"What is going on here?" Shivaay's voice boomed through the silence of the room, making the family turn to him.

The elder brother stood at the entrance along with Sahil and Dandi, the three of them looking equally stunned at the open declaration of the commitment phobic.

Omkara continued to glare at his aunt who cared less for her nephew's anger but was taken aback when her plan to insult the former's wife backfired.

Well, who would have thought that he would stand up for his village belle, who dared to take a step against her, the great Pinky Singh Oberoi.

"Om?" Shivaay called as he approached him.

His brother directed his scorching look towards him for a second or two before he turned around and retreated to the safety of his room upstairs.

Rudra asked Jhanvi to follow Omkara while he stayed back with his sister in laws.

"Don't keep your hopes high sister, he must have not meant it," Dandi who neared Gauri, solemnly whispered into her ears as he saw that her gaze stuck to her husband's room upstairs.

"I don't want you to get heart broken again" he said in a gentle tone.

Gauri nodded her head, dropping her gaze to the floor when she heard Shivaay scolding his mother.

"What is all this mom? Is a daily fight really required?"

"I don't understand who is the elder one here Shivaay. Does anyone respect me here? Your ex-wife here doesn't leave our house and when I asked her to do that, this low life threatens me with your name, saying you won't like it" she said pointing at Gauri.

"Mom, Gauri is the daughter in law of this house no matter who ever agreed to it or not and she will be respected that way. Please don't make me repeat this instruction."

"Oh!! Now you pass instructions to your mother. Did it come to that?"

"Why are you being impossible today?" her son asked in exasperation.

"I am being irrational? Fine!! I don't want to talk further on this. Just do me a favor and kick this bad luck out of the house before every brick of this mansion comes crumbling down," she said looking at her ex-daughter in law before she left the place in anger muttering her infamous oh my maata.

Shivaay sighed tiredly and looked at Sahil who wasn't happy, getting to know the way his sister was treated at her in laws.

"I am sorry you had to hear that," Shivaay softly said to Sahil but his words applied to Anika and Gauri as well.

Rudra donned the role of a calming element in the house which has become the job of his life.

"Too much drama for one day. Come Sahil, let us go to my room. You haven't opened your big gift yet," he said and dragged the reluctant kid away.

Gauri excused herself taking Dandi along, leaving the big guys to talk amongst themselves.

**************************************************************************

"He surprised me today," Dandi mumbled as Gauri finished tying her Raakhi.

"Hmmm."

"Uhhh... Maybe he couldn't stand anyone else insulting you Gauri. It seems that he kept that right to himself," his sarcasm returned making his sister roll her eyes.

"He always stood up for me," she said and he scoffed at her.

"How conveniently you forgot the time when he left you with a pervert."

"Because I lied to him"

"So? He forgets that you saved his life a hundred times before, from all sorts of gangsters and evil witches?"

Gauri looked away from his eyes as she uttered again, "He did come back."

"Are you serious now? That was because he thought he needed you to get rid of that Svetlana."

"You had a problem with him insulting me. Now you are not happy that he stood up for me. For once, why can't you see the good in him bhaiyya"

"See, if I talk one word against him, you start arguing with me. Your Choti maaji had to spit nails before your husband spoke a sentence."

"Dandi bhaiyya..."

"Okay fine!! I will not say anything."

"I am not supporting him in anything but just know that what he did today should have been difficult for him. A few days ago, I wouldn't have imagined him to say those words."

"Hmmm... remind me to thank him for that huge favor"

Gauri smiled at Dandi, his concern for her in spite of not being related by blood filling her heart with warmth.

There was a time in her life when she felt so alone fighting for her mother. Maybe if Shankar ji has given her a brother like him, she wouldn't have been in such dark phase ever.

"Leave it bhaiyya. Let me tell you what happened in the morning" Gauri said, trying to sound excited, though her thoughts mulled over her broody artist upstairs.

She roughly summarized about the special gift from Shivaay and the opportunity to study at a good school which might pave the way for a better future, the one in which she need not depend on anyone's mercy.

************************************************************************************

"He hasn't come down for three days," Jhanvi uttered in helplessness as she ate her dinner with Gauri.

"What? Why?"

"The incident, it affected him more than you think Gauri"

Did he think that he errored by saying what he said to choti maaji?

Was that why he was cooped up in his room and refused to show his face to them? Was he trying to avoid facing consequences of his actions?

Perhaps he thought he has given her a chance to look for some meaning in their relationship.... she wondered.

"Is he eating properly?" she asked in concern and her mother-in-law shook her head in a no.

