*The next morning, at the Oberoi mansion*

[Gauri woke up with a start when she found Om on the floor. He had fallen off the couch while sleeping! She couldn't help but burst into a loud laugh, which annoyed Om, who got up uninjured. ]

Om: (Coming close to her) Bahut hasi aa rahi hai Tumhe?

Gauri: (Laughing, while getting off the bed) Aur nahi toh ka? Aapki shakal dekhni layak thi!

Om: (Coming close) Accha?

Gauri: (Shy) Ee... Ee ka kar rahe Hai aap? Dekhiye ji, daayre mein rahiye warna...

Om: (Grabbing her hand) Warna?

[Gauri let go off his grip and immediately ran out of the room giggling, while Om laughed and began running behind her. It was a funny sight to see, but this was the first time Om had seen Gauri laugh so freely. She ran back up to the room and felt a strong pair of hands on her waist. She instantly knew it was Om.]

Om: (Whispering in her ear) Tumne bola nahi, warna?

Gauri: (Shy) Warna---

[Just then, Anika entered the room, with a fake cough, immediately causing Om and Gauri to break away.]

Anika: (Fake Coughing) Gauri, tum busy toh nahi ho?

Gauri: (Embarrassed) N-nahi bhojaiji! Kahiye! Ka hua?

Anika: (Holding a platter) Accha Tumhe pata hai parson karwa chauth hai na? Tum vrat rakhna chahogi? Koi compulsion nahi hai, I understand tum abhi bhi iss shaadi ke maamle mein confused ho---

Gauri: Arre nahi bhojaiji, hum rakhenge, jaroor rakhenge!

Anika: (Smiling) Perfect! Accha yeh kuch saamaan hai, aur Dadi ne yeh saree aur yeh jewelry di Hai. Parso yahi pehenna, okay?

Gauri: (Smiling) Ji bhojaiji!

*Anika leaves*

Om: Kya baat hai, Karwa chauth ka vrat?

Gauri: Isme hairaan hone waali kaunsi baat hai? Hum shaadishuda hai, vrat rakhna laazmi hai

Om: Sirf shaadi shuda Ho, isliye kar rahi ho? Aur koi wajah nahi?

Gauri: Ee ka ghooma-firaakar baat kar rahe ho? Baat par aayie!

Om: Kuch nahi! Accha, suno...

Gauri: Boliye!

Om: (Flirting) Uss din tum blouse apne aap pehen paaogi na? Ya main madad---

Gauri: (Throwing pillow at Om) Haww! Tauba hai! Besharam! Jaayie aap!

*Om leaves*

[Om couldn't help but giggle at his flirtatious behavior, but deep down, he still couldn't understand if was really in love in Gauri. Lost in thought, Om walked around the Oberoi mansion, until he bumped into Rudra and Shivaay.]

Rudra: Arre Om, Kya hua? Tera dhyaan kidhar hai?

Om: Haan? K-kuch nahi yaar, bass bahut confused hoon!

Rudra: Isme nayi baat kya hai? Tu toh humesha confused rehta hai!

Shivaay: Shut up Rudra! Om, kya baat hai?

Om: (Nervous) I-I...I--

Rudra: (Melodramatic) Oh god O, tu bol nahi sakta hai kya?

Om: Rudra, tu mere haath se maar khaayega!

Shivaay: Oh god, stop it you two! Om, bol kya baat hai?

Om: Mujhe lagta mujhe Gauri se pyaar hua hai. I think I'm in love with Gauri!

[Immediately, Rudra bursts into a loud and deafening laughter, while Shivaay also joins in and starts laughing. Om looks at both of them in confusion.

What happened to them?]

Om: (Confused) What's so funny?

Rudra: (Laughing) Shivaay bhaiyya, I'm convinced ki O duniya ka sabse bada bewakoof hai!

Om: Excuse me? Kya matlab?

Rudra: Matlab ki jo baat Gauri bhabhi ke alaava sab jaante hai, usse realize karne mein tujhe 4 mahine lage!

Om: What do you mean?

Rudra: (Putting his hand on Om's shoulder) Jis din Gauri bhabhi ke saath saat phere liye, ussi waqt pata tha ki woh aapke liye kya hai!

Shivaay: I'm proud of you Om. Uss Ishaana ke chakkar ke baad hum sab itne darr gaye the! Yaad hai Rudy? Agle 8 mahine ke liye, Om itna hollow ban gaya tha! Na gussa, na koi emotions!

Rudra: Haan, aur phir woh din jab O gusse mein ghar aaya? Ek ladki ki khoob shikayat kar raha tha? Uss din pehli baar unke chehre par koi emotion dekha!

