"How is she? What did the doctor say?" Omkara anxiously asked, upon seeing his mother enter his room.

"Om, the doctor is yet to come. You should be with Gauri," Jhanvi tiredly repeated her earlier words.

Her son shook his head in negative before crumbling on to the couch, covering his face with his palms.

"Om," Jhanvi neared her son, putting a hand on his head.

"Why can't I be happy mom? Why?" he mumbled weakly.

Jhanvi's eyes watered at his state. Standing close, she hugged him tight combing her hands through his hair.

Omkara gladly accepted her love. Burying his face into his mother's stomach he cried for his ill fate.

"How will I face her? What will she say and how the hell can I show my face to her mother. What if she takes her away?" Jhanvi could hear his weak cry.

"Your wife will not leave you Om. I am not going to allow that no matter what it takes," she promised him.

"She isn't a thing mom, she has a free will," he scolded though he still hugged her.

Jhanvi kissed the top of his head and apologized.

"Gauri will give you a chance to say your side of the story. I will talk to Sharada ji myself once she gets up," she tried to assure.

"I can deal with anything but the look of accusation in her eyes mom. Why does it have to be like this? I really did not do it."

She parted from the hug and looked into his teary eyes.

"You are my son Om. You will never do such a crime and you need not explain yourself to me. First get up from here. You need to be somewhere else," she said.

"Mom, please I am not ready to..."

"You will never be ready for this but that doesn't mean you will run away from your problems. I will not let you do the same mistake as me. Get up," she said and tried to pull him up.

"Mom," he pleaded again but got up from his place.

"No, I am not listening to you in this," she said and dragged him downstairs towards the guest room.

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

"Is everything okay Doctor?" Shivaay asked after the doctor finished his examination.

"Yeah, nothing seems to be that troublesome. She still has a weak pulse but you can give her more water. She should be alright by tomorrow," said the doctor prescribing a few medicines.

"Sharada ji, have you had any blackouts recently?" the doctor asked.

Gauri saw her mother shaking her head in negative and glared at her.

"She said she felt dizzy this afternoon doctor ji," she told him the truth.

"Come to the hospital as soon as possible. Let me do some tests and then we can clear all the possible doubts," he advised and they agreed.

"Thank you for coming on such a short notice, I will drop you home," Shivaay offered.

"No problem Shivaay, I have my driver with me. You take care of the patient," came the reply and Shivaay nodded.

For a moment he glanced at Gauri whose focus was on her mother.

Did she believe the video?

He desperately wanted to ask her to give his brother a chance to explain himself but he stopped himself thinking now was not the time.

Let her free herself from her mother's worries first.... he thought.

Turning around, he walked the doctor out of the room as a formal gesture.

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

Once alone, Sharada regarded her daughter with studious eyes.

She looked terrible no doubt after such a scene but Sharada wanted to know her exact thoughts.

"Gauri, about the video.."

"Mom, stop. Let us not talk about it for today, please."

"But beta,.."

"No maa, you need rest."

"I can't sleep with my head full of questions and unhappy scenarios Gauri," the elder one argued.

Her daughter closed her eyes but remained silent.

"Did he really,... do you believe it Gauri?" Sharada asked in worry.

Both Jhanvi and Omkara were about to enter the guest room when they saw Shivaay disappear around the corner with an elder man beside him Probably he was sending the doctor off, they assumed.

Jhanvi looked at her son who eyes pleaded her to let him go. Shaking her head in negative, she pulled at his hand when she stopped hearing to the question Sharada asked Gauri.

The tense silence that followed was so deafening that it put people to the edge. Omkara could hear their own heart, beat at an erratic speed. Both the mothers held their breath praying that their children shouldn't have their hearts broken.

After what seemed like forever, Gauri broke the quiet.

"Jo aadmi galat hote hue dekh nahi sakta, vo khud galat kaam kaise kar sakta hai maa," she said and they heaved a sigh of relief.

(How can a man who cannot tolerate the sight of something wrong commit an offense himself?)

