Thanks to all for voting and commenting on the previous story: The Perfect Husband (Posted on 01. May. 2023)

This story is based on a story request/idea by @Aastha

Fair warning

Gauri is going to piss off some readers.

Omkara is going to piss off some readers.

Both of them are going to piss off rest of the readers.

I believe everybody is excited... let's start.

Haven't proofread.

"Flowers!" Vasundhara says as she walked to her family happily holding the beautiful bouquet.

Gauri and Anika expectantly looks at her.

"Who is it for?" Harsh asks with a teasing smile at his daughters.

"Anika. From Shivaay." Vasundhara says as she extended the bouquet to her.

Blushing happily, Anika takes the bouquet.

Gauri quickly puts a smile on her face as she tried to hide her disappointment.

As if on cue, Anika's phone starts ringing. Blushing more, she quickly picks her phone and bouquet and hurries out of the room, while her family chuckled seeing that.

Vasundhara smiles as she watched her daughter and sits next to Gauri. Gauri smiles at her and Vasundhara smiles at her as she lovingly caressed her head. Gauri smiles and slyly looks at her phone to see if she got any messages or calls. There were none.

Gauri holds in her sigh of disappointment.

Anika had completed her Software Engineering course and had got placed through campus recruitment. At present, she was going through her training before she started her official work. Their parents had started looking for a groom for her when they got the proposal for her from the Oberoi family, for their elder son Shivaay.

After the initial enquiry, their family had decided to proceed and meet each other when they had suddenly proposed their younger son, Omkara for Gauri. Even though she was in her final year under graduation, they had decided to proceed because Anika and Gauri were very close and the prospect of being married into the same family was something they couldn't refuse.

Soon, the families had met. She had met Omkara. They spoke for maximum a minute. Omkara had asked her whether she was okay with getting married before she completed her studies and she had replied yes. And that was it.

Immediately after their marriage had been fixed, Shivaay and Anika had started speaking on the phone and going on dates while she neither met or spoke to Omkara after that.

**********

As days passed by, Gauri was getting worried and scared. She couldn't understand why Omkara didn't show any interest in her. As time went, she started getting insecure and couldn't help wonder whether he was being forced to marry her.

She couldn't bring herself to call him as he clearly didn't want to speak to her.

She couldn't speak to her sister or parents about it, as she didn't want to cause any problems in di's wedding. She could clearly see how much they loved each other.

**********

Her family had started noticing how both their daughter's relation with their respective grooms were so different from each other. Anika received gifts, flowers and calls from Shivaay on a daily basis while Gauri received none.

Gauri knew that her family was also getting worried. But she acted as if she didn't notice it.

"Gauri..." Anika walks to her one afternoon.

"Yeah, di?" Gauri turns to her as she faked a smile.

"I spoke to Shivaay." Anika starts guiltily and hesitantly.

Seeing the guilt on her, Gauri immediately knew what she would have spoke to him about. She quickly looks away, her smile dropping. "You shouldn't have."

"I didn't want to interfere. But Gauri, if it was the other way around, you would have also done the same." Anika gently tells her.

Gauri nods realizing that was true.

"Shivaay told me that Omkara is very reserved and doesn't speak much. He has always been like this. He is always silent. He is a man of few words. Shivaay swore to me that Omkara wants to marry you. No one is forcing him." Anika tells her.

Gauri nods, feeling a little relieved though her heart was still a little broken as she had always wanted a romantic husband.

"Shivaay said he would speak to Omkara."

"He shouldn't have." Gauri says a little upset because she didn't want anyone to force Omkara to call her.

**********

Her heart slamming against her chest, Gauri stares at her phone screen as it displayed Omkara calling.

"Hello?" Gauri nervously answers.

"Hello, Gauri. It is, Om." Omkara gently says.

"I know, I've your number saved." Gauri informs him.

"Oh. Okay."

When he didn't say anything, Gauri asks him. "How are you?"

"Fine. And you?"

"Good."

"Shivaay told me that you would have expected me to call you. I am sorry, I didn't realize that." Omkara tells her.

"It's okay. I... just..." not knowing what to say, Gauri just stops.

"When is a convenient time to call you?"

"What?" Gauri asks confused.

"You have college and college work. So, when would you be free?"

Gauri felt the question a little weird but she answers. "Like now. I'm free at this time."

"Okay."

They were silent for a few seconds.

"How was your day?" Gauri asks as she was drawing a big blank.

"Usual. Office work. How was your day?" Omkara asks her back.

"Good. I was in college. Had a test."

"Okay."

Gauri was a little disappointed that he hadn't asked how her test went.

"What else?" Gauri asks him.

"Nothing much. What else?" He asks her back.

"Nothing much."

"Okay... I'll call you tomorrow then. Bye."

"Okay. Good night."

"Good night."

**********

The next day, sharp at 10, Omkara called her. And they had the same conversation again.

Then the next day, also he called her, and the same conversation.

And it went on like that till their wedding.

**********

Gauri nervously sat on her marital bed as she waited for her husband. Her heart was slamming against her chest as she tried to control her nervousness. She hears the door open and she sits up tensed. Then she hears Omkara lock the door. She grips her hand in nervousness.

As she tried to calm her raising heart, she feels the bed dip.

Gauri gulps realizing that Omkara was sitting in front of her.

She feels him lift her ghoonghat up. Gauri nervously looks up at him.

As their eyes met, Omkara sweetly smiles at her.

Seeing him smile, Gauri shyly smiles back.

Smiling, Omkara leans towards her and gently kisses her forehead.

Feeling his kiss, Gauri blushes as she shyly looked down.

Omkara gently holds her chin and lifts up her face.

Seeing her blushing like a tomato, he couldn't help it, and he kisses her red cheek. Then he moves to kiss her other cheek. As he was kissing her, he felt her featherlight kiss.

He moves back and looks at her, and Gauri blushes even more.

Seeing her blushing like that, his eyes moves to her lips.

Feeling his eyes on her lips, Gauri couldn't help it, and her gaze falls to his lips and she unconsciously parts her lips.

