"Ouch" Karan yelled as Gauri tried to apply an ice pack to his bruised face.

"Now you scream. Why were you goading him? Are you mad Karan ji? Omkaraji ka gussa humesha naak pe baitha rehta hai. Ek baar Nandi swaroop lelenge to sab ko sata denge. (His anger rests on his nose and if annoyed, he is not one to meddle with)"

"You know what Gauri? I like playing Khatron ka Khiladi, especially acts like bull fights. Your husband really serves the purpose."

"Ha ha ha... (ye joke tha?) is this a joke?"

"Tha too... I was just doing my job"

"Since when did provoking people become your job profile?"

"Listen Gauri. This secret or whatever you called it till now had used up a lot of my brain cells. You don't eat the remaining part. Give me that ice pack and go from here before your guy comes to punch me again."

"Are? What did I do now? Your nose is bleeding again Karan ji, you continue to apply pressure, I will put the ice pack. How will you do both?"

"Then don't scold me again"

"Fine!! I won't talk" she said proceeded to do her task making a cute pout.

Karan smiled at her haughty response.

Only a dumb guy can not like you woman... he thought with longing.

"Gauri," he called her coaxingly and she hummed.

"The only lead you gave us was that Pinky Oberoi might be involved in the conspiracy" he started to explain and she listened to him in silence, continuing to apply the pack.

"When I asked Shivaay to think of anything that his brothers or his wife might have spilled unknowingly, he said he could remember bits of conversation he had with Anika a few days back when he was drugged."

"Naam, khuun, khandan and Kamini were the words he could remember. Now I know he was a bit obsessed with the lineage thing but it wasn't a great lead to follow. But when I enquired more about this Kamini who was in close contact with Pinky Oberoi, I got to know that she had been Shakti uncle's mistress."

"I just spun a story with the clues I had in my hand. That story seemed the most plausible because Anika wouldn't have told Shivaay that he was an illegitimate son."

"Basically, all we had was smoke and we had no proofs to back it. In fact, I had a doubt on your choti maaji since the start. I even asked your bhaujai if she needed help to cross check the facts but she blindly believed in her mother in law. I had to make that woman talk and Shivaay came up with the idea of the 'properties' drama."

"So, you need to provoke Pinky maa ji. Why were you against Omkara ji?" she argued.

"Gauri, when you want to yield the truth, you wont target your main victim. You should play smart and goad any other person to make the target believe they aren't being focused. Omkara seemed to be a very emotionally vulnerable guy and he served a good bogus. I was just trying to sound confident and clear otherwise, she wouldn't have opened up."

Gauri nodded her head in understanding and he chuckled.

"To speak the truth, provoking your husband has become my favorite pastime these days. You should just see his face becoming red when I talk your name."

"Red? Why?"

"What why? Of course he becomes jealous"

It was Gauri's turn to loudly laugh this time.

"Jealousy and Omkara ji, that too when you take my name? You are mistaken Karan ji. He must have just gotten angry listening to the word 'Gauri'."

Karan looked at her in disbelief as she continued to laugh at her own joke for some more time.

"Seriously now? Are you acting ignorant or did you really not realize?"

"Realize what? That you were fooled?"

"Gauri, I can bet on all my under wears that Omkara loves you"

"Yuck!! What did you just say?"

Karan gave her a toothy grin.

"I said I bet on my under wears. In case I lose, you obviously won't be interested in taking them right?" he said and laughed at his own joke.

Gauri rolled her eyes and he sighed shaking his head.

"This Oberoi mansion seriously needs a doctor because everyone is mental, you were my last hope Gauri."

"How can you not know he loves you?"

"He doesn't Karan ji."

"He does Gauri."

"No he doesn't you are misunderstanding his reactions."

"No I am not. You are turning a blind eye to him. He really loves you."

"He doesn't."

"He loves."

"No!!"

"Okay fine you want me to prove it to you?"

"What? How?"

"Leave that to me."

"Why, you want more punches on your face?" she asked in sarcasm and he raised his eyebrow.

