Hello guys,

Sorry for the long delay. I hope you all are doing good:)

Target : 30 votes (thanks to everyone who voted for the previous chapter<3)

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Gauri frowned in her sleep hearing the knocking at the door. She sleepily opened her eyes only to find her husband of few hours sleeping next to her, with his face in the crook of her neck and one of his arms around her.

A smile broke out on her face seeing him sleeping so cutely with his mouth slightly open looking as innocent as an infant.

Hearing the knocking sound again, Gauri slowly slipped out of his hold without disturbing him and walked towards the door while tying her hair into a messy bun.

"Mom, good morning." Gauri smiled seeing Jhanvi at the door.

"Good morning, Gauri. I know you must very tired after all these wedding functions and I'm waking you up so early in the morning. But we have to visit the temple too. I hope you understand-"

"I know, Mom. You don't have to explain." Gauri said as she smiled while holding her hand.

Jhanvi smiled lovingly at her and then gave her the bag she was holding.

"This is a saree and kurta for you and Om. I know that boy must be sleeping even now. Can you wake him up too?" Jhanvi asked.

Gauri nodded her head.

"Okay, beta. You both get ready and come down within two hours." Jhanvi said patting her cheek before leaving.

Gauri closed the door and walked towards the couch. Opening the bag, she took out their dresses and kept it on the couch.

Gauri turned to look at Omkara who had woken up from his sleep and was rubbing his eyes sleepily.

"Good morning." Gauri wished him with a smile.

"Good morning, Gauri." Omkara wished back with a sleepy smile.

"You can sleep for some more time if you want. I need some time to take a shower and drape the saree." Gauri told him.

"It's okay. I will just lie down. You take your time." Omkara replied.

Gauri nodded and then quickly took her clothes before going to the washroom.

After the shower, Gauri came out of the washroom and saw him sleeping again. She smiled walking towards him to wake him up.

"Om, wake up!" Gauri called him while patting his shoulder.

Omkara opened his eyes sleepily and sat up straight on the bed.

"You can take your shower now." Gauri told him.

Omkara nodded as he watched her walking towards the dressing table. He felt like hugging her tightly seeing her in a saree again.

But not wanting to repulse her with his morning breath, he quickly got up and went to the washroom.

After putting on light makeup on her face, Gauri was about to take the hair dryer when she saw that he forgot to take his kurta.

Taking it, she was about to walk towards the washroom when the door opened revealing a half naked Omkara with a towel wrapped around his waist.

Gauri stopped in shock seeing that.

Omkara bit his lips to stop himself from smiling and slowly walked towards her.

Gauri's heartbeat escalated when he came and stood so close to her.

Omkara leaned his head down to her level and smiled.

"Thank you." He said taking the kurta from her hand and walking back a little.

Gauri blinked her eyes in shock and then turned around seeing him getting dressed there itself.

Omkara chuckled to himself seeing that.

Gauri quickly took the hair dryer and started drying her hair trying to hide her blushing face.

After getting dressed, Omkara went towards her and stood behind her. He held her hand that was holding the hair dryer and started drying his hair while looking at their reflection in the mirror.

"It's true that I love seeing you blushing. But why are you blushing for this? Anyway you have to see me one day even without that towel." Omkara said teasingly.

Gauri's eyes widened hearing that and hit his stomach using her elbow.

"Shut up!"

Omkara laughed seeing her face turn beet red.

Smiling, Gauri took the comb from the table and started styling her hair.

Omkara went about to wear his watch and then remembered something seeing the bracelet on his wrist.

"Why didn't you ask me for your gift yesterday?" Omkara asked walking towards the cupboard.

"Gift?" Gauri asked him confused.

"Hmmm." Omkara replied while taking out a small box from the cupboard.

"I didn't think about it."

Gauri curiously looked at him coming towards her with a box.

Omkara held her hand and made her sit on a chair. He knelt down in front of her and held one of her feet.

"What are you doing?" Gauri asked him trying to take her foot back.

Omkara held her foot tightly and gave her a look.

Gauri stopped and then watched him place her foot on his thigh.

Omkara opened the box revealing a beautiful pair of anklets.

Gauri was surprised when he took one of them and made her wear it.

Omkara leaned his head down to tighten the hook using his teeth.

Gauri fisted her palms feeling his hot breath on her foot and sighed in relief when he moved back.

Omkara stood up holding her hands after making her wear both the anklets and pulled her up to stand with him.

"Did you like it?" Omkara asked her.

"It's so beautiful. I love it so much. Thank you." Gauri replied smiling happily.

