Hello everyone,

Thank you all for voting and commenting on the previous part. So glad you guys enjoyed the last story.

I have a quick question... It is regarding the next short story I am posting.... I am confused which one to post.

What would you guys prefer?

Bewitched (It has 17 parts + Epilogue) - It is a fantasy love story.

Dancing At Midnight  (it has prologue + 9 parts) - It is a feel good love story.

Tum Mere Ho  (it has 4 parts) - it is a love story

Lemons & Lemonade   (it has 4 part) -  it is a love story.

I will post according to the preference of everyone.

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

The Elevator

Omkara Singh Oberoi hurried to the lift, he couldn't believe of all days, today he is late. He is supposed to meet the prospective bride today and he was late for that. The meeting had taken forever to finish and now he was whole of ten minutes late. Finally, the lift decided to grace him with it's presence and Omkara quickly got in and pressed the button for the rooftop restaurant. The lift was about to close when it again opens, Omkara looks up in irritation when she entered. Gauri Kumari Sharma. The prospective bride. Omkara starts grinning, even she is late. Omkara was about to say hello to her when he noticed that she was talking on the phone, and looks like she didn't really notice him if he was to go by the lack of reaction from her side.

"Bhavya, I'm so tensed. I just don't know what I'm going to do... yeah yeah I remember everything. *taking deep breaths and confidently says* "I'll handle this Kaaru... hey let's go through it one more time... movie won't start for another five minutes Bhavya... wait... one last time... Bhavya? Hello? "

Omkara who was listening to her conversation starts frowning handle Kaaru? KAARU? How did she find that out?

"Hello."

He hears Gauri saying, he turns his attention back to her. Is she blind? I'm standing next to her and she is looking at the door?

"Hi" she says again.

"Erm.. hi... I'm here." Omkara replies really wondering whether she had some problem with her eyes.

Gauri suddenly turns to look at him frowning "I'm not talking to you." she informs him.

Confused Omkara starts looking around for the third person in the elevator.

"I'm practicing." Gauri says irritated seeing him looking around.

"Oh." Omkara says thoughtfully. Is she crazy? She is practicing in front of me what she is going to talk to me? And why is she not recognizing me?

"I'm Gauri Kumari Sharma, I finished my post-graduation..."

Is she here to see me or for an interview?

Suddenly, everything goes dark and the lift comes to a halt.

"What happened?" both of them asks out loudly shocked and tensed.

The emergency light starts blinking and then it turns on.

"What is it? Did the electricity go? Power cut?" Gauri asks.

"I don't know." Omkara replies and he picks the phone to talk to operators.

"What did they say?" Gauri asks him, seeing him hang up.

"They said that there is a major power failure and we will have to stay here for a while, maybe up to an hour."

"WHAT? One hour? I am supposed to meet Kaaru. He is waiting for me."

I am Kaaru! No, I'm Omkara Singh Oberoi! Get that right woman!

Omkara was about to tell her that he is THE Kaaru, when Gauri starts talking on the phone.

"Hello, Baba... no I didn't meet him... I'm in the lift and there is some power failure here and I'm stuck in here for some time... they said that it could take time... okay baba... bye." Gauri hangs up the phone seeing the stranger frowning at her she gives him a hesitant smile and Omkara smiles back at her.

Why is she lying? I'm standing right in front of her. Hasn't she seen my photo?

"Hello." Omkara greets her, in order to start a conversation and find out why she is not recognizing him.

"Hello." Gauri replies.

"Are you here to meet someone?" Omkara asks suddenly confused whether he got the right person.

"Yeah." Gauri smiles as she turns to look at him. "There is this proposal for marriage, so I came to meet the guy."

"I assume that guy is this er.. *shuddering* Kaaru you mentioned." Omkara asks her.

"Yes." Gauri confirms.

Okay, so it IS her! Then why is she not recognizing me?

"So, practice was for that?" Omkara asks her again.

Suddenly frowning she asks him "Why are you so interested in all this?"

"We are going to be stuck here for a while, so I thought we could just talk." Omkara replies with a shrug.

Gauri keeps staring at him for a while then replies "Yeah."

After that they were silent for a while each lost in thoughts. Omkara's cell starts ringing bringing them out of their thoughts. Omkara picks up the phone, it was his father calling to inform him that Gauri was stuck in the lift, without telling his father that he was also stuck in the lift along with Gauri, Omkara hangs up.

