"Have you prepared your speech, for the evening?" Omkara asked, after a long pause, to lighten the tension that was forming between them. 

"No. I don't think I can talk about him without breaking down. You know, sometime k wonder how it would be if mumma never left us. Maybe it would all be so different."

"The grass always seems greener on the other side, Gauri. The what-ifs are a beautiful trap to not see how beautiful is the moment that we have now."

Gauri smiled, "Respect to that philosopher."

Omkara threw her a smile. "You learn the hard way sometimes." He mumbled.

Gauri looked straight into his eyes. Those unusually calm waters seemed to have very turbulent history of secrets beneath the surface.

"Come on, prepare that speech in your mind or paper whatever suits you. Then you need to go through these papers."

Gauri frowned, "Didn't Shivaay have a look at them?"

"He did. But you're the one signing you need to read them. When it comes to this world wealth, trust no one." He smiled.

"Learned that the hard way too huh?" Gauri teased, taking the bunch from his hand. It was when his smile faded that she realized that she had unknowingly picked up a sore spot.

"Yeah," He answered.

Gauri saw him lost in his thoughts. "You seem to have so many dark secrets that have made you what you are..." She knew she was pushing her luck, trying to know more about Omkara.

"We all do, don't we Gauri?"

"Well, not if you are the daughter of RPV."

Omkara gave her a smile, gently patting her shoulder. "You'll sail through this."

"I have to, I have a philosopher as my guide." She said comically with a smile.

Omkara smiled too. She appeared way more beautiful with that smile.

"Let me give you some space, so that you get work done."

Gauri smiled, nodding. She was glad that he decided to leave because Gauri didn't want to stop talking to him. It was strange how by just spending time with Omkara made all her troubles seem little and lightened her heart. 

* * *

The gathering in the evening had been a very formal affair. Omkara wasn't expecting his cousin, Tarun's visit. For some vague reason, Tarun being friendly and hugging Gauri didn't go well with him. He had never had any bitter emotion for his cousin despite the bad blood between their fathers. However, their affections for Gauri was changing that. Or perhaps it was the fact that he was a prospective groom for her who still seemed more than interested in her.

"You get a little irritated when he's around her." He heard Shivaay say close to his ears, as he stood beside him.

"No, I don't." Omkara answered nonchalantly, watching Tarun talk to Gauri. Her hands in his. Why did he have to hold her hands like that?

"Can't even take your eyes off her, like he's going to steal her away." Shivaay mocked. 

Omkara took a deep breath, hating the realization — Shivaay was right. He turned to Shivaay, "Nothing like that."

"If you say so."

"Where's Anika?" Omkara tried shifting the topic.

"She's helping Aunty Shah. She can't keep calm and be at one spot." Shivaay said and then smirked, "do you want to turn and see if Gauri is still there?"

Omkara glared at his brother. "Not funny."

"To me it is." Shivaay had twinkling eyes as he met his gaze.

Omkara sighed. He did his best to distract himself. Why was he getting restless by the minute? Gauri liked him, she kissed him. Tarun didn't stand a chance to win her affection. But still Omkara wanted to whisk Gauri away from him. 

* * *

The evening seemed to have exhausted Gauri. She was unusually quiet at the dinner table. Throughout the evening Tarun or his father had barely initiated any conversation with them except formal smiles, like they had never seen the other before. Omkara walked up to her room. The door was ajar. He knocked on it and after waiting for a minute, he peeped in.

Gauri sat on the bed, trying to distract herself by watching her favorite show. She looked up when she sensed some movement at the door. She immediately unplugged to earphone from her ear.

"Walk?" Omkara asked, taking a step in.

Gauri took a moment to think over it. "Okay!" She said, standing up on the bed, and then jumped down. 

Omkara smiled at her antics. He turned around while she wore a pullover. 

"Let's get going Omkie. We can have some ice cream too!" She said approaching him.

"I don't remember offering an ice cream." Omkara muttered as they made their way down the stairs. 

"The treats on me then, okay?" Gauri replied.

Omkara smiled as he spotted Shivaay and Anika in the living room. Anika was chit chatting with Aunty Shah while Shivaay was probably trying to find a way to whisk Anika away and into their room.

"Hey!" Shivaay greeted with a smile. By the look, Omkara knew, the wheels in his head were spinning at a two hundred kilometers per hour. 

"You two are---?" Shivaay prompted.

"Walk!" Omkara answered while at the same time Gauri muttered, "ice cream."

They looked at each other, a hint of a smile seen on each face.

"Walking to the ice cream parlor!" Gauri answered quickly.

"We have some at home, Gauri!" Aunty Shah spoke up.

"No, I want their chocochip sundae!" Gaur said quickly.

"I want ice cream too," Anika said, standing up excitedly.

"Sure!" Gauri smiled.

Shivaay immediately turned to her. "Anika you had a tooth ache the other day." 

Anika made a face looking at him. "That was a month back. It's long gone."

"Anika! You can't have ice cream... " He stood up, moving towards her. "Remember you had tooth ache just two days back...sensitivity. you should pass this time and let Gauri and Omkara go. "

"Oh, oh yeah... sensitivity.. yeah." Anika muttered. "By God, it hurt so badly." She raised her hand to her jaw. "I couldn't sleep ... I remember." She looked at Shivaay.

Omkara rolled his eyes, holding back his smile. These two were big time dramatic idiots. Of course, Anika had a toothache, she had treated herself to an ice cream milkshake at the airport. 

