***Author's note : The next chapter will finally have Shivaay get a glimpse of his Bunki!! So dont forget to give maximum number of votes and comments on this chapter!!....Love you all...💕💕💕

💕

"Once in a lifetime you meet someone who changes everything"

💕

Jaisalmer

At the temple

Gauri prayed the longest as her closed eyes smiled knowing that her wishes would be fulfilled today. Perhaps.

As she turned to leave, she saw one of her school colleagues Shaila who glowed with her pregnancy; Gauri caressed her 9-months' baby bump with trying to smile at Chikku, Shaila's eldest 6-year-old son.

"...so?...I hope the pain has come down..." as Gauri asked the woman, Shaila tried to smile with telling Chikku to run inside the temple.

"....Gauri I can't lie to you...it has not...I mean...at times the pain goes all the way to my head!...I don't know what to do...I have tried all the homely remedies!!...nothing seems to work...guess I have to visit the city...to know the exact reason...I just...fear for my baby...!" as Shalia caressed her baby bump with tears in her eyes as she told her friend about her concern.

"...don't worry...everything will be fine...hm...and if at all you need someone to take care of Chikku...just leave him in the mansion...he will keep me busy..." assuring her a little, Gauri saw the tensed Shaila move inside the temple.

Gauri was feeling a little hesitant to tell her friend that her condition would only worsen if not assisted by a good doctor, preferably a gynaecologist.

Their little village didn't even have a proper doctor to look into the general illness of the villagers. It worried her a lot and thought to convey the same to her uncle asap.

Vishal Villa

"..." Gauri got a little surprised upon entering the house, as Vishal was talking to a stranger in suit. She glanced around to see her aunt extremely happy and quite innocently trying to talk with the stranger in her best smile.

"...Arrey, Diwan-sa?!...what hesitation?...we totally agree with you!...after her parents...it's us only who has the right to decide her future..." as Savitri honey talked with the Diwan-sa, Gauri thought to not interfere and walked to the kitchen area, when

"...Gauri?!...come here, beta?!!" as Savitri called her in the sweetest manner, Gauri got a little puzzled. But knowing her aunt's nature to be a saint in front of the world and a total devil to her; was not anew to the smart girl.

"..." Gauri was furious at the decision taken for her, but she composed herself with pursing her lips. She didn't utter a word till the rubbish talk would be over and the annoying man would leave their premises.

"...so?!..Gauri...you didn't say anything...I hope you are happy with the..." As Diwan-sa shied at eyeing the stern looking Gauri, she just raised her left brow to kill two birds with one stone.

"...I have no problem...but...um...*glancing at Savitri*...you have to first talk to my parents who have fixed my marriage when I was a child...with one of our family friends...who are quite prestigious and well known in the city...so?!...yeah..." as she tried to smile a little at the puzzled man who shifted his gaze at Savitri, she rushed to Gauri catching hold of her arm whispering.

"...Liar?!!...behave yourself!!...otherwise it's the hot iron for you!..." Gauri smirked at her words with moving her cunning eyes from Diwan-sa to the mute Vishal, replying "...*scoffs*...really?!..."

A terrified Savitri backed a little after seeing the enraging eyes of the once quiet girl who had no intention to take any of her nonsense. Especially with the one life decision which her parents are supposed to make.

Gauri for the first time looked down her aunt who gulped at the way the tall girl was not shifting her anger streak from her.

Vishal was amazed himself to see this new aura of Gauri and interrupted the fiery glances by "...Diwan-sa ?...Savitri will call you after we confirm on this...issue...ok?!"

As the disappointed Diwan-sa dumped the half-eaten samosa on the plate, Gauri didn't move from her stance and watched how the 45-year-old hyena of a man left the house, grumbling.

"...*sniffs*...its my fault!...that I thought to get a good husband...a good house...and probably a good life...for your thankless niece!!...but no!!...I am the worst Mami...isn't it?!" as Savitri howled with rubbing her fake tears on her saree ends with Gauri trying to control her amusement at her over acting.

"...better late than never..." Gauri's thoughts reached their ears, making Vishal pursed his lips in amusement and Savitri gasp with raging at her.

"...you insolent child!...we fed you!!...housed you!!...and this is what you are giving us back!!...huh?!!...this insult!!...you should be thankful that we thought about you...than your useless parents...who didn't even care to enquire...whether you are dead or alive!!...humph!!..." Savitri's last statement did make Gauri realise the harsh truth of her life, but she would not let this be a halt for her own life.

"...Mami-sa?!...I will always be indebted to you for life!!...but this is something that me and my parents need to decide and not?!!...I mean...I am old enough...to understand what is good and not for me...so, when it comes to selecting a life partner...I would need only theirs and my own opinion...please!..." giving her answer, Gauri moved away from the talks to her attic room.

