Anika's POV:

Was his surprise coming to my house? In that case, god why?! I don't want this kanji eyed idiot in my house! Just then I saw a guy with long hair and an elderly lady. I remember Gauri telling me that Om had long hair up to his shoulders so I immediately knew that the long hair guy was Om but who was elderly lady?

Elderly lady: Om, billu, is this Gauri?

Me: nahi aunty, I'm Anika, Gauri's big sister.

Elderly lady: accha, namaste Anika, I am dadi. These two are Omkara and Shivay. My other grandson Rudra and granddaughter Priyanka are just behind us. So are my son and bahu, Pinky and Shakti.

Me: accha, do come in dadi and everyone else.

They all came in....I knew Shivay, I knew one of his siblings Om because he told me 6 years back but I didn't know that he had more siblings. It felt weird seeing Shivay's parents for the first time. I never met them when I was on good terms with Shivay. Once they were in the house, my family stood up and said namaste.

Mum: are you the Oberois?

Pinky: ji haan. You musts bes Gauri's family.

Gauri: ji haan aunty. This is my family.

Dadi: so this is Gauri...

She went up to Gauri, Gauri bent down to take blessings but Dadi stopped her and hugged her.

Dadi: elders' blessings are not on the feet, they are in the arms.

Gauri smiled.

Mum: pardon me, how come you all are here?

Pinky: to asks for Gauri's hand in marriage with my son Omkara.

She kept her hand on Om's shoulder to show who the groom was. My dad and chachi smiled brightly! They have been wanting Gauri to marry for ages. I don't know why but since she was 19, they have been dying for her to marry. I'm surprised they haven't thought of my marriage at all.

Mum: Gauri's marriage? But she is still studying.

Gauri: mum, voh Om is my boyfriend and we want to marry.

Mum and dad: boyfriend?

Gauri nodded. I could sense that she was scared, she was nervous.

Dadi: I know that Omkara and Gauri are young, they are still studying but Omkara told me that he really wants to marry Gauri because he loves her a lot and I can tell that Gauri loves my grandson a lot.

Dad: well if the two love each other, I guess we should discuss their marriage.

Om and Gauri smiled. I felt myself smiling too. If dad makes a decision then that decision is final. I offered the Oberois to sit down.

Gauri: do you want anything to drink?

They all shook their heads. Gauri and I sat down. I looked at Shivay who was looking at me. So if we were going to discuss the plans details in my house then how was that going to work because there was no way we could talk alone with our families talking about wedding plans? I didn't want my family to know about this deal I made with Shivay.

Shivay: aunty, uncle, I need to go to the washroom.

Mum: accha, Anika show him where the washroom is.

I nodded, standing up along with Shivay.

Once we left the living room, Shivay spoke: you know it really makes me happy that you agreed to this deal. You must really want to marry me. 

Me: I only accepted this stupid deal for my sister. Besides you were the one to make this deal so you must be the one who really wants to marry me!

Shivay: nah...my mum wants me to marry so might as well just marry you. 

I rolled my eyes. That was not a good reason and he knew it! He knew that his reason was so bad. 

Me: here is the washroom. 

Shivay: I don't need it. 

Me: so you made a washroom excuse to talk to me?! Wow, such a great excuse Shivay. So original!

Shivay: shut up! It's the only excuse I could think of.

I rolled my eyes.

Anika's POV ends

Pinky: so this is yours house. Looks nice.

Balraj: thank you. So did Omkara inform Gauri that you all were coming?

Om: ji haan.

Sakshi: so about the marriage, Gauri, Omkara, are you both fully sure that you two are ready for marriage? It's a big commitment.

Rikara: we are.

Pinky: sos Gauri, do you want to continues studies after marriage?

Gauri nodded with a smile.

Pinky: okays. I am a modern saas, if my bahu wants tos study after marriage she cans.

Balraj: that's great to hear.

Shakti: so what do you two do?

Balraj: I used to work in the army, I am retired now.

Sakshi: I am a pedrication.

Balraj: I know you may be wondering why do we live in a small medium type house.

Shakti: it's a nice house, has it been in the family?

Balraj: ji haan, my dadaji built this house so ever since then, this house has been part of our family. My brother Devraj stays in another house because of his job.

Shakti: accha.

Pinky: so Gauri, have you got any desires for this marriage?

Gauri: I just want a simple yet memorable marriage.

Meanwhile...

Anika: so what do I need to know? How is this deal gonna work?

Shivay: well no one in hell is going to believe that me and you were dating for ages. Om very well knows that I am single.

Anika: Gauri also knows that I am not seeing anyone.

Shivay: so that's why we are going to marry after Om and Gauri.

He opened his mouth to talk more but then stopped for a minute, Anika was confused regarding why he stopped.

Anika: why did you stop? Weren't you going to say something?

Shivay: I was just trying to remember what I was going to say. You know I am a businessman, I got so much to remember, I got deals to remember, clients to remember, details regarding projects to remember, deadlines to remember, I got...

Anika interrupting: even I have a lot to remember. We all got things to remember, we don't list it out though. Now tell me what you were going to say regarding the deal.

Shivay: I remember now, we are going to marry after my brother and your sister because it will seem believable if we tell people that we fell in love during our siblings' marriage functions.

