Delicate - A Rikara Tale (Completed!)

Seven - Porcelain and Pain.

A/N - Another long one, because I was overwhelmed by all the love I am getting. Thank you for voting, commenting and adding this book to your reading lists.

"Sit down." Her husband's voice was gentler, making the order sound less like an order and more like a request.

Gauri gulped. It was not safe to let her guard down, not safe to allow herself to slip into a sense of false security. She remembered Omkara's accusations – homewrecker, gold digger- and bit her lip. He was a stranger, one who had saved her, but still a stranger. Kaali Thakur had been a stranger too and what a monster he had turned out to be. Fear gripped her, freezing her in place.

"Gauri sit down. You are shaking again. I don't want you to - " Omkara reached out to the women in front of him and stopped talking when she moved back to, away from his hand.

"No, please." Her soft whisper was followed by more trembling.

"I won't hurt you. I just want to talk. That is all that we will do. We will talk. We are going to have to start this relationship from somewhere and I would like to know more about you." Omkara made himself smile, hoping it did not look like a snarl. Or sound like a lie. He was telling a half-truth again, trying to coax her to open up to him. "Please, sit."

The please did the trick, making Omkara wonder if it really was the magic word after all.

Gauri looked up at the tall man in front of her and shifted to the left, making herself as small as possible.

Om sighed and closed his eyes, reminding himself that he had to be patient with her and not startle her. He opted to sit down next to her but kept a distance between them so that she would not panic again. He had noticed how terrified of him she had become after they were alone with each other.

"How about I tell you about myself and my family, our family? Will you tell me about yourself then?" he made sure to say this in a gentle, non-demanding tone. Prinku had always felt more comfortable speaking about herself if she knew more about the person she was speaking too and Omkara wondered if this would work with Gauri.

The small nod would have been almost missed if Omkara had blinked. But he had not and so he had seen her nod, consenting to the proposal.

"I'll start with my family – our family now. Wait, I have a picture" Omkara pulled out his phone and opened his gallery, swiping quickly and then opening the photo he wanted. "This is my Dadi. Everyone calls her Dadi and she will expect you to as well. Careful, Dadi can pull your leg sometimes and give you Ishaaqbazi lessons but she really does want the best for you." Omkara smiled at the look on Gauri's face- one of confusion "You'll get to know what Ishaaqbazi is one day."

Gauri had moved closer so that she could see the picture better. Om made no comment nor reaction to that, knowing that if he had, she would flee like a frightened doe. "You've already met my Maa- Jhanvi Singh Oberoi and Annika Bhabhi and Shivaay Bhaiyya. I have a younger brother and a younger sister as well. That one there is Rudra. But he will insist you call him Rudy. All of us call him Rudy. And this is Priyanka, my younger sister, who we all call Prinku. Those two are Baadi Maa and Baade Papa – Shivaay's parents." Om was about to add more but Gauri spoke, cutting him off

"I thought he was your elder brother" Gauri looked up at him, a confused look on his face.

"He is my cousin, but I look upon him as my elder brother Gauri. So does Rudy. The three of us are very close." Om smiled. "Now you'll probably team up with Anni Bhabhi and Saumya"

"Who is Saumya" Gauri's curiosity was getting the best of her fear.

Omkara zoomed in the photo to show her Saumya. "She's Rudra's wife."