Hello everyone...

How are you all?

Sorry for the long delay

Thanks to all for voting and commenting on the previous story. Deranged Minds (Posted on 28.Nov.2023)

Happy Valentines Day Everyone

I am here with another twin story. I know, you all might be wondering "is there no end to this series?"

Warning:

I don't know why, I kind of dragged this story on and on.

Dressed as a bride, Gauri sat in the hotel room as she waited for her parents. Anxious, she picks up the letter and reads it for the nth time.

Gauri...

I am sorry I am doing this. I tried a lot, Gauri, but this fear and panic, I can't control.

As I think of it, I realize that I am making the biggest mistake of my life.

You had asked me, how I knew that Omkara was the one for me. That day, I said something but the truth is, I don't know. The more I think of it, the more I realize that I am marrying him because he is rich, handsome and famous. There is no other reason.

Mama was saying that arranged marriages are like that, but my heart says there should be more reasons than those. I am starting to feel like a gold digger.

Gauri, I am not looking for a love story but there should be more in a marriage than these reasons.

You told me to share my concerns with Omkara, but he is so unforgiving that I just couldn't speak to him. And everything is happening at lightening speed, I can't grasp.

And Papa and Mama, you saw... all they care is that he is rich. They don't even want to discuss my issues. I have no other option than going away. If I stay then they will force me to marry him and I can't do that. They will even threaten me with suicide, I can't go through that.

Gauri, they are only thinking of his money. They don't realize that Omkara also deserves better, he deserves someone who would marry him for him, not what he represents.

I can't ruin his and my life because our parents can't see beyond money.

I am sorry, Gauri, please tell Omkara why I did this. Please explain to him that this is for both of our better future.

Love,

Nits.

Gauri sighs as she closed the letter. Nithya is a model and Omkara's mother had met her during an ad shoot. Even though they were not of the same status as them, she had send the proposal because Nithya was a known face, with a promising career ahead. And their parents had latched on to it like vultures. Nithya had agreed at first but as time went by, she started having second thoughts. And the marriage was fixed in a month's time. In that one month, either Omkara or Nithya would be traveling for work that, they didn't even get time to speak or get to know each other.

Now, she was sitting here, dressed as a bride as her parents spoke to Omkara and his mother, and explained to him what had happened, and if they thought to save face, that he should get married to her, then she was willing to marry him because since the moment her sister had gone missing, her parents had been begging and pleading her to make this sacrifice. She had agreed finally, as she couldn't see him or her family be humiliated.

Hearing the door open, Gauri looks up and sees her parents. She nervously looks at them.

"They agreed, Gauri." Harsh informs her.

"They did?" Gauri asks shocked, she really didn't expect them to agree. "He doesn't want to speak to me before marriage?"

"No... they were angry at first then when we explained and he agreed." Harsh tells her.

"They also think that this is a good solution. Muhurat is running out, so they asked you to hurry. Let's go down." Vasundhara informs her.

Gauri nods as she stood up, her heart slamming against her chest.

***********

After marriage, Gauri was going to bid her farewell to her cousins while Omkara and his family waited for her.

Before she could speak to her cousins, Vasundhara grabs her hand and pulls her aside.

"Gauri..." Vasundhara worriedly starts.

Seeing her so worried, Gauri reassures her. "Don't worry, Mama. I'll try my best to make this marriage work. I didn't get a chance to speak to Omkara, but he had smiled at me."

"Did you tell her?" Harsh asks as he joined them.

"Tell me what?" Gauri asks them curiously.

Vasundhara grips her hand and requests her. "Don't tell anyone that you are Gauri."

"Why?" Gauri asks in shock then frowning, she asks, "Did Omkara and his mother ask us to hide that he married me and not Nits?"

"Yes." Harsh replies.

"What? How can they ask that?" Gauri asks frowning. She turns around to go and confront Omkara.

"Gauri, just for some time, you..." Harsh starts as he held her.

"I married him to save us all from humiliation. He can't ask me to do this! I will not. I've a life." Gauri tells them as she freed herself from them.

Seeing that Gauri will not stop without confronting, Vasundhara quickly tells her. "He thinks you are Nithya."

"What?" Gauri stops in shock, her heart stopping. She turns to her parents and asks them. "What do you mean by that?"

Harsh and Vasundhara look at each other then worriedly tells her, "We didn't tell them anything."

"WHAT ARE YOU SAYING? WHY DIDN'T YOU?" Gauri asks furiously.

"Gauri... quietly." Vasundhara worriedly says.

"We didn't tell them because we were worried what if they refuse. They are such big people, we were so lucky they chose us. That Nithya destroyed everything. We thought, at least..."

"SHUT THE HELL UP!" Gauri furiously shouts at her father.

"Is everything alright?"

Gauri turns around and sees Omkara with his mother, and their relatives standing behind them.

Gauri eyes fill up seeing him, she walks to him and asks him, "You know, I am Gauri, right?"

"What?" Omkara frowns hearing that. "Nithya, what are you saying?"

Gauri gasps as she covered her mouth hearing him. Her heart slamming against her chest in panic.

"Is this some kind of twins prank?" Jhanvi asks curiously. Then shaking her head, she says, "Nithya, we are getting late. We should be leaving."

"I AM GAURI!" Gauri shouts out. "I AM NOT NITHYA!"

"What?" Omkara asks in a shocked whisper.

Gauri looks at her husband and says helplessly, "I am Gauri, Omkara."

"What kind of a sick joke is this?" Omkara asks her furiously.

"Nithya, stop joking around. You have to leave with them now." Harsh tells her in a stern tone.

"Yeah, Nithya. Stop playing your pranks." Vasundhara tells her.

"SHUT UP!" Gauri furiously shouts.

"What is happening here?" Omkara asks angrily. "Nithya..."

"GAURI!" Gauri shouts as she turned to him. "Nithya ran away! I am Gauri."

"What?" Omkara stops in shock. "I just married her." Omkara whispers.

"You married me." Gauri tells him helplessly as she cried.

"Nithya..." Harsh starts.

"I will not lie. I will not cheat them. I will not be someone else." Gauri tells him furiously.

"Nithya, please stop this." Vasundhara pleads her. "Just think before you speak."

"You think before you ask me to do this." Gauri tells her angrily.

"Nithya, you are married... stop playing these kinds of jokes." Harsh angrily tells her. "Take your marriage seriously. You are humiliating us and all our relatives with this prank."

"Stop trying to emotionally blackmail me!" Gauri furiously tells him. "I will not live a lie!"

"What are you saying?" Omkara asks her, his heart slamming against his chest.

"Nothing, Omkara... Nithya always plays these kinds of crazy pranks." Vasundhara says then turning to Gauri she pleads. "Please stop this, Nithya."

Seeing her parents making pleading faces at her, Gauri turns to look at Omkara and sees him looking at her. She was feeling trapped. She helplessly says as she broke into a sob. "He is my husband. I am his wife. I can't cheat him. I will not lie to him so you will have a rich son-in-law."

"Gauri..." Omkara whispers in shock.

Gauri nods.

"What?" Jhanvi whispers in shock. "You are Gauri?"

"Yes."

"Where is Nithya?" Omkara asks furiously.

Gauri hurries to the room and grabs the letter, she turns to hurry back and sees Omkara, his mother and her parents at the door.

"Nithya couldn't go through the wedding." Gauri says as she handed Omkara the letter.

Omkara takes the letter from her, and he starts reading it along with Jhanvi.

Gauri notices him gripping the paper then crumbling it in his hands.

"They begged me to marry you saying we all will be humiliated if the marriage doesn't happen. I told them only if you agree then I will marry you. And they told me you did." Gauri tells him as she cried. "I thought you agreed, that is why I sat in the mandap."

"You cheats!" Jhanvi says furiously.

"We had no option..." Harsh worriedly starts.

"You had the option of telling us the truth!" Jhanvi furiously reminds them.

"Omkara, Gauri is your wife now." Vasundhara worriedly reminds Omkara.

Omkara murderously looks at her. "If you think, you can get me married to your daughter through deceit and I will accept her as my wife, then you are wrong."

"Please don't say that..." Harsh pleads.

"Let's go, Omkara." Jhanvi tells him. "I'm going to sue you all. I'll destroy you all."

"But Gauri... she is innocent." Vasundhara tells them. "We lied, she didn't."

Omkara stops and looks at his wife. Gauri looks at him with tear filled eyes.

"From this letter, it is clear what your parents are. You should have spoken directly to me." Omkara tells her. "You knew what your parents were capable of and you didn't insist on speaking to me."

"I should have." Gauri agrees realizing.

"I'll not accept you." Omkara tells her in finality.

Gauri nods accepting.

Then without a word, Omkara walks out with his mother and his relatives.

**********

Three days later, Gauri goes to Oberoi Mansion. Nithya had mentioned to her earlier that Omkara had moved into his own place a year back, but because of the wedding, he was staying at his family home for a few days.

The servant ushered her in and she comes face to face with Jhanvi before she could meet Omkara.

Omkara walks out of his bedroom and notices Khanna. "Khanna, have some one take my bags to my car." Omkara instructs him.

"Yes, sir. You are leaving?" Khannna asks him.

"Yeah."

"What the hell are you doing here?" He hears his mother shout furiously.

"Is someone here?" Omkara asks curiously hearing that. "Who is Mom shouting at?"

"Yes, sir." Khanna uncomfortably replies.

"Who is it?" Omkara asks confused seeing his uneasiness.

"Erm... your wife, sir." Khanna informs him.

"Gauri?" Omkara asks in shock and without waiting for a reply, he hurries down the stairs.

"I'm here to meet Omkara." Gauri replies to her.

"Who the hell are you to meet my son?" Jhanvi asks her furiously.

"I'm his wife." Gauri reminds her calmly.

Omkara stops at the door hearing Gauri.

"Wife? What are you even to take my son's name?" Jhanvi asks offended.

"Just like my sister, I am a software engineer. I'm working in a company called Motherboard." Gauri replies to her offended.

Jhanvi scoffs. "Your sister was at least a model, and you're nothing!"

"Mom!" Omkara walks into the room, and both Gauri and Jhanvi turns to look at him.

"She is here claiming her rights as your wife!" Jhanvi accuses Gauri.

Omkara turns to Gauri and asks her. "Why are you here?"

"You said you will not accept me. That day, it had been a shock to you and me. You've had time to think, so I just came to speak to you regarding our marriage. To see if you changed your mind." Gauri tells him.

"You think you can..." Jhanvi starts angrily.

"MOM!" Omkara shouts at her as he turned to her. "My wife is speaking to me. You'll not speak in between."

"Your wife? She is not your wife!" Jhanvi angrily tells him. "They are all bloody cheats!"

"If Gauri hadn't told us the truth, would you've known?" Omkara asks her.

Jhanvi furiously glares at Gauri.

"So never ever call her a cheat!" Omkara warns his mother.

Hearing him defend her, Gauri felt overwhelmed.

"You are going to accept her? I'll never allow it Omkara!" Jhanvi warns him.

Omkara ignores her and turns to Gauri. Seeing her looking at him, he tells her. "I won't accept you, Gauri."

Gauri nods understanding.

"Now, get lost!" Jhanvi tells her angrily.

"MOM!" Omkara turns to her pissed.

"We should start the annulment process." Gauri tells Omkara, not wanting to get into another argument.

"Our lawyer is already on it." Jhanvi informs her. "And tell your parents to be ready to face the court case."

"What?" Omkara asks in shock. "Who gave him permission?"

"I told him." Jhanvi tells him frowning.

"I'm not going to give her an annulment!" Omkara declares. "And we are not filing a case."

"What?" Gauri asks in shock. "You said..."

"I'll not accept you and give your parents what they want." Omkara tells her.

Gauri nods. "I understand that."

"And I'll not set you free and give your parents another chance to get what they want." Omkara tells her.

"What?" Gauri whispers in shock.

"Have you gone crazy, Omkara?" Jhanvi asks him in outrage.

"Mom, I'm speaking to my wife. You've no place here, why don't you just go inside."

"Like hell I'll."

"Omkara... this is not right." Gauri tells him in shock.

"I'll not give you divorce so that your parents can trap another rich man. I'll not let them get what they want." Omkara tells her in finality. "And regarding your sister, after what she did, no man in his right mind will marry her. So, your parents are never getting what they want. And I'll destroy her career too!"

