Gauri sat up from her sleep, startled at the sound of the phone ringing in the morning. It took her a moment to come to terms that it was Omkara’s phone that was making noise, while the man himself was fast asleep. She looked at him to see him frowning in his sleep as he patted the space around to find his phone. With his eyes still closed, he answered the call. “Mmmm” he croaked sleepily as he held the phone to his ear. Gauri smiled to herself when he heard him snore back to sleep while the other person continued to talk.

“Om!” she heard through the phone the man on the other end almost shriek. Bade Bhaiyya, she grinned as she took the phone out of a dead-asleep Omkara. “Om, where the fuck are you? Talk to me, please!” She heard the older brother’s worried sick voice. “Bade Bhaiyya, Gauri here,” she said, and after a second’s pause, heard an immediate sigh of relief on the other end. “He’s with Gauri,” Shivaay said, and she assumed he was conveying the same to Rudra and Annika. “Chalo, shukar hai!” she heard Annika’s voice in the background and smiled. Omkara may have had dysfunctional parents, but on other hand, he had siblings who would do anything for him.

“Gauri, I’ve been dropping messages since last night to him. He was quite upset when he left from here, but since he didn’t reply to any of them, I thought he needed some time to cool off! We got worried when he didn’t answer his doorbell. He didn’t even inform us he was staying at your place!” Shivaay complained out of worry.

“You’re at the apartment?” she asked, and he said, “Yes, we are standing outside his flat. He… he had us really worried about him!” Gauri felt slightly guilty that they had totally forgotten to inform Shivaay or Rudra about Omkara’s sleepover at her home. It was only natural for them to get worried about Omkara, especially after he had told her about his troublesome past. Gauri could guess what worried them all.

Clearing her throat, she said, “Bhaiyya, I’m sorry we didn’t inform you. Aage se aisa nahi hoga. Usually, he informs you, but last night he was slightly upset with whatever happened at the mansion, it must have completely slipped his mind. Aur mere dimaag mein bhi ye nahi aaya ke aapko ya Rudra ko inform karein. We’re sorry,” she said in a contrite tone, apologizing on behalf of Omkara too. In response, she heard a small chuckle, as he said, “It’s okay, bachche,” and then pausing for a moment, he asked in a softer concerned tone, “How is he? Is he… is he okay?”

Gauri smiled, looking at Omkara sleeping next to her, and absently ran her fingers over his soft hair that fell on his forehead. He was fast asleep, lightly snoring with his mouth slightly open. Smoothing his hair away from his forehead, she tucked it away behind his ear as she said, “He’s fine. He’s sleeping like a log!”

“I gathered as much; he literally snored as soon as he picked the phone!” Shivaay replied, amused. “We slept quite late, Bhaiyya. He must be still exhausted,” Gauri said, as she recalled their last night’s conversation where he told her every single painful episode about his past.

Rudra stared at the phone in Shivaay’s hand, which was on speaker mode, and then looked at his older brother and sister-in-law who looked equally shocked. “Ermm, you ‘both’ slept late?” Shivaay asked while Rudra added, “He was exhausted? Doing what?” Annika slapped Shivaay’s arm as she whispered as softly as possible, “Chodiye na Shivaay, aap dono ko kya? Yeh unn dono ke beech ki baat hai!” But Shivaay only shook his head at her, asking her to not interrupt so he could find out in detail about what exactly his brother was up to.

“Haan,” came the casual reply from Gauri, as she smiled at Omkara who was frowning in his sleep as she tickled his ear to wake him up. Omkara huffed, absently pushing her hand away in his sleep. “We were talking till late night, and then we slept really late,” she said with a grin at Omkara’s sleepy pout. “Ohh,” Shivaay and Rudra chorused as they cheekily said looking at each other, “You were talking!”

