"Svetlana, why did you involve yourself in the kidnap? If you are caught this time, I won't be able to get you out. Shivaay must be behind the entire department to get you arrested for sure," a gruff voice sounded from the other end of the line.

"I am sorry uncle. I thought Karan would be of help but he is too moral to side me in this."

"Is that guy of any use to us? First get rid of him."

"I think you are right," Svetlana agreed.

"I thought he is smart and that he would be of help but he is too hard to be coaxed and he wouldn't assist me unless he thinks it would help him find something on Tej," she said grumpily.

"Svetlana, if he knows that you lied, he might give you away to the police or worse he might harm you. I am worried about you, my child."

"Please don't uncle. Karan knows nothing as I did not trust him completely. I will be alright. We waited twenty years for our revenge and we will succeed this time."

"I know you will make me proud."

"Okay, I will call you later."

"Sure, remember that Sahil is not important. If need arises don't hold on to him. We don't need Pinky's help any longer. So, you need not please her."

"Okay," Svetlana replied and ended the call.

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As days passed, Omkara and Gauri could curb their anger but did not try to understand each other. The days went painfully long with silent stares, each waiting for the other to talk and the nights were falsely comforting when they found each other only physically close.

"We will find him Anika, we just got a clue," Shivaay told his fiancé and she blankly nodded her head.

"Please eat something Bhabhi. Sitting like this will not do any good," Omkara urged his sister in law.

"Sahil will not forgive us if he saw you with a shrunken face and swollen eyes," Rudra said hugging his sister in law.

It has been three days to the incident and Gauri watched in silence as the three brothers tried to console the bride to be.

"Can you please give me some time alone? I will eat in a short while," Anika spoke and the three men helplessly nodded their heads.

Gauri stood up to leave with them when she was stopped.

"Bhaujai?"

"Stay Gauri," said Anika and the latter looked at her husband who nodded his head, gesturing her to take care of the other.

Once they were alone, Anika burst into tears and Gauri could do nothing but hug her close, gently rubbing her back.

"Kyun hota hai ye mere saath humesha? Kushiya meri zindagi mein zyadaa deer tak rukti kyun nahi. Meri two rupee kismat humesha use cheen ke le jaati hai."

"Why does this always happen to me Gauri. Happiness doesn't stay in my life for long. Every time I think that I am happy, the next moment my bad luck snatches it away," the elder one cried in the younger one's arms.

"Sahil is the only one I have. It is my marriage in a few days and I am here without anyone by my side like an orphan. I don't feel like there is any energy left in me to cry."

"Please don't say that Bhaujai. You have me, our entire family and you have Sahil. He will come back to us in no time."

"Day by day I am losing hope. What they already kil..."

"No Bhabhi. Shankar ji can't be that cruel. Just listen to me and eat," she asked but Anika shook her head in a no.

"For me? Just a little," she said and put the plate before her.

It took more than an hour to convince her sister in law to have a meal and tuck her into the bed.

Taking one last look at her sister's face, she turned around and took purposeful steps to meet her brother-in-law.

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

"I think I am losing her," Omkara heard his brother say.

"Shivaay," he said in a gentle voice taking him into a comforting hug.

"She will be okay once we find him."

"I thought I will give her a happy wedding and now..."

"You are not responsible for her agony."

"I am not able to reduce it either Om."

Omkara sighed, exhausted in finding words to console his brother. He understood the pain behind Shivaay's breakdown but this was not the time to fall weak.

"Bade bhaiyya," he heard Gauri call his brother and parted from the hug.

"I want to talk to him," she asked looking at him.

"Gauri, Shivaay is not in a particularly good mood. Can you come after some while?"

"No, I want to talk now."

Omkara frowned at his wife as he said, "What is it and why can't it wait for some time?"

"Om, it is okay. Gauri come," his brother called her in and he waited for her to start the talk.

"I want to talk to you alone bhaiyya."

Shivaay looked at his brother, whose frown deepened by the second. He was definitely not happy at being dismissed.