"Stop being stupid, Omkara." Jhanvi tells him angrily.

"Can I give you my number? So once your anger dies down and when you change your mind then you can contact me? I'm no longer staying with my parents." Gauri tells him.

"Where are you staying?" Omkara asks her, feeling concerned for her.

"With my friend for now. Nits and I'll move to our own place soon." Gauri tells him.

Omkara nods as he took his mobile and looked at her.

"Oh she is back?" Jhanvi asks in hatred.

Gauri nods in reply. Seeing him waiting, Gauri tells him her number.

Omkara dials her number and when he hears her phone ring, he cuts the call.

"I'll leave then." Gauri tells him and turns, then she stops and tells him, "You are not just punishing my parents and me, you're punishing yourself." Gauri reminds him. "You'll not be able to move on in life."

Omkara smirks. "So maybe, I'll call you in a decade or two, when I'm feeling lonely and desperate for a companion to file for divorce."

Hearing that, Gauri felt like crying, but she just simply nods, accepting his decision.

"Look how manipulative she is!" Jhanvi points out. "She can file for divorce, but she will not! She is emotionally manipulating you to accept her."

"What my parents did to him was unforgivable, so I'll not take his chance for revenge from him. I'll not take his choice away from him, once more." Gauri tells Jhanvi.

Omkara gulps hearing that, then he stood and watched her leave.

**********

His marriage was the latest entertainment for everyone. He had been bombarded with calls and journalists but he had ignored them all and had got immersed in work.

"Sir..."

Hearing his secretary, Ridhima, he continues to work on his laptop without looking up. "Yes?"

"Your wife is here."

Omkara immediately looks up and sees Gauri at the door. She was awkwardly looking at Ridhima and him.

"Gauri?" Omkara says in surprise as he stood up and walks to her.

"I'm Nithya." Nithya informs him awkwardly.

Omkara stops hearing that. He turns furious and looks at his secretary.

"I'm sorry, sir. They are twins and I thought..." Ridhima starts stammering.

"So you would just claim any random person my wife without properly asking?" Omkara asks her angrily.

"I'm sorry sir."

"Leave!"

Ridhima quickly leaves.

"What do you want?" Omkara asks Nithya.

"I'm so sorry, Omkara." Nithya starts as she walked in.

Omkara ignores her and walks to his chair and sits down.

"I know, I should have talked to you. But the pressure at home. My parents threatening and trying to emotionally blackmail me, I just couldn't think clearly. I was going to go through with the wedding but the night before, I panicked and I knew I was going to make the biggest mistake of my life. And I took the cowardice way out and ran away from home." Nithya tells him regretfully.

Omkara silently watches her.

"Gauri hasn't done anything wrong. She kept telling me to talk to you and share my concerns with you. I tried speaking to you many times but you were so busy and I just couldn't do it then. I'm sorry, I humiliated you and your family."

"You're finished, Nithya." Omkara tells her. "I'm going to destroy you."

"I have been replaced from many projects that I signed, and I know you are the reason behind that. Do whatever you want with me. I wronged you. But please leave my sister out of this." Nithya requests him.

"She is my wife, how can I leave her?" Omkara asks her back.

"Omkara, Gauri is the only one who had done right by you and you're punishing her for everyone else's crime. Please don't do this. I'm begging you." Nithya requests him as her eyes filled up. "Gauri always fought for herself. But this time, it is like she just gave up. She refuses to fight for herself. She says you have absolute right to decide what to do because she doesn't know how to make it up to you for our crimes. She is the nicest person on earth and she doesn't deserve this. Please, Omkara. I am so sorry, I did this. If I knew my sister will have to take the burn for my actions, I would have never done this. I'm very sorry, Omkara."

Seeing her crying, Omkara sits back, his heart falling weak. "I forgive you." Omkara softly says.

"You do?" Nithya asks, unable to believe her ears.

"Yes."

"Thank you." Nithya says in relief. "You'll set Gauri free?" Nithya asks hopefully.

Omkara shakes his head with a frown. "I was speaking of you, Nithya. I wasn't talking about my wife."

"But Omkara, Gauri is innocent." Nithya tells him helplessly.

"You can leave, Nithya." Omkara tells her in a dismissing tone.

"Omkara, please don't do this to my sister. Please either accept her or set her free." Nithya begs him.

"I'm done talking to you, Nithya. Please leave, I don't want to throw my wife's sister out of my office." Omkara tells her.

Nithya stares at Omkara incredulously.

"You can leave."

"I just don't understand you." Nithya whispers in bewilderment.

"It is not your place to understand me. Now be respectful to your sister and leave before I throw you out." Omkara tells her.

Speechless, Nithya leaves.

***********

"Gauri, I don't know what he is thinking." Nithya worriedly tells her.

Gauri ignores her and continues to set up her bedroom. They both had moved into a new flat, leaving their parental home and cutting off ties with their parents.

"Gauri, it is like he is two person. One is so mad and vengeful while one is someone who is concerned for his wife. I am so worried, Gauri."

"Let him do whatever he wants, Nits." Gauri tells her tired.

"It kills me that you're in this predicament, Gauri. I never even thought in my dreams that Mama and Papa would do this. I ruined your life, Gauri." Nithya tells her breaking down.

"Our family ruined his life, Nits. Don't forget that." Gauri reminds her.

"But he shouldn't be doing this to you." Nithya tells her crying.

"He is right, Nithya. I knew how our parents are, I should have insisted on speaking to him face to face, and I didn't." Gauri tells her regretfully. "I can't blame him."

***********

A month later

"Sir, you had asked to find out about the software company, Motherboard." Ridhima starts.

"Hmmm." Omkara leans back as he listens.

"It was started 8 years ago by Arjun with 7 staff. Now, they have 14 staff. They are having financial issues and there is a rumor that the company will close down soon."

"Set a meeting with this Arjun asap." Omkara tells her.

"But sir you are packed for the next few weeks."

Omkara sternly tells her. "Fix a meeting ASAP. I don't care what you've to reschedule, I want to meet Arjun by end of the day."

**********

Gauri walks to the conference room along with her colleagues, Arjun has called everyone for an emergency meeting.

Gauri comes to a stop seeing Omkara with Arjun. She stares at him in shock, while he looked at her expressionless. Her colleagues turns to look at her and Omkara, curiously.

"I've some great news." Arjun excitedly says. "I know of lately, everyone had been worried about the company's future. The truth is, I had been contemplating on asking you all to look for other job opportunities. But now, we've an investor, Omkara Singh Oberoi."

Everyone claps happily and in relief though they were looking at Gauri all the more while Gauri continued to stare at Omkara.

"There will be some structural changes in the company. We'll be expanding and hiring new staff but that will all come slowly. The first major change is going to be, we're going to let go off this office and we'll move to Oberoi Group Headquarters." Arjun informs them.

Gauri gasps in shock hearing that.

**********

"Omkara!" Gauri calls him as she hurried behind him.

Omkara who was leaving, stops midway and turns to her. "Yes?"

Gauri stops near him, her heart slamming against her chest. "Are you going to fire me?"

Omkara irately looks at her and tells her, "If I wanted to fire you, you wouldn't be standing here now."

Gauri nods in shock and asks him feeling completely lost, "Why did you invest in our company?"

"I believe now it is my company." Omkara points out to her.

Gauri stops in shock hearing that. Omkara turns around and walks off leaving her behind to gape at him.

**********

Things happened quickly after that. Within days, Gauri's company had shifted completely to Oberoi building. They started hiring new staff and were getting more projects.

Her first day in Oberoi headquarters was horrible with all the staff slyly watching her. Everyone knew she was his abandoned wife. She ignored them all and got busy with her work.

There were moments where Gauri wondered whether Omkara invested in her company and merged it with his, so he could humiliate her in front of her colleagues. She was his wife but she was unwanted wife and everyone around them knew that. But then she couldn't be sure, for the most part he didn't interact with her. Every day, when they crossed each other's path, they would just look at each other then carry on as if strangers without exchanging even the basic pleasantries.

**********

Omkara was walking by when he notices his wife sitting on her desk and the new recruit Ajay hanging around her.

"Gauri, do you want to go for dinner sometime?" Ajay asks her.

Omkara, who had been passing by, stops hearing that.

"Sure." Gauri replies as she smiled at him.

Omkara saw red hearing that.

"But tomorrow, tonight, I've plans with Nits and Gabbar." Gauri tells him smiling.

"Tomorrow then. I'll pick you up from your place?" Ajay asks her excitedly.

Omkara starts to walk towards them furiously.

"Why? We can go from here..." Gauri starts confused then stopping, she asks him in shock. "Did you mean as in a date?"

"Yeah." Ajay replies surprised at her shock.

"Ajay, I'm married." Gauri tells him in shock.

Omkara stops hearing that.

"Oh... I didn't know... I'm sorry." Ajay says going pale.

"It's okay." Gauri replies uncomfortably.

Omkara turns to walk off.

"So, who is the lucky guy?" Ajay asks her.

Omkara stops hearing that.

"Erm..." Gauri looks at him uncomfortably. Seeing him looking at her expectantly, Gauri says softly. "We're not together."

"Oh... you guys are getting divorced?" Ajay asks gently.

"Yeah, eventually." Gauri replies.

Omkara frowns hearing that.

"If you are going to get divorced then why are you not moving on? Seeing other people?" Ajay asks her perplexed.

Gauri uncomfortably shifts in her seat hearing that.

"Why won't you give me a chance, Gauri?" Ajay asks her softly.

"Because I'm married." Gauri tells him, starting to get angry.

"But you're getting divorced."

"My wife said no." Omkara furiously says as he stood behind Gauri.

Gauri and Ajay turns to him in shock.

"Wi... Wife?" Ajay asks in shock, his eyes opening wide.

"Next time, I see you around my wife, it will be your last day, and not just in this office." Omkara murderously tells him.

"Your wife is a model." Ajay says completely shocked.

Gauri uncomfortably looks at Omkara, realizing that Ajay wasn't aware of their debacle.

"My wife is not a model! My wife is the one, sitting here, in front of you!" Omkara tells him furiously. "Now, scram!"

Ajay nods getting scared. "I'm sorry, I didn't know."

"I said get lost."

Ajay quickly gets up and runs off.

Omkara turns to glare at Gauri.

"I would've handled it." Gauri tells Omkara softly.

"And I saw how you handle it." Omkara tells her in a pissed off tone and walk off.

**********

The conversation with Ajay, had made Gauri think of their situation. In her guilt, she had let Omkara take all the decisions, but she was starting to see that, his decision were clouded with his anger. He wasn't thinking straight.

Omkara had made it clear that he will never accept her. And she was fine with it. It did hurt her but she did accept his decision. He didn't have to make compromises with his life and she was not his choice.

There was no point in dragging on this marriage. Neither he nor she could move on. They were stuck in a limbo. They had to break free.

She wasn't desperate to find someone. She would need time to get out of this unexpected marriage emotionally. But he could find someone that would heal his wound and help him move past this.

**********

Omkara checks his phone seeing a message from Gauri.

Can we speak? Just two minutes.

Omkara quickly replies. Come to my cabin.

Few minutes later, he hears a knock.

"Come in."

Gauri walks in and closes the door.

Omkara without a word, looks at her, waiting for her to speak.

Seeing him waiting, she says, "I've been thinking, Omkara. We should file for divorce."

"Really?" Omkara asks as he stood up. "You think so?" Omkara asks as he walked around the table, towards her.

Seeing his predatory stance, Gauri felt nervous. "Yes. We both need a life and being stuck in this bardo like state is not helping either of us. I know, you're having your revenge but this is not right, Omkara." Gauri tries to reason with him.

"Why?" Omkara asks her.

"Why? For how long are you going to be stuck in this relation that is in just name only?"

"Or are you so desperate to go on that date with Ajay?" Omkara asks her as he possessively glared into her eyes as he came to a stop in front of her.

"Desperate? Ajay?" Gauri asks shocked. "He is just a friend."

"Only friend? Then why do you need a divorce?"

"Because our marriage was a mistake." Gauri tells him shocked.

"Really? And not for Ajay... or some other man?" Omkara asks her menacingly.

"What?" Gauri asks outraged then glaring at him, she asks him back. "Even if I want to see other men, what is wrong in that? You refuse to accept me."