Her uncle and aunt easily digested her perfect lie.

The attic room

Gauri felt her tears go down her cheeks as she knew that what her aunt said was the gospel truth. She knew that it would be not every time, she could escape her aunt's cunningness to throw her out of the house.

If her parents have forgotten her, it doesn't mean that she should not think about herself for once. She would not let anyone make that decision for her.

Not even her parents.

Marriage was never on her cards. And it will never be in future too. She had thought to join the university for her MBA and escape the villa with her own little settlement outside the village. But only after completing her task.

Make her village sustainable and liveable for the future generations. That was her dream. She knew that her uncle would require her knowledge to make this a reality and she would be able to do it only by standing beside him.

Coz the day she leaves the village; her uncle would be a hand puppet in her aunt's and conniving villagers threshold.

Wiping her tears Gauri resumed her letter to her college professor on the pregnancy book that she wanted to study to help out her friend, Shaila.

Gauri would many a times, borrow some or the other books from the university library given so lovingly by her professors. She need to only write them a letter or make a trunk call from the post office, which would arrive within a period of 2-3 days.

It was this continuous prep of knowledge that Gauri would use for helping out the villagers and her uncle.

As she thought to not let her mind wander off much, Gauri walked towards the kitchen to make her famous potato vindaloo with lachcha paratha for her uncle. 

The weird scene minutes back would have unnecessarily ruined her uncle's mood, she need to make it right. And food was the solution. Good food.

Singh mansion

"...So Rocky?...what have you decided for the marketing?...I mean which part of India are you guys planning to explore...hm?...*chuckles*..." as Pratap asked his son who hummed with zoning out and answered north eastern part.

"...that's good!...then when is the auspicious day to start...hm?" as Karthika asked her son while serving him his favourite dish, Shivaay smacked his fingers with replying.

"...asap!...the day Shekar arrives...we are going to start!..." to get an encouraging tap from his proud father.

Karthika smiled with humming and continued to ask about Shekar and his fiancé.

They all suddenly turned to the grumbling Akash entering the living room with throwing his stuff on the couch.

A worried Karthika glanced at Shivaay who whispered "...the ladies...yup!..." to which Karthika rushed to console her sad son.

"...he is never going to learn!!...Pftt!!..." as Shivaay spelled the poor boy's dilemma to not understand woman and open his big mouth trying to impress them. To end up being the reason for their anger and tears of disappointment.

Akash had a thing to be too straight forward to anyone. So, when a lady asked him about her trials of losing weight, the naïve boy would quickly remark on her eating habit, totally disappointing the lady.

After two months

Orissa

Shivaay was smiling widely when his brother signalled on the success of their medical camp of introducing their vaccine.

The municipality hospital were reluctant to accept the novel vaccine, but when the government gynaecologist shared his thoughts on the danger of cervical cancer and the support that the villagers would get on the health quotient, they had to agree.

They had a tough time convincing the lot of the villagers but in no time, they got the confidence to approach the other states in their agenda.

So, as the doctor and his brother were scanning the other states for promoting their vaccine, they made it a point to also give equal concentration on their baby project – Singh Hospital.

Shekar had landed the day he had promised and resumed his duty full fledged on the project. Starting from setting up the equipment, rooms, halls, and well-qualified doctors.

Shivaay and Akash would in between give their inputs with regular visits when they would be in the city to help out Shekar.

Shivaay was still doubtful on making Sunny take the job description of a board member, but when Pratap tried to convince about the loyalty of Sunny; Shivaay cannot deny the direct request from his dad.

All the while, when the Singh men were busy with the office issue; Karthika had her own in the Singh mansion.

Her daughter Sandhya would not meet eye to eye with Sarojini Dai-sa. Sandhya was a modern thinking girl who had own set of principles to raise her child, her way.

She would not take the heeds of the good teaching given by the elderly mid-wife at times, enraging the woman altogether.

So, Karthika would send off her daughter and grand-daughter to visit her cousin aka bestie's house in Pune for a short visit every now and then; just to maintain the peace in the house.

Dai-sa had managed to discipline the people of the Singh mansion in her way which was necessary as Pratap suggested, keeping in mind of his marriageable sons.

💞💞💞💞💞
Hello my dear Readers❤️

Presenting to you 'The Gifted Wife' - a hate-love-hate story with a twist.❤️

I hope to give a side of the story that is very close to my heart. ❤️

A glimpse of the reality on how a heartbroken child is given the endearing love that she truly deserves from her enemy. ❤️

Do give your support and love for 'His' efforts to win 'Her' smile which he desires ❤️

Lots of love 💖

Take care 💖