"What makes you think I will stand straight waiting for his move? This time it was my compulsion, he won't be so lucky the next time my dearie," he said and winked at her.

Gauri sucked in a breath and asked in a reflex, "Please don't hit him."

"Hey bhagwan, aagayi bharatiya pativrata patni ji. Were you like this from the start or something changed after marriage?" he asked with a smile which soon dropped seeing the flicker of hurt in her eyes.

"Gauri? umm... did I say anything wrong?"

"No Karan ji, nothing you said was wrong. It is only that I don't recognize my own self now. I wasn't like this," she said with a small smile.

"Then find yourself first Gauri," Karan said making her look at his urging eyes.

"You don't need to bow your head to him just because he is your husband. Don't think I did not notice the way he talked to you today," he said and she looked away in shame.

"Okay, I don't want to talk anything you aren't comfortable with. But I consider you a friend. You can talk to me when you are okay with it" he gave her a choice.

An awkward silence grew for the next few seconds, before he deftly changed the topic asking, "Where is Shivaay and Anika? There were supposed to come in a minute. Uhh... and that was what one hour ago?"

"Let them be Karan ji. They united after such a long time. They might want to talk."

"Hmm, I wonder how your Nandi ji did not come looking for you till now. Isn't it strange?" he wondered aloud.

"Gauri," Omkara called her name, walking into the guest room at the same moment.

"Speak of the devil" Karan sang in a low tone while Gauri gently nudged him.

"You weren't believing me right? Just watch the magic now," he whispered before he placed an arm over her shoulder.

"Yeah, she is here Mr. Omkara. Unlike you, she is sweet enough to help me with the wound," Karan said smirking at his rival.

Omkara walked further into the room giving Karan a glare again.

When he was quick enough to remove the man's hand from his wife's shoulder, pulling her to his side, the cop held back a laugh while Gauri looked on surprised.

The artist looked at his muse, his eyes softening a bit as he said, "I have been looking for you."

"For what?" Karan drawled making the couple look at him.

"Why do you want to know? I am talking to her."

"I am sure she wants to ask the same question. Kyun Gauri?" he asked and she nodded her head.

"Can we not talk here?" Omkara asked meekly while she looked at him unyielding.

"Let us go," he breathed out and grabbed her hand as he turned around to walk away from the man who is all set to irritate him.

"Are.. how mannerless. She asked you something and you are dragging her with you without answering her question. tsk tsk...too bad Omkara jiiii" he wantedly dragged the name for effect.

Omkara closed his eyes for a second before opening them and asked; "Why are you hell bent on irking me Karan?"

"I don't know man. Maybe because you are too easy to goad you know... You lose your marbles sooner," he said smiling at Gauri who was gesturing him to stop his teasing.

"Just...." Omkara sighed before taking a willing Gauri back to his room ignoring his nemesis's cat calls.

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

Gauri watched the man who more or less hauled her to the room giving an excuse of 'talk' and has been walking from one end of the room to another ever since.

Once in a while, he would stop, look at her with so much guilt, he would open his mouth like a fish in water and then resume his exercise.

As the ticking of the clock and sound of sandals kicking the floor began to resonate in the otherwise silent room, she began to get irritated.

How difficult was it to utter a word of apology?... she wondered.

She was sure he brought her there for that very purpose. It has become a new normal for him... break her heart and ask for an apology.

And it is your routine to forgive him... her mind mocked.

Shaking her head, she got up from the recliner where she was made to sit and walked towards the door when Omkara rushed to her, catching hold of her wrist.

She turned around to look into his pleading eyes which tugged at her heart strings.

"Gauri...."

"Hmmm"

"Main...... main...."

"Aap kuch bolna chate hai Omkaraji? (Do you want to talk anything?)" she tried to sound unaffected.

"I... actually" he struggled again before he sighed and said "Nothing."

Gauri's anger got the better of her and she forcefully withdrew her hand from his touch.

"Great, I did not expect more than this" she passed him a glare and turned around.

"Gauri, please I am sorry for..." he started making her sharply turn to him again.

