Omkara~

True to Gauri's words, the food from the truck is tasted delicious than any other star restaurants I had food in. I ended up eating 3 plates of food and as a good and responsible friend Gauri stood in queue all the three times to get me food. I even thought about the 4 th plate but again I don't want my new buddy to loose all her energy because I already have plans for her.

"Shall we go to hotel now? " I asked walking down the street.

"It's still 8 and what we gonna do after going to hotel this early." Gauri said walking beside me looking at the trees and shrubs on the road side.

"We can go pack our luggages for our flight tomorrow morning." I suggested.

"Nah, I hardly takes me 15 minutes to pack my luggages and I will get bored after that." Gauri said scrunching her face.

"So what we gonna do now? " I asked.

"All the while, we had been staying the hotel and offices, we didn't got time for site seeing. I heard there was shopping street down this lane, let's go check." Gauri said enthusiastically.

"That's boring." I said with a disinterest. "I would rather go and sleep in my room than to waste time walking around those streets."

"Oh, come on. It's not that boring besides you have to keep company to your friend." She said pointing herself, "And you can also buy some gifts for your family members."

And before I can say anything she caught my arm and dragged me towards the shopping streets that were crowded with people.

"How's this scarf?" Gauri asked holding up a scarf, "I hope your dad likes it." She said examining it closely.

I just looked at her with a boring expression, it's been an hour since we arrived to this place and Gauri was shopping continuous going from one shop to another buying various things and clothes that passed all the tests my assistant conducted on them. One time she would just touch and feel the cloth and buy it and the next time she would argue with the shopkeeper saying the price is high for that low quality cloth. She would examine the clothes and things very carefully examining every minute thing with concentration.

Her doe eyes will go wide whenever she sees the price tags on certain things and a bright smile forms on her face whenever she finds the thing that she was looking for. I wonder how she was able to feel happy even with those smallest things.

"Omkaraji." Gauri called waving her hand in front of me bringing me out of my day dream.

"Yes." I said looking down at her.

"Forward your hand." She said pulling my hand in front and taking some thing that looked like a thread?!

"NO." I said pulling my hand back and hiding it, "You can't tie rakhi to me." I said frantically.

"Why would I tie Rakhi to you, you are not my brother, you are my friend and this is a friendship band." Gauri said trying to get hold of my hand.

"First show me that thing." I said still not believing and Gauri rose her hand in which she was holding the thread to my eyes level.

It was a simple bracelet with beads and small OM symbol.

"Now show me your hand." Gauri asked impatiently. And I forwarded my hand towards her and she began to tie it around my wrist making a knot with atmost concentration while I began to look at her facial expressions.

"Done." Gauri said once she completed tying the bracelet around my wrist. "How's it?" She asked looking at me curious.

"It's beautiful, I like it. " I said with a small smile.

"Good, I know you will like it." She said happily.

"Where is your friendship band? " I asked looking at her wrist.

"I didn't brought one for me." She said shrugging.

"Why? Aren't friends are supposed to tie friendship bands to each other? " I questioned.

"Yes, but.. "

"Excuse me, can I have another bracelet of this model? " I asked the shopkeeper lady.

"Sure, here it is." The lady gave a bracelet that was similar to the one Gauri gave me with a OM symbol on it.

"Now let me tie it on your wrist." I said tying the bracelet around Gauri wrist.

"Now, finish the shopping, it's already late and we have to go to hotel." I said to Gauri, who was looking at the bracelet on her wrist with a emotion that I couldn't decipher.

"Give me a minute, I am still confused about what to buy for your mom and you are not helping me." Gauri said looking around the shop.

I huffed and looked around the shop.

"Here, my mom was looking for shawl and I know she would love to have a cashmere shawl." I said giving the cashmere shawl for the shopkeeper to pack.

"You need anything else, Mam? " The lady asked.

"No, thanks. Pack them." Gauri said.

"Bill, Mam." The lady said giving the bill to Gauri.

"Omkaraji." Gauri said gesturing towards the bill. Get ready, Gauri. Now ball is in my court.

"What?" I asked giving her a oblivious look.

"Bill."

"Yeah, I know that is a bill." I said with a bemused look.

"You have to pay." Gauri said smiling politely at the Shop lady, who was now giving weird glances to us.

"Why would I pay, it's your idea to buy gifts for my parents, so you gonna pay besides friendship is all about giving and taking." I said giving her a big smile. "You give money, I take home gifts." I said while Gauri gave me a are-you-serious look.

"It's my money." Gauri protested.

"My dear Friend, Gauri didn't you heard what they say," I said giving her a smile, "In Friendship, jo tera hai, woh mera hai and Jo mera hai, woh mera hai. Now like a good friend pay the bill." I said giving a small pat on her cheeks.

"Sir, Bill." The shop lady said.

"My friend here will pay the bill for my gifts." I said to the shop lady as I walked out of the shop whistling leaving a still shocked Gauri behind.

Score for

Gauri Sharma                       0

Omkara Singh Oberoi         2