Rikara Short Stories Collection

Something Wonderful : Part Four

Thanks to all for voting and commenting on the previous part.

"You told me that you had three girlfriends, right?" Gauri asks Omkara.

"Yeah. Why?"

"And did they all dump you?" Gauri asks in teasing tone.

"Of course not!" Omkara replied offended. "One moved away from here, second one I came back to India after studies and third one let's just say she was not that nice."

"So, you are saying you never got dumped?" Gauri asks shocked.

"NO! And why are you asking me that?" Omkara asks confused.

"Three-fourth of your conversations is about food and I was wondering" Gauri laughs off.

"Oh!" Omkara says sadly "So you find my talks boring?"

"No! I was just teasing you." Gauri says immediately.

"Hmmm"

"I was just replaying our old conversations in my head and that's when I realized that you talk a lot about food."

"Okay. Will not talk about food to you from now on." Omkara says.

"Hey no! I kinda like the way you talk about food." Gauri says with a slight blush.

"Aha! Interesting." Omkara says happily.

"What interesting? I was just saying." Gauri says.

"Ok."

Gauri hears a faint doorbell ringing over the phone. "Gauri, just hold on. I think pizza is here." Omkara says.

Gauri hears Omkara walking sound followed by him pounding down the stairs followed by him opening the door and talking to the delivery boy.

"Gauri, just a sec." Omkara says as he ran up the stairs to his room.

"Yeah... okay no probs." Gauri replies.

"Okay. I am back in my room." Omkara says.

"Omkara, I thought you had dinner. When I messaged you earlier you said you were having dinner, right? Or was that yesterday?" Gauri asks confused.

"Ermm Gauri that was today only. And this is my midnight snack." Omkara says.

By now Gauri was so used to his midnight snacks but PIZZA!!! "Pizza as midnight snack?" Gauri asks shocked.

"I am a little too hungry today." Omkara replies.

"Oh! So bought pan pizza?" Gauri asks.

"Nooo"

"Then?"

"What is this interrogation?" Omkara asks feigning outrage.

"Don't tell me it is a 12-inch pizza?!?!?!?!" Gauri asks shocked.

"Men have good appetite."

"Appetite, not a well!!!" Gauri says.

"Come on, Gauri."

"Golgappa as pre-dinner snack. Aloo paratta for dinner with lassi and leftover chicken fried rice. Then a chocolate cake. And now pizza!!! Did I miss anything?" Gauri asks.

"Just the gulab jamun." Omkara mutters.

"Oh God!"

"You are privy to too much information, woman!" Omkara says.

"You are the one who is telling me everything!"

"I should be kicked for that."

"Tell me this Omkara, are you the biggest customer of your restaurant?" Gauri asks laughing.

"Hahaha! Very funny."

Few minutes later

"You ruined my appetite!" Omkara accuses.

"Wow! I thought you were eating while talking to me." Gauri defends herself.

"Yeah!! But now I can't seem to finish my pizza. Three big slices are left!" Omkara says in an offended and accusing tone.

"Ohmigod! What will we do now, Omkara?" Gauri asks acting shocked and worried. "3 pieces you can't seem to eat! This is like global crisis."

"Worse than that." Omkara says.

Gauri was not sure whether Omkara was serious about that or joking but knowing him she assumed he was serious.

The clock chimes three o clock. "Its 3!" Gauri informs him.

"3 already? I have a meeting at 8 tomorrow. Gauri, I will talk to you tomorrow. I should catch some sleep." Omkara says.

"Okay." Gauri says a little disappointed then to her surprise she yawns, she didn't realize even she was tired till now. "Good night, Omkara."

"Night, Gauri."

Gauri went to her bed with a smile on her face.

She remembers Omkara's eating habit and chuckles. The moment she gets onto the bed, Bhavya wakes up and looks at her, then at the clock, and again at her, then without a word closes her eyes and goes back to sleep. Gauri rolls her eyes, after that day they never talked about Omkara but Bhavya was aware that Gauri spend most of her waking hours talking to him. Gauri knew that Bhavya believed that Gauri and Omkara were falling in love, but then Omkara never mentioned anything about love to her... well except for his love for food.

Next day

Gauri was feeling hungry and she goes to check the fridge for food. Vasundhara had told her that she had kept veg curry and roti for her in the fridge. Only she was at home, everyone else had gone out for various activities. She opens the container and sees the veg curry. She was not in a mood for vegetables. She opens the freezer and sees prawns. She decided to cook prawns and takes it out. She keeps it in the microwave to defreeze while she went to get her ipad to check for recipes. Finally, she found a simple recipe and was about to cook when she realized that the recipe calls for cleaned and deveined prawns.

"Deveined? What the hell is that?" Gauri wonders out loud. "What does that mean? Who will I ask?" Then Gauri smiles now she had someone on her speed dial for food related queries.

"Omkara what does devein mean?" Gauri asks him as soon as he picks up the phone.

"Prawns?" Omkara asks back.

"Yes."

"You need to remove the vein on the prawns cutting the top open."

"Huh?"

"How do I explain?" Omkara wonders out loudly. "Ah give me your skype id."

Gauri does and within seconds her ipad buzzed showing her friends request.

"Okay. Will come online in 5 mins." Omkara says and hangs up the phone.

Few minutes later Omkara calls her on skype and Gauri answers the call. And sees Omkara 5 weeks after the day he had come to see her for the first time. He looked the same maybe a little more handsome.

"Hey Gauri!" Omkara says with a smile. He was standing in his restaurant kitchen.

"Hi Omkara!"

"I will show you how to devein." Omkara says as he takes a prawn from the bowl in front of him.

"You hold it like this, then cut it open here and simply put out the vein." he showed to her like a pro. He continued to show her a couple more till she got the hang of it and laughing at all the disgusted face she was making as she pulled out the vein. He talked to her about the recipe giving suggestions and tips, ignoring his chefs and waiters working in the kitchen watching him like an alien.

Meanwhile at Omkara's house Jhanvi was talking to her sister Pinky on the phone.

"You really have no issues if I send the proposal?" Pinky asks her.

"No, baba. She is a nice girl. My Omkara was not lucky to marry her. Maybe your son is the lucky one."

"Okay. Then I will send Rudra's proposal for Gauri.

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- Lazy