Ishqbaaaz : The Return of Obros

The ties that bind

Thank you all for voting and commenting on the previous chapter. So many people actually took out time to write down little comments along with the story, seriously thank you so much <3. It made me understand what all of you were thinking while reading the lines. Love you all.

I did read each and every comment that you guys left on the previous chapter. Extremely sorry that I couldn't reply to them earlier. I will reply as soon as possible. I promise. 

Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter! Happy Reading!!

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The whispers around her were growing fiercer with every passing minute.

"Oh!! Now I know how she managed to get on the core team of Jashn. After all, she must have taken advantage of her family relations."

"Family relations? This is just like their family business. Her sister-in-law owns Jashn."

"I am cent percent sure that she did not even have to attend the interview. What luck?"

"Talking about luck, nothing can beat being an Oberoi. Damn!!! She must have saved a country in her previous life."

Gauri tried to shut down the background noise and continue her work as if nothing happened. Even though she hoped to keep her professional and personal life separate, it was starting to dawn on her that it would never be possible. Even in the unlikely chance that her colleagues had somehow missed the press conference, the Oberoi family's pictures were plastered on the front page of many of the newspapers in circulation. She was sure that by today afternoon, almost half of Mumbai's population would know who she was.  Out of the many cons of being an Oberoi Bahu, never in her wildest dreams would she have thought that people would question her skills and her talent. In just a moment, years of efforts and sacrifices were sidelined because apparently "she had it handed over to her in a platter". 

Gauri agitatedly ran her fingers through her hair and tried to concentrate on the document open on her desktop. Just a few more hours! Just a few more hours and she could go back to her home. Wait!!! Go back to the Oberoi mansion, where she had to play the part of a perfect bahu! God! It had been less than three days and she already wanted to pack her bags and go meditate somewhere in the Himalayas along with her Jatadhari hippie.

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Tej walked through the main door of the Oberoi mansion to find his soon-to-be ex-wife pacing across the hallway. As soon as she saw him, she walked over to him with an angry expression on her face.

"One thing tej. I asked you to follow a single condition and you couldn't even do that? You simply had to cooperate with me till the Maha Aarti and I promised you that I would grant you a divorce. I even told you that I would tell Om that it was my decision. You couldn't even do that? "

"And I am cooperating with you. I am playing a happy family with you, aren't I? What more do you want woman?"

"Happy family?"Jhanvi scoffed."Then where were you during breakfast,Tej?" Jhanvi knew exactly where he was but wanted him to acknowledge it. She refused to accept half-baked answers. If he had the guts to do it, he should have the courage to vocalize it too.

"I..I stayed up late yesterday. So I slept in the office itself" Tej scrambled to give a satisfactory answer.

"How dare you lie to my face?" 

"Okay fine! I was with Swethlana. Happy now?" Tej thundered back.

Jahnvi was surprised to find that she no longer felt that sting of betrayal which seemed to be her constant companion when Tej would take Swethalana's name or would be seen with Svetlana. The pain would be so heart-wrenching that she would drink herself into oblivion to try and numb her pain. That was the start of a long and arduous journey of alcohol addiction. Today, she felt nothing. No sadness, no betrayal, no overwhelming need to empty the nearest alcohol bottle. Perhaps, she had indeed moved on.