GAURI👱OMKARA🙎=A Past -A Quest

Chapter 8

(Continuation of pov....)

                 The car ride had felt so slow. Of course, I might have lost the track of time, admiring the features of Omkara. At present, we are going through the security checks in the mall. I came out and Om went in. I wondered how Om will manage to go through the checks. Like seriously, he is scared of touch, right. I want to help him in some way, but I don't  know how.
So I am just standing here, waiting for him.

             It took him longer time than usual checks and he came out flushed. He saw me and gave me a tight lipped smile. But I decided not to comment on it. So, I decided to divert his mind to shopping. I turned to him to say,

G: So , did Anu di tell you the reason behind this shopping programme?

O: Yeah, actually. You want to b..buy some gifts for my ff..family, right!

G:(smiling) Yeah, right!

O:(awkwardly) But I told Bhabi. There is no nn...eed for all these gifts and all. It's an unn..necessary expense.

G: Come on. Not a big deal. Accha  listen! I want you to help me select gifts and presents according to everybody' s taste. Will you?

O:(smiling) Sure.

G: Thank you.

           Firstly we decided to complete shopping for women. I thought of seeing some jewellery and Om decided to help me. We started looking at different stores in the mall. There is this eery silence between us as Om is lost in his thoughts.
          I decided to break the silence however. I turned to him, only to see him walking by  fiddling with straps of his backpack,  wetting his lips once in a while.  He isn't actually concentrating on where he is going, just staring into space while walking.
             I have seen him zoning out multiple times before also. Like during Anika didi's marriage! We didn't talk much during the marriage. But, he had looked  more troubled back then. He seemed to be in his own bubble then.

           Now I realised that it is me who zoned out. I came back to present only when Om called out to me. When I looked at him, I realised he is not with me. He is currently standing infront of a jewellery store waving at me. I waved at him awkwardly, internally scolding myself. I reached there only to be bombarded with his stuttered questions.

O: What happ..pened? You l..look lost. Is everyth..thing okay?

G:(smiling) yeah! Everything is fine. Just thinking something.

O: Th..thinking about work?

G:(awkwardly) yeah.

             Wah Gauri, wah! Hatsoff to your dishonesty. We entered into the store taking in it's features. The store is brightly lit, making the diamonds shine as brightly as stars. It is cool inside and giving out a pleasant feeling. I turned to Om as I heard him speaking.

O: Rudra once said that the d..designs here are good. So I thought we can gg..give it a try. If you don't like it here, we can tr..ry other stores. What say?

G: I say, It's 'cool.'

O: yeah! I think it's centrally air conditioned.

               Hearing him, I couldn't control my laugh. If I heard some others say this, I would have thought they are joking. But one look at his face, and I know he doesn't have any clue regarding this joke. This only widened my smile.

          We occupied our seats and one of the sales persons came to our service.He asked us about the models we want to see and I immediately turned to Om for help.