. "What is your name, baby?" Omkara asks the baby as he held her securely in his arms.

"Gauri." Pinky answers him.

"Gauri." Omkara says as he touched her cheek with a finger.

Gauri looks at the stranger holding her for a few seconds then she smiles at him.

Omkara makes cute faces at her and Gauri starts laughing happily.

*********

Gauri was in one of her cranky moods. Pinky was having a hard time trying to calm her daughter.

"Ummm."

As he walked in through the gates itself, Omkara could hear her angry wailing. Leaving his things on the floor, he runs in.

"What happened?" Omkara asks as he ran to Pinky.

"Ummm." Gauri says as she extended her hands to him.

"You're late that is what happened." Pinky tells him tired as she handed her daughter to him.

"Sorry, Gauri. Ma wanted me to get things from the market." Omkara tells her as he cradled her in his arms.

Gauri angrily pinches his cheek.

"Ouch, that hurts, Gauri. bad girl. You shouldn't do that." Omkara scolds her frowning.

Gauri pouts sadly and starts to cry.

"It's okay, don't cry. You pinch me." Omkara tells her as he rocked her in his arms.

Gauri leans towards him and gives him a wet kiss on his cheek making Omkara smile.

"I'll take her out, Memsaab?"

Pinky nods as she checked his cheek to see if her daughter had cut him. "Don't let her pinch you again."

Omkara smiles in reply.

Pinky sighs shaking her head. "Are those things from the market?"

"Yes."

"I'll give to your Ma. You take her out."

"Okay. Let's go see the birds, Gauri." Omkara tells her.

Gauri excitedly starts clapping hearing that.

*********

It was Gauri's second birthday and Pinky had called a photographer to take her photos. After taking some candid photos of Gauri, it was time to take a family photo. Pinky picked her daughter in her arms and posed for the photo. Gauri had curiously sat back for the first photo. After the first photo was clicked, she was bored and she started looking around for Omkara.

"Om." Gauri calls out as she looked around.

"Where is Omkara, Jhanvi?" Pinky asks curiously.

"I sent him to keep the gifts in your room." Jhanvi worriedly replies to her seeing that Gauri had started frowning.

"Om." Gauri calls again starting to give into her tears.

"He is coming, Gauri." Pinky quickly tells her as she tried to distract her.

"Om." Gauri starts crying.

"I am here. I am here." Omkara says as he came running into the room.

Gauri extends her hand for him, but Pinky quickly holds her.

"Let's take a photo before that." Pinky tells Omkara. "Jhanvi, you also come. all four of us will take a photo together."

Jhanvi stood with Omkara in front of her while Pinky stood next to her holding Gauri in her arms who was struggling to go to Omkara.

"I'll take you now, Gauri. let us take a photo first." Omkara tells her in an appeasing tone.

Gauri was having none of it. She leans down her mother's arms as she struggled to go to Omkara.

"Just ignore her, Omkara." Pinky tells him.

As Jhanvi, Pinky and Omkara smiled for the photo, just before the camera man clicked, Gauri manages to lean down and grab Omkara's hair. And the flash hit them.

***********

With hawk eyes, Omkara watched as a nine-year old Gauri climbed the tree.

"What is she doing?" Pinky asks furiously as she came out of the house.

Omkara doesn't reply to her, he continues to watch Gauri without blinking.

"Gauri, come down, NOW!" Pinky screams at her.

"I want to climb tree, Mama. Everyone in my class climbs tree." Gauri argues as she continued to climb.

"Everyone?" Pinky asks shocked.

"Boys." Omkara answers her then he frowns, "Gauri, not that branch."

"I want to jump to the other tree from here." Gauri replies as she continued to move to the branch that he forbade her from.

Sighing furiously, Omkara runs to the tree and starts climbing faster.

"Gauri, come down now. enough of this nonsense." Pinky tells her angrily.

"No!"

Gauri starts to step on the branch and she hears the crack and her foot losing its base. Before she could even yelp in fear, Omkara had wrapped his hand around her waist and lifts her up.

Pinky who had screamed in fear and had closed her eyes seeing the branch break, looks up fearfully knowing full well that Om would have saved Gauri like usual. She sees Om carefully holding Gauri and making her sit on a strong branch.

"I told you not to step on that. then why did you do it?" Omkara asks her furiously as he hung on to a branch and balanced himself.

"I wanted to jump to that tree." Gauri meekly tells him as she pointed to the nearby tree.

"The branches aren't strong there."

"All those boys jump from one tree to other like monkeys." Gauri argues.

"Are you a monkey?"

"You are screaming at me." Gauri tells him sadly.

"It is time that I should start whacking you instead."

"Om, bring her down." Pinky calls out from down.

Omkara nods at her, and tells Gauri, "Let's go down."

Omkara starts climbing down and Gauri follows him down.

"Mama will scream at me." Gauri whispers to him.

"Good." Omkara replies.

"She looks very angry."

"She should be."

"I'll not talk to you." Gauri tells him.

"Thank you." Omkara replies.

Gauri turns to glare at him and then she kicks him on his shoulder lightly.

Omkara irately looks at her knowing that she had no intentions to hurt him.

"GAURI!" Pinky furiously screams seeing her kick him.

Gauri quickly looks away as she climbed down noticing Omkara had reached down. She jumps down the tree and notices her mother pick up the fallen branch and break off a small stick from it. Gauri hurries to hide behind Omkara.

"Come here!" Pinky says furiously as she walked to Gauri.

Omkara quickly stands in front of Gauri, and tells Pinky, "I scolded her already."

"You are the one who is spoiling her, Om!" Pinky furiously tells him.

"Don't scream at him." Gauri furiously tells her mother, peeking from behind Omkara.

"Keep quiet, Gauri." Omkara tells her.

"She is shouting at you."

Omkara turns to her and tells her in a stern tone, "I have told you a thousand times not to raise your voice at your mother."

"But she is shouting at you!" Gauri furiously replies.

"Because of you!" Pinky tells her angrily.

"Mama, please... I am talking to her, right?" Omkara asks her in a calming tone.

"You're spoiling her, Om." Pinky tells him in a fed up tone and walks off.

"What kind of behavior is this, Gauri?" Omkara turns to Gauri after Pinky had left.

"She was screaming at you and I was trying to protect you then also you are scolding me!" Gauri tells him frowning.

"You don't have to protect me, especially from Mama." Omkara tells her.

Gauri furiously pushes him. "Get lost. I don't like you." and she furiously walks off.

Pinky was sitting with her hand on her head as she tried to ward off the headache.

"Mama?" Omkara kneels in front Pinky.

Pinky looks at him tiredly.

"Are you okay?" Omkara asks her with a smile as he kept his hand on her cheek.

"You are not doing her any good by giving into all her demands like this, Om. you are spoiling her."

"She is not spoilt, Mama." Omkara tells her. "She just want to do things. Let her do it. I am here, I'll take care of her and I'll protect her."

Pinky sadly smiles at him as she cupped his face, "Om, even you are a kid."

"But older than Gauri." Omkara cheekily points out to her.

Pinky sighs giving up. "Sometimes I wonder if Shivaay was here would he have let Gauri go so wild like this."

"Don't you ever feel like seeing him?" Omkara asks her in concern.

"Always." Pinky sadly says. "But Shakti got him and I got Gauri. I wish we didn't have to separate the kids."

"We could always go see him." Omkara tells her.

"They moved to USA." Pinky sadly says. "I wonder if he even remembers me."

"I still remember the day you came here. And Shivaay is elder to me, so he will definitely remember you." Omkara tells her smiling.

Pinky smiles. "I hope so. I hope one day he'll come to see me."

Omkara smiles hearing that.

"Till then..."

Omkara grins, "Till then you've me."

"Yes." Pinky chuckles and kisses his forehead.

"Where is she?" Pinky asks him.

"Room."

"Fought with you?"

"Obviously." Omkara tells her grinning.

Pinky chuckles, "Call her and come. we'll have dinner."

Omkara walks into Gauri's room and sees her punching her teddy bear in fury.

"Now, what did that poor thing do?" Omkara asks as he sat on her bed.

"Get lost." Gauri replies as she punched the teddy furiously.

"Are you imagining that to be me?" Omkara asks her.

Gauri turns to him in fury then throwing her teddy bear, she jumps on him and starts pinching his cheeks.

"Ouch. You are hurting me." Omkara tells her falling back.

"You are so bad."

"and you are good?" he asks her back.

"YES!"

"And good people hurt others?"

Gauri scowls at him and moves back. "I don't like when Mama shouts at you."

"I don't mind because she loves me like she loves Shivaay." Omkara says as he sat up.

"Then she can shout at bhaiyya!" Gauri grumbles. "Not you."

"Okay, only you have the right to shout at me. fine?" Omkara asks her in an appeasing tone.

"You tell her that." Gauri orders him.

"Okay, I'll tell her."

"And you can't shout at me anymore."

"You wish." Omkara chuckles.

Gauri couldn't help smiling seeing him chuckling.

"Let's go down for dinner." Omkara tells her.

"Om wants to tell you something, Mama." Gauri says as she stood near the dining table with Omkara.

Pinky curiously looks at Omkara and sees him rolling his eyes. She couldn't help smiling realizing that Gauri was putting him up to something.

"What is it, Om?"

"From now on, only Gauri has the right to shout at me. no one else can shout at me." Omkara tells her.

Pinky shakes her head and says as she started serving the food, "Sometimes, Om, I really do wish I could beat you black and blue."

Omkara grins hearing her while Gauri furiously scowled at her mother.

*********

There were some hustle bustle happening in the house and he couldn't figure out what was happening. He curiously looks around and sees Pinky hurrying around and he looks for Gauri as she was missing.

"Mama... what is happening here?" Omkara asks curiously.

"Nothing, Om." Pinky replies.

Noticing one of the maids hurrying to Gauri's room, he asks her, "Where is Gauri?"

"She is in her room." Pinky tells him then she turns to him and gently tells him, "For few days, you don't see her."

"Why?" he asks confused. "What happened to her? is she sick?" he asks in concern wanting to hurry to her.

"She is going to be fine." Pinky tells him.

"But..." Omkara worriedly starts as he looked at Gauri's bedroom.

"Don't worry." Pinky tells him as she patted him and she walked off.

Omkara couldn't sit still as worry gripped his heart wondering what was happening with Gauri. he waited for everyone to leave her room, and once he was sure that she was alone, he quietly sneak in.

"Gauri?" Omkara softly calls her as he closed the door.

"Om?" Gauri turns to him in surprise seeing him.

"What happened to you?" Omkara asks her as he walked to her.

"Mama told me to stay in the room." Gauri nervously tells him as she looked down.

"Why?" Omkara asks her curiously.

Gauri shakes her head as she looked down.

"Are you sick?"

Gauri shakes her head in negative.

Omkara gently holds her chin and lifts her face. seeing his face, Gauri blushes shyly as she looked down.

Realization hit him hard seeing Gauri blush for the first time in her life. he realized that the 14-year-old Gauri was no longer a kid.

"oh." Omkara lets go off her chin and steps back feeling nervous himself. He had no idea how he was supposed to behave just then. "I'll... I..." Omkara stammers and then he quickly turns around and leaves the room.

**********

Being the orthodox family they were, Pinky had asked Gauri to stay in her room till her first menstrual cycle is completed. Gauri was getting bored out of her wits staying in the room and to top it off, she was not allowed to see Omkara. Though, she was feeling shy even thinking about him, she was missing him terribly.

Hearing a knock at the door, she curiously opens it. She doesn't find anyone at the door and looking down, she sees a box kept there. she takes it and walks to her bed. She opens it to find bangles.

She wasn't a bangle person, but seeing bangles just then, she fell in love with bangles. She smiles and excitedly she wears the bangles.

"Who gave you bangles?" Pinky asks curiously as she stepped into her room.

Gauri looks at her bangles as she ran her fingers through them, blushing shyly, she informs her mother, "Om."

"I told that boy not to see you for a few days." Pinky says shaking her head.

"he left it at the door." Gauri justifies.

"Hmmm."

"MAMA!" Omkara calls out to her.

Pinky curiously steps out of the room. "Yes?"

"I'm going to the market. You want anything?"

"Yes. Wait I am coming. I've made a list." Pinky tells him and walks towards him.

Gauri quickly takes a paper and writes on it. Then she folds it into a rocket shape and runs to the window. Few minutes later, she sees Omkara leaving the house, she aims at him and throws the paper. The paper falls near him. he curiously picks it up.

Omkara opens the paper as he turned to look up curiously at Gauri's window. Seeing her, he looks at the paper and sees 'Pani Puri' written on it. He looks up at her and nods.

Gauri smiling shyly, shows him her hand which was adorned with the bangles he had got her. Omkara smiles seeing her wearing the bangles. Gauri waves at him in bye, and he smiling walks off.

Two hours later, Gauri hears a knock at the door and hurries to open it. She sees a packet kept there. smiling excitedly, she opens the pani puri packet.

*********

Finally, Gauri was allowed to step out of her room. she excitedly ran out of her room looking for Omkara and finds him waiting for her.

Seeing him, a blush crept up her face, she shyly walks to him. seeing her blush, even his cheeks were turning slightly pink.

"How are you?" Omkara asks her as she stopped in front of him.

"I am fine." Gauri tells him smiling shyly.

"You have been staying inside all these days, do you want to go out?"

"Yes!!!" Gauri says excitedly looking at him.

"Come then."

"Why wasn't I allowed to meet you?" Omkara asks her curiously as they walked in the market.

"I don't know. Did you ask Mama?"

"How could I ask her that?" Omkara asks embarrassed. "Didn't you ask?"

"She said that it was like that when she was small." Gauri tells him shrugging.

"Hmmm."

"If Ma was here you could have asked her." Gauri says referring to Jhanvi who had passed away 8 years back.

"I would have still found it embarrassing." Omkara tells her awkwardly.

"I didn't like that I couldn't meet you." Gauri tells him sadly.

"I missed you too." Omkara tells her smiling.

Gauri smiles happily as she held his hand.

"You are wearing bangles." Omkara points out seeing her hand.

"I like wearing them now." Gauri tells him smiling.

"I was looking to buy something for you and when I saw it in the store, I thought of you." Omkara tells her smiling.

Gauri happily smiles at him. "I want to get more. Come."

*********

"What happened to your skirt? Did you lose it on the way?" one of the boys asked her lewdly.

Gauri furiously looks at the boy and his friends. She tries to glare at them but the humiliating question was hurting her pride. It was making her conscious. She tried pulling down her shorts a little.

"Come with us, we will give you clothes." one of them said causing another round of laughter from his friends.

"Shut up!" Gauri says furiously. Bareilly being a very conservative place and their village even more conservative, here girls were always modestly dressed but her mother having lived in Mumbai for a decade had a modern outlook to dressing and had got her shorts and jeans to wear and she liked wearing them.

"Hey... stop." Suddenly one of them whispers in a hurry.

Gauri looks at them and sees them turning nervous and she couldn't help smirk realizing Om was standing behind her. then she sees him walk past her and he furiously slaps one of the boys. The other tries to run and Omkara grabs him and slaps him furiously. He kicks the third one while he whacked the fourth one.

"Go give your clothes to your mother and sister!" Gauri shouts at them as they ran for dear life.

Omkara walks to her and asks her angrily, "I told you to wait for me, right?"

"You were taking time." Gauri replies as she walked off. "I waited for 5 minutes."

"I told you I would take 10 minutes!" Omkara reminds her as he followed her.

"I got bored."

"In five minutes?" Omkara asks her furiously.

"Yes!"

"Fine then! From tomorrow onwards go alone to school!"

"I want to go alone; you are the one who wants to come with me!"

"Okay then, you go alone!" Omkara furiously tells her.

"I'll go!" Gauri replies and walks off.

Reaching near her school, she sees those boys hanging around near the tree as they looked at their injuries.

Gauri smirks at them seeing them crying over their injuries.

Seeing her smirking at them they start to walk towards her.

"So brave?" Gauri asks them tauntingly. "Can't you see Om is coming behind me?"

They curiously look behind her then noticing Omkara, they turn pale and runs from there making Gauri laugh out loudly.

Omkara stops near her as he glared at the boys.

"I knew you would come." Gauri tells him as she looked at him grinning.

"Go inside." Omkara orders her.

Happily smiling Gauri starts to walk off then she stops and turns to him worriedly, "They were making fun of my clothes."

"What about it?" Omkara asks, having not heard what they had said only seen the boys laughing, and Gauri slouching sadly.

"Do I look indecent in shorts?"

"Do you like wearing it?" Omkara asks her back.

"Yes."

"Are you comfortable in them?"

"Yes."

"Then the problem is in their mind and thoughts. Not in your dressing." Omkara tells her.

Gauri smiles hearing that. "Okay, I'm going." Gauri tells him as she happily hopped off to her class.

********

6 years later

"Stop shouting at me!" Gauri furiously screams at Omkara.

"It is high time that you start behaving, Gauri!" Omkara furiously shouts at her.

"Mind your own business, Om!"

"What is happening here?" Pinky asks as she looked at them hearing the loud argument.

"He is such a bully! He is always bullying me!" Gauri furiously tells her mother.

"He is not a bully. You might have done something wrong and he might be trying to correct you." Pinky tells her frowning.

"Yes, it is always my mistake!" Gauri furiously mutters and walks off.

Omkara watches her walk off then he turns to Pinky and cheekily grins at her.

"What did she do?" Pinky asks him.

Omkara shakes his head at her with a chuckle. "We need to go through the accounts." He tells her.

******

Keeping his hand on the back of his neck, Omkara rotates his neck tiredly.

"You are tired, right?" Pinky asks him smiling. They had been going through the accounts for the last 4 hours. She had ancestral land that she had been using for farming and even leasing to other farmers, and Omkara had been looking after the accounts of all that for years now.

Omkara shakes his head with a smile. "We are almost done."

"Dayal Kaka's crops were attacked by wild boar. He lost his full yield. Maybe we should do something for him else his family won't be able to survive." Omkara tells her as he looked up at her from the books.

Pinky sighs tired. It was a draining day. "You go talk to him and do whatever you feel is appropriate."

"Okay." Omkara nods as he closed the books. "And we are done."

"I don't know what I am going to do when you go away." she tells him worriedly.

"I've taught Dandi everything and he is good. He will handle everything." Omkara tells her smiling.

Pinky nods. "Did you talk to Gauri about it? You will be gone for months."

"I did try."

"And what did she say?"

Omkara looks up at her and imitating Gauri, he says, "Yaaay freedom."

Pinky worriedly sits up, "You have to talk to her before you leave. She has never stayed without you. I don't know how she is going to be. So you need to talk to her before you leave."

Omkara quickly holds her hand. "I'll. Don't worry. And I am not going tomorrow. There is still time for it."

"Yes, but she has never stayed without you."

"I'll talk to her." Omkara reassures her.

********

Omkara steps out of Pinky's room and he immediately looks to Gauri's room and sees that her bedroom door was ajar. He walks to her room. he softly opens her door and sees her sleeping on her bed with a book on her chest. He walks to her and smiles seeing her sleeping form. He takes the book of her chest and putting her bookmark in place, he keeps it on the bed near her. he walks to the foot of her bed and lifts up her blanket to reveal her foot. He takes off her bunny slippers and puts it on the floor. She turns in the sleep jutting her knees out of the blanket. Omkara chuckles softly as he pulled her leg straight and covered her properly with the blanket.

"Slept?" Pinky softly asks him from behind.

Omkara turns to her and nods.

"You didn't tell me why you fought."

"Nothing. Just a silly issue." Omkara tells her shaking his head.

"Stop covering up for her like this." Pinky scolds him.

"Dayal kaka's daughter was talking to me about the crops. Gauri got irritated and she started taunting her and was a little rude to her."

"And didn't she say it was none of your business or something like that?" Pinky asks with a humorous frown.

"Yeah, she did." Omkara chuckles. "To mind my own business."

Pinky shakes her head.

"She will be fine in the morning." Omkara tells her.

"I know." Pinky replies. "I was thinking actually..."

"What?" Omkara asks as he walked to her curiously.

"When you go... maybe Gauri and I will go and see Shivaay. Ever since the divorce I haven't seen him or talked to him. Gauri doesn't even remember him that well. All she knows is what I have told her."

"It's a good idea." Omkara smiles hearing that.

"I heard they shifted to Mumbai and he has joined Shakti in business."

"You never talk about him." Omkara softly points out.

"We are divorced. Now I have no relation with him, so why should I talk about him?" Pinky asks softly.

"Gauri knows nothing about him other than his name." he points out.

"Did she say that?" Pinky asks a little worriedly.

"Where does she have time to think about all that?" Omkara asks her back chuckling.

Pinky smiles hearing that. then sobering down, she says softly, "At times, I feel, she is her father's daughter."

"You are saying it as if it is a bad thing." Omkara tells her frowning.

"No, I didn't mean it like that." Pinky tells him shaking her head. "Anyway, it is late, you go sleep."

********

Omkara was sitting with Gauri who was crying onto his chest as they waited outside the ICU.

Omkara hugs Gauri tight as he tried to control his panic, fear and nervousness. He knew he couldn't fall weak now as he was all Gauri had at present.

"Mama will be fine, right?" Gauri asks him worriedly as she looked at him.

Omkara nods his head as he fought his tears.

"Then why are you crying?" Gauri asks him seeing his tears.

"Gauri..." Omkara helplessly says as he looked at her.

Seeing him struggling and the tears falling from his eyes, Gauri gets up and sits on his lap. Then she hugs him as she kept her head on the crook of his neck. Omkara hugs her tight as he let the tears dropped.