"Gauri, what is so ..."

"Om, check if Rudy wants help. He called me some time back."

"Shivaay,..."

"Please, just for a few minutes. We don't need to argue for everything."

Gauri knew her husband did not approve of her behavior but she stood her ground and waited for him to leave them alone. For what she had in mind, he wouldn't allow her to finish her talk, if he were present there.

Once the door close with a little more force than needed, Shivaay asked her sister in law.

"Tell me now Gauri."

"You have put Karan ji's phone on tracker and you have also monitored his activities since last time. Yes?"

"Why are we back to that again? I told you Om will not like it."

"Answer my question first bade bhaiyya, we can talk about that later. Did you find anything suspicious?"

"No. He had been clean but that doesn't prove anything Gauri. He must have expected this and so he had been careful."

"How? You gave clear instructions that he should not be asked directly until you find a clue on Sahil. You wanted to catch him red handed. That was your explanation."

"Bhavya suggested it."

"The department suspects that Svetlana is involved in this," she said.

"Yeah. That is what we know from the data report. They are expecting to get to them soon," he told her in a wishful tone.

"It is okay if you don't trust Karan ji but do you trust me or not bhaiyya?"

"Gauri, I am sure I wont like what you are going to ask."

"Do you trust me or not?"

"Of course I trust you Gauri. Is that even a question to ask? But please don't ..."

"Then pull the charges off Karan ji and ask help," he heard her say the very words he feared.

"Do you know what you are asking? Even if I agree, Om will be furious. He has always been against Karan and I was the one who did not listen to him. That guy betrayed us Gauri."

"We are not going to be friends with him again. I only asked you to take professional help. Don't talk to him after this if that is what you want. Did you see Anika Bhaujai's state? It is your wedding in a few days and she is in no state to be a bride."

"Will he help us if we ask?"

"At least we won't be sitting here thinking about what ifs."

"I still don't like this Gauri. You and Om, it will affect your relation."

"We don't have any choice left. Please do this. The rest,.." she sighed and looked away. "Can be thought of later."

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"We need to talk," an angry Omkara stormed into their room the very next day.

Gauri who was talking on the phone, looked up to see his angry face and stood up from the bed to face him.

"Why is he screaming Gauri?" she heard Dandi's worried voice ask through the phone.

"Bhaiyya I will call you in some time," she mumbled before she ended the call despite the latter's protests.

"Did you ask Shivaay to ask Karan for help?" Omkara asked.

Keeping her phone aside, she stared at him in silence preparing herself for the fight and he yelled at the lack of response.

"Answer me in a yes or no."

"Yes, I asked him," she replied calmly.

"I asked you not to talk with him and for him. Didn't I?"

"Omkara ji..."

"Did I or did I not?"

"You did, but.."

"In spite of that if you did it then it means that my words hold no importance to you."

"Think with a calm mind first. Stop screaming."

"No, I cannot think of any other reason here."

"This is not about you and me Omkara ji, this is about Sahil."

"What about him? We are working on that. It is not like Karan is the only savior and the rest of the department are fools."

"Could you please keep your ego to a side, just for a few days?" she said losing her patience.

"Ego? Do you think I am doing this out of ego? Gauri don't you see my concern in all this?"

Gauri sighed helplessly.

Why can't he understand her side?

"Karan ji worked with Svetlana and he should have known some information. By asking him we will only get help. We are not going to lose anything. Even if there is a minute chance, we have to make use of that," she explained.

"You are out of your mind. He kidnapped you and you still trust him because of his story? For all we know, he must be bluffing and acting good for you," he screamed back, refusing to back down.

"Why would he do that Omkara ji?"

He looked at her in exasperation. He was one step away from breaking some artistic furniture in the room.

"He likes you," he spelled it out.

Gauri widened her eyes and mutely stared at him for a while.

"I...he..." she tried to form a comeback but her husband looked so sure of the fact that she began to doubt her thoughts.

"How can you not know?"

"He just likes to irritate you Omkara ji."

