Notes

"Finally we are here." Nisha said while getting out of the car.

"Yeah. Now our mission is on." Aryan said.

So, what happened was — they came to Darjeeling telling their parents that it was a trip. It was true though. When Nisha heard from Rohan that he and a fellow policeman, Mr. Nepal were visiting Darjeeling for the case, she wanted to go to. