Eid Mubarak everyone...

How are you?

This is a small story... fair warning, some might find this story a little problematic.

Will reply to PMs soon.

Note:

I wanted to check with you all something, I always alphabetically sort the stories in this book, so it is easier for you all to find a particular story in case you want to read it, but I am just curious that when I do that, do you guys miss the last story that I posted because some people have mentioned that at times they didn't realize that I had posted a particular story, so was wondering whether that happens to most and I shouldn't sort it alphabetically, just leave the story as I update them.

As the taxi came to a stop, Gauri looks at her house with nervousness. It's been three years since she had left home. Gauri takes a deep breath and gets out of the car.

As she walked to her house her heart beat increased rapidly. Her palms started sweating. She nervously wipes her hand on her salwar. Then as if on instinct, her gaze turns to the neighboring house, hoping to catch a glimpse of Omkara. His presence always calmed her. then realizing the stupidity of seeing him right now, she shakes her head and hurries forward.

Even after coming to her family home after three years, she didn't feel nostalgic, all she felt was the anger towards her family. Their betrayal was too big even today for her. she rings the bell as she took another deep breath.

"Gauri?" Nayantara says in surprise seeing her at the door.

"Hello Ma." Gauri says feeling a little bit joy in seeing her.

"I can't believe you are here." Nayantara says as she hugged her happily with tears flowing down her face. "Thank you so much for coming back."

Gauri wraps her hands around her mother. "I didn't come back, Ma. I have one day's work in our Mumbai office, so I am here for that. I thought I'll just drop in and see you all."

"You are here just for a day?" Nayantara asks her, her heart breaking as she looked at Gauri.

"Yes. I'll have to leave in half an hour to office." Gauri tells her.

"Please don't go, Gauri." Nayantara quickly requests her.

"I've work, Ma. I've a busy day." Gauri tells her as she steps aside. "Where is Papa and Daddaji?"

"They are inside." Nayantara says realizing that Gauri has still not forgiven them.

Gauri nods as she started walking in.

"You came alone?"

"Yes."

"Shivaay didn't come?" Nayantara asks her.

"Why should he come?" Gauri asks her frowning.

"He is so protective about you, he never lets you travel alone... so, I was just wondering." Nayantara tells her as she walked to her.

"Bhabhi and he are busy." Gauri tells her.

"You lost weight from the last time I saw you." Nayantara tells her smiling.

"When did you see me?" Gauri asks confused with a frown.

"Pinky had forwarded a photo; Anika had sent her with you in it. It was a photo you took during Anika's birthday dinner."

"Ah okay." Gauri nods. Yeah, she did lose about 14 kg since that day.

"I am so happy."

"You seem more happy seeing me lose weight than seeing me." Gauri snubs at her.

"It is not that. You start eating when you are depressed. And you put on weight because of depression eating, right? I am happy that it is not the case now."

Gauri scoffs at her. "How you know everything!"

Nayantara sadly looks at her. "Gauri, I know you feel hurt and betrayed by what happened..."

"Those are too small words for what you all did to me." Gauri furiously cuts her off.

"Who is it, Nayantara?" Gauri hears her father ask from the inner room and she quickly walks in.

"GAURI!" Harsh says happily as he stood up.

"Hello." Gauri says softly as she looked at her father then she looks at her grandfather.

"Finally, you came back!" Harsh says with happy tears as he hurried to Gauri and hugs her.

"I knew you would come back." Daddaji says smirking.

"I am not back." Gauri replies as she hugged her father.

"What do you mean you are not back?" Harsh asks frowning.

"I am here on work. I've to go to office now."

"What nonsense is it?" Daddaji asks her angrily. "Enough of your mann maani. Come back home."

"I don't have anything to say to you." Gauri tells him.

"Please Gauri, don't go. It's been years since we saw you." Harsh tells her.

"Every time we come to Delhi, you leave Shivaay's house to avoid meeting us. please don't do this anymore." Nayantara requests her.

Gauri looks away without answering.

"It kills us that we can't see you, Gauri." Harsh tells her in tears.

Gauri turns to her father in anger and tells him, "If you had let me marry Omkara then I would be living in that house and you could have seen me every day. Every minute of the day."

"You know we can't do that." Nayantara tells her softly. "If things were different then we would have loved to see you both live together."

"Enough! How many times have I told you that you are not even allowed to think of that awara ladka?" Daddaji asks her furiously.

"And how many times I have told you to talk of Omkara with respect?" Gauri furiously asks him.

Daddaji scowls with a smirk. "You left this house for him and a month after you left, he was getting engaged to another girl."

Gauri smirks back at him, "And I hear that he called off the engagement and even left his home because he could no longer stay in this city without me."

"You know he is in Delhi?" Nayantara asks her in shocked whisper.

"Of course, I know. Do you think I would stop loving him because I left?"

"How dare you say such a blasphemous thing?" Daddaji asks furiously.

"I love Omkara Singh Oberoi." Gauri proudly tells him. "He is my life."

"Gauri... please stop." Nayantara quickly holds her back.

"Baba, please stop it. She just came back home after years." Harsh requests his father.

"You shut up! Pamper her more. See how she has become!" Daddaji says furiously.

"Better than you." Gauri replies.

"Enough! You are staying home. You are resigning your job. And it is high time that you..."

Gauri didn't even wait for him to finish. "I'm leaving."

"How dare you?" Daddaji furiously asks her.

"Is Jhanvi Aunty home?" Gauri asks her mother ignoring her grandfather.

"You are going there?" Harsh asks her shocked.

"She is like a mother to me. I'm going to see her." Gauri replies.

"Omkara is home. Jhanvi is not feeling well, so he came to take care of her." Nayantara worriedly tells her.

"Good, I'll see him also then." Gauri declares.

"Don't you dare go there, Gauri!" Daddaji furiously tells her.

"What will you do? Threaten me with suicide and killing my parents again?" Gauri asks him furiously.

"Gauri, stop." Nayantara pleads to her.

Gauri sighs loudly. "Of course, it is I who should keep quiet always. Anyway, I am leaving. Bye."

Gauri walks off without listening to her parents pleading her and her grandfather's furious shouts.

********

The servant takes her to Jhanvi's room.

"Gauri?" Jhanvi sits up in shock seeing Gauri.

"Hello, Jhanvi Aunty... how are you?" Gauri asks her smiling at her as she walked to her.

"What are you doing here, Gauri?" Jhanvi asks her shocked.

Gauri tells her what she told her family. "So, I came to see you also. Ma said you were not well." Gauri tells her as she sat next to her.

"Just BP variation due to stress." Jhanvi tells her.

Gauri smiles and takes her hand in hers.

Seeing that, Jhanvi couldn't help the tears and she sadly smiles at her. "When since Om told me about you both, I so happy."

"And you abandoned us in the end." Gauri reminds her sadly.

"What could I have done, Gauri?" Jhanvi asks her helplessly.

"You could have supported us and stood by us." Gauri couldn't keep the bitterness out of her voice.

Jhanvi hesitantly looks at her and gently tells her "Last night, Om promised me that he will get married."

"Oh." Gauri looks away.

"Last time he agreed to marry for me but he couldn't even go through the engagement. He left home too. But Gauri, it is time that he started living his life."

"Even I wanted to live my life." Gauri tells her.

"Destiny doesn't always give us what we want." Jhanvi tells her.

"And sometimes we need to fight destiny to get what we want."

"You are still waiting for him?" Jhanvi asks her in shock.

"I still love him and I'll always love him." Gauri replies to her.

"Gauri..." Jhanvi whispers in shock.

"I should leave." Gauri tells her as she started to get up.

"Maa..."

