Gauri... wake up" Omkara whispered into his wife's ears while she only frowned, mumbling a no and turned to sleep on her side.

He lay down beside her on the bed and gently caressed her shoulder "Come on...You need to get up before your daadi barges in here to give you another lecture on duty and etiquette" he tried again leaning to kiss on her forehead.

His wife opened one eye and looked at him cutely, making him chuckle. She smiled moving to his side and he gladly opened his arms to give her a good morning hug.

In his embrace, Gauri cooed contently kissing his chest "You smell fresh" she commented sniffing in his characteristic manly scent.

"And you smell .... weird" he uttered and she looked at him with a frown.

"Now I can't lie because you are pregnant dearie... get up... you need a shower" he said flicking her nose and she pouted.

"I slept in late Omkaraji"

"I know"

"Ohh... you saw?"

"Hmmm"

"You should have called me... I did not get enough sleep"

"Papa seemed to be telling you a story?"

"Hmmm" she said looking down to trace a finger lazily on his chest.

Both of them did not speak for some time, comfortably silent. A bit later, Gauri looked up into his eyes and saw him giving her a gentle smile as if coaxing her to talk.

He always did that... asking her to open up through his eyes rather than pestering her with questions and she liked him that way.

"Omkaraji..." she started and he hummed.

"It was the first time he ever talked to me like that" she said.

Her husband nodded his head his smile widening "You felt it strange?"

"Hmmm... why all of a sudden?"

"Everyone takes their own time to open up Gauri"

"Still.... He was twenty five years late"

"But you seemed to be enjoying your time with him"

"Hmm... It felt good...but"

Omkara sighed as he said, "Don't think of the how and why.... when you liked what he did. Just go with the flow Gauri... you won't be losing anything"

Gauri nodded her head and pecked his lips when she heard her grandmother shout her name calling her downstairs.

"Hmm... welcome to Bareilly" she mumbled as she got up from her place to dress up for the day while her husband laughed shaking his head.
**************************************************
Kareena curiously looked at her Gauri bua, dozing away at the breakfast table sitting beside her fufa. She turned to her left and saw an equally drowsy Shakti.

"Gauri bua" she shouted when she saw her spoon slipping of her hands to make a loud sound in the quietness of the room and Omkara looked to his side in alertness.

"Are you okay Gauri?" he asked bringing his chair close to hers and she nodded adjusting herself on her chair and sitting straight to look at the little girl.

"Are you feeling dizzy?" Gayathri asked worriedly coming to her side only to get a no.

"Just a bit sleepy" Gauri replied and Gayathri frowned.

"It is nine thirty Gauri... you have slept enough... this is not normal... are you ill?" she asked checking her temperature and heaved a sigh to find it normal.

"Par daadi... why is bua looking tired?" Kareena asked.

"She is with child Reena... it happens"

"Ohh... is daadu with child too?" she asked looking at Shakti and Omkara chuckled looking at the baffled look of the rest of them.

"No... Reena.. your daadu and Bua had a good time last night. Your daadu was telling stories and Gauri was listening to it. They slept late and so the drowsiness" Omkara cleared.

"Ohh... he tells stories... but he barely talks to me?" Kareena asked in a accusing tone and turned to Gayathri who also looked at her son in surprise.

"Yeah... now eat... you said we would go to the lake side" Omkara reminded her and the girl nodded putting in a spoonful of khichdi into her mouth.

Shakti continued to have his food in silence avoiding his mother's eyes which only looked at him with an appreciative smile.

"Gauri... you rest... I will take Reena out and then drop her home later okay? Bhavya must be coming in a short while" Omkara informed and his wife nodded an okay.

*****************************************************************************

"Come on Bhavya... you know he loves you... just call and talk it out.. I know you want to" Gauri said.

She then dialed her brother in law's number and giving the phone to her sister she left the room to let them talk, ignoring Bhavya's pleas.

