Gauri took yet another pile of books and laid it down on her huge mahogany work desk. It had been a week since she had been working at the library. The library was majestic, classical, dusty and very old school. It would take her months to actually get all the books entered into the database with their unique identity numbers. She sighed and sat on the desk. 

It felt nice to keep busy throughout the day. She'd leave with Omkara in the mornings finish her shift at the library and then head to the cafe. At the end of the day, she was so tired that she didn't even have the energy to watch a single episode of any of her favorite shows. 

It was a breezy Saturday afternoon. Gauri looked up at the open window feeling the breeze. She was just absentmindedly staring at the branch of the tree outside that danced to rhythm of the breeze when there were footsteps and then a voice said, "excuse me".

"Yes!" Gauri answered wearing a bright smile. Her smile sparkled when she noticed it was Ryan, the young dashing student counselor. He was fair, sported a stubble, had blond hair spiked up at the ends. His eyes were plus, they were aqua blue eyes. When he smiled his eyes narrowed into cute curves. 

"Having a rather busy afternoon, I suppose?" He asked in his slight British accent, pairing it with a smile, while glancing at the books piled up on the desk. 

"Don't ask!" Gauri said looking around. 

"I came to return this book. Mind if I take another with me?" 

Gauri looked around thoughtfully. " If it's from one of the shelves at the back of the room go ahead."

"Yes, of course." He smiled. "I am glad this library is finally getting a makeover. It really deserved one. I hope the students start spending more time here."

Gauri's simply nodded looking at him admirably. Overload of cuteness!

"And this..." he muttered holding the book out. 

Gauri took it from him. "Emotions Revealed  " the title read. "You picked it up from the shelf at the back right?" She asked to confirm.

"Yes, I did. The last but one shelf."

"Umm, could you put it back there? I will make a note of it in the old school register!" Gauri smiled.

"Sure, why not." He said generously taking th book back. "Must be quite a task for you..."

"Yes it is. However, some bookworms come and lend a helping hand, at times for an hour or so."

"Really? That's great. In fact, I would love to help too. It would also give me  a good opportunity to have a look around at books from other genres."

Gauri smiled, "be my guest!"

He chukled, and Gauri gazed at him in awe. How delicately beautiful could a man be! 

"I will just..." he pointed to the back of the room.

"Sure!" Gauri smiled again. She was still staring at his retreating figure when the sound of another set of footsteps caught her attention. She smiled as Omkara carried a packet.

"Hey, Omkie!"

His face showed a slight disapproval but he said nothing. "Figured you won't get time for lunch. So ." He placed the packet of lunch on a table. She leaned forward and pulled his cheeks. "Thanks! My stomach has been rumbling for quite some time now."

"I am sure not just stomach!" He muttered with a knowing smile, briefly glancing between the rows where Ryan had disappeared.

Gauri smiled and whispered, "he's like super super cute."

"He's actually a nice guy. I have spoken to him a few times. He's smart."

"But reads boring books." Gauri added. "Emotions Revealed!" She said quietly. "Who reads books title that?" She asked whispering animatedly.

Omkara held back his laughter, his amusement cascading from his smile instead. "That's seems to be an interesting title."

"Okay. Men either don't have interest in books or have a really bad choice if they're interested in books. I mean... if you're going to spend time reading then read nice book, naa! Like 'The Fault In Our Stars',  'Princess Diaries',  'Pride & Prejudice' , 'Jane Eyre', 'Sherlock Holmes'. You get the picture right?"

"So basically a person should only read Romance?" Omkara concluded.

Gauri looked at him horrified, "Sherlock Holmes is not romance!" That caused Omkara to burst into chukles. 

"I know. I know. You just have a very common taste in books. There's much more beyond those common books."

"You're calling Sherlock common? May you be damned!"

Omkara smiled, "Are you still hungry?"

"Yes yes. I will wash my hands, and, let's sit outside. This place is too dusty."

"Right." Omkara agreed walking out.

"Oh wait listen, you start, I will join you in few minutes. You see Ryan wants to issue a book." She gave a wide smile.

Omkara cringed, "the college crowd is rubbing on you!" Saying that he walked out leaving behind a gaping Gauri. 

Gauri frowned, he definitely didn't know anything about romance. She turned around and walked to the back of the room to find Ryan.

* * A week later * *

"Omkara?" Gauri called knocking on the door of his room.

"Busy!" He called from inside. 

Gauri pushed open the door to his room and stepped inside. "I need your help."

"For?" He asked, his eyes still focused on his canvas as he painted a black curve delicately. His fingers were effortlessly firm. 

"What are you painting?" Gauri asked looking at the odd shaped lines painted in black. 

"You're invading my private space. Both physical and mental." He spoke and his lips settled back into a serious line.

Gauri ignored that and spoke up, "I need your help. You have to come outside for that".

"I will be out in five." He answered dismissively. 

"Fine!" Gauri stomped her feet and made her way out of he room. The corner of his lips shifted slightly upward at that and then quickly became rigid again.

"Twenty three!" Gauri muttered with her arms folded at her chest. 

"What do you need my help at?" Omkara asked. She led him into her room. On the bed were two different colored dressy tops.

"I am going on a coffee date with Ryan. Which of these two should I wear?"

