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Happy Belated Birthday srinagaramya

Hello everyone...

LOL what is with this search party? Last week, I just updated early and normally I update either on Wednesday or Thursday because I normally finish writing by either of these days. Already, I have the label of tardy, now you guys are making me notorious 😊😊😉☹😊

Thanks to all for voting and commenting on the previous story.

Previous Story : Pehla Nasha (Posted on 22- Aug- 2021)

A request to all those who post on my profile... can you please PM me instead of posting on my profile/wall as even though I get the notification, I am not able to find your message/feedback/comment when I look for it to reply to it. So, please PM me from now on, so that way even if delayed, you will definitely get a reply (unless you are a silent reader asking me for updates or some favors.) or if it is a feedback to the story, try to leave it on the story page itself and I'll try to reply there.

This is a short wacky, no brainer, light-hearted story. this story has no conflict/villain... it is just an easy read story. hope you will like it.

it is not inspired from Two Weeks Notice, but yeah, I felt there were some similarities there.

P.S: I am rebooting a scene from Silent Love, in a different direction because I couldn't think of anything else.

Haven't proofread it. please forgive the errors.

Impatiently, Gauri shifts from one foot to the other as she waited the food to reheat in the microwave.

"Taking your lunch break early?" Ajay asks her as he walked to the coffee maker and started getting his coffee.

"Missed breakfast... I'm so hungry." Gauri tells him as she opened the microwave and take her plate out.

"Looks yum." Ajay says as he looked at her plate.

"Don't ask, I'm not sharing." Gauri tells him with a grin as she kept her plate on the table and walked to the fridge to grab the dahi and pickle.

Ajay chuckles and starts to walk off when Omkara walks in. "Good afternoon, sir."

"Afternoon, Ajith." Omkara replies.

"Ajay, sir." Ajay quickly tells him.

"Who is he?" Omkara asks confused.

"His name is Ajay, sir." Gauri quickly replies seeing Ajay looking shocked.

Omkara looks at him confused and thinking. "Okay. Ajay." Omkara nods.

Ajay smiles at him and leaves.

Omkara turns to Gauri and sees her standing by the fridge. "You weren't on your seat."

"Yeah... I was actually..." Gauri vaguely says as she walked to the table to keep her dahi and pickle. "Did you need something, sir?"

"Lunch?" Omkara asks her confused.

"Yes." Gauri replies with a soft smile.

"Do I have a meeting now?" Omkara asks confused as he walked to the table.

"You have a conference call in 20 minutes."

"Oh okay." Omkara nods and sits on the table and takes her plate and starts eating.

Gauri was about to stop him then she fists her hand and pulls her hand back. she closes her eyes disappointed. "Why were you looking for me, sir?"

"I want a plumber. There is no pressure in the shower." Omkara tells her as he relished the food.

"Okay, sir. I'll call the building maintenance." Gauri replies as she made a note of it on her mobile.

"Get it done now itself. I had a hard time showering. Do I look fresh even?" Omkara asks her confused.

Gauri looks at him and automatically replies. "As a cucumber."

"I look green?" Omkara asks shocked and scandalized.

"It is a saying, sir... fresh as a cucumber." Gauri quickly tells him.

"Oh." Omkara nods. "This is good, get me lunch from here from now on."

"It's from my home, sir. My mother made it." Gauri replies as she longingly looked at the ¼ gobi paratta on her... no... now his plate.

"Why is your mother making food for me?" Omkara asks shocked.

Gauri had no idea how to answer that, so she just shrugs, "Simply."

"Say thank you for me." Omkara tells her.

Gauri nods.

"What's my agenda for today?" Omkara asks her as he continued eating.

"You've a conference call in 15 minutes." Gauri tells him as she took her mobile and checked. "Then you are meeting your parents for lunch at their place."

"Wait a minute... I'm going to my parents' for lunch?" Omkara asks her confused.

"Yes, sir."

"Then why did you give me lunch?" Omkara asks her shocked.

Gauri looks at him awkwardly then she says, "You looked hungry, sir."

"Yeah, I was hungry." Omkara replies as he finished off her food. "Do one thing, cancel lunch with my parents. I can't eat anymore."

"Why don't you call your mother and tell her? she might be expecting you." Gauri tells him gently.

Omkara nods and takes his mobile and calls his mother.

"Ma... I won't be coming for lunch." Omkara says on the phone. "I am not hungry... fix another day for lunch... yeah... but I just had lunch... Gauri gave me lunch... her mother sent lunch for me." Omkara listens to the phone and then he extends the phone to Gauri. "Ma wants to speak with you."

"Good afternoon, Ma'am." Gauri says on the phone as she took his plate and walked to the sink.

"Gauri, didn't you know that he was coming here for lunch?" Jhanvi asks Gauri confused.

"Yes, Ma'am." Gauri replies as she dumped the plate on the sink.

"Then why did you give him early lunch? He was saying your mother sent him food."

"Erm... Erm..."

"Gauri, did he eat your lunch?" Jhanvi asks her shocked.

"He thought I was keeping the food for him." Gauri hesitantly justifies.

Jhanvi sighs. "You should have told him it was yours."

"It's okay, Ma'am. I wasn't hungry."

"I don't know when he will learn to notice these kind of things too." Jhanvi tells her tired. "I will send you lunch."

"It's okay, Ma'am. I'll order something." Gauri quickly tells her.

"No... no... I'll send it now." Jhanvi tells her.

"Okay, Ma'am. Thank you." Gauri says. "Ma'am, I was thinking, sir seems to like home cooked food more than restaurant. So, maybe you can send him lunch daily. I'll let you know if he has some lunch meetings and in case he doesn't need lunch that day."

"That would be nice. I used to send him lunch before but then at times he would have meetings and the food would go to waste. So, he told me not to send it and he would have from restaurants." Jhanvi says happily.

"that's great, Ma'am. Eating restaurant food every day is not good for health." Gauri says with a smile and soon she hangs up the phone. She turns back and walks to Omkara and gives him the phone.

"Sir, your conference call should start shortly. since your lunch with your parents are cancelled, then after that you have a team meeting with the accounts department, then nothing else scheduled. Evening 7 you have to attend the success party of..."

"That film is a hit?" Omkara asks her shocked.

"Yes. Blockbuster."

"Really?" Omkara asks shocked out of his wits. "I slept off watching it."

"Yes, Sir. Everyone at the premier noticed it." Gauri informs him.

"They all were awake?" Omkara asks shocked.

Gauri sighs. "Yes, sir. They all were awake."

Omkara shakes his head in shock and starts to walk off then he turns to her. "I need a girl for tonight."

Gauri sighs defeated. "Sure, sir."

"Check with Svetlana." Omkara suggests.

"She relocated to another country." Gauri quickly lies.

"Oh." Omkara says disappointed. "Then find me someone else."

Omkara leaves while Gauri started stomping her foot in irritation.

God, if she knew, she had to do this then she would have never decided to work here and signed the damn contract for 2 years. now, she had to wait for another one and a half years, or simply sit at home for the next 6 months due to all kinds of clauses on the bloody contract.

Sighing in frustration, Gauri walks to her table to find a girl for him!

************

"Your gobi paratha are the best in the world, Ma... MUAH!!!" Gauri says as she licked her fingers.

Vasundhara smiles smugly at her. "How was the food from your boss's house?"

"Amazing, Ma! Finger licking good." Gauri tells her. "I brought some pudding with me that Jhanvi Ma'am sent, it was amazing." Gauri tells her excitedly as she ran to get it from the fridge.

"I want to taste." Vasundhara tells her.

"Only a little, okay?" Gauri says as she walked to the table and kept it on the table.

She goes to wash her hand when she hears the phone ring. She curiously takes it and check. "He doesn't sleep or what?" Gauri asks in exasperation.

"It is just 9... who is it?" Harsh asks as he started eating the pudding.

"Papa... that is mine!" Gauri shouts at him.

"This is yum. Vasundhara give her some." Harsh tells her as he eats the rest.

"Ma didn't make it!" Gauri says exasperated seeing him gobble it down. "Why does this keep happening to me?" Gauri asks in frustration as she answered the phone. "Hello, sir?"

"WHO THE HELL IS SHE?" Omkara asks freaking out.

"Who, sir?" Gauri asks shocked.

"The girl you sent with me!"

"What happened?" Gauri asks in concern.

"She tried to kiss me on my lips... then she tried to touch my thighs! Which mental asylum did you get her from?" Omkara asks freaking out.

"Oh!" Gauri's heart skips a beat then she quickly says. "Sir, calm down. Just tell her you are not interested."

"You go tell her that!" Omkara tells her furiously.

"What?" Gauri asks shocked.

"Come and get me out of here!" Omkara orders her.

"Where are you?"

"I am in the bathroom. Come and get me out!"

"Sir, just leave from there."

"You get me out of here!"

"Sir, just call your driver and asks him to get you from the bathroom."

"That girl is in my car!" Omkara tells her exasperated.

"What is she doing in your car?" Gauri asks confused.

"We we're going home, I thought she was tired and I was also tired. So, I was going to drop her home and in the car, she pounced on me!"

"Oh... just ask her to leave or book her an uber."

"You do it! Why the hell aren't you here yet?" Omkara asks her furiously.

"I am coming." Gauri says tired as she hung up.

"What happened?" Vasundhara asks confused. "Are you going to office?"

"No!" Gauri tells her as she quickly ran to her room to get dressed.

"What happened, Gauri?" Vasundhara asks in concern seeing her come out dressed to go out.

Gauri quickly tells her what had happened as she put on her shoes.

"Where did you get this girl from?" Vasundhara asks confused.

Gauri looks at her mother guiltily and says, "Tinder."

"TINDER?" Vasundhara asks shocked. "Are you crazy?"

"He has taken all my friends for parties. All the girls I know. Either he says something downright insulting or the girl turns out to be a gold digger! What am I going to do? From where do I get a girl for every party?" Gauri asks her exasperated.

Vasundhara sighs tells her in a gentle admonishing way. "Tinder was too much, Gauri."

Gauri for a second looks at her mother in guilt, wondering whether she should tell her that she had even sent a hooker with him once.

"Where is this tinder?" Harsh asks confused. "I never heard of a place like that."

Gauri gapes at her father and then looks at her mother.

"You go, he is waiting." Vasundhara tells her.

**********

"I am here!" Gauri announces as she walked into the men's restroom.

"Erm... this is men's." one man tells her.

Gauri turns to him and then her eyes going wide, she says excitedly. "I saw your movie. It was great and you were amazing!"

"Oh a fan!" he says with a sexy smile. "Thanks but you shouldn't have come in here to see me."

"What took you so long?" Omkara asks her exasperated as he walked out of the toilet cubicle.

Gauri turns to him and then she was too star struck to think of her boss. She turns her gaze back to the star and goofily smiles at him. When she goes for the premiers, she tries to act as professional as possible

"Get me out of here!" Omkara tells her.

"Sir, didn't you see..." Gauri asks him pointing at the star.

Omkara turns to the star and says, "Hi Ranbir... didn't see you there... actually I am in a hurry..."

Gauri sees the actor's face turn little off.

"Why are you calling him Ranbir?" Gauri whispers to Omkara hurriedly.

Omkara turns to Gauri and asks her in confusion. "Was I supposed to call him Mr. Kapoor?" then he asks her thoughtfully "Or is it Mr. Singh?"

Gauri turns to the actor and sees him furiously walk out. Gauri turns to Omkara in exasperation. "It is Ranbir Kapoor and Ranveer Singh. And he is neither!"

"No?" Omkara asks confused. "He looks like that guy."

"He is not!" Gauri tells him.

"Leave it!" Omkara says shaking his head. "You send that psycho girl with me!" Omkara accuses her.

Gauri quickly cowers. "Let's leave?"

"Hell, yeah!" Omkara replies. "Can't believe I had to hide inside a bathroom cubicle!"

"You could have hidden out here!" Gauri points out.

"And have her follow me here?"

"It's men's bathroom." Gaur points out. "Ladies don't come in here."

"You are here." Omkara points out.

"Because you made me come." Gauri tells him.

"And she could have come in like you." Omkara tells her as he started walking out.

A man comes into the bathroom and sees Gauri with Omkara. "Sorry... sorry... sorry." He quickly says and turns and leaves.

"What happened to him?" Omkara asks confused.

Before Gauri could reply, the man comes back confused as heck. "This is the men's toilet, right?"

"Yes. The mistake was mine. I am very sorry, I am leaving." Gauri says and walks out.

"Mistake was totally hers!" Omkara agrees.

"You made me come in here." Gauri whispers to him as they walked out.

"Because you sent a psycho with me!"

"She is not a psycho!" Gauri tells him exasperated.

"I was raped!" Omkara tells her.

"You were not raped!" Gauri tells him exasperated. "You were maybe molested." Gauri hesitantly tells him.

"And that makes it okay?" Omkara asks her.

"It was a communication problem. I'm sorry, sir. I'll sort it out." Gauri tells him.

"What sort it out? Get her away from me."

"Yes... let's find her. Where is your car?"

Omkara and Gauri head to his car and they see the girl sitting in the back seat.

"Just tell her, you've elsewhere to be and you'll call her." Gauri tells him.

"I'm not going to call her!" Omkara tells her in fury.

"You don't have to call her, just tell her that."

"Why should I do that?"

"Please, sir?" Gauri asks him making pleading faces. "We'll end this without any scene. The press is here to cover the party, if they find this out, please sir?"

"Fine!"

Omkara walks to the car and opens the backdoor.

"Got it?" the girl asks with an excited smile.

"What?" Omkara asks feeling completely lost and confused.

"Condoms." Girl tells him confused. "Isn't that why you ran out?"

Omkara's eyes widen in shock, he quickly grabs Gauri's hand and pulls her in front of him, shielding himself from that girl.

"Who is this?" the girl asks with a frown.

"I'm so sorry. An emergency has come up, and we have to go." Gauri tells her.

"Who are you?" the girl asks her.

"I am his personal assistant. We've an emergency at the office." Gauri tells her.

"What emergency?" Omkara asks confused.

Gauri turns to Omkara and whispers to him in exasperation, "Please keep quiet."

"Get her out of my car!" Omkara whispers back to her.

Gauri turns to her. "Can you tell me your address, I'll book you an uber." Gauri tells her as she opens the uber app.

"Oh, so I am now paying for my rapist's uber ride?" Omkara asks Gauri from behind.

"Stop calling her that. it is not her fault." Gauri tells him as she turned to him.

"I don't take uber and taxi at night. It is not safe." The girl says interrupting them.

"I will track your ride." Gauri tells her.

"Omkara, you drop me home." The girl tells him.

Seeing Omkara was about to open his mouth, Gauri quickly latches on his hand. "Sir, I want to tell you something, please come with me."

"What?" Omkara turns to Gauri with a frown.

Gauri without saying anything, drags him a little away from the car.

"I am not taking that girl anywhere." Omkara tells her in finality.

"sir..." Gauri nervously starts, "I got her from Tinder."

"TINDER? You got me a girl from TINDER?" Omkara asks outraged.

"Sir... please don't shout." Gauri says as she looked around. "I am sorry. I couldn't find you a date and I got her from tinder" Gauri says helplessly.

Omkara stares at her in shock. "Tinder?" Omkara whispers to her, unable to believe it. "So, when she said let's have a good time, she didn't mean enjoying the party? And she getting to meet all the celebrities there?"

"Oh my god, no." Gauri replies in shock.

"bloody hell!" Omkara whispers.

"So, it is not really her fault." Gauri tells him gently.

"She didn't have my consent." Omkara points out offended.

"Sir, you said, you two were going home." Gauri reminds him.

"She said the party was boring and let's get out of here, so I said let's go home!" Omkara points out.

Gauri closes her eyes in exasperation then counting to ten, she gently tells him as she looked at him, "Let me give you a ride home. That's what you say. Let's go home, can mean, come to my house... I'll come to your house... so we can..." Gauri makes gestures and shrugs so he can guess the rest.

"So, we can have sex?" Omkara asks her shocked.

"Yes." Gauri replies giving up. Subtlety was never his strongest point, and it never worked on him.

"She is a stranger. I don't even know her! and how can she assume that I will have sex with her?" Omkara asks offended.

"that is how tinder works." Gauri gently tells him.

"That is not how I work!"