Hearing the door open, they both look up. The doctor stops in front of them. they quickly get up anxiously.

"How is she?"

"We did everything we could." The doctor regretfully informs him and gently tells them. "She doesn't have much time left. You should say your goodbyes."

Hearing that Gauri runs inside and Omkara quickly follows her.

"Mama..." Gauri calls her as she ran to her bed.

Pinky opens her eyes and looks at her. she sadly smiles seeing Gauri. Gauri kneels next to her and gently keeps her hand on her mother's hand.

"Don't cry, Gauri." Pinky tells her.

Hearing that Gauri starts sobbing loudly.

Seeing Omkara, Pinky extends her hand to him. Omkara kneels next to her and takes her hand in his.

"Jhanvi and I used to always talk about watching you both get married and playing with your children. When Jhanvi went, I thought, at least I will get to see it, but now it looks like..." Pinky stops struggling in pain as tears fell from her eyes.

Taking a deep breath, she continues, "Now don't delay your marriage. get married soon."

Gauri looks at Omkara and sees him nodding.

"I am not worried about you both... you both have each other. But Shivaay..." she stops as she closed her eyes in regret. "I couldn't meet him. I was worried about Shakti taking Gauri also away from me that I didn't try to meet Shivaay. And I thought, Shivaay would come to see me when he is older. I should have tried to see him."

"I'll call him. he'll come." Omkara tells her even though he knew that she didn't have that much time left.

"I don't think I have that much time." Pinky says in regret. "Always thought there is time." she tightens her hold on Omkara and tells him, "You tell him that I love him and always thought of him. more than Gauri and you, I thought of him."

"I know. I'll tell him." Omkara promises her with tear filled eyes.

"Take Gauri to him. let her stay with him when you go."

Gauri quickly turns to look at Omkara and sees him agree. "Okay."

Gauri wraps her hand around his arms and rests her head on his shoulder.

Pinky smiles seeing Gauri and Omkara together like that. "Tell Shivaay, that I said sorry. That I wasn't a good mother to him. Shivaay..." Pinky stops as she struggled and breathed her last.

**********

Two days later, Omkara was on the phone walking around as he carried Gauri who was straddling on his waist. Ever since her mother passed away, apart from the funeral, she had clung to him, just like how she had stayed with him when his mother had passed away.

"Shivaay is reaching tomorrow." Omkara informs Gauri as he hung up the phone.

Gauri nods hearing that.

"So we should start tomorrow." Omkara tells her.

"You are taking me there now itself?" Gauri asks him sadly as she looked at him.

"If we delay then you might not get admission in a college there. why waste a year?" Omkara asks her as Gauri had finished her under graduation and had been all set to start her post-graduation course.

"But my admission was done here." Gauri reminds him.

"Mama asked you to stay with Shivaay and I also have to go, right? you can't stay here alone."

Gauri's eyes fill up hearing that and she hugs him tight.

"I'll come back soon." Omkara promises her as he hugged her tight.

"I'll be fine." Gauri replies.

"Gauri, they are your family. You will be fine and comfortable there. and I'll stay there with you till I've to go." Omkara tells her.

"I told you I will be fine without you." Gauri tells him.

"Okay." Omkara sighs and gives up, deciding to talk to her about it later. Now he had immediate things to take care of. "We need to cancel your admission. Get all your documents. Book tickets."

"Hmmm." Gauri replies.

"Omkara..." their servant calls him as he stopped at the door.

"Yes?"

"Sarpanch is here to see you."

"Okay. I am coming." Omkara tells him. after he left, he tells Gauri, "Gauri, I've to go down."

"I'll also come." Gauri tells him.

"Okay. You get down." Omkara tells her.

When she ignores and hugs him tight, Omkara tells her calmly, "It won't look good. Get down."

"Then ask him to go." Gauri tells him.

Omkara sighs and tells her sternly, "He is a guest here and we can't insult him. get down."

Grumbling Gauri slides down and Omkara helps her down.

**********

"Namaste." Omkara says as he walks to the sarpanch with Gauri following him.

"Namaste." He says as he looked at Omkara and Gauri.

Seeing him looking at her, Gauri also folds her hand in greeting.

After exchanging pleasantries, Omkara finally asks him the reason for his visit.

"Now that Pinkyji is gone, there are no elders in your home." He starts gently.

Omkara nods confused.

"And as the head of the village, you become my responsibility. Especially, Gauri."

"What do you mean?" Omkara asks him.

"We don't think it is appropriate for her to stay in this house alone with you and the servants."

"Appropriate?" Omkara asks shocked.

"We are a well-respected village and you know, we don't tolerate anything immoral."

"Immoral?" Omkara asks as he glared at him.

"I am not saying that you both are being immoral. But we can't have anyone raise finger on anyone here and an unmarried girl her age shouldn't stay alone with an unmarried man like you. So,..."

"So?"

"Either you both get married quickly or get Gauri married to someone."

"Mama just passed away. it isn't even 3 days since her death and you expect us to conduct a marriage?" Omkara asks him in anger. "And it is our decision when we will get married. No outsider can come and tell us to get married." Omkara tells him furiously.

"Then you shouldn't stay alone like this. Especially with the kind of clothes that she wears." He says in distrust and disgust.

Omkara furiously gets up and pulls the sarpanch by his shirt. "How dare you come into our home and talk like that?"

"Let go of me, you urchin!" Sarpanch says in fury. "Your home? You are a servant here. Don't forget that."

"Om is the son of this house." Gauri furiously tells him.

"Get out." Omkara furiously tells him as he let go of his collar.

"How dare you talk to me like that? insult me? I am the sarpanch! Do you think you can stay here after insulting me?" Sarpanch asks him furiously.

"We are not staying here. I am taking Gauri to her brother's tomorrow. Now, get out of here." Omkara furiously tells him.

"I'll show you who I am." Sarpanch says furiously and leaves.

Omkara watches him leave with a frown. Gauri walks to him and holds his hand watching the man leave.

"We are leaving today." Omkara declares.

"What?" Gauri turns to him in shock.

"I don't trust him."

"I am not scared of him." Gauri tells him as she looked Omkara. "You are there, why do we have to be scared?"

Omkara gently smiles at her. "I am not scared. The maximum he can do is slander us, and that would hurt Mama. Right now, I want to get you to Shivaay safely. I don't want to waste our time handling the panchayat."

Gauri nods giving in.

**********

Omkara sighs as he hung up the phone.

"Why are you getting so worked up?" Gauri asks curiously as she got settled on her berth.

"The receptionist is not giving me Shivaay's number. I thought I will inform him that we are coming." Omkara tells her tiredly.

"But you said you would tell him about Mama when we see him."

"Yeah, but I am not familiar with the city. I don't know his address."

"So, what are you planning to do?" Gauri asks knowing he would have a backup plan.

"I got his office address from their website. We will go to his office." Omkara tells her.

"Okay."

Later, Omkara was sleeping when he feels Gauri get on the berth with him.

"Didn't sleep?" Omkara asks her as he moved to give her space.

"I woke up." Gauri tells him as she settled on his arms.

Omkara smiles and hugs her. Gauri hugs him and snuggles into him.

Suddenly, having her so close to him was driving his senses to the one place he didn't want it going. He nervously tries to move back and sees her looking at him. he realized that it wasn't just him but even her, who was filled with desire. Heart slamming against his chest, his breathing heavy, Omkara leans to her and kisses her forehead.

"Mama trusted us a lot, Gauri." Omkara reminds her.

Gauri nods as a slight blush crept through her face, she moves to him and hugs him keeping her head on his chest.

**********

Omkara and Gauri get out of the taxi in front of Sharma industries.

"This is Papa's and Bhaiyya's office?" Gauri asks shocked seeing the huge building.

"Yes." Omkara replies as he paid for the taxi.

"I didn't know I was so rich." Gauri says amazed.

"And what would you have done, if you knew?" Omkara asks her confused.

Gauri thinks for a few seconds and shrugs. "I guess I would have known that I am rich."

"Were you ever poor?"

Gauri grins hearing that.

"Let's go inside?" Omkara asks her grinning.

Gauri nods and then she holds his hand.

"It's going to be fine. They are your family." Omkara tells her reassuringly.

"I'm not scared." Gauri tells him frowning with confusion.

"No?" Omkara asks her.

"No. you are there; you'll handle it all. So, why should I be worried?" Gauri asks him.

Omkara smiles lovingly at her.

Since the gate was closed, they walk to the watchman.

"We are here to see Shivaay." Omkara informs him.

The watchman frowns hearing that and he looks them up and down. "Do you have an appointment?"

"We don't. Just call Shivaay..."

"Shivaay Sir." The watchman interjects.

"Just call him and tell him that his sister is here." Omkara tells him ignoring the watchman's instruction.

"Sister?" the watchman asks in amusement as he looked Gauri up and down. "She?"

Since they had directly come from the railway station without freshening up, Omkara knew they were a sight. "Yes." Omkara replies starting to get angry at the obvious insult at Gauri. "Call him and tell him that Gauri is here to see him."

"Okay and should I also ask him to come down and receive her?" he mocks Omkara. "Go away. Call his assistant and ask for an appointment. If Sir wants to see his so called sister he will give an appointment. Then you come back with his sister."

Gauri furiously steps beside Omkara and warns the watchman. "I am going to get you fired."

"You can't fire him for doing his job." Omkara tells Gauri in exasperation.

"Fine." Gauri replies irately. "Anyway, I am Gauri Kumari Sharma, this is my company too and I am going in."

Saying that Gauri starts to walk to the gate.

"Where do you think you are going?" the watchman furiously asks her as he went after her to physically stop her.

Before he could touch her, he was yanked back by Omkara and pinned up against the watchman's cabin.

"Hasn't your mother taught you, never to touch a woman without her permission?" Omkara furiously asks him.

The watchman struggles against Omkara furiously. "How am I to stop her otherwise?"

"We already told you that she is Shakti Sharma's daughter and Shivaay's sister." Omkara furiously reminds him.

"And I am supposed to believe that? Shakti Sir has only one son. So, you expect me to believe any aira gaira who come claiming to be Shakti Sir's daughter to be really his daughter?"

Omkara was starting to let go of him knowing that he couldn't blame him.

"Leave me. and get out of here before I call backup to throw you both crazies out on your ass."

"She already told you that she is Gauri Kumari Sharma." Omkara furiously reminds him as he tightened his hold on him.

"Oh she is Gauri Kumari Sharma? Then I am Shakti Sharma, her father." The watchman says as he grabbed the phone by putting his hand inside the window of the cabin to call for backup.

And Omkara lost his patience and he slaps him and then again and again. "How dare you?" Omkara furiously asks him.

"Stop, Om." Gauri tells him as she pulled him back seeing the blood dripping from the corner of his mouth.

Omkara stops and steps back as he glared at him. "Call Shivaay, NOW!" Omkara orders him.

Scared and worried, he takes the phone and dials. "Hello? Khanna Sir... I need backup. I am being attacked here." He worriedly says onto the phone.

Omkara furiously slaps him hearing what he had said then realizing trouble was coming, turning to Gauri, he tells her. "Get inside the cabin, Gauri."

Gauri glares at the watchman.

"Go, Gauri." Omkara tells her.

Gauri walks into the cabin and Omkara closes the door seeing couple of people coming.

"What is happening?" a man who looked to be in charge asks. Then noticing the condition of the watchman, he tells a man behind him, "Call the police."

"We are here to see Shivaay." Omkara tells him.

"Do you have an appointment?" he asks frowning. "And did you say we?"

"Khanna sir." The watchman calls him pointing at Gauri inside the cabin.

"Who is she?" Khanna asks frowning.

"That's Gauri and we are here to see Shivaay."

"Gauri?" Khanna asks in shock and confusion.

"They are saying she is Shivaay Sir's sister."

"What is her full name?" Khanna asks going pale as he looked at her.

"Gauri Kumari Sharma." Gauri replies frowning at him, her chin held high proudly.

"Hold on." Khanna tells the man who was calling the cops and taking his mobile, he dials.

"They are causing too much trouble." The watchman complaints.

Khanna frowns at him and then he says on the phone "Sir... there is..."

Omkara snatches the phone from him as he had lost all his patience and speaks on to the phone. "Shivaay?"

"Who is this? Where is Khanna?" Shivaay asks from the other end.

"This is Omkara."

"Who the hell is Omkara? Put Khanna on the phone." Shivaay says angrily from the other end.

"Why the hell doesn't your watchman know that you have a sister?" Omkara furiously asks him.

"What?" Shivaay asks in a shocked whisper.

"Did I make a mistake by bringing Gauri to you?" Omkara furiously asks him.

"Gauri is with you?" Shivaay asks him in shock.

"Yes but if you can't ensure that she is safe and respected here then I am taking her back." Omkara warns him.

"Who the hell are you?" Shivaay asks him furiously.

"Omkara Singh Oberoi." Omkara answers. "So, can you ensure it?"

"If the person with you is my sister then I know how to take care of my sister." Shivaay tells him furiously. "Put Khanna on the phone."

Omkara gives the phone to Khanna and Khanna speaks to Shivaay for a few seconds.

"Sir asked you both to come inside." Khanna tells them. "Please..." Khanna says gesturing them to walk ahead.

Omkara turns to Gauri. "Come, Gauri."

"No." Gauri replies with her chin up, proudly looking down at everyone.

"What?" Omkara asks confused.

Gauri turns to glare at the watchman and without taking her eyes off him, she says, "Ask Bhaiyya to come here and take us inside."

"What?" Omkara asks shocked. "This is not the time for your ego."

"I am not going in otherwise." Gauri declares.

Omkara furiously sighs and turns to look at Khanna.

Khanna was looking at Gauri in shock and confusion. Then he starts to dial.

"No." Gauri says.

Khanna curiously looks at her.

Gauri turns her gaze to the watchman and tells him. "You. you call your sir and tell him to come down and receive me."

"What?" the watchman asks shocked.

"Gauri." Omkara calls her in a warning tone.

"He called you a liar. He made fun of you." Gauri reminds him.

Hearing that Omkara sighs and informs Khanna, "She won't budge."

Khanna looks at Gauri and Omkara in uncertainty.

"How do I call Shivaay Sir?" the watchman asks Khanna worriedly.

"Use a phone or go inside and call him." Gauri tells him.

Khanna dials the phone and hands it to the watchman.

Shitting bricks, the watchman takes the phone and says as he shivered in fear for having to give instructions to his boss. "Hello Sir..."

"Who is this? Where the hell is Khanna?" Shivaay asks having another stranger on Khanna's phone.

"Watchman Sir..."

"What is it?"

"Sir, your sister... Sir, your sister is saying that... she will come inside only if you come and receive her." he manages to say shivering frantically.

"What?" Shivaay asks shocked.

"Yes, sir. She insists that till you come, she won't come inside."

"what the fuck?" Shivaay asks furiously and hangs up.

"Is he coming?" Khanna asks too curious to remain silent.

"I don't know." The watchman tells him wanting to faint.

"He did what you asked, can we go inside now?" Omkara asks Gauri.

"No." Gauri replies.

"Really, Gauri?" Omkara furiously asks her.

"Till it is proved that you are not a liar, I won't go inside." Gauri tells him.

Omkara sighs.

"What did he do?" Khanna asks in confusion.

"When I told him that she is Shivaay's sister and to inform Shivaay that she is here, he asked whether he should also ask Shivaay to come here and receive Gauri because he thought we were lying." Omkara tells him.

"This is all because of you." Khanna tells the watchman.

"I didn't know Shakti Sir had a daughter."

"If someone comes claiming to be Shakti Sir's daughter and Shivaay Sir's sister, your duty is to verify whether they are saying is true. You should have immediately called me instead of turning them away." Khanna furiously tells him.

"But I didn't know..."

"So, you need to verify."

"Sir is coming." one of the men informs Khanna.

Omkara looks and sees a man walking furiously towards them.

"I am here." Shivaay says as he came to a stop then frowning he looks around and sees Gauri standing inside the cabin.

Omkara walks to the cabin and opens it for Gauri.

Gauri walks out her eyes on Shivaay. She holds Omkara's hand without taking her eyes off Shivaay, "Is that Bhaiyya?"

"Yes." Omkara confirms as he led her to Shivaay.

"Are you Gauri?" Shivaay asks her with a frown.

"Yes." Omkara answers.

"ID proof?" Shivaay asks.

"What?" Gauri asks frowning.

"Not just ID proof. You will undergo a DNA test too. If it is proven that you are lying, then we'll file a case against you." Shivaay warns her.

"What the hell?" Gauri asks furiously.

"Calm down, Gauri." Omkara gently tells her as he opened the bag to take things.

"What are you doing?" Gauri asks him frowning.

"ID proof." Omkara explains.

"No." Gauri tells him.

"How is he to know that you are who you are claiming to be? He hasn't seen you since you were a year old." Omkara reminds her.

"He is calling me a liar!"

"Gauri, do you expect him to accept anyone claiming to be you without verifying whether that person is really you?" Omkara asks her in exasperation.

"I am telling him. that is proof enough." Gauri tells him furiously.

"Sir, I think she is really your sister." Khanna whispers to Shivaay.

Shivaay looks at Khanna with a curious frown.

"That level of thadi I have only seen in you." Khanna hesitantly tells him.

Shivaay glares at him hearing that.

"Shivaay..." Omkara calls him.

Shivaay turns to Omkara with a frown.

"ID proof and photo album." Omkara tells him handing him the stuff.

Shivaay looks at Omkara then with trembling hands he takes the ID proof and photo album. He reads the ID proof then looking at the photo and then at Gauri, he hands the ID to Khanna to verify the authenticity of it. He takes a deep breath and opens the photo album. His heart skips a beat and his eyes fill up seeing a photo of Gauri, his mother and Omkara. He stares at the photo as he looked his mother who looked older now. with trembling hands, he turns the pages looking at the photo of Gauri through various stages of her life with their mother.

Composing himself, he looks up at Gauri, and smiling gently, he says, "Come inside, Gauri."

Gauri regally nods at Shivaay. Shivaay couldn't help smile seeing the way she had nodded as if she was doing him a favor by going inside.

"Wait." Omkara says.

Shivaay and Gauri curiously looks at him.

"Since you are already here..." Omkara says then pointing at the watchman he tells Shivaay, "Fire him."

"Who the bloody hell are you?" Shivaay asks frowning angrily.

"He is with me. and you will talk to Om with respect, Bhaiyya." Gauri warns Shivaay.

Shivaay frowns at Omkara in pure dislike.

"Who I am, we will talk about it later. Fire him, now." Omkara tells Shivaay.

"You only said that we can't fire someone for doing their job." Gauri reminds Omkara in confusion.

Omkara looks at the watchman and sees him looking at Shivaay and Omkara in panic. "His job doesn't entail insulting Mama."

"He did?" Gauri asks as she glared at the watchman.

"He did what?" Shivaay asks confused.

"When we told him that she is Gauri. he said that he is Shakti Sharma, Gauri's father." Omkara tells him furiously.

"What?" Shivaay asks still confused.

"When he calls himself Gauri's father then what does that make Gauri's mother?" Omkara furiously asks Shivaay.

Shivaay furiously turns to the watchman and asks him as he walked to him. "Did you insult my mother?"

"I didn't know she was your sister." The watchman worriedly tells him.

Shivaay furiously slaps him. "Even if she isn't my sister, who gave you the right to insult her mother?"

"I'm sorry, sir. I'm sorry." The watchman begs him as he broke into tears.

*********

"Dad isn't here, Gauri." Shivaay tells Gauri as he led them to his cabin.

"Om told me." Gauri replies.

"How did you know?" Shivaay asks Omkara.

"When I called for you, they said you weren't in the country. So I asked for your father and they said even he isn't here." Omkara explains.

Shivaay nods and asks Gauri, "Why didn't Mom come?"

"Bhaiyya..." Gauri worriedly looks at Omkara.

"She doesn't care... huh?" Shivaay asks as he looked away.

"She loves you Shivaay." Omkara tells him. "She told me to tell you that she always loved you and thought of you. more than Gauri and me, she had thought of you. She didn't come to meet you because she was scared that she might end up losing Gauri also. And she had believed that you would come for her one day."

"Why didn't you come, bhaiyya?" Gauri asks him sadly, her eyes filling up.

"She didn't care for me. she left me."

"She didn't leave you. she lost your custody." Omkara reminds him with a frown. "And she was planning to come here with Gauri."

Shivaay scoffs.

Omkara sighs sadly and tells him, "She thought she had time to come and see you."

Hearing that Shivaay looks at him with a frown. "What do you mean?"

"I tried reaching you, Shivaay." Omkara regretfully tells him. "I really tried but we couldn't keep her for long. I am sorry."

Shivaay gulps hearing that, his eyes filling up. "Mom?"

"She was going for a wedding, on the way, a truck lost control and..." Omkara stops his eyes filling up.

Gauri quickly turns to him and hugs him. Omkara quickly hugs her as she softly broke down.

"She took your name before... all she spoke of was you, her regret in not seeing you." Omkara informs him.

Shivaay stood still for a minute, absorbing the news then without a word he had walked out.

Hearing the sound, Gauri turns to the sound and stops in confusion realizing he had left.

"Give him some time. he just found out of Mama." Omkara tells her.

Gauri nods then she hugs him sadly.

Sometime later, they hear a knock on the door.

Omkara was about to walk to the door to open it when Gauri calls out, "Come in."

Khanna opens the door and walks in.

"Shivaay Sir asked me to take you both home, Ma'am." Khanna informs with a smile.

