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

The title is from a Lisa Kleypas book.

Gauri sleepily stretches her hand and gives up the effort when she felt weigh down by something heavy. She felt tired and rejuvenated at the same time, as if she had a full body massage. Gauri sighs as she opened her eyes sleepily and in a second her sleep left her completely when she saw a head full of hair on her chest. What? how? When?

Gauri's starts breathing fast realizing that she couldn't remember how she had ended up like this. Did she get married? But wasn't she supposed to get married tonight? Or did she already get married? Oh my god! She forgot her wedding. How could she forget her own wedding, like that?

"Erm... Dushyant." Gauri softly calls him. Then she stops belatedly wondering whether they decided to have their wedding night before their wedding? No, she would never humiliate her parents like that. And Dushyant wasn't the adventurous or passionate type. Then how?

She feels him moving sleepily. Only when he started stirring she realized that she had her arm wrapped around him while he had his head on her naked chest. God, she was naked. So was he. Gauri thought panicking, feeling him. God! She knew she had to be intimate with her husband, but she had never dreamt that they would be the type to do it on their wedding night. She looks around curiously and sees the room without any decorations. Damn! They did it the night before. Gauri felt guilt sweep through her for breaking her parents trust like this. She gulps in guilt.

"Hey." She hears a soft voice say.

His voice was so soft, it felt like a caress. Dushyant never spoke to her in that tone.

Gauri curiously looks at him, wanting to ask him for answers. Then her eyes go wide seeing a complete stranger instead of Dushyant. A stranger in her arms.

"You okay?" he asks her softly as he caressed her cheek at the tip of her lips.

Gauri gulps in shock willing her to wake up from her nightmare. She couldn't be roofied a day before her wedding. She couldn't. God wasn't that cruel.

Then his lips replaced his fingers. Before she could react or push him away, his fingers started doing delicious things to her body. Gauri finally realized without any ounce of doubt, that she might not recognize him, but her body did. There was no other explanation to the way her body violently exploded to his touches. Then all thoughts left her as she quickly wrapped her legs around and let him have his way with her.

Gauri was too shocked to react to what had happened. She couldn't remember a thing. The only thing she realized was that this was no nightmare. This was the reality. She had slept with a stranger the night before her wedding. She looks at the man and he was again settled on her chest as he carelessly caressed her arm. His touch was so distracting. She couldn't think with the way he was touching her.

"Erm."

He leans up with a smile as he settled next to her. Resting his head on his elbow, he smiled at her.

"Please leave." Gauri whispers to him.

His smile dropped. Then he started frowning in confusion, "You don't remember last night?"

"No."

"You were not that drunk." He informs her frowning at her.

"Please, leave."

"You are in my room."

Gauri quickly looks around in panic and realizes that this room was not like her hotel suite. The bathroom in her room was in the left while here it was to the right. She quickly sits up as she wrapped the blanket around her.

"Relax." He tells her calmly as he picked his pants from the floor. "We need to talk. But I need a shower first." He quickly pulls on his pants and turning to her, he quickly reassures her, "Don't panic, Gauri. We will talk. But I need to clear my head first."

Gauri nods her head wanting him to leave. She watched him walk to the washroom. He turned to look at her curiously midway then he hurried to take his shower. The moment, his bathroom door closed, Gauri quickly grabs her clothes, then wearing them, she runs out of his room.

Gauri closes her bedroom door and locks it. Then falling to the ground, she breaks down realizing this drunken mistaken of hers, had ruined everything. How could she marry another after what she did? She had to talk to Dushyant. Tell him what had happened. But the humiliation that would bring on her innocent parents. Her sin and they were going to be punished for it. But could she marry Dushyant with the knowledge that she had let another man touch her when she was drunk and later, when she was sober. How could she tell Dushyant that she had come undone with a simple touch of a stranger? God! A part of her told her to hide the truth while another told her to tell him the truth. What is the use? It's over. A voice whispered from somewhere inside her. Gauri frowns with that information. It's over? Yes, it was. Gauri starts breathing faster as her head cleared and she remembered everything that had happened the previous night.

The mehendi function was coming to an end with the guests leaving. Gauri was having her dinner when she notices Dushyant near the bar, drinking. She quickly turns to look at her parents and sees them busy with some relatives. She quickly leaves her plate and hurries to him.

"Dushyant." Gauri whispers to him as she stood next to him.

"Gauri?" Dushyant drunkenly looks at her.