Jhanvi turned to her son with a happy smile and saw a tear glide down his cheek, his eyes looking at the door of the room.

"But why will anyone do this Gauri? How can they stoop so low?"

"Don't you know him maa? His family has many enemies and believe me, greed can turn people into animals. I don't know who did this and why but I know that Omkara ji can never do such a thing."

Sharada nodded her head and hugged her daughter.

"I believe you Gauri. I trust your decision. Support your husband, he needs you now," she advised.

Jhanvi tugged at his son's hand again when he firmly stood at his place.

"Om, come inside now at least," Jhanvi whispered.

"No mom, I promise I will talk to her tonight but I need to be on my own for some time," he requested earnestly.

"Tonight, you promise," his mother repeated and he nodded his head before freeing his hand and walking away.

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

"Gauri, isn't it late for you? Go and sleep beta," Sharada said after an hour.

"I will go in a bit. Drink this," she handed over a pill and water which her mother accepted.

"Will you talk to him today?"

"I don't know, let me see."

Sharada nodded calmly when she remembered the phone call earlier.

"I forgot to tell you, Dandi called me just before that clip played. He said he wanted to talk to you about something important," she said and her daughter widened her eyes.

"What?"

"Yes, I ended the call and walked back to inform you of the same when I saw what wrong happened. Call him beta, may be he knows something about it," she said.

"I will. You sleep and I will call him."

"But.."

"Sleep maa," her tone was strict making her mother comply.

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

Gauri anxiously called her brother and listened to the mechanical voice talking at the other end informing that her brother was not available, just like the last two times.

Closing her eyes she prayed to her Shankar ji and dialed the number for one last time.

The ringtone played for a while before a groggy voice answered.

"Gauri, is it you? why did you call in so late? It is eleven in the clock," Dandi asked.

"Bhaiyya, maa told me that you called me in the evening," she said her voice so anxious that her brother could sense it from miles away.

"What happened?" he asked fully alert and listened to her narrate the incidents in order.

"My God, it seems Karan was right," he uttered.

"What?"

"He called me in the afternoon saying that Pinky Oberoi might target you to take her revenge."

"Did he go mad? Why will Choti maaji do this?"

"Not only that, but he also said, Pinky Oberoi made a deal with Svetlana. She was the one responsible for Sahil's kidnap, not Karan."

Ignoring the gasp from the other end, Dandi continued.

"He wanted you to know that he did not help them in anyway."

Gauri stood shell shocked at the revelation.

How low can Pinky as a person stoop just to get things done her way? What was all this for? She made her son and daughter in law go through hell only because she didn't want Anika to be his son's wife. What more was in store for them?

Still, the way Karan played her, she didn't want to believe his words.

"May be he just... he wanted to act innocent again. He is putting the blame..."

"No Gauri, things match. Just think of everything again."

"How can I believe this Bhaiyya, Choti maaji,.. she..she is family."

Dandi scoffed loudly at the statement.

"She is your family and so is Jhanvi Oberoi and so are the rest. Everyone wants to fulfill their own wishes. You are just being an asset to their whims. One wishes to keep you there because her son needs you while the other one wants to hurt you because her son gives you more importance than her."

"Bhaiyya, what are you saying?"

"That family held so much information from you Gauri. Your husband was accused of molestation before. It was that video with which Svetlana blackmailed them and entered the house. Your mother in law lied to you saying that it had Tej Oberoi in a compromising position with his mistress and not her son."

Her eyes widened as the meaning of his words sank into her. Her heart began to tremble with the burden of a bad realization.

"Please tell me this is not true bhaiyya," Gauri whimpered from the other end.

Dandi felt guilty for bursting his sister's happy bubble. The way she glowed the last time he visited the mansion to attend Shivika's wedding, that image still lingered in his mind. It only told him of the happy life she had been living since her faulty marriage.

Yet, he cannot keep her in the dark anymore, not when he knew her family's devious plans. She had a fair right to decide things and for that, she must know the falsity she is surrounded with.

