*That same day, in the evening*

Jhanvi:(Worried) Dekhiye na Dadi, Om ne subah se kuch nahi khaaya hai.

Dadi: Accha? Khaana uske kamre tak pahuncha do.

Jhanvi: Saare naukar ghar Gaye hai, bahut der chuki Hai na

[Gauri, who was seated with everyone agreed to help].

Gauri: Hum jaayein?

Jhanvi: Tum...Tum kar paogi?

Gauri: Kyun nahi maa, woh Hume kha toh nahin denge!

[Gauri picks up the tray and walks towards Om's room while Jhanvi winks at Dadi.]

Gauri: (To herself) Iss khadoos ka koi bharosa nahi hai. Gusse mein woh sach mein Hume kha lenge! Hey sankarji, humaari raksha karo!

[Meanwhile, Om, standing next to the window was staring at Gauri's payal. He failed to understand why he was holding it and admiring it so much. He failed to understand why he lied to her about not having her anklet. He failed to understand why Gauri being near him gave him an odd sense of relief.

Just then, he heard a knock on the door. After his approval, the door opened and he saw Gauri. He immediately kept the payal on the table behind him and turned. However, Gauri had already noticed her payal laying behind him and let out a small smile.]

Om: (Emotionless) Bolo

Gauri: Woh, Aapne khaana nahi khaya toh--

Om: Tumhe biwi banne ki zaroorat nahi hai

Gauri: Apna gussa khaane par mat utariye. Thoda toh kha le--

Om: (Angrily) Kya chahti ho tum? Bolo!

Gauri: Filhaal chahte Hai ki aap kha le. Maaji aur Dadi bhi yehi chahte Hain.

Om: Tum---

Gauri: Pata hai, hum badtameez Hain, tez zubaan waale Hai, tang Karte hai. Dialogue thoda Puranaa ho gaya hai, Khadoos ji

Om: Kya matlab hai isska? Iss rishte ka? Hum dono ka?

Gauri: (smiling) agar pata hota hum iss kamre mein reh rahe hote

Om: (Looking away) Mujhe bhook nahi hai

Gauri: Hum aur aap dono jaante Hai ki aap bhook ke maare andar se marr rahe Hai, yeh bas nakhra hai. Koi baat nahi, hum chalte hain!

Om: (Angrily) Yeh--

Gauri: (Turning back) Aur Haan, woh payal aapko suit nahi karegi

[Gauri giggles before exiting the room, leaving Om embarrassed and confused. Almost immediately, he let out a smile. Why was he smiling so much?]

*The next morning*

[Gauri was about to head downstairs when she heard screams from Omkara's room. She walks towards the room to understand what the commotion was all about]

*In Om's room*

Om: (Angrily) Ravi! Ravi! Kahaan chale Gaye Sab? Ab yeh Button kaun silaayega?! Uff!

[Gauri knocks and enters]

Om: (Angrily) Tum? Tum knock kiye bina aayi kaise? Tumhe itni bhi tameez nahi hai?

[Gauri ignores his angry remark and looks at the broken button on his shirt. She picks up the thread and needle laying on the table and walks towards Om and slowly inserts the needle inside his shirt, while gently placing her left hand on his chest.]

Om: Yeh Kya kar rahi ho tum? Mujhe tumhaari help ki zaroorat nahi hai, samjhi?

Gauri: Aap kuch der chup rahenge? Bahut ho gayi aapki manmaani! Mujhe karne dijiye!

[Gauri leaned in, towards his chest as she bit the thread off the needle and Om was intoxicated by her fragrance. As she looked up at him, he took a while to gaze and study her big and dark eyes. The brief eye lock between the two had made it clear that deep down, they felt something for each other. Only time would decide what those feelings would be. Gauri silently placed the needle and thread on the table and left the room before saying something]

Gauri: Humne darwaaze par dastak di, lekin aapke gusse ki wajah se aapko sunai nahi diya. Iss ghar mein kaam karne waale log bhi insaan hai. Woh rasoi mein the, isliye nahi aa paaye. Aur haan, neeche nashta laga Hai, jaane se pehle kha lein

Om: (To himself) Kehti hai ki iss shaadi ko nahi maanti, aur biwi jaise tevar dikhaati Hai. Aakhir chahti Kya hai?

*At the breakfast table*

Jhanvi: Yeh lo, Om aa gaya!

Shivaay: Jaldi kha lo Om, aaj zaroori meeting hai!

Anika: Gauri, sharmao mat. Kha lo!

Gauri: Ji bhojaiji

Dadi: (To Om) Om, puttar yahaan ek minute ke liye aa

Om: (To Dadi) Ji Dadi?

Dadi: Mujhe pata hai ki tumhaare aur Gauri ke beech tension hai, aur main tum dono ke saath zabardasti nahi karna chahta. Main samajhti hoon ki rishte banne mein waqt lagta hai, aur tum dono iss waqt bahut confused ho. Phir bhi, main tumhe yeh dena chahti hoon.

[Dadi places a mangalsutra in Om's hands].

Om: (Confused) Dadi, yeh Kya hai?

Dadi: Yeh Mangalsutra ek suhaag ki nishaani Hai. Kal gauri ke maang mein sindoor bharke tum dono ne sirf aadhi shaadi ki hai. Jis din tum dono ko ehsaas hoga ki tum dono ek sach mein shaadi shuda Ho, main chahti hoon ki uss din tum khud yeh mangalsutra Gauri ko pehnaao. Karoge na?

Om: Ji Dadi. Karunga.

[Om ran back to his room and kept the mangalsutra along with the payal in his closet, before running back downstairs.]

Jhanvi: Good luck beta! Sab accha hoga!

Anika: Best of Luck Shivaay aur Om! Meeting acchi hi hogi, tension mat lijiye!

[Om thanked everyone for their wishes but his eyes were constantly fixed on Gauri, who also wished him good luck. For some reason, her wishes were all he needed to get through the day. Even he failed to understand why.]

Gauri: (To Dadi) Dadi, aapko aitraaz na hum toh hum cheez ki ijaazat chahte hai

Dadi: Haan Beta, bolo na?

Gauri: Kya hum kal se mandir mein kaam shuru kar sakte?

Dadi: Haan beta, zaroor! Yeh koi puchne ki baat Hai?

Gauri: (Smiling) Thank oo Dadi! Thank oo!

Jhanvi: (To Gauri) Beta, mera saath aao.

[Jhanvi takes Gauri to her and gives her a heavy necklace set.]

Gauri: Maa...yeh Kya?

Jhanvi: Meri saas ne mujhe yeh diya tha, aur aaj main yeh tumhe de rahi hoon Gauri.

Gauri: Maa, yeh haar sirf iss ghar ki bahu ke liye nahi, aapke bete ki biwi ke liye bhi hai, jo hum abhi hai nahi. Jiss din humme pati-patni ka rishta hoga, hum yeh Haar lenge

Jhanvi: (Caressing Gauri's cheek) Tumse acchi bahu mujhe milkar bhi nahi milegi! Beta, main jaanti hoon ki tum Om se naaraz ho, aur yeh shaadi achaanak hui, lekin Om dil ka bahut accha hai. Dheere-dheere tumhe khud yakeen hoga

Gauri: (Smiling) Ji maaji

[Gauri walked back to her room, and Jhanvi's words kept ringing at the back of her mind. What was her relationship with Om? Would things ever be normal?]

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New update!!! Yay!! I hope y'all love this chapter!!! I found this chapter cute in some moments, tbh. What do y'all think of this chapter?

Thank you for reading my loves!!