"Jiju what are you asking me to do? ... This is too much... I cannot do it sorry" Bhavya furiously shook her head in a no.

"Bhavya... you are not doing anything wrong... you act like we are doing something.. that is it... it is just to irk your sister... nothing else"

"If I do this... she will not only be irked jiju... she will kill me... and what if daadi comes to know of this... I will be banished from the house for lifetime... please jiju... don't make me do this" Bhavya pleaded.

"Okay... as you wish Bhavya... now everything is in your hands... you don't want to help me... I understand... you go.. I will manage" said Omkara in a dramatically defeated tone making the younger one guilty.

"Jiju... please don't say like that... there must me some other way"

"Might be, but I cannot test other ways in this short span...and she is responding to this way... You too agree with me right?"

"Right... Gauri di is very possessive ... in our childhood...." She started but Omkara smiled cutting her off "I know dear Bhavu... you have been telling me your childhood stories since afternoon... I think I know almost everything" he said not wanting to waste more time.

"Hmmm"

"So... will you help me?" he asked with hope adding all the charm into one convincing smile and Bhavya sighed nodding her head.

"If she kills me, I am going to haunt you for life" she said in warning and he laughed hugging her.

"It won't come to that"

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Gauri was sitting in the storeroom, busy in packing the gifts that are to be given to the guests who will come to the engagement ceremony, when Bhavya cautiously entered it.

"G..Gauri di" she whispered.

Gauri continued to do her work not looking at her and Bhavya looked at the window through which Omkara watched the scene play.

'Louder' Omkara mouthed and Bhavya nodded calling her sister loudly.

"What is it Bhavya?"

"Umm.. haa.. tomorrow is the engagement di... I am wearing a lehenga for it" she said and Gauri looked at her in question.

"So?"

"So... umm... the choli... is not fit to my body...and the village tailor is not at his place.... He must have gone to the town" said Bhavya.

"Bhavya... Haven't you tried it earlier? You should check all this before not one day before the function"

"Yeah... I forgot di... please can you stitch it for me? You are a fashion designer after all... this minor fitting shouldn't be a problem right?"

"I am busy now Bhavya... Do one thing... I will come and check your lehenga in the evening... until then check if Dandi can get another tailor for the work... I really can't come now leaving this work... It has to be finished by evening... Daadi's orders... Call Reshma and Payal also to help me with this"

"No di.. please do it now... I am very tensed about the lehenga... once you fix it I will help you with these gifts" said Bhavya.

"Bhavya.... Do as I told you... don't play stubborn now"

"No... first my choli then work... if you don't help me, I will ask jiju" she said and Gauri stopped her work turning to her sister to glare at her.

"What did you say?" she asked, her voice filled with warning and Bhavya gulped.

Omkara rushed inside to rescue his partner in crime lest she died of tension and of course acted ignorant "What happened? Why are you glaring at the poor girl?" he asked his wife as if he doesn't know a thing.

Bhavya hid behind her jiju while Gauri continued to glare at her.

"What is it Bhavuu?" asked Omkara with an extra sweet tone and Bhavya recited their cooked up story.

"Such a simple thing.. come I will help you.. let Gauri do her work... she must be busy" he said and Gauri looked at him flabbergasted.

Did he just say he is going to help her sister in fitting her blouse?

"Are you out of your mind Omkaraji?"

"What?? I know how to stich... I just need to take her measurements Gauri... you do your work.. don't take stress"

Gauri turned red in anger "Are you saying that you... will take my sister's measurements? For a blouse?"

"Yeah... come on what is so wrong in it? Kyun Bhavya? Why is your sister reacting like this?"

Bhavya faked a laugh which more or less sounded like a cough while Omkara rolled his eyes "Why are you so afraid of your sister? She won't do anything... come we will go to your room. We might need some privacy" he said and walked to the door taking her hand.

"Stop it" said Gauri having had enough "Leave her hand" she shouted and Omkara smiled happily.

"What happened Gauri... I don't understand your problem... I am merely helping you.. decreasing your workload" he uttered sincerely and she gave a look to Bhavya which screamed 'GET OUT'.

Bhavya extricated her hand from her brother in law's grasp and ran out of the room closing the door behind her.

"What was that? Is this part of your plan too?" she asked in anger and he grinned.

