"He said that?" Anika asked, but Gauri was sure she knew that answer.
"No...but he looked too busy." Gauri answered in a sheepish tone.
"Too busy doing what?" Anika asked, eyeing Gauri keenly.
Gauri knew she was going to sound like a child after she answered that question. She knew the way she had reacted after seeing Om talking to Bella, was very childish and not something a woman of her age behaved but, jealousy never looked at the person's age before infecting the person.
"HewastalkingtoBella." Gauri answered so fast that Anika didn't catch a single word, but that was the whole point, now wasn't it?
"Wonderful, now say it all again. Preferably in English and a little slowly." Anika asked, furrowing her eyebrows.
"He was talking to Bella. They were talking. Bella was talking to Om. Om was talking to Bella." Gauri whined like a distressed teenager.
Anika listened to her and her eyebrows raised and eyes widened. Within a second, she broke into a fit of giggles.
"It isn't funny." Gauri said, frowning.
"Sorry. Sorry, honey. Come on, let's go talk to Om." Anika said, trying very hard to control her laughter.
"No-, what are you-?" Gauri asked but before she knew she was already being pulled away by her dear Anika di.
"Om!" Anika di called out Om who was standing at a distance.
Om looked at them and his already lit up face, lit up once again.
"Gauri! When did you reach here?" Om asked and went ahead to hug her. Gauri hugged him back, balancing the earthen pot in her hand from which she was eating a while ago.
"I'll take care of this and, Bella, Ranveer was looking for you." Anika said, taking the earthen pot from Gauri's hand and sending Bella away so that Gauri and Om would get some time.
Soon, Anika and Bella were out of sight, but not before Bella hugged Om a bye and Gauri a welcome to her brother's engagement; and Gauri and Om were left all alone. After a minute of silence, Om looked at Gauri, toe to head.
"Is something wrong?" Gauri asked, furrowing her eyebrows and looking down at her dressing as if something had gone wrong with the outfit.
"It's perfect. You're perfect." Om replied, his eyes filled with love and affection.
"Huh? Thank you." Gauri replied looking up from her outfit, as her cheeks flushed red. It was amusing to her how much effect Om had over her by using just the right words at the right time.
"You're looking really beautiful." Om complimented once again.
"Thank you, and you look good too. The suit suits you." Gauri complemented and soon realised what she had said.
Those were the exact words she had used to appreciate him the day he told her he loved her. The memories came rushing back and her lips maintentained her smile.
"When did you land in India? Why didn't you call me? I would have picked you up." Om asked, his smile not wavering showing how happy he was to see Gauri.
"I landed in the morning and I had a cab drop me here. I didn't want to bother you." Gauri replied with a smile.
"Bother? You can never bother me." Om replied, surprised at her choice of words and Gauri just gave him a tight lipped smile.
"Why didn't you come and meet me? I was in the hotel all day." Om asked, his voice laced with a bit of sadness that she hadn't met him earlier.
"Well, I was trying to avoid a bad jet-lag, and I was also tired." Gauri replied.
