My Last First Love

~8~

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Arunoday had returned to India three months ago, determined to prove his skills as a project manager he joined Chroma. His life had changed drastically, and he had become more serious, maybe even a bit arrogant. Vivek was also appointed as an assistant project manager during this time, and the two quickly formed a professional bond.

But then, one month ago, everything changed when Arunoday saw Sangeeta in the design team's office. He was just passing by, but when he noticed her, his jaw dropped. He recognized her instantly. She had lost some weight and looked more beautiful and mature than before. Arunoday couldn't forget her; she was the only girl he had ever been genuinely interested in.

Without a second thought, Arunoday rushed to his office, nearly knocking over a few employees on the way. As soon as he got there, he demanded that Vivek bring him the employee details file.

Vivek raised an eyebrow. "Whoa, whoa, who lit a fire under you? What's the rush?"

But Arunoday wasn’t listening. He was already flipping through the file like a man possessed. After an hour of searching, he found nothing. Frustration was building up when he suddenly remembered something important.

"Wait a minute," Arunoday thought to himself, "Three years ago, she was just a first-year student. She hasn’t graduated yet. She must be an intern!"

He quickly called out, "Vivek! Get me the intern file, now!"

Vivek popped his head back in, still curious. "Seriously, what is it? You’ve been searching like a maniac."

Arunoday ignored the question and grabbed the intern file as soon as Vivek handed it over. He started flipping through the pages, his heart racing. After going through about 20 or 30 pages, he finally found her.

A smile appeared on his lips as he finally saw her name and picture. "Sangeeta Patra," he whispered to himself, feeling a strange sense of relief.

Vivek, noticing Arunoday's reaction, couldn't resist. "Arun, who is she? Why are you searching for her like you’re on a mission? Do you have a crush on her or something?"

Arunoday, still staring at Sangeeta's details, retorted, "Don’t you have work to do? Why are you always hanging around my office?"

Vivek clutched his chest dramatically. "Oh, Arun! You’re breaking my heart!"

Arunoday shot him a death glare. "Get back to work, or I’ll make you do overtime!"

Vivek pretended to be horrified. "What? No! Are you abusing your power just because you’re my boss? Please, sir, don’t do this! I’ll be a good employee, I promise!"

Arunoday rolled his eyes, "Just get lost."

Vivek grinned, "Okay, okay, I’m going! By the way, she’s really cute, you know?"

Arunoday’s eyes narrowed. "Who are you talking about?"

Vivek chuckled, "The girl who’s got you flipping through files like a madman."

Arunoday, trying to hide the smile tugging at his lips, muttered, "Shut up."

Vivek laughed, "Alright, alright! I’m leaving the budget file on your desk that you asked for yesterday. Don’t forget to check it before leaving."

"Fine, now get out!" Arunoday said, shooing him away.

Vivek left with a teasing smile, and Arunoday finally found Sangeeta's details in the intern file. A smile spread across his face as he realized he had finally found her.

From that day on, Arunoday made it a point to take the stairs instead of the elevator, just so he could pass by the design team's office. He would casually stroll by, stealing glances at Sangeeta, who was always busy working, oblivious to his presence.

Vivek, of course, noticed this new routine and couldn’t resist commenting. "You know, you could just talk to her. You’re the boss, after all. Act like one!"

Arunoday, trying to sound indifferent, replied, "I’m not interested."

Vivek smirked, "Yeah, sure. That’s why you’re suddenly all about taking the stairs, right?"

Arunoday shot him a look, "Mind your own business."

Vivek laughed, "You keep telling yourself that, buddy."

As the days passed, Arunoday found himself more and more drawn to Sangeeta. He would watch her from afar during lunch, pretending to be interested in something else, but his eyes were always on her.

One day, Vivek caught him staring and leaned in with a grin. "Still not interested, huh?"

Arunoday glared at him, "Do you ever stop talking?"

Vivek chuckled, "Only when I’m sleeping. You should try it sometime. Talking to her, I mean. You’re the boss—use that to your advantage."

Arunoday shook his head, "I’m not going to harass an intern just because I’m her boss."

Vivek raised his hands in mock surrender, "Alright, alright! But don’t blame me when someone else swoops in."

Arunoday frowned at the thought and glared at Vivek. "Just shut up you moron."

But deep down, Arunoday was not aware that he had already fallen for her, and it was only a matter of time before he would have to face it.

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Stay tuned for the next part...☺️

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