Thanks to all for voting and commenting on the previous story. This is a silly, stupid and time pass story.

"What if he really falls in love with me?" Gauri asks worriedly.

"Have you seen yourself?" Ajay asks her sarcastically.

Gauri scowls at him through her thick rimmed glasses.

"Shut up, Ajay." Richa tells him.

"Don't you care enough to tell her the truth?" Ajay asks her.

"Babes, you really need to ditch the glasses." Richa tells her softly.

"You know I can't see without them." Gauri mumbles.

"You could get nice frames or contact lenses."

"I like my specs." Gauri tells her wondering why no one seemed to like her black thick rimmed glasses. "And it is the in-thing."

"On your face it makes you look like a nerd."

"I am a nerd."

"You don't have to advertise it. And don't get me started on your silly tshirts and hoodies."

"I like them. I am comfortable in them." Gauri argues meekly.

"You're such a beautiful girl, I don't know why you want to do this to yourself." Richa tells her shaking her head.

"I am not doing to myself. this is me."

"No guy is going to look at you." Richa tells her softly.

"I am here to study, not get a boyfriend." Gauri tells her. "And if a man can't love me as me then he doesn't deserve me. if all he wants is a Diva then he can look elsewhere."

"There is nothing wrong in being a Diva." Richa points out.

"And there is nothing wrong in being me." Gauri tells her raising up her chin proudly.

Ajay asks almost in a bored tone, "Anyway are you going to do the dare?"

Gauri turns to look at the handsome guy. She sighs. "No."

"Then you'll have to do the punishment." Ajay says with a smirk.

God, she hated him! he was Richa's boyfriend, Mukesh's best friend and she is forced to hang out with him.

"Yeah, Gauri. That's the rule." Mukesh says chuckling.

"What is the punishment?" Gauri asks giving up.

"Do all my assignments and homework the whole year." Ajay tells her smirking.

"No way!"

"We had decided the rules before we started playing and you agreed."

"But whole year is too much." Richa frowns at him.

"Maybe for one day." Mukesh tells him.

"I challenged her, so the punishment will be what I decide." Ajay says.

Gauri frowns at him and asks, "That is why you suggested the game. So I will slave for you for a year?"

He smirks in reply.

"And you dared her to do something that you knew she would not be able to fulfill." Richa accuses him.

"It was a dare." He says shrugging.

"You are an asshole." Richa tells him angrily.

"You can start doing my assignments now itself, Gauri." Ajay says.

"Take your assignment and shove it up your ass." Gauri tells him furiously. "I'm taking the dare."

"If you don't complete the dare also you'll have to do the punishment." Ajay tells her mockingly.

Gauri ignores him and turns around to look for the handsome guy. Finding him missing from his table, she looks around the canteen, and finds him near the counter ordering something. Taking a deep breath, she walks to him.

"Er... hello." Gauri nervously tells him as she stood in front of him.

He turns to her with a curious frown. "Hi."

Gauri gulps as she looked at the boy. He was more good looking up close. Her heart started slamming against her chest wondering how she was going to complete the dare.

"Can I help you?" he asks with a frown.

Gauri turns to look at her friends and sees them watching her. she turns to him, and sees that he had followed he gaze and was looking at her friends. She quickly says, "I love you."

He turns to her with an amused smile. "Really?"

Gauri nods her head, as she couldn't bring herself to repeat the lie.

"And those are you friends?" he asks smiling.

"Yes."

"Raging or dare?"

Gauri eyes widen realizing he had caught her. she quickly turns to go when he holds her hand.

"What are you doing?" Gauri asks him in shock.

"Tell me, raging or dare?"

"I can't answer that. it's against the rules." Gauri tells him.

"It is either raging or dare. You don't have to say which is, you can say which one it is not." He asks her grinning so proud of himself. "Dare?"

"I can't answer that."

"Raging?"

"No."

"Dare it is then." He says smiling ear to ear.

"Why are you asking me this?" Gauri asks him confused.

"Is the dare that you say I love you?" he asks ignoring her question.

"No."

"I have to say I love you too?" he asks her.

"I can't answer that."

He smiles grinning. "Is there a penalty?"

"I can't answer that."

"Do you want to win?" he asks.

"Yes, please." Gauri whispers as she worriedly looked at her friends.

"And will you help in return?" he asks her.

"How?" Gauri asks frowning.

"I was looking for a girl like you."

"Like me?" Gauri asks confused.

"Yeah, nerdy looking... exact opposite of the college beauty."

Gauri scowls at the insult.

"I am not trying to insult you, I am just explaining why I want you."

"Want me?"

"To be my fake girlfriend."

"WHAT?"

"I'm in love and she has been friend zoning me a for a while now. I just want to make her jealous. I feel if I ignore her and shower all my attention on someone exactly opposite to her, she would get disturbed and that would lead to confusion and attention on me."

"Sorry, not interested." Gauri tells him and she turns to go to her friends and sees Ajay looking at her with a smirk, so sure of his win. Even if she has to be his fake girlfriend, she wasn't going to let that asshole win.

"Fine! I'll do it."

"Not just for now. till she says yes to me."

"Okay. I promise." Gauri tells him.

"That's awesome. We've a deal." He says smiling. "Now come, let's go put up a show for your friends."

Smiling happily, Gauri starts walking towards the table, when she feels him put his hand on her shoulder. She turns to him in shock.

"Don't tell me you are uncomfortable." He says rolling his eyes. "If it would ease you I'll put friendship band for you. even let you put a rakhi for me."

She chuckles hearing that.

He smiles at her, "So, what's your name, sweetheart?"

"Gauri."

He puts his hand forward for her and she clasps his hand. "Hello Gauri, it is very nice to meet you. I'm Rudra."

"Everyone, meet Rudra, my boyfriend." Gauri says smiling as she made eye contact with Ajay.

"What?" Ajay shouts in shock.

"Gauri?" Richa whispers in shock. "Boyfriend?"

"You told him about the dare!" Ajay accuses Gauri.

"What dare?" Rudra asks acting shocked. "Am I a dare, Gauri?" he asks acting hurt.

"No... no, Rudra. I really love you." Gauri says cupping his face. "You are so hot; how can anyone not love you?"

"Then what was he saying about dare?" Rudra asks frowning.

"I don't know, Rudra. Ever since I saw you, I fell in love with you." Gauri tells him.

"You stole my line. Even it was love at first sight for me." Rudra tells her smiling lovingly at her. "I love you, Gauri."

"I don't believe it." Ajay says.

Rudra turns to him with a frown, "You are not my mother to approve our relation."

Gauri bit her lip to stop from laughing seeing the way Ajay had turned pink.

"Come, Gauri. I want to show you off to my friends." Rudra tells her leading her to the table where his friends are.

"You get an extra point for calling me hot." Rudra tells her chuckling.

Gauri chuckles hearing that, she liked him, he was a little shallow but she still liked him.

"Hey everyone, I want you all to meet Gauri, my girlfriend." Rudra announces.

"Girlfriend?" a girl asks in shock as she looked Gauri.

Obviously, that was his crush.

"Is she the most beautiful girl you kept talking about all these days?" his friend asks in shock.

Gauri felt a little uncomfortable with the way they were all shocked, because Rudra was so handsome and she was so ordinary, behenji types.

"Yes, Romi she is my girlfriend. And Chubby she is the one I was talking about. And you know, what is amazing? She proposed me just now. Isn't she amazing? Not scared to go after what she wants?" Rudra asks as he pulled her closer to him.

Gauri smiles at Rudra, deciding to have some fun at the expense of his friends. "I knew you were crazy about me, Rudra. I've been noticing the way you were looking at me all these days."

"Beautiful, courageous and smart, is there no end to your charm, darling?" Rudra asks shocked.

Gauri chuckles, "Won't you introduce me to your friends, honey?"

"Of course, darling. Let's sit first." Rudra says as he pulled a chair for her to sit.

"Chivalrous, I like it." Gauri says with a flirty smile.

Rudra immediately hugs her, "Don't know what that means. It is something good, right?" he whispers to her ears.

Gauri who was shocked at the hug couldn't help smile, poor thing, all he had was good looks, he is so dumb. "Yes." She whispers back.

Gauri spent the rest of the break, chatting up with his friends. She had a great time, giving shock after shock to his friends, with their flirting.

From then on, Gauri spent most of her break time with Rudra and his friends, playing the part of his girlfriend. Even her friends had joined them, and now they were one big gang. Ajay was still suspicious of their relation but they had ignored his accusations. And Rudra was on cloud nine because of all the glares Gauri was getting from Romi.

Gauri walks into the club and looks around for Rudra. He was supposed to meet Rudra there. noticing he hadn't reached, she sits on a table waiting for him to reach. He was supposed to pick up Romi and come to the club. Gauri orders a pepsi and French fries as she waited for him.

Hearing her mobile buzzing, she checks her messages and sees a message from Rudra.

Change in plans, Gauri. Romi has stomach pain, so I'm playing nursemaid for her. so, let's cancel on the club. I'll see you in college on Monday.

Gauri groans in irritation.

"What the hell? Can't you inform if you were not going to show up?"

Gauri curiously turns to the table on her left to see a man on the phone. Cursing loudly, he hangs up the phone.

"Got stood up?" Gauri asks him.

He turns to her with a frown. But then his expression softens.

Gauri frowns seeing something she had never seen on the face of a person who was looking at her, admiration.

"Yes." He says smiling.

"Me too." Gauri replies, taking in his handsome features. He was the most handsome man she had seen in her life.

"Omkara Singh Oberoi." He introduces himself.

"Gauri Kumari Sharma." Gauri replies smiling.

Omkara's heart skipped a beat seeing the most beautiful smile possible on a face. she not only had the most beautiful eyes and face, she had a beautiful smile to go with it. He had thought of leaving, but now, he couldn't even think of taking a step away from her. what the hell happened to him? he had never felt this kind of attraction to anyone, that too instant attraction.

"So, what plans now?" he asks her.

"I told Mama not to make dinner for me. so, now I'll have dinner and head home. What about you?" Gauri asks him.

"I don't have anywhere to be. If you don't mind, then I can join you for dinner." Omkara says with a smile.

"I hate eating alone." Gauri tells him smiling.

Smiling, Omkara gets up and walks to the chair opposite to her and sits.

Gauri pushes her French fries to the middle of the table so he can also have it.

"Do you come here often?" Omkara asks her.

"First time in a club."

"And you got stood up?" Omkara asks sympathetically.

"My friend had some important work. Do you come here often?"

"No. during college days, I used to go clubbing during weekend with my friends. But now, busy with work."

Gauri smiles.

The waiter comes and they quickly place their orders. Then they talked about random things.

"I have never stayed in hostel." Omkara tells her.

"I like it. I can study better. So I stay in hostel during the week and go to my house for the weekends."

"You are the studious kind?"

"D'oh. Shouldn't that be obvious from my look?"

"How is that?" he asks confused.

"The Nerdy Look."

"You're saying that as if it is a bad thing." Omkara tells her confused.

"Isn't it?"

"I don't think so." He says shaking his head.

"Really?" Gauri asks shocked. "Everyone asks me to work on my looks."

"Whatever the hell for? You are the most beautiful girl I have seen in my life." Omkara says shocked out of his wits.

"What?" Gauri asks in a shocked whisper.

Realizing what he said, Omkara looks away muttering, "Shit."

They sat in awkward silence for a few minutes. Luckily the waiter brought their food.

Once the waiter left, Omkara clears his throat to get her attention. Gauri looks at him.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I speak my mind. My motto in life has been honesty in the best policy."

Gauri nods.

"Don't ever feel that you are less than anyone." Omkara tells her.

"I have never felt like that." Gauri confesses to him. "I'm this. And I like being like this. I tell my best friend, if a guy can't love me for being me, then he doesn't deserve me."

"Do you have a boyfriend?" Omkara asks her curiously.

"No."

Omkara smiles hearing that. Gauri for the first time in her life, blushes seeing that.

"Do you have a girlfriend?" Gauri asks him.

"No. was never ready to mingle, till tonight when someone asked me 'Got stood up'."

Gauri's eyes widen in shock as her cheeks heat up with a blush. First time someone was flirting with her other than Rudra. But Rudra didn't count because she knew he was faking it.

"Let's eat?" Gauri asks him.

Gauri has never felt like this with anyone in her life. there was something about him, that made her feel special. As if, she was the most interesting person in the world for him. it made her comfortable and uncomfortable at the same time.

Omkara had started talking to Gauri because he had found her beautiful, but as he spoke to her, he started like her character even more. It was the strangest feeling, it felt like she was what he had been searching for the whole of his life and he wasn't even aware that he was searching for something.

Hearing her mobile ring, Gauri checks her phone.

"I've to take this. It is my mother." Gauri tells Omkara.

"Hello Mama?" Gauri says on the phone. "I'm just finishing up dinner. I'll come in a bit. Okay, bye."

"Time for you to leave?" Omkara asks seeing her hang up.

"Yeah, my parents haven't seen me for 5 days, and they sleep early, so I have to go." Gauri informs him regretfully.

"Oh okay." Omkara gestures the waiter for bill.

"Do you want my number?" Gauri asks him.

Omkara smiles hearing that. "I was about to ask you for it."

They quickly exchange numbers.

The waiter brings the bill.

Seeing Omkara taking out his card, Gauri asks him, "Let's go Dutch?"

Omkara looks at her for a second and then says, "Yeah sure."

Gauri takes out her card and puts it along with Omkara's card.

"How are you going to go?" Omkara asks her as the waiter swiped their cards.

"I'll take uber."

"I can drop you." Omkara tells her as he entered his pin on the card machine.

"Won't that be trouble for you?"

"no. I would love to drop you."

Gauri blushes hearing that.

"Ma'm?" Waiter extends the card machine to her.

Gauri leans over the table and enters the pin.

"Let's go?" Omkara asks after she had kept her card in her bag.

"Okay." Gauri smiles as she took her backpack and duffel bag from the floor.

They were walking out when Omkara whispers to her, "It's true."

"What?" Gauri asks confused.

"Your tshirt."

Gauri looks down and sees 'Once in a while someone amazing comes along. And here I am' written on her tshirt. Gauri smiles and looks up at him and sees him giving her a flirty smile.

"Bye." Gauri tells him smiling as she got out of the car.

"Bye, Gauri." Omkara says smiling. "I had a great time, Gauri."

"Me too." Gauri smiles.

Gauri was talking to parents, but unlike normally, this time she wasn't keenly listening to them, as her attention was still on Omkara. She wanted to see him again. she has never felt like this for anyone before. The truth was no guy had managed to grab her attention for more than few minutes because she always lost interest in them quickly. Omkara was different. Hearing her mobile buzz, Gauri checks her mobile. She smiles seeing that Omkara had messaged her.

Hi.