Omkara smiled hearing that and took a few steps backwards making her walk along with him.

Gauri smiled at him hearing the soft tinkling of the anklets while walking with him.

Omkara stopped seeing her smile so happily at him and wrapped one of his arms around her pulling her close to him.

Gauri blushed keeping her hands on his chest as he leaned down placing a long loving kiss on her forehead.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Rudra woke up with a jerk feeling someone whack his head.

"Wake up, idiot. How can you sleep even after taking a shower?" Bhavya asked him frustrated.

Rudra, who had slept off on the living room couch, pouted at her.

"Why are you all behind my beauty sleep? You know waking up early in the morning is not my cup of tea." Rudra said sadly.

"Same with me. But I'm not sleeping off like this." Avanthika said sitting beside him.

"But-"

"Enough, stop it. Om and Gauri has come. Now let's go." Jhanvi said noticing them coming downstairs.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Gauri opened her eyes after she prayed in front of her favourite deity, Lord Krishna. She turned to look at her husband, who just opened his eyes and then smiled seeing her looking at him.

Anjali came towards them with a pair of Tulsi varmala. Since they got married at the palace, they had decided to exchange Tulsi garlands at the temple.

After they exchanged the varmala, Jhanvi asked her son to fill the sindoor on the partition of Gauri's hair.

As Omkara put the sindoor on Gauri's hair partition, a little of it fell on her nose which made her close her eyes.

Gauri opened her eyes feeling his finger on her nose, dusting it off.

Omkara and Gauri smiled at each feeling so happy to step into this new journey together.

Holding hands, they walked out of the temple with their hearts filled with pure happiness and love.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Gauri was walking out of the kitchen after being told not to cook anything before the pehli rasoi ritual at their home.

Since her husband was busy with some official work, she decided to spend time with her sisters.

Gauri gasped in shock when she felt someone hug her from behind.

"Hey wifey!" Omkara said smiling.

"Om, what are you doing? Someone will see." Gauri said trying to get out of his hold.

"It's okay. We are a newly wed couple. Even if someone sees us, they will understand." Omkara said hugging her tightly.

Gauri tilted her face and gave him a look.

Omkara grinned at her and kissed her cheek.

Gauri blushed looking away.

"I was coming to the kitchen to help you. Where were you going?" Omkara asked her.

Gauri explained to him what had happened.

"You have such a good looking, handsome, loving husband and instead of spending some quality time with him you are going to your siblings?" Omkara asked in a shocked voice.

"This good looking, handsome, loving husband of mine was too busy with his work that he didn't have enough time to spend some quality time with his newly wed wife." Gauri replied in a mocking manner.

"I have told you before too that I will never be too busy to spend some time with you." Omkara said.

"Who knows whether it will change after few days of marriage?" Gauri said while playfully looking away.

Omkara frowned hearing that and pulled her more close to him making her gasp in surprise.

"Nothing will change the fact that Gauri is more important for Omkara than anyone or anything else. Our marriage just strengthens it." Omkara told her passionately.

"Pakka?"

"Sau takka."

Gauri smiled happily hearing that.

Omkara smiled seeing the happiness on her face.

But they got startled hearing someone clearing their throat.

Gauri quickly moved away from him seeing their mothers looking away trying to hide their smiles.

Omkara scratched his eyebrow using his index finger feeling embarassed.

"Anju, I think we should ask Tej or Vishaal to book a honeymoon package as soon as possible. Our poor innocent eyes." Jhanvi said teasingly.

Anjali chuckled hearing that.

Gauri turned red in embarassment before she hurried away.

Omkara rolled his eyes shaking his head at them and walked off.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

That evening, they came back to Mumbai.

It was when they were walking out of the airport did Gauri realise that she was really going away from her parents and sisters.

Back at the palace, even after marriage she didn't realise it much since her family was around. But now that she realised it, she felt her heart sinking.

Omkara noticed the sudden change coming upon his wife and held her hand in his offering support.

Gauri turned to her husband and gave him a faint smile. She took a deep breath to control herself.

But her resolve broke on seeing a hint of tears on her father's eyes.

Gauri quickly hugged her father trying hard to control her sobs.

Vishaal smiled as he hugged back his daughter while softly caressing her head. He parted from the hug and placed a loving kiss on her forehead.

"It's okay. Don't cry. We all are just a few minutes away from you. I know that your husband and his family will never fail to keep you happy but if at all you need us, we will always be there for you. Okay?" Vishaal asked his daughter lovingly.

Gauri vigorously nodded her head with a teary smile.

