"Come in Gauri... you don't need to ask me permission...This is your house... your room" Omkara said and stopped short before he added "I am yours too."

Gauri walked inside and stood before him "You wanted to talk something yesterday... I came to make it clear to you that I am happy now and you don't need to burden yourself with the fact that you hurt me" she said as formally as she can.

Omkara continued to look at her dressed in a sky blue saree today... Traditional wear suits her... he noted... not that she looked any less beautiful in jeans but draped in a saree, she looked like a goddess.

"Omkaraji" she called him and he was brought out of his thoughts.

"Yeah... thanks for forgiving me Gauri... I am happy for you... Shivaay is a good man as you said yesterday" he said watching her reaction and he mentally patted himself seeing the look of disappointment cross her features for a mere second before she covered it up with a defiant look.

"Good... now that it is clear between us, I will take my leave" she said and turned when he stopped her.

"I have one last doubt Gauri" he said and she looked at him confused.

"About what?"

"About our relation.. where do we stand"

"You are an old acquaintance to me Omkaraji, Rudy's colleague and Shivaay's friend"

Tsk-Tsk... he clicked his tongue... "Yes I am Rudra's colleague and Shivaay's friend but what about you... what am I to you Gauri" he said stepper closer and she jumped back making him smile.

"You mean nothing to me" she said looking at him.

"Okay... prove it"

"Prove?"

He shrugged his shoulders and casually asked "Hug me and prove it to me that I don't mean anything to you"

"What?" she asked, her hazel eyes widening for a moment. She tried to act not affected and spoke in a confident tone "Why do I need to prove it to you? I don't care if you believe me or not... I am leaving" she said and before he could utter a second word fled from the place.

Omkara laughed aloud at her poor efforts before he dialed his father's number. He felt light, like a huge weight was lifted off from his shoulders.

"Dad... she loves me" he said happily while Kaali cheered for him.

"What did you do last night? ... should I expect good news soon?" teased Kaali and Omkara scolded him.

"Dad!! Stop thinking with your dirty mind. She doesn't allow me to touch her...forget making lo... Urghhhh,.... Why are we even discussing this... I called you because I needed help" he said.

"Anything to get my daughter in law back... what is it?"

"You know Oberoi industries right? Plan something and keep Shivaay occupied today and tomorrow as well" he instructed and thought for a moment before he again asked "As a precaution ... cover Shakti uncle too...I need to take Gauri out alone"

"Done....I will ask Tej to schedule a meeting with the Oberois... We were close to sign a deal but Tej was held back because their manager requested to postpone it till next week.. We will speed up things... You can carry out with your plans Om. About Shakti, I will take another route" he said and Omkara thanked him.

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"Wow.... It smells delicious... what is cooking aunty" asked Omkara walking into the kitchen when he saw Gauri and her mother cooking lunch.

"Come Omkara... Gauri likes to eat a dessert after lunch. I made kesari today" said Pinky, smiling at him while Gauri excused herself and went out to get some spices from the store-room.

"Will you have some?" she asked and he nodded.

She filled a small cup and handed it to him and he put a spoonful of the sweet into his mouth. "This is so good" he said savoring the sweet and Pinky smiled warmly.

Ten minutes later, he started coughing profusely and his face turned red making Pinky shout for help.

"Omkara... what happened?...are you allergic to something?" asked Pinky worriedly and he managed to nod his head.

"Gauri... where are you?" she shouted almost crying when he held her hand trying to gesture something.

"Maa... what happened... why are you shouting" Gauri came running back into the kitchen.

"Omkara" she shouted "Oh my god....Did he eat the sweet?" she asked her mother helping her to take him out into the living room, making him lie down on the sofa and Pinky mumbled a yes.

Shivaay came down hearing the commotion when Gauri asked him to bring Omkara's bag. "Om...look at me... are you alright?" she asked and he nodded his head, still finding it difficult to breath with all the coughing.

"Allergy pills" he mumbled and she nodded "I asked Shivaay to bring your bag" she said.

"Here... your bag" said Shivaay and Omkara went through the contents to open an injection and loaded it in a syringe.

"Inject this in my arm" he asked looking at Shivaay who took it with trembling hands.

Gauri removed Omkara's shirt in the meanwhile and looked at Shivaay who looked paler than Omkara himself.

"Give it to me" she said taking the injection and pinched Omkara's arm muscle before injected the drug.

Within minutes the cough subsided and everyone heaved a sigh of relief.

Omkara asked for a glass of water and Pinky rushed inside to get it while he rummaged through his bag for some tablets.

Gauri helped him take them and made him drink water.

"Are you okay?" she asked and he nodded his head smiling at her. She took the bag from him and threw it on the couch beside him angrily.

"What were you thinking Om? You know you are allergic to nuts, who asked you eat that sweet? I never thought you would eat it...you never liked sweet before" she shouted making everybody gape at her.

"Gauri... It was nothing serious... I am okay now. Small allergic reaction it was and got treated with a single shot of avil. I also took the tablet now. No need to worry" he explained.

