"I held your hand, not to protect you.. But not to let you go ever."

"I will never love you for who you are, ever!"

~ Gauri
(The Fairytale I Never Dream Of)

~•~•~•~•~

Omkara was still roaming around the walls of Oberoi Mansion like a wounded lion. Even on continuous pestering by Dandi, he didn't clean himself up.

'Dandi! How long will it take to find those bloody damn blind spots??', he roared at Dandi, who was still looming over the man who was fumbling with the laptop, watching the coverages of the CCTVs.

'I got it sir!!', the man answered trembling.

'Okay, Dandi, get two men and cover me', he jumped over the wall with Dandi's help and ran through the thick bushes in the garden for decoration. Two guards were posted at some of those blind spots and with one jab on the side of their necks by Omkara, laid them face flat on the ground.

Standing just at beneath the window of Gauri's bedroom, he looked around puzzled. There was even not a water pipe which he could creep up to that window. The window was in first floor and he couldn't even get a rope.

'Damn it!', he punched the wall.

'Master, when you know she's here, why torturing yourself? Let's clean up and wait for morning. Then you can make a grand entry surprising -'

'Shut the fuck up Dandi', he raised a punch, but controlled himself.

Thinking for sometime, Dandi noticed a tree at a distance, but a strong branch reached the wall till the height of the window.

'Master, can you jump from that branch to the window? Its a one shot. If you fall, you'll land into the cover range of the CCTV', Dandi looked high up.

'I don't care. As long as my Gauri is alright', Omkara held Dandi's hand and adjusted himself on the inclined bole of the tree and struggled towards the branch of the tree. Balancing himself on the narrow round pole, he looked straight ahead of him. The window was open luckily, and he could see at a distance, the chocolate brown hair scattered on the milky white bedsheet.

He sent a message to Dandi,

Move out the moment I jump in. Be safe.

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and jumped towards the window, making Dandi cover his eyes with his hands in fear.

*****

Gauri stirred in alarm when a loud thud entered her ears. She intended to  sleep, but shot up on the bed when faint footsteps approached her.

Holding a pillow before her face, she stuttered, 'Who's there?'

But she dropped the pillow in shock when the unmistakable silhouette of the long haired man stood by the window, blocking the beams of moon.

Omkara got onto the bed. Gauri gasped the moment his face came into her view. His face was adorned with fresh and dried streaks of blood, his long mane disheveled, some locks still sticking to his face, wet in blood and sweat that dropped from his eyebrows, shaking her poor heart.

'Good night, Gauri', he squeaked, running his fingers through her silky hair.

'Where were you?', Gauri furrowed her brows.

'Shouldn't you ask if I am okay or not?', Omkara frowned.

'I'm asking just that. Whose face's geography you got changed?', Gauri asked with a disinterested face.

Omkara laughed heartily. Patting her head in affection, he said, 'Nobody on this earth understands me as much as you do. First, it was Naynika's hired moles, then came Naynika herself. Oh, I just burnt her face a bit first, and then kicked it.. Is it alright? I mean, you should have seen her face, full of blisters and her hair burnt till the tip.'

'That ungracious bitch! Good result of her lack of attention towards your warnings', Gauri puffed her cheeks and snorted, 'But you, please go freshen up. You stink.', she scrunched up her nose.

'But I have no other cloth', Omkara made a panicked face, 'And wait, why Rikara isn't here? I thought she's in the bathroom at first.'

'She sleeps with Ansh. And take this towel, and sleep in your jeans. We can arrange your clothes tomorrow', Gauri got down from the bed and handing him a towel, she pushed him in the bathroom.

Gauri was shuffling the blanket when he came out, a fresh smell of aqua hit her nose. Looking up at him she found him standing, his jeans hanging low at his waist, water droplets rippling down his toned chest and abs, his hands busy in rubbing the towel on his wet head.

'Sweep those garbages from your imagination', he threw the towel at her and flopped on the bed, propping himself up by his elbows.

'Tut! Tut!', she pulled down the towel furiously across her face, burning like a tomato.

Lying beside him, she ran her finger over the cuts on his face, but suddenly he held her hand. With marvelous patience, he kissed each and every fingertip of her soft, thin fingers, letting a sigh out from Gauri.

Taking a bit of ointment, she patiently smeared it over the cuts on his face, back of his neck, knuckles, and instead of hissing or yelping in pain, he gripped her thighs tighter every time the ointment stung him.

He pulled her cocooned in his embrace, and secured her by placing one of his legs over her legs and hid his face in the croon of her neck. Her silky soft locks caressed his face, and he deeply inhaled her faint sandal scent, drifting into a slumber, mumbling, 'I can't even sleep without holding you in my arms.'

*****

Gauri sat in the table with the Oberois as usual, her face straight, and the only people she talked to were the kids.

'Well, Good Morning everyone', a sudden deep voice boomed through the dining hall, and all eyes snapped at that direction.

The elders except Gauri looked at him, as if they had collided with a ghost in broad daylight. But the kids giggled in unison, face palming themselves.

Gauri too suppressed a tickling laugh in her stomach as she amusedly looked at him, clad in a grassy green t-shirt, Hannah and Montana's faces printed on them, his hair tamed by her blue hairband, white flowers printed on it.

