The last lecture for the day ended and Gauri was in a foul mood. As if that was not enough, her new friends who were not aware of her state of mind, continued to pester her.

"I am extremely sorry for what happened yesterday Gauri," Mithila apologized again.

"You have apologized enough Mithila ji. Misunderstandings happen."

Her new friend still seemed unconvinced and glanced at Himani who was looking at Gauri with a bright smile on her face.

"I should have cross checked. Arjun sir told that his wife is thinking of joining in the institute and when he was being friendly with you, I assumed you were the one. Also your name..."

"Yeah, you told me that too. Now can we leave it at that? Omkara ji is not upset anymore," Gauri tried to reassure.

"But he appeared livid. Are you sure he calmed down in such a short time?" Mithila asked in doubt.

"Absolutely, she must have made it up to him," Gauri heard Himani say with a smirk, staring at the fresh mark on her neck.

Gauri quickly adjusted her scarf and mentally scolded her husband, as she heard her new friends banter.

"Don't you think before you speak Himani?"

"I speak the truth."

"Shut up."

"What a man he is. Omkara Singh Oberoi," Himani tried to mimic, making the wife frown.

"Hot, hot and hot intro I would say. You got yourself a damn good husband."

"God, this girl. Did your manners die? You are talking about her husband."

"I was complimenting him."

"That sounded like something else."

"Well, that is in your head oldie."

"Who did you call OLD?"

"You are old, boring and..."

"Okay, stop it you two," Gauri scolded having had enough and first turned to the elder one amongst them.

"Mithila ji, I promise Omkara ji will not hold a grudge against you. You please don't keep it in your mind," she assured.

Then turning to the other one, she passed her a glare.

"I am extremely delighted that you are talking to me like a long lost friend unlike your arrogant self yesterday but you better drop that dreamy tone when you talk about my husband."

Mithila chuckled as Himani raised her eyebrows at the warning.

"The girl got some spice in her Mithu, I like this one," said Himani making the other two roll their eyes.

"Oh, thanks for your flattering remark," Gauri said with sarcasm and gasped when the former kissed her cheek.

Giving her a smile, Himani bid a bye to both of the women and sauntered away.

As Gauri continued to stare at her back, Mithila laughed and explained.

"She is a very impulsive girl Gauri."

"But a kiss? I hardly know her."

"Doesn't matter to her. She seemed to like you too much."

"Shankar ji, ajeeb log hai yaha."

Her friend laughed while she shook her head and started dumping the books in her bag, ready to go to the library and meet her mentor.

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

"Do you have to make a fuss out of everything O? What is wrong with you?" Rudra exclaimed to his sulking brother.

"I don't understand why I cannot be the teacher and Arjun can. She need not go to him after college hours," Omkara tried to justify.

"It is his job and I am sure he can do it better than you."

"She isn't doing calculus. She has to pass her high school for now and I think I can teach her ."

"What is your actual problem? That you don't trust Arjun with her or you don't trust her?"

"I trust her and that is the only reason I kept my mouth shut when she told me of this arrangement."

"Yeah right and you sulk later. Why don't you like him?"

"Rudy," Omkara scolded his brother.

"It is not what it looks like. Gauri and I..." he started but stopped in hesitation.

When the silence got prolonged, Rudra stood up from the couch and reached his brother.

"You have to let it out to someone. Let me be the one O," he urged touching his shoulder.

"She doesn't know everything about me Rudy. I choose to keep it that way because I am not ready for it yet. Arjun is privy to those details and I don't want her to know them through him."

"Like what?" the younger one asked and was met with silence again.

Rudra stared at his brother when the missing link got visible.

"About the addiction? I remember Arjun and Shivaay bhaiyya trying to talk to you to quit."

Omkara grimaced and his brother sighed.

"He did care about you O."

"Of course he did and hence he told that lie to cause the humiliation."

Rudra smiled at his brother's sarcasm as the former continued.

"He knew what kind of problems I was facing that time. College was my escape and he ruined it for me."

"Come on O. It wasn't that bad. The very next day he told everybody that he lied. Didn't he?"

"That doesn't change the fact that he did it in the first place. I trusted him."

"You should give him a chance. I am sure he will never tell Chulbul Bhabhi that..."