Gauri stops in panic hearing his voice and turns to the sound and sees him walk in.

Seeing her there, Omkara stops in shock. He went pale. She could see that he had stopped breathing, his forehead broke out into a sweat.

"Gauri?" Omkara whispers in shock. "What? How...?"

"Hello, Omkara." Gauri says softly.

Hearing her, he breaks out of his shock. "What are you doing here?" Omkara asks her in an angry voice.

"I was in the city for a day, so I came to see Jhanvi aunty." Gauri replies.

"You should leave." Omkara tells her.

"Om?" Jhanvi calls him in shock.

"I want you out of here. NOW!"

"I was about to leave." Gauri replies.

"Leave then!"

"Om, she is a guest here!" Jhanvi tells him in shock.

Omkara looks at his mother and tells her, "We have to leave for hospital. It's time for your appointment."

Jhanvi nods and regretfully looks at Gauri. Gauri smiles at her.

"I just came to see you, Jhanvi Aunty." Gauri tells her as she hugged her. "Take care and get well soon. you know, how concerned he is of you."

"Leave, Gauri!" Omkara tells her sternly, his anger and panic in seeing her there so suddenly, increasing in tenfold.

"I am going!" Gauri replies as she sweetly smiled at Jhanvi. Then she starts to leave. "Bye Omkara." Gauri softly whispers to him as she passed by him.

Omkara sucks in a furious breath and was about to go after her when Jhanvi calls him and he stops.

"What is this, Om?" Jhanvi asks him angrily. "Things didn't happen the way you both wanted but that doesn't mean you treat her like this when she comes to our house."

Omkara sighs and looks away as he tried to calm his raising heart and not give into panic.

"I expected better from you, Om." Jhanvi tells him disappointedly.

Omkara closes his eyes as he took a deep calming breath. "We need to leave otherwise we will be late for your appointment."

********

Gauri walks out of her room and sees Shivaay and Anika sitting on the couch and chatting.

"So, how many bombs dropped so far since my impromptu visit to home?" Gauri asks them grinning.

"Only one." Shivaay chuckles.

"Wow, only one?" Gauri asks shocked as she sat down next to them.

"Because he didn't pick Masi's and Mummyji's calls." Anika tells her, rolling her eyes.

"Very bad, bhaiyya." Gauri cheekily tells him.

Shivaay grins hearing that. "Maasi cries a lot and Ma screams a lot."

Gauri chuckles hearing that.

"But it is rude, Shivaay." Anika tells him frowning.

Gauri and Shivaay share a look and laughs softly.

Anika glares at them. as if, planned the phone starts ringing just then. Shivaay takes his phone and checks.

"It's Ma."

"Answer!" Anika orders him.

"Sure, love." Shivaay replies and answers the call. "Catch." He tells Anika and throws the phone towards her.

Anika catches it as she glared at him. she points the phone at him to talk. Shivaay quickly closes his eyes acting as if he is sleeping.

Gauri softly starts chuckling.

"Shivaay!" Anika calls him in a warning tone and he for good measure even snores.

Sighing furiously, she talks on the phone. "Hello Mummyji... Shivaay is sleeping... should I ask him to call you back when he wakes up?... well Gauri told us not to tell anyone that she was going home... But Mummyji.... Maasi? Am I on conference call?" Anika asks shocked as she glared at Shivaay.

Shivaay softly starts shaking as he tried to control his laughter with his eyes still closed. Gauri covers her mouth to stop herself from laughing out loud. Glaring at the brother-sister duo, Anika walks to the bedroom to talk.

"Very bad, bhaiyya. Poor Bhabhi." Gauri tells him.

"She is so big on keeping the family together. Answering all the calls... let her handle it."

Gauri hits him playfully making Shivaay chuckle.

The doorbell rings and both Shivaay and Gauri pause and look at each other.

"Go, Gauri. go open the door." Shivaay tells her.

"How you make the women of your family do all the heavy duty works?" Gauri asks him shocked as she stood up.

"I make them do it, when it is their doing." Shivaay answers her then starts grinning widely hearing the doorbell going continuously. The one at the door was furious and impatient.

Taking a deep breath, Gauri plasters a smile on her face and opens the door for Omkara.

"Hello." Gauri tells him smiling.

"What the hell are you doing, Gauri?" Omkara furiously asks her as he walked in.

"Long time no see, Omkara." Gauri tells him smiling.

"Shut the fuck up! How dare you come here?" he furiously asks her then noticing Shivaay, he turns to Shivaay, "And you!"

"I hear you are getting married, Omkara." Shivaay cheekily enquires.

Omkara turns to look at Gauri in shock and Gauri replies. "I was telling him what happened at your home and that conversation also came up."

Omkara shakes his head furiously. "She is dumb. How could you be so stupid, Shivaay? Don't you realize how risky this is?"

"We are leaving tonight." Gauri tells him in order to calm him down.

"Tonight?" Omkara asks outraged. "Leave now!"

"Our flight is at night."

"Prepone your tickets. I want you all out of here." Omkara furiously tells them.

"Fine! I'll look for the tickets." Shivaay replies as he took his mobile.

"What did the doctor say?" Gauri asks him.

"She is fine. We are stopping the medicines." Omkara replies.

"Thank God." Gauri replies smiling.

"How could you do this, Gauri?" Omkara asks her in helpless anger.

"She is like my mother. I was worried for her." Gauri replies.

"I told you she was getting better. I told you not to come."

"Still you were worried. So, I thought maybe you were lying to me."

"What was the need to go to your house?" Omkara asks her furiously glaring at her.

"How did you find that out?" Gauri asks him shocked.

Omkara furiously glares at her.

"I was worried if someone sees me walk into your house without going home then they would start wondering how I knew Jhanvi Aunty wasn't keeping well. We couldn't have anyone get suspicious now."

"We couldn't have you all coming here now!" Omkara points out to her in exasperation.

"Flights are full." Shivaay informs them.

Omkara takes in a sharp breath.

"Relax. We will leave tonight." Shivaay tells him.

Omkara angrily runs his hand through his hair. Hearing the door open, he stops and looks. He sees Anika walking out with a sleepy Advik.

"Look who's awake." Anika says happily then noticing Omkara she smiles at him. "Advik, look Dada is here."

Advik turns to look at Omkara and extends his hands towards him.

"He has grown so much." Omkara says as he walked to his son.

"In three weeks?" Shivaay asks in shock.

Anika glares at Shivaay.

Omkara picks up Advik and then feeling the warm skin, he touches his forehead. "Damn it, Gauri! he still has fever."

"It is almost gone." Gauri meekly replies.

"How could you make him travel when he is sick?" Omkara asks her as he cradled his son to his chest.

"It is normal with teething, Omkara." Gauri tells him as she walked to him.

Omkara furiously glares at her.

"Last night, you sounded so worried, I couldn't stay there. I got really worried about Jhanvi Aunty." Gauri tells him as she kept her hand on his arms.

"I wasn't worried about Ma."

"Then?"

"Oh your marriage?" Shivaay asks curiously.

"Stop it, bhaiyya!"

Shivaay gets up from the couch. "Okay, you, husband and wife talk, we are going."

Omkara and Gauri nod.

"Oh yeah, it's time." Anika says excitedly.

"Time for what?" Omkara asks curiously.

"Sometimes, love... you should learn to keep your mouth shut." Shivaay tells his wife.

"Where are they going?" Omkara asks Gauri with a frown.

"Spa, I think." Gauri replies.

"Couples massage." Shivaay tells them.

"God, Shivaay! You are not here on your honeymoon. No one should see you guys here!" Omkara says in exasperation.