He picked Rikara up in his arms. Patting Ansh's back as usual he greeted his champ and tickled Ruvyan lightly, earning a gummy grin from him.

'Aww, I missed my princess so much', he ruffled Rikara's hair and showered her face with kisses.

'Uncle!', Rikara wiggled in his arms, giggling helplessly, but the elders thought in unison, Uncle!?!

He didn't seem to mind this girly outfit at all. He steadily walked towards Gauri and gave her cheeks two quick pecks, winding his hand around her neck from back, 'Good morning, Darling.'

Why is he suddenly showcasing PDA? Gauri glared at him, but her glare got harder when he pecked her nose. Spoons from Anika, Shivaay and Rudra's hands and he stared at them, smirking cheekily.

Gauri slapped him lightly, 'At least care for these small kids!'

Without answering her, he took out the chair just beside her and landed his butt lazily on it, showing his teeth unashamedly.

'Shivaay, I guess its time for Khanna to go for a retirement', Omkara dipped his fork in the spaghetti.

'Why?', Shivaay stuffed a spoonful of spaghetti in his mouth.

'He is getting lazier, I expected to find him at least midway till my journey back in here', Omkara said after gulping a morsel, playing with the strips of spaghetti.

With a loud cough, both Shivaay and Rudra chocked on their food. Gulping down a glass of water each, they sapped their gaze at Omkara, Damn it!! We didn't even appointed Khanna the task of tracking him!! Now?', they exchanged panicked glances.

'They didn't arrange any search party for you, so hold back your horses', Gauri piped up, earning three glares from Shivaay, Anika and Rudra.

'But, why kidnapping her Shivaay? You could have talked to me if you had any problem with me dating an woman with a stranded marriage. We could have sotrted things out', Omkara was hurt with his brothers' behaviour.

'Leave it Omkaraji', Gauri concentrated on her food.

After the breakfast was over, Shivaay gripped Gauri's wrist tightly, 'The talk isn't over', and pulled her away with him.

Omkara wanted to follow her, but one gesture from Gauri, he stopped and sat in the hall.

Closing the door of Gauri's bedroom Shivaay glared, 'What's wrong with you Gauri? Can't you see that we're trying to save you?'

'From whom? My husband?', Gauri crossed her arms on her chest.

'He is not your husband!', Rudra spoke up this time.

'Yes', Anika said holding Gauri softly by shoulders, 'Relations made by force are connections only, not a relation.'

'Says the woman who married her kidnapper to save her adopted brother's life, got physically abused just to secure her place in her in-laws' house', Gauri let out a humourless chuckle, shutting Anika wordless.

'You got brainwashed Gauri, you cannot say these to us!', Shivaay desperately exclaimed.

'Oh, how can I forget my double brother in-law who weighs every relationship against the profit and loss provided.. Don't forget what you said to Sis when you proposed her for marriage, I want to pay your each and every favour you did to me and my family back, or what you said to me to get me married to your dear brother, Gauri, we need to sacrifice something to get something, do it for your Sis, do it, because we are your family and we know what's the best for you', Gauri's words sliced through the solid silence.

'Ri, don't you dare talk to my brother like that!', Rudra snarled.

'Now, you are becoming the Rudra I was searching for a long time. You care for your eldest brother, not your O. Is that because he is your half brother? Or, is that because you don't want to see him happy? How many times did I tell you to buy Bhavya a phone instead of making her use mine? How many times did I tell you to make out with her in hotels, instead of my room? You call me your best friend, right?? Did you ever realise that you and your stupidity were the reasons that I almost got killed? Did I not give you a chance? Then why don't him?', Gauri shook Rudra by his collar.

'You all give your loved ones a chance, right?', she stormed off the room and returned holding a bewildered Omkara's wrist, 'Then give him a chance! Just a fucking chance and stay away!! I guarantee you, he is the best family man ever! I, will give him a chance, because, I love him! Yes! I fucking love him!! I know none would be a better father than him for Rikara! Get that through your thick skull!', she screamed every word, 'And I know very well what is good for me! For fuck's sake at least once let ME decide MY LIFE!!'

After a long, painful pause, Shivaay scratched his head, 'Okay then', he looked at stupefied Rudra and Anika, 'Let's arrange your marriage then, your highness!'

'Just a small ceremony in the back garden would be enough', Gauri said with a hard face.

'Okay! And honeymoon will be in my manor in Panchghani,' Omkara earned surprised gasps from everyone, 'Shivaay, look after Rikara for those days, will you please?'

'No problem', Shivaay pressed his lips in a thin line.

'So', Omkara tugged at Gauri's wrist when others left the room, smirking sinisterly, 'Someone LOOOVES me, eh?'

'Stop making face like that, you don't look handsome at all when you do that!', she pushed him out of the door, 'And, bride and groom are not allowed to see each other before marriage, so, behave yourself, Mr. Oberoi.', she closed the door on his face.

Next one will be the last chapter.. I'm already feeling like crying, *sob *sob.. 😢😭

But yeah, I'm already on the comedy, and I've decided that, its dialogues will be in Hindi and in my another account, I will start another story.

Happy reading!
With love,
Sarani.