Seeing the silent invitation, Omkara moves towards her and takes her lips in his.

**********

Gauri couldn't move. It was as if she was stuck in a tight place. And she was feeling sore too. Sleepily, she opens her eyes and realizes that she wasn't stuck. She was in Omkara's tight embrace.

Seeing him in broad daylight, Gauri couldn't control her blush. She never thought or expected them to be of those couples who would make love on the first night of their marriage. She blushes as she remembered their night together. After their amazing first kiss, they just kept kissing each other and then one thing led to another and they ended up going all the way.

Realizing that she needed to get up, Gauri gently wakes him up. "Om?"

"Hmmm." Omkara sleepily opens his eyes.

"Good morning." Gauri says as she blushed.

"Morning." Omkara says with a sleepy smile as he kissed her cheek.

Gauri kisses his cheek shyly.

Omkara smiles and hugging her, he closes his eyes to sleep.

"Move, I've to get up."

Omkara nods and immediately moves away and moves to his side of the bed and goes back to sleep.

Gauri was a little disappointed that there was no push and pull on the bed like she had seen in movies. Then realizing she had no time to play romantic tease, she quickly grabs her clothes and runs to the bathroom.

**********

Gauri and Anika walks to the dining table as they carried the food they had prepared.

"Is it ready?" Shivaay asks excitedly as he walked to them.

"Yes." Anika replies happily.

Gauri looks for Omkara and sees him busy on his laptop.

"Which one is yours?" Shivaay asks Anika.

"This one."

"Om, come." Jhanvi calls out to him as she served the food on bowls.

Omkara leaving his laptop on the couch, walks to the dining table.

Gauri's eyes locks with his and he gently smiles at her. Gauri smiles back at him.

"This is Anika's." Jhanvi says as she handed a bowl to Shivaay. Then she hands another bowl to Omkara. "This is Gauri's."

Both the brothers tastes the food while Anika and Gauri, looked at their husbands with nervous excitement.

"Wow... amazing." Shivaay says as he ate the food.

Anika smiles happily hearing her husband praise her.

Shivaay takes her hand and kisses on it. "You've magic on your fingers."

Anika blushes as she looked at her audience. Gauri winks at her with a teasing smile.

"How is Gauri's?" Jhanvi asks Omkara.

Gauri expectantly looks at her husband.

"Nice." Omkara tells Gauri as he softly smiled.

Gauri shyly smiles hearing that, though she was a little disappointed that he was not that excited about her food like jeeju was of di's.

"Just nice?" Jhanvi asks shocked.

"What?" Omkara asks confused. "It is good."

"You are so unromantic, Om." Jhanvi says shaking her head.

"How is a son of mine so unromantic?" Tej asks frowning disappointed at Omkara.

Confused and lost, Omkara looks at everyone then he looks at Gauri.

Gauri didn't know what to say.

"Learn from your father, Om. He is so romantic." Jhanvi tells him as she lovingly smiled at Tej.

Tej also smiles at her happily.

Gauri felt so awkward and uncomfortable hearing all that.

Noticing her sister, being uncomfortable, Anika says loudly. "Let's eat."

**********

"You're happy, right?" Anika asks Gauri as they walked to her room that night.

Gauri nods understanding, the earlier incident might have made her concerned."Om doesn't speak much. But he is very gentle." Gauri tells her smiling shyly.

Seeing her sister, happily smiling, Anika smiles happily and hugs her. Gauri hugs her as she chuckled.

As they were walking, Gauri notices Omkara coming from the opposite side.

Gauri stops while Anika walked ahead. Seeing her, Omkara walks to her.

"Di and I'm going to call Papa and Mummy." Gauri informs him.

"Okay. I'll be in room."

"I'll come soon." Gauri tells him as she blushed.

Seeing her blush, Omkara grins though his cheek had also turned slightly pink and he whispers. "Come fast."

Gauri blushes even more hearing that. Nodding, she runs off to Anika's room.

**********

Gauri locks their bedroom door as she walked in. Seeing her, Omkara smiles and walks to her.

Gauri walks to him and was about to hug him when alarm starts ringing. "What's that?" Gauri asks shocked.

"My phone." Omkara says as he looked around for his phone.

Seeing his phone on the bed, Gauri picks it up and stops in shock seeing the alarm notification. Call Gauri.

"You kept an alarm to call me daily?" Gauri asks shocked.

"Yeah." Omkara takes the phone and stops the alarm. "I forgot to delete it." Omkara says as he deleted the alarm.

"You had an alarm to call me daily?" Gauri asks, no wonder he was always sharp on time.

"Yeah, I knew you were expecting my call, I didn't want you to wait." Omkara says as he threw the phone on the bed.

Gauri didn't know whether she should be offended that he needed an alarm to remind him to call her or be happy that he didn't want her to wait.

In the end, she decided to look at the bright side. "That was sweet." Gauri says smiling at him as she wrapped her hand around his waist.

Omkara smiles as he wrapped his hand around her waist and pulls her close.

**********

Her husband was a loner. Gauri figured that out as days passed by. He always kept to himself. He wasn't much of a talker. Whenever they spoke to each other it was because she had initiated a conversation. It was not just her, he didn't speak much with his family members also. But he always had a smile on his face, when he looked at her.

"My leave is over. Tomorrow, I've to start going to college again." Gauri tells Omkara as she snuggled in his arms.

Omkara nods. "What's your college timing?"

"8 to 3:30."

"I can drop you on the way but picking you up..."

"That's okay." Gauri tells him smiling. "I go with my friends. And I'll come back with them."

"Okay." Omkara replies then seeing her smiling he asks with a smile. "You're excited to go back to college?"

"Yeah." Gauri smiles excitedly.

Omkara smiles.

"Di's training will finish in a month. Then she will go to Bengaluru." Gauri tells him a little sadly.

"You're very close to bhabhi, right?"

"Yes. Till marriage, we used to sleep in same room." Gauri tells him. "Now, I'll get to see her only alternate weekends."

