"Here you go Hughes." I spat before wrapping an arm around Gauri and guiding her away from them. I walked slowly so that she could keep up with me. A small part of my brain registered that I was actually holding her right now, but I pushed that thought away. This was not the time. Before I realized it, we were already standing in the parking lot.
"T-thank you." Gauri spoke up first, her voice still slightly shaking. "Don't worry about it. Mukesh was being a total ass. I could hear you perfectly fine." I reassured her. I was glad that she seemed to feel better. She stared at me with those gorgeous blue eyes of hers and I was a goner again. Gauri gave me a soft smile, "Thank you Om." Shit. I loved it when I heard her say my name. The way she said it, so soft and sweet at the same time… it was addicting. I was falling deeper and deeper for her. "Anytime." I breathed.
My phone started to buzz and I pulled it from my pocket. "Hello?" "Om, dude, you're late." I heard my sister say. "Crap." I cursed. "Be right there." I ended the call and turned to Gauri. "I'm sorry. I was supposed to be at work ten minutes ago." A look of guilt passed her face and it nearly broke my heart. "I'm sorry. I made you late for work." "No!" I exclaimed. "It's not your fault. It was my idea to come along with you. Don't worry about it. My boss is pretty lenient." White lie. "He probably won't even notice." He'll bite my head off. "I'll… I'll talk to you later, okay?" Gauri still looked uncertain, but she nodded. "I'd like that." My heart stammered. She'd like that? She wanted to talk to me again? A grin spread across my face, "Great! I'll see you in class Gauri." I said before I sprinted off. She gave me a small wave and my heart fluttered again. I was a total sucker for her and I didn't even care. It was so worth it.
My boss chewed me out when I turned up twenty minutes late for work, but it was so worth it. But still he needs to remember sometimes that I will be the owner one day. "I see you're grinning goofily." Priyanku remarked as she raised one of her eyebrows. "I talked to Gauri today." I told her. "She knew my name." Priyanku laughed, "Yeah, I'd think she'd know your name by now." "What do you mean?" My eyebrows shot up as I turned to my sister. Priyanku stared at me, "You're kidding right? I thought you said you went to the same high school?" "We did." I confirmed. "Well, then why wouldn't she know your name?" I sighed, "Because she wasn't even aware that I existed back then." Priyanku slapped the back of my neck. "Hey!" I said indignantly, "That hurt." I rubbed the sore spot. "Are you dense?" Priyanku hissed. "What are you talking about?" "You remember that year you received that watch for Secret Santa at school?" I frowned and glanced at my wrist. "Yeah." It was a good watch. Very durable, I had it since junior year. "Hand it over." Priyanku held out her palm. "What? Why?" I said as my fingers worked to take the watch off. I put it in her open hand. "What does the back say?" Priyanku said as she held it out in front of me. I squinted at the small lettering. "Kumari Sharma's Clockwork." I murmured. Wait… what?! I glanced at my younger sister, not really grasping what I was seeing. "You really think that just anyone's going to gift you a three lakhs watch for Secret Santa?" I almost choked. Three hundred dollars?! I sputtered. "What are you saying?" Priyanku rolled her eyes, "Do I really have to spell it out for you brother? Gauri Kumari Sharma likes you. She has to like you, because why else would she gift you something so precious?" "How do you know she's not handing out watches every year since her family's the one making them?" I countered. Sharma’s watches were the most costly one in the country . I couldn't get my hopes up.
"Her brother mentioned that the following year she gave her recipient a box of chocolate. I think that says something about how she feels about you." I blinked. It was still so unreal to me. Gauri knew who I was all along? She might have even liked me? Oh my God, Gauri Kumari Sharma might have feelings for me. Hundreds of different emotions swirled through me. "Do you know where she lives?" Priyanku cleared her throat as she jerked her head to the side.
