Hello everyone... Sorry for the long gap. I've been busy then I just couldn't write anything, and I was a little too busy trolling Imlie show LMAO that I just didn't get time to write.

A quick question

I have written a story called "Only In Your Arms" which was based on the show characters, it is as a single book in wattpad. I don't know how many of you have read that, do you want me to post it here, you guys are fine with a separate book.

This is the story

https://www.wattpad.com/story/126898963-rikara-os-only-in-your-arms

P.S: Anyone interested in making a cover for that story, please?

I don't know why I wrote this story, it sucks big time, but I just had to write it. there is no flow to the story, it is just too random.

WARNING

GAME OF THRONES SPOILERS ARE THERE IN THIS STORY!

Haven't Proofread.

"Wohoo."

"Finally the day is here when Gauri is going to have her first drink!" Ridhima says excitedly.

"YES!" Gauri excitedly shouts.

"I didn't think this day would ever come." Arjun says.

Gauri chuckles hearing that. "I told you all, I don't want to do anything illegal. So, now I am 21 and I can legally drink."

"Let's start." Arjun says excitedly as he poured a drink for Gauri.

"Hey, Gauri... who is Omkara dancing with?" Ridhima asks curiously as she looked at the dance floor.

Gauri curiously looks at the dance floor and sees Omkara talking and dancing with a girl. "Don't know." Gauri replies with a shrug.

"She is our junior. I've seen her play Badminton in college." Arjun says as he looked at the girl.

"So, they play Badminton together?" Ridhima asks curiously.

"Maybe. Why are we breaking our head over that?" Gauri asks them dismissingly. "Let's drink." Gauri says excitedly.

Ridhima and Arjun look at each other for a few seconds and then shrugs.

Gauri takes the drink excitedly. "Here we go!" Gauri gulps the drink down.

She looks at her friends and sees her friends watching her with an excited smile.

Gauri laughs merrily. "Next."

"Which one?" Arjun asks curiously.

"Any. Surprise me!" Gauri tells him excitedly.

"She is gone!" Ridhima chuckles seeing her like that.

Gauri laughs. "Ya To Barbaad Kardo, Ya Phir Aabaad Kardo,
Ya To Barbaad Kardo, Ya Phir Aabaad Kardo, Woh Galat Tha Yeh Sahi Hai, Jhooth Yeh Aaj Kehdo, Itna Ehsaan Kardo, Itna Ehsaan Kardo, Poore Armaan Kardo." Gauri sings. "Ka... your turn."

***********

"You lost, Gauri." Ridhima giggles as they staggered to the car park.

"No! I'll sing! I know songs with T." Gauri drunkenly argues.

"You two girls need to stop shouting." Arjun says as he tried to steady both of them.

"We are fine." Gauri argues.

"Yeah. You need to stand still." Ridhima tells a staggering Arjun.

"I'm standing still." Arjun reminds them exasperated. "I just drank 1 beer."

"Ssshhh... I'm thinking." Gauri scowls at him.

"Your time is up, Gauri." Ridhima says happily.

"No... no... I know the song!"

"Just get in the car, you two." Arjun tells them.

"First the song!" Gauri argues.

"GAURI!"

Hearing the call, everyone turns to look and sees Omkara hurrying towards them with the girl following him behind.

"Hi Omkara!" all three of them says.

"What happened, Omkara? why did you run out?" the girl asks him curiously.

"Nothing, I'm leaving, Ishana. I'll see you for practice tomorrow." Omkara tells her then turning to Gauri he says. "Come, Gauri."

"No... no... I am playing." Gauri tells him.

"What?" Omkara asks confused.

"Omkara..." Arjun calls him. "I'll drop her home."

"No, it's okay. I'll drop her home." Omkara tells him.

"I need a song with T!" Gauri says stubbornly.

"You lost, Gauri." Ridhima laughs.

"No... no... I can get it."

Omkara gapes at Gauri seeing how drunk she was.

"Anyway, I have to drop Ridhima home. Gauri's house is on the way. I'll drop Gauri home. Your house is in a different direction. I'll drop her, it is no trouble." Arjun tells him.

"It is okay, Arjun. I'll drop Gauri home." Omkara tells him in a stern tone.

"Okay." Arjun agrees with a shrug.

"Let's go, Gauri." Omkara tells her as he started to hold her.

"NO!" Gauri shouts as she moved back.

"Why are you forcing her?" Ishana asks him confused. "Let her go with her friends."

Omkara, Arjun and Ridhima give her shocked look while Gauri was still busy thinking of a song.

"Anyway, my friends left. So, I need a lift too."

"Who is she?" Ridhima asks confused.

"Ishana... she is in our college." Omkara explains.

"Is she your friend?" Ridhima asks him.

"I know her... we play Badminton in college." Omkara explains frowning for being questioned like that. "Why are you asking all this?"

"Ridhima was curious." Gauri informs Omkara finally bothering to listen to the conversation.

"Why?" Omkara asks confused.

Gauri dramatically shrugs. "I don't know."

"You were dancing with her." Ridhima accuses him.

"So?" Omkara asks confused.

"You can't dance like that." Ridhima tells him frowning.

"Why can't I dance?" Omkara asks shocked.

"You can't!" Ridhima frowns at him angrily.

"T... I need a song with T." Gauri says remembering.

"You lost, Gauri." Ridhima tells her getting distracted. "You only sang 1 song... rest you sang with help. You are Y and you are Donkey."

"NOOO!" Gauri shouts sadly. then turning to Omkara she tells him. "Om, I need a song with T... otherwise I won't go home."

Omkara sighs loudly and starts thinking.

"Tick Tick 1... tick tick 2..." Ridhima says.

"Fast Om!"

"Teri hi boli bolungi main, Teri hi bani gaungi main."

"Yaay! Tere ishq da chola pehan ke, Main tujhme hi rang jaungi." Gauri jumps in excitement and starts singing. "Main Nachdi phiraaa."

"Fine!" Ridhima gives in.

"Let's go now." Omkara tells her. then turning to Ishana, he asks. "Where is your house?"

Ishana quickly tells him.

"That's on my way. I can drop her." Arjun tells him.

"Thanks man. I owe you." Omkara tells him with a thankful smile. "Let's go, Gauri."

"Bye guys." Gauri says waving at them and leaves with Omkara.

Arjun turns to Ishana and sees her watching Omkara and Gauri leave confused.

Seeing him looking at her, she asks him, "Who is she?"

"Don't you know?" Arjun asks her.

"No." Ishana replies with a shrug.

"We all go to the same college." Ridhima tells her frowning.

"I never saw her. but what is her relation to Omkara?" Ishana asks her.

"You don't know?" Ridhima asks her shocked.

"Know what?" Ishana asks confused.

"The whole world knows." Ridhima says rolling her eyes.

"What?" Ishana asks confused.

"Their fathers are business partners." Arjun starts to explain.

"That's it?" Ishana asks confused as she looked at them getting into the car.

Ridhima gives her a smug look and informs her. "The whole world knows that one day Omkara and Gauri will be getting married."

"What?" Ishana asks shocked, her crush crashing into tiny pieces. "But I have never seen him with her in college."

"We rarely see them talking to each other." Ridhima informs her in a dismissing way.

"The family have decided and they have accepted it." Arjun explains to her, he was much sober to understand Ishana's heart break.

"So don't bother. Omkara belongs to Gauri." Ridhima tells her sternly and gets into the car.

*************

"Teri nagariya jaungi main... Teri nazariya varoongi main." Gauri sings as Omkara drove the car. "Now your turn..." Gauri tells him.

"What?" Omkara turns to her confused.

"Sing a song starting with *gulp*." Gauri stops as she gulped and covered her mouth.

"Are you going to throw up?" Omkara asks her in panic.

Gauri nods as she starts gaging.

"I'll stop the car." Omkara quickly tells her as he parked the car to the side and hurriedly got out.

Gauri also runs out and starts throwing up. Omkara reaches her and rubs her back as he held her.

Once she was done, Omkara holds her and walks to the car. Then he looking around, he sees a small shop, and he runs there and gets a bottle of water.

he walks back to Gauri, who was leaning on the car with her head resting on it with eyes closed.

"Gauri..." Omkara calls her as he extended the bottle to her.

"No, Om." Gauri says as she stood up shaking her head, her eyes still closed. "Sorry, I can't play anthakshari with you anymore, I'm tired." Gauri tells him and then she passes out.

Omkara quickly holds her and helps her into the car. He bends down next to her and gently taps her to wake her.

"Gauri... wake up... drink this water." Omkara says as he kept the bottle to her lips.

Gauri mumbles in her sleep as she gulps the water down.

***********

Holding Gauri, Omkara rings the doorbell. Vasundhara opens the door for them. Seeing Gauri leaning on Omkara she stops in shock.

"Oh my God! Gauri!"

"Aunty... she had a little too much." Omkara informs her gently.

"If Harsh finds out, he is going to kill her." Vasundhara tells him as she held Gauri, so she can help Omkara balance her as they took her to her room.

"Is he home?" Omkara asks almost in a whisper.

"Yes, he is on the phone. When she told me she wanted to try drinks as she turned 21, I didn't expect this." Vasundhara says shaking her head disapprovingly.

Omkara doesn't say anything and they take her to her room and put her on the bed.

"Aunty, just give her water. Make sure she is hydrated." Omkara tells her in concern.

Vasundhara nods with a smile. "Now, you go, it is late. Jhanvi would be waiting for you."

***********

Gauri groans as she headed to her class with Ridhima and Arjun. "I'm having the worst morning. Ever!" Gauri groans.

"Me too." Ridhima groans as she held her head.

"Mama was screaming at me for getting drunk." Gauri informs them.

"Your mom caught you?" Ridhima asks her shocked. "You should have sneaked in."

"She knew I had gone to try my first drink." Gauri tells her as she squinted through her sunglasses, Omkara was waving her over. "I'll just come now." Gauri informs them and heads to where Omkara was.

"Are you okay now?" Omkara asks her as she reached him.

Gauri nods in yes.

Then turning a little stern, he asks her, "I told you that I was coming to the club so I can take you back home then why were you going with Arjun?"

