GOOD OLDEN DAYS...........................

Location: Sharma house, Bareilly.

"Gauri please eat something beta, Shivaay will definitely come. You did not eat your lunch too. Ye kya manmaani hai." Pleaded Radha though she knew it was a futile attempt to make Gauri do something which she doesn't want to. Her ten year old girl is as stubborn as a mule. Once she decides to do something no one can stop her from doing it.

Today was rakshabandhan and Shivaay was to come home from his College in Mumbai but his train got delayed under unforeseen circumstances. He promised Gauri that he would come to give her a surprise that day and the child had been waiting for him to come so that she could tie the colurful Rakhi which she choose for him and had been bragging about it ever since she bought it.

Radha looked at the clock which had struck eight. Shivaay should have been home by now. Deciding to give him a call, she walked out of the room to get her phone and stopped in her tracks when Gauri questioned her.

"Why am I not supposed to go anywhere to study like Shivaay bhaiyya maa... why am I home schooled? Why are we not allowed to step out of town? you know Richa right, she said she is going to shift to Mumbai too. She said that her father got a promotion and they plan to settle down there. She also said that her father plans to join her in a better school there and they would visit the beach everyday after school."

Radha just stood behind Gauri who had her back to her mother and was staring out of the window, not knowing how to answer her questions. She silently cried as her daughter asked her again "Why do I don't have a father maa? Did he leave because I go for fights not listening to you? Because I am not a good girl like you say? Will Shiv bhaiyya leave me too? Richa said that Shiv bhaiyya is not my brother. When he gets a job, he would leave me. Is that true? Why did he not come today?" and broke into bitter sobs.

"How did you think I will not come Gauri?" said Shivaay standing at the doorway making Gauri and Radha turn to him.

Gauri ran towards him and flung herself into his arms crying her heart out and angrily smacking him for making her wait so long.

"I'm sorry Gauri, my train got delayed. I'm really sorry bacha. See I have a surprise for you" consoled Shivaay, tightly hugging her. "Jaldi se rakhi bandho, hum khana khayenge aur fir you can see what I bought for you...what say?" to which Gauri screamed "Maa bahut bhook lagi hai jaldi se Rakhi lao and then food."

Radha hurried out to get the rakhi and food for her kids before her daughter had a change of mood.

After tying rakhi and having a hearty meal, Shivaay showed Gauri his gift which was a half metal heart with an S imprinted on it and had a metal chain. Gauri looked at her gift with wonder and adoration.

While Shivaay tied the locket around her neck she asked "Shiv bhaiyya, where is the other half of the heart?" to which Shivaay showed her another locket with a similar half heart and has a G imprinted on it. "This is for me" he said winking and tying it around his neck.

"You are everything to me Gauri, never believe if anyone says I will leave you... You trust me right?" Gauri just hugged him in response muttering a sorry.

Trying to lighten the mood, Radha asked "Acha Shivaay, what if my Gauri gets married? Will you stay with her even then? will her husband allow it?"

Gauri frowned at that when Shivaay answered "Why will he not allow, I will select a husband for my Gauri jo humare beech kabhi nahi ayega, hain na Gauri" he quipped wiggling his eyebrows to which Gauri covered her face blushing red.

"Oh my God, my Sherni is blushing? Ye kaise hogaya" teased Shivaay making Gauri blush to a darker shade of red and Radha chuckle at the combo.

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February 2017

On the way to Bareilly

"Rudy stop sulking will you? Bhavya was anyway not going to come with us right? I just can't take chances with the case now. That is the reason I had to ask Bhavya to look over the forensic analysis" said Omkara trying to talk to his brother who has been grumpy for no reason since the start of their ride.

Omkara returned from Udhewadi late in the evening yesterday and at once got on to work with the case files in detail weighing every possibility with the impossible. First of the concerns was to establish that the dead body found was indeed of Nisha. Secondly find out the motive of the murder and the reason behind burring it far away from the site of her abduction. Thirdly, who was the person who informed them and what was his motive in helping them. Fourthly, was the accused killing genuine or staged, if it was the later what was the motive behind it. Lastly, if Nisha's dead body was buried in Udhewadi, whose remains were found in Mumbai because the remains matched with the victim's DNA and it was highly unlikely that the results were tampered taking that Bhavya looked over those tests.

Five threads... He has five threads with which he needs to spin a yarn. Omkara designated two different teams which will work separately and will be reporting to him. One team will be lead by Abhishek who will look into the history of Nisha to find out motives behind the murder and a detailed report of the accused killing. The second team would be lead by Dandi who will look into the details of the secret informer.

The investigation can take shape only once the identity of the dead body is confirmed and so he had to ask Bhavya to take care of the DNA test, autopsy, dental examinations and the fingerprint analysis.

The previous night he relentlessly worked on getting the permissions for the autopsies and the DNA reports lest there should be any further delay in his absence and it was only in the early hours of the morning that he had a few hours of rest.

