"I met him in Harvard." Gauri started.
"He was the so called "Handsome Hunk" of our college. We did everything together, eat, study, dance, sing, and what not. Like every other college girl I also fell for him. We were literally the "ideal couple" of the college. All 5 years in Harvard, we were dating..." Om was listening and imagining young Gauri and Yash mingling hand in hand; in their college days.
All this time he was watching Gauri's expression carefully. She was smiling remembering all those memories; when suddenly her expression changed as she continued.
"Everything was going great. It was our Graduation day, when he proposed to me."
Om was horrified now.
"He proposed to me and asked me to marry him in that week itself. I was not ready. I told him that I wanted to make a career, and marriage was far from my thoughts. That rejection hit him hard. He tried convincing me; in fact he was even ready to give up his job offer to move to the same city as me. I tried talking him out of it, but he just wouldn't budge. We had a powerful argument and he left from my dorm room to go to his house. And Boom! He met with an accident. As if I was not already broken after rejecting him; I got a call from his mother saying he was dead." Gauri ended and had a huge break down.
After consoling Gauri, Om returned to his apartment. His head had gone numb. He just came to his bedroom and lied down. He was so disturbed that he was awake all night.
Next morning, Om got up and made Gauri's favorite breakfast to make her mood better. He had even brought her favorite flowers and put it in her favorite vase.
8:40; She was not there yet. Gauri usually came to Om's house by 8:25 itself.
8:50; not there yet.
"Oh that's enough now! She should have been here by now." saying this Om left his apartment and went to Gauri's apartment.
He knocked, once, twice, thrice!
He finally got his spare key and opened her apartment.
The living room was exactly how he had seen last night. He went to her bedroom and saw that Gauri was lying on her bed awake.
"Gauri, get up." Om said calmly.
Gauri did not reply; she just kept staring at some point.
Om then shook her lightly by her shoulders; but she was in a trance.
"Oh come on Gauri. Get up already!" Om said a little irritated after trying many times. He lifted Gauri by supporting her shoulders.
He had finally now seen her face clearly. She had been crying all night.
"Gauri, you have been crying. Here, have this." Om panicked a bit and handed her a glass of water.
Gauri was like an unconscious body. She was not in her senses.
Seeing this state of hers Om lifted her up in his arms and took her to the bathroom. He splashed water on her face and Gauri's face twitched in response.
"Om, when did you get here?" She asked, coming back to senses.
"When you were dehydrated due to excessive crying. Here, have this." He again gave her that glass of water.
"No, it's ok. I don't want it." Gauri said, pushing Om's hand away.
"Drink!" Om commanded and held the glass to her lips.
Gauri drank like an obedient child.
Gauri brushed and came out in the living room. Om observed that Gauri was still in her last night's dress.
"Gauri you have not even changed." Om said
Gauri looked at herself and chuckled.
"Oh right! I was too busy drinking my sorrows out." Gauri said in a sarcastic way.
"Gauri, not funny. Have you been drinking all night?" Om asked.
"No-no don't worry! I just finished that big pint of ice cream." Gauri said pointing to an empty pint of ice cream.
Om sighed looking at the empty box and decided to change the topic.
"Come, your favorite breakfast is getting cold; and you are also getting late for your job." Om said asking Gauri to come to his apartment for breakfast.
"No." Gauri said normally.
"No?" Om asked, confused.
"I mean, I am not going to the hospital today. I called in sick." Gauri said cleaning the ice cream mess she had created in her kitchen last night.
"Gauri, I understand you are disturbed after what happened yesterday, but you don't need to miss hospital. It is like your energy dosage." Om said.
"I am not disturbed Om! I am angry and hurt and I want answers to my damn questions!" Gauri said with tears forming in her eyes. Her anger was clearly visible as she said all this banging her kitchen platform.
"Gauri" Om said as he went to her and wrapped her in a bear hug.
Gauri also cried for a bit and broke the hug.
"Om, I want to meet him." Gauri said looking straight in Om's eyes.
