Hey guys...

As soon as my periodic test ended, my mid term examination started. It was totally unexpected and we didn't even get proper time to prepare for it. It was offline too. Huh, it was so tiring. Exams ended and now the next term too started. In between all the classes and tests, it was really hard for me to manage everything but still for someone special, here you go, the next update. I am not giving any false promises or hope. Ok bye😂👋🏻

Let's jump into the story...

Enjoy...

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After completing her work, Gauri came out of her room only to see Omkara, still working on his laptop at the same place she saw him before. It's been more than two hours since she went from there and no one was there other than him. Truly a workaholic!

Gauri shook her head with a smile and went to the kitchen to help herself with a cup of hot coffee.

Halfway through, she heard someone enter the kitchen. She turned to see Omkara entering the kitchen while scrolling through his phone.

He looked up and was surprised to see her in the kitchen.

"Coffee?" Gauri asked with a smile.

"Yes, but I will manage."

"I am already making for myself right? I can make one for you too." Gauri said as she took another cup.

Omkara sighed giving up and smiled at her.

"Milk coffee or-"

"Black coffee with less sugar." He replied.

She poured the black coffee into his cup and took the other cup, which she had already made for herself, in her both hands.

"Oh God! How are you even drinking this thing? I have seen Papa also drinking black coffee without sugar. It's smell itself is so bitter." Gauri said making faces as she forwarded the cup to him.

Omkara chuckled taking the cup from her.

"Thank you. It is bitter but it will definitely help us in reducing stress." He said as he took a sip from his cup.

Gauri hummed as she thoughtfully stared at his cup.

"Do you wanna try?" He asked.

"Yeah, I mean no. I tried once and I was not able to handle the bitterness." She said shaking her head.

"So that is the reason. I have a solution. People like you should drink it in a different way. I will show you."

Gauri keenly watched as he brought the cup close to his lips, his eyes closed and after taking a sip, he moaned and released a sigh, opening his eyes.

"See this is how you should drink when-"

He stopped and looked on surprised as Gauri took his cup from him.

"Okay! I am gonna do this. Just tell me how to manage it's bitterness."

Gauri took a sip from his cup, the same way he drank before.

Her eyes shot open as her lips curved into a smile, his words proven true.

All the while, Omkara's heart was doing a disco dance inside his ribcage. She drank the coffee from HIS cup. The same cup, from which he drank a few minutes back.

His trance was broken by her voice.

"Oh My God, Omkara. You were right. I can already feel my nerves getting relaxed." Gauri told him with a bright smile evident in her face, which eventually caused a smile to broke out on his face.

But her smile soon disappeared as realisation dawned her. She drank the coffee from HIS cup. Now what will he drink?

Gauri looked at the cup and then him. She chuckled nervously.

"No problem. I will make another for you."

Before she could turn around, Omkara took the cup from her hand and made his way out of the kitchen, taking a sip from it.

Gauri stood rooted on the spot with her mouth slightly opened and eyes widely opened.

Avanthika came to the kitchen, only to see her sister standing in a dazed state.

"Di?"

She called once, twice and thrice. No response.

She snapped her fingers in front of her face, which did worked.

"What happened?" Avanthika asked confused.

"What happened?"

Avanthika raised one of her eyebrows at her and folded her hands against her chest.

"Huh? What happened... What happened? Nothing happened. What happened to you? And what are you doing here?"

"I came here for drinking water and you were standing here as if-"

"If you came here to drink water, then do it. Why are you wasting time unecessarily?"

Gauri said as she made her way out of the kitchen.

Avanthika looked on confused at her sister's behaviour.

While having dinner, everyone was talking about their sleeping arrangements.

"Anju, you sleep with me. Gauri and Avanthika can use the guest room if it is fine."

"Perfectly fine, Jaanu Aunty!" Avanthika excitedly said.

Jhanvi smiled.

Later, Omkara was walking to his room, typing into his phone, when he heard the unmistakable voice of Gauri from balcony.

"We are totally fine here, Papa. Daadi is the coolest person I have ever met. She just came back today from the aashram, and due to the tiredness I couldn't spend some time with her. But still she is so loving. Jhanvi aunty is so caring and pampering us just like her children. She is trying her best to make us as comfortable as possible here. And Rudra, he is full of life just like our Avanthi. About Omkara, even though he is a workaholic, just like you, he tries his best to spend time with us. Just like Rudy said, laptop is his wife. I guess he can't live without neither his laptop nor mobile."