"God, Dushyant, you are drunk." Gauri whispers scandalized as she looked at her parents again. They weren't looking at them.

"I am not." Dushyant slurs.

"How could you, Dushyant? Tomorrow is our wedding. And you are getting drunk? What do you think my parents are going to feel if they see you like that?"

"They are not looking at me."

"I am taking you to your room."

"No, I want to get drunk."

Gauri ignores him and quickly finds a cousin of hers and tells her that she is going to her room, and to inform her parents about it. Then holding Dushyant, she walks out of the venue.

"Leave me, Gauri. I told you I want to drink." Dushyant says as he took a sip from the bottle.

"Stop it, Dushyant. Give me that bottle." Gauri scolds him as she tried to get the bottle from his hand. Dushyant quickly moves it out of her reach. "This is mine."

"Dushyant, what has happened to you?" Gauri asks him worriedly. She has never seen him like this. The truth was she has rarely seen him or spoke to him. Theirs was an arranged marriage.

"Is everything alright?"

Gauri turns to the sound and find a man there.

"Yes." Gauri replies turning to walk.

"Do you need my help?" he asks again as he walked towards her.

"No, we are fine." Gauri replies as she held Dushyant and started walking.

"Leave me." Dushyant says stubbornly as he pulled away from Gauri, and he was too fast for himself and starts to fall and the man quickly holds him.

"Thank you." Gauri tells him then frowning, she asks him, "You had come for the function?"

"Yes." He replies as he steadied Dushyant.

She had noticed him twice before, once when she had walked out of her hotel room after getting ready, she had noticed him at the lift as he was curiously watching her, then later, he had come on stage and wished her. He had intrigued her, his wish wasn't like the normal wishes people said as a formality, when he had wished her for a happy life ahead, it had felt as if he had really meant it. She wondered who he was and whether he was her parents' guest or Dushyant's. she didn't want to be rude and ask him that on his face, she had thought of asking Dushyant later, but then this had happened.

"Why are you holding me?" Dushyant asks him.

"Pull yourself together. This is not the way to behave." The man scolds him with a frown.

"I'll do whatever I want."

"No, you won't. You got a girl like her and you'll treat her with respect."

Gauri looks at the man in surprise hearing that. Maybe he was her parents' guest.

"I don't want her." Dushyant tells him furiously.

Gauri stops in shock hearing that, her heart skipping a beat. What did he mean by that?

"WHAT THE...?" she hears the stranger saying furiously.

"I love my Tia. I want to marry her. Not this Gauri." Dushyant says as he pointed at Gauri.

"What are you saying, Dushyant?" Gauri asks him shocked.

"Dadu forced me for the marriage. He said he will cut me out of the will if I didn't marry you. I don't want to marry you. I want to marry my Tia."

"What nonsense? You have no right to play with her life like this."

"What can I do? I am helpless." Dushyant says as he tried to take a sip.

Gauri furiously snatches the bottle from him. "Why didn't you say anything till now? Why wait for the last minute? Do you know what my parents would go through if they find out?"

"Do you know what I am going through?" Dushyant asks her back.

"That is not her concern."

Gauri turns to look at the man who was royally standing up for her, and though she should tell him to keep away from their matters, she felt relief to have someone speak up for her.

"Why is everyone cornering me?" Dushyant asks pissed.

"Because you are a bloody cheat."

"I didn't cheat her." Dushyant says then he qualifies, "We are not married yet."

"And once we are married?" Gauri asks him as her heart started beating fast.

"Then it would be."

"You mean to say that you would continue your affair with Tia?" he asks shocked.

"Continue? Tia is my love and she will always be my love."

He furiously grabs Dushyant's collar. "You bastard."

Gauri felt faint. She felt her world crashing. Her parents were going to be shattered. God what was she supposed to do?

"HEY! I am not a bastard, okay?"

"God! There is no use talking to you. you are too drunk."

"Well... I am supposed to marry her... I deserve to be drunk."

"You will not talk about her in that tone. You will talk of her with respect."

"What's the use?" Gauri sadly asks. "What is the use of having respect in his words when there is none in his heart?"

"This is not your fault." He tells her sternly.

"Go, Dushyant." Gauri tells him as she turned to him.

"Go?" Dushyant asks confused.

"Where?"

"To your Tia." Gauri tells him.

"Okay." Dushyant nods and starts to walk. Then stopping confused he tells her, "I can't remember her room number."