Omkara furiously holds her by her head and pulls her close to him. "Did you forget Gauri Omkara Singh Oberoi, that you're my wife and in this life, you belong only to me?"

"What?" Gauri whispers in shock, her heart slamming against her chest.

Having her so close to him and in his arms, Omkara couldn't control himself, and he leans down and takes her lips in his and hungrily kisses her. "You're mine."

Gauri furiously pushes him away, her eyes filling with furious tears. "How dare you, Omkara?"

Omkara steps back, realizing what he did.

"What do you think I am?" Gauri asks him furiously, wiping away her angry tears. "I'm your wife! You don't touch me without my permission! You don't treat me like a tramp."

"Gauri..." Omkara guiltily starts.

"Stay away from me!" Gauri furiously tells him and walks off.

**********

Few minutes later, Gauri walks back into his cabin. Omkara who had ben pacing the cabin, furious at himself, stops seeing Gauri barge in. She furiously throws her resignation to his face.

"I'm done here! I'm done with you! And I want you out of my life!" Gauri tells him.

"Gauri, you're my wife." Omkara furiously reminds her.

"My family wronged you and I let you have your way. That doesn't mean you can take liberties with me! I'm filing for divorce."

**********

"How could he do that to me?" Gauri asks Nithya as she hugged her and sobbed.

"I'll kill him." Nithya says furiously as she protectively hugged Gauri.

"I'll not take this anymore. I'm going to file for divorce." Gauri tells her determined.

"You shouldn't have to make up for my crimes, Gauri." Nithya guiltily says.

"I don't love him, Nits. I don't know him well... but..." Gauri looks at Nithya and says sadly. "That day, he fought with his mother and defended me...."

Nithya nods hearing that.

"I don't know... when he did that... in my heart... I wanted this to work... I wished... we will be able to accept each other." Gauri confesses.

"Oh Gauri." Nithya hugs her tight hearing that.

Gauri closes her eyes tight as tears dropped.

Hearing her mobile ring, Nithya picks it to pass to Gauri when she notices that it is Omkara. She furiously answers the call.

"What the hell do you want?" Nithya furiously asks him.

"Gauri, I want to meet you." Omkara gently starts.

"Stay away from my sister!" Nithya tells him.

"Who is it?" Gauri asks Nithya with a frown.

"Nithya?" Omkara asks confused. "I want to speak to my wife."

"She doesn't want to speak to you. She has decided to file for divorce."

"Is it Omkara?" Gauri asks her shocked.

"Tell Gauri that I am downstairs. Ask her to come down."

"You're here? Are you stalking her, you pervert?"

Gauri furiously snatches the phone from her sister. "You will not speak to my husband like that!"

"Gauri, after all this you are..." Nithya starts.

Gauri ignores her and speaks into her phone. "Omkara, what do you want?"

"Gauri, I'm here. Please come down."

Every time, she wanted to speak to him, he had listened. So, she also didn't refuse him. "I'm coming."

**********

Gauri looks around and sees Omkara leaning on his car. Noticing her, he starts to walk towards her and she walks towards him.

"How did you know where I am staying?" Gauri asks him.

"I found out." Omkara tells her shrugging.

"Why did you come here?" Gauri asks him.

"I'm sorry." Omkara regretfully says.

Gauri looks away as she didn't want to cry in front of him.

"Gauri..."

"I'm filing for divorce." Gauri tells him.

"I shouldn't have kissed you like that. I don't know why I did that. I'm not a pervert like your sister thinks." Omkara earnestly says.

"All she knows is what you did to me." Gauri tells him as she fought her tears.

Omkara looks away in regret then he turns to look at her and tells her, "Ever since the moment that Ajay proposed you, I've been... then you came to speak about divorce... I lost control over myself."

"Why would you do that to me, Omkara?" Gauri asks him sadly.

"I've no answer to your questions, Gauri. I wish I did. I don't. The thought that you were thinking of ending our marriage..." Omkara stops.

Gauri stares at him in shock then asks him in confusion. "Do you love me?"

Omkara stops hearing her question then shrugging, he says. "I don't know."

"We don't even know each other that well..." Gauri whispers shaking her head at her own stupid question.

"Gauri..."

"Let's just end this. I'm meeting a lawyer tomorrow."

"Why, Gauri? Is the solution to all your problems just like your sister's? Run away like a coward?" Omkara asks her angrily.

"Keep my sister out of this!" Gauri tells him angrily.

"She has been out of my life the moment you entered my life." Omkara tells her gently.

Hearing him, Gauri was at her wits end. "What do you want, Omkara? What do you want from us? If it is revenge, then I am not going to be your punching bag!"

Omkara sighs and asks her, "Have you ever wondered why your parents are still walking around happy and free after what they did to me?"

"I did." Gauri replies softly.

"Because I couldn't humiliate you. I just couldn't." Omkara helplessly tells her. "I couldn't see you in trouble."

"Why?" Gauri asks in wonder.

"I don't know. Maybe because you told me the truth."

"You never accepted me."

"They manipulated and tricked me. I think it hurt my ego." Omkara confesses. "Accepting you meant letting them win and I couldn't do that."

"And now? What do you want now?"

"You're my wife, Gauri. And I want to give this a chance." Omkara tells her.

"You accept me?" Gauri asks shocked.

"I want us to give us a chance."

"But..." Gauri stops in confusion, unsure after what had happened earlier that day.

"I'm not asking you to come with me. I know, after what I did, it is not going to be easy. You stay here. We'll just give each other a chance and time." Omkara tells her.

Gauri thoughtfully looks at him.

"Please, Gauri?"

Gauri nods then she turns to walk back inside.

"I'm sorry, Gauri." Omkara tells her. "For everything."

Gauri stops and turns to him. "I forgive you. But if you do anything like this again with me, you'll be out of my life."

Omkara nods agreeing.

**********

Gauri felt slightly nervous and excited about going to office the next day. She hadn't spoken to Omkara after he left last night. She wasn't even sure how things were going to be between them.

Deciding to just wait and see how things are going to be, Gauri takes her seat and switches on her system, and she got busy with her work.

"Hi..."

Gauri's heart skips a beat as her hand stilled.

When did she start to recognize his voice?

Gauri turns around and sees Omkara behind her.

"Hi..." Gauri whispers as her heart slammed against her chest.

"Are you okay?" Omkara asks her.

Gauri nods.

Omkara kneels in front of her and says, "Gauri... I am really sorry for yesterday."

"I told you, I forgave you." Gauri reminds him.

Omkara smiles gently hearing that.

Seeing him smile, Gauri couldn't help smile back.

Omkara smiles happily, and asks her, "Can I take you for dinner tonight?"

Seeing Gauri silent, he says, "If you have other plans then it is okay."

"I do... with my sister." Gauri tells him hesitantly.

"Oh... then maybe tomorrow?" Omkara asks hopefully.

Gauri gently smiles and says, "I can cancel my plans."

"No... no... I don't want to intrude." Omkara quickly says.

"I want to." Gauri replies as she looked at him.

Hearing that, Omkara couldn't hide his smile. "It's a date then."

"It is." Gauri smiles at him.

Omkara stands up about to leave when he stops and asks her, "Should we go from here or should I pick you from your place?"

"Where are we going?" Gauri asks him back. "Should I change my clothes?"

"Where do you want to go?" Omkara asks her back.

Gauri looks at him confused. "I don't know."

Omkara looks at her and she was in her formal attire. Then grinning, he says, "Then I'll pick you from your place. So you can change."

Gauri nods and watches as Omkara walks off.

When he was out of sight, she quickly takes her phone and messages her sister.

I need something fancy to wear.

Fancy? Nithya replies.

Yeah, I am going for dinner with Omkara.

Dinner? Tonight?

Then she quickly messages.

Oh yeah... change in plans, I won't be coming with you.

**********

Gauri steps out of her apartment building. She felt nervous. Her heart was beating fast.

She immediately spots Omkara waiting for her. He was staring at her.

Gauri felt herself blush. Nithya had gone to town with the make up. She was wearing a black drape gown, that had a slit on her left side, going up till her thighs. Nithya had insisted that she wear this as according to her, this gown accentuated her curves and assets.

Omkara walks to her. "Hi..."

"Hi." Gauri says with a blush.

"You look beautiful." Omkara tells her as he extended a bouquet to her.

"Thank you." Gauri says as she took the bouquet and looked at the flowers. There were beautiful colorful flowers that she hadn't even seen before. "This is beautiful. Thank you."

Omkara smiles as he leads her to his car. He opens the door for her. Gauri slides in and he closes the door.

**********

Gauri waited as Omkara handed the car key to the valet. Gauri smiles as she watched Omkara. He looked dapper in his midnight blue suit. She felt happy that it was not just her, who had taken the trouble to look good for him, he did for her too.

"Let's go?" Omkara asks her as he reached her.

"Yeah." Gauri replies with a smile.

They start to walk to the lift as he had made reservations on the rooftop restaurant.

"Can I hold your hand?" He asks her in a gentle nervous whisper.

Gauri looks at him in surprise.

"Only if you don't mind." Omkara hastens to add.

Blushing happily, Gauri nods. Then she feels Omkara take hold of her hand.

Gauri looks at him and sees him looking at her. Gauri smiles and interlocks her fingers with him. Omkara smiles and tightens his hold.

**********

He had booked the whole restaurant for them.

Gauri couldn't hide her shock and surprise.

"I thought we will have privacy." Omkara tells her seeing her shock.

Cheekily grinning, Gauri points out to him. "You do realize, right? That the staff has only us to attend to, now all of their attention would solely be on us?"

Omkara's mouth drops open hearing that.

Gauri couldn't help but laugh seeing that.

"You look beautiful when you laugh." Omkara tells her.

Gauri stops laughing, then nervously, she tells him. "You're flirting with me."

"You're my wife." Omkara points out grinning.

Gauri happily chuckles.

The waiter comes to them. They both got busy placing the orders.

"I didn't ruin your plans with your sister, right?" Omkara asks her once the waiter left.

"We are living by ourselves for the first time. Haven't got a maid yet. We both are just figuring out cooking. Both of us were tired with our cooking and decided to go out for dinner tonight." Gauri tells him.

"Oh."

"She'll order something." Gauri tells him waving it off.

"Do you want to pack something for your sister from here?"

"We'll see." Gauri tells him.

"Erm... you're still not in touch with your parents?" Omkara asks her.

Gauri shakes her head in no.

"Gauri... I won't hold it against you, if you get back with your parents." Omkara tells her.

"They betrayed my trust. It is not easy to forget." Gauri tells him, shaking her head.

Feeling her sadness, Omkara keeps his hand over hers.

Gauri looks at him and smiles. Then she asks curiously, "You didn't want to let my parents win..."

"We are more important than revenge." Omkara tells her.

Gauri smiles hearing that.

Omkara squeezes her hand and says, "I am sorry, it took me so long to get my head straight."

"I'm not." Gauri tells him.

"Why?" Omkara asks her surprised.

"Because if you had accepted me before then it would have been because you were tricked into marrying me. But now, you want to give our marriage a chance because you want to give us a chance." Gauri tells him.

"I am happy, even you want to give us a chance, Gauri." Omkara tells her.

Gauri smiles then she asks worriedly, "Your mother?"

"She keeps asking me to file for annulment." Omkara tells her.

"She has a problem with me being from middle class family." Gauri points out.

Omkara nods. "Even Nithya is from the same background." Omkara says confused.

"But she is model, famous and earning well." Gauri tells him.

Omkara sighs. "My mother is not bad. What happened to her..." Omkara stops.

"You don't have to tell me." Gauri says seeing him stop.

Omkara shakes his head as he pointed to the waiter who had brought their drinks. Once he placed the drinks and walked away, Omkara turns to Gauri. "I don't know whether you all know this."

"What?" Gauri asks curiously.

"Mom is Dad's second wife." Omkara tells her.

"What?" Gauri asks in shock. "I didn't know. But how come..." Gauri stops.

"Not many knew that Dad had got married before he married Mom." Omkara tells her.

"Oh." Gauri nods. "What does that have to do with me?" Gauri asks confused.

Omkara sighs and says, "Mom and Dad were in love. They were going to get married too... that time..." Omkara stops shaking his head.

"You don't have to tell me, Omkara." Gauri tells him.

