Hello everyone,
Thanks to all for voting and commenting on Dancing At Midnight:)
I am back with a new story. This will have 13 parts. Hope you guys will like this story.
The title is from a book by Nicole Jordan.
An irritated Om pushes his way through the crowd searching for his sister. Finally locating her standing with her friends giggling and taking snaps he marched towards her.
"Prinku!" he angrily whispers into her ear.
His sister immediately turns to look at him with a smile "Om, my brother!"
"Can we leave?" Om asks not hiding his irritation.
"So soon?" Priyanka asks scandalized.
"Soon? We came here for your friend's wedding and it is over." he reminds her trying to hide his exasperation from her wide eyed (always ogling) friends.
"But Om the bride and groom haven't left yet, and we are to go to the bride's house for the party."
"There is a party?" Om asks angrily.
Priyanka nods her head like an innocent girl.
"Why didn't you tell me about this before?" Om hisses at her.
"I didn't know about it. We were just told now." Priyanka replies.
Om turns to look at her friends for confirmation and not even one of them was looking at him.
Yeah, guilty conscious and all that.
Angrily turning to his sister he says in a clipped tone "Priyanka, I've a life outside playing chauffer to you and your friends." Belatedly remembering his audience, he turns to her friends and flashes his most charming smile and says "Sorry ladies."
And every single one of them started blushing and giggling.
Om rolls his eyes Lord save him from giggling girls.
"It is not every day I ask you for favors." Priyanka pouts.
Om raises his one eyebrow at her sarcastically.
"Please." Priyanka says making cute faces.
Om sighs "How long will it take here?"
Priyanka shrugs.
God, he felt like pulling off his hair... no... no... he felt like pulling off his sister's hair and, each and every limb of hers.... slowly.
"Okay, I'm going for a drive when you are done here give me a call." Om tells her and walks off.
Om was coming out of the party hall and that was when he noticed her. She was standing outside the washroom, she looked pale and she looked like she is in pain.
Worried he hurries towards her "Gauri, you okay?"
Hearing him she looks up, she was sweating like hell. "Om..." she whispered.
"What happened?" he asks worried and looking around hoping his sister would appear out of the blue.
"My stomach is paining. I can't..." she stops and starts breathing heavily. She looked too weak to even stand.
"Lean on to me." Om says as he wrapped his arm around her and gently led her towards the reception. "We need a doctor." Om urgently informed.
"No... I don't want a doctor... I just want to lie down." Gauri whispers looking at the receptionist hoping she would understand what was ailing her.
"You need a doctor." Om tells her as he holds her more securely.
"I just have stomachache." Gauri whispers again.
"Oh, stomach pain?" the receptionist asks in an understanding tone. "We'll give you a room. You can rest there. Maybe I can get you hot water bag." the woman suggests.
Om couldn't help but gape at the idiotic woman. Hot water bag? The girl looks half dead and she suggest hot water bag?
"Yes, that would be great. Thank you." Gauri replies weakly.
Om turns to her in shock, before he could say anything further, he was asked to follow the woman. Realizing that Gauri is not in a state to walk, he picks her up.
"I can walk." came the feeble protest.
Hiding his worry, Om smiles at her "Oh damsel in distress, why don't you let me do the gallant thing and be your knight in shining armor?"
Gauri just couldn't hide her giggles and slightly blushes.
Noticing the color rising in her cheeks he says "Ah... you are getting some color back. I'm good at this knight business" Om jokes and cradling her close to his chest he walks towards the lift.
Gauri was shocked beyond belief. After trying every single trick in her book and also every single trick in Priyanka's book for the past one year to get him to notice her, and all this while all she needed was a stomach pain for Omkara Singh Oberoi to be all over her. She sighs inwardly, from now on every second day of her monthly she was camping in Oberoi House. Feeling pain, she snuggles closer to Om unknowingly and moans softly.
"Shhhh" She felt his jaws rubbing her forehead in a consoling fashion, "You are going to be fine." he whispers gently.
Very soon she was taken to a room and then she was being gently placed on a bed.
"I'll get the hot water bag shortly." Om absently nods his head as he made Gauri comfortable on the bed. "Are you comfortable?"
"Blanket."
"But you are sweating." Om says confused.
"I'm feeling cold." she replies.
Om quickly spreads the blanket over her and tucks her in while Gauri lies on her side facing him curling up into a ball.
"We need to get you to a doctor." Om says worried.
"I don't need a doctor." Gauri replies.
"But Gauri this is not... it is kinda... I'm worried." he finally finishes off having no idea how to tell her that he thought she was in serious danger.
"This is nothing to worry about." Gauri whispers.