"She is here?" he asks scandalized.

"I can't stay without her."

"You can stay with her. I don't want to marry you." Gauri tells him. Then without another word, she turns and walks off.

What did I do? Gauri wonders in panic. How could she break off the wedding like that? She shouldn't have. Her parents were going to be humiliated if her marriage is going to be called off at the last minute. Oh God. Gauri takes a sip from the bottle as she felt her throat closing in on her. I should stop him. But he would be with his Tia now. I'll talk to him in the morning.

"You alright?" he comes hurrying to her.

"Where is he?" Gauri asks him as she took another sip.

"I dumped him at the reception. They will take him wherever he wants to go." he says as he sat next to her. "You, okay?"

"How do you think I am? The man I am going to marry just told me I mean nothing to him. That he is going to continue see his girlfriend after marriage."

"It's all over, now."

"It is not."

"What do you mean?" he asks frowning.

"I've to marry him."

"Have you gone mad, Gauri?" he asks angrily.

"I've to. If I don't marry him then my parents are going to be humiliated."

"How?" he asks shocked. "You are not at fault here."

"Only you know that. Do you think the rest of the world would believe the truth?"

"Why do you care what they think?"

"My parents mean the world to me. I won't have them ashamed because of me." Gauri takes another sip.

"You gotta stop drinking." He says as he snatched her bottle.

"No. I am throwing away my life, and I want to be drunk." Gauri says as she snatched the bottle back from him and took another sip.

"Why?"

"I was born 15 years after their marriage. They love me. their world revolves around me. If my marriage breaks they will not be able to bear it. They are simple people. And my father is not keeping well lately. I won't have them face such humiliation at this old age."

"And what are they going to think once they realize that you are miserable with that piece of crap?"

"What do you want me to do then?" Gauri asks him with furious tears.

"Marry me."

"What?" Gauri asks him as she turned to look at him in shock.

"Yes, Gauri, marry me. I'll keep you happy always. I'll marry you tomorrow at the mandap you were supposed to get married. Or whenever and wherever you want me to marry you."

"You would?" Gauri asks him, smiling.

"Of course, I would."

"Then no one will make fun of my parents for having my wedding called off." Gauri tells him smiling.

"Yes. I'll make sure they are not humiliated."

"Thank you." Gauri tells him smiling.

He smiles back at her lovingly.

Seeing him smiling at her so lovingly, Gauri moves towards him and keeps her lips on his. She felt him stiffen in shock for a second. She was going to move back when he cupped her face and kissed her passionately.

By the time, he had pulled back, Gauri was breathless and high in passion and alcohol. Gauri smiles as she sagged against him. "Kiss me, again."

"I should take you to your room."

"I don't want to go to that room." Gauri tells him in disgust.

"Why?"

"His stupid dadu paid for the room. Since, the wedding is going to be conducted here. It was his dadu's decision. Papa was not happy about it, that they are paying for our hotel rooms. But he had given in for me. my poor parents, they agreed to all their demands for me and that stupid Dushyant and his dadu."

"He is history, Gauri." He tells her softly. "Now, it is me. your now and forever."

"I like you more than that idiot." Gauri smiles at him happily.

"Thank you." he tells her smiling.

"Kiss me." Gauri tells him as she moved towards him.

"No. I'll take you to your room."

"I don't want to stay in that room." Gauri tells him stubbornly as she took another sip.

He quickly takes the bottle from her, "Let's leave the bottle here. How about I take you to my room?"

"Okay." Gauri tells him smiling.

"Get up, then." He says as he helped her up. "Can you walk?"

"I can but if you want you can carry me."

He smiles as he quickly picked her in his hands. Gauri wraps her hand around his neck happily.

"Go to sleep." He tells her as he put the blanket on her.

"Where are you going?" she asks him, frowning seeing him getting out of the bed.

"I'll sleep on the couch."

"Why? You can sleep on the bed with me."

"Then we might have our wedding night before our wedding." He says as he kissed her on her forehead.

"I like the way you kiss me." Gauri tells him smiling. "It is so loving."

He again kisses her on her forehead.

"Why is it so?" Gauri asks confused.

"Why my kisses are so loving?" he asks her affectionately.

"Yes."

"Haven't you heard the phrase, Gauri? To the world you may just be someone, but to someone you may be the whole world.'"

"I mean the whole world to you?" she asks him, smiling happily.

"You mean everything to me."

