The Forbidden One

Chapter 3

A double update!

"So, you often takes part in medical camps?" I found myself asking her after a few minutes of silence.

"Sometimes." She shrugged, "My friends are in medical school, so whenever I am free, they drag me along with them to the medical camps, so that we can have fun in the after hours of the camp."

"That's where you got the knowledge about medicine?"

"No, my father is a doctor, I used to watch him tend his patients from my early age, so, I have my expertise but yeah, each day I learn a little bit more from my friends too."

"That's great. Is your father here too?"

"No, he usually volunteers the camps but this one time he didn't. He is busy celebrating his so called second honeymoon with my mother." The girl laughed.

"What? Really!"

"Yes, my parents are off celebrating their second honeymoon in the hills of Darjeeling. I so envy their love." She smiled.

"That's cute and lovely." I said honestly.

"Yes, it is."

"I always wonder how can someone love a person the same, always in all stages. And then I think about the good old couples like your and my set of parents"

We spent the rest of the evening, discussing and debating about various topics and things. I felt free around her, which came as a surprise to me, cause I was never the one to open up to people, especially the girls. My mom was the last woman, I had spoken this free and happily with and now after my mom, I felt the same feeling around this hazel eyed beauty.

I felt like I could speak everything and anything around her freely without being judged, she had that aura around her that made me have a feeling of familiarity and home, and I loved that feeling, I loved being around her, I loved the way she made me feel, I loved the way her stray hair flew with the breeze, her hazel eyes twinkled, whenever she spoke about her dreams, how she enjoyed everything around her and finds happiness in little things. Every passing moment with her, I felt getting more attached and attracted towards her.

"This is the best butter chicken, I ever had." She said stuffing the last piece of chicken in her mouth. "This is so yummy."

"Should I order another plateful for you?" I asked amused.

"As much as I want to have another plate, I am afraid my stomach will burst like a balloon."

"You know, it won't right." I teased.

"I know, but I don't want to spend my night, suffering from indigestion taking antacids." She said holding her stomach.

"Cool then." I smiled holding my hands up in air. "Since I still have an appetite, I am going to buy and eat those roasted peanuts." I said pointing towards the peanut vendor, who was roasting the peanuts in a iron pan.

"Have fun." She said and I walked to buy the peanuts.

As I stood at a distance from her, waiting for the person packed the peanuts, as I watched her play Seven Stone game with a bunch of children, she looked like one among them with her petite frame and baby face. She laughed freely like a kid, and had a innocence like one. What's happening to me, I never felt like this around any girl, I had my fair share with woman, who are international models but none made me feel like the same, I am now feeling around her.

I walked towards her after paying the peanut vendor and sat on the cot, we sat previously. She came huffing, due to running all around with the children.

"Had fun?" I asked popping the peanuts in my mouth.

"Felt like a kid again." She smiled as she unscrewed the water bottle and drank from it.

"Want some?" I asked offering the peanuts.

"Thanks for the offer but I am allergic to Peanuts." She said declining my offer softly, "The one time I ate peanuts accidentally, I had a severe anaphylaxis, and was rushed to hospital. Since then my father stopped eating his favourite peanut butter too cause I used to whine to give some for me too." She laughed.

"I can understand that feeling, even my father is allergic to peanuts, our cooking staff has strict orders to not cook or bring anything that contains peanuts in it."

"It can be frustrating sometimes, like now, when we can smell the delicious aroma of peanuts but can't have them." She said with a sad look looking at the roasted peanuts.

"Yes, that's really sad too." I agreed.

"Come on, let's go and play with the kids." She said forwarding her hand for me to take.

"What? No, I am not a kid to play." I said laughing nervously.

"Oh, come on, there will be a kid inside us always, it's just us who don't let the kid come out, be free and enjoy the moment." She said pulling me with her towards the kids, who are playing Seven stones.

I felt like a kid again, carefree and peaceful, void of all worries and tensions, running around laughing. It's been many years since I heart fully laughed and felt this free, like I got wings. I want this moment to never end, I want my whole life to be like this, happy and free.

"Did your car get repaired yet?" She asked as we sat on the cot of dhaba huffing puffing after finishing the game.

"Yes, I shared the location to the driver, he would be reaching here soon, If you don't mind, I can drop you near the camp."

"Not at all, it would be a great help, since it's been a long time and my friends would be worried about me."

"I realized that, we had been talking for hours but we didn't introduce ourselves."

"Oh, yes." She laughed.

"Omkara Singh Oberoi." I said forwarding my hand forward for a shake.

"Gauri... "

"Gauri." An slender looking girl shouted as she gasped for air, standing a few feet away from us.

Gauri looked at the girl with a frown and said, "How did you find me?"

"Leave that all come with me, now." The slender girl said dragging Gauri to a side with her.

"One minute." Gauri said freeing herself from her friend and walking towards me.

"Please, wait for me, I will be back soon, seems like my friend wants to speak something important." Gauri asked as her friend pulled her.

"I will wait." I smiled as the other girl dragged Gauri with her.

"Sir, bill." The waiter said handing me the bill.

"Do you accept cards?" I asked and he nodded guiding me towards the bill counter.

It's been a hour since Gauri left, it started to drizzle and I sat in my car, waiting for Gauri to return. The dark clouds began to envelope the sky as the rain drops began to hit the wind shield of my car with much force, every passing minute.

"Sir, seems like there's going to be a storm tonight, do you want me to drive you back to hotel before we get struck in it?" Khanna asked as he looked up at the sky from his driver seat.

"No, Khanna. We can't just leave now." Not without meeting Gauri.