Omkara and Gauri nods.

"Khanna, right?" Omkara asks him with a smile.

"Yes. I'm Shivaay Sir's chief security officer." Khanna informs him.

"I'm Omkara." Omkara introduces himself as he offered his hand.

Khanna shakes hands.

"He is my chief security officer." Gauri informs Khanna with a smile.

Omkara chuckles hearing that.

Khanna smiles at Gauri. "It is so nice to finally meet you, Ma'am."

"You knew about me?" Gauri asks with a smile.

"Shivaay Sir speaks of you." Khanna informs her.

"Then why didn't he ever come to see me?" Gauri asks curiously with a frown.

"Did you ever come to meet him before now?" Omkara asks her.

"He can come, right?" Gauri asks back.

"Even you could have."

"I'm younger." Gauri replies with an arrogant shrug.

"I'll keep that in mind when you try to act older next time." Omkara tells her.

Gauri glares at Omkara. "Just take me home, Khannaji." Gauri tells him in a dismissing tone.

********

After they had freshened up, they had walked around the house and met the staff there.

"Sorry, I went off like that." Shivaay tells Gauri as he joined her in the evening after dinner.

"It's okay." Gauri tells him smiling at him understanding his pain.

"I called Dad. He will reach tomorrow morning. He is so excited to see you." Shivaay tells her.

Gauri smiles hearing that then she asks him in concern, "Did you tell him about Mama?"

"Yeah, I did." Shivaay says as he looked down sadly.

"Is he okay?" Gauri asks him worriedly.

"He is okay. He was silent and didn't say anything. But I know, he has moved on."

"Did he get married?" Gauri asks, a little shocked because she never considered the possibility of a step mother or other siblings.

"No...no... I meant, they had a very bad divorce. They stopped loving each other by then. Now, Mom is our mother for him. not his wife." Shivaay gently explains to her.

Gauri nods feeling hurt hearing that.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't there when you needed me." Shivaay tells her as he held her hands in his.

"I wasn't alone, I have Om." Gauri tells him with a reassuring smile.

Shivaay looks at Omkara and tells him, "Thank you."

"You don't have to thank me." Omkara tells him.

"Still I am thanking you." Shivaay tells him.

Omkara nods accepting.

"How are you with Gauri?" Shivaay asks curiously. "How long have you been with Mom and Gauri?"

"Ever since Mama had come to Bareilly after the divorce." Omkara informs him.

"Since then?" Shivaay asks shocked. "You would have been a kid then."

"My mother was the cook." Omkara explains.

"Oh you are the servant?" Shivaay asks realizing.

"He is not a servant, Bhaiyya. He was like a son to Mama. He was like you to her." Gauri tells him frowning.

Shivaay looks away in anger. "Of course. maybe that is why she never came to see me."

"You could have come to see her." Gauri reminds him.

"Stop it, Gauri. he is hurt." Omkara sternly tells her.

"You don't talk to my sister like that." Shivaay tells Omkara.

"You don't talk to Om like that." Gauri tells him.

Shivaay looks at Gauri slightly angrily then sighing he turns to Omkara and tells him, "Now that you have brought Gauri here safely, I'll have Khanna book your return tickets."

"Return tickets?" Gauri asks confused.

"I am staying, Shivaay." Omkara clarifies to him.

"There is no need for that, we can handle it from here on." Shivaay tells him.

"Shivaay, I wasn't asking you, I was telling you that I am staying." Omkara tells him.

"You are telling me that you are staying in my house?" Shivaay asks offended.

"Isn't this my house too?" Gauri asks Shivaay with a frown.

"It is... but we can't have strangers in our house." Shivaay tells Gauri.

"You are the stranger for Gauri, not me, Shivaay." Omkara points out.

"Stranger?? I am her brother." Shivaay angrily points out.

"Brother? So you don't want to do the DNA test?" Gauri asks him irately.

"Why are you still hung up on that?" Omkara asks Gauri in exasperation.

"He called us liars." Gauri tells him.

"He just wanted to make sure you are you." Omkara tells her then turning to Shivaay, he tells him, "I am not going to leave Gauri alone in a place that she is not used to and with people that she is meeting for the first time. I'll make sure that she is well adjusted here before I leave."

"Do you think you can come into my house and dictate me?" Shivaay asks him angrily.

"It is simple, Shivaay. If I am not staying, Gauri won't stay."

"You are a servant, Omkara. Stay in your limits."

"Om is not a servant, bhaiyya!" Gauri furiously reminds him.

"Shivaay..." Omkara calmly calls him as he held Gauri's hand to stop her. "I can see that you don't like me. and I am not liking you also all that much. I realize that you aren't what I assumed you to be. Mama has been seeing you through tinted glasses because you are her golden boy. But still, I can see that you genuinely care for Gauri and want to form a relation and bond with her. ostracizing me from her life isn't the way to go about it. If you want Gauri to accept you, endear yourself to Gauri then the only way to do that is to accept me."

Shivaay gives Omkara an outrageous look.

"Gauri and I'll be getting married soon. I might have to go away for a bit and when I get back we will be getting married."

"Get married? To him?" Shivaay asks shocked. "Seriously, Gauri? him?"

"Yes." Gauri replies as she glared at her brother.

Omkara closes his eyes and keeps his hand on his head.

"I don't want to stay here anymore, Om. we are leaving."

"You are staying here, Gauri." Omkara tells her.

"I am not." Gauri declares.

"Mama asked you to stay with him, Gauri." Omkara reminds her.

"If Mama knew he was going to treat you like this then she wouldn't have asked me to stay." Gauri tells him.

"But she did ask you, Gauri." Omkara sternly reminds her.

Gauri furiously looks at Omkara then she tells him in a warning tone, "If I am to stay here then he will treat you with respect."

Omkara looks at Shivaay and sees him watching them in shock.

"Shivaay? Gauri asked you something."

"Fine!" Shivaay declares.

"Gauri?" Omkara turns to her.

"Okay!" Gauri replies angrily. "I'm tired. I'm going to sleep." Gauri declares and walks off.

Omkara and Shivaay watch her walk off.

"I don't know what magic you did on her..." Shivaay starts.

Omkara sighs. "You are truly her brother. Arrogant and stubborn just like her."

Shivaay furiously glares at him. "If she is arrogant and stubborn, why are you with her?"

Omkara shakes his head, "You won't learn! Trying to come between Gauri and me, will not bring you close to Gauri."

"She is too loyal to you?"

"Yes."

"Maybe it is because you are the only man she has known. Once she meets other people, this will all clear up."

"You are talking about the girl who used to call my mother Ma, but used to call her own mother memsaab, till I started calling her mother, Mama. And Gauri was just 2 years old then."

Shivaay thoughtfully looks away hearing that.

"Shivaay, Gauri is hurt that you never tried to meet her before. She was fine with it before but on Mama's deathbed, she had been filled with regret that she didn't meet you, and one of the last things she said was that she had really hoped that you would have come to meet her. it has stuck with Gauri since. Then she is worried about staying here without me. we have never stayed apart, even when we were asked to not meet, she had gone with that because she knew I was nearby and all she has to do is call out for me to see me. it is freaking her out that I would be going away in a few days, and on top of that if you try to push me away from her life then she is going to burst, and I might not be able to handle her then. She might force me to take her away from here. So, please don't bring it to that." Omkara tells him as gently as he could.

Shivaay nods as he looked away.

"Okay, then..." Omkara says and walks off.

********

Omkara was about to go to Gauri's room to check on her when Shivaay notices him.

"What are you doing?" Shivaay asks frowning.

"Checking on Gauri." Omkara replies and walks into her bedroom.

Frowning suspiciously, Shivaay follows him. they see Gauri sleeping on the bed.

Omkara walks to the bed and lifts up the blanket.

"What the hell are you doing?" Shivaay asks in a furious whisper.

Omkara gives him an exasperated look then he removes Gauri's bunny slippers and shows him.

"How did you know she was wearing those?" Shivaay asks shocked.

"Because she never removes them." Omkara explains as he pulled the blanket down.

"And you do it always?" Shivaay asks feeling weird at the whole thing.

Omkara nods as he walked to Gauri and notices that she was holding a photo frame to her chest. He gently removes it.

"Is that Mom's photo?" Shivaay asks curiously.

Omkara nods. "We took this on her 2nd birthday. This is her favorite photo." Omkara tells him as he handed the photo to Shivaay.

Shivaay looks at the photo and sees Gauri, his mother, Gauri holding on to a boy's hair who he was now cent percent sure was Omkara and another lady.

"That is my mother." Omkara informs him.

Shivaay nods feeling left out seeing that photo. He hands the photo to Omkara. Omkara keeps it on the side table.

"Okay, I'm going to sleep." Omkara tells Shivaay realizing Shivaay was waiting for him to leave.

********

Omkara was sleeping when he feels Gauri get on the bed.

"What happened?" Omkara asks as he gave space to her.

"Didn't you sleep?"

"Yeah... what about you?"

"I woke up." Gauri tells him as she lay next to him hugging him.

Omkara hugs her. "Mama?"

Gauri nods her head sadly.

"It's okay." Omkara whispers as he kissed her head lovingly.

Gauri closes her eyes and settles next to him.

********

"Where did she go?"

Hearing the loud voices, Omkara slowly sits up as he tried to get up without waking up Gauri.

Hearing the sound get closer, he looks at the door and sees that Gauri had left it ajar when she had come in last night.

"Omkara?" Shivaay says as he opened the door and stops in shock seeing Gauri sleeping on Omkara's bed. "What the hell?"

"What is it?" Shakti asks as he followed Shivaay into the room. "Where is my daughter?" Shakti asks furiously then seeing someone sleeping next to Omkara, he asks in shock, "Who is sleeping next to him?"

"Gauri." Shivaay answers.

"She is married?" Shakti asks in shock.

"It's not what you think." Omkara quickly answers.

"No." Shivaay answers.

"Then what the hell is this?" Shakti asks furiously.

"Om?" Gauri sits up in shock hearing the commotion.

"Your father is here." Omkara tells her.

"Papa?" Gauri turns to look at her father and sees him staring at them incredulously.

"What kind of upbringing did Pinky give you?" Shakti asks shocked.

"I already told you this is not what you think." Omkara tells him angrily. "It is a new place for Gauri and last night, she was upset about Mama, so she came to sleep here."

"Who is he? Is he the servant boy you mentioned?" Shakti asks Shivaay.

Gauri was about to blast her father when Shivaay calmly informs him, "He is Gauri's fiancé."

"Fiancé? A servant?" Shakti asks furiously. "I'll never allow it."

"Who are you to allow it or not?" Gauri asks furiously.

"How many times have I told you not to speak to your elders like that?" Omkara furiously asks her.

"Always it is my fault!" Gauri says furiously as she got out of the bed. "You only see my fault. You never see or hear what they say."

"I do but I don't give a damn what they say or do." Omkara tells her as he got out of the bed.

"I care! so, I can't ignore it!"

"That doesn't mean you go down to their level and retaliate."

"I will do what I want!"

"You can't always do what you want!"

"I don't even know why I always fight for you!"

"I didn't ask you to fight for me!"

"Fine, then! I don't care! don't ever come in front of me. don't talk to me! EVER!"

"Who wants to talk to you?" Omkara asks her back.

"FINE! GET LOST!" Gauri says furiously and stomps out of the room ignoring her shocked father and brother.

Shivaay gapes at the doorway through which Gauri had exited then he turns to look at Omkara in shock, confusion and completely clueless.

Omkara turns his furious gaze to Shakti.

"Why are you still here? Leave!" Shakti tells him.

"Before you start dissing me and Mama's upbringing, you should... maybe hug that daughter you haven't seen in 2o years. Who in all of her senses was seeing you for the first time. Tell her sorry for not meeting her for 20 years. And tell her that you missed her and loves her!" Omkara furiously tells him. then without another word, he furiously walks out.

"I hate that guy, Dad." Shivaay tells Shakti. "but he is right. you are seeing Gauri after 20 years! She has no memory of seeing you, so she was actually seeing you for the first time."

Then they hear furious arguments between Gauri and Omkara. Shivaay sighs tired. He had stood there confused and feeling lost. He hated Omkara, he didn't like that Omkara was so important to his baby sister but he didn't want Gauri to lose the only person that she was familiar with before she could form a bond with him and their father.

He was wondering what to do when they both had gone silent. Curious on whether Gauri needed him, Shivaay goes to check on Gauri. since the door was open he doesn't knock and walk in and stops in shock, seeing Gauri and Omkara smiling and talking to each other.

"Hey." Omkara nods at Shivaay still smiling at something Gauri had said. "Your father, okay?"

Shivaay nods too shocked and confused. Wasn't it these two, who were fighting and calling it quits, just a minute back?

"You both okay?" Shivaay asks them still in shock.

"Yeah, we are fine." Gauri replies. "Papa shouldn't have said that. but we are fine."

"That is not what I meant." Shivaay tells her in shock.

"Then?" Gauri asks confused.

"You both were saying you won't talk to each other..."

Gauri chuckles hearing that, "Do you think Om can stay without talking to me?"

"She won't let me." Omkara tells Shivaay grinning.

"Oh please, I can stay without talking to you."

"Yeah right!" Omkara says rolling his eyes.

"Don't you remember I didn't speak to you for one whole night?" Gauri asks him then turning to Shivaay, she tells him, "He was acting too smart. I didn't speak to him for one whole night and he was running behind me."

"When was that?" Omkara asks confused.

"When you were flirting with you darling friend!" Gauri reminds him in disgust.

"When?" Omkara asks confused.

"Last week."

"You had slept off immediately after we reached home. That is why you lasted one whole night!" Omkara reminds her rolling his eyes.

"One night?" Shivaay asks shocked. "And you call her stubborn?"

"Stubborn?" Gauri turns to Omkara in confusion.

"I was telling him how you both are alike. Arrogant and stubborn." Omkara tells her grinning.

Gauri looks at him in shock and turns to look at Shivaay in shock, then turning back to Omkara, she asks him incredulously, "You don't think bhaiyya is egoistic?"

"What?" Shivaay asks shocked.

"Now, don't latch on to that." Omkara says rolling his eyes.

"Yeah! Only I am egoistic, arrogant, stubborn and immature to you. rest everyone is perfect."

"What do you want me to say, Gauri?" Omkara asks her smiling.

"Why are you smiling?" Gauri asks him angrily.

"Right now, when you are behaving like an egoistic, arrogant, stubborn and immature person, what can I say?" Omkara cheekily asks her.

Gauri scowls at him. "I am done! I am not talking to you ever again!"

"Okay." Omkara shrugs.

"And go brush your teeth!" Gauri tells him. "Your mouth stinks!"

"Even yours!" Omkara points out.

"Get out of my room!" Gauri tells him angrily.

"Okay." Omkara shrugs and leaves the room.

Gauri furiously walks off to the washroom while Shivaay stood there gaping, not clearly understanding what had happened. The only thing, he understood was that he was never going to understand that relation.

*******

Shakti was waiting with Shivaay to talk to Gauri. he was restlessly pacing near the staircase as he waited for Gauri to come down. Hearing loud footsteps, they curiously look up and sees Gauri running down.

Seeing Shivaay, she stops and asks, "Om didn't come down, bhaiyya?"

Shivaay shakes his head.

"Oh okay." Gauri turns to run back up the stairs.

"but..." Shivaay starts to ask her that they were not talking then decides against it, why waste his breath on their fights and patch ups that didn't even last five minutes?

"But what?" Gauri asks curiously as she looked at him.

"Dad is waiting for you." Shivaay tells her as he looked at Shakti who was looking at Gauri with tear filled eyes.

"Why? He has more accusations?" Gauri asks as she looked down upset.

"Gauri, my child, come here." Shakti tells her lovingly.

Hearing him call her like that, Gauri hesitantly looks at him.

"Gauri..." Shivaay gently calls her.

Gauri looks at him and Shivaay gestures her to come down. Gauri walks down the stairs and walks towards Shakti. Shakti walks towards her and meets her halfway.

Smiling lovingly at her, he cups her face, "You've grown so much. Have become a big girl." He kisses her forehead with tear filled eyes.

"Why didn't you ever come to see me?" Gauri asks him, her eyes filling up.

Shakti looks at her helplessly. "I don't know. Maybe I was scared whether you would accept me. I didn't know what Pinky told you about me."

"She never spoke of you." Gauri informs him.

Shakti nods.

"Do you have doubts whether it is really me?" Gauri asks him curiously.

"Doubts?" Shakti asks confused.

"Bhaiyya wants me to take a DNA test." Gauri says glaring at Shivaay, still not forgiving him for it.

"Not anymore, Gauri." Shivaay tells her smiling.

"Why?" Gauri asks him suspiciously.

"Because I know you are my sister." Shivaay tells her smiling.

"How do you know?"

"Because you look like Dadu. It took me a while to realize, but you do. Right, Dad?"

"Yes." Shakti says smiling. "You have his eyes and smile."

"I haven't seen him." Gauri tells him a little sadly.

"I'll show you the photos." Shivaay tells her.

Gauri smiles hearing that. then sadly she tells him, "I didn't bring you Nanu and Nani's photos. I haven't seen them but their photos are there. but I didn't think of bringing them."

"That's okay. now, you are here. That is enough." Shivaay tells her smiling.

Gauri smiles hearing that then she curiously turns back and sees Omkara walking down the stairs. Excitedly she runs to him.

"Om, Papa and Bhaiyya are saying I look like Dadu. I have his eyes and smile." Gauri excitedly tells him.

Omkara smiles at her then he looks at Shakti and sees him furiously looking at him. Omkara informs her with a smile, "And you have your father's scowl."

*******

Gauri was talking to Shakti and Shivaay, as they asked about her and shared about them while Omkara had been busy on the phone, coordinating and taking care of things back home. After some time, Shakti goes away to take care of something and Gauri turns to look at Omkara and sees him still busy with the phone.

"Om, what are you doing? Come here." Gauri calls out to him.

Omkara turns to look at her as he spoke on the phone. He gestures with his finger to give him a minute. Then he turns around to talk.

"Om!" Gauri calls him again glaring at him.

Omkara turns back and glares at her as he spoke. "Thanks, I owe you." Omkara says with a smile on the phone. "I'll call you once we get it. And is Dayal Kaka having any more problems with the wild boars?"

"No wonder!" Gauri mutters furiously.

"What?" Shivaay asks confused. "Who is Dayal Kaka?"

"Her father." Gauri replies glaring at Omkara.

"Who is she?" Shivaay asks.

"My friend." Omkara replies as he hung up and turns to Gauri. "What is it?"

"you have hundreds of friends there but you'll only call her!" Gauri tells him, glaring at him.

"She is going to collect your mark sheet and certificates and courier it so you can join college." Omkara tells her.

Gauri loudly scoffs. "I don't want her help!"

"Who is she?" Shivaay asks confused seeing Gauri's obvious hatred for this girl. "Omkara's ex-girlfriend?"

"What?" Omkara asks shocked.

"Ex-girlfriend?" Gauri asks shocked and starts laughing. "Om and ex-girlfriend?"

"Do you really think that if I had a girlfriend then Gauri would have left her and me alive?" Omkara asks chuckling.

Shivaay looks away a little embarrassed for jumping to the wrong conclusion but Gauri's reaction to that girl had made him think like that. "How long have you two been together?"

"Together?" Gauri asks confused then shrugging she replies. "Always."

"Always?" Shivaay asks confused. "Since childhood?"

"Yeah, since the day she reached Bareilly."

"She was just a year-old baby then." Shivaay says furiously and outraged as he murderously looked at Omkara.

Omkara gives him an exasperated look, and reminds him "I wasn't always an adult. That time even I was a kid."

Shivaay turns slightly pink realizing that he had over reacted. "Then why do you have a problem with her?" Shivaay asks confused as he looked at Gauri.

"because Gauri is like you, Shivaay." Omkara informs him.

"Like me?" Shivaay asks confused.

Looking at Gauri, Omkara grins at her, "She is very territorial about me like how you are very territorial about your little sister."

Hearing that Gauri blushes while Shivaay turns a deeper shade of pink.

*******

"Shivaay, I needed to talk to you." Omkara tells Shivaay as he stood outside his study.

Shivaay gestures him to enter. "Where is Gauri?"

"Watching TV." Omkara tells him as he sat opposite to him.

"What is it?" Shivaay asks him with a frown.

Omkara passes him a passbook. "Mama used to split the income into four parts. One share for Gauri, one for you, one for all the expenses and one for her and me. this is yours." Omkara explains.

Curiously opens it and seeing the meager amount he almost chuckles. "I don't want this. You take it." Shivaay tells him as he pushed the passbook back to Omkara.

"I know it is a small amount. It is nothing compared to what you have." Omkara tells him.

Shivaay nods. "I have no need of this. You can keep it."

Omkara furiously sighs. "I know you are angry with her. you think she abandoned you."

Shivaay looks away angrily.

"But isn't this proof that she never forgot you. whatever she did for Gauri, she did for you also. She thought of you more than she thought of Gauri." Omkara tells him as he stood up. "If you don't want it, then do whatever you want with it. Neither Gauri nor I want that. Mama kept that for you."

Shivaay watches as Omkara walked out, once he left, with trembling hands he takes the passbook and holds it against his chest, as tears dropped from his eyes.

*******

That night, Omkara was getting ready for bed when he hears a knock at the door. he opens the door and finds Shakti and Shivaay. Shivaay looked tired and Shakti looked angry.

"Yes?" Omkara asks them.

