*The next day*

[Avyaya was allowed to head home as she had completely recovered and was finally hale and hearty!

Om, Gauri and Avyaya got into the car, and on their way home when Om's phone suddenly rang.]

*In the car*

Om: Gauri, tum please mera phone utha sakti ho? Main drive kar raha hoon

Gauri: Ji

[Gauri took Om's phone and saw Naina's name plastered on the screen.]

Gauri: (Handing phone to him) Aapki premika ka phone hai

Om: (Confused) Premi--Who?

Gauri: Naina ka phone hai

Om: Accha pick up and mere kaan ke paas rakho, please

[Gauri answered the phone and placed it near Om's ear, while he was driving.]

*On the phone*

Om: Haan, Naina, kya hua?

Naina: Wow, mujhse baat karne ki fursat toh mili tumhe!

Om: Naina, tumhe pata hai Avyaya hospital mein thi, be reasonable!

Naina: Really? Aur Gauri? Woh uss restaurant mein tumhaare saath kyun thi?

Om: Log restaurant kyun jaate hai, Naina?

Naina: Don't be sarcastic! Om, kya tum yeh relationship chahte ho ya nahi? Main koi khilauna nahi hoon! I already feel so pathetic ki woh stupid gaaonwaali, 2 takke ki ladki tumhaare kareeb aa rahi hai!

Om: (Shouting) Naina, that's enough!Khabardar jo Gauri ke baare mein aisi baat ki---

[Gauri immediately looked at Om, and understood he was talking to Naina.

Were they having a fight?

Was she shouting at him for being with Gauri?

Gauri was surprised by the way Om stood up for her, at the restaurant and now, over the phone.

But what if this was a charade? What if he was doing this just to win Gauri back?]

Naina: Wow! You know what Om? We're finished! Over! I have no time for people like you! Pata nahi kahaan se aa jaate hai!

Om: Naina, listen---

[Gauri heard the phone disconnect, and pulled the phone away from his ear.

Om didn't know what he was feeling,but for some reason, he was relieved that Naina broke up with him. He didn't want to use her just till Gauri came back, he wasn't like that.

But somehow, he felt happy. He felt free.]

Gauri: Sab theek?

Om: (Lying) H-haan, s-sab theek

Gauri: (To herself) Inhe itni acchi tarah se jaanti hoon ki shakal se hi dikhai de raha hai ki sab theek nahi hai, lekin hume kahe bataayenge?

Om: Tumne kuch kaha?

Gauri: Nahi toh

[A few minutes later, the car stopped in front of the Oberoi mansion, and Om and Gauri, while carrying Avyaya, walked inside.]

*At the Oberoi mansion*

Dadi: Yeh lo! Aa gaye woh!

Shivaay: (Taking Avyaya in his arms) Ale! Meri Avyaya aa gayi! Apne chachu ke paas!

Anika: (Wiping a tear) Shukr hai meri jaan theek toh ho gayi!

Dadi: Dono bahut thake hue honge, Om, Gauri, tum dono jaao, araam karo

Om: Ji, Dadi

[Om and Gauri headed to their respective rooms, but neither of them could rest for some reason.

While Om was pacing up and down the room, Gauri too was doing the same after putting Avyaya to sleep.]

*In Gauri's room*

Gauri: (To herself) O phone par Naina ko daant rahe the? Kyun? Unke dimaag mein chal ka raha hai? Kahi ee sab dikhaawa toh nahi hai?

Hume ka farak padhta! Chal Gauri, kuch kaam kar!

[Gauri began cleaning her room and clearing unwanted stuff, when her eyes fell on a bag that Gauri had kept on top of the cupboard when she first moved into her room after her wedding.]

Gauri: (Confused) Uss bag mein ka hoga? Chalo, dekhte hain

[Gauri pulled out a rather high ladder and slowly stepped on it, whilst trying to reach out to the suitcase on her tip toes.

The door slowly opened and Om suddenly entered.]

Om: (Loudly) Gauri, yeh tum kya---

Gauri: (Startled) Ahh!!!

[Gauri lost her balance and tripped until she felt a strong pair of arms under her, and her hands were instantly wrapped around Om's neck.

This time Gauri's fragrance felt more intoxicating, as strands of her hair also fell across his face.

Gauri gazed at Om, and brought her fingers to his face and gently moved her hair from his face. As Gauri's gentle hands touched his face, Om had come to realise how much he missed her.

Gauri's hands felt like velvet on his face, and the fragrance laced around every inch of her body had just pulled Om closer and closer to Gauri. If he could, he'd carry her in his arms forevers, just to get a whiff of her fragrance.]

Om: (Concerned) Tum ladder par kya kar rahi thi?

Gauri: Oo...H-hum...Hum bag utaar rahe the

Om: Mujhe bata deti! Ladder par chadhne ki kya zaroorat thi? Agar gir gayi toh?

Gauri: (Getting off) Tum hum apne ghaav khud bharenge, jaise humesha se bharte aaye hai

Om: Gauri, tum---

Gauri: Kuch kaam tha? Aap yahaan kyun aaye hai?

Om: Woh...darasal main Avyaya ke saath waqt bitaana chah raha tha

Gauri: Woh so rahi hai

Om: Haan, abhi dikhai diya. Agar aitraaz na ho, toh kya Avyaya aaj raat mere kamre mein so sakti hai?

Gauri: (Leaving) Aapki beti hai, aur 4 mahine baad, aapki humesha ke liye hone waali hai, humse poochne ki jaroorat nahi hai

Om: (Holding her hand) Gauri, kya hum kabhi khush nahi reh sakte?

Gauri: Haath chodiye humaara

Om: Mujhe jawaab chahiye

Gauri: (Looking at om) Hume bhi kal ke sawaalo ka jawaab chahiye. Hai aapke paas?