"I cannot take the risk Rudy."

"Then tell her yourself."

"I..."

"What are you afraid of?"

"That I would look less respectable. That someone like me doesn't deserve to be with a girl like her."

"When did you turn into this insecure person O?"

"Since the time I realized that I love her Rudy."

"Great. I don't know whether to pity you or to smack you."

When his brother raised an eyebrow, he stuttered.

"I...I mean... this isn't you. Chulbul bhabhi will not take it that way."

When his brother merely sighed, he further added.

"Do one thing. If you cannot tell bhabhi, talk to Arjun. Tell him not to talk unnecessarily."

"I am not talking to him about something that personal. Not again."

"Cool, then continue to sulk," saying this Rudra walked out of the room, closing the door with a loud bang.

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

"How can they vanish into thin air Farhan?" Shivaay exclaimed.

"Sir, I am just a private investigator. With whatever contacts I had, I tried to get all the information I could but the link of Harshvardhan Trivedi's daughters is one thing I could not follow. Karan's father must have an idea of the same. He was the last person who contacted Trivedi."

"For what purpose? They had no common connection; they don't even work for the same company. In fact, Trivedi is the rival. Why did Shukla meet him in the first place. Was he the rat? Was he behind the fire accident?"

"I could only give you the facts sir," Farhan replied in a sigh.

"I am paying you to solve the case Farhan. I do business not crime investigation," Shivaay rebuked before he turned to his other aid who seemed to be in deep thoughts.

"What is your theory Bhavya?"

"We should only consider the data bhaiyya. According to the reports, the fire accident took place a day after Trivedi made the allegations on Oberois. According to his call records, all the numbers matched with his colleagues and close contacts except for two numbers. The investigation came to a stop when the police could not trace them."

"Why? Back in those days sim issue was a tedious procedure right? Not many used cell phones. It should have been easy for them," Shivaay asked.

"Right sir but Trivedi is a journalist and he ought to have secret contacts, people who gave him tips about the news in and around Mumbai."

"Okay, so these numbers were from Mumbai or?"

"The addresses were in Mumbai and what is more interesting were that they were in close locality of Trivedi. Bad luck is that after the fire accident, families from the nearby houses vacated the area. Hence the lack of information."

"If the police tried properly,..." Shivaay started.

"They didn't bhaiyya. The investigation was cut short, curtesy of the great Tej Singh Oberoi," Bhavya said and cut him short.

Farhan uncomfortably shifted in his place while the other two exchanged looks.

"Let us say that two other people contacted Trivedi on the day of fire accident," Shivaay said.

"Also on the day before, they were frequently contacted."

"So let us assume that Shukla is one of them."

"On what basis?"

"Don't you remember Karan telling us that his father took him away from the place when the accident happened?"

"Yeah, he was searching for something in the pen drive which Svetlana stole from the idol. There must be a reason why it was so important to them. Svetlana risked entering the house and Karan lost his cover."

"Not to forget that Karan's father was attacked by a mob. Though Bade papa said that he wasn't behind the attack there is someone trying to either silence him or wanted something from him. I am sure Shukla must have known something about the incident Farhan. Try to search for more information on that."

"Sir, Karan sir would know. He will...."

"I don't care how you get things done," Shivaay dismissed the concern and the latter zipped his mouth.

Bhavya who saw the man grimace, assured him.

"I will tell you when it is the right time to ransack his house. He is currently in Delhi but he has asked for security for his father. I will make sure you will have access."

"Thank you mam," said the young man before he took his leave.

Once they were alone, Shivaay smiled looking at the large file on the table.

"He did a good job," he couldn't help but appreciate.

"I know, he helped me a few times before," said Bhavya looking at the doorway.

"So he is under your training?"

"Not really, he just wants to join the force and he helps us whenever he can."

"How old is he, twenty something?"

"Hmm."

Shivaay considered her stance for a moment before he asked the question.

"What is it Bhavya, is something bothering you?"

Bhavya tiredly rubbed her face before she directed her gaze back to him.

"I uhh..." she hesitated.

"What is it?"

"While looking through the investigation files, I happen to come across a few photos of Trivedi."

"And?"

"I cannot point it out but I find him very familiar bhaiyya."

"Hmm?"

