Chapter 20

"Om , your phone is ringing " Gauri says sleepily waking up Omkara

"Let it be jaan ..." he hugs her tighter not caring about the call but as it continuously rang

Gauri gets out of his grip and checks the time it's 2 in the midnight .Who the hell is calling at this time ? She wonders.Seeing him dozed off she decides to check . The color of her face drains as she sees the caller id .

"Gauri who is that?" Om asked still having his eye closed .

She whispers slowly "Rid..hi.maa"

At once Om's eyes shot open looking her face pale without a word he snatches the phone from her hand and walks out to speak as Gauri stands dumb folded.

He returns to the room in hurry as Gauri sits on the bed waiting for him without a word he walks into the changing room to dress up .

"Gauri I am going out " Om says in a hasten .

Gauri could see he was tensed his eyes showed anger but why? She ponders.Should she ask him?

"Om where are you going ? " She asks running after him

"Gauri I am gonna meet a client "

He was about to step out of the door but Gauri pulls him back in.

"What business Do you have Om at this time of the Hour?" She asks narrowing her brows

.Is she jealous that he is meeting her but why should she? She brushes her thoughts as she hears him talk No roar

"What do you mean by that Gauri?" Om asks her furiously

"Who the hell is Ridhimaa?"

"My Client"

"Client ..A girl calling at this hour of the night ?" She asks sarcastically

Om digs his nails into her arms tightly almost hurting her "What do you mean to say?" He roars as tears threaten to spell out 

"What Business Do you have with her ? " she asks furiously holding the unshed tears back The way he was digging his nails into her arms was making her blanch ..For her he is hurting m.

"Don't GO" Gauri whispers slowly as a tear drop falls on his arm .

He releases his arms slowly from her as he cups her face in her palms "Gauri I need to go please understand " he says tenderly .

Moving away from him "Okay I am coming with you then "

"Gauri I am going " he says in a louder voice

"Don't be a nagging wife" he says in anger

"So now I am a nagging wife right?" She lets out a sarcastic laugh ""I'll let you go ..but answer me this ..Would you choose me over her?" She asked directly glaring at him

Om runs his fingers through his hair in order to calm himself he did not have time.He should be there by now"Right now I should be there But Remember I would never choose anyone over you but now I need to go" telling her sternly he left leaving Gauri rooted to the ground.

Her lips started quivering ..Did they tell her truth about them?... She questions herself...Noo My Om is not like that he might had any emergency ....but he left you .....No he did not leave me he will never ....No Gauri it was her Ridhimaa those pictures what do you call them? Are you gonna believe Him even after he left you to see that chudail?............No the world may say but My Om will not betray me..She makes up her mind wiping away the tears she goes to her room . Sitting in the middle of the bed her lips quivered looking at the photo it was a selfie of them at the beach ..she caresses his face with a teary smile .

"I know that you would never leave me Om that too for her ..I know you ..My Om ..." she hugs it tighter closer to her chest but her thoughts drifts back to the conversations of the calls she had been receiving lately ..Should she believe them? ..No Gauri you have gone mad Your Om will never do that ..Remember he is yours to start with ..Her mind or her heart .She was confused.

She gets Down from them bed and caresses another photo which she had hid it in her closet as a tear fell on the photo .She talks to the picture "Should I believe My Om ? ..Please tell me Since small I have always turned to you to clear my doubts..Please " She pleads Looking at the picture of Him smiling at her .

"But if I had to choose between you and him ? " Her eyes tears up knowing the possibility "You had been my life but Om he is my life ..What should I do ?"

"Who i am supposed to believe ?" she wipes away the tears from back of her hand .Keeping the photo inside the closet she resumes her position in the bed .Taking Om's picture in her hands She questions the picyire"Are you hiding something?" .

"Gauri stop it..I know that you have some secrets which you are not ready to share with me like that even I might have ..So let's not talk about it..When the right time comes I'll let you know"

He had said that when the times come he'll let me know but will my worst nightmare come true? She questions herself ..A tear drop falls on his picture as she tells him "Om I never knew that you will marry me until you happened that day .but was it in my destiny .Either way I do not care Om you are my life..but what if? " .