"Who is going to see us here in the hotel?" Shivaay asks in shock. "Anyway, we are going. Later, if you feel like catching up, we will be in our room. and in case you feel like screaming at us more, then assume we are not even in this country."

Gauri couldn't help the giggle that slipped out making Omkara glare at her.

Once they left, Gauri turns to Omkara.

"You shouldn't have done this, Gauri." Omkara tells her in a disappointed tone.

Gauri looks down sadly.

"What happened at home?"

Gauri shrugs and tells him what had happened.

"that mad psycho!" Omkara mutters referring to her grandfather.

"You should stop hanging out with bhaiyya so much." Gauri tells him grinning.

Omkara smiles then he worriedly says, "If anyone sees you with Advik here... what we worked so hard for, it will all be ruined."

"Aren't you happy to see me?" Gauri asks him sadly.

"You know, I am."

"Then smile at me." Gauri tells him as she kept her hands on his shoulders.

Smiling at her, Omkara leans down and takes her lips in his. "I missed you."

"We missed you too."

********

Omkara was lying on the bed with Gauri lying on his chest and Advik sitting on his chest.

"Show Dada, your tooth, Addu." Omkara tells him as he gently pulled his lips. Then seeing the tiny tooth, he goes, "Awww."

Noticing Advik yawning, Omkara makes him lie on his chest and gently starts patting him.

"Were you happy to see your parents?"

"More than happiness, I felt bitter." Gauri tells him sadly.

Omkara sadly smiles as he kissed her on her forehead.

"Ma thought I put on weight because of depression eating. She was feeling guilty and I was actually happy that she was feeling guilty." Gauri guilty tells him.

"You should have told her that you put on weight during your pregnancy." Omkara jokes.

Gauri chuckles.

"You could have just come with Shivaay or alone, Gauri. you shouldn't have come with Advik."

"He has never stayed without me and he has been cranky since you left."

Omkara sighs. "Till you guys get back home; I am going to be worried."

"When are you coming back?" Gauri asks him as she hugged him tight.

"Soon. I was thinking of bringing Ma with me."

"What?" Gauri asks in shock as she sat up.

"She was talking about death and how she wants to see me happy with someone. I promised her that she will see me with her bahu soon."

"Ah!" Gauri chuckles. "That was what it was? Bhaiyya was cribbing as he was so sure that you were going to go to Daddaji and beg him to accept us."

"I have no faith in that psycho." Omkara mutters.

"Then what were you planning?" Gauri asks curiously as she lay down on his chest.

"I thought of telling Maa the truth. She is going to be shocked and might freak out but once she meets Advik, I am sure, she would wholeheartedly accept our marriage."

"I hope so." Gauri tells him.

"It will be nice to have Ma home."

"I know." Gauri smiles at him. "We will have to move into a bigger flat."

"We will have to find one in the building. Or Shivaay will have to move into the building that we are moving to."

"Hmmm." Gauri agrees because her family still thought that she was living with bhaiyya and Bhabhi.

Every time, one of their relatives visited, she would move into his flat and stay there so no one would be suspicious. Luckily for them, ever since her pregnancy and Advik, bhaiyya has never had any visit from relatives and even if someone tried to come, he would come up with a reason and refuse them.

"Do you think we should tell my family?" Gauri asks him in concern.

"It's your decision, Gauri. I really have no faith in them accepting our marriage."

"At times, I hate them for what they did to me." Gauri tells him as her eyes filled up.

Omkara hugs her tight and kisses her. Gauri snuggles closer to him. feeling her snuggling him, Omkara places light kisses on her face.

"Did he sleep?" Gauri asks him.

Omkara looks at Advik and sighs, "No."

Gauri giggles.

They were talking about random things when Omkara's mobile starts ringing.

"It's Ma." Omkara tells her.

"One second." Gauri rolls to the side table and grabs the baby bag. She digs out the pacifier and hands to Omkara.

Omkara puts it inside Advik's mouth. Once, Advik starts sucking on it, he answers the call while Gauri remained silent.

"I've to go." Omkara tells her as he hung up. "And he sleeps now!" he mutters making Gauri chuckle.

"What is Shivaay's room number? I'll see him on my way." Omkara tells her as he walked to the door.

"604. Don't think they would be back yet."

"Okay, I'll call him. I'll try to come to the airport." Omkara tells her as he hugged her.

"There is no need for that. just come back home, soon." Gauri tells him as she hugged him tight.

"I will. Love you."

"I love you too."

********

"What happened, Advik?" Gauri asks him as she cradled him.

Ever since his teething started and the fever, he was having restless sleep and kept waking up, and it was the first time, he was staying away from Omkara, and that also made him pretty cranky.

Seeing him looking around, Gauri tells him as she sat on the couch with her legs bend and makes Advik lies on her legs. "Dada is not here."

Advik sadly pouts.

"Awww... baby don't feel bad... Dada will come soon. Dada is with Dadi now. Dadi is not feeling well, right?" Gauri tells him as she gently rocked her legs and took his rattle and shook it to distract him.

"Mama will tell you Dada and Mama's story?" Gauri asks him seeing that he was feeling sleepy again but fighting sleep.

"Mama was born in Motihari. when Mama was five years old, Mama, your nanu, nani and parnana came to Mumbai. And guess who was Mama's neighbor? Dada!"

Hearing Dada, Advik smiles happily and claps.

"Yes, Dada." Gauri says excitedly. "Your Nani and Dadi quickly became friends. So, Mama also went to Dada's house often. even Mama loved your Dadi a lot. Mama became Dada's friend. One day, Dada proposed Mama." Gauri says smiling nostalgically.

"Dada told Mama that Dada loves Mama. And you know what Advik? Dada didn't ask Mama to be his girlfriend. Dada asked Mama to marry him one day and be his wife." Gauri tells him smiling remembering those beautiful adolescent years with Omkara. "And Mama said yes."

"Mama and Dada were together from then. Then after finishing college and getting a job, Dada and Mama decided to get married. Dada told Dadi and she was so excited. She and Dada came home to talk to Nanu and Nani." Gauri stops as she took a deep breath remembering that horrible day.

"Daddaji told Dada that I can't marry him." Gauri tells him as her eyes filled up. Closing her eyes sadly, she continues, "Daddaji told Omkara that I was already married. He had got me married to his best friend's grandson when I was three years old. I didn't know about it. They never told me. when Jhanvi Aunty found about it, she said that now Omkara and I can't be together because I was already married. But Omkara fought for us. he begged Daddaji saying that marriage was illegal and we loved each other. But Daddaji refused to accept our love. He said it is a sin for me to love Omkara. He insulted Omkara and threw him out of the house. I decided to leave with him and Daddaji threatened me. for him, his promise to his friend and that invalid marriage was more important than my happiness. he threatened me that if he couldn't keep his promise to his friend then he will kill my parents and kill himself. And I couldn't do anything." Gauri says as she started crying openly.

"Daddaji tried to conduct my remarriage quickly but that time his best friend passed away, and for a year they couldn't conduct any functions. That time, I left home and I ran to Shivaay bhaiyya. Even though he is my cousin brother, he is like my real brother. He fought with everyone and kept me safe with him. When Omkara found out that I left home, he came to see me in Delhi and asked me to marry him. I knew how crazy Daddaji is and I was so scared, so I said no and broke up with him. I was scared for my family. Omkara came back home and Jhanvi Aunty forced him to marry another girl. But Omkara loves me so much that a week before his engagement he called it off and left home."

