"Rudy bhaiyya... did you find out anything?" Gauri asked her brother in law who shook his head in a no.

Her husband was to reach Mumbai early today morning but he did not. Moreover, his phone and his secretary's phone were both not reachable since the time they tried calling them that day. What worried Gauri more was the text from Omkara saying a 'sorry'.

Why would he send her such an incomplete message? Couldn't he just call her? Did he have to stay for a day more and he felt bad that he couldn't keep his promise? But she never would have complained... Disappointed yes... but complaint no...

He should have called her and not frighten her like this  she thought with a sigh.

"Gauri... we have to leave now beta... did Daamadji reach India?" Gayathri asked walking into Rudra's room.

Gauri looked at Rudra and he sighed "Daadi ji... O must be stuck somewhere at work... you both should start" he said and Gayathri nodded.

"Gauri come beta... we will get late... I will tell Kalyani ji and Shivaay in the meanwhile" she instructed and her grand-daughter nodded her head.

Once she left, Rudra held Gauri's shoulder "Bhaabhi don't worry... if he didn't inform any of us, he must really be busy... we were expecting a deal but what we got is a partnership... the greater the success, the more the responsibility" he said.

"But bhaiyya.."

"He will come to your village once he gets free... I will send him" he said and she smiled though her heart was still in mayhem.

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Gauri looked out of the window of the car, on her way to the railway station. Her grand mother was seated beside her talking to her father on phone and informing him of start of their journey while Khanna the security head took it upon himself to drop them to their destination.

Gauri took out her phone and dialed Omkara's office for one last time "Hello? This is Gauri.. did Omkaraji come to the office?" she asked once her call was answered.

"No mam... I will...." The receptionist started when Gauri heard the unmistakable voice of Riya in the background giving instructions to someone.

"Is that Riya near you?" she asked

"N...No.. madam..." came the response and Gauri fumed ending the call.

"Khanna ji... take the car to O-bro industries... we have enough time to catch the train" she instructed and her Daadi looked at her in question.

"Omkaraji reached daadi... We will see him and go?" she asked with a smile and her daadi nodded, not getting the hidden fury in her grand- daughter's voice.

Once they reached, Gauri asked her grandmother to wait for her while she went in and greeted her husband who might be busy to attend them both.

Striding towards the lift, she pressed the floor number of her husband's office impatiently making the remaining occupants look at her bewildered.

As she rushed past the reception, the woman who answered her call looked at her in shock, her face loosing all color when she noted the blaze in Gauri's eyes.

Gauri walked into Omkara's cabin un-announced expecting her husband to be inside but was disappointed when she found Riya alone, sitting on her husband's chair working with her laptop.

"Where is Omkaraji" she asked walking in and standing before her.

Riya looked at her acting shocked though she fully expected the scene... Mentally, she patted herself for being a meticulous planner.

"Ga...Gauri... you" she stammered standing up from her place and walked towards her.

"Where is Omkaraji and what are you doing here sitting in his chair?" Gauri asked her voice raising by an octave.

Riya looked everywhere except the woman before her and said "Om went to attend a meeting... he must be on his way..."

Gauri showed her hand to stop her "Now tell me the truth... where is he?"

As if by magic, the fearful look on Riya's face transformed into a smirk and Gauri's heart thudded inside her chest waiting for the worst.

"He is nearby... in my house.. resting for the day.. we had a rough night" she said walking back and settling herself on the couch inside the cabin.

"What does that mean?"

"Gauri... come sit.. you might want to have some support before I tell you"

When Gauri looked at her unmoving, Riya sighed "Last night, me and Omkara were drunk..." she started and paused "Do you really not want to sit?"

Riya held back a smile when she saw Gauri pale before mutely taking up a chair and settling herself in it.

"Good... so we were drunk and we slept together" she said and heard a soft gasp.

"Look... it was completely unintentional... though I do not regret it... not one bit" she said and Gauri squirmed in her place her stomach in knots.

"Om is being emotional... that he cheated on you and stuff... so he avoided coming to the mansion or talking to his brothers... but it isn't necessary.. it was just in the moment... I was his love in the past and it just happened... you know.. old flames die hard" she explained and Gauri took long breaths trying to stop the nausea.

