Rikara Short Stories Collection

Dancing At Midnight : Part One

"Hurry up, Richa we are really late." Gauri said as she ran to her class with Richa. This was her first day in college and she had reached the day before in Delhi and had settled in her hostel, and there she had met Richa who was in her class. Gauri was a little upset already as she still hadn't met Omkara, she wanted to come early so she could meet him but Richa had taken forever to get ready and had asked Gauri to wait for her, and now she was late for the very first class in her new college. Finally they found the class and quickly settled down in the nearest seat available as the professor was waiting for them to settle down. "Let's take the attendance, and I'll call out your names just stand up so I can know who is who." Professor said as he started calling out names of the students. Suddenly Gauri heard him call out her name "Gauri Kumari Sharma." Gauri quickly got up and was about to "Yes sir" when someone beat her to it "Yes." Gauri turns to the sound to see a very beautiful girl in a mini skirt and tank top looking at her with a displeased frown. "What's happening?" the professor asks amused. "I'm Gauri Kumari Sharma." Gauri replies. "What? I'm Gauri Kumari Sharma!" the other girl says haughtily as she flipped her hair back. "Looks like we have two Gauri Kumari Sharma-s. Bloody confusing whenever that happens, er...excuse my language." Professor says and then proceeds to call out other names. Gauri was feeling a little excited, this was the first time she had met someone with the same name as hers and she turns and smiles at her who just gives her a disgusted look. Gauri just shrugs and turns to see her other classmates.

After that class was over, they were leaving the room when the other Gauri Kumari Sharma who had asked everyone to call her Gaur said arrogantly "Move aside." Gauri moves away while she walked away with her bunch of friends. "You two have the same name and look so different. You look nothing less than a super model and she is such a behenji." Gauri hears one of Gaur's friends talking in a loud whisper and they all starts laughing while Gauri just shrugs and walks away with a scandalized Richa. Gauri knew she was not pretty, with her specs, salwars and no make up she did look like a behengi. But she didn't mind that, because Omkara didn't like girls using make up. Thinking of Omkara her heart started slamming against her chest. She decided to go look for him around the campus. By the time she reached the canteen Gaur was the talk and attention of the college with practically every guy drooling over her while some of her friends made fun of the other Gauri Kumari Sharma who was a disgrace to Gaur as she had the same name as Gaur. Shrugging her shoulders Gauri went on to look for Omkara, the only person that mattered to her but Omkara was nowhere to be found. Dejected she went to her next class thinking of looking for him in the next break.

After her class, Gauri was again looking around for Omkara when she heard a manly voice loudly calling out to her "Gauri!" Gauri turns around wondering who was calling her when her heart stopped beating, Omkara was coming towards her with a huge smile on his face and without even realizing it she started smiling and blushing, she had been looking for him everywhere and he had found her. As she waited for him to come to her with a big smile he had walked past her without sparing her even a glance and walked towards Gaur. She knew she was not beautiful, and it had never bothered her as she knew what mattered to Omkara was her and not her face but Omkara had thought Gaur was his Gauri and hadn't even spared her a glance. "Hey beautiful," she heard Omkara greet Gauri "Omkara Singh Oberoi." he said extending his hand "Hey Omkara." Gaur says with obvious interest in the handsome man. "Wanna have coffee?" Omkara asks with a sexy smile. Gauri had never felt so lonely in her life, not even when her parents had passed away, or when Omkara had gone away but now with her Omkara so close to her and with so many people around her she had never felt lonelier. She was about to walk away as her eyes were filling with tears when she heard another voice excitedly saying "Your time is up, Omkara and you lost!" Gauri turns back to see what was happening. "What the hell do you mean I lost?" Omkara asks with a frown. "What is happening?" Gaur asks confused and a little irritated. "Sorry, please don't take it in the wrong way," Omkara starts his explanation with an embarrassed smile "well my friends made a bet with me that I should call you beautiful and ask you out for coffee in a minute. I never back out from a challenge, please don't mind. Just consider it as a small ragging." Omkara says sheepishly. "But I'm still going to hold you to that coffee offer." Gaur replies as she slightly flicked on his nose tip with a finger. "Dude, you lost!" Omkara's friend said with a chuckle. "What do you mean by I lost, Ajay?" Omkara asks irritated as he subtly stepped away from Gaur's reach. "For the first time in his life, Omkara Singh Oberoi lost a bet!" Ajay says loudly while Omkara looked like he wanted to hit his friend "Dude, we were not talking about this Gauri Kumari Sharma, we were talking about that Gauri Kumari Sharma." Ajay says pointing at Omkara. Omkara quickly turns to look at the person Ajay was pointing and sees a girl staring at him in shock. Gauri suddenly felt like the center of attention as everyone stared at her and some chuckled at Omkara. This was the first time she was the center of attention in front of strangers and she hated that feeling. And Omkara kept gawking at Gaur and her alternately in shock and confusion. "You said she is Gauri." Omkara tells Ajay. "Well she is Gauri Kumari Sharma and that is also Gauri Kumari Sharma and we were talking about her." Ajay grins. "You didn't tell me that." Omkara argues. "Leave it, Omkara. You lost!" Dandi says with a grin. "Fine!" Omkara says irritated while they all hooted loudly. "Don't take it to heart, Omkara." Gaur says as she kept her hand on Omkara's shoulder "It happens and don't be mad at them they were just trying to make Gauri happy, because without a bet who would ask her out?" Omkara looks at her in shock and sees her smirking at the other Gauri, and Omkara looks at the other Gauri and realized that she looked like she would cry any minute now.

Gauri wanted to cry, she had never felt bad about not being beautiful or pretty but right now everyone was making fun of her in front of HER Omkara! And he was looking at her and he looked upset. Omkara suddenly looks away and turns to look at Gaur "Gauri Kumari Sharma.." Omkara starts "Gaur... my friends call me that." Gaur cuts in. "Well Gaur... it did take a bet to make Omkara Singh Oberoi ask you out." With that he walks towards Gauri and smiles at her "Hi Gauri." "Hi Omkara." Gauri says breathless, shocked, confused and excited. "Will you have coffee with me?" Gauri couldn't help break out into a big smile, her Omkara had come to her. "Yes." Seeing her smile, Omkara looked at her confused. "You can't be serious, Omkara." Gaur says angrily. "I have never been more serious in my life." Omkara says and then sneers "Gaur" turning to Gauri with a big smile he puts his hand out for, and Gauri breathlessly held his hand and walked with him to the canteen.