Noticing that Gauri was sitting down on the ground Omkara also sits down.

Gauri again dials a number, and starts talking on the phone, "Hey Bhavya... I'm stuck in the lift there is a power failure" then she looks at Omkara and then whispers "No I'm not alone... who is with me? I don't know. Some guy."

Looks like Bhavya was a loud person, because Omkara heard her asking Gauri whether he was good looking. Girls.

"Yeah, you could say that." Gauri replies not realizing that Omkara heard Bhavya's question.

Omkara smiles hearing that making Gauri cautious. "Bhavya, can we get back to the matter in hand?" Gauri asks getting all serious. "Once more can we go through this?... Come on... the movie hasn't started... because I can hear the advertisements over the phone... please Bhavya don't do this... I'm so nervous... don't... hello? Hello?" Gauri looks at her phone in shock and mutters "she hung up on me! AGAIN!" she sees Omkara watching her and mutters "so easy for her, married and pregnant."

Omkara chuckles.

"What are you laughing at?" Gauri asks pissed.

"Nothing." Omkara replies while she glares at him, then an idea occurs to him. "If you want, I can help you." Omkara offers, this way I can know her better and also know more about her. God knows what this Bhavya has coached her.

"Help me?" Gauri asks confused.

"Yeah... you wanted to like practice what you were going to say to this *shudders * Kaaru with this friend, right? Since we are going to be stuck here for a while, and nothing to do I can help you. And always better to practice with a guy than a girl in matters regarding men." Omkara explains.

Gauri gives him a suspicious look for a while then with a shrug starts "I'm Gauri Kumari Sharma. I finished my Post Graduation last year. I got fifth rank in my university..."

"Wait" Omkara says making Gauri stop.

"Yeah?"

"Let me get one thing straight. Are you here to see this guy so you can decide whether you want to marry him or are you here to apply for the post of his wife?"

"WHAT?" Gauri asks giving him weird looks.

"You sound like you are at an interview." Omkara explains.

When Gauri looks confused, Omkara says "Okay, let's start at the beginning. A simple Hello would do. A smile goes a long way."

Gauri smiles and says "Hello."

"Perfect. And you have a beautiful smile."

"Thank you." Gauri smiles.

"So, Gauri tell me something about you." Omkara says "acting" like the prospective groom.

Gauri looks lost for a moment and then starts "okay... let's see... ermmm... ermmm..." Gauri looks panicked as she brainstormed something to say, though there were lots to say, everything was going to come out like she is at an interview.

Omkara smiles, "First time?"

"Yeah."

"It happens... okay, then I'll say something about myself." Then Omkara starts thinking for a while then chuckles "Even I'm at a loss."

Gauri laughs hearing that and then says "it's okay, leave it. I know this won't work out. I just came for my baba and the experience. But thanks for trying to help me." Gauri says with a shrug.

"Experience?" Omkara asks frowning.

"Yeah, so next time when I'm meeting some other guy I won't be nervous." Gauri explains.

"Why do you feel this won't work out?" Omkara asks confused.

"Because I know, he and I won't work out." Gauri explains.

"Why do you feel like that?"

"Lots of reasons." Gauri replies.

"Tell me some." Omkara persists.

"Why are you getting so worked up about it?" Gauri asks frowning.

Omkara tries to act casual, "Just curious. And we don't have anything else to do." If she was going to reject him, then he will damn well know the reasons.

"Okay. First of all, his name is Kaaru." Gauri says shuddering.

"That is not his name." Omkara bursts out without thinking.

"How do you know that?" Gauri asks, "and why are you getting so hyper?"

"Ermm... it's because Kaaru sounds more like a nickname than a real name. Deciding someone won't suit you because of their name is plain stupid. Just stop calling him with that disgusting name." Omkara tells her.

"Yeah... Kaaru is not his real name. But who allows themselves to be called Kaaru?" Gauri asks.

"Maybe he doesn't like being called Kaaru. Maybe some friend for example a college friend who was drunk called him Kaaru in a drunken state and his less drunk friends around might have picked up the name from there and refuse to stop using that from then on, and he hates that name but can't seems to make people stop calling him that." Omkara explains.