“Yaar, sone do!” Omkara said in an annoyed tone as he turned his face to the wall, still sleeping on his belly, while Gauri laughed. Shivaay and Rudra’s brows raised in surprise hearing Omkara’s voice, and this time, Annika quipped, “Achcha Gauri, yeh bata, Omkara vahin pe so raha hai kya?” Gauri nodded as she said in a nonchalant tone, “Haan Bhabhi, woh mere saat hi so raha hai” Rudra dramatically cupped his mouth, as Shivaay and Annika stared at each other, amused. “Gauri,” Annika began in an amused tone, “Tumhara matlab hai ke woh tumhare bagal mein so raha hai, hai na?” 

Gauri, not really bothered about the difference, said, “Haan Bhabhi, same thing!” Annika chuckled while Rudra pretended to be scandalized about what was just said. “My virgin ears!” Rudra said in an exaggerated manner while covering them, and walked away from the other two, secretly thankful that his brother was safe with Gauri ‘Bhabhi’. Gauri continued talking with Shivaay and Annika for a while.

After Gauri had disconnected the call, she gently tapped Omkara’s back, trying to wake him up. “You’ve to go to the office, Oberoi,” she reminded him. He opened one eye, peeking at her, and immediately squeezing his eyes shut, he said, “I’m not going. I’ll call in sick.” Saying that he snuggled close to her. Holding her hand, he tucked it under his cheek, promptly going back to sleep.

“Should I inform Krishna that you’re not coming?” Gauri asked as she sat with her back against the wall with her hand still in his hold. “Mmmh,” he nodded sleepily, and then threw his hand over her lap, almost hugging her lower half, just above her knees. With one hand still tucked under his cheek, she keyed in his passcode with the other and sent a message to Krishna, his team lead, who immediately replied with a “K.” The moment she heard Omkara’s rhythmic breathing, she slowly extricated her hand and rose up from the bed. If she sat there, she would be tempted to trouble him and wake him up. Instead, she decided to let him sleep some more. After an emotionally exhausting night, he deserved some peaceful rest.

***

Shalini looked at the stairs yet again, wondering why Gauri wasn’t up yet. Arvind, who noticed his anxious wife, pretended not to pay any heed. If he did, she would eat his head, and that was not something he wanted to go through early in the morning. So he did his best to pretend not to hear his wife constantly murmuring something about their daughter.

However, the moment Gauri walked down the stairs, Shalini masked her anxiety with a smile. “Good morning,” Gauri greeted both of them, as she walked to the kitchen to pour a cup of tea for herself.

“Slept well?” Arvind asked, causing Shalini to look at him with a raised brow, expecting him to ask her as to why Omkara stayed back instead of going to his place, or why he slept in the bedroom while there was ample space on the couch in the living room. “Yea, Papa. Omkara stayed the night; I told him not to go home. Bechaara bahut upset tha,” Gauri finished with a thoughtful look. Arvind looked at her with a small frown, as if asking her to elaborate. Gauri heaved a sigh and said, “It’s some family issue. It’s not my place to discuss it with anyone, sorry Papa,” she said, and Arvind nodded in understanding. If it was something that she didn’t want to share, he wouldn’t push her to do so.

Shalini looked at the father-daughter duo, and shook her head, knowing that anything she might say now would upset them both. “Jaa Gauri, Omkara ko uthao aur neeche aane ke liye bol. Ask him to come for breakfast,” Shalini said, but Gauri clicked her tongue, saying, “Let him sleep for some time. Jab bhook hogi, tab uthke aa jayega. Anyway, he’s not going to office today – he’s called in sick. So I thought I’ll let him sleep till whenever he wants to. I’ll keep his breakfast separate in a plate, and re-heat it in the oven when he comes down.” Shalini and Arvind exchanged thoughtful looks as an oblivious Gauri helped herself with some aaloo-poha.