Hello. Gauri replies.

Since we went Dutch today, I want to take you out for dinner tomorrow. Proper dinner. I'm paying. What say?

Gauri smiles excitedly reading the message. She couldn't wait to see him. And she couldn't wait till night to see him. she quickly replies.

How about we make it breakfast tomorrow?

I thought asking out for breakfast would be weird. It's a date then. I'll pick you up from your home?

Hearing the missed call, Gauri runs out of her house after informing her mother. She sees him leaning on his car.

"Hey." She says as she hurried out.

"Hi." He says with a smile. He opens the car door for her.

Gauri was about to get into the car when she notices his eyes on her chest.

He chuckles, "I guess, reading your tshirt is going to be my favorite pastime."

Gauri smiles, she was wearing one of her favorite tshirts, 'I tried being normal once, it was the worst two minutes of my life.'

"I love these type of tshirts and hoodies." Gauri tells him smiling.

"They are very cute on you." Omkara tells her with a smile as he closed the door.

"Where are you taking me?" Gauri asks him as soon as he got in.

"Do you have any particular place or cuisine in mind?"

"Crepes."

"Let me check." Omkara says as he took his mobile to search for a crepes place. "Where did you tell your parents you were going?" Omkara asks her curiously.

"Date."

Omkara turns to her with a smile. "and what did they say?"

"My mother was almost crying in relief that I was doing something interesting."

Omkara chuckles.

"What about you?"

Omkara looks at her with a frown. "I told mom that I don't want breakfast, that I am having from out. She just said okay. she might have assumed that I had gone for some official breakfast meet."

"You are always working?"

"Mostly." Omkara replies. "This one has good reviews." Omkara shows her the screen.

"Let's go there."

"When do you have to get back home?" Omkara asks as he started the car.

"I don't have any curfew at home." Gauri tells him smiling.

Omkara smiles hearing that.

"So you don't like reading?" Omkara asks shocked.

"No." Gauri replies as she ate her crepes, her feet up on her chair.

"I am surprised."

"Why? Because of my specs?" Gauri asks curiously.

"You said you were studious, so I thought you are like a book worm."

"I would rather read my text book than some silly fictional stories."

"Hmmm."

"What about you?"

"Once in a while. When I am travelling."

"Do you travel a lot?"

"Due to work, I've to travel quite often."

"When is your next travel?"

"Coming weekend."

"Oh." Gauri's face fall hearing that.

"I would be back in two days. Sunday, I should be back." Omkara quickly tells her.

"Okay." Gauri replies still a little sad. "Where do you work?"

"We've family business." Omkara tells her and proceeds to tell her about their business.

"I saw a cycle track nearby; do you want to go cycling?" Gauri asks him. "When we were in Cambridge I used to go everywhere in my cycle." Gauri says smiling excitedly. "I miss that now."

"I think last time I cycled was when I was in school. Let's go cycle then." Omkara tells her smiling.

"So, how many girlfriends have you had?" Gauri asks as they cycled side by side.

"None."

"None?" Gauri asks shocked.

"I lose interest quickly." Omkara confesses.

"Oh."

"I am not going to lose interest in you." Omkara quickly tells her.

"It's not that." Gauri tells him shaking her head.

"Then?" Omkara asks confused.

"Even I lose interest quickly. I speak to them for two minutes and I realize they are the most boring person on earth."

"EXACTLY." Omkara says amazed.

Gauri chuckles hearing him.

"So, am I interesting enough?" Omkara asks softly.

"Yes." Gauri tells him smiling.

"It doesn't make us sound as nice people, right?" Omkara asks her curiously.

"Do we even care?" Gauri asks him back.

"No." Omkara laughs.

At night after dinner, Gauri walks into her house and finds her mother glaring at her.

"What happened, Mama?" Gauri asks curiously.

"Where were you the whole day?"

"I told you I was going for a date." Gauri replies confused.

"Don't lie, Gauri. you lied to me that you were going for a date and went for combined study, didn't you?" her mother asks her, squinting her eyes at her. "You knew, I would ask you to stay home if you told me you were going to study and so you lied, right?"

"Oh my mother!" Gauri puts up her hands in exasperation. "At least once be normal. I was on a date."

"The whole day?" Nayantara asks in shock.

"Yes."

"Really?" Nayantara asks smiling excitedly. "Who is he? When do we get to meet him?"

"After the way you are behaving, never!"

"Why, Gauri?" Harsh asks sadly. "Are we so bad?"

"You're going to embarrass me in front of him. and he is special."

"Awww my baby is finally acting her age."

"Oh please Mama!" Gauri says then hearing her mobile, she checks it to see Omkara calling. She couldn't hide her blush; she walks off to answer the call.

"Bring him home someday." Nayantara calls after her.

"No!"

"Hey." Gauri says smiling.

"Hey... when are you going back to your hostel?"

"Tomorrow evening or day after morning."

"Can you make it day after? Mom just called, some guests are coming over tomorrow, so I can't get out in the morning. Will be able to meet only in the evening."

"Yeah, okay. I'll go day after morning then."

"Great... by the way, did your parents say anything about you spending the whole day with me?"

"No, they were cool. In fact, too cool."

Omkara chuckles.

"They want to meet you."

"Oh. Isn't it a little too soon?" Omkara asks her softly.

"It is. I told them I am never bringing you home."

"Why?" Omkara asks shocked.

"They are a little too hyper."

"Ha ha."

Omkara smiles seeing Gauri. he walks to her and gives her a cheek kiss, making Gauri blush. Seeing her blush, his smile grows wider. They walk to his car. he opens the car door for her.

"Let's go get you some donuts then." Omkara tells her smiling.

Gauri chuckles loudly as she looked down at her hoodie. I am just a girl, standing in front of a Salad asking it to be a Donut.

"I am a Donut girl." Gauri tells him.

"Ah, so any particular donut place?"

"I know the place that serves the best donut in the city." Gauri tells him excitedly. "Let's go there."

"Isn't this the best?" Gauri asks him as she bit into the donut.

Omkara smiles seeing her excitement. Then noticing the tiny fleck on chocolate on her lips, he wipes it with a finger. Noticing she was curiously looking at him, he shows her the chocolate on his finger, then he as casually licks it off.

Gauri blushes seeing that.

"When are you going?" Gauri asks him.

"Friday evening."

"Hmmm. So, we won't meet the coming weekend?"

"I'll get back on Sunday. But don't know, if we can meet. I'll let you know."

Gauri nods.

"You can't get out of your hostel during the week?"

"No. there are girls who jump the wall at night."

"Ah." Omkara smiles hearing that.

"I haven't done it."

"Let me know when you are in the mood to jump the wall, I'll come."

Gauri chuckles hearing that. "Let's go to the beach?" Gauri asks pointing at the beach. The donut place was opposite to the beach.

"Let's go." Omkara says as he wiped his hands on a tissue after finishing his donut.

Omkara lifts up his legs to roll up his jeans. Gauri was wearing a pair of denim shorts, so she just has to remove her sneakers. She removes her sneakers with her feet while she kept her hand on his shoulder to balance herself.

"Do you want my sunglasses?" Omkara asks her as he turned to her while slipping off his loafers.

She had put up her hand to block the sun.

"I can't see without my specs. I'll be totally useless."

"Since when do you have your glasses?"

"I think 2nd standard."

"When I was small, I so badly wanted to wear specs." Omkara tells her smiling. "Now, I have slight power, but I don't like using specs."

"Why?" Gauri asks as they started walking.

"I don't know. It is not as fun as I thought it to be in childhood. I use it only when I feel too much strain on my eyes." Omkara tells her as he took her hand as they stepped into the water.

Gauri interlocks her fingers with his as they stood with waves caressing their feet.

"Do you come here often?" Omkara asks her.

"Earlier I used to come with Richa to have donuts. That time we walk in the beach."

"Richa?"

"My best friend."

"Okay. why don't you come with her now? she is in another college?"

"She has a boyfriend now. they are always together."

"Ah you don't want to be the third wheel."

"It's not that. her boyfriend has a friend. He is an ass. I can't stand him."

"Why? What does he do?" Omkara asks frowning.

"He is an arrogant prick. One bloody jerk. So full of himself. Thinks he is one stud, and that the rest of the world is so beneath him."

"Just so you know, I can throw a punch." Omkara tells her.

Gauri laughs hearing that. "I might take you on that offer."

"Waiting for that." Omkara tells her with a grin.

Gauri smiles hearing that. then she with her leg splashes water on his jeans. Omkara looks at her in shock, then tightening his hold on her, he bends down and scooping water in his hands, he splashes water on her. soon, laughing happily they were splashing water on each other.

Realizing they both were drenched, they stop splashing water laughing happily. Gauri grabs the bottom of her Hoodie and squeezes it to get rid of excess water. Omkara takes the ends of her sleeves and squeezes the water for her. she looks up at him and smiles. Omkara wraps his hand around Gauri and pulls her closer to him.

"I've never felt like this for anyone." He tells her smiling.

"Even me." Gauri tells him smiling happily.

Omkara leans down and kisses her forehead.

"I am going to miss you when you go to your hostel."

"Even I'll miss you." Gauri tells him.

"I'll try to call you and message you whenever I can." He promises her.

She smiles hearing that.

"Let's get ourselves dried before we head back." Omkara tells her.

Holding hands, they start walking around the beach.

"Omkara, one minute." Gauri tells him as she ran to a stall that was selling t-shirt, hoodies and jackets.

Omkara follows Gauri to the stall. Gauri started looking through the clothes. he also starts looking through them.

"I love this." Gauri tells him as she showed him a t-shirt.

He turns to look at t-shirt she was holding and chuckles.

Don't

Underestimate

My

Brilliance

While Gauri paid for it, he quickly finds one that he liked. Without showing Gauri which one he had chosen, he asks the guy to pack it.

"You didn't show me yours." Gauri tells him as they walked to his car.

"Later." He tells her smiling.

"Okay." Gauri replies suspiciously.

Omkara stops the car in front of her house. he also gets out of the car with Gauri.

"This is for you." he tells her as he handed her packet.

"For me?" Gauri looks at him surprised. "Thank you."

Omkara winks at her and leaves. She watched him drive away, then she takes the hoodie out of the packet and curiously looks at it.

Girl: What is the first thing you notice when you look at another girl?

Boy: That she isn't you.

She couldn't control her joy and blush. She happily runs into her house.

Next day, Gauri went back to hostel. She spent most of her time messaging or talking to Omkara. The only time she wasn't messaging him was when she was in class or acting as Rudra's girlfriend.

Only on Monday when she was acting as Rudra's girlfriend, Gauri realized that she never told Omkara about Rudra. Even though, she wasn't cheating on him or anything, she still felt that she was betraying him. especially when she realized that she was falling in love with Omkara. she decided to tell him when they met the next time as she didn't want to do it over the phone.

"Who do you message the whole day?" Richa asks her curiously.

Gauri wanted to tell her about Omkara but if she tells her that, then she would have to tell her that Rudra is not her boyfriend. And she couldn't tell her that without talking to Rudra first.

"Cousin sister." Gauri lies.

"Rudra!" Gauri calls out to him as she hurried to him.

"Yes, my darling?" Rudra says as he hugged her.

"Rudra... can I tell Richa the truth about us?"

"What?" Rudra steps back in shock.

"I feel so guilty for lying to her."

"No, Gauri. you can't tell anyone. This is a secret between us. no third person should know. I don't want it to leak and the news to reach Romi, then our whole hard work will be ruined."

"Oh okay." Gauri looks down.

"Please don't be upset. Richa can't keep a secret from Mukesh. Ajay would extract that secret from Mukesh in no time. and Ajay being Ajay, he'll look for ways to ruin everything for everyone."

"You are right. I didn't think about that."

Rudra smiles hearing that. "By the way, you've to come to my house on Sunday."

"Why?"

"It's my birthday and there is a party at home. Since, you are my official girlfriend, you've to be there. no excuses."

Since Omkara wasn't going to be in town, Gauri saw no reason to reject. "Okay. just text me your address."

"Great." Rudra smiles hearing.

"Don't say no." Rudra tells Gauri as soon as he sat next to her in the library.

"To what?" she asks confused. "and when did you start coming to the library?"

"I needed to talk to you without anyone nearby."

"So, what did you want to talk about?" Gauri asks him.

"Make over."

"No way." Gauri replies offended.

"Please, Gauri."

"I'm not interested, Rudra. Get lost."

"It's been days and all Romi does is glare at you. she is not seeing you as a competition. Please, Gauri?"

"I am this. I won't change for anyone." Gauri tells him glaring at him.

"Just for one day. one party. Then you can go back to your normal self."

"No way, Rudra."

"Please Gauri... think of it, the sooner Romi gets jealous and sees you as a competition, and believes that she would lose me forever, and confess her feelings, the sooner we can end this charade."

Gauri furiously glares at him though she knew what he was saying was true, and she was getting sick and tired of this drama. And she wasn't sure how Omkara was going to take her being a fake girlfriend to Rudra. "Fine!"

"I'll pick you from your house on Sunday morning for shopping and then drop you to the parlor for makeover. I'll take you home from the parlour."

"Whatever!" Gauri says in a dismissing tone.

"You are a doll." Rudra tells her as he ruffled her hair.

"And you are a shallow minded ass."

Rudra cheekily grins at her. "So far, I am dumb, illiterate, shallow, desperate and spoiled rich brat. Did I miss anything?"

"Ass." Gauri answers him.

"So you understand why I need you? all I have is good lucks and sexy body."

Gauri couldn't help smiling. "Dog."

Rudra chuckles and leaves, "I'll pick you up on Sunday. Just message me your address."

Gauri was messaging Omkara as she walked with Rudra while he looked for dress for her.

I'll be reaching by evening. can we meet at night?

I have to go somewhere.

How about later at night? maybe after 11?

Gauri sighs sadly. That is too late. My parents won't let me stay out that late as tomorrow morning I have to go to hostel.

What time are you going?

7ish.

I will drop you?

Gauri smiles reading that. YES!

I missed you too ;)

Gauri blushes reading that.

"Got it!" Rudra says happily.

Gauri curiously looks up and sees the dress. "Why don't I just go naked?" Gauri asks him furiously.

"What? This is nice." Rudra replies shocked.

"I don't wear these kind of dresses."

"You don't wear dresses only."

"Because I don't like dresses."

"Come on, Gauri. you'll be amazing in this." Rudra tells her. "Try it, Gauri. please?"

Gauri snatches the dress and walks to the trial room.

Gauri looks at herself in the mirror. She knew the dress looked good on her but she wasn't comfortable with this kind of clothes. she contemplated on looking for another dress but she had a feeling that none of it would make her look this good, so she decided to just wear it for this one night. She needs to buy appropriate bra for this dress.

"Is it correct?" Rudra asks her as she walked out.