"I can't believe I am explaining this to you. He flirts with you every chance he gets and out of everybody, he told his sad story to you. Why? Out of friendship? He has other motives and by trusting him blindly, by fighting with me for him, you are airing that motive."

"I am your wife," she shouted in outrage.

"That doesn't change anything. At least not to him obviously."

"Of course it does. It doesn't matter to me if he likes me or not. I just wanted help."

"What if he doesn't think that way?"

"He won't."

"How do you know that? I had to literally put it out to you that he likes you. You are oblivious to the facts."

Because he knows that I love you and he doesn't have any chance with me... she wanted to say but she didn't.

If she has to confess, she wouldn't be doing it when they are arguing over a third person.

She thought that he was jealous and had kept Karan away only because of unwarranted hatred but after talking to him, she understood his concern too. It helped her considerably calm down.

Taking his hand, she gently rubbed it looking into his eyes. He stared at her in silence calming his rage when she spoke again.

"I am sorry I did not think like you Omkara ji. All I had in my mind was that there are more chances that he would know things if Svetlana planned this."

"Gauri, anything could have happened that day when you went out with him. I trusted him with you. I cannot take betrayals that easily and you know it," he said in a clipped tone and she nodded in understanding.

"Shivaay said he is pulling out all the charges. What if he comes after you once this gets cleared? I cannot take that risk."

"He is not that bad a person Omkaraji," she said and he scoffed.

Gauri sighed before she hugged him close. His hands in a reflex, went around her, gathering her in a protective embrace.

"Didn't you see Anika Bhaujai's condition and how worried bade bhaiyya is for her? This needs to end soon Omkara ji," she mumbled into his chest but he maintained his silence.

"I will be fine with you."

"Gauri,.." he started when she parted from him just enough to look at his face.

"I will not do anything without informing you from here on," she promised and he stared at her face.

He was still not convinced but at the same time, he couldn't ignore his brother's pain. Letting out a defeated sigh, he nodding his head and earned a kiss on the cheek.

"I am sorry I misunderstood your concern," she gently whispered.

"Am I that difficult to understand?"

"Well, the next time instead of screaming, try talking nicely," she taunted winding her hands around his neck.

He would have given a reply but looking at her staring at his lips, he leaned in urgently and took her mouth into a passionate kiss.

Hell, how she missed his taste.

Matching his passion, she thrusted into his mouth hard and fast, moaning in pleasure.

Perhaps it was the abstinence of the past few days or because of the way she responded to him, Omkara couldn't restrain his hands or his wants.

He teased her with his gentle caress on her waist groaning her name against her lips making her feel the extreme urge to touch him as well.

One of her hands left his hair and began to descend down his neck to his shirt button. When it refused to budge open, she brought her other hand to help and sighed in relief when she contacted the skin of his chest.

Omkara left her mouth to kiss her jaw. He began with the teasing sweet kisses which changed when he felt her intentionally brush his skin to goad him. They became bold and seductive as he descended to the sweet spot on her neck. He stroked his tongue there and began to nip the delicate skin when she gasped his name.

"Om!"

He stopped and looked at her heavily breathing form with longing.

Every cell in him knew that she wanted him as much as he wanted her but it took a mountain of strength and thought to decide that now was not the time.

"I like it when you call me Om," he whispered, pecking her lips.

She blushed and hugged him hiding her face when he smiled and teased her again, "Why don't you call me that at all times."

"Omkara ji, stop it," she protested.

"I won't mind it," he said parting from her and cupping her face.

She looked at him and shook her head in a no before raising her hands to button his shirt.

"Vo bas nikal gaya tha, (It just slipped)" she mumbled and he chuckled pulling her cheek.

"Done," she said righting his appearance.

He stuck a hair strand behind her ear and kissed her forehead.

"I only agreed for Shivaay and Anika bhabhi. I still don't like you talking to him," he said.

"I know and I will keep that in mind," she said.

"I will be in the studio," he said and she nodded before he left her in the room.

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I am not asking for more...

Signing off... yours Soujanya.