"Don't tell me Om, you have started liking women!!"

Om lost his concentration third time that day, going restless thinking what Rudra had told him.

Throwing away the clay, he sighed with frustration. 'No, this can't be true. How can I like women?' He thought.

He remembered how he used to run away seeing women when he was in Mumbai.

'Baba used to remind me daily, how women are a source of sins, but here in Delhi I forgot everything!' He lamented now.

'But I don't interact with any women except Gauri, isn't it?' Once or twice he had also talked to Svetlana but it was she who was insisting. 'I willingly talk only to Gauri!'

That's because he didn't feel uncomfortable around her. She seems harmless and is already in relationship with his best friend.

'Does it mean I started liking women and my brahmacharya is in danger?' He was confused whether he should stop meeting her.

'But Gauri is Chulbul's girlfriend, how can I ignore her?' His mind was too fast to question. 'I'll just say a hello from distance, that's it!' He had made his mind now.

'Should I ask Pandu Baba, if saying a hello would break my vow?' He pondered, 'But what if he got angry and condemned my brahmcharya in rage?'

No, he would never tell Baba about it.

._._._.

Gauri squirmed in a Chinese restaurant, the appealing aroma watering her mouth. Only if she wouldn't be sitting before this catfish, and facing a life-threatening problem, she would have really ordered something.

"So you are a girl!"

Gauri straightened her wig unintentionally as she heard the person on the opposite seat.

"But living, disguised as a man! Why?"

Moving her specs, Gauri cleared her throat, as she had to answer inevitably, "Svetlana, I was compelled!" She tried to brief her, "You must already know how Delhi has become a crime capital for women..."

"Hey just a minute. We don't have to write an essay for CSE Mains!" Svetlana was uninterested, "Infact just leave it." She didn't have to do anything why Chulbul or whatever her name, hid it!

Gauri made a face sending a glare towards the skies for the worst day of her life. 'Is there anything left God, which you forgot to add on my special day!!'

"Does Omkara know?" Svetlana asked as Gauri became stiff, "Does he know that you are a Bulbul in the form of Chulbul!"

"None of your business...!" You bitch...she wanted to add but remained silent as Svetlana had an evil expression on her face.

"That means he doesn't know...none of them knows except me!!" The witch replied, "even not your boss, Janhvi Oberoi!!!"

Gauri had a horrible expression as Svetlana laughed malevolently. Janhviji was an acquaintance of Svetlana, and that's why Gauri had to hide her identity before her, posing as Chulbul.

'Will she stop laughing like that!' Gauri could see the scared waiter, serving Chow Mein to the neighboring table. 'I want to eat Chow Mein and Spring Rolls!' She was again feeling hungry.

"I have a proposal for you!" Gauri came out of her delicious thoughts as she heard the lewd women, "I would keep your identity a secret if...."

Gauri could imagine what options she could propose.

"If....??"

"If you made Om marry me!"

Gauri had her eyes out of sockets.

"You need to break his vow and prepare him for this marriage!" Svetlana concluded.

"As if I will do this!" Gauri answered without hesitation, and before she could blackmail her further, "I am myself going and telling him everything!"

"Really Chulbul?" Svetlana was still calm, "You know right what will happen then!"

"I know. Om will hate me!" Gauri was ready for punishment rather than making Om marry this sea-bat.

"Oh you don't know Chulbul!" Svetlana smirked, "Not just hate, he might even curse you to remain a boy for whole life", just like those saints! Svetlana exaggerated, "After all he is such a honest and upright person, and a devotee of Hanuman."

"No he won't do such an extreme thing!" Gauri wasn't sure though, "Anyways I am going away next week! He will forgive me!"

"He will never forgive you!" Svetlana said firmly, "Nor will Rudra and Shivaay who considered you as a brother!" Svetlana tried another trick, "They will never trust any woman again!"

Gauri remembered how they were fighting for her modesty today.

"And Janhvi", she would remove her from the boutique, "she will even make sure that you never get another job in whole India!"

Gauri knew that Janhvi was powerful but that powerful, she couldn't believe that.

"You are lying to fool me! I won't come in your talks." Gauri knew how manipulative Svetlana could be.

"Ok Chulbul! If you are not ready to listen to me what could I do. One or other day, I would get married to Om using my charms. But you'll lose everything if I opened my mouth!"

Gauri waited in anticipation.

"Oh I forgot to add Kaali Bhaiyya!!" Svetlana said excitedly, "He will definitely sue you for cheating and dishonesty. You know about Section 420, which would directly land you in jail!"

Gauri was terrorised, as she could envision herself in a jail grinding wheat, singing an old hindi song.

"You'll be in jail, probably cursed by Om, with no friend and no money, while I'll be happily married to him, with little Omies around!" Svetlana knew Gauri was trapped now. "See Gauri, I am asking for your help because you are close to Om. In turn, I will keep your secret hidden!" The noxious lady continued, "In fact, as a woman, only I can understand your pain, isn't it!"

._._._.

Ajay, Daksh and Rohan were sitting outside the building waiting for Chulbul to come back, with their broken faces and colourful bodies.

"Look there, he is coming!"

Daksh pointed towards a tensed Chulbul, who was walking ahead as if carrying the burden of whole world.

"All ready!" Ajay asked, "Follow me!" He limped forward while Rohan rolled his eyes on the drama.