"Yeah. I've to buy something. I'll be back."

"I'll get shoes for you by then."

"Oh my, my." Rudra says smiling amazed as Gauri stepped out of the parlor. "You look amazing."

"I better!" Gauri mutters. She had been prodded and tortured for 4 longs hours inside the parlor.

She had seen herself in the parlor. Her hair had been let loose. They had just set her hair with hair spray, leaving her natural curls at the bottom of her. the dress clung to her nicely showing off her figure.

"Let's go get Romi jealous and insecure, darling." Rudra excitedly tells her.

"Let's go." Gauri tells him.

Rudra was wearing a dashing black blazer, all ready for his birthday party.

Gauri hooking her arms on his, walk into the party hall. The place was crowded with their college mates and some of his relatives. The moment they stepped in, the hall started falling silent as everyone's eyes fell on them.

Gauri felt uncomfortable with the way everyone's attention was on them. she wasn't uncomfortable with the attention, she uncomfortable with the fact that she was getting the attention when she was with Rudra and not Omkara. The feeling that she was betraying Omkara was intensifying in her.

"Smile, Gauri." Rudra whispers to her as he waved at his gang.

Gauri forces a smile on her face as she looked at their friends. She could see Romi looking at her in shock.

"Hey everyone!" Rudra says.

"Is that really you, Gauri? I almost didn't recognize you." Mukesh tells her smiling. "If it wasn't for your specs, I wouldn't have recognized you."

"Wow Gauri, finally you listened to me!" Richa says excitedly as she hugged Gauri.

"She listened to me, Richa." Rudra tells her smiling.

"You look gorgeous, Gauri." Chubby tells her looking at her in amazement.

"Thank you." Gauri says smiling a little awkwardly.

"Hi Romi." Gauri says with a smile since Romi and Ajay were the only ones who didn't speak.

Ajay was gaping and Romi was shocked.

"Hi, Gauri."

"She is looking beautiful, right?" Rudra asks smiling. "From the moment I saw her, I knew, she is a true beauty."

"Shut up, Darling. You are making me conscious." Gauri tells him in a flirty tone.

"You're killing me, sweetheart." Rudra says clutching his chest.

"You are late, Rudra."

"Sorry, Mom!" Rudra says turning around.

"Even Om reached before you." Jhanvi tells him.

"I had gone to pick Gauri, Mom."

"Gauri?" Tej asks confused.

"Sweetheart, meet my parents." Rudra tells her.

What the fuck? Gauri turns to look at Rudra in shock. How can he introduce her to his parents?

"Mom, Dad and O... this is the love of my life, my girlfriend, Gauri."

Gauri looks at his parents and sees his parents smiling at her. she smiles back at them.

"She is so beautiful." Jhanvi says beaming as she caressed Gauri's cheek.

"Hello, Gauri." Tej says smiling.

"Hello." Gauri says with an embarrassed smile.

"That is my brother." Rudra tells her.

Gauri curiously looks at Rudra's brother and stops in shock seeing Omkara. He was typing away on his phone.

Oh my God. No... no... no.

"O." Rudra calls him.

"Just a sec." Omkara replies as he continued to type. Then he stops and looks up. "Sorry."

Gauri hears a beep on her phone and looks at her phone to see Omkara's message. She nervously looks back at him.

Omkara was looking at her with a polite smile. Then he starts frowning as he squinted at her face then she saw the shock on his face when he recognized her.

"This is my girlfriend Gauri, O. Gauri, this is my brother, Omkara."

"Gauri?" Om whispers in shock.

Gauri gulps as she looked at him. this wasn't how she wanted him to find out.

"I wanted to introduce you to Gauri, that is why I asked you to come to the club that day. but then Romi fell sick and I had to cancel last week." Rudra tells him then he pulls Gauri towards him and says as he looked at Romi, "She was so pissed that I stood her up. Because of you, she didn't talk to me the whole weekend."

"And these are my friends, Romi, Chubby, Richa, Mukesh and Ajay." Rudra continues to make introductions.

His parents were talking to them while Omkara and Gauri stared at each other.

"Excuse me." Omkara whispers and turning around, he walks off.

Gauri watches as Omkara walked off. she looks at the message he had sent her.

Gauri, I have to see you. I can't wait till tomorrow. I am missing you like crazy. At my brother's birthday party now, I'll leave here in half an hour. I will come to where you are. Just send me your location.

"I'm going to the washroom." Gauri whispers to Richa and leaves the door through which she saw Omkara had exited.

Lifting up her dress, Gauri starts running around the garden, looking for Omkara and sees him walking off.

"Omkara!" Gauri calls him as she ran behind him.

He stops and turns to her.

"Please listen to me." Gauri tells him.

"I want you out of here in five minutes." Omkara tells her furiously. "I don't want you to be humiliated in front of all these people. So, leave in five minutes, I'm telling my brother the truth."

"I wanted to tell you, Omkara."

"Tell me what? That you were two timing me with my brother?" Omkara asks her in anger.

"No, Omkara..."

"How could you do this, Gauri? You were having your revenge on Rudra for ditching you one night? Didn't you realize that I was falling in love with you? that I love you? I thought you loved me."

"I do, Omkara. I do love you."

"Oh shut up!"

"You've to listen to me, Omkara."

"I don't want to hear anything."

"Please, Omkara... give me one chance... I wanted to tell you about Rudra."

"How could you play with us, Gauri? what did you get in return?"

"I wasn't playing anything, Omkara. I..."

Omkara cuts her off. "I thought you were different." Pointing at her, he says sadly, "I don't even recognize you. is this the real you? or that?"

"That is the real me, Omkara." Gauri tells him as her eyes filled up with tears.

"I don't care. just get out of here." Omkara tells her.

"I don't love, Rudra. I only love you."

"Do you think that would make me happy? That you were playing with my brother's feelings?"

"It is not what you think."

"Your time is running out, Gauri." Omkara tells her then turning around he starts to walk out.

"Rudra loves Romi, not me." Gauri tells him.

Omkara turns to her in shock. "What?"

"Rudra told me I can tie rakhi for him." Gauri tells him.

"What the fuck?" Omkara asks her in disgust. "What kind of twisted shit is this? What next, you'll tie rakhi for me? don't you realize what you mean to me?"

"I do, Omkara. Please listen to what I have to say."

Omkara doesn't say anything as he looked away, unable to look at her face.

"It started with a dare." Gauri tells him and proceeds to tell him everything.

"I thought you were mature and intelligent. And to win a dare, you are doing this?" Omkara asks in disbelief.

"I couldn't let Ajay win and take the punishment." Gauri confesses to him.

"That asshole is a bully. You don't have to do what he says." Omkara tells her in exasperation.

"I know but I had given my word that if I won't complete the dare then I will do the punishment. I couldn't go back on my word."

"This is some fucked up shit, Gauri!"

"I know. Omkara I didn't hide it from you. when we were together, the truth is that I forgot about Rudra. It was like out of sight, out of mind for me. but the moment I realized that I didn't tell you about Rudra, I felt like I was betraying you and I wanted to tell you. I thought of telling you when I meet you instead of doing it over the phone."

"Trust me, Omkara. I want this drama to end as soon as possible. I can't back out now because I promised Rudra that I'll help him till Romi says yes to him." she gestures to herself, "I did all this, so this drama will get over. I couldn't have anyone say my name with anyone other than you. I love you, Omkara. Please don't leave me."

Omkara looks at her helplessly and asks her "Don't you realize what just happened inside? My brother introduced you to my parents as his girlfriend. How could you meet another guy's parents, Gauri?"

"I didn't know, Omkara. I swear I didn't know. All he told me was that there is a party and I have to come as I was his official girlfriend. I never even dreamt that he would introduce me to your parents."

"You should have told me, Gauri. at least we could have avoided that." Omkara tells her sadly.

"I am sorry, Omkara." Gauri tells him as she moved towards him and cupped his face. "Please forgive me. don't give up on us."

Omkara leans down and takes her lips in his. Gauri wraps her hand around his neck as she kissed him back.

Breathless, they part. "You won't dump me, right?" Gauri asks him.

"I love you, Gauri Kumari Sharma." Omkara tells her as he wrapped his hand around her waist.

"I love you, Omkara Singh Oberoi." Gauri tells him smiling happily.

"I know it is too soon, Gauri, we just met but I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

Gauri smiles at him and tells him, "I don't think it is soon."

Omkara smiles hearing her.

"GAURI?"

Gauri moves back hearing Rudra's voice.

"I am here!" Gauri calls out to him.

"What are you doing here? They are calling us to cut the cake." Rudra says as he walked towards her and sees Omkara with her. "O... I was looking for you also. Come."

"Why did you introduce me to your parents?" Gauri asks him frowning.

"Because you are my girlfriend." Rudra says as he darted glances at Omkara.

"Your girlfriend?" Omkara asks glaring at him.

"Yeah." Rudra replies with a nervous shrug. "Told you inside."

"YOUR GIRLFRIEND?"

Seeing his brother's reaction, Rudra frowns then he turns to look at Gauri. "You told him?" he asks her in shock.

"Yes."

"How could you, Gauri? I told you, it was supposed to be between us."

"I had to tell him." Gauri tells him glaring at him. "I couldn't hide from him."

"He is the worst, Gauri! he won't lie to save a life and you went and told him?"

"You introduced me to your family as your girlfriend!" Gauri accuses him.

"Romi was there. I had no choice."

"You mean to say you didn't plan that?" Omkara asks him frowning.

"Of course not. It just happened."

"Oh really?" Omkara asks him mockingly. "Then why did you ask me to come to the club then? Weren't you planning to introduce me to your girlfriend?"

"You did say that inside." Gauri says in shock, in her shock of seeing Omkara, that had skipped her mind.

"Okay... I thought if I introduced you to my family then it would freak out Romi." Rudra meekly tells her.

"I can't believe you went behind my back, Rudra!"

"Gauri, I knew you wouldn't agree."

"OF COURSE I WOULDN'T!"

"Just let it go na, Gauri... please?"

"What are you going to tell your parents later?"

"It's no big deal. I'll tell them that it didn't work out and we broke up." Rudra tells her shrugging.

"And after that?" Gauri asks him.

"After that what?" Rudra asks her confused.

"How the heck am I going to take her to our parents after that?" Omkara asks him furiously.

"why would you take her to them?" Rudra asks him confused.

"Because she is my girlfriend."

"What?" Rudra stops in shock.

"You ruined things for us, Rudra." Gauri tells him.

"But how? When did you guys even meet?"

"At the club, last week." Gauri tells him.

"What? Fuck!" Rudra whispers in shock. "Why didn't you tell me you met my brother?"

"I didn't know that he is your brother."

"You didn't tell her your full name?" Rudra asks Omkara in shock.

"I didn't know your full name, Rudra." Gauri tells him.

"How can you not know?" Rudra asks her shocked.

"Why would your full name make a difference to me?" Gauri asks him with a shrug.

"Fuck, Gauri. So for the last one week you were two timing me with my brother?"

"WHAT THE FUCK, RUDRA?" Gauri shouts in outrage.

At the same time, Omkara grabs Rudra's collar and pulls him close to him, then glaring into his eyes, he tells him, "She is going to be your bhabhi, so watch what you say to her."

"Bhabhi? So soon? you just met her last week! Fuck that is crazy!"

"And how the fuck is that any of your concern?" Omkara asks him back.

"It's not." Rudra says as he put up his hand in peace.

Omkara lets go off his collar and steps back.

Rudra turns to Gauri, and asks her. "Now, what are we going to do?"

"I'll do whatever Omkara tells me to. I don't want to hurt him." Gauri says as she looked at Omkara.

Omkara without a word looks at her thoughtfully.

"O, please... I love Romi. She is already burning up in jealousy. It is just a matter of time." Rudra requests him.

Omkara turns to Rudra and tells him, "I don't care that you are in love with Romi or whoever. But Gauri made a promise to you and that is the only reason, I am going to stand back."

"Thank you, O. you are the best." Rudra says happily as he hugged him.

"You better be careful, Rudra, Gauri is very precious to me."

"Yes!" Rudra says smiling happily. "She is bhabhi."

"Let's go then. Everybody is waiting for us." Rudra tells them.

"You are sure, Omkara?" Gauri asks him after Rudra had walked off.

Omkara smiles at her as he took her hand in his, "You gave your promise and that is that all matters for now."

Gauri smiles hearing that. she leans up and pecks his lips. "I don't think I could have ever done this. I can't see you with anyone else."

"Even I can't. I don't know how I am going to handle it. Or how long I can stand it without blowing up."

Gauri smiles hearing that.

"Let's go in." Omkara tells her.

He starts to walk off when Gauri tightens her hold on him. he turns to her curiously.

Gauri nervously looks at his chest and tells him, "Everyone was saying how amazing I am looking."

"You are looking gorgeous." Omkara tells her smiling lovingly at her.

Gauri nods as she looked down. Omkara holds her chin and lifts her face up.

"You are looking gorgeous, but you are not looking like my Gauri. you look like someone else that is not you." Omkara tells her.

"So, you won't be disappointed if I go back to wearing my silly t-shirts?"

"I'll be heartbroken if you stop wearing your silly t-shirts." Omkara tells her smiling.

Gauri happily chuckles hearing that. "I am not comfortable in these. I know I look good, but I don't feel myself in these."

"I know, love." Omkara tells her as he kissed her forehead.

"Hold your horses!" Rudra tells them. "There is a room full of people here."

"Oh shut up, you, selfish brat!" Gauri tells him.

"Don't you know bhabhis are supposed to pamper their devars? Not call them names." Rudra asks her cheekily smiling at her.

Gauri rolls her eyes as she started walking with Omkara.

"Imagine their condition when they see you tie rakhi for me?" Rudra asks her with a chuckle making Gauri laugh.

They start walking to the hall.

"waise... why didn't you invite me for your brother's birthday party?" Gauri asks Omkara.

"I didn't know there was going to be a party."

"You mean to say I knew about your brother's birthday party before you?" Gauri asks him surprised.

"And my parents."

"What?" Gauri turns to him confused.

"That idiot threw himself a surprise party." Omkara informs her.

Gauri chuckles, "How can it be a surprise party when he knew about it?"

"Oh party is for him and the surprise was for us." Omkara tells her dryly.

"Where were you? everyone is waiting." Jhanvi asks Rudra. "Cut the cake. Come, Gauri." Jhanvi tells her with a smile.

Soon they were standing around the cake singing happy birthday for Rudra. Rudra cuts the cake and takes a piece. He looks around the crowd and his eyes fall on Gauri.

"Gauri, come." Rudra tells her as he gestured her over.

"What the fuck?" Omkara whispers in shock at Rudra.

Gauri's eye widen in shock as she looked at Omkara standing next to Rudra.

