It had been two weeks since they had consummated their marriage. It felt like they had just come back from Mahabaleswar yesterday, although it had been four days now. It was as though Anika had done a crash course on intimacy between a couple, with practicals. Gauri had moved into her house last Thursday before she and Shivaay had left for their honeymoon.

Shivaay was a stallion in the bedroom. He was insatiable that it drove Anika nuts. She was glad that she was finally on periods when they returned, she needed a break from the pleasurable activity. Off late he was pretty verbal with her about almost everything. Anika liked that. She was growing fond of his love-sick expression when he begged her to stay longer in bed, his dirty-talking, and his intense gaze that looked at her like she was the only human alive on earth. Those three days away from home had very strangely made them more comfortable with each other, especially her.

Anika was no longer shy when he ogled at her nakedness or did pleasurable things to her body. She was beginning to cherish it all. She felt a hand wrap around her and a kiss press against her neck while she was setting up the dining table. "Shivaay," she gasped peeling his hand off her abdomen turning around.

"Mom might walk in any time." She whispered.

"We are married," he whispered back kissing her cheek, his hand trying to reach her waist.

Anika tried keeping his hands off, requesting him to back off, while a smile slipped loose on her face. Shivaay smirked, "How about a quickie? It's only seven-thirty. Gauri said she'll be here by eight. I have abstained for more than three days now!"

Anika blushed and grinned, "You are such a one-track mind. The answer is no. Now, excuse me."

Shivaay was swift in blocking her way by pressing his body against hers causing her back to press against the dining table. She looked at him in disbelief holding on to his shirt for support.

"I heard something like squeeze-me," he explained with a smug grin. His hand reaching to caress her neck.

"Shivaay, please move.."

Shivaay stared at her lips, "Move where Anika?"

Anika blushed, "It's going to be embarrassing if someone sees us like this."

"Let's go to our room then!"

"Shivaay!"

"Anika!" he mimicked her, and then his look softened, "A kiss at least?"

Anika looked at him thoughtfully, if there is something she loved the most it was the kissing. "Okay," she gave in, her hands moving down his shirt to his hands.

Shivaay was surprised, he didn't think she'd actually give in. He wasted no time in expressing his surprise and held her hand and hurriedly made it towards their room.

* * *

Gauri had missed being with the Oberois. She was more than happy when Pinky had called her to come over on Friday night for dinner. Anika seemed to busy to even talk to her properly. Gauri assumed Shivaay to be the reason. She had only spoken to her on the Monday when she returned from Honeymoon. She just said it was a nice trip. It wasn't the Anika she knew. The Anika she knew wouldn't stop telling her about the places she visited, the things she learned, and would send her a hundred pictures per day. But, surprisingly there were very little pictures and talk about the city. Which pretty much made it clear to Gauri what kind of enjoyment the couple had indulged in.

Gauri entered the mansion to find no one around. She decided to walk into the kitchen. She smiled making her way to the kitchen as she noticed Pinky stirring something. "Guess who has graced your kitchen!" She exclaimed aloud stepping inside spreading her arms.

Pinky turned around smiling at the familiar voice. She had missed Gauri over the past days. But her smile wavered as she noticed Gauri's hand hitting Omkara on the face as he turned around taking out a bottle of cold water from the refrigerator. "Ouch!" He groaned closing his eyes.

"Shit!" Gauri muttered turning to the side. Why did she have to be dramatic! "I am s sorry!" She muttered trying to peek at the man with long hair whose hand covered his face. Pinky came to her rescue quickly. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, who was this idiot anyway?" he asked turning away from Pinky who tried blowing on his eyes.

"let me blow will you?" Pinky exclaimed exasperated.

"I am okay, Choti Maa!" he spoke and turned to notice the woman standing beside Pinky staring at him with her doe-shaped eyes.

"Gauri, this is Omkara, Rudra's elder brother." Pinky smiled turning to her, "And Omkara, she is Anika's sister, her ... mu-boli-behen."

