Thank you for reading, voting and commenting everyone on the prologue ♥️

Thank you so much for leaving your vulnerable feedbacks and encouraging me to continue ♥️🥰😘

I'm extremely sorry for the delay, everything was going per schedule until my encounter with lazybug, prior January, lazy bug is a deadly bug that successfully manipulates anyone anytime! 😕

Part 3: Yes

"No, me and Omkara hadn't met before." Shivaay, Rudra, Omkara and Mrs Sharma looked at Gauri, who was stood with Anika.

"That's strange." Shivaay responds, starting to think "You two have spent the same year in that college." He continued and looked at Omkara.

"We might have spent the same year but I really don't remember Omkara." Gauri retorted, scoffing after moving her gazes towards Omkara, who glances away.

He wasn't sure why he felt a void after Gauri had denied knowing him during the past, he was expecting her to say minimal, for instance, 'I might have seen him around but I don't remember talking to him' rather than saying she hadn't met him at all.

"Bhaiyya, why are you confusing everyone. Maybe they were in different blocks and thats why they failed to know each other, it's not necessary to know every single person in college." Rudra uttered, making a point after looking at a confused Shivaay "Besides, O looked so different back then, it's highly impossible for anyone to recognise him now." Rudra added after remembering the old Omkara with no hair, beard and moustache.

Shivaay was now relaxed after he had reflected on the second point Rudra had made. Possibly the reason why Gauri failed to recognise Omkara. Little did he know they knew each other closely.

"Gauri, do you and Omkara wish to have a personal chat before deciding?" Anika asked and Gauri shook her head negatively.

Gauri looked at Omkara, who was avoiding eye contact, knowing the answer would be a no.

"Yes, if that's okay with all of you. . ."

"Yeah sure, take your time. We don't have any problems." Shivaay spoke, assuring Gauri not to worry as they understand.

Gauri passed a smile and Omkara inhaled a deep breath, looking at Shivaay who nods at him.

"Go O." Rudra whispered, nudging Omkara and Omkara felt uncomfortable. Having no choice, he stood up and Gauri led the way.

"I hope you're okay with it Aunty. . ." Anika trailed off before taking a seat besides Shivaay.

"Yes, I'm okay." Mrs Sharma replied, curving a bright genuine smile as she blinked at Anika.

"Great!" Shivaay exclaimed, looking at Anika, not sure what to say afterwards.

"Aunty, could you kindly tell us about how Gauri was as a child?" Anika asked, starting a topic and giving enough time for Gauri and Omkara to talk.

Mrs Sharma nodded and started to remember Gauri's childhood.

*

Omkara and Gauri were silently sat opposite each other on the terrace. Gauri was pressing her fingers against her palm whereas Omkara was staring at his hand, the awkwardness between the two had increased as none of them have a word to say.

"Uh. . ." Omkara spoke, deciding to get rid of the awkwardness. "Do you remember the time we went camping?" He added and she looked up at him with a scoff.

"Yes." She replied, travelling back to the past while his mind followed.

It had been morning and Gauri had opened her eyes, feeling more sleepy and tired. She placed her hand on her stomach while sitting up, remembering the random explosion.

"Gauri. . . How are you feeling now?" Her mother asked and Gauri glances up at her. "Better." She responded, but Mrs Sharma wasn't satisfied with her response.

"I told you not to go, you didn't listen to me and now look, on the first day this happened." Mrs Sharma complained and placed the tray of breakfast on the bed.

Gauri sighed, looking at her tensed mother. "Maa, it's nothing serious. I swear, it was just. . ."

"Nothing serious? Are you joking Gauri. I had seen you in pain yesterday and. . ."

"Maa, calm down. I was only laughing, it's not like I was crying."

"But. . ."

"Please Maa, I'm not a coward type of girl that will move college just over once incident that wasn't serious."

Mrs Sharma gave up after seeing her stubborn daughter staying rooted to one decision, which was 'attending that college.'

"You won't listen to me won't you?"