"You are going to leave my house, right now." Shakti tells him angrily.

"I really don't want to come between Gauri and you." Omkara tells him.

"You won't. you just leave."

"I am not leaving Gauri alone here till I am sure that she is safe and happy here."

"This is her home. I am her father and he is her brother. We can take care of her. we have no need of you." Shakti furiously tells him.

Looking into his eyes, Omkara tells him. "The truth is Gauri has no need of you. I am all she needs."

"You psycho! Stop brainwashing my daughter!" Shakti furiously tells him.

"I am not brainwashing her. I am telling you the reality."

"Reality? She is my daughter! And you are a sadak chap who is luring her away from her family."

"That's what you think?" Omkara asks him frowning furiously.

"That is the truth. So, I want you to get out of my house. out of my daughter's life."

"And you are with him on this, Shivaay?" Omkara asks Shivaay.

"He wouldn't listen to me." Shivaay replies tired.

"I know how to take care of my daughter." Shakti tells Shivaay then turning to Omkara, he says, "Name your price and I will double it, just leave my daughter alone!"

Furious, Omkara looks at Shakti and tells him, "You should have listened to Shivaay. Then he would have told you that Gauri isn't in this house because she wants to stay with you two. She is in this house because I am forcing her to stay here."

"How dare you?" Shakti furiously asks him.

"It's true, Dad." Shivaay tells him. "Even I hate him. I know my sister deserves better than him but right now, she is blinded by him and we have to tolerate him. if we want Gauri to accept us, then we have to tolerate him."

Shakti incredulously looks at Shivaay.

"If you want, we can call Gauri and she will tell you the same thing." Omkara tells Shakti.

Shakti turns to Omkara and tells him, "I will throw you out of my daughter's life."

"You can try." Omkara challenges him.

*******

"Is that a mango tree?" Gauri asks excitedly noticing the tree on the backyard.

"Yeah." Shivaay replies smiling seeing her excitement.

"I love mangoes. It is my favorite." Gauri tells him as she looked up at the tree.

"Even me. that is why we have the tree." Shivaay tells her smiling.

"We should eat mangoes." Gauri tells Shivaay excitedly.

"It is not mango season." Shivaay tells her disappointedly.

"We should have raw mango with salt and chilli powder."

"What?" Shivaay asks surprised.

"You haven't had it? It is yum." Gauri tells him excitedly, her mouthwatering.

"The tree is too tall." Omkara tells her.

"Not for me." Gauri arrogantly replies.

"Gauri..." Omkara starts in a warning tone but she quickly runs to the tree and starts climbing the tree.

"What the hell? Gauri, what are you doing?" Shivaay asks shocked seeing his sister climb the tree like a monkey.

"I'll get us mangoes, bhaiyya." Gauri calls out.

Shivaay turns to look at Omkara and sees him watching Gauri like a hawk.

"Gauri, careful." Shivaay calls out to her.

"I am fine." Gauri calls out as she plucked a mango and threw towards Shivaay and Omkara. "Catch."

Shivaay catches it in reflex. Gauri kept throwing down mangoes, Omkara and Shivaay caught them.

"Don't go higher, Gauri." Omkara calls out to her.

"There are lots more there, Om." Gauri tells him as she tried climbing.

"Don't make me come up there, Gauri." Omkara warns her.

"There is more, Om." Gauri stubbornly tells him.

Muttering, Omkara shoves the three mangoes he was holding onto Shivaay's hand and furiously runs to the tree and starts climbing fast.

"I'll be careful, Om." Gauri tells him seeing him climb up.

"It is dangerous." Omkara tells her as he climbed on a branch next to hers.

"But you are there."

Omkara sighs hearing that. "It is not safe, Gauri. come down." Omkara tells her as he offered his hand.

Sadly, giving up, Gauri takes his hand and follows him down. Gauri jumps down and runs to Shivaay.

"Give, bhaiyya. I'll wash it and get chilly powder and salt." Gauri tells him as she took the mangoes from him and ran inside.

"You didn't tell her about last night?" Shivaay asks Omkara as Omkara reached him.

"No." Omkara replies.

"Why?" Shivaay asks him curiously.

Omkara looks at him and tells him, "Ma died unexpectedly. Then Mama... if anything happens to me, then Gauri would be alone. I want her to have her family with her, so that she would never be alone."

Shivaay nods hearing that. "You had mentioned you would be going..."

"Yeah, for a couple of months for training. But it is not confirmed yet." Omkara tells him.

Shivaay nods, "And Gauri would be joining college here. You know, once she meet other people, she might realize that there is a world beyond you, and she doesn't have to confine into a life with you."

Omkara smiles, "Ah you are hoping for that."

"I am." Shivaay admits unashamedly.

"Why do you have a problem with me? is it because I am not rich like you? or is it because my mother was a servant there?" Omkara asks him curiously.

Shivaay doesn't reply to that.

"Or are you jealous of me?" Omkara asks him.

"Jealous?" Shivaay scoffs with a chuckle.

"Yes, Gauri is your sister and your family. I realize that you have always loved her and was waiting to meet her one day. now that you have, you realize that I am more important to her than you. that for Gauri, I am her family more than you both. and Mama also loved me like a son, while you have always felt that she abandoned you. you think I stole your place in both Gauri's and Mama's life."

Shivaay furiously looks at Omkara, his eyes filling up with furious tears.

"That is why you want me gone, right?" Omkara asks him.

Shivaay steps forward and furiously whispers to Omkara, "One day, I'll throw you out of my sister's life."

"Take it as an advice or a warning, Shivaay." Omkara tells him. "The more you try to push me away from Gauri, the more she will go away from you."

"Let's see." Shivaay replies.

"Okay, let's eat." Gauri says excitedly as she came running. Then seeing them in a serious conversation, she asks with a frown. "What are you two talking about?"

Shivaay quickly looks away to compose yourself.

"About me going away." Omkara tells her.

"Oh." Gauri looks down as she looked at the bowl with the mangoes and the spices. "Okay."

"Gauri, we need to talk about it." Omkara tells her gently.

"I'll be fine." Gauri replies then looking at him, she smiles, "wohoo, I will be free. Freedom."

Surprised Shivaay looks at Omkara and Gauri.

Omkara sighing, says "Gauri, please we have to talk. I'll be going for months."

"I told you I'll be fine. Bhaiyya and Papa are here. I am going to be fine with them." Gauri tells him then she says, "I forgot knife. I'm such a fool." Saying that she runs back in.

"Maybe, she doesn't need you as much as you think she does." Shivaay says smirking.

"Gauri has never lived without me. so, I really don't know how she will be." Omkara says unable to hide his worry his gaze still on the doorway, she had used.

"She is going to learn to live without you." Shivaay tells him.

Omkara turns to Shivaay and tells him, "We are not two people, Shivaay. We are one. So, you can hope for whatever you want, but I can assure you that Gauri and I will never be separated."

"You can dream on." Shivaay replies with a smirk.

Omkara shakes his head with a smile.

********

Omkara and Gauri join Shakti and Shivaay for dinner that night.

"Hello!" Gauri says with a smile as she greeted them.

Shakti smiles at her, "How was your day?"

"Good." Gauri replies as she sat down.

"I'm sorry, I had to go to office today. I couldn't reschedule the meetings." Shakti says as he lovingly kept his hand on her cheek.

"It's okay, Papa. Om was here. Even bhaiyya was here. I was fine."

Shakti looks at Omkara irately then turning to Gauri with a smile, he says. "But I have taken off and I am going to spend all my time with you."

Gauri chuckles hearing that. "Bhaiyya is going back to work tomorrow and you have off from tomorrow."

"I'll come early tomorrow." Shivaay tells her with a smile.

Gauri smiles excitedly hearing that and she looks at Omkara. He smiles at her.

"You have to get admission for college, right? tomorrow, my manager will bring you the brochures of all the best colleges here." Shivaay tells her.

Gauri curiously looks at Omkara and asks him, "Have you decided on which college I am joining, Om?"

"I am researching." Omkara replies.

"Gauri, you should decide which college you are joining. Not him." Shivaay tells her frowning.

"He is there, na, bhaiyya... why do I have to take that headache?" Gauri asks him.

Seeing the incredulous look her father and brother giving him, Omkara tells Gauri, "Maybe, Gauri, you should discuss with Shivaay and decide on the college."

"Why?" Gauri asks frowning.

"He knows about the colleges here better than me." Omkara explains.

"Hmmm, so, you discuss with him." Gauri says in a dismissing tone.

"You do it with him." Omkara insists.

"Why?"

"Because Shivaay is right, you need to decide which college you want to go to."

"Hmmm okay." Gauri replies making a face.

As they finished the soup, the servant brings the main course. he serves Shakti, Shivaay and Omkara.

"Your food is coming, Madam." He tells Gauri.

Gauri nods in reply confused.

Another servant brings Gauri's food and starts serving her.

"It's the same dish, right?" Shakti asks confused seeing that Gauri's food was the same as theirs.

"Those have peanut oil, sir."

"So?" Shivaay asks confused.

"Madam is allergic to peanuts."

"You are?" Shakti asks her.

"Yes." Gauri nods.

"How did you know?" Shivaay asks shocked.

"I told him." Omkara informs.

"And you didn't tell us?" Shivaay asks him angrily.

"I forgot." Gauri replies with a chuckle. "I actually didn't think of telling them also. Good thing you remembered, Om."

"But you remembered." Shivaay points at Omkara. "Why didn't you tell us?"

Realizing that he should have told them as it was a matter of Gauri's health, Omkara says, "I should have told you. I'm sorry. I apologize."

"What is there to say sorry for?" Gauri asks frowning.

"Because it concerns your health. You are always careless about it."

"Because I know you would make sure there are no peanuts." Gauri argues.

"I am going to be away for months. So, they have to know." Omkara tells her.

"I told you I'll be fine." Gauri tells him stubbornly.

Omkara sighs hearing the stubbornness in her voice. "Okay."

********

At night, Omkara was removing the bunny slippers from Gauri's foot when he hears someone enter the room, curiously he turns back to look as he dropped the slippers to the floor and sees Shivaay.

"Didn't sleep?" Omkara asks him as he adjusted the blanket on Gauri.

Shivaay walks in and looks at a sleeping Gauri, "You know, she is too dependent on you... that you are dominating her life."

Omkara thoughtfully looks at Gauri.

"You are all over her life." Shivaay accuses him.

Omkara thoughtfully looks at Shivaay.

"You have made her so depended on you that, she will have difficulty functioning without you. wasn't that your intention?"

"No." Omkara replies. "that is not my intention. That never was. I just want to give her a safe and secure life with no worries."

"What kind of life would it be without any worries?" Shivaay asks him.

Having no answer, Omkara looks away.

"Dad is furious." Shivaay tells him helplessly.

Omkara doesn't say anything to that.

"He is furious that you are brainwashing and manipulating her." Shivaay tells him.

"I am not. Ever since I met her, I've only tried to take care of her." Omkara answers.

Shivaay shakes his head. "Dad has decided to get Gauri married."

"What?" Omkara turns to him furiously.

"His friend's son. They are coming to see Gauri tomorrow."

"Has he lost it?" Omkara asks him furiously. "Did he forget that Gauri and I am getting married."

"You are not." Shivaay says shaking his head. "Gauri deserves the best and you are not it."

"I might not be, but Gauri and I belong together." Omkara tells him then he asks in exasperation. "What makes you think that Gauri would marry someone else?"

"I know it is too soon. too too soon. but Dad isn't listening to me. he just wants to save her from you." Shivaay tells him.

"Maybe I should be saving her from you both." Omkara says angrily.

"We are her family." Shivaay furiously whispers to him.

"Great family!" Omkara scoffs. "After 20 years she has come home and it isn't even 20 days and you are planning on marrying her off and sending her away."

Shivaay looks away in guilt. "If it wasn't for you, we wouldn't have to do this."

"So, you are also a part of it." Omkara accuses him.
"Dad is adamant. And Omkara, it is no secret that I want you far away from my sister." Shivaay tells him.

"And you think Gauri is going to agree for the wedding the moment she sees this guy?"

Shivaay looks away.

"You are not even confident about it." Omkara says seeing his expression.

"Dad is hopeful." Shivaay shrugs.

"Let me make it very clear to you, Shivaay." Omkara says moving towards him. "Yours and your father's relation to Gauri, is hanging by a thread. One wrong move and it is going to snap. And you are making the worst move that you can possibly make now."

"You think I don't know that?" Shivaay asks him furiously.

"Then why are you doing this?" Omkara asks in exasperation.

"Because my father is being stubborn. He is not listening to reasons."

"Shivaay, if Gauri finds out what you are planning, then I will not be able to help you." Omkara tells him in finality.

"Dad won't tell her it is a marriage proposal. He is hoping Gauri would meet this guy and they become friends and eventually decide to get married." Shivaay explains.

Omkara looks at Shivaay in utter shock. "You say you want me out of your sister's life and now you are telling me your master plan. Why?"

Shivaay hesitantly looks at Omkara.

Realizing, Omkara says in shock, "You are worried. you are scared if somehow Gauri find out what is happening tomorrow then you are scared of her reaction. And you want my help if such a thing occurs."

Shivaay looks at Omkara silently admitting.

"You know, you are not making any sense. You don't trust me. you want me out of your sister's life. but still you believe that I would help you."

"You are obsessed with her. but it is the truth that you care for her and want the best for her. and I know, you desperately want her to stay here. So, you would do everything in your power to ensure that." Shivaay answers.

"Oh so you are making sure that I am well prepared to handle such a situation." Omkara mocks him.

"Yes."

"I'll promise you that I'll not tell Gauri this but regarding helping the situation, I can't promise you that, because if Gauri feels even in the slightest that I am being treated wrong, she will stand her ground and fight till she achieves whatever she sets out to." Omkara tells him.

Shivaay sighs helplessly hearing that.

"Let this guy come. let Gauri meet him." Omkara says in a challenging tone. "Not for anything else, but for your father to realize without a doubt that forget marrying someone else, Gauri will not even look at another guy."

*****

The next day, Shakti's friend came with his family. After introducing Gauri to them. Shakti asks Gauri to talk to them while he walked towards Omkara.

"This is just family. Please excuse us." Shakti tells Omkara secretly.

Omkara looks at Shakti then looking at Shivaay, he informs him in a mocking tone, "Shivaay, if you need me, I'll be in the room."

Shivaay nods.

"Where are you going?" Gauri asks curiously seeing him walking out.

"To room." Omkara tells her.

"For what?"

"You guys talk."

"Why are you going?"

Omkara looks at her and not wanting to lie, he just shrugs.

"Let him go, Gauri." Shakti tells her.

"Okay, I'll also come." Gauri says shrugging.

"You've guests, Gauri." Omkara reminds her in a whisper.

"They are here to meet you, Gauri." Shakti tells her.

Gauri with a frown gives in.

"Actually, who is he, Shakti?" his friend asks him curiously.

"Omkara." Shakti says in a dismissing tone.

Omkara was about to leave when the next question was asked. "Is he your relative?"

"Erm... he is Gauri's friend." Shivaay quickly says.

"Ah okay." he says with a smile.

Omkara again tries to leave when he hears, Gauri correcting Shivaay. "Actually, Om and I'll be getting married soon."

"Fiancé?" his friend asks in shock.

Sighing, Omkara turns around to face the drama to unfold. Shivaay closes his eyes realizing phail gaya raita.

"Yes." Gauri replies smiling.

"What?" his friend asks as he stood up.

"I'll explain everything later." Shakti quickly says as he walked to him.

"Explain what?" Gauri asks confused.

"Wait a minute, I thought this was a marriage proposal." The friend's son says as he stood up confused.

"Marriage proposal?" Gauri asks confused then turning to Shivaay, she asks him, "Bhaiyya, you are getting married? Why didn't you tell me?" then turning to the guy, she asks, "Your sister didn't come?"

"What?"

"Gauri..." Omkara gently calls her.

"Yeah?" Gauri turns to him.

"Stop asking questions." Omkara tells her softly.

"But why?" Gauri asks frowning at him.

"Please?" Omkara requests her.

Gauri nods and walks to him. "Is everything alright?" Gauri asks him in a whisper.

"Will explain later." Omkara promises.

"Okay." Gauri gives in then she takes his hand stands by his side as she curiously watched the drama.

"Will you explain what is happening here, Shakti?" his friend furiously asks him seeing Gauri holding Omkara's hand like that.

"Why is he screaming at Papa, Om?" Gauri asks him with a frown. "I don't like it."

"He will handle it, Gauri." Omkara tells her.

"What is happening here?" Gauri asks confused.

"What is happening is, your father asked to bring my family here to see you." his friend informs her.

"Please, I told you I'll explain everything." Shakti pleads him.

"Yes, Papa told me that you are his close friend and wanted to meet me as I am coming here for the first time." Gauri replies.

"Not for that. for marriage with my son."

"Marriage to your son?" Gauri turns to Shivaay curiously and asks him, "Bhaiyya, you are gay?"

"What?" Shivaay asks shocked out of his wits forgetting everything else.

"It is so cool here." Gauri says amazed. "You know, back home, there was this boy and when the panchayat found out he is gay, they decided to stone him to death, but he escaped. Here, it is so nice, nobody has problem with you and he being gay."

"What the hell is she talking about?" Shakti's friend asks furiously.

Omkara furiously steps in front of Gauri and tells him, "Don't raise your voice."

"Then what is she saying? Did you all call us here to insult us?"

"She didn't call anyone. So, you better ask the one who called you." Omkara tells him.

"Om, I am confused." Gauri tells him. "He doesn't know they are gay?"

"Gauri, they are not gay." Omkara tells her in exasperation then confused he clarifies, "at least, I don't think so."

"Then what marriage are they talking about?" Gauri asks feeling lost. Then she gasps in shock and turns to her father, "Papa, you are getting married again?"

Omkara closes his eyes fed up. "Gauri, I told you I'll explain everything! SHUT. UP!"

"Explain, then!" Gauri tells him glaring at him.

"Later!"

"Why not now?"

"Go inside, Gauri." Shakti tells her.

"Why?" Gauri asks him frowning at him.

"Just go."

"Why?" Gauri asks him again.

"Omkara..." Shivaay calls him.

Omkara looks at him and Shivaay gestures him to take Gauri inside.

"Let's go inside, Gauri." Omkara tells her.

Gauri looks at him with a frown.

"I'll explain everything. Come."

Gauri nods and starts to follow him.

"If all this was decided then what was the need to call us here so urgently?"

"What is the problem, uncle?" Gauri asks confused out of her wits. "Why are you here?"

"To talk about your marriage with my son!" he tells her angrily.

"But didn't Papa tell you that I am marrying Om?" Gauri asks him confused.

"He called us here!"

Gauri turns to her father and asks him frowning, "You called them here?"

"Yes." Shakti replies.

"You know I am marrying Om then why did you call them here?"

"Because he doesn't deserve you. you deserve the best."

"My Om is the best." Gauri furiously tells him.

"No, Gauri. He is not."

"AND WHO ARE YOU TO DECIDE THAT?" Gauri furiously asks him.

"How many times do I have to tell you not to raise your voice at your elders?" Omkara asks her furiously.

"You will not say a word, Om." Gauri warns him. then turning to Shakti she asks him furiously, "With whose permission you called them here?"

"I am your father." Shakti reminds her.

"Father?" Gauri scoffs. "You?"

"Don't disrespect your father, Gauri." Omkara scolds her.

"I told you to shut up!" Gauri reminds him.

"There are guests here. Don't create a scene in front of them." Omkara sternly tells her.

Gauri turns to the guests and orders them, "Leave."

"GAURI!" Omkara furiously shouts.

"How dare you, Gauri?" Shakti asks furiously as he walked towards her. "How dare you insult our guests like that?"

Omkara furiously steps between Shakti and Gauri. "To scold her and to set her straight, I am here. You don't have to bother." Omkara tells him.

"I am her father!" Shakti furiously reminds him.

"A man who hasn't loved and taken care of his daughter for 20 years, has no right to scold her also." Omkara tells him.

"Just stop." Shivaay tells tired. Then turning to the guests, he says politely, "Uncle, I am very sorry for what happened. I'll come to your home and explain everything. I am very sorry."

They remained silent as the guests left. Once they left, Shivaay turns furiously to his father. "I told you this was going to happen. I told you, not to push Gauri, and you..."

"You knew, bhaiyya?" Gauri asks in disbelief.

Shivaay stops as he looked at Gauri, and seeing the look on her face, he nods his head guiltily.

"How could you, bhaiyya? How could you let this happen? Don't you know that Om is everything to me?"

"He was helpless, Gauri." Omkara tells her. "He tried his best."

"How do you know?" Gauri asks him as she looked at him.

"Shivaay told me."

"You knew?" Gauri asks in a shocked whisper.

"Yes." Omkara replies.

"And you hid it from me and let it happen?" Gauri asks as she looked at him, hurt and in disbelief.

"Yes."

"Why?" Gauri asks her eyes filling up.

"I wanted them to realize that you would never marry anyone else." Omkara tells her then he adds, "And I wanted them to choose me for you."

"Why do you care whether they choose you or not?" Gauri asks him with furious tears.

"Because they are your family, Gauri." Omkara gently tells her.

"You are my family, Omkara Singh Oberoi." Gauri furiously tells him as she poked his chest. "Not them. not anyone else. Only you."

"I know, but they are still your family."

Gauri shakes her head in negative and she declares, "I am done."

"Gauri, now, please don't..."

"I am!" Gauri tells him in finality. Then turning to look at her father and brother, she tells them. "We are leaving."