"Sir, if you did a little bit of work in that department, then I wouldn't have to find you a girl every time you have to bring a date." Gauri gently tells him.

"It is part of your job profile." Omkara points out.

Gauri sighs. "Sir, can you please drop her home?"

"Fine!" Omkara mutters and walks to his car.

"I'll see you in the office tomorrow, sir." Gauri tells him.

"Where are you going?" Omkara asks her frowning.

"Home." Gauri replies confused.

"I am not going anywhere alone with her."

"Your driver is with you."

"He was there earlier also when she tried to shove her mouth inside mine!"

"Just ignore her and act busy on the phone."

"You drop her while you go home."

Gauri pauses for a second contemplating then having no idea how to explain and convince that girl to go with her, Gauri gives up. "Okay, I'll come with you." Gauri starts to walk to the front seat.

"Get in the back." Omkara tells her.

Gauri gets in the back and Omkara follows her in. Gauri awkwardly smiles at the girl while she looked at her in shock and confusion seeing Gauri sitting in the middle between Omkara and her.

"Omkara..."

"What?" Omkara asks her.

"Can you shift here? I want to sit next to him." the girl tells Gauri.

Before Gauri could even think on that, she feels Omkara hold her elbow and pull her towards him.

"Sorry, we are discussing something." Gauri tells her.

The girl irritated looks away.

"Discussing what?" Omkara asks confused.

"Wait a minute... he doesn't know what emergency it is... he has no idea what you want to discuss... what are you playing at?" the girl asks Gauri with a suspicious frown.

"Now, you are playing games?" Omkara asks utterly confused and shocked.

"I am not playing any games." Gauri tells him exasperated then turning to the girl, she says, "I'm not playing anything."

"I think you are trying to come between us." the girl accuses.

"She is not coming between, she is sitting between us!" Omkara points out exasperated.

"Sir, my house is in that lane... I'll get down here." Gauri quickly says.

Omkara glares at her.

"I thought you had work in office." The girl asks suspiciously.

Gauri gulps hearing the question.

"See... I told you, Omkara. I think your assistant has a crush on you and when she realized that you were taking me home, she came up making excuses and when she realized I am onto her, she is trying to escape."

"I wasn't taking you home! I was going to drop you home!" Omkara tells her exasperated.

"Sir... please... I'll handle it." Gauri quickly whispers to him.

"What?" the girl asks shocked. "You were going to drop me home?" the girl asks confused. "Then why did you run to get condoms?"

"I was running away from you!"

"Sir... please..."

"What?" the girl asks turning red in humiliation. "Why?"

"I am sorry, it is my fault." Gauri quickly tells her.

"What?" she asks turning to Gauri.

"He needed a date for tonight and I couldn't find one, so, I uploaded his profile on Tinder, within a minute of uploading his profile, you had matched... and without thinking, I just accepted and fixed the date. And I didn't tell him that I got you from Tinder." Gauri tells her.

"What the fuck?" the girl asks in outrage.

"Exactly!" Omkara replies.

"I'm very sorry. I didn't realize all these would happen. I'm very sorry."

"This is so humiliating." The girl says as she looked away.

"I'm so sorry." Gauri tells her regretfully.

"Why the hell he wants you to fix him dates? What is wrong with him?"

"He has no time for all this." Gauri quickly says.

"Because my father wants me to bring a date." Omkara replies.

"Are you gay?"

"What?" Gauri asks shocked.

Omkara thoughtfully looks at her.

"Otherwise why does your father care whether you have a girl by your side?"

"They want to get him married." Gauri explains.

"Weird." The girl says.

"I don't think I am gay." Omkara replies.

Gauri and the girl turn to Omkara in shock.

Omkara who was still in thoughts tell her, "I have never found any guy hot."

"You've found girls hot?" Gauri asks shocked, she had actually thought him to be asexual.

"I find you hot." Omkara replies.

"Me?" Gauri screeches in shock.

"You find her hot?" the girl asks shocked.

"Yeah." Omkara replies. "Specially, when she comes to parties and movie premiers all dressed up and her hair all left open. She looks very hot then. Otherwise also she looks hot...just like now."

Gauri gapes at him, not knowing how to react.

"Her?" the girl asks as she looked at Gauri, her hair tied up in a bun, dressed in a formal suit, looking like a strict matron.

"Yeah, her. you, I don't find hot." Omkara tells her.

Gauri quickly turns to the girl and find her turning even redder. "Sorry, he doesn't know what to speak and when."

The girl looks away.

"She asked me and I was replying." Omkara tells Gauri offended. "So, it should be she doesn't know what to ask and when."

"Sir, please keep quiet." Gauri furiously whispers. Then turning to the girl, she says, "I am sorry for ruining your evening. Please let me make it up to you. he is a partner at a production house and I get premier tickets to all the movies they produce and distribute, I'll give you the ticket for next movie. It will be full of film stars, singers, everyone."

The girl looks at Gauri angry and offended.

"Ah that way, you can have sex with a celebrity. That actor, all the girls are crazy about him... what is his name, Gauri? I have heard he is having sex with anyone and everyone." Omkara says.

"Sir... please, keep quiet." Gauri whispers to him. then she turns to the girl and she was looking at Gauri thoughtfully. "What do you say?"

"Tickets to next three movies."

"Done."

"If you don't then I'll call him." the girl says pointing at Omkara.

"No, I'll make sure she sends it." Omkara quickly says.

"I'll send it." Gauri tells her. "I promise."

"I don't see you making a note on your phone." Omkara points out to Gauri with a frown.

Gauri takes her phone and makes a note.

Then they remained silent the rest of the ride.

**********

They stop in front of the girl's apartment. After reminding Gauri to send her the premier tickets, she left.

"Sir, I will also go from here." Gauri turns to him.

"I'll drop you." Omkara tells her as checked his phone.

Gauri turns to the driver and tells him her address.

"You were saying your house was in that direction." Omkara turns to her with a frown.

"It was so awkward in the car." Gauri hesitantly tells him.

"So, you lied to me?" Omkara asks her, shocked.

Gauri nods.

"First tinder and now lying..." Omkara frowns at her.

Gauri guiltily looks at him. "Sorry, sir."

Omkara looks at her for a few seconds and tells her, "Delete that account."

"Sir..." Gauri hopefully turns to him. "I'll give you the login details, next time you need a date, why don't you find someone you like from the app?"

"You think I have the time to look for girls on app?" Omkara asks her exasperated.

"Just few minutes, sir. Swipe left and right." Gauri tells him.

"Isn't it a hook up app?"

"Yeah but..."

"Are all the people I know dead that I will have sex with a complete stranger?" Omkara asks her.

"Have you even had sex, sir?" Gauri asks him getting sidetracked.

"No. didn't get the time."

"You didn't get the time?" Gauri asks him shocked.

"I have more important things to do." Omkara tells her.

"Oh."

"So, you find sexual partners from Tinder?" Omkara asks her.

"Of course not!" Gauri replies offended.

"So, how do you go about it?" Omkara asks her curiously.

"I haven't done it." Gauri tells him.

"Why?" Omkara asks her. "Even you didn't get time?"

"Because I am not married." Gauri tells him.

"Rudra is not married." Omkara tells her.

"I am not in a relation." Gauri clarifies.

"Rudra is not in a relationship."

"Sir, I don't think you should be sharing your best friend's sexual escapades with me." Gauri gently points out to him.

"Why? He is always boasting of it."

Not knowing how to explain, she tells him, "It is not your kaands to share, it is his."

"Hmmm." Omkara thoughtfully nods.

Gauri looks out the window. They remained silent, both lost in thoughts.

Gauri looks at Omkara from the corner of her eyes and sees him looking out. She sighs and look out, at first she had thought him to be a low IQ guy, but she had quickly figured out that he was a man with exceptional IQ who fortunately or unfortunately used his intelligence on business matters only and nothing else. His EQ was at an all low bar always. He had no idea what to speak, when to speak. He had no idea of proprietaries of the society. He was socially so awkward that it made matters awkward for everyone around him, but the man had no jejaks about it.

His father, in a bid to make him more sociable and more normal, had insisted that he bring a date for everything other party he attended. Hoping that he would develop interest in other people and maybe form a bond with someone other than his parents and his best friend. But his poor Papa had no idea, that he would delegate the duty of finding him a date to her.

At first she had very honestly and genuinely used to brain storm and find him dates. Their business associates, her friends, friends' friend. He had unintentionally said something insulting, or asked an awkward question that it all had ended in disaster. After 6th date and she losing her two friends from school, she realized that she was wasting her time in finding him a date and randomly started setting him up with people. Every decent girl would refuse to go on a second date, and the gold diggers would be eager to go on a date with him again. and Gauri would dodge those people in a bid to protect him.

The idiot had gone and invested in a production company and an advertising firm, like his other business ventures those two were achieving success after success. It amazed her, forget looking at a business, if he thought of it, that would start minting money, whatever he touched turned to gold, and that meant too many success parties that she had to find him a date for. the production house and advertising agency had one success party after another and all kinds of launch parties and what not? And she was getting sucked in the middle of it all.

************

Few weeks later, Gauri walks into Jhanvi and Tej's house. she finds them sitting together.

"Come, Gauri." Jhanvi smiles at her.

"Good afternoon Ma'am, Sir." Gauri smiles at them.

Tej smiles at her, "How come you are here?"

"Sir said he won't be coming back to office today, so to bring his laptop and these files here." Gauri tells him.

"He is the backyard but you don't go there now. he is talking to Sanaya. She is my friend's daughter." Jhanvi tells her excitedly.

Gauri smiles seeing her excitement. "He did say that he is meeting a prospective bride so he won't be coming to office."

"He doesn't seem to form a bond with any of the girls he goes on a date with, so we thought arranged marriage." Tej tells her.

Gauri nods though she quickly looks away feeling guilty for knowing the reality of all those dates.

"I hope they like each other." Jhanvi says hopefully.

"Let's see. They are talking right." Tej tells her.

"Sir, I'll leave all these here?" Gauri asks him.

"Yes, we'll give it to him."

Gauri nods and keeps everything on the table.

"You told him about Sanaya, right?" Jhanvi asks him in a soft voice.

"Yeah, I did. He has no problem with it." Tej replies.

"I knew he wouldn't but I just wanted to make sure that he knew about it." Jhanvi explains.

That caught her attention, Gauri turns to Jhanvi, and hesitantly asks, "Ma'am... if you don't mind me asking... what is it?"

Jhanvi and Tej look at each other frowning.

"I am not trying to intrude... we all know how he is... so, I was just..." Gauri tries to justify.

Jhanvi turns to Gauri and tells her, "Sanaya is adopted, so we just wanted to know that he is okay with that."

Gauri's heart skips a beat hearing that. "You just asked him that? didn't tell him anything else?" Gauri asks worriedly, having set him up with more dates than she could count, she had a premonition that something bad will definitely happen.

"Say what? He said it doesn't matter to him." Tej replies.

"Oh no!" Gauri whispers and turns around, she runs to the backyard.

"Gauri... what happened?" Jhanvi calls out to her.

"He is going to talk about it bluntly and might offend her." Gauri calls out to them as she ran.

Jhanvi and Tej quickly run after her.

"SIR!" Gauri calls him as she came to a stop.

"I AM NOT ADOPTED!" Sanaya furiously screams.

"What is happening?" Jhanvi asks shocked.

"Sanaya didn't know she was adopted?" Gauri asks Tej in shock.

"No... I told him it is a secret." Tej tells him.

"IF YOU DON'T WANT TO MARRY ME, THEN JUST SAY SO!"

"But you didn't tell him that it is a secret from her?" Gauri asks him.

"I thought it was understood." Tej whispers as she watched Sanaya furiously walking towards them.

"You are adopted. Papa just told me some time back." Omkara tells her as he followed her. "And like I told Papa, it doesn't matter to me."

"I AM NOT ADOPTED. I AM MY PARENTS' DAUGHTER!"

Omkara looks at her in confusion then turning to his father, he asks, "Even she doesn't know? It is a secret from her also?"

"WHAT?" Sanaya shouts in shock.

"Sir, please keep quiet!" Gauri tells him.

"Did you bring my laptop and the files?" Omkara asks Gauri noticing her.

"Yes, sir."

Omkara turns to Sanaya, "Are you leaving?"

"GET LOST! YOU ALL ARE BLOODY LIARS."

"We are not liars. Gauri... yeah, she is one..." Omkara says pointing at her making Gauri's eyes go wide. "but my parents and I am not."

"Me?" Gauri asks shocked.

"Did you forget about your lie in the car?" Omkara asks her.

"Erm..."

Omkara frowns at her then he turns to Sanaya, "Your parents are the liars." Then turning to Gauri, he says, "You unnecessarily brought everything here. She is leaving. So, I guess I will go back to office."

Everyone gapes at him in shock.

"Ma, Papa... I'll see you next week." Omkara says and turns to Sanaya, "Sanaya, I will see you when you are in a calmer mood and have sorted everything out with your parents."

"Jhanvi Aunty, what is he saying? Am I really adopted?" Sanaya asks Jhanvi with tear filled eyes.

Jhanvi looks at Tej for help, feeling guilty and panicked at the situation.

"Yeah, you are. That is what Papa told me. your parents told them." Omkara explains. "Anyway, I'll see you later, Sanaya. We'll continue this talk then." Omkara says.

Sanaya furiously pushing off Omkara, runs off.

"Is she a little rude and unruly?" Omkara asks in shock.

"Why did you do that, Om?" Jhanvi asks him in shock.

"You both were worried whether I have issues with her being adopted. So, I just clarified to her that it doesn't matter to me. who her parents are doesn't concern me." Omkara explains. "Anyway, I am leaving. I've lot of work." Omkara says and starts to leave. Noticing Gauri simply standing there, he asks, "Do you have any work here?"

"No." Gauri quickly shakes her head.

"Then come!" Omkara tells her in exasperation.

Nodding Gauri quickly starts to follow him. when he was out of ear shot, she turns to Tej and Jhanvi and whispers to them, "I tried fixing him up on dates with two of my friends. They no longer talk to me. Just sit him down and have a dos and don'ts conversation with him before you make him meet anyone else."

*************

"You shouldn't have said that, sir." Gauri tells him in the car.

"Said what?" Omkara asks confused.

"About the adoption. She didn't know that."

"I didn't know that she didn't know that."

"Even if she knew it, you shouldn't discuss that, it is not something that concerns you." Gauri gently explains to him.

"Papa was worried if I would have an issue with it. why would I? so, I thought I will just clarify it to her and take it off the table." Omkara explains.

"But still you should have waited for her to mention it to see if she wanted to even discuss it. some people are a little sensitive about these things." Gauri explains to him.

Omkara nods thoughtfully. "I should apologize to her."

"Hmm yeah... maybe after a few days when she calms down." Gauri tells him.

"Okay... I'll sent an apology letter."

"Apology letter?" Gauri asks shocked.

"Yeah. In school they used to make me write apology letter." Omkara explains to her.

"Apology letter? For what?" Gauri asks shocked.

"They said I asked too many questions." Omkara explains.

"Huh? What questions?" Gauri asks too curious.

"Hmmm." Omkara tries to jog his memory. "Yeah! Once I asked my PT teacher, that how she was fat even after she was a sports teacher."

"You asked that?" Gauri asks shocked.

"Yeah... they said it was body shaming. My parents were called and I had to write an apology letter." Omkara explains.

"Oh."

"After that I am careful about these things. I don't mention anyone's body weight."

"Good." Gauri like a mother hen proudly says.

Omkara smiles and he says too proudly. "You have put on weight. You have a small potbelly. I noticed it but then I didn't mention it because it is body shaming."

Gauri's smile drops, offended she looks out the window while she quickly sucks in her breath flattening her stomach.

************

"Don't give me rice anymore." Gauri huffs as she did abs crunch.

"But you love rice." Vasundhara tells her.

"I am on diet!" Gauri glares at her mother. "From now on only healthy food! No oil!"

"I like my food with oil, so I never learned oil free cooking." Vasundhara replies.

"Learn then!" Gauri tells her as she did abs crunch.

"You learn!"

"What is all this shouting?" Harsh asks curiously.

"Her dear boss told her that she has potbelly."

"He is not my dear! I hate him." Gauri glares at her mother.

"Potbelly?" Harsh asks shocked.