Gauri was still not out of shock after hearing the so-called proposal of Svetlana. But when she saw three beggars out of her building she thought to do some charity on her birthday,

'Maybe this will reduce some problems out of my life!' She thought finding some coins in her pocket, forwarding it to the paupers.

When Ajay found Chulbul offering some coins absently, he was offended. "Chulbul! It's me Ajay!" Same was the expression of Rohan and Daksh. "Did you forget us!"

That's when Gauri came into senses, and she remembered the morning incident of these scoundrels.

"Oh Ajay!! Seeing your ripped jeans and these bandages I just..." she was confused why they wanted to talk to her. 'Did they also come to know about it!'

"It's ok. Won't you ask how we got these injuries?" Daksh asked her.

"No Daksh, I won't ask!" Gauri said dryly. 'I know all your scandals!' How much she wanted to give some more punches to them but only now she had some other sorrows.

Engrossed in her thoughts she was proceeding towards her room only to get stopped by Rohan.

"Chulbul! Your girlfriend, Gauri is cheating you!" He told her making her scowl,

'How does he know that....I am cheating!'

"She is sleeping with Om and both of them are betraying you!" Rohan told her.

"In fact we had caught them red-handed today but Om shrewdly changed the topic and even beat us mercilessly!" Daksh told in helpless tone.

Gauri felt a strong headache, 'Now what is this! Om and Gauri?'

"But don't worry Chulbul! We are with you!" Ajay held his broken neck, "We won't let Omkara make fun of your friendship!"

No sooner did he complete his resolve, than he saw Omkara listening to their banter with a raged expression.

Rohan widened his eyes as he moved back, "Om!!"

"You seem to need some more blows and peps," so that they would be incapable of even talking.

"Omkara no! Let's go back please!" Gauri was more panicked hearing it.

"Chulbul don't believe him! He is using you and your friendship and even your girlfriend!" Daksh seemed to be more confident, as Chulbul wasn't trust them. "You will regret when Gauri will leave you for this Jatadhari!" But Gauri didn't want any repeat telecast as she dragged Om back to his room.

She had other pressing matters to think. 'Om and Gauri? Should I use this thing for what Svetlana wants?'

._._._.

"Don't believe them Chulbul! There is nothing like this between me and Gauri!" Om was feeling disgusted listening to those accusations, so he had come to clarify himself, "I'll tell you what happened today!"

"Gauri told me!" She said with a mock anger as she went towards the window. A feeling of guilt coursed through her but she was trapped having no escape, "But she didn't tell me that you were with her!" She said with an edge in her voice, "Tell me honestly Om, is what Ajay saying, a truth?"

"Chulbul!" Omkara was disappointed, "How could you even ask that? Don't you trust me?"

"I trust you, but I can't ignore what world is saying. There is no smoke without fire Omkara!" Gauri took a breathe, "I have noticed how you have started taking interest in her!"

"No buddy. Please don't do this grave mistake." Om made her turn to him, as he tried to explain, "I was just friendly!"

"Just friendly? But why only with her? Why were you trying to impress her!" She tried to remind him his behavior since last week, "In fact you even bought her an expensive gift!!"

Om was petrified hearing it. 'Was I really behaving that madly?'

"I haven't expected this from you Om. Our friendship seems to be threatened now!" Gauri was reacting too odd, under pressure of a mean Svetlana, not thinking straight that she was in turn exploiting her own friend.

"I...I am sorry Chulbul, but I..." Om had a feeling of guilt, "I promise you Chulbul I'll never meet Gauri again." In fact he was ready to go away from them if Chulbul had any doubt! "Please don't break this friendship."

Gauri was on verge of crying. 'How can I cheat such a good man?' But Svetlana had really tricked her with those warnings and she moved ahead doing another grave mistake.

"That's not enough Om, I want something else from you if you want our friendship intact." Gauri finally crossed the final limit of selfishness, even leaving behind Svetlana as she uttered the difficult part, "Get married Om, to Svetlana!"

._._._.

"What!!" Rudra asked with surprise, listening to the condition of Chulbul, a marriage with that Snakelana!!

"Yes Rudy. He thinks that I really have feelings for Gauri!"

"But why Svetlana? He was not very fond of her few days ago." Shivaay remembered how he had consoled Chulbul that morning, when he was upset with Om and Svetlana.

"Exactly Shivaay!" Om could never see himself as a threat to love life of Chulbul. "I was never attracted to Gauri, it was just casually talks and he is doubting me."

"But you are attracted to her, Om!" Shivaay told the truth, "you might be fooling yourself thinking that you are not infatuated by that girl!"

Om couldn't digest the fact. All his concern towards Gauri was not of romantic nature. 'Why don't they understand?' "Shivaay! Even you...Are you on side of Ajay and Daksh!"

"It's not about side Om." Shivaay reminded him how the last week he had been talking about Gauri only, "your eyes, your gesture everything hinted that you like her." Shivaay  could imagine how bad Chulbul might be feeling witnessing it.

"Shivaay bhaiyya is right Om! It is difficult to see other man talking about your girl!" Rudra explained, "You might not be experienced owing to your vow!"

Om was shocked to hear it. Even his friends were thinking the same.

"Now what do I do!" Om had to choose on thing between his life and friendship, "How could I just get married? Isn't it insane of Chulbul to ask me to do so!" His life is not an ordinary thing, he was a celibate for god's sake and definitely not in love with Svetlana!!!!

Rudra and Shivaay looked sympathetically while thinking of a way to bring their friend out of the misery.

._._._.