"Gauri... please don't go." Shivaay quickly tells her.

"If you can't respect Om then you can't be my family."

"Gauri, we are your family." Shakti tells her earnestly.

"Family stands together and you tried to come between Om and me. you can't be my family." Gauri tells him.

"Gauri, just give them a chance." Omkara tells her.

"If you want then you can stay with bhaiyya and Papa as one big family, I'll not stay here." Gauri tells him in finality.

Then she turns around and walks off.

*******

Omkara walks into Gauri's bedroom and finds it empty.

"Gauri?" Omkara calls out confused.

"What are you doing here?" Gauri asks him as she comes out of the dressing room. "Go pack your bags."

"Gauri, we are not leaving." Omkara tells her.

"Gauri..." Shivaay calls her as he walked in.

Omkara turns back and sees Shivaay and Shakti walking in.

"We are leaving." Gauri tells them in finality.

"Gauri, listen to me." Omkara walks to her and holds her hand to stop her.

"You listen to me. we are leaving." Gauri tells him.

"Please, Gauri... stay here." Omkara requests her.

"I know you are worried about me when you go for your training. Put me in a hostel. I'll be fine."

"No, Gauri..." Omkara shakes his head.

"Then I'll stay in Bareilly. if you don't want me to stay alone then I'll stay with Richa or Anika Didi. I don't want to stay here." Gauri tells him.

"I want you to stay here." Omkara tells her.

"I will not stay here."

"I told Shivaay that if this happens then I will try to sort it out." Omkara tells her.

"Did you promise him?" Gauri asks him back.

Omkara thoughtfully looks down.

"Om?"

"I told him." Omkara replies.

"You didn't promise." Gauri deduces. "Then we are leaving."

"I told him I would try."

"You tried. Now, we are leaving."

"Mama would have wanted this."

"Mama also wanted to see us married." Gauri reminds him.

"We are getting married, Gauri. no one can stop that. but stay here for now."

"No."

"For me. please?" Omkara requests her.

Gauri helplessly looks at him then she turns to look at Shivaay and Shakti.

"On one condition." Gauri tells Omkara.

"What is it?" Omkara asks her.

"We will get married today."

"What?" Omkara asks her shocked.

"No, Gauri." Shakti tells her sternly.

"Dad, will you keep quiet? She is threatening to leave." Shivaay tells him in exasperation.

"If we get married today then we will stay here otherwise we are leaving."

"What is the need for that, Gauri?" Omkara asks her.

"We will not stay anywhere you are not respected."

"It doesn't matter, Gauri."

"It matters to me." Gauri tells him stubbornly. "If you have to be my husband for them to accept you and treat you with respect then we will get married."

"This is not right, Gauri." Omkara tells her shaking his head. "Why the urgency?"

"I don't trust them."

"Gauri, they are not going to forcefully marry you to someone you don't want to."

"Mama told us not to delay the wedding." Gauri reminds him.

"Yes, I remember that. after I come back from training we will..."

Gauri cuts him off. "Okay. go pack your bags then."

Omkara sighs giving up. "Fine."

Gauri grins happily. then turning to Shakti and Shivaay, she asks them, "Are you coming for our wedding?"

*******

Hearing someone at the door, Omkara turns curiously and finds Shivaay at the door.

"Now, don't tell me, I didn't warn you." Omkara tells him.

"Did you know this would happen?" Shivaay asks him.

Omkara shrugs. "I thought she would give in for me."

"Hmmm. Sign this." Shivaay says as he extended a bunch of papers.

Omkara curiously takes it and look. "Prenup?"

"The moment Gauri says she doesn't want to be with you, I am going to get you away from her." Shivaay vows.

"I can't believe that you still keep the hope that you can separate Gauri and me." Omkara says shaking his head.

"Some distance from you might clear her vision."

Omkara shrugs. "So, does that mean you are coming for the wedding?"

Shivaay curtly nods.

"And your father?"

"Yes, but don't think it means we have accepted this."

Omkara chuckles, "Why do I care what your reasons are? Gauri has her family with her for the wedding, that is all that matters. Mama also would have wanted it."

Shivaay irately looks at him, then asks, "Read it. Or can you read? Do you want me to get someone to read for you?"

"Why you don't know to read?" Omkara asks him back.

"I have better things to do than stand here and read for you."

"Like stand here and talk to me? Omkara asks him with a smirk. Then disinterestedly he flips the pages. His eyes scanning randomly.

"That's interesting." Omkara says. "Custody of any or all children?"

"What is interesting?"

"I am not good enough but you would still want to keep my children." Omkara says with a shrug as he signed it.

"They are Gauri's children too." Shivaay points out. Then seeing Omkara signing them without a thought he asks, "Don't you want your lawyer to go through them before you sign?"

"Since, Gauri and I am never getting a divorce, this is just a worthless piece of paper." Omkara tells him handing Shivaay the paper. "Frame it and keep! Because there isn't anything else you can do with it."

*******

"I can't believe that we are married." Omkara says in astonishment that night.

"Why?" Gauri asks as she happily smiled at him wrapping her hands around his shoulder.

"Everything happened so quickly." Omkara says still amazed as he wrapped his hand around her waist and pulled her close.

"Quickly? Didn't you know that one day we would be getting married?" Gauri asks him.

Omkara chuckles hearing that. "I did but..." Omkara says then he shrugs as he smiled at her happily.

Gauri smiles at him happily.

Omkara lovingly kisses her forehead. Blushing happily, Gauri moves closer to him, rubbing her body against his. Feeling that, Omkara hugs her tighter and leaning down, he takes her lips in his.

*******

Omkara wakes up and turns to look at Gauri and sees her in deep sleep. unable to control himself, he moves towards her and gently starts kissing her neck.

"How did you behave all these years?" Gauri asks him as she wrapped her hands around him, pulling him close.

"Just like how you had behaved." Omkara cheekily replies as he looked at her.

"I've no idea, how I did it." Gauri tells him chuckling as she leaned up took his lips in her.

Omkara hungrily starts kissing her as his hands started exploring her naked body.

*******

He had noticed that both Shivaay and Shakti were devastated with their wedding, but everyone knew that they were helpless and they had no way of stopping their marriage. Omkara didn't let their unhappiness bother him because in a way he could understand their distrust of him. just like how he had his apprehensions regarding them, he knew even they had the same regarding him. and he hoped, just like how he had realized and understood that they did genuinely care for Gauri and wanted the best for her, they would also understand that even that is what he wanted for Gauri.

Omkara turns to look at Gauri, and couldn't help smile. Marriage brought a special glow in her, and she hasn't stopped smiling since their wedding. Even though she hasn't forgiven her father and brother for what they did, she was too happy to be angry with them.

Seeing her looking at him, he smiles at her.

What? She gestures with her head.

Omkara smiles and shakes his head. Gauri smiles at him happily. Omkara leans towards her and takes her lips in his. She kisses him back. Soon, they were hungrily kissing and realizing that they both wanted more, they chuckle against each other's lips.

"Let's go to the room." Omkara tells her as he nibbled on her lips.

Laughing happily, Gauri stands up and pulls him by his hand.

*******

Omkara opens the courier and finds Gauri's certificates and records from previous college.

"Your certificates are here." Omkara informs Gauri. "You can submit them tomorrow."

Gauri nods. She had decided on a college and her admission was also confirmed.

"Are you nervous?" Gauri asks him.

"About your college?" Omkara asks her confused.

"No! tomorrow is 15th."

"Ah... a little." Omkara admits.

"Why?" Gauri asks with a smile.

Omkara shrugs. "are you nervous?" Omkara asks her.

"No. I'm confident."

Omkara chuckles hearing that.

*******

Early morning, Gauri excitedly runs down the stairs.

"Bhaiyya, I want the newspaper." Gauri calls out to him seeing Shivaay who had come back after his jog, about to take the newspaper.

"You are early today." Shivaay says surprised.

"Om's result should be coming today." Gauri tells him excitedly as she took the newspaper.

"What results? And where is he?" Shivaay asks her.

"Exam results. He is checking online, the site is slow." Gauri tells him as she checked, her heart beating fast in excitement. Then squealing happily, she starts jumping. "OM! OM!"

"He passed?" Shivaay asks unable to hide his smile seeing Gauri so happy.

"He got second rank! See, his photo is also there. OM!" Gauri screams excitedly as she handed him the paper.

"Gauri!" Omkara comes running down the stairs excitedly, "I got 2nd rank!" Omkara informs her.

"I know!" Gauri says excitedly as she ran to him and jumped on him, hugging him.

Shivaay shakes his head seeing them jumping around and laughing happily, he looks at the newspaper and stops in shock, "Civil Service Exam?"

"Yeah, Om is going to be an IPS officer." Gauri informs him smiling happily.

"When you said training, you meant IPS training?" Shivaay asks shocked.

"Yeah." Omkara nods still smiling happily.

"Wow..." Shivaay says impressed. "Congratulations."

"Thank you." Omkara replies with a smile.

"What is happening?" Shakti asks curiously as he walked in hearing all the ruckus.

"Om got second rank." Gauri informs him.

"For what?" Shakti asks confused.

"Civil Service." Shivaay informs him. "He is going to be an IPS officer."

"Oh." Shakti nods. "So you did have plans of earning a living."

Omkara frowns hearing that. "Yes, I never had any intentions of living off you."

Shakti scoffs, "What is the pay like? It doesn't pay all that much, right? I'm sure we give in charity more than that."

"He might not earn that much but he can put you in jail." Gauri tells him glaring at him.

"Really?" Omkara asks her exasperated.

"If he misbehaves." Gauri clarifies "and he is."

Omkara shakes his head.

"Anyway, I am very proud of you." Gauri tells him as she hugged him tight.

Omkara smiles and hugs her.

*******

Very soon, it was time for Omkara to leave for training.

"Stop pestering me, I'll be fine." Gauri tells him agitatedly as she helped Omkara pack his bags.

"Time will fly and I'll come back soon." Omkara tells her as he cupped her face.

"I know. You take care of yourself. I'll be fine." Gauri tells him.

Omkara hugs her and Gauri snuggles into his arms.

"Don't fight with your father and Shivaay, okay?"

"Hmmm."

"If anything, tell Shivaay, okay?"

"How many times will you tell me all this?" Gauri asks him. "I will be fine. You go, otherwise you'll miss your train."

*******

"Take care of her, okay?" Omkara requests Shivaay.

"She is my sister." Shivaay reminds him.

"And she is my wife too." Omkara reminds him. "Take care of my wife. I am trusting you with my wife."

Shivaay nods.

"Thanks." Omkara says as he kept his hand on Shivaay's shoulder. Then he walks to Gauri and hugs her.

"Take care."

"I'll be fine." Gauri tells him. "You take care."

Omkara nods and kisses on top of her head. Gauri kisses his chest as she hugged him tight.

With heavy heart, Omkara leaves. The moment he left, Gauri turns around and runs to her room.

Reaching her room, she falls on the bed and bursts out crying.

"Gauri?" Shivaay calls her as he followed her to her room.

Gauri ignores him and cries her heart out.

Seeing her cry like that, it broke Shivaay's heart. he sits next to her, gently runs his hand over her head.

"Omkara tried talking to you about this, why didn't you talk to him?" Shivaay asks her gently. "If you were going to be this upset then you should have talked to him."

Gauri turns to look at Shivaay and tells him sadly, "I was scared."

"Scared of what?" Shivaay asks her confused as he lovingly wiped her tears.

"That I would ask him not to go." Gauri tells him sadly. "This is his dream, he worked so hard for it."

"But you should have still talked."

"He was supposed to write his exams few years back but once there was this drought and things were difficult, so he decided to not write his exams that year so he could take care of everything there. he lost two years like that. before that it was because I had my board exams and he had been busy helping me prepare my exams. Like that, he lost a year. Now, I don't want him to lose another year because of me."

Shivaay sighs as he wiped her tears.

"If I tell him not to go then he wouldn't go. I was scared that if I accidently tell him not to go, then he wouldn't go."

Shivaay nods. "It's just a couple of months, he will come back soon."

"I've never stayed without him. even he has never stayed without me."

"I know." Shivaay nods understanding. Just then his phone starts ringing. He was about to cut it when he notices it was Omkara. "It's Omkara."

"Don't tell him I am crying." Gauri tells him as she quickly sat up then thinking for a few seconds, she tells him, "Tell him I am watching TV."

"Okay." Shivaay nods and answers the call. "Hello?"

"Is she okay?" Omkara asks him.

"Yeah, she is fine." Shivaay replies.

"Shivaay?" Omkara calls his name suspiciously.

"She is watching TV."

Omkara sighs and asks softly. "She is with you, isn't it?"

"Yes."

"Should I come back? Is she crying that bad?" Omkara asks him worriedly.

Shivaay looks at Gauri and sees her worriedly looking at him. sighing, he tells Omkara, "Go, Omkara. I'll take care of your wife."

Omkara was silent for a few seconds then he says softly, "Thank you. she is all I have."

"I know. I'll take care of her." Shivaay promises.

*******

At night, Shivaay had decided to check on Gauri as she had skipped her dinner. He walks in and sees her sleeping on the bed hugging the photo frame. He gently takes it from her and looks at it. It was her favorite photo, looking at all the people on the photo, he felt his heart break realizing all the people that were close to her heart were away from her and she might be feeling truly alone. Shivaay sadly, caresses her hair. He keeps the photo on the bedside table, then he adjusts her blanket.

He starts to leave then remembering that she never removed her slippers, he walks to the foot of the bed and gently lifts up the blanket and stops seeing her barefoot.

"Om?" Gauri sits up.

"It's me, Gauri." Shivaay tells her.

"Oh." Gauri disappointedly says. "What were you doing?" Gauri asks curiously.

"I was going to remove your slippers. But you had removed it." Shivaay tells her.

"Haan." Gauri nods as she looked down sadly, "Om is not here, so I removed them before I laid down."

Shivaay nods and then not knowing what to say, he simply says "Good night, Gauri."

"Good night, bhaiyya."

*******

Gauri was depressed for the next few days, and Shivaay and Shakti had tried their best to cheer her up. The only time she was truly happy was whenever Omkara called her.

"Let's go out for a walk." Shivaay tells Gauri seeing her sitting lost.

Gauri disinterestedly looks at him.

"Come on." Shivaay tells her as he pulled her up.

Without much excitement and interest, Gauri follows him.

They walked around the garden, as Shivaay tried talking to her.

"Are you excited about college?" Shivaay asks her.

"Hmmm." Gauri shrugs.

"It will be a good change. You can make new friends; you will meet new people." Shivaay tells him.

"Yes." Gauri nods.

"How is Omkara doing?"

"Good."

"He is settled there?"

Gauri nods.

Shivaay sighs with her monosyllable answers. Wondering what to do, his eyes fall on the mango tree.

"Let's have mangoes." Shivaay excitedly tells her.

"It is not season." Gauri tells him.

"We'll have it like that day."

"Oh..."

"Come on, Gauri." Shivaay cutely pleads to her.

Seeing that Gauri smiles at him lovingly. "Okay."

"Okay." Shivaay smiles happily seeing that. "Get the mangoes."

Gauri turns to go to the tree and stops as she looked up. "It's tall."

"But you climbed it before." Shivaay reminds her confused.

"That time Om was here."

"So?" Shivaay asks confused.

"He would have made sure I wouldn't fall." Gauri tells him a little worried and a little sadly.

"Oh." Shivaay bites his lips thoughtfully.

Then he sees her looking thoughtfully at the tree.

"What are you looking?" Shivaay asks curiously.

"Looking which all branches are safe."

Shivaay nods understanding. "If Omkara was here you wouldn't have to worry about all that. he would have thought about all that."

Gauri nods as she walked to the tree and then started climbing.

Shivaay watches Gauri climb the tree. She wasn't fast or in a hurry like the last time. she was taking her time and cautiously climbing. Watching that, he realized that half the confidence, carefree attitude Gauri had was because of Omkara's presence in her life. Shivaay wasn't sure whether he should be sad or happy about it.

Sad that Gauri was so depended on Omkara that she was actually so feeling lost and clueless without him, or be happy that Gauri had someone in her life who was there to take care every single thing for her that she could live her life without a care in the world.

********

Soon Gauri's college started and she started getting adjusted to the new life and new routine. Slowly she was becoming used to this distance from Omkara though every chance they got they called and spoke to each other.

One day, Shivaay was working when he gets a call from Omkara.

"Hello?" Shivaay answers the call.

"Hello Shivaay..."

"Yeah?"

"How are you?"

"Good... how is your training going?" Shivaay also asks politely.

"Going good... How is Gauri doing?" Omkara asks him.

"Fine... why?" Shivaay asks confused.

"No, just asked." Omkara replies realizing there was no need for any pleasantries. "I called to ask you for a favor."

"Favor? What favor?" Shivaay asks frowning.

"You know, Mama has land that she uses for farming and leases it out to other farmers."

"Hmmm."

"It's time to check the accounts and usually, Mama and I do, and everything happened so fast, that I couldn't explain it all to Gauri... and I had trained someone to take over and handle all the accounts but Mama's accident... he was with her and he is still recuperating... so I asked my friend to do it for me."

"Okay." Shivaay says confused, not really understanding.

"Even she doesn't have much experience with it but her father, Dayal Kaka he is one of the farmer who is leasing the land, so she understands what is it all, but doesn't have much experience with the accounting... still she is helping out, she would be coming to sit with Gauri regarding all the..."

"Wait a minute..." Shivaay says with a frown, "Isn't she the one you were talking to on the phone? That day Gauri was talking about."

"Yes."

"Hmmm."

"So, when she comes it would be very helpful if you could sit with them and make sure everything is proper."

"I don't have time for all this. I'll have one of my accountants handle it." Shivaay says in a dismissing tone.

"Oh." Omkara thoughtfully says. "Okay, just make sure it is someone good, because Mama worked really hard for all this."

"Fine, I'll handle it." Shivaay gives in.

"Thanks. She will be reaching tomorrow."

"It's a Saturday and I don't work on weekends."

"She just got a job as a school teacher, so she can't take much off and she is already taking a day off to come. tomorrow is the only day she can come."

"Okay, fine."

"And Shivaay..." Omkara hesitates.

"What?"

"Anika is doing this as a favor so please don't sit on her head."

"If your friend does her job why should I..." Shivaay starts and stops realizing what he was going to say irately. "I don't sit on people's head."

Omkara chuckles, "Okay."

********

Shivaay was furiously sitting around as he waited for the infamous Anika to reach as he kept checking the watch.

"Sir, Ms. Anika is here." Khanna informs as he walked in with a beautiful girl clad in salwar.

For a few seconds, Shivaay was dumbstruck by the beautiful girl that he just stared without saying anything.

"And you must be Shivaay, right?" Anika asks him.

And that broke Shivaay out of his stupor. "You are late."

"Yeah, actually..." Anika starts and he cuts her off.

"If you can't behave in a responsible manner then you shouldn't take responsibility. You wasted my whole morning."

"I can only take responsibility of things that are in my power. Unfortunately, Indian Railway isn't in my power. My train was late." Anika tells him as she glared at him.

"You should have considered all eventualities and acted accordingly." Shivaay scolds her.

"And how exactly am I supposed to do that?"

"Reached a day earlier." Shivaay shrugs.

"And waited doing nothing to meet you the next day?" Anika asks shocked. "Are all the people that you meet that jobless, Shivaay?"

Shivaay had no answer to that, so instead he latches on to something petty. "Sir! Shivaay Sir." Shivaay points out to her.

"Did you teach me in school or college that I will call you Sir?" Anika asks incredulously.

"You work for me."

"I don't. I owe Pinky Kaki and Omkara, so I am returning that favor. Otherwise, I don't have time to do all this, especially making this trip."

Shivaay scowls at her, he didn't like her attitude. No wonder Gauri hates her.

"Now, can we start? I've a train to catch in the evening. Gauri isn't here? Om said I was supposed to do it with her too." Anika asks.

"Khanna." Shivaay gestures to him.

Khanna who had been happily watching the exchange between them, nods and quickly goes to call Gauri.

Anika opens her bag and starts to take the account books.

"What are you doing?" Shivaay asks her frowning.

"Taking the account books."

"Not here, come to my study."

"And where is your study?" Anika mockingly asks him.

"Follow me." Shivaay orders her and walks off.

Shivaay sits on his chair and starts to say, "Take a sea..." and stops seeing Anika had already sat down.

"Are people from your place all so arrogant, manner less and over confident?" Shivaay asks her.

"You have met your sister, you should be knowing."

Shivaay furiously glares at her. "How dar..."

"ANIKA DIDI!" Gauri excitedly calls her as she ran in.

"GAURI!" Anika turns around excitedly as she stood up.

"I missed you so much." Gauri says as she hugged her tight.

"Awww even we all miss you." Anika tells her as she hugged her.

Shivaay's eye pop out seeing, Gauri being all loving towards the girl that she hated. Or did he misunderstand and this is not her?

"How is Sahil? How is Richa? How is Dayal Kaka?" Gauri asks her excitedly.

"They all are fine." Anika tells her laughing.

"I miss you all." Gauri tells her sadly.

"Isn't she Omkara's friend?" Shivaay asks confused.

"Yes." Gauri replies as she scowled at Anika.

Anika rolls her eyes seeing that. "Chudail!" Anika mutters.

"You chudail!" Gauri replies.

Shivaay had no idea what he was supposed to do or say.

Seeing Shivaay gaping, Anika gets back to business.

"Let's start. I've evening train."

"Don't go back today." Gauri tells her sadly pouting. "I am seeing you after such a long time."