"He came to Delhi and tried to convince me for our marriage. even though I was angry at my parents for what they did and for not supporting me even now, I was worried about what Daddaji would do if I got married to Omkara. So, finally, bhaiyya convinced me to marry Omkara secretly and to make sure our marriage is legal and valid both religiously and in all type of legality so that tomorrow no one can force me to marry that guy. Bhaiyya told us to keep our marriage a secret till the time is right." Gauri thoughtfully stops before she said that even though she had thought right time meant 'when everything calms down or a baby is born' Shivaay had meant right time as 'when the psycho grandfather dies'.

Gauri looks at her son and sees that he had slept off. she picks him up and hugs him to her chest. "Then Mama and Dada got married. And sometime after marriage, we wanted to have a cute baby and we were blessed with you."

Gauri was putting Advik on the bed when her mobile starts ringing. Keeping the pillows around her son, she takes the mobile and walks out seeing it is from her house.

"Hello?" Gauri answers with a frown. She never answered their calls but this time when she was in the same city, she couldn't take any kind of risks.

"Come home." Daddaji orders her.

"I am not coming." Gauri replies.

"If you don't come in an hour then I am coming to your office and I am going to drag you home."

"What?" Gauri asks shocked.

"Don't think of running off to Delhi, if I have to come there and bring you home then I will."

"You are crazy!" Gauri tells him furiously.

"I have called Pratap's family. They will be coming to finalize the wedding date. So, be here when they come."

*********

"What the hell, Gauri? you don't have to do this." Omkara furiously tells her.

"I want to end this once and for all, Omkara." Gauri tells him.

"I'll come with you then."

"No, you watch him. bhaiyya will come with me." Gauri tells him as she caressed Advik who was in Omkara's arms.

"Gauri..." Omkara starts.

"I'll call you and you can listen to the whole thing. If it gets out of hand, then you come." Gauri tells him.

*******

"Shivaay?" Nayantara asks in surprise seeing him walk in with Gauri. "Gauri told me you hadn't come."

"How can I sent her alone to this house, Masi?" Shivaay asks her as he looked at Gauri's grandfather.

"There is no need for you here." Daddaji tells him angrily.

"I feel I am needed here." Shivaay replies.

"You are not." Daddaji replies. "It is because of you that she is behaving like this. You are supporting her in this rebellious behavior of hers."

"Oh I don't see it as rebellious behavior. I see it as her determination to fight for her happiness."

"Stop it, Shivaay." Nayantara tells him sternly.

"When did I ever start, Masi?" Shivaay asks her back surprised.

"Where is Anika?" Nayantara asks to change topic.

"She didn't come."

"But she answered your phone." Nayantara says confused.

"She is here in town. She didn't come here." Shivaay clarifies. "I try to keep my wife away from all kind of toxicity."

Nayantara sighs and worriedly looks at her husband and father-in-law.

"I try to keep Gauri also away from it all but you people have to drag her into it." Shivaay wasn't just done yet then.

"Enough!" Daddaji tells him. "I don't want you here. Leave."

"If you want me to stay then he stays." Gauri tells him.

"This is my house and I decide things here."

"Daddaji, for years bhaiyya has been wanting to beat you into a pulp. You do something and that is going to happen today." Gauri warns him.

Daddaji worriedly looks at Shivaay and sees Shivaay sweetly smiling at him.

"Fine, he can stay." Daddaji says in a dismissing tone.

Shivaay bursts out laughing hearing that. "You're such a coward."

Gauri couldn't help the smile that slipped through, she thought of Omkara and knew that he would be having a blast hearing all this.

"Not another word from you." Daddaji warns him. "Otherwise I will forget that you are my bahu's nephew."

"You should. Because I don't even consider you a basic human." Shivaay replies with a shrug.

"Enough, Shivaay. Stop it. He is elder to you." Harsh tells him sternly.

"You are elder to Gauri, but did that ever make you protect her and stop the atrocities happening to her?" Shivaay asks him back. "Just because he is elder doesn't mean that he should be respected or all his decrees should be followed. He is elder, and all that means is that he has been a burden on this earth more than me."

"Will you please stop this, Shivaay?" Nayantara asks him in exasperation.

"Or what, masi? Will you call Ma and complain and cry to her? thanks to you, I have stopped answering my mother's calls."

Nayantara looks away guiltily.

Hearing a car, they all turn and curiously look out. A man comes out of the car.

"You said the family was coming?" Harsh asks his father curiously.

"Such short notice, they might be busy." Daddaji replies as he started to walk towards him.

"All the best, Omkara. The guy is damn hot." Shivaay whispers.

"Bhaiyya!" Gauri whispers at him in outrage.

"Look at him, Gauri. aren't you tempted to jump camps?"

Gauri glares at him.

Shivaay cheekily grins, "I was just joking."

"I don't like such jokes." Gauri tells him glaring at him.

"Is this the Sharma house?"

"Yes, please come in. Don't you remember me? We had met during your grandfather's funeral." Daddaji asks him.

"Yeah, I do." He replies frowning as he followed them into the house.

"Please sit. It is high time we decided on yours and Gauri's marriage." Daddaji starts.

"What fucking marriage?" he asks furiously.

"Shivaay, Gauri's brother." Shivaay says smiling happily as he offered him his hand.

"I know. I'm Rudra Pratap." He answers as he shook his hand.

"How?" Shivaay asks surprised.

"I tried looking for Gauri when he told me about this so called marriage." Rudra tells him. "I found about you then."

"So called marriage?" Daddaji asks shocked.

"What? Did you think that you would get me married in my childhood without my consent or knowledge and you thought I would blindly accept it?" Rudra asks him back.

"Gauri is your wife." Daddaji tells him shocked.

"One more time you say that; you would be behind bars." Rudra warns him.

Gauri turns to Shivaay in shock and sees him grinning ear to ear.

"What is happening here?" Harsh asks confused and shocked.

"that is what I am asking you all." Rudra tells him. "I am in love with someone and I'll only marry her."

"How can you marry someone else? You are already married." Daddaji reminds him in outrage.

"You are talking as if you didn't know about it. Two years back when you came demanding that I take my so called wife home, I told you about it." Rudra reminds him angrily.

"What?" Harsh asks in shock as he turned to look at his father and sees him nervous.

"So, that is why the last two years you were not troubling Gauri." Shivaay says out loud finally understanding why he had been silent for so long.

"Forget about all that. you are married to my granddaughter. Your grandfather and I gave our word to each other."

"Married?" Rudra asks outraged. "You call that sham a marriage? I was a little kid then. I didn't know what marriage was and you and your best friend made us do stuff and you expect us to believe we are married?"

"In front of God you are married." Daddaji argues.

"You think God is blind?" Gauri asks him furiously. "You think God doesn't know that we were not even aware what was happening? That we didn't give our consent or accepted each other. You think he doesn't know that?"

"Shut up, Gauri." Daddaji tells her.

"You shut the fuck up." Rudra tells him furiously. "And today you had the nerve to call my parents and tell them that if I didn't take Gauri home then you would file a case against me? threatened to ask for alimony?"

"What the hell, Daddaji?" Gauri asks him in shock. "Is money all you care for?"

"It is not about money. I gave my word." Daddaji argues.

"Well, the one you gave your word to is dead. Now, only you are left. If you trouble me or my family again, then I am going to file a case against you for child marriage." Rudra warns him.

"I'll support you in the case." Gauri tells Rudra.

Rudra nods. "When he said you were home, I was confused. That is why I came today. so, I can tell you once and for all I don't consider you my wife or us married."

"I am here to tell you the same thing." Gauri tells him feeling relieved and joyous.

"What is this nonsense? Don't forget you both took wedding vows." Daddaji furiously reminds them.