"That is what they are planning. I don't know how practically possible will that be. They both would be working and traveling up and down might be too much after a point. So, maybe it will be once a month or so."

"You think so?" Gauri asks sadly.

"You can also go there to see her when you miss her." Omkara reminds her.

"Oh yeah." Gauri says smiling at that possibility.

Omkara smiles and he kisses her forehead.

Smiling, Gauri kisses him realizing he was ready to sleep. "Good night."

**********

Gauri wasn't unhappy. She was happy with Omkara but when she sees the other two couple around her, she couldn't help feel a sense of loss. Both Jeeju and Dad, were so expressive and romantic with their wives. Both di and Mom were being treated like a princess by their husbands while she was being treated like just a wife.

She knew that there were many husbands who treated their wives in worse and cruel way. Omkara was always sweet and gentle with her. Di and Jeeju already had their first fight after marriage and they had patched up while Omkara hasn't even looked at her with displeasure till now.When she thought of all that, she felt she was being ungrateful. But her heart couldn't help crave for more.

**********

Gauri sighs as she walked to the kitchen, feeling disappointed and upset. Di and jeeju have gone for a date as it was Valentine's day. Even Dad and Mom were missing from home. Om wasn't even home from office yet. Her friends who all were in a relation were having special plans for the day.

She wondered whether Om realized it was valentine's day. Gauri shakes her head, he didn't. Even she hadn't realized it till she had gone to college and met her friends. Then later that day, Di had messaged her to inform of her valentine's plan.

"What's for dinner?" Gauri asks the cook.

The cook turns to her in shock and says. "Madam said since it is valentine's day, you all would have plans and not to cook anything for you all."

"Oh."

"I'll make something quickly." The cook says hurriedly.

"It's okay. I'll order something." Gauri tells her and quickly leaves the kitchen.

**********

Om, food is here. When will you reach?

Gauri messages Omkara. Half a minute later, she gets his reply.

I'll take time, Gauri. You've dinner.

Okay.

Gauri sighs, Om always came late from work but she didn't mind that as she used that time to finish her college work and spend time with her di. So, when he reaches home, she would be free to spend her time with Om.

Tonight, she was feeling depressed and lonely. Everybody was having an amazing time with their spouse while she was here all alone. Gauri opens the pizza box. She takes a pizza slice and brings it near her mouth. Unable to control herself, a sob breaks out of her. Leaving the pizza back in the box, Gauri runs off to her room.

She falls on her bed and breaks out into loud sob.

Why didn't Om want to spend time with her? Why is he so distant? Why is he not romantic and loving?

With these thoughts plaguing her, Gauri sleeps off.

In the middle of the night, Gauri wakes up and looks to Omkara's side and finds him sleeping on his end of the bed.

Gauri feels sad seeing that. Why didn't he wake her up when he reached home? They hadn't spend anytime together the whole day, morning they both would be busy getting ready for work and college. Only at night, they had time for each other, and he didn't wake her up when he reached.

**********

"Do you want to go out?" Gauri asks Omkara one weekend.

"Where?" Omkara asks curiously as he looked at her.

"Somewhere... anywhere... just for a driver... we never went out together anywhere." Gauri tells him.

"Okay."

Gauri smiles excitedly seeing him agree. "Let's go then. We'll have dinner also from out."

"Okay." Omkara smiles seeing her smile.

"Let's get ready." Gauri tells him as she pulled his hand and pulled him up.

Chuckling, Omkara let's her lead him.

**********

They were walking down the stairs when Anika comes from the opposite side.

"Di, we're going out." Gauri informs her excitedly.

"Nice, where?" Anika asks smiling happily.

"Just for drive and dinner." Gauri tells her.

"Great. Enjoy." Anika tells them smiling.

"You want to come with us, bhabhi?" Omkara asks her.

Gauri and Anika stop hearing the question.

Anika looks at Omkara then at Gauri then she looks back at Omkara and says, "No, you guys go. Have fun."

Gauri smiles hearing her sister refuse. She smiles at Anika. "Bye, di."

"Bye." Anika smiles at her.

Gauri and Omkara walk down the stairs. Excited and happy, Gauri wraps her hand around Omkara's waist, hugging him. Smiling, Omkara wraps his hand around her.

**********

"Hi, di!" Gauri answers the call as she left her college. "College is done, I'll meet you at the mall in a bit."

Anika was finishing her training today and in two days, Anika and Shivaay would be leaving for Bengaluru. So, Gauri and Anika were going for shopping for her.

"Gauri..." Anika says disappointedly.

"What happened, di?" Gauri asks as she stopped in worry.

"I don't think I can go." Anika says softly sniffing.

"Why?"

"They put me in the branch here."

"But you had asked for Bengaluru."

"They didn't have any slot. Too many recruits from Bengaluru. Only options are Mumbai and Delhi."

"Oh no."

"I'm going home."

"Okay, I'll see you there. What did jeeju say?"

"He is also upset. He is coming home now. I'll see you there."

"Okay." Gauri cuts the call and dials Omkara as she hurried out of her college

**********

The family had gathered together as they discussed on various solutions.

"When can you request for a transfer?" Tej asks Anika.

"I'm on probation for 6 months and I've to work here for two years before I can opt for a transfer." Anika informs him.

"Er... how about you look for a job in Bengaluru?" Jhanvi gently asks her.

Anika thoughtfully looks at her mother-in-law.

"No... this has been her dream. To get a job in this company. And it is such a career kill to leave a job with no 1 software company." Shivaay says shaking his head.

"Then what are you going to do?" Tej asks him.

"I'll go alone then." Shivaay says.

Seeing Anika's eyes fill up, Gauri wraps her hand around her to console her.

"I'll go." Omkara declares.

Gauri turns to Omkara in shock.

"What?" Shivaay asks him shocked.

"I can manage the work there. Either of us has to be there. I can go." Omkara tells him.

Gauri couldn't believe that Omkara would take such a big decision of their life without even talking to her first about it. And how could he go like that? What about her?