Gauri bites her tongue, Gauri regretfully tells him, "Sorry, Om, it just skipped my mind."

Omkara nods and tells her. "And Gauri, I really don't think you should be drinking anymore, you can't handle drinks."

Gauri nods as she looked down feeling upset. "Did I make a scene?"

Omkara shakes his head in negative. "You were so sloshed that you couldn't stand steady, you didn't create a scene or anything."

Gauri nods feeling relieved. "With the way Mama was screaming, I thought I did."

"Gauri, you didn't even finish your second drink, and you were this drunk, I really don't think you should be drinking." Omkara tells her.

Gauri nods. "Okay."

"Okay, I've Badminton practice now." Omkara informs her and leaves.

***********

"Your Dad and Tej Uncle knows how to throw parties!" Ridhima says approvingly as she looked around at the lavish party. "Once you and Omkara head the company, I wonder how your success parties will be." Ridhima says thoughtfully.

"We'll use the same event management firm that they are using." Gauri tells them with a shrug.

"Here!" Arjun says as he joins them and hands Ridhima her drink. "You sure, you don't want, Gauri?"

Gauri shakes her head in negative as she looked at the alcohol in his hand. "You guys have."

They were standing by chatting when Gauri notices a family enter the party. "You guys talk, I'll come now."

"Where are you going?" Ridhima asks curiously.

"Om's uncle and family are here. I'll just go and meet them." Gauri says and hurries to greet them.

Ridhima shakes her head as she watched Gauri chat with Omkara's relatives. "The amount these two talk to each other's family members, they don't talk to each other that much."

"At times, I get those very formal husband and wife vibes from these two." Arjun says.

"Those who put up a façade of a compatible and perfect marriage but in real there isn't even basic communication between them?" Ridhima asks him.

Arjun nods.

Ridhima sighs sadly. "I really don't know what these two are doing."

"You know, how their fathers are. Very dominating." Arjun says sighing loudly.

Ridhima nods sadly then noticing, she points Omkara out to Arjun, who with his best friend, Rudra was having a polite conversation with Gauri's some relative.

***********

"Thank God! I am not in the list." Ridhima says as she looked at the notice board.

"Just attend classes, then you won't have attendance lack." Gauri tells her shaking her head, as she moved to the side to check at the rest of the board.

"Dammit! I have only 73% for Business Law." Arjun mutters.

"73, you can write exam after paying fine." Ridhima tells him in a consoling way.

Gauri sighs loudly. "Damn!"

"What happened?" Arjun asks her curiously as he moved to check what she was looking.

"Om has less than 70% for 3 subjects. He won't be allowed to write exams." Gauri says disappointed and just then, she notices Omkara walking towards the notice board.

Seeing the way Gauri was looking at him, he stops and asks her in dread. "My name is there?"

Gauri nods and tells him in an admonishing tone. "For three subjects, Om!"

"Damn!" Omkara mutters irately.

"I know you love Badminton and you look for reasons to play but this is not done. You can't just keep skipping classes like that to play Badminton."

"There were so many matches this semester." Omkara tells her helplessly. "Even at my sport's club that I had to miss classes for those."

"Still you should have been careful. You know, how strict Tej uncle is about all this."

Omkara worriedly runs his hand through his hair.

Seeing him worried, Gauri says in a calming tone. "Anyway, you talk to the professor and see. Or ask your coach to talk to them. maybe they will let you write your exams."

"Okay. I'll go see." Omkara says sighing loudly. He starts to leave then he turns to her and tells her, "Don't tell Dad and Mom about this."

"Okay. let me know what happens."

"Okay... and which all subjects am I lacking?"

********

Gauri was revising the portions with Ridhima before their exams when she gets a message from her cousin. She quickly checks it.

"Wow!" Gauri excitedly turns to Ridhima. "Anika didi is getting married."

"Oh that is nice." Ridhima says with a smile.

"her engagement is this weekend." Gauri tells her as she started typing on her phone. "So, after the last exam I'll be going to Pune for the engagement."

"When will you come back?"

"Not sure, it's vacation. I might stay with her for a few days." Gauri replies shrugging.

"Okay." Ridhima replies as she turned her attention back to her book to study.

"Just a sec okay, I'll just tell Om." Gauri tells her as she started messaging him.

"That's new." Ridhima says with a surprised smile, it wasn't like Gauri to give constant updates to Omkara.

"What is new?" Gauri asks as she finished sending the message.

"You know, share with him your plans." Ridhima tells her smiling.

"Plans?" Gauri asks confused and just then she gets a message and she quickly replies to it. after a couple of messages back and forth, Gauri looks up at Ridhima. "What plans?"

"What were you telling Omkara?" Ridhima asks confused.

"About Anika didi's engagement." Gauri replies.

"Yeah that is what I said." Ridhima says with an approving smile. "Telling him your plans and you know... sharing..."

"What sharing? If I don't tell him then how would he know he has to come?" Gauri asks her confused.

"Oh... Anika didi asked you to invite him? That is why you were telling him?" Ridhima asks a little disappointed.

"No, she didn't tell me to invite him." Gauri says shrugging.

"Then why are you telling him to come?" Ridhima asks confused.

"What?" Gauri asks her confused and shocked. "It is my family function; he has to come."

"Huh?"

"What? Papa goes for all the function at Mama's family and Mama goes for Papa's. Just like that I've to go for all the functions at his friends' and families', just like he has to come for mine." Gauri explains to her shocked.

"So he is coming?" Ridhima asks shocked.

"Obviously." Gauri replies exasperated. "He will leave immediately after the function as it is Rudra's birthday and they are planning a week long party at his farm house."

"Oh."

Gauri gets another message and she checks her phone and sighs as she replied to it.

"Looks like I'll have to come back the next day." Gauri tells her as she typed.

"What happened?" Ridhima asks in concern.

"Om says Rudra invited me for the party. I told him I will reach on his birthday. It is two days after the engagement."

"Why do you've to go? You can say you want to stay with your cousin."

"He is Om's best friend. I would expect Om to come for your birthday party."

"Don't even talk to each other but has sky high expectations from each other!" Ridhima mutters shaking her head as she turned her attention back to her book.

"Om is asking whether he should ask Rudra to invite you so I'll have company. Will you come?" Gauri asks Ridhima.

"Seriously?" Ridhima asks exasperated.

"Come, Ridz! I would be bored." Gauri pleads excitedly.

"Fine!" Ridhima gives in.

"Thanks darling!" Gauri says as she excitedly hugged her.

Ridhima grins then she cheekily asks, "Don't you have to invite Rudra to keep Omkara company for the engagement?"

"No, he is good friends with Shivaay bhaiyya and his friends." Gauri replies then thoughtfully she says as she messaged him. "I'll anyway check with him."

"He says it is okay." Gauri tells Ridhima as she kept aside her phone to study.

Ridhima turns to Gauri and asks her in concern. "Babes, are you sure about this marriage?"

"Why do you always ask me that?" Gauri asks her.

"Because you and Omkara... you guys don't behave like a couple." Ridhima tells her.

"What is there to behave? We are going to get married one day." Gauri replies confused.

"Babes this is not how couples behave."

"This is how Papa and Mama are... this is how Tej Uncle and Jhanvi aunty are." Gauri replies.

Ridhima sighs hearing that. "You have seen the couples around here. You guys rarely talk to each other."

Gauri thoughtfully looks at her for a bit then she shrugs. "We talk about things that matter."

"What about things that don't matter?" Ridhima asks her.

"What?" Gauri asks confused.

"Have you ever talked about silly things? things that mean nothing?"

"Why would we?" Gauri asks utterly confused.

"You should marry someone with whom you can talk about anything and everything, Gauri. not just about attending parties and such. You should marry someone that you can keep talking to, that you can keep listening to."

Gauri thoughtfully looks at her and says gently. "Marrying Omkara is the best decision. We have to head the business together. Our parents also want that."

"But babes, would you two have decided to marry if it wasn't for your parents? Would you two have chosen each other if your parents had not chosen the other for you?"

"What kind of question is that? if not Omkara then it will be someone my parents choose for me."

*************

Gauri was with her cousins as they talked while they watched Shivaay and Anika get engaged. Once they exchanged the rings, they all starts clapping. Gaui looks around and notices Omkara standing with Shivaay's friends. Omkara also looks at her just then, seeing him look at her, Gauri calls him over. He walks towards her and she walks towards him.

"Are you getting bored?" Gauri asks him as they reached each other.

"No... no... I was just talking to the guys." Omkara tells her.

Gauri nods and asks in concern noticing he was not looking well. "Are you not well?"

Omkara shakes his head. "I'm having headache and my eyes are burning up."

"Are you feeling feverish?" Gauri touches his forehead to check his temperature. "You've slight temperature."

"Yeah, I do feel a little tired." Omkara tells her.

"Why don't you stay today and drive back tomorrow?"

"I'll go today itself."

"Then don't drive, just take a flight. Our driver will bring your car."

"No, it's okay. I'll take Panadol and drive."

"You sure?" Gauri asks him in concern.

"Yeah." Omkara replies with a smile.

"Look at you two." Harsh says happily as he joined them.

"Hello Harsh Uncle." Omkara says with a smile.

Harsh lovingly pats Omkara's shoulder. "Here everyone is asking when you two are getting engaged."

Omkara and Gauri look at each other for a second and then they look back at Harsh with a polite smile.

"Once I get back, I'll talk to Tej and fix a date and have an official engagement." Harsh tells them.

"Okay uncle." Omkara tells him with a polite smile.

Harsh smiles approvingly. "Gauri said you will be leaving soon."

"Yeah, it's my best friend's birthday and we are having a get together."

"Yeah, Gauri told me. We'll reach day after and I'll drop Gauri there. who all would be there for the party?"

For a few minutes, Harsh grilled Omkara regarding the party, once satisfied he leaves.

"They are calling me to have food." Omkara informs Gauri seeing the guys calling him.

"Okay... do you have Panadol with you?"

"I should have."

"Okay... do you want our driver to come with you?"

"No... it's okay. I'll manage."

"If you are not feeling better by the time you reach..."

"If I feel really sick, then I'll go home and skip the party." Omkara tells her.

Gauri nods with a smile.

"I'll leave after lunch." Omkara tells her.