Shivaay: Aur wahi ladki humaare Om ki Gauri ban gayi!

Om: Accha okay, itna melodramatic mat bano!

Shivaay: Tujhe iss duniya mein Gauri jaisi sacchi aur acchi ladki nahi milegi Om. Woh bahut acchi hai

Rudra: Waise lover boy, pyaar ka izhaar kab karoge?

Om: (Confused) K-kya?

Rudra: Uffo! Arre bhabhi ko dil ki baat bataani hogi na!

Om: (Nervous) N-nahi nahi, mujhe nahi bataana

Rudra: Aye haye, Omkara Singh Oberoi sharma raha hai?!

Shivaay: Rudra's right, Om. Gauri ko apni dil ki baat batao!

Om: Nahi bhaiyya, agar usne thukra diya toh?

Rudra: Pagal hai kya? Unki aankhein dekhi hai? Aap ke liye mohabbat ke alzava aur kuch nahi hai!

Om: Kuch bhi mat bol Rudy, come on!

Shivaay: Parson karwa chauth ki pooja se pehle usse bata do

Om: (Surprised ) What?! N-nahi bhaiyya

Shivaay: Yes Om, parson, karwa chauth ki pooja se pehle, you will tell her!

Rudra: Haan O, aur sunn, confession ko romantic bana de! Karan Johar type romantic!

Om: (Scared) Bahut nervous hoon, agar usne reject kar liya toh?

Rudra: Tu bas dil ki bata,kuch puch mat! Naturally, woh thoda surprised hogi, lekin tujhe kha toh nahi jaayegi!

Shivaay: Om, tujhe agar apne pyaar par bharosa hai, toh kuch nahi hoga!

Rudra: Haan O aur...Arre Gauri bhabhi!

Gauri: Haan, woh Omkaraji ko kuch dena tha, sorry aapki baaton mein aa gaye--

Rudra: (Putting his arm around Gauri Uffo Bhabhi, kya formality kar rahe ho? Aap iss family ka hissa ho!

Gauri: (Smiling) J-Ji...

Shivaay: Rudy, bechaari ko kyun dara raha hai? And please, kabaab mein haddi mat ban! Unka romantic moment kharaab kar raha hai, chal!

Rudra: Arre haan, chalo!

*Rudra and Shivaay leave*

Om: (Nervous) W-woh dono...Uhh...

Gauri: Koi baat nahi. Parson ki karwa chauth pooja ke liye Dadi yeh kapde dene ko kaha tha

Om: Oh, accha. Thank you!

Gauri: *Leaving*

Om: Uhh, Gauri?

Gauri: (Turning back) Ji?

Om: Uhh...Kuch nahi, sorry!

*Gauri leaves*

Om: (To himself) God Om! Kya ho gaya hai tujhe! Itna sharma kyun raha hai? Gauri ke saamne badi heropanti karta tha, ab kya hua?!

[As Gauri walked away, her mind kept playing Shweta's words from yesterday's conversation.

"Main sirf 5 minute ke liye jaan chuki hoon aur uski aankhon mein maine mohabbat dekhi hai. Kya zaroorat thi usse teri madad karne ki? Apni jaan se khilwaad karne ki?"

It was no lie that Gauri trusted Om more than she trusted herself. He was her pillar of strength, and never ever left Gauri's side. Gauri knew her heart felt something new for him. An emotion that Gauri had never experienced before.

Om was god's gift to Gauri, because she helped restore her belief in love and goodwill. She began believing that life had good things to offer, and Gauri would be lying if she said that she didn't admire Om for who he was.

Om was responsible, incredibly caring, kind, selfless. Selfless to such an extent that he fought with the most dangerous man just to keep Gauri safe.

Om was everything Gauri thought she couldn't be. Om completed Gauri.

Gauri knew that the day she hugged Om after goons had slashed her arm and his back that she was falling for him, but she couldn't figure out what she was falling in.

Now Gauri knew what she had fallen in.

Gauri was in Love with Om.

Madly, unconditionally, irrepressibly in love with Om.

She loved how he would get annoyed in the car when Baba mirchiwaale was on repeat, how he slept so angelically, how he was particular about the sweetness of his tea, how he'd look so good shirtless, how he couldn't wear a tie, how he'd put up with her endless chatter and nonsense, how he listened to her problems and helped her, how he'd fight with the whole world for her.

But who would tell him that?]

-------

Two updates in a row!! Finally, Gauri realises!

Okay, i'm not going to unnecessarily raise your expectations, but I'm really excited to write the karwa chauth chapter!! I won't reveal anything more, but it might be the next chapter, or the chapter after the next!

Thank you for all the love! Please vote if you liked it!

Thank you for reading <3