<<Disclaimer: this part is of meta-narrative type; meaning It is written from chosen  characters' perspective that  are narrating the story>>

I was going crazy- as if I wasn't already! Why did you do that Gauri? Why did you have to go through all of this alone? Why didn't you come to tell me what that bastard did to you? Were you afraid? Were you ashamed? Or were you threatened? If that was the case I swear by the old Gods and the new that no one in the history of torture has been tortured like the torture I would torture him with!!! I swear to twist and turn, break and bend his miserable life so much that Satan's Hell would feel like Santa Park! I swear on the life of the most precious soul in my shitty life to take away everyone and everything he hold dear or even considers of value! I swear on the honor of all those women he terrorized to make him so ashamed to ever raise an eye –let alone a finger on any woman on this planet Earth! I swear a sacred vow to.....

"Nahi, Om! Devil-off!" I thought to myself when I was just about to open the door to my room, "You can't waltz in there like this! Your chiraiya may never look at you the same way if she ever saw your vamp face! Plus, her state now....Nahi, Om! Chill! Breathe in..breathe out..... Breathe in..breathe out.... Breathe in..breathe out..."

And so I did, I tried to calm myself on the simple hope that maybe when I walk in there, Gauri would tell me what happened and what that Raakshas did to her. I opened the door then, I wished that I never did; it felt like someone has stabbed me a million times with a blunt knife directly in the heart. I thought, "Why Gauri?! Why did you have to do this?!":

The room that was a literal mess a few minutes ago as if it was struck by tsunami is now as good as new as if nothing ever happened here; the chair this monster threw away after Gauri threw at him was in place in front of my table, the sketches and papers she threw at him were in place at the table opposite the sofa, the metallic vase she threw at him was in place right on the table next to my side of the bed, the brushes and paint she threw on the ground with her feet when that jaanavar forcefully carried her from her waist putting his other hand on her mouth so that she couldn't shout are in place on my painting table, the billows that were severely disheveled are in perfect place and organization, the carpet she flipped over him was also in its right place in front of the bed, even the walls that had paint sprayed on them were perfectly clean...

"Why Gauri?! Why did you have to do this?! Why did you have to go through all of this alone when I am always there by your side? Why are you too adamant to make everything look normal as if nothing ever happened?! Why are you sitting in the darkness all alone and afraid to raise the sound of your cry?" I thought to myself, "Is that the same woman who freed herself from slavery and kicked Kali Thakur's ass? Is that the same woman who defeated a naagin like Svetlana? Is that the same woman who saved me from psycho buamaa? Is that the same woman challenged and almost defeated a huge Godzilla in a single trail by combat?......Nahi! Where is my Barielly dabang wife? And more importantly, who is this broken zinda laash?! Who knows!"

I turned on the light, walked towards Gauri calling out her name multiple times but she was so lost in her scars that she didn't even notice me being in the room with her. I wiped my tears, calmed myself down a bit then, "Jaan" I called her gently after putting my hand on her shoulder but she suddenly stood up covered in sweat, she kept inhaling and exhaling so rapidly as if she saw a ghost or something like. So, I cupped her petit face with my hands, "GAURI!.....HEY!!!.....HEY! HEY!!!.....HEY!!!.....IT'S ME...OMKARA!.....BREATHE!" I shouted with concern.

"Omkaraji, aap?" she exclaimed.

"Yes, Gauri. Me! What is up?" I asked as if I didn't know, "Why did you leave the party? And why are you sitting all alone in here?"

"Nothing, Omkaraji."She replied, "I just felt a little dizzy after all the dancing and the music that is all." She tried her best to look normal but it was all in vain because as her soul mate, I know her better that she knows herself; I could see how broken she was without her having to say a word. "Damn it, Gauri! Just tell me the truth!!!" I thought to myself.

"At least, turn on the lights, nah? Why are you sitting alone in this darkness?" I exclaimed in a final hope that she would finally open her heart to me and tell me what happened.