"You two get going..." Anika spoke up.

"Yeah, we can't come." Shivaay added, "besides, I am so sleepy."

"Of course," Omkara answered rolling his eyes and walked towards the door, with his hands in his sweatshirt pocket.

"Is it just me or were they really behaving rather strangely?" Gauri asked as they stepped out. 

"They are weird all the time. Don't bother."

"They are cute, though!"

"Yeah well, little frustrating now."

"What do you mean?"

Omkara smiled and began narrating how the no-nonsense-tolerance Shivaay fell for an ever-chaotic Anika, as they walked under the night sky.

"Omg, that's so sweet!" Gauri remarked dreamily, as they neared the oce cream parlor. 

"I have told you a very rosy version of it. They had their troubles. And their fights which you find cute... were horrible."

"Well, maybe some day you'll tell me their story from that perspective!" Gauri said pushing open the door.  "Ice cream?"

"No," He answered.

"Coffee?"

"Can't say no to that!" Omkara smiled. 

Gauri quickly went up to the counter placed her order and super her card. Omkara looked around. There was glass doors that led to a garden where a few people sat enjoying their desserts, mostly couples.

"Come on, Omkie!" Gauri said, walking towards the glass door.

Omkara followed her out while she handed him the cup of coffee.

"That was quick."

"Yeah, it's usually empty on school nights on weekends you have a long queue. 

"Let's sit there," she suggested pointing to a bench by the tree at the other end of the garden. 

"This is too good. You must try it sometime!" She said savoring her sundae.

"Nothing beats a hot coffee on a cold night!"

"You're less adventurous then!"

"Compared to you, definitely!" Omkara remarked.

Gauri chuckled. 

"Have you started this about what next?" Omkara decided to have the conversation that he had been avoiding. 

"Not really... I don't think I want to be here."

Omkara's eyebrows furrowed. "What do you mean? This is your home right?"

"It is. But I don't want to be here. I feel like... a fish out of water here. I guess I want to move to India." 

Omkara didn't say anything. He sensed that Hauri was speaking put her mind, unfiltered. He waited for a minute, drinking his coffee. When she didn't say anything he asked, "where in India? And what about everything here? What about your career?"

Gauri shifted uncomfortably om the bench. "I hate these conversations."

"I know, they can be nerve-wracking!" Omkara stated.

A silence fell. They sat lost in their own thoughts. Gauri had the wheels of her mind running. There was way too much responsibility on her. Sometime having abundant wealth and assets could be a burden, it was definitely so in Gauri's case.

They looked at each other when they heard a funny sound. 

"Was that you, did you burn your tongue?" Gauri asked with a laugh.

"No," He apusee when they heard the weird sound again. They stared at each other trying to hear. Omkara turned and Gauri followed his gaze. Her jaw fell. A couple was making out on the side of the tree, probably young adults. "The belt!" The guy grunted.

Omkara turned to her horrified, "seriously!" He mouthed.

Gauri chuckled silently, trying to peer. 

Omkara shook his head, expressing his disapproval and placed his plan on her cheek making her look away. "Don't!" He muttered.

"What's your problem, this is... funny, weirdly!" She whispered, wrapping her fingers around his wrist pushing down his hand.

"Eww, you're going to watch them?" He whisper yelled.

Gauri rolled her eyes, bit before she could respond to him they heard moans this time louder than before. 

Omkara got off the seat and caught Gauri's hand. "Let's go!" He muttered softly.

"Oh Peter yes!" They heard the woman's moan.

Omkara rolled his eyes and dragged Gauri away. Gauri laughed her heart out. "This reminded me of college."

"You're sick!"

"I found that hilarious! Oh Peter, yes!" She laughed.

Omkara couldn't help but grin. At the back of his mind he wondered if that didn't make Gauri feel the tension he felt.

"You know, I college we had this janitors closet that was at the end of the corridor, very rarely used. It was less of a closet and more of a kissing booth slash make out booth you know. One day me and Maddie, my lab partner were discussing our project by the lockers and we heard weird sounds just like that. We had stomach ache laughing listening to the conversation."

Omkara didn't really what to ask but his curiosity got the better of him, "what was so funny about their conversation?"

"Whoever was inside hadn't paid attention in biology class and the girl was freaked out about you know.." Gauri laughed walking head, realizing that it was Omkara she was talking to. Suddenly she felt weird even talking about it. He wasn't Maddie, who she could talk all the R rated nonsense to. 

"Wow!" Was all that Omkara uttered as they stepped out of the ice cream parlor. 

"Let's walk down and then we'll go around." Gauri suggested.

"Okay," Omkara agreed and they began strolling down the sidewalk.

"College is such a crazy time." He spoke.

"Oh definitely! Weird stuff keeps you entertained all the time."

Omkara's mind was at a different tangent. He wondered if Gauri had had a physical relationship with a guy before. She didn't seem shy or scandalized by the event that had occurred.

"What you thinking about?"  She asked him.

"Nothing really. What are you at?"

"Reliving the best of college days in my head."

Omkara chuckled, as she went on telling about peculiar amusing instances from her college and high school. He was happy that at least she wasn't sad. He found himself enjoying her company as he mostly did. He was getting used to her again. That terrified him as much as it put him at peace. How could someone not fall for her! 

 Hope you enjoyed the chapter!

-Anami!♡