My Last First Love

~4~

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Sangeeta walked into the office, the morning sun just starting to warm the bustling workspace. She placed her bag and the umbrella she had carried in from home on her desk and began working politely. The rhythmic tapping sound of her keyboard was the only noise until a few hours later when she heard a distinct tap on her desk.

Looking up, she saw Megha standing there, her eyebrows raised in impatience.

"What happened?" Sangeeta asked, looking puzzled.

"Let's go!" Megha said, her tone urgent.

"What? Where?" Sangeeta asked, blinking in confusion.

"Can't you see our surroundings? Everybody's left for lunch. We should hurry, otherwise, we won't get any seats in the canteen!" Megha explained, practically dragging her towards the door.

"Is it already lunch time?" Sangeeta asked, looking at her watch in surprise.

"tsk tsk," Megha said, shaking her head.

"Why are you so absorbed in your work? Or are you still thinking about that guy?" She added with a teasing smile.

[Sangeeta had texted Megha about the mysterious man earlier that morning.]

"What? No, I was just so focused on my work that I didn't notice it was lunch time!" Sangeeta said, shaking her head.

"You go ahead first. I'll be done in 15 minutes and join you then."

"Okay, I'll wait. Let's go together," Megha said, making a move towards the door.

Sangeeta smiled. "Are meri maa, please go first. I've got to use the washroom, so it'll take at least 10 minutes. You go ahead and save a seat for me. Otherwise, we'll both end up standing."

"Alright, alright! Just hurry up!" Megha said, heading out.

Sangeeta turned to her desk and sneezed. "Ugh, why did I get soaked in the rain? Now I'm sneezing..." She muttered, rubbing her nose.

She turned off her laptop and heard a faint noise from the door. She looked over but saw nothing. Probably just her imagination, she thought, and headed towards the canteen.

After lunch, she returned to her desk, only to find something new on it. A small package of cold medicine and a note that read, "Take care."

Her eyes widened in surprise. "Who left this?" she wondered aloud. She felt a little uneasy but put the medicine in her drawer and went back to work.

Later, she rushed to the bookstore to wait for the man. The minutes ticked by, but he never showed up. By 7:30 pm, Sangeeta, with a heavy heart, left.

For the next seven days, she waited at the bookstore every evening, but he never appeared. Disappointed, she decided to leave early one last time to wait. Again, the man didn't come.

[In the beginning, her visits were brief and focused. She would scan the store, hoping to spot the man who had helped her, but each time she left empty-handed. The shopkeeper, noticing her frequent appearances, would greet her with a knowing nod and engage in small talk. They began to chat about the weather, the latest book releases, and sometimes even about their favorite authors.]

Frustrated, she approached the shopkeeper."Excuse me, bhai?" Sangeeta asked.

"Oh it's you! Do you need something?" the shopkeeper replied, adjusting his hair with a flick of his hand.

"Have you seen a man, about 6 feet tall, with a little tanned skin and very beautiful eyes?" Sangeeta asked, trying to remember his features.

The shopkeeper, striking a pose, said, "Are you talking about me?"

Sangeeta was taken aback but managed to hold back her laughter. "No, no! I'm talking about a man in his late 20s, maybe. He wore a black shirt and pants. He came out of here last week."

The shopkeeper's expression turned serious as he thought hard. After a minute, he said, "Oh, that man! Yes, he's handsome, but not as much as me. Anyway, he's not a regular here but visits occasionally. Why are you looking for him?"

Sangeeta couldn't help but chuckle. "Well, he helped me with an umbrella, and I was hoping to return it and thank him. But it seems like he is vanished."

Sangeeta looked at the shopkeeper with a determined expression. "If he visits again, please make sure to tell him about me. I need to return his umbrella. I'm leaving my contact details here, so please give them to him."

She handed him a small piece of paper with her contact information written on it. The shopkeeper took it, nodding in acknowledgment.

"Alright, I'll pass it on," he said, tucking the note into his pocket. "I'll let him know that he's got a message waiting for him."

Sangeeta gave him a grateful smile. "Thank you Bhai. I really appreciate it."

With that, she turned and walked out of the bookstore, her thoughts still on the mysterious man. She hoped this would be the key to finally seeing him again and being able to return his umbrella.

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Stay tuned for the next part...☺️

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