"Why did you eat it in the first place?" she asked and he sighed

"I just wanted to taste it...it smelled delicious" he mumbled and dared to pull a pout to try and cool her but she only seemed to get angrier.

"Mazak lagta hai ye sab aapko? Who is the doctor here? When you know you are allergic to any sort of food, you should have the common sense to be careful before you put anything into your mouth" she yelled and Pinky came to her side.

"Gauri... you are shouting at him..." she rebuked her while her daughter still glared at the man sitting on the couch before her.

Shivaay gently took Gauri away from the place and Pinky apologized to Omkara "Sorry Omkara... she gets angry when she is worried about something... please don't mind"

"No... aunty I understand... I should have been a bit more careful" he said gulping another glass of water. "The sweet was so good... sorry I cannot have it anymore"

"Seriously?.... I was terrified seeing your face turn red as you coughed your lungs out... jaan nikal gayi thi meri" she said caressing his head and he smiled back.

"I cannot have lunch today... let me make some soup for myself" he said getting up from his place and Pinky pushed him back.

"No... tell me the recipe, I will prepare it for you" she said.

"Let me at least come into the kitchen to help you aunty" he said and Pinky stubbornly shook her head in a no.

"Okay" he surrendered before telling her the recipe and she followed his instructions.

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It was lunch time and the members of Trivedi family sat down to have food along with Shivaay and Priyanka.

"How is Omkara now?" asked Kalyani and Priyanka answered "He is fine daadi. Pinky maa went to his room to give him some soup"

"He is very irresponsible" commented Prithviraj making his wife glare at him.

"Don't talk like this in front of him. It was a small mishap... why are you blaming him" she asked and the old man shrugged his shoulders.

"Gauri... you are playing with your food" stated Shakti and she gulped some water before shoving the remaining food grudgingly down her throat.

A while later, she excused herself and returned to her room.

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"Aunty... my hands are alright...I can have the soup myself" said Omkara reaching for the bowl and Pinky moved the cup away from him.

"No... you are visibly tired let me feed you" she said and he finally obliged.

"You should be more careful you know... you are a doctor and you should be knowing better than us... still I am a mother and it is my responsibility to advise you" she said feeding him a spoon.

Omkara was trying hard to keep his emotions at bay. He still isn't used to the idea of accepting love when it is given to him without expecting something in return.

He wasn't always like this though. When he was a child he longed for love... love from his mother, but when he knew he wouldn't be getting it, he closed himself off believing that he probably didn't deserve it.

When people ever tried to get closer to him, he involuntarily got away fearing pain and rejection. How can anyone be with him and love him when his own mother did not?

He knew he has his father to support him and love him always and he was satisfied with it... he never wanted nor waited for more. Only the one time when his mother came to him saying that she loved him, he felt elated that there was hope... hope that he could be happy with both his parents like his friends at school. When his father refused to grant his wish, he pleaded his mother to stay with him but she told him she would come back only when his father agreed.

He was angry at Kaali that day and lashed out at him for not granting his only wish. The next, when he saw his father slurring and stumbling into the house late at night, crying in his room, he knew he was hurting... but why? Did his mother hurt him? No one told him... and he didn't dare ask his father after that incident, fearing he would hurt him more and he would lose his only parent.

He silently came to terms with the fact that he will never have a happy family where a mother cooks for him and waits for him at home when he returned from school while his father played with him, guided him in studies and read him bed time stories. He studied hard finding solace in books which took him away from his grief. He put his entire focus on his career and future being punctilious in planning it. He had a bad past and he didn't want his future to turn out the same.

The only time he allowed himself to have the luxury of feeling loved by a person other than his father was with Gauri and he royally screwed that up too. It was sheer luck that she still loved him...or so... he hoped.

"Aree... open your mouth properly Omkara... how will the spoon fit? Didn't your mother teach you?" asked Pinky in a flow and regretted it the next second.

Alas the damage was already done she inferred, when a single treacherous tear escaped his eye.

Omkara turned his face away to save himself from the embarrassment and Pinky felt bad for him.

"Sorry Omkara" she apologized and Omkara faked a smile.

"It is okay aunty" he said and she caressed his hair lovingly.

"No one said letting out emotions make one look weak Omkara... in fact only people who are brave show emotions without fearing consequences" she said smiling at him putting another spoonful into his mouth and he drank it without a word.

"You can cry... I don't mind... but you don't look good crying" she said making a face and he laughed.

"You know.... Gauri never used to eat properly when she was a child...." She started continuing to spoon feed him and he listened to her talk with a smile on his face.

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"Shivaay we were to go out to collect the engagement dresses today right? What are you doing with your laptop now?" asked Gauri walking into his room.

Shivaay sighed tired "I don't understand why your mamu wants a meeting all of a sudden Gauri. I can't make it to the boutique today...this is important."

"That is okay... I will take papa with me" she said smiling and he nodded a no.

"Your father went out an hour back saying he will look into the venue and decorations. He just called me to inform that there was a mishap there and he is stuck there for another two hours"

"I can take the driver with me" Gauri offered.