"Yeah, tiny little stomach pouch." Vasundhara tells him. "Stop it, Gauri. you are going to get cramps. Just don't eat rice for a few weeks, and your stomach will be back to normal."

"Are you and her boss blind?" Harsh asks shocked.

"No, Papa, I've to lose my tummy." Gauri tells him.

"Before that you should lose your arm fat."

"What?" Gauri shouts in shock as she checked her arms.

**********

Gauri walks into Omkara's cabin with his lunch.

"You've a meeting at 1:30 today, sir." Gauri informs him as she set his lunch on his table.

"Okay." Omkara replies and walks to the table to eat.

Hearing the door open, they both curiously look up.

"Hey!" Rudra says as he walked.

"You're early." Omkara says.

"I thought I'll have lunch with you before the meeting." Rudra says. "Hi Gauri."

"Good afternoon, Rudra sir."

Rudra smiles and says in teasing tone, "Seeing you two, reminds me of a mummy and her baby."

"What?" Gauri shouts in shock.

"Yeah... you're his assistant not his nanny." Rudra says as he sat next to Omkara and looked at the food.

Gauri awkwardly looks at Omkara.

Omkara frowns hearing that, "Nanny?"

"These are not her job."

"Her job is to assist me." Omkara explains.

Rudra shakes his head and asks excited "Home cooked food?"

"Ma sends me lunch nowadays. It was Gauri's idea."

"Oh Mama bear!" Rudra teases her.

Gauri turns a little pink. "Sir, I'll leave you two to it."

"Come, join us for lunch." Rudra tells her.

"No, Rudra Sir, I've my lunch."

"So? Bring it here." Rudra tells her.

"No, sir..."

"Why, Gauri? You seem to want to run away. have you been up to anything naughty lately?" Rudra asks her with a cheeky grin.

Gauri turns red remembering Rudra blasting her for fixing up the hooker as a date for Omkara Sir. "No."

"Naughty?" Omkara asks them curiously.

Rudra grins at Omkara. "Like tinder."

Gauri turns to Omkara in shock realizing that he told him about it.

Omkara shudders remembering the incident. "Anyway, Gauri. go get your lunch, we will wait for you."

"Yeah go... I say, from now on, you both should have your lunch together."

"Why?" Omkara asks confused.

"You'll have company and you can discuss work over lunch. How much time you would save that way?"

"But it is Gauri's lunch break. She doesn't have to work during lunch break." Omkara points out.

"Oh yeah!" Rudra mutters as he started serving for himself.

"Get your food, Gauri." Omkara tells her.

Gauri nods and goes to get her lunch.

*********

One day, Gauri was in office when her mother calls her.

"Gauri... I've filled everything. You just check all the details then I'll publish your profile."

"What profile?" Gauri asks her.

"Profile on matrimonial site. I told you in the morning."

"Ah yeah... you send me the link and login details. If I get time I'll check otherwise I'll do it at night."

"Okay.

**********

"I need a girl tonight." Omkara tells her in a dismissing tone after their discussion was done.

Gauri sighs and leaves the room.

An hour later, Gauri falls on her table, irritated, frustrated and defeated. Where the hell was she going to find him a girl from?

**********

Gauri walks into his room and walks to him.

"Sir?" Gauri walks around the table and bends next to him.

Omkara looks at her in surprise seeing her active weird. "What?"

"Can you look at these?" Gauri asks as she showed him the phone screen with a girl's photo.

"Who is she?" Omkara asks her confused.

"Did you like her?"

"Huh? No."

"Oh... okay... how about her?" Gauri asks swiping left.

"Who are these? And why are you showing me their photos?"

"For your date, sir."

"Oh." Omkara nods as he looked at the screen

"Just swipe left if you don't..."

"Tinder?" Omkara reads the logo on the top. "Tinder?" Omkara turns to her in anger.

"Just swipe left if you don't like and right if you like." Gauri quickly tells him.

"You didn't delete the profile?" Omkara asks her angrily.

"I had made it inactive. I activated it again." Gauri tells him.

"Why? Who gave you permission?"

"Sir, please... I just can't find you anymore girl."

"I'm paying you for all that!" Omkara tells her.

"I didn't know I would have to do this when I agreed to work here."

"You signed on the contract and the contract did say, you've to do any and all work assigned by me." Omkara reminds her.

"This I can't do. I am done! You find someone else to do it." Gauri tells him tired.

"This is your job!"

"Why can't you do it? it would take you 5 mins to swipe left and right!"

"I was almost raped because of that app!"

"It was a communication problem and my mistake. You can make it clear to your date that you are not looking to have sex." Gauri tells him.

"Then why would I find a date from a hook up site?"

"There are dating apps too. Give me five minutes..."

"NO! not from these apps and you are not going to upload my profile on any of that!" Omkara furiously tells her.

"Why not?" Gauri asks him fed up.

"Because I don't want to! Just shut up and go and find me a date!"

Gauri furiously glares at him. this was the first time, he had behaved rudely to her and she was DONE! "Okay! I quit! I'll sit at home for the next six months. I QUIT!"

"You quit?" Omkara asks her glaring at her.

"YES!"

"Okay. submit your resignation to the HR and go find me a date after that." Omkara tells her in a dismissing tone.

"WHAT? I said I quit!"

"You will be starting your two months' notice period, so that time you are still my personal assistant. So get back to work! If you don't serve your notice period, then the company can and will file a case against you."

Gauri furiously glares at him. "FINE!"

**********

Gauri was getting ready to sleep when she hears her mobile ring. She takes her phone and sees that it was Omkara. she closes her eyes in prayer and she answers the call.

"Hello?"

"You got me a date from matrimony site?" Omkara asks her furiously.

"How did you figure it out?" Gauri asks genuinely shocked.

"She was talking about children and working after marriage. she kept talking about marriage and I asked her from where exactly did you arrange this date and she told me from matrimony site."

"Oh!"

"Matrimony site?" Omkara asks her again.

"I was pissed." Gauri confesses though not as contrite or respectful as she usually was. "Even though I was pissed... I did pick a genuine candidate. Social status, religion, caste, family type, education, she is a perfect match. Please try talking to her and see if you guys want to get married."

"I'll see you in office, first thing in the morning."

**********

"You uploaded my profile on matrimonial site!" Omkara accuses her the moment she walked in.

"Fire me, if it is such an unforgiveable sin!" Gauri says with a shrug.

Omkara scowls at her. "Is that why you did it? to make me fire you?"

"I just don't want to find dates for you!"

"It is a part of your job."

"If you insist then you are going to get dates from tinder and matrimonial sites only."

"What is your problem?" Omkara asks her angrily as he stood up.

"What is my problem? What is YOUR problem? If you can't find date for yourself then don't bother taking a date with you!"

"I promised my father."

"Then find a date yourself!"

"I don't have the time for that!"

"I don't have the patience to find you dates anymore!"

"It is your job!"

"My job?" Gauri asks furiously. "Do you even have any idea how many girls I set you up with?"

"43." Omkara replies.

Gauri's eyes widen in shock. "you kept a count?"

"What do you mean? I keep count on everything. Don't you?"

"Oh my God!" Gauri screams as she pulled on her hair. "43?!?!?! And you expect me to find you more?"

"Obviously."

"My friends, my friends' friends, your business associates, girls from other buildings, relatives of people working in this firm, hooker, tinder, matrimonial site, actresses, models and you couldn't even find one you liked?"

"Hooker?" Omkara asks her in shock.

Gauri gulps and calms down hearing him.

"Hooker?" Omkara shouts in shock.

"Svetlana."

"she was a hooker?" Omkara asks shocked.

"Yes. My friend fought with me and stopped talking to me because of you, so, I got angry..." Gauri explains with a shrug.

"Svetlana was a hooker?" Omkara asks shocked.

"Yes."

"So, when she said that she had associated with half the people at the party, she meant she slept with them all?" Omkara asks shocked.

"Maybe." Gauri says with a shrug.

"Oh is that why she said I was the best and I was the first one to take her to a party in India as a date?"

"Could be." Gauri shrugs.

"Still hooker?" Omkara asks shocked.

"Yes."

"She had amazing take on government policies. We talked about world politics." Omkara says lost in thoughts.

"You talk about politics on your dates?" Gauri asks shocked.

"Not always. I've talked about tax, business, global warming..."

"And when you get time, you would insult them also." Gauri mutters.

"What?" Omkara asks confused.

"When my friend said that her father and mother are related, you told my friend that that is why she was dumb because inbred children tend to be stupid." Gauri tells him.

"oh that girl was your friend?" Omkara asks shocked. "She was actually pretty dumb. Inbreeding."

"Her parents are related by marriage! her father's aunt was married to her mother's uncle."

"Oh. She didn't say that." Omkara shrugs. "And that doesn't make them relatives, so she was really stupid."

"She thinks I set her up with you to get her insulted."

"Then the problem is with her thinking and lack of faith in you." Omkara points out.

Gauri couldn't argue that. "You asked my other friend would she consider being someone's mistress!"

"Who was that now?" Omkara asks her confused.

"You asked that to more than one girl?" Gauri asks shocked.

Omkara shrugs, "Whenever I see Tia, I start wondering what made her agree to be a married man's mistress. So, I might have asked your friend."

"And she thought you asked her to be your mistress!"

"Why would she think that? I didn't ask her to be my mistress!"

"She thought so! And she isn't talking to me now!"

"Is she stupid? Wouldn't I first try out the goods before I offer to pay for it? it is again her mistake, not mine!" Omkara shrugs.

"Oh my God!" Gauri gasps and covers her mouth.

"Anyway we weren't discussing all these." Omkara reminds her.

Gauri sighs tired.

"Svetlana is a hooker?" Omkara asks still reeling from shock.

"Oh God! You are still stuck on that?" Gauri asks him exasperated.

"I even offered her a job." Omkara tells her.

"What?" Gauri asks shocked.

"She was really intelligent."

"So, you offered her a job?" Gauri asks shocked.

"Yeah... but she said she makes ten times more in a month and travels abroad, so she didn't want to accept my offer." Omkara tells her in wonder.

"what?" Gauri asks in shock.

"Maybe I should have become a hooker." Omkara says thoughtfully.

"You are richer than hundred Svetlanas put together."

"Yeah true." Omkara nods and he looks at her, "You should have been a hooker."

"What?" Gauri asks outraged.

"She is making double the money that you are making, travelling the world. And you are hotter than 100 Svetlanas put together. You would have minted money. You might have become richer than me." Omkara says thoughtfully.

Gauri didn't know how to react to that. offended that he was asking her to be sex worker as an alternate career or embarrassed that it was the second time he was saying she was hot.

"Would you consider being a hooker?" Omkara asks her curiously.

"What? No!"

"How about a mistress?"

"Are you asking me to be your mistress?" Gauri asks furiously.

"what is wrong with you and your friend? Why would I offer money for something that I am not hundred percentages sure it is 100% satisfaction guaranteed?" Omkara asks her. "I would need to have sex with you to decide whether you are worth the money."

"You are a virgin, how would you even know that this person is the best?" Gauri asks him exasperated.

"That is an interesting point." Omkara replies thoughtfully. "First time a thought provoking and different answer."

"Different answer?" Gauri asks confused.

"It is usually either offended verbal abuse and walking away, or if the price is right answer from two people."

"Price is right?" Gauri asks shocked.

"Oh they thought I was asking them to be my mistress." Omkara says finally realizing. "That is why they kept asking me how much I would offer."

"And how much were you willing to offer?"

"How can I say an amount without doing the math, the investment, return, probabilities, the risk factor involved, how good you are, how much you are worth and all?" Omkara asks her back disappointed.

Gauri shakes her head having enough. "Can we get back to the topic?"

"Which one? Svetlana? Hooker? Your friends? Mistress?"

"About finding you dates!" Gauri reminds him in exasperation.

"What is there to discuss? You will be finding me dates."

"I won't."

Omkara looks at her thoughtfully. "You won't?"

"No."

"Either you find me dates or you'll be my date!"

"WHAT?"

"Any and all work assigned by me! take your pick. Find me dates or be my date!" Omkara shrugs.

"Have you gone crazy?" Gauri asks him angrily.

"Last night, I asked my parents whether I can stop this dating thing and they said no. they are scared that if anything happens to them then I would be alone, and they just wanted to make sure I have someone to share my life with."

"Then maybe you should take the dating seriously."

"I do! I've been trying with all those girls you set me up with! But none of it worked out." Omkara defends.

Gauri sighs hearing that. "Your parents are right. you are going to be a lonely, angry eccentric old man one day. like Mr. Heckles."

"I LOVE Mr. Heckles! I was heartbroken when he died."

"You watched friends?" Gauri asks shocked.

"Watched? I watch it almost every week. That is how I unwind."

"Didn't think you were a friends person." Gauri says surprised.

"It's the best."

"I KNOW!" Gauri screams like Monica.

Omkara makes a face. "Not a Monica fan!"

"Oh let me guess, Rachel fan?" Gauri asks grinning.

"Oh please never! How hard is for her to understand that they were on a break?"

"They were not on a break! She was just angry!"

"She is the reason Ross had a messed up life!"

"Messed up life?"

"He got tagged a cheater, she is the reason he had to break up with Julie and Mona. He told her Mark's intentions were not right and she didn't trust him, and Mark did turn out like how Ross warned her. and because of her, he got divorced twice!"

"Twice?"

"Yeah, her and Emily!"

Gauri grins, "Ross is the awkward nerd, you relate to him the most, don't you?"

Omkara thinks for a few seconds. "Yeah but I am not awkward."

"Yeah even Ross was not that self-aware at times." Gauri nods.

Omkara frowns hearing that.

Realizing they were talking about random insignificant things, Gauri says, "About dating?"

"Take a decision and let me know." Omkara replies as he sat back on his chair. "You can get back to work."

"You are being stubborn."

"You are being stubborn by not honoring your contract."

**********

Gauri furiously got ready for the party. She couldn't find him a date and now, she was his date!

"You are anyway going as date... you keep your eyes open and see if there is anyone interesting. We can't always relay on these matrimony sites." Vasundhara tells her.

"I'm being forced to go on a date and this is what you are saying?"

"If it was anyone other than him, I would have been angry, worried and concerned."

"And you are not?"

"He is harmless." Vasundhara says with a shrug.

"He is forcing me and you are calling him harmless?"

"You should have made it clear to him the first time he asked you to find him a date that you are not comfortable with such a task but you were so excited to play matchmaker that time."

"He would have fired me then!"

"You were on probation period and if you were fired during that time it meant you didn't have to wait for 6 months before joining a competition company. And you can join other field companies too, not just competition."

"If he hasn't invested in a particular field then he has shares of them. hence it all falls under the business he is involved in and I can't join any of those if I leave his company. The only field he hasn't invested in are porn, gambling, lingerie, cosmetics and sanitary napkins. And I have no interest in these fields."

"Excuses... excuses... excuses!" Vasundhara says. "You were blinded by the moolah!"

Gauri glares at her mother though she had to admit that he did pay really well for all confidentiality as no one worked as closely to him as she did.

"I am leaving!" Gauri declares and walks out.

********

Gauri steps out of the apartment building and sees Omkara sitting in his car, busy on his phone. She takes her phone and dials him.

"Hello?" Omkara answers the call.

"Come here." Gauri orders him.

"Where?" Omkara asks confused as he looked around and finds her. "We are getting late, come!"

"You come here." Gauri tells him.

Confused and frowning, Omkara gets out of the car and walks to her. "What happened?" Omkara asks her confused.

"Usher me to the car." Gauri tells him shrugging.

"What?" Omkara asks feeling completely lost.

"Be chivalrous. Receive me. take me to your car and open the car door for me."

Omkara squints at her eyes. "Can't you see the car? I didn't know you wore contact lens."

"I am not your personal assistant now. I am your date. So, treat me with respect and like a date, otherwise I will walk off now." Gauri tells him with a shrug.

"Huh?" Omkara looks at her confused. "You are still my personal assistant."

"It is not office hours now. I am your date now."

"What nonsense?"

"If you can't treat me properly, I might decide that a date with you is a waste of my time and I'll just walk back to my flat."

"You would go back?" Omkara asks her in a challenging tone.

"Try me, Omkara."

"Omkara?" Omkara asks in shock.