Om: (Looking away) N-nahi...

Gauri: Toh phir baat karne ka koi matlab nahi banta

[Gauri walked downstairs to meet the rest of the family, whilst Om sat in disapproval.

Why didn't he have answers to her questions?

Did he not trust himself?

What was stopping him?

Om shrugged his thoughts and sat besides Avyaya, while looking at her tiny face and admiring it. He leaned in and placed a small kiss on her forehead, making Avyaya respond with a slight smile.

Om laid down besides her, and gently put his hand over her tummy, and gently patted it, as she was fast asleep. Om then felt something hold his pinky finger, and Om opened his eyes to see that Avyaya had wrapped her entire hand around Om's pinky finger, clasping it tight.

As Om placed another kiss on Avyaya's forehead, he leaned in and whispered something in her ear.

Sort of like a father-daughter mission.]

Om: (Whispering to Avyaya) Main vaada karta hoon, chahe mujhe kitni bhi koshish kyun na karni pade, lekin main tumhe mummy se door hone nahi doonga. Mummy aur Papa aapke paas rahenge, ek saath.

*In the night*

[Gauri was woken up by faint cries, and she instantly knew it was Avyaya. She immediately woke up and walked into Om's room, and saw him trying his best to console Avyaya, who was bawling.]

Om: (Cradling Avyaya) Kuch nahi hua! Kuch nahi! Ale! Ale! Meri princess ro kyun rahi hai? Papa hai na? Kuch nahi hoga---Tum? Yaar, yeh kab se ro rahi hai,pata nahi chup kyun nahi ho rahi

Gauri: (Carrying Avyaya) Ale! Ale! Kyun ro rahi hai, meri jaan? Kya hua? Koi nahi, koi nahi, ale! ale! Ee lijiye

Om: (Holding Avyaya) Itni sharaarat ho tum! Papa ke paas aate hi rona shuru kar diya?

Gauri: Aapke paas rumaal hai?

Om: Haan, kyun?

Gauri: Avyaya raat ko mera dupatta pakadkar soti hai, isliye koi kapda pakdegi, toh theek tarah se so paayegi

Om: (Cradling Avyaya) Haan, uss cupboard mein dekho, wahi hoga

[Gauri walked towards his cupboard and opened it, in search of a handkerchief, but something else caught her eye.

Her payal.

The same payal Om had secretly kept, and he still treasured it.

Gauri smiled to herself as she saw the payal, and picked up the handkerchief, before going back to Avyaya.]

Om: Tum chaho toh aaj raat iss kamre mein so sakti ho

Gauri: (Confused) Ji?

Om: Mera matlab hai, main sofa par so jaaonga, aur tum bed par Avyaya ke saath---

Gauri: (Looking anxious) Nahi, hum theek hai

Om: Lag toh nahi raha hai

Gauri: Aapke paas abhi bhi humaara payal hai. Kyun?

Om: (Embarrassed) T-tumne dekha?

Gauri: Haan

Om: Jab usse dekhta hoon, tab tumhaari yaad aa jaati hai

Gauri: Inn 10 mahino mein aapko humaari yaad aayi thi?

Om: Kabhi kabhi. Jab bahut ghabra jaata hoon, tab usse pakad leta hoon. Aisa lagne lagta hai ki tum mere kareeb ho

Gauri: Kareeb toh main aapke thi hi. Aap hi ne khud hume apne aap se door kar diya

Om: Gauri...

Gauri: Ka lagta hai aapko? Humaare saamne, Naina ko daatenge, apne almaari mein humaara payal rakhenge, aur hum 2 minute mein pighal jaayenge? Saara zulu, saari zillat bhul jaayenge? Aap ne hume bewakoof samajhke rakha hai, ka?

Om: What? Nahi, Gauri...

Gauri: (Shouting) Toh phir kyun?! Itna khyaal, itni parwaah, kyun?! Kyun phir se huamare jazbaato ke saath khilwaad kar rahe hai ?! Kyun humaare dil mein apni jagah bana rahe hai!

Om: (Shouting) Kyun ki main nahi chahta ki Avyaya ki parvarish sirf main karoon! Usse maa aur baap ka pyaar milne ka haq hai, Gauri! Aur bacche ki zindagi mein maa-baap ki ehmiyat mujhse behtar koi nahi jaanta! Main chahta hoon ki Avyaya iss ghar mein rahe, lekin tumhaare saayein ke neeche. Haan, main Avyaya ko apne paas rakhna chahta hoon, lekin tumse door karke nahi.

Gauri: Hum aur aap ek chhat ke neeche nahi reh sakte. Aap bhool gaye? Humaara rishta toot gaya hai

Om: Toote hue cheez ko joda bhi toh jaa sakta hai!

Gauri: Mere dil mein aapke liye koi jagah nahi hai

Om: Accha? Meri aankhon mein aankhein daalkar kaho ki tumhaare dil mein mere liye koi jagah nahi hai. Haan, tumhe mujh par gussa hai,lekin main jaanta hoon ki kahi na kahi, tum abhi bhi mujhse mohabbat karti ho

Gauri: (Looking away) Jhoot!

Om: (Holding her hand and pulling her closer) Toh phir mujhe sach batao! Meri ankhon mein aankhein daalkar kaho ki tumhe koi farak nahi padta!

Gauri: Hume aapse kuch kehne ki jaroorat nahi hai!

[Gauri stormed out of the room with tears flooding her eyes, she sat on her bed while crying loudly.

How did Om know?

How could Om possibly know?

Another one of Gauri's truths' came out in front of Om.

She still loved him.]

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New chapter!! Thank you so much for reading!!

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