Omkara woke up when the crisp and clear sunlight poured into his room and was surprised to see that Gauri wasn't in bed with him. It had been two days since they'd resumed their routine back at their cozy home. Today, despite being a Saturday where they didn't have to go to the office, he found it strange that she had woken up earlier than usual.

Omkara walked out of the bedroom and realized she was in the kitchen when he heard the blender running. He stood at the entrance of the kitchen and noticed how she was making breakfast with a soft smile on her face. It was as if she sensed his presence that she turned around and he felt as if the sun shone a bit brighter when she smiled at him. "Good morning!" she greeted him and then resumed running the blender. He walked in silence towards her and hugged her from behind while wrapping his arms around her waist.

She momentarily stopped her work and placed her hands on his, and leaned into his frame, relishing the warm hug. He pressed his cheek against hers after placing a warm kiss at her temple, and they stayed that way for a while. Drawing a long breath, he finally whispered in her ear, "Good morning, love!" She scrunched her nose as she said, "Go brush your teeth first. Change your clothes and come soon. Let me finish all of this quickly, and we'll have our breakfast together." When he refused to move in spite of that, Gauri gave him a mock glare from the corner of her eyes.

"Move, yaar!" she said, trying to wiggle out of his hold, which kept getting firmer. "You have no idea of the effect your wiggling has on me right now, do you?" he said in a husky tone while his head was bent into her neck. She stopped and froze, realizing what he'd meant by that because her derriere was intimately pressed up against his pelvis. Her face turned redder when she heard him chuckle. Unexpectedly, he gently kissed her neck and nipped her skin there, making her gasp.

"Om... kara..." she almost groaned, now leaning against him. The back of his hand brushed against the underside of her breast, and he could almost feel her naked skin under that flimsy t-shirt. "Omkara, please!" she said, unable to move from his hold, yet enjoying the proximity. He exhaled loudly and released her, and for a minute she was disoriented at the loss of his warmth. "Alright, I'll freshen up and come!" he said to her. When she turned around, he was quick to press his lips against hers and murmur an "I love you" before he walked away. She stood there with a silly smile on her face and was jolted out of her thoughts only when she heard the microwave oven ding.

Omkara had freshened up in a jiffy and noted that she had just put the bread in the toaster. "You're done so quickly?" Gauri asked, quite surprised when she saw him walking back into the kitchen. "Take these plates, cutlery, and the sausages to the table, please? I'll bring the - " she abruptly stopped with a shocked squeal when she was lifted from the floor into his arms. "What are you doing?" she asked when he carried her. He said nothing but looked at the plates and cutlery she'd asked him to carry. She picked them up and he walked to the dining table while still carrying her. "Sit here, my queen. Let me be the server for today!" She looked at him amused as he made her sit on the chair, and stared at his back as he walked back in to bring the food to the table.

"You're in a great mood!" she exclaimed when he sat next to her. He grinned, "When am I not in a great mood? When you're around, the mood is automatically great!" Omkara was buttering the toast when she cheekily said, "Achcha, ab itna maska kyun laga rahe ho subah-subah?" He grinned as he placed the toast on her plate and smiled at her, "Biwi ho meri! Maska lagana toh banta hi hai!" She chuckled, shaking her head at him. Just when she was about to pick the toast, he picked it up and held it to her mouth.

"Eat!" he ordered and she silently obeyed. His eyes narrowed down to the tiny dollop of butter at the corner of her mouth, and before she could wipe it away, he leaned in close to her. Gauri stopped munching the food in her mouth when she saw him coming closer to her and closed her eyes when she saw him tilt his head slightly. Omkara gently licked the corner of her mouth and smiled when he heard her sharp intake of breath as her lips parted. Moving just enough to look at her, he saw her smile when she felt his breath on her face. Gauri took the toast from him and fed him a piece of it which he ate happily. Her smile faltered reading the look in his eyes that was clearly beckoning her to talk to him; the same look over the last two days, ever since her parents left after visiting them.

