Without communication there is no relationship.
Without respect there is no love.
Without trust there is no reason to continue.

                        google quotes...😁😁

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The next few days went in a blur for the couple getting busy in their respective routines.

Gauri never raised the topic of Riya and neither did Omkara know that his wife's mind is insecure on the presence of his ex in his life.

"Gauri... come let us go somewhere in the evening today" asked Anika.

"Yeah... we didn't go out after exams... chal na..." agreed Richa.

"What about the weekend assignment... still in the start... Richa" said Gauri " We did go to shopping right after our exams.. you too had a good time teasing me while I tried every piece of cloth you two threw at my face"

Anika and Richa laughed reminiscing their time "Haa... but that had a goal... Omkara-Gauri Milan.... now we will go out just to chill nothing else"

"Right.... the goal which is yet to be fulfilled... how are things between you two.. you seem rather lost the past days... anything you want to talk Gauri?" asked Richa and Gauri nodded a no.

"Okay... we are going out today... decide the place" ordered Anika.

"Let us try something different today... umm...  Japanese?? I have a suggested place at Bandra"

"No... too far away... let us try Italian nearby" said Gauri.

"No... I am in a mood to see the Sea link today... let us go Gauri... what if it is away...we can always take Khanna with us as security... I will ask Shivaay" said Anika taking her phone and Gauri sighed.

When she picked up her phone to inform her husband of the same, the call went unanswered.

What is he doing? Busy... with whom? Riya?

She called the reception instead of re dialing her husband.

"Hello? O-bro industries? This is Gauri speaking"

"Good afternoon Gauri mam..."

"Is Omkaraji busy?"

"Yes mam... Omkara sir and Riya mam are in a conference with the board members"

"Okay... tell him I called, once he gets free" she instructed and hung up.

She shouldn't be thinking the way her thoughts were provoking her to, but she wasn't  comfortable with Riya since day one.

How should she brooch the subject with her husband without sounding like a jealous controlling wife? what if he gets hurt that she thought this way of him? ... that too when he has something very important lined up in his career..... She sighed closing her eyes scolding herself for the nth time.

"All okay?" Richa asked her.

Gauri merely smiled shaking her head and her friend sighed "Don't do something stupid... when you give me that fake smile, it scares me" she stated.

"No Richa... I.." she started when Anika finished her call and came towards them with a beaming smile explaining their outing plan in detail. The topic was then left untouched and forgotten until matters got more worse.

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"Hmm... so this or that?" asked Anika looking at either side of the road which had two restaurants looking across each other.

"What do the ratings on the app say? Which one is better" asked Richa.

"Both are good... but this one serves Italian while this serves Japanese cuisine" said Anika pointing at them, respectively. "Gauri you decide"

"Hmm... let us go and see... which one serves hookah? I don't like the smell and the smoky environment" said Gauri.

"Both I guess...Okay... me and Richa will check this one... you go see the other one Gauri... i think that one has a separate hookah chamber..." said Anika pointing to the hotel on their right.

 "Khanna will park the car by then...we will call you in a few minutes to decide where to go" she instructed Gauri and the girls parted their respective ways.

Gauri... dressed in a simple black off shoulder dress with an asymmetric hemline reaching her calves, hair left open to the side and minimally decked up for the evening with her mangalsutra and imported watch in one hand carrying a black-box clutch in the other, she looked a hot chic... In other words her if her daadi ever saw her dressed like that, she would freak out and drag her home to give her a class on culture and 'sanskaari' dressing.

As she walked to the resto bar smilingly, turning a few heads her way, she noted the interiors which were classy and rich with tables separated by one way mirrored glass walls. The restaurant's spirit is dead cool with red and yellow lights at each table with frames of mosaic art and human paintings fitting the walls.

When she heard a loud laugh from the couple at the far end, she curiously looked in the direction craning her neck only to see her husband and his ex, having a merry time together.

She took out her phone to check if he had called her back but sighed in disappointment when she didn't find any.

So much for hectic work.... 

She couldn't help but grind her teeth in irritation when Riya very casually leaned on to him smilingly showing him something on her phone and he curiously looked at the gadget.

She dialed his number angrily with intentions of barging in on them and giving him an earful if he did not answer her call now. When she saw the smile on his face looking at his phone probably looking at her name, she relaxed a bit, the red of anger on her face mildly decreasing.

"Hey Gauri" he said in his usual calm tone.

"Hi...Where are you Omkaraji" she asked trying to keep her voice neutral.

"Umm... I am out" he said vaguely.

"I called your office in the afternoon to inform you that me, Anika and Richa are going to Bandra to dine.. it has been a while we went out so..."

"Oh... sorry.. I wasn't informed" he said and she hummed in irritation.

"I am nearby... We had a meeting scheduled in one of the restaurants here but they cancelled it at the last moment...since we already reached the place I thought of dining here... I was about to call you" he said.

"We???" she paused "You and?"

He hesitated for a minute before he said "Umm.. Riya"

"Okay... which restaurant?" she asked moving away from them and he gave her the details.

"Will join you in a bit" she said and hung up smiling.

Once she came out of the place, she called her friends informing them of the turn of events and they agreed to join them in a few minutes.

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Omkara couldn't take his eyes off his wife the moment he saw her walk towards their table with Anika and Richa tagging along her side.

He got up from his place with a wide grin to give her a hug and kissed her cheek in a greeting getting an aww from the girl gang while Gauri blushed. 

"Been a long time Richa... you haven't come home in a while" he asked with a smile and Richa sighed dramatically "I can't see my crush hug and kiss my best friend" she said sniffing.