"I've never discussed this with anyone. But I want to tell you."

Gauri nods.

"His secretary seduced him."

Gauri frowns hearing that.

"She was this middle class girl. She got pregnant."

Omkara has a sibling?

"Dad had to marry her. Mom was heart broken. Then after the baby was born, Dad couldn't forget Mom and he divorced her. Mom finally forgave him, and they got married." Omkara tells her.

"So, where is your..." Gauri stops.

"Brother." Omkara tells her. "Shiv."

"You aren't in touch with him?" Gauri asks him.

Omkara shakes his head. "I've seen him only a handful of times. That too accidentally. We haven't really spoken to each other. There are a lot of bad blood."

"When your father was alive?" Gauri asks him.

"He gave them alimony. He never met them after that."

"Hmmm."

"Mom... has this prejudice against middle class people. But she will come around." Omkara promises her.

Gauri nods. Then she says softly. "I can't imagine not speaking to my sister."

"It's different for you." Omkara tells her. "I had Khanna inform him when Dad passed away. He said he didn't care."

Gauri nods.

"Dad didn't go for his mother's funeral. I don't blame Shiv." Omkara says with a shrug.

Seeing Gauri looking at him thoughtfully, he confesses to her. "The truth is, we were forbidden to speak of them in our house. So, I never really did think of them. The truth is sometimes, I just forget about him."

Gauri nods.

"Enough about me, tell me about you." Omkara tells her as he held her hand.

**********

Omkara was attentive and caring. They spoke all throughout the dinner, sharing about each other. Gauri had an amazing time with him.

And she told him just that as he walked her to her apartment.

Omkara smiles happily hearing that.

Gauri couldn't help but point out softly, "You know, when you were engaged to Nithya, if you had spend time with her like this, then maybe she wouldn't have run away."

Omkara stops and looks at her. One look at him and she regretted bringing that up.

"I shouldn't have said that." Gauri says. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Omkara tells her. He takes both her hands in his and says, "And I'm glad that I didn't."

Gauri couldn't hide her joy and she smiles happily. "Even I am glad, you didn't."

Omkara smiles hearing that. Then he looks at her eyes then his gaze falls to her lips.

Gauri's heart beat raises realizing that he was going to kiss her. She nervously starts to part her lips.

Omkara looks away as he stepped back.

Gauri sighs disappointed.

"I'll see you tomorrow." Omkara tells her.

"See you." Gauri says and starts to walk off.

"Can I kiss you?" Omkara worriedly asks her.

Gauri stops as her heart slammed against her chest. She turns to him and blushing she nods her head.

Omkara steps close to her. Gauri closes her eyes as she raises her face up to him. Then she felt the kiss on her forehead.

She opens her eyes and sees Omkara step back as he sweetly smiled at her.

Gauri couldn't help her blush. Omkara takes her hand to his lips and kisses it.

"Go." Omkara tells her happily smiling.

Gauri happily walks off as Omkara waited till she had walked back in.

**********

Gauri was putting the flowers in a vase as she filled it with water.

"You're back?" Nithya asks sleepily as she stood by the kitchen door.

"Been more than half an hour."

"I tried waiting up for you." Nithya tells her as she yawned.

"We'll talk in the morning. You sleep."

"Yeah, I don't think I will be able to stay up for hours listening to how amazing your night was." Nithya says grinning.

"How do you know it was amazing?" Gauri asks her smiling.

"You look so happy." Nithya says happily.

"Am I that obvious?" Gauri asks her chuckling.

"Gauri, you look so happy that I won't be surprised if you fall on my feet thanking me for running away." Nithya tells her laughing.

Gauri laughs hearing that. "He is amazing."

Nithya grins. "Beautiful flowers."

Gauri smiles as she lovingly caresses the flowers.

Nithya starts to walk off then she stops and looks at Gauri. "I'm so happy for you, Gauri. What I did was unforgivable and it killed me that you had to pay the price for it."

Gauri shakes her head and says, "I'm starting to realize my husband is a prize."

**********

"Good morning."

Gauri blushes hearing the whisper in her ear. She turns back and sees Omkara kneeling next to her.

"Good morning."

Omkara takes her hand in his happily. Gauri happily smiles at him.

"I was thinking about you." Omkara tells her.

"What about me?" Gauri asks.

Omkara shrugs. "Just about you... you know... last night... our wedding and all."

"Even I was thinking about you." Gauri tells him smiling.

"All good, I hope."

"All bad." Gauri jokes.

Seeing her laughing, Omkara chuckles.

Seeing her coworkers curiously looking, Gauri tells him sobering down. "You go, I've work to do."

"Our company. You can work a little late." He cheekily says.

"My career. I won't be neglectful." Gauri cheekily replies.

Omkara chuckles as he stood up. "You want to go out tonight?" Omkara asks her.

"Yes." Gauri happily replies.

**********

Every evening after work, Omkara and Gauri spent their time together. As they got to know each other, their feelings for each other started growing.

Gauri sighs hearing her phone ring. She had half a mind to cut the call but then she answers anyway.

"Hello?"

"Why won't you answer our calls, Gauri?" Vasundhara asks her.

"Because there is nothing I've to say to you."

"We found out that your office is in Oberoi building." Harsh says. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"Who told you?" Gauri asks surprised.

"We had gone to your old office and there was a notice stating that the office has shifted there." Harsh explains.

"Why did you go there?" Gauri asks frowning.

"Do you still have your job?" Harsh asks her.

"I do. Why did you two go there?"

"We need to decide on your marriage." Harsh says.

"Do you see Omkara there? Is he troubling you?" Vasundhara asks at the same time.

"Can you both stay out of my life?" Gauri ask them back.

"Gauri, try getting close to Omkara." Vasundhara advices her.

"What?" Gauri asks in shock.

"Yeah, Gauri. You are around him now, you'll be able to do it." Vasundhara tells him. "He'll accept you as his wife."

"Make sure, everyone sees you both together." Harsh advices her. "And if he doesn't accept you, then I'll take him to court. We'll get half his properties as alimony."

Gauri's eyes fill with furious tears. "You two disgusts me! Never ever call me again."

**********

Hearing the door open, Omkara looks up with a frown. Then he stands up in concern seeing tear filled Gauri at the door.

"Gauri, what happened?" Omkara asks worriedly as he walked to her.

Hearing his concern, Gauri breaks into tears.

"Come here." Omkara leads her to his seat and kneels in front of her. "What happened? Please tell me. I'll set it right." He promises her.

Hearing him, she breaks down completely.

"Gauri... baby... what happened?" Omkara asks her worriedly as he cupped her face.

"Papa and Mama called." Gauri tells him as she tried to calm herself.

"What did they say?" Omkara asks frowning. Wanting to murder them for making his wife cry like this.

Gauri tells him everything they said.

"Why are you crying for that?" Omkara asks her confused.

"Do you think I am with you because you're rich?" Gauri asks him worriedly.

Omkara takes her hand and gently kisses it. He lovingly wipes her tears."There are only a handful of people that I trust in this world. And you, Gauri, tops that list. I trust you blindly."

Gauri gulps hearing him.

"Let them say whatever they want. I know you." Omkara tells her as he lovingly kissed her forehead and hugs her.

"Omkara..." Gauri softly and nervously calls him.

"Hmmm?"

"Can I kiss you?"

Omkara moves back and looks at her. She was looking at him nervously. "You don't need my permission, Gauri."

Gauri leans towards him, and he meets her halfway. Their lips touch nervously at first then the kiss deepens and they pull each other closer to them as they hungrily kissed each other.

They move apart, both breathless.

Gauri smiles at Omkara while he was looking her melancholically.

He gently caresses her cheek as he looked into her eyes.

"It was so beautiful." He whispers.

And she instantly knew, he was thinking of the time, he had forcefully kissed her in this very same room.

Gauri leans towards him and takes his lips in hers. Omkara wraps his hands around her as he kissed.

Gauri hungrily and thoroughly kisses him.

"Wow..." Omkara whispers as she moved back.

Gauri chuckles.

She nibbles on his lips and tells him. "Now, always remember this kiss. Not that one."

"I doubt I'll remember anything else."

Gauri laughs happily as she sat back.

Omkara smiles seeing her happily. "Always be happy like this. Don't cry." Omkara tells her.

"I don't think anyone wants to cry on purpose." Gauri cheekily tells him.

Omkara gives her a look.

"You make me happy." Gauri tells him as she lovingly caressed his cheek.

"I know." Omkara replies with a smile.

"Why didn't you tell your parents that we are together now?" Omkara asks her curiously.

"I didn't feel like telling them." Gauri tells him shrugging. "They are out of my life now. Even you haven't told your mother about us."

"I am putting off that confrontation as much as I can." Omkara tells her sighing.

"Take your time. There is no hurry." Gauri tells him smiling.

Omkara smiles hearing that.

Hearing a knock at the door, both Gauri and Omkara turn to look at the door.

"Come in." Omkara says.

Gauri starts to stand up, but Omkara's hand stops her.

Ridhima opens the door and stops in surprise seeing Gauri sitting in Omkara's chair while he knelt in front of her.

"Yeah?" Omkara asks her.

Recovering, Ridhima quickly says. "Sir, it is time for your lunch meeting."

Omkara nods.

Ridhima leaves and Omkara turns to look at Gauri.

"I've to go."

"I'll see you later."

Omkara leans to her and takes her lips in his.

**********

Gauri checks the message from her sister. "Tomorrow night, we have to cancel dinner. I have to drop Nithya to the airport. She is going for a shoot. Will be back day after night." Gauri tells Omkara, as they walked towards his car.

"You will be alone then?"

"Yeah... you know, I have never stayed alone." Gauri says smiling.

"Why don't you come and stay at my place?" Omkara asks her as he stopped and looked at her.

Gauri stops and looks at him. "You could come to my place." Gauri tells him.

"Anyway, you have to move in there one day." Omkara tells her.

"But will it be trouble with us?" Gauri asks in concern.

Omkara cups her face, "that is your home, Gauri. It has been waiting for you for a long time."

Gauri smiles hearing that. "I have to drop her at 10. I will come after that."

"If you want my driver can drop Nithya." Omkara tells her.

"No, I will have her car, so I drop her then come to your place directly from airport." Gauri tells him smiling.

**********

Since Gauri said she would be coming only after dinner, Omkara had his dinner and was waiting for Gauri. Hearing the car drive in, Omkara excitedly walks out.

"Welcome home." Omkara says as he hugged Gauri.

Gauri happily hugs him.

Hearing the bark, Gauri grins and walks around the car and opens the door.

"So, this is your Gabbar." Omkara says smiling looking at the white Maltese jump out of the car.

Omkara leans down while Gabbar jumped around excitedly. Omkara tries petting him and Gabbar barks at him.

"He is a diva. Will take time to get friendly." Gauri tells him.

Omkara laughs hearing that. "Come."

Gauri and Omkara walk in, and Gabbar excitedly runs in and runs around excitedly.

"Gabbar, behave!" Gauri sternly tells him.

Gabbar stops and turns to her.

"You are strict. Our poor kids." Omkara says.

Cheekily grinning, Gauri kneels down and petted Gabbar, and says. "You know, Gabbar is my baby."

Omkara stops in shock and turns to her. "You mean, I am already a father?"

Gauri laughs hearing that, Omkara chuckles.

**********

Omkara takes Gauri around his house.

"Your house is too big for a single person." Gauri says as amazed.

Omkara chuckles.

Omkara takes Gauri to the kitchen and sees that his staff were waiting for them. There was a chef, a helper, cleaning staff, driver and watchman.

Omkara introduces them to her. "This is my wife, Gauri."

They all politely smile at Gauri and Gauri smiles back.

"Whether she is here or not, everything should be done to her preference." Omkara tells them.

Gauri looks at him in surprise while the staff nods.

"Okay, you all can leave." Omkara tells them.

They leave while Gauri turns to him and asks. "Why did you say that?"

"They stay in the staff quarters outside."

Gauri looks at him in confusion for a second then she says. "I meant about doing everything done to my preference."

"Because it should be like that." Omkara tells her.

"But..." Gauri starts confused.

"I just want to make sure that they realize that you are my wife, no matter how we got married. And the way, I refused to accept you at first... I didn't want anyone to think that you could be disrespected." Omkara tells her.