"Ahaan! This much good opinion just in a day?" Vishaal asked teasingly.

"Can't help it. They are just so sweet." She said smiling.

"I know right! By the way, where is Avanthi? Didn't even get a chance to talk to her today."

"Avanthi slept, Papa. She was having a headache."

"Oh! Take care of her, Gauri. I will change my schedule and will try to come back tomorrow itself." Vishaal worriedly said.

"She is fine, Papa. Just the usual migraine. Maybe because of the travelling. You don't take tension. You just see how she is gonna eat your brain off tomorrow. Finish all your work for once and come back to us soon. If there is any problem I will inform you."

"Okay meri Maa!"

Gauri chuckled.

"Now, go and sleep. It's getting late. Will see you soon."

"Bye, Papa. Miss you. Come back soon!" Gauri said softly.

"I will my baby." Vishaal replied smiling gently at his daughter.

Gauri closed the laptop and kept it on the side of the swing.

She sighed as she stared at the moon. Involuntarily, she started smiling as she remembered how she, Avanthika and Bhavya used to lay down on the terrace gazing at the sky, gossiping or talking all sort of nonsense. She chuckled remembering how they used to play pillow fight with each other, which only ended after they tear out all of the pillows.

"I have heard that crazy people laughs without any reason. I wonder what actually happened to you."

Gauri turned to look sidewards and was surprised to see Omkara sitting beside her on the swing.

"Omkara, you here? Are you not sleeping?"

"I can ask the same." He replied.

Gauri shook her head as she smiled.

"I was not feeling sleepy. Usually we sisters used to talk till the late hours of midnight. But today Avanthi is not well and Bhavya has an interview tomorrow, so they slept earlier."

"Hmmm. If you don't have any problem, then I am all ready to talk with you."

Gauri looked at him surprised.

"You want to talk with me?"

"Why so? Is there any criteria that I will have to meet with, to talk with you?" He asked cheekily grinning at her.

"No, no. It's not like that. I meant you would be having some work right? Then how will you-"

"Listen Gauri, you might be thinking that I am a workaholic-"

"Ahem! Not thinking. I know that you are a workaholic." She said smugly.

"Ok fine. I am a workaholic but that doesn't mean I will not even spend some time with my mother's best friend's daughter. I am not that heartless."

"Great. Says the man who didn't even talk to me properly today. Whole day, you were staring at your laptop as if your life is dependent on it." Gauri said as she chuckled.

"It's not that, Gauri. Nowadays, I am really very busy at office. There are a lot of pending work which I need to complete within a certain time. And today, Mom didn't even allow me to go to the company. That's why, or else I would have been so happy to spend time with you all."

"Oh! I didn't know. You should have gone to work. It wouldn't have mattered to us." Gauri told him feeling guilty.

"Family matters to me more than my work, Gauri. And you all are like my family."

At that, Gauri smiled brightly at him. Omkara smiled back at her as the pace of his heartbeat increased rapidly, reason unknown to him.

Both of them talked to each other without realising that hours had passed by until Gauri yawned for the second time.

Gauri glanced at her mobile phone and her eyes widened.

"Oh no! It's already half past one, Omkara. You have to go for work early morning, right? And here you are talking about silly things with me without sleeping. Go and sleep." Gauri said standing up from the swing.

"Good night, Gauri." Said Omkara, as he also stood up to go.

"Good night, Omkara. Sorry for making you late and thank you for giving me your time. It felt nice." She said with a soft smile.

"Even I felt really good. And about the time, it's neither your nor my fault, Gauri. Sometimes we forget everything else, when spending time with someone special. We never realise." He shrugged with a smile as he made his way out of the balcony.

Gauri felt her heart flutter at the way he said those words. She kept staring at the door through which he exited.

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So how was the chapter guys?

Still boring? I tried to include more RiKara scenes. Hope you all enjoyed it.

Again sorry for making you all wait this long. I don't know when will I update next. Will try to update soon.

And to those who doesn't know about my RiKara OS Collection Book, do check it out. Only first story is updated, next one is coming soon.

Wait till the next update.

Till then bye
With love
Devu❤️