"Oh!" Gauri says "didn't think so... I always thought that he liked it."

"No, he doesn't." Omkara replies strongly then when he noticed her frowning at him he amends "if I'm him, I would definitely won't like it."

Gauri nods being convinced. "What is your next reason?"

"He is dumb." Gauri says.

"WHAT?" Omkara asks highly offended.

"Yeah. My friend told me, he used to fail." Gauri explains.

"First of all, a person who fails doesn't mean that he is dumb or stupid, it might be just that he doesn't like the subject or he is plain lazy. Don't judge a person's intelligence by his exam results. For all you know, he might be good in maths." Omkara replies pissed.

"Yeah you are right. Matter of fact, he used to top in maths." Gauri says amazed.

"There. A person who is good in maths is never dumb." Omkara says till pissed.

"Yeah you are right." Gauri replies after realizing what she had been thinking and blushing slightly for her small thinking.

"And secondly, you don't seem to be impressing Kaaru all that much." Omkara says.

Gauri looks at him offended.

"You are too judgmental for Kaaru's liking." Omkara tells her. How he hated people calling him Kaaru and now he himself doing that, and to top it all of, her these thoughts.

"How do you know what Kaaru likes and dislikes?" Gauri asks.

"Normally, people hate others being judgmental." Omkara explains.

"I'm not judgmental." Gauri says and then starts wondering why he said that and then slowly realizes that he was right. "Oh God, I feel so terrible. I hate people when they judge me without knowing and I did that to Kaaru. That was so terrible of me. When I meet him I'm going to apologize to him. He doesn't know about it, but he deserves it." Gauri says.

Omkara starts smiling appreciating her character. "Gauri, just be your true self and you are going to impress the hell out of Kaaru."

Gauri smiles "It would all depend on how he reacts when I tell him what I did."

"You don't have to tell him, you know." Omkara tells her.

"That would be wrong, right? And I would feel too guilty about it whenever I look at his face."

"I'm sure Kaaru will like you for your honesty." Omkara reassures her.

"Bhavya told me all this and I just let it go to my brain without thinking. This Bhavya na.." Gauri says shaking her head.

"Who is this Bhavya? And how does she know all this?" Omkara asks confused.

"She is my friend. Her husband Rudra was Kaaru's classmate. He told her all this. And she told me." Gauri explains.

"RUDRA!!!" Omkara exclaims. It was that fool. Wait till I get my hands on him. First, he gave me the stupid name Kaaru and now this?

"You know him?" Gauri asks shocked.

Omkara realizing his folly quickly smiles, "I'm supposed to be Kaaru, so I assumed this is how Kaaru would react."

"Oh... I wish he is this easy to talk to." Gauri says hopefully.

Omkara starts smiling and then asks, "If you were so sure that this won't work out why were you so nervous?"

"I've been asking myself that." Gauri says rolling her eyes.

Omkara chuckles, then asks "Okie, tell me your other problems with Kaaru."

"No... it could be all Bhavya talking." Gauri says.

"Still, let's see."Omkara urges.

"Okay. hmmm yeah this one, I don't think I'm being judgmental about this."

"What is it?" Omkara asks.

"He doesn't watch movies and I'm a total movie buff." Gauri explains.

"WHAT? Rudra said that?" Omkara asks shocked.

Gauri looks at him appreciating "You are a great actor. I keep forgetting that you are not Kaaru."

Omkara fakes a chuckle. "Kaaru doesn't like movies... huh? I wonder why?" Omkara asks trying to find out the reason.

"I know movies do not play much of a role in married life, but then, for me every week I at least have to watch one movie. So, if I'm marrying someone who hates movies then it'll create problems. You know, I once watched a Telugu movie when I didn't get ticket for any other and I don't even understand Telugu. Didn't understand a single word but the graphics were just awesome."

"Really? Which movies?" Omkara asks getting distracted.

"Can't remember the name. It's about rebirth. Chiranjeevi's son is the hero."

"Magadheera! Hero's name is Ram Charan Teja." Omkara says excitedly.

"You know that movie. Are you Telugu?" Gauri asks excited.

"No, after Bahubali, I started watching all of Rajamouli's movies. So, I got the DVD and watched. Luckily for me, it had subtitles."