"Let me know when you reach and if you decide to skip the party."

"I'll message once I reach." Omkara promises her.

"Okay."

Couple of hours later, Gauri gets a message from Omkara.

Reached. @ party now.

How are you feeling?

Took medicine... hopefully will be fine by tomorrow.

Okay... take care.

********

Gauri waves off her parents and quickly takes out her mobile and dials Ridhima's number.

"Babes, I reached... did you reach?" Gauri asks as she headed in.

"Yeah, I am here." Ridhima tells her on the phone.

Gauri could hear the loud chatters and music through the phone. Just as she reached the entrance Ridhima opens the door and walks out.

"Babes!" Ridhima opens her arms wide for her happily.

"Ridz!" Gauri happily hugs her. "How is it going?"

"Fun!" Ridhima tells her. "Let's go keep your stuff in our room and head to the pool."

"Yeah." Gauri says excitedly. "Before that I'll just inform Om that I reached."

"Ah he is upstairs only. Sleeping in his room." Ridhima tells her.

"Sleeping? Now?" Gauri asks confused and shocked.

"He has fever." Ridhima informs her.

"Where is he?" Gauri asks in concern.

"Rudra gave him a separate room." Ridhima informs her as she led the way to Omkara's bedroom.

Gauri opens the door and walks in, Ridhima follows her. Omkara was lying on the bed covered up in blankets.

"Om..." Gauri softly calls him as she walked to his bed.

Omkara opens his eyes and weakly looks at her. "You reached?"

Gauri keeps her hand on his forehead to check his fever. "You are burning up, Om." Gauri tells him in shock.

"I took medicine."

"You said you will go home if you were sick." Gauri reminds him in an admonishing tone.

Omkara closes his eyes and tells her, "Rudra insisted that I come."

"What the hell?" Gauri asks furiously and she turns around and walks out angrily.

*********

"RUDRA!" Gauri furiously calls him as she walked to the pool area.

"Gauri! you are here!" Rudra says excitedly.

"WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR PROBLEM?" Gauri furiously asks him.

"What?" Rudra asks confused and shocked.

"WHAT WAS THE NEED TO FORCE OM TO COME HERE FOR THE PARTY WHEN HE IS SICK?"

"Erm... Gauri..." Rudra worriedly starts. "I just wanted him to be a part of my birthday party."

"Gauri, babes... don't make a scene." Ridhima worriedly tells her.

Gauri ignores her and asks Rudra furiously. "OH YEAH? AND YOU ARE HAVING FUN HERE WHILE HE IS ALONE UP IN THE ROOM!"

Rudra guiltily gulps hearing her.

"Gauri... stop it." Ridhima worriedly tells her as she pulled Gauri aside. "You are ruining his party." Ridhima worriedly whispers to her.

"WHAT ABOUT OM?"

"Babes, he is resting." Ridhima gently reminds her.

"He is sick and he would have been more comfortable at his home than here." Gauri irately replies as she walked off.

Ridhima runs behind her.

"Gauri... what was that?" Ridhima asks her in shock.

"What was the need for Rudra to force Om to come when he is not well?" Gauri asks her back angrily.

"You do care for him." Ridhima whispers in shock.

Gauri frowns hearing that. "Of course, I care for him. we are going to be married one day." Gauri irately tells her and walk into his bedroom.

Gauri walks to his bed and asks him gently. "Om, when did you last have your medicine?"

"Morning I think."

"Did you have lunch?" Gauri asks and notice a plate kept on the table.

"I don't feel like having." Omkara tiredly replies.

"But you need to eat, Om." Gauri tells him as she opened the food and stops in shock. "PIZZA?"

"There is no cook here... I think Rudra ordered the food." Ridhima worriedly says having never seen Gauri behave like this.

"Nonsense!" Gauri mutters furiously as she took her mobile and ordered soup and salad for Omkara.

"Om, I have ordered food for you. once you have it, I'll give you your medicine."

"I am not hungry, Gauri. just give me my medicine, it is there on the table."

"No, you've to have your food." Gauri sternly tells him.

Omkara moans tiredly giving up.

Gauri puts the blanket for Omkara properly.

"You go down, everyone would be having fun." Omkara tells her.

"No, I'll stay with you here." Gauri tells him.

"Okay." Omkara nods.

Gauri turns to Ridhima and tells her regretfully. "Ridz, sorry... I have to stay with him."

"That's okay. I'll be with Bhavya." Ridhima tells her with an understanding smile.

"Thanks." Gauri tells her as she walked Ridhima out.

"It is nice that you are taking care of him." Ridhima tells her smiling.

"It's my duty." Gauri reminds her.

Ridhima nods with a sigh.

"Ridz, can you get me a cloth so I can put wet cloth on his head to bring his temperature down?"

"Yeah, sure."

********

Gauri was changing the wet cloth when someone knocks on the door.

"Come in." Gauri calls out and gently holds Omkara. "Om, your food is here. Sit up."

Omkara sits up with Gauri's help while Rudra walked in.

"How are you feeling?" Rudra asks Omkara as he set his food and started serving it.

"Feeling better than morning." Omkara replies. "Much better than yesterday."

Rudra nods and guiltily he says. "Sorry Om... Sorry Gauri... when you told me on the phone that you were not feeling good, I didn't realize you would be this sick. I just wanted you to be at the party."

"What's with the apology and all?" Omkara asks surprised.

"I shouldn't have forced you to come."

"It's okay."

"Sorry, Gauri." Rudra guiltily tells her.

Gauri nods as she took the bowl from Rudra.

"You go down, Gauri. I'll sit with him." Rudra tells her.

"You both don't have to stay here. I'm just sleeping." Omkara tells them. "I am fine. You people have fun."

"It's okay, Rudra. I'll take care of him." Gauri says at the same time.

"No, I'll stay."

"It's your birthday, go have fun. Anyway Gauri is here." Omkara tells him.

Rudra nods. "Gauri, when you want to step out let me know."

Gauri nods. Then remembering she says, "Oh Happy birthday, Rudra. I forgot to wish you."

Rudra grins and cheekily says, "But you gave me a beautiful birthday gift."

Gauri turns pink hearing that.

"Did I give you the gift?" Omkara asks confused. "I can't remember."

"No, you didn't. you rest, I'll take it later."

"No... no... Gauri, it's there in my bag. Just give it to him."

"You've your food, then I'll give it." Gauri tells him as she offered him the soup.

"You give it, I'll have food after that."

Gauri keeping the bowl aside, walks to the corner and opens Omkara's bag and sees a gift wrapped box. She walks to Rudra and gives it with a smile.

"Happy birthday." Omkara wishes him.

"Thanks man." Rudra smiles at him.

Gauri sits back and starts feeding him.

"Gauri... the room for the girls is at the end of the corridor. Your room is that, should I keep your bag there?" Rudra asks her seeing her bag.

"No, I'll stay with Om tonight." Gauri replies as she offered another spoon to Omkara.

Rudra's eyes widen hearing that and his eyes starts darting between Gauri and Omkara.

"Gauri, I need a little pepper." Omkara tells her with a frown at the taste.

"I put pepper that came with the soup. I'll go down and get some more." Gauri tells him as she stood up.

"I'll get it." Rudra tells her.

"No... I'll get it. you stay here." Gauri tells him and heads out.

Once she had closed the door, Rudra turns to Omkara and says excitedly. "Dude, she really cares for you."

"What?" Omkara asks confused.

"Look how she is taking care of you."

Omkara gives him a surprised frown. "What's the big deal? She is going to be my wife. It is her duty."

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

"Yeah... even I would do this for her. It's my duty. we have to look out for each other. Always. In sickness and in health." Omkara explains to him.

"Not every couple do that." Rudra points out to him.

"I don't know about others." Omkara replies with a shrug.

***********

"Enough, Gauri." Omkara says fed up as he chewed down the salad.

"Little more, Om."

"No more." Omkara says stubbornly as he turned his face away.

Gauri sighs giving up and keeps the food aside. She takes his medicine and checks them. "Who gave the medicines?"

"Called our family doctor. These two." Omkara taps on the strips.

Gauri takes the medicines and hands it to him along with the water. Omkara haves the medicine.

"You go down. Anyway, I am going to sleep."

"I'll stay here."

"Okay then... you watch TV while I sleep." Omkara tells her as he started sliding on bed.

"Okay." Gauri says as she helped him lie down and put the blanket for him.

Once Omkara was settled, Gauri sits next to him on the bed, leaning on the head rest and turns on the TV and watches it, while she kept changing the wet cloth on Omkara's forehead.

***********

Feeling his gaze on her, Gauri turns to check and sees Omkara watching her.

"How are you feeling now?" Gauri asks as she kept her hand on his forehead and sighs in relief that his temperature had come down considerably.

"Much better." Omkara tells her with a smile.

"Yeah... you don't seem to have much fever now. but still stay in tonight. go out only tomorrow."

"Okay."

"Rudra had messaged before he cut his cake. I told him to carry on and that you were sleeping."

"You didn't go down?"

"No."

"It would have been rude." Omkara points out. "We are here to celebrate his birthday."

"He knows that I am here with you and you need me." Gauri tells him with a shrug.

"Hmmm. He will understand." Omkara admits.

"Yeah." Gauri nods. "I'll give you the cake after dinner."

"Okay. what about Ridhima? Won't be she bored?" Omkara asks remembering.

"She is fine. She hit it off with Bhavya." Gauri tells him smiling.

Omkara smiles and looks at the TV. "What are you watching?"

"Criminal Minds." Gauri tells him smiling. "It is interesting."

"I haven't heard of it." Omkara tells her.

"You haven't?" Gauri asks surprised.

"No."

"It's my favorite show."

"Ah." Omkara starts to sit up.

"You are going to watch?" Gauri asks as she helped him sit up.

"I don't want to sleep anymore."

***********

By the third episode, Omkara was worried shit.

"Heck! This show is depicting that every other human is a psycho." Omkara says in concern.

"Yeah!" Gauri nods agreeing. "Mostly either serial killer, serial rapist or stalker. And so many episodes are inspired from real life."

"What the fuck?" Omkara asks in shock.

"Yeah... some episodes just make you so worried."