Rudra turns to Omkara and winks at him as he made puppy face. "It is just to show Romi." Rudra whispers to him.

"I will kill you." Omkara whispers to him.

"Wow, got a girlfriend and forgot your parents and brother already?" Jhanvi teases him making everyone chuckle except for Gauri, Omkara and Romi. Jhanvi gestures to Gauri to come. "Gauri, come."

Gauri walks to Rudra as she worriedly looked at Omkara and he looked like he was ready to kill someone just then, and his brother was the most likely candidate.

Gauri opens her mouth as Rudra put the cake in her mouth, her eyes on Omkara who was trying his best to hide his fury. Gauri starts to walk back.

"You are supposed to feed him too, Gauri." Richa calls out to her.

"What jaan?" Rudra asks her smiling, a second later he felt excruciating pain on his foot.

Rudra looks at Omkara with a fake smile trying to hide the pain from showing on his face.

Omkara gives him a tight smile as he put all his weight and pressure on the foot that was now on top of Rudra's foot.

"Rudra?" Gauri calls him to get his attention as she put a piece of cake near his mouths.

Rudra turns to her and opens his mouth for her. Gauri quickly puts the cake in his mouth and steps back.

Rudra turns to Omkara with a pleading look. "You will fracture my toe, O." Rudra whispers to him.

"Oh, I've every intention of doing that." Omkara whispers to him.

Rudra makes puppy face at him. finally, Omkara steps back while he gave him a fake smile. "Happy birthday, brother."

Gauri was sitting with Richa talking, away from everyone. Jhanvi comes to Gauri.

"I didn't get a chance to talk to you, Gauri." Jhanvi tells her smiling as she sat next to her.

Gauri smiles at her as she sat up straight, feeling a little nervous because Jhanvi was really going to be her mother-in-law, one day.

"You both talk. Mukesh is calling me, it is time for us to leave." Richa tells them smiling and soon she leaves.

"I didn't know Rudra was going to introduce his girlfriend to us." Jhanvi tells her. "If I had known then I would have got a gift for you."

"There is no need for that, aunty." Gauri quickly tells her.

"You should call her mom." Omkara says as he sat on the chair next to Gauri as he typed on his phone.

Gauri looks at Omkara in shock then she turns to Jhanvi and sees her smiling.

"You should, Gauri." Jhanvi tells her smiling.

"Okay, Mom." Gauri says with a slight blush.

"Aww you blush so pretty." Jhanvi says.

Gauri blushes even more.

"As I was saying I would have got you something."

"Seriously, there is no need for that." Gauri tells her smiling.

"That boy is too impulsive. Not like Om here." Jhanvi tells her. "Just few days back, Om told us that he is in love and one day he is going to bring the girl to meet us. so I have time to plan a gift for her."

"He did?" Gauri asks as she turned to look at Omkara in surprise and a big smile.

"Why? Only you will tell your parents?" Omkara asks her grinning.

"Oh you already told your parents about Rudra?" Jhanvi asks smiling.

"They know I am seeing someone." Gauri tells her, not taking any names.

"See, responsible behavior. I don't know what I will do with that boy. You should set him straight."

"It is not Gauri's duty to make Rudra responsible." Omkara tells her as he typed into his phone.

"Yeah, I know." Jhanvi nods. "So, Gauri, tell me about your parents."

"Papa is a doctor, his name is Harshvardhan and Maa is a food blogger, Nayantara."

"Harshvardhan and Nayantara?" Jhanvi asks surprised. "Is Nayantara from Bareilly? and your surname is Sharma?"

"Yes. You know them?" Gauri asks surprised.

"How do you know them?" Omkara asks as he looked up at his mother.

"Nayantara was my neighbor in Bareilly. we were such close friends. We lost touch after Harsh went to UK to do his FRCS. When did you all come back?"

"5 years back." Gauri tells her smiling. "Mama is going to be so excited when I tell her that we met."

"Yes, give me her number." Jhanvi tells her excitedly.

"Wow this is amazing." Omkara says smiling.

"Do you know, Om that you have met Gauri when she was small?"

"Really?" Omkara asks as he turned to Gauri with a smile.

"Yeah, she was just a newborn baby then. We had gone to see her. Even Rudra was just a couple of months old. You were about 6 then."

"I don't remember." Omkara says as he looked at Gauri with an amazed smile.

"You were also a baby then." Jhanvi tells him smiling. "How amazing it is that Gauri and Rudra have met each other when they were mere babies?"

And that stopped Omkara's smile and tells her pointedly, "Mom, you are talking as if Rudra and Gauri are going to get married."

"I was just being excited." Jhanvi quickly tells Gauri seeing that she was awkward. "I know you just started dating and you have a long way to go before you make such decisions. But my son loves you and that makes us love you. And you are the daughter of my oldest friend, that is just golden."

Gauri nervously smiles at her and tells her, "Aunty... I mean Mom, I am not this. This is for the party. I am not usually this dressed up. When you see me tomorrow, I don't want you to be disappointed."

"However you are, you are perfect." Omkara says as he looked at her.

"Om is right, Gauri." Jhanvi tells her with a smile.

Gauri smiles hearing that.

Jhanvi gets called away and she leaves.

"Mom loves you." Omkara tells her as he continued to type on his mobile.

Gauri smiles hearing that. "Even my parents will love you."

Omkara grins hearing that.

"What are you typing so much?" Gauri asks him curiously.

"Nothing. Don't want anyone to wonder why Rudra's brother is showing so much interest in you."

Gauri smiles hearing that. "Imagine if we hadn't moved from here, we might have known each other forever."

Omkara smiles hearing that as he looked at her.

"Would we have fallen in love then?"

Omkara looks at her and says with a smile. "I think so."

Gauri smiles at him. "Even me."

"Don't give your mother's number to Mom." Omkara tells her.

"Why? She looked so excited to talk to her."

"And what is the first thing she is going to tell your mother?" Omkara asks her as he looked at her.

"That I love Rudra." Gauri whispers sadly.

"Just give one excuse or the other. Tell Rudra also."

"We could tell your parents the truth, right?" Gauri asks him hopefully.

"Then they will tell Rudra and you to stop this drama."

"Hmmm." Gauri nods. "That cake... where you okay?"

"I wasn't."

"I'm sorry." Gauri tells him softly.

"I had my revenge." Omkara tells her with a shrug.

"I saw." Gauri giggles.

Omkara chuckles. "How come you are not dancing?"

Gauri looks at everyone dancing. "I can't dance with you and Richa left. So, I don't want to dance."

Omkara looks up at her and says, "I don't dance."

Gauri pouts hearing that making him chuckle.

They remained silent for a while.

"Stop fidgeting with your dress." Omkara tells her seeing her pulling on her dress.

"It feels weird." Gauri tells him with a sigh.

"Let me know when you want to leave, I'll take you home."

"I am ready to leave now."

"Gauri, come dance with me." Ajay tells her as he stopped in front of her.

Gauri and Omkara looks up at him with a frown.

"Get lost." Gauri tells him.

"Rudra is so busy with Romi, I know you want to dance." Ajay says with a flirty smile.

"I don't."

"Who is he?" Omkara asks frowning at him.

"I'm her friend."

"No. you are my friend's friend." Gauri corrects him.

"Come on, Gauri. we are friends. Let's go dance."

Omkara furiously stands up, "Didn't she just say that she doesn't want to dance with you?"

"Who are you to say that? don't interfere."

"if you are late to the party, then let me inform you that she is going to be Oberoi's bahu."

Ajay smirks, "Then what is Rudra doing with Romi on the dance floor?"

Omkara steps forward and stares down at Ajay, staring into his eyes, "And Why the fuck is that any of your concern?"

Ajay steps back seeing the towering man glaring down at him.

"Just leave, Ajay." Gauri tells him in a tired tone.

Ajay quickly leaves.

Omkara sits back down.

"Cute." Omkara tells her smiling.

"What?" Gauri asks confused.

"Your sneakers." Omkara points at her sneakers.

Gauri grins as she covered her feet with the dress. "Rudra got me a stilettoes. It was one inch high. I couldn't wear it. Don't tell him."

Omkara gives her a look and asks, "You think he didn't notice when you didn't grow an inch taller?"

"He didn't say anything. I thought he didn't realize." Gauri tells him then leaning towards Omkara she whispers to him, "he is a little dumb."

Omkara chuckles hearing that.

"Anyway don't tell him."

"Why are you scared of him?" Omkara asks with a frown.

"I am not. He will give these puppy looks and that is so hard to resist."

"That is his weapon. Anyway he might have decided not to push you. He might be shit scared of you blowing up on him."

"Let's see who will blow up first, you or me."

Omkara grins. "I'll take you home then?"

"Okay. I'll just tell Rudra."

"Okay, I'll meet you at the car park. I'll get the car keys and come."

"You didn't show me around your house."

"I'll, next time when you come." Omkara promises her.

"Okay."

Gauri walks to Rudra while Omkara went to get the car keys.

"Rudra." Gauri taps on Rudra's shoulder.

"Hey, where were you, darling?" Rudra asks her as he turned to her. "Dance with me."

"No, I am leaving." Gauri says as she looked at Chubby and Romi. "Bye guys. Will see you in college tomorrow."

"Bye, Gauri." Chubby waves at her with a smile.

"Bye." Romi says in a dismissing tone.

"I'll drop her home and come." Rudra informs them.

"I'll go." Gauri tells him surprised.

"No, I'll drop you."

"If she wants to go by herself let her go." Romi tells him. "Anyway, you've to drop me home."

"Romi, can you take an Uber instead?" Rudra asks her.

"What? You told me you would drop me." Romi says offended.

"Chubby, please drop Romi home. I'll drop Gauri home." Rudra tells him.

"that was smart." Gauri tells him grinning.

"What?" Rudra asks confused.

"Asking her to take Uber and Chubby to drop her. that is definitely going irk her, especially when you decided to drop me and not her."

"You think so?" Rudra asks excitedly.

"Then why did you say you would drop me?" Gauri asks surprised.

"Because I am dropping you home."

"The plan was for me to take Uber, right?"

"That was before. When you were just a friend." Rudra tells her.

"Huh?"

"Now you are Bhabhi, and devars are lifelong chauffer for Bhabhi." Rudra tells her.

Gauri chuckles hearing that. "For your information, my chauffer is waiting for me."

"Ah, I should have known." Rudra says grinning.

"You go, I'll go." Gauri tells him smiling.

"I'll come with you till the car park." Rudra tells her.

Gauri smiles seeing this new side to him.

"I hear our parents are friends."

"Yeah, by the way mom asked me for my mother's number but we can't give her the number till we end this drama and tell her the truth."

"Okay, I understand. Already Mom?" Rudra asks with a teasing smile.

Gauri grins. "Omkara and she asked me to call her that."

"You guys are so fast."

Gauri smiles, "When something feels so right, it doesn't feel so fast."

Rudra gives her an impressed nod. "By the way, Bhabhi, that Ajay is smitten." Rudra tells her.

"He did irritate me a little. Omkara scared him off."

"Keep him away from O. otherwise one of this days, he is going to be murdered by O."

Gauri laughs softly hearing that. "Anyway, tomorrow I'll go back to my normal clothes, so he will lose interest."

"he has seen what you have been hiding, he is not going to stop." Rudra tells her.

"He is and will always be an asshole." Gauri says rolling her eyes.

"And that is why I am telling you that O will kill him. if you didn't realize then O is pretty possessive about you."

"Ah your toes should be knowing." Gauri teases him.

Rudra chuckles. "I didn't mean to make it awkward for you. we feed cakes to our friends, right?"

"Yeah, I know. But everyone thinking I am your girlfriend, so it made it awkward. It was romanticized."

"Sorry, Bhabhi."

"It's okay."

Noticing Omkara standing by the car, she tells Rudra. "Okay, you go."

"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow." Rudra tells her as he hugged her bye. "I forgot to tell you, I am happy you and O are together."

Gauri smiles hearing that. "Bye, Rudra."

Gauri walks to Omkara. He smiles at her.

"Here." Omkara says as he offered her a hoodie.

"This?" Gauri asks surprised.

"You were not feeling yourself."

Gauri smiles hearing that. she takes it and wears it.

"It is not cute like the ones you use. I don't wear hoodies much. This is all I had."

"Thank you." Gauri says as she hugged him.

"I'll come at 7 tomorrow." Omkara tells her as he stopped in front of her house.

"By the way, Oberoi bahu?" Gauri asks him with a teasing smile.

Omkara grins, "I'll propose you soon."

"And how are you so sure I would say yes?" Gauri asks him.

Omkara turns to her and imitating her, he says, "please Omkara, give me one chance. Please don't leave me."

Gauri hits him laughing. Omkara grabs her hand and pulls her close to him.

They happily look at each other and then moves towards each other. Their lips meet and they hungrily start kissing each other.

"I am sorry, I screamed at you earlier." Omkara tells her as he caressed her cheek.

"Anyone would have done that."

"It wasn't anyone else. It was me. and I should have given you a chance to explain before I accused you."

"It's okay." Gauri tells him as she hugged him.

"I love you, Gauri." Omkara tells her as he hugged her.

"I love you too."

"You look different." Nayantara says as she walked into Gauri's room.

"I had to go for a party." Gauri tells her as she removed the hoodie.

"But you never dressed up like this." Nayantara says shocked seeing the dress Gauri was wearing under the hoodie.

"Yeah... I had to dress up for the party." Gauri explains to her as she opened her cupboard to get her night clothes.

"Why?" Nayantara asks confused.

"Because it was a party, Mama."

"Hmmm. That is not yours, right?" Nayantara asks pointing at the hoodie.

"No, it is..." Gauri was about to say Omkara's name, then last moment she tells her, "my boyfriend's."

"he was there at the party?" Nayantara asks with a frown.

"Yeah."

"Were you not comfortable with this dress? Is that why you wore the hoodie on top?"

"I wasn't comfortable with this and he realized it. So, he gave me this hoodie saying that I wasn't me in that dress."

Nayantara smiles and asks her, "When are we going to meet him?"

"I'll bring him home one day. not soon." Gauri tells her.

"We're dying to meet him."

"You'll love him, Mama." Gauri tells her smiling. she was about to mention that he was her friend's son then decided against it, knowing her mother would ask for Mom's number.

"Do you love him?" Nayantara asks her with a smile.

"Yes. And he loves me too." Gauri tells her smiling.

"Then bring him home. Why are you hiding him?"

"I'll, Mama. Soon." Gauri promises her as she walked to the bathroom to shower.

Rudra was getting ready to sleep when he hears the bedroom door open. He curiously turns back to see his brother.

"What was your reason to choose Gauri as your fake girlfriend?" Omkara asks him as he walked in to Rudra's bedroom.

"What?"

"Don't play dumb, Rudra. Tell me the truth." Omkara asks him getting angry.

