"Hey? Hello?" the man asked twice before Anushka finally snapped out of her daze.
"Ahh," she groaned, the sharp sting of pain finally registering.
The man offered her a hand. Grabbing it, she let him guide her to a nearby bench.
He stooped to retrieve her water bottle from the grass, casually wiping the dirt off on his own clothes before handing it back to her. "Here. Are you hurt ?"
"No, I am fine," Anushka replied, patting her clothes to brush away the dust.
Suddenly, a swarm of kids rushed over. "Sorry, Didi! It was Bhaiya's fault. He doesn't know how to play!" a few of them chimed in simultaneously, eager to shift the blame onto the man who had just helped her.
"Huh? My fault? I wasn't even batting!" he protested, immediately falling into a playful argument with the kids.
Anushka sat back, genuinely enjoying the chaotic scene. Her amusement only grew when two older women approached the man.
"Beta, can you take a look at my phone, too?" one of them asked.
"Oh, of course," he replied warmly, instantly turning his attention to their screen.
Surrounded by a gaggle of kids and neighborhood aunties, one thing became abundantly clear to Anushka: this man was incredibly popular.
He wore a smile the entire time-a smile that suited his face perfectly, yet somehow felt just a little bit rehearsed. Almost fake.
The pleasant atmosphere was suddenly shattered by a loud voice booming from the park's entrance.
"Hey, Prateek! I have constipation! Come here and help me!"
The sheer absurdity of the statement left everyone in stunned silence.
A deep flush of embarrassment crept over the man's face.
He hastily handed the phone back to the ladies and jogged toward the loudmouth at the gate.
So, his name is Prateek, Anushka thought.
As Prateek and his disruptive friend vanished from the park, the two ladies immediately started gossiping. "What exactly is Prateek supposed to do about his constipation?" one muttered.
The comment reached Anushka's ears, pulling a quiet grin to her lips. She glanced down at her watch.
"Oh, I'm going to be late," she murmured to herself.
Wincing slightly as a dull ache flared up again, she pushed herself off the bench and began the walk home.
Prateek playfully jabbed a light punch into the man's stomach. "What was that, Harshit?"
"Come on, I just saved your ass," Harshit snapped.
"You were going to be late for work. Will you ever learn to say no?"
Prateek shifted uncomfortably, knowing Harshit was right. "Well, it's not like that. Anyway, what are you doing here so early in the morning? And why are you already dressed?"
"It's your fault," Harshit grumbled, pulling his phone from his pocket.
"Huh? Now what did I do?" Prateek asked, genuinely confused.
Harshit shoved the glowing screen right in front of Prateek's eyes.
"You see this? Why the hell do I have to play cupid here? Siya called me a hundred times last night, crying that you dumped her. If you don't like her, why did you even get into a relationship with her in the first place?"
Prateek ran a hand through his hair. "What else was I supposed to do? She asked me out in front of all her friends. It would have humiliated her if I had said no, so I just said yes. I thought it would work out somehow... but I don't feel anything toward her. How could I kiss her?"
"Wait!" Harshit stared at him in disbelief, pressing a hand to his forehead. "You broke up with her because she asked for a kiss? What am I going to do with you, man?" He let out a heavy sigh.
"Forget her. Just go get ready for the office or we're both going to be late. I'll see if I can find us something to eat."
Giving Prateek a firm pat on the back, Harshit dropped him off at the front of his building and turned to leave.
To be continued..
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