Gauri drew a long breath and looked at him for a whole moment, "I know, we need to talk. I just don't understand where I need to start!" He smiled at her looking at her genuine confusion, and said, "How about we start with why you were crying in the kitchen two days back?" She placed the toast back on the plate and wiped her fingers with the napkin.

She took a while to collect her thoughts and then said after a brief stretch of silence, "I felt bad. I mean, I know I am fat, unattractive, but I don't like being reminded about my weight every single time I eat anything!" she said, looking away, as she bared her innermost vulnerability in front of him. She looked at him when she heard him say, "Who told you you're fat? Babe? Is that what you've been calling yourself? Gauri, you're nowhere fat! You're curvy, and heck yes, I love that about you!"

Gauri smiled sadly and said, "You say that only to make me feel better! I have a mirror that tells me what I look like, Oberoi!" He shook his head, "You see only what you want to see, and that too in a negative light. Have you seen yourself through my eyes? And who are you calling unattractive?" He held her chin in a gentle pinch and continued, "This gorgeous, breathtakingly beautiful woman of my life, with a smile, so killer that I could lose my heart to, with curves to drive me crazy? Forgive me for sounding like a pervert, but there have been many instances where I've deliberately as well as unintentionally felt you up, and baby, you are so hot you set my blood on fire, damn it!" She turned red at that but continued looking at him with her heart in her eyes.

He shifted closer to her as he ran his gaze on her, "Your hazel eyes, beautiful. Your button-like nose, beautiful. Your rosy apple cheeks, beautiful. Your little cutesy chin, beautiful. Your silky hair, beautiful. Your slender neck, beautiful. Your cuddly arms, beautiful. Your childlike hands that I love to kiss, beautiful." He kissed her hands, one at a time, and looked at her. "I can go on to describe other parts too, but I'm scared to be called a pervert for ogling at you." Gauri chuckled and shook her head as she placed a palm on his cheek, "I don't need anyone else's validation. If you find me beautiful, that's more than enough for me" she said.

Omkara smiled, and tucking her hair behind her ear, he said to her while cupping her cheeks, "Of course, I find you beautiful, love. And I'm grateful that you find my opinion so important to you. But, love, you don't need anyone's validation, not even mine. You need to find yourself beautiful, love yourself just the way you are. But on days you find that difficult to do so, remember to see yourself the way I see you. You're not fat; you're curvy, and there is a hell of a difference in that. And even if you would be fat, why do you think that 'fat' makes you unattractive or ugly?"

She sniffed a sob and shook her head, and he continued, "In the future when we have babies, it would be natural for you to put on weight! Are you going to call yourself ugly after you've brought our beautiful babies into the world?"

"Gosh, no!" she said shaking her head. For a moment, the thought of them with their babies sounded so dreamy and sweet to her ears, she looked at him with all the love she had for him. Omkara said with a smile, "And even if you put on a little weight now, so what? There's more of you for me to love! And I think you'd be fucking cute like my cuddly teddy bear!" Saying this, he hugged her tightly, almost squishing her, but mindful about her hand.

Moving slightly away back into his chair, he said, "You see, we human beings are hardwired for negativity. Gauri, we often see only the negatives in ourselves and think of it as our reality; in fact, most of those negatives only exist in our minds. But when someone else tells us about their negatives, we would be the first one to point out that it is not the case. For example, what if I told you that I think I have a long ugly nose, that I don't like how my neck is like a giraffe's, that I..."

"What rubbish? You have a perfect nose, and a perfect neck!" she frowned. He smiled patiently, saying, "Exactly my point. You too are perfect, my love. At least, for me you are perfect. I wish you saw that yourself too! I really don't know why you think you're any less than anyone"

She swallowed a lump in her throat as she said, "It's just that, bachpann se, I've been so accustomed to listening to Mamma and Paddy Maasi telling to lose weight to look pretty, I started associating skinny with pretty. And then, I saw Ridhima's picture as to how she looks like a model. To think that she was your past and now you're married to me with comparatively unflattering looks, I felt inferior about myself! I was jealous when I saw her picture."