"But Gauri has college." Shivaay reminds him, confused.

"Gauri will stay here." Omkara replies.

"No." Anika says shaking her head. "You and Gauri doesn't have to do that. Shivaay will go and I'll stay here."

"Bhabhi, this is the practical thing to do. Dad can't go. He has to be here. It's either Shivaay or me. It is better I go." Omkara tells her.

"What about Gauri?" Anika asks him.

Gauri helplessly looks at her husband as her heart slammed against her chest, in worry and heart break. How can he go leaving her behind?

"Gauri has college, she'll stay here." Omkara says.

"You and Gauri staying away from each other... that is not right, Om." Shivaay tells him. "Anika and I'll work it out. For now, I'll go alone."

"Be practical, Shivaay." Omkara tells him. "In a few months Gauri will finish her course. She can move to Bengaluru after that. She can join a college there for her post graduation. By the time, she finishes her PG, it will be time for me to come back. We both will come back then. If I go now, it is just a matter of few months for us. If you go, then it is going to be for years for you both."

"Om is right." Tej gently interjects.

Shivaay and Anika look at each other, guiltily and thoughtfully.

"What do you say?" Shivaay finally asks Anika.

"I don't feel this is right." Anika says guiltily.

"Even I feel Om is right, Anika." Jhanvi tells her.

"Are you okay with this?" Anika asks Gauri.

When her husband had made the decision and told everyone about it, did it really matter whether she was okay with this or not?

Gauri looks at her sister, and the first thought she had was, jeeju loved di, and they should be together.

Gauri looks at Omkara and sees him looking at her. "Om is right."

**********

Two days went in a blink for Gauri as she watched Omkara prepare for shifting to a new city.

She was hurt, upset and heart broken but she didn't tell him anything. Because according to her, he had already made his decision to leave her behind.

Gauri watched as Omkara packed up his laptop bag. His flight was tomorrow early morning. He would be staying in the flat that jeeju and di had decided on. They had already got the flat ready the week before itself. Seeing Omkara keeping his laptop bag to the side and taking his mobile to set the alarm, Gauri runs to him and hugs him from behind.

Omkara turns around and hugs her. "What happened?"

With tear filled eyes, Gauri looks at him. "When will you come back?"

Omkara lovingly cups her face. "This weekend. I'll come every weekend." Omkara promises her.

"I'll miss you, Om." Gauri tells him as she sobbed.

"Gauri, please don't cry." Omkara tells her as he hugged her. "It is for just a few months, love."

Gauri nods as she hugged him tight. "Keep alarm to call me every night." Gauri tells him as she cried.

**********

Gauri walks to her bedroom and gets on her bed sadly. First time, she was staying there without Omkara. Even though her sister was there, Gauri felt lonely and abandoned.

Omkara had already called her. Now, she was alone.

She lies on her bed and silently cried. She was finding it so hard to stay away from Om. And she had to stay like this for months. How was it so easy for Om to take such a decision?

As Gauri lay on her bed, she couldn't help wonder whether she meant nothing to Omkara. Just like how he had decided to stay away from her for his brother, did he decide to marry her also for his brother?

With that scary thought, Gauri cried herself to sleep.

Feeling someone hug her, Gauri wakes up in surprise. "Om?" Gauri calls as she turns to look.

"It's me." Anika guiltily says.

"I thought it was Om." Gauri says disappointed and sad as she lay back. "He always hugs me like that when we sleep." Gauri whispers.

"I'm so sorry, Gauri." Anika guiltily says.

"Don't say sorry, di. This is right thing to do." Gauri says as she looked at her.

Gauri knew the decision they had made was the most practical decision, but she still missed her husband and felt abandoned.

Anika gently wipes Gauri's tears.

Gauri looks at her sister sadly and confesses as she cried. "I miss him, di. He left so fast. I didn't have time to get used to the idea of staying away from him."

Anika hugs her as Gauri cried herself to sleep.

**********

Even though she missed Omkara and felt lonely, she tried to ignore that and go about her life.

Gauri was walking to her bedroom when she noticing through the window, Shivaay and Anika walking together in the garden as they spoke to each other.

Gauri unknowingly stops and watches them for a few seconds. She couldn't remember walking like that with Omkara. She regrets never walking with him like that. Then she couldn't help but wonder if he would even enjoy that.

Feeling someone keep his hand over her shoulder, Gauri turns to look and sees Tej.

"Dad..." Gauri smiles as she looked at him. "I was just..."

"Missing Om?" Tej asks her.

The family was going out of their way to pamper her because Omkara wasn't home. Gauri smiles at him and says as she hugged him. "He will come back in 2 days."

Tej smiles at her.

"Gauri!" Anika calls her.

Gauri turns to look at her sister.

"Come here!" Anika and Shivaay waves her over.

Gauri was wondering whether she would be intruding on them when Tej gently pushes her. "Go."

Nodding, Gauri walks to them as she smiled at them.

**********

Gauri couldn't hide her excitement as tomorrow evening Om would be coming home.

"Look at her beaming." Jhanvi teases seeing Gauri walk in.

Gauri happily chuckles as she sat next to her mother-in-law.

"Was college that good today?" Jhanvi teases her.

Gauri happily laughs hearing that. "The best!"

Jhanvi laughs hearing her.

Seeing her laugh, unable to hide her excitement, Gauri says happily, "Om will reach tomorrow."

"But Om said he is not coming tomorrow." Jhanvi tells her confused.

"What?" Gauri asks confused then chuckling she says, "You're teasing me, right?"

"No, Gauri. Om is not coming tomorrow." Jhanvi tells her.

"But he didn't say anything to me." Gauri says confused as she took her phone to call him.

"He called while you were in college. Maybe he didn't want to disturb you during class. Some important meeting. He said he'll come next week."

"You're just joking."

"I swear, Gauri. He is not coming tomorrow." Jhanvi tells her honestly.

"He is not coming tomorrow?" Gauri asks as her eyes filled up and her heart breaking.

"Oh Gauri... don't cry, my child." Jhanvi quickly hugs her. "I was just joking."