Rudra turns to him furiously and tells him, "Your best friend lied to my parents saying that he was taking me to a village fair and told me we are going to play act a marriage with a girl. And did this so called drama and made me promise that I will never mention this to anyone till he tells me to. It was no marriage for me. it was just a gudda-guddi ka khel for me!"

"You remember?" Gauri asks him shocked.

"I forgot about it but when he told me about it, it came back to me." Rudra tells her then turning to Daddaji, he tells him in finality, "I remember and still that doesn't mean a thing to me because that was not a marriage."

"You can't say all that." Daddaji tells him in shock.

"I can and I'll. Now, if you trouble me again then I'll take you to court. Your friend is dead, so you'll have no company in jail." Rudra tells him and turns to leave.

"You said you looked for me, why?" Gauri asks him.

Rudra stops and turns to her. "So, I could tell you that you are not my wife and I am not your husband. And when I found you, I realized that your attitude towards this whole thing was right. that drama didn't even deserve to be even thought about."

"When was this?" Shivaay asks curiously.

"Two years back."

"Oh." Shivaay and Gauri looks at each other realizing that Rudra already found out that Gauri was married to Omkara.

"Next month is my wedding. You should come, Gauri. my fiancé is very curious about you. bring Omkara too." Rudra tells her indirectly confirming to them that he knew.

Gauri nods in reply.

"Omkara? You know about Omkara?" Harsh asks him in shock.

"Do you know about Omkara?" Rudra asks him back. Then shrugging he tells Gauri, "Have a good life, Gauri."

"You too, Rudra."

"I will." Rudra confidently confirms and leaves.

Once Rudra left, Nayantara furiously turns to her father-in-law, "Are you happy now? because of you my daughter suffered for 3 years! She lost her love because of you. and all this while you knew that he had no intention to accept Gauri and there was someone else in his life."

Before he could answer, they hear slow claps.

All of them curiously turns to the sound and sees Shivaay clapping for Nayantara.

"Well done, Masi. Finally, you decided to stand up for Gauri when there was no longer any need for it. Amazing." Shivaay tells her as he clapped.

Hearing him, Nayantara guiltily looks at Gauri and sees her staring her in the eye.

"I am sorry, Gauri." Nayantara tells her as her eyes filled up.

"We are sorry, Gauri." Her father tells her.

She looks away without replying to their sorries.

"Now, Gauri will live her life the way she wants." Harsh says in finality to his father. "I'll see who will stop her."

"Gauri must have done some big deed in her life to get such amazing supportive parents." Shivaay says sarcastically.

Harsh helplessly looks at her and tells her, "He told us that marriage was conducted with all the proper rituals. So, we..."

"You didn't know about it before?" Shivaay asks them confused.

Harsh shakes his head. "We found out when Gauri did."

"And still you chose to support him than me?" Gauri asks them furiously.

"He said the marriage was religiously binding." Nayantara tells her helplessly.

"That was not a marriage!" Gauri furiously tells them. then turning to her grandfather, she asks him helplessly, "Why did you do this? What was the need for it?"

"What was I supposed to do? We promised our children would marry and your father eloped with your mother. So, I had to do this." He argues angrily.

"You both married the one you loved and when it was my turn you both turned your back on me?" Gauri asks them in shock.

"Gauri, we promise, we will get you married to Omkara. We will talk to him." Harsh promises her.

"I'll convince Jhanvi, Gauri. I'll explain to her what happened." Nayantara tells her as she held both her hands.

"I don't need your help." Gauri tells them as she pulled away and walked away.

She keeps the phone on her ears. "Come."

"Should I bring Advik too?" Omkara asks her.

"Yes."

*********

"Anika?" Nayantara says in confusion seeing her walk in and then stops in shock seeing Omkara walk in behind her.

"Omkara?" Harsh says in shock. And they all stop in confusion and shock noticing the baby cradled in his arms.

Ignoring their shock, Gauri walks to Omkara and lovingly kisses Advik on his forehead, Advik happily smiles at her as he continued to rest on Omkara's chest. Gauri smiles at him and kisses him again. Then she holds Omkara's hand.

"Whose baby is this, Gauri?" Nayantara asks her heart slamming against her chest.

"My baby." Gauri replies as she proudly looked at her parents.

"Your baby?" Nayantara asks in shock feeling faintish.

"How is that even possible?" Harsh asks shocked.

"The usual way." Omkara replies with a shrug.

"What?"

"Everyone meet my son, Advik Singh Oberoi and my true and rightful husband, Omkara Singh Oberoi." Gauri proudly introduces.

"You both got married? When? How could you do this, Gauri?" Nayantara asks her in tears then turning to Shivaay, she asks him, "And you knew about this? And supported her?"

"I convinced her." Shivaay clarifies.

"Why didn't you tell us, Anika?" Nayantara asks their ideal bahu in shock.

"Who do you think gave me the idea of a secret marriage?" Shivaay asks her.

Nayantara looks at Anika in shock.

"You didn't see what Gauri and Omkara went through, we did." Anika answers her. "Gauri was scared to get married to Omkara fearing that he would kill you both and kill himself too. So, I thought this was the best option for now." Anika explains pointing at daddaji.

"I'll not accept this." Daddaji says furiously.

"I don't care whether you accept it or not. I don't care if you commit suicide or not. You messed up my life enough, not anymore." Gauri tells him in finality.

"Gauri is my wife, and no one in this world has the power to challenge the validity of it. Neither you nor Rudra. Not even the court because our marriage is legal and binding." Omkara informs Gauri's grandfather.

"If you had told us about Rudra's stand then we wouldn't have had to hide from you all for so long. You wouldn't have missed out on Advik's life so much." Omkara tells him.

"I don't care about all that." Daddaji replies furiously.

"What is your reason now to not accept them? Do you expect Gauri to live her life alone because you committed a sin when she was baby?" Nayantara asks him furiously.

"She went against the family." He replies.

"What family?" Gauri asks him furiously. "You call this a family? The people standing by my side here is my family." Gauri tells him gesturing at Omkara, Advik, Shivaay and Anika.

"Gauri, what we did was unforgiveable but please don't disown us." Nayantara begs her.

Gauri gulps the tears that was threatening to spill seeing her mother beg.

"Then take your family and leave. You have no place here." Daddaji tells her furiously.

"Gauri will not go anywhere." Harsh says furiously. "This is her home. And I accept her marriage, Omkara as her husband and her son." Harsh says as he walked to Omkara, his tear filled eyes on Advik. "May I?"

Omkara turns to look at Gauri for permission. She nods. With a small smile, Omkara offers Advik to him.

Harsh picks him up and kisses him lovingly. "Advik, do you know who I am?" Harsh asks him as tears fell from his eyes.

"He knows that you are his nanu." Omkara answers for his son.

"He does?" Harsh asks smiling happily at Advik and notices Advik curiously looking at him.

Nayantara lovingly caresses Advik and starts to pick him up when Harsh makes Advik face him in shock.

"Baba..." Harsh stares at his grandson in shock.

"What?" he was too curious to ignore that.

Omkara and Gauri look at each other in confusion.

"Advik looks exactly like your father." Harsh informs him.

"Oh no." Omkara mutters in a whisper.

"Really?" Gauri asks in shock and surprise. "We were trying to figure out who he looked like."

"Show me." Daddaji instructs as he walked to Harsh and looked at his great grandson. "Yes, he does look like pitaji." He says eyes filling up with happy tears.

"Oh please no." Omkara whispers in dread.

"What a slap for you, Omkara?" Shivaay whispers in shock.

"With chappals." Omkara replies.

"What a handsome man pitaji was. and he is exactly like him." Daddaji says too lost in his joy to hear the dread of his grandson-in-law. "Why is he warm?" he asks frowning.