Omkara knew how hard it was for her to admit her shortcoming and bare her insecurities to him. He cupped her face and kissed her forehead, as he said, "You know you don't need to be jealous of anyone. My Sharma, my Gauri is the most beautiful woman to me. Ridhima may appear like a supermodel on the outside. But I know how ugly she is on the inside. To be beautiful, both, on the inside and outside is a rarity, Gauri. And I am well aware of how I've hit the jackpot by marrying you, my best friend, jo bhale hi mujhse junglee billi ki tarah ladti ho, lekin pyaar bhi bohot karti hai; jo mujhse bhale hi gusse mein bohot kuch keh jaaye, lekin bina kisi ego ke dil se sorry bhi bolti hai."

"I hurt you a lot that day, right?" she asked with teary eyes, referring to their argument about Ridhima. He took a deep breath, "Thoda bura laga, but then it's okay. I know you were angry. But I just don't understand, why did you think I would stray? I know I used to pretend to be flirtatious in the office but after marriage, I've never - "

"Don't explain or justify yourself and embarrass me further, Omkara. I'm already ashamed of what I said. And I wouldn't have doubted at all if I hadn't had that confusing conversation with Ishana. I'm not putting the blame on her; I know it was my fault. But I guess listening to her speak everything about sex, lovemaking, relationships, casual sex, one-night stands... It all confused me. Utne mein maine Ridhima ke baare mein suna, uski photo dekhi, and all my insecurities came back to me. I took out all my frustrations on you. I'm so sorry! I trust you with all my heart and know you would never stray. Pata nahi kyun mere mooh se aise bakwaas nikal gaya. I understand, you've seen what happens to a marriage when a partner strays, what happens to the family when it happens. I know too well about everything that you've been through. Tumhe hurt karne ka bilkul irada nahi tha mera. But I was so angry, so hurt, so insecure, I ended up hurting you."

He said nothing but hugged her. Pulling her closer, he made her sit on her lap, which she initially hesitated, but soon gave into when he insisted on it. "As I said earlier, meri jaan, you don't have to worry about me straying. My heart, my soul, my mind is all yours. And my body, too, has been waiting since long to be yours!" he winked at her and she smacked his arm, turning pink. She wound her hands around his neck as he said to her in a patient voice, "I understand that with this one short talk, your insecurities won't magically vanish. You've lived with these fears, this complex for all these years, it would take some time for you to get rid of them. But what I want you to know is, anytime you're scared, you're insecure, you feel inferior, your Oberoi, your Omkara is right here with you. Okay?"

Gauri nodded at that, and then cupping his face she said, "And I want you also to know that no matter what, marriage doesn't change anything; it doesn't ruin anything!" The moment she said those words, his smile dropped and he looked away. He heaved a sigh as he began, "I didn't – I said that -"

"I know. You were as angry as I was. And tera gussa hona jaayaz bhi tha. But, never ever think that marriage has changed anything between us. We were best friends, are best friends, and will always stay best friends. I cannot promise you I will never fight with you. But I can promise you I will keep a tab on my anger, I will try my best to avoid speaking when I'm angry. I know, anger has been my weakness. But I promise to work on it. At the same time, I want you to believe me that no matter what happens, I and you - We are together, forever. I meant it when I said that walking out in different paths is never an option. Sometimes you might get mad at me, sometimes I will get angry with you, we will have different opinions; it is inevitable when two people of different mindsets, different viewpoints, different family backgrounds stay together under one roof. But chaahe kuch bhi ho jaaye, we will always find a way back to each other, come what may. Tujhse maine dil se pyaar kiya hai, zindagi bhar saath nibhaane ka waada kiya hai, koi sauda nahi jisse main tod doon. I understand you have insecurities too. The scars that your father has given you run deep; tu bass kuch kehta nahi, iska matlab yeh nahi ke main teri khaamoshi samajhti nahi. But here's the thing: we're not like your parents. We are, well, you and me. Oberoi ki Gauri, aur Sharma ka Omkara. So, don't you ever say such a thing again that marriages ruin everything!"

