Four days later .

   
                
Gauri trip back home had been relatively easy then she imagined it to be, she had always dreaded returning back home. But everyone around her made her feel so welcome, that she had all but forgot that she hadn't seen them for over four years .  
              
After her break down the first night she had managed to keep those tears in check. She had promised herself to mend the relationship back which meant facing her best friend. But she hadn't been ready for the confrontation yet and was fortunate enough when she learnt from Kavya that Lavanya had been visiting with Vihaan , her fiancée family in Delhi.          

                  
When Arnav called her a little earlier to say he might be little late, she was disappointed the past few days he had driven her and Rahul to his house so that her son can get to know his family. Gauri wasn't keen on letting her son know that trip might be delayed, but he had been so excited about it that she decided to let him know soon . 
               
Gauri saw her dad playing with her son and felt bad that she deprived them of sometime together, since she has been busy trying to let Rahul meet Arnav's family. They barely spend any time in her house, she knew they got a month yet she felt little sad that her family took a backseat for now .                    

" Rahul" she called out to her son with a smile and he immediately rushed out of their room in search of Arnav, that she was left alone with her dad .               

" My grandson is smitten with Arnav ,it all he talks about " her father spoke to her with a smile ,she knew everyone hoped that her marriage will become  something more than an arrangement for Rahul. But she knew her limitations .              

" It so easy to like him " She answered back and didn't say that it was too hard to stop liking him . And instead told her father  that Arnav won't be able to pick up Rahul today.  It was at that moment her son stepped inside looking disappointed after not finding Arnav .                    

Gauri tried to explain to her son that Arnav had been busy but it didn't help to keep him from being upset that her father offered to drop them at Arnav house on his way to work . Yet Gauri didn't want to impose herself on his family without notice so she declined the offer .                  

And she was relieved when her brother Ishaan  decided to take Rahul out with him, she had only been part of her brother life for 9 years and half of them they spent apart because of her marriage still they had managed to build a relationship that stood against test of time. When she had been 16 her parents decided to adopt Ishaan, Gauri was the one who had been taken with Ishaan from the first time .

                   
Ishaan had been 8 years old when they first met. He had lost his family recently, and his father had been a police office just like her dad, which was the reason she believed Ishaan would be delighted at the prospect of being part of her  family. But had been surprised when he declined it at first thinking it was wrong to replace his family with someone new. It had been slow process but he had learnt to accept them and finally agreed to be adopted by them few months later . 

                     
Gauri had tried her best to make sure their relationship remained intact throughout the years. But she was still bit taken back that in few months, he will be in college because it felt that her little brother was growing up way too soon  and since  she already knew he would follow in the footsteps of their father, she knew in few years there will be two police officers in her house. A fact that made her immensely proud of her brother and her father most times.  

                 
Gauri didn't like to be alone in her home and let the thoughts cloud her from the past. She wasn't surprised to be waken up by the nightmare after her return back home because the house, still held most of her painful memories as well. So when Ishaan left with Rahul she went in search of her mom who had been cooking in the kitchen. Her mom being an interior designed had flexible hours, so she was relieved that she won't be alone in the house all by herself .              

Gauri and her mom had a rocky start in the beginning of their life because her mom was too heartbroken by her divorce with her biological dad that she failed to be an attentive parent to her. But once she realized how it had affected Gauri. She stepped up and did such a good job of raising her that without her  Gauri wouldn't have been able to get through the loss of Arun .                

She stayed with her during the last month when Arun was too sick. Without her mom ,Gauri wouldn't have been able to survive those dark days either . When her mom noticed her presence she lift up her face to smile at her and Gauri felt an answering smile in turn .                

The next few hours she checked her phone often to see if Arnav sent any text only to find complete silence from his side , that she found herself helping  her mom with house choruses instead.  They talked about everything over the time spend together, and Gauri detected her mom also hoped that she should be able to work out her marriage with Arnav. But she also knew why Gauri disagreed with her that she dropped the subject until both of them were startled by the sound of the calling bell .
           
Ishaan and her father both knew the password for the door lock that she knew it was someone else, she didn't want to face any new faces when she was barely getting acquainted with old ones.  Her mom went to open the door and she heard voices but couldn't guess who they belonged to and could only assume they were friends of Ishaan as she heard his name mentioned once or twice .              