"Really?" Gauri asks him again feeling elated.

"Yes."

Gauri leans up and takes his lips in her lips.

"Gauri, we shouldn't."

"I want to." Gauri whispers as she pulled him on her and kissed him passionately while her hands fumbled at his buttons.

Oh God.

She had slept with him and she didn't even know his name. why did she have to get drunk like that? How was she ever going to explain to her parents that she called off her wedding and got engaged to another man?

Hearing the knock at her door, Gauri quickly gets up to open the door, wondering if he had come to talk.

"Dushyant?" Gauri says in shock seeing him at the door.

"What happened last night, Gauri?" Dushyant asks her nervously as he walked in.

"What are you doing here, Dushyant?"

Before he could reply, she hears another knock. She worriedly opens it wondering who it could be.

"You ran away." He tells her frowning.

"This is not a good time." Gauri tells him nervously. She couldn't handle both of them at the same time.

"Not a good time?" he asks frowning as he pushed open the door and walked in. "Don't you remember what happened last night?"

"Yes, now I do." Gauri whispers softly as she looked at Dushyant in worry.

"Good. You had me worried." He says smiling as he turned around and stops in shock seeing Dushyant there. "What the hell is he doing here?"

"What? I am her fianc." Dushyant says offended.

"You were. I am her fianc now."

"What the hell is this, Gauri?" Dushyant asks her furiously.

Gauri looks at both the men in confusion. How did she manage to get into a situation like this? She, who has never even spoken two words to any man unnecessarily.

"Shouldn't you be with your Tia?" he asks Dushyant.

"You know about Tia?" Dushyant asks shocked and then turning to Gauri he looks at her worriedly.

"Why are you here?" Gauri asks him again.

"So, it was not a dream?" Dushyant asks in a soft whisper.

"God! People should never be allowed to get drunk." He says in disgust then looking at her he says with a smile, "Except for you. It worked out for us."

"Huh?"

Gauri gulps hearing and seeing Dushyant's expression.

"Gauri, listen... I am sorry for what I said yesterday. We'll get married today." Dushyant tells her worriedly.

"Step away from her."

"Who the hell is he, Gauri?" Dushyant asks her in irritation.

"I am her fianc."

"How?" Dushyant asks both in confusion.

"What do you want, Dushyant? Don't you love Tia? Go to her."

"Gauri, we have to get married. My Dadu will disown me otherwise."

"She is marrying me."

"I don't even know your name." Gauri snaps at him.

God, what was happening?

He turns to frown at her in anger then he informs her, "The name is Omkara Singh Oberoi."

"Mr. Oberoi..." Gauri starts and then stops in confusion. "Oberoi... I have heard that somewhere."

"My house was right next to your college." He informs her.

"Oberoi Mansion." Gauri whispers remembering.

"Yes."

"Gauri... what will you tell your parents? This is going to be a scandal." Dushyant tells her. "We have to get married."

"My parents." Gauri softly whispers remembering them. She couldn't hurt them.

"Gauri, we discussed it already. I'll take care of them. Don't worry." Omkara Singh Oberoi reassures her.

"Gauri... listen to me. we will get married tonight. Please? My dadu will disown me otherwise."

"Make a life of your own, you spineless dog." Om screams at him.

"Can you both stop it?" Gauri asks them furiously.

"What is the problem, Gauri? We decided everything last night, right?" Om asks her confused.

"I WAS DRUNK!"

"So, your engagement is invalid." Dushyant says in relief.

"It is not." Om tells him and turning to Gauri, he asks her, "You were not that drunk, Gauri. I know that. Does last night mean nothing to you?"

"What happened last night?" Dushyant asks them in confusion.

"None of your business." Om snaps at him.

"I slept with him." Gauri answers at the same time.

"You don't owe him any explanation." Om tells her.

"You slept with him?" Dushyant asks her in shock. "But you didn't know his name."

"You've no right to question her."

"Please, can you stop it?" Gauri asks Om.

"Gauri, why do you want to listen to his crap?"

"What do you want me to do?" Gauri asks him in exasperation. "How do you think, I am going to explain all this to my parents?"

"What the hell does that mean?" Om asks her angrily. "Don't tell me you are thinking of marrying him after all that happened last night."

"I don't know, OKAY? I am not sure what to do."

"How about we get married?" Dushyant asks her in a soft voice. "You can continue seeing him. I don't have a problem. I'll be with Tia anyway. Once, dadu gives me my share, we will get divorced and you can marry him."