"Didn't she tell you about the dare?"

"Of all the girls in the college, why Gauri?"

"Er..."

"I've been hearing at the party, how everyone was surprised that the ugly duckling Gauri is transformed into a Swan overnight." Omkara tells him getting angrier by the second. "Did you choose Gauri because it would hurt Romi's ego that you had gone for the ugly duckling, making her question whether you put both of them in the same level?"

"Not exactly." Rudra says guiltily.

"Do you realize how fucking insensitive and immature you are?" Omkara asks him furiously.

"It is not that, O. from the moment I saw Bhabhi, I realized that she was a true beauty and all she needed was a little guidance and a makeover. What you said is true and I knew that if it didn't work with Romi then bhabhi's makeover would definitely work."

"You are a fucking asshole! Gauri has been trying to help you and this is what you think of her? Gauri is perfect." Omkara tells him furiously.

"She kind of knows, O." Rudra tells him.

Omkara looks away realizing Gauri was too smart to not figure that out.

"You saw her today. aren't you happy?"

"Happy?" Omkara asks shocked.

"She looked gorgeous." Rudra tells him shocked at his shock.

"Yes, she looked gorgeous. But that was not my Gauri. that was a plastic doll that you modified to look like what everyone else expects her to be. Gauri is perfect the way she is. Gauri looks heavenly without all this. She is the most beautiful girl I've seen. I don't understand why none of you are seeing it."

Rudra gapes at his brother in shock. His brother thought she looked more beautiful in her normal style?

Omkara stops and takes a deep breath to calm himself. "Gauri is not a Barbie doll that you or anyone can dress her up."

"I am sorry, O. I didn't mean to insult her." Rudra tells him softly.

"I am warning you, Rudra. Gauri is very precious to me. she means the world to me, if you or anyone hurts her, I don't know what I will end up doing. So, be careful. Don't make me forget that you are my brother."

Gauri happily runs to Omkara in the morning. She runs to his arms and hugs him tight.

"Let's go." Omkara asks her as they parted.

"Yeah." Gauri replies as she slid into the car.

"Does your parents know that I am dropping you?" Omkara asks.

"They know my boyfriend is dropping me." Gauri tells him as he closed the door.

"Your parents don't want to meet me?" Omkara asks her as he got in.

"Last night, Mama was saying that she is dying to meet you."

"What did you tell your mother?"

"That I will bring you home soon." Gauri tells him. "and it is Mama and Papa."

"Okay." Omkara tells her smiling as he moved towards her.

Gauri meets him halfway and they kiss.

They part and Omkara whispers a little breathless. "And, that is why I am in love with you."

"What?" Gauri asks confused trying to catch her breath.

"What else?" Omkara asks chuckling.

Gauri chuckles, "It's Emma Stone's quote. After last night, I needed this." Gauri says as she looked at her t-shirt. I can't think of any better representation of beauty than someone who is unafraid to be herself.

Omkara grins. "This is for you." Omkara tells her as he handed her a cover. "There was this store in the airport. I can't seem to ignore these stores now." Omkara tells her chuckling.

Gauri opens the cover to find a t-shirt.

FLAWLESS.

I Woke Up Like This.

Gauri laughs seeing that. "Thank you."

"You are not going to change. Are you?" Richa asks her in shock seeing her look like her old self.

"This is me and I can only be happy being me." Gauri tells her.

Suddenly Gauri feels someone hold both her shoulders.

"hey... hey... I want to talk to you." Rudra tells her.

"Yeah, sure." Gauri replies as she walked away to get some privacy.

"What happened?" Gauri asks him curiously.

Rudra guiltily looks at her and tells her, "Yesterday, O was damn pissed that I was insulting you and treating you like doll by dressing you up. I'm very sorry."

Gauri nods, "It's okay."

"I didn't mean it like that. and I thought you would be happy seeing the transformation on you."

"Omkara is right, not everyone wants to look like a doll."

"I am very sorry, Bhabhi."

"It's okay, Rudra. And you should know, you can't make me do anything that I don't want to. So, you might have suggested the makeover, but it was my decision to do it." Gauri points out to him.

Rudra nods.

"And you shouldn't call me Bhabhi."

"O said you are Bhabhi so you are bhabhi."

"I know that, but what if you accidently call me that in front of Romi? Don't take the risk."

"I call you that only when we are alone."

"But still..."

"Okay then I won't. and I didn't mean to come between O and you."

"You didn't. don't worry." Gauri tells him smiling.

"He was so worried." Gauri tells Omkara on the phone at night.

"Let him be." Omkara tells her still angry at what he did.

"He does things without thinking then he feels guilty." Gauri tries to explain to him.

"He needs to grow up."

"I know."

"Just keep an eye on him till then, okay? I don't want him to get hurt." Omkara tells her.

"I'll." Gauri promises him. "Why you never mentioned Rudra to me before?"

"I didn't know you were in the same college as him."

"Ah okay. Do you know, we wouldn't have met if I hadn't agreed to act as his girlfriend?"

"Yeah, I realized that." Omkara says with a smile. Then he worriedly tells her, "Don't ever mention it to Rudra. If he realizes that we are together because of him, then we can very well sacrifice our life in serving him."

Gauri laughs hearing that.

"So how was college? Were they surprised to see you be yourself?"

"Yeah, some."

"And what about that prick?"

"Ajay?" Gauri asks chuckling.

"Yeah."

"He was trying to be nice."

"Hmmm."

"What hmmm?" Gauri asks grinning.

"Nothing. Just remember that I promised to punch him, I'm just eagerly waiting for you to give me the go ahead."

"Awww."

"By the way, I'll come to pick you up on Friday?"

"I just got back to hostel today." Gauri reminds him grinning.

"I just want to clear my schedule on Friday accordingly."

"Ah okay. I don't want anyone to notice you picking me up till we come clean. So, I will meet you either Friday evening somewhere or Saturday morning."

"Let's meet on Friday evening."

"Okay." Gauri says smiling happily.

Omkara turns to Gauri in the car and whispers to her, as he leaned towards her, "But I want to be closer to you."

Gauri blushes realizing he was talking about her t-shirt. If you can read this, you are too close.

With a sexy smile, he moves closer to her and takes her lips in his.

"Rudra was saying mom was asking for Mama's number." Gauri informs Omkara as she relished the butter chicken and butter naan.

"Yeah, I noticed. Rudra is dodging it for now saying he keeps forgetting. She asked for your number."

"Did he give her my number?"

"No. he said that he is not going to give your number because he is worried that she will keep calling you."

"Oh."

"She was offended." Omkara tells her grinning.

"I feel sad hiding from all." Gauri tells him.

"I know."

"My parents are so cool. I never had to hide anything from them. and they are so eager to meet you, they keep asking me why I am not introducing you to them."

"Even mom was asking me why I wasn't bringing home the girl I love."

"I hope we can do it soon." Gauri tells him sighing.

"Even me."

"So what do you want to do tomorrow?" Omkara asks her as he stopped the car in front of the house.

"The crepes place we went last time, they have pancakes and waffles too. Can we go for that? and then go for cycling after that?" Gauri asks eagerly.

"Okay." Omkara tells her smiling.

"Hi..." Gauri nervously and hesitantly says on the phone.

"Hey, what happened?" Omkara asks in concern.

"You know we had made plans going for movie on Friday."

"I remember." Omkara replies with a frowning.

"The gang has planned to go clubbing on Friday." Gauri tells him.

"Hmmm." Omkara replies getting a little angry. "So, do you have to go as a friend or as Rudra's girlfriend?"

"Rudra's girlfriend." Gauri tells him softly.

Omkara furiously sighs. "We get to meet only during the weekend and that time also he has to do this?"

"Rudra said he will invite you."

"Why would I come?" Omkara asks in exasperation.

"Because I miss you and I want to see you. I told Rudra that I'll come only if you come." Gauri tells him.

"What am I going to do with your friends?"

"Please Omkara, come. I want to see you."

Omkara sighs and tells her in a warning tone, "Okay. but Gauri as long as things stayed within your college it is okay, but if it comes to compromising on our time, I am going to lose it."

"I know, Omkara. Even I don't like that."

"Okay, I'll see you at the club then."

"Okay, your parcel has been safely delivered." Rudra tells Omkara as they stopped in front of the couch Omkara was sitting on.

Omkara gets up and hugs Gauri. Gauri smiles happily hugging him.

"You guys talk; I'll sit elsewhere till everyone else reaches." Rudra tells them and walks off.

"That is a little bitchy." Omkara tells her pointing at her hoodie as they sat down.

Gauri grins. Hating me won't make you any prettier.

"That Romi is getting into my nerves."

"How do you manage to have a top with a quote for every situation?" Omkara asks her amazed.

"This, I was shopping online last week and saw it, so I ordered it."

Omkara chuckles, "Only you will spend money to show someone that you don't give a damn about them."

Gauri laughs hearing that.

"So how is everything going between Romi and Rudra?"

"She is making him run in circles. Now, she is trying to monopolize all his time, every time he looks at me, she will interrupt. If I am not there, she doesn't bother about him."

"Really?" Omkara asks frowning.

"I feel that she gets a high to have a hot guy like Rudra run behind her. it's that high that she is after not Rudra."

"Why didn't you tell him that?" Omkara asks frowning in concern for Rudra.

"I don't think he is ready to hear that."

"Hmmm."

"She is totally not worth all this."

"Then why are you doing this?" Omkara asks her shocked.

"Earlier it was for the dare but now, I don't want Rudra to keep running behind her like this. He needs to realize that she is not going to care for him like he wants."

Omkara doesn't say anything as he thought about what Gauri told him.

"I just feel like hitting this Romi's head to the wall." Gauri tells him getting pissed.

Omkara chuckles hearing that. He puts his hand around her shoulder and pulls her closer to him, "You look so cute when you are pissed."

"Really?" Gauri asks him smiling at him as she looked up at his face.

Omkara was leaning down to kiss her when Gauri was yanked away from his arm. He looks in shock seeing Rudra sit next to a shocked Gauri who was cocooned in his arms.

"What were you saying darling?" Rudra asks her.

"I'll kill you, Rudra." Omkara furiously says as he started moving towards Gauri.

"HEY! You guys are here!" Rudra says loudly as he waved at Romi and Chubby.

Omkara stops seeing them, he turns to look at Gauri and sees her looking at him guiltily.

"Sweetheart, Romi and Chubby are here." Rudra informs her.

"Why the fuck is he calling you sweetheart and darling?" Omkara asks her in a whisper.

"Oh she also calls me those." Rudra softly informs him.

Omkara turns to Gauri in shock. "You've never even once called me those."

"I find it very cheesy." Gauri whispers.

"Unbelievable." Omkara mutters as he looked away.

"Hey Rudra... hi Omkara bhaiyya." Romi says as she sat down.

"Hey Omkara Bhaiyya... hi Gauri.... hi Rudra" Chubby also says as he sat down.

"Hi." Omkara replies in a clipped tone.

"Hey... didn't you see Gauri, Romi?" Rudra asks her. "I know she is a tiny doll next to me, but my baby isn't that tiny." Rudra says as he hugged her tight.

"I need fresh air." Omkara declares and walks off while Gauri worriedly watched him.

Gauri was getting restless when Omkara hadn't come back. She takes her mobile and messages him.

Where are you?

She notices that he had seen the message but wasn't typing any reply.

"Hey everyone." Richa says as she joined them.

"Hey." Gauri replies as she forced a smile on her face, her mind on Omkara.

Richa was about to take the place next to Gauri on the couch when Ajay beats her to it and sits there.

"Thank God." Rudra whispers so that only Gauri could hear him.

"What?" Gauri turns to him in confusion.

"Now, O would be busy killing him to be bothered about me." Rudra cheekily tells her.

"I am going to kill you. didn't you see how upset he was?"

Rudra winks at her in reply.

"I need a drink." Omkara mutters in disgust seeing Gauri still sitting with Rudra's arms on her shoulder and Rudra winking at her.

Gauri quickly turns to look at Omkara and sees him glaring at them. Gauri quickly struggles to from herself from Rudra's hold. Seeing Omkara's fury, Rudra quickly let go off her.

"You are on my seat." Omkara tells Ajay.

"You can sit there." Ajay tells him as he pointed at the seat opposite to the couch.

"I said, you are on my seat." Omkara repeats.

"He was sitting here, Ajay. You should move." Gauri tells him.

"This is not his father's club. We can sit anywhere we want." Ajay says angrily.

Omkara moves towards him, then fisting up his shirt, he pulls him up. Bringing him on eye level, he tells him in a menacing tone "Never go on my father. Never look at Gauri with your dirty intentions. And never mess with me."

Ajay gulps in fear.

Omkara swings him around and dumps him on the couch that he had suggested Omkara sit. Then Omkara sits back on his seat ignoring the silence and gaping look the gang was giving him as he waves a waiter over.

Gauri was staring at Omkara in shock, but he ignores them all and takes the menu card. She turns to look at Rudra and sees him gaping at Omkara.

Rudra looks at her and whispers, "Thank God."

Gauri scowls at him. "You started it."

Rudra forces a smile then turning to his shocked friends he says, "Let's dance. Come on."

They all nod and get up to go to the dance floor.

"You're not coming?" Richa asks Gauri seeing that she was still sitting.

"You go, I am tired." Gauri tells her.

Richa looks at her then worriedly looks at Omkara, "Do you want me to stay?"

"No, you go. I'll be fine." Gauri tells her.

Nodding Richa goes off.

"Are you okay?" Gauri asks him once everyone had left and Omkara and she had placed their orders.

"What do you think?" Omkara asks her back.

"I know this is hard for you." Gauri tells him.

Omkara sighs loudly. "It is not easy, Gauri."

"I will put a stop to all of this, if you want me to." Gauri tells him.

Omkara turns to look at her and tells her, "Let's see for how long I can tolerate all this."

Gauri nods.

"Did I scare you?" Omkara asks her softly.

"You promised to punch him, I didn't see that."

Omkara gives her a you-are-impossible look and smiles. Gauri grins at him.

"Is he troubling you?" Omkara asks her.

"He is trying to get me to dump Rudra, I think. Always talking about how much time Rudra is spending with Romi and how he is ignoring me and using me to make Romi jealous."

"Hmmm."

"I just ignore him." Gauri tells him.

"Now, what's up with those two?" Omkara asks with a frown.

Gauri follows his gaze and sees Romi and Ajay talking as they stepped out of the dance floor.

"Ajay and Romi talking, I am sure it is not good for someone." Gauri tells him.

"Keep an eye on them. be careful." Omkara warns her.

"Yeah." Gauri nods.

"Where did you?" Rudra asks Romi as she joined the dance floor.

"I got a call."

"Okay."

"there is something I want to tell you, Rudra."

"Yeah?" Rudra asks smiling happily at her.