"You are not my boss now. you are my date." Gauri steps closer to him and looking into his eyes, she says, "Or you prefer your dates to call you Sir?"

Omkara gulps when she moved so close to him like that.

"I don't roll like that, Omkara. I will only date an equal not my boss, Omkara."

Omkara stares at her in shock, completely lost and utterly clueless.

"So?" Gauri asks him.

"Erm... do I take your hand? How is it?" Omkara asks her completely lost.

"You can just walk with me to the car."

Omkara nods and turns and stands next to her. Gauri wanted to laugh seeing him do that.

"Let's go." Gauri tells him and they walk to the car.

Omkara opens the door for her. Gauri slides in. Omkara closes the door and walk around the car and get in.

The whole ride they remained silent. Gauri watched Omkara from the corner of her eyes. Many times, he had turned and started asking something then he would stop. She wanted to laugh out loud seeing him be so completely lost and shaken. He shouldn't have forced her.

************

"Hey!" Rudra walks to them seeing them walk in. "I didn't know the whole office was invited."

"No, she is my date." Omkara informs him.

"Finally!" Rudra shouts in excitement. "You two are so blind! How many times I tried hinting you both to each other?"

"What?" Gauri shouts in shock.

"Hinting? What hinting?" Omkara asks confused.

"That you two should give it a try. I feel you two have great potential as a couple."

Omkara turns to look Gauri thoughtfully. "Gauri and me?"

"Yeah."

"Why do you think so?" Omkara asks as he studied Gauri.

"What? You are thinking about it?" Gauri asks him shocked.

Omkara shrugs. "My parents want me to get married. And I am looking for a girl."

"You are crazy!" Gauri tells him in exasperation.

"Okay... I don't understand what is happening." Rudra says looking at them.

"Since I won't find him a date, he is forcing me to act as his date, Rudra."

"Rudra?" Rudra asks confused.

"She is not my assistant now. she is my date. So, no office protocol." Omkara explains.

"Ah! But even in office you don't have to call me sir. You can call me Rudra." Rudra tells her then turning to Omkara, he asks, "Now, what is this forcing and acting?"

"Papa and Ma just wouldn't let me back out of my promise regarding bringing a date." Omkara replies.

"They are thinking that you are actually genuinely bringing a date and trying to find a partner." Gauri snubs at him.

"I am genuinely trying." Omkara tells her offended.

"He is. He might mess it up but he is genuinely trying." Rudra tells her shocked. "Of all the people you should be knowing that."

"Why should I know that?" Gauri asks him.

"Because you know him well. You know he doesn't lie or cheat." Rudra tells her frowning.

Gauri gulps hearing that and guiltily looks at Omkara.

"You really thought I was trying to cheat my parents?" Omkara asks her shocked.

"I thought you weren't interested." Gauri confesses.

"I want to get married and have a family." Omkara tells her.

"Oh." Gauri regretfully nods.

Omkara sighs and says finally realizing "Oh that explain the hooker!"

"You told him about the hooker?" Rudra asks Gauri shocked.

"You knew Svetlana was a hooker?" Omkara asks him surprised.

"The whole party except you and your parents knew." Rudra replies.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Omkara asks him.

Rudra thoughtfully looks at him and shrugs. "I don't know. I didn't feel like telling you that. and you had actually liked her."

"I liked her thoughts and views. I liked her as someone I would work with not as a wife material." Omkara tells him.

"You asked me to fix you up with her again." Gauri reminds him.

"Yeah... I thought it would be like catching up with a friend." Omkara replies.

"Oh!" Gauri nods.

"Okay, I'll just take a round of the party." Rudra tells them and walks off.

Gauri and Omkara stood by each other for a few minutes.

"I'm parched, Omkara. get me something to drink." Gauri tells him.

"What?" Omkara turns to her confused.

"Get me something to drink. Be chivalrous."

"I get your drinks?"

"Like how I get you, your lunch." Gauri reminds him.

"Because that is a part of your job."

"And I am your date."

Hearing that Omkara turns around and walks off.

Few minutes later, he walks back to her empty handed.

"Where is my drink?" Gauri asks him.

"There is alcohol, aerated drinks, soft drinks. Soft drinks one is mango based and the other is green apple based."

"Mango one."

"Okay." Omkara replies and turns to walk back.

Seeing that Gauri started feeling guilty for being so childish. She quickly holds his hand to stop him. Omkara curiously turns to look at her.

"What?"

"You could just call a waiter over and tell him to get it." Gauri tells him.

Omkara looks around and says, "They all seem busy." And he starts to walk off.

"Then I'll come with you."

Omkara turns to her confused. "If you are going then why do you want me to get it for you? you can just take it from there, right?"

"Fine, then!" Gauri replies and starts to walk off.

Omkara quickly holds her hand. "Do you want me to come with you?"

"No."

"I'll come." Omkara tells her and starts walking with her unconsciously still holding each other's hands.

"I don't really know the protocols of dating. None of those dates told me that there were all these rules." Omkara confesses to her.

Hearing him say that, she felt guilty. For all his business acumen, he was a little gullible when it came to the ways of the society.

"I was just having my revenge." Gauri confesses to him. "I didn't like that you forced me to come. there isn't all these rules."

"Why do you keep lying to me?" Omkara asks her frowning.

Gauri shrugs. "And Omkara, this is not a date." Gauri tells him.

"Hmmm."

"And honestly speaking, all that you've shared of your all these dates, none of it sounded like an actual date."

"What?" Omkara asks her shocked of his wits.

"Sorry." Gauri shrugs at him regretfully.

"Then how is a real date like?" Omkara asks her confused.

"I don't know how to explain." Gauri tells him as they stopped near the drinks table.

And that is when they realized they were holding hands. Both awkward let's go off each other's hand and nervously look at each other.

"I forgot to leave your hand." Omkara tells her.

"Same." Gauri whispers as she took a drink.

************

"Where is my boy?" Rudra asks Gauri as he sat next to her.

"He is talking to Mr. Mehta." Gauri tells him as she pointed out Omkara to him.

"Hmmm." Rudra looks at Omkara then he turns to Gauri and tells him. "He is the nicest guy I know."

Gauri turns to look at him.

"It is true that at times, he doesn't know what to say. But he has a pure heart. there is no maliciousness in him." Rudra tells him.

"I know." Gauri replies.

"I know that you know." Rudra replies.

"Then why are you telling me this?"

"Because I truly do think that if you both come out of the office persona, then you both are made for each other." Rudra tells her.

"No way." Gauri replies.

"Not many girls have tolerated him for this long. But you did. You never abandoned him."

"I am on my notice period." Gauri tells him.

Rudra smiles hearing that. "Still you are here."

"Because he threatened to take me to court."

"And you know how that is going to go. He can't fire you because you wouldn't get him dates or being his date. The case would be dismissed at the first hearing."

Gauri looks away hearing that.

"You are very protective of him, Gauri. he drove you crazy with all these but still you never told on him to his parents."

"I signed a confidentiality clause." Gauri replies.

"And finding him date has nothing to do with office work." Rudra tells her. "Or coming at night to save him from a girl's advances and going all the way to the men's room also isn't part of your job."

Gauri thoughtfully looks away. "I don't think we are good for each other."

"Okay then." Rudra shrugs giving up.

************

Omkara and Gauri were standing together as they were having dinner.

"Hi Omkara!"

Gauri looks up and looks at Omkara and sees him looking at the lady completely lost.

Gauri quickly moves behind Omkara, hiding from view and whispers to him, "Ishana."

"Ah... yeah... Ishana." Omkara says.

"Hello, Ishana." Gauri whispers to him from behind.

Omkara turns back to look at her and informs her, "If you hide behind me and whisper, she is not going to hear you."

"I wasn't telling her, I was telling you!" Gauri whispers to him.

"What?" Omkara asks her confused.

"Politely greet people." Gauri informs him. "Now turn back and talk to her."

Omkara turns back to Ishana confused as hell, and says, "Hello Ishana."

"Long time... how are you?" Ishana asks him smiling,

"Good." Omkara replies then he waits for her to continue.

"How are you?" Gauri whispers to him.

Omkara turns to Gauri in exasperation. "I said I am good!"

Gauri glares at him.

"Oh!" Understanding, Omkara turns around and looks at Ishana. "How are you?"

"I am good." Ishana replies with a confused frown then looking behind him, she asks, "Who is behind you?"

"No one important. You tell me." Gauri whispers.

Omkara turns to Gauri, and tells her with a frown, "You are important."

Gauri was taken aback hearing that. she open mouth stares at him.

"Omkara?" Ishana calls him.

"Tell her, your personal assistant." Gauri instructs recovering.

"But you are my date now." Omkara reminds her.

"That is okay, just tell her this."

Omkara turns back and look at Ishana. "It's Gauri. she is my personal assistant."

"Oh... are you busy?" Ishana asks confused.

"I'm eating." Omkara reminds her as he showed her the plate.

Gauri closes her eyes hearing that.

"Ah okay... we should... you know... get together sometime. let's meet sometime for coffee?" Ishana asks him with a smile.

"Why?" Omkara asks confused.

"You know..." Ishana says with a sexy smile and shrug.

"Okay then call Gauri and fix an appointment." Omkara tells her and he hears Gauri groaning in irritation.

Omkara turns back to look at her, "What?"

"She is hinting that she is interested in you, and indirectly asking you for a date." Gauri whispers to him.

Omkara turns and looks at Ishana thoughtfully for a few seconds, then he turns back to Gauri and informs her. "I don't want to go on a date with her."

"Why?" Gauri asks shocked. "She is perfect."

"I don't feel like going for a date with her. I don't find her interesting."

"Why? Just give it a try." Gauri pleads him.

"No, I don't want to." Omkara replies.

"Omkara?" Ishana curiously calls him.

"Okay... tell her you will call her."

"Why? I don't want to call her." Omkara tells her.

Gauri grunts at him. "Just tell her you'll call her. but don't call if you don't want to."

"You want me to lie?" Omkara asks shocked.

"Just politely end this conversation." Gauri whispers to him furiously.

"But lie?"

"Say!"

Omkara turns to Ishana and tells her, "I'll call you."

"Great." Ishana says with a smile.

"But just to be clear. I am not interested in dating you." Omkara informs her.

Ishana's face falls and turns pink while Omkara screeches in pain as Gauri had furiously pinched him his shoulders.

Ishana quickly turns around and walks off.

"Stop it!" Omkara shrugs her off and turns to her angrily. "You pinched me!"

"I should be slapping you!" Gauri furiously tells him and turns to walk off when she sees Rudra standing nearby and silently laughing. Gauri walks off to the opposite direction.

************

"Why do you care if he insults someone?" Rudra asks Gauri.

"Because it is rude." Gauri replies.

"But it doesn't concern you. whether he dates Ishana or not, it is his decision. Whether he bluntly tells her that or politely rejects her, it is his decision." Rudra tells her.

Gauri looks at him uncomfortably.

"Is it because you are watching out for him or you don't want anyone to think badly about him?" Rudra asks her cheekily.

"I've to go." Gauri says uncomfortably and starts to walk off.

"Or is it both?" Rudra asks her.

Gauri ignores him and starts to walk off.

"By the way, point to be noted... he had rejected Ishana outright but when I had suggested you two get together, he had given it a thought." Rudra calls out to her.

Gauri turns to look at him in shock, knowing that was true.

"And every time I have asked him his idea of a hot girl, ever since he met you, his examples had always been you." Rudra tells her as he walked to her.

Gauri gulps as she turned completely pink, Omkara had himself told her that twice.

"Ah... your future in-laws are here." Rudra informs her and walks off to greet Tej and Jhanvi.

Gauri's heart skips a beat as she looked at them and sees Omkara talking to them. she was wondering whether she should hide or go and speak to them, when Jhanvi notices her. Jhanvi smiles at Gauri and having no option, Gauri starts walking towards them.

As she reached them, she hears their conversation.

"Gauri is your date?" Tej asks shocked.

"I didn't have a date today, so brought Gauri as my date." Omkara replies.

"What?" Jhanvi asks with a frown.

"What is this? You didn't have a date so you are bringing Gauri as a date?" Tej asks shocked and confused.

"You only insisted that I continue to date." Omkara reminds him.

"To find a life partner. Not to fill up a quota!" Tej replies to him.

"Why did you have to go along with this, Gauri?" Jhanvi asks her confused.

Gauri looks at Omkara then she turns to Jhanvi and shrugs in reply though she could so see Rudra smirking.

Seeing Omkara was about to talk, she quickly asks him, "Is it okay if we leave? I am tired."

"Yeah okay." Omkara replies.

Quickly they leave after saying their goodbyes.

************

Gauri was a little nervous the next day when she walked into Omkara's room because of the way, she had behaved with him because she was his so called date. Now, he was her boss and he was again in control and power.

Omkara looks up seeing her walk in.

"I've send you the briefs of my conversation with Mr. Mehta. We have decided to go ahead with the collaboration. So, go through the mail and have the legal department draw up the contract."

"Yes, sir." Gauri replies as she quickly checked her mail on her phone to check whether she got the mail.

"I need it done by the end of the day. Mr. Mehta will be out of the country for the next two weeks, so be on top of this. This is your priority now."

"Yes, sir."

"What's my agenda for today?"

Gauri quickly tells him as she went through his calendar.

"Okay. anything else?"

"No... nothing." Gauri replies a little relieved and amazed that he didn't keep grudge for her previous day's behavior.

************

Few days later

"You come with me for the movie premier tonight." Omkara tells her.

"What?" Gauri asks him shocked.

"You come with me." Omkara tells her again.

"Your parents told you not to make up dates!" Gauri reminds him.

"Not as my date." Omkara tells her. "Rudra insisted to bring you. and you gave your tickets to that tinder girl, right?"

"Why is he insisting that I come?" Gauri asks suspiciously.

"He is saying it is an amazing movie and you would love it."

"I will watch it in theaters."

"Rudra was right. You gave up your tickets because of me. even I was a reason though the main fault is yours. So, you come with me."

Gauri sighs.

************

Gauri wanted to kill that Rudra!

It was the most horrible movie she watched in recent times.

She wanted to shake Omkara for investing in this stupid sci-fi movie that was a copy of one million Hollywood movies but still lacked any kind of logic. She was having a headache watching this excruciatingly painful movie.

Feeling light on her face, she turns and sees Omkara busy on his mobile.

"What are you doing?" Gauri asks him in a whisper.

"How can you like these kind of movies?" Omkara asks her in shock.

"I hate this!"

"I wish we could leave but the first time I had walked out Rudra said that people don't walk out of premiers."

"Good. That is your punishment for investing in such movies."

"I don't decide which movies. I've no time to sit through script discussions and all. It's the other partners, you know."

"Still you should be punished for this." Gauri tells him as she turned off his phone screen. "You are disturbing others with the light from your phone."

"What am I going to do for the next 84 minutes?"

"84 minutes?" Gauri asks shocked.

"The movie is 2 hrs and 55 minutes and already 91 minutes passed. Actually 92. So 83 minutes left."

"Oh God!" Gauri groans in dread. "Where is Rudra Sir?" Gauri asks curiously.

"He is not a partner and he said sci-fi is not a genre that he likes."

"Even I don't like it."

"Then why did he say that you like it?" Omkara asks confused.

"I don't know." Gauri lies realizing that Rudra was trying at matchmaking.

"Hmmm. Maybe he might have thought you liked it."

Seeing Omkara was about to take his phone again, Gauri quickly keeps her hand on his mobile. "Just watch the movie."

"And waste my time hating my life for having to sit through this?"

"Yes!"

Sighing, Omkara looks at the screen.

She feels his head on her shoulder and turns in shock to find Omkara sleeping on her shoulder. Seeing him sleep so peaceful she just watched him for a few seconds then she turns her attention back to the screen and lets him sleep.

"Sir... sir..." Gauri gently shakes him awake.

"What?" Omkara sleepily sits up.

"Movie is getting over. Wake up, the lights will turn on now."

Omkara nods and sits up as he massaged his neck. "Did you sleep?" Omkara asks her as he stifled a yawn.

"No."

"I had slept nicely. Haven't slept so well in ages. Maybe I should get a copy of this movie, so I can watch it to sleep off." Omkara thoughtfully says.

"Please don't ask them for a copy, sir." Gauri worriedly tells him.