Gauri and Om gapes at him in shock.

"What do you say?" Dushyant asks them hopefully. "This way, Gauri, you don't have to explain anything to your parents."

"Will you answer him or do you want me to do it?" Om furiously asks Gauri.

Gauri was so disgusted by Dushyant and his suggestion, that the decision was made, "GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!"

"Gauri..."

"You heard her."

"Wait..." Gauri says agitatedly.

"Yes?" Dushyant asks her hopefully.

"Your grandfather paid for this stupid room." Gauri says getting restless. Then turning to Om, she asks, "Can I keep my things in your room till I talk to my parents?"

"Whatever is mine, is yours. You don't have to ask me." Om tells her smiling.

"How the hell do you even know me?" Gauri asks him in exasperation.

Gauri sighs as she dumped her bag on Om's bed.

"You alright?" Om asks her as he turned her to face him.

"How do you think I am?"

"I am here. Don't worry." Om tells her as he brushed her hair to the side and leaned in to kiss her.

Gauri quickly moves back in shock. "You have to stop being so forward with me. I don't know you. I am not a girl like that. I was not thinking straight last night. I made a mistake."

"You think I would offer marriage to any girl who is worried about her parents?" Om asks her in exasperation. "You think I would let any drunk girl seduce me? Last night, was my first time too."

Gauri's eyes open wide in shock and whispers, "It didn't feel like so."

"Well, it didn't feel like it was your first time too."

Gauri's cheeks heat up hearing that.

"I love you, Gauri."

"How do you even know me?" Gauri asks him confused.

"I've seen you outside your college. I started noticing you, when I saw you feed that mad man outside your college. Every day, you would feed him, and you were the only one he didn't shout at or hurl abuses at. I don't know when I fell in love with you. I've loved you for a long time. I wanted to tell you but I wasn't sure how to approach you. I didn't want you to think I was a stalker. I was not your friend nor from your college, and I didn't know anyone that you knew. I didn't know how I was supposed to proceed and I was worried you would reject me. by the time, I gathered the courage, your marriage was fixed. I cursed myself for not having the courage to tell you about my feelings."

"Is that why you came last night?" Gauri asks shocked.

"No. I thought you were happy with this relation and I just wanted to wish you the best for your life and to make sure that you were marrying the right man."

Gauri sighs as she sat on the bed. Om sits next to her, "I know, you don't know me. you didn't know that Dushyant too."

"I'll always keep you happy."

"I need time." Gauri tells him softly.

"Take all the time, you want."

"I've to tell my parents about Dushyant."

"I'll come with you."

"No. I won't tell them about you now. Later. When all this die down."

"Okay." Om says as he took her hand in his. "Whatever you feel is right."

"My mother would go looking for me in my room. If she doesn't find me there, then she would get worried." Gauri tells him.

"Then you go see them." Om tells her.

"I am sorry, Papa. I can't marry him." Gauri whispers to her father as she held his hand.

"You don't have to marry him, Gauri." Pinky says furiously. "How dare he try to cheat you?"

Gauri smiles in relief hearing her mother then seeing her father lost in thoughts, she calls him gently. Shakti looks at her and sadly says, "I am sorry, Gauri. I should have known. I realized that his grandfather was very controlling but I should have understood then itself that somethings were not right with that family. I am sorry, I made you go through that last night."

"Papa... people are going to say many things."

"I don't care what they say." Shakti tells her. "I am not going to push you into fire due to fear of what they would say. Pinky, pack everything. I'll talk to Dushyant's family and we will leave immediately. I'll tell our relatives too."

Gauri watched Shakti leave the room and turns to her mother and sees her getting up to pack. "Mama."

"It's okay, Gauri. Everything is going to be fine." Pinky tells her smiling reassuringly.

"I want to tell you something." Gauri worriedly tells her.

"What?" Pinky asks her as she sat next to her.

"Last night, when all that happened, there was this man there." Gauri hesitantly starts.

"Who, Gauri?" Pinky asks frowning curiously.

"He helped me, Mama. And I got a little drunk." Gauri tells her nervously.

"And?" Pinky ask frowning.

"I told him I would marry him."

"You did?" Pinky asks shocked and surprised.

"And things happened." Gauri softly whispers. "I am so sorry, Mama."

"What are you saying, Gauri?" Pinky asks as blood drained from her face.