"I know for sure that I never saw him before but a few features are very familiar."

"May be you have seen someone who looks like him."

"Yeah, I am trying to figure that out," she said and he nodded.

"Anyways, I will go now. I need to be somewhere."

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

Omkara looked at the empty canvas before him and sighed in helplessness. After the talk with Rudra, his mind kept pestering him to consider the pros of having a chat with his college friend.

Half an hour later, he took his car keys and almost drove to his wife's college when his ego asked him to steer the vehicle to take a different route.

Sending his big brother a quick message that he would be at his art studio and asking him to pick Gauri, he had settled down in the very chair he is sitting at the moment, doing absolutely nothing.

When the clock showed seven in the evening, he knew it was time to head home but he pulled out his phone to scroll through some art images. That moment, door to his studio opened with a bang and in walked his wife disturbing the silence of the room.

It didn't take much time for Omkara to note the irritation in his wife's eyes.

"Gauri?"

"What are you doing here Omkaraji?"

"Umm, work?"

"Are you done? Because we need to talk," she said and settled in the makeshift couch in the room.

Alarm bells in his head rang at once making him freeze in his seat.

A few moments later when her husband didn't walk near her, Gauri growled out.

"Can we talk Omkara ji?"

"Uhh, yes, coming," she heard him say before he came and sat beside her.

"W...What is it?"

"What all did you hide from me?"

His face went completely pale but she was too upset to notice.

"Why do I learn things from Arjun sir when you can tell them on your own?"

"G..Gauri, what did he...?" he stuttered, his voice going dry.

"Who is Shama Mehra?"

Her husband frowned as he dug through his memory.

"She said you both had history," saying this she dramatically sniffed into her dupatta.

"What?"

"Arjun sir said that she was your friend in college."

"I don't even remember her Gauri."

"Of course, you had so many affairs that remembering their names must be stressful."

"Woah, where did that come from, affairs?"

"I asked you nicely to tell me about your girlfriends. Didn't I? It is always through someone else that I get to know about your secrets," she passed him a glare.

Though he found her adorably cute at that moment, he decided to stay calm else, she might whack his head in anger.

"Who else do I need to meet? Are any more surprises pending?"

He tried to take her hand when she pulled hers away.

"Gauri, I really don't remember ..."

"No, don't give that stupid excuse."

"What else do you want me to say?"

"I want a list. A proper one this time."

He could help but chuckle and her frown deepened.

"What would you do with it?"

"I want to know what kind of girls you had been with. How shameless can anyone be. She was telling me how good of a kisser you are."

Omkara widened his eyes at the statement.

"I swear I..."

"Arjun sir said that she was trying to make me jealous."

"And she is very much successful," he said and she sniffed.

Omkara tried his luck again and moved closer to her. She did not move away but she didn't lean to him either.

Placing an arm around her, he leaned to kiss her cheek.

"How many women did you kiss before?"

"Does it matter? You said you are okay with my past."

"I thought I will be but then I didn't know that you were such a Casanova."

Omkara smiled as he whispered into her ears.

"It gives me immense pleasure to know that I am not the only possessive spouse in our relationship."

She tried to wiggle away from him when he locked her in his arms.

"I did not kiss her Gauri. Where did you meet her?"

"She came to the college to meet Arjun sir. We were having lunch together and.."

"Why were you eating together?" he asked with a frown.

"Is it that important? Why can't I eat with him?"

Seeing that her irritation transformed into anger, he mellowed down "Uhh... no. That is not what I meant. You have new friends right?"

"That is not the issue here. The issue is that you wont talk to me about anything in your life. How much more time do you need? Is it that bad to trust me?"

Omkara looked at her with guilt.

He cupped her face and muttered a sorry.

"Kya karu mein is sorry ka? Achaar daalu?" (What should I do with that sorry?")

He smiled and pecked her lips making her frown.

"Ye sab karne mein to mahir hai aap. Bas baat hi karna nahi hai."

(You are an expert at this. Your only problem is to talk to me properly)

"We will talk soon. I understand that I have to tell you things."

"When will that be?"

"Soon Gauri," he said and leaned close when she pushed him away and stood up from the place.

"Let us go home, I am tired," she said and walked to the door.

Having no other choice, the husband sighed before he stood up and followed her.

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