"He is coming tomorrow?" Gauri asks her hopefully.

"No."

"Then..."

"You reached?" Omkara asks happily.

Hearing him, Gauri turns back in shock and sees Omkara walking towards her, smiling happily.

"Om!" Gauri shouts in surprise and she quickly gets up and runs to him.

As she reached him, she jumps on him and hugs him tight. "You're here."

Omkara hugs her tight.

"How come you're here?" Gauri asks him as she looked up at him, unable to control her joy.

"You liked our surprise?" Tej asks Gauri.

Gauri turns around and finds Tej, Jhanvi, Anika and Shivaay. "Your surprise?" Gauri asks surprised.

"Yeah." Jhanvi tells her smiling as she lovingly caressed her hair. "I told you Om is not coming tomorrow." Jhanvi cheekily says.

"You gave me a heart attack." Gauri tells her laughing happily as she hugged Omkara.

"I told you I would come." Omkara reminds her gently.

Gauri looks at him and smiles happily.

**********

The moment they walked into their room. Omkara and Gauri starts to kiss hungrily.

"I missed you." Gauri tells Omkara as she kissed him.

Omkara groans as he hungrily kissed her as he pulled her closer to him.

**********

Slowly, Gauri adapted to the new situation. Omkara came every Friday evening and left Monday early morning. And every night, Omkara called Gauri at sharp 10. Gauri never kept any time, whenever she felt like talking to him, she called him.

**********

Hearing the alarm ringing, Gauri comes awake in shock. "What is that?" Gauri asks as she tried to calm her raising heart.

"It's the alarm." Omkara tells her as he turned to switch off the alarm.

"Is it time for your flight?" Gauri asks disappointed.

Omkara chuckles. "I just reached today." Omkara reminds her.

"Then why the alar..." Gauri stops when she felt Omkara kiss her cheek.

"Happy birthday."

"It's my birthday?" Gauri asks confused. "Oh yeah it is."

Gauri feels Omkara take her hand and she looks at their hand and sees him put a beautiful bracelet on her wrist.

"So, beautiful." Gauri says smiling as she admired it.

Omkara smiles seeing that.

"You knew it is my birthday?"

"Yeah." Omkara replies surprised.

"You kept an alarm to wish me?" Gauri asks frowning.

"We always wish each other at 12 here." Omkara replies.

Gauri takes his hand and keeps it over her heart, and feels her heart beating fast. "You need to change your alarm tone."

"Sorry."

"Thank you." Gauri says as she kissed him.

"Gauri!"

"Everyone is here to wish you." Omkara says.

"Oh." Gauri jumps out of the bed as she gathered her clothes. Then remembering, she removes his t-shirt that she was wearing and throws it at him. Every time they made love, she was too lazy to wear her clothes and always wore the t-shirt that he would have been wearing that night. She runs to the bathroom to wear her clothes while Omkara wore his t-shirt and opened the door.

Gauri comes out of the bathroom fully clothed and finds the family waiting for her.

"Happy birthday!" Everyone excitedly wishes her.

**********

Gauri was getting nervous. She hadn't got her periods yet. She waited for a few days but there was no sign of her periods. She decides to get a home test and find out.

**********

Gauri knocks on Anika's bedroom door. Shivaay opens the door.

"Hi Gauri." Shivaay says smiling at her.

"Where is di?" Gauri asks him nervously.

"Anika... Gauri here for you." Shivaay calls out then he asks her in concern. "All okay?"

"Yeah."

"What happened?" Anika asks confused as she walked out hearing Shivaay's question.

Gauri awkwardly looks at Shivaay. Realizing they wanted privacy, he walks back into his room.

The moment he went back in, Gauri grabs Anika's hand and runs to her room.

"What happened?" Anika asks as she ran with her.

Gauri takes her test stick and extends it to Anika.

Noticing the home test, Anika asks excitedly. "You are pregnant?"

Gauri nervously nods.

Seeing her nervous, Anika asks her worriedly. "It is not planned?"

Gauri shakes her head in no.

"What did Om say?" Anika asks her.

"I called him but he didn't answer the call. I think he is busy."

"Try again, Gauri." Anika tells her gently.

Gauri nods and takes her mobile and dials Omkara's number.

After a few rings, he answers the call. "Gauri... I'm a little busy. Can I call you back?"

Gauri quickly moves away for privacy. "No, Om. This is important."

"All okay? You sound upset." Omkara asks in concern.

Gauri nervously tells him. "Om, I'm pregnant."

"What?" Omkara asks in shock. "How? We used condoms."

Omkara had always been careful. Not even once they have had unprotected sex.

"I didn't get my periods and when I checked at home, it shows I am pregnant." Gauri informs him.

Omkara was silent hearing her.

"Om?"

"What did you decide?" Omkara asks her.

As he asked her that, Gauri asked herself that question. Her heart and lips replied at once. "I want this baby."

Omkara didn't say anything hearing that.

"Om?"

"I'm here."

"What are you thinking?"

"It's such a shock." Omkara says then he sighs loudly. "We are going to be parents."

She could hear his smile in his voice. "You're happy." Gauri says feeling happy.

"I love babies. You had college, studies and career. So, I thought we'll have babies only years later." Omkara says happily.

"I know. But I'm happy we are going to have a baby." Gauri tells him happily.

Omkara smiles hearing that.

"I want to see you. When will you come?" Gauri asks excitedly.

"Day after."

"Oh."

"You want me to come today?" Omkara asks her.

Even though, she wanted him to come, she knew it is silly to say that. "It's okay. I'll see you day after." Gauri tells him softly. "Bye. Call me when you're free." Gauri tells him and hangs up the phone.

Gauri turns back and looks at Anika. Anika expectantly looks at her, and Gauri happily smiles.

"Congratulations!" Anika says excitedly as she ran to her and hugged her.

Gauri hugs her happily.

"I'll tell everyone?"

Gauri happily nods.

Shouting excitedly, Anika runs out of the room.