"What?" Nayantara asks in panic as she touched his forehead.

"I thought it was his body temperature." Harsh says he also checked for temperature.

"He got fever due to teething." Gauri explains.

"He got teeth already?" Nayantara asks excitedly. "How many months is he?"

"4."

"He is so fast just like pitaji." Daddaji says proudly kissing him. "Not only in looks, he has pitaji's jigar too."

"Maybe pitaji has come back to you in the form of your great-grandson." Anika says in a hopeful tone.

"Indeed." Daddaji replies teary eyed as he stared at Advik.

"What a delusional psycho!" Shivaay mutters.

Imitating his dreadful grandfather-in-law, Omkara replies, "Indeed."

"You were right, Omkara. I should have told you about Rudra. Then I would have been there when Advik was born. We could have named him pitaji's name too." Daddaji says as he happily kissed Advik.

Omkara looks at Gauri and sees her gaping at her grandfather in shock, then he looks at Shivaay, and his face was echoing the disgust on Omkara's face.

"What was his name?" Anika asks curiously.

"Kamadev."

"Thank you Lord." Omkara whispers realizing it was a close escape.

*********

"We need to go see Ma." Omkara tells Gauri.

Gauri nods as she turned to her grandfather and parents who were still pampering their son.

"Ma... we have to go to Omkara's house. We have to tell Jhanvi Aunty also." Gauri tells her.

"Yes, you should." Nayantara agrees. "We'll come with you."

"No, ... we want to do this alone." Omkara tells her. "We'll tell her everything first. You all come tomorrow."

Nayantara nods.

"You'll come back here, right?" Harsh asks her.

Gauri turns to look at Omkara and seeing his face she knew; he didn't want that.

"Jhanvi Aunty is alone. We'll stay there." Gauri tells her.

"Omkara will stay there. you stay here with Advik. You have been away from home for years." Daddaji tells her.

Gauri's eyes go wider hearing that, she turns to Omkara.

"Your decision." He tells her.

Gauri turns to her grandfather and tells him, "Omkara has been away for three weeks and Advik has been missing him ever since. He'll get upset if he doesn't see Omkara."

"Oh okay... don't make him sad. You stay with Omkara." Daddaji quickly agrees.

Omkara couldn't help but look at Shivaay and sees him looking at him in shock.

"It will just be a matter of time before he starts calling your son pitaji."

"I'll kill him if he does that."

"Shivaay... Anika." Nayantara calls them. "Are you both going back today?"

Shivaay thoughtfully looks at Anika.

"We'll stay. Such a happy day for Gauri and Omkara." Anika tells him.

"We'll be staying, masi." Shivaay confirms.

Nayantara smiles happily. "You'll stay here, right?"

"Hell no! we'll stay with them." Shivaay replies shocked.

Omkara quickly looks down, so he doesn't burst out laughing.

"Oh okay." Nayantara nods a little sadly.

Quickly they left from there.

**********

"Are you nervous?" Gauri asks Omkara as they walked to his house.

"I've been preparing for this. I told you." Omkara replies then he reassuringly smiles at her. "She will accept our marriage."

Gauri smiles at him in reply.

"So, how good looking was this Rudra?" Omkara asks her with a grin.

Gauri chuckles hearing that. "Bhaiyya is crazy."

"Totally." Anika says as she glared at Shivaay. "What was the need to say all that? you were just creating more problems there."

Omkara chuckles hearing that and asks her, "Did you really think he told you to stay with Advik and me so that he can keep you away from the toxic situation?"

Anika glares at Shivaay hearing that question. "You said if Omkara has to leave urgently incase Jhanvi Aunty calls him then I need to be there to look after Advik."

"Like I am going to leave when I know Gauri is in the lion's den." Omkara rolls his eyes while Gauri slyly hit him to shut him up.

Anika glares at Shivaay.

"You would have kept pinching me and asked me to shut up." Shivaay justifies. "Anyway, who all were happy when Rudra shut that psycho up for good?"

"Stop calling him that, he accepted them, right?" Anika scolds Shivaay.

"Because pitaji came back to him." Shivaay mutters.

Gauri notices Omkara takes a deep breath before he opened the gate.

"It's all going to be fine." Gauri tells him.

"It's all going to end today." Omkara tells her with a relieved smile.

"Yes." Gauri replies smiling.

"Advik, go to mamu. Dada will come now." Omkara tells Advik as he kissed his temple lovingly.

Advik starts to pout, ready to cry.

"Come on, Advik... we'll play peek-a-boo." Shivaay tells him excitedly as he picked Advik from Omkara.

Hearing that Advik starts laughing happily as he excitedly covered his eyes. Omkara and Gauri smile seeing their son so happy.

"You guys sit. We'll go see Ma." Omkara tells them as he took Gauri's hand and walked to his mother's room.

*******

Omkara and Gauri walk into Jhanvi's room and sees her sitting on the bed looking through an album.

"Ma..." Omkara gently calls her.

Jhanvi quickly closes the album and keeps it on her side. She wipes her tears and looks at Omkara. "Gauri?" Jhanvi says in surprise seeing Gauri with Omkara.

Omkara walks with Gauri to her and noticing they were holding hands, Jhanvi worriedly looks at Omkara.

"Om, please don't restart all that again." Jhanvi worriedly requests him. "It is not possible."

Omkara and Gauri walk to her and kneels in front of her.

"We want tell you something, Ma."

"What?" Jhanvi asks him worriedly.

Noticing the album lying on the bed, Omkara takes it. "You were looking at Gauri's and my childhood photos, weren't you?" saying that he opens the album and sees his photo with Gauri as they smiled for the camera.

Omkara smiles as he showed the photo to Gauri. Gauri smiles seeing the photo and her eyes fill up.

"We went for a picnic with Ma and Nayantara aunty. This is from then." Omkara says as he looked at the photos and flipped the pages.

Jhanvi takes the album and closes it. "It's all in the past, Om. stop it."

"Then why were you looking at it?" Omkara asks her back.

"I..." Jhanvi guilty looks down. "When I saw Gauri today..."

"You always wanted Gauri to be my wife, right?" Omkara asks her as he kept his hand over hers. "Even we both had wanted to be together, Ma."

"But it is wrong, Om." Jhanvi helplessly tells him with tears.

"It's not." Omkara argues.

"There is only one right in my life and that is Omkara." Gauri tells her.

Jhanvi helplessly looks at Gauri and then she looks at Omkara. "Why did you bring her here?"

Omkara takes a deep breath and asks her gently, "Did you know Gauri was in Delhi?"

Jhanvi nods. "She was staying with her cousin brother, right?"

"I wasn't staying with him." Gauri tells her.

"Oh... after that... I have never spoken to Nayantara, all I know is from our common friends, someone mentioned that you were staying with Nayantara's sister's son." Jhanvi explains.

Gauri nods and explains, "My family, everyone thought that."

"Then where were you?" Jhanvi asks frowning, her heart beating fast fearing the unknown.

"With me." Omkara tells her.

"What are you saying, Om?" Jhanvi asks him in shock, going pale.

"I promised you that you will see your bahu soon." Omkara tells her as he took Gauri's hand and keeps it on Jhanvi's. "Gauri is your bahu, Ma."

"No, Om. Gauri is married." Jhanvi tells him panicking.

"She is married to me."

Jhanvi stops in shock as she stared at her son, going even whiter. "What?"

"After calling off that engagement, remember I left home?" Omkara asks her.

Jhanvi barely nods as she stared at her son.

"Three months after that I married Gauri." Omkara gently tells her.

"Gauri is married, Om." Jhanvi reminds him in shock.