Omkara looks at the bedroom door and asks her, "Did you lock the bedroom door?"

"What?" Gauri asks confused as she looked at the bedroom door.

"There are people here that we don't really know that well." Omkara tells her.

"Are you scared?" Gauri asks as she turned to Omkara chuckling.

"That lady had been friends with that man for years and she didn't know he was a serial killer till he tried to kill her!" Omkara points out.

Gauri laughs. "The first time someone watches Criminal Minds, this is their condition."

"Just think Gauri... we are actually in a place that we are not used to, and there are people that we don't know that well... just like that couple who had stayed at that motel."

"What the heck, Om?" Gauri shouts as she jumped out of the bed and ran to the door and locked it.

Omkara shrugs. "I just watched 3 episodes and I learned that no one is nowhere safe. Didn't you learn anything?"

Gauri scowls at him. "Go to sleep." Gauri orders him as she got back on the bed.

"No... I slept the whole day. let's watch another episode."

"Which episode?" Gauri asks him.

"I don't know. Any good episode." Omkara tells her shrugging. "You decide."

"Okay...." Gauri thinks and asks him. "What kind of psycho you want? Serial killer? Spree killer? Stalker? Kidnapper? Vigilante?"

*********

"I am scared to have kids now!" Omkara declares. "Child serial killers?!?!?!?!"

Gauri chuckles hearing that.

"We are not having kids!" Omkara declares shaking his heads.

"I want kids! We are having kids!" Gauri declares.

Omkara turns to look at her and she looks at him, realizing what they said, Omkara sweetly smiles at her and Gauri also sweetly smiles at him.

"How many?" Omkara asks her with a curious smile.

"2." Gauri replies smiling.

"2?" Omkara asks with a thoughtful smile.

"Yeah."

"Hmmm but if one turns out to be a psycho and tries to kill the other one..."

"Shut up!" Gauri tells him in exasperation.

Omkara chuckles.

"Let's sleep?" Gauri asks him as she turned off the TV.

"Okay." Omkara replies as he got settled to sleep.

Gauri also lies next to him.

"Do you want to go sleep with the girls?" Omkara asks her.

"No, I'll stay with you."

"They would be having fun and I'm feeling much better now."

"I'll sleep there tomorrow. What if you feel sick again?"

"hmmm." Omkara closes his eyes and then opening he asks her curiously. "Did you check whether the windows are locked?"

"Seriously, Om?" Gauri asks him exasperated.

"You forgot how that man got inside?" Omkara asks her.

"Stop scaring me, Om!" Gauri tells him exasperated as she got out of the bed and walked to the window. "And those windows have no grill these do!"

"Oh... I forgot... sorry!"

"All locked!" Gauri gets on the bed.

They were trying to sleep when Omkara asks curiously. "What was the sound?"

"It's the wind, Om!" Gauri tells him in exasperation.

"Ah okay."

A few seconds later, "It was the wind, right?" Gauri worriedly asks Omkara.

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Hmmm." Gauri sighs and worriedly sleeps on her side with her back to Omkara.

Sometime later, she hears Omkara turning on bed and she curiously turns to look at him. "Why aren't you sleeping?"

"Trying to. I keep thinking about the episodes."

"Stop thinking about it." Gauri tells him as she turned around and lay facing him. "If you get scared then you might not be able to sleep and fever might worsen."

"Hmmm."

Seeing him still restless, Gauri says "Let's talk about something."

"What?"

"Something else."

"Hmmm okay... what?" Omkara asks as he lay facing her.

"Hmmmm..." Gauri thinks and having nothing to talk about, she asks "The cake was nice right?"

"I didn't get much taste." Omkara tells her.

"It was very nice. Maybe there would be some left and you can have it tomorrow."

"Hmmm."

Then they remained silent not knowing what to talk about.

"You say something." Gauri finally tells him.

"Hmmm." Omkara brainstorms for a topic for a bit and then remembering, he asks her. "You said two kids. Have you thought of a name?"

"Arya." Gauri says smiling excitedly.

"For boy or girl?" Omkara asks with a smile.

"Hmmm... first born."

Omkara smiles. "Okay."

"And second baby?" Gauri asks him.

"I get to name?" Omkara asks her.

"Yeah."

"Hmmm..." Omkara thinks for a bit then he asks her, "How about Agni?"

"Agni?" Gauri thinks with a smile. "I like it."

"So it is decided?" Omkara asks her grinning.

"Yes." Gauri replies smiling. "Arya and Agni."

Seeing her smile so happily, Omkara smiles even more. He gently keeps his hand over hers. Feeling his hand on hers, Gauri starts blushing then she shyly holds his hand back. Omkara smiles and blushes slightly.

Gauri frees her hand from his and covers him properly with the blanket. "You sleep now."

Omkara smiles. "Good night."

"Good night."

They lie facing each other shyly watching each other with a smile. Omkara again holds Gauri's hand and blushing she holds his hand. Then she shyly caresses the back of his hand with her thumb.

They went to sleep like that.

*********

Gauri wakes up and sees Omkara sleeping. She keeps her hand on his forehead and smiles in relief feeling only light warmth.

Feeling her hand on his forehead, Omkara opens his eyes and sees Gauri. he leans up in shock. "Did we get married?"

Hearing his stupid question, Gauri grins. "Yeah."

"What?" Omkara asks shocked.

Chuckling Gauri tells him. "It's been years, don't you remember?"

Realizing that she was joking, Omkara smiles and softly chuckles. He lies back as he remembered the previous night.

"Did the kids go to school?" Omkara asks her as he lay back and watched her with a smile.

"I am not that old to have school going kids." Gauri tells him with a frown.

Omkara chuckles hearing that and says. "Arya should be in preschool at least."

Gauri laughs hearing that then she asks him caringly. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine. I think it is safe for me to join everyone."

"Okay... but don't exert yourself."

"Okay."

*********

Omkara was sitting by as he watched everyone play dodgeball, or rather, watch Gauri play. He couldn't help the smile that spread out on his face seeing her play and every time, she looked at him and smiled at him his smile just got wider.

"You haven't taken your eyes off her." Rudra says as he sat next to him.

Omkara turns to look at Rudra and chuckles with a slight blush.

"Even her." Rudra points out grinning.

Omkara smiles happily and he turns to look at Gauri, and she looks at him at that instant. They both smile at each other.

"Finally, you two are behaving like a couple."

"We were always a couple." Omkara tells him with a confused frown.

"You two used to behave as if you were an old married couple who had been married for 50 years."

Cheekily, Omkara points "They are also a couple."

"I meant a couple who were in a marriage of convenience." Rudra clarifies.

"Something changed." Omkara admits.

"What?"

"I don't know." Omkara shrugs. "I just feel like being with her all the time. Just talk to her and listen to her talk."

"Finally! welcome to romance dude!" Rudra says as he hit him on his shoulder.

Omkara laughs hearing that.

"Hey!" Gauri says as she stopped near them.

"Hi..." Omkara smiles at her.

"Feeling all okay?" Gauri asks him as she checked his temperature.

"Yeah, I am completely fine."

"I've ordered soup and salad for you. today also you've that."

"Okay."

"Okay then..." Gauri turns to runs back to her friends and rejoined the game.

******

Omkara was watching Gauri play when the ball hits Gauri and she gets out. Gauri looks at him and cutely pouts. Seeing that Omkara chuckles. Grinning, Gauri runs out of their play area and runs to Omkara. Gauri sits next to Omkara.

"It's okay." Omkara tells her smiling.

"I am not good in any sports." Gauri tells him a little sadly as she dusted herself.

"So what?" Omkara asks her sweetly as he dusted her face gently.

Gauri blushes and smiles. "Did you want to play?"

"I did but I do feel a little tired, so if I play today, I might be bedridden tomorrow. There are four more days to have fun."

Hearing a notification on their phone, both of them curiously check and sees a message from Ridhima. They open and sees a photo of them, Omkara lovingly dusting her face while she blushing. They both smile and look up and sees Ridhima and Rudra cheekily smiling at them.

Omkara and Gauri look at each other and grins.

Seeing that the game was done, Gauri gets up to join her friends.

"Gauri... wait." Omkara quickly stops her as he held her hand.

"Yeah?"

"Erm..." Omkara nervously lets off her hand and runs it through his hair.

"What happened?" Gauri asks as she sat down next to him.

"I thought it is better that I sleep separately tonight also..."

"Yeah, that is a good idea." Gauri agrees.

"I was thinking...." Omkara nervously looks at her.

"Hmmm?"

"Er... do you want to sleep with me tonight also?"

Gauri's heart skips a beat hearing that, and she turns red with blush.

"If you prefer staying with your friends, I totally understand." Omkara quickly tells her.

"No... I want to stay with you." Gauri tells him blushing profusely.

Hearing that, Omkara sighs with blush. He keeps his hand on hers and gently holds it.

Blushing, Gauri smiles at him.

*********

"We are watching horror movie tonight." Ridhima excitedly tells Gauri.

"Ermm..." Gauri slightly blushes and tells her, "I'm staying in Om's room tonight."

"Yeah?" Ridhima asks with a confused frown and looks at Omkara who was chatting with his friends. "But he looks alright to me."

"Yeah... he is fine..." Gauri tells her turning pinker.

Ridhima turns to Gauri in confusion and seeing her blushing, her mouth drops open into a shocked O.

"He asked if I wanted to stay with him." Gauri tells her blushing.

"Oh bitch!" Ridhima whispers in shock. "You two? My God!"

Gauri giggles. "I want to stay with him."

"Oh my!" Ridhima chuckles. "I never expected this from you two. Seriously? You are not pulling my legs, right?"

Gauri laughs hearing that. "No."

"I am so happy for you. Finally, my girl is getting out of her formal relation." Ridhima tells her with a hug.

Gauri happily hugs her.

********

At night, Gauri and Omkara were lying on either side of the bed, looking at each other and smiling.

Omkara keeps his hand over Gauri's hold it. blushing Gauri holds his hand.

Remembering what Ridhima said, Gauri softly tells him. "Om..."

"Hmmm?"

"Tell me something unimportant."

"What?" Omkara asks with a curious chuckle.

"Anything... anything silly."