Surprised, Omkara turns to her. "We are not in office. You don't have to call me, sir."

"Er... what?"

"You can call me Omkara." Omkara tells her as he looked at her.

Hearing him say that and having him look at her, she felt a slight blush, "Okay." Gauri replies as she looked away.

************

"Again as your date?!?!?!?!" Gauri asks outraged.

"Yes."

"No!"

"Find me a date then!"

"I CAN'T!" Gauri screams furiously.

"Then I'll pick you up from your place at 7:30."

"NO WAY!"

"Find me a date then!"

"What is wrong with you? your parents already told you..."

"I know what they told me. it is your job, so find me a date or be ready at 7:30." Omkara cuts her off.

"I don't have a dress." Gauri says. "You should have told me earlier. From where will I get dress?"

"Buy one." Omkara tells her with a shrug.

"FINE THEN! I am going shopping!"

"During office hours?" Omkara asks her frowning.

"Well, being your date is also a part of my job, so I need to do the shopping for that during office hours." Gauri points out to him.

Omkara looks up at her in shock. "But you said that being a date and office are different."

"Now, dating you is a part of my job, so I am combining both!"

Omkara frowns hearing that. "Okay then. Be back in an hour."

"Oops not happening. I need time to get ready, do my make-up... see ya at 7:30." Gauri tells him and walks off.

Omkara gaped at Gauri as she walked off.

*********

Omkara was working when he gets a WhatsApp message from Gauri. curiously he checks the message and sees her photo. His heart skipped a beat seeing her look so beautiful. she was wearing a red sleeveless gown.

what? He quickly messages her.

how is the dress? She quickly replies.

Omkara stops in shock. How would I know? You are wearing it, you should be knowing whether it is comfortable or not.

Does it look nice?!?!?!?!?! Is it good on me?!?!?!?!?!?!

Yeah... looking very beautiful.

Okay. buying it!

Okay. Omkara also replies confused.

Five minutes later, he gets another message from his bank. He looks at the message and he stops in shock. "2 lakhs?" Omkara wonders in shock.

He was about to call up the bank when he realized that it was the card that Gauri used to handle all his expenses.

He calls up Gauri.

"hello?"

"Did you just use the card?" Omkara asks confused.

"Yeah, you only told me to buy a dress." Gauri reminds him.

Omkara had no idea how to reply to that. So, he says. "Okay."

He was about to hang up when he hears Gauri's voice. "I'll be buying shoes, handbag or clutch and will be using the card at the beauty parlor."

"Yeah okay."

*********

Gauri steps out her building and stops in surprise seeing Omkara waiting for her.

"I told you I was just messing with you that day about taking me to the car." Gauri tells him feeling silly for what she did.

"I felt like waiting for you here." Omkara tells her with a shrug.

"Why?" Gauri asks confused.

"I don't know." Omkara replies having no answer.

"Let's go." Gauri tells him feeling awkward.

*********

Gauri was standing alone as Omkara had gone to talk to some of his friends.

"Let's eat?" Omkara asks her as he joined her.

"Yeah." Gauri nods.

They were about to walk to the food area when a girl comes to them.

"Hi."

"Ridhima... Mr. Kapoor's daughter." Gauri quickly whispers to him.

"Oh you are, Ridhima?" Omkara asks.

"Hello, Ridhima." Gauri furiously whispers to him.

"Erm... yes." Ridhima awkwardly replies. "Why did you say that? like you have heard about me?"

"Yeah, I was just with my friends. They were talking about you." Omkara tells her.

Gauri turns to Omkara, her heart slamming against her chest, wondering what exactly those guys were talking about her.

"Talking about me? what about me?" Ridhima asks curiously.

"Your father's party. Obviously about that." Gauri quickly says.

"No... no..." Omkara says shaking his head.

"What then?" Ridhima asks.

Gauri worriedly looks at Omkara.

"That you had visited the gynecologist." Omkara tells her.

"What?" Ridhima's face goes completely white.

"What are you saying?" Gauri whispers to him in shock.

"That is what they were saying." Omkara tells Gauri then turning to Ridhima, he regretfully says, "Very sorry to hear about your abortion."

Gauri's mouth drops open hearing that, she turns to look at Ridhima and sees her going white as a ghost.

"I didn't have an abortion." Ridhima whispers. "How dare you..."

Gauri grabs Omkara's hand and furiously drags him out.

"What are you doing? Where are you taking me?" Omkara asks shocked at Gauri's behavior.

"Not another word!" Gauri furiously whispers to him. "If you open your mouth without asking me first then I'll slap you."

"What?" Omkara asks shocked.

"We are leaving." Gauri tells him.

"I've to talk to Mr. Kapoor. Then there are couple of other people I've to meet." Omkara tells her as they stopped near the lift.

"NO!" Gauri says as she dragged him into the lift. The moment the lift door closes, she turns to him, "Have you completely lost it? don't you have basic common sense?"

"What?" Omkara asks shocked and confused.

"Sorry for your abortion?" Gauri asks furiously.

"She had an abortion..." Omkara starts to say.

"You are sorry for a miscarriage, not an abortion! Even if it is a miscarriage, you don't go say sorry for it, unless they mention it! you don't mention it, because it is a personal loss and a painful experience. We don't know whether mentioning it might hurt them more!"

"Oh."

"And abortion... again we don't mention it! we don't know whether she had a medical condition due to which she had to undergo abortion, or whether she didn't want the baby or that she is an unmarried girl and she is scared of the scandal and the humiliation it would cause if someone finds out about it so she underwent abortion secretly! You don't mention it!"

"They were talking..." Omkara gently tells her, now filled with regret for having mentioned it.

"Still, Omkara. just think before you say all these things."

"I am sorry, Gauri." Omkara tells her.

Hearing him apologize, she steps back.

"I'll apologize to her."

"You will not see her and talk to her again!" Gauri sternly tells him.

"Okay." Omkara quickly gives in.

"Hmmm."

The lift opens and they both step out and stop in shock seeing Tej and Jhanvi.

"You are leaving?" Jhanvi asks confused.

"Yes." Gauri replies.

"Did you bring Gauri as your date?" Tej asks confused.

"Gauri is my date." Omkara replies.

"We've to go. We can't stay here." Gauri tells them as she started dragging Omkara.

"What happened?" Tej asks confused.

"Did he say something to someone?" Jhanvi asks at the same time.

"We'll just go." Gauri replies.

"Gauri... we are going inside. So, just tell us what happened inside." Tej tells her. "Om, what happened?"

Omkara tells them what happened.

"How could you say that, Om?" Jhanvi asks him shocked.

"How can you be so insensitive?" Tej asks him angrily.

"It just slipped through. He didn't mean to hurt or insult her." Gauri quickly says as she moved in front of him. "He is already feeling guilty. We will just go."

Tired and giving up, Tej and Jhanvi nods.

"I think we should also leave." Jhanvi tells Tej.

Tej nods.

"We're also going." Gauri tells them.

Omkara and Gauri quickly leave while Tej and Jhanvi watches them leave.

"Om said that Gauri is his date." Jhanvi tells him.

"Yeah. Don't know what is happening between them." Tej replies.

"It would be nice if they got together, right?" Jhanvi asks him excitedly.

Tej turns to her in exasperation. "Are you mad? She knows him very well. She is not a fool to jump in front of an incoming train."

*********

"I don't know why I do this." Omkara tells Gauri in the car.

Gauri turns to Omkara and sees him upset.

"Papa, Ma, Rudra... you... you all tell I should be careful before I say things, but till you all explain to me, I don't realize how wrong it is. Why don't I think about these things?"

"Because you have other things to think about." Gauri tells him gently.

"I think about work... business strategies... what is the use of those things when I end up hurting people?" Omkara asks her helplessly as he looked at her.

Her heart goes out to him. she keeps her hand over his. "You are not a bad person." Then smiling she says, "Yes, you are dumb about somethings but you are a good man."

Omkara chuckles hearing that.

Noticing they were passing by the beach, Gauri quickly tells the driver. "Please stop here." Then she turns to Omkara and tells him, "Let's go for a walk."

*********

They were walking lost in thoughts for some time. finally, Gauri turns to him and tells him softly. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" Omkara asks her confused.

"For fixing you up with Svetlana. I was so angry with you but I shouldn't have done that. every time, I fix you up with someone, next day, you'll say that it didn't work out. I thought you were not really interested in the dates. Then the mistress thing, so I just got so angry. I'm sorry."

"It's okay." Omkara tells her chuckling.

"It's not okay. I shouldn't have done that. I should have thought what if you fell in love with her." Gauri tells him regretfully.

"What is wrong in that? she is not a terrorist or mass murderer." Omkara asks her back in confusion.

Gauri couldn't help smiling hearing that.

"And I did make a friend." Omkara tells her. "Sad that she relocated."

"She is very much here... or I think so." Gauri tells him.

"But you told me..." Omkara turns to her confused.

"Rudra Sir screamed at me for fixing her up with you and told me never to do that again. so, I lied."

"How many times have you lied to me?" Omkara asks her confused.

Gauri looks at him and cheekily grinning, she tells him, "I haven't kept count on it."

"that many?" Omkara asks shocked.

"Nah!"

Omkara smiles. "I am sorry because of me you lost friends."

"You were right, it was her fault. And the other one, I called her up and explained to her the mistress thing. We are cool now." Gauri tells him smiling.

"That's good to hear." Omkara smiles at her.

"By the way, I didn't think that you were the gossiping type."

"Gossip?" Omkara asks confused.

"Ridhima... you were discussing it with your friends, right?"

"No... they were saying that she went to the gynecologist. So, I was just asking them whether she was sick." Omkara explains regretfully.

"Oh." Gauri nods then seeing him thoughtful, she says quickly, "I was surprised when you said you were going to meet your friends. I thought you had only one friend."

"No, I have friends but I meet them mostly with Rudra. I am not close to them, just the meet and catch up once in a while." Omkara explains.

"Don't you feel like meeting people?"

"I meet a lot of people." Omkara replies surprised.

"Not for business... but like casually. Make friends... like that. you know, people you are close to."

"Never got the time." Omkara tells her.

"You never have time for anything!" Gauri tells him then teasingly adds, "I'm surprised you made time to walk with me here."

"I felt like walking with you. I like talking to you." Omkara tells her with a smile.

Gauri smiles hearing that as she looked away feeling herself blush.

"Who are you close to?" Omkara asks her curiously.

"I've friends but I am closest to my mother. She is my best friend."

"Really?" Omkara asks surprised.

"Yeah... I can tell her anything. she is the best." Gauri tells him smiling.

"And your father?"

"He is a darling but he is a little aloof. He is always lost inside his head."

"I wonder how is that like." Omkara wonders curiously. "I would like to meet him one day."

"You come home one day, I'll introduce you to my parents. they know you well." Gauri tells him.

They were talking and walking around when Gauri notices a small food stall. "I'm hungry. Let's eat something?"

"Yeah."

***********

They were sitting together and talking even after they had finished their dinner.

"I'm sorry, I forced you to come for the date, Gauri." Omkara tells her.

Gauri grins. "It's okay. I had my revenge." Gauri tells him as she pointed at her dress.

Omkara chuckles.

"Actually, relax." Gauri tells him smiling. "If I can return all these without any damage, they will refund the money. I spoke to the sales girl about it before I bought it."

"Don't return it. You keep it." Omkara tells her shocked.

"No... no... I knew I could return it, that is why I bought it in the first place."

"What kind of cheap attitude is that? you wore it for 4 hours." Omkara frowns at her.

Gauri chuckles. "I'll dry clean it and return it. half the people at your parties, even they do the same thing unless they have like a deal with the designer and do all kinds of PR on social media with the dress."

"But you keep it. it looks good on you."

Gauri blushes hearing that.

"But you should put your hair down. Makes you look more beautiful."

Gauri blushes as she looked away.

"I lied to you today, Gauri." Omkara confesses to her.

"What lie?" Gauri asks shocked that he could lie.

"Last night, Rudra came home. He said that he feels you and I are perfect together and I shouldn't turn a blind eye to that."

Gauri's heart skips a beat hearing that.

"When I thought of it, I felt that maybe he is right... you've always been there for me. whatever blunder I make, you still stand by me." Omkara turns to her and tells her smiling. "Ever since I made you my date, you have even started blasting me and started bullying me."

Gauri looks away embarrassed.

"I felt an apnapan in that too." Omkara tells her. "So, when Rudra said that... I thought maybe I shouldn't ignore it. he said that you were a little stubborn and refusing to see it. so, he suggested that I force you to come as my date. I lied to you asking you to look for other dates for me knowing you wouldn't do it."

Gauri nods.

"I want to take you on a date, Gauri." Omkara tells her.

Gauri turns to look at him, her heart slamming against her chest, feeling excited about it.

"Not the dates that I've been on like before. The type of date that you say is the real thing. Even though I don't know how that is... I want to take you on one." Omkara tells her.

Gauri couldn't help smile hearing that. she tells him, "Omkara, we are on a date now."

"No... not this... I mean a real one."

"Omkara..." Gauri gently calls him.

"What?"

"Alone... just us... talking about each other... getting to know each other... sharing about each other... this is a date."

"This?" Omkara asks shocked as he looked at her and around them.

"Yes." Gauri grins. "And you know... the beach... night... romantic open air..."

"Oh my God!" Omkara whispers in shock. "what was I doing with all those 43 girls?"

"Definitely not dates." Gauri teases him. "And it is 44."

"44?" Omkara asks confused.

"Even you took me as your date to one of your business meetings in the guise of a party." Gauri teases him.

Omkara chuckles. "Will you go on a proper date with me?"

Blushing happily, she replies, "Yes."

***********

"Good morning." Gauri says as she walked into his room next morning.

"Hi." Omkara smiles at her as he looked at her.

Gauri smiles seeing him smile so happily at her.

"How are you?" Omkara asks her.

"Good, sir... and you?"

"Sir?" Omkara asks with a surprised smile.

"It is office hours and I'm your PA here." Gauri reminds him.

"Oh. It's going to be like that?" Omkara asks her still grinning.

"Yes, SIR!"

"Okay then let's get to work." Omkara says.

At the end of the day, Omkara walks to Gauri. Gauri looks up from her table to see Omkara.

Curiously, she stands up. "What happened?"

"We were supposed to go on a date." Omkara reminds her confused at her question.

"Yeah... but I need to go home and freshen up." Gauri whispers to him so none of her colleagues hear her.

"We are not going for a party. We'll go somewhere else... maybe like the beach yesterday."

"Yeah... but I want to freshen up." Gauri tells him hesitantly.

"Why?" Omkara asks confused.

"Because I've been in this the whole day." Gauri tells him uncomfortably.

Omkara leans towards her and sniffs in. "You don't smell bad. You smell nice." Then he asks her curiously. "Do I smell bad?"

Gauri nervously moves back and uncomfortably says. "That is a little too forward and unsettling."

"I shouldn't have done that?" Omkara asks his face falling.

Gauri shakes her head. "But it's okay."

"Rudra always asks me... so..." Omkara quickly explains.

"It's okay, it's just that I am not one of your guy friends." Gauri tells him. "I'll meet you in two hours?"

"Why?" Omkara asks her confused. "Why waste time? we can be together these two hours, right?"

Gauri couldn't help smile, the whole day even she had been dying to spend time with him, she had an amazing time with him the previous night. "Okay."

Omkara smiles hearing that. "Let's go."

Nodding, Gauri grabs her stuff and they walk out together.

"By the way, why are you and Rudra sir smelling each other?" Gauri asks confused.

"Rudra." Omkara corrects her.

Gauri grins and asks, "Why is Omkara and Rudra smelling each other?"

Omkara chuckles. "We don't smell each other. When Rudy is lazy to take a shower and he has a meeting to attend, he asks me whether he is stinking."

"Oh."

***********

Every day after work they went out together, spending time with each other and getting to know one another even better.

One day, Omkara walks to her table and leans on her table, surprising Gauri.

"What?" Gauri asks as she looked around wondering if anyone was watching them, their colleagues were not aware that they were dating now.

"I've to attend a party today, will you be my date?" Omkara asks her.

"If I say no, will you ask me to find you one?" Gauri asks him cheekily.

"No, I will go alone." Omkara replies.

Gauri smiles hearing that. "I'll come with you."

