Gauri's POV:

I was 18 years old when I left home because there was a great interior design college in Mumbai. I was so lucky to get a scholarship. My sister Bhavya already lived there whilst Anika didi stayed in Surat. My dad was a businessman and my mum was a doctor. My mum was quite supportive of my dream but my dad was a whole different story....

For my dad; doctor, engineer, any role in business, lawyer and being an accountant....those were proper jobs for him. Interior design, art, ACP, yeh voh, voh yeh were not proper careers in his book.

He was already against me being an Instagram influencer.

So obviously if he was against me being an influencer then he was very much against my career decision and told him that I could go to Mumbai but I was not allowed to ask him for any money and he told my mother not to even give me any money. So basically my dad cut me off and before I left Surat, he told me clearly that I wouldn't be able to succeed as an interior designer. Why don't I tell you his clear words?

Dad: fine go to Mumbai. At least stay with your sister Bhavya and if you want me to give you money then ask when you get your brains back! You need to know that interior design is not a career! Go to Mumbai and do whatever! Don't come crying to me when you fail as an interior designer!

Yes I know how harsh his words were....but since I have been in Mumbai, I haven't had to hear his harsh words. All he ever asks me is how am I and that's it. I know he is waiting for me to cave and do the kind of career that actually is a 'career' in his books.

But I am not caving. I came to Mumbai with a dream and I wasn't going to give up on it anytime soon.

In Mumbai, not much really happened. Except for the fact that Bhavya had so much used furniture and she hadn't even decorated her flat so I did it all for her. Yes I gave her entire apartment a makeover. Oh also after 7 months of being in college, I finally got an internship at Contours The Design Company. I still had to study in college whilst doing this internship.

When I started at the company, I was not given a single interior design project to do, instead...

Monika: where is that new girl?

Me: I'm here.

I said as I gave one of the workers Jaya her file then came up to Monika, my boss and the woman who pretty much thinks that she owns the entire universe.

Monika: why were you so late Mahi?

Me: it's Gauri and I was just giving Jaya her file.

Monika: okay well, I would like you to colour-coordinate my entire file collection. It is so disorganised and I have so much to do.

I knew very well that she was actually just going to scroll through social media. Taking a deep breath, I still went to her office cabin so I could colour coordinate her files.

Yaar why does she want me to colour coordinate her files when I know perfectly well she would mess up my hard work?!

Monika and everyone else in the company only treated me like a servant. Except for Navya but Navya was rarely at the office since she always had an interior design project to complete so I didn't really meet her until one day....

Monika: where is the new intern Carrie?

Kia: who's Carrie?

Monika: the new intern. She's like 19 I think and is quite short for her age and is too young.

Kia: oh Gauri, there she is. Mixing the yogurt and fruit for you Mam.

I came up to them with a bowl of mixed fruit and yogurt for Monika because she always insisted that I stirred her fruit and yogurt together.

Me: do you need anything Mam?

Monika: yes, mocha my frappe.

She said as she gave me a coffee cup. Kia looked at me with her beady little eyes and then she said: Gauri, whilst you mocha Monika Mam's frappe, get me a black coffee and squeeze some lime in it.

Who has black coffee with lime? Is she weird or what? Still I nodded and before I went to get their coffees, Jaya stopped me and said: Gauri, babes, get me a rose mocha. I am craving for one.

I nodded once more then two more people came up to me.

Akash: Gauri, get me a caramel macchiato.

Vishal: and also get me a Turkish coffee.

I nodded again. What was I? A barista or was I a waitress? Did I take an internship to be a maid or what?

I decided to get Monika's frappe sorted. Once I sorted out her frappe and gave it to her. I did Jaya and Kia's then I did the men's coffees. Once I was done, Monika said to me: you work yourself too hard. Why don't you get yourself a little bit of coffee to stay awake? Dark circles will ruin your youth.

I smiled, nodding and then I went once more to make myself a simple cup of coffee. Nothing too fancy. Just a cup of coffee to keep me awake and alive and most importantly sane.