"You know the cause for this?" Om asks not convinced.
Gauri nods her head.
"What is it?" Om asks frowning.
"er... it's... I've... er... my monthly." she finally whispers.
Om looks shocked at first and then uncomfortable "Oh... errm... okay." Lord monthly? This is not a place for me! Where the hell is my useless sister when she is needed?
Taking out his cell he quickly calls up his sister, moments later a phone started ringing in the room.
"Is that your phone?" Om asks Gauri as he walked towards the table to retrieve her handbag which he had placed there after helping her into the bed.
"No... that is Prinku's."
Great! Now he had to play nursemaid for female problems. Okay take deep breath... you can do it. Monthlies are such a common thing; you can deal with it. Breathe.
Om hangs up the phone and uncomfortably asks the question that has been plaguing him ever since she told him about her monthly
"Do you want me to get you... er... you know? Do you have or do you want me to buy?"
Gauri looks at Om confused wondering why he looked like he will throw up any minute now, buy what? Then it struck her sanitary napkins. "NO!" Gauri tried to shout but her voice was no more than a whisper.
Om visibly relaxes and even smiles.
Great, Gauri thought the day Omkara Singh Oberoi decides to pay her some attention, he couldn't have picked a more embarrassing day from her life.
Om kneels on her side.
"You don't have to stay with me." Gauri tells him.
"Knight never abandons his damsel in the middle of her distress." Om informs her.
She couldn't help smile at that Om at times says the most silliest things but he was and is a sweetheart.
Few minutes later, a girl came in with the hot water bag. Om quickly takes it from her
"Thank you and please get me a gynecologist on the phone." he says.
"But Om.." Gauri starts but Om cuts her off "Where do you want to hold this?" Om moves the blanket and Gauri keeps the bag on her stomach and then adjusts it. When she stopped fidgeting around with the bag, Om took over the bag from her "Why don't you relax I'll hold it."
"You don't hav..."
"Ah... Knight!" he says pointing to himself and she gives in with a smile and then sighs when the hot water started taking effect.
A while later, the phone in the room rings and Om quickly picks it up while he continued to hold the bag with the other hand. He talked into the phone for a while then he called up the reception and asked them to get the medicine the doctor had prescribed.
"Are you feeling better?" he gently asks her.
Gauri nods her head in yes.
Few minutes later, someone came with the medicine. Om helps Gauri up and helps her take the pill and then gently helps her lie down. Once she was settled again, he turns to the room boy and says "Can you get another hot water bag too, this one the water is cooling down? And my sister, she is there in the party hall can you please ask her to come here? Her name is Priyanka Oberoi. Tell her Gauri and Om are here."
The man promises to take care of both the matters quickly and then leaves.
Turning to Gauri, he gently brushes her hair back from her forehead. Seeing her yawning and fighting sleep he gently says, "The medicine is a slight sedative so why don't you sleep for a while?"
"Here?" Gauri asks doubtfully.
"Yeah... Don't worry I won't go anywhere." Om promises her and nodding her head Gauri closes her eyes and quickly sleeps off.
Two hours later, Gauri woke up to see the love of her life sitting beside her on the floor holding the hot water bag to her stomach.
Sensing her wake up, Om looks at her and then smiling happily he declares "You look better!"
"I feel better, actually I feel fine." Gauri replies.
"Great."
Gauri starts to sit up and suddenly Om was helping her sit up as he knelt on the floor.
"Thank you so much." Gauri tells him.
Om casually brushes it off with his hand then turning serious he says "Gauri, so much pain is not a good thing... even the doctor was saying that. So as soon as possible please go to a doctor and doc said you will have to go in for a scan."
"It is nothing..."
Seeing him scowl, she amends "Actually this is the first time it has happened."
"Then shouldn't you find out why suddenly you are having such pain?" Om asks then suddenly noticing he says "And you have lost weight too."
Gauri nods her head a little embarrassed.
"This could be something serious." Om continues frowning.
"I think... I know why it happened." Finally Gauri says having no other go.
"Why?"
When she doesn't reply Om calls her name in a warning tone.
"Okay... I was kinda on a diet and I think I kinda became weak, and that was why I think I had the pain." Gauri explains turning pink.
Of all the people, she had to tell this to the very man she was dieting for.
"Hmmm... possible." Om finally declares as he thought about it for a while. "But why were you on a diet? You look perfect to me." Om says confused then suddenly "Ewwe... don't tell me you were trying to become size 0."
"You don't like size zero?" Gauri asks shocked.
"No."
Folding her hand at her chest Gauri asks suspiciously "You are telling me men don't like size 0?"
"No... I am saying I don't like size 0." Om replies.
