Anika looked down at the kitchen floor, "Omkara told Shivaay that you cheated on him!"

Gauri scoffed, of course, she cheated on him! Tears formed in her eyes. How she wished she could hate him for not being there when she needed him the most!

"I want to hear what you have to say!" Anika spoke looking at Gauri. Her tears were enough testimony that she was hurt.

Gauri covered the pan with a plate and turned to look at Anika. She stepped back and settled on the kitchen floor. Anika's heart dropped, she got off the countertop and sat beside her.

"I don't know, maybe it was my mistake that night, but I wasn't cheating on him. I couldn't... can't even think of it. I thought he'd get over this stupid notion, but he didn't." A tear streamed down her right cheek. "The world can say what it wants, I don't give a damn. But not him, he mattered and still matters." Gauri mumbled hugging her knees.

Anika gently rubbed Gauri's shoulder. "We both attended the same university, started off as friends from the first day itself. The hostel girls were a pain, there was a lot of discrimination cause I was an Indian. So eventually I decided to move out. Omkara offered to let me stay in his flat while. In a few days, I knew my options were trim. Omkara offered to let me be his flatmate. And I accepted it. Over time, I just fell for him. He was the most wonderful person I had ever met. He was kind, sweet, and fun. The typical nerdy." Gauri smiled widely while tears continued to stream down her cheeks

Anika just couldn't digest that. Omkara totally did not fit that description. However, Anika chose to shut up and listen. She didn't know much about Gauri except that her own mother had helped Gauri cope up with her depression. Her mother spent a lot of time as a life-coach in NGOs. Almost three years back Anika's mother had met Gauri. A twenty-three-year-old who had undergone a miscarriage when she tried to suicide. Apart from that Anika's mother hadn't really given her more details.

"Soon, I couldn't go on being around him under the context of friendship. I had a hint he felt the same way but wasn't sure. So I just told him that I didn't want to stay with him because I had started developing strong feelings for him. It was sudden and weirdly he just smiled and hugged me. That moment was the best moment of my life. I just knew he'd always be there for me. Or so I thought – " her voice trailed off as her emotions stole her voice.

"Where did it all go wrong then?" Anika asked sadly. Clearly, Gauri had fallen for Omkara. But, strangely Omkara didn't fit Gauri's description. It was hard for Anika to imagine Omkara as she described him to be.

"In the final year, when Liam joined college. It was rather weird, that guy just came up to me and in the next moment, he was kissing me. I freaked out and ran, told Omkara about it. I thought we could complain or something but Omkara just set out angrily. The idiot had my heart in my mouth when he came back bleeding." Gauri smiled sadly. " A day later Liam came to apologize. He said he didn't know I was dating someone and that it just happened. Everything went back to normal, Liam was actually friendly and nice. He sincerely regretted whatever happened or I was just stupid enough to believe all that facade."

"And then, the party happened. We didn't usually go to parties but this one was a friend's so we went. I did try drinking. I knew Omkara was around so he'd take care if I got high. I shouldn't have. I have no clue how much and what exactly I had that night but it was the worse thing ever. I came out of the washroom and the next thing I knew was I was against a couch and a man was over me. I thought it was Om. I don't even remember how it all happened, I just... went with the flow." Gauri lowered her gaze to the floor in regret.

"I wouldn't do that in my sane mind. Omkara walked in to find us like that. I still remember the hurt on his face. I ran to explain it to him. I obviously hurt him. I tried talking to him but he wouldn't even let me explain. Two days later, I was leaving the class when Liam cornered me and forced himself on me. He begged me to leave Omkara for him. I told him that the night meant nothing and that I loved Omkara. I felt sick. I just desperately wanted Om to know that it was just a big mess up. I went to visit him. He didn't hear anything, asked me to leave his place. A week or so later I realized I was four weeks pregnant. I was scared I didn't know what to do. I rushed to Omkara, but he wouldn't even stand the sight of me." Gauri sobbed. Anika reached out to comfort her.

"I – Hate him. If only he heard me out that day! If only..." She broke into bitter tears. "After everything, I still ... he still matters and I hate that. I thought I had moved on for good, Anika. But he brought back everything." Anika hugged Gauri comforting her. She had no clue how Gauri could still feel for Omkara. Gauri still didn't know what kind of person Omkara had come to be.

"You'll be over him for good, Gauri. You've been a warrior and nothing can change that. You're stronger than you think." Anika tightened her hold around Gauri. She didn't know why she felt so attached to Gauri. But she did. There was this sense of protectiveness she had for Gauri. She wouldn't let Gauri fall into the same pit again.

* * *

Anika stood at the door watching her mother comfort Gauri. Anika hadn't even got the chance to hug her mother. It just felt very strange. She walked out and sat on the sofa closing her eyes. A lot had happened for her to process. She still wasn't over Shivaay's aloof behavior. Maybe she expected too much of him. It was just very confusing.

"Anu, sleep on the bed."

Anika opened her eyes with a smile. She immediately threw her arms around her mother's waist. Mrs. Talwar smiled sitting beside her to hug her back.

"I missed you, Mumma!"

"I missed you too, Anu!" She punctuated her sentence with a kiss on her cheek.

Anika snuggled closer to her mother, "Look where you've put me! How happy we were together, you simply brought marriage, Shivaay, and everything. Life seems to be on steroids now!"

"Really? Gauri had called me like a few days back, she couldn't stop about how happy you were. Of course, having fun on your honeymoon. So happy, that you didn't even call me. And, is it just me, or have you put on weight?" Mrs.Talwar asked pulling away from her daughter.