"He was so kind to me. He stood up for me and supported me. He was so loving. I felt so special. He made me feel as if I was very important, Mama. I am so sorry, Mama." Gauri tells her as she hugged her mother and cried.

"Who is he, Gauri?"

"His name is Omkara Singh Oberoi. His house was next to my college." Gauri explains to her how and why Om had come.

"Hmmm."

"I am sorry, Mama. I am sorry, I broke your trust."

"Do you love him, Gauri?"

"I don't even know him properly, Mama. He is a stranger to me."

"But?" Pinky asks knowing there was a but.

"The way he makes me feel, I have never felt in my life. As if I am..."

"His whole world?" Pinky asks smiling.

"Yes."

"Hmmm... You don't worry. Once all this calm down, I'll talk to Shakti."

"Thank you, Mama." Gauri says in relief as she hugged her.

"All we want is for you to be happy, Gauri."

"Mama... he is waiting for me in his room. I'll go tell him and come?"

"Ask him to come here, I want to meet him."

"But Papa?"

"He will take time as he has to meet all our relatives too, right?"

Pinky was talking to Om when Shakti opens the door and walks in frowning. Noticing Gauri, he asks her curiously, "Do you know any Omkara Singh Oberoi?"

"Wh... what?"

"That Dushyant was making up stories about you. he mentioned someone named Omkara Singh Oberoi. Who is he?"

"That would be me." Om answers him.

Belatedly noticing the man sitting on the couch opposite to Gauri and Pinky, Shakti asks, "Who are you?"

"Shakti... we need to talk. Come with me." Pinky says getting up.

"I am so sorry, Papa." Gauri whispers to him as she knelt in front of him sadly.

"I am upset that you did what you did." Shakti tells her softly. "But, I can't imagine what might have gone through you when you realized what that Dushyant was up to."

"I panicked, Papa."

"I won't judge you for what happened last night, Gauri." Shakti tells her as he caressed her cheek. Then he turns to Om and asks him, "Who all there in your family?"

"It's just my mother and me."

"Will your mother accept our Gauri?" Shakti asks him.

"She was angry at me for not confessing my feelings to Gauri."

Pinky smiles hearing that.

"What do you do?" Shakti asks Om.

"Will you marry her today?" Shakti asks him.

"I'll marry her whenever she wants me to."

"But Shakti..."

"I won't have anyone slander her character." Shakti says stubbornly.

"But such a sudden marriage would raise questions, right? Specially with Dushyant saying all that?" Pinky asks confused.

"Yes, he is saying very many things but he is saying that only to his grandfather now. Before he starts saying all that to the rest of the world, I want them married. I want her married before people start making up other stories about her. Link her with other people."

"But wouldn't people ask questions?" Pinky asks confused.

"We'll tell them the truth. Gauri found out about Dushyant, and that time, Omkara proposed her and we also liked him, so we decided to get her married to him. I do not trust that Dushyant and his family anymore."

"But why should we fear him?" Om asks confused. "I know how to protect my wife."

"You'll." Shakti agrees. "But today, you'll marry."

"Gauri?" Om asks her.

"Whatever Papa says." Gauri replies.

Om looks at Shakti and tells him, "Whatever Gauri says."

Shakti smiles hearing that.

"Shouldn't we call your mother?"

"Mom won't be able to reach on time. It's okay, she'll understand."

"Shouldn't we at least talk to her before we decide anything?" Pinky asks Shakti.

"Don't. I'll surprise her with Gauri. You don't worry about her. She would only be too happy." Om tells her smiling confidently.

Gauri slips on her night dress and puts her robe over it. Nervously tying the ribbon. She had got out of her wedding dress as soon as her mother had left the room. She was so jittery and she couldn't carry the weight of the dress and jewels. So, she took a quick shower and wore her night dress. She nervously walks out of the dressing room to find her husband sitting on the couch checking his mobile.

Om looks up and smiles at her as she stepped out. "Gauri, I'll book our tickets to Mumbai for tomorrow? Is that fine?"

"Yes." Gauri nods.

"When are your parents flying back?"

"Tomorrow."

"Give me their flight details, I'll book the same flight then." Om tells her.

Gauri nods and taking her mobile, she starts to forward him their tickets and stops. "What's your number?"

"I'll give you a call." Om replies.

"Okay... my number is..." Gauri starts and stops in shock when her phone started ringing, flashing creep.

Gauri looks up in shock and sees him cheekily grinning at her. "You are the creep who you used to give me blank calls?"