**********

Gauri rolls over in her sleep and her hand hits something hard. Gauri curiously opens her eyes and sees someone lying next to her.

"DI, JEEJU, DAD, MOM!" Gauri screams freaking out as she jumped out of her bed.

"Gauri? What happened?" Omkara asks as he sat up worried.

"Om?" Gauri stops in shock. "When did you come?"

"Why are you screaming?" Omkara asks her worriedly.

"Because you were supposed to be in Bengaluru and someone was lying next to me." Gauri tells him shocked.

"Gauri!!!" Anika knocks on the door freaking out.

"Gauri!"

"I thought you wanted me to come." Omkara replies confused as he walked to the door and opens it.

"Om?" Shivaay stops in shock seeing him. "When did you come?"

Anika pushes Omkara and runs in worriedly to Gauri.

Checking his watch, Omkara says, "About 2 hours back."

"Gauri... what happened?" Jhanvi asks as she hurried to the room then stopping in shock, she asks. "Om? When did you come?"

"Is Gauri okay?" Tej asks.

"You okay?" Anika asks Gauri.

Gauri nods. "I didn't know Om was back. I got scared when I saw someone lying next to me."

"Oh my God, Om." Jhanvi hits his shoulder. "She is pregnant. You don't scare her like this."

"She was sleeping when I reached. So, I didn't want to disturb her by waking her up." Omkara explains.

"Are you okay, Gauri?" Jhanvi asks her.

"Yeah, I am fine. Sorry, I woke you all up and gave you a fright." Gauri tells them.

Slowly everyone left. Omkara locks the door and walks to Gauri.

"Sorry, I scared you." Omkara tells her as he hugged her.

"You came." Gauri says happily as she hugged him.

"I felt as though you wanted me to come."

"I did." Gauri smiles and keeps his hand over her stomach.

Omkara smiles and gently caresses her stomach. "I still can't believe."

"Even me." Gauri tells him happily as she hugged him tight.

**********

"I'm not coming down." Gauri says as she sat on the bed looking down at her fingers.

Omkara who was picking up his bag stops and looks at her. "Are you not feeling well?" Omkara asks as he walked to her and knelt in front of her.

"I'm fine." Gauri whispers.

Omkara lifts up her face and sees her eyes filled with tears. "What happened?"

"I feel like crying. I don't want everyone to see me cry." Gauri tells him sadly.

She had gotten used to him leaving every week but today, she was feeling sad again.

Omkara wipes her tears. "It is normal to feel emotional during this time."

Gauri nods.

"Be happy. Everybody is here." Omkara tells her.

But she wanted him the most.

Gauri nods. "I'm fine. It is just the pregnancy hormones."

Omkara nods and kisses her forehead. "I'll go. You stay here."

"Bye." Gauri hugs him.

**********

Gauri was happy about her pregnancy but being away from Omkara was making her lonely. She hadn't expected them to have such an arrangement till it had happened and slowly she had started getting used to it but now, with this unexpected pregnancy and Omkara being away from her, made her feel so lonely. Every time, she missed him, she called him. Even though he attended her calls and called her once daily, he being a man of few words, left Gauri feel lonely and depressed. At times, it made her feel that she was being desperate for his attention and that made her feel horrible..

"I didn't get an appointment for the weekend. Only Thursday is available." Gauri informs Omkara.

"Hmmm."

"Should I look for another gynecologist?" Gauri asks him.

"Mom said she is the best, right?"

"But you won't be able to come."

"No, I can't. But it's okay, you go with bhabhi."

"But you'll miss the first scan."

"It's okay. You let me know in advance about the next appointments, so I'll clear my schedule accordingly."

"Okay. I'll send you the scan picture."

**********

"I'll pick you from your college tomorrow." Anika tells Gauri at night as they walked to Gauri's room.

"Okay." Gauri nods.

"You're missing Om, right?" Anika asks her softly.

Gauri softly smiles at her without replying.

"I'm sorry, Gauri. At this time, you need Om the most and because of us, you both have to stay away from each other." Anika says guiltily.

"No, di. We didn't expect that I will get pregnant so soon. None of this was planned." Gauri tells her.

**********

Gauri wakes up feeling intense pain in her stomach. Crying and struggling, Gauri gets out of her bed. With great difficulty Gauri knocks on Anika's bedroom door.

"Di..." Gauri gasps as she knocked on the door.

Anika opens the door and stops in shock seeing Gauri kneeling on the floor, crying and sweating.

"Gauri..." Anika falls on her knees as she held her.

"My stomach is paining, di. My baby..." Gauri cries, scared for her baby's life.

"Oh my God... SHIVAAY!"

**********

"Gauri... say something." Vasundhara says softly as she sat opposite to Gauri on the hospital bed.

Gauri doesn't reply or look up at her mother as she kept her hand over her stomach, praying to wake up from this nightmare.

"Gauri..." Anika softly calls her as she sat next to her.

Gauri ignores everyone as she prayed hard for the nightmare to end.

Hearing the door open, everyone except Gauri looks at the door and sees Omkara walk in.

"Om..." Anika informs Gauri softly.

Hearing his name, Gauri looks up and sees Omkara standing by the door. His eyes filled with tears.

Seeing him, Gauri's eyes fill up and she starts sobbing softly then she starts wailing. Omkara runs to her and hugs her. Hugging him, Gauri cries her heart out. Everybody leaves the room to give them privacy.

**********

Omkara was watching Gauri as she slept. She had cried herself to sleep.

"Visiting hours is getting over. We'll have to leave now." Tej informs his family.

"Only one of us can stay here." Jhanvi softly whispers.

"You all go. I'll stay here." Omkara tells them as he looked at sleeping Gauri.

"I think it is better if one of us stayed here." Jhanvi tells him as she gestured at the women in the room.

"Why?" Omkara asks confused.

"Gauri would need help. It is better if we stay, Omkara." Vasundhara tells him gently.

Hearing that Omkara gives in and nods.

"I'll stay then." Anika says.

Hours later, Gauri wakes up and looks around for Omkara.