"Maa please, don't blackmail me now. You know I love you the most. Have I ever said no to you?" Her mother shook her head as a response, "Then please try to understand Maa, staying in that college is a challenge for me and you know how much of a daring personality I am. I wouldn't be happy if I left it."

Mrs Sharma plainly stared at her, forming an irritated expression while forwarding her a glass of orange juice.

"Fine." Gauri smiled at her mother, "Now get ready and pack your stuff."

Gauri creased her forehead, "Why?"

Her mother looked at her "Who will go to camping?" She responded but Gauri was clueless.

"The college called this morning, they were saying you have a camping trip. I suppose you have a message on your phone too."

Gauri hurried to look for her phone around her bed, she finally spotted it in the corner near her bag and leaned forward. After grabbing onto it, she straightened her posture and unlocked it, clicking on a new message.

"Miss Gauri Kumari Sharma. Today we are going for camping and sorry that we couldn't inform you earlier but hope to see you there.

Mr D Sengupta!" She read and gazed at her mother.

"What? But I'm not ready for camping."

"The decision is all yours." Mrs Sharma utters and stands up but before leaving, she stares at her, wanting to ask her something.

"Gauri, what happened yesterday in college?"

"Nothing, why?"

"Be honest."

Gauri sighed, placing her phone down.

"So yesterday in college. . ." Gauri was starting to narrate everything that happened on her first day of college, including her encounter with Om.

After she had finished, a question had started to bother her. 'Was it him who could've done that?' She wondered in her mind and her mother gasped, covering her mouth.

"Gauri, if you behave like that then people would obviously show enmity and I don't want that." Mrs Sharma explained, worrying while she takes a seat again. "You need to apologise to him. Today." Mrs Sharma added, shocking Gauri.

"Maa, are you serious? Why should I apologise to him?"

"Gauri, you had insulted him and mocked him. How would you feel if someone did that to you?"

"Maa he was part of a ragging gang, why would anyone talk to him nicely anyways?"

"But Gauri, by apologising you won't seem small, instead you would show maturity and prove his way of thinking is wrong. Maybe if you apologise, he would realise he's doing something wrong."

"But Maa. . ."

"No Gauri, I'm sending you there to study, not to mess with anyone. Please, for my sake." Gauri sighed, giving in to her mother, the same stubborn mother who she had learnt the stubbornness from.

"Fine!" She sighed with a frown, clearly glimpsing her displeasure with this decision.

"Now get ready and do call me when you reach the camping sight." Mrs Sharma utters, standing back up again and Gauri nods.

Before exiting the room, Mrs Sharma had pecked Gauri's forehead and Gauri smiled.

"I didn't even feel up for the camping, after the laughing gas explosion you were behind, it was hard to convince my Maa. She even forced me to say sorry to you that day." Gauri uttered with a small smile as the flashback from the past visited her.

"So you were forced to say that sorry?"

"Yes." She replied.

"And I thought you meant it. I still remember when I woke up early and how the people in my house were shocked." Omkara uttered, letting out a small scoff while travelling back to his part on the same day.

"Om, what happened?"

"Nothing serious Badi-Maami, I have a trip today so that's why I woke up early."

"Oh, a trip?" Om nodded at Annapurna and she sighed a relief. "I thought something had happened, but I'm glad it's nothing serious. Good luck for your trip."

"Thank you Badi-Maami." He thanked and walked towards her, taking her blessings.

She blesses him with a smile and he straightened his posture, picking his shoulder bags up. While he headed down, he sees his uncle Durga Prasad walking down from the other side of the stairs.

"Where are you going?" He sternly asked and Om tried to smile but failed. "On a trip."

"Trip?" He suspiciously questioned and Om nodded in response.

"Okay, have a safe journey." Om nodded at his Uncle while walking towards the exit.

"Om, you're awake this early?" His Chhoti Maami, Sujata asked while walking inside, shocked to see Om awake so early.

"I have a trip." He replied, eventually walking past her and she turned, watching him leave.

After he exited the mansion, he walked towards the jeep parked outside the gate, where his friends were waiting for him.

"That day I made my very first friend, who later ditched me. . ." She remembered with a small smile and looked at Omkara, who was merely smiling, evidently lost in the past.