"They weren't blank calls. I was a little nervous and didn't know what to say. So, I would hang up quickly." Om tells her embarrassed as he walked to the bed.

"Hmmm." Gauri muses as she sat on the bed and resaved his number. She saved it as Mister.

"I still can't believe." Gauri whispers as she looked at him in wonder.

"That you married me or that you didn't marry that clown?" Om asks as he stretched on the bed.

"Both." Gauri says.

"I can't believe you and yours parents let me marry you. for all you know, I could be a mass murderer."

Gauri turns to him in shock and then seeing the way he was looking at her, she smiles, "Even if you were, you would never hurt me."

Om smiles hearing that.

"I've sent you the ticket details." Gauri says.

"Lie down." Om tells her seeing her still sitting.

Gauri felt a little uncomfortable lying flat next to him like that, so she lies on her side, with her head resting on her elbows as she watched him.

"Hmmm... Gauri, is it okay if I upgrade your parents?"

"Upgrade them?" Gauri asks confused.

"Wouldn't it be weird if we fly business and they fly economy?"

"You are rich?" Gauri asks curiously. "Of course, you are rich." She says remembering his huge house.

Om grins hearing that, "Immensely."

"Pompous." Gauri mutters cheekily.

"So, is it okay?"

"Hmmm... okay... I'll explain to them." Gauri tells him.

"Great." Om tells her smiling as he quickly booked their tickets and upgraded her parents' tickets too.

Gauri smiles realizing that she would remain in the same city as her parents. It was a relief to know that they were close by. When she had decided to marry Dushyant, that was one of her greatest worry, being away from her parents. Now she didn't have to.

"Done." Om tells her as he turned to look at her.

"Are you happy?" Om asks Gauri softly.

Gauri felt his fingers near her knot on her robe and she got nervous as she nodded her head in yes. It was true they have done it, but was she ready to do it with him in her full sense? Well, she did it in the morning but still...

"You'll be able to love me one day, won't you?" Om asks her softly.

Gauri felt his fingers on her stomach, and she looks down and realizes that he wasn't trying to open her robe, he was just caressing her and that too unconsciously.

"Gauri?

Gauri look down at him and his heart was in his eyes then. Gauri leans down and takes his lips in hers, "Make love to me. she softly whispers to him against his lips.

"Are you nervous?" Om asks Gauri as he got out of the car.

"Will she be upset?" Gauri asks worriedly.

"She won't." Om confidently tells her as he rang the bell.

Few seconds later, Jhanvi opens the door and stops seeing Om and Gauri together.

"Om... who is this?" Jhanvi asks confused.

"Mom... this is Gauri... she got married yesterday. You always wanted to meet her, and I requested her to come and meet you."

Gauri gapes at him in shock hearing his lie then she turns to look at his mother and sees her gaping at him in shock.

"Mom... invite her in. her husband is waiting."

Jhanvi turns to look at Gauri and then she turns to stare at her son. Then her face breaks out into a big smile as she walked to Om and asks him excitedly, "You married her, didn't you?"

"How did you know?" Om asks surprised while Gauri smiles seeing Jhanvi's excitement.

"You wouldn't be looking so smug if she had married someone else." Jhanvi tells him as she playfully hit him on his head and turning to Gauri, she happily hugs her. "You scared me a little, Gauri, when you decided to marry someone else. But how did it happen?"

"He was a clown." Om tells winking at Gauri making her chuckle softly.

"You are the clown." Jhanvi tells him upset. "You should have told me you were bringing her, I would have called all our relatives."

"We'll fix a date and call everyone." Om tells her in a consoling way.

"You come in, Gauri. Jhanvi says as she took Gauri inside. "He is an idiot, never does anything at the right time."

"I did a few things right on time, this time, didn't I, Gauri?" Om asks Gauri rather smug.

Gauri blushes hearing that as she glared at him. Chuckling happily Om follows her into the house.
"What did you do to convince her?" Jhanvi asks curiously as led Gauri in.
"That clown proved himself to be a clown." Gauri answers cheekily looking at Om.
"So, this clown didn't do anything?" Jhanvi asks disappointed making Om roll his eyes.
"He stood up for me." Gauri says smiling.
"Ah." Jhanvi says. "Tell me all about it."
"In an hour, Gauri's parents are coming to see you."
"And you are telling me now?" Jhanvi asks panicking. "Idiot, never does anything on time."

- The End -

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