"Why do you keep pestering me Omkaraji... what will she think of you?.... what if someone else heard this conversation?"

He merely shrugged his shoulders continuing to smile and she took an empty cardboard box beside her to throw it at his face.

Omkara laughed out saying "What are you doing"

"That smile....ughhhh... Stop smiling like that... it is irritating me now" she said throwing another box at him while he dodged it still laughing at her childish attempts.

Gauri moved to him and started hitting his arm with her hands in irritation while he let her vent for some time before he caught her forearm and pulled her into his embrace.

"I never thought I will be this happy to see you angry" he slyly said while she still glared at him.

"Why are you like this? You should be put in jail for being such a wicked husband" she said.

"And you should be jailed for making me resort to such means as you won't confess in a normal way... Bhagi chirayya"

"Why do I need to tell you? Don't you know?" she asked looking at him in the eye and he shook his head in a no.

"I don't know... confess and I will stop this or..."

"Or what?" she asked and he raised an eyebrow "Is that a challenge Gauri?"

"Omkaraji ... please.. let us go home and then may be..."

"No... not happening... three more days we will be staying here. I am not taking you back unless you spell out the words for me" he said and she pouted trying to act cute.

He smiled leaning forwards, kissing her pout as he caressed her cheek and she sighed kissing him back, her hands encircling his neck.

"What can be so hard about saying an I love you?" he asked in between their kisses and she gasped his name out when he kissed her at the sensitive point on her collar bone.

"Gauri!!!" Gayathri's loud voice made her come out of their intimate moment and she tried pushing him to create a sane distance.

Her husband however continue to rain kisses on her cheek and jaw refusing to leave her soon when she moaned "Omkaraji... leave me... daadi will come here"

"I don't care... you are my wife"

"But... we cannot have her see us like this... leave please" she asked in a pleading tone.

Omkara stubbornly clutched on to her, now more tightly than before as he pulled at her saree kissing above her cleavage.

"Omkaraji" Gauri shrieked and her husband bit back a smile noting both passion and anxiousness in her voice.

"Hmmm" he muttered grazing the skin on the exposed part of her chest, his hand firmly latched onto her bare waist and she realized he wouldn't give up this time.

As she heard the footsteps approach, she croaked out finally "I will tell you after the function"

Omkara stopped his game of seduction and looked at her with a naughty glint to his eyes.

"Really?" he said and she nodded making him kiss her forehead with love.

"Can't you make it faster? I can't wait" he whispered close to her ears and she shivered as he kissed her cheek.

"I will be occupied with the arrangements Omkaraji... just a day more" she said and he nodded.

When Gauri heard the voices of her grandmother and Bhavya outside the door, she looked at her husband who clarified "I told your sister to watch out for trouble... I always keep a backup you know" he said with a wink and she muttered "Shaitaan"

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On the day of the engagement,

"Did you arrange it?" Anika asked on the phone call.

"Yeah I barely managed to bring the bottle inside the house... it is in my room... Gauri's cousins should be named question banks Anika... I thought one of them almost caught me... it was a bare escape" he said narrating his adventure.

"I am proud of you Shivaay... you learnt to smuggle alcohol inside your pious Gayathri daadi's house... manna padega... your courage is appreciable"

"Things I do for my brothers" he sighed and she gave him a kiss through the phone.

"Okay... we have to leave in an hour or two let me get ready... we will plan after I come back" said Shivaay and Anika agreed.

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

Gauri's stomach was in knots since the morning. She promised to confess to her husband that evening and her body shivered in anticipation for the night that is to follow.

Did he do it before? What if she doesn't match to his expectations?

"Urghhh... he loves you... it will be alright... stop fussing over it" she told herself over and over.

"Gauri" Gayathri called her placing a hand on her shoulder and she jumped making her worry.

"What happened... where were you lost?"

"N...Nothing daadi... I am alright"

"Are you sure... you are looking at the list without even blinking?" she asked again and Gauri nodded in assurance.

"Nothing daadi... really... I was just thinking if I was missing something... I asked Dandi to load everything into the two cars... we are done with the work today... bas ab sab acha sa hojaye... Garima ki engagement mein (I wish now everything goes well in the engagement)"

Gayathri smiled taking a good look at her appearance "You always look beautiful in yellow... kisi ki nazar na lage mere bachi ko" she said patting her head.