"The only man she married with her whole heart and mind, with all of her consent and conscious, is me. I am her husband and she is my wife. That is the truth of our life, Ma."

"It is not possible, Om." Jhanvi panics. "She is already married. How can you both get married again?"

"We are legally married, Ma."

"Gauri was religiously married."

"Jhanvi aunty..." Gauri gently calls her.

Jhanvi looks at her still panicking.

"God, who is a witness to everything, which marriage do you think he will accept? In his eyes, which marriage do you think is valid? Omkara's and mine or Rudra's and my so called marriage? Which wedding vows would he accept as true, genuine, real and heartfelt?"

Hearing the question, Jhanvi stops as realization dawned. There was only one right answer to that question and only one truth to this.

"Your family will never accept it, Gauri." Jhanvi worriedly tells her.

"They accepted us." Gauri tells her.

"Rudra is getting married next month and even he doesn't consider that a true marriage." Omkara tells her.

"Oh." Jhanvi regretfully looks at Gauri and Omkara, "We hurt you both a lot, didn't we?"

"Not as much as my family, but you did." Gauri agrees.

"I am sorry." Jhanvi guiltily whispers.

"You abandoned us, Ma. You didn't fight for us." Omkara tells her sadly. "But we didn't abandon each other and we didn't stop fighting for each other." Omkara looks at Gauri and says with a loving smile, "Gauri's steps faltered in between, but it was because she was worried for her family, not because she lost faith in us, or our relation."

Gauri smiles at him with tears. "Your steps faltered because of your love for Jhanvi aunty, not because you didn't love me or think I belonged to someone else."

Jhanvi takes both their hands and keep it on each other's. seeing that, they both smile at her.

"I am sorry, I hurt you both." Jhanvi tells them. "Now, be together always."

Omkara smiles at her lovingly, "We forgive you, Ma."

Jhanvi smiles in relief then sadly says. "Ever since you were kids, I had always dreamed of seeing you both together. Even Nayantara. But in the end, we ended up separating you both."

Gauri holds her hand and squeezes it. "You were also helpless in front of my family."

"You were worried that I'll have no one if you are not there." Omkara tells her. "I had never felt guilty about anything as much as I did when you said those. I wanted to tell you then and there but I couldn't."

Jhanvi nods understanding as she looked at Gauri. "I'm happy you will have her and she will have you always."

"Not only Gauri." Omkara tells her. "I've a brother who is also my best friend. I have a sister... then..." Omkara stops as he looked at Gauri.

Gauri nervously smiles at him.

Her smile was all the strength he needed. Omkara turns to his mother and informs her, "I also have our son."

"What?" Jhanvi asks shocked thinking she misheard. "Did you just say...?"

"Yes." Omkara tells her smiling. He turns to Gauri and understanding, she gets up and leaves the room.

"Om, you've a son?" Jhanvi asks him shocked. "And you hid him from me?"

"Yes. I wanted to tell you before but then I would have to tell you about our marriage and I wasn't sure how you would react."

"I don't know what to say." Jhanvi tells him helplessly not knowing how to react.

"Don't say anything. just pick him in your arms and kiss him." Omkara tells her smiling.

"bba."

Hearing Advik's sound they both quickly look at him and sees Gauri walking towards them with Advik.

"Oh my God." Jhanvi covers her mouth as she tried to fight her sob.

"Advik... meet Dadi." Gauri tells him as she turned him to face Jhanvi.

Advik curiously looks at her and Jhanvi quickly picks him up in her arms and kisses him as she happily cried.

Gauri and Omkara look at each other in relief. Then Gauri moves to the floor near him and sits next to him as she leaned on his arms. They both watched Jhanvi and Advik getting acquainted.

*********

"You should have waited for me." Omkara tells Gauri as he walked into the bathroom to see her bathing Advik.

"You are back?" Gauri asks him smiling, he had gone with Shivaay to buy necessary items for their stay. "He was asking for you."

"Did you miss Dada, Addu?" Omkara asks as he bend down next to his son.

Seeing him Advik starts clapping and laughing and saying things in gibberish.

Omkara chuckle.

"You brought his bath mat?" Omkara asks surprised noticing that Advik was lying on his bath mat.

"Yeah. Due to fever I didn't give him a bath in the morning, so I brought it, in case he needs a bath." Gauri explains as she picked up Advik.

Omkara quickly grabs his towel and wraps him up. Gauri starts wiping his body down.

"I'll feed him and try to put him to sleep. he hasn't slept much today." Gauri tells him.

"Okay. I'll be downstairs." Omkara tells her and starts to leave.

"Omkara..." Gauri calls him as she started feeding Advik.

"Yes?" he turns to her.

"You were so angry with me for coming today. don't you have anything to say?" Gauri cheekily asks him.

"You are lucky everything worked for the best." Omkara replies.

Gauri glares at him making him chuckle.

"I love you." Omkara tells her lovingly.

"I love you." Gauri replies smiling.

********

Much later, Gauri and Omkara joins Shivaay and Anika after Jhanvi had gone to sleep.

"I am so happy that everyone accepted your relation." Anika tells them smiling.

"Now no more panicking and running around when a call comes or a relative comes home." Shivaay says chuckling.

"Oh yes." Anika says relieved.

Gauri and Omkara chuckles hearing that.

"Thank you so much you both. what you did for us..." Gauri tells them feeling emotional.

"If it weren't for you guys, I might not have been able to convince her." Omkara tells them.

Shivaay and Anika smiles hearing that.

"Were you shocked when you found out that Advik looks like your great grandfather?" Anika asks Gauri.

"Of course."

"But in a way, that helped you guys a lot."

Omkara chuckles hearing that.

"I'm glad you are okay with that." Anika says surprised.

"How come?" Gauri asks shocked as she looked at Omkara.

Omkara looks at Shivaay and both of them burst out laughing.

"What?" Gauri asks confused.

"You guys are such innocents." Omkara says shaking his head.

"Why?" Anika asks confused.

"You guys can't see what is staring in your face."

"What?" Gauri asks shocked.

"What better revenge than having the one who can humble the man who terrorized you?" Shivaay asks Gauri.

"What?" Gauri asks in shock.

"Didn't you see how your daddaji was so desperately sucking up to pitaji?"

"I am wondering what his condition will be once Advik realizes the power he has over your grandfather." Omkara chuckles.

"My baby is such an innocent poor thing." Gauri says defensively.

"Gauri, you need to accept the truth that your son does have a part of your grandfather's gene too." Shivaay cheekily tells her.

Gauri worriedly looks at Omkara.

"He won't be a psycho." Omkara promises her.

"Oh but I wish he will be an arrogant ass." Shivaay wishes making Omkara chuckle, Gauri to glare and Anika to hit him.

Hearing his mobile ring, Shivaay checks his phone. "It's Ma."

"Please answer." Anika tells him. "Or give it, I'll talk to her, masi might have called her."

"It's okay, I'll talk to her." Shivaay tells her surprising her and answers the call, "Hello Ma?" Shivaay says on the phone as he walked off.

"What happened to him?" Anika asks Gauri surprised and Gauri shrugs in reply.

"He is not going to let his mother talk to you till he figures out what she thinks about you knowing about our marriage." Omkara tells her.

"Oh." Anika worriedly looks at Shivaay.

"You were worried for your sister and I was worried for your sister. You were being loyal to your sister and I was being loyal to my sister." Shivaay irately tells his mother. "Oh get off your high horse, Ma... your sister was in the wrong and my sister was suffering."

Gauri worriedly holds Omkara's hand and he keeps his hand over her hand to reassure her.

"He'll handle it." Omkara tells her softly.