"Just a few nibbles three times a day. I wouldn't call it a proper diet," the elder woman said in disapproval.

"I don't understand maa ji. What is he running from? I really did not take any meaning to his statement," she said.

"Maybe you should go and talk to him Gauri."

"Talk what? There is nothing to talk about."

"He might listen to you"

"Maa ji... If he didn't listen to you and bade bhaiyya then he will not listen to anybody. I would be the last person in the list of people he would hear to."

"There is nothing wrong in trying. Maybe you could go and thank him" Jhanvi said and Gauri looked at her confused.

"What? You said he did not mean anything he said. You should be grateful that Omkara lied like that to support you."

Gauri was just thinking of the mother's words when she spoke again.

"Or do you consider him your husband and so, you do not feel compelled to thank him? In that case, it is agreeable because he only stood up for his wife."

Gauri's eyes widened at her statement.

"No maa ji... I..."

"Then you should go to him," Jhanvi declared, happily finishing her meal making her daughter in law look at her in doubt.

"You seem happy?"

Jhanvi looked caught for a second before she forced a grin.

"Yes, uh... because I am positive that he will be pleased to take a thanks from you," she said.

Though not fully convinced, Gauri stayed silent and nodded her head.

If he was in so much trauma because he addressed her as a wife, she might reduce his burden by clearing of any unwanted doubts he had... she resolved.

********************************************************************************

Omkara tried hard not to let his thoughts wander to the incident that happened just days before.

He mixed the colours on his palette yet again trying to complete the picture on the canvas. It has become a compulsion for him get his aunt's words out of his mind.

Aise giri hui, ghatiya, ghinouni....

Strange that the same words didn't sound that vile when he himself had used them... he thought grimly.

The door of his bedroom creaked open and he sighed in irritation.

"Mom, I am okay. I am in the middle of something important. Can you give me some space?" he said without turning around.

The door closed but he could still feel the presence of the person inside his room. When he heard anklets clinking musically in the silence of his room, he stilled in place knowing the name of his interrupter.

"I am sorry to disturb you," she said and he nodded, his hand starting to work again.

"I have to talk to you"

On getting a nod again, she sighed and spilled, "You don't need to worry that I will think you meant what you said Omkaraji. You have made it truly clear to me before that I hold no place in your heart or life. I am not a fool take advantage of the situation and ask you to stand on your words today. I know why you did it and I came here only to thank you"

Her husband's hand stopped for a second before it drew with more vigor, faster than before. His back obscured her vision to his canvas which she was curious to have a peep at.

"Y...You need not stay here in your room avoiding everybody" she concluded and waited for him to respond.

What was he doing with so much concentration? Could he not throw a glance at her for formality's sake?  she thought, regretting to have listened to his mother and come there to make a fool of herself.

He must have been busy with some artwork and here she thought he was thinking about her... 

Huhhh... He has a million important things to do. How naïve of you Gauri... her mind reprimanded her.

After a few minutes of pin drop silence when he did not show any signs of turning around, she didn't know what to do.

The palette was placed to the side and she heard him sigh in relief.

"Hum... I will go now" Omkara heard her mumble and her anklets clinked again indicating her movement.

Against his conscience, he took a deep breath, then turning around, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her into a tranquilizing hug, to hear her softly gasp against his ears.

Gauri froze in his arms making it easier for him to hug her tighter, hiding his face in the crook of her neck to inhale her flowery scent.

After the initial shock waned off, she got to her senses and struggled to loosen his hold when she heard him mumble.

"Please Gauri... just... for a minute"

She stopped wriggling as her eyes filled with tears listening to his voice filled with so much longing. Hesitantly, she raised her hands to wound around his waist when he released a shaky breath.

They stayed like that for a long time until each of their heart beats settled into a slow romantic song.

Gauri opened her eyes just to check if all of this were a dream.

His touch, his breaths and the heat of his body felt so damn real that she could vouch on her life that it isn't any fancy of hers.

 But how? why?

Her eyes restlessly wandered around the place trying to form a meaningful explanation of his act, when they stopped to look at the painting her husband had been working on since before her arrival.

A familiar pair of hazel-colored eyes stared back at her and she gulped a sob when she noted just how beautiful she looked to his eyes. The picture beamed at her and the smile was lively enough to drive the darkness out of the room and their lives.

Why is it so difficult to understand you? Why don't you tell me what you want Omkaraji?..... her heart asked him in silence as she closed her eyes once again to bask in the warmth of his hug.

Her questions could wait for a moment longer.

*****************************************************************************************

Huhhh...

Just tell me what you think... that's all I want to ask...

Until next week... signing off... your Soujanya.