"You are the best, Omkara." Gauri says as she hugged him.

Omkara hugs her. "You ready to sleep?"

"Yeah." Gauri says feeling a little nervous.

They step out the kitchen and sees Gabbar waiting outside.

Omkara watches amused as Gabbar followed her. Gabbar was forbidden from entering the kitchen and he had stood outside and barked his protest till Gauri told him to stay quiet.

**********

"You can sleep in my room. I'll take one of the other rooms." Omkara tells Gauri as he stood outside the bedroom door.

"What?" Gauri looks at him in shock. "You can sleep here, Omkara."

Omkara gently caresses her face. "I don't think it is a good idea, Gauri."

"Why?" Gauri asks shocked.

"Gauri..." Omkara nervously says, "I won't be able to keep my hands off you."

Hearing that, Gauri realized his forceful kiss had scarred him more than her. He was scared to take the initiative fearing that he would be forcing her.

"Gauri... I don't want to rush you..."

Omkara stops when Gauri cups his face.

"I'm yours, Omkara. Heart, body and soul." Gauri vows to him.

Hearing her, Omkara takes a harsh breath. Gauri leans up and takes his lips in hers.

With a growl, Omkara pulls her close as he hungrily kissed her, while pushing her into their bedroom, kicking the door shut and starting to strip her all at once.

**********

Spent and sated, they were lying on the bed. Gauri lying on her side with Omkara spooning her.

Gauri was dozing off to sleep when he softly calls her. "Gauri..."

"Hmmm?"

"I had said that we give us a chance..." Omkara says.

"Hmmm." Gauri sleepily says as she held his hand and kissed it.

"Now..."

"Now?"

Omkara hugs her tighter. "Promise me, this is for ever. I'm yours and you're mine. Forever."

Hearing him, Gauri turns in his arms and looks at him. His heart was in his eyes.

She cups his face and kisses his lips. "I promise."

**********

Omkara was watching as Gabbar walked around his living room.

When Gauri is around, Gabbar never left her side. Gauri has gone to take her shower, and he was now exploring the place. Omkara had tried but Gabbar had ignored him like last week's news.

"Look at him walking as if he owns the place." Gauri says as she walked to Omkara.

Omkara chuckles. "It's his home. I think he realizes that."

Gauri smiles as she sat on his lap.

Omkara wraps his hands around her waist. "Are you okay?" Omkara asks her gently.

Blushing Gauri nods as she wrapped her hands around him.

They hear the bark and immediately Gabbar keeps his front legs on Gauri's lap and demands her attention.

Gauri and Omkara looks at each other and chuckles. Gauri lifts him up and keeps him on her laps.

Omkara runs his hands on Gabbar's fur and Gabbar barks at him. Rolling his eyes, Omkara takes his hands off.

"Thinks he is some super model." Gauri mocks as she pampered him.

Omkara chuckles.

Gauri looks at Omkara and tells him. "Just give him a couple of weeks."

Omkara nods.

"When he is with me, then he doesn't look at anyone else." Gauri tells Omkara. "Poor Nits... he ignores her like rubbish when I am there, when I am not there, then he is around her, running behind her and pestering her."

Omkara smiles.

"Nits keep threatening him that she will get a pet of her own."

Omkara laughs. "That should scare him."

Gauri laughs at the joke.

"When I had come to your house, I could hear his bark but never saw him." Omkara tells her.

"Mama had him locked up." Gauri tells him. "She never really took to having a dog at home."

"So, he is not that friendly with her?" Omkara guesses.

"He barks his head off when Papa and Mama scolds me for something. Otherwise, he tolerates them." Gauri tells him then grinning amused, she says, "He lets them live in his house."

Omkara laughs hearing that.

Smiling happily, Gauri leans to him and takes his lips in his.

Omkara hungrily kisses her. "Will he let you come with me?"

Gauri stops and looks at her puppy. "Off, Gabbar."

Gabbar jumps off.

Gauri quickly gets up and pulls on Omkara's hand. Laughing excitedly, they run to the bedroom with Gabbar running behind them barking in protest for being left behind.

**********

Later that evening, Omkara was sitting in his study as he worked while Gauri was watching TV.

He was engrossed in the report he was reading when he feels something on his legs. He carelessly shrugs it off. A few minutes later, he feels it again. Curious he looks down and sees paws on his feet. He moves his chair back and looks. He sees Gabbar lying next to him, as he looked up at him.

"Hi... Gabbar." Omkara lifts him up.

Gabbar barks at him affectionately.

Omkara settles him on his lap while Gabbar tried to lick him making Omkara chuckle.

Few minutes later, Gauri comes hurrying into his study. "Omkara, I can't find Gabb..." Gauri stops in shock seeing Gabbar sitting on Omkara's lap like royalty and Omkara running his hands through his furs. "How did it happen?" Gauri asks amazed.

Omkara grins.

"I dozed off." Gauri says as she watched Gabbar in shock. Surprised that Gabbar hadn't come running to her.

As Gauri watched the love of her life with her baby, she wondered how Omkara won Gabbar's love and loyalty so easily.

Did Gabbar love those people that she loved or did Gabbar love those people that loved her?

**********

"Do you really want to go?" Omkara asks her as he walked her to her car.

"I've to pick up Nits."

"I'll send my driver."

"Tomorrow, we've office. I'll come the weekend." Gauri promises him as she kissed him.

"Okay." Omkara gives in as he kissed her.

**********

Gauri and Omkara had gone for a night walk in the beach. Since, it was past 7, there wasn't much crowd.

"Did you forgive my parents?" Gauri asks him curiously.

"I don't think about them now. They don't matter." Omkara says with a shrug.

"Hmmm." Gauri rests her head on his shoulder.

"Why did you ask?"

"Just..." Gauri shrugs. "You forgave Nits."

"I did." Omkara replies.

"Every brand that replaced her, had called back, and offered her contract again."

"Hmmm."

"You did that, right?"

Omkara holds Gauri's hand which was wrapped around his biceps. He kisses her hand. "Yeah."

"Why?"

"What why?"

"Why her and not my parents? You even made amends for what you did."

"Why are you asking me this so suddenly?" Omkara asks her curiously.

"Nits was asking me today. I actually forgot about that whole thing."

"She had come to office."

"I know."

"She was crying, Gauri." Omkara says softly.

Gauri looks at him.

"She was crying for you. Her tears were for you. How could I be cruel to someone who was crying for you?" Omkara asks as he looked at her.

Gauri looks at him for a long time then she asks him in a soft voice. "When did you fall in love with me, Omkara?"

"I don't know." Omkara whispers.

Gauri nods.

"When I think of it... I think it was on the day we got married." Omkara says thoughtfully.

"That day?" Gauri asks surprised.

"He is my husband. I am his wife. I can't cheat him. I will not lie to him so you will have a rich son-in-law. The loyalty you showed me. It pierced my heart. It turned my world and my life upside down. You ruined my heart for the rest of the world. You became the center of my universe. You became my only priority." Omkara tells her.

Gauri's eyes fill up hearing that.

"It took me a long time to realize that my possessiveness for you was because of that, not any revenge. I couldn't justify to myself why I wanted to see you, but I just had to. That is why I invested in motherboard. But I had taken you for granted. Because I knew, you wouldn't leave him. So, I just remained stubborn, the moment you left me, I knew I couldn't lose you. Being with you, I realized how much I love you." Omkara tells her as his eyes filled up.

Gauri leans towards him and takes his lips in hers. They gently kisses and quickly part knowing they were in a public space.

"Let's go home." Omkara says as he pulled her close passionately.

"Can we wait till we get there?" Gauri asks him with a sexy smile.

Hearing that, he gives her a hard kiss. Then he growls. "I really hope, we can."

Omkara whistles loudly, and Gabbar comes running to them. They walk to the car while Gabbar ran ahead of them.

They were getting into his car when a girl approaches them.

"Hey!"

Confused Gauri turns to the girl and sees she was looking at her.

"Are you talking to me?" Gauri asks her.

"Yeah! Don't you remember me? I'm Natasha." She says smiling.

"Natasha?" Gauri asks confused.

"We met at that wedding. We were sitting together."

Realizing, Gauri smiles at her. "I think you met my sister."

"Sister?"

"Yeah. I'm her twin." Gauri tells her smiling.

"Oh... sorry... I didn't know that... I'm Natasha. What's your name?"

"I'm Gauri. I'll tell Nithya I met you." Gauri tells her smiling.

"Do tell her." Natasha tells her and she quickly bids her bye and leave.

"It happens a lot." Gauri tells Omkara smiling.

"You, I understand. I have had people mistaking me for Shiv." Omkara says shaking his head.

"You guys look alike?" Gauri asks surprised.

"Similarities are there but not so much that you get confused between us."

**********

"Did you see?"

Gauri turns to Omkara and asks confused. "What?"

Gauri was surprised to see him irritated. Usually, he was very happy to see her in the morning.

Omkara shows her his phone and the screen had photos of them together from the beach. They were hugging, walking together and kissing.

"Who took these?" Gauri asks shocked as she scrolled and it was an instagram post about them. It said that they were back together after their marriage debacle, and they were painting the town red now.

"I think that girl." Omkara tells her.

"Who?" Gauri asks confused then remembering, she says in shock. "Natasha! Nithya said she couldn't remember meeting someone like that."

"I think she wanted to find out whether you were Gauri or Nithya." Omkara tells her.

Gauri looks at him and asks in concern. "Are you okay?"

"Are you okay?" Omkara asks her back.

"They took photos of our private moment. I'm angry."

"Even me." Omkara says as he knelt down.

"How did you get these?" Gauri asks.

"PR team sent it. I've asked them to take it down. But it is too late."

"Your mother will see them." Gauri says in concern.

"She had to know one day." Omkara says.

Gauri nods.

"I'll go see her later today." Omkara says tired. "We'll have to cancel our plan."

"No problem." Gauri tells him. "You go meet her."

**********

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?"

Gauri looks up and sees Jhanvi furiously looking at her.

"I work here." Gauri tells her as she looked around and sees everyone looking at her.

"SINCE WHEN? HOW DARE YOU STEP INSIDE HERE?"

Realizing everyone was watching them, Gauri tells her in a calming tone, "Can we go inside and talk?"

"TALK TO YOU? GET OUT OF MY COMPANY!" Jhanvi says furiously.

Gauri bites down her anger and reminds her. "I work here."

"Mom?" Omkara calls her in shock. "What are you doing here?"

"WHAT IS SHE DOING HERE?" Jhanvi asks furiously.

"Stop shouting, Mom." Omkara tells her in a calming tone. "You're making a scene."

"I came to find out about those photos and she is here!" Jhanvi says furiously. "I WAS RIGHT, SHE WANTS TO SEDUCE YOU! TYPICAL MIDDLE CLASS MENTALITY!"

Omkara furiously steps closer to her. "When you speak of my wife, you'll speak with respect. No one disrespects my wife!"

"SHE IS NOT YOUR WIFE!"

"SHE IS!"

"Omkara, please you don't start shouting now." Gauri tells him in shock.

"SHE AND HER FAMILY ARE MANIPULATING YOU!"

"NOT A WORD AGAINST MY WIFE!"

"Omkara!!!" Gauri tries again.

"YOU ARE A FOOL. SHE IS TAKING YOU FOR A RIDE. FIRST SHE MARRIED YOU THROUGH DECEIT, THEN SHE GOT INTO YOUR OFFICE AND NOW..."

"SHE DIDN'T MARRY ME THROUGH DECEIT. JUST LIKE ME, EVEN SHE WAS TRICKED! SHE DIDN'T JOIN THE OFFICE. I INVESTED IN HER COMPANY SO I COULD BE NEAR HER!"

"What?" Jhanvi asks in shock.

"I LOVE HER!"

"I WILL NEVER..."'

"STOP IT YOU TWO!" Gauri shouts furiously.

Omkara and Jhanvi stop in shock and looks at her.

"This is an office. This is not the place to discuss family matter." Gauri reminds them angrily.

"YOU ARE NOT FAMILY!" Jhanvi tells her furiously.

"SHE IS MY FAMILY!"

"OMKARA!" Gauri shouts.

They both look at her.

"IF YOU CAN'T SHUT IT THEN TAKE THIS INSIDE!" Gauri orders him furiously. "DON'T DO THIS HERE!"

