*The next day, in the evening*

Gauri: (Worried) Bhojaiji, woh toh 8 baje tak aane waale the na? 8:30 ho gaya hai!

Anika: Wahi toh mujhe bhi samajh nahi aa raha! Upar se yeh shivaay apna phone bhi nahi utha rahe hai! Uff! Kya chal raha hai?

Rudra: Arre bhabhi, traffic mein fas gaye honge! 9 baje tak intezaar karenge. Phir bhi agar O aur Shivaay bhaiyya nahi aaye, toh kuch karrende

Jhanvi: (Worried) Mujhe toh bahut darr lag raha hai! Pata nahi kyun, lekin mujhe kuch sahi nahi lag raha hai!

[Gauri, who was immensely worried, was trying to figure out what happened to Om and Shivaay. She tried thinking of what could have happened.]

Gauri: (To herself) Kal woh phone par ajeeb lag rahe the, jab shivaay bhaiyya se baat ki, tab kueh plan ki baat kar rahe the...Maajra ka hai? Kahi yeh dilli kisi aur kaam ke liye toh nahi gaye? Hey sankarji, chal ka raha hai!

[Soon, it turned 9 pm, and there was no sign of Om or Shivaay]

Dadi: (Worried) Anika, police ko phone laga. Mera dil keh raha hai ki kuch gadbad hua hai!

Jhanvi: Maaji, aisi baate na karein! Mera pehle se hi jee ghabra raha hai!

Anika: (Worried) J-ji dadi

*A few hours later*

[It soon became 11:30 pm, but Om and Shivaay still hadn't returned. What had happened to them? Were they in danger?]

Anika: (Crying) D-dadi, Police waale keh rahe hai ki airport se Shivaay ya Om nazar nahi aaye! Kahaan ja sakte hai woh?!

Gauri: (Scared) H-humne bhi Omkara ji ko phone kiya, lekin unka phone nahi lag raha!

Anika: Kahi Uday Thakur ke logo ne...

Dadi: (Crying) Nahi, aisa kuch nahi hoga! Bahut bahadur hai mere pote!

[There was a possibility of Om and Shivaay being attacked by Uday Thakur, and that possibility shattered Gauri. She collapsed on the floor and burst into tears. What cruel game was god playing with her? Where could Om and Shivaay have gone?]

Gauri: (Crying) O-Omkara ji k-ko kuch ho gaya t-toh...

Rudra: (Crying) Aap log kya bakwaas kar rahe ho! Kuch nahi hoga unhe! Please, positive rahiye!

[Immediately, Gauri hugged Anika tight, before both of them cried in each others arms. They both knew what the other was going through, and the possibility of losing their spouses had terrified them.]

Gauri: (Crying) Sab humaari galti hai! Sab kuch humaari galti hai! Hum...Hume jaana hoga!

[Gauri bravely wiped her tears and ran towards the door, until she was pulled back by Dadi and Rudra]

Dadi: Gauri, pagal mat bano!

Gauri: (Crying) Dadi, aaj humaari wajah se aapke dono pote ki jaan khatre mein hai! Jaise hi hum jaayenge, woh log waapis aayeng--

Rudra: (Facing Gauri) Bhabhi! Aapko apne shankarji par bharosa hai na? Toh unse praarthna kijiye! Lekin haan, aap iss ghar se baahar nahi niklengi!

Gauri: (Crying) Rudy bhaiyya, aap samajh kyun nahi rahe hai? Agar unhe kuch ho gaya, toh hum kabhi apne aap ko maaf nahi kar paayenge!

Rudra: Bhabhi sirf 3 ghante hue hai! Kya pata kaam mein busy ho?! Hausla rakhiye!

Gauri: Nahi bhaiyya! Hume toh lagta hai ki woh dono kiss aur maqsad se dilli gaye hai! Pata nahi ka ho raha hai! Kyun bhagwaan roz nayi musibat deta hai!

*A few hours later*

[It was now 1:30 AM, and the house was emptier than ever. Gauri sat in front of Shankarji's moorti, and prayed endlessly, while tears kept flowing out of her eyes. She had been crying for the past 6 hours]

Gauri: (Praying) Zindagi ne humesha humse saari khushiya cheeni hai, Shankarji. Pehle Ma-papa, phir didi, phir chotu. Lekin 4 mahine pehle, humaari jindagi mein aisa shaqs aaya, jisne ehsaas dilaaya ki zindagi mein acchai baaqi hai.

Choti-choti baat par jhagadti hoon, unhe tang karti hoon, zyaada bak-bak karti hoon, lekin aaj tak unhone koi shikaayat nahi ki. Har mushkil ghadi mein saath diya. Har kadam pe sahara diya. Aur aaj, aap mujhse woh khushi cheenna chahte hai?

Meri shradhha, mohabbat, bharosa ka yeh sila doge aap? Kya humaari kismat mein khushiyaan nahi likhi hain?

Woh chahe jitne bhi nakhrewaale ho, Nandiji ho, khadoos ho, hume unhe waise hi pasand hai. Jo kuch bhi ho, lekin woh humaare khadoosji hai, aur aap ee haq humde nahi cheen sakte.