"I am sorry but it is true Gauri. I too didn't want to believe Karan after everything but hearing things from you, I can only conclude that this is what happened. When he told me about this, I refused to believe it and asked him to not call me again but I just couldn't ward of the feeling that something bad is about to happen."

She felt betrayed and hurt, not only by her husband but also by the people she considered her family.

"I have never seen anyone as hypocritical as your husband. I mean lying is a huge issue for him yet, keeping things from you and letting you believe in a lie is not? God knows what else that man with held from you," he said and Gauri could feel her temper rise.

So much for getting to know each other.

How dare he withhold such an information from her.

After every effort of her to get close to him, to break through his walls, she realized that she barely scratched the surface.

Will they ever form a bond of trust? Will he allow it? because all she ever got from him was an empty promise of a happy relationship. Maybe she expected too much of him. Maybe she is walking towards a mirage and nothing else.

"Gauri?" Dandi's voice sounded louder, perhaps she zoned out.

"Thanks you bhaiyya. I will..." she paused to steady her voice. "I will take it from here."

"Take care Gauri, you know you need not thank me. I will always be there for you. Just be careful," he said before he ended the call.

Gauri stared at the phone for a few silent minutes before wiping her tears and making up her mind. With purposeful steps, she steered to their room, taking two stairs a time.

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

The clock chimed twelve in the night and Gauri furiously got up from the bed, her ears fed up listening to the phone going to voice mail when she called Omkara again.

She wasn't surprised when she found the room empty. Obviously, her husband should flee at the first sign of trouble. Irked by his actions, she almost threw her phone when the door to the bedroom opened and in stepped the subject of her thoughts.

The first thing Omkara noticed upon entering the room was the angry stance of his wife. Even now she looked beautiful with her open hair and flawless skin still dressed in the same white saree she wore for the evening but lost was the light in her hazels.

He knew he was wrong in running away and making her wait until late but he needed time to gather the bits of himself which would crumble with guilt if he allowed it. Had he showed even an ounce of the trust that she had in him, he wouldn't have hurt her before.

"Don't you have anything to say?" her cold tone met his ears and he woke up from his thoughts.

"I... I am sorry."

Gauri took a lungful of air and then slowly breathed it out.

"Did Svetlana blackmail you with the video which we saw earlier? Did you know that it was you in it and not your father?"

Omkara widened his eyes. He knew they will have to talk about the horrendous incident but he wasn't expecting this question out of everything.

"I.." he mumbled not wanting to answer, stalling the time.

"Did you know or not Omkaraji?" she asked again, the impatience in her voice, very much evident.

"Yes."

His voice was barely audible but she heard it.

A dagger, molten hot and coated with spice drilled into his heart as he saw her eyes fill up instantly and a tear escape her long lashes. When she closed her eyes and turned to walk away from him, he did the mistake of stopping her.

"Don't touch me," she yelled and pushed him away making him stumble back.

"Gauri... I.."

"How very noble of you that you cannot lie but can make me believe in a lie Omkaraji."

"Let me explain Gauri."

"Why? Why should I let you? What if you tell me only that part which suits you while I come to know of the rest from others."

"I thought that you will misunderstand. That is the only reason..."

"Can you ever trust me?"

"It is not that Gauri. Please listen to me. I was just afraid that I will lose you."

She looked at him with disbelief and said, "Afraid of me leaving you? and stay with someone else yes? Obviously, I will be looking for the first chance to get away from you."

"I... I don't know. I couldn't bring myself to tell you about that.... That thing."

"I am asking you about the why Omkara ji," she pointed out.

"Unless there is some push, unless something extremely worse happens, you never open up. I want to know why. Am I that un trustable? Don't you want to talk to me? Don't you want us to do something about our marriage?"

"Gauri it is not that simple as it sounds. My past is something I am not immensely proud of. Those ugly tales are better kept away from you."

"How can you say that? I have known you only since a few months. But I also want to know you from what you were before me. I always wondered what was the reason you hated me at first sight. Those accusations cannot be meaningless right? I want to know what made you the man you were then."