"I'll pick you up from your place." Omkara tells her smiling. He starts to leave then turning to her, he asks, "Do you have to get a dress?"

"No, I've." Gauri replies with a smile.

***********

Omkara sighs tired. "What could one offer to make someone your mistress?"

"Oh my God!" Gauri whispers in exasperation. "Tia?"

"Yeah that one."

Gauri quickly pulls his hand down. "Don't point."

"Green dress." Omkara tells her.

"Ah... didn't you ever ask her?" Gauri asks him curiously.

"Yeah, I did." Omkara replies looking at her wondering if she thought he was dumb. "Obviously I would ask her to know her mindset."

"I am not surprised." Gauri tells him shaking her head. "And what did she say?" Gauri asks curiously.

"She got angry and told me it is her life and her decision, she didn't owe me any explanations and I should stay far away from her."

"You know what I am really surprised about?" Gauri asks him as she turned to him.

"What?"

"How are you getting invited for these parties even after all that you end up saying?" Gauri asks him.

"I'm filthy rich." Omkara replies. "And my businesses are doing like unbelievably well... and these parties are like avenues for possible businesses. Why do you think I bother coming every time? because I enjoy this?"

Gauri chuckles.

"This is a nice sight." Rudra says smiling happily as he joined them.

"Hi, Rudra." Gauri smiles at him.

"You were a total waste of my time." Rudra tells her. then patting proudly on Omkara's shoulders he says, "And finally, my boy had to step up."

"yeah right!" Gauri rolls her eyes laughing lightly.

***********

"You don't have to walk me to the building." Gauri tells him smiling seeing him getting out of the car.

"I like walking with you." Omkara tells her as he walked around the car.

Gauri smiles and holds his hand. They walk to the building.

"I'll see you tomorrow." Gauri tells him.

Omkara smiles, and Gauri turns to go.

"Gauri?" Omkara softly calls her.

"Yes?" Gauri turns to him with a smile.

Omkara nervously looks at her. "Erm.... Can I hug you?"

Hearing his question, her heart skips a beat then blushing profusely, she nods.

Omkara walks towards her and wrapping his hands around her, he hugs her. Gauri snuggles into his arms shyly and hugs him. feeling that Omkara tightens his hug.

Shyly smiling, Gauri looks at his face, then leaning up, she gently kisses him on his cheek. Surprised, Omkara leans towards her and kisses her cheek.

They happily smile at each other, still in the embrace, feeling blissful.

"Go." Gauri tells him smiling happily.

"Hmmm." Omkara loosens his hands on her but then lean down and kisses her cheek again.

Gauri chuckles with a blush. "Now, go."

"Bye." Omkara says with a smile and leaves.

*********

"Gauri... come." Omkara calls her as he poked his head out of his room at the end of the day.

Gauri quickly walks to his room.

"Yes, sir?"

Omkara without replying to her, stares at the clock on the wall.

"What happened? Is it not working?" Gauri asks confused as she looked at her watch and the clock to check time.

The moment the seconds hand moved to twelve, Omkara walks to her. "Office hours are over." Omkara says as he hugged her and kissed her on her cheek.

Gauri chuckles surprised then happily hugging him, she kisses his cheek. Omkara lovingly kisses her on the forehead. Gauri snuggles into his arms and hugs him tight.

*********

"We've to go to Delhi for the conference." Omkara informs her one day.

"I've to come?" Gauri asks surprised. He normally traveled alone, only twice she had to go with him because it had been back to back conferences and meetings.

"Yeah, I would need you there. we will be back the next day." Omkara tells her.

"Okay, sir." Gauri tells him and they quickly discuss the travel plans.

"Gauri..." Omkara curiously calls her as she was about to leave the room.

"Yes, sir?"

"Since after official work, we will be together, maybe we can stay in one room." Omkara tells her.

"What?" Blood drains from Gauri's face and her heart skips a beat.

"Why unnecessarily take two rooms?" Omkara asks shrugging.

"Omkara..." Gauri worriedly walks to him. "I am not ready for that."

"Ready for what?" Omkara asks confused. "To share a room?"

"Yes." Gauri nods.

"Oh okay." Omkara nods.

Then realizing it was him, Gauri explains softly, "I meant you know... to make love."

"What?" Omkara jumps up in shock.

"You didn't mean that?" Gauri asks realizing, her raising heart beats calming down.

"No... even I am not... I was just thinking, we will be together full time, so why two rooms."

"Oh." Gauri muses then sighing in relief, she smiles. "*phew* okay. I got a little worried."

"I didn't mean that." Omkara tells her again.

"I kn0w, you are not the type to think something and say something else." Gauri tells him with a smile. "We'll stay together then."

"You are sure, right? I don't want to force you into anything." Omkara tells her in concern.

Gauri smiles and tells him, "I like being with you."

"Even I like being with you." Omkara tells her smiling.

*********

After a hectic day, they both walk into their hotel room tired and drained.

Omkara falls on the bed tired, seeing that, Gauri keeps her bag on the chair and falls on the bed next to him. Omkara turns to look at her and she looks at him just then. They smile at each other. Gauri moves to him and keeping her head on his chest, she hugs him. Omkara hugs her as he kissed her forehead.

"Omkara..."

"Hmmm?"

"I wish we could stay like this forever." Gauri tells him snuggling into his arms.

"That is not possible. We'll have to get up to eat, take a shower, use the toilet, and then work so we can afford to lie like this in a hotel room."

Furiously sighing, Gauri leans up and glares at him. "People should learn from you on how to ruin a romantic moment!"

"What?" Omkara asks confused. "Did you want me to say that we will stay like this forever? You know, that is not possible."

"Argh!" Gauri gets up.

"What happened? Where are you going?"

"I'm going to take a shower."

"See... I told you." Omkara points.

Muttering under her breath, Gauri goes to take a shower.

Much later, Gauri nervously walks to the bed, ready to sleep. even though they had decided to not rush into anything, she still felt nervous about sharing a bed with him.

"Let's sleep?" Omkara asks curiously seeing her standing by the side of the bed.

Gauri nods and gets on the bed. They both settle on the bed.

"Come here." Omkara tells her as he moved closer to her.

Gauri nervously moves to him.

"What happened? You said you wanted to lie in my arms forever."

Gauri scowls at him. "You said it is not possible."

"but we can do it, whenever it is possible." Omkara tells her.

Gauri softly smiles, as she moved to him and lies on his chest. Omkara hugs her and kisses her on top of her head. Gauri leans up and kisses him on his cheek. they look at each other for a few seconds then they move close to each other and take each other's lips in their lips.

They part and smile at each other as they tried to calm their raising breath. Unable to resist, they kiss again. Omkara hugs her closer to him as he ran her hand up her back. Gauri gently runs her hands up his chest to lovingly caress his cheek as she hungrily kissed him. breathless, they end the kiss and look at each other, then smiling happily, they hug each other and goes to sleep.

Gauri sleepily opens her eyes and looks for Omkara and finds the bed empty. She sleepily sits up and finds him sitting on the sofa and working on his laptop.

"What time is it?" Gauri asks him squinting at him.

"4:24." Omkara replies as he looked at her.

"Didn't you sleep?" Gauri asks shocked.

"I did." Omkara replies.

"Then?" Gauri asks confused.

"I wake up by 3."

"What?" Gauri shouts in shock. "Everyday?"

"Mostly weekdays."

"And what time do you go to sleep?" Gauri asks as she got out of the bed and walked to him.

"12."

"You only sleep for 3 hours?" Gauri asks shocked.

"Yeah. I can't sleep, too many thoughts, lot of work to finish... Ma said it is because my brain would be too active."

"Don't you feel tired?" Gauri asks him in concern.

"Since I know, no work would happen that day, most Sundays I sleep the whole day."

"Or you could just sleep 8 hours a day like normal people."

"I can't, I would keep thinking of what all work to finish the next day, what all to start."

"I need minimum 8 hours of sleep every day."

Omkara smiles at her, "You go sleep."

"You come."

"I'm not sleepy."

Gauri takes his laptop and keeps it on the armrest, then she sits on his lap, putting up her feet on the side of his thighs, and hugging him, she closes her eyes to sleep.

Omkara smiles, and balancing the laptop on his side, with one hand, holding her securely and with the other hand, he uses the laptop.

********

Hearing her phone ring, Gauri curiously look at the office phone and sees that it was Omkara, they had got back last night.

"Yes, sir?"

"Gauri, come here." Omkara says from the other end.

"Okay, sir." Gauri replies and quickly hanging up, she walks to his room.

Gauri walks in and stops seeing Omkara leaning on his desk.

"Yes?" Gauri asks just as Omkara walks to her.

Omkara cups her face and hungrily starts kissing her. Gauri hugging him, kisses him back in equal vigor.

"We are in office." Gauri halfheartedly reminds him in between kisses.

"Should I fire you for fooling around during office hours?" Omkara asks her back as he kissed her.

"You should... maybe you can just let me off with a warning."

"Hmmm okay." Omkara grins as he kissed her.

Few minutes later, Gauri was leaving when she turns to him and worriedly tells him, "Please don't tell HR to issue a warning to me."

"I am not that bad." Omkara chuckles.

Gauri chuckles.

"I would be a hypocrite if I just warn you. first warning should be to me because I called you and initiated the kiss."

"Please don't issue a warning to you also!"

"Okay... if you insist." Omkara replies.

Gauri looks at him with a frown. "You are pulling my leg, right?"

Omkara chuckles hearing that and winks at her.

**********

After the meeting was done, Omkara and Gauri were waiting for everyone to leave.

Once they were alone, Omkara asks Gauri, "Will you come with me?" it was decided in the meeting that he will have to go to Bengaluru for two days.

"Am I needed there?" Gauri asks him.

"No."

"Then I am not coming."

"Hmmm." Omkara thoughtfully leans on the desk.

Gauri walks to him and holds his hand. "Just because I want to be with you, I don't want to misuse office protocols."

"It's my company. Misuse it." Omkara tells her as he leaned down and started nibbling on her lips.

Gauri chuckles. "No."

**********

She was missing him like crazy.

Gauri checks her mobile for the nth time. he should be reaching by now. even though they spoke on the phone, she was missing him like crazy.

"You look gloomy." Vasundhara tells her as she sat next to her.

Gauri looks at her smiling at her.

"What happened?"

Gauri shakes her head and hugs her mother. "I love you, Ma."

"Awww love you too." Vasundhara hugs her. "By the way, I have been meaning to talk to you."

"What?" Gauri asks her curiously, as she leaned back to look at her.

"I've found some interesting profiles on matrimony sites. we could go through them and see whether you like any of them?" Vasundhara asks her with a smile.

Gauri takes her hand in hers and tells her a little nervously. "There is something I didn't tell you, Ma."

"You found someone from the parties?" Vasundhara asks shocked. "I was just joking."

"No." Gauri quickly says.

"Oh then?" Vasundhara asks curiously.

"I'm dating Omkara." Gauri tells her.

"Your boss?" Vasundhara asks shocked.

"Yes."

"What?" Vasundhara looks at her in shock. Frowning, she says confused, "You were finding him dates."

Gauri chuckles. "Yeah. It was so crazy."

"But, Gauri... him?"

"Yes, Ma. He is a very nice guy." Gauri tells her.

"But Gauri, will his family accept you? they are so rich and we are just middle class family."

"His parents are always very sweet to me. they treat me like a part of the family."

"But that is because you were his assistant, Gauri." Vasundhara worriedly tells her.

"Ma, even they were a middle class family. It is Omkara who made all the money. His father was a sales executive. Two years after Omkara started his business, when he was expanding it, he needed help, that is how his father and his best friend joined his business."

"But Gauri, they were a middle class family nearly a decade ago."

"Ma... I'm very happy with him."

Vasundhara smiles hearing that, "If you are happy then we are happy."

Gauri smiles hearing that and squealing excitedly, she hugs her. Vasundhara hugs her laughing. "When will you bring him to meet us?"

"Let's see." Gauri smiles excitedly.

Hearing her mobile ring, Gauri excitedly answers the call.

"Landed?" Gauri asks him.

"Yes... Get ready, we'll go out."

"Out?" Gauri asks surprised and a little excited.

"Yes, let's go out."

"But Omkara... it is late."

"I want to see you, Gauri."

"Okay." Gauri smiles happily.

"Going somewhere?" Vasundhara asks frowning.

"Omkara is coming."

"It's late, Gauri."

"We'll just go for a drive, Ma. Will come back in half an hour." Gauri promises her and runs to get dressed.

**********

A week later, they were at a party.

"Do you want to dance?" Gauri asks noticing some people dancing.

"I don't know to dance." Omkara replies.

Gauri makes a sad face at him.

"If you teach me to dance then I'll dance." Omkara tells her.

Gauri smiling happily, takes his hand and leads him to the dance floor.

"Just follow my lead, okay?" Gauri tells him as they stood close to each other.

Omkara nods and they slowly start swaying to the music. Omkara gently caresses her cheek as they danced. Gauri shyly smiles at him, and takes his hand and keeps it on her shoulder. Omkara couldn't control himself and his hand, gently runs down the length of her arm. Gauri blushes and loosely hangs her hands around his neck and moves closer to him. Omkara holds her waist, and pulls her closer to him, and he gently squeezes her waist. Gauri blushes and hides her face on the crook of his neck. As they danced, having the other so sensuously close to each other, their heartbeat started raising and their desire for each other, peaked.

"Gauri..."

"Hmmm?" Gauri looks at him.

A little nervous, a lot excited, he intensely looks into her eyes and says, "Let's go home."

Nervously and excitedly, Gauri asks him softly. "Are you giving me a ride home?"

"No." Omkara replies as he lovingly kept his hand on her cheek. "I want to take you to my home. I want us to make love."

Gauri turning pink, nods in yes.

Hand in hand, they get into the lift.

"Omkara..." Gauri softly calls him.

"Yes?"

"if I come to your flat... what if your parents find out that I had come there?"

"So, what?"

"Till our family meets..."

"So, what do you want to do?" Omkara asks hers.

Gauri nervously moves close to him and tells him, "This is a hotel... there are rooms here."

**********

Omkara and Gauri walk into the hotel room. the moment the door closed, they turn to each other and hungrily kiss. They hungrily kiss each other as they frantically started removing each other's clothes.

Spent and sated they were lying on the bed as they tried to catch their breath. Gauri turns to him and hugs him as she kept her head on his chest. Omkara hugs her and pulls her close.

Gauri starts laughing softly.

"What is so funny?" Omkara asks her confused.

"You." Gauri replies as she looked at him and started laughing a little loudly.

"What?" Omkara asks her frowning though he had also started chuckling.

Gauri laughs even more as she looked at him. "Finally you got time to make love."

Omkara grins hearing her.

"I am wondering when will you get time again to make love." Gauri asks him cheekily sighing.

In reply, Omkara leans up and takes her lips in his, and rolls on top of her.

**********

"What are you doing?" Omkara asks her as he turned to her.

"I was messaging Ma. I told her, some urgent work came up, so I'm going to office and might not come tonight." Gauri tells him as she kept her mobile on the side table and moved towards him.

"You lied?"

Gauri settles on his chest and hugs him. "My parents haven't met you. I just want everything to be perfect." Gauri leans up and kisses him on his cheek, and tells him. "I don't want anything to mess up. I love you, Omkara."

Gauri lies on his chest and closes her eyes to sleep while Omkara after hearing what she had said, tenses up and his heart starts slamming against his chest in panic.

**********

Gauri happily rolls to her side and tries to hug Omkara. finding the bed empty, she sits up.

"Omkara?" she calls out to him curiously.

When he didn't reply, she curiously gets out of the bed, wrapping the blanket around her, she looks around the room for him.

"Omkara?" Gauri calls him again.

Gauri takes her mobile and dials his number but he doesn't answer her call.

Even after an hour, when he didn't come back, thoughts that she didn't wanted to think, filled her heart and mind. unable to control her thoughts and the fear, Gauri sits on the floor and hugging herself, she bursts into tears.

By afternoon, Gauri walks into her house. lying to her mother that she had been up the whole night and she needed to sleep, she went to her room and locking herself in, she had cried her heart out.

**********

Next day, Gauri went for work and Omkara hadn't come in at his usual time. around mid-morning, he had come. he hesitates at Gauri's desk for a few seconds but Gauri ignores him and continued to work.