"Hello Bhabhi... missing me already?" Rudra's cheerful voice came through the phone and Bhavya silently listened as he rambled.

After a while when he slowed down not getting a response from his favorite sister in law, he frowned "Hello? Bhabhi... are you there?"

"Hmmm" Bhavya said and he smiled understanding the caller.

He gave her a loud kiss and asked, "Still angry?"

"Hmmm" came the response again though he could say from miles away that she was smiling in real, only acting to be angry.

"I am sorry Bhavya... should I come there?"

"Really? You will come for me?" she asked excited.

Rudra sighed "Not for the reason why we had a spat for" he clarified and her smile faltered.

"Yeah... what did I even expect... I am giving the phone to di.... Talk to her" she said getting up from the bed as a tear slipped from her eye.

"Bhavya please... you are not letting me talk"

"I have heard enough Rudra singh Oberoi... I don't want to listen to anything else" she said her anger returning with vengeance.

"Yaar please... you don't think when angry... calm down first and listen to me"

"What will you tell Rudy... that you need time to talk to my parents? That we need to settle down in our careers first before we take the next step? I have heard enough.... Why don't you directly tell me that you don't have any idea of marrying me in the first place. I have been listening to this 'giving time' excuse of yours since a year... the truth is that you don't love me enough to take that step" she accused and he closed his eyes trying to tame in his anger.

"Are you done? Ho gaya tumhara?ab mein kuch bolu or do you want to cry more?" he asked when she continued to cry for the next five minutes.

"F**** you" she said

"Gladly... will you come now to do it?"

"Shut up" she screamed and he bit his lower lip to stop the laugh that was threatening to come out.

Few minutes later when he could hear her sobs decrease, he said in a calming tone "My sister in law is pregnant... O will not tell it out loud but he is hell scared of the delivery... My family needs me Bhavya... I cannot add on to that stress by saying I want to get married now"

"But... I..."

"I am sure ... If I come there to talk, our marriage date will be fixed in no time... Your father will not be so understanding and listen to us when
we say that we both decided to wait a little longer..."

"Your family is very uptight in those orthodox customs that either they will ask me to marry you right away or worse you will be refrained from meeting me till we decide to tie the knot. I don't want either of them" he said and she did not have words to argue.

She had to agree with.. what he said.. Her father was cut from the same cloth as her Gayathri daadi and once he knew of her supposed love story, he would go berserk and will not rest until she is married.

"You never told me all this before" she said sighing.

"Have you ever listened to me when you are angry?"

"I thought..."

"That I will bail out because I was with other women before" he finished and she stayed silent, guilty to have thought of him that way.

"What is the problem with you sister?... is this a khandani issue of not trusting the one you love?"

"Rudy... I..."

"I made it pretty clear to you that they were my past... you dearie are my present... Why is it so hard to trust me Bhavya... and what is there to be so worried that you are pushing me... Itna jaldi kya hai?"

"I don't want to lose you"

"Marriage doesn't come with license to tie me down in a godown or a dungeon... you can lose me even then"

"But I can tell people that you are mine and that they should stay away... I don't like girls swarming near you"

"You made it sound like I am a flower with girls as honey bees.... it is the opposite actually... I mean normally that is how people describe it"

"Rudra... you know what I mean" she admonished and he sighed.

"We are going to be married some time but not now... I thought over this and I am sure of my decision... understand?"

Bhavya nodded her head

"I won't be able to see that you are nodding" he said and she giggled.

"Achhaa... ab madam has rahi hai? Do you realize that you should be apologizing for your lack of trust in me?"

"Sorry"

"Not accepted"

"Please... sorry Rudy"

"Nope"

"Please Rudy... I did not know that you thought so much through this"

"Yeah... you just thought I was a jerk to have proposed a girl and back out when the time comes to marry her... especially when the girl is already part of my family..." he said hurt.

"You are Gauri bhabhi's sister... my brothers will kill me if I ever do that... and you know about my Hitler... What were you thinking exactly?"