She did not want to even think about it ..She was now more than sure that she had started falling for him more if possible . She wipes away the dew drops as she talks with a teary smile "You Know Om the purpose I decided to stay with you was different but as time passed you changed me Om the feelings I had for you had changed but I am scared when I open my eyes whether will my heart shatter .I do not care whether you went with that chudail because I know my Om he will never do anything to hurt me intentionally but Om ..." she stops as she chokes up.

"Please Do not make me choose between you and Him Om...please I would not be able to bear .please " she weeps holding his picture closer to her heart ...

***

"Ridhimaa are you sure about this?" Om asks scratching his neck

"Om I am more than sure about it ...already we have planned right? So why are you getting worked up?"

Holding her hands in his "Ridz you know what you are getting into ? You have just escaped and now getting into the hell again?" He tells unsure how could he put her life in danger despite knowing the consequences

"Om this is nothing knew " she chokes up

"hey ..sssh please don't cry" he pleads wiping away her tears

"We are doing this Om ...you promised to help me out and you know right this is not only about us?"

Taking a deep sigh he replies sternly bringing a smile on her face .."I am in ".

"Ridz are you sure he will be here today?"

"Om I have my trusted sources according to the information he will be here today "

"I hope everything ends today"

holding him by his shoulders "It will " she says with a smile .

***

"Ri can I come in?'" Keeping aside Om's photo wiping away the remnants of her tears

She looked at the clock It's 3 . She opens the door to see Ishana standing there with a nervous smile

"Ishu you ?..at this time ?..When did you come?" Gauri starts bombarding her questions

"Ri...breathe"

"Can I come in you see my leg is paining " she fakes an act as Gauri lets out a chuckle and pulls her in

She sits in the bed "I came in the evening Abhi had to go out of station and he did not want to leave me alone so I thought to drop here and came to see you guys in the terrace but you were peacefully sleeping in his lap while he was enjoying so i did not want to disturb the love birds "she teases at the end making Gauri blush

Ishu looks around the room it was filled with photos of Omkara and Gauri "Seems like you have changed my friend " She says musing as Gauri gives her a confused Look.

"You know Ri Om is not fan of hanging photos in wall and all ...he wants it plain "

"Really " Gauri asks her wide eyes open ..Because it had been he who had suggested that they should have their memories filled ......

"Ri...i..am..here.." Ishana hesitates Should she ask Ri?

"Ishu what is it ? " Gauri asks taking a seat beside her

Taking a deep breath Ishana spills it out "Did you guys have a fight ? I saw ..erm ..Om going out ...erm ..Don't get me wrong.. I wasn't eavesdropping I was thirsty so I came to fill up"

"Ishu ..Stop you did not have to explain..."

"Ri come here " Ishu pats at the empty place beside her as she makes Gauri lay in her lap as Gauri snuggles more closer to her "Ishu it feels like being with my Maa " Her lips quiver as Ishana smiles

"I know my baby "

"Now tell me Ri ..if you would like to .."

Gauri contemplates for a minute should she tell her ? " Om left to meet a client Ishu and I was telling him to not to go that's it he promised to come back soon and we did not fight " She tells the partial truth

Stroking Gauri's hair with her hands Ishu says "Ri Do you know why I brought you to the mansion at first place without taking you to my place?" Gauri looks at her curiously "Because Om told me too.."

Gauri sits up dumb folded "Ishu...."

"Gauri it was Om who took you to hospital that day when he saw you lying unconscious in the road it was he who phoned me up to meet him in the hospital and then " Ishu fidgets

"Ishu please " Gauri pleads through her eyes

" but soon he left telling me to never let you know and I made you believe that it was me who saved you.."

"but Ishu if he took me to the hospital how did I end up in the car? " Gauri asks confused rewinding her memories

"That it is because Om made it clear your life is in danger to safeguard you Oberoi mansion is the best place with tight security so when you were inert with the help of Abhi we took you to the car and headed to the mansion ..."

This was more confusing for Gauri "Ishu if he was the one to save me, when we came here he acted as if he did not know me and he was giving me cold shoulder remember ?"

"Ri that's what I had been wondering if he wanted you stay here with him why did he act like he did not know you ? "

Taking Gauri's palms in hers she says looking into her eyes " Gauri whatever it is never think about that ..Got it ..Om and you are happy..I have seen that many times ..I have never seen him this much ecstatic until you happened...so please never tell him I told you? ..Got it ?"

Gauri nods lost in thoughts as she hugs Ishana but she could not help but ponder "Was he stalking me all these years?"

***

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