"You know about my parents and Svetlana."

"That is not the only reason why you have become a closed person," she argued.

"Well, that is all I can tell you for now," he said in finality.

Gauri stared at him with disappointment. Seconds later she shook her head and backed away from him to open the cupboard. The way he discarded the talk, hurt her pride.

Omkara panicked as he saw her pack a few clothes in a bag.

"What are you doing?" he asked nearing her.

"I want to stay away for a few days. I will stay with maa," she replied.

That made him angry.

"No you will not," he declared and pushing her, he began to remove the clothes from the bag.

Gauri tried to stop him but he didn't listen. Throwing the bag to the other end of the room, he looked at a furious her.

"If you need your personal space, it is only fair that I should have mine. I need a break too and I am doing just that," she spoke angrily.

She knew she was being hard on him, forcing him to open to her rather than wait and give him time. The happenings of the night, her mother seeing her husband in such a way was insulting to her. On top of that the fact that even after knowing the culprit, she couldn't do anything, irked her to no end.

Omkara sighed loudly in frustration and helplessness.

"I know I am at fault Gauri but please give me some time to gather myself."

"You can take all the time you want. I am only asking you to give me some space as well."

"Gauri, listen. This is not about trusting you I promise. You already have many reasons to leave me and I don't want to add another. Let things settle down and we shall talk," he pleaded earnestly.

"Why do you keep saying that? That I will leave you?" she asked, confusion marring her features.

"Because I did so much wrong to you. The fact that you are still with me itself is too hard to believe Gauri. Had I been more patient, more trusting..."

Before he could continue, she showed her palm making him pause.

"Stop right there. You think that me staying here is a favor? Are you being grateful to me Omkaraji?"

When he stayed mum looking down, she wiped her tears to clear her vision and took time in assessing his features. Disheveled and untidy, he looked like he had been through hell.

In all the chaos, the fact that he must also have been shocked with the events skipped her mind.

How unempathetic of her to ignore what he must have gone through when such an image of him played before the entire family, including her mother... she thought in grim silence.

He didn't say it out loud but his tears spoke volumes about his helplessness, disappointment at himself and more than anything, about his guilt that he hurt her.

"I just cannot let you go away from me even though I feel like I do not deserve you," he replied after prolonged silence and her heart went out for him.

"Omkara ji," she called his name but he refused to look at her.

"I cannot," he weakly mumbled.

Gauri' eyes filled with fresh tears as she walked up to him and hugged him. Her husband was so happy at the gesture and returned it with much love.

They stayed like that for a while. Omkara placed his head in the crook of her neck as she gently stroked his back.

"I am not doing you any favor Omkara ji," she said and his hands tightened around her.

Why else should you stay after everything I did to you? his heart asked though he didn't voice it out.

As though sensing his question, she loosened his hold and parted from him just a bit to look into his eyes.

She wiped his face with her palms and caressed his stubbled cheek.

"I chose to stay because I wanted to be with you. I too cannot let you go Omkara ji. I love you," she said looking into his eyes.

He never thought that such horrifying day would have that beautiful confession at the end.

Omkara was yet to confirm if it was his illusion. He wanted to know if his tired mind was playing games when his wife decided to put a stop to his doubts.

She pulled his face down and captured his lips in a loving kiss. As she coaxed him to open his mouth, he did it eagerly, tasting her like she was his favorite dish.

Gauri felt like a huge weight was lifted off her shoulders.

She already knew that he desired her. Now, with the dazed look he had when she told him of his feelings and with the way he tenderly kissed her back, she got to know that he also loved her.

It might be in near future that he will also indulge her in his past. For that day, she will have to patiently wait.

Everything, in time... she told herself as she let her body release its stress, indulging in the heartwarming romance.

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

Chalo chalo, so jao...serial mein itna hi dikhate hai...😁😁

Good night, sweet dreams.😇

Please vote and comment. ❤

Do let me know your thoughts.

Until the next update, signing off, yours Soujanya.
❤❤