"I will come to Mumbai tomorrow to apologize" she said and his ears perked up.

"Does that involve a kiss or two?"

"Umm...More than that may be?" she said.

"Ohh... we should fight more often... don't you think darling?" he said with a grin and she laughed aloud humming a yes.

*******************************************************************************************

"Omkaraji... where are you? I am bored sitting alone"

"I will be back in fifteen minutes Gauri... Reena wasn't letting me go, asking me to teach her a drawing... I should have been back before noon" he apologized.

"Hmmm"

"Sorry baby... I am just about to get into the car"

"Hmmm"

"Okay... will see you soon" he said and almost ended the call when she called out to him.

"Omkaraji.."

"Hmmm?"

"Don't drive fast... come in your usual speed... I will wait for you" she added worried.

"Yeah" he said and she smiled before turning around to look at her father who was at the entrance of her room.

"Papa? Aap"

"Umm... busy?"

"No... Omkaraji will be coming in some time... you know Reena... she is stubborn to let him go easily"

Shakti chuckled "Your husband is good with kids" he said and she smiled with a nod.

"I was going to talk a walk... will you join?" he asked and she looked at the clock.

"We will come back soon... Also, if damaad ji comes, he has to walk through the garden right... he will see us" he said understanding her doubt.

Gauri nodded and the father-daughter duo walked out in silence, each of them in their own sphere of thoughts.

********************************************************************************

"Daamadji keeps you happy?" Shakti asked as they walked through their garden.

Was that even a question? she thought, but nodded her head as he looked at her as if expecting an answer.

"I am glad that my choice was right" he said and she turned her head away trying hard to hold back a retort.

His eyes noted the change in her attitude as he broached the subject which turned her against him in more ways than he could have ever guessed.

"I know you have many complaints against me Gauri" he said in a soft tone making her sharply turn to him surprised at his tone as well as the topic.

Though he never talked to her with affection, Gauri as a child never expected him to be any different with her than he was with the village or his mother.

Shakti Sharma had always been a man of discipline and order. His word was an unsaid order to the people of his village to whom he had been the leader since decades.

Along with the love of his people came responsibilities, taking care of which made him strict over the years. Never had he shown his soft side to anyone except his late wife Chaya Sharma who managed to solve the tough puzzle that he was.

Unfortunately, the woman who understood him and supported his duties left him too soon leaving a huge void in his life which he never could fill, no matter how hard he tried.

As any girl her age, Gauri who was brought up in a strict Indian household did think that her father was any typical parent who loved their child but never showed openly.

Though she tried to impress him with her surrender to his orders in her life, striving to excel in everything she took up, to get a word or two of appreciation from him, she accepted defeat when her efforts did nothing to change his stony exterior until lately.

She had been ecstatic when she came first in her zilla hoping that he would be equally happy for her and agree to her choice of career she dreamed of.

The last straw of her patience snapped when he put forth the condition that in order to pursue her dreams, she needed to let go of her right to chose her life partner.

It was the first ever time that she made a ruckus out of an order letting him know her point of view shocking him as well as his mother at her stormy conduct.

Shakti realized at that moment that he had hurt her enough to bring out such a reaction but he stood his ground thinking he was doing the right thing securing her future with a man he knew would take care of her.

The already unsweet relation turned downrightly bitter with the father daughter reversing their roles.... The former trying to win back the affection of his obedient daughter and the latter completely ignoring those efforts, finding wrong in everything he did from then.

"I know I have been harsh to you but I always wanted your good" he said while she stayed mum.

The next few minutes were tensely silent as Shakti watched his daughter stiffen, her face unable to hide the pain she went through being ignored by her own father. Perhaps, his words made her reminisce those moments, he desperately tried to right, if given a second chance.

"Chaaya was my everything Gauri" he revealed making her look at him.

