Note- this shot will begin after Om pushes Ri away.. ps- it's too lengthy.. Sorry😅
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"I'll feel the fear for you, I'll cry your tears for you
I'll do anything I can to make you comfortable
Even if I fall down when you're not around
Don't worry about me, don't worry about me"

I'll climb the hills you face, I'll do this in your place
I'd do anything to go through it instead of you
But even if I fall down when you're not around
Don't worry about me, don't worry about me

- Don't worry about me[Frances]

She dragged her lethargic body, which seemed to have stopped obeying her  commands and threw herself on the bed and curled up in a ball and hugged herself and let her tears slide down her cheeks as if they were a cascade.

She felt lethargic, she carved for comfort but she had none except silence and darkness, her only constant accomplice throughout life.

The comfort of silence was eerie yet comforting it made her realize that no one cares about her.

She was done being strong when her insides were breaking down real bad. No one knew the pain she was going through, she had only dreamt of a family whom she could call hers.
Whom she could share her joys' and pain with .Was it too much too ask for? But now it seemed that dream was far from her reach.

Only if she was liberious.
She wouldn't have been empathetic, only if ..... Then Om and Tej wouldn't have shouted at her because she crossed the line, accused her saying that she didn't care. She didn't care?? It felt like everyone was mocking at her selflessness.

And Om shouted at her she was trying to break the family further. Pinky taunting her saying why was she trying to be mother India? And Dadi begging her not to create more chaos in the family? And Jhanvi gave her a disappointed look saying that she didn't expect this from her. All curses were hurled at her from the corner of her eye she saw Tia and Svetlana smirk she didn't care. She could see only two sympathetic glances towards her one was Shakti the other was Rudy.

What hurt her the most was Om's behaviour didn't he realize why was she doing this? Didn't he realize she was trying to keep the family intact.. when others were trying their best to break the family by hurling accuses on each other and acting snobbish.

Wasn't she acting more than matured for her age? And mothering everyone around her.. wasn't she looking about everyone's need except her's? Did he turn a blind eye to the woman he claimed to love with all his heart and soul?

His vows of love which he confessed to her during the Ajay ficaso all seemed ingenuine,the feeling of ingenuity hit hard. She could feel everyone's heart breaking. But could anyone see her heart breaking?

Or were they'll all too oblivious in their grief and lamenting that they had forgotten that they had laden young tender arms with lots of load. Load too heavy for her to carry. Not that she wasn't used to such load. Labor was kind of her shadow since childhood, she didn't worry about that .

But the emotional pain was taking a toll on her . She sure was a warrior in the battle of life. But never had any battle made her stone hearted, each battle had taught that life was only meant to be cherished. The sole purpose of life was to cherish what little joy it gave you.

She always had craved for a family? Not did she never had one,she had. But she had very little right to claim that as hers .

And here came the ghosts of her past.. it always is a lie let the dead bury their own past.

Burying the past was a lie told to soothe oneself . Leaving the past behind you was a lie. Past always remained intact with you. The past remains in you at your most vulnerable days it comes back with its claws piercing through you and breaking you again.

Physical toll never prepared her for mental battles, she had her defense mechanisms like others. Which had its own limits, herer body and mind both seemed to give up slowly and she knew there would be a day when she would have lost her mind or just be dead. Being dead seemed a better option though.

She had been lately hurt with her husband's behaviour. He even didn't pay an inch of attention on her. Leave paying attention he didn't even bother to gaze at her.

His behaviour lately was bothering her, and each day since he had returned from Germany she could feel her heart break.

Slowly she realized maybe their love was just an illusion.. or maybe she had lost her mind and was hallucinating about the love she was deprived of , of the love she was apparently entitled to.

Her chain of thoughts was broken by a familiar touch on her shoulder she gently wiped away her tears and smiled a little and turned towards him and said-"Omkaraji".

A hope lighted in heart that he was here to apologize. He was here to shoo away all her insecurities, but what said next just blew the last flame of hope ever ignited in her heart.

He said in crisp and sharp tone hinting his disappointment- " Gauri mein Chahta Hun ki tum Mr Oberoi aur sab SE maffi mangoo. Mein nahi chahata ki tumhare Karan aur faltu ki pareshaniyan ho yahan pe. Pehle he na Jane Mera Bhai aur bhabi na Jane kis mushkil mein hai Ghar ke bahar reh kr.. aur Haan mujhe Mr. Chauhan ki file chaiye.. and I'll spend the night in office.( Gauri I want to apologize to Mr Oberoi and everyone. I don't want any unnecessary trouble because of you. Already i don't know what my brother and my SIL are facing outside this house. And yeah! I need Mr. Chauahan's file and I'll be spending the night in office).

From a moment she was taken back, her husband was sensitive to everyone's pain except her's.

He could feel his brother's and SIL's pain but what about her pain inside Oberoi Mansion.