***

Omkara had come downstairs a while later, and had apologized to Shalini and Arvind for sleeping in late, not before chiding Gauri for not waking him up on time. “Arrey, I tried to wake you up, but tune hi kaha – yaar, sone do. Toh, maine sone diya!” Before Omkara could say anything, Shalini said with a smile, “It’s okay, beta. At least you slept well, right? Here, have some more poha!” Saying this, she served him some more food on his plate even if he politely refused. Arvind looked on, amused, wondering if his wife was actually suffering from multiple personality disorder.

After breakfast was done, Omkara went upstairs and changed into the same clothes he wore yesterday. “I’ll wash this and return it, okay?” he told Gauri, after he came downstairs, referring to the clothes he wore last night. She grabbed her Papa’s clothes that she’d lent him, and said, “Uski koi zarurat nahi. I’ll put it in the laundry here.” When he was about to insist, she shrugged saying it was no big deal, “Oberoi, itna kya formal ho rahe ho? It’s just a pair of pants and a t-shirt. I’ll get it washed with the other clothes, okay? Anyway, I’ve to do my laundry today, so chill!” She dumped the clothes in the hamper, not allowing any further arguments from him. He obliged while murmuring a grateful ‘Thank you’.

***

“Mamma, Papa, I’m going!” Gauri announced aloud, walking out with Omkara. She had informed them earlier that she would be spending the day with him at his flat. She didn’t want him to be alone today and wilfully offered him company. Omkara was honestly more than grateful that she was going to be around for the day. Thanking her parents for their hospitality, Omkara walked out after Shalini forcefully sent a tiffin full of food. “It’s just some roti and curry for lunch,” she said while packing a three-tier lunchbox for the two of them. Gauri knew arguing with her mother was futile, so she just nodded, asking him to simply take the box from her.

As Gauri and Omkara left, Arvind looked at Shalini with an amused smile. Knowing that her husband was going to taunt her, she said in a justifying tone, “See, I like Omkara; he’s a very sweet boy. Apni Gauri ke liye perfect hai. But what will people say when they see them both going around on the bike? Log baatein karna shuru karenge na? I feel we should talk to Gauri and ask her if she is ready to at least get engaged to Omkara. If she is ready, we’ll talk to Omkara and his family too. Theek hai na?”

Arvind shook his head, almost giving up. He was fed up with asking his wife to stop being anxious about Gauri and Omkara, and allow them to make their decisions, but she just wouldn’t stop! However, not wanting to engage in any argument with his wife, he quietly walked into the house and turned on the radio to listen to some old classics as Shalini continued to ramble about how people were going to gossip about Gauri and Omkara.

***

Janhvi came downstairs to see that Kalyani, Pinky, and Annika were at the table. One could not miss her swollen eyes as well as the dark circles under Janhvi’s eyes, no matter how much concealer she had dabbed on to cover it up. Annika smiled empathetically at her and offered to serve her breakfast, to which Pinky quipped with a frown, “Annika, Jethani ji apne aap ko helps kar sakti hain. Tu baitke apna breakfasts kar.” Annika looked a little embarrassed at that and gave Janhvi a helpless smile, who simply nodded at her, asking her to continue her breakfast while helping herself with some cereal and fresh fruits. “Shivaay has left for office?” Janhvi asked Annika, who nodded politely.

Janhvi had just taken the first bite of an apple when Kalyani spoke up, “Janhvi puttar, I need to talk to you about what happened yesterday.” Pinky and Annika looked between the two women, as Janhvi sighed with exhaustion as she dropped the spoon back on the table. Janhvi knew that there was no point in refusing to have this conversation, so she mentally prepared herself for what her mother-in-law was about to say.

Kalyani interlocked the fingers of her hands as she started, “I believe what you said about Tej yesterday to be true, that he couldn’t have any more children after that accident. But Janhvi, isn’t there a tiny possibility that the woman is actually carrying Tej’s child?” Janhvi stared at the older woman as she continued, “What if the child in her womb is actually an Oberoi?” In silence, Janhvi stared at the woman long enough, as she said uncomfortably, “An Oberoi does not deserve to be… I mean, an Oberoi deserves to be under the roof of this house; that is if the child is really Tej’s.”