"I could not take her loss lightly. Though I loved you for being the sign of our love, you used to remind me of her so much that it gave me restless nights"

"I... just... couldn't take it anymore and unconsciously I began to move away from your presence. Maa has warned me many times but I never heeded to her advice. I did not realize what I was loosing until the day came when you married the man of my choice and left our house without shedding a tear in my embrace"

Gauri thought back to the day, she fell in love with her husband... Her mehendi night when he made her believe in him that he would support her in her dreams... That day when she kissed his cheek, she put all her love in in it, her heart screaming to her that he was the one.

For a girl who did not stay out of her house for long, she did not cry much when she was permanently moving to a city with a man, she never imagined her future with.

Though her heart accepted Omkara way before, her mind was too adamant and insecure to trust him enough with her dream... After all, when her own father did not encourage her, how can she expect it from a stranger though he repeatedly assured her otherwise.

As the image of her husband's hurt face came to her mind, anger simmered inside her.... She felt annoyed at herself for making him suffer and vexed at her father for being the reason for her insecurity.

"Why are we discussing this?" she asked, her voice raising a pitch higher, undoubtedly conveying her emotion.

"I understand Gauri that..."

"Why now papa... don't you think you are too late?" She uttered in anguish, furiously wiping away her tears she didn't know were streaming down her face.

"Gauri? is everything all right?" Omkara's voice made them turn to him.

His wife rushed to his side and he took her in his embrace though his gaze was locked with the elderly man who looked defeated.

The men shared a code through their eyes before Shakti nodded and left the place, while Omkara turned his attention to calming down his wife.

*****************************************************************************************************

"I know you have many complaints against me..."

"Chaaya was my everything...."

"I could not take it anymore Gauri..."

Her father's words rang through her head as she walked back to her room, her husband beside her, guiding her to their bed. She hardly registered what he spoke to make her feel better.

"You are thinking too much Gauri... you should let go of your anger first" Omkara's voice sounded far away though he sat just an inch away from her.

She nodded her head getting up from the bed to move to her cupboard when he held her hand and pulled her back.

"You are running away... again" he said and her gaze dropped to the floor.

"Did you even listen to what I said?"

She looked at his face filled with concern and guiltily shook her head in a no mumbling a sorry.

"What did he say that got you so worked up?"

Gauri sighed "Nothing... he was sort of explaining to me why he was so distant to me"

"That will not cause the restlessness I see in your eyes... should I ask... what did he not say?"

There again... he guessed it right... Reading between the lines was a bad habit she developed way early in her life and she could not let it go, no matter how hard she tried.

"Gauri... tell me... please"

"He said he loved my mother so much"

"Hmm hmm"

"He was not able to look at me and spend time with me without being remembered of her.... So, he stayed away"

"Okay...?"

"He loved maa more than me" she said in a low tone and he looked at her confused.

"Don't tell me you got possessive all of a sudden.. she is your mother Gauri"

"No Omkaraji... you are not understanding..." she said irritated and was about to get up when he pulled her back again.

"Then make me understand... what is it?"

"You still didn't get it? I am my father's daughter... I love you more than my child and I am worried if I will treat him or her the same way as my father did"

How is he supposed to react to that statement? Happy... sad... worried... or neutral?

"You won't say anything?" she asked pouting and he tried to smile still adjusting to her one eighty degree mood swings.

For god's sake she was crying first, angry  a few moments ago... and now.... she makes a baby face.

"I... I ... don't know what to say Gauri... I feel incredibly happy that you love me more than anything" he said gathering her in his arms placing a kiss on her temple.

"Hmmm" she mumbled hugging him tight "But you love our child more" she stated making him feel guilty.

"You both are equal to me" he said placatingly and she huffed in annoyance.

"I thought there was something terribly wrong when I saw you in tears... you scared both of us"

"It is wrong.. don't you see... he started a topic which made me angry... he talked about you... and all I could think of was how I hurt you before and how I might hurt my child later on"

"Gauri... you are thinking far and wrong... let us split this up okay..." he