Omkara looks around and sees all the staff were watching them.

"Come with me, Mom!" Omkara tells her and walks off.

Glaring at Gauri in hatred, Jhanvi follows Omkara.

Once Omkara had closed his cabin door, the shouting started again.

Tired Gauri turns around and sees everyone standing by and listening to the shouting match.

"ALL OF YOU, GET BACK TO WORK!" Gauri furiously shouts.

Everyone quickly moves back.

Seeing Arjun running to his desk, Ridhima asks confused. "Why are you running? You're her boss."

"Yeah... but she seems to be my boss's boss!" Arjun replies.

**********

After what felt like hours, Gauri sees Jhanvi furiously walk out. Jhanvi murderously glares at her as she left.

Gauri sighs. She hadn't gone into the cabin.

She was confused at first, tempted even to go in there but remembering what had happened just now, she decided against it. She was not going to speak to Omkara's mother till she treated her with respect.

Now that Jhanvi was gone, Gauri goes to Omkara's cabin. Seeing her, he quickly hugs her.

"She is so full of poison." Omkara says sighing.

"She has a problem with me being from a middle class family."

"Nithya is also from the same family. She was all for that marriage."

"But she was famous, successful and making money. Nithya is rich, and she has everything going for her. I was working in a company that was on the verge of being bankrupt." Gauri reminds him.

Omkara steps away feeling furious.

Hearing her mobile ring, she starts to cut the call when she notices it was her mother. "And my parents really fed into her prejudice." Gauri says as she cut the call knowing they were calling because they found out about Omkara and her, Gauri quickly blocks her parents number.

"You don't want to speak to them?" Omkara asks her gently.

Gauri shrugs. "I can guess what they want to say."

"You okay, love?" Omkara asks her cupping her face.

Gauri nods.

"I am sorry..."

Gauri cuts him off. "I won't apologize for my parents attitude. And you don't have to apologize for your mother's attitude."

Omkara sighs. "My mother raised me with so much love but her experience with Dad..."

"Do you see your father as a victim?" Gauri asks him unable to understand Jhanvi's attitude or justify his Dad.

Omkara sighs and steps back. He leans on his desk.

"Do you?" Gauri asks him again.

"I grew up hearing about how Dad was trapped. How he was seduced by the gold digger." Omkara says.

Gauri nods willing him to continue.

"I just believed it to be the truth." Omkara says.

"And now?"

Omkara looks up at her and says with conviction. "No matter what is offered, no matter what is the temptation, I'll not forget you, Gauri. You'll not leave my heart even for a second."

Gauri's eyes fill up hearing that.

"Dad was a weak man. His love was weak. He cheated on Mom. He forgot her for those minutes he was with Shiv's mother." Omkara looks at his palm and says, "Maybe Mom loved him too much and wanted to forgive him. So, she took the easy way out and blamed the other woman who owed her nothing and forgave the man who owed her his loyalty and love."

Gauri moves to him, and gently rubs his shoulder.

"Ever since you, I regret that I turned my back on Shiv. I got both my parents. Shiv lost his father then his mother. Shiv has been alone. While I lived happily. He is my brother and I turned my back on him." Omkara tells her guiltily.

Gauri hugs him. "You can still be his brother, Omkara."

"He doesn't want anything to do with me." Omkara says.

Gauri sadly sighs.

"Can we go home, Gauri? I just want to be with you alone for something."

"Yes." Gauri lovingly kisses him.

**********

"Movie offer?" Gauri asks happily.

Few weeks later, Gauri and Nithya were spending time together. Lately, they were spending more time together as Omkara had gotten busy with work.

Nowadays, they met only in office as he was working on couple of major deals and projects, and he has been traveling also in between. Gauri sighs as she thought of him, the honeymoon period was over. Now, he had got busy with work.

"I am not interested." Nithya tells her. "I am a model. I don't think acting is what I want to do."

"Hmmm."

"So, how are things with Omkara?" Nithya asks her.

Hearing his name, Gabbar's ears perks up and he looks around.

"He is not here." Gauri tells him and Gabbar lies back on the floor near her.

Gabbar was also missing Omkara, it has been two weeks since Gabbar saw him.

"It's going good. But he is busy now." Gauri says. "I only see him in office... sometimes we've our lunch together but then he is rushing through it."

"He is a busy man." Nithya nods.

"I know." Gauri sighs.

Nithya holds her hand and squeezes it gently. "Gauri, my fiancé was a detached businessman. Your husband is a loving husband who is just busy."

Gauri smiles. "I know... I am just worried about him, he is so over working."

Nithya smiles.

Chuckling, Gauri says, "I forgot he was supposed to marry you."

Nithya laughs. "I doubt even he remembers it now."

"His mother does." Gauri says with a sigh. "Never lets him forget that."

"What is she saying?" Nithya asks her.

"She was so rude to me." Gauri says a little sadly. "He stopped visiting her now. She keeps insisting that he divorce me."

Nithya nods. "Our parents would be on cloud 9."

"I don't care. Omkara is not a money making machine. As long as they consider him that, they can't be a part of my life." Gauri tells her.

They both had blocked their parents numbers and cut them off completely.

Seeing Gauri getting worked up, Nithya says with a teasing smile. "You know, we used to say that I will have to call your husband jeeju because you are all of 2 minutes elder to me."

Gauri laughs. "You were his fiancé, wouldn't it be crazy?"

"I don't know. What do you say?"

"I don't mind. You check with Omkara." Gauri tells her with a shrug.

Nithya takes her phone and starts messaging Omkara. Ever since the meeting at his office, she has not met him or spoke to him.

Hi...

More than an hour later, Omkara reply.

Hi Nithya... sorry, I was busy. What's up?

I was wondering if I should be calling you jeeju.

For about two minutes there was no reply. Then he finally replies.

You were my fiancé... people might find it weird. Just check with Gauri, if she is cool with it, then it is fine.

Nithya laughs reading that. Okay, jeeju.

**********

"Finally!" Omkara says with a loud sigh. "All done!"

Gauri smiles seeing him relaxed after weeks. She hugs him. "Congratulations."

"Thanks."

"Is it always this hectic?" Gauri asks him. He had been working with no rest.

"Yeah. Always." Omkara replies.

Gauri nods.

"But I don't want to work like this." Omkara tells her.

Gauri looks at him surprised. "What happened?"

"Before it was fine... now it is not." Omkara says sighing as he looked at her. "I've been so busy that I can't even remember when we last sat together and spoke to each other."

Gauri lovingly caresses his cheek. "I'm here only, Omkara."

"I used to work so hard and crazily for the future." Omkara tells her tired.

Gauri nods.

"I took these projects and commitments because of that. I didn't realize how busy I get when these kind of things happen." Omkara says then cupping her face, he asks, "When was the last time we made love, Gauri?"

Gauri sighs. "I understand you were working so hard for our future, Omkara."

"But if I am not here in our present what use is it for our future?"

Gauri confesses finally. "I missed you, Omkara."

"I missed you too, Gauri. It's been weeks since I saw Mom. Two weeks since I saw Gabbar."

"He misses you." Gauri tells him smiling.

Omkara smiles hearing that.

Gauri lovingly caresses his cheek. "You look so tired."

"I'm so sleep deprived. Just so, tired."

"Please don't strain yourself like this."

Omkara nods. "You know what I need?"

"What?"

"A long relaxing night." Omkara says tired.

"Really?" Gauri asks smiling. God, she missed being in his arms.

"Yeah."

"Let's go home then." Gauri tells him excitedly.

"You'll come?" Omkara asks surprised.

"You don't want me to come?" Gauri asks him with a teasing smile.

"Of course." Omkara says happily.

"Let's go." She couldn't wait to get home.

"But we are staying in bed. No going out and all. Food also in bed... okay?" Omkara asks her.

"Yes!"

**********

Snuggling under the blanket, resting her head on Omkara's shoulder, Gauri asks him in confusion. "This is your idea of long relaxing night?"

"Yeah." Omkara sighs as he hugged her tired and rested against the headboard of the bed. "Isn't it so relaxing and satisfying?"

"Hm hmmm?" Gauri looks at some random guy on YouTube washing some dirty car.

"So satisfying seeing the dirt wash away." Omkara says.

"I guess everybody has their kink." Gauri says disappointed.

Omkara pauses the video and looks at her. "What happened, Gauri?"

Gauri looks at him, he looked half dead then she couldn't help blush and laugh.

"What?" Omkara asks chuckling.

"When you said relaxing night, I thought you were talking about love making." Gauri chuckles.

"What?" Omkara asks in shock.

"Leave it, you watch." Gauri laughs as she hugged him.

"God, darling, I didn't realize." Omkara tells her shocked.

"It's okay." Gauri says shaking her head.

"Baby..."

Gauri leans up and kisses him.

Thinking she was initiating, he says. "I feel like crying when I think of getting it up."

Gauri bursts out laughing. "I was just kissing you good night. I was going to sleep."

"I am sorry, baby. I want to but I feel so dead."

"Sshhh... you relax. We've time for that." Gauri tells him as she kissed him on his cheek.

**********

Gauri wakes up early and finds Omkara in deep sleep. Since, she already started keeping a second wardrobe here, she had plenty of change of clothes. She freshens up and heads to the kitchen.

She calls the Chef to come to the main house. The staff came over only when they had some work or either of them called them. Once their work was over, then they would go back to staff quarters. Omkara wanted his privacy and it was how his house had been functioning before she came, so she also got used to that pattern.

Gauri was making her coffee when the Chef comes.

"I'll make?" He asks her.

"No, I am done." Gauri tells him with a smile. Then she discusses about their breakfast.

When she was home, she was the one who decided the menu and told the staff what work should be done around the house. Lately, if there was anything the staff needed or wanted to ask, it was her they contacted. She has become the mistress of the house.

"Omkara is still sleeping. He won't wake up anytime soon. Don't make breakfast for him. Make a heavy brunch for him."

**********

Gauri had finished her breakfast and had got settled in Omkara's study as she logged into work and got busy working. And Omkara had slept the morning away.

Feeling strain on her eyes, Gauri decided to take a break. She goes down to the kitchen to make coffee.

Chef had gone back after he had prepared Omkara's brunch. She was picking the cup from the shelf when Omkara hugs her from behind and sensuously kisses her neck.

"Good morning." Gauri moans as she titled her head to give more access.

"I disappointed my wife yesterday." Omkara says as he hungrily kissed her.

Gauri gasps and giggles feeling his kiss. "You didn't."

"I've to make it up to her."

"Your food is ready, first you have that." Gauri says gasping.

Omkara turns her around to face him. He looks passionately at her and says, "First, I'll have you."

Hearing him, Gauri hungrily kisses him.

"God, I missed this." Omkara says hurriedly as he pulled her top off. Then he lifts her up.

Gauri quickly straddles him.

Omkara takes her breast in his mouth over her bra. Gauri moans in passion. He walks off as he made love to her all the way to their bedroom.

**********

"That was amazing." Gauri says sighing.

"We both were so horny and wild." Omkara says gasping.

"Maybe we should take abstinence in between." Gauri jokes.

Omkara chuckles. Then rolling over her, he says, "But not today."

**********

"I should go." Gauri tells Omkara.

"Why?" Omkara asks frowning. "Stay here."

Gauri looks at him and sees him frowning. She knew he wanted her to shift here permanently. He had told her that the house was waiting for her. Earlier, she didn't consider shifting because his mother was unaware of their relation. But now, everybody knew, they were so sure of their marriage and there was no need for them to stay apart. Gauri realized that it was time to talk to her sister about Gauri moving out of the flat.

"Gauri..."

"Gabbar would be waiting. He would be upset because he didn't see me last night."

"Haven't you stayed away from him?"

"Yeah, once or twice." Gauri agrees.

Omkara pleadingly looks at her.

Gauri smiles, she couldn't say no to him. "Okay."

"Driver is home? I'll ask him to go and pick Gabbar." Omkara tells her.

"He is here. But it is okay. Nits will manage."

"No... even I want to see him." Omkara tells her, just then he hears his mobile ring.

Sighing loudly, he tells Gauri. "It is mom." He answers the call. "Hello, Mom?"

"I heard the deal is through." Jhanvi says.

"Yeah, Mom... it is." Omkara says smiling.

"Are you in office?"

"No, home. I didn't go to office today. Taking a break."