Since Ishaan friends weren't really a threat to her. She stepped outside of the kitchen deciding it too cowardly to continue to hide when they were strangers and realized her foolishness the moment she stumbled upon two familiar faces.  Sure they grew up in the last few years. But she will never forget them just like how she can never forget anyone from their families .           

" Yash ,Yuv ... It great to see you " She spoke trying to keep her voice from faltering, Yash and Yuv were cousins and given the fact Ishaan had been few years younger then them she had failed to assume they were close.               

Yash had greeted her back with a polite greeting of his own and it was the silence from Yuv that made her falter.  So far everyone welcomed her as if she never left. For the first time she saw someone hesitant to speak to her and it hurt .            

From the first time she held Yuv in her arms when he had been just few weeks old. He always had been more like her brother, she hadn't been prepared for his anger . She expected Yuv's sister and her best friend would be the one who would be angry. So it took her by surprise to realize Yuv wasn't going to easily forgive her as the rest.              

Gauri mom fortunately tried to keep the conversation going because Gauri was too surprised that she went back to silence, she even wished she could walk away from them. But she knew walking away won't make it easier for her either . She kept glancing at Yuv hoping he would soften up few minutes later but he refused to even look at her.                 

So when Ishaan came back with Rahul. She had been relieved to see Yuv anger didn't extent towards her son, in an effort to try to bridge the gap Gauri yet again tried to talk with Yuv in front of her son hoping she will get an answer this time around .               

" Who taught you the sign language?" She asked Yuv since he seemed to be able to talk with her son without anyone help. She remembered how his parents had been able to speak with her son as well which made her curious .
                  
" Lavanya di taught them , she had patient who couldn't hear and she learnt it for the kid " Yash had been the one to answer back , Gauri should have known ,her friend had become a Pediatrician because she loved to work with kids just like how Gauri choose to became a teacher . By now Ishaan had been clued in on Yuv avoidance that she noticed her brother protectiveness when he walked to stand by her side and said sorry on Yuv behalf .              

" Sorry di. I shouldn't have invited them home ,I thought you would be in Arnav bhai house by now " Ishaan spoke up , and  she admired her brother show of support . But she didn't want to cause any more rift between her family and everyone she alienated over the years . 
        
" He got reason to be angry, and you have no reason to hold back from seeing them because of me. Haven't I told you several times that don't let me be the reason for you stay away from them " Gauri answered back .      

Her brother's best friend had been Meera , Yash sister and lately she believed his affection went beyond friendship . They had been friends when they lived in the orphanage together and their friendship continued to grew after they both got adopted as well .
         
It was one of the reason she declined her parents offer to move to her home town after Arun death, she didn't want them to uproot her brother life for her sake.  Thankfully Ishaan dropped the subject and she pretended Yuv silence didn't hurt her until Arnav arrived  the look of surprise in Yuv face to see his cousin in her house clued into the fact he didn't know about their marriage yet .            

Gauri hated the secrets everyone kept for her. Her parents ,her brother and now even Arnav family were keeping it an secret from their family because they knew Gauri wasn't ready yet to face them . She felt bad that she dragged Lavanya's parents into her secret as well. Lavanya and Yuv would be disappointed when they realize their parents knew about her marriage before them .              

The only person who never had to carry the weight of her secrets had been her son since he rushed towards Arnav the moment he saw him , Gauri heart flickered in relief to see her son complete adoration of Arnav and yet it meant she was left with the questioning glance from Yuv who was taken back .              

" We got married recently " Gauri answered back ,she knew the news will be met with surprise but she didn't expect to see the hurt as well . Of course Arnav had been their eldest cousin and Yuv wouldn't have been thrilled to know he missed out on his wedding. But she didn't expect him to speak up to her and neither did she expect those words to cut her deep .           

 " I am sure di would be thrilled to know ,she missed your wedding for the second time and that too with her cousin . " he spoke up reminding her of Lavanya the one person who is most likely to be hurt by her actions and secrets. But he didn't know that her actions and decision had been to protect his sister not to hurt her, but it was her secret and she had no intention of revealing it to anyone even if it would lessen their anger. 

  
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Juanita Reid .