"I've school on Monday." Anika tells her regretfully.

Gauri sighs sadly.

*******

Shivaay was actually impressed with what Anika had done. Even though it didn't have the clarity and preciseness that normally had in an accounts book, there was no mismanagements of funds. For an inexperienced person, Anika had done an amazing job.

"Who is this Dandi? Why is there payments made to him?" Shivaay asks frowning.

"Om had appointed Dandi as the manager." Gauri explains. "He still hasn't recovered but we are giving him his salary, and also his hospital expenses. He was driving the car when Mama..."

"He was the driver?" Shivaay asks furiously as he sat up.

"Yes."

"He killed Mom and we are still paying him?" he asks her furiously.

"It wasn't his fault, bhaiyya." Gauri quickly tells him.

"Mom is dead because of him."

"No, bhaiyya." Gauri tells him. "The truck lost control and ran through the red light. It wasn't his fault."

"It was an accident, Shivaay." Anika gently tells him.

Shivaay looks away as he tried to calm himself. His heart reasoning that if it was Dandi's fault then Omkara wouldn't have taken care of Dandi even after the accident. Then he stops in shock, wondering when had he come to trust Omkara so much?

*********

Shivaay keeps his hand on his head tiredly as he watched Gauri and Anika argue over the layout of the land and which was leased by whom.

"No, Gauri. you guys are farming on that land. This portion is leased to Chander Kaka."

"No, Anika Didi, I've gone with Om when he went for the harvest, this is not ours. And this portion is Chander Kaka's"

"Oh my God, no, Gauri. that portion is leased by Kalyani Kaki and her sons."

Shivaay looks at the paper that had a big rectangles and small rectangles drawn and scratches and shadings as Anika and Gauri argued and drew and shaded the portion they thought belonged to someone.

"Enough, stop it!" Shivaay says. "You two incompetent imbeciles."

Anika gasps in outrage.

"Stop it! Just stop it!"

"Yeah, it doesn't matter how the layout is." Gauri says nodding.

"It matters." Shivaay tells her.

"Oh." Gauri worriedly looks at Anika.

"Om didn't tell me you would want to know the layout and which portion is used by whom. If he had, I would have double checked, marked it out and brought it with me." Anika tells him.

"Om knows Bhaiyya." Gauri tells him.

"He told me to handle this and I need to know every precise detail." Shivaay tells her.

Anika and Gauri look at each other confused and lost.

"We are done here." Shivaay says.

"Okay, then." Anika replies as she started packing up. "Gauri, can you book me that... Omkara said something... about taxi..."

"Uber?" Gauri asks her.

"Yes." Anika says smiling.

"You are leaving now itself?" Gauri asks her.

"In an hour is my train, I don't want to be late."

"It's okay." Shivaay says in a dismissing tone. "You can stay here tonight."

"What? Why? I've class on Monday."

"You can come with me."

"What do you mean?" Anika asks scandalized.

Shivaay gives her an exasperated look. "I'm going to Bareilly tomorrow; you can come with me."

"Why are you going?" Gauri asks confused.

"To figure out the layout and I need to meet each and every tenant and farmer who are leasing our land." Shivaay tells her.

"Even I am coming, I want to meet everyone." Gauri says excitedly.

"Okay." Shivaay smiles seeing her excitement.

"Okay, I'll meet you there then." Anika says.

"Anika... if I am not mistaken, you'll reach only day after early morning, right?" Shivaay asks her in a mocking tone.

"Yes."

"I'll reach there tomorrow."

"Oh..." Anika thoughtfully looks at him. "I can't travel in car for that long. I'll throw up. You come next weekend then."

"I am coming tomorrow."

"Fine then. Ask Om to arrange someone to help you out there."

"I am not driving there. I am flying." Shivaay clarifies to her exasperated.

"Oh." Anika looks at him thoughtful then informs him. "But the airport is very far from our place."

"I'm not taking a plane." Shivaay tells her in a mocking tone.

"Then?" Anika looks at him confused and asks in shock. "Helicopter?"

"Chopper!" Shivaay arrogantly corrects her.

"Isn't it the same?" Anika asks him.

"Just call it Chopper."

"Why?"

"Because I said so." Shivaay tells her.

"Why should I do what you say? I'll call it whatever I want. I will call it udti jawani if I want!"

Shivaay furiously looks at her and declares. "You are fired."

"I don't work for you!"

Shivaay looks at her in shock for a second then he says recovering, "Still you are fired!"

"Oh my God!" Anika says in astonishment. "You are really Gauri's brother."

Remembering Gauri, Shivaay turns to look at his sister and sees her gaping at them both.

"So, this is how it is to be with Om and me in one room?" Gauri asks shocked.

**********

"They were fighting like cats and dogs, Om!" Gauri tells him still in shock. "We are so better than them."

Omkara chuckles hearing that.

"I doubt it!" Anika mutters.

"You don't talk when I am talking to my Om." Gauri tells her frowning.

"Chudail!" Anika calls her as she looked away.

"Dayan!" Gauri calls her.

"Gauri!" Omkara sternly says her name. "How many times?"

"Didn't you hear her call me Chudail?" Gauri asks him furiously.

"I don't care!"

"Of course, it will hurt you only when I call the Dayan a Dayan!"

"That is not what I meant and you know it!" Omkara angrily tells her.

"I know everything!"

"Gauri, I don't care what she does, I only care what you do." Omkara tells her.

"Yeah right, then only you can scold me!"

"Since I have come here, I have never scolded you."

"You just did."

"I just said your name a little sharply." Omkara clarifies.

"Felt like scolding to me." Gauri mutters.

Seeing her so cranky he lovingly smiles at her, "I miss you."

Gauri sadly pouts at him, "I miss you too."

"Oh God please! I am leaving." Anika says scandalized and quickly leaves the room.

Gauri chuckles watching her leave. Then she turns to look at Omkara and gives him a flying kiss.

Omkara kisses her back.

"You look so happy today." Omkara tells her smiling.

"I feel happy." Gauri tells him happily.

"It was very sweet of Anika to stay there."

Gauri scowls hearing that. "Your darling friend made me beg before she agreed."

Omkara chuckles hearing that.

Gauri smiles seeing him chuckle.

"It kind of feel like when I used to have sleepover with Richa and her." Gauri tells him, feeling nostalgic.

"Do you miss Bareilly?" Omkara asks her.

"Hmmm." Gauri nods feeling a little homesick. "Do you?"

"At times." Omkara replies then he asks her in concern. "You are happy there, right?"

"Yes, Bhaiyya is very sweet. Papa is also nice a little khadoos at times, otherwise he is also nice."

Omkara laughs hearing that. "They both love you a lot."

"I know."

"So, what plans with Anika?"

"Nothing, just catching up." Gauri tells him. "Oh by the way, tomorrow I am going to get on a helicopter." Gauri tells him excitedly.

"Wow, that is nice. Where are you going?"

Gauri hits her head realizing her stupidity. "I forgot to tell you. tomorrow we are going to go to Bareilly."

*******

"You missed your train?" Shivaay asks surprised seeing Anika. "I had told Khanna to have someone drop you to the station."

"No, I didn't go." Anika informs him.

"Why?" Shivaay asks confused.

"Gauri insisted that I stay."

"Oh." Shivaay nods.

"And I thought I've never got on a helicopter. For that matter, never got on a plane, so why not?"

"It is called a chopper." Shivaay tells her.

"Call a potato by any other name and it would still be a potato."

"I can see that you are not an English teacher, what do you teach?" Shivaay asks her.

"Why?" Anika asks frowning.

"It is a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." Shivaay tells her in a superior tone.

"Well, Shakespeare said that and I said the potato line." Anika tells him shrugging.

Shivaay shakes his head unable to hide his grin, "So, English teacher?"

"Science."

Shivaay nods. Then he tells her, "Gauri was very happy to see you."

Anika smiles hearing that, "It was very nice to meet her too. Really missed her and Om."

Shivaay nods.

"She has changed." Anika tells him.

"How?" Shivaay asks her curiously.

"Like she has become mature. She is not careless like before." Anika tells him then chuckling, she tells him "Felt like she thinks before she speaks or does something."

Shivaay chuckles hearing that then sobering he tells her, "Omkara is not here to look out for her. that is why."

Anika nods, smiling she tells him, "They are so made for each other. I have never seen any two people so deeply bonded with each other."

"I couldn't understand it at first, but I am seeing it now." Shivaay admits.

"Really? That is surprising." Anika tells him. "We all could see it always, maybe because we grew up together, so have always seen them since childhood."

"Hmmm." Shivaay nods.

"Bhaiyya..." Gauri calls him as she walked to him. "Om wants to talk to you." Gauri tells him handing him the phone.

"Yeah, Om... tell me." Shivaay says on the phone. Then he stops in shock realizing what he said, from the silence from the other end, he realized that even Omkara was shocked. Clearing his throat, he says, "Yes, Omkara... tell me."

Shivaay looks at Gauri, sees hers grinning at him.

"Shivaay, take Khanna with you when you go to Bareilly." Omkara tells him.

"Why?" Shivaay asks confused. "Is there any problem?"

"I had an issue with the sarpanch before we came. There is no danger but you can't trust that guy, he is a snake. So, just to be on the safe side, take Khanna with you."

"Okay." Shivaay replies. "Gauri is saying she is coming."

"Yeah, she told me. She is missing everyone there. Just take care of her. nothing to be worried about... but just..."

"What happened? What was the issue?" Shivaay asks him frowning in concern.

Omkara tells him what had happened.

"How dare he? Who the hell is he?"

"He is a narrow minded man who wants to control everyone's life. anyway, there isn't anything he can do but still why take a risk?"

"Okay."

**********

"I am so excited about seeing everyone." Gauri excitedly tells Anika. "Can you believe that I am even excited to see that Ragini?"

Anika chuckles. "I forgot to tell you, she is a teacher at my school. We are working together now."

"When did she clear her 12th board exams?" Gauri asks shocked.

"She didn't. When your father is the sarpanch, you can do anything." Anika tells her shrugging.

"What kind of nonsense is that? how can a teacher teach without a degree?" Shivaay asks frowning.

"Where you listening to us?" Anika asks him frowning.

"You are sitting right next to me and I am not deaf."

Anika makes a face and looks away.

"Richa is going to be surprised when she finds out that Om and I got married."

"Actually she is super mad that you didn't invite her for the wedding." Anika tells her.

"She knows?" Gauri asks shocked.

"I told her."

"You knew?"

"Om told me."

"He did? When? He didn't tell me." Gauri asks surprised.

"Might have slipped his mind." Anika says shrugging.

"How often does he call you?" Shivaay asks her frowning.

"Every night before he goes to bed." Anika replies.

"What the hell?" Shivaay asks furiously.

Gauri gapes at Shivaay in shock hearing his fury.

Anika rolls her eyes. "he calls if he has some work with me. When he was coordinating my this trip, I asked him about Gauri and he said that they got married."

"Oh!" Shivaay looks away embarrassed.

"Why are you getting so territorial regarding Om?" Anika asks him confused. "Gauri, I can understand. Everybody knows that Gauri is a sweet darling, but when it comes to Om, she becomes a typical possessive, jealous chudail and we have all learned to love and accept her like that. but why are you acting like that regarding Omkara?"

Shivaay gapes at Anika hearing her, then looking away, he says in a dismissing tone, "I'm busy."

"Doing what?" Anika asks as she curiously looked around the Chopper.

"Thinking." Shivaay lies.

"About what?" Anika asks curiously.

"Now, I have to tell you all of my thoughts?" Shivaay asks her.

Shrugging Anika looks out the window, then she excitedly tells Gauri, "Sahil is going to be super jealous when he finds out that I got on a helicopter."

"Chopp..." Shivaay starts and stops irately as he looked away.

Anika looks at Shivaay for a few seconds then grinning she turns away.

Shivaay lasted whole of five minutes, before he asked Anika, "Who is Sahil?"

"My brother." Anika replies. "Why?"

Shivaay nods and looks away without answering. Anika makes a face at his attitude and looks out the window. Gauri gapes at both Anika and Shivaay in shock, then she takes her mobile and messages Omkara.

Bhaiyya is acting very territorial regarding Anika Didi. Should I start calling her Bhabhi?

*******

"Thanks for the lift." Anika tells Shivaay then turning to Gauri, she tells her, "Gauri, I'll go home and leave my bag and come. then we can go wherever you want."

"Okay." Gauri tells her excited and happy to be back. "Bhaiyya, we will take you around everywhere. You are here for the first time... I'll show you all the place."

"Another time, Gauri. today I have lot of work." Shivaay regretfully tells her.

Gauri nods a little disappointed.

"We'll come again, that time definitely." Shivaay promises her.

"Okay." Gauri smiles at him.

Shivaay smiles seeing her smile then he turns to Anika, "And you are coming with me."

"Me? Why?"

"To meet the farmers and to show me the land."

"Why should I do that?"

"Isn't that one of your responsibilities?"

"You fired me."

"I am hiring you again." Shivaay replies.

"Sorry, not interested." Anika replies.

"Oh you are already hired." Shivaay informs.

"Oh my God, how can people be so arrogant and an ass?"

Grinning cheekily at her, Shivaay tells her, "Watch your tongue, I might fire you again."

"You are so irritating. I'm going home."

"Come on, Anika, help me out."

"Are you ordering me to help you?" Anika asks shocked.

Smiling sweetly at her, Shivaay says, "Please?"

"Fine!" Anika gives in unable to resist that smile.

"Great." Shivaay says smiling then turning to a shocked Gauri, he tells her, "I'm taking Anika, Khanna will come with you."

"Taking?" Gauri asks shocked.

"With me." Shivaay clarifies.

"Okay."

Shivaay turns to Khanna and sees him watching them in shock. "Khanna, be with Gauri. watch her."

Khanna nods his head.

"Be careful." Shivaay tells him.

"Yes, Sir." Khanna replies.

"Okay then." Shivaay says.

Seeing Anika carrying the bag, Khanna tells her, "Anika Ma'am, I'll take your bag." Turning to Gauri, he asks, "We can drop it off to her house on our way?"

Shivaay's eyes widen hearing that.

"Yeah." Gauri nods.

"Anika Ma'am..." Khanna extends his hand for her bags.

"Anika Ma'am?" Anika asks shocked out of her wits as she handed him her bags.

"Yes." Khanna replies smiling.

"Khanna!" Shivaay says in a warning tone.

"Don't worry, sir, I'll drop off Anika Ma'am's bags safely."

"Let's go, Khannaji. We've some gossiping to do." Gauri tells Khanna.

*******

Hearing arguments, Khanna curiously looks and sees Anika and Shivaay walking in arguing. He quickly stands up.

"What kind of nonsense shit is this? How can you lease the land without any proper paperwork?" Shivaay shocked.

"I didn't lease them. Pinky Kaki did and here we don't run to the registrar's office for every single thing." Anika explains again in exasperation.

"What security is there then? Those people can claim that land belongs to them."

"Here, we believe in our word." Anika says offended.

"Word which can change. I want proper contract with each farmer."

"They are not going to sign anything."

"Why the hell not?" Shivaay asks shocked.

"Because half of them are illiterate and they don't trust all this paperwork and especially corporate people like you."

"I don't care, if they can't do things through proper channel then they can't lease the land." Shivaay says in finality finally noticing Khanna he tells him, "No work is going to happen today, Khanna. We are leaving. Where is Gauri?"

"Gauri Ma'am is resting in her room, sir." Khanna informs.

"Is she done with her visits?"

"She did visit some people then she said she wanted to come home. She has been in her room since." Khanna tells him.

Shivaay nods and turns to Anika, "Which is Gauri's room?"

"That one." Anika points at a room on the upper level.

Shivaay nods and goes to call Gauri.

Finding her room empty, Shivaay comes out of the room.

"She isn't here, Khanna." Shivaay informs.

"She went upstairs, sir. She didn't come down after that."Khanna confirms.

Shivaay thinks for a few seconds and turns to Anika, "Which is Omkara's room?"

"Last room at the end." Anika tells him pointing at the room.

"Okay."

Shivaay walks into the room and finds Gauri sitting on the bed with her arms wrapped around her legs, and her face hidden.

"Gauri?" Shivaay softly calls her realizing she was crying.

Gauri continues to cry. Shivaay walks to the bed and sits on the bed next to her. he keeps his hand on her head.

"Gauri..."

Gauri looks up at him with tear stained face and tells him, "I miss Mama and Om."

Shivaay nods realizing that Gauri coming back to the one place where she spent all her life with Omkara and their mother was making her feel lonely.

"Why did they have to go away from me?" Gauri asks him sadly. "I was so happy here with them."

Hearing that, Shivaay moves to her and holds her hand and Gauri cries as she gripped his hand.

Having no idea how to console her, Shivaay asks her of the only way he knew, "Do you want to talk to Omkara?"

Gauri shakes her head in no. "He will be sad if he sees me like this."

"Then don't be like this." Shivaay tells her.

Gauri sniffs hearing that.

"Stop crying otherwise I will tell Om that you are crying." Shivaay blackmails her with a smile.

Gauri laughs hearing that. "You are bad, bhaiyya."

Shivaay smiles hearing that. "You were saying that you wanted to take me around. Let's go around and show me all your favorite places here."

"Okay." Gauri says smiling as she wiped her tears.

******

"Don't you want to see around the house?" Gauri asks Shivaay curiously.

Though he wanted to see the house his mother and his sister had lived in almost all their lives, knowing how it was making Gauri homesick, he decided against it. "Next time."

"Okay. that is your room." Gauri informs him pointing at a room.

"I've a room here?" Shivaay asks surprised.

"Of course." Gauri tells him smiling with a surprise.

Shivaay was too touched and suddenly emotional hearing that his mother never forgot him like how he had believed all these years, he was about to open the door and enter when he hears Anika come up.

"Bye, Gauri. I'll miss you. Do come again, Gauri." Anika tells Gauri as she hugged her.

"What?" Shivaay asks frowning. "Where are you going?"

"You are leaving, right?" Anika asks him confused.

"No, we are going sightseeing and you are coming with."

"why should I come?" Anika asks frowning, though she wanted to go with them, she didn't like being ordered about.

"Because I said so. Let's go." Shivaay says heading down the stairs.

"SHIVAAY!" Anika furiously calls him as she followed him down.

"What?"

"Don't you dare order me about!"

"I would do whatever damn well I pleases."

"I'll give you a tight slap."

"So, you have come down to physical violence too?" Shivaay asks her mocking. "What kind of people live in this place?"

"I have had enough of you talking down..." Anika stops seeing the sarpanch at the door. "Sarpanchji?"

Shivaay curiously turns to see an elderly man standing at the door.

"I came to check who had come here. So many unknown people going about, what work do you have here?" Sarpanch asks Shivaay as he walked in.

"Who are you?" Shivaay asks him.

"He is the sarpanch, bhaiyya." Gauri informs him as she came to stand next to him.

"that I understood." Shivaay replies as he stared at the man, "I am asking who are you to come into my house and ask me questions? And with whose permission did you come inside?"

Sarpanch turns red in humiliation. "I am the sarpanch."

"I know you are that asshole who tried to force my sister to get married. You might be called the head of the village, but your duty is to work for the village and work for the betterment of all the people here. You have no right to dictate their life, now get out of my house."

"I'll show you who I am." He warns Shivaay.

"Khanna, why is he still inside our home?" Shivaay asks Khanna as he stared into the sarpanch's eyes.

Khanna walks to the sarpanch and grabbing his hand, he drags him out while with the other hand, he took out his gun. "If I see you around here, then I'll shoot you." Khanna warns him.

"He is going to cause trouble." Anika warns Shivaay as they watched the sarpanch leave.

"He can't do anything to me or my family." Shivaay replies. "Come, you girls take me around."

*******

Every place they went, Gauri had a story to narrate with Omkara in it. Shivaay was once again amazed to see how ingrained was Gauri and Omkara in each other's lives.

"I always bought bangles from here, bhaiyya." Gauri excitedly shows him a store. "Let's go see what all new ones are there.

"You and your obsession with bangles." Anika teases her as she followed her.

Gauri chuckles as she ran to the small store.

Shivaay stood by and watched Gauri and Anika trying out bangles for a while. Finally, Gauri decides on her bangles.

"Aren't you done?" Shivaay asks Anika seeing that Gauri was getting hers packed.

"I don't want."

"Why?"

Anika shrugs.

"I'm buying for Gauri, I'll buy for you also." Shivaay offers.

"Why should you buy for me?" Anika asks with a frown.

"Just take Anika." Shivaay tells her in a fed up tone.

"Why should I?"

"Take, Anika Ma'am." Khanna tells her.

Exasperated, Shivaay looks up to the sky. "Khanna!"

"Yes, sir?" Khanna innocently replies.

"If bhaiyya is insisting, take Anika Didi." Gauri tells her.

"Fine." Anika replies and makes her choices.

Once they were done, Shivaay takes his card and extends it to the shopkeeper.

Gauri and Anika look at him in shock.

"This and all won't work here. Only Cash." Shopkeeper informs him.

"What?" Shivaay asks shocked.

"Here people have seen a card reader only in movies." Anika informs him.

"What nonsense is this? How are you all doing business here like that?"

"Bhaiyya, give cash." Gauri tells him.

"I don't carry cash with me!" Shivaay tells her in exasperation.

"What to do now?" Gauri asks him.

"Oh no!" Anika says. "My purse was in my bag that Khannaji took home."

Sadly sighing, Gauri starts to hand back the cover to the shopkeeper.