"Gauri... Are you okay?" Anika asks as she hurried to her.

"I am okay. Everybody left?" Gauri asks her.

"Yeah, visiting time was over. They will come in the morning."

Gauri nods as she turned her face away. Why Om always abandons her?

**********

Next morning, Omkara comes.

"How are you?" Omkara asks Gauri as he cupped her face.

Gauri nods as she looked down, avoiding looking at him.

"Bhabhi, you go home. I'll be here." Omkara tells Anika.

"I'll go freshen up and come." Anika tells Gauri.

Gauri nods.

After Anika left, Omkara sat with Gauri. As usual Omkara was silent while Gauri was drowning in her hell.

**********

"I want to go home." Gauri finally tells Omkara.

"Your test results all seems to be fine. The doctor will come in the evening. After you meet her, they said that you'll be discharged." Omkara tells her.

"I want to go to my home." Gauri tells him softly.

"To your parents' house?" Omkara asks her.

"Yes."

"You feel like staying with them?" Omkara asks her as he lovingly kept his hand on her cheek.

"I can't keep going like this." Gauri tells him as tears fell from her eyes.

"I didn't understand, Gauri." Omkara tells her confused.

"You don't need me, Om."

"What are you saying, Gauri?" Omkara asks her shocked.

"You married me so jeeju and di could get married." Gauri accuses him as she cried.

"Who the hell told you that?" Omkara asks her shocked. "I married you because I liked you."

"Then why do you always leave me?" Gauri asks him as she looked at him.

"Leave you? When?"

"Last night, I needed you but you left."

"Because Mummy and Mom told me that it would be better if one of them stayed with you."

"And you accepted that? You didn't even ask me what I wanted."

"Gauri..." Omkara stops realizing that he had let others decide instead of asking Gauri what she preferred.

"Just like how you decided to move to Bengaluru without even asking me."

"Gauri... that was the practical decision." Omkara tells her in shock.

"You didn't even discuss with me. You decided to leave me and go."

"Gauri... I..." Omkara stops feeling guilty because he knew Gauri was right, he never asked her whether she was okay with the decision.

"You didn't even ask me whether I wanted to come with you." Gauri softly whispers as she cried.

"You had college." Omkara guiltily whispers.

"So, you left me here. I wanted to be with you, Om. When I realized I was pregnant, I wanted you with me. Last night, I needed you the most. We lost our baby and you left me."

"Gauri, I didn't realize... I'm so sorry. Please trust me, I wanted to stay with you but when everyone said..."

"You don't talk to me, Om."

"Gauri... I do." Omkara says shocked.

"Only when I start the conversation. You don't spend time with me. You keep an alarm to call me daily."

"Gauri..." Omkara stops as he didn't know how to convince her.

"When I see how jeeju spends time with Di, Dad with Mom and Papa with mummy... and the way, you... I feel so unwanted." Gauri confesses as she cried.

Omkara stops rooted to the ground hearing that.

"I can't take this anymore, Om. I want to go home."

Realizing what Gauri had been going through, and filled with guilt, Omkara walks out of there.

**********

Gauri had gone to her parent's place directly from the hospital. The family had assumed that Gauri wanted to be with her parents after the tragedy she went through.

Gauri was lying on her bed in her room when someone knocks on the door.

Anika who had stayed back to take care of Gauri, opens the door.

"Om?" Anika says surprised seeing him.

Seeing him, Gauri sits up.

Anika gently smiles seeing him. Realizing that he had come to stay with Gauri, she leaves the room. "Just call me if you need me, Gauri." Anika tells her as she left.

"I wanted to talk to you." Omkara tells her as he walked in and closed the door.

Gauri nods and says. "I don't want any problems to come between Di and jeeju. We won't tell them for now. Later, when the time is right..."

"Stop talking as if all is over between us, Gauri." Omkara tells her in anguish as he hurried to her.

"It's becoming so difficult, Om." Gauri tells him helplessly.

"Please... let's just talk." Omkara requests her as he knelt in front of her.

Gauri gulps as she looked down, tears falling from her eyes.

Omkara lovingly wipes the tears from her face. "It was Shivaay who noticed." Omkara says softly.

"What?" Gauri asks confused.

"Your family had sent bhabhi's photos. One of the photo was with you. And Shivaay had noticed how I was looking at you."

Gauri looks at him in surprise hearing that.

"I didn't marry you for Shivaay or whatever reason you think. The proposal was send for you because I liked you, Gauri." Omkara tells her. "Please don't leave me, Gauri."

"Then why were you distant from me?" Gauri asks him confused.

"How, Gauri? What made you feel that?" Omkara asks confused and helpless.

"I never felt that you needed me." Gauri confesses softly.

"I do, Gauri. You're my wife."

Gauri shakes her head in no. "You never even felt the need to talk to me, Om. It was me who always came behind you."

"Gauri, I've always been like this. I don't talk much. That's how I am."

"Why you never felt the need to talk to me? Express what you feel for me?"

He asks her softly. "Like how Shivaay expresses to bhabhi and how Dad is with Mom?"

Gauri gulps hearing that, her eyes filling up.

"I am not a person like that, Gauri." Omkara helplessly says.

Gauri looks away too hurt and insecure to accept anything else other than what her insecure mind had thought up.

Seeing that, Omkara realized that unless he opened his heart to her, she was not going to believe or understand him.

He sits down on the floor and takes Gauri's hand in his. "What I am going to tell you, no other soul should know about it, Gauri."

Gauri looks at him in confusion and shock hearing the strange request.

"No one, not even bhabhi. I trust you, Gauri." Omkara nervously tells her.

Gauri nods.

"I've never told this to anyone. Even Shivaay doesn't know."

"I won't tell anyone." Gauri promises him.

Omkara grips her hand and takes a worried breath. "I think... I was maybe 3 or 4." Omkara tells her.

Gauri nods hearing that.

"Shivaay used to sleep in his room. I used to sleep with Dad and Mom." Omkara says as his heart slammed against his chest.

Gauri gently caresses his cheek seeing him so worked up.