Omkara turned to look at her with disbelief. "You called me out for this? Gauri, I was ..." he paused, taking a deep breath when he saw her features line with sadness. "Look, I am not your girlfriend. Don't discuss clothes with me ever again!"

"But you have a good sense of colors. Just tell me which one would look better for a date."

"Are you going out on a date for the first time in your life?" He asked bluntly.

"No." He answered her doe-shaped eyes peering at him. 

"Then help yourself!" He threw up his hands and walked past her. 

"You could have just helped!" Gauri called behind him. He could be a meanie at times.

Omkara rolled his eyes, "Never, waste my time on such stupid problems again!" He called out. Gauri huffed, the man was a real pain to deal with on some days.

* Few Days Later *

"Come on, Omkie. It's a prom. We are lucky that we've been invited too. You have to come."

"No way!" Omkara shook his head in a negative walking into the kitchen.

Gauri was determined today. She followed him I to the kitchen. "It will be fun. You should loosen up and have fun some times."

"Not interested." He muttered moving back and forth in the kitchen gathering ingredients to cook his dinner.

She kept tailing him, "You will get free food too." He shook his head in a negative again, unconvinced.

"There will be some real nice food. Don't be such a boring guy, Omkie. You got what ten proposals?"

"From students. That's very very inappropriate. Besides, it's twelve now," he corrected.

Gauri smiled, "just pick one. Even that secretary and accountant asked you out. Pick one of them. Proms are real fun nights."

"Gauri," he kept everything aside and turned to face her. "Why are you pushing me to come along? You have company right? You've made so many friends."

"Yeah, right. But I want you to come and have fun with us."

Omkara sighed, "I don't want to come."

"Why?" Gauri stretched the word.

Omkara looked at her from the corner of his eyes turning to the counter.

"Please. Like pretty please." Gauri pleaded batting her eyelids with a pout.

Omkara rolled his eyes, "Won't work."

"Fine then." Gauri declared looking at him with narrowed eyes. "I am going to drag you.." she said, graspinghis arm. She began pulling him. Omkara was amused. He stood rooted at the spot. She tried pulling his arm with still more strength. Thoroughly amused, Omkara continued to resist her force and stare at her efforts with amusement.

He chukled when she just wouldn't give up. "Gauri, you can't move me!"

"Oh, I can!" She muttered and continued. Finally, she stopped looking at him. Omkara could sense the wheels of her mind moving. He was proved right when she stepped closer and began tickling him. Her slender fingers reaching his waist and moving about.

Omkara's amusement only increased."Gauri, I am not really ticklish."

Gauri gaped. "Seriously? Not even the neck?" She asked gliding her fingers over his neck. 

Omkara's breath hitched in that split second when her fingers reached his neck. His gaze did a once over on her lips that were smiling. His lips parted very minutely as she tried tickling him. Omkara held her wrist and pulled it down. "You're wasting your time." He mumbled. 

His mind went back to the time he was with Riddhima. How he enjoyed it when his neck was kissed. But damn, Gauri's soft touches were enough to ignite his pleasure nerve's ends.

"Okay, then I am not going too."

He turned his head and peered at her. "Why are you being so dramatic Gauri? I don't want to go, that's my choice. You were counting your days until today, because that's how much you were looking forward to attend it. Just go, okay? Besides, I am sure Ryan is going to be really disappointed if you don't turn up."

She watched him with a calculative gaze. "Why are you doing this?"

"Doing what?" He responded to her question perplexed.

"Shutting out the world." She said softly, peering at him.

Omkara's eyes met her gaze. She never failed to surprise him. He blinked, refocusing his gaze, "it's nothing like that."

"Omkara, I have know you for more than two months now. Give me some credit. You are keeping yourself away from the world. You are shutting everyone out. I don't know you're reasons. I am not prying either but don't put yourself into self imposed imprisonment." 

A silence fell. 

Omkara didn't know how to reject Gauri's conclusions. She was right. He was constantly trying to shut out the world. Keep himself away from people as much as possible. People were greedy, selfish and self centered. He had been hurt enough to understand to not open his heart up in front of strangers, to guard himself from being hurt. 

"So are we going now?" She asked softly.

Omkara looked at her. Her words sank into his mind. She said 'we'. He knew she'd been waiting for this day. She had very trivial typical girl like dreams and choices. He sighed and muttered, "fine!" He gave her a glance and walked towards his room to get ready.

Gauri smiled, looking at his retreating figure. In very short time she had formed a very peculiarly strong bond with him. Maybe it was because of all the gratitude she had for him. She didn't know what would have happened if she hadn't collapsed before his car that night. Ever since that night, it was as though he had taken up on himself to protect her. Not in the actual, literal, sense but still... he was her shelter away from home. 

Gauri knew she had to pay him back for his kindness in an equal amount or more. Today she had confirmed her thoughts. Omkara needed to be rescued and sheltered too, from himself, from his loneliness, from whatever his past was. It didn't look apparent on the surface but somewhere deep down in her heart Gauri had felt it, he needed kindness too. 

The response to the last chapter wasn't good. I would urge you to give me a small feedback to at least let me know what's not going right. 

Hope you liked this chapter. 

-Anami!♡