"Aww" he said with a smile giving a friendly hug to Richa making her gasp "Hailaa... my heart" she exclaimed making the rest chuckle. 

"Ho gaya tunhara? can we sit now..." said Anika smirking "And who is going to hug me" she asked looking at her friend who gave her a bear hug kissing her forehead.

"Good... abhi we can sit.. come.. my poor stomach will start to rumble" she said hurrying to the table and took her seat while the rest followed suit.

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"So... Girls outing?" asked Riya with a fake smile once everybody settled, Omkara sticking to Gauri's side sitting across Riya while Anika sat on Omkara's left in the large, cushioned cabin. Richa occupied the empty seat beside Riya who wasn't a bit happy at the surprise.

"Yeah..." said Gauri returning the fake smile and she nodded.

Omkara glanced at Anika who looked back at him with a smirk whispering "Waah......tashan to dekho... tujhe na hawan karwana chahiye... jis situation ko avoid karte hoo... usi mein phaste rehte ho tum (You should consider doing a ritual to ward of the evil luck hanging over you.. the more you avoid a situation, you end up facing it"

Omkara sighed whispering back "I am seriously considering that Anika...I mean what are the odds..."

"Anika.. you won't change will you? kyaa phus phus kar rahe ho... dono (what are you two whispering to each other)... you can tell us and we too will join the convo" said Riya in irritation.

"Ummm... nothing.. he he he... just old habits" replied Anika grinning.

"Ahh... Riya... how did you end up as a secretary.., I thought you aspired big" she asked instead and Riya smiled "I just started to work and Om needed me... I will always be there for him.. hein na Om" she said.

Gauri put the glass of water she drank with a thud on the table and Omkara glared at Anika who widened her eyes still looking at Riya.

"Tujhe aur koi topic nahi mili kya" Omkara whispered, nudging Anika while she smiled uncomfortably mumbling a sorry.

"Of course... who am I explaining... who knows better about our past more than you Anika" Riya continued making the environment more tensed than before.

"Umm.. let us order something? I am famished" said Richa taking the menu in a desperate attempt to diffuse the tension and the others smiled nodding.

Gauri stared at the menu, the letters making no sense and her appetite drastically nulling as she tried hard not to look at the person sitting before her making sheep's eyes at her husband.

How dare she do that..... she fumed her grip on the menu tightening by the second.

"Gauri... let us try lasagna? You can have tiramisu for desert... you liked the sweet dish last time right?" asked Richa and she nodded accepting.

"You people order... I will just take a minute" Gauri said excusing herself to the washroom.

Omkara looked at her retreating back and turned to the table, rubbing his eyebrow when Anika whispered a 'Go idiot' to him. Nodding, he stood up and excusing himself followed his wife.

"Have you lost it Riya?" Anika managed a low growl after the couple disappeared to get some alone time.

"Are... what did I do now... I was close to Om.. I merely.."

"Right... you 'were' close to Omkara... you 'were' in a relationship with him... you get that?? 'past tense'..." said Anika in sarcasm "You will not utter a word henceforth which relates anywhere to the past... otherwise you can forget that we are friends" she warned and Riya sighed heavily muttering "Dramaatic".

Richa stayed silent worried for her friend.

Was she the problem Gauri wasn't telling her? Better they talk to one another and clear things she prayed.

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Fifteen minutes is what it took for Gauri to reign in her temper, shuttling in the empty washroom and counselling herself that she is better than the woman who was waiting for a chance to make a scene out of her.

It was evident that Riya wanted a reaction ... the open flirting, time and again mention of her husband's past with her and unhindered ogling at her man were clear indications of the same...

But why? What did she want to prove?

Giving a final look at herself in the mirror, she inhaled a deep breath and walked out of the room.

"Gauri.. are you okay?" asked her husband the moment she was out and she nodded her head.

He pulled her into his arms and she didn't object, pressing her cheek to his broad chest.

"I am sorry... if you felt uncomfortable... I don't know what has gotten into her.... Shall we go home?"

"No... I am okay... I don't want to spoil the mood... I..." she said trying to put up a smile and he cupped her face to give her a prompt kiss.

"...And I am hungry too" she finished after he parted, her eyes cast downwards at his shirt button and he quipped "Hungry for food?"

Gauri frowned "Of course... what else do..." she started and gasped looking at him who was holding back a chuckle.

"Omkaraji..." she shrieked scandalized and he laughed aloud kissing her forehead

"You look super-hot tonight" he whispered huskily bending to her ears and kissing her there.

"Thank you" she said blushing red and he smiled "Just know that I love you Gauri... you are the one who is important to me...I need help with the deal and that is the only reason she is employed... please...just for a few days"

It took a second before Gauri nodded with a confident smile though she was nowhere close to assurance. Her brain and heart were still at war... one begging him to get rid of the problem right then and the other asking her to understand his helplessness.

She tiptoed to peck his lips and hugged him close hiding her face in the crook of his neck. Her husband reciprocated, embracing her warmly and planting kisses of love on her hair. They stood like that for a few minutes when Omkara's phone disturbed the silence.

"Abee... we came to eat... romance tum log ghar jaake kar lo (you can continue your romance at home)... come fast.. before the food gets cold" Anika's loud voice boomed through the phone making Gauri chuckle and Omkara roll his eyes.

"Coming meri maa" he said before hanging up and walked back to their table holding Gauri's hand.

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Early update....

Relax before the major showdown...

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Till the next update... signing off... your Soujanya.