"It's about Gauri."

"What about her?" Rudra asks frowning.

"I don't know how to tell you this."

"Just tell me."

"I really don't know how to tell you this." Romi tells him worriedly.

"Whatever it is just say it. I'm sure all is fine."

"Last Saturday, it seems one of my friends saw Gauri with your brother at the movie theatre."

Fuck!

Seeing Romi was looking at him, Rudra quickly recovers and says, "They are good friends."

"The thing is she said she saw them kissing. When she said your brother I thought she was mistaken but now with the way he had behaved with Ajay I am not sure."

"Your friend must have made a mistake. And O knows that Ajay has been pestering Gauri for a while now, that is why he behaved like that."

"But see even now she is sitting with him and not spending time with you."

"She said she is tired. Neither my brother nor Gauri would hurt me. I trust them. don't over think it." Rudra tells her then dancing, he moves towards Chubby so Romi wouldn't talk more on it.

"Where did O go?" Rudra asks Gauri as he sat next to her.

"he got a call." Gauri tells him.

"Is he okay?"

"Yeah, he is. But I don't know for how long. You and Ajay are really pissing him off."

"I know." Rudra replies then says in a teasing ton. "By the way, I hear you both were getting naughty in the theater."

"What?" Gauri turns to him confused.

"Yeah, just be careful at least till you are open with your relation otherwise people are going to misunderstand and slander your character and relation." Rudra advices her.

"But Rudra we never went to the movies." Gauri clarifies to him confused.

"Not today last Saturday."

"Saturday we went for cycling then we were just driving around. We were planning to go for movie tonight."

"Cycling?" Rudra asks shocked. "What boring dates does he take you for? And what is with him and cycling?"

"I love cycling. I told him I wanted to go for cycling."

"Ah!" Rudra smiles, "That is why he was on the phone with someone asking about Benz and BMW cycles. He was saying he wanted two cycles. I was wondering from where he got his cycle craze all of a sudden."

"He is getting cycles?" Gauri asks surprised. "He didn't tell me."

"Oh." Rudra bites his tongue. "And I also didn't tell you. act shocked when he tells you."

Gauri rolls her eyes laughing happily.

"He is coming. don't tell him, I told you." Rudra tells her.

Omkara sits next to Gauri.

"I hear you are looking for cycles." Gauri tells him grinning.

Omkara turns to her in surprise then he looks at Rudra in anger who was looking at Gauri with his mouth open.

"You have to ruin everything, don't you!" Omkara asks Rudra.

"I told her to act surprised. She ruined it!" Rudra replies.

Gauri cheekily grins at Rudra.

"I'm going." Rudra says as he started to get up.

"Wait, you didn't tell me who told you about the movie thing." Gauri quickly holds his hand.

"Romi. She said her friend saw you."

"It's a lie." Gauri tells him.

"What is a lie?" Omkara asks curiously.

"Romi told him that her friend saw us making out in the theatre."

"What?" Omkara asks in shock. "Thanks to you, we have never got a chance to go for a movie. And how does this friend know Gauri and me?"

"I didn't ask her that." Rudra replies then he asks excitedly, "Do you think she is trying to get us to break up as she is jealous?"

"We saw her talking to Ajay sometime back."

"Most probably it's their plan. Create misunderstanding and break you both up." Omkara dryly says. "And each will keep a part for themselves."

"But how did they guess it so right about us?" Gauri asks shocked.

"It wasn't hard to guess with the way O was behaving earlier." Rudra tells them.

"Be happy that I was showing restrain." Omkara tells him.

Without a word, Rudra looks at Gauri and sees her grinning.

"Romi, which friend was that who saw me making out with Omkara at the movies?" Gauri confronts Romi when they met up in college.

Romi quickly look at Rudra and sees him looking at Gauri in shock.

"I asked you something, Romi."

"She might have made a mistake." Romi replies.

"Oh yeah? And it had nothing to do with you and Ajay whispering about at the club?"

"Why are you bringing me into this?" Ajay asks her shocked.

"Because I know even you were a part of it."

"What proof do you have? And why would I ever do that? I can never think of hurting you, Gauri."

"Cut the crap, asshole. You have always tried to put me down. But ever since the party you have been hitting on me and trying to create misunderstandings between Rudra and me. you think I am a fool that I don't see what you are trying to do?" Gauri asks him.

"You are misunderstanding me." Ajay argues.

"Oh I don't want to even understand you. just get this straight in your head, I have a boyfriend and I love him very dearly. I will only love him. so, don't even keep hopes of you ever getting a chance with me. don't even keep the misconception that I would ever leave him for you. you are nothing in front of him." Gauri furiously tells him then she turns to Romi and tells her, "Next time you try to create problems between Rudra and me, or slander Omkara and me, I'll slap the daylights out of you. Come, Rudra let's go." Gauri declares and walks off.

Having no other option, Rudra hurries behind her. leaving behind Richa, Mukesh and Chubby to handle a humiliated Ajay and Romi.

"What was that?" Rudra asks Gauri in shock.

Gauri sighs happily in satisfaction, "That felt nice. What a relief. Have been holding it in since the night at the club, didn't want to do it in front of Omkara."

"He would have loved it." Rudra mutters.

"I know, but right now, he is a firecracker that is waiting to be lit, I couldn't take the chance."

"I love her, but I know she was wrong in slandering you and O like that." Rudra tells her.

"Omkara told me to be honest with you. So... She is not worth it, Rudra. Sooner you realize that the better. She is not going to date you, she likes it when you run behind her. that is all she is going to give you. don't waste your time on her." Gauri tells him.

"No, Gauri, she loves me. that is why she is jealous." Rudra argues softly.

Gauri shrugs in reply. "I told Omkara that you were not ready to accept the truth. If she loved you, she would have admitted it long back. She is stringing you along."

"Gauri, Mom asked you to come home tonight." Rudra informs her on Friday morning.

"What?" Gauri turns to him in shock.

"She said no excuses that you have to come." Rudra tells her shrugging.

"Why couldn't you tell her that I am busy?" Gauri asks him in shock.

"She wasn't ready to listen to reasons." Rudra tells her.

"I am supposed to meet Omkara tonight. he is going to kill me if I cancel on him tonight also. Last time, he wasn't happy about meeting at the club."

"This time, it is at home. Chill, I am sure he will be fine." Rudra tells her and walks off.

"Any idea why she wants to see me?" Gauri asks Omkara on the phone.

"No. I just don't understand why the whole world is after us." Omkara says in exasperation.

"Rudra was saying Mom was adamant that I come today."

"Hmmm."

"You'll be home, right?"

"Yeah, I'll be here."

Omkara met her at the door. he happily hugs her.

"Did you find out why Mom wants to meet her?" Rudra asks Omkara.

"Nope. She is pretty excited though." Omkara tells them.

"I am a little nervous." Gauri confesses to Omkara as she snuggled into his arms.

"I'm here, don't worry."

Gauri smiles as she stepped back.

"Let's go inside before Mom comes out." Rudra tells her.

Omkara and Gauri nod. Omkara steps back and curiously looks at her hoodie.

Real girls are never perfect. And perfect girls are never real.

They start walking into the house and Omkara whispers to her, "I believe you are both perfect and real."

Gauri blushes happily hearing that.

"Hello, Mom." Gauri says as she hugged Jhanvi.

"Welcome home, Gauri." Jhanvi says hugging her happily.

"Why did you ask me to bring her home?" Rudra asks her curiously.

"I've a gift for you." Jhanvi tells her excitedly.

"Gift?" Gauri asks smiling.

"I was confused about what to get you, and this idiot had no clue." Jhanvi says as she hit Rudra. "Then lucky for me, I accidently spoke to Om about what to gift you. And when I told him I was thinking of getting you handbag he told me that you won't even use it. He said getting you jewels and handbags would be a waste. He suggested these, I hope you like them." Jhanvi tells her as she handed her the cover.

"You called her here to give her gifts?" Omkara asks shocked. They missed their time together for gifts?

Gauri opens the cover and sees a box, she takes it out and sees a Louis Vuitton sneakers.

"I've been thinking of getting this for ages now." Gauri tells her excitedly. "How did you know I would like this shoe?"

"Om helped me pick." Jhanvi tells her smiling excitedly.

"Thank you so much, Mom."

"There is one more there." Jhanvi tells her.

Gauri excitedly looks and finds a hoodie.

I'm not a one in a million kind of girl. I am a once in a lifetime kind of woman.

"She and her hoodie obsession." Rudra chuckles.

"Chup, you are total waste!" Jhanvi scolds him. then turning to Gauri, she tells her, "Om told how you are into hoodies and quotes."

"I love them. thank you so much, Mom." Gauri tells her as she hugged her.

"I'll freshen up and come." Rudra tells them and leaves.

"Come, Gauri, I'll show you around the house." Omkara tells her.

"Yeah, go, Gauri." Jhanvi tells her.

"I was a little worried whether Mom would be disappointed when she sees that I'm like this." Gauri tells Omkara as they walked around his house.

"Why do you have to be worried? you're perfect."

Gauri smiles and tells him, "It is not that. The first time she met me and the real me are like two different species, so..."

"Okay, understood." Omkara tells her smiling.

"You didn't tell me you discuss about me with Mom."

Omkara chuckles, "I don't want her to be shocked when she finds out about us. this way, she will have an inclination."

"Oh, very smart." Gauri says impressed.

Omkara grins in reply.

"Are you upset that Mom gave gift to me considering that I am Rudra's girlfriend?"

Omkara shakes his head, "She wanted to give Rudra's girlfriend a gift but today she was more excited about giving the gift to her dearest friend's daughter."

After seeing around his house, Gauri and Omkara were chatting when Rudra comes to them.

"Mom is calling us down." Rudra informs them.

"Let's go." Omkara tells her.

Gauri follows Omkara and Rudra into the living room and stops in shock.

"Oh my God." Gauri whispers in shock.

"Surprise, Gauri." Nayantara and Harsh tells her happily.

"Please don't tell me they are your parents." Omkara whispers to her in dread.

"They are."

"Why didn't you tell me you were dating Rudra?" Nayantara asks her shocked.

Gauri was sitting between her parents while Rudra and Omkara sat opposite to them. all three were speechless.

Seeing Omkara was about to say something, Rudra quickly keeps his hand over Omkara's. "Please don't say anything, O. just give me a few more days' time."

Omkara glares at him in reply.

"I think she didn't want you to be disappointed if it didn't work out between them." Jhanvi tells them. "Maybe that is why, Rudra also didn't give me your number even after I asked him a million times."

"Then how did you get the number?" Rudra asks her shocked.

"I connected her through Facebook."

"What?" Rudra whispers in shock. "You're on facebook?"

"Who is not on facebook?" Jhanvi asks him back.

"Anyway, we have decided that we are getting you both married." Tej tells them excitedly.

Gauri worriedly looks at Omkara and sees him furiously looking at his parents.

Rudra worriedly looks at Omkara and sees that he was squeezing the juice glass he was holding and it was a matter of seconds before it broke. He quickly snatches it from his hand.

"We just started dating." Rudra tells them as he stood up worriedly.

"But you love each other, right?" Harsh asks him.

Rudra gulps as he darted quick glances at his brother. "Yes, I love Gauri and she loves me."

Seeing Omkara going all furious, Gauri quickly starts coughing.

"Are you okay?" Nayantara asks in concern.

"Drink water, Gauri." Jhanvi tells her as she hurried to her with the glass.

Seeing everyone's attention was on Gauri, Omkara hits Rudra's stomach with his elbow.

"Ouch." Rudra shouts in pain.

"What happened?" Tej asks him in concern.

"I bit my tongue." Rudra lies as he held his stomach.

"When one coughs other bite their tongue." Jhanvi says smiling. "How in sync and perfect they are."

"Please Mom" Rudra says as he quickly moved away from Omkara. "Please stop saying how perfect Gauri and I are. You're making us conscious."

"I understand." Jhanvi nods apologetically.

"We just wanted you two to know how happy we are that you both are together." Nayantara tells them.

"I was actually worried about this mystery boyfriend Gauri had. I knew Gauri is smart and brave, so we decided to trust her instincts of this boy she was seeing. But we just couldn't figure out why she would hide him from us, now I realize that she was worried that if the family got involved then things might get messed up for them." Harsh tells everyone.

"That party you attended was Rudra's birthday party, right?" Nayantara asks Gauri.

Gauri nods her head in yes.

"It is true that I always told Gauri to show some interest in herself. To groom herself and change her style a little but that day after the party when she had come back in the dress, I got worried for her. I was worried that her boyfriend was forcing her to change and making her feel that she wasn't good enough. Then she told me how you had given her your hoodie so that she can feel like herself. I was convinced about you and your feelings for her." Nayantara tells Rudra. "Truth is, I have told her to groom herself but when she did that, it broke my heart."

"I understand aunty, yes, she looked gorgeous that day. But that was not Gauri. that was a plastic doll that was modified to look like what everyone else expects her to be. Gauri is perfect the way she is. Gauri looks heavenly without all this. She is the most beautiful girl I've seen. I don't understand why none of you are seeing it." Rudra utters the words Omkara had said word by word.

While their parents beamed at Rudra, Gauri turns to look at Omkara knowing that it might have been him who had said those words about her and sees Omkara staring at Rudra in shock.

"I just don't understand why you both are not so sure about your love." Jhanvi tells them.

"You love her so much and I know Gauri wouldn't have done that if she didn't love you so much." Nayantara tells them.

Gauri looks at Omkara sadly and sees him watching her sadly. They both sigh softly.

"Dinner is served." Jhanvi informs everyone seeing the servant gesture to her.

Everyone soon starts to head to the dining room. seeing the opportunity, Rudra starts to leave with his parents when Omkara casually steps in front of him blocking his way. Seeing that Omkara had his eyes on Gauri and not him, Rudra quickly moves to his right to go and Omkara takes a step back blocking him again. Realizing his brother wasn't in any mood to let him go, Rudra worriedly stops.

Gauri hurries to Omkara when their parents left the room.

"You okay?" Gauri asks him cupping his face.

"No." Omkara replies in anger.

Seeing his brother was busy with Gauri, Rudra quickly tries to run away when he felt pulled back by the collar of his shirt. His shirt coming up and choking him.

"O..." Rudra gasps.

"I'm giving you 10 days to end this drama." Omkara warns Rudra.

"Okay." Rudra gasps.

"Gauri, after dinner, I'll see you in the terrace." Omkara tells her.

"Okay." Gauri nods.

"You go; I want to talk to my brother."

Gauri quickly leaves to join their parents.

Omkara joins everyone for dinner.

"Where is Rudra?" Jhanvi asks him curiously.

"He was on the phone, he is coming." Omkara replies.