She traced his cheeks with her thumbs and wiped the tear that has just slipped down his eye. Then, leaning forward, she kissed both his eyes softly. "Jaanti hoon, that I can be difficult at times. But jaisi bhi hoon, tumhari hoon! I'm your musibat to handle for the rest of your life!" she said, and he brushed his nose against hers, with a happy smile on his lips.

"I wanted to discuss what Ishana told you as well," Omkara said, making Gauri frown in confusion as to what he was referring to. He cleared his throat, and looking into her eyes, he said, "About lovemaking, sex, and the difference between the two." She took a deep breath, "What about it?" He furrowed his brows, "You seem a bit uncomfortable talking about it. You know we can discuss anything under the sun, right?" he asked, and she nodded, "I'm not uncomfortable because I've to discuss it with you. I'm uneasy because that conversation with her lead to a lot of miscommunications on my part with you." she truthfully admitted. He nodded, "And that is all the more reason to have this discussion with you."

Wrapping his arms around her, not allowing her to get up from his lap, he said, "Ishana was right in her perspective. Maybe because Mukund and she, as consenting adults, were only looking for physical pleasure. She was right when she said it was about physical need. Sex for an adult is definitely as important physiological need; it is healthy, it is natural, it is definitely fun. Having said that, sex does not require us to be intimate with our partners. Sex is more of an act of seeking pleasure and release. And two consenting adults can have sex for a variety of other reasons such as lust, boredom, relief, exerting dominance in a relationship, making a baby, so on and so forth. During sex, people are hormonal and act on an impulse. There is nothing but just carnal desire purely seeking pleasure and fulfilling one's own urges. Some may view it as just another act, like drinking water to quench your thirst. For some others, it can be an impulsive act, followed by certain regrets or self-judgment too. And once that regret and self-judgment pass, and when the hormones kick in again, bam, it's sex time again!"

When she turned pink at that, he smiled. "Lovemaking, on the other hand, is more of an emotional act. It is when two people, who are in control of their bodies, who are willing to go an extra mile for their partner putting their partners' pleasures, comfort, likes before their own, kind-of a premediated romantic sex where you are willing to do the deed with no regrets in the aftermath whatsoever. Instead, it is something that you cherish and remember with love, with joy, with fondness. Lovemaking is rare, is delicate, is gentle. Lovemaking is not just indulging with your bodies; it is something that appeals to all your senses, it is something that wants to touch the center of your heart. It can be intense, overwhelming, frightening because it is such an intimate act of baring all of yourself – not just the body but also your innermost secrets and desires – to be so vulnerable to each other, to a selfless point, where we give and receive pleasure. While sex is just a release of body fluids, lovemaking is an orgasm for the body, mind, heart, and soul."

Gauri blinked almost shell-shocked. All she knew about lovemaking were from novels, and not one of them had ever come close to explaining the way Omkara beautifully spelled it out for her. Until now, she had viewed lovemaking as something to be shy of, to be ashamed of, a taboo subject that wasn't supposed to be discussed outside the bedroom. Only now did she see it as something that was not just intimate, but also beautiful, like an intricate work of art.

Omkara was overwhelmed just having this discussion with her. Being an artist who was always visual, he could imagine himself making love to Gauri, and every bit of it was aesthetically pleasing to all of his senses, including his body. However, this wasn't the time to get turned on. He wanted to get this discussion put to rest once and for all, so the lack of knowing the difference on her part wouldn't ever crop up again. He continued, "Gauri, lovemaking doesn't seek any validation of how desirable your partner looks on the outside. Lovemaking reflects on your partner's inner beauty which is manifested on the outside. Which is exactly why I told you, that you are the most beautiful to me. Your physical attributes are not of utmost importance to me, because I love the person that you are!"