"Really?" Gauri asks mockingly.
"Of course!"
"Reeeeally?"
"YES! What's with you woman? Do you have any idea how difficult and irritating it is to take a woman on a date who spends an hour over the menu looking for sugar free, fat free, oil free... I don't know what all free-food, and then finally when it arrives, she starts a whole show on picking and nibbling on it, completely ruining my appetite?" Om asks exasperated. "And please don't get me started on dessert." Om declares.
"Ridhima!" Gauri spat out the name.
"She was size 0?" Om asks as if he didn't know.
"Yes!"
"Ah then maybe that is why I didn't stick on with her for long." Om replies cheekily.
Gauri growls.
"Okay... I thought she was a nice girl... but then I was sourly mistaken. And I wasn't much looking at the physique." Om explains.
"Why exactly were you attracted to her?" Gauri asks him suspiciously.
Seeing Ridhima, Priyanka and she had deemed that Om liked thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin girls, but now with his obvious dislike to size 0 she was no longer sure.
Om gives a look which suggested the reason should have been obvious to her "She was pretty."
"Aahh" Gauri declares.
"What Aahh? I said I was attracted with her face not her figure. And I liked her mainly because I thought she was a nice person which she was not. She was a shrew and I almost had my ear drums insured." Before she could say anything Om continues "And I clearly don't understand why we are discussing all this, when we were talking about why a girl who is so perfect..." then he gives her a look and adds "if you keep her brain eating tendency aside, a perfectly beautiful girl wants to diet?"
"Perfectly beautiful?" Gauri asks shocked and deliriously happy.
"Well?" Om ignores her question as he felt such an obvious thing didn't even warrant an answer and waits for his question to be answered when she doesn't reply Om continues, "Unless my guess is wrong, which I doubt is given the way you were fighting with me, it has to do with a man."
When Gauri starts blushing Om smiles, "Aaah... so there is someone... huh? Who is it?"
Blushing she changes the subject "Where is Prinku?"
As if not even realizing a complete change in conversation, Om replies "She was here, but then she had to go with your gang to Preethi's house for some party or get together. I'm to drop you home, and Preethi's brother will drop her home. She wanted to stay with you but then she had planned something there so had to go. Oh, and she took her mobile from your bag."
Gauri nods.
"You should eat something. Then you have to have that pill." Om tells her as if remembering it suddenly.
"Okay" Gauri agrees not wanting to leave Om just yet. It is not everyday that you get Omkara Singh Oberoi exclusively to yourself.
Om passes her the menu.
Ten minutes later, hearing Om growl menacingly Gauri looks up from her menu card. Remembering his aversion, she informs "I am not looking for sugar free. I was just confused between Pizza or devil's temptation which sounds so tempting."
"What's in devil's temptation?"
"Brownies, ice cream, whipped cream and chocolate sauce."
"ooo yummy." Om says, "Let's order pizza and devil's temptation."
"I won't be able to finish it. And I quit my diet." Gauri hastily explains.
"Good... you look perfect. And I'll help you finish the food." Om tells her and then quickly places the order. "Okay, the food will be here in 20 mins."
Gauri gets up from the bed saying, "I'll just go freshen up and come."
"Okay and while we eat our food you can tell me all about this guy you fancy." Om tells her grinning cheekily silently telling her that he won't drop the subject.
By the time Gauri came out of the washroom the food was already spread out on the table, seeing Om sitting on the floor next to the table Gauri realizes that all this while Om had been sitting on the floor, and he reminded her of Prinku. She always preferred sitting on the floor, looks like Om is also like her. Smiling she sits down on the floor. They silently start eating.
Gauri was glad that Om didn't seem to be uncomfortable with her or the silence, if anything he looked too comfortable.
"So, who is he?" Om asks.
"There is no one." Gauri lies.
"Liar." Om grins at her.
"Why do you want to know?" Gauri asks trying to look irritated but failing miserably, How can one look irritated when Om was grinning like that?
"I just want to know who this alpha male is for whom you have forsaken food." Om explains.
"Erm... well... he is this guy." Gauri says vaguely.
"And?" Om prompts.
"I don't know what to say." Gauri says helplessly.
"Hmmm how long have you been fantasizing about him? He is not your boyfriend, right? Please tell me he is not."
Was Om jealous? "No, he is not. Why?"
"I would hate it if he was the one who put the idea into your head that you need to be size 0 for him." Om explains biting into his pizza, "Such a guy is not worth it. So, how long?"
"A year and a half." Gauri says.
Om whistles "That long? Wow is he blind or what? Such a beautiful girl is in front of him and he is not noticing."
Awww Om.
"You think I'm beautiful?" Gauri asks shyly.