"See... I should marry someone like you. I doubt Kaaru even knows who Jack Sparrow is."

That was a slap on his face! When Pirates of the Caribbean - The Curse of Black Pearl released he had his hair and beard grown like Jack Sparrow.

"Why do you think so? Or rather Bhavya and Rudra." Omkara asks.

"In college, whenever they call Kaaru to go for a movie he rarely goes. 3yrs and Kaaru has gone for a movie with them only twice." Gauri explains. "How do you explain that?" Gauri asks him.

"Okay, if I was Kaaru then maybe, me being a movie buff might have already watched those movies on the first day of release. He might have not gone for the movie with them because he has watched it. And since he had to pay for the movies with his pocket money as his father didn't like him living in a theatre as his father would put it, he couldn't afford to pay to watch a movie twice even if he loved it. And the main reason could be that his friends talked non-stop while watching a movie irritating him and he prefers watching movies alone." Omkara explains.

"Then we would have to go separately for movies. I like it if my husband comes with me." Gauri says disappointed.

"Marriage is all about compromises, Gauri." Omkara tells her.

"What other reason?" Omkara asks.

Gauri remains silent for a while then says "This is a pretty big one. Actually, the main reason."

"What is it?" Omkara asks getting a little tensed and very curious

"His family is very conservative." Gauri starts while Omkara starts frowning.

"So?"

"I love movies. I live movies."

"I know that."

"I want to be a director but I doubt his family would allow that. You see, I'll have to travel a lot and stay away from home for long time due to shootings if I become a director and I doubt his family would agree." Gauri explains worriedly, "Even if all the other things work out between us, and this doesn't I don't think I would marry him, because I won't be happy."

Omkara was silent for a while as he thought about what he was going to tell Gauri and then says "Have you ever thought that maybe Kaaru might have wanted to take a profession related to films, like be cinematographer for instance but then since he was color blind he couldn't be one. So, he might never come in the way of your dreams. If he is supporting you, I doubt his family will have that much of an issue."

"Color blind person can't be a cinematographer?" Gauri asks confused.

"How are you going to shoot breathtaking sceneries if you can't differentiate a few colors?" Omkara replies with a shrug.

"You are color blind." Gauri states softly.

"Yeah. Red-green colorblindness." Omkara tells her not much hurt about his loss as he had come to terms with it ages ago.

"I'm sorry." Gauri says sadly.

"Don't be. I'm happy now. I enjoy my business, I love it and strange thing is I never thought I would. But it is like a part of me now." Omkara tells her all happy.

"Now, what are your other issues?" Omkara asks smiling.

"Nothing else. If Kaaru is half as good as you portray him then I think I'll like him. But then I don't know what type of a girl he wants" Gauri says smiling.

"Let's see, if I was Kaaru I would say that I never thought what type of a girl I wanted but now I know, I don't want any other type." Omkara says grinning at her.

"You are such a flirt." Gauri says laughing.

"Harmless." Omkara replies and they laugh.

"Kaaru will like you, Gauri. And liking someone and seeing your future with that someone is the first step to an arranged marriage, and love slowly happens." Omkara tells her.

After thinking about it for a bit Gauri nods agreeing with him.

Suddenly, the emergency light goes off and main light comes on and with a jerk the elevator starts. Gauri and Omkara get up and start brushing off the dust.

"How does Kaaru look?" Omkara asks.
"No idea. Baba gave me his photo to see, but I was on my way out and in a hurry, so took it with me to see. I left it in the rickshaw I was in and I never saw the photo." Gauri tells him.
Aahh! "So are you worried about how he is going to look?" Omkara asks as he couldn't help himself.
"Everybody has their own beauty, a quality to them er..." Gauri stops and then softly laughs. "I've been talking to you for so long and I don't even know your name."
Finally! Omkara starts smiling. He looks up and realizes just one more floor and decided to make it truly filmy.
"What's your name?" Gauri asks.
Elevator door opens and Omkara turns to her and says "Omkara Singh Oberoi."

Omkara gets outside and turns back to see Gauri gaping at him with her mouth wide open. Realizing the door is going to close, he decided to make it more filmy and says "Since marriage is about compromises I'll go with you for every movie as long as you don't call me Kaaru." Seconds before the elevator door closed he added in true Jack Sparrow style "Savvy?"

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- Lazy