For the evening, Gauri chose a yellow banarasi saree with wide red border embroidered with motif work. She paired it with her signature low back, heavily embroidered red colored blouse. For jewelry, she chose a long length golden, ruby studded necklace, paired with golden jhumkas and bangles. Sindhoor colored her hair partition and black beaded mangalsutra laid in contrast against the fair toned skin of her neck.

Her hair was left in open waves cascading like a waterfall, the ends of which reached her waist just an inch above her hip. Her hazel eyes were made more prominent with the outline of dark kajal and sheer shimmer beautified her minimally made up face to which the red tinted lipstick was an add on.

"I like yellow daadi" she said and her grand-mother smiled.

"Hmm... and damaad ji likes red...hai na? ... Shivaay told me when I asked him for selecting clothes for him when we would invite him for Garima's marriage next month" she teased and Gauri nodded her head.

"Go.. and check if he is ready... we have to leave in sometime" she said and Gauri nodded making way to their room upstairs.

"Omkaraji... are you done? We have to leave shortly" she called once she entered their room.

"Gauri... five minutes... I am almost done" came his answer from the washroom and she smiled ready to walk out of the room when she heard the vibration of his mobile against the headboard.

She curiously looked at the caller name to see if it was someone from home and froze noting the name she started to hate.

Riya??

After everything that has happened...he is still talking to her? she thought, her mood for the evening drastically changing sour at the very thought.

Her insecurities, which she tried pushing to the back of her head came rushing back like a rebound making her heart thud faster and stronger. The anguish and sadness of their last encounter jabbing at her heart again, now with revenge of having been ignored until then.

Her mind was in too much chaos that when her husband hugged her from behind, she jerked and pushed him away with force.

"Heyy... what happened? Are you okay?" he asked gently touching her shoulder and she closed her eyes hiding the angry tears.

"Gauri... look at me... did I scare you?"

Taking a deep calming breath and holding back tears, she opened her eyes to look at him impeccably dressed in a maroon formal shirt and beige pants paired with beige colored blazer, his hair gelled neatly into a man bun and his face handsome with freshly trimmed stubble.

Why wouldn't he sideline when she as a wife denied him his rights as a husband... He had always been a charmer; women crave for his attention and Riya was just any normal girl falling in the category of people who crush on him. It was not his fault when she hurt him every other day asking him to stay away from her...although she had her own reasons.

"Gauri" he took her name loudly than before to gain attention and she blinked her eyes faking a smile.

"Come fast... we are getting late" she said keeping a normal tone and he stared at her unconvinced.

"What is it? you looked shaken a few seconds back"

"Nothing I was just caught off guard" she said and he nodded hugging her.

"You look breath taking today" he said in compliment and she smiled into the hug kissing his chest.

"Om... are you done?" asked Shivaay knocking on the door and Gauri parted from the hug to give her husband a small smile.

"Yeah.. Shivaay... you go down I am coming" he replied to his brother who in turn said an okay.

"Shall we go down?" he asked and she nodded turning around when he held her hand stopping her.

Cupping her face he gently pecked her lips before giving his signature smile and walked downstairs holding her hand, ready to attend the function.

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

"You seem to be in good mood today" remarked Shivaay looking at his brother.

Omkara smiled shaking his head as in nothing and Shivaay smirked.

"You remember Rudra always getting jealous when daadi says you have the most beautiful smile amongst us brothers?" he asked and Omkara laughed thinking of his younger brother's pouting face.

"Daadi is right... and when you smile Om... it makes me so happy... things are getting normal between you two.. I hope"

"I hope Shivaay... I hope"

"Uncertainty?"

"I don't know how to tell you" he said "Let us just say, I am happy for now"

He was sure his wife loved him... but something is pulling her back...and he hoped it was nothing serious.

"Okay... in case you want help... you know where to find me" Shivaay smiled and so did Omkara.

They were halfway through the ceremony when Gayathri walked towards them.

"Damaad ji did you see Gauri? I am not able to find her since the past hour... I sent her to get the gifts" she said.

"No daadi ji... I haven't talked to her after we reached the venue... I thought she must be busy with the arrangements... let me just have a look around" he said and walked away, his brother accompanying him.

After taking one full round of the place when they failed to locate her, Omkara began to worry.

"Did she answer the call Shivaay?" he asked his brother who was trying to call Gauri's phone.