"Is this seat reserved?" A girl asked and Gauri looked at her, shaking her head negatively and the girl took a seat besides her on the bus.

The girl then took her phone out and plugged her earphones in, glancing back at Gauri. "You're the same girl who insulted Om yesterday, right?"

Gauri arched her eyebrows in confusion and then realised who she was talking about. "Yeah."

"I liked your attitude and confidence. Hi, I'm Aaradhya, you can call me Aaru." Gauri smiled and shook her hand. "I'm Gauri."

"You do know that once you've shook my hand, you become my friend. . .?"

"I don't mind either." Gauri responded and confirmed their recent friendship.

While she blinked at Omkara, her encounter with Anika flashed in her mind, urging her to question him about what she had told her.

"The bathroom is right here."

"Thank you Gauri." Gauri simply smiled at her and turned to leave. "Wait. . ." Anika trialed off, waiting for Gauri to turn back around.

"Do you and Om know each other from before?" Gauri had become silent, loosing her smile after hearing this question.

"N. . . Why is that?" She asked, wanting to know before giving her answer.

"Nothing. . . I was just casually asking." Anika responded and curled a small fake smile, making Gauri suspicious.

"But. . ."

"There's nothing to worry about." And before Anika could turn, Gauri sighed, closing her eyes "Yes, me and Om know each other." Anika stopped, instantly turning towards Gauri, who opens her eyes again, to capture Anika's reaction.

"You're everywhere in his room. . ." Gauri arched her eyebrows confusingly as Anika decided to tell her what she impatiently wanted to say all that time. "You're in his painting, in his diary and in his personal box that he kept hidden. When I came across your belongings and your half sketched pictures, I decided to ask him about you and he told me he loves you and will always love you." Gauri's heart clenched and her eyes immediately started to moist. She swallowed her spit and blinked at Anika while she spoke.

"He didn't tell me the reason behind you and him separating but he definitely blames himself." Anika added, glancing at Gauri who looked away with glassy eyes.

"Why did you two leave each other?" Anika asked, wanting to know the reason. "He left me, I didn't leave him. . ." Gauri remarked, wiping her tears that slid down her cheeks.

"But now I want to know why he left me if he still loves me." She utters and looks at Anika.

"Om. . . Kara." He looked at her and she swallowed her spit. "W. . ." She stopped, realising something. 'What if Anika's lying about him loving me?' She thought and decided to change her question, "Why didn't you get married to anyone for all those years?"

His smile faded and she blinked at him, waiting for this question of hers to be answered, because she knew this question would not only prove if Anika's telling the truth, it would also tell her if he ever loved her or not.

"I. . . I wasn't interested." He replied and lowered his gazes. She nodded and looked down, feeling upset with his response.

'Besides, you. . . You were the only girl I loved.' His mind spoke, urging him to say it loud but his heart wasn't allowing him, he wasn't sure if he would hurt her by saying this as he has given her enough pain.

"Listen Gauri, please don't feel forced to m. . . Marry me. I don't want you to feel. . ."

"Did you ever love me?" She questioned out of the blue, interrupting him and he looked into her eyes, sensing her sadness.

"Yes." He replied from the bottom of his heart and the honesty in that answer was glimpsing through his eyes, which she had felt when he answered her question.

"Why. . . Why did you disappear then?"

Before this conversation could go any further, Rudra had entered and interrupted the two.

"So, what's the decision? Is it a yes or a no?" The two looked up at him and then at each other.

Omkara had left it all on Gauri, preparing himself to hear a no as he knows she deserves much better than him. Gauri swallowed and glanced back Rudra, ready to tell her decision. Her heartbeats had started to batter against her chest and she inhaled a deep breath.

Loosing against her heart, which still beats for him. She responded with a "Yes." Shocking Omkara.

To Be Continued. . .

Up Next - Continuation and completion of the flashback.
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Done with the third part, how was it? I'm sorry if you found it boring and unpleasant, I would definitely try to improve.

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Next part will be published on Sunday✨

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