As I went back to the office area, I suddenly lost my balance and the minute I lost my balance, I fell and the coffee fell on me. People around me were laughing as I managed to get up.

Kia: oops, my bad. Sorry Gauri. My leg was out and I didn't see you coming. It was an accident. So sorry.

I knew that really she wasn't sorry as I looked at her. She was giving me a look with her beady eyes.

Voice: really Kia? Was it an accident?

Kia turned to see the woman who was going to be my best friend in the near future.

Navya.

Yes it was that day I met Navya for the first time. I didn't know that the Navya the people in the office spoke about was the blogger Navya. I followed her on both YouTube and Instagram. She was an excellent makeup artist and she posted some of her interio design work on Instagram.

Navya: poor girl, your blouse is stained with coffee. I have seen this blouse in the mall before. It is so pretty. Are you hurt?

I shook my head.

Navya: guys, this girl has brought you all coffee with no complaints and mind you she is an intern, not a servant. Kia, you shouldn't have kept your leg out the moment you saw her.

Kia: you just came back. Stop giving us all gyaan.

Navya: someone has to because it looks like your mummy papa didn't give any of you gyaan when you were younger.

Navya....she was pretty much the CEO of saying whatever was on her mind. The entire office was quiet as Navya kept my mug of coffee to a side, grabbed her handbag and then brought me to the office's washroom.

Navya: life tip number one, never ever wear a white blouse to work in case of office lunches, dinners or coffee incidents. Now it's going to be impossible to get rid of this coffee stain.

Me: I guess I can deal with a coffee-stained blouse for the rest of the day, besides I only have an hour left.

Navya: oh honey, no need to deal with a coffee-stained blouse for the next hour. I always keep a spare blouse in my handbag.

She said as she got out a baby blue blouse.

Me: kyu?

Navya: because some people here are bitches.

I understood what she meant. She gave me the blouse and I went into one of the toilet cabins to change out of the coffee-stained blouse into the baby blue one. I was so grateful that it was my size and it was very generous of Navya to give me her blouse.

After sorting my blouse issue out, we went out of the washroom and I kept my coffee-stained blouse in my bag. No one had ordered me to do anything for the next hour so Navya took me to her office and she showed me pictures from her interior design projects.

Navya: so you haven't been given any interior design project yet?

I shook my head, saying: unfortunately.

Navya: but you do have a portfolio right? Like pictures of any close friends or family houses you did?

I nodded as I picked my phone up and showed her Bhavya's apartment.....well how her apartment looks like now.

Navya: so you didn't do your sister's bedroom because you are banned from there?

Me: since childhood, I have never been allowed in her room. My two sisters used to keep 'Gauri is not allowed' signs on their doors.

Navya: my big brother used to keep a sign like that on his door when we were kids.

We laughed as we continued to speak for whatever was left of the hour. Soon it was time for me to go since Navya was staying in the office for another hour.

Navya: do you want me to drop you off?

Me: nahi it's fine, my sister is outside the office building.

Navya: okay well see you tomorrow.

I smiled and said bye to her then I left the office building. I went into Bhavya's car and the moment I went in her car, she asked me: oooo cute blouse? But who's blouse is it?

Me: a friend's....my white blouse got a coffee stain on it.

Bhavya: you need to be less clumsy sis.

Me: definitely....

There was no way I was going to tell her the coffee incident today.

...

I was now back in the apartment. After changing into something comfy, I grabbed the book I was reading and left our apartment to go to the building's terrace.

I have fond memories of the building terrace since I came to Mumbai. Who would have thought this mere terrace would be the place where Om kissed me for the first time? Well where he gave me a forehead kiss but a kiss all the same.

Though it wouldn't have killed him to give me a proper kiss.

Anyway I got a bit ahead of myself, as I was saying, I went up to the terrace and sat on one of the cushions. As I sat on a cushion, I began to read the remaining pages of my book.

