Gauri opened her mouth to express her gratitude but the nurse beat her to it.
"Mrs James, Mr James is out of surgery now. He's doing fine now. He's still unconscious because of the medications but you can see him once he is settled in the ICU." The nurse announced and Gauri's and Om's faces lit up like lamps.
"Thank you. Thank you so much." Gauri said to the nurse and followed by Om, they went to his room.
Gauri and Om reached the ICU ward to see wires and machines attached to Lucas' body, mostly his cranial part. Although he was unconscious, his face looked like shit. It was clear how tired his body was after staying under drugs for more than 10 hours. Like any other patient, he's body too was tired now and clearly needed a long nap which wasn't purposely induced by Anastasia.
Gauri pushed the glass door away and stepped inside with a smile. She sat beside him on the stool kept inches away from his bed. She sat beside him and looked at him. After taking a nice look at him she slowly caressed his hair that was on his forehead.
"I'm sorry you had to go through this all alone." Gauri spoke as she looked at him with a smile.
She was filled with happiness and was more than happy to share it with everyone around. She looked behind her where she had assumed Om had been standing. To her surprise, Om wasn't where she had thought he was standing.
"Ma'am, he is sleeping. If you don't mind." The nurse incharge spoke, gesturing Gauri to move out of the room.
"Yeah, sure. Sorry." Gauri said with a smile and quietly moved out of the room.
She came out of the room and saw Om leaned against one of the pillars, his back facing her.
"Om?" She asked as she patted his shoulder to make him turn around.
"Yeah? How is he?" Om asked nervously, turning around, as if he was hiding his face.
"He is going to be okay. I thought you were in the room with me." Gauri spoke, peeking in to see his face.
"Yeah, I thought of calling Caroline. She should know that her father is out of surgery and fine." Om said, slowly now moving to face Gauri.
"Alright." Gauri said confused, as she kept looking at Om's distraught face.
Om gave her a faint smile and walked away. A few minutes later, he came back and told Gauri that he had informed Caroline, Stephanie and Jack.
"Om, were you crying? A few minutes ago?" Gauri asked, looking at his eyes.
"Huh? No-no. Nothing like that. I'm sure it's nothing. You have misunderstood it. Something went in my eye." Om mumbled, wiping his face repeatedly.
"Why were you crying?" Gauri asked.
"I just told you, I wasn't." Om answered, but he was caught.
"You just told me you were crying, indirectly. You never explain things, not repeatedly and you just did that. Now tell me." Gauri spoke in a stern voice. Om tried rejecting the offer of explaining to her why he was crying but Gauri wasn't taking no for an answer.
"I know that he is intensely sick, and that he needs you; but it is still hard for me to see you care for him the way you care for him. I'm sorry. I know he is your husband and all but it is what it is." Om spoke quickly and moved his gaze away from Gauri, not meeting her eyes.
Gauri was shocked by this abrupt confession.
"Om, I love him." Gauri spoke and Om's head snapped towards her.
"What?" He asked, trying to make sure he had heard her right.
"Let me finish. I love him, but like a best friend. There's only two people I loved romantically. I think you know the names. I thought that the second person I was in love with was the one; but I was wrong. And, when I was hurting, Lucas was there by my side. I owe it to him, to Caroline. They have helped me a lot in these past three years and I'm just returning the favour because I know that they would do the same." Gauri explained with a straight face.