They started for Bareilly late in the morning via flight and reached the airport half an hour back. Now they were on their way to the Tiwari house located in a rural area of the district named Baheri which was two hour drive in their car. Omkara was so exhausted that he slept through the flight journey and failed notice that his brother was cross at him. Now when his ever talkative brother did not speak a word since their journey, he realized that something was wrong with him.

"Kisne decide kiya ki vo nahi aane vali hai? You or her?"

"What do you mean, she was not going to come right? Or did the plan change?"

"Yes O, I spent two and a half hours convincing her to come to the village with us and she agreed too but thanks to you now, she could not make it."

"What? How am I supposed to know your sudden change of plans Rudy, I am an investigation officer not an astrologer"

"Aap dekhte rehna... iska badla to mein leke rahunga in future... picture abhi baaki hai" warned Rudra.

"Ofcourse, Rudy every dog has its day. Yours will come too" said Omkara with a smirk making Rudy frown but it was replaced with the look of horror when the vehicle came to a halt with a sudden break pushing both of then forward. Thanks to those seat belts that they could save their heads.

"Offo driver Bhaisaab maarne ka plan hai kya...I'm not even married...I'm the only good son for my mom. Please watch while you drive."

"Shut Up Rudy!!" said Omkara making Rudra roll his eyes.

"What happened kaka, why the sudden brake? And what is happening over there" asked Omkara looking outside the car's window to see a mob in front of their vehicle.

"Sorry betaji, the vehicle in front of me stopped abruptly and I was not expecting it, looks like someone came in front of the vehicle hence the mob" saying which the driver exited the vehicle to look into the matter while Omkara and Rudra followed suit.

Sitting in their car and arguing with each other, Omkara and Rudra failed to notice the beauty outside their vehicle. Baheri has a prominent place in district Bareilly for exporting commodities like sugar and rice. The village path they were currently on was surrounded on either sides by green paddy fields which grew to a height of about four feet, leaves long and flattened and swaying with the hot mid noon wind. The summer rice rich plants wobbled with the seeds, still in growth and ready to be harvested in the coming months. The sweet smell of the soil filled the air giving a refreshing fragrance. The thirsty soil looked up at the mid noon sky irritated at the heat of the sun and burned the feet of people who dared to venture on it armour-less.

Omkara moved forward into the mob slightly pushing the people aside to look at a roboust man angrily scolding someone who came in front of his car and who was tiny enough to completely be covered from view by the man's tall stature.

He walked further to look at the adorable site of a girl around fifteen years of age with curly hair and chubby cheecks cute as a bug angrily glaring at her opponent.

"I did not come in front of your vehicle intentionally uncle, it was Sita she said pointing at the billy goat which was busy eating the grass fed by the girl. She suddenly ran out of my hold looking at the fields and I had to save it from you."

"Galati ki hai aur upar se itna akad" roared the man lifting his hand ready to hit her when Omkara held it mid air and twist it around making the man yelp in pain.

"Bachi hai vo, you don't lift hand against kids. Do you understand that?"

"Who are you?"

"None of your business, stop creating a scene and move your ass out of here. I'm a police officer from Mumbai and there is no rule that I cannot exercise my duty here" growled Omkara making the man run to his car and the crowd started to disperse.

Rudra in the meanwhile walked to the girl and Sita and kneeling down to her level asked her name after introducing himself.

"Hi Rudra bhaiyya, my name is Roshni and this is my friend Sita" she said with a smile. "Sita, wish Rudy bhaiyya hai she asked her friend which bleated in response".

"Vo bhaiyya kaun hai?" she asked pointing at Omkara. "Bahut handsome dikh rahe hai" she complimented to which both the brothers laughed and Rudy asked "Acha, to main handsome nahi huun?"

"Nahi bhaiyya aap to super duper hot hoo" said Roshni smiling making them haul in laughter.

"I like you already Roshni" said Rudra "This is my brother Omkara"

Omkara smiled at the girl and said "Where do you want to go Roshni, we can drop you"

"I cannot go with strangers no matter how handsome they are" she said and added "Gauri didi will scold me then"

Listening to the name Rudy and Omkara exchanged a look and Rudy asked "Gauri?... Gauri Tiwari?....."

"You know Gauri di" asked Roshni happy that she has a ride home now. "Then I can come with you. Gauri di is my guardian bhaiyya she looks after my orphanage" Omkara and Rudra looked at each other feeling sorry for the girl at the same time and admiring Gauri.

"I was just going to my di's house when Sita got hyper seeing the grass which fell on the road and ran infront of the vehicle and made that uncle angry. Did you know today jiju is coming to see my di. I wanted to see him." she finished.

Rudy laughed and said " Ye loo... yahi hai tera jiju... aapke Gauri di ko dekhne aye hai. what is your verdict? Do you approve of him?" and pointed at his brother while Omkara rolled his eyes.