"By the way, next Friday is Omkara's birthday and we are having a party." Jhanvi informs Nayantara and Harsh

"I don't want a party." Omkara quickly says as he looked at his mother, Gauri and he had already made plans to meet up.

"Rudra had a party for his birthday, we believe in equality so even you will get a party."

"I am not a kid, Mom. And what kind of a silly excuse is that?"

"Still we are having a party." Jhanvi insists.

Omkara sighs loudly as he looked at Gauri. and sees that she was messaging under the table. He quickly looks at his phone.

It's okay. I just want to spent your birthday with you.

Omkara looks up and sees Gauri gesturing him to say yes.

"Okay, fine." Omkara tells his mother.

"Great." Jhanvi says smiling.

"And don't go introducing Gauri as your daughter-in-law or Rudra's girlfriend at the party before you get permission from her." Omkara warns her.

"Yes... yes." Jhanvi quickly nods.

Few seconds later, Rudra comes and everyone gasps in shock.

"What happened?" Jhanvi asks him in concern as she hurried to him.

Rudra was blinking his left eye as it was watering and the area around his eyes was starting to change color. "I walked into the door." Rudra tells her.

"How many times, I've told you to take your eyes off the mobile?" Jhanvi asks him. "Come and sit." Jhanvi tells him and quickly asks a servant to get an ice pack.

Gauri looks at Omkara and sees him looking at Rudra with a satisfied smirk.

"Can we tell our parents the truth?" Gauri asks Omkara as she snuggled into his arms.

"How will your parents react?" Omkara asks her.

"My parents are cool, but they would never let me fake a relation." Gauri tells him.

"Even my parents."

"I just hope Rudra realizes that Romi is not the one for him."

"Maybe he should learn it the hard way." Omkara says sighing sadly.

"He is going to keep running behind her and she is going to string him along then." Gauri tells him worriedly.

"I know. That is why I am just letting it be." Omkara tells her. "Just 10 days. Not more than that."

Gauri nods.

"We should go before they realize we both are missing." Omkara tells her.

"I'll see you tomorrow then." Gauri tells him as she leaned up and kissed his cheek.

"Don't think we can meet." Omkara tells her softly.

"Why?" Gauri asks confused.

"Your parents are going to wonder why Rudra didn't come inside the house when he came to pick and drop you."

"I'll meet you somewhere then."

"Won't your parents wonder the day after they met him, he is now no longer coming to pick you up. They are going to wonder what went wrong."

"We can ask Rudra to pick me." Gauri hopefully tells him.

"Let's not cement this drama any more than it already is in their mind."

"I hate this." Gauri tells him as she hugged him tight.

"I know."

Omkara had stopped all his business tours during the weekend and made all his travels during the weekday so he could spend time with Gauri and now even that wasn't enough. This fake girlfriend thing was starting to cost them dearly.

"How come you didn't go out with Rudra today?" Nayantara asks Gauri curiously as she sat next to her on the couch.

"I felt like staying home." Gauri tells her. "Felt like I haven't stayed home in a long time."

Nayantara smiles hearing that, "That is true. Full weekend you would be out."

Gauri smiles and hugs her mother. "I miss you, Mama."

Nayantara hugs her happily.

"Were you happy to reconnect with your old friend?" Gauri asks her smiling.

"Of course. it felt like ages since we spoke to each other." Nayantara tells her then guiltily she says. "I should have kept in touch with her. I just got so busy that I wasn't able to."

"They all are very nice." Gauri tells her smiling.

"Yes."

"Did you get a chance to talk to Omkara? He is also very nice." Gauri asks her wanting to know what her mother thought of Omkara even though she had seen them talk.

"He is also a nice boy. Jhanvi was saying he is planning to get married soon."

"Really?" Gauri asks surprised, Omkara had told her that he would be proposing her soon but after that they never spoke about it.

"Yeah, he is in love with someone. Jhanvi hasn't met her yet, the girl is busy with something, he would introduce them once she is free."

"Hmmm."

"I know you and Rudra are young. And you both might not haven't even thought about marriage." Nayantara hesitantly tells her. "it is true we would love to see our children married, but only if you both are sure of it. Don't think that our friendship would be affected if you both decide that you are not suited for each other."

Gauri nods her head.

"Okay, you study then." Nayantara tells her with a smile as she gestured to the book Gauri was holding.

Gauri nods and was about to study then she turns to her mother and says, "Mama, this month my credit card bill will be high. Please just tell Papa."

"High? How high?" Nayantara asks her curiously.

Gauri cheekily grins at her in reply.

"Did you buy a hoodie store?" Nayantara asks her shocked.

Gauri chuckles and tells her, "No, I bought my boyfriend a gift."

"Gifting your boyfriend with your father's money? Not nice." Nayantara cheekily tells her.

"Well, my father told me not to do part time job. And doesn't he say that whatever is yours is mine?" Gauri cheekily asks her back.

Nayantara chuckles hearing that and asks her, "Jhanvi got you gifts, shouldn't we also get Rudra something?"

Gauri looks away hearing that. "if you are getting then you should get Omkara also."

"Of course, he is also Jhanvi's son." Nayantara says. "What does Rudra like?"

Other than Romi and partying what did he like? Gauri sighs. "We'll get him something later, Mama. I'll tell you."

"Okay."

"You'll be coming for Omkara's birthday party, right?"

"Yes. Do you have any idea what he likes? So we can get him something useful."

Keeping her book aside, she grabs her laptop. "Come, let's look for an apt gift for him."

Nayantara chuckles with a curious frown as she sat next to Gauri, "You weren't this excited to talk about Rudra's gift. Did you both have an argument?"

"No. Omkara's birthday is this week, that is why." Gauri justifies.

"Okay, I spoke to my friends and I'm ready." Gauri tells Omkara on the phone.

"Ready for what?" Omkara asks with a chuckle hearing the determination in her voice.

"To jump the wall."

"What?" Omkara asks shocked as he sat up, his heart slamming fast.

"Yeah, I want to be with you on your birthday. So pick me up Thursday night from my hostel."

"Okay. and where are we going?" Omkara asks her excitedly.

"Where can we go? Nothing would be open after midnight." Gauri says thoughtfully.

"Gauri, I'll bring you to my house? is that okay?" Omkara asks her.

"What if your parents catch us?" Gauri asks shocked.

"They would be sleeping by then. We can sneak in and sneak out before anyone sees us."

"But if someone sees us?" Gauri asks worried.

"I would rather have my parents catch us than police or moral policers." Omkara explains.

"Okay, then we'll go to your house. I'll stay the night and you can drop me before they wake up."

"Oh ho." Omkara flirty smiles.

"What oh ho?"

"Staying the night and all... Do I need to get condoms, Gauri Kumari Sharma?" Omkara asks with a flirty smile.

"What high hopes you have, Omkara Singh Oberoi?"

Omkara chuckles hearing that.

"First let's get to second base before you decide to go full tornado on me."

"you serious?" Omkara asks in a shocked nervousness.

"I don't know." Gauri blushes.

"Let's see." Omkara says with a flirty smile.

"Okay, I am going to climb the wall." Gauri whispers on to the phone.

"You sure you can do it, right?" Omkara asks her worried.

"Yes."

"Please be careful."

"Don't scare me."

"I am scared." Omkara replies.

"Don't be. Now cut the call." Gauri tells him and cuts the call.

She climbs up the tree like how her friends had told her and then she keeps her leg on the wall, taking a deep breath she holds the branch tight and she lifts off her other leg from the tree and quickly keeps it on the wall.

"Careful!" Omkara whispers from down.

Gauri lets go off the branch and carefully sits on the wall, her legs dangling as she looked at Omkara.

"I'm going to jump, you will catch me, right?" Gauri asks him.

"Yeah."

"Come closer."

Omkara steps closer. "Be careful, okay?"

"Yeah. You'll catch me right?" Gauri asks a little worried.

"Yeah. Jump."

Gauri checks her mobile and sees 13 more seconds for it to be 12. She puts her mobile in her shorts pocket. Taking a deep breath, closing her eyes Gauri jumps down and falls into Omkara's waiting arms.

Omkara gasps and huffs catching her. "We need to cut down on those pancakes and donuts."

"You dog! I jumped a wall for you and this is what you say?" Gauri asks him as she hit him as she got on her feet.

Omkara chuckles, and takes her lips in his kissing her hungrily. "I love you."

"Happy birthday." Gauri wishes him against his lips as she hugged him.

"thank you." Omkara whispers with a smile as he cupped her face, "this is the best birthday ever."

"Let's go before someone sees us."

"Let's go."

"Will anyone find out that you are not there?" Omkara asks her.

"I told Richa that I would be sneaking out. I didn't tell the reason and all. Just that I am sneaking out so that she can cover for me."

"Okay."

"Hold my hand, I'm not turning on the lights." Omkara whispers to her as he walked into his house.

"Okay." Gauri quickly holds his hand and follows him behind.

Omkara keeps his hand on the wall, as he walked so the walls could guide him to his room and Gauri holding his other hand followed him closely.

"PHEW" Omkara sighs as he opened his bedroom door. "Get in."

Gauri quickly runs in. Omkara gets in and closes the bedroom door. locking it, he fumbles for the switch and a second later the room was filled with lights.

"Happy Birthday!" Gauri says excitedly sighing in relief.

Omkara smiles and turns to her. then he stops as he read her hoodie. He sighs feeling touched.

"Do you really mean that?" he asks her softly.

Gauri smiles realizing what he was asking, "It's custom made." Gauri tells him smiling lovingly.

Omkara looks at her hoodie again to read it.

What's so special about him?

Nothing, it's just that there's nothing special without him.

Omkara felt his heart heavy reading that. he walks to her and leans down he takes her lips in his kissing her hungrily.

Gauri wraps her arms around his shoulder and kisses him back in equal vigor.

Omkara leads her to the bed and they fall on the bed with him on top of her. Omkara leans down and kisses her neck through the small opening of her hoodie while his hand roamed inside her hoodie.

Gauri runs her hand over his biceps feeling his kisses. Wanting to touch him, Gauri puts her hand inside his t-shirt.

Omkara leans up and pulls on her hoodie, Gauri sits up so he can remove it. He removed hers, while she removed his t-shirt. They look at each other feeling a little nervous and excited. They move towards each other and kiss. Omkara's hands go behind her and unhooks the bra. Gauri shrugs it off her body. They both fall on the bed as Omkara moved down kissing her.

"We should stop." Gauri breathlessly whispers to Omkara.

Omkara looks up at her then crawling up, he lies next to her. resting his head on his elbow, he with his finger draws pattern on her stomach.

"I am so crazy about you." Omkara tells her softly.

Gauri leans up and kisses him on his cheek. her breast brushing against his chest.

Omkara sucks in his breath, "You should wear your top."

"Even you should." Gauri tells him as she caressed his chest.

Omkara quickly holds her hand to stop her. Gauri blushes seeing that. she passes his t shirt, then picking her bra, she wears it. Omkara wears his t-shirt. Seeing Gauri taking her hoodie, Omkara quickly holds her hand to stop her. Gauri curiously look at her.

"I thought I'll do it after we tell everyone the truth." Omkara tells her. "But I feel like, I want to do it now."

"What?" Gauri asks curiously smiling.

"One second." Omkara tells her and getting up from the bed, he walks to his cupboard. He opens it and takes something. Then he walks to her and gets on the bed. Omkara sits next to her and makes her wear the hoodie he got.

Then he smiles at her expectantly. Curiously, Gauri looks down at the hoodie and sees.

Grow old with me, the best is yet to be.

Gauri smiles reading that, she looks at him happily and sees him smiling happily at her. "Yes." Gauri tells him happily with a hint of tears in her eyes.

Seeing the tears in her eyes, his eyes fill up. "I love you, and I will love you forever and ever."

"And I'll love you forever and ever." Gauri replies and soon their lips meet.

They hug happily and stays like that for a while.

"I didn't give your gift." Gauri tells him remembering.

"I've everything that I ever wanted right here in my arms." Omkara tells her.

Gauri smiles hearing that. she hugs him tight.

"Here." Gauri hands him a small gift wrapped box.

"Thank you." Omkara says smiling and opens the gift.

He finds a Mont Blanc wallet in it with his name engraved on it.

"I love it." Omkara tells her smiling. "But no quotes?"

"I didn't want to engrave the quote, so I wrote it." Gauri tells him as she opened the flap and showed him a small card.

Smiling happily, he takes out the beautifully handwritten and decorated card.

Everyone says you only fall in love once, but that is not true, because every time I see you, I fall in love all over again.

Omkara smiles and looks up at her.

"And I mean it." Gauri tells him as she held his hand.

"I know because I feel the same." Omkara tells her.

Smiling happily, they peck their lips.

"You didn't give me an engagement ring." Gauri says as she lay on his chest.

"I gave you a hoodie." Omkara points out.

"Hmmm."

Omkara chuckles, "Will give it when we tell our parents about us and have an official engagement."

"Our parents will accept us, right?" Gauri asks him softly.

"Of course. getting them to agree for a court marriage would be the tough task."

"Why court wedding?" Gauri asks him as she leaned up to look at him.

"I don't think we can have a big fat Indian wedding with the bride wearing a hoodie and jeans." Omkara tells her.

"You want me to wear hoodie for our wedding?" Gauri asks him smiling happily.

"If you wear saree, you would be uncomfortable and you won't feel like yourself. And I won't feel like I am marrying you." Omkara explains.

"That's true." Gauri tells him smiling. "Actually, Mama might find it romantic."

"Ah then I hope she will convince my mother and they both will convince our fathers."

"And if they aren't convinced."

"We'll elope." Omkara tells her grinning.

"You are mad." Gauri chuckles hearing that.

"I am wondering what quote you'll have when we get married." Omkara tells her grinning.

"Most probably it would be 'I am getting married.'."

"Hmmm."

"No, I know." Gauri says excitedly.

"What is it?"

"it would say "And, he is mine." with an arrow towards your side."

"I love that." Omkara tells her grinning.

They spent the rest of the night talking. Then early morning he dropped her home.

"hey!" Rudra says with a smile as he sat down.

Ajay furiously gets up and walks off seeing Rudra.

"What happened to him?" Rudra asks curiously.

"He is just heart broken." Mukesh informs him.

"Gauri never promised him anything. he is just plain jealous." Richa points out.

"But why?" Rudra asks curiously.

"I told Mukesh about Gauri and he told Ajay and Romi." Richa hesitantly tells him.

"What about Gauri?" Rudra asks curiously as he looked at everyone at the table and sees Romi looking away in fury. "And where is Gauri?"

"If one doesn't sleep at night then they would sleep during the day." Mukesh says in a teasing tone.

"Will you stop it?" Richa asks him in exasperation.

"What?" Rudra asks confused.

"Gauri is sleeping. She said she will join by 3rd hour."

"Is she alright?" Rudra asks in concern.