Omkara looked on at her doe-shaped eyes and fair cheeks that now had a shade of crimson. Her hair left open. She was dressed in a sleeveless top with dark jeans. He nodded acknowledging her.

* * *

"You're such a cheater!" Anika muttered accusingly as she put on her kurti while he laid on the bed catching his breath.

"I told you it would be quick, and you agreed!"

"I agreed to a kiss." Anika asserted.

"Sweetheart why don't you admit you needed me as bad, so you couldn't say a no!" Shivaay grinned.

"I did say a no, but well, I don't think you heard!" Anika snapped back walking to the dressing table to tidy her appearance. She indeed couldn't say a no when he left her wet and bothered with his skilled hands and mouth.

"You said that when you came!"

Shivaay grinned proudly, as he caught her reddened face before she walked out shutting the door behind her. He was so proud that he could actually get her to come for him so quick and hot! He felt his junior tighten up as he ran the minutes of their quickie in his mind. He had never thought it would be so pleasing. In one minute they were kissing, in the next touching and in the next two banging each other. Hot – was the word to describe it!

* * *

"Gauri!" The sound made Gauri tear her gaze away from the tall man with long hair dressed in a crisp white shirt and black trousers. Anika threw her arms around her.

Gauri smiled returning the hug. Anika's eyes darted towards Omkara looking at them. She didn't like the way he looked at Gauri. Anika wasn't blind. During the time Shivaay was away she had caught glimpses of Omkara walking in, late at nights, sometimes in early mornings. His clothes covered with creases all over, most of the time. At times a lipstick stain on skin and at times on his shirt.

"Come on!" She spoke dragging Gauri out. Gauri smiled following her turning around to spare a glance at the man as she walked out. He had changed, changed a lot!

Omkara couldn't help but stare at her. He never thought he'd ever see her again. She had fuller cheeks than before. Her long hair was chopped and colored. To sum it up – she looked more attractive than ever. Occasionally he caught her eyes looking at him. Like always she quickly looked away pretending to have not been looking.

"Well, today some seems really quiet," Shivaay spoke looking at Gauri.

"Seems like Jiju missed me most!" Gauri managed to give Shivaay who sat beside Omkara, a fitting reply.

"My foot. I was pretty busy to even realize you were not around." He grinned his eyes darting to Anika from Gauri's face. Anika didn't bother to respond or even show that she caught the meaning of what he said.

Gauri smiled turning at Anika. Her gaze once again finding a way to Omkara. He had changed drastically. Perhaps that long hair contributed the most to his changed appearance. It had taken her a while to conclude it was Omkara, and that happened only when Pinky spoke aloud his name. It wasn't hard for her to tell that he had worked put crazily on his lean body to transform it into a muscular one. He looked up and their eyes met.

Her heart squeezed in pain to see the coldness in them. She fixed her gaze on the table, Omkara was a closed chapter in her life. She shouldn't feel anything.

Omkara's gaze frequently kept reaching hers. She seemed happy in life. Of course, she'd be happy, selfish people were always, weren't they. What bothered him the most was after all the time he still found his heart in pain looking at her. He finished his dinner and excused himself to his room.

Gauri felt relaxed when he left. Anika had asked her twice if she was okay. She couldn't tell her about Omkara, so she lied. She didn't want to cause any trouble in this new happy family Anika had.

"I will just wash my hands..." Gauri excused herself and walked towards the guest room on the ground floor of the mansion.

She let out a deep breath closing her eyes. He brought back all the memories, all the pain and all the hurt that she had locked up in the deepest corner of her heart. A tear rolled down her cheek. She rubbed it furiously. She won't cry on him anymore. Not again. She walked out of the washroom to find him standing before her.

She repeated her resolve in his mind – he was a closed chapter. She ignored his presence and stepped aside walking out when he blocked her path. "Why did you come back?"

