OSO stepped towards his wife, unable to believe that his punishment was finally over. His frazzled mind failed to register that she had stepped back and he advanced towards her... a thirsty man spotting a water well. With long strides he crossed the distance between them and gathered an unwilling Gauri in his arms. Even as she pushed against him he tightened his hold, feeling whole after so long. Her protests reached his ears like sweet nothings, his mind refusing to kick in. OSO had been using his brain for the past three years, because this little chirraya had escaped with his heart. Now he had found his dil' again, he would let it control his actions. He began to plaster kisses on every inch of his wife he could reach, so glad to finally have her back.

Suddenly he found himself pushed back, Gauri having used a force nobody could predict she held inside her tiny frame. The anger written across her face showed that she did not share his relief at their reunion. Her once expressive eyes appeared blank despite shining with suppressed tears. he made to take her in his arms again, but she held up her hand.

"Bas! Aap jahan hain, wahin raho! Humare kareeb mat aao aap! Humse door raho! Enough! Stay where you are! Don't you come near me! Stay away from me!" Gauri's cry cut through OSO. He was wrong... his punishment wasn't over. It was just beginning.

"Please Gauri. Itni naraaz ho mujhse... apne OmkaraJi se? Kareeb bhi nahin aane do gi? Are you this angry at me... at your OmkaraJi? You won't even let me come close?" OSO was desperate. Had she really not forgiven him after so much time? He could not lose her again... he had just gotten her back.

Rather than answer her husband, Gauri turned away from OSO and headed towards the vegetable vendors. A distraught OSO traced her path with his eyes, the shutters he had placed around himself had lifted upon seeing his wife, but they were rapidly fitting back into place. He could not let it end like this. Omkara had lost his wife, but OSO did not know how to lose. Gauri would have to listen to him... he would make her listen to him... he owed her an apology. OSO knew he deserved to pay for his crimes on an innocent girl, but this was not his price to pay. He would take any punishment she chose but he would not give up his wife.

He made towards her again, a heartfelt plea at the tip of his tongue, when he felt his whole body ignite in flames. Gauri's path had been blocked by a bunch of men, and they were encroaching on her personal space. Before OSO's shocked eyes the largest one stepped even closer and yanked on Gauri's shawl, ripping it from her. OSO saw red.

The next few seconds were a blur but OSO had reached the group and planted a hefty punch on the offender before his presence was even detected by the group. As the others yelled in protest at the treatment of their friend, the disrespectful idiot fell to the floor, knocked out cold. One of his companions headed to avenge his friend and found himself knocked to the floor too, the force of the blow so powerful that had anyone asked he would have swore that every rib had cracked simultaneously. Despite the early hour these hooligans were moderately drunk so the remaining two did not use their better judgement (Warning: Alcohol affects judgement and is injurious to health. Don't drink and go near Gauri Omkara Singh Oberoi or be ready to face the wrath of OSO!), one grabbed Gauri's arm while the remaining guy faced OSO. The fool with the broken ribs groaned up from the ground.

"Eeh, Bhai... Teri problem kya hai? Hamare mamle mein kyun par raha hai? Hey, bro... What is your problem? Why are you getting involved in our matter?" the fallen drunkard wheezed out.

Before OSO could respond by breaking his face, he was forced to turn to avoid a badly aimed punch from the goon in front of him. Winded from the effort he had put into the unsuccessful punch, the miscreant gasped for breath and questioned OSO.

"Tu yahan ka nahin lagta. Yeh hamare gaanv mein rehti hai. Tera yahan koi kaam nahin. Apne kaam se kaam rakh bhai, hamare mamle mein - You look new here. She lives in our village. You have no business here. Stick to your own business, don't interfere in our -" He was cut off by OSO ACTUALLY breaking his face.

"Yeh mera hi kaam hai! Jispe tu haq jataane ki khoshish kar raha hai, uspe sab se zyada haq MERA hai! This is my business! The one you are trying to claim rights on, I have the most rights on!" OSO roared.

The last hoodlum, who was still unwisely holding tight to Gauri's arm, questioned OSO, "Behen hai kya teri? Ya aasihqa? Pata that humein, yeh jitnee seedhi lagti hain utni hai nahin. Kyun, reh? Hamare saath bhi thoda waqt beethale? Is she your sister? Or your lover? We all knew, she is not as simple as she looks? Why, eh? Spend some time with us too?"

This last drunkard had crossed all limits without realising by holding Gauri and propositioning her in front of OSO. But he had not finished in his quest for an early grave yet. Showing the extent of his intoxication he leant forward to lay his lips on Gauri and any self-control left in Om went flying straight out of the window. He launched himself at the culprit, detaching him from Gauri. He punched every part of the lech he could reach, all the while screaming at him.

"How dare you touch my wife?!! I'll kill you! MERI Biwi ko hath kaise lagaya?! MERI Biwi par dore daal raha hai?!! How did you touch MY wife?! Are you propositioning my wife?!! You B*****D!"

By now the goon had fallen unconscious, coated completely in blood. Realising that he was now receiving no noises in response to his pummelling, OSO withdrew taking a deep breath before facing his wife. Her tearstained cheeks broke his newly returned heart and made him want to rip these animals apart all over again. Instead he bent and picked up the shawl from where it had fallen. Slowly, so as not to startle her, OSO advanced on Gauri. With gentle hands, he draped the garment over her trembling shoulders, his concern for her overpowering everything else. She must be in shock. He tried to take her into his arms, but Gauri had regained herself enough to shrug him off.

"Humme apki madat ki zaroorat nain hain! Hamare mamlon se door raho! I do not need your help! Stay away from my matters!"

To hear her say words so similar to what those brutes had slurred at him should have set OSO off on a rampage, but he could see the effort Gauri was putting in to hold herself together. Instead of fighting her he backed off, not wanting to stress her further.

"I was not helping you... I was helping myself. Koi tumhe haath lagaye, to mujhse bardaashth nahin hoga. If anyone touches you, I will not be able to bear it." His words were quiet but held such sincerity that the worn out Gauri could not argue them. But then again, GKS was not one to give up easily.

"Hum apke kuch nahin lagte. Hum aapki shakal nahin dekhna chahathe. I am nothing to you. I don't want to see your face."

With that Gauri turned away from him, and OSO let her go. Instead of despair he now felt hope. He knew Gauri lived in this village so keeping track on her would be no issue - he was signing a deal to buy the village and the surrounding land this evening anyway. Furthermore, once he had ensured his wife was fine (her flammable words reassuring him), he had taken note of the shawl he had wrapped her in... the peacock shawl that had caught his eye in Germany. He had slipped it into her side of the wardrobe, and never seen it since, until today. She had kept it. She still used it. 'Vishwaas' filled his whole being. OSO had given way to Omkara...