Hearing that, Omkara chuckles even more.

"Say."

"Hmmm...." Omkara thinks for a bit and not getting anything he says, "1+1 = 2."

Hearing that Gauri bursts out laughing. Not because it was funny, because she felt joyous in talking something so randomly silly with him.

Omkara also chuckles seeing her laugh. "You tell me something silly now."

"Hmmm..." Gauri thinks for a bit and then says, "I saw this somewhere."

"What?"

"50 shades of Grey is only romantic because he is a billionaire. If he was living in a trailer it would be a Criminal Minds episode."

Omkara bursts out laughing hearing that. "So true."

Gauri laughs seeing him laugh. "He loved her." Gauri justifies slightly.

"Can say the same for 365 Days too." Omkara tells her.

"Oh yeah." Gauri chuckles.

"But why?" Omkara asks her with a smile.

"What?"

"Something silly."

"Ridz tells me that we only talk important things, not anything silly. We talk to each other only when something important comes up."

Omkara thoughtfully nods. "Even Rudy says the same. That we don't talk to each other much."

"Yeah... it didn't feel wrong before... but now..."

"I know... I've seen my parents talk only when something important comes up." Omkara tells her thoughtfully.

"Even mine... Papa is always busy, even Mama is busy."

"They've no time for each other." Omkara says about his parents.

"Yes." Gauri replies thoughtfully.

They were silent for a while then Gauri gently calls him. "Om?"

"Yes?"

"I know you are always busy. You have college then your badminton, your friends, I know it takes up all your time... but can you... can you... everyday, spend some time with me?"

Omkara regretfully smiles at her. "You were always so busy. Caught up with your studies, friends and family... and I was busy with my stuff... that it never occurred to me that we should take out time for each other."

"It never occurred to me also." Gauri regretfully says.

"Rudy always says that we need to work on our relationship. From now on, we should, Gauri."

"We'll." Gauri replies as they held their hands tight.

Omkara smiles hearing that.

Her smile dropping, feeling guilty, Gauri gently tells him. "I haven't been honest with you, Om."

"Honest?" Omkara asks confused.

"Every time, I see you play badminton... every time you win... I've felt so proud of you... many times, I felt like telling you to pursue that... I know how much you love playing but then when I think of our future... our parents want us to handle our business together and I am scared about working with Papa... if I make some mistake then he will be so disappointed with me and my only consolation is that you would be there, when I think that you won't join business if you choose badminton... I don't say it." Gauri guiltily explains to him.

Omkara nods a little sadly. "Even if you tell me that, I would still have to join business. That's what Dad wants me to do, he won't let me pursue Badminton, he hates when I go for all these tournaments. You don't have to feel bad."

Gauri's heart breaks hearing that. "No, you should do what you like. You should pursue badminton, I'll handle business... it will take me time to learn but I'll learn." Gauri promises him.

"I've made my peace with it, Gauri." Omkara tells her gently smiling.

Gauri sadly smiles at him.

"Leave all this, let's talk silly." Omkara tells her with an excited smile.

Gauri smiles. "Okay."

"So..."

"Your turn..."

"Hmmm... Rudra hates DDLJ."

"What?" Gauri shouts in shock. "Why?"

Omkara laughs realizing the irony and tells her. "He says Simran and Raj never had a real conversation. Not about them and nor about their future. Their expectations from each other. Their likes and dislikes. They've never been a normal couple for even a day."

"Oh my!" Gauri whispers in shock. "No wonder, I love that movie so much."

Omkara bursts out laughing hearing that.

********

The next day they spent with each other and their friends, having fun, playing around and chatting.

"Let's play spin the bottle." Someone shouts excitedly.

"yeah let's play." Someone else excitedly joins.

"Truth or dare?" Bhavya asks.

"No... we'll play the kissing version."

Gauri immediately looks at Omkara and Omkara also looks at her. they nervously look at each other. Their hearts start beating fast.

"Let's sit in a circle."

Omkara and Gauri starts to walk to join their friends.

"If we don't want to kiss, we can back out with penalty, right?" Ridhima asks.

"Obviously not!" Rudra replies. "Either you are all in or you don't play."

Hearing that, both Gauri and Omkara stop mid step. They look at each other and then they both step back.

"Gauri, you are not playing?" Ridhima asks seeing her step back.

"No, I don't want to play such games." Gauri replies with a shrug.

Ridhima nods.

Rudra noticing Omkara also standing away asks him, "What about you, Om?"

"I just got out of fever. I don't want to give anyone fever." Omkara replies.

"Oh yeah true." Rudra agrees.

Omkara and Gauri sat back as some of their friends sat in circle and discussed the game rules while those not playing, got into groups and talked. Omkara and Gauri looked at each other as their heart beats increased.

"I'll go first." One of their friend shouts and spin the bottle.

Gauri doesn't wait for the bottle to stop, she quietly gets up and walks out. Omkara gets up and follows her out.

Omkara steps out and sees Gauri nervously waiting for him. Omkara walks towards her. heart slamming against their chests, with nervous excitement, they move close to each other and their lips meet for a soul scorching kiss.

Breathless they part, they look at each other as they tried to steady their breathes then holding hands they walk to their bedroom.

********

Omkara and Gauri were hungrily kissing on the bed. "Gauri?" Omkara softly gasps as he looked at her.

Understanding what he was asking, she replies, "Not tonight. not in someone else's house."

"Okay." Omkara agrees with a nod as he took her lips in his and kisses her.

He was kissing her neck when Gauri breathlessly asks him. "When, Om?"

Omkara stops and looks at her. "we'll go back home on Sunday. Monday we can go to my Lonavala house. We can tell our parents that there is another party."

"Lie to our parents?" Gauri asks thoughtfully.

"Yes." Omkara tells her, then he asks her gently. "Will you?"

Gauri lovingly caresses his cheek and nods. "Yes."

********

Hearing her mobile ring, Gauri wakes up and realizes that she couldn't move. She turns her head and sees Omkara hugging her. Gauri blushes realizing they were spooning.

"What's the sound?" Omkara asks coming awake.

"It's my phone." Gauri replies as she freed her hand from his and grabbed her mobile from the night stand.

"Hello, Papa?" Gauri answers the call seeing it was Harsh.

"Gauri, I've send the driver. You come back with him." Harsh tells her.

"Why, Papa?" Gauri asks shocked.

"Don't ask questions, just come back." Harsh furiously orders her.

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

"What happened?" Omkara asks her.

Gauri turns to him sadly and informs him, "Papa asked me to go back home. He has sent the driver."

"Why? And this late at night?" Omkara asks shocked as he checked the time.

"I don't know. He seemed so angry with me." Gauri worriedly tells him.

"Angry with you? why?" Omkara asks her in shocked concern.

"I don't know." Gauri worriedly whispers then she asks him in fear, "Do you think he found out that we were staying in the same room?"

"How would he know that?" Omkara asks her back. "And even if he finds out, they will get us married faster. So, don't worry."

Gauri nods and hugs him worriedly. "I'm feeling scared, he is so angry."

Omkara hugs her back. "Don't worry. Whatever it is, we will handle it."

Gauri nods and snuggles onto his chest.

"Anyway, let's go home and see."

Gauri looks at him surprised. "You are coming?"

"Yeah, I'll take you home."

"But driver is coming."

"So late at night..." Omkara stops and says, "I'll take you home."

"Okay." Gauri smiles. "I'll call my driver and tell him not to come."

Few minutes later, Gauri was all set to leave.

"Don't worry. Everything is going to be fine. You call me after you talk to your parents." Ridhima tells Gauri as she hugged her.

"Okay." Gauri hugs her.

"You'll come back, right?" Rudra asks Omkara.

"Let's see. If everything is fine, then I'll come back."

"Don't drive alone so late at night. You stay at my place and come back in the morning." Gauri tells him.

Omkara nods. "Then I'll come back tomorrow." Omkara tells Rudra.

*******

Omkara stops the car and turns to Gauri. "Don't worry, everything is going to be fine."

Gauri nods her head in fear.

Seeing that she was so close to crying, Omkara moves close to her. "Come here."

Gauri moves towards him and they hug.

"Don't worry, it might not be anything serious." Omkara reassures her.

Gauri looks up at him and worriedly tells him. "You be with me, okay?"

"Okay." Omkara reassuringly smiles at him.

Gauri leans up and seeing that, he leans down and they kiss.

***********

"I told you that I sent the driver then why did you come with him?" Harsh furiously asks Gauri the moment they walked in.

Gauri stops in shock hearing his question.

"Harsh Uncle, it was late..." Omkara quickly starts to explain.

"Get out of my house!" Harsh furiously tells him.

"What?" Omkara whispers in shock.

"Papa, what are you saying?" Gauri asks in shock as she looked at Harsh and Omkara.

"If I see you anywhere near my daughter, it won't be good for you."

"Why are you talking to Om like that?" Gauri asks in shock, her heart beating fast in panic.

"You'll not see him again, Gauri." Harsh orders her.

"Why?" Omkara asks in shock, his heart slamming against his chest.

"Everything is over! We don't anything to do with you, cheaters!" Harsh tells him furiously.

"Cheaters?" Gauri whispers in shock.

"Cheaters?" Omkara asks in slight anger.

"Your father is a bloody cheat! We are dissolving the partnership. Now, you and your family will not come near me or my family."

"I'm sure it is a misunderstanding, Harsh Uncle. Dad is not a cheat." Omkara argues.

"He is a cheat! Now, get out of my house."

"Papa, please don't do this." Gauri pleads him as her eyes filled up. She worriedly looks at Omkara.

Omkara looks at her, in anger and pain then without saying anything, he leaves from there.

"Om..." Gauri starts to run behind him when Harsh holds her hand.

"Stop there, Gauri." Harsh furiously tells her.

"Please Papa, stop Om." Gauri pleads him as tears fell from her eyes.

"I told you, he doesn't exist for us now." Harsh tells her.

"Please Papa... even if Tej uncle cheated you, please forgive him, Papa... for Om and me. please Papa?" Gauri pleads him as she broke into tears.

"Stop it, Gauri. Don't argue just listen to what I am saying."

"Papa... Om and I am to get married." Gauri reminds him in tears.

