"So , I know you told me to change the curtains to yellow but I changed it to blue. I think that suits this classroom more."

"Hmmmm."

"And the books of nursery rhymes that you were asking about, I have placed the order. Those will available from next week."

"Hmmmmm"

"And then...Hey! Are you listening?"

"Hmmmm"

"Gauri!...There is fire in the backyard!"

"Hmmmmm"

"Girl! You're impossible!! Really!!!" Saumya muttered as she settled herself beside Gauri, who was still lost in her own world, an annoyed look masked over her face.

If someone would have told Saumya during school days that she would become so close to gauri, she would have either smack him on the face or ensure that he is admitted to the mental hospital. Being the girls of two of the most reputed families, both of them got the opportunity to study in Young Minds Academy,  the top school of Mumbai. Even though both of them were classmates from start, they hardly ever interacted with each other. While Gauri spent her school time cornering herself in the library, Saumya used to keep herself busy in maintaining the tag of 'most popular girl of school'. The two finally acknowledged each other after coming across the news of their siblings dating.

Saumya remembered the surprise she got when her sister Anika introduced her to her boyfriend, Shivay, the most coolest guy she had seen. However, the surprise converted into shock when Shivay introduced her sister Gauri, the most silent girl she had seen. The passage of time, though, made her aware of the depth of emotions Gauri had. And by the time Anika and Shivay finally tied knot, the two of them had started regarding each other as best friends.

Saumya leaned slowly towards Gauri and whispered, "Don't be so sad. Your children won't like to see you like this"

"Wh..What are you doing? Get away!!!" Gauri flinched as her words tingled in her ear.

"Ta-da! Welcome back to reality, darling!" Saumya spreaded her arms with a chuckle, getting an eye roll as response.

"Do you really have to be so dramatic?" She nudged her arm.

"Oh! Don't get irritated so easily." Saumya said," I know Bade Baalon wale bhaiya cancelled your first date but....."

"First of all, " Gauri snapped, "it was not a date. He just asked me to visit his studio."

"Which I still categorise as date."

"And second of all" Gauri continued ignoring her, "I'm not sad because he cancelled it."

Oh really?" Saumya said as she stood up. "So what are you sad for? Hair fall? Pimples? Blackheads?"

Gauri shook her head. "No, it's just that when he called me to say that he doesn't have time today...He seemed a little tensed. The way he spoke, it's still bothering me."

Saumya threw her hands up in the air. "You are trying to say that you have isolated yourself here just because he seemed tensed? Come on! That's no excuse."

"But..."

"Plus about your cancelled date, you both have whole life to plan more." Saumya winked.

"It was not a...."

"So stop being such a broken heart otherwise I'll tell those little chunks about it. I'm sure when they'll got to know, they'll rush out to hunt Bade balon wale bhaiya down." She said peeking out of the window.

Gauri let out a laugh as she heard her and gazed out of the window. Her student group, that consisted of twenty children, belonging to age group of four to six, were busy playing hide and seek.

Suddenly Saumya tapped her shoulders, "hey Gauri! I've an idea."

"What idea?" Gauri looked at her, puzzled.

"I mean, ah..." She hesitated, "I mean weather is so nice isn't it? Fancy an icecream?"

"What?" Gauri raised her brows.

"Yeah! There is an icecream parlour nearby. Let's go, we can give the kids a treat also. It will surely lift your mood"

"No." Gauri shook her head, "not a good idea. That's unnecessary."

"Oh, it is not." Saumya whimpered, " please let's go."

"Saumya, your being foolish."

"Gauri! Please! " She whined, "you can do atleast this much for me. Can't you, darling?"

Gauri rolled her eyes, "Alright, let's go."

Saumya beamed as she said, "Ah! Thank you. Come on."

"Er...Saumya! Wait." Gauri called out.

"Yep." Saumya turned to look at her.

"Why are the curtains blue?"

Saumya looked at the sky from window for a silent prayer. Oh God! Help me!

.

   ***

Dear Omkara

It seems silly that how I spent most of  my life being around you, yet a single glance of you manage to flush me. I know I sound crazy to you, because I am. I've literally become crazy thinking so much about you.

Perhaps it's the beautiful uniqness of yours that makes you so mesmeric. And no, I'm not buttering you. Not everyone in this world abandon the path of luxurious family business to opt for their internal passion. Not everyone donate their money in the name of charity anonymously. Not everyone manage to remain humble even after reaching the summit of success.

All I want to convey is that you are the most kindest, affectionate, tender and lovable person I've ever seen. It's absolutely impossible for me to stop loving you.

~Your lover

***

"This is wrong." Omkara said to himself as the letter lied at the desk in front of him on the desk, "utterly wrong."

Gleaming warm sun rays sneaked through the window grills illuminating the room of his studio, furnished in a mumsy manner. The shelves and cabinates stood at the corners of the room while the walls were adorned by different paintings and sketches.

"Why?" Omkara grumbled, "why is this happening?"

If the circumstances were any different, omkara would have been more than delighted to hear the praise that was crafted on the paper in front of him.  But reading those words in a love letter, which was found on the table in his studio, with no idea who had written it, he could not stop himself from feeling vulnerable.

"What are you doing here?"

As soon shared the question aise from his back, a panic set in his throat, making him trust the letter in his pocket. He then turned only to find Rudra standing at the door.

"What are you doing here?" Omkara asked, as the panic inside him melted.

"Repeating my question? not cool." Rudra said as he grabbed the nearest chair to sit. "As for me, I came here because I had some work."

"Work?" Omkara muttered, "What type of work do you have in my studio?"

"Just some report work. Doesn't matter. Anyways when is Gauri coming?"

Omkara shook his head."She's not coming."

"What?" Rudra asked, "b ut you told me you invited...."

"And the I cancelled that, this morning."

"But why?"

"My mood went off, because of...Something." omkara sighed and then turned to him, "Rudra, just a question. You came to studio with Shivay for shifting some canvases Yesterday, didn't you?"

"Yeah! That's right!"

"Was there  anyone else too?"

"Yep, there was....."

Ping!!

Rudra glanced towards his phone. "Oh! I've got a message."

"First anwer my question you dumbo!" Omkara snapped, "who was here  with you?"

"Ah! Calm down! It was Chubby. No one else." Rudra said with his eyes glued to the mobile screen.

Omkara frowned. It didn't make sense. If no one else was there, how did that mysterious girl kept this letter here?

"Something wrong?" Rudra asked looking at Omkara

"No Rudra, not really." He muttered, "but do you think it was wrong of me to refuse Gauri?"

Rudra shrugged his shoulders, "I can't say. But considering that it was you who invited her, cancelling it was not the best idea."

Omkara closed his eyes. "I know, I messed up."

Suddenly Rudra stood up with a start, "Don't worry O! I've an idea to cheer you up."

"An idea?" Omkara raised his eyebrows.

"Ya! Your mood was off, wasn't it? So I've an idea to lift it up." Saying this, Rudra grabbed Omkara's arm and pulled him towards the door.

"But, but, but..." Omkara muttered, confused, "Where are we going?"

Rudra looked towards him with a wide grin and a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"To have some icecream, of course!"

.

.

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A/N : Happy Holi everyone!!!