"I.....I just...I just didn't need the lights, Omkaraji so I didn't..." She replied in hesitation after all as good as my wife was at possibly anything, she was a terrible liar and as a person who hated lying, this was honestly one of the main reasons why I loved Gauri so much.

Now, I got so frustrated, I lost all hope that Gauri would ever tell me anything so before she could complete her sentence, I unwillingly did what I tried my best not to do; I shouted at her with all my might: "WHY, GAURI?! WHY COULDN'T YOU JUST TELL ME WHAT THIS JANAVAR DID TO YOU?! ALL OF THIS HAPPENED AND YOU DIDN'T BOTHER TO TELL ME!! HOW DARE YOU?!!  I know I shouldn't have done that but what to do? Her whole denial facade made me really lose my chickens! I knew that whatever happened was not her fault but after all we promised each other that whatever happens, we wouldn't ever hide anything from each other. After a minute or so, I returned to my senses to see the girl literally scared outta her wits, I teared up, put my hands together "Sorry....Sorry, Gauri. I swear I didn't mean to." I said.

She didn't respond back or anything nor asked me how I got to know what happened; she wiped her running tears and without even looking in my eyes then, "It is ok." was all what she said.

"You didn't care to ask how I got to know nor to complain about the way I talked to you..." I thought to myself, "You really don't care about anything anymore and sadly you even don't seem to care that you don't care, Gauri!...This is all your fault Omkara! See how broken your Superwoman is?! This is all because of your bloody ignorance and self-centered sick mind! She is now a zinda laash all because of you!" So, I bent the knee then, I hugged her caging her waist, then breathing heavily and breaking in tears and sweat, I apologized saying: "This is all my fault. Please, Gauri. Please, forgive me."

She then bent down to hug me saying, "Nahi, Omkaraji. Why are you apologizing to me? What happened was not your fault."

"Your protection is my responsibility and I couldn't fulfill that responsibility, Gauri. This is all my fault" I replied still breaking in tears.

She turned to face me then, she wiped my tears saying, "Nahi Omkaraji. Stop thinking like that." She hugged me as I rested my head on her chest, "I am such a careless husband, Gauri!" I cried, "I should have known...I should have known...Everything seemed fishy from that bastard flirting with you to that chamchi suddenly buying all my paints...I mean a famous art collector like her so hard to please suddenly buying all the work of one artist! How could I be so stupid?!...I ignored all of those alarming signs and look what happened!"

"Whatever happened wasn't your fault, Omkaraji! You hear me?!" She said with concern after wiping the hot running tears on my cheek, "Whatever happened wasn't your fault! You couldn't foresee the future and that is totally human! So stop holding yourself responsible over what happened. It was my destiny....." then I cut down her sentence shouting, "Destiny?! Don't give me that destiny crap, please! It was that SOB!"

Then we stood up and I held her hands saying, "YEAH! JUST THAT SOB! HOW DARE HE?! I WILL NOT SPARE HIM!!! COME WITH ME!"

"Stop, Omkaraji...Please!" She cried, "Aapko meri kasam!"

"Don't give me that kasam basam crap! I won't swear an oath I can not and will not uphold!! You hear?!!" I replied, "Seriously, Gauri?!! That bastard dared to touch Omkara Singh Oberoi ka Biwi! I won't spare him! Come with me!!"

She then broke in tears before saying, "Please, Omkaraji!......I am just so tired, yaar!....I can't deal with all of this anymore... I can't deal with someone else dying or getting harmed because of me!"

"Someone else dying! Matlab?!!!" I exclaimed.

"Ha, Omkaraji! Kali Thakur.." She replied.

"What about him?" I asked.

"I know I told you everything about my past with him. But Omkaraji, there is something I didn't dare to tell you" She replied, "When Kali was set to marry me again after he enslaved me, I swore the day before that I would do anything not to marry that monster even if I had to die, I would die as your wife...Anyway, at our wedding, I stabbed Kali in the back...I killed him, Omkaraji...I am so sorry, I didn't tell you but I was afraid you would...."

"NAHI, GAURI. STOP!" I interrupted her.