Gauri nods and she looks at Anika and sees her worriedly watching Shivaay.

"Anika slept... I'll ask her to call you in the morning." Shivaay says hanging up the call.

"What is she saying?" Anika asks him.

"Masi called her, she is very happy that all the issues are sorted. Her only regret is that you both and they had to suffer for the last three years and she wasn't there with you during your pregnancy and when Advik was born. She was feeling miserable because of that, and that brought out Ma's sisterly concern. And she was going on about how we should have told them immediately after they got married then the family wouldn't have suffered so much." Shivaay says irately as he sat next to Anika. "She is talking as if all we had to do was tell them that they got married and everything would be hunky dory. It is as if she didn't know that arrogant egoistic psycho didn't threaten Gauri with murder and suicide if he couldn't keep his word. She even thinks that masi would have supported them if she knew that they were married."

"What did she say about Bhabhi?" Gauri asks him.

Shivaay shakes his head, "Don't think masi told her that it was Anika's idea. She was saying that I might have forced Anika to hide it from her."

"Then I guess, all's good." Gauri says smiling relieved making Anika grin.

******

While Omkara went to take a shower, Gauri opened his cupboard looking for clothes to wear. Since she hadn't planned on staying the night, she didn't pack any night clothes for her, just an extra pair of clothes in case Advik soiled her clothes. she picks a tshirt then keeping back she decides to wear a shirt of his as Advik would need milk at night and it was easier to feed in a shirt.

After Omkara had come out, Gauri went in for her shower. She comes out wearing his shirt and finds him waiting for her. seeing her in his clothes, he smiles.

Omkara walks to her with a smile as he looked at her, "You are very beautiful but you look the most beautiful when you were my clothes."

Gauri smiles hearing that as she walked to him. they hug and lovingly kiss each other.

Gauri smiles at him as they parted and asks him, "Do you remember, we had our first kiss in this room?"

Omkara chuckles remembering that time, "How we had to sneak in, hiding from our mothers."

"Just like how we had to hide from them and get married. I was starting to lose hope that we could ever tell them the truth." Gauri tells him as she hugged him.

"But I knew we would one day live together proudly in front of them." Omkara tells her smiling as he hugged her.

Gauri gets on the bed and lies down. Omkara instead of getting on his side of the bed, he squeezes in next to her and hugs her. Gauri snuggles into his arms.

"I missed you." Gauri tells him.

"I missed you like crazy." Omkara tells her as he kissed her.

They both turn to look at their son sleeping on the same bed. They didn't have a cradle for him here. Then realizing that nothing was going to happen that night, they both chuckle.

Gauri snuggles into his arms.

"We didn't talk about it." Omkara reminds her.

Gauri sadly sighs.

"Are you happy?"

"More than happiness, I feel relieved." Gauri tells him. "I feel our relation has triumphed and feel liberated but I don't feel happy to be back with my family."

"I'm happy that I told Ma the truth." Omkara tells her.

"Your mother was the lesser of all evils."

"Hmmm."

"Omkara..." Gauri thoughtfully calls his name.

"Yes?"

"Why did they accept us?" Gauri asks him thoughtfully.

"Because of pitaji." Omkara chuckles.

"That was daddaji... what about Ma and Papa?" Gauri asks him.

"Hmmm."

"I can't shake this feeling that I kept telling them that marriage was not valid but they supported Daddaji. Rudra told them once and they accepted it." Gauri tells him then she looks at him with tear filled eyes and tells him, "It hurts, Omkara."

Omkara cups her face and kisses her lovingly.

"Did they accept the marriage because Rudra refused to accept me? or because of Advik? Or because they genuinely realized their mistake?"

"What do you think?" Omkara asks her instead of replying.

"I don't know what to think. What do you think?" Gauri asks him.

Seeing her looking at him with so much trust, he couldn't lie, "I want to say it is the last reason, but I feel it is the first one." Omkara tells her.

Gauri nods as she looked away, hugging him tighter.

"Shivaay though feels it is all three combined." Omkara tells her in order to console her.

"You spoke to bhaiyya about it?" Gauri asks surprised.

"Yes, even I had the same doubt." Omkara tells her.

"Hmmm."

"Gauri, do we even care? isn't it a relief that we no longer have to hide from anyone? Every time someone from your family comes over, you don't have to move to Shivaay's flat. Every time Ma or a relative call me, we don't have to run looking for Addu's pacifier or you have to keep quiet." Omkara asks her.

"Hmmm yes." Gauri adds smiling, "And our love defeated and destroyed all their false believes and false prestige."

"Yes." Omkara replies as he happily hugged her.

"Shivaay was asking when to book the tickets for." Omkara tells her.

"Hmmm?"

"Anyway even if they fly back tomorrow they won't be able to go for work. Then it is weekend, so I asked him to book for Sunday."

"Even mine?" Gauri asks him.

"He booked theirs. Your ticket is still on hold. Yours, I told him I'll tell him after I spoke to you."

"When you went out with bhaiyya, Ma had called. She was hoping that I won't go back now and stay here." Gauri tells him.

"And what did you say?" Omkara asks her.

"I didn't say anything." Gauri replies. "Anika bhabhi was kind of hinting that they were trying for a baby and how she was so sure that it would be a girl, and how she wanted their baby and Advik to have the bond like bhaiyya and me."

Omkara smiles hearing that. "Anyway, you have one more month of work from home, you have time to decide."

"I want to forgive them and mend our relation, but I don't want to do that immediately. I want to take my time. it will take me a long time before I forget what had happened. More than Daddaji, I am hurt that Papa and Ma had abandoned me when I needed their support the most." Gauri tells him worriedly.

"So, you want us to stay on in Delhi?" Omkara asks her.

"Our job is there." Gauri reminds him.

Omkara smiles, "You know, that it will be very easy for me to get a transfer to the Mumbai branch. And you also, can check with your company about a transfer."

"Hmmm, do you want to come back?" Gauri asks him.

"I left Mumbai for you. I moved to Delhi for you. if you are not there, I have no reason to stay on in Delhi. If you are there, then I have every reason to stay there."

"I think I really don't want to come back." Gauri thoughtfully tells him as she thought about it. "At least for now."

"Then we'll stay there." Omkara tells her smiling.

Gauri smiles in relief hearing that. "I just realized how badly I wanted to stay there."

Omkara chuckles. "I will talk to Ma, if she is ready to move immediately then we all will go back on Sunday. Or we'll stay till we settle everything here or find a two-bedroom apartment there."

Gauri smiles, "Okay."

"Anyway we will decide all that tomorrow. Now, you sleep. you had a long day." Omkara tells her as he kissed her good night, and got up to sleep on his side of the bed.

"I love you, Omkara." Gauri tells him as she smiled at him watching him settle next to Advik.

"Love you, Gauri."

*** The End ***

I don't know if anyone felt that Omkara – Gauri marriage is not valid. Gauri and Rudra were not legally married, so they couldn't get an annulment as child marriage isn't recognized in India. Then their religious marriage, I don't know how it is in other religions, I'm a muslim, and in Islam, the marriage is conducted between the bridegroom and the bride's father. So, if a bride is married off without her consent then in Islam she has two options, if she decides that she wants to continue the marriage and accept her husband, then she can go on and start her marital life with him, and if she still maintains that she was coerced into the marriage, and she doesn't want to be in that marriage, then her marriage automatically becomes null and void as her consent wasn't there, so she can go on as an unmarried girl. So, that is what I followed in this story. I really don't know how it is in other religions and if there are any rules regarding making that marriage void, then please consider it creative liberty and I don't intend to offend or insult anyone's religious believes.

Hope you guys liked this story. Please vote and comment

- Lazy