*The next morning*

[Gauri woke up when the suns rays hit her eyes. She opened her eyes to Om's hand on her waist. She looked around and saw that she still hadn't changed out of her wet clothes, and neither did Om! She panicked and woke Om up! She and Om would fall terribly sick! ]

Gauri: (Waking up Om) Uthiye! Uthiye! Jaldi! Uthiye!

Om: (Half asleep) Oh god, kya hua?

Gauri: Uthiye! Arre aapne kapde badle nahi hai, sardi ho jaayegi! Jaayie, nahaayie! Hey bhagwaan, phir se bimaar nahi pad sakte hum!

Om: (Annoyed) Oh god Gauri, sone do!

Gauri: (Pulling his arm) Nahi! Uthiye!

[Irritated, Om got up and headed towards the bathroom, before saying something rather flirty to Gauri].

Om: (Flirting) Uff, kya musibat hai! Waise...Kapde yehi badal doon?

Gauri: (Pushing him into the bathroom) Besharm! Jaayie aap! Uff! Sharam naam ki cheez toh ghutne mein hai!

[As Om took a shower, Gauri headed to the other bathroom for a shower and got ready. She couldn't believe such a day would come. A day and time where she and Om would share a loving, caring and understanding relationship. A day when Om would tell her that he loved her, and a day that she'd be head over heels in love with Om. Om's words continuously rang in her mind:

"Mohabbat ho gayi hai tumse, Gauri Kumaari Sharma, dil lag gaya hai tum pe"

He loved her. Om loved Gauri.

Was she dreaming? Was this the same man who she would continuously fight with? Argue with? Irritate? How did he even possibly fall in love with her? She could barely speak English, was miles away from being sophisticated, spoke too loudly, argued too much. How could someone like Omkara Singh Oberoi even fathom falling in love with a girl like Gauri?

Om, on the other hand, kept replaying Gauri's words in his mind:

" Hum aapse pyaar Karte Hai, Omkara ji"

Om himself couldn't believe how he fell for Gauri. Ishaana was nothing like Gauri. They were, in fact, poles apart. Ishaana was sophisticated and classy.

But Gauri?

Gauri, despite not being the most sophisticated, had a spark in her. Something that Om hadn't found in any of the girls he previously dated.

Gauri was honest, caring, protective, strong headed, and most importantly, wouldn't simply let anyone walk over her. Gauri was the first girl that stood up against Omkara Singh Oberoi. The first girl who was his equal.

That's why Gauri completed the missing bits in Om. Because they were equal to one another.

Om had fallen in love with his wife, and there was no denying it!]

*At the breakfast table*

Dadi: (Worried) Gauri, yeh kya? Tera plate khaali kyun dikh raha hai? Kha, puttar!

Gauri: (Taking the plate) Ji Dadi...Aaachoo! Aaachoo!

Dadi: Arre yeh kya? Tujhe sardi hui hai? Haye rabba, puttar chai pi, chal!

Gauri: Ji dadi, peete hai

Jhanvi: (To Om) Om, tera favorite naashta banaya hai aaj. Kaise laga?

Om: Ji mom, bahut achaa...Aachoo!

Dadi: Yeh kya? Tujhe bhi sardi?! Yeh tum dono ko ek saath sardi kaise ho jaati hai?

Rudra: Uffo Dadi, yeh personal sawaal hai! Aapko nahi pata? Arre jab couples zyaada hi close ho jaate hai toh ho jaata hai! Waise bhi, ek saath bimaar hone mein bhi romance hai, kyun O?

O: (Stepping on Rudra's foot) Shut up Rudra!

Rudra: Ouch!

Dadi: (Smiling) Kyun tang kar raha hai bechaaro ko? Om, Gauri, tum dono kamre mein aaraam karo,main soup aur dawai bhejungi, chalo

Om: (Shy) Arre nahi dadi, main theek hoon, Seriously

Dadi: Chup kar! Ja Gauri, tera pati bahut ziddi hai, usse bhi saath le ja

[Om looked at Gauri, who was equally embarrassed. She gave Om a reassuring nod and they both hesitantly got up and headed towards the room. Gauri's cheeks were a bright pink color. God, what would Dadi and Jhanvi be thinking of her? She felt so embarrassed!

The moment they both entered the room, Gauri and Om began fighting. Maybe for the 100th time? Sigh, they've both lost count too!]

*In their room*

Gauri: Isliye aaj subah pichle 20 minute se aapko uthaane ki kosish kar rahe the! Lekin nahi, aap toh kumbhakaran hai na! Gile kapde mein koi sota hai ka?

Om: Oh, so mujhe sardi ho jaye, isme bhi meri galti?! Yeh kahaan ka logic hai? Ridiculous!

Gauri: Haan, haan! thodi bahut angreji hum bhi jaante hai! Dadi humaare baare mein ka soch rahi hogi?

[Om immediately came close to her and grabbed her waist, before walking her towards the wall, where her back hit the door. The proximity between Om and Gauri at that moment was incredibly small, and Gauri felt Om's gaze on her eyes. Om gently brought his hand close to her cheek, while his other hand was still on her waist. Gauri loved how Om's gentle touch felt. She felt immediately comforted and secure.]

