The Last Person I Loved - 10

She Became My World

The next morning, I reached the office a little earlier than usual.
The moment I entered, I noticed something.
Her chair was empty.
I smiled to myself.
She had taken a half-day leave.
Obviously...
today was her interview.
For some reason, I found myself looking at the entrance every now and then.
Not because I was worried.
I was simply waiting to know how it had gone.
Around three in the afternoon, she finally returned.
It was almost tea-break time.
Like every day, everyone slowly gathered on the upper floor for tea and casual conversations.
She came upstairs too.
The moment I saw her face, I already knew the answer.
She couldn't hide her smile.
Before I could even ask, she looked at me and said,
"The interview went really well."
"I knew it," I replied.
Honestly...
from the very first day I had seen her, confidence had always been one of her biggest strengths.
A few days later, the confirmation arrived.
She had been selected.
I was genuinely happy for her.
Teaching was something she always wanted to do, and I knew this opportunity would be much better for her future.
Within the next few days, she completed all the formalities and informed our boss that she would be leaving the company.
The news surprised almost everyone.
Our boss wasn't happy at all.
She had become one of the most dependable people in the office, and suddenly losing her wasn't easy for him.
Although he never said anything directly...
I could feel his frustration.
And somehow...
most of that frustration slowly started coming towards me.
Maybe because almost everyone in the office already had a feeling that there was something between us.
The atmosphere at work slowly became uncomfortable.
Small arguments started happening more often.
Until one day...
everything exploded.
I had a huge argument with my boss.
Words were exchanged.
Tempers rose.
And before I even had time to think...
I walked out of the office.
Just like that.
Eight months.
Eight months of hard work.
Eight months of memories.
Everything ended within a few minutes.
As I rode back home that evening, I didn't know what I was supposed to do next.
For the first time in a long while...
my future felt uncertain.
The next morning, I updated my resume and started applying wherever I could.
One interview.
Then another.
Then another.
Some companies never called back.
Some rejected me after the first round.
Some rejected me after the final interview.
Every rejection made me a little more frustrated than the previous one.
There were days when I came home completely exhausted.
Sometimes I questioned myself.
Maybe I wasn't good enough.
Maybe leaving the job was a mistake.
Whenever I felt like giving up, I talked to her.
She never allowed me to stay negative for long.
"Relax, Diku," she would say.
"I know you."
"You'll do it."
"This is just a phase."
"We'll face it together."
Those words...
did something no motivational speech ever could.
She believed in me on the days when I had started doubting myself.
And somehow...
that belief became my strength.
Every time an interview didn't work out, she was the first person who reminded me that one rejection didn't decide my future.
Looking back today...
I don't remember all those companies that rejected me.
But I still remember every single word she used to say to encourage me.
Meanwhile...
her new job as a teacher was going really well.
She loved teaching.
Every evening she had a new story to tell.
Sometimes it was about a mischievous student.
Sometimes about a funny incident in class.
And sometimes she spoke about how happy she felt doing something she genuinely enjoyed.
Seeing her happy...
made me happy too.
Since I was free during those days, we started spending even more time together.
Instead of taking a rickshaw home after school, she often preferred walking.
So I started giving her company.
The walk from her school to her house took around twenty to twenty-five minutes.
But somehow...
those twenty-five minutes became the most beautiful part of my day.
Our route never changed.
First, we crossed the railway station.
Then the railway tracks.
After that came a huge open playground where children played cricket every evening.
Finally, we walked through a couple of residential societies before reaching her home.
We talked about everything.
Her school.
My interviews.
Family.
Dreams.
Future plans.
And sometimes...
absolutely nothing.
There were moments when we simply walked beside each other without saying a single word.
Yet the silence never felt awkward.
Her presence itself was enough.
There were no expensive dates.
No fancy cafés.
No grand surprises.
Just two people...
walking together every evening.
One day, while crossing the open ground, a cow suddenly came running towards us.
Without thinking for even a second, I grabbed her hand, pulled her behind me and stood in front of her.
Like some Bollywood hero.
For a moment...
even I didn't understand what I had just done.
The cow changed its direction and walked away.
She looked at me...
and burst out laughing.
"You became Salman Khan suddenly?"
I laughed too.
But honestly...
inside my heart, I felt proud.
Not because I stood in front of a cow.
But because, for the first time in my life...
someone's safety had become more important than my own.
Days kept passing.
My interviews continued.
Her teaching career continued.
Life was still uncertain.
But somehow...
every difficult day became easier because she was standing beside me.
Looking back today, I don't remember how many interviews I attended during those days.
I don't remember how many companies rejected me.
But I remember every walk.
Every conversation.
Every word of encouragement.
Without even realizing it...
she had stopped being just the girl I loved.
She had become the person who gave me strength when I had none.
She had become my peace during chaos.
She had become my home.
And somewhere along the way...
she quietly became my world.