Hume abhi tak pata nahi ki unse ka rishta hai humaara, lekin unn par humaari jaan tiki hai. Unki saason se hume zindagi milite hai. Isliye---

[Before Gauri could complete her sentence, she heard the door open and a familiar voice.]

Shivaay: Sorry Dadi, late ho gaye!

[Gauri's eyes grew in shock and happiness and she prayed to Sankarji one last time before running towards the door. As she ran towards the door, she only saw Shivaay standing at the threshold, and her body went numb.

Where was Om? What happened to him?

A few seconds later, she saw a shadow that looked familiar, and there he was.

Gauri's eyes immediately recognised Om's face, even though it was slightly bruised and she ran towards him.]

Om: Gauri...

Gauri: (Slapping him) Ee ka hai?!

Rudra: (Laughing) Kya baat hai Bhabhi!

Jhanvi: (Crying) Aur maaro usse Gauri! Bewakoof kahika!

Om: (Confused) Arre? Thappad kyun maara?

[Before Gauri spoke, she immediately started crying before hugging Om tight, So tight that he couldn't even let go]

Gauri: (Crying) Aapne samay dekha hai? 1.30 ho gaya hai! Aap humko pagal samajhte hai ka? Haan? Hume laga ki...

Om: (Caressing her cheek) Kya laga?

Gauri: (Breaking the hug) K-kuch nahi...

Anika:( Hugging Shivaay) Itni der kyun laga di? Aur phone kyun nahi lag raha hai? Haan?

Shivaay: Hum Uday Thakur ko niptaane Dilli gaye the

Gauri: (Wiping her tears) K-ka?

Shivaay: (Hugging Gauri) Gauri, tum aazaad ho! Woh Uday Thakur India ke sabse high security jail mein sad raha hai! Uska baahar nikalna naamumkin hai!

Gauri: (Shocked) Ka? Sach?

Shivaay: Haan! Ab tumhe kissi baat ka khauf nahi hai!

Gauri: (Hugging Shivaay) Thank Oo bhaiyya! Thank oo! Aapne jo humaare liye kiya, koi apna bhi nahi karta!

Shivaay: Yeh kya baat hui? Main tumhaara apna bhai nahi hoon kya?

Gauri: (Crying) aap apne se bhi zyaada hai! Aaj hum azaad hai! Hum aazaad hai!

[Gauri couldn't believe that Uday Shaker's saga was finally over.

Gauri was free. After 8 years of trauma and torture. She no one to fear, nothing to be afraid of! No one could harm her or her family! She didn't have to blame herself for all the accidents that took place in the house!

Free, all because of Om and Shivaay. That day she realised that blood relations aren't always necessary to have a family. Gauri did have a family. The Oberoi family was now her family.

She had two brothers who protected her, a sister in Anika, a mother in Jhanvi, a grandmother in Dadi, and most importantly a best friend and husband in Om.

What more did she want?]

*In Om and Gauri's room*

[Om walked out of the bathroom after a shower, while Gauri sat on the bed, crying]

Om: Arre, toh phir se ro rahi ho? Tumhaare paas aansoon ka bank hai kya? Ab kya hua?

Gauri: Jis shaitan ke darr se hum yahaan aaye, woh ab nahi hai, Omkara ji.

Om: Maine kaha tha na, hum ek saath uss Uday Thakur ko khatam karenge!

Gauri: (Angry) Aur aap? Aap phone nahi utha sakte! Aapki darr se pichle 6 ghante se ro rahe the! Aapko pata hai hum kitna darr gaye the?!

[Immediately, Om sat besides Gauri and held her hand, while she slowly rested her head on his shoulder.]

Om: Tumhe Ekta Kapoor ke serial mein kaam karna chahiye tha, bahut roti ho tum!

Gauri: Aap humaara mazaak uda rahe hai? Aapko toh farak hi nahi padta! Arre, agar aap chale gaye toh...

Om: Toh? Toh kya? Tumne toh kaha tha ki tum mujhe miss nahi karti, right?

Gauri: (Crying) Miss kiya tha, theek hai! Aapke baghair zindagi bahut mushkil lagta hai! Aadat ho gayi hai aapki! Aap agar chale gaye toh hum samasya main pad jaayenge!

Om: Gauri, main kahin nahi jaane waala. Relax! Chalo, so jaao!

[As Om put Gauri to sleep, his mind kept replaying her words.

"Miss kiya tha, theek hai! Aapke baghair zindagi bahut mushkil lagta hai! Aadat ho gayi hai aapki! Aap agar chale gaye toh hum samasya main pad jaayenge!'"

Om smiled at her words.

She needed him as much as he needed her, and that made him happy.

As he tried to walk towards the couch to sleep, he felt something pull his hand. Gauri's grip on his hand was tighter than ever, and Om slowly walked back to the bed, trying not to disturb her.

That night, Gauri slept peacefully for the first time, with Om's arms wrapped around her. His warmth and touch provided her immense comfort, and she loved how comfortable being around him felt.

That night Gauri knew she had nothing to be afraid of.

She was free.]

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2 (or three, not to sure) updates in a row!! This chapter made me super emotional tbh

Haye, meri Gauri <3 Bechaari!

I hope y'all loved this chapter! Please vote if you did!