Om: (Whispering) Yehi sochegi ki pati aur patni ek dusre se pyaar karte hai, bass

Gauri: Phir bhi---Aaachoo! Achoo!

Om: (Moving away from her) Oh god, tumhaari haalat toh badtar hoti jaa rahi hai. Lie down, main dawai lekar aata hoon. Chalo

Gauri: (Dizzy) J-Ji...

[Om rushed back with a cup of tea and medicines, but found Gauri fast asleep by then. He gently put a blanket over her, and ran his hands through her hair, while gazing at how peacefully she slept. She looked so delicate in her sleep. As though her mind was free of worries and pain. Om had begun to become so deeply attached to Gauri, that he couldn't imagine a sane life without her.

She was his oxygen, his will to live, the only one who understood him inside and out. He could tell her anything, and she'd lend a listening ear. She was his harshest critic, but the day Gauri stood up against him, he knew he found his soulmate.

He remembered telling Dadi the type of girl he wanted:

"Mujhe aisi ladki chahiye jiski aankhon mein sharm ho, aur chehre pe muskaan ho, aur jo choto se pyaar karein, aur bado ki izzat karein, jo apne parivaar ke liye kuch bhi kar jaaye "

And then, God sent in Gauri to enter his life.

Gauri was the best mistake Om ever made, and he knew he was right for marrying her that day. He knew that somewhere, their union was planned.

He shrugged his thoughts, and headed to his studio to paint. He felt the need to reflect and create something new. He placed the blank canvas in front of him, thinking of what to paint. Just then, an image flashed in his mind. An image of when Om first looked at Gauri up close, and realised how beautiful she was.

The day of the pooja, where she was dressed in Dadi's given pink lehenga. That image was crystal clear in his mind. Probably an image he could never possibly forget. His hands easily ran through the canvas, sketching Gauri's face. The sketch was identical: The eyes, the nose, the lips, the hair. Almost as though Gauri was in the picture herself.

For the first time, Om let himself enjoy the emotions he was feeling, rather than keeping them to himself. He felt so genuinely happy, for the first time in a very very long time. Gauri's arrival in his life had brought in a wave of energy. She entered his stormy and cloudy life like a rainbow, and taught me the worth of happiness. He loved Gauri, unconditionally, and nothing could change that.

A few hours later, he walked back to the room, and found Gauri sitting besides the window, with a cup of tea in her hands and took a seat opposite her.]

Om: Ab kaisa mehsoos kar rahi ho?

Gauri: Theek hai. Aap chai pi lijiye, humne banake rakha hai

Om: (Taking a cup of chai and sitting besides her) Kya hua? Itni khaamosh kyun ho?

Gauri: (Wiping a tear) K-kuch nahi bass kuch soch rahe the?

Om: Yeh lo, phir se rona shuru? Ab kya hua?

Gauri: (Crying) A-aaj humaare papa ka janamdin hai.

Om: (Concerned) Tum unke bahut kareeb thi?

Gauri: Jaan the hum unke! Woh duniya ke sabse acche papa the. Logo ke taano ke baavjud, unione mujhe aur naina di ko school bheja, padhaaya. Lekin uss accident ne humse humaari jindagi cheen li. Jaise hi chacha-chachi ke paas chale gaye, waise hi humaari padhai band ho gayi! Kitne armaan the humaare...Socha tha ki ma aur papa ke liye aise kuch karenge misse logo ko ehsaas ho ki ladki ko janm dena gunaah nahi hai, balli bhagwaan ka aasirwaad hai.

Om: Tum unke janamdin par kya karti thi?

Gauri: Kuch nahi, bas har saal unki yaad aati hai. Bachpan mein, papa humesa poochte the ki "meri raajkumaari ko kaisa raajkumaar chahiye', aur main nadaani se kehte thi "Apne papa ki tarah". Woh chale toh gaye hai, lekin unki har ek yaad humaare zehen mein taaji hai.

Om: (Placing his hand over Gauri's) Koi apna jab door chale jaata hai, toh bahut dukh hota hai. But, mujhe pata hai ki tumhaare papa ko tum par bahut garv hai, Gauri. Tum bahut bahadur ladki ho, and he's so proud of you.

Gauri: (Wiping her tears) Pata nahi kyun, lekin hume lagta hai ki Papa ko hum par aur garv isliye hai kyun ki humne aapko chuna hai. Pata nahi kyun, lekin hume lagta hai ki papa aapko bahut pasand karte.

[Immediately, Om put his arm over Gauri and she rested her head on his shoulder. He hugged her tight, while running his hands through her hair.

Om felt so touched by Gauri's words.

"Pata nahi kyun, lekin hume lagta hai ki Papa ko hum par aur garv isliye hai kyun ki humne aapko chuna hai. Pata nahi kyun, lekin hume lagta hai ki papa aapko bahut pasand karte."

Gauri was instantly loved and accepted by his family, but Om? He didn't have anyone to accept him. Despite that, Gauri's words made him feel so worthy and special to her.

That evening, he promised himself that he'd always be there for Gauri, not because she was his wife or because he loved her, because somewhere he felt he made a promise to Gauri's deceased father. To care, love, cherish and respect her- eternally.]

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