My Last First Love

~7~

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Arunoday sat in his office, lost in thought. The clock ticked away the minutes as he stared out of the window, but his mind wandered back to a moment 3 years ago, which had left a lasting impression.

Flashback

In Ray's mansion, Arunoday was busy packing for his upcoming master's program abroad. His room was filled with clothes, books, and various personal items scattered around. His sister, Swopna, sat beside him, folding clothes and packing them neatly into his suitcase. The room was filled with the hum of excitement mixed with a tinge of anxiety.

Suddenly, a knock on the door interrupted their task. It was Abhinash, Swopna's husband and Arun's brother-in-law.

"Yes, come in, Bhai!" Arun said, without looking up from his packing.

Abhinash entered, looking slightly uneasy. "Um, Arun... Papa ji is calling for you."

Arun's eyes narrowed.
"Why?"

Abhinash, looking more concerned, replied, "I don't know! He asked me to call you."

Arun's irritation flared. "What does he want now? I'm leaving in five days. Isn't that what he wanted?"

Swopna, trying to calm the situation, said, "Calm down, Arun! He is our father. He must have a reason for calling."

Arun scoffed. "Father? He's not my father. He's just a man who happens to be related to me."

Swopna gave him a reproachful look. "Okay, okay! Just go and listen to what he has to say."

Arun's frustration grew. "I'm not going. If he has something to say, he should come and say it himself."

Swopna turned to Abhinash. "Abhinash, say something."

Abhinash hesitated before agreeing, "Yes, yes. Arun, you should go and at least listen to what he wants."

Arun, still irritated, finally relented. "Fine!"

He stormed out of his room and made his way to his father's study. The corridor seemed longer than usual, and his anger only seemed to build with each step.

He knocked on the door and heard a voice from inside. "Yes, come in."

Arun entered, his face a mix of irritation and resignation. "Why did you call me?"

Prasit Ray, his father, looked up from his desk with a calm demeanor. "When are you leaving?"

Arun, fuming, replied, "I'm leaving in five days. Is that why you called me?"

Prasit nodded. "Oh, okay."

Arun, barely containing his anger, shot back, "Do you have more to say? If not, I'm leaving."

Prasit held up a hand. "Wait! That's not why I called you."

Arun's curiosity was piqued. "Then why?"

Prasit leaned forward. "I want you to attend an art exhibition at a college. We are sponsoring it."

Arun's confusion grew. "What? An art exhibition? Why should I go there? The company is sponsoring it, not me."

Prasit's expression remained calm. "I was invited, but something urgent came up, so I'm leaving for Pune today. I need you to attend as the chief guest in my place."

Arun's frustration reached its peak. "Why should I go in your place? Don't you have other employees who can do this? And why should I listen to you?"

Prasit's eyes narrowed slightly. "You are my son! Remember what you said? You were going to beat me in business, right? If you want to prove yourself, you need to be prepared."

Arun's face flushed with anger. "Really? If that's how it is, then you should be the one preparing!"

Arun stormed out of the room, leaving Prasit with a knowing, slightly amused smile.

The Next Day

Arunoday arrived at the college for the exhibition. As he stepped out of the car, he was greeted by a group of students and teachers with flower bouquets. They led him to the meeting hall, where he would give a speech.

He felt a wave of boredom wash over him. He was here because of a challenge from his father, and he had no interest in art exhibitions. He rested in his seat, checking his watch and mentally counting down the minutes until he could leave.

When his turn came, he stood up, gave his speech, and to his surprise, everyone was captivated by both his looks and his words. The audience clapped enthusiastically as he finished.

However, as the applause died down, his eyes were drawn to a corner of the meeting hall. There, a young girl sat with her face resting on her hand, clearly trying to stay awake. Her chubby cheeks puffed out as she rested, and her attempt to keep her eyes open was both amusing and cute.

Arunoday couldn't help but stare. He was captivated by her unguarded expression and her apparent boredom with the event. The more he watched, the more he was charmed by her innocence and genuine disinterest in the proceedings.

When the clapping started for the final speech, she jolted awake, her eyes red and sleepy. She joined in the clapping, still looking half-asleep. Arunoday let out a quiet laugh, finding her sleepy reaction utterly adorable.

After the speeches, everyone headed to the exhibition hall to inaugurate the event. Arunoday and the other guests cut the ribbon, and then they began moving through the art pieces, listening to explanations from the artists.

As they approached her exhibit, Arunoday observed her again. She was standing there, pouting slightly and swinging her legs, clearly bored. But as soon as she saw the guests approaching, she quickly straightened up and put on a bright smile. The transformation was striking, and Arunoday was both shocked and amused by her acting.

He saw her name beside her painting: "Sangeeta Patra, 1st Year."

He thought, "So she's a fresher."

As she began explaining her art, Arunoday was mesmerized by her sparkling brown eyes. He found himself unable to look away. One of the teachers tapped his shoulder, bringing him back to reality. "Sir, we should move on to the next painting."

Startled, Arunoday moved along, but his thoughts kept returning to Sangeeta.

As the event concluded and guests started to leave, Arunoday looked around for Sangeeta. He was eager to see her one last time before he left. But she seemed to have vanished. Disappointed, he sat in the car, preparing to leave.

Just as the car began moving, he spotted Sangeeta walking by the roadside, holding several packets of chips. Her casual demeanor and the sight of her munching on chips made him laugh out loud.

With a smile on his face, Arunoday left for home. Even as he traveled back, he couldn't shake the image of Sangeeta from his mind. She had left an indelible mark on him, and he found himself smiling every time he thought about her.

Four days later, Arunoday flew to London for his studies, but thoughts of Sangeeta lingered in his mind, making him smile as he settled into his new routine.

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