"Gauri is our daughter now. She is never going to be treated as a daughter-in-law. It is our promise that we will love her more than our own sons." Tej told his best friend.

"I know." Vishaal replied with a smile.

Omkara, who was worriedly watching his wife having an emotional moment with her mother and sisters, smiled feeling his father-in-law patting his shoulder.

After saying their goodbyes, Gauri finally left with Omkara to start their new life.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

By the time they reached the Oberoi Mansion, Rudra was able to cheer up his bhabhi.

With the help of some of their relatives and the servants, the Oberoi Mansion was completely decked up to welcome the newly weds.

After the griha pravesh, Omkara and Gauri were made to sit down opposite to each other for the next ritual.

"You okay now?" Omkara asked his wife.

Gauri smiled at him in assurance.

Omkara smiled back at her.

Soon a vessel filled with milk and rose petals was kept in front of them.

"I don't think I need to explain this ritual. But still if at all you don't know about it, I will say. We'll be putting a ring in this vessel and you both have to search for it. The one who finds the ring first will win and that person will have the upper hand in your marriage the entire life." Anika said grinning.

Omkara and Gauri looked at each other hearing that.

"Ready? 1...2...3... Go!" Anika said while dropping the ring in the vessel.

Omkara smiled seeing the excitement on his wife's face while searching for the ring.

For the first few minutes, they could only feel their fingers occassionally gracing against each other but couldn't find the ring.

"Come on guys! Find the ring! We will give time for your romance later." Anika said teasingly.

Everyone laughed hearing that.

Then, Gauri felt the ring slightly gracing her hand and moved her fingers around trying to find it.

Gauri again felt the ring and roamed her fingers around but then stopped when she felt his hand instead of the ring. She looked up at him realising he got the ring.

Omkara smirked at her.

Gauri pouted at him sadly.

Omkara silently chuckled seeing that.

Gauri was about to take her hand out when she felt him holding her hand inside the vessel.

She looked at him curiously but was surprised when he gave the ring to her.

Omkara winked at her and raised her hand out of the vessel before he moved his hand back.

"Gauri won!" Anika exclaimed happily.

Everyone clapped and cheered for Gauri.

Gauri chuckled happily and then smiled at her husband, who was staring at her with a loving smile.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

After the dinner and several post-wedding rituals, many of their relatives and friends left while some of them stayed back.

On entering their bedroom, Gauri stopped in surprise seeing it decorated for their suhagraat.

"Again? How many first nights are we going to have?" Omkara, who followed her inside, said.

They heard the banging sound as someone closed the door loudly.

"Good night, guys! ENJOY!"

Omkara cursed under his breath hearing the voice of his brother and friends.

Gauri, who was fidgeting nervously stopped when he turned to look at her.

They stared at each other for a while before they bursted out laughing.

Omkara slowly walked to his wife and stopped a little away from her. He held her hand and gently pulled her close to him.

Gauri moved towards him and kept her palms flat on his chest feeling his arms wrapping around her waist.

Omkara slowly leaned his head down and placed light kisses all over her face.

Gauri closed her eyes in anticipation feeling him near her lips but opened it curiously when nothing happened.

Omkara again leaned closer but stopped a few inches away seeing her eyes fluttering and smiled mischievously seeing her looking at him in confusion.

Gauri blushed realising he was teasing her and fisted his shirt pulling him closer to her.

Omkara looked at her in amusement and then smirked at her. He leaned down capturing her lips into a soul shattering kiss.

As they parted from the kiss, Omkara leaned his forehead against hers closing his eyes.

"You should stop wearing sarees." Omkara said.

"What happened? I thought you liked seeing me in a saree." Gauri said confused, still feeling out of breath.

Omkara opened his eyes and looked straight into her eyes.

"That's the issue. I'm liking it a little too much." He replied while caressing her waist.

Gauri's breath got caught in her throat hearing that as she blushed.

"Then you are going to be in the danger zone for a while. I will be wearing only sarees for the next few days." Gauri told him grinning cheekily.

Omkara's eyes widened hearing that.

"Then we'll be having our third first night very soon. The real one." Omkara told her with finality.

Gauri laughed out loud hearing that and pushing him away, she went to the dressing room.

"Your suitcase must be in the dressing room. If you need any help, call me." Omkara told her.

"Okay!"

After taking shower and changing into their night clothes, they both lie down on the bed.

Talking and getting to know more about each other, they were up till the wee hours of the morning before she slept off.

Omkara smiled seeing that. Sitting up, he pulled the comforter covering her properly. He leaned down placing a kiss on her forehead and went to sleep on his side.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Please do vote and comment.

With love
Devu❤️