"I know Omkaraji...I know you must think now that I...." she replied but before she could finish her sentence, I put my hand on her cutie mouth to make her shut up for a moment and I said, "Nahi, Gauri! Stop talking for a moment, yaar! You didn't kill the bastard. He is alive!.....And before you panic, don't worry, he can't harm you....In fact, he can't harm anyone anymore! I made sure of that....."

She then removed my hand that was around her mouth and asked me what happened and what I did. It was when a flood of nasty flashbacks I tried so hard to forget started re-invading my brain. What I did to Kali Thakur was my deepest and darkest secret; it was so nasty that I didn't dare to share it with anyone even Gauri whom I vowed to hide nothing from. After all, how could I tell my innocent wife the limits her monster husband crossed to avenge what Kali did to her. Honestly, I didn't dare to tell her and I don't think I ever will so the best I could do at that moment was to change the topic so I replied, "Another convo for another day, Gauri... That Raheja molested you and he is there enjoying the party and you are here crying! How is that justice?!! I can't believe this Gauri! I just can't digest the fact that someone as dabang as you didn't attack that bastard after what he did!"

"I did it for you and bade bhaiya, Omkaraji!" She replied, "aapki deal with Mrs. Raheja plus he is the ambassador for bade bhaiya's new company.."

"Just stop it, Gauri! Do you really think I care about the deal?" I replied, "Of course not, Jaan! For me nothing –absolutely nothing is more important for me that you! What is a deal compared to your presence of my life? What are even millions of deals? I would gladly give my entire life for one smile I get from you. Plus, after all what happened, how could you think about business? Come on, Gauri! This is all nonsense!! Come with me! We'll show this freak his true aukat!"

"You don't understand, Omkaraji. I am thinking about my reputation, my family's reputation!" She replied, "Where we live, no one will ever doubt him because he is a man! Everyone would start gossiping about me, my family and my behavior. On the other hand, no one would ever question him; no one would ask him what he did or didn't do or even why he did what he did."

"Nahi, stop the nonsense Gauri! What do you think?! Just because he is famous or even a man he gets to treat women the way he wants?! He does what he does and is granted a free pass?! Nahi! Bilkul Nahi!" I shouted, "This man touched my wife; Omkara Singh Oberoi's wife and he will be punished for it! END OF STORY!"

"I know Omkaraji that whatever happened with me was wrong. But believe me, if you try to fix it, something worse will happen!" She replied, "People will start gossiping about me and my behavior then my reputation, our family's reputation...."

"This is the problem with our narrow minded society, Gauri, we always question the victim.....We always say this happened because she was wearing blah blah blah or she behaved blah blah blah or she was the one giving him hints but this all has to change at some point, nah?! Might as well change with us!" I replied, "now I really can't take that discussion anymore Gauri, I swear on your life either you give that bastard what he deserves or I will!! Baat Katam!"

"Omkaraji, hummm.." She mumbled.

"Not another word, Gauri!" I shouted, "Without fear, you will face that monster and reveal to everyone the crimes he committed against you -all of them!!! And this is your Pati Barmashwar ka order!!! CHALOO MERI SAATH!"

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This was a wrap for part 5. I am sorry for the slow update, I had to rewatch all Rikara scenes to be able to write this chapter. I hope my version of Rikara's heart-to-heart managed to touch your hearts. I promised you from the start to keep the integrity of the track intact and to keep the MeToo track about women speaking up for themselves. that is why Gauri had to speak up and tbh, I always thought that if anyone could convince her to do so that would be her husband (not shivaay like in the show). That is why I did this twist....I hope I gave justice to both Omkara and Gauri's characters in this chapter when the show failed miserably to do...

Oh and this piece was supposed to end next chapter but I can extend it to deal with Gauri's PSTD that the  show again never dealt with based on your reactions on this chapter and the next one.

This is my first ever ff so your criticism is needed as well as appreciated. 

What did you think of Rikara heart-to- heart? please upvote and tell me in the comments. :)

Happy Reading,

Mona:)