Raghav's POV

🎶🎶

Hey, go, uh

Bring me down, can't nothin'

Bring me down

My level's too high to bring me down

Can't nothin' bring me down

I said

Because I'm happy

Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof

Because I'm happy

Clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth

Because I'm happy

Clap along if you know what happiness is to you, eh eh eh

Because I'm happy

Clap along if you feel like that's what you wanna do

🎶🎶

          The next day, for the first time in forever, I had gone to office with a smile on my face and no morning blues. I didn't know what was the reason neither did my mind or heart try to find it out. In fact, I myself was unaware of the constant smile stuck on my face; only when my colleagues started pulling my leg to spill out the beans, I realized that I had suddenly turned into a happy-go-lucky guy. No, No, no! Don't you guys get the wrong idea, it was just the effect of a good night's sleep.

        It was a rather busy day, with meetings after meetings; somehow we had managed to squeeze time for a bite around lunch time. That's the reason my mind hadn't gone wandering around to Sasha and our little date. We, a group of four, who had just met and interacted in the roller coaster meetings from the morning; slumped down with our coffee mugs at the coffee zone.

          The sip of coffee and its strong aroma triggered back yesterday's visuals into my mind. I was re-living those memories with each sip. Mid-way, I tried to pull myself together from my day dreams, "Raghav, my boy, nothing's gonna happen. It was just a one-time lucky stroke, who knows whether you will meet her again here in this office with 5,000+ employees. So boss, Come down to the earth and don't fly around."

          Exactly when I reached to the point when she had giggled for the first time; the same spunky giggle came from across the room. My eyes shifted focus towards the giggle and saw the familiar pixie hair, glowing with the sunset beams passing through it from the translucent window. It made up for a perfect  sunkissed Instagram photo. The vibrancy of her smile and her positive aura was spreading across the whole room. It felt like a cool refreshing wave lapping towards me and just hit my face instead of my feet. There was our #First Glance.

           I had raised my mug for another sip, and looked at her through the circular rim of the coffee mug. I was mesmerized by the twinkle in her eye and how her big round eyes had shrunk into cute little half closed eyes, while she laughed her heart out. My constant glare towards her must have made her conscious as she looked towards me. Our eyes met for a fraction of a second and I knew she had seen me.

          Like a guilty ridden person caught red handed, I instantly moved my head away from her gaze. I was so fidgety that I was looking at the ceiling as if it was some kind of masterpiece. Now I couldn't resist and was curious to know if she had spotted me and was still looking at me. So, I turned towards her, only to meet her big black eyes again. My cheeks were flushed with embarrassment, I had to dip my head down to hide it. I had to act quickly and quit being such a sissy. Instantly I looked up to see her giggle at me, with her hand covering her mouth. It would have been game over for me, if I hadn't raised my coffee mug to her with a slight nod and a decent smile. She saw my gesture and immediately acknowledged it by lifting her and did air-cheers-up with a laugh.

         The next morning, I reached office to greet my colleagues "Good Noon". As I was late; I was taking long brisk strides, holding on to my college sling bag worn across my chest, to reach my desk. Slightly ashamed of coming to office at this odd time, I was looking down at the floor and walking. My phone started vibrating in my pant pocket and saw Vikcy's name flashing on the screen.

           If it had been some other teammate, I would have left the call unanswered. As it was Vicky and I wanted to know what was the team's mood today - normal tide or full moon's high tide; I attended it. I brought the phone to my left ear and half-minded turned my face to the right. My eyes; like a magnet drawn towards any iron material due to its attractive force, got stuck to the girl seated on top of the desk adjoining to two computers. "It's Sasha!! Wow! Way to go lucky boy, second glance was not too far. Two in row ", squealed my inner voice. Her presence in the same room as me, was enough to make my heart skip a beat. She looked like she was having a fun time and was a carefree college girl sitting on the desk, giggling and kicking her legs in the air.

"DO YOU GET IT RAGHAV !!", someone yelled into my ear from the other side of phone.

"eh! WHAT?", I also replied in the same tone unknowingly, that got Sasha's attention towards me.

        For a second our pair of eyes met in a perfect line-of-sight, though not long enough that's required for any satellite to make a connection with it's receiver. But, it was more than enough to make "our " connection. I somehow managed to give her a small weird smile after my sudden outburst. I didn't want to give her a wrong impression of me being arrogant. She, on the other hand, gave me a clueless look, with the sudden break on her giggles.

          I just prayed to God internally that, what just happened few minutes back wouldn't ruin anything for 'us'. Not that there was anything between her and me, for there to be an 'us'. Not that I was in love with her. Not that I wanted something to happen between us but I just didn't want her to see me in any kind of bad light. Damn It! I yelled only a single word and not a swear or anything, and it didn't last for even 5 seconds. Why was I over-thinking, over-analyzing over such a petty thing, was beyond my mind. What is this girl and her gaze and giggles doing to me!, I questioned myself.

"RRRRAAAAAGGGHHHAAV!!!", again the person on the other side of the phone was yelling only with double intensity.

           I took a deep breathe and trying to be calm. "Ya Vicky, tell me", I replied back and moved my attention back to the call and continued striding to my desk.

"What the hell TELL ME means ! Am I talking to the walls. GET LOST!", Vicky burst out and cut the call.

"There goes my last saving straw to the drain", I mumbled and grumbled to myself as I slouched into my office chair. I ended up doing most of the work, as it was pushed into my kitty; thanks to Vicky's grumpy attitude towards me. It felt like it was one of those days, where it was the team vs me. So much for being a "team"! Everyone thought I was taking work liberty by coming to office late. They were taking a united front against me by avenging my work etiquettes, and they won it hands down as my only friend had joined as their ally. I prayed to God hopefully the betrayal from Vicky would only last for a day.

           By the time I was able wrap my work, the needle in my wristwatch had ticked to 9:30pm. I lent out a loud yawn and stretched out my hands and legs into the air to ease out my muscles crumpled posture. I continued doing some in-the-chair-stretches and rotating my neck, I could hear crackling sounds of the bones. I didn't mind it, as the bay, correction, the entire wing was empty. I could have even jogged around the wing or danced to loud music emanating from my phone speakers and no one would have objected; except if the security guards were looking into the cctv camera footages covering my bay. I let out a low chuckle thinking even those guards would be snoring in their chairs. Crackling my knuckles and waiting for my deskstop screen to die down to a black dead screen, I picked up my bag and left.

            The parking lot at the second floor was eerie and cold. It was a closed parking lot, but the four sides of the building had huge open windowless slots to let the cool breeze to fill in the space. Whoosh! Whoosh! Sounds of the cool breeze were sending chills to my spine. I usually don't end up so late at office and I'm not afraid of the dark or anything but it just felt chilly. Before it could get to creep me out, I walked towards my car and pressed the automatic key to open it. Just wanting something to distract me from my thoughts.

         The blinking yellow headlights, disguised as spotlights in a party seemed to usher the entry of a slim figure into my vision. My eyes roamed  up the figure till it met my other companion's eyes in this eerie parking lot. And there it was..... STRIKE THREE!

***** A/N *****

What do you think Rahgav would do seeing Sasha at the parking lot alone?

Was it a sign for Rahgav?

Stay tuned to find out his Step Forward!

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