My Last First Love

~10~

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Happy reading! ☺️

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The next day at the office, Arunoday was walking past the design department when he heard a loud sneeze. He stopped in his tracks and turned to see who it was. His eyes softened as he realized it was Sangeeta. Her scrunched-up face and red nose from sneezing looked oddly adorable.

For some reason, he found himself smiling. She was murmuring to herself, maybe annoyed by her cold, and her cuteness caught him off guard. He continued standing there, unaware of his smile widening, until he caught his reflection in the glass door.

Startled, he blurted out, "What the hell!"

Sangeeta immediately looked toward the door, and Arun, panicking, jumped to the side to hide. Pressing himself against the wall, he whispered to himself, "What’s wrong with you? You scared yourself with your own reflection!"

He shook his head, trying to calm down, and then muttered, "Wait a minute... why was I smiling like a fool? What’s happening to me these days?"

Realizing he needed to leave before he did anything more embarrassing, Arunoday quickly walked away. But after ten minutes, he found himself back at her department, holding a packet of cold medicine in his hand.

"She probably caught a cold from the rain," he reasoned, even though he knew that didn’t explain why he cared so much. He knew it was lunchtime, and everyone would be at the canteen, so he slowly tiptoed into the design department. He placed the medicine on Sangeeta's desk, glanced around nervously like a thief, and then darted out.

After that, every time he saw her in the corridors or near the bookstore, he couldn’t help but steal glances. She didn’t know it, but he was always watching her from afar. He knew she was looking for him to return his umbrella, but oddly, he didn’t want it back. The thought of her using his umbrella made him smile. Maybe it was an excuse to keep seeing her, even if only from a distance.

One afternoon, Arunoday was near the bookstore again, pretending to browse, when he saw Sangeeta talking to the shopkeeper. She was laughing and handed him something. Arunoday’s heart sank with jealousy.

"What’s she giving him?" he wondered, feeling irrationally possessive.

After she left, Arun couldn’t resist. He walked into the bookstore, acting like a stranger, and began casually roaming around, keeping an eye on the shopkeeper. Maybe he could find out what Sangeeta had given him.

The shopkeeper noticed and grinned, "Arey Bhai, suniye! (Hey brother, listen!)"

Arunoday snapped his head towards him, startled, "Uh... me?"

"Yes, yes, you! Come here," the shopkeeper said, waving him over.

Arunoday reluctantly walked up to him. “Why did you call me?”

The shopkeeper looked at him, then said, "You’re the guy from last week, aren’t you?"

Arunoday frowned, “What guy? What are you talking about?”

The shopkeeper grinned wider, “Oh, come on! You look exactly like what she described.”

Arunoday’s heart skipped a beat. Was he talking about Sangeeta? Trying to keep his cool, he asked, “Who described me? What are you even talking about?”

“The girl you gave the umbrella to. She’s been looking for you everywhere!" the shopkeeper said, with a knowing smirk.

Arunoday’s mind raced. So Sangeeta had been asking about him? His heart leapt, but he played dumb, trying to act nonchalant. “Oh, really? Yeah, I think I might’ve helped someone, but I don’t really remember,” he said, pretending to be indifferent.

The shopkeeper shook his head in disbelief. “You forgot helping such a beautiful girl? Come on, buddy, that’s hard to believe! Tsk tsk!”

Arunoday’s jaw clenched slightly, feeling a stab of annoyance. "What exactly did she say about me?"

The shopkeeper chuckled. “Now, why should I tell you? You said you don’t even remember her.”

Arunoday bit his lip, regretting his earlier words. Trying to stay calm, he said, "Well, I might remember if you tell me what she said."

The shopkeeper grinned. "Nice try. Anyway, she left something for you."

Arunoday's eyes widened with excitement, but he quickly composed himself. "Oh? What did she leave?"

The shopkeeper reached into his pocket and handed over a small note. "Here, this is for you."

Arunoday took the note, slipping it into his pocket like it was no big deal, but inside, he was dying of curiosity. "Thanks," he said, acting like it was just a random piece of paper, and walked out of the shop.

As soon as he got home, he rushed to his room, sat down on the sofa, and pulled the note out of his pocket. His heart pounded as he unfolded it.

The note read: "Hello, I’m Sangeeta. I don’t know if you remember me, but you helped me on a rainy day. I wanted to thank you in person, but it seems that it’s not possible. I’d also like to return your umbrella. If you’re reading this, please contact me at this number: 8598#######."

Arunoday couldn’t stop smiling. She had remembered him and was looking for him! He placed the note carefully on his desk and saved her number in his phone, staring at it for a few seconds as if it held all the answers to his happiness.

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Stay tuned for the next part...☺️

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