Shivaay turned to glare at the young ladies responsible for the near catastrophe.

"Ye kya raita phailaa diya... did you get only today to satisfy your curiosities my dear? Today is your sister's engagement" he asked looking at Bhavya.

"Other days you will be there in your room bhaiyaa" said Payal and earned another look of reproach shutting her up.

"Had daadi seen Gauri like that, you should have told her this explanation"

"We are extremely sorry bhaiyaa... we were just about to have the very first sip of our very first peg" said Reshma pouting sadly and Shivaay couldn't help but chuckle.

"Okay now that you created the problem you have to help me clear it" he said and all of them nodded their heads obediently.

"I told daadi ji that Gauri is ill so once the function gets over, she will try to wind up things here and go home to have a look at her... I don't know what you will do, either she should stay here or even if she goes home, no matter what happens Daadi should not go to Gauri's room today" he instructed and the girls looked at one another before they gave him a thumbs up.

"Good... get going then... I will take care of the rest" said Shivaay and walked away to call Anika.

"Hello Shivaay.. how did the engagement go?"

"Vo sab chod... let me tell you what all happened" he said before narrating the evening adventure.

"Hmmm" she said after listening to everything.

"Is that all you have to say?"

"It is not our plan but still Gauri got drunk... let us wait and see what happens Shivaay... we cannot do anything now... just make sure things are under wraps"

"Yeah took care of that already"

"Smart... so tell me this"

The conversation then shifted to less problematic topics while the other brother struggled to get his wife home without getting killed.

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

"Gauri let go of my hand.. I have to change the gear" said Omkara who tried keeping focus on the road before them. The journey back to the Sharma mansion wasn't far but the roads were not well maintained and the streetlights barely worked making it an accident prone zone.

"No.. I am not going to leave your hand ever" she said sitting in her seat and struggling against the seat belt to get close to her husband.

"Gauri... just for a few minutes... we have to reach home safely right?" he coaxed and she pouted, tears threatening to spill from her eyes and he sighed giving in.

"Okay... at least loosen your hold... I will have to drive Gauri" he said and she complied making his life better.

Thirty minutes later, they reached home and Omkara called the watchman to open the main door.

"Omkara ji... what happened to Gauri beta?" asked the old man worriedly as he saw the son in law of the house carrying his wife inside bridal style.

"Nothing kaka... she is feeling a bit drowsy.... Can you park the car inside? And don't inform anyone... I don't want people to panic unnecessarily" he said and the old man nodded in understanding.

Once inside the safety of their room, Omkara gently placed his wife on the bed arranging pillows on her side so that she could lean comfortably. His wife on the other hand only got agitated much to his surprise.

Throwing the pillows away angrily, she pulled him suddenly making him stumble and fall over her.

"I don't want pillows between us" she said in a voice strange to Omkara's ears.

He tried to get up when she pulled him back kissing his cheek.

"God... how much did you drink?" he said though he smiled at her sloppy kisses.

"I thought it was just a cola... I drank two full glasses"

"What? Full glass? Who the hell makes a peg like that? This Bhavya" he muttered pulling away from her.

Gauri frowned at the distance between her and the one she loved but sat up wordlessly on the bed leaning on the headboard, as her head reeled with her sudden jerky moments.

As she closed her eyes and sighed tiredly she felt her husband remove her sandals off her feet and place them in the shoe rack away from the bed.

He returned to her and sat beside her caressing her face with his hand and she held his hand opening her eyes.

"Why do you love me so much Omkaraji?" she asked putting on a confused face and he looked at her in equal puzzlement.

"I want to know... tell me naaaaa" she cooed and he laughed saying "I don't know Gauri"

She smiled boomingly at him before she got up and settled herself in his lap. Omkara held her close trying to decipher her actions which were way cuter than normal.

"What are you trying to do" he whispered as she traced her finger on his stubbled jaw.

"Nothing" she replied before she cupped his face, kissing his forehead.

That brought a smile on his face which soon froze when she leaned and took his lips into a soft kiss.