“Mummyji, instead of going in circles, can you please just say what you expect from me?” Janhvi replied in an irritated tone, startling Kalyani for a moment. Kalyani, composing herself quickly, said with a nod, “If the baby is Tej’s, I would want that baby to have the same upbringing and lifestyle as the other grandchildren of this house. If Tej is the father of that baby, I will be asking Tej and Svetlana to shift into the outer wing of the mansion, instead of staying in the outhouse.”

Janhvi, who was silent all this while, laughed humourlessly, as she said in a sarcastic tone, “Mummyji, why just the outer wing? Why don’t you welcome her just as you had welcomed the daughters-in-law of this family with all ceremonies and rituals, and ask her to shift into the same bedroom that belonged to Tej and me? I can shift to the guest house. Oh, by the way, before I leave, do you want me to decorate the room for Tej and Svetlana’s suhaagraat as well?”

Kalyani huffed at the words thrown at her as she began, “Janhvi, there’s no need to talk back! I understand what you have gone through, but-” “But!” Janhvi interrupted her, as she said, “There’s always a But, isn’t it Mummyji?” Pausing for a second while glancing at Annika and Pinky who were looking at her, she said, “The truth is, you don’t understand anything that I have gone through; you have never understood what my sons have gone through. Your son, whom you want to bring back into the house, strayed from his marriage! Your son was unfaithful to me! Your son turned away from his responsibilities and duties as a husband and as a father! Your son was the one to have so many passing affairs! Your son was the one to sleep around and believe he had gotten another woman pregnant!”

Drawing an angry breath, Janhvi said, “Tell me something, Mummyji! If I were the one cheating on Tej and having an affair with someone else, and had gotten pregnant with someone else’s child, would you still treat me as a part of this family? Would you have accepted the unborn child? Would you ever advise Tej to forgive me for my ‘mistake’?” Kalyani looked away, unable to answer any of those questions honestly. “Mummy ji, when I wouldn’t have been forgiven if I did all of that, why don’t the same rules apply to Tej, especially when you claim that this family treats its sons and daughters-in-law the same?”

When there was no reply, Janhvi sighed with a shake of her head, “Isn’t it enough that I am being forced to live as the wife of a cheat? So many times, I have demanded, pleaded, begged to file for divorce from Tej, but each time you have forbidden me to do so. Yet, if it has killed me from within, I have stayed obedient to your wishes, because that is what is expected from a daughter-in-law of this house – ‘to uphold the honour and respect of the Oberoi family’. But are all expectations set only for a daughter-in-law? Are there no rules, no expectations for the sons of this house? Mummyji, you say that this family’s values don’t allow for a divorce. Does this family’s value allow its son to have an extramarital affair and get their mistresses pregnant?”

Again, there was absolute silence. Janhvi, pushing the plate slightly away from her, said, “My Om was absolutely right when he called the so-called rules of this house as utter rubbish. My Om was absolutely right to walk out of this house! At least, he is independent, has his self-respect with his head held high. I’m so proud of him that he had the guts to do something that nobody had – to stand up against the hypocrisy and injustice done by this family to its own members!”

“Janhvi, puttar main bass-” Kalyani spoke again, but was interrupted again. “Jethani ek dum sahi bol rahi hain, Mummy ji!” Pinky spoke up, shocking the others present at the table as she continued, “Jeth ji ka toh khud pe koi controls hi nahi hai; aaj Svetlana hai, kal ko koi aur hogi, aur parson koi aur! Kya aap harr aati jaati ko ek-ek karke Oberoi Mansions mein utha ke leke ayengi? Hadd hai, Mummy ji! Jab Jethaniji bol rahi hain, ke Jethji baap nahi ban sakte, aap phir bhi uss sachch se mooh pher rahein hain? Kya aap yakeen se keh sakti hain ke Svetlana sach mein pregnants hai? Aur agar hai, toh aapko itna yakeen kaise hai ke woh bachcha Jethji ka hi hai?”

