His First And Only Love (Rikara)

Chapter 3: First Meet

"But we call all 11th and 12th graders bhaiyaa and didi only." Anika shrugged, voicing out Gauri's thought.

"Yeah but it makes me feel too old." Omkara replied.
"Your sister calls us di." Gauri pointed out, "And we're not too older than her."

"Why do you want to call me brother so badly?" Omkara asked with a frown.

"Why do you not want us to?" Gauri asked back exasperated.

"I told you why!" Omkara pointed out shaking his head.

"But it feels disrespectful." Gauri replied innocently.
"Are you gonna call all your colleagues bhaiya too when you get a job?" Omkara asked raising his eyebrows.

Gauri sighed in defeat.

"Anyway, I came to tell you that Prinku won't be there today, since she has a fever." Omkara replied with a shrug, "So don't keep looking for her."

Gauri calms her urge to fight him and instead she and Anika asks, "How is she?"

"She's fine, just a little temperature." Omkara replied, "I'll let her know you both asked for her." He finished with a smile.
And in that moment, Gauri could feel her breath get hitched.

What is wrong with me? She thought to herself while Anika had started a conversation up with him about the stream he chose.
"So what do you plan on pursuing, Gauri?" Omkara asked breaking her out of her thoughts. Anika turned to her with a 'Now handle him too' smile while Gauri mentally facepalmed.

Didn't he have any other question to ask? Gauri thought.

"You better not ask her that." Anika replied rolling her eyes. Gauri thanked her Shankar ji for giving her Anika, who was her saviour whenever someone tried to talk to her.

"Why?" Omkara asked curiously.
"Because she doesn't know herself. She's confused as of now, and well she has enough time to think about it so.." Anika trailed off.

"What do you have an interest in, Gauri?" Omkara asked and Gauri cursed him mentally for trying to talk to her.
"She likes reading." Anika replied seeing Gauri get irritated. "Social work too, music-"

"She sings!?" Omkara asked almost immediately and Gauri flinched.
"Yes." Anika replied.
"No." Gauri countered glaring at Anika, making sure Omkara doesn't see.

"I'm confused." Omkara said trying to get a look of Gauri.

"Uh..um...She doesn't sing." Anika replied mouthing a sorry to Gauri because she didn't want anyone to know about her singing, Anika was the only one who had ever heard her sing, and Gauri was rather interested in listening to music than singing.

"Okay..." Omkara replied unsure. "Now I get why my sister likes you so much, Gauri."

For some unknown reason, Gauri felt her cheeks warm up, but her curiosity rose up and she wondered why he said that. So she asked, "What do you mean?"

"Even she likes reading. You both are in the same club, but it's not just that that made her like you, there's something more. I always wondered why she kept on talking about you, now I know why."

"Why?" Gauri asked, this time looking into his eyes and she could feel his eyes spark up at the eye contact.

"Because you're so cute and innocent. You're really unique."

And that was probably the first time Gauri had turned red just because someone complimented her. She stared at him wide eyed while he smiled at her. Anika too, was shocked by his words and the audacity he showed in voicing it out.