Riya got up from her place to walk towards Gauri "He is still in love with me Gauri... because the way he made me feel... was just magical"

"You should know how he loves... right?... Didn't you feel something missing with you?" she asked and bit back a smile when she saw a tear slide from Gauri's eyes.

Placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder, she uttered "I don't mind being a third wheel... but it would be better if you leave him for good... I always wanted what was best for him and being with you, he will be emotionally burdened with the guilt... that he cheated on you"

When Gauri merely cried in silence, "Okay... don't cry you can stay... but..."

Gauri stood up from the place brushing of Riya's hand so harshly that she nearly lost her balance. The next, she stormed out of the room, wiping the tears of her face and Riya grinned in satisfaction.

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

"Rudy.. Om is with dad... I just got a call from him... apparently he had a meeting with the German group early this morning... Om needed Dad's opinion on certain issues" said Anika and Rudra sighed.

"Why couldn't he call us Anika? ... Bhaabhi waited for him till the last minute... let me get to him.. I will give him a nice scolding..." said Rudra on phone.

"It is okay... we didn't tell him that Gauri is to leave in the afternoon... he must have forgotten to inform or there was some problem with his phone... you know his habit of leaving his mobile anywhere and searching for it later..."

"Right... but..." Rudra started when he saw Khanna calling him.

"Khanna is calling me... probably to tell that he safely dropped Bhabhi and daadiji to the railway station... I will call you back" said Rudra "Is he still with uncle??"

"Yeah I guess.... Dad called me less than half an hour back... Om must still be there... Do you have his number ... wait I will forward it to you... get back to me later" said Anika and ended the call to give her friend her father's contact details.

"Hello Khanna.... Did you drop bhabhi?"

"Yeah Rudra sir... I called you to inform that... actually..."

Rudra frowned at the hesitation in Khanna's voice "What is it Khanna?"

"Sir... it might just be my imagination...but Gauri mam didn't seem to be alright"

"Matlab?"

"Means... while we were on our way to the station, she called the O-Bro office reception and asked me to drive there because she got to know that Omkara sir was there" Khanna said and Rudra urged him to continue.

"She rushed inside the office asking us to wait for her as sir might be busy... twenty minutes later she came back and asked us to drive... but Sir... she was not her usual self... I mean... she was smiling, talking to Gayathri ji but I don't know... something about her seemed off.. Even Gayathri ji questioned her but she shrugged it off as nothing"

"Thanks for the information Khanna... I will check into it... you return to the mansion" said Rudra thoughtfully before dialing his brother's number... When the caller tone repeated "not reachable" he sighed and tried Anika's father's number.

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"That should be alright Omkara... I am extremely happy for you... You are good at this" said Priyam Chaturvedi with an impressed smile "We can move ahead... when are you planning to start?"

"As soon as possible Uncle... I have been waiting for this since four months... the sooner we start the better... I actually..." said Omkara when Priyam excused him for a second to answer his phone.

Omkara nodded and opened his file to go through the contract again when Anika's father called his attention.

"Omkara.. it is Rudra... talk to him" said Priyam handing him his phone.

"Hello Rudy?... what...."

"Where the hell is your phone... O" he heard his brother scream at him.

"I have been busy since morning Rudy... I think I left it at the office... I have my spare with me... you could have tried it... I even asked Riya to inform Shivaay and you"

"Well then she didn't do it..." Rudra informed angrily.

"Check your phone... we tried both" he said and Omkara searched through his pocket to pick out his phone which didn't get switched on multiple attempts and sighed.

"Sorry Rudy... I... Riya was supposed to"

"We have been hell worried for you since morning... Gauri bhaabhi specially... Gayathri daadi was...." Rudra said and stopped in thought.

"Wait a minute... Riya is not with you?? Where is she then?"

"I left her at the office... why?"

It didn't take much time for Rudra to connect the dots and curse "I think there is something messed up... when are you going to be free?"

"I am almost done here... but what happened?"

"I am starting to O bro office now... reach there as soon as you can" said Rudra and before his brother could speak, he ended the call.

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Riya was happy.... In fact, she was reeling from exhilaration.

Last night at the party, though she drugged the drink, her conscience rebuked her mercilessly until she deliberately dropped the glass backing off from the plan before it even started.

Omkara, if he knew she drugged him and took advantage... might not accept her for what she is.. and judge her on that one mistake...

She loved him... and having him hate her was not an option.