"Gauri" he warned when she didn't stop there and peppered kisses across his jaw and reached his neck.

"Hmmm"

"Stop..." he groaned clutching her hand "You should sleep this off" he said, hanging onto the last thread of control when she opened the first button of his shirt.

"Why?" she asked not liking the interruption.

"You are drunk Gauri... I don't want our first time to be like this"

"Ohh... but I know what I am doing" she said and he sighed "You won't remember a thing tomorrow or worse you will regret it"

"No I won't.... pleaseeee" she asked leaning towards him again when he closed her mouth with his hand.

"Gauri... you know I want this too... but not this way"

"No... you don't want me" she said her eyes turning moist as she tried to get away from his lap but he didn't allow her.

"Please don't say that Gauri... why do you even think like that?"

"Because I hurt you... Anika di and Richa both warned me... I did not listen... I am sorry" she said wiping her tears, smearing kajal all over her cheeks and he held her hand stopping her from messing more with her face.

"It is okay Gauri... shhh stop crying... we can talk tomorrow... just sleep"

"No... I WANT TO TALK... just listen to me... please" her anger and distress were so clear in her tone that he couldn't help but feel bad for her. He nodded his head asking her to speak and she continued.

"I didn't want to marry this soon but my father wouldn't listen... I like sketching new designs... I like studying fashion... I told you right?" she asked and he nodded his head.

"It is not like I don't like you Omkaraji... I was attracted to you since the start... I feared you would be a distraction... I was so stupid and stubborn when I didn't think of hurting your feelings" she said, fresh tears streaming down her face and his heart went out for her.

He took a face wipe from the bedside table and cleaned her face while words just poured out of her heart unhindered.

"I... I love you Omkaraji" she uttered the words he had been dying to hear from her but he didn't know how to respond when she cried so much telling him that.

"Really... I love you so much... I never wanted to hurt you... but what do I do... when Riya told me all that... I just couldn't ...." She said fiercely rubbing her hands as she felt the familiar feeling of worms crawling over her skin.

Omkara on the other hand couldn't understand her actions and worriedly asked "Gauri... what are you doing... stop"

"NO" she screamed "I cannot imagine you with her"

"Gauri... listen... look at me" he said firmly and she met his angsty eyes with her teary ones.

"She lied to you... I was not with her... there was nothing physical between us... I promise... please trust me" he said kissing her cheeks.

"But you messaged me that morning saying a sorry"

"What? When?"

"Don't lie... I still have that message in my phone" she said crying.

"I did not send it Gauri"

"That day when you were teaching me to paint... you left me to be with her... it was my time with you... our time together... was she so important to leave me?" she accused and he widened his eyes that she knew.

"She said you were worried for her" she sobbed and he cursed aloud.

"I am so sorry you had to hear all that... I went just out of responsibility and nothing else... Rudy was with me there... you can ask him.. we were working most of the time" he said.

"How will I know that?" she said and he sighed not knowing what to reply.

"When you hid things from me.... How can I know if you were lying or not? And Why were you so angry at me when I hid it from you that your ex spoke rubbish with me?"

"I did not do it intentionally Gauri...I mean I did not hide it from you" he sighed. "You did not like her and I was just avoiding bringing her topic before you" he explained.

"I was angry because you did not let me put my case.. my point of you... not because you left... I know you must have been hurt but I was equally effected with the incident"

"I couldn't talk to you Omkaraji... that conversation with her... it still gives me creeps... sach mein" she sobbed and his own eyes teared at her state.

"I don't know why I feel so possessive of you... I have never been like this before... I have never wanted anyone with such passion before.... Do you know? She killed a part of me that day by saying you slept with her... I was helpless.. I couldn't do anything; I couldn't even talk properly with anyone that day... It scared me to even think that you would leave me for her" she said her sobs turning worse.

Omkara hugged her to himself caressing her back as she continued to cry and he cried with her, feeling her pain.

"I am sorry Gauri... I should have understood"

"You should have" she said in accusation parting from him.

"I.." he started but she beat him to it.