"No. I'll find a much better guy than those bloody cheats." Harsh furiously tells her.

"But I want to marry Om."

"STOP IT, GAURI AND GO TO YOUR ROOM!"

***********

"Dad!" Omkara bangs on his door. "Dad!"

"What is it, Omkara?" Tej asks angrily as he opened the bedroom door.

"Om, is everything alright? You were supposed to come back on Sunday, right?" Jhanvi asks as she hurried out.

"What happened with Harsh Uncle?" Omkara asks him

"How did you find that out?" Jhanvi asks in shock.

"Harsh uncle told me to stay away from Gauri." Omkara informs them, his eyes filling up.

"You went to his house? with whose permission?" Tej asks angrily.

"I've always gone there." Omkara reminds him in shock.

"Don't go there anymore. We are dissolving the partnership." Tej orders him.

"But why?" Omkara asks him panicking.

"That bloody greedy Harsh is calling me a cheater!" Tej furiously tells him.

"What happened?" Omkara asks him in shock.

"There was this investment that I wanted to invest in but Harsh felt it was too risky. He refused the idea. So, without telling him, I invested in it alone. Now, I made 7 times more money from that and now, he wants a share of the profit." Tej says furiously.

"What?" Omkara whispers in shock. "But how can he ask that?"

"I took money from the company without telling him, so he is saying that I stole from the company and he is claiming that the investment was made from the company so he deserves equal rights to the profit!"

"It is his money too, Dad." Omkara points out to him in shock. "He had a right to know."

"It is called rolling money!" Tej furiously tells him.

"But he deserves the share."

"What kind of a businessman are you? Don't you know business?" Tej furiously asks him.

"But Dad..."

"He is a bloody greedy man. If it didn't make money and I had incurred losses would he have agreed to bare the losses? He won't! so, what right does he have in asking for profit share?" Tej furiously asks him.

"Just give him the money, Dad. He is very angry. He won't let Gauri and me get married otherwise." Omkara pleads him.

Tej scoffs furiously. "He won't let? I won't let you marry her! You'll marry someone deserving."

"Dad, please don't do this. For Gauri, Dad... please?" Omkara pleads him as his eyes filled with unshed tears.

"Stop being so desperate, Omkara! She is not the only girl in this world. Go to your room. this discussion is over!" Tej tells him and closes the door on his face.

***********

"Did you talk to Omkara?" Ridhima asks Gauri the next morning.

Gauri shakes her head as she fought her tears.

"Call him, Gauri." Ridhima tells her as she sat next to Gauri.

Gauri shakes her head in negative.

"Why?" Ridhima asks her. "I don't think what his father did is so unforgiveable. I'm sure they will sort it out."

"They started the process to dissolve the business." Gauri informs her.

"Then you talk to Omkara... see what he feels about it." Ridhima advices her.

"He didn't call." Gauri whispers sadly.

"So, you call him."

"Papa said he doesn't want us to get married now."

"It is your decision, Gauri, not his."

"All night I was thinking..." Gauri tells her as she looked at Ridhima sadly.

"What?"

"You once asked me whether I would marry Om if it wasn't our parents' decision."

"Yeah I did... but last few days, I have been watching you two together..."

"It might be because it was decided by our parents that we are getting married."

"Gauri..." Ridhima starts and then stops not knowing what to say.

"Last few days, our relation had changed. We were so formal with each other, the wall of formality dropped between us and it was nice and amazing. So, if we are meant to be then we will find our way back to each other, one day." Gauri tells her.

Ridhima nods hearing that.

"If Om and I will get together then it will be only because that we want to be together not because it is the practical decision of our parents."

"So, you have to talk to him for that."

"Before that I need to know whether I want to be with Om for myself or because I am so used to the idea of Om being my future husband."

***********

"O" Rudra knocks on the door.

"What are you doing here?" Omkara opens the door for him.

"Ridhima had called Gauri, and she told her what happened and Ridhima told me." Rudra tells him as he walked in.

Omkara nods and closes the door.

"Did you talk to Gauri?" Rudra asks him.

"What am I going to tell her? To ask her father to forgive my father for cheating him?" Omkara asks him back as he walked to the bed.

"Dude, you need to talk to her and sort out this issue."

"Don't you know our parents?" Omkara asks him back.

"Are you okay with losing Gauri?" Rudra asks him softly.

Omkara gulps as he thought of Gauri.

"O..."

"Monday we were planning to go away and have sex." Omkara tells him softly.

"Huh? What?" Rudra asks a little taken back.

"It was the most natural decision for us." Omkara tells him. "But now when I think of it, I don't know why it was so."

"What do you mean?" Rudra asks him confused.

"Is it because we are so used to thinking that we would be married one day, or whether we already considered to be each other's one and only, or whether we loved each other or we were just being hormonal... I don't know." Omkara tells him helplessly.

"Unless you talk to her, how are you going to get a definite answer?" Rudra asks him.

"Before I ask her, I should know what I want." Omkara tells him.

"You guys were so happy together the last three days." Rudra reminds him.

"We are so used to thinking of each other as our life partner... so used to expect things from each other... we saw each other as duty and a responsibility. Our parents, all our life had expectations from us and we, all our lives strove to meet it. And now, we were doing the same to each other, have expectations from one another."

"You guys were more than that. you were a team and partners too, O. you guys looked out for each other. That time, you went to the club just so you could make sure that she gets home safe and sound. I was busy and you had no one to go with you that day, but still you went. You've always watched out for her and she has done the same for you. she always kept your secrets from your parents. every time you hid from your parents and went for a match, she covered for you. You weren't allowed to write your exams and she never let your parents know that."

"Maybe... But I don't know if she would go against her parents for me. Her biggest fear in her life is disappointing her father. So, I don't know whether I am that important for her that she will risk disappointing her father."

"you've to ask her that."

"Even if she says she wants to be with me then what I am going to do? Bring her here? I'm living under my father. Should I use the money he cheated out of her father to build our life together?"

Rudra helplessly looks at him.

"Before I ask Gauri to decide whether she wants to be with me, I need to get out of the thumb of my father. I can't take a penny that belongs to Harsh Uncle."

"What are you going to do?" Rudra asks confused.

"I am leaving this house."

********

5 years later

"Well done on the presentation." Harsh tells Gauri happily as they walked into his cabin.

Gauri politely smiles at him.

"It was brilliant and perfect." Harsh tells her excitedly.

"Thank you, Papa." Gauri tells him.

"Did you see how Mr. Khanna was impressed? Even Ajay."

Gauri lightly shrugs with a slight frown.

Noticing Mr. Khanna and Ajay walking by, Harsh quickly invites them to his cabin. They come in and very soon they were chit chatting while Gauri just silently stood by.

"I've got a meeting, so I'll take your leave now." Gauri says politely feeling bored.

"Yeah, sure." Mr. Khanna says smiling at her.

"Gauri, come home tonight, Ajay and Mr. Khanna are coming home for dinner." Harsh tells her.

"Is it official or..." Gauri asks confused.

"No... no... it is personal." Mr. Khanna informs her with an excited smile.

Gauri frowns seeing that and curiously looks at her father.

"You come, I'll explain to you at home." Harsh tells her in a dismissing tone.

Gauri frowns hearing that and she turns to curiously look at the other two men, and sees them both smiling at her. Gauri turns to look at her father and even he was excited. Standing straighter, she tells them all, "I love Om."

All their smile drops while Harsh quickly turned furious the other two men got awkward.

"If it is marriage that you all are planning to discuss then I'm sorry, I love Om." Gauri tells them. "It's not that he doesn't know it, he knows." Gauri clarifies as she looked at her father.

"Will you stop it?" Harsh furiously whispers to her as he stepped closer to her.

"I love Om." Gauri tells her father as she looked into his eyes. "And I'll only marry him."

"We'll let you two talk." Ajay says feeling uncomfortable there and they quickly leave.

"How many times have I told you not to mention that loser?" Harsh asks her angrily.

"Loser?" Gauri asks him back. "Om is not a loser. Just because you hate Tej Uncle doesn't mean you should discredit Om."

"What is he, if not a loser? Doesn't even have a degree." Harsh says in disgust.

"It's true that he dropped out of college. But he is not a loser. He is a professional badminton player who is achieving great heights and I am very proud of him." Gauri furiously tells him.

"Whatever! I'll never allow for you to marry him." Harsh tells her.

"If I marry then it will only be Om." Gauri declares and starts to walk off.

"He hasn't even thought of you in the last five years and you've been waiting for him like a crazy person." Harsh mocks her.

Gauri stops and turns to her father. "I've no expectations from him. I'll never burden him with my expectations. I don't care if he has anyone else in his life, I don't care if he doesn't think of me ever. But I'll always think of him and I'll always wait for him!"

**********

"Congratulations!" Rudra says excitedly.

Omkara looks at him and looks at the trophy he was holding and gives a disinterested smile.

"What? You won the tournament!" Rudra asks him in shock as he kept the trophy with other trophies.

"Does it matter?" Omkara asks him back.

"It doesn't?" Rudra asks him back.

"The price I had to pay to get all these..."

"You didn't pay any price." Rudra cuts him off in exasperation. "you didn't leave Gauri."

Omkara sighs as he looked at the photo on the wall, it was the one with Gauri that Ridhima had clicked.

"You can still call her." Rudra reminds him. "All these years you wanted to make a name for yourself and that you did. You wanted her to be sure of her feelings, don't you think she would be sure of it now?"

"But still, my father is the thief who stole from her father." Omkara softly whispers.

"Let her be the judge of it." Rudra tells him.

Omkara thoughtfully rubs his hand over his cheek and chin.

"By the way, Ridhima and Arjun are getting married this weekend. I'm invited." Rudra informs him.

"You're?" Omkara asks as he turned to face him, his heart beating fast in anticipation.

"Ridhima and Bhavya are friends, so Bhavya is also invited by her. my invitation, I can bring a plus one." Rudra informs him.

"What?" Omkara asks confused.

"Gauri would definitely be there. Do you want to be my plus one?"

**********

Gauri was chatting with her friends on the stage to a side. When Ridhima calls her.

"Gauri..." Ridhima softly calls out to her.

"Yeah." Gauri hurries to her.