"I think you are a beautiful human being. And that means inside-out I think you are beautiful." Om replies.
"Really?" Gauri asks obviously pleased with herself and Om.
"I might not talk to you much. But I have heard a lot about you from my sister. So, you can say, I know you as much as my sister knows you." Then he starts frowning, "But I didn't know about this guy... hmmm looks like my sister is not that much of a chatterbox as I thought. Shocking.... She knows right?"
"Yeah... I told her... a year ago." Gauri explains.
"Hmmm... why did you wait that long to tell my sister?" Om asks, "I thought you six girls are too close with no secrets."
"Hmmm... because I'm not supposed to have feelings for him." Gauri whispers wanting to stop talking about this and a small part in her heart wants him to know about her feelings for him.
"He is married?" Om asks appalled.
"No... no."
"Dating or engaged to one of your friends?" Om asks thoughtfully.
"No... though he was dating someone a while back and she was definitely not my friend." Gauri bites out the last part.
Om chuckles "Possessive! Okay so why you were not allowed to have feelings for him? Is he old? Like your dad's age?"
"No... he is ermm... your age... I think." Gauri stammers out.
"Then why not?" Om asks running out of options.
"Because he is my best friend's brother." Gauri says before she could think. Then realizing she had blurted out that loud she looks up nervously at his face to see his reaction.
Om flinches "Best friend's brother? Would have been better if he was older than your father. Best friend's brother totally off limits. But then one can never control one's feelings." Om says sympathetically while Gauri gawked at him.
Was he for real? She just told him she is in love with him and this THIS is what he say? Or didn't he know that Priyanka is her best friend?
"Hmmm... do you think he knows about your feelings for him but since you are his sister's best friend that is why he is not reciprocating your feelings? You know, ethically it is wrong to dally with your sister's friends... even if the sister doesn't object."
"No... I think... in fact I know that he is a blind idiot." Gauri replies pissed.
"He gets into your nerves, doesn't he?" Om grins.
"You have no idea how much. He can't see what is staring at his face." Gauri replies wanting to whack him black and blue.
"Have you ever been in love, Om?"
"No." he replies not looking up as his attention was solely on his dessert.
"Ridhima?"
"Oh God we back to her? I thought she was a sweet, nice girl but then realized very quickly it was all for my benefit, she was really selfish and spoiled. And I don't think I was even infatuated with her because truthfully I couldn't wait to get out of that relationship quickly enough." Om explains, "You are in love with him, right?"
"You have no idea how much I love him, Om." Gauri melancholy sighs.
"I can imagine. If you can give up your food for him, you might love him a great deal. By the way, was his ex-girlfriend size 0?"
"Yeah! She was a toothpick." Gauri replies disgustedly.
Om chuckles "That explains it."
Then turning serious he leans towards her over the table dangling his spoon in the air "You shouldn't change yourself for anyone. Whatever the reason is or whoever he is. You deserve a man who loves you the way you are." he leans more close to her keeping his chin on his hand says teasingly "And I'm sure, your man is just around the corner waiting for the thunderbolt to hit him." then growing a little serious he says "and he is going to realize what a lucky man he is to have a girl like you in his destiny."
"This one?" Om asks as he drove slowly towards the house.
"Yeah." Gauri replies.
Om parks the car in front of the house and politely declines her invitation to her house.
She starts to get out "Thank you so much, Om. For everything." Gauri says remembering what he did for her that day.
If she was truly, madly and deeply in love with him yesterday, today she loved him beyond anything and everything making what she felt for him yesterday or that very morning truly insignificant to what she was feeling for him now.
"You don't have to thank me." Om says brushing it off once more.
Gauri was about to close the door after she got out when Om said "And don't think I didn't notice that you didn't tell me the guy's name. You know, that is kinda making me curious. So?"
"What is there in a name?" Gauri asks with a shrug.
"Now I HAVE to know his name." Om decides.
"Go home, Om." Gauri replies.
Suddenly he leans towards her side and holds her dupatta in order to stop her. "It is not that difficult to find his name. There are six girls in your group, eliminating you and Prinku, there are four. How difficult is it to find out who among them have a brother my age?" Om asks victoriously.
That explained a lot of things. He thought all six were best friends. He didn't even have the slightest doubt she could like him. And finally, he truly is an idiot.
"Will see you after I find out his name... say tomorrow?" Om asks chuckling.
Oh God, Sheethal has a brother about Om's age. If anyone needed his thunderbolt it was Omkara Singh Oberoi.
Pulling her dupatta from his hand and ready to bolt, Gauri replies "I've only one best friend and that is your sister, Om."
Please vote and comment.
- Lazy