"That day when Anika di asked me to come to the tour and I hesitated to go... did I ask you to book the tickets and send me with them? You did it on your own" she said and he nodded.

"I was missing home when I was attending my first exams and I couldn't go to Bareilly. You brought my grand-mother home without me asking for it... how did you understand me then?" she asked wiping her tears angrily.

"Did I ask you then?"

Omkara just shook his head in a no answering her.

"Us din... when I asked you to teach me paint, did I spell it out that I want you to make love to me? You understood it right?" Omkara merely looked at her when words wouldn't form sentences.

"Har baar.... every damn time you understood me before I even told you anything... every other time you understood me more than myself... why not this time? why did you start flirting with my cousins just for me to confess my love? Don't you know I love you Omkaraji? How can I not love you... aapko kya lagta hai...ki hum paglait chirtayya hai?" she asked in between her hiccups and he cupped her face kissing her lips.

"I am so sorry" he apologized as she clutched on to him as if her life depended on him.

"You won't leave me for that girl... will you?" she asked and he shook her head in a no.

"Why do you think like that Gauri... how do I prove it to you?" he asked tearfully.

"Then why did you not cut contacts with her... she called you today... I saw it" she said in compliant and he understood why she pushed him like that earlier.

"I did not think of her Gauri... she resigned that very day and I sent her out... I won't talk to her again... if that is what you want" he said.

Gauri sniffed into his shirt only to wail more "I am being an awfully bad wife right? Imposing all my wishes on you"

"No Gauri... I understand"

"You are all I wanted in a husband... in fact more..." she said her voice coming out in short gasps "No one cared for my wishes like you did... no one read me like you did... whomever I considered my people... never asked what I wanted from life... not my grandmother and not even my own father... but you did" she said kissing him and caressing his cheek.

"But I hurt you many times with my childishness" she said with immense guilt.

"You are always so expressive... I like it so much when you say I love you Gauri not caring if it is proper... not caring if anyone thinks of us differently... You are so brave... you do what you like" she said and he wiped her tears asking her to calm down.

"And here I am me" she said shrugging her shoulders helplessly.

"I am sorry I am like this... always hurting you... always bad at putting forth my feelings... but Omkaraji... please don't leave me... mein mar jaungi aapke bina... please don't" she broke down and he hugged her tight assuring and apologizing time and again.

"I will never leave you Gauri... I am sorry I couldn't feel your pain before... I am so sorry... please forgive me" he soothed her kissing her temple.

Gauri continued to cry holding on to him her heart feeling lighter by the minute. With every tear that spilled from her eyes, she felt better, the guilt and the anguish washing away with them. Her eyelids drooped with weight of her stress and she hugged her husband tight like a scared child, not wanting to break free even in sleep.

After a while, when Omkara heard her hiccups reduce and felt her go numb in his arms, he softly called her name and got no response.

He gently pulled back from her to realize that his wife has given in to exhaustion. Wiping his own tears first, he cleaned her face with a tissue, to go ahead and remove her jewelry. Once done, he made her lie down on the mattress and got up to go to the washroom.

As he lay on the bed that night hugging his wife close to him, Omkara felt grateful for his luck, his mind and heart both at peace with the knowledge that his wife did love him... She loved him more than anything and he couldn't ask for more.

Giving a loving kiss to her forehead, he promised he would understand her better from now and closed his eyes with a smile on his face.

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

End of Shot 18.

Okay... It got emotional... I too need a break after this outburst...

Now I don't know if I was able to describe aptly what I imagined the scene to be... a very much private conversation combined confession between a wife and husband... I realized this is something exceedingly difficult to write.

Even if you have grasped half of what I imagined it to be... I will be happy... especially if anybody had shed a tear or two for Gauri.

Not everyone is alike... Gauri is just a simple girl not the usual chirpy self but the controlled and introvert type... I will try clear some other aspects of her in the next chapter.

In case you didn't realize, the story is coming to an end... I will try and update by tomorrow.

Till then.. please vote and comment...

Signing off... your Soujanya.