My book was about a young girl called Rani who wanted to be a scientist but people told her that the world of science was not for women. Near the end, she was winning an award for finding the cure for a made up disease that affects many people in this book and now she was giving her speech....

"I was told by everyone that science is not a place for a girl. I was told that after high school, I should settle for an arranged marriage and bear children and do housework. I refused to do so however. I wanted to show my father, my mother, all those men who told me that I was nothing but a machine to work and bear children, that I could do something to change the world via science. They told me to quit on my dreams but if I had given up my dreams, I wouldn't be on this stage today. I wouldn't have been part of something big, saving lives. Today I have only my doubters to thank for. If they hadn't doubted me, I wouldn't have pushed myself to succeed and prove them wrong. So to finish this speech, I want everyone to know, boy or girl, old or young, able or disabled, that they can do anything if they put their mind to it and if they don't listen to the doubters. Thank you."

And now the book was finished. After the speech, Rani hugged her father and the book ended. I guess it was time to go to Raju kakka and get a new book from him.

Raju kakka....he was the lovely guy who owned a bookshop opposite my apartment building.

But before I got up from my place, I thought about Rani's speech....she proved her doubters wrong however here in Mumbai, I wasn't proving anyone wrong. My internship was an excuse for the company to have a servant that they don't have to pay for. It had been five months since I had that internship and I only have been stirring fruit and yogurt together as well as organising everyone's files. I didn't want to go back to Surat with nothing so that my dad could rub it in my face that he was right, I should have listened to him and I have wasted a year of my life for nothing. He was going to laugh at my face and I didn't want him to. If I was going to go back to Surat, then I wanted to come back happy and with a little bit of success so he could be proud of me.

Since I was little, I never heard him say that he was proud of me. He said it to my sisters but never me.

Anyway I got up from my cushion and went down to mine and Bhavya's apartment.

Bhavya: where are you going?

Me: to Raju kakka's bookshop.

Bhavya: oh wasting your influencer money on books again?

Me: it's better than wasting your money on red wine.

She rolled her eyes at me as I picked some money up. Before I left, she said: come quick.

Me: I will.

Then I left. Once I left the building, I crossed the street to the bookshop.

Raju kakka: good evening Gauri.

Me: evening Raju kakka.

Raju kakka: you already finished that book about Rani?

Me: I did and it was amazing. Now I heard that you have a new supply of romance novels....

Raju kakka: they are in our YA section. We finally got that book you wanted.

Me: thank you.

I went to the YA section and looked through the books.

Me: where is it? Kaha hai? Did he even get that book?

It was at that moment I saw All Rights Reserved For You.

Me: found it!

It was at the top shelf unfortunately. I jumped a bit to get that book but sadly I was too short and it was at that moment a mean horrible tall person came behind me and picked up the book that I wanted.

Me: arre! Let me have the book.

Man: no.

Now since I have had an exhausting day, I took the book from this person and walked off when he grabbed me from my hand. My grip was firm on it but he wasn't going to give up.

Me: let go. I saw it first.

Man: I grabbed it first.

He grabbed it off me. I jumped to get it but curse his tall height. As I jumped once more, I fell on this mean person and he also fell.

On the floor.

I was on top of him, the book in one of his hands and then his other arm was wrapped around me.

This was the moment I fell on Om.

The first time I met this person.

The person who would change my life.

There was no doubt that on our first meeting, I thought he was handsome. He had the kind of face that stopped you in your tracks. His hair was long and black, perfect. He had that brown skin adonis look going on, dark eyes that stopped my heart. He was slim, muscular, with an almost perfectly symmetrical face.

He was handsome and because of his cute face, I got up and said: you can have that book.

He didn't say anything to me and just walked past me so he could pay for the book.

He may be handsome but his attitude wasn't good. I thought that this would be the first and last time I met him.

But life is funny isn't it?

Precap: her first interior design project

I hope you all liked this and I am super sorry for how boring this is.