"Like hell I am going to allow you to go alone... that is a two hour long drive and the route is not safe for you to travel single... that isn't an option darling"

"I will ask if Omkara could go with Priyanka" said Shivaay getting up from his place and Gauri followed him outside.

In the living room,

"Bhaiyya... this is cheating... I told you my friends are coming today and I need to go to the airport to pick them up" Priyanka cried out.

"That is not an issue.... I will send a driver to pick them up.... Your engagement dress should be more important Prinku... you should look beautiful on the day... shouldn't you?" said Shivaay convincingly.

"But..." started Prinku and was cut off by Gauri who said "Don't worry Prinku...I will personally go and pick up your friends"

Omkara saw his plan to get his girl out about to fail and he immediately added "But... Prinku... won't your friends feel bad if you don't go to pick them up yourself? Shivaay came to pick me up... right?"

"You are absolutely right Omkara bhaiyya" said Prinku and turned to her Bhabhi and said "Bhabhi please...please... please... could you please go with Omkara bhaiyya" she pleaded her and Omkara grinned satisfied with the outcome.

Shivaay raised an eyebrow in his direction and Gauri gaped at him while the former avoided their investigating looks.

"Only if it is okay to send Gauri with me alone Shivaay... otherwise I can understand" he slyly said and Shivaay looked at Gauri who discreetly nodded her head in a no.

"Why will he have a problem" said Pinky coming to his rescue... "Gauri go with him beta... it is not safe to go out alone" she said and Shivaay looked at her helpless while Gauri mentally groaned.

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"Come on Gauri... talk something... it has been one hour since we have started the journey and I am bored" said Omkara snatching her book away when Gauri threw daggers in his direction.

They were sitting in the backseat of the car, Gauri reading a book while the driver switched on a radio station playing Bollywood old melodies in low volume and Omkara was about to fall asleep to the tunes.

"Kaka... please connect my phone to the Bluetooth and switch on my playlist... I don't want to fall asleep early in the evening" he said and the driver did as he was told. A few minutes later the silent melodies was replaced with party music. Omkara grinned and looked at Gauri.

"What!! I really am bored... it isn't written anywhere in the rule book that you can't even talk to your fiancé's friend... is it?" he asked smirking and she widened her eyes.

"You planned all this... didn't you?"

"Early realization... yes I did... I wanted to spend some time with you and it cannot be done in your house... I don't want you to blame me later if we are caught in compromising behaviors"

"Excuse me?... what did you just say? Compromising behaviors..."

"Yeah... what do you think I plan to do with you then... Watch you marry someone else with teary eyes?... you expect so much from me Gauri..." he said and she gaped at him dumbfounded. "My dad will burn me alive if I don't take you home as my bride"

"What makes you think that I will come with you?" she growled out.

"Simple... you still love me... you seek love in a marriage. So, you cannot marry Shivaay"

"Who said I don't love him?"

"Oh?... you love him? how did the love story start then" he asked her and she let out an irritated breath.

"Omkaraji..." she started and he gave her a death glare.

"I am warning you now... the next time you call me Omkaraji... I will kiss you irrespective of where we are and who ever is watching us... don't blame then" he warned gesturing towards the driver, making her gasp and move away from him.

"You were about to start your love story" he urged her to start after rolling his eyes at her reaction.

"I met Shivaay's mother eight months ago in an NGO program we organized for blind children. She liked me and felt that her son would like me. She talked to my parents and they agreed for the match... we dated for six months before we got engaged. Shivaay wanted to get Priyanka married first before our marriage" she said taking a breath in between.

"Prinku's fiancé Ranveer belongs to an influential family in my village and she wanted a village wedding instead of the destination wedding that Shivaay suggested. So, I requested Shivaay to let her get married from Trivedi house. We on the other hand will get married a few months later" she completed.

"This is not a love story... this is an arranged marriage... where is love?"

"We dated for six months... we fell in love with each other... He understands me and supports me... My family loves him and that is all I want for now... to be happy"

Omkara sighed loudly "Do you feel drawn towards him? do you feel that you are the happiest person on earth when he is with you?" he asked in a soft voice moving close to her.

"Do you feel complete when he kisses you..? does your skin burn with passion when he touches you...?" he whispered looking straight into her eyes, taking her hand in his.

Gauri looked dazed at him as he gently caressed her cheek with one hand while he looked at her with love.

At that moment Omkara's phone rang with an unknown caller id breaking their eye lock. The driver tried to remove the blue tooth connection. Instead, the green button got pressed and a woman's voice filled the car.

"Omkara... listen... I am pregnant and there is a high chance that the baby is yours" the voice said in panic and the driver pulled the breaks in shock making Omkara hit his head on the seat before him.

Dismayed and still rubbing his forehead, Omkara looked at Gauri who gave him a disgusted look. He closed his eyes, cursing his fate.

What the fudge!!! Who the hell is she? he thought.

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End of chapter 12

Okay.... The next chapter has some high voltage drama... be warned.

I am not going to talk more...

Till the next update... signing off... yours Soujanya...