"Not fair, I haven't put on."

"Seems like Pinky Ji is feeding you a lot." Mrs. Talwar joked.

"A lot of bhindi, karela and brinjal. Everything I hate!" Anika complained.

Mrs. Talwar laughed. "What about Shivaay?"

Anika's smiled wavered, "He's doing good."

Mrs.Talwar smiled, "Are you going to tell me anything?"

Anika blushed, "Mumma!" She exclaimed hugging her mother. Mrs. Talwar beamed with joy, praying for her daughter's well being and happiness. "Let's sleep, I am tired."

"What about Gauri?" Anika asked.

"I gave her the sleeping pill without telling her. She won't sleep otherwise."

"I spoke to Shivaay about it," Anika told her mother as they made the bed.

"What did he say?"

"That I was mistaken, Omkara wouldn't leave Gauri just like that."

"Anika, he is right, in a way. Om didn't even know about Gauri's pregnancy he still doesn't." Her mother spoke sitting on the bed.

Anika pursed her lips. Her mother was right and after all, Gauri had told him Anika was feeling guilty for blaming Omkara. "But, then how could he just leave her after everything they shared." She vocalized her thoughts.

"Misunderstandings happen, Anu. They were both young. It takes patience, love, trust, and understanding to nurture a relationship. Just being close and happy together is not enough."

Anika heard her mother out. "Mumma, Omkara isn't exactly a nice guy. He ..." She told her mother about what she thought of him after what she had observed.

"Don't jump to conclusions, Anika. He's a part of your family. You need to be a little more understanding, jumping to the gun won't help. Just imagine how bad Shivaay would've felt when you said that about his brother."

"He said shit about Gauri too!" Anika muttered lying down.

"Did you two fight?"

"No. We just had a conversation. He said Gauri could be filling my ears to take advantage of me. I can't believe he said that after I told him that she's family. "

"God!" her mother sighed, "Anika,"

"let's sleep, please, I am tired!"

"I am exhausted too. Good night Anu!"

Anika smiled shifting closer to her mother and hugged her. Mrs. Talwar smiled blinking rapidly to do away with her tears. It was high time she dropped her attachment for her little girl now!

* * *

Anika hadn't received a single call or message from Shivaay throughout the day. She wasn't the kind to seek attention or get upset over no calls or messages but not getting any from Shivaay irked her. She informed Pinky that she'd stay over with her mother for two more days. Frankly, it was just that, she wanted to spend time with her mother. Pinky had happily agreed.

Shivaay was surprised to not find Anika anywhere. It was eight, she usually came back from office around seven at the maximum. He was annoyed at her. First, she had gone away without even meeting him in person. Second, she hadn't called or messaged him throughout the day. Finally, she was nowhere around. He headed downstairs after freshening up, only to be informed by his mother that Anika wasn't coming back for two days. His mother was surprised that he didn't know. He brushed off her doubt saying that he had forgotten that she had called when he was in a meeting.

It just felt weird not having her around. He stared at the pictures they had taken during their honeymoon, as he lay alone on his bed all alone. He missed her although he was mad at her. Couldn't she be a little clingy and call or text him? He decided to check on Omkara.

Om was not in his room. Shivaay sighed taking out his phone. He hoped he was safe wherever he was.

Shivaay entered the pub, the same location where Omkara's GPS had led him to. There were couples making out, men and women dancing, smoking, and drinking. He hoped his brother wasn't into smoking. His unhealthy habit of wasting himself on random girls was enough to deal with. Luckily, he spotted Omkara drinking sitting alone by the bar. He made his way to him.

"Hey, handsome!" A drunk girl very scantily dressed pressed herself against him.

"Not interested." He seethed moving away towards Omkara. He pulled away the glass that te bartender just placed before his brother, before Omkara could finish that in a gulp like the previous.

"Shivaay!" Omkara slurred. "Bring another glass man!" He shouted at the bartender.

"Shut up, Om. What nonsense is this? Come on, we are going home."

"Shivaay, come on. Just sit and drink it's crazy good," Omkara chuckled. "Helps you forget everything."

Shivaay tried to hold onto his patience. "No!" he glared at he bartender and placed his hand on Omkara's shoulder. "We are going home, it's late."

"I don't want to!"

"Omkara!"

"I still love her and it pains. I can't even fool around, it makes me feel guilty. I want to just drink like my late mother used to. I hope I die drinking just like her!"

"Shut up Omkara!" Shivaay hollered angrily. Omkara never mentioned his birth mother, Tej Singh Oberoi's first wife Usha Singh Oberoi who had a serious drinking problem and had passed away when Omkara was barely a year old. No one ever spoke about her. Jaanvi was Tej's second wife, even Rudra didn't know that Omkara was his half brother. Jaanvi never really preferred a family life. Which pretty much explained why Tej and she were always traveling. His mother had raised the three of them like her own sons. He knew Omkara hated that about his parents. His words only hinted at how much pain he was in.

"I hate my life, Shivaay. I loved her with all my heart. I wanted to marry her, be happy. She should have told me if she wanted me to change. I love her..." Omkara slurred grabbing the glass from Shivaay. In one gulp he swallowed the bitter liquid.

Shivaay stared at him momentarily and then pulled him off the stool and put his arm around his shoulder, leading him out. How could he still love a woman who cheated on him?

Now that the other side's story is out. Would love to know your thoughts.

What do you think about Shivika here?

-Anami!