Gauri however had another thought eating her from within; a thought that Omkara somehow heard out loud. "You're thinking about Ridhima, right?" he asked. She looked guiltily at him but honestly nodded. "Gauri, it is a little bit complicated when it comes to Ridhima. If you're patient enough to listen, I will explain myself." Gauri felt her guilt increase, and she nodded, "I promise I won't overreact. I won't repeat my mistake."

Omkara nodded and began, "To understand the equation that I once shared with Ridhima, you will have to know that she entered my life at one of my lowest points of emotion. I was just learning to be passionate about art and was deciding to pursue it as a profession after making it a hobby for a long time. This was around the same time that we had just learned about Mr. Oberoi's affairs with Svetlana, and I was just beginning to involve myself with my favourite escapism – drugs."

He paused at that, and she looked at him, urging him to go on as she lovingly ran her fingers through his hair. "Enters Ridhima Talpade, who sort of helped me divert my mind from my constant dependence on drugs for escapism. She was someone I could vent out all my frustration to, and she understood my pain; at least, that is what I thought back then. However, for that, I am thankful to her for being there at one point in my life when I desperately needed someone. Of course, Shivaay was there too, but he had his own problems to deal with when the family was pressurizing him to get into business. Ridhima became the confidante that I needed at that point in life. She was someone who encouraged me to pursue my passion for art. I thought she was someone who was different from everyone else, someone who understood me perfectly. I would be lying if I say that I didn't love her. But it would also be a lie if I said that I was in love with her."

He looked at Gauri, who nodded in understanding, and he was glad she was keeping her word of taking it all well. He said, "Now when I look back, I think I was in love with the idea of having someone to talk to without being judged, someone who could know me through and through. Back then, I realize now, I had been in love with the idea of my present reality, of you!" Gauri smiled at that, and he returned her smile with one of his own.

"I had been nervous to get into a relationship initially. I had seen what relationships did to people in my own family. But Ridhima helped me overcome that fear. It wasn't easy to take the decision of moving in with her. But if I didn't, I was scared I would drown in my sorrows; I was scared I would lose her – that one person who was there for me. Call it my selfishness or my last ray of hope, I moved in with Ridhima hoping she would keep me afloat my problems. And I wouldn't lie, we were compatible as a couple."

He felt Gauri's fingers still in his hair and he looked at her, as she was momentarily lost in some thought. He ran his fingers on her cheek, drawing her attention, and she smiled at him mumbling an apology for being slightly distracted. He understood very well. It wasn't easy for a wife to hear about her husband's past. Had roles been reversed, he would probably be pacing the room restlessly. She was comparatively taking it very well.

"Ridhima made me believe in love, and naturally, the next step would be marriage. We were 25 when I proposed marriage to her. She said yes, and we were happy. But everything went downhill when, somehow, Ridhima and Mr. Oberoi got together behind my back to get me to sign the documents that required fifty percent of the Oberoi Empire shares to be transferred to my name. That day I realized she was greedy, and that is something I couldn't stand. She lied to me she loved me; she wouldn't have prioritized money over relationships if she truly cared for me, who not just her fiancé, but also the guy with whom she claimed to be in love. When I refused to give in to her demands, she started with emotional blackmail. It went to a point where she threatened to break up with me, all because she wanted a secure future and she didn't have that financial security with a guy who was merely an artist, even if I was making a fortune at that time. Shivaay was more than willing to transfer the said shares, if it made Ridhima happy, which in turn would make me happy. But I said no. I called it quits. She did try to come back to me, saying that she had made a mistake. But I had told her it was no mistake. She had made a choice between money and love, and now I had made a choice between staying stuck in a manipulative relationship, and freedom."

He looked at Gauri, who was staring at him with a myriad of emotions in her eyes. "Yes, I did love her, and at some point, I did think of a happy future with her. That is the only reason I said that she was not just a fuck buddy. I was emotionally attached to her. But the day she stabbed me in the back, I broke all ties with her, even emotional ones."