"You are talking as if you don't know." Mukesh chuckles.

"Know what?"

"That Gauri sneaked out of the hostel last night." Romi points out to him frowning suspiciously.

"What?" Rudra asks in a shocked whisper then he looks at everyone at the table.

"Why are you acting so shocked?" Mukesh asks him curiously.

Turning to Richa, Rudra furiously tells her, "What kind of a friend are you Richa? Gauri trusted you and you are going around and telling everyone! disgusting."

"I only told him."

"Why does he get a free pass to know all your best friend's secrets?"

"It's not that." Richa quickly says.

"If it was you then Gauri would have never revealed it to anyone. You don't deserve her friendship." Rudra furiously tells her as he stood up.

"Rudra, when he asked me where Gauri was, it accidently slipped out. I didn't mean to tell him."

"Whatever your explanation is save it! If you cared for her then you wouldn't have told him because you know very well that he would go tell Ajay everything. And that guy can't be trusted with anything."

"Don't let Gauri know that you were talking about her behind her back." Then he tells them all in a warning tone, "If I hear anyone mention this then it won't be good for you all."

"Rudra!" Romi calls out to him.

Rudra stops and turns around.

Romi stops in front of him and asks him, "She wasn't with you, right? I saw you were shocked."

"Stop it." Rudra tells her in a stern tone.

"I knew that she was cheating on you. you were the fool who thought she was more than what she is. She is a lying cheating bitc..."

"Shut the fuck up! Don't you dare say a word against Gauri. I'll not tolerate it." Rudra furiously tells her. "She is family. So watch what you say about her."

"You are still defending her." Romi tells him angrily.

"I am and I will always defend her because I know her. She is perfect and she is no cheat." Rudra tells her. "If you bad mouth her once more then you won't be my friend anymore, Romi." Rudra warns her and walk off.

Evening, at the party, Omkara was sitting by the bar counter and watching Gauri dance with Richa. Every few seconds she would look at him and they smile at each other happily.

"Wow, now she is announcing to the world?" Rudra asks as he sat next to Omkara.

"Where were you?" Omkara asks him curiously as he turned to his brother.

"Drive." Rudra tells him. then he says again, "Such announcement everyone is going to think it is about me."

"She and I know it is about me." Omkara replies as he looked at Gauri.

She was wearing a custom made t-shirt that said, 'It's amazing how one day someone walks into your life and you can't remember how you ever lived without them.'.

"I really thought you would wear a hoodie today."

"Why would I wear that?" Omkara asks him curiously.

"For her."

"Hmmm... I could wear a hoodie to please her, but she would be like 'That is not you, Omkara' because she knows that I am not a hoodie person or someone who wears my thoughts on a t-shirt. It won't make her feel special, it will make her upset that I am trying to be someone that I am not to impress her."

"I've been selfish, haven't I?" Rudra asks sadly.

"You have been." Omkara agrees. Then seeing how upset Rudra was, he says, "You were able to be selfish because we allowed it. If we wanted, we could have stopped it a long time back."

"Why didn't you?" Rudra asks him softly.

"You are my brother, at first I wanted you to get love like I found with Gauri. then later, Gauri told me that Romi is just using you and you need to realize that she is not in love with you. if we reveal the truth then it would make her all the more arrogant and make you run behind her forever." Omkara tells him then says with a shrug, "You can say we were trying to protect you from Romi."

"I am starting to see that she doesn't care for me." Rudra tells him.

"I am happy that you are finally seeing the truth and I am sad that you are hurt." Omkara softly tells him.

Rudra nods and says, "Bhabhi was with you last night."

"How did you...?" Omkara asks him in shock.

"Richa, she accidently told Mukesh." Rudra replies.

Omkara turns to look at Gauri and sees her happily dancing.

"She doesn't know that they all know now." Rudra informs Omkara. "I didn't tell her."

Just then Gauri turns to look at Omkara, and he quickly smiles at her.

"I'll tell her later tonight. not now." Omkara tells Rudra.

Rudra nods. "it took me a while to realize it, that Romi thought bhabhi cheated on me and she was more interested in badmouthing her and telling me how Bhabhi wasn't worth it. She didn't even care that I could be heartbroken."

Omkara softly pats him on his shoulder.

"I don't want to do this fake girlfriend thing anymore. After the party, we'll tell our parents." Rudra tells him.

Omkara smiles, "I'm so glad that you are seeing her true colors and is over her."

"It is not because of Romi, it is for Bhabhi." Rudra clarifies as he happily waved at Gauri who was curiously looking at them.

"What do you mean?" Omkara asks him and immediately he realized why, he hadn't connected the dots as he was busy thinking about Rudra. "They all think..."

"That Bhabhi was with me last night." Rudra finishes for him.

Omkara furiously sucks in a breath as he looked at Gauri.

"I have never been more disgusted in my life. and I realized how selfish I had been. I am sorry, O. I didn't mean for that to happen." Rudra tells him sadly as he looked at Gauri. "The more I drag this on, that much Bhabhi is going to be misunderstood and her character would be tarnished. I don't want that."

Omkara frowns seeing Romi dancing close to Gauri and a second later, Gauri falls down.

The moment she fell down her specs fell off her face. with blurred vision Gauri starts patting and searching for it on the floor. And someone stamps on her hand. She shouts in pain.

"Ajay, take your legs off." Richa tells him as she hit his leg.

Ajay looks around as he dug in his leg, "What? Where?"

"Ajay, get off her hand." Mukesh tells him.

"I don't underst..." Ajay starts to say and was cut off when he went flying with Omkara jumping on him.

"GET OFF HER, YOU ASSHOLE!" Omkara furiously screams then he punches Ajay squarely on his face.

Ajay screams in pain and Omkara continues to throw punches on him and a few seconds later, Rudra was next to them and punching Ajay furiously.

"You go to Bhabhi. I'll take care of him." Rudra tells Omkara as they both kept punching him.

"Gauri..." Omkara whispers in worry and turns around to see her holding her hand and still kneeling on the floor with Richa.

"Gauri... you okay?" Omkara asks her as he helped her up.

"He did it purposefully. I tried pushing his leg off, he kept..." Gauri tells him as she put up her hand.

"I know, love." Omkara tells her as he looked at her hand and sees that her skin has been scrapped cut.

"My specs... I can't see, Omkara." Gauri tells him worriedly.

Omkara looks down for her specs and sees it broken.

"It's broken, Gauri."

"I can't see without it."

"Do you have spare?"

"I have one each at home and hostel."

"Okay." Omkara looks around and sees Richa. "Richa, can you please ask one of the staff here for my car keys and first aid box?"

Richa nods and hurries off.

Omkara looks at Gauri and sees that she was closing her eyes tight to clear her vision then opening them and because of that her eyes had started watering.

"Stop straining your eyes." Omkara tells her.

"I can't see."

"We'll get your specs soon. just relax."

"I can't because everything is a big blur." Gauri tells him helplessly.

"I understand but don't stress yourself." Omkara tells her. "Is your hand paining you?"

"It's stinging."

"I should have killed that bastard." Omkara says furiously.

"Did you punch him?"

"I did."

"I didn't get to see it!" Gauri moans sadly.

Omkara couldn't help smiling hearing that.

"Are you okay?" Rudra asks her as he came to her.

"Yeah." Gauri nods.

Omkara furiously turns to him and tells him, "If you have to make someone jealous to make them realize their love for you then it is not love!"

Rudra steps back hearing him.

"I can't wait till the end of party. That drama ends NOW!"

"Omkara?" Gauri worriedly calls him.

"It has gone on for too long." Omkara tells her then turning to Rudra he points are Romi, "Get that girl out of here now!"

"O..."

"You and I know very well that she pushed Gauri! we saw it!"

"Yes."

"Gauri, are you okay?" Nayantara asks her as she hurried to her followed by Jhanvi, Harsh and Tej.

"I am fine, Mama." Gauri tells her.

"Rudra, why don't you take her inside." Jhanvi suggests him seeing that Omkara was hugging Gauri.

Omkara quickly tightens his hold on her.

"Omkara?" Jhanvi softly calls him in shock.

"I love her and she loves me." Omkara informs his mother.

"What?" their parents ask in shock.

"Omkara bhaiyya." Richa comes with the key and first aid box.

"Thank you, Richa. Rudra..." Omkara takes the car keys and gestures Rudra to take the first aid box. "Give me Dettol."

Rudra nods and opens the box, then taking the Dettol bottle, he dabs a small piece of cotton on it and passes to Omkara.

"It is going to sting a little, okay love?" Omkara asks her.

Gauri nods as she mentally prepared herself for the pain. Omkara dabs the cotton on her hand and Gauri flinches in pain. Omkara bends down and gently blows on it as he cleaned it up.

"Look at them. I was right about them." Romi says in disgust.

"Why the heck is she still in our house, Rudra?" Omkara furiously asks his brother.

"Romi, I warned you not to say anything against her!"

"What is happening here?" Harsh asks them at his wits end.

"We love each other, Papa." Gauri informs him.

"HA!" Romi shouts.

"Shut the fuck up, Romi." Rudra furiously tells her.

"What about Rudra?" Nayantara asks shocked.

"I never loved Rudra. I have always loved Omkara."

"What are you saying, Gauri?" Jhanvi asks shocked and hurt.

"Gauri is the one I told you about, Mom." Omkara informs her.

"Then Rudra and Gauri..."

"Rudra is in love with Romi and she was ignoring him, so he asked Gauri to be his fake girlfriend to make Romi jealous. The only relation between them is of friendship and Bhabhi-devar one." Omkara clarifies.

"But didn't Gauri get that make over for Rudra? Isn't that what you said Nayantara? That if she didn't love him so much then she wouldn't have done it."

"Gauri did that for me." Omkara clarifies as he finished cleaning Gauri's wound and takes a band aid. "She didn't want anyone's name said with hers other than mine. So, she agreed for that make over so that Romi would be jealous and confess to whatever feelings she has for Rudra and she could end this fake girlfriend drama. She didn't do it for Rudra, she did it for me."

"But Rudra loves you, right? that day he said..." Nayantara starts to say

"After Rudra got me the makeover, when Omkara was angry, Rudra asked him whether he wasn't happy with my transformation. Omkara said those, Rudra just repeated what Omkara had said word for word." Gauri tells them.

"Everyone thought I was Rudra's girlfriend, and that is why I didn't introduce you to my boyfriend. Because Omkara is my boyfriend and not Rudra."

"Fiancé." Omkara corrects her.

"Yes, fiancé." Gauri says smiling.

"What?" Harsh asks shocked.

"Last night, I proposed and she accepted." Omkara informs them. "Okay, we'll be back soon."

"Where are you going?" Nayantara asks shocked.

"Gauri's glasses broke. So we are going to your house to get the spare specs." Omkara explains.

"But we still haven't understood everything." Tej says quickly.

"Dad! Gauri can't see anything. she is struggling and she is the priority now!" Omkara tells his father frowning angrily at him.

"You knew everything about her." Jhanvi says in shock.

"yes." Omkara agrees.

"And Gauri was more excited about getting gift for you than Rudra."

"Because Omkara is my love, not Rudra." Gauri explains.

"Who has the house keys?" Omkara asks as he puts his hand forward.

Harsh quickly takes out the key and hands it to him.

"We could go home now." Nayantara tells Harsh.

"No, there are a lot of things we need to clear." Jhanvi tells them.

"We'll come back soon." Omkara promises. "And Rudra is here, he will answer everything."

"And Rudra..." Omkara tells him in a warning tone, "I don't want her and that piece of shit in our house when I get back."

Rudra nods looking at Romi and Ajay who was sitting on the floor clutching his broken nose, split lips and black eye. With that Omkara leaves with Gauri.

"So you were acting to be her boyfriend because you were in love with me?" Romi asks smiling victoriously.

"I was in love with you. not anymore. You hurt Bhabhi and that is unforgiveable. Get the hell out of my house." Rudra tells her furiously then turning away from her, giving his back to her, he looks around and sees four set of angry eyes glaring at him and the eyes of all their classmates also glaring at him and then people he didn't recognize also looking at him in shock.

Well karma is a bitch! There is no bigger punishment than to admit and explain to all these people the extent of his desperation and delusions.

"Love, you alright?" Omkara asks her as he buckled in her seat belt.

"I am fine. Were our parents angry?" Gauri asks him worriedly.

"They were shocked. Don't worry, they will come around after all it is their dream to see their children married." Omkara tells her grinning.

"I wanted to slap that Romi, but I can't see and my hand is all punctured up." Gauri tells him sadly.

Omkara smiles hearing that.

"Now, I have to wait till Monday to do it in college."

Omkara leans towards her and kisses her hungrily. "Do you have any idea how much I love you?"

"I do, I guess it is just about how much I love you." Gauri replies smiling.

"Bye Dad and Mom." Gauri waves at them.

"Bye Gauri." Tej tells her smiling.

"Bye Gauri, have a nice time." Jhanvi tells her smiling.

Gauri smiles at her.

"I can't understand what joy you get in riding cycle in this hot sun during this summer." Rudra tells her.

"It is fun." Omkara answers for her. "You won't know it till you experience it."

"Oh please, I don't want to be sweaty and tanned like you people." Rudra tells them. hearing his mobile ring, he checks the phone and then cuts the call.

"That's it. Stay strong." Gauri excitedly tells him as she lightly punched his chest.

"She is desperate." Rudra says in disgust.

"You were running behind her desperately. Now she is running behind you. I say you guys are even." Omkara says rolling his eyes.

"Can't believe I thought she was nice." Rudra says shuddering.

"Anyway we are getting late." Omkara tells Gauri.

"Yeah, let's go. And Rudra, be here in the evening. My friend is coming over and I want you to meet her."

"Why?" Rudra asks confused.

"Because Bhavya is hot."

"Okay then." Rudra agrees smiling.

Omkara rolls his eyes yet again.

"And I think you guys will get along amazingly." Gauri tells him.

"Let's see about that." Rudra calls out to her and then adds, "God, you're becoming cheesy day by day."

Omkara chuckles realizing what he was saying, and he looks at Gauri's sleeveless t-shirt.

Blessed by God

Spoiled by my Husband

Protected by both

*** The End ***

I don't know whether you guys found this story cheesy and stupid, I just felt like writing a story without any crying hehehe.

Btw for a short while I did toy with the idea of Omkara actually being Romi's brother, and because of that Gauri can't tell him the truth about her being Rudra's fake girlfriend so he can woo Romi, then I realized it would be a misunderstanding galore and angsty one, so I made Omkara Rudra's brother instead.

Pragzzzzzzz had asked me for a story where heroine is best friends with hero's brother, and everyone thinks that they are in love, and hero is in love with the heroine and he is being possessive about the heroine... this is my version of that story idea.

Please vote and comment.

- Lazy