Pinky paused for a moment as she glanced at Janhvi before looking back at Kalyani as she continued, “Ab agar main kuch bolungi toh sab kahenge ke Pinky hamesha kadwa bolti hai. Lekin Pinky Oberoi seedha-seedha bina ghoom-phirke sach bhi toh bolti hai na? Aur sach kadwa hi hota hai! Yahan toh Jethaniji kuch wrongs bhi toh nahi bol rahi hai! Agar Jethji ki jagah, Jethaniji yeh sab kaand karti, toh kya aap yehi cheez bolti? Balki aap, iss khaandaan ki maryaada, izzat, naam pe aanch na aane ke liye, unko dhakke maarke ghar se nikaal deti. Lekin, iss baar jab mistakes aapke bete ki hai, aap na sirf unke rangeen kaarnamon ko nazarandaar kar rahi hain, balki unke mistresses ko bhi Oberoi Mansions mein welcomes karne ki tayyari mein lagi padi hain? Yeh kahan ka insaaf hua? Koi senses hai iss baat ka? Harr baar na, Mummyji, hum ladies hi compromises aur sacrifices karein, aisa zaruri nahi!”

Kalyani, without saying anything, rose from her seat. Annika quickly was by her side, offering to take her to the room, which she denied wordlessly, as she walked away slowly. As Pinky glanced at Janhvi, the latter said with a grateful smile, “Thank you Pinky, mujhe support karne ke liye.” Pinky smiled and in her usual taunting tone, she said, “Jethaniji, mention nots. Waise bhi, aisa nahi hai ke maine aapke supports mein kuch bola. Woh toh mujhe Jeth ji bilkul pasand nahi hai. Aap unse toh achchi hi hain.Isi liye maine aisa bola.” Pausing for a while as she dipped a piece of parantha in the curd, she continued, “Aur phir aapka bada beta aake jo yahan tandav karega, ke uske Mom ko kisi ne supports kyun nahi kiya, woh alag se hai. Warna main thodi bolti? Mujhe kya Mujhe toh sirf mere Shivaay ki fikar hai!”

Annika grinned as she nudged her mother-in-law, looking at Janhvi suppressing an amused smile. “Pinky Mom, aap seedha seedha kyun nahi kehti ke aapne Janhvi Aunty ka saath diya, woh bhi Daadi ke saamne?” Pinky was about to answer, when Janhvi beat her to it, “Devraani-Jethaani ka Rishta hi kuch aisa hai, Annika – kabhi khatti, kabhi meethi, kabhi kadwi, toh kabhi theekhi. Waise, jis din hum dono ka koi argument nahi hota na, uss din na mera khaana hazam hota hai aur na Pinky ka. Am I right, Pinky?” Pinky smiled at Janhvi and shrugged saying, “Arguments aap hi kar leti hain, Jethani ji… Main toh sirf facts bolti hoon.” Janhvi narrowed her eyes, with the smile still intact on her lips, causing Pinky to laugh.

Annika smiled to herself looking at the two of them, wondering whether her equation with her to-be sisters-in-law would be the same? She hoped not. She wanted to share a sisterly equation with them. If it was Gauri who was going to be her sister-in-law, then there was no worry because the two of them had already established a sisterly connection. As for Rudra’s bride, whoever that girl would be, she had no doubt that she would be just like a sister too. The three Oberoi Bahus as a sisterhood trio, just like the Oberoi Brothers - ShivOmRu; the thought itself made her happy and excited. She hoped that everything would be fine soon and that Omkara would come back to the Oberoi Mansion, along with his wife - hopefully, Gauri!