Gauri stared at him, she still saw anger in his eyes that once shone with adoration. "I didn't know you'd be here. If I had known you were not just Omkara Singh, but Omkara Singh Oberoi, I'd never step into this house."

Omkara scoffed mockingly. "Of course! Don't ever come back now that you know."

"I don't fancy being around you." Gauri snapped angrily.

"Of course, you would have a list of jerks to shag with!"

Gauri was infuriated at that. He had no freaking right to talk that way. She did what she should have done long ago, she slapped him right on his cheek as hard as she possibly could.

He seethed in anger glaring at her, caught off guard. "I hate you, Omkara!" She spat shifting her feet to walk past him but he turned sharply holding her arm pulling her towards himself. She winced trying to free herself from his iron tight hold.

"You freaking don't have the right to slap me, Gauri. The truth is always bitter. You ..."

"Gauri!" Anika's high-pitched voice came from the door. She looked horrified. "Omkara, leave her!" She exclaimed walking towards her.

Omkara let her go with a jerk, Anika immediately had her arms around Gauri. She saw tears in Gauri's eyes while he walked out. "What the hell was that? Did he hurt you, Gauri?"

Gauri wiped her tears looking away. "I should leave."

"No, Gauri. " Anika spoke blocking her way. "What happened here? I need to know. Did he do anyth...?"

Gauri looked at Anika defeated as she could no longer hold back her tears. "It's him!"

Anika's lips parted in shock and her eyes widened. "Omkara?"

"Omkara!" Gauri repeated.

Anika quickly wrapped her hands around Gauri taking her in a hug. Moving her so that she sat on the bed.

"I – I – should go, Anika!"

"No. I am not leaving you alone."

"I will be fine, Anika, I promise," Gauri spoke pulling away from her embrace.

"Omkara left you pregnant?" Anika asked to confirm what she had assumed.

"It's past now. I really don't care." Gauri lied.

"Very evident that you don't care," Anika muttered still in shock that Omkara was the reason behind everything Gauri had been through.

"Anika, I should leave," Gauri said minutes later breaking the silence between them.

"What did he do now? Was he trying to hurt you when I..."

"No, he's hurt me enough. He can't hurt me anymore. Anika, please, forget what you saw."

"Gauri, are you serious? You almost died of the depression that Omkara left you in, and you're asking me to forget. We've encouraged so many women to take a stand for themselves, to speak up about the men who wronged them. How can you not ..."

"I loved him, Anika. He didn't force me, okay? He loved me, maybe not enough. We were both young and shit happens. The time was just messed up okay. Anika, your mom helped me move on and I am not going back to what I used to be. I am happy in my present and want it that way. You should be happy with your family here."

"Gauri, I don't understand. He left you pregnant to deal with it alone. You almost died... aren't you ..."

"Anika, stop saying that. He did not even know I was pregnant. It's over. A closed chapter. I don't want anyone to open it." Gauri said decisively getting to her feet.

"What if he does the same thing with another woman?" Anika asked looking up at her.

"He won't!" Gauri answered confidently. Anika looked at her dumbfounded. "Good night, take care!" Gauri spoke briskly walking out. Anika stared at the floor. What was wrong with Gauri! Until now she didn't like Omkara, but now she hated him.

* * *

Omkara stood under the cold flowing water from the shower. Still, his nerves wouldn't soothe. She had set him on a fire that had perished him. He hated how she destroyed what he was. What hurt most was it still hurt. Her betrayal still pricked his heart. How he wished he never came face-to-face with her ever again, but fate seemed to have other plans.

* * *

Gauri sat on the bed hugging her knees. The room was dark with a night lamp being the only feeble light source in the room. He still hated her after all the time, that hurt her. He still thought she wasn't loyal to him, that hurt. She still had her entire heart reserved for him, after everything, that hurt most of them all.

Some of you saw that coming I suppose!

What would you like to see and what would you not like to see?

-Anami! ;)