"Can you keep these with the other gifts?" Ridhima asks her as she handed her the gift.

"Yeah sure." Gauri quickly takes it from her.

"Hi Gauri." Rudra wishes her.

Hearing him, Gauri curiously turns to look. "Hi..." and she stops in shock seeing Omkara with Rudra and Bhavya.

"Hi Gauri." Bhavya hugs her happily.

Gauri hugs her mechanically though her eyes were stuck on Omkara. her eyes filling up, her heart beating fast seeing him after five long years.

Omkara's eyes fill up seeing Gauri, his heart racing, joy and fear gripping his heart. "Hi." Omkara softly says.

"Hi..." Gauri whispers softly.

Seeing the next guest waiting, Rudra says "We should move."

Nodding, Gauri quickly walks to the side of the stage to her friends while the three followed her.

"How are you? long time." Rudra asks her seeing that Omkara and she were silent.

"Good... how are you... all?" Gauri asks as her gaze stopped on Omkara.

Rudra and Bhavya replies and they make some polite conversations while Omkara and Gauri quietly studied each other.

Unable to handle Omkara's silence, Gauri looks at him then she turns to Rudra and Bhavya. "I'll just go keep these and come." then she quickly walks off the side exit of the stage.

Gauri opens the room and walks in and keeps the gift with the rest of the gifts. She takes a deep breath to stop herself from crying. She hears Omkara walk in. she closes her eyes and composes herself then she turns to face him.

"Hi..." Omkara says softly, his eyes filled with tears.

Gauri gulps and says. "I didn't know you were invited."

"I wasn't." Omkara replies shaking his head. "I wasn't in touch with Ridhima and Arjun."

"You didn't keep in touch with anyone." Gauri accuses him.

Omkara nods with a gulp as he looked down.

"How come you are here if you weren't invited?"

"Rudra's plus one."

Gauri gulps and asks him softly. "You came for the wedding?"

Omkara looks at her and shakes his head in negative. "I came to see you."

"You left without a word." Gauri accuses him her eyes filling up.

"What could I have said?" Omkara asks her.

"Not even one call. For five years!"

"What could I say? My father cheated your father."

"But you didn't cheat anyone, Om." Gauri reminds him as tears spilled from her eyes.

Hearing that, Omkara moves towards her and Gauri moves towards him. Omkara hugs her.

Gauri hugs him as she broke into tears. "I thought we would find our way back to each other, but you just left, Om."

"I couldn't stay in that house, Gauri. I lost you because of the money he was bringing home." Omkara tells her as he cried.

"It was just business, Om. Papa over reacted. Tej Uncle wasn't completely wrong." Gauri tells him. "But you just left, Om. You just disappeared."

"I wanted to be sure of my feelings, Gauri. I wanted you to be sure of your feelings." Omkara tells her. "All those years when you were with me but I never realized it, I never told you. I love you."

"I love you, Om." Gauri tells him as she hugged him.

Omkara hugs her tight.

*********

"For how long have you been staying alone?" Omkara asks Gauri as he followed her into her flat.

"About a year now." Gauri tells him as she closed the door.

"Hmmm."

"I used to beg Papa to reconcile with Tej uncle but he used to be adamant. After college and when I started working with him, and he started talking about marriage, I told him I love you, he was furious and slowly slowly I started arguing and fighting with him. finally, I just couldn't stay there anymore and moved out." Gauri tells him.

"And he didn't stop you?" Omkara asks her.

"He tried. I'm no longer depended on him and he couldn't do anything."

Omkara smiles and tells her, "You used to be so scared of him."

"Even you used to be scared of your parents but you left home."

"I couldn't stay there after what my father did."

"Om, I don't see Tej uncle that wrong. It is business." Gauri tells him with a shrug.

"But you would never do what he did." Omkara points out.

Gauri nods. "I wouldn't but Papa overreacted. If Tej Uncle had incurred losses would Papa insist on sharing the losses? No. so, he shouldn't have asked for profit share too."

"That was his argument too." Omkara mutters. "Anyway both of them went wrong somewhere."

"And we had to pay the price." Gauri whispers as she moved close to him.

Omkara holds her by shoulders and says, "I'm sorry I left without telling you."

"I thought after a few days, once we knew what we wanted then we would talk and take a decision but I couldn't find you." Gauri whispers. "But the time I did, you were featuring in the sports sections of the newspaper and I wasn't sure whether you still wanted to be with me."

"I was featuring there because I wanted to be worthy of you. not be under my father who stole from you."

"You don't have to prove anything, Om. just like I didn't have anything to prove. It was our fathers who had to prove their love for us and they failed us. they chose their ego and money over our happiness."

Omkara nods. "I'm not in touch with my father. I talk to Mom once in a while but not that often, she also supports my father."

"Same with my mother but I still am in contact with them. I see Papa in office all the time."

"How is it working with your father?" Omkara asks her remembering her fear.

"I was scared at first then when the fights started between us over you, I stopped being so scared and I started working the way I wanted and it worked out well and he seems to respect me as a business person but still tries to interfere with my life."

"They will never agree to this." Omkara gently reminds her.

"I know but it doesn't matter to me." Gauri tells him.

Omkara cups her face and then he gently leans down, Gauri leans up and their lips meet.

**********

"So, Ridhima planned with Rudra to bring us together?" Gauri asks Omkara.

"Yeah." Omkara replies with a grin.

"We are so lucky to get such friends." Gauri tells him smiling.

"We are." Omkara smiles hearing that. "Why didn't you ever keep in touch with Rudra?" Omkara asks her curiously.

"You left... so, I just..." Gauri shrugs.

Omkara nods.

"Let's talk about something else." Gauri tells him.

"Silly?" Omkara asks her cheekily.

Gauri chuckles hearing that then turning nostalgic she says. "Those days... were so beautiful."

"Most beautiful." Omkara says with a loving smile.

Gauri smiles hearing that.

"Do you still watch criminal minds?" Omkara asks her curiously.

Gauri shakes her head in negative. "never could watch it after that."

"I started watching it after that." Omkara tells her gently.

Gauri smiles and asks teasingly. "Did you used to get scared?"

Omkara chuckles then he shakes his head and says gently. "I was more heartbroken."

Gauri smiles sadly then she says to change the mood. "I got into Game of Thrones."

"Rudra is majorly into it and I saw one episode with him as he said it was an amazing episode." Omkara says in disgust.

"You didn't like it?" Gauri asks shocked. "Which episode was it?"

"The war was good but the characters are so freaking dumb. Your enemy is in front of you and you can kill him but you shoot someone else next to him instead. And don't get me started on that kid who couldn't even run zigzag!"

"Battle of Bastards." Gauri chuckles. "You should sit with me watch, it is amazing."

"Gauri, you like shows like Criminal Minds and Game of Thrones, I am getting worried for Arya and Agni." Omkara teases her.

"Arya and Agni..." Gauri whispers her eyes filling up with tears.

"What happened?" Omkara asks her as he cupped her face in concern.

"I was worried that we might never have our Arya and Agni." Gauri tells him as tears spilled from her eyes.

"We will, love." Omkara promises her as he hugged her.

**********

"So, you and Rudra are stay together?" Gauri asks as they had dinner.

"Yeah... and unofficially Bhavya too. She is there more than me."

"I was surprised when Ridhima told me they had started dating."

"When I see them together, I..." Omkara stops with a shrug.

"I know... I used to feel like that when I saw Arjun and Ridz." Gauri tells him understanding.

Omkara keeps his hand over Gauri's.

Hearing her mobile ringing, Gauri answers the call. "Hello Mama?"

"Gauri, are you back home? How did the wedding go?" Vasundhara asks her.

"It went nice."

"Are you still at her place or you back home?"

"I am home. Can I call you back later?"

"Okay... Are you busy?" Vasundhara asks her.

"Yeah, Om is here."

"What do you mean by Om is there?" Vasundhara asks shocked.

"It means he is here."

"Gauri, if Harsh finds out..."

Gauri cuts her off. "I don't care if he finds out. Om and I am together now. anyway, I will talk to you later. Bye." Gauri says and hangs up.

"Furious?" Omkara asks her.

Gauri shrugs. Within seconds, Gauri's phone starts ringing and she answers the call. "Hello, Papa?"

"ASK HIM TO GET OUT, GAURI!" Harsh furiously tells her.

"Keep the phone, Papa." Gauri orders him and hangs up the call.

Omkara's mouth drops open hearing her back answer her father. Gauri chuckles seeing that.

Few minutes later, Omkara's phone rings. "Looks like Harsh Uncle called Dad." Omkara says as he answered the call. "Yes?"

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING WITH HARSH'S DAUGHTER?" Tej furiously asks him.

"I love Gauri and she loves me. and that is all you need to know. Bye!" Omkara says and hangs the call.

Gauri gives him an impressed smile making him chuckle.

"It's late." Omkara says once they were done with dinner.

"Are you leaving or do you want to stay here?" Gauri asks him.

"Do you want me to stay?" Omkara asks her softly.

"You know the answer to that." Gauri replies to him.

Hearing that, Omkara moves towards her and takes her lips in his. Hungrily kissing they head to her bedroom.

**********

"Even I have this photo in my apartment." Omkara says as he looked at the photo frame on her side table.

"There are so many photos of ours but only this one matters to me." Gauri tell him as she snuggled into his arms.

"Even for me." Omkara replies as he looked at her.

Gauri smiles and kisses his cheek lovingly. "Don't ever go away from me again."

"Never." Omkara promises her.

**********

"Maybe you should move in here." Gauri tells Omkara as they snuggled in bed a week later.

Omkara chuckles hearing that and he grabs the ring he had kept.

"Why are you chuckling? You are mostly here only." Gauri asks him confused.

Omkara takes her hand and he slips in the ring on her ring finger. "Marry me."

Gauri turns to him surprised and asks him, "Marry you? no proposal? No grand gesture?"

"When were we ever romantic?" Omkara asks her confused.

"That is also true." Gauri mutters making a face as she lay back on his chest.

"So?" Omkara asks her.

"How about this weekend?" Gauri asks him.

"Yes." Omkara replies smiling.

Gauri chuckles. "You asked and you ended up saying yes."