"Gauri... please come with me." Omkara tells her.

Gauri nods and follows him to his room without looking at her.

As they got into the room, Omkara turns to her and tells her regretfully, "Gauri, I shouldn't have left..."

"Is this something regarding work?" Gauri cuts him off.

"No, Gauri... day before night..."

"This is office and it is office hours. Can we just keep to work related conversations, sir?"

"Gauri... I'm sorry."

"If this isn't about work then can I go? I've lots of work to finish."

Realizing she was going to be stubborn, Omkara helplessly nods.

The second, office hours were over, Omkara hurries to Gauri. and sees her gathering her stuff to leave.

"Gauri..."

"Office hours are over, sir. I'm going home."

"Gauri... I know I shouldn't have done that..."

"I don't know what you are talking about. Anyway, I am getting late. I'll see you tomorrow, sir."

Omkara quickly holds her hand. "Gauri... I am very sorry."

Gauri furiously pulls her hand free. "Stay in your limits, sir." Gauri says and she furiously leaves the office.

**********

Next day, Gauri goes to the HR to give her resignation.

The HR looks at her in confusion. "What's this?"

"My resignation." Gauri replies frowning.

"But you are already serving your notice period." The HR reminds her in confusion.

Gauri sucks in her breath realizing that she had given her notice some time. but Omkara and she had started dating, she had been so distracted and involved with Omkara, the thought of leaving the company and him, had left her and she had forgot to inform the HR department about that.

"How many more days of my notice period is left?" Gauri asks curiously.

HR quickly checks and informs her, "12 days."

*********

Omkara walks into his room and finds Gauri waiting for him.

"Gauri..." Omkara calls her in relief seeing her. he had been calling her and trying to talk to her but she had been ignoring his calls. he hurries to her and starts to take her hands in his.

Gauri quickly moves back.

Seeing that, he says in regret. "Gauri, please, don't be so mad at me. I'm sorry..."

Gauri cuts him off. "there are 12 days left in my notice period. I've 9 days pending from my annual leave and I'll be taking 3 unpaid leaves. I spoke to the HR, she had finalized a new assistant for you who was to start work next week. The HR called her, and she would be coming shortly, I'll hand over everything to her and will be leaving in some time."

"You are leaving me?" Omkara asks her shocked, his eyes filling up and heart breaking.

"I thought of going without telling you, like you did. Then after all the time we spent together, I realized I owed it to you and you deserved that respect." Gauri tells him and turns to leave.

Omkara quickly holds her hand. "Gauri, please don't do this. I'm so sorry, Gauri. I panicked."

Gauri pulls her hand free and angrily tells him, "Just stay away from me, Omkara Singh Oberoi."

*********

Gauri walks to her desk and sits down. She sighs and covers her face with her hands as she tried to fight her tears. She couldn't get his tear filled eyes out of her mind. Gauri recalls how he had said that he had panicked. Gauri sits up as she wonders if he had some other reason to leave like that. maybe she should have given him a chance to explain.

While Gauri was deciding to give Omkara a chance to explain himself, Omkara in his cabin, was being Omkara!

Omkara was walking around his cabin as he panicked with his phone on his ears as he listened to the rings.

"Hey!" Rudra answers the call. "I'm getting into a meeting. I'll call you back."

"I've to talk to you." Omkara tells him.

"20 mins. I'll call you back." Rudra says and hangs up the phone.

Omkara looks at his phone. 20 mins? Gauri was leaving and he didn't have 20 mins to waste. He dials the next person he turned to for advices.

"I was just telling Tej about you." Jhanvi says happily as she answered the call.

"Ma... two days back, Gauri and I made love..."

"WHAAT?" Jhanvi screeches in shock panicking. "Why are you telling me that?" Jhanvi asks restlessly. "Tej, talk to him... I don't know what nonsenses and all he is saying."

"Hello, Om?" Tej picks the call. "What happened?"

"Papa... two days back, Gauri and I made love and..." Omkara starts again.

"What?" Tej asks shocked. "Why are you telling us this? You don't go around telling these things to others, specially your parents!" Tej scolds him.

"Gauri is leaving me!" Omkara tells him.

"What?" Tej asks shocked. Tej wanted to ask him why, but he was scared that Omkara might answer because he didn't perform well, and so, he didn't ask anything further.

"I messed up, Papa." Omkara tells him breaking down. "She is leaving me."

"What did you do, Om?" Tej asks him worriedly.

Omkara quickly tells him what had happened. Hearing what Omkara did, Tej started blasting him.

"How can you do this, Om? how could you?"

"I panicked when she also said that. I just couldn't stay there. now, she is not talking to me."

"You have to explain to her, Om."

"She is not listening to me. she is angry."

"She should be! But you have to tell her. even if she screams at you, tell her that you were a bloody fool!" Tej furiously tells him.

*********

Gauri was walking to his cabin when Omkara comes out of his cabin. Omkara holds her hand and takes her inside his cabin.

"Omkara..." Gauri starts and he cuts her off.

"You have to listen to me!" Omkara tells her as he held her hand. "I don't like forcing you, Gauri but Papa said even if I have to force you to listen to me then I should."

Gauri was distracted hearing that. "Papa? Where did your father come in this?"

"I spoke to him." Omkara explains.

"What did you tell him?" Gauri asks him frowning.

"About what happened." Omkara tells her.

"Exactly what?"

"that two days back, we made love..."

"You told your father that we made love?" Gauri asks him furiously.

"Ma gave the phone to Papa, so I told him, you were not talking to me."

"Did you tell your mother too?"

"Not fully... when she heard that we made love, she gave the phone to Papa. Don't know why, she got restless."

"You told your parents that we made love?" Gauri asks him furiously.

"Yes, Gauri..." Omkara starts but was cut off, when Gauri grabs the files from his desk and starts throwing it at him.

"My God! I don't know why you are like this!"

"Gauri... stop it... ouch... it's hurting... please don't leave me..." Omkara says as he jumped back to dodge her attacks.

"You drive me crazy!" Gauri furiously tells him and then furiously screaming, she leaves his cabin.

"Gauri... please don't go..." Omkara hurries behind.

"Just don't come in front of me for a while!" Gauri warns him and grabbing her bag, she leaves furiously.

*********

Gauri furiously walks into her house.

"Gauri... what happened?" Vasundhara asks her worriedly.

"He is so irresponsible! So immature!" Gauri says furiously.

"Did you two have a fight?" Vasundhara asks her.

"Fight? He'll be lucky if I don't kill him!" Gauri furiously tells her.

Vasundhara asks her in concern, "Last two days you were upset, I thought you would tell me if you wanted to share with me, and now you are so furious. What happened?"

"How can someone be so stupid? So bloody clueless?" Gauri asks furiously.

"What did he do?" Vasundhara asks her.

"He is so bloody dumb! That is what he did!" Gauri tells her, not wanting to share anything further.

"yeah, I have wondered that after hearing everything that you shared about him." Vasundhara says with a sigh.

"What?" Gauri turns to her confused.

"The blunders that he makes... one wonders how he made so much money. Maybe, it is not his... maybe he is like the benami of some underworld don or a very rich and corrupt politician." Vasundhara says shrugging.

Gauri furiously turns to her mother. "He is intelligent. Whatever he has, he made it because of his hard work."

Vasundhara teases, "See, how you defend him."

Gauri growls at her mother.

"Okay... tell me what he did that you were upset for two days and now, you are furious."

"Just go, Ma!" Gauri tells her pissed. "I don't want to talk about it."

Vasundhara decides to give Gauri some time to calm down and talk to her about it later.

"Gauri..." Vasundhara calls her in concern.

"What?" Gauri turns to her frowning.

"You said you were very happy with him... you are still happy with him, right? this is just a lover's spat, right?" Vasundhara asks her worriedly.

Gauri honestly didn't know how to answer that. "I don't know, Ma." Gauri tells her.

"Gauri?" Vasundhara worriedly calls him seeing her head to her bedroom.

"Ma, I need to talk to him first." Gauri tells her.

"Then what are you doing here? Go talk to him."

"If I see him now, then I might end up killing him!"

"What did he do, Gauri?" Vasundhara asks her worriedly.

"He shouldn't be allowed to talk to anyone! EVER! I have told him a million times to not to open his mouth before asking me first! And he just can't help it!"

Vasundhara sighs realizing that maybe Omkara accidentally insulted someone and Gauri was pissed with him because of that.

*********

Hearing the door bell, Vasundhara opens the door.

"Is Gauri here?" Omkara asks her.

"Omkara?" Vasundhara asks her.

"Yes... she told me not to come in front of her for a while. It's been a while now." Omkara tells her.

Vasundhara didn't know how to react to that. "Come in. I'm her mother."

"hello... Gauri has told me a lot about you. it is so nice to meet you." Omkara tells her.

"Same here." Vasundhara tells him smiling then she tells him in concern. "Gauri seems upset. Is everything okay between you?"

"She is not talking to me. she is angry with me." Omkara tells her regretfully as he walked in with her.

"What happened?" Vasundhara asks him gently.

"Two days back, we made love..."

"What?" Vasundhara asks in shock, her heart skipping a beat.

"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?" Gauri furiously shouts at him. having overheard his voice, she had come to check.

"Gauri..." Omkara turns to her.

"SHUT UP!" Gauri screams in fury as she walked to him and grabbing his hand, she drags him to her room. then she closes the door and locks it.

"Why are you going around telling everyone that we made love?" Gauri furiously asks him.

"She was asking me what happened." Omkara replies confused.

"So, you would tell her?" Gauri asks him in anger.

"I can't tell her to mind her own business. It would be rude. She is your mother and I want her to like me." Omkara tells her.

Gauri looks at him in shock and tired and speechless, she sits on her bed.

"Gauri... please don't leave me." Omkara pleads her as he knelt in front her.

"Why did you leave that night, Omkara?" Gauri asks him with tear filled eyes.

"Please don't cry, Gauri." Omkara quickly cups her face, his heart breaking seeing her tears.

"Why did you go?" Gauri asks him again sadly.

"Ever since we got together, Rudra, Ma and Papa, kept telling me that I shouldn't mess this up. I know, I say things and I tend to mess things up. I tend to hurt people. So, I had this fear in me, what if I mess up with you also? But I had faith in us. but that night, you said that you didn't want anything to mess up. When you also told me that, I panicked. Like everyone else, even you expected me to mess up. I got scared, what if you decide to leave me? I don't know what I would do without you. and I couldn't handle it. I couldn't control the fear and panic. I couldn't stay there. I felt like running and I left."

"You left because of that?" Gauri asks him shocked. "Because you were thinking nonsense?"

"I am sorry, Gauri. I went away without giving you any explanation." Omkara tells her regretfully. "Till Rudra mentioned it, I never realized that you would misunderstand, that you would think that I was with you only to have sex with you."

"Rudra knows?" Gauri frowns. "Is there anyone that you haven't told that we made love?"

"He called back and I told him." Omkara tells her. "But Gauri, I wasn't with you for just sex."

"I know that." Gauri tells him. "I know you, I never thought that you were with me for sex."

Omkara sighs in relief.

"I thought..." Gauri sadly looks down.

"What?" Omkara asks her worriedly seeing her sad.

"That day when we were talking about mistresses, you said you need to know whether it is 100% satisfaction guaranteed..."

Frowning in shock, Omkara cuts her off, "Gauri, I don't want you to be my mistress. I want to marry you. don't you know that?"

"I do... but you're always looking at profit and whether it is worth it... I got insecure when you left like that." Gauri tells him as she broke into soft tears, "Didn't you like it between us?"

Omkara quickly cups her face, "Gauri, how could you even think that? I left you because I wasn't happy? I went looking for a better option?"

"I'm sorry, I got insecure." Gauri tells him as she cried.

"Gauri, the thought of someone else touching me the way you touched me, makes me want to puke. Don't ever think that ever. It was beautiful between us. it was the best moments of my life. and right after that, when you said you don't want anything to mess up... I love you so much that I got insecure." Omkara tells her.

"I said that because, I didn't want our family to know what we were doing behind their back. I wanted them to meet and together give their blessings to us. nothing else."

"You didn't mean me?" Omkara asks shocked.

"No!" Gauri vehemently denies. "Omkara, I know you. I have seen all that you have caused, and I know we can handle it as long as we are together."

Omkara nods sighing.

"You made a mess when you didn't tell me your fears and abandoned me there in the hotel room."

"I didn't abandon you, Gauri. I left my driver and car there to take you home. But when he saw you take a taxi home, he came back."

"You should have just told me, Omkara." Gauri tells him.

"I should have. I always tell you everything but I don't know why this time, I gave into my fears."

"And I am sorry, I made your fears come true by not talking to you for two days when you messed up."

"It's okay. please just don't leave me ever." Omkara requests her.

Smiling, Gauri hugs him. "I'll never leave you. I might end up killing you, but I'll never leave you."

"Dying is better than a life without you." Omkara tells her as he hugged her tight.

*********

Gauri nervously walks out the room with Omkara. she worriedly looks at her mother. She notices that her father was also home.

"You two sorted out your fight?" Vasundhara asks them as she looked at them sternly.

"Yes, it was a misunderstanding. I got scared that Gauri would leave me and she got insecure that I left her. it's all fine now." Omkara tells her smiling then turning to Harsh, he walks to him. "Hello, I am Omkara."

"Vasundhara told me." Harsh says with a smile as he shook his hand. "It is good that you came home and solved your fight without letting it fester."

Omkara smiles. "You are not as aloof as Gauri made you out to be."

"Aloof, me?" Harsh asks surprised.

"Yeah, she said you are lost inside your head."

"How is that like?" Harsh asks curiously.

"I've no idea, I thought I would get to see it when I meet you."

"Oh sorry to disappoint you then. But if you see someone like that, then let me know, even I want to meet them."

Gauri and Vasundhara just speechlessly watched them talk for a few minutes.

Finally, Vasundhara decided to broach the topic that mattered the most. "Omkara?"

"Yes, Ma?" Omkara turns to her.

"I think we should meet your parents." Vasundhara tells him.

"Oh."

"Yes, we should." Harsh also says remembering.

"Ermm..." Omkara nervously looks at them.

"Is there a problem?" Vasundhara asks confused.

"They might have slept, is it okay if I bring them tomorrow?"

Vasundhara's eyes pop open hearing that. "Tomorrow... day after... whenever it is convenient for them. we just to meet them, since you both are together. It would be nice for the families to meet."

Omkara smiles in relief. "Oh, I thought since Gauri cried because of me, like in school, you were asking me to bring my parents before I can get in class again."

"Why were you thrown out of class?" Harsh asks him shocked.

"They said that I asked too many questions."

"Asking questions is a good thing."

"Not many think like that." Omkara tells him.

"Very sad." Harsh shakes his head disappointed.

"What questions did you ask?" Vasundhara asks curiously.

"Hmmm." Omkara tries to jog his memory, since he lost his virginity very recently, only a sex related question popped into his head. "I asked, both guy and girl have sex, then why is it that only the girl get pregnant?"

Gauri closes her eyes in dread, Vasundhara softly gasps. While Harsh nods impressed. "A very intelligent question."

Omkara smiles proudly.

"God made us like that. it is his decision. Only sea horses have the male getting pregnant." Harsh tells him.

"Yes, I learned that much later. What all we learn from friends?" Omkara asks smiling, remembering the scene between Ross and Rachel from friends.

"Yes, we should always have good friends." Harsh nods approvingly.

"It's late, Omkara." Gauri tells him seeing that her mother hasn't still recovered from the shocks that Omkara was rendering her.

Omkara checks his watch. "Oh, sorry I didn't realize how late it was getting."

"That's okay." Harsh tells him smiling.

"Yeah, but you all have to sleep, right? let's eat dinner."

"Dinner?" Gauri asks softly.

"Yeah, I'm also hungry. I hadn't eaten anything proper since two days. I'm starving, Ma."

"I'll set the table." Vasundhara replies a little surprised and a little shocked.

*********

They were eating when Tej calls Omkara's mobile.

"Looks like Papa and Ma didn't sleep. I shouldn't have asked them to come over." Omkara says disappointed as he answered the call.

"Om, did you talk to Gauri?" Tej asks him.