"So, you are free?"

"Yeah, mom. For the time being."

"Okay, come home."

"What?"

"You said you're free."

"Now?" Omkara asks shocked.

"Yes, I want to see you."

"Is it urgent? Can we meet tomorrow?"

"When was the last time you met me, Omkara?" Jhanvi asks sadly.

Omkara feels guilty hearing that. He turns to Gauri and tells her softly. "Mom wants to meet me."

"Go." Gauri mouths to him.

"Who are you speaking to?" Jhanvi asks frowning.

"Gauri. I'll see you in an hour." Omkara says as he cut the call.

Throwing his phone to the side, Omkara gets up from the bed.

"She is not going to like that I am here." Gauri tells him.

"With her baseless hatred towards you, I'm past the stage where I care what she feels about our marriage." Omkara tells her.

Gauri nods.

"I'll come back fast." Omkara promises her.

"No problem. I'll wor... Oh God... Actually, I was in the middle of work." Gauri tells him remembering in shock. "How did I forget that?"

Omkara smugly smiles and leaning down, he kisses her.

**********

The moment Omkara stepped into his mother's house, he regretted coming. His mother was fuming.

"What was she doing in your house?" Jhanvi asks him.

"What kind of a question is that?" Omkara asks her frowning. "My wife was in our home."

"I tolerated this for so long. Not anymore. Sign them." Jhanvi tells him as she extended the divorce papers.

Omkara takes the papers and tears it up in fury.

"Omkara!" Jhanvi shouts in shock.

"Is this why you wanted me to come?" Omkara asks her angrily.

"Come here." Jhanvi takes his hand and leads him to the couch. She picks her phone from the couch and turns the screen to him. "See these girls. They are much better than that Gauri."

Omkara turns his gaze to the screen and sees his mother swiping left as one photo after another of girls appeared on the screen.

"They are of our status. From good family. And like you wanted educated and working." Jhanvi tells him excitedly. "See her, she is so beautiful. More beautiful than that Gauri and Nithya."

Omkara looks at the girl's photo.

"She is really beautiful, right?" Jhanvi asks him expectantly.

Omkara looks at the girl then he looks at his mother. "She is."

"I knew." Jhanvi says happily. "I'll call them now itself..."

"She is beautiful, Mom. But she is not my Gauri."

Jhanvi looks at Omkara in shock.

Eyes filling up, Omkara tells her. "Today, I've lost all my respect for you, Mom."

"Omkara?" Jhanvi whispers in shock.

"I am a married man, mom. How could you show me these photos?" Omkara asks her in shock.

"They tricked you..."

"Gauri is my wife." Omkara cuts her off. "I've accepted her with all my heart and love."

"You don't understand, Omkara... I made a mistake thinking Nithya would be good because she mingled in our social circle. So, I made a compromise with her family but... they proved me wrong."

"Gauri's parents proved you wrong." Omkara corrects her. "And Gauri upheld the faith you kept in them. Why is it so difficult for you to comprehend?"

"She is a gold digger."

"ENOUGH! NOT ALL MIDDLE CLASS PEOPLE ARE GOLD DIGGERS! AND GAURI IS DEFINITELY NOT!" Omkara furiously says.

"I've lived through hell because.."

"Because Dad was a cheat!" Omkara furiously cuts her off.

Jhanvi gasps in shock, her eyes filling up.

Seeing her eyes filling up, Omkara sighs and says in a gentle tone. "Dad cheated you, Mom. He knew he made promises to you, and he forgot them. Why are you holding someone else responsible for his crimes?"

"She seduced him!"

"She made no promises to you, Mom! It was Dad who vowed to love you and be loyal to you. But at the first sign of provocation he forgot all that and slept with Shiv's mother!"

Jhanvi furiously slaps him. "How can you speak like that about your father?"

Omkara stops in shock feeling his cheek sting. "Slapping me will not make Dad a saint. He was a womanizing cheat!"

"You are disrespecting your father!" Jhanvi says furiously.

"Father?" Omkara asks her. "He was Shiv's father too. Where was he all of Shiv's life?"

Jhanvi guiltily gulps hearing that.

Omkara looks at her suspiciously. "You told him that he can't keep in touch with Shiv."

"I told him that Shiv can never come into my home." Jhanvi tells him.

"So he abandoned Shiv?" Omkara asks her in shock.

"He never asked for Shiv." Jhanvi says furiously.

"When you are having sex with someone... you are asking for a baby whether you want it or not!" Omkara tells her angrily.

"We are not speaking of your father! We are speaking of that Gauri! And she will never be part of our family." Jhanvi says.

Omkara takes a calming breath. "Whenever Gauri speaks of her sister, I feel a sense of loss. I've a brother and he doesn't want anything to do with me. I've been calling him but he doesn't even answer my calls. He walks off when he sees me." Omkara looks at his mother and says sadly. "It hurts, Mom."

"After what his mother did to me..."

"After what my father did to you, you married him and had his baby!" Omkara reminds her.

"You're no longer my son." Jhanvi says sadly.

"How were you able to forgive a man who cheated you, Mom?" Omkara asks her. "And you want me to do the same to my wife?"

Jhanvi feels a panic in her hearing that question.

"You say Gauri can't be your family. Gauri and I am a family. It is you who is standing outside. It is you who has to become our family, Mom." Omkara tells her and turns around and walks off.

**********

"Nithya... I reached." Omkara says on the phone.

"Okay jeeju, I am coming down." Nithya says and hangs up the phone.

Omkara gets out of the car and waits patiently. Few minutes later, he hears the bark, he starts smiling starting to forget his episode with his mother. Then he sees Gabbar running towards him.

Omkara kneels down and Gabbar happily jumps on him. Omkara holds him by his neck as he pampered him. "Even I missed you, Gabbar."

"He has been moping around the whole day." Nithya tells him.

Omkara smiles as he looked up and seeing Nithya, he stops in shock.

"What happened?" Nithya asks confused.

Chuckling, Omkara says, "I forgot how identical you both look."

"D'oh... we are twins." Nithya points out.

Omkara picks Gabbar and puts him in the car. "You didn't tell Gauri, right?"

"No... only if she checks the pet camera she will know that he is not here."

"She is working... so, she might not check."

"Okay, thanks."

**********

"Gabbar!" Gauri shouts excitedly seeing Gabbar run to her. She picks him up and kisses him. "Did you miss me?"

Gabbar happily licks her. Gauri looks up at Omkara and smiles happily. "You didn't tell me you were going to bring him."

"Wanted to surprise you." Omkara tells her smiling. Omkara kneels down and lovingly touches Gabbar. He instinctively moves closer to Gauri. "That is new." Omkara says surprised.

"Yeah... I think because I didn't see him yesterday."

"Yeah possible, he was sitting on my lap through out the drive. Wouldn't get off." Omkara tells her. "Good thing I wasn't driving."

When Gauri was with him, Omkara drove his car as he preferred it to be just them but if she was not there, then his driver always drove his car.

Gauri smiles as she stood up. Gabbar immediately barks and rubs against her. Gauri picks him up. "How did it go with your mother?" Gauri asks him.

"Horrible." Omkara says dejected.

"What happened?"

Omkara tells her what all had happened. Gauri sighs as she gently consoled him.

Omkara and his mother's relation was deteriorating. And Gauri realized that if she moves in now, then that would be the death nail to their relation, and she loved Omkara too much to snatch his mother from him. Gauri sadly sighs realizing that she couldn't move in with him yet.

**********

"Seriously, there is something wrong with Gabbar." Gauri tells Omkara on the phone as she got ready for bed.

"What happened?" Omkara asks her in concern.

"He is not leaving my side." Gauri yawns.

"It is always like that, right?" Omkara asks her confused.

"Now, it is become kind of like, he doesn't want me out of his sight. He wouldn't even let me go to the toilet. Kept barking. He won't let anyone other than you and Nits come near me." Gauri tells him.

"It's been like that since the night you stayed here without him, right?"

"Yeah..."

"Maybe that's why."

"I'm feeling sleepy."

"Okay, you sleep."

"Don't forget about tomorrow's dinner."

"I won't, love." Omkara says smiling.

Gauri wanted Nithya and Omkara to be friendly with each other, so she had planned a get together.

"And it is kind of hard to forget when the dinner is happening at our place." Omkara laughs.

Gauri chuckles.

"Is there anything that I need to do?" Omkara asks her.

"No... just be home in time. I've given the menu to chef. I've asked the staff to prepare the upstairs guest bedroom for her."

"Okay, great."

**********

"Omkara!" Gauri calls out.

"Coming." Omkara comes running down. He had got stuck in a meeting and had just reached home sometime back.

Hearing him, Gabbar barks excitedly. Omkara comes down and sees Gabbar waiting at the foot of the stairs.

"How come he didn't come up?" Omkara asks surprised as he came down and picked him up.

"I told you, he is not leaving my side." Gauri says.

"Yeah..." Omkara replies confused and he looks up and stops in shock.

After a long time, he was seeing the sisters together and he couldn't tell them apart.

Seeing his eyes darting between her sister and her, Gauri walks towards him.

Omkara smiles realizing that was his wife. He hugs her.

Realizing that he had just stepped out of his shower, she whispers, "Smells nice."

"Will Gabbar keep your sister entertained?"

Gauri laughs as she lightly hits him.

Omkara chuckles as he turned to Nithya. "Welcome home, Nits."

Nithya was surprised to hear him call her Nits. He walks to her and lightly hugs her.

"Thank you, jeeju." Nithya says feeling happy that he had truly forgiven her for what she did.

"Come sit." Gauri tells Nithya as she led her in.

"Beautiful house." Nithya tells them.

They all sit down, and starts talking.

"I'll just check on the food." Gauri says as she stood up.

Seeing her walk off, Gabbar jumps off Omkara's lap and runs behind Gauri.

"Gabbar, stay." Gauri tells him seeing him follow her to the kitchen.

Gabbar stands out and starts barking loudly.

"Gabbar, quiet!"

Seeing Gabbar barking, Omkara whistles loudly. Gabbar stops and turns to look at Omkara.

"Come here, Gabbar." Omkara says noticing him staying put. Seeing Gabbar looking alternatively between Gauri and him, Omkara stands up. "Usually he comes when I call him."

"Suddenly he has become so protective of her." Nithya tells him.

Omkara was about to walk to him when Gauri steps out of the kitchen. Seeing that, Gabbar runs to Omkara.

Though confused with his behavior, they had let it go. Soon, they got busy chatting.

**********

Omkara and Nithya had got along pretty well considering their past. They both genuinely made effort to mend their relation for Gauri.

The next day, Nithya went back while Gauri and Gabbar stayed back as it was a Sunday.

Gauri and Omkara were sitting together and just talking when Gabbar got on Omkara's lap. Omkara holds him while he continued to speak to Gauri.

Gabbar lies on his lap as he stretched towards Gauri.

Omkara was in the middle of a sentence when he notices what Gabbar was doing. He was sniffing Gauri's belly. Realization was instant and the color drains from his face.

"Omkara?" Gauri calls him in concern seeing him going white.

Omkara looks at Gauri in shock.

"What happened?" Gauri asks as she held his hand.

"When was your last periods, Gauri?"

**********

"I want this baby, Omkara." Gauri tells him.

Omkara sighs hearing that. They had just got the pregnancy confirmation.

"I know we hadn't planned this. We didn't think of a baby... this is our baby, Omkara." Gauri tells him as she gently caressed her stomach.

Omkara keeps his hand on her stomach as he looked at her. "If we are doing this, then we do it right."

"What do you mean?" Gauri asks confused.

"You've to move in here. We've to be together before our baby is here. No more staying in two places."

Gauri nods. "I wanted to move in but that day you had your fight with your mother and I got scared that if I moved in then it will completely destroy your relation with your mother."

"I guessed it, Gauri." Omkara tells her as he lovingly cupped her face. "But if Mom can't accept my wife and my baby, then there is nothing left to save, Gauri."

Gauri nods as she hugs him. "I didn't want to come between you and your mother."

"You got it wrong, Gauri." Omkara tells her. "You didn't come between us. Mom tried to come between you and me and we didn't let her."

**********

"What do you want?" Jhanvi asks Omkara seeing him walk in.

"Yesterday, Gauri shifted to our house." Omkara tells her.