Gauri hugged him when she saw his expressions turn rigid with pain, and pressed her cheek against his. "She hurt you a lot, didn't she?" she asked, and Omkara hummed. Wrapping his arms around her tighter, he said with a smile, "But for all that hurt and pain, I'm compensated with you in my life, right?" Gauri smiled and said in a sad tone, "And then I too ended up hurting you!"

Omkara pulled away slightly and said to her as he looked her in the eye, "You and I had an argument, and we patched up. Ours was a couple's spat, and it's a different issue. It is nowhere close to stabbing me in the back and breaking my trust." Gauri nodded in understanding, not wanting to dig into his past. She saw he hated talking about Ridhima, and she didn't want to make him go through the same bitterness by talking about her.

A whole moment passed by in silence as they sat with her in his lap, wrapped in each other's arms. "Gauri," he said lovingly and his lips curved into a smile when she looked at him with a hint of blush. Oh, she was so cute when she still showed surprise as he called her by her name. "Let's never talk about Ridhima, again?" He beckoned her, saying, "Although I am grateful to her for being there for me at that point, I can never forgive her for what she did after that." Gauri nodded in agreement as she said, "Backstabbing cannot be forgiven, I understand."

Omkara paused wondering if he should tell her more about Ridhima. He decided to bare it all because hiding things from Gauri, was the first reason they had had that ugly spat. "There's something else I want to tell you," He said and she looked at him, waiting for him to speak. "Ridhima made a pass at me at the global conference. She asked me to spend time together with her, even after I told her I was married to you. She backed off only when I told her that I was in love with you and would never do anything to desecrate our marriage." He looked at her waiting for the volcano to erupt. Gauri frowned, "You told her that you love me before you told me that you love me?"

Omkara smiled, suddenly amused. "You're upset about that? Not at the fact that she tried to make a pass at me?" Gauri shrugged with a frown, "Not that I am comfortable and chilled-out about it, but I know you aren't at fault if she comes at throws herself at you! Tum ho hi itne hot, uss chudail se raha nahi gaya hoga!" Omkara grinned, "You find me hot, eh?" Gauri shrugged her shoulders, "Isn't that obvious?"

"You never told me!" he complained. "If I did, you'd start flying in the air. Waise bhi, you think you're hot enough on behalf of the whole globe!" "And yet my wife isn't throwing herself at me! This poor man's fate! Itni hotness, itni jalti jawani ka kya karoon mein, jab biwi hi iska faayda na uthaye?" he pretended to sulk. She laughed and shook her head, not before kissing him soundly on both his cheeks.

"Gauri," he said, and she blushed yet again. He laughed saying, "Why do you keep blushing even when I say your name? Get used to it, woman!" She grinned, "Because every time you call me by my name, you remind me that my best friend is in love with me!" He sighed and rested his head against her nape closing his eyes, "I love you, Gauri!" He smiled when she kissed the top of his head, "I love you too, Omkara!"

Omkara looked at her and pecking her lips, he said dreamily, "In love with you till our last breath!" "To infinity and beyond!" she declared happily at that, and he looked at her with narrowed eyes, "I've heard that before! Isn't that from the cartoon trailer you showed me last time?" Gauri said in a soft growl with a frown, "That is not cartoon! It's from Toy Story, which we are going to watch after we finish cleaning the house!"

"Noooo!" he whined feeling too lazy, and she pulled his cheeks, "You've got no option baby!" Getting up from his lap, she said with a bright smile, "Abhi jaldi jaldi apna breakfast finish karo. After that we've to sweep and mop, and then do the laundry. Bahut kaam hai aaj!" she muttered as she sat back to eat her toast.

Omkara watched her with a smile and resumed eating his breakfast. Life's good, he mused as he watched her go on talking about other random stuff before she chided him for eating his breakfast too slow. Someone had definitely said it right: You only live once, but if it is done right, once is enough. Life had been difficult to him earlier, but now it seemed like he was being recompensed in abundance. Life, with her, was not just good, but awesomely great.