"It's okay, Ma'am." Khanna says as he passed cash. "I've got it covered."

"Thank you, Khannaji." Gauri tells him smiling.

"You are welcome. Consider it my gift to you both." Khanna tells them smiling.

"Thank you, Khannaji." Anika also tells him smiling.

"You are most welcome, Ma'am." Khanna tells her smiling.

Fed up and exasperated, Shivaay turns to Khanna and tells him, "You are fired, Khanna."

*******

"You sure you don't want to invite your friends for the party?" Shivaay asks Gauri, as there was a small party at their home to celebrate a company merger.

"Richa is busy and Anika Didi can't take off from school."

"I can send the chopper." Shivaay offers. "Maybe your Anika Didi can come."

"I did tell her, but she said she can't come." Gauri tells him shaking her head knowing his intentions. "Anyway, my college friends would be coming."

"Hmmm." Shivaay gives up. "Are you okay that Omkara couldn't come?"

"He is busy." Gauri tells him smiling a little sadly.

Shivaay nods. "Okay, you get ready and come down."

*******

The party was coming to an end and Shivaay and Shakti were sending off the few remaining guests when Gauri comes to them.

"Bhaiyya."

"Hey, Gauri... your friends left?" Shivaay asks her as he turned to her and stops seeing her face furious.

"They left. Om told me if there is any trouble I should come to you."

"What happened?" Shivaay asks her in concern.

"Is everything alright, Gauri?" Shakti asks her frowning in concern.

"I'm going to cause trouble." Gauri informs them and turns and walks off.

Shivaay and Shakti hurries behind her calling out to her while Gauri ignored them. they see her go to Abhimanyu Raheja and slap him. they quickly run to them.

"What happened?" Shivaay asks Gauri in shock.

"He was touching me!" Gauri furiously tells him.

"What?" Abhimanyu says in outrage. "I was just greeting her. shaking her hand and kissing her hand in greeting."

"Gauri, it is normal to greet like that." Shivaay gently tells her.

"He was touching me!" Gauri furiously tells him.

"What kind of uncouth behavior is this, Shakti?" Abhimanyu asks him furiously. "Which backward society is she from?"

"Mr. Raheja you are taking it too far." Shivaay furiously tells him.

"What about her? Ask her to meet people and learn how they behave in a society."

"Shut up, you dog!" Gauri furiously tells him.

Seeing the remaining people watching them, Shakti tells her, "Gauri, you are making a scene."

"I am making me a scene?" Gauri asks furiously. "Tell him to get out."

"Gauri, he explained what had happened. Instead of apologizing to him, you are screaming at him and insulting him?" Shakti asks him. "What kind of upbringing did Pinky give you that you don't know how to behave in public?"

"Are you a father?" Gauri asks him with furious tears. "He was molesting me and you want me to apologize? You are not my father."

"Gauri, he tried molesting you?" Shivaay asks her in a furious whisper.

"If Om was here, he would have believed me." Gauri tells them as tears fell from her eyes. "If he was here, he wouldn't have let this dog come near me."

"Gauri... please..." Shivaay starts.

Gauri furiously looks at Shivaay then without saying anything, she turns around and walks off.

******

Shivaay walks into Gauri's room and he could hear her voice from the dressing room. he turns to look and sees her packing her bag as she spoke on the phone.

"Gauri..." Shivaay calls her.

Gauri ignores him and continues to pack.

"Gauri... just talk to me... please..." Shivaay requests her.

"Is that Shivaay?" Omkara asks from the other end.

"Yes."

"Give the phone to him."

Gauri extends the phone to Shivaay. "Om wants to talk to you."

Dreading and hesitating, Shivaay takes the phone from Gauri. "Hello?"

"I trusted you, Shivaay. I trusted you with my Gauri." Omkara furiously accuses him.

"Omkara, I"ll..."

"She will not stay there anymore. Are you going to make arrangements to send her here or should I come and get her?" Omkara furiously asks.

"Omkara, please... just give me ten minutes. I'll sort it out."

"She doesn't want to stay there anymore." Omkara tells him.

"Please Om, she will listen to you. I promise I'll sort it out." Shivaay earnestly requests him.

Omkara was silent for a bit then making up his mind, he tells him, "This is your last chance, Shivaay."

"Thank you." Shivaay says relieved.

"No, I am going." Gauri stubbornly says.

Shivaay gives her the phone.

Gauri takes it and says into it, "Om, I won't stay here."

"Gauri, Shivaay asked for ten minutes. If you are not happy after that, then I'll come and get you." Omkara promises her.

Gauri looks at Shivaay then gives in. "Okay." saying that she hangs up the phone.

Shivaay holds Gauri by her shoulders and tells her, "Gauri, I really thought it was a misunderstanding. But if you are saying that he tried molesting you, then I believe you, Gauri."

"He did." Gauri tells him as her eyes filled up with fresh tears.

"Don't cry." Shivaay says wiping her tears. "Now, tell me what happened and where it happened."

********

Shivaay walks back into the party to find that Abhimanyu Raheja had left. He quickly calls him.

"Mr. Raheja, Gauri wants to apologize for the way she behaved, please come back." Shivaay tells him.

"It's okay, Shivaay. Let's just put this all behind us."

"No, Mr. Raheja. She insulted you in front of all these people and she should apologize in front of all this people. Please come back. It is a request."

"Okay."

Few minutes later, Abhimanyu walks in and the moment he saw the big screen and projector, a furious Gauri and Shivaay, he knew it was a trap.

"It was all a misunderstanding. There is no need to apologize. If Gauri feels that I was being inappropriate then I apologize, it wasn't my intentions." He says wanting to salvage the situation and escape. "I hope this ends here. I'll take your leave."

"Not so soon." Shivaay replies. "You come into our home and touched my sister." Shivaay furiously accuses him.

"What are you saying, Shivaay? It's a misunderstanding, right?" Shakti asks frowning, getting angry at the thought that Gauri was indeed ill-treated.

"Gauri is not a baby to not know the difference between an innocent touch and inappropriate touch, Dad!" Shivaay furiously reminds him.

"How dare you? you bastard!" Shakti furiously asks.

"I didn't do anything." Abhimanyu says in anger. "I'm leaving."

He was starting to leave when Shivaay plays the video. It had Gauri standing and Abhimanyu walking towards her and talking to her. he takes her hand and kisses the back of her hand. Gauri pulls her hand back and saying something she turns to walk off. he holds her hand and smiling lecherously, he says something as he runs his hand up Gauri's hand. Gauri furiously pushes his hand off and starts to walk off when he touches her butt. Gauri furiously turns to him and then without saying anything she walks off.

"You asshole!" Shakti furiously screams and runs to him. Shakti furiously slaps him.

Abhimanyu falls down, Shivaay pulls him up and slaps him. Shivaay and Shakti took turns in slapping him.

"Khanna!" Shivaay furiously calls him.

Khanna walks in with the police.

"Take him." Shivaay tells the cop then pulling out the pen drive from the projector he hands it to the police. "Here is the proof. Tomorrow morning, I'll bring Gauri to give her statement."

With head held high, Gauri watched as the police took away Abhimanyu.

"Gauri, I am so sorry, my baby." Shakti tells her as he walked to him.

Gauri looks at him still hurt by his earlier behavior. Then ignoring him, she runs to Shivaay and hugs him.

***********

It's been three days and Gauri hasn't spoken a word to Shakti. Shakti had tried all he could to apologize to her but Gauri had ignored him.

Gauri was going to her college when she sees Shivaay and Shakti together.

"Bhaiyya, I'm going to college." Gauri tells him as she ignored Shakti.

"Bye, Gauri." Shivaay tells her smiling.

"Have a nice day, Gauri." Shakti tells her.

Gauri looks at him then without saying anything she walks off.

"Gauri..." Shivaay calls her. "Dad said something to you."

Gauri looks at Shakti and Shivaay, then looking at Shivaay, she says, "You've a nice day, Bhaiyya." and with that she walks off.

Shakti sighs tiredly watching Gauri walk off. "I hate that she has my stubborn nature."

Shivaay chuckles hearing that.

"I've been trying for so many days, she is just ignoring me."

"Dad, you know there is only person who can help you." Shivaay tells him.

Shakti looks away offended. "She is my daughter. I don't need anyone's help."

"She is less of your daughter and more of his wife." Shivaay points out to him. "Anyway, I'm leaving. I'll be late in getting back, I've some meetings."

*******

Gauri was leaving her college when Omkara calls her.

"Om!" Gauri excitedly answers the call.

"Gauri... where is Shivaay?" Omkara asks her worriedly.

"Office maybe, I don't know. Why?" Gauri asks concerned hearing the worry in his voice.

"Did he go to Bareilly?"

"No."

"You sure?"

"He didn't tell me anything about going. What happened?"

"Dandi called." Omkara worriedly tells her.

"And?"

Omkara tells her in an unsure tone. "He heard a rumor."

"What rumor?" Gauri asks confused.

"That your brother and Anika were caught in an indecent position."

"WHAT?" Gauri asks shocked. "Who caught them?"

"Sarpanch."

"Om, they are going to..."

"that is what Dandi heard." Omkara confirms. "They are forcing them to get married."

"This is because of us, Om. He is taking his revenge on us with bhaiyya." Gauri tells him panicking her eyes filling up.

"Gauri, I've called up Arjun. If it is true, he will try his best to help Shivaay. I'm not getting through to Shivaay and Anika's phone."

"Om, I am getting scared."

"Don't worry, Gauri. I'm doing everything I can. Dandi was saying that they are locked up. Arjun will do his best to help Shivaay escape from there. Khanna should be with him, right?"

"I don't know. He didn't tell any of us that he is going to Bareilly, so I don't know if he took Khannaji with him."

"Shit!" Omkara mutters. "Gauri, call Richa and see. Maybe she can get in touch with Anika."

"Okay."

*******

Gauri was freaking out as she waited for either Omkara or Richa to call. Richa had gone in the hope of seeing or talking to Anika to know the reality.

Anything? Gauri messages Omkara.

Nothing. Waiting for Arjun to call. Richa called?

No.

Hearing her mobile ring, Gauri hurriedly answers the call seeing it is Richa.

"Richa?" Gauri says hurriedly.

"Gauri!" Anika says in panic.

"Anika Didi? What happened? Is it true?"

"Gauri, we didn't do anything wrong. I swear, Gauri." Anika tells her in tears.

"I know, Anika Didi. I know." Gauri reassures her. "But what happened?"

"Shivaay came unexpectedly. I was at work, he said he wanted to meet the farmers and talk to them regarding the terms of leasing, and he was adamant on doing the paperwork for it. I told him they won't do it, but he was adamant. I got angry and told him I'll meet him after school. After school, I went to your house to meet him. Ragini was with me."

"Why was she with you?" Gauri asks shocked.

"Gauri, only he and the caretaker was in that house. and I didn't want anyone to misunderstand me or make up stories about me, so, I took Ragini with me." Anika tells her and crying, she tells, "I don't know what I was thinking taking her with me."

"Why?" Gauri asks confused.

"When I went there, he wasn't there. so, I went up to check. He was in his bedroom. And..."

"And?"

Anika tells her helplessly. "He was crying, Gauri."

"Why?" Gauri asks shocked and hurt.

"Your mother had put up all his childhood photos in that room, right? he saw them. and he was saying, all his life he thought she didn't care for him and she had loved him and had been waiting to meet him. how in his insecurity and stubbornness, he never tried to see her and now, he can never see her."

Gauri's eyes fill up hearing that.

"He was crying so much, Gauri. I couldn't see him like that. so, I hugged him. I was just trying to console him, I swear, Gauri. I didn't have any dirty intentions."

"I know, Anika Didi." Gauri reassures her.

"And he hugged me as he cried, and Ragini came in that time. she saw us, and she informed her father. Next thing, I know is that they all coming and saying we were being immoral. They said that we have to get married or else, they will kill us." Anika tells her crying.

"Where is bhaiyya?"

"I don't know. They have locked me in Ragini's house. Richa gave me the phone through the window." Anika tells her crying. "I don't know where Baba and Sahil are, or what is happening with them. please do something, Gauri."

"Omkara is trying to help, Anika Didi. He has asked Arjun to help."

"Okay, I've to go. I've to call Baba." Anika tells her and hangs up.

Gauri quickly calls up Omkara to inform him about what Anika had said.

"You have to tell your father, Gauri." Omkara tells her.

"No." Gauri replies.

"Gauri, this is not the time to be silly." Omkara tells her sternly.

"You tell him." Gauri adamantly tells him.

"Fine!" Omkara furiously hangs up.

******

Shakti answers the call with a frown. "Yes?"

"Erm... there is a problem." Omkara hesitantly tells him.

"What problem?" Shakti asks frowning. "Is Gauri alright?" Shakti asks worriedly as he got up to check on her.

"It's Shivaay." Omkara informs him.

"Shivaay? What happened to him?"

"He is in Bareilly." Omkara tells him.

"Bareilly? he said he had some meetings..." Shakti says confused.

"It was in Bareilly." Omkara tells him and proceeds to tell him everything.

******

"Did you tell him?" Gauri asks as soon as she answers the call.

"Yes. Go to him, Gauri. he is upset." Omkara tells her.

"no." Gauri stubbornly replies.

"How can you be like this at this time, Gauri?" Omkara furiously asks her.

"He will blame me, Om." Gauri helplessly tells him.

"He won't. just go, be with him."

"No."

"Your father needs you, Gauri. Go to him NOW."

******

"Papa..." Gauri calls him from the door.

"Gauri?" Shakti looks up at her worriedly.

"Om said you need me, so I should be with you."

Hearing that, Shakti walks to her and hugs her. Gauri hesitantly hugs him back.

"I just don't know what to do, Gauri." Shakti tells her worriedly. "Omkara said his friend is trying to help."

"Yes, Papa. Don't worry. Everything will be fine." Gauri tells him. "Earlier also Om and Arjun had saved someone like this. The panchayat was going to stone him to death, Om and Arjun had helped him to run away. Om will save bhaiyya."

Shakti nods.

"Omkara was saying that it would take time for the police to reach as there is no police station in your village." Shakti worriedly says.

"Yes, Papa." Gauri tells him as she took his hand and guided him to sit.

"Omkara was saying he went there to handle Pinky's some land dealings."

Gauri nods.

"But why didn't he tell us he was going? Did he tell you?"

"No, he didn't."

"Why didn't he take Khanna with him?" Shakti asks her feeling so clueless and helpless.

Gauri helplessly holds his hand, having no answer to all these questions.

"Who is this girl? Was she your friend who stayed here?" Shakti asks her.

"Yes. Anika Didi."

"How is she?" Shakti worriedly asks her.

"She is very sweet, Papa."

"I hope so." Shakti tells her worriedly.

"She is." Gauri reassures him.

Hearing her mobile ring, she quickly puts the call on speaker seeing it was Omkara.

"Om, what happened?"

"I spoke to Shivaay." Omkara informs her.

"Is he okay?" Shakti asks anxiously.

"He is fine but Shivaay said that if he escapes then Anika's life would be ruined and he doesn't want that. He is worried that they would even kill her."

"So he is going to marry Anika Didi?" Gauri asks shocked.

"Yes, Arjun was with him, he could have escaped but this is his decision."

Gauri looks at Shakti helplessly.

"I've asked Arjun to go to Anika. If he is able to help her escape then, they won't be able to do anything. there isn't much time, but he is going to try." Omkara tells them.

"Thank you, Omkara." Shakti tells him.

"I'm trying everything I can, but we might not have enough time." Omkara worriedly tells him.

"I understand." Shakti nods.

Omkara calls again later.

"Was Arjun able to help Anika Didi?" Gauri asks him as soon as she answered.

"There wasn't enough time, Gauri."

"Are they married?" Shakti asks softly.

"Yes." Omkara replies. "I'm sorry, I did everything I could."

"I know, Om." Gauri tells him.

******

Next afternoon, Shakti and Gauri were anxiously waiting for Shivaay to reach. They had tried talking to him on the phone but he had said that he would talk to them after he got back home.

"Bhaiyya!" Gauri calls him as she ran to him, noticing him walk in.

"I'm fine, Gauri." Shivaay tells her gently smiling at her.

Gauri throws herself at him and hugs him.

"I'm sorry, bhaiyya. It is because of us." Gauri tells him starting to cry.

"It is not, Gauri." Shivaay immediately tells her. "None of this was your fault."

"Sarpanch was taking his revenge on us."

"I humiliated him the last time we were there. and this was his revenge." Shivaay clarifies.

"But..."

"No, no more." Shivaay sternly tells her.

"I'm going to take each and every one of them to court." Shakti vows.

"Dad, I'll handle it." Shivaay tells him. "You don't do anything."

"Are you alright?" Shakti asks him cupping his face.

"I'm fine, Dad." Shivaay calmly tells him.

Shakti hugs him as he told himself that Shivaay was fine and safe now.

"Relax. I'm fine."

"Where is she?" Shakti asks curiously looking around.

Gauri also looks around and asks Shivaay confused. "Where is Anika Didi?"

"She has classes there. she has her family. She has commitments." Shivaay replies.

"And they agreed to let her stay there?" Gauri asks shocked.

"They wanted us married and we are married. How we conduct our marriage is none of their business." Shivaay tells them.

Sighing Gauri hugs him.

"You go take rest, Shivaay." Shakti tells him.

Shivaay nods in reply.

Shakti keeps his hand on Gauri's shoulder. "Gauri, let him rest. He is been through a lot."

Gauri nods and steps back.

"Go, Shivaay." Shakti tells him and walks off.

Shivaay smiles and looks at Gauri, "I am surprised, you are talking to him."

Gauri smiles with a chuckle. "Then I've a shocking news for you."

"What is that?" Shivaay asks with a frown and a smile.

"Om and Papa are friends now." Gauri tells him smiling.

"What?" Shivaay asks shocked.

"Yes, today itself, Papa called Om three times." Gauri says still in shock but smiling.

Shivaay laughs softly. "How did that happen? Was it because Omkara tried to help me?"

"Yes and Om told me to be with Papa because he needed me." Gauri tells him.

Shivaay regretfully cups her face. "I'm sorry, that you both were so worried for me."

"Even Om."

Shivaay chuckles, "Yes, I know."

Gauri hugs Shivaay and tells him, "Anika Didi is very nice, bhaiyya."

"I know, Gauri."

"Is that why you refused to leave her alone when Arjun came to help you?"

"She didn't deserve to suffer because that man wanted to take his revenge with me."

"You like her, don't you?"

"She argues a lot." Shivaay replies shrugging then smiling he adds, "Yeah, she is a nice girl."

Gauri smiles. "So, when will you bring Bhabhi home?"

"Whenever she is ready to come." Shivaay replies.

*******

"Bhaiyya is acting all fine." Gauri tells Omkara a few days later.

"Maybe he is fine with the marriage." Omkara replies.

"Hmmm."

"Did you talk to Anika?"

"Yeah, I did. She said that now they are married, she wants to give this marriage a chance."

"Yeah, she told me the same thing. What better revenge than being happily married?"

"You spoke to her?" Gauri asks surprised.

"Yeah, I called her this morning."

"Of course, why wouldn't you call? She is after all your darling friend!" Gauri mutters.

"Seriously, Gauri?" Omkara asks her exasperated. "She is your brother's wife."

Gauri cheekily grins.

Omkara smiles, "How is everything else there?"

"All good. Missing you." Gauri tells him smiling lovingly at him.

"I know." Omkara smiles sadly. "5 more months." Omkara sighs.

"Don't worry, it will go fast." Gauri tells him smiling.

"Are you still angry that I didn't come there after I was done with Missouri training?" Omkara asks her, currently he was in Hyderabad for the second phase of his training.

"You promised you would come." Gauri tells him looking down sadly.

"I am sorry." Omkara tells her guiltily.

"Now, I'll not let you go away from me. no matter what. I don't like this." Gauri tells him.

"I won't go. I promise." Omkara tells her. "Even I hate this."

Gauri smiles hearing that.

*******

One day Gauri was home when Omkara calls her.

"Gauri, did you talk to Anika?"

"No, why?" Gauri asks curiously.

"Arjun called, he was saying Anika was fired from her job. Sarpanch took up the issue with the school board about Anika's and Shivaay's scandalous behavior, and how such an immoral person can guide innocent children and based on that they fired her yesterday."

"What is his problem?" Gauri asks furiously.

"His revenge didn't go as he wanted." Omkara mutters furiously.

"What do you mean?" Gauri asks frowning.

"Shivaay and Anika are still happily going about their life." Omkara points out.

"I want to murder him, Om." Gauri says furiously.

"Many want that, Gauri." Omkara says. "I don't know how to help her with this, Gauri." Omkara tells her helplessly.

"Hmmm. Do you think bhaiyya knows?" Gauri asks him.

"I don't know."

"Okay, I'll go tell him."

*******

"Bhaiyya, did you talk to Anika Didi?" Gauri asks Shivaay.

Shivaay looks up from his phone at her then looking back at the phone, he casually informs her, "Yeah, I spoke to your Bhabhi today morning."

For a second Gauri was lost for words.

"why do you ask?" Shivaay asks her.

Then remembering, she says "So you knew? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Knew what?" Shivaay asks her confused.

"That she was fired from the school."

"What?" Shivaay looks up at her frowning angrily. "They fired her?"

Gauri nods and tells him about what Omkara had found out.

Hearing everything, Shivaay takes his mobile and dials Anika's number. The moment she answers the call, he asks her furiously, "Is it true that they fired you?"

"How did you find out?" Anika asks shocked.