"Sorry for what? For accusing me again or for disappointing me again."

Omkara looked into her eyes filled with water and drowned into more guilt.

"How difficult is it for you to talk Omkaraji? Aap shayar ho na? Aapko labzo ki kami kaise hai? (how can you be out of words)"

"Karan has been inciting me Gauri, you know how important Shivaay is to me. I knew you got an idea of what was supposed to happen and I..."

"You assumed that I told Shivaay bhaiyya something which would break him. Is that it? Bade bhaiyya is nothing to me. I won't feel any difference if he is in pain. Is that what you are implying?"

"I know I was wrong and that was why I did not know how to ask you sorry. The mistakes I make only increase by the day and every time I feel ashamed to be at the same position before you. But this anger, I cannot seem to control it."

"Galat feemi hoo jaate hai Omkaraji, hum maante hai. Hume bhi hui hai. But har baar? Har baar aap kaise hume galat samajh sakte hai? (I understand that misunderstanding can happen, but you cannot do that to me every time)" she asked, tears sluicing her face.

"Gauri please don't" he said raising his hand to wipe of tear when she turned her face away from his touch making him withdraw his limb.

"Why are you so difficult to understand? You make me cry and you yourself wipe those tears. You do something so serene that it fills my heart with warmth and the next minute you break it with your vile words," she continued to cry.

When I ask you questions, you kill me with your accusations making me want to go away and when I will myself to do it, you order me to stay. Why are you like this Omkaraji? Answer me" she shouted, forcefully lifting his downcast chin.

His answer was a shake of head as a tear rolled down his cheek, digging a hole in her heart.

The pain in his eyes was unmistakable, as was his insecurity. Her mind screamed at her for melting again but she wanted to pacify him. Not knowing how else to comfort, she threw her hands around him, hugging him close.

Her husband greedily grabbed the chance, returning the hug with his own, knowing he would find solace nowhere else but in her embrace.

As their tears stopped flowing, Omkara was the first to speak.

"I am sorry I am like this," he mumbled.

"I don't have answers to any of your questions at the moment," he said and she nodded, gently rubbing his back.

"But that doesn't mean I don't care about you. I cannot tolerate your tears nor can I live with your absence in my life," he mumbled, tightening the hug not knowing the damage he was doing to her.

"You are important to me Gauri," he said and her traitorous heart started to flutter again, wanting extra, wishing more.

The two of them remained silent, hugging each other for the next few minutes not wanting to disturb the calm of the moment.

Her hands massaged his scalp, passing through his lustrous hair and he heaved a sigh, his breath fanning the skin of her bare shoulder making her shiver at the intimacy.

Holding onto one last flicker of hope, she dared to ask him in a mere whisper.

"Wil.... Will you let me in?"

He stilled in her arms for a second and the silence that followed terrified her. The speed at which her heart worked, scared her and she hid her face into his chest, willing herself to listen his heart's tune.

An eternity later, her husband's beats normalized and he decided to speak.

"You know that I am not an easy man to deal with Gauri. I don't want you to be stuck..."

"We can only try," she cut him off midsentence making him assume his silence again.

"Will you?" she asked again, impatience clear in her tone and she felt him lovingly kiss her hair.

"I will," he finally said and she stopped herself from crying out loud in happiness.

Instead, "Thank oo" she cutely mumbled into his chest.

Omkara could feel his shirt freshly soak, but he couldn't help the teary smile that formed on his face hearing her 'thank oo'

He slightly parted from her, just to wipe her tears and she too raised her hands to rub his face.

"Thank you Gauri" he stressed as he hugged her again, not wanting the moment to end while she gently nodded, closing her eyes and feeling his love, which he was yet to realize.

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

Celebration time??

Jisko pasand ayah hai... comment mein 'heart' do... whichever color you like.

Haa one more thing. Do anyone of you feel Rikara shouldn't be together and that Karan can be given a chance? Gauri has been giving too many chances to her husband... don't you think? 

Will meet you again in the next week...

Take care till then, love you all.