After sometime, it was time for dinner. Om had made her favorite dinner. He waited and waited for her. She was not there yet. He heard few voices from the corridor so he opened the door to see a pizza delivery guy giving pizza to Gauri.
She was wearing a white t-shirt, jeans and a beige cardigan on top of it. It reminded Om of how she used to see her order pizza every night.
Gauri quickly glanced at Om and moved her eyesight away from him. She did not want to look at him because after evening's incident, she barely believed how much control she had on her 'love-struck heart'.
Om saw Gauri and smiled to himself. She was going in when he called out
"Gau...ri" Om called out.
Gauri, who had turned, bit her tongue.
"He had to stop me? Why god, why?" Gauri thought.
"Uh, if you are done having a conversation with your beloved god, would you look at me?" Om asked. He knew very well how Gauri would react in an awkward situation like this.
"No... I...Uh wasn't... talking to god..." Gauri said turning behind but not facing Om.
"Sure you were. Anyways, keep that pizza aside and come inside. Your favourite dinner is ready" Om said gesturing her to go inside his house.
"Butter chicken and naan?" Gauri asked raising an eyebrow.
"Yup!" Om replied cheerfully.
Gauri kept that pizza in her fridge and went at Om's apartment.
The table was set better than always, they usually cared more about eating than serving. The house was clean like always, yet it felt different for both of them. Awkward silence had filled Om's living room.
Om gestured Gauri to sit in front of him and they both got seated. The set up looked like a formal date, neatly served food, wine goblets, and what not.
Gauri and Om started eating. They looked at each other but spoke nothing.
"Why is she so quiet?" Om thought to himself.
"Why is he not saying anything!? I literally made the world's greatest confession a few hours ago and he has not said anything about it! At least reject a girl in time! Wait, why would he reject me? I mean he was jealous and all. Maybe if I had just a bit of a control, we would be sitting here like normal friends having normal dinner! Ugh! This dinner is surprisingly much more awkward than the first time we actually had dinner." Gauri was eating completely lost in her thoughts.
"Can we talk about what I said earlier?" Gauri asked out of the blue making Om choke on his food.
"What?" Om asked confused.
"Look, I don't want things to get awkward between us. Our friendship means the world to me and I don't want anything to come between it. Not even my feelings. Also I completely get it if you don't have the same feelings for me. Let's just think that I said that for our friendship and nothing else." Gauri conformed
"Okay." Om replied smiling.
"Okay?" Gauri asked furrowing her eyebrows.
"You absolutely have nothing else to say?!" Gauri asked.
"What would I have to say? You laid down the rules, I go by the rules. Simple!" Om said smiling.
"Were you mocking me or just saying all that?" Gauri asked confused of all his replies.
"Oh! Not mocking you. Just saying." He reassured smiling.
"Okay?" Gauri said yet confused.
"I am not going to tell you this easily that 'I love you too'. I mean you made me wait and you made me burn in jealousy. Come on, Omkara Singh Oberoi is not telling you this easily." Om thought to himself and smiled.
They had dinner, talked for a while like any other day and Gauri left.
The next few days went pretty normally. They talked and had breakfast and dinners like they used to have.
One day when they were cleaning the kitchen,
"Om... I have to tell you something." Gauri said looking at Om.
"Yeah?" Om asked as he wiped off the kitchen island.
"I am going to a wedding tomorrow." Gauri said in a nervous tone.
"Ok, then? Why so nervous? It's not your wedding, is it?" Om asked not getting what she was saying.
"Om I am going to Aisha's wedding, Andrew's sister. She used to be a good friend." Gauri said waiting eagerly for Om to say something.
Om stopped cleaning and looked at her.
"Do you want me to drop you off?" Om asked her. This took Gauri by surprise.
"What?" She asked confused.
"I just told you that I am going to my ex-boyfriend's sister's wedding." Gauri stated.
"Yeah, ok. I know how you feel about him and about me for that matter, if that's what you are stating. I don't have anything to worry about; expect probably one thing." Om said looking confidently into Gauri's eyes.
Gauri felt happy and proud for loving the right man. He trusted her very much, and now she knew that.
"What are you worried about?" Gauri asked.
"I am worried if you have a date to the wedding?" Om said looking into Gauri's eyes and moving dangerously close to her.
"Ahem! I...uh... don't have a date. You are always welcome, you know." Gauri said bringing a hand between the little distance that was left between them, pushing him slightly behind.
"Great, it's decided then! I am your date for tomorrow." Om said smiling. Gauri too smiled at him.
Gauri was getting ready for the wedding. She put on a beautiful black lehenga and was doing her final touch ups. After getting ready she went and knocked on Om's door. No response.
So she called him. It was busy.