Omkara holds her hand and kisses it, then he keeps her hand in his again.

"Everything would be fine during the day. At night, I used to wake up hearing them whispering." Omkara says as he gulped. "They thought I had slept but I would be awake. And I could hear Dad pleading Mom not to leave him. Not to break up the family and that he loved her. But she said she loved someone else. Sometimes, he would cry. They both would cry."

Gauri gulps hearing that.

"I couldn't understand what was happening. In front of everyone they would be happy but inside the room, it was so different." Omkara tells her. "I once asked Dad why Dad and Mom fought at night, he said everything was fine and it was just a misunderstanding. But Dad's eyes had filled up. After that, I never asked him or anyone anything about it."

Gauri's eyes fill up, thinking about what a small Omkara went through at an age that he couldn't understand all these.

"I didn't understand it then, Gauri... it took me years to realize that Mom had an affair that time." Omkara tells her.

Gauri couldn't believe that the couple that she saw daily had a past like what Om was narrating.

"Seeing all that, I always felt it all fake. I couldn't express like that, it makes me feel awkward." Omkara helplessly says. "It felt like empty words." Then he hastily adds. "I'm not saving Shivaay is not genuine or whether what is between Dad and Mom is not real. It is just that I don't feel like myself if I did all that. I get uncomfortable."

Gauri nods understanding.

"I guess I got scared seeing Dad like that and I started withdrawing from everyone because I was scared to go through what Dad went to." Omkara tells her then helplessly looking at her, he says. "I didn't realize I was making you go through what Dad went through. It was not my intention, Gauri. I didn't realize I was doing that to you. I love you, Gauri."

Hearing him, Gauri hugs him crying.

"Why didn't you tell me what you were going through?" Omkara asks her sadly as he hugged her.

"I didn't know how to tell you all that." Gauri tells him crying.

Omkara nods. "Don't leave me, Gauri."

"I won't." Gauri promises him as she cupped his face. "I'm sorry, I misunderstood you."

Omkara shakes his head. "Will you come with me to Bengaluru?" Omkara asks her.

Hearing his question, Gauri nods. "I want to stay with you."

Omkara smiles in relief hearing that.

**********

Two days later, Omkara, Gauri and Anika came back to Oberoi house.

"Gauri, how are you, my child?" Jhanvi asks her as she walked to her.

"How are you, Gauri?" Tej asks as he walked to her.

Gauri gulps looking at her in-laws. Knowing what she knew now, she didn't know how to face them.

She feels Omkara squeeze her hand and she looks at him and he calmly looks at her.

Gauri didn't know how to face them. She can never see them the way she did before. She didn't know how Om faced his parents for all these years. Her heart went out to him.

"I'm better now." Gauri says softly smiling.

Tej lovingly cups her face, and says, "Sometimes, these things... it happens. Life has a way of giving you more than what you lost."

Gauri smiles hearing that.

"Tej is right." Jhanvi says as she smiled at Gauri, unconsciously keeping her hand on her husband's hand.

"I'll be going tomorrow evening." Omkara informs everyone.

"Om, I was thinking, why don't you stay here for a week or two. I'll manage everything there." Shivaay says.

"It's okay, Shivaay. Gauri will be coming with me." Omkara tells him.

"Gauri? Can she travel now?" Tej asks confused.

"Doctor said she can."

"When will you come back?"

"She is going to be there with me from now on." Omkara informs.

"What about her college?" Jhanvi asks shocked.

"We spoke with her Principal. They have agreed to shift her to online classes and anyway, in a few weeks her study leave would start. She'll come down for her exams and if any need arises."

**********

More than two years later

Gauri was sorting out her luggage to shift back to Mumbai. "Om, Di was saying that we should stay with Papa and Mummy. Its been so long since we stayed together. I'm going to stay with them for a few days... okay?"

When there was no reply, Gauri turns back and look and sees Omkara reading a magazine.

"Om!" Gauri shouts exasperated.

Omkara curiously looks up.

"I asked you something."

"I heard."

"Then why can't you reply?" Gauri asks frowning at him.

"I nodded."

Gauri growls. "I'm looking that way. If you nod, how will I know? You're impossible!"

Omkara smiles at her.

Gauri couldn't help smile seeing him smile.

"We'll stay at your parents for a few days."

"We?" Gauri asks confused. "I meant Di and me."

"You'll stay without me?" Omkara asks shocked.

"I'm going to have fun with Di, Mummy and Papa." Gauri says smugly.

Life in Bengaluru was good. She wouldn't say perfect or beautiful because she wasn't fanciful anymore.

Omkara still spoke very less and didn't express much. She did all the speaking and expressing for the both of them. He was ever the calm and gentle man even when she got pissed with him and screamed like a shrew.

He knew how to handle and calm her with his gentleness.

And she was no longer the immature and starry-eyed bride. She was a mature and understanding wife. She learned to read him. She understood his unspoken words and his actions. And they made her feel loved. Always.

"I know that look." Omkara says with a sexy smile.

Grinning, Gauri walks to him and straddles his lap.

"We're out of condoms. Since, we are flying out tonight, I didn't buy any." Omkara tells her as he held her waist.

"You pull out before you finish." Gauri tells him.

"How cruel you are, Gauri?" Omkara asks shocked.

Gauri laughs hearing that. And she says smiling, "You know, Di is pregnant... maybe even we should try for a baby."

"But you're just starting work."

"Why do you think I decided to join Oberoi Industries? So, I can work according to my convenience." Gauri cheekily says.

"Work is work, Gauri. You can't fool around there." Omkara tells her.

"And that is why I'm going to work with Dad and not you and jeeju."

"You're training under Dad?" Omkara asks shocked.

"Yes. Can you imagine us being together 24x7?" Gauri asks him.

"What's wrong in that?"

Gauri frowns and says. "Om, you were never cheesy. Don't start now."

Omkara chuckles hearing that.

"So, babies?" Gauri asks him smiling excitedly.

"whenever you are ready."

*** The End ***

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- Lazy