"Bahut pasand aya hai" spoke Roshni making the brothers smile.

"Come Roshni, we will drop you" said Omkara "and don't call me jiju yet, I just came to see your di" and walked towards the car holding the girls hand.

Once settled in the car and beginning the short ride, Roshni asked again "What do you mean by only see bhaiyya? Why don't you want me to call you jiju?"

"Because I have to like your di in order to marry her right? What if I don't like her"

Roshni just laughed and said "How can anybody not like my didu, she is the most beautiful girl in the world" she said with dreamy eyes. "U know, I want to become like her in future"

Happy at the information, Rudra said "Oh, itna beautiful hai, to O ko zaruur pasand ayegi, you can call him jiju then Roshni" making Omkara glare at him. "Aur kya kya karti hai aapki di?"

"Gauri di sings beautifully, dances like a dream and you know she teaches us in the orphanage. Abhay jiju comes to the orphanage just to look at my didu pata hai" making Omkara frown involuntarily "Abhay jiju?" he asked making Rudy smile secretly.

"Haa Abhay jiju bhi handsome hai aur ache bhi. He is best friends with Gauri di" she informed to which Omkara immediately asked "Phir tum use jiju kyun bulati ho? Does your di like him?"

"Nahi nahi Ishana di likes him. Ishana didu is Gauri di's sister" and Omkara nodded sinking in the information.

"Who all stays with your Gauri di?" Asked Rudy. "Jagdish baba, Gayathri maa and Ishana di. Abhay jiju is son of Prerna maa. She is Jagdish baba's sister. He comes to talk with Gauri di and Ishana di."

The rest of the drive, Roshni filled in the brothers about the Tiwari family history and Gauri's likes and dislikes.

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Location: Tiwari house, Bareilly.

Omkara and Rudra were greeted at the door by Jagdish Tiwari and Gayatri Tiwari along with Jhanvi and Shakti.

Omkara and Rudra touched the feet of elders in respect who blessed them in return. Half an hour later they were settled in the hall making small talk when Shakti spoke.

"Jagdish ji, lets call Gauri to just make the introductions and proceed to lunch, it is past lunch time, Om and Rudra must be hungry"

Jagdish agreed and asked Gayatri to bring Gauri.

Omkara was making small conversations with Roshni who sat beside him and Rudra, while Rudy was eagerly looking at the door into which Gayathri disappeared.

Few minutes later, Omkara heard the sound of anklets fill the air and a second later a soft gasp erupted from Rudra. Omkara looked at his brother who looked spell bound with his mouth open before turning his attention to the site which brought such an effect from him.

One look at it and Omkara sat there tongue tied and eyes wide trying to bask in the beauty before him. Roshni wasn't exaggerating when she said that her Gauri di was the most beautiful girl. Drapped in a light blue netted saree, with reddish floral designs adorning it, colourfull bangles adoring her wrist, red jhumkas in her ears , a simple ruby necklace on her neck and her wavy waist length hair plaited to one side, Gauri Tiwari looked like a symbol of elegance. The girl has a soft glowing skin which seemed to shine in the noon light. She had petal shaped pink lips, high check bones and a button nose. The killer features were her hazel eyes and a small cute studded nose ring which sparked in the light.

Jhanvi who was watching her son's response smiled in satisfaction with the effect her daughter in law had on her son. When Omkara failed to spell out a word of greeting, she made the introductions.

"Omkara, this is Gauri I think you can say a Hi to her" she quipped with a grin.

"Hi Gauri" he croaked when she looked at him and smiled. Omkara let out a breath he didn't think he was holding and gave a look at Rudra who was still looking at Gauri with wonder. He nudged his brother which made him come out of the trance and Roshni giggle at the site.

"Rudra stood straight without a word and hugged Gauri exclaiming a 'Bhabhi!!!' shocking her and Omkara, and the rest of the members laugh. Nevertheless, Gauri reciprocated the warm hug calling him Bhaiyya and smiled elegantly.

"Acha chalo, lets have lunch, its late already" reminded Jagdish.

The elders started moving towards the dining area when Rudra held Gauri's hand and followed them, all the while praising her of how beautiful she looked while Omkara continued to stare at her.

Looking at him, Roshni asked with a smile "Kyun jiju, abhi to apko jiju bula sakti huun na mein? You liked di right?"

In response Omkara looked everywhere except her hiding his blush and was rescued when Jhanvi called for him to join them sooner.

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There you go...... third chapter..... I know this is short but I had to stop it here.

Rikara will talk in the next chapter.... Tell me your thoughts of how you think Omkara would broach the subject of marriage before Gauri...

I'm not sure if will give you an update tomorrow... but I will try my best to do so. If not the next update will be on Monday.

Till then signing off..................yours Soujanya.