"Why the hell didn't you tell me?" Shivaay asks her furiously.

"Shivaay..." Anika hesitates.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"He is having his revenge with your family." Anika helplessly tells him. "And I didn't want you all to feel guilty about this."

"I don't feel guilty." Shivaay tells her.

"Oh." Anika whispers.

"Once I let him off. But if he thinks he can get away after going after my wife then he is bloody wrong."

Anika was too shocked to say anything.

"I'll see you soon." Shivaay says as he stood up.

"You are coming here?" Anika asks shocked.

"Of course yes!" Shivaay replies as he started walking out.

"Bhaiyya, I am also coming." Gauri tells him as she ran after him.

"No." Shivaay replies and then he stops turns to her. "I won't be coming back today. tell Dad. It might take me couple of days."

"Okay." Gauri replies a little shocked.

"Anika, be ready, I'll pick you up from your house." Shivaay tells her as he walked off.

"Pick me? why?" Anika asks confused.

"Because we will stay in my house." Shivaay tells her in an isn't-it-obvious tone.

Gauri's mouth drops open.

"What?" Anika asks shocked.

"Okay, I need to get the Chopper ready. See you soon." Shivaay says and hangs up.

Gauri anxiously waits for Omkara to answer the call.

"Yeah, Gauri. did you talk to Shivaay?" Omkara asks.

"Om... Om... Om..." Gauri enthusiastically says jumping.

"What?" Omkara asks frowning.

"Bhaiyya is going to Bareilly."

"Ah okay." Omkara nods thoughtfully. "You don't go with him."

"Om... Om... it's not that."

"Then?" Omkara asks confused.

"Bhaiyya and Anika Didi are going to stay in our house." Gauri tells him.

Omkara frowns hearing that. "Gauri..." he says her name in a serious tone.

"I'm serious. I heard Bhaiyya tell that to her."

"Gauri... you have become a gossipmonger." Omkara tells her in a disapproving tone.

Gauri gasps in outrage. "When you tell me stuff then it is imparting information and when I tell you it is gossiping?"

"I don't say such things." Omkara says offended.

"Is it my fault that you don't hear such stuff to share?" Gauri asks him frowning at him.

"Even if I did, I wouldn't share it." Omkara tells her.

"You would hide stuff from me?" Gauri asks him frowning.

"If it is not meant to be shared then I don't."

"You have kept secrets from me?" Gauri asks shocked and feeling betrayed.

"Hmmm."

"How many secrets have you kept from me?" Gauri asks furiously.

"Hmmm one." Omkara replies.

"What is it?" Gauri asks glaring at him.

"Then I will become a gossipmonger, Gauri." Omkara cheekily tells her.

"I want to know." Gauri tells him adamantly.

"Nope."

"Om, tell me."

"Sorry, Gauri." Omkara grins at her.

"I hate you, Om!"

"I don't care, Gauri." Omkara shrugs.

"Get lost!" Gauri says furiously and hangs up.

*******

"What are you doing?" Omkara asks her two days later when he called her.

"I'm googling." Gauri replies. "Researching."

"What research? College work?" Omkara asks her.

"No, on how to seduce a guy."

"What?" Omkara asks spitting out his tea.

"I'm going to seduce it out of you." Gauri vows.

Omkara laughs hearing that.

"I'll have the final laugh."

Omkara sexily smiles at her and winks, "Research well. Can't wait."

Gauri blushes hearing that.

"I miss it, you know."

"I know." Gauri arrogantly rolls her eyes.

Omkara chuckles lovingly.

*******

"You came back alone?" Shakti asks Shivaay shocked seeing him walk in alone.

"Yeah." Shivaay replies confused.

"What about Anika?" Shakti asks him.

"She got her job back." Shivaay replies as he smugly smiled at Shakti and Gauri.

"Om was saying that Sarpanch was arrested." Shakti asks him.

"Yeah. Anika and I filed a case against him for forcefully marrying us. And his daughter is also in jail." Shivaay informs him smirking.

"Why?" Shakti asks shocked.

"For fraud. Submitting fake documents to secure a job. Teaching without a degree etc etc." Shivaay replies.

Shivaay went on to explain what all had happened but Gauri didn't hear a word Shivaay said, or see his smug smiles, all she saw was the hickey on his neck.

"Gauri..." Shivaay calls her. "Where are you lost?" he asks her curiously seeing her gaping.

Coming to her senses, she finally looks at his face and says "I've to make a call." Then turning around, she runs off.

"Om... Om..." Gauri excitedly says on the phone.

"What, Gauri?" Omkara asks curiously.

"There is a hickey on bhaiyya's neck." Gauri tells him.

"When you ran off like that, I knew, like a hyperactive teenager you were going off to gossip." Shivaay says from behind her.

Gauri turns back hearing him and sees him leaning on the bedroom door and scowling at her.

Gauri gulps in panic for getting caught red handed like that.

"Why do you behave like this, Gauri?" Shivaay asks her disapprovingly.

"Om..." Gauri worriedly says. "Bhaiyya is scolding me."

"For good reason." Omkara replies scowling at her.

Gauri turns to him in shock and disbelief. "Only you can scold me."

"I am not there now to set you straight. So, he can scold you." Omkara replies.

Gauri gasps in shock.

"Thank you, Omkara. Now, I'll set her straight." Shivaay promises.

Omkara grins, "Yes, please."

"I HATE YOU!" Gauri screams at Omkara.

Omkara chuckles hearing that.

"I AM GOING TO DIVORCE YOU!"

"Okay." Omkara grins.

********

"Filed for divorce?" Shivaay cheekily asks Gauri as he joined Gauri and Shakti.

"Filed for divorce?" Shakti asks shocked as he looked at Shivaay, thinking he was saying and not asking.

Shivaay chuckles, "Yeah."

"You filed for divorce? Then what is it on your neck?" Shakti asks furiously.

"What?" Shivaay asks shocked turning pink. "Is there no boundaries in this house now?"

Gauri starts giggling silently seeing Shivaay get roasted.

"Then? Explain!" Shakti orders him furiously.

"Not me, Gauri!" Shivaay explains in exasperation.

"Oh... okay." Shakti says calming down. "I thought..." he says turning pink.

Shivaay scowling at his father, shakes his head.

To get out of the embarrassing situation, Shakti turns to Gauri, and asks conversationally, "So, you are filing for divorce?"

"He is acting too smart." Gauri tells her father.

Shakti chuckles. "Good."

Gauri grins seeing him joking.

"You know, we should conduct your marriage again after that." Shakti tells her excitedly. "We couldn't have a proper marriage for you. everything happened in half a day."

Gauri's eyes widen in excitement hearing that.

"Good idea." Shivaay says smiling as he sat next to Gauri.

"Even you and Anika. We didn't even see your marriage." Shakti tells her.

"We had the most eventful marriage." Shivaay jokes.

Shakti shakes his head seeing Shivaay joke about one of the scariest incident of his life.

"I want destination wedding." Gauri excitedly declares.

"Talk to Om and fix a place." Shakti tells her.

"Why? What is the need for that?" Shivaay asks. "Gauri and I will discuss. We'll fix a place and inform Anika and Om."

"Yes." Gauri nods.

"Both my children are taken after me." Shakti mutters making them laugh. ********

"How did Om confess?" Shivaay asks Gauri curiously.

"He didn't commit any crime." Gauri replies frowning at him.

"Not that, idiot!" Shivaay rolls his eyes.

"Then?" Gauri asks confused.

"Love confession!"

Gauri looks at him confused. "He didn't."

"Oh you confessed?"

"Love?" Gauri asks confused.

"YES!" Shivaay says exasperated.

"I didn't."

"Then how did you two know you love each other?" Shivaay asks shocked.

"We knew." Gauri replies shrugging.

"How?" Shivaay asks confused.

Gauri thinks and then she shrugs. "We knew."

"Just like that?" Shivaay asks shocked.

"Yeah."

"When did you decide to get married?"

"We didn't decide. We always knew." Gauri shrugs.

"Gauri... you mean..." Shivaay starts and stops, realizing this was Gauri and Omkara, and he wonders why was he even shocked.

"What?"

"Leave it."

"Why did you ask?"

"Leave it. You are not going to be any help." Shivaay says in a dismissing tone.

"Tell me, I want to help." Gauri tells him eagerly.

"It's okay. I'm leaving. Bye." Shivaay says as he stood up.

"Even I want to come." Gauri tells him sadly.

"Next time. I promise."

"Okay. Bye." Gauri says sulking.

Shivaay looks at her for a few seconds and sits down next to her. "Don't you feel like seeing Omkara?"

"Always." Gauri tells him feeling sad as she looked down at her hand.

His heart went out to her hearing that. "How did you do it, Gauri?" Shivaay asks her softly. "How did you stay away from him for so long?"

"Om lost Ma, but that time he had me and Mama. Then he lost Mama. Now, he only has me. so, if anything happens to me, he won't have anyone." Gauri tells Shivaay. Then she looks at him and tells him, "I stayed here, so that we could be a family. So, if I am not there tomorrow, then he would have you all."

"That is the reason he insisted that you stay here, so you would have us if something happens to him." Shivaay gently tells her.

"I know." Gauri tells him.

Shivaay looks at her for a few seconds then he tells her smiling excitedly, "Let's go see him."

"What?" Gauri turns to him, her eyes going wild in joy.

"Let's go see him. Let's surprise him."

"Seriously?" Gauri asks smiling excitedly.

"Yes." Shivaay smiles happily seeing her so excited.

"Thank you, bhaiyya. I LOVE YOU!" Gauri says as she hugged him happily. "Let's surprise him. we won't tell him that we are going."

"Can you keep it a secret till we reach there?" Shivaay teases her.

Gauri laughs excitedly. "Yes! I'll tell him we are going to Bareilly in case he calls while we are travelling."

********

Heart slamming against her chest, and unable to control her excitement, Gauri stood as they waited in the visitor's room for Omkara to come.

Shivaay smiles seeing Gauri excitedly jumping about.

"Should I hide?" Gauri asks him excitedly.

Before he could answer, they hear Omkara walk in. Gauri excitedly looks at the door.

"What took you guys so long?" Omkara asks the moment he spotted them.

"What?" Gauri and Shivaay whispers in shock.

"I thought you would reach by morning. Have been waiting since morning." Omkara says as he walked to them.

"Dad told you we were coming?" Shivaay asks shocked.

"No."

"Then?" Gauri asks shocked.

"You were too excited... I knew you can't be that excited about going to Bareilly like you said. And I knew you were lying. So, I guessed you were coming here." Omkara tells her smiling.

"I hate you! you have to always ruin my surprises!"

"Awww I am so happy to see you." Omkara says as he hugged her.

Gauri smiles and hugs him tight. "I missed you so much." Gauri tells him smiling happily, feeling her eyes fill up.

Omkara kisses on top of her head as he fought his tears. Gauri leans up and kisses him on his cheek.

"Thanks, Shivaay." Omkara tells him smiling.

Shivaay winks at him in reply.

Noticing Anika, Omkara says realizing, "So that is why you guys took so long to reach."

"I wasn't going to miss my time with my wife, so you could spend time with your wife." Shivaay replies shrugging.

********

Omkara and Gauri walk into their hotel room. the moment they stepped in, closing the door they turn to each other and hungrily starts kissing each other. Hurriedly removing each other's clothes, they stumble to the bed.

Lying on his side, Omkara was watching Gauri. she smiles seeing him look at her.

"I can't believe you are here and with me." Omkara tells her.

Gauri leans towards him and takes his lips in hers. "I miss you so much, Om." Gauri tells him as she hugged him tight.

"I know." Omkara tells her as he hugged her. "But I am very happy that you have your family with you."

"they are your family too." Gauri tells him as she looked at him.

Omkara nods.

"They also consider you as family."

"I know."

"They told you?" Gauri asks him.

Omkara shakes his head in negative. "It is the way they talk to me and behave with me. I understood."

Grinning, Gauri tells him, "Bhaiyya won't tell you. he doesn't even know how to tell Anika Bhabhi that he loves her. yesterday he was fishing for ideas."

Omkara chuckles hearing that then he asks curiously, "But what is the need to tell? Shouldn't Anika be knowing?"

"Yeah even I was wondering. What is there to tell?" Gauri asks not understanding.

"I know." Omkara starts kissing her neck.

"Papa was saying that we should get married again, with all the functions and rituals."

"Hmmm? That's nice." Omkara whispers as he continued to kiss her, his hands running down her body.

Feeling his fingers on her, Gauri gasps in pleasure and asks him, "You really don't want to talk, do you?"

"No."

Gauri sighs. "Even I don't. For months we were only talking."

********

"You are fired, Mishra!" Shivaay says furiously on the phone.

"Why are you looking like that?" Omkara asks Anika.

Anika was watching Shivaay curiously as he spoke on the phone.

They all had met at the restaurant for dinner.

"That is his one solution to all problems." Anika informs Omkara.

"What is that?" Shivaay asks as he hung up.

"You are fired." Anika tells him.

Shivaay makes a face while Gauri giggles and Omkara chuckles.

"Do you know what is one solution to all of Gauri's problems?" Omkara asks Anika.

"Om?" Anika asks him back.

Omkara chuckles making Gauri turn slightly pink. "That was before. Now, her one solution to all problems, pack bags and threaten to leave."

Gauri scowls hearing that while Anika and Shivaay chuckle.

"That is true." Shivaay agrees chuckling.

Gauri growls at Omkara making him grin.

"These two brother and sister are so alike." Anika tells Omkara.

"Totally. Their arrogance, over confidence..." Omkara says grinning.

"Don't forget their ego." Anika adds.

"Yeah! You know, he is so over confident, he made me sign a prenup!" Omkara tells her.

Anika gasps in shock. "Oh my God, he is dumb like his sister too." Anika laughs.

Shivaay and Gauri furiously glare at Anika and Omkara. They sat and watched them talk happily making fun of them.

"I understand, Gauri. I totally understand." Shivaay whispers to her.

"Yeah, bhaiyya!" Gauri mutters as she murdered Anika with her eyes.

"Chudail!" Shivaay mutters.

"You called Bhabhi chudail?" Gauri asks him gasping in shock.

"Of course not! I was calling your husband."

"What?"

Shivaay looks at her shrugs, "I don't know the masculine for chudail!" then looking at Omkara, he mutters, "Bloody dayan!"

Hearing music, they curiously look and sees the dance floor open.

"Let's dance, Anika bhabhi!" Gauri says excitedly.

"Let's." Anika excitedly says and they both quickly runs off to the dance floor.

Omkara and Shivaay watches them dancing so happily, they both watch them dance happily with a smile.

"She is so happy." Omkara tells Shivaay as he watched Gauri.

"Yeah. She was happy at home too." Shivaay replies as he looked at Gauri. "But she was missing you."

"I know. I knew it was going to be difficult without her, but didn't think it would be this hard."

"Why didn't you come home after your Missouri training was over? You had a few days off before joining here, right?" Shivaay asks him curiously.

Omkara thoughtfully looks at Shivaay and tells him, "You were right, Shivaay. Gauri and I were too depended on each other. We needed to get out of that codependency and this distance was important."

Shivaay nods.

"Now, she doesn't need me for every single thing, and it is a good thing."

"I couldn't understand your relation at first." Shivaay tells him. "And, you were right, I was jealous."

"I know." Omkara nods.

"The sister I have been waiting for all my life, was here, and I meant nothing to her. there was someone else, who was her life and he was all she needed. And for everything, she turned to you, she wanted your approval... it all felt wrong at that time." Shivaay tells him.

"Even Papa was also feeling like that." Omkara tells him.

Shivaay nods. "I'm happy she has you."

Omkara smiles hearing that.

"I'm sorry, I was so critical of you."

"I would have done the same. I trusted you so easily was because Mama always spoke of you, so Gauri and I kind of trusted you even before we met you. it might be hard for you to believe, but I always considered you my brother."

"Not anymore." Shivaay tells him. "Sahil is like my brother, because he is Anika's brother."

Omkara grins and asks him, "Now that we are brothers, will you tell me the truth?"

"What truth?" Shivaay asks him frowning.

"I didn't tell, Gauri. I have decided that I won't speak between you two. And you never told anyone, and Gauri can't keep a secret."

"You've secrets from her?" Shivaay asks shocked.

"She knows there is a secret. You are lucky, she is so happy to see me that she for time being, has forgot about it. Otherwise, she is determined to make me spill." Omkara tells him chuckling.

"What secret are you talking about?" Shivaay asks curiously.

"I asked Arjun to go to Anika to help her escape. But you told him not to, and also asked him not to tell anyone that you asked him not to do it." Omkara tells him grinning.

"Not Gauri, even Arjun is a tattletale." Shivaay mutters.

Omkara chuckles, "Tell me the truth, you actually wanted to marry Anika, didn't you?"

Shivaay grins at him and replies "Yeah."

Omkara chuckles in shock, "You mean to say, that when we were all freaking out and worrying about you, you were actually happy and thrilled?"

Shivaay chuckles, "yeah."

"God!" Omkara whispers.

"Where I had the time to go up and down to make her fall for me?" Shivaay asks him.

Omkara gives him an exasperated look. "You are going there every weekend."

"Yeah, now I am going to see my wife. For how long, can I use the land and farmers as a reason to go?" Shivaay asks cheekily.

"I knew that is why you went that time."

"She was acting so pricey. I knew she was interested but she was acting pricey. And in a bid to take revenge that sarpanch put Anika on my lap."

Omkara laughs.

"that is why, I didn't file a case against him after that because in a way, I wanted that, I would have been a hypocrite if I filed a case against him but when he went after Anika again that is why I decided to file a case against him." Shivaay tells him.

Omkara laughs. "When Arjun told me that, right after the wedding, you had turned to sarpanch and asked him, whether he was the one who would be issuing the marriage certificate, or did you guys have to go to the registrar for that..."

Shivaay laughs, "He almost fainted right there. He saw Anika and me arguing, and he thought, I thought of Anika very lowly and that is why he did that. forcefully make me marry someone I hate. Anika was collateral damage in his eyes."

"Does she know all this?" Omkara asks curiously.

"I told her last night."

"And she forgave you?" Omkara asks shocked.

Shivaay pulls his shirt down and Omkara sees scratch marks on his chest. "She forgave after that." Shivaay shrugs.

Omkara chuckles.

"Anika was saying, I got lucky because if you had send Arjun to her first then she would have definitely escaped." Shivaay tells her.

Omkara thoughtfully says, "You were priority. You were the outsider. If you escape, then they might have come after you that would have given us time to get Anika out of there. but if Anika escapes, then with sarpanch's issue with us, he might have hurt you."

Shivaay nods understanding.

"Anika was saying she was coming with you guys to Mumbai from here."

"Yeah." Shivaay nods. "She has handled everything in Bareilly. she even got a job in Mumbai. She wants to take care of her family by herself."

Omkara nods.

"I was talking to Gauri, it is time I decide my cadre." Omkara informs him.

"Hmmm?" Shivaay turns to look at him.

"I asked her which one she wanted me to pick. Uttar Pradesh as Bareilly is our home or Maharashtra as you are there."

"And?" Shivaay asks him a little worriedly.

"She said Maharashtra, even though I might not get posted in Mumbai, we could still be closer to Papa and you." Omkara informs him.

Shivaay smiles hearing that.

Omkara and Shivaay were talking as they watched Gauri and Anika dance. Suddenly, Omkara jumps up and hurries to the dance floor.

"What happened?" Shivaay asks curiously.

"That man!" Omkara replies as he grabbed a man dancing near Gauri and Anika by his collar. "Keep away."

That man quickly nods and moves away. Omkara turns to Gauri to check on her, and sees her happily dancing as she watched him.

Omkara smiles at her, "Okay?"

Gauri nods.

"You both okay?" Shivaay asks them.

Anika and Gauri nods.

"He was drunk." Anika says in a dismissing tone.

Omkara and Shivaay starts to walk off.

"Om, bhaiyya, come dance with us." Gauri tells them.

Omkara and Shivaay look at each other, then feeling silly and joyous, they grinning, joins their wives and starts dancing.

Gauri smiles happily seeing Omkara and Shivaay, so happy and friendly with each other. She happily puts one hand over Omkara's shoulder and one over Shivaay's and pulls them close to her. Seeing Anika watching them, Shivaay puts his hand over her shoulder and pulls her close to him.

Having her husband and her brother, so happy with her like a family, Gauri laughs happily. seeing that, Omkara and Shivaay smile at each other. Then they both kiss Gauri on either cheek of hers, making her laugh even more happily.

*phew* The End

I don't know how many of you liked this story. this story was inspired from a dialogue from Highway, where Veera tells Mahabir that she could do anything without a care or worry as he was there to handle things. So, that was the basic idea for this story, and the initial thought was, what happens when he has to go away but as the story progressed it got more into a subtle fight between Omkara and Shivaay regarding Gauri, and how the two important men in her life, accept each other.

Why Shivaay is given more importance than Shakti by Gauri and Omkara, because all her life, Pinky spoke of Shivaay but never of Shakti, so Shivaay had automatically become important for Gauri and Omkara.

Why Shakti accepted Anika easily and not Omkara, because Shakti had the same issues with Omkara that Shivaay had. A complete stranger being so important to Gauri. and Shakti accepted Anika, because he knew Shivaay had a chance to escape, but he chose to go ahead and marry Anika, so he accepted that as Shivaay's decision and not as a forceful marriage.

I know it had less romance and more of family drama, so don't know how many liked it or how many read it till the end.

Please do leave your comments and votes, if you liked it.

- Lazy