"Yeah, Papa. It's all sorted." Omkara happily informs him, since Gauri had explicitly told him not to share more than a sentence or two of their misunderstanding, he didn't explain much.

"Thank God. She is happy, right?"

"Yes. I'm still at Gauri's place. Actually, Papa and Ma wanted to meet you both, I thought you would have slept, so told them to bring you both tomorrow."

"We'll meet them tomorrow." Tej tells him.

"Yeah, Gauri and I've decided to get married, so we need to fix everything." Omkara informs Tej.

Harsh and Vasundhara turns to Gauri in surprise and shock.

"He was talking so much; I didn't get the chance to tell you both." Gauri tells them quickly.

Vasundhara and Harsh nods. Soon, Omkara hangs up the phone.

Omkara was finishing off the food, when Harsh goes to wash his hands.

"Amazing food, Ma." Omkara tells her.

"Thank you." Vasundhara smiles.

"Ma, for breakfast, you make that gobi paratha that you send that day." Omkara tells her excitedly. "That was amazing."

"Breakfast?" Gauri asks confused as Vasundhara looked at her in confusion.

"I'll have breakfast and go, right?" Omkara asks her back in confusion.

"What do you mean, have breakfast?" Gauri asks him confused.

"You want me to go without having breakfast?" Omkara asks her shocked.

Gauri gapes at him in shock, and her heart slamming against her chest, she asks him, "Are you planning to stay here tonight?"

"Obviously." Omkara replies shocked. "You only said till my parents your parents, you don't want to come over to my place."

"So, you'll stay with Gauri, here in our house, in her room?" Vasundhara asks too shocked and blood draining from her face.

"Yeah, last time we stayed in hotel because Gauri wanted that. otherwise, I am not much of a hotel person." Omkara tells her then curiously he asks her, "Or do you want us to go to a hotel?"

"Omkara... please stop talking." Gauri whispers to him, her face as white as a ghost.

"What happened?" Omkara asks her confused. "You want to go to hotel?"

"No!" Gauri vehemently replies, seeing her mother glaring at her.

"Ah... I got confused." Omkara replies.

"What happened?" Harsh asks curiously as he joined them.

"I was telling Ma to make gobi paratha for breakfast." Omkara tells him.

"You both invited Omkara for breakfast?" Harsh asks surprised. "That is nice. What time will you come?"

"I'll be staying here." Omkara informs him.

"Ah... it doesn't make sense for you to go to your place and come back for breakfast. But Omkara, we just have two rooms." Harsh tells him hesitantly.

"I'll be staying in Gauri's room, right?" Omkara asks him confused.

"Ah okay. then you sleep in Gauri's room. that is better."

"Harsh?" Vasundhara asks in shock.

"What?" Harsh turns to her in confusion.

"Omkara sleeps in Gauri's room?"

"Yeah. Gauri, you sleep on the couch in the living room. let Omkara, sleep comfortably."

"But..." Omkara starts in confusion.

"OMKARA!" Gauri calls him. "Stop talking and go wash your hands. It's getting late, we've to clear the table."

"Ah okay." Omkara says and goes to wash his hands.

"Gauri, do you want to sleep with us or you'll sleep on the couch?" Harsh asks her in concern.

"I'll sleep on the couch." Gauri nervously replies.

"Okay." Harsh smiles and walks off.

"I'll come and check in the middle of the night, if I don't find you on the couch, Gauri..." Vasudhara whispers to her in a warning tone.

"We both went through hell the last two days, Ma." Gauri worriedly whispers to her. "Please don't come and check."

Furiously glaring at her, Vasundhara gets up and walks off.

*********

"Gauri... Gauri... wake up." Omkara shakes her gently.

"What happened?" Gauri sleepily opens her eyes.

"I'm going to get my laptop from my car. Then I'll sit in the living room and finish some work."

"What time is it?"

"4 :55."

"You woke up late?"

"I slept late." Omkara reminds her, grinning.

Gauri blushes hearing that. Omkara leans down and kisses her. "Okay, you sleep."

"Omkara..." Gauri holds his hand.

"What?" Omkara turns to her.

"You don't have to tell me when you go from one room to next."

"I didn't want you to wake up and find me gone."

"Next time, don't wake me up, just leave a note where I can find it when I wake up."

"Okay." Omkara chuckles.

*********

"Where is Gauri?" Harsh asks shocked seeing Omkara sitting on the couch and working.

"She is sleeping in the room."

"I told her to sleep on the couch." Harsh says frowning.

"She..." Omkara starts.

"Omkara!" Vasundhara calls him.

"Yes, Ma?"

"Do you want tea or coffee?"

"I already made and had my coffee, Ma. Thank you." Omkara informs her with a smile.

"Oh okay." Vasundhara replies surprised.

"Ma... I've to go home and freshen up before I go to office. So, I'll have breakfast and leave."

"Okay." Vasundhara nods. "I'll make your breakfast then."

"Thank you, Ma."

"But Omkara, there isn't any cauliflower here. I'll make you aloo paratha instead?"

"Okay, no problem."

"Next time you come, I'll make it." Vasundhara promises him.

"I'll be coming in the evening. Papa and Ma are coming, right?"

"Ah, yes."

"Oh they are coming?" Harsh asks surprised.

"Yes, last night, Papa had called, he said they would come today."

"That is nice." Harsh smiles. "Oh... can you ask your mother to make some of those pudding and bring?"

"Harsh!" Vasundhara calls his name in shock.

"What?"

"They are coming to fix the wedding."

"I'll ask her. but which pudding was it?" Omkara asks curiously.

"I don't know the name. that day, she sent lunch for Gauri, there was this pudding." Harsh tells him.

"Ah okay. I'll tell her." Omkara promises him.

*********

Evening Tej and Jhanvi came with Omkara and the pudding to meet Gauri's parents.

"I'm so happy, you both love each other." Tej tells Gauri hugging her.

"When I said that they would get together, you didn't believe it." Jhanvi reminds him teasingly.

"I thought, Gauri was a little more cautious."

Gauri chuckles hearing that with a slight blush.

They soon started talking about the wedding and plans.

"Gauri... I know it is your decision... and it is not my place..." Tej hesitantly starts.

"What is it?" Gauri asks him with a curious smile.

"Now that you both are going to marry, are you going to resign? I know you are on notice period... but..."

"I'll continue." Gauri replies then she softly whispers so only Omkara could hear her. "Two days, I didn't talk to him and he proved that he shouldn't be left unsupervised."

Omkara chuckles hearing that.

Tej sighs in relief. "That is a huge relief."

"But the HR had finalized another girl for the post." Gauri informs him.

"We'll find another position for her. don't worry." Tej tells her.

"She can assist Gauri." Omkara says. "That way, you can help me manage the business."

Gauri smiles hearing that.

Finally, it was time for Tej and Jhanvi to leave.

They were saying their goodbyes, when Omkara curiously asks Gauri, "Am I staying here or..."

"What?" Gauri whispers in shock as she looked at their parents, and except for Harsh, everyone had got awkward.

"If he is staying, then Gauri, let him sleep in your room. last night, you happily went and slept in your room, and made him sleep on the couch when I told you to sleep on the couch and to give him the room." Harsh tells Gauri sternly.

Gauri's first instinct was to turn to Omkara and whisper, "Don't say a word."

"Finally, it all makes sense." Tej whispers in wonder.

"What?" Jhanvi asks confused.

"They say a girl always want her husband to be a man like her father. Now, this makes sense." Tej says.

Omkara and Harsh curiously looked at Tej while the ladies, nodded in agreement.

Seeing Omkara going to open his mouth, Vasundhara says, "Harsh... we didn't show them Gauri's childhood photos. Please go bring it."

"But they were about to leave." Harsh points out confused.

"I want to see them." Omkara quickly says.

"Okay, I'll bring it." Harsh says with a smile and goes to get it.

The moment, Harsh left the room, Vasundhara turns to Omkara and Gauri. "You two!"

They both look at her, Omkara curious and Gauri worried.

"My husband is the most innocent man in the world, and I tend to keep him like that. but it is a mighty impossible task, when you come here every night, demanding to sleep in the same room as our daughter."

"Oh God!" Tej and Jhanvi whispers in shock as they turned to glare at Omkara.

"What?" Omkara asks confused at his parents.

"Ma... we're sorry." Gauri quickly says.

"What is there to say sorry for?" Omkara asks confused. "We love each other."

"Keep quiet, Om." Jhanvi tells him.

"So, it is better that Gauri move in with Omkara." Vasundhara tells her.

"What?" Gauri asks shocked.

"I'll explain to him and tell him that it would be a good idea that Omkara and Gauri stay together before marriage. it might be one shock for him... but that is better than the constant shock of you coming and declaring that you are staying here!"

*********

"What am I hearing about a small function with limited guests?" Rudra asks Gauri on the phone.

"We want a small function." Gauri explains.

"No... no... we have a lot of people to invite."

"No. we don't want many people." Noticing a call from Omkara, she says, "I'm getting a call from Omkara. have to take that."

"NO! talk to him later."

"I'm in office and he could be calling for official work."

"This is more important. Gauri, there are a lot of assholes who thought that he will end up marrying a gold digger, and that no girl could genuinely love him. we've to show all of them." Rudra tells her.

"This is our love and we don't have to make a show of it." Gauri tells him.

"I'm going to invite everyone! I'm giving you a chance to plan accordingly."

"I might convince Omkara to not call you." Gauri warns him.

"GAURI!" Omkara pops his head out. "I've been calling you!"

"It's Rudra Sir on the phone. He is not letting me hang up." Gauri tells him.

"Ah okay!"

"I'll just come now."

"No, it's okay. Papa called... since you moved in, they haven't come home, so, Papa and Ma would be coming home tonight. so, I was thinking, we'll call your parents too, as even they haven't come over yet."

Gauri worriedly looks around wondering if anyone heard him and sees half the people on the floor staring at them in shock.

"Gauri?" Omkara calls her.

"Yeah, sure." Gauri quickly replies.

"Another thing, Dad was asking whether we are inviting people from this office for our wedding since we decided to keep it a small function. So, are we inviting them?"

"HAHAHAHA... I was simply wasting my time on you. My boy is going to step up again! bye!" Rudra says happily and hangs up.

Gauri looks around and sees that more people were looking at them. "Obviously, we'll be inviting them."

"Okay, I'll tell him then."

"No... I'll call him." Gauri quickly tells him and dials Tej.

"Hello, Papa..." Gauri says on the phone.

"Hello, Gauri... I was just talking Om..."

"Yes, Papa, from now on, any kind of discussion on our wedding, please do it with me, don't involve him."

"Oh."

"Our whole office is coming for the wedding. I'll give you the exact number in some time." Gauri tells him.

"Oh... your phone was engaged, that is why I called him... I was looking for a venue option."

"We might need a big place." Gauri whispers to him.

"Hmmm... understood." Tej replies and he quickly hangs up.

"Are we inviting just the staff or their family too?" Omkara asks her.

Gauri closes her eyes for a second then opening them, she says, "Obviously their family too."

"Gauri, I really don't know what your idea of small function is. This doesn't sound like a small function. 73 staff and their family, make it double, mostly triple, so 219 already. Anyway, it's all your decision." Omkara says and starts to go back in when his mobile rings. He quickly answers the phone. "hello... hey... just a sec." Omkara says on the phone and looks at Gauri. "Gauri, it's Arjun... you know him, right?"

"Yes." Gauri replies confused.

"Are we inviting him for the wedding? Should I tell him about it?"

"Yes." Gauri replies in a clipped tone, as she stood up and followed him to his room.

After Omkara hangs up the call, Gauri turns his chair to face her, and leaning down, she tells him, "From this moment, you'll forget we are getting married."

"We are not getting married?" Omkara asks frowning.

"We are! But you are forgetting it!"

"How is that possible?"

"You will not think of the wedding. You will not mention it to anyone. When it is time, I'll tell you to go for your wedding shopping, you'll do it then you'll promptly forget that we are getting married."

"Why?" Omkara asks confused out of his wits. "And I don't think it is even possible to forget that we are getting married."

"Because in 5 mins, you just increased our guest list by 220 people."

"Gauri, it was your decision!" Omkara points out.

"When you talk about inviting them for our wedding in front of them, how can I say no?"

"Oh!"

"So, stop talking about our wedding like this!"

"I am just so happy we are getting married." Omkara tells her.

"I know." Gauri replies. "But you are increasing the guest list."

"Hmmm... okay... I won't mention it."

"Thank you." Gauri tells him as she kissed his cheek.

"But I feel like inviting all those girls that I took on dates." Omkara tells her.

"No way!"

Omkara sadly sighs. "At least Svetlana? She is my friend."

"Omkara, with the way, you are going, half our wedding guests would be people who might have selpt with her."

"If they can pay her to have sex with her and come for our wedding like a respectable guest, then she can also come to our wedding like a respectable guest."

Gauri smiles. "Okay, and I am calling my friend also. So, we'll have two of your so called dates."

"Which friend? Inbred one or mistress one?"

"I am not friends with the inbred one now. the mistress one... oh my God... don't describe them as that!" Gauri says realizing how she was addressing them.

"Okay. I don't remember their names."

"Richa is the one, I am no longer friends with. Bhavya is the one I'll be inviting."

"Bhavya? don't remember her." Omkara says as he tried to jog his memory.

"Her!" Gauri takes her mobile and shows him her photo.

"Oh her!" Omkara smiles. "I remember her. she has amazing eyes."

"I know." Gauri glares at him.

"I love your eyes more." Omkara quickly says.

Gauri scoffs.

"She told you I said that?" Omkara asks curiously.

"Oh, she told me the whole conversation."

"Conversation?" Omkara asks confused.

"Yeah, it went like... you said, 'you have beautiful eyes.' She said 'thank you.' then a minute later you asked, 'for how much money would you agree to be a mistress?'."

"Oh!" Omkara bites his tongue in realization. "I see where I went wrong."

"Omkara, except for your compliment on her eyes, you went wrong with both the question and the timing of the question."

"Don't ever leave me unsupervised, Gauri." Omkara tells her worriedly.

Gauri couldn't help chuckle hearing that.

*********

Few years later

"Do you want chocolate, baby?" Dhyan asks Gauri's protruding belly. "Nanu and Nani, and Dadu and Dadi are here, and they got me chocolates. Do you want it? it is nice."

Feeling the baby kick, Dhyan excitedly breaks a piece and keeps it on Gauri's lips. Smiling, Gauri eats it.

"Did you like it? when you come, bhaiyya will get you more chocolates." Dhyan promises the baby.

Everyone, smiles seeing and hearing that.

"Do you want a brother or sister, Dhyan?" Jhanvi curiously asks him.

"Papa was saying it is most probably going to be a girl."

"What?" Jhanvi asks surprised. "How can you say that?"

"It is some Chinese calculation and all." Gauri waves it off.

Soon, everyone had got into a conversation regarding the gender of the baby.

"Papa?" Dhyan curiously turns to Omkara.

"Yes?"

"How did the baby get into Mama's stomach?" Dhyan curiously asks him.

"When Papa and Mama have unprotected sex.."

"OMKARA!" Gauri shouts in shock. She didn't hear Dhyan's question, but she definitely heard Omkara's answer.

"What are you telling him, Om?" Tej asks him furiously.

"He asked me." Omkara replies. "We should clear children's doubts."

"Papa... what is unpro... unprotected sex?" Dhyan asks him.

"Don't open your mouth." Gauri furiously whispers to him.

"Ask Mama." Omkara replies.

"Mama?" Dhyan turns to her.

"It is adult thing, Dhyan. When you grow older we'll explain to you."

"You always say that." Dhyan sadly mutters.

"Because you ask that kind of questions."

"I'm telling you, Gauri. you shouldn't let Dhyan be with Om." Jhanvi tells her.

"NO!" Dhyan screams in outrage as he jumped on Omkara and hugged him tight. "I love Papa. He is my best friend. He always answers me when I ask him question."

Omkara smiles and hugs him tight. "My Dhyan is the best and you ask me anything, okay?"

Gauri glares at her husband and son. "You both pray that I don't find a big needle and strong enough thread, the day I do, I am sewing both your mouths shut."

*** The End ***

*PHEW* For a no story, story, I rambled on forever.

P.S: I still believe the original Dhyan from Silent Love is the real Pataka. Hope you guys liked it.

Please vote and comment.

- Lazy