She wanted to throw a fit. She wanted him to know about her sorrows but then she realized one thing he ain't worth it. And if he really loved her even an ounce he would see her pain.

Gauri he called..

Ji( yes)- she replied coming out of her trance. She continued with a pause and said- bas 5 minutes hum ate hai.( Give me 5 minutes I'll come).

Om looked at her . And she put up a smile and said- ap ja sakte hum ate hai.( You can go I'll come ).

Om asked- sure?
Gauri replied with a fake smile - sure.
Om replied leaving- thanks for understanding Gauri.

All she wanted to say thanks for not understanding me . Thanks for breaking my illusion. Thanks for shattering my dreams . She let tears slide down her eyes, she tried hard to compose and console herself but failed. Five minutes later she washed her face and looked at mirror she looked fatigued. Her puffy eyes a witness of her pain, her puffy face a witness to her tiredness. She tried faking a smile but ended up letting a lone tear down her eyes.

She whispered to herself - you're dabang Gauri. You're strong.. and she headed to the place where her humiliation was supposed to take place.

Om cleared his throat and said- Gauri ap sab se kuch kehna chahati hai.( Gauri wants to say something to you). And he looked at his wife, who gave him a smile.

Gauri says joining her hands - hum ap sab se Shama mangna chahte hai. I'm sorry. Hum kiska Dil nahi dhukna chahte .( I wanted to seek forgiveness . I'm sorry. I didn't wanna hurt anyone). She ended in a low tone almost breaking down.

This was noticed by Rudy and Shakti. Shakti preferred to remain mum as he knew speaking for Gauri would only create trouble for the poor soul.

But Rudy couldn't see this injustice so he spoke- is mein Gauri Bhabi ki koi galti Nahi. Voh bas...( There's no fault of Gauri Bhabi . She was..)

He was cut by Om saying- Rudy Tu bacha hai.chup rehe( Rudy you're a kid be quite).

For a moment Gauri wanted to shout if Rudy was kid then who was she? But Gauri wasn't supposed to shout. She was supposed be kind and benovalnat. Even when she wanted to be bad.. because Gauri was forced to be white .. A color which she began to hate, which was once one of her favourite.

A frustrated Rudy looked at his Gauri Bhabi who gave him a teary eyed smiled showing her gratefullnes.. things weren't right he knew . But he hated when he was silenced with the only excuse that he was kid.

Tej said- I hope you don't repeat this again. Gauri nodded and Jhanvi looked on.

Pinky looked at Gauri and said- finally is sadak chap ladki ko akal agaye ( finally this low class got her mind back).

It hurt Gauri hard but she maintained her demeanor. She looked inquisitively at her husband's face trying to read the emotion called disgust of anger on his face. But she failed to find even a trace of it. Rather she saw Rudy and Shakti facial features change. Rudy was about to open his mouth when he saw Gauri nodding a no, so he remained mum.

As everyone dispersed, and Gauri gave him the file and left for office even without asking if she was okay?

A week and half later Gauri was now kind of accoustmed with being the mother of almost the whole Oberoi family. Or more of a head maid. Even the workers sympathized with her. There were a moments when she herself forgot that she was supposed to be a family member. She was usually excluded from family discussions and other stuff .

One of her duties was to look after Dadi her morning tea , medicines and food. Only to hear tales that if Anika was here she would've done it better. Her heart broke each day. But she gathered up the broken pieces and moved on each day to broken again.

Her other duties included secretly taking care of Shanky without anyone knowing about it. But it didn't hide from Shakti's eyes.

Trying to bring back her once chivilarious and fun loving devar back to life. It seemed like Rudy was the only one who cared for her.and treated her the same. He occasions asked about her health and whether she had food or not. And she surely thanked her Shankarji for giving her such a devar.

And taking care of Tejvi who were as admanant as her husband. Not ready to budge no matter what.

And taking care of her admanant husband. Who had now forgotten that he had a wife. He usually spend his days and nights in office. Gauri who was obviously worried about his health asked him to look after himself. And she was again accused of being selfish and self centered only caring about herself when his brother and sister in law who apparently were out alone in the world.

But did he realize that if Shivika were all alone in the world. She was all alone in the family? And what hurt more only she knew. Because she was a victim to that agony.

At times she failed to recognize the man in front of her as the same man whom she had fallen in love. And whom she had worshipped. Who considered her as the centre of his universe. Or so he claimed. She somewhere felt the lack of admiration once she had for him.

He sure was a perfect brother, perfect son, a perfect man , a perfect grandson. But a perfect husband ??? Perfect is not what she wanted all she wanted only her husband is what she wanted . The man who once loved and cherished her.but all of this seemed like a distant memory.

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Promo-  love in the dark Sorry it became to lengthy.. ps- that's all for now .. plzz do leave your suggestions and plz do hit the like button and cmnt if you liked the update 😊. Thanks for reading regards Ana 😊💙