Anika: you do realise that Om and Gauri probably want the wedding to happen fast before any baby bump appears. Do we just tell people that oh we fell in love quickly like that

She clicked her fingers at a face pace.

Shivay: love at first sight, ever heard of it?

Anika: yes I have because 6 years ago, it was love at first sight and you made love at first sight seem like an illusion.

Shivay: Anika, Anika, Anika...now is not the time to think of the past. All you have to do is act. We'll marry after our siblings and if we hate each other after six months or at least until Gauri's baby is born, we can divorce but I doubt you will leave.

Anika: you make no sense sometimes. First of all, why do you want to marry a middle class girl when you rejected a middle class girl for your brother? Second of all, if you want to marry me then why do you want me to leave if I want to after a certain amount of time?

Shivay: you do realise not every question of yours deserves an answer.

Shivay turned to go to the living room when Anika grabbed his arm.

Anika: once again, you aren't giving me an answer.

Shivay: stop dwelling in the past and focus on the present, now let's go! We have been gone for long enough.

Anika gritted her teeth tightly that her jaw was now paining. She walked past Shivay and went to the living room. Shivay just followed her and the two sat in their places on the sofas. The grown ups were still talking about marriage ideas, this time the conversation went to colour themes.

Gauri whispered to Anika: you took long, all okay?

Anika whispered back: yeah all okay. Are you okay? Do you need any water or something to eat?

Gauri whispering: no didi but haan I want something.

Anika whispering: what is it?

Gauri whispering: I want to talk to Om and that too alone but I can't. These grown ups are here.

Anika decided to help her sister out. Besides even though she just arrived, she could tell that Om and Gauri wanted time alone because those two were just stealing glances from one another.

Anika: auntyji, uncleji, mum, dad, is it okay if Gauri and Om can go to the garden? Just so then they can talk to one another? You know they are getting married, maybe they want to talk about ideas of partnership or when they want to have children....

Rikara gave a look at her.

Anika: because an article on psychologytoday said that they should talk about these things before marriage.

Pinky: okays they cans go only if it is okay with you Sakshi and Balraj?

Balraj: it's okay with us. Gauri, Om, you two can go to the garden. 

Gauri took Om to the garden and said: I am so happy, dad accepts this marriage, your family accepts this marriage, your brother accepted it. Now I don't think anything can go wrong.

Om: I was so surprised when Shivay accepted this marriage. He didn't agree earlier.

Gauri: that's because my amazing didi sorted him out. She just yelled at him and he surrendered!

Om: your sister definitely has some magic in her.

Gauri: yup she does but....

Om: but....?

Gauri: I know that didi convinced Shivay but I don't understand one thing. You are Shivay's brother and he didn't agree when you asked well begged. Didi goes and yells at him, Shivay agrees.

Om: I didn't get told until now that your sister was the reason why Shivay changed his decision. If Shivay didn't agree when I asked, then how come he agreed when Anika asked?

Gauri: that is a mystery. 

She kept her hands on her stomach and said: you know I can't wait to meet my little prince.

Om: we spoke about this Gauri...it's going to be a princess.

Gauri: you know nothing! If I say that it's a prince, then it is a prince.

Om: oh hello, it's going to be a princess and that is final!

Gauri: it's going to be a little prince and he will look exactly like you...silky long hair and black eyes.

Om: if he goes to school with long hair and if the teachers tell you to cut his hair then? What will you do?

Gauri: I will tell the teacher that I will not be getting my son's hair cut and she can't tell me what to do. You know me Om, I don't like people telling me what to do. I make an exception when I want to but it depends on the situation.

Om: so if it's a boy, you are going to make him grow his hair.

Gauri: if he wants it.

Om: if it's a girl, I want her to be short and cute like you.

He pulled her cheeks making Gauri smile with a blush. 

Later on....

The Oberois were finally gone. Anika had changed out of the pastel yellow salwar she was wearing and was now wearing her white spaghetti strap sleeveless lace embellished top and cami plaid pyjamas trousers. As she was folding the salwar she wore earlier, Gauri entered the room dressed in a white 'Let Me Sleep' long sleeve pyjama top with tartan pyjama trousers. She sat on Anika's bed and said: didi, I have a very VERY important question.

Anika: if it's to ask if you can borrow my charger because you are using your charger for your iPad or whatever and you need another one, the answer is no!

Gauri: I wasn't going to ask that.

Meanwhile....

Shivay was in his study, typing something on the laptop. As he was engrossed in whatever he was writing up, Om came to the door and knocked on it since the rule was that you had to knock on Shivay's study door before you can enter. It was a rule Shivay made for no reason whatsoever.

Shivay looked from his laptop and saw Om. He signalled him to come in. Om came in and sat on the chair opposite Shivay.

Shivay: all okay?

Om: yeah just I wanted to ask you something.

Shivay: go ahead ask.

In another room of the Oberoi Mansion:

Pinky was brushing her hair in front of her dressing table when Shakti entered.

Shakti: Pinky I need to ask you something regarding Om and Gauri's marriage.

Pinky: asks.

Precap: answers and rings 

So this is the chapter for today. Sorry for a late and boring one, I was supposed to update in the weekend but mid Saturday, Sunday and Monday I didn't feel well. 

What is Gauri going to ask Anika?

What is Om going to ask Shivay?

What is Shakti going to ask Pinky?