By carrying out her plan, successful she might be in getting his body but it is not what she wanted. She wanted him to love her back... just like the way he did before.

There are other ways.... her brain told her... making her heart breath in peace once she withdrew.

She made Gauri her next target by getting hold of Omkara's phone and texting her a 'Sorry' and nothing else... knowing that she would be anxious of his whereabouts.

Next came the act of making the receptionist play to her tunes by threatening her and making Gauri believe that she was hiding from her in the office, to make her come there without her directly asking for it.

How easy was it to dupe her she thought grinning widely, humming one of her favorite tunes...Om definitely deserved someone better than her... a woman who wouldn't just cry and retch but stand up and fight for what was her right.... Someone like herself... she convinced herself and continued to smile through the glass window of her cabin which gave a view of the sunny outside.

"You seem to be in a good mood Riya" said Rudra casually walking into her cabin.

Riya who was blissfully unaware of his entrance till then, jumped and turned around.

"Did I scare you?" he asked walking towards her and she smiled shaking her head in a no.

"We got more than a deal... Om is happy... what more do I want to have a happy mood"

"Why didn't you inform us that O reached Mumbai and went to attend a meeting?"

"Ohh... yeah... must have slipped my mind... I have been busy too Rudy" she answered with a smile and Rudra nodded his head in understanding taking a seat before her desk.

"Why did Gauri bhaabhi come here?" he asked after a minute of silence.

"I don't know?" she said in doubt.

"What did you do Riya?" he asked his voice loosing all warmth.

"What do you mean Rudra... it is not like..."

"It took me a hard glare and a fair warning for the receptionist to spill out information... let us not waste time now"

Riya sighed "I had to do what I had to do to make your brother realize his worth" she said at the same time Omkara barged in on them.

"What is it Rudy... why did you call me so urgently?" he asked giving his brother a confused look.

Riya looked at Rudra who gestured her to continue "Come on guys... what is this interrogation? You can ask Gauri directly" she said with a bored look on her face.

Omkara still looked in between his brother and ex trying to decipher their code talk.

"Wait a minute Rudy" said Riya with a brilliant smile "Did she flee already?" she asked and Rudra looked away from her, this time in disappointment at his sister in law.

"Oh my God... such a fish" Riya exclaimed.

"Riya... what is it?" said Omkara in irritation.

"Om.. come sit... this is going to be interesting" she said pulling his arm and lead him to a chair.

"Okay.... Listen completely ... don't interrupt in between" she said and started to narrate the incident of the day.

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

"What the freaking hell" roared Omkara getting up from his place ready to slap her when Rudra pulled him back.

"How could you do this Riya?? What is wrong with you?" growled Rudra.

"What is wrong with you guys... is it so difficult to understand? I just told her I slept with her husband.. I didn't go about editing videos and shown her proof... if she takes my word as the finale... it is not my fault alone guys"

"You are a woman... how can you hurt another like that?" said Rudra while his brother continued to glare at her.

"I am a woman who knows what I want and I did what I needed to"

"SHUT UP!!" Omkara roared... "just... shut up" making Riya take a step back at the unbidden fury.

"What do you think of me...? That I would leave my wife and come with you? After all this drama you have done. I tried telling you in so many ways...but it just won't get past your thick skull" he shouted nearing her and she squirmed in place.

"Let me make it clear to you now and forever... I LOVE GAURI... DO YOU GET THAT? I LOVE HER... not you"

Riya was too shocked to move when he continued "I always maintained my distance from you... tried to be friendly only for the sake of the project... understand? How did you think that I would cheat on my wife Riya??? I though you knew me"

As tears pricked her eyes Riya voiced out her thoughts "I.. I know you and so I thought you would never fall for someone like her.. she is meek, fragile and a turtle... Om.. she cannot be your choice"

"You don't know a thing about her, so stop assuming" he said and she continued to cry.

"I want your resignation letter on my table in a day... If I see your face again.. I cannot guarantee you going home in a single piece... now get lost" he growled and she nodded, taking her bag and walking out of the place, her head hung low.

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Okay... I wrote this super-fast... I don't know if it turned out good.

P.S... Gauri isn't a sherni like in LLL... for those all who thought she will slap her opponent... her character trait is different... wait for her POV.

Caution: the drama isn't over yet... though the Riya part is done with...

Vote and comment...

Till the next update...

Signing off yours Soujanya.