"No... no one is answering.. I think we should check all the rooms... she might be stuck somewhere" Shivaay suggested when they heard Bhavya calling them.

"Omkara jiju" Bhavya came running to them huffing and panting.

"What happened Bhavya... where is Gauri?" Omkara asked.

Instead of answering his question, "Please come with me once" she said and dragged him into the function hall.

Five minutes later, as they entered one of the green rooms, Omkara saw a group of young people some of whom he recognized as Bhavya's friends, hovering over something and ran towards them.

"Please move...give way" he asked pushing them aside and was shocked to see his wife slumped on the chair her eyes closed.

"Gauri" he called her and when she did not respond, he gently patted her cheek.

"Gauri... look at me" he urged and she opened her eyes.

She smiled brightly at her husband and exclaimed "Omkaraji... you came"

Omkara frowned at the slurry tone while Shivaay looked on bewildered.

Gauri raised from her chair and swayed when Omkara pulled her towards him supporting her. She leaned onto him giving a loud sloppy kiss on his cheek.

His shock was momentary before he noted the sour smell of alcohol from her breath.

"How the hell did you get drunk?" he asked in shock and she giggled pointing her finger towards Bhavya while the later gulped.

"Bhavya.. what is all this" asked Shivaay and she started explaining nervously.

"Vo...kya hai na bhaiyya... the other day... we saw you bring a bottle into your room" Bhavya started and Shivaay widened his eyes.

"What?"

"Yeah... Reshma said it was alcohol and I said it wasn't... and this Pandey here asked us to bring the bottle.. just to you know confirm" she said pointing to a thin boy who was around Bhavya's age who looked taken aback by the sudden turn of events.

Shivaay raised an eyebrow "Really now? You want me to believe that?" he asked and Bhavya sighed turning to Reshma.

"Sorry bhaiyya... we were simply curious to.. umm.. taste it?" she said in half question making Shivaay clutch his forehead.

Omkara holding his wife close, looked at his brother in question "Shivaay? What is she....?"

"I will explain everything later Om... let Bhavya complete" his brother said and gestured the later to continue.

"We just made two drinks... to taste it... but we mixed with cola so that no body would doubt.... Gauri di barged in asking why we were alone here and we panicked... you know how strict she is... she would have told daadi" said Bhavya.

"We hid your bottle and lied that we were drinking cool drinks and she believed us... we kept those drinks aside and thought of disposing those drinks later" added Reshma.

"We don't know what happened then, Gauri di must have drunk those and the next we went looking for her, she was swaying and giggling sitting on that chair mumbling your name jiju... we are so sorry" said Payal while the remaining people nodded their heads in agreement.

As if confirming their statement Gauri mumbled "Omkaraji..." clutching on to her husband and Omkara sighed glaring at his brother.

"What possessed you to brink alcohol into the house Shivaay... now what will we answer if daadi ji sees her like this"

"How would I know that these girls would resort to such adventurous tasks on their sister's engagement night Om... itna time mila kaise... are you even doing work?" he said defensively looking at them while they pouted like innocent puppies.

As bad luck and timing goes hand in hand, they heard Gayathri calling for Bhavya and the youngsters looked at the two men pleadingly.

"Jiju... if daadi gets to know of this... we all will be dead the next minute... please do something" said Payal in panic.

Shivaay exhaled a deep calming breath and turned to his brother "Om... take her home with you... here are the car keys... I will manage everything here" he said and Omkara nodded lifting his wife in his arms.

"Help me settle her in the car" he said walking outside and Bhavya with Reshma went with him to open the car door while the rest remained with Shivaay.

"Shivaay? Where is Gauri? did you find her?" Shivaay turned to Gayathri's loud voice and nodded his head in assurance.

"Umm,... yeah Daadi ji... actually Gauri was not feeling well so Om took her home"

"Why? what happened? Should I go home early?"

"No need to worry Daadi ji... just a small headache and Om will take care" he said and she nodded.

"Ask him to call me if he required anything" she said.

"Yeah sure" he assured and Gayathri left his side to continue her task of greeting the guests and watching the ritual to be carried out with precision.

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Wo-hoo... that is the end of shot 17.

I have nothing to discuss... you will get the next chapter in a few days...

Till then.. vote.. and comment...

Signing off.. yours Soujanya...