Omkara chuckles hearing that.

**********

Two days later, Gauri and Omkara were meeting with their parents at Gauri's apartment. After their constant calls and arguments, they decided to meet their parents and just let them know their decision.

"Enough of this nonsense. I'll never allow this." Harsh says in finality.

"Enough of your nonsense!" Gauri tells him back.

"We didn't call you all here to ask your permission, we called you all to tell you that we are getting married." Omkara tells them.

"NEVER!" Tej says furiously. "If you marry her then I'll not give you a penny."

Omkara turns to his father and asks him, "Did I ask you for it? Do you think I would leave Gauri for money? I would leave you both for Gauri. And if you never realized it then I am very rich now."

"I will disown you, Gauri. I'll kick you out of the company too." Harsh warns her.

"More than me, you know my capabilities." Gauri reminds him. "If not your company then I'll find a job somewhere else. If not that then I'll start my own business. I know, I can build an empire that will beat yours. So, don't threaten me with that. if you think that I would choose you all and business over Om then you are mistaken."

"So, it is actually upon you whether you want your daughter to take your business or some stranger." Omkara tells Harsh.

"Anyway, this Sunday is our wedding. If you want, you can attend but even if you don't we will be getting married." Gauri informs them.

**********

Gauri and Omkara were sitting at the mandap with their friends with them as the pundit started the mantras.

"Oh my..." Ridhima whispers. "Gauri, your parents are here."

"Even yours, O." Rudra also whispers.

Gauri and Omkara looks up and sees their parents walking in. they turn to look at each in surprise.

"I didn't expect them to come." Omkara tells Gauri surprised.

"Same." Gauri replies then seeing them looking down at them, she says, "They are not happy."

"Who cares?" Omkara asks back seeing that their parents were not at all happy with this marriage.

"They look damn pissed." Bhavya whispers.

"So, why did they come?" Ridhima asks her in a whisper.

"Whatever the reason, they are here and only that matters." Rudra says.

"Who is doing the gath bandhan and kanyadaan?" the pundit asks them curiously.

Omkara and Gauri looks at their parents. seeing that they were about to walk forward, they turn to the pundit and replies. "Kanyadaan will be done by Rudra and gath bandhan by Ridhima."

And within minutes, they were man and wife.

**********

10 years later

Omkara walks into his home and hearing the sound from the kitchen, he curiously walks to the kitchen and sees Gauri cooking. "You are early today?"

"Arya called and asked me to get them." Gauri replies.

"Kids are back? I thought they were coming back tomorrow." Omkara asks surprised.

"They wanted to come back today."

"All okay?" Omkara asks in concern.

Gauri sighs loudly. "No."

Omkara turns irritated and admonishes her. "I told you to keep them away. why do you have to do this to our kids?"

"Om, it was our decision on how we want our relation with our parents be. And it will be the kids' decision how their relation with their grandparents be. I'm not going to impose on our kids like our parents did." Gauri replies.

Omkara irately looks away.

"Anyway, Agni needs you. I tried my best but he needs reassurance from you also."

"What happened? Is he upset?" Omkara asks frowning in concern.

"Yeah... he is having career choice crisis." Gauri replies sighing.

"What the fuck, Gauri? Career?" Omkara asks in anger. "he is a four-year-old kid. Why the hell can't Dad let him be a kid?"

"You go talk to him, Om." Gauri tells him gently.

Omkara nods and walks off to look for his son.

Omkara walks to his son's bedroom and seeing the room empty, he walks to the tent in one corner and peeps in. he sees Agni lying face down as he sadly rolled the fire truck with a hand.

"My Agni man is home?" Omkara asks him cheerfully.

Agni sadly looks away.

Omkara crawls in. "What happened to my Agni Man? Did Dadu say anything?"

Agni sadly pouts, his eyes filling up.

"Awww my Agni Man." Omkara quickly picks him up and puts him on his lap. "What happened?"

Agni looks at him sadly and tells him, "Dadu told me I shouldn't be a fireman. I should join business."

"It is not Dadu's decision to make. It is your decision what you want to be." Omkara tells him.

"Dadu said people will laugh at you if I become a fireman." Agni says sadly.

"Why would people laugh at me?" Omkara asks him shocked.

"He said because fireman is poor." Agni tells him sadly.

"But still you want to be a fireman?" Omkara asks him.

"Yes but I don't want anyone to laugh at you."

"Nobody is going to laugh at me. and even if they laugh, I will tell them all the names of the people that you have saved." Omkara says. "You are Agni Man, my super hero."

Agni looks at him his eyes widening in hope.

"You shouldn't listen to Dadu... Dadu just wants you to be a businessman like him. he wanted Dada to be also a businessman. But you love that your Dada plays badminton, right?"

Agni nods his head in yes.

"Are you embarrassed Dada plays badminton?"

"No." Agni says vehemently. "I don't want you to retire also."

"Awww.... Even if Dada retires, Dada promise, Dada will always play badminton."

Agni smiles hearing that.

"That's like my Agni Man." Omkara says smiling happily.

Agni happily hugs him and Omkara hugs him tight.

"Dada..." Agni gently calls him.

"Yes?"

"I don't want to go to Dadu's house." Agni tells him gently. "I like Dadu but I don't like staying there. he doesn't let me play with my firetruck."

"Then don't." Omkara says smiling happily.

"I told Didu, if she wants then she should go alone. I'll not go with her."

"Okay, don't go then." Omkara tells him. "Did you tell Mama?"

"Yes. She said I don't have to go if I don't want to."

"Okay. Now, you play with your truck." Omkara says and hands him his truck.

Agni smiles as he took his truck.

"Oh my God! That building is on fire." Omkara says panicking as he put a miniature fire toy inside one of the miniature building.

"I am coming!" Agni shouts as he grabbed his hard hat and put it on his head and wore his fireman suit, and pushed his truck to the building.

**********

"STOP TELLING MY CHILDREN WHAT TO BE! THEY WILL DECIDE WHAT THEY WANT TO BE!" Omkara furiously says on the phone.

Hearing Tej's arguing about the dignity and poor status, Omkara cuts him off.

'IT IS A PHASE! EVEN IF IT IS NOT, NO ONE HAS THE RIGHT TO DECIDE WHAT THEY SHOULD BE. IT IS THEIR DECISION AND ONLY THEIR'S. Anyway, Agni has decided that he doesn't want to come and stay at your place anymore. if you keep up with this, I don't know for how long, Arya is going to tolerate you!" Omkara says furiously and hangs up the phone.

**********

"So, Agni is no longer going to my parents' place." Omkara says as he walked back into the kitchen.

Gauri chuckles. "Look at you so happy."

"I know how it was to grow up there... having every action judged and criticized."

"I just wanted it to be a decision they made. Not us for them." Gauri tells him.

"Yeah, I know." Omkara says with a smile then his smile drops seeing Gauri chopping carrots. "Salad again? when the hell is Dandi coming back?"

"Not salad. I thought I'll make fried rice for the kids." Gauri tells him chuckling. "And Dandi called, he will come back tomorrow."

"Thank God." Omkara says in relief, ever since their live-in house help had gone to visit his family, they were running around the house taking care of all the work.

"DADA! You are home!" Arya asks as she ran in.

"My Yaari Daarling." Omkara opens his arms for his daughter.

Arya quickly jumps on him and hugs him.

"Do you want tender coconut lime?" Arya asks excitedly.

"Not now, at dinner." Gauri quickly tells her.

"Okay." Arya says. "I'll make it then that time. Mama, do you need any help?"

"Can clean the counters and sweep the floor, please?" Gauri asks her.

"Sure." Arya smiles at her and jumps down and runs to get the cleaning supplies.

Omkara turns to Gauri and tells her, "If people find out the amount of work you make her do, you will be arrested for child labor."

Gauri cheekily grins at him. "It is her training for her job as a bartender."

"I wonder what my father has to say about her career choice." Omkara says thoughtfully, ever since Arya had seen a bartender flip three bottles in a song, she has decided that to be her dream job while Agni had seen fire fighters in movies and his name being Agni, thought that he was a super hero born to protect people from fire.

"You should ask her." Gauri tells him chuckling.

"Why you never ask Agni for help with household work?"

Gauri gives him an exasperated look. "Pray that he never has to help me."

Omkara chuckles. "Why?"

"When I asked him to dust the shelves, he said it is not on fire and when it catches on fire, he will carry me to safety, till then he needs no training."

Omkara laughs hearing that, "He carrying you?"

Gauri chuckles.

Hearing Arya come back with the cleaning supplies, Omkara turns to her.

""How was your stay at Dadu's?" Omkara asks her.

"Fine..." Arya shrugs as she started cleaning.

"Did Dadu or Dadi say anything to you?"

"Lot of things." Arya replies confused.

"About you being a bartender." Omkara says rolling his eyes.

"Yeah. They said they will be ashamed if I become a bartender."

Omkara turns to glare at Gauri. Gauri gives him a what-did-I-do look in return.

"What did you tell them?" Omkara asks her.

"That if they are so embarrassed then they just don't visit my place of work." Arya says with a shrug.

Omkara proudly smiles at his daughter.

"They were pestering Agni and he wasn't happy to stay there, so, I called Mama. I don't know why he cares whether they want him to be a firefighter or not. It is his decision, right, Dada?" Arya asks as she turned to look at him.

"Yes." Omkara replies smiling so proudly.

Arya was conceived when they both were at their rebellious best, and by Agni's time they both had mellowed down a lot, maybe that is why their kids had such difference in the way in handling their grandparents.

"Isn't it shining, Mama?" Arya asks proudly.

"Yes, amazing." Gauri replies smiling happily.

"Okay, if you need any help, call me." Arya tells her and leaves the kitchen.

"Do you want me to do something?" Omkara asks Gauri.

"No, I'll be done soon."

"Okay... then I'll make Brownies for the kids." Omkara declares.

"Don't make a mess." Gauri quickly tells him.

Omkara turns to her and cheekily asks her, "Why, wify? I thought you were not going to keep any kind of expectations from me."

Gauri scowls at him.

**** The End ****

I know the story was crappy, but I just had to write it, I've no idea why.

Inspiration for trolling

Absolute truth!!!!

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- Lazy