"Otherwise also she was living there! You think, I am not aware of it?" Jhanvi asks him.

Omkara sits next to her and lovingly takes her hand.

Jhanvi frowns seeing that.

"Gauri is pregnant, Mom. We are going to have a baby." Omkara tells her happily. "Just put aside all your differences and come and meet her, Mom."

"I kept warning you." Jhanvi says.

"What?" Omkara asks frowning.

"That gold digger seduced you and just like how that gold digger seduced your father!" Jhanvi says furiously. "Trap rich men with baby!"

Omkara lets go off her hand and he stands up angrily. "I am not going to defend Gauri to you anymore."

"You won't be able to."

"No, Gauri deserves better than to be defended to you." Omkara tells her.

Jhanvi furiously looks at him.

"Until you accept and respect my wife and baby, consider your son dead."

**********

Gauri sighs seeing the message from Omkara. She replies with a thumbs up sign and got back to work.

Then another hour and a half later, she gets another message from him, she simply replies with a thumbs up.

The third message and she had enough. She walks to his cabin.

Omkara looks up knowing it was Gauri, only she entered his cabin without knocking.

"Gauri, I was thinking... I'll shift your desk here. So, you know if you need me..."

"I am not shifting here!" Gauri tells him shocked.

"No... think about it..."

"Omkara, I am fine where I am. And it is easier to communicate with the team there."

"But..." Omkara frowns.

"And can you please stop sending me these articles?" Gauri asks him.

"They are nice articles, Gauri. I am only sending you the good ones."

"Omkara, I stopped reading them a week ago." Gauri tells him fed up.

"What? Why?" Omkara asks shocked.

Gauri walks to him and cups his face.

"You sit." He says quickly.

"I am pregnant, not sick." Gauri tells him fed up.

Omkara stops hearing that.

"I am fine, Omkara. Doctor said everything is normal." Gauri cups his face. "Stop reading so many articles. You will drive yourself crazy."

Omkara sighs and says, "I have never done anything without planning in my life. I always have it full planned with a contingency plan. Baby is such a responsibility, lot of changes, and I am a man, I won't be able to understand half of what you are feeling... I feel lost, Gauri." Omkara says helplessly.

"Love, both of us are new to this. We'll be fine." Gauri reassures him.

"We don't even have our parents to guide us through this." Omkara says sadly.

Gauri squeezes his hand.

"Maybe you can start talking to your parents." Omkara says hopefully.

"No and it is not up for discussion, Omkara." Gauri tells him in finality. "If they can't see you for the person you are then they can't be a part of our life."

"I don't care if they see me as a blank cheque."

"I do, Omkara." Gauri tells him in finality.

Omkara sighs giving up.

"Nits signed the contract with the ad agency." Gauri informs him.

Omkara nods. "It is a risk she is taking, brand new agency with two year contract."

"She says the money is really good." Gauri says. "Anyway, they have a launch party Friday night, and she wants us to be there with her."

"Us?" Omkara asks surprised.

"We are her family, Omkara."

Omkara nods. "I think I have a meeting on Friday evening. I might be late, I'll meet you guys there."

"Okay."

**********

"Finally! Omkara is here!" Gauri says seeing Omkara walking around the party looking for her.

Gauri hurries off to him.

"You're late." Gauri says in an admonishing tone as she took his hand.

Shiv stops and frowns at Gauri. "Who the hell are you?"

Seeing him up close, Gauri could see that his eyes were a different shade of brown. His nose was slightly longer. His hair was colored a brown shade.

"Oh God!" Gauri whispers in shock.

"Jeeju, you are late!" Nithya says as she stood next to Gauri. Then surprised, she says. "You colored your hair? Looking sexy, jeeju."

Gauri turns to Nithya in shock realizing that Nithya still hadn't realized it.

Shiv looks at the identical twins and realizes. He says as he flicked Gauri's hand off. "Oh the wife and..." he looks at Nithya and says "the runaway bride."

Nithya frowns hearing that, she turns to Gauri in confusion. "What happened to jeeju?"

"Stop insulting me. I look nothing like him." Shiv tells her angrily.

Finally realizing, Nithya gasps loudly in shock. She turns to Gauri "This is..."

"Jethji." Gauri says softly still staring at Shiv.

"Ewwe don't you ever fucking call me that."

"Shiv..." Omkara calls him from behind sternly. "Whatever the problems be between us, you'll treat my wife with respect."

Shiv turns around and looks at Omkara, "Like how your parents treated my mother with respect?"

Omkara sighs guiltily. "I've been trying to talk to you, Shiv. For so long."

"If the message hasn't been clear then let me make it clear. Stay the fuck away from me." Shiv tells him and then he walks off.

Omkara turns to watch him walk off.

Gauri holds his hand gently and asks. "Are you okay?"

Omkara turns to her and he keeps his hand on Gauri's stomach. "Our baby isn't here yet, and I can't imagine a life without our baby. How did Dad turn his back on Shiv?"

Gauri squeezes his hand as she also didn't have an answer to that.

He cups her face and asks. "Are you okay?"

Gauri nods. "I thought he was you."

"We look nothing like each other." Omkara says.

"Even I thought he was you." Nithya tells him then confused, she asks Omkara. "What is he doing here?"

"Maybe he joined this agency." Omkara says shrugging.

"What is he?" Nithya asks surprised.

"Fashion photographer."

**********

Few days later, Omkara walks into his house and sees Nithya with Gabbar. Seeing Omkara, Gabbar runs to him happily.

Omkara picks him up as he pampered him. "Hey." Omkara says smiling at her.

"It's me, Nithya." Nithya tells him immediately.

Omkara looks at her amused. "I know."

"You can tell us apart?" Nithya asks surprised.

"Yeah."

"How?"

"Took me a while but now I can." Omkara tells her smugly.

Nithya laughs hearing that.

"Where is Gauri?"

"Sleeping. I was about to leave."

Omkara nods and Nithya starts to walk off.

"Do you meet Shiv?" Omkara asks her curiously.

"I do." Nithya tells him.

"How is he?"

"He is not friends with me." Nithya tells him shrugging.

"Is he friends with others?" Omkara asks her curiously.

"You are my family, jeeju." Nithya answers him.

Omkara nods understanding.

"Bye, jeeju."

**********

Soon, months went by and Gauri was in her third trimester.

"Omkara is so worried about me." Gauri tells Nithya in a whisper.

"Everything is normal, right? You guys are not hiding anything from me, right?" Nithya asks worried.

"Everything is fine." Gauri quickly reassures her.

"Hmmm."

"I think he misses his mother." Gauri tells her.

"Maybe..." Nithya shrugs.

"After his father passed away, it was just him and his mother. He really loves her. He won't tell me, but I know, he really misses her. He really wished that she was here when our baby is born."

"His mother wasn't good to you and many people."

Understanding who that many people are, Gauri asks gently. "How is Shiv?"

Nithya shrugs with a sigh. "You know, how jeeju wears his heart on his sleeves..."

"Yeah." Gauri smiles hearing that.

"Shiv is a closed book."

Gauri felt sorry for her sister. She knew Nithya was interested in Shiv but Shiv has been stubborn and unbending.

"I can't blame him too. He has had a hard life." Nithya says sighing.

Gauri squeezes her hand.

"I am not going to hold my breath for him." Nithya declares.

**********

Next day, Gauri walks into Oberoi Mansion.

"What do you want?" Jhanvi asks her angrily.

Gauri walks to her and sits near her. "I came to meet you."

"I don't want to hear anything you have to say." Jhanvi says as she starts to get up.

"Omkara really misses you." Gauri tells her.

Hearing that, Jhanvi sits back as she slowly looked at her.

"It hurts him that you are not with him now. He is going to be a father and he really wishes that his mother is with him right now." Gauri tells her.

Jhanvi doesn't say anything.

"He is as stubborn as you. How much ever it hurts him, he won't tell you that. I refuse to believe that you don't miss him." Gauri tells him. "You might have your doubt in my love for him, but I never doubted your love for him."

Jhanvi's eyes fill up.

"If I have hurt you, then I apologize to you. We both want him to be happy. If we get along then he will be the happiest person. What more would we want than his happiness?" Gauri asks her as her eyes filled up.

Jhanvi sniffs hearing that. "When you came, I thought you came to gloat. You got everything. You got my son, you got money, you got status and I am not there in your life. You got everything. Nothing can be more perfect than that for you. I was sure you had come to gloat."

Gauri shakes her head hearing that.

"But you are here for me and my son. I insulted you. I accused you. I said horrible things to you. But you are here. Apologizing to me." Jhanvi says as she looked at her with tear filled eyes. "I'm sorry I misunderstood you."

"Please come home, Mom. Omkara really needs you."

**********

"Mom..." Omkara stops in surprise seeing Jhanvi walk in with Gauri.

Seeing a stranger, Gabbar starts barking.

"Keep quiet, Gabbar!" Gauri sternly says.

Gabbar quickly stops as he pressed up against Omkara's legs.

Jhanvi looks at Gauri then at Omkara. "She is strict." Jhanvi tells Omkara.

Omkara continues to stare at her in shock.

Smiling, Jhanvi tells him, "But that is okay, I'll spoil your baby rotten."

Omkara's eyes fill up hearing that, he smiles as he hugged his mother.

"I'm sorry I made it so hard for you, Omkara." Jhanvi tells him as she hugged him.

Hugging his mother, Omkara looks at Gauri and sees her smiling at him.

"I love her so much, Mom." Omkara says as he looked at Gauri.

"I know and she doesn't love you any less." Jhanvi tells him.

**********

Nithya and Jhanvi were waiting outside the labor room. Anxiously they kept looking at the door.

"How long has it been?" Nithya asks her.

"4 hours." Jhanvi replies then frowning, she asks her, "Why hasn't your parents reached?"

"Gauri forbid us from calling them." Nithya tells her.

Hearing the door open, they both eagerly look and sees Omkara walk out smiling proudly with a bundle.

"How is Gauri?" Jhanvi asks him eagerly.

"She is fine. Tired." Omkara tells her. His eyes filled up due to joy.

"Let me see the baby." Jhanvi says excitedly.

"It's Ashmita." Omkara says happily as he handed the baby to Jhanvi.

"Awww my baby." Jhanvi lovingly kisses her.

"Now, me!" Nithya says excitedly. Jhanvi passes the baby to her.

Once Nithya took the baby, Jhanvi turns to Omkara. "I'm so happy for you."

Omkara hugs her happily.

"Today is such a happy day, Omkara." Jhanvi tells him.

"It is." Omkara says smiling happily.

"Call Gauri's parents." Jhanvi tells him. "There has been too many bitterness. Lets forget all that, start fresh. Call them. Ask them to come to meet their granddaughter."

Omkara's smile drops immediately. "She will kill me, Mom."

"You both just had a baby, maybe today, she will forgive you anything." Jhanvi cheekily tells him.

Hearing the baby crying, Omkara quickly picks her up.

"Jeeju, I want to take a photo." Nithya says excitedly.

Omkara stays back as Nithya took a photo.

"I'll take her to Gauri." Omkara says.

"Okay." Jhanvi replies.

While Nithya had forwarded the photo to Shiv, saying Congratulations Tauji.

**********

Omkara walks into the room after his mother and sister-in-law had left. Omkara sits next to Gauri as she lay on the bed with Ashmita lying on her chest for skin-to-skin contact.

Omkara smiles seeing his family.

Gauri smiles at him.

"I called your parents." Omkara tells her.

"What? Why?" Gauri asks frowning bloody murder at him.

"Because I became a father today and I get a free pass today."

Gauri glares at him.

"Let it go, Gauri."

Gauri sighs giving up. "I am just so happy and tired today that I can't even be angry."

Omkara chuckles. "If it hadn't been for them, we wouldn't be together."

"You can't know that for sure."

"I don't think if they would have told us the truth, Mom would have agreed and we would have left immediately." Omkara tells her.

"We were bound by destiny, Omkara. We would have got together one way or the other. We've no life without each other." Gauri tells him as she held his hand.

Omkara kisses her hand. "I know."

*** The End ***

I know the story was just going on and on. I think it was because, I did have this idea for Shiv and Nithya story, which I might even write, so I had laid some foundation for it. Only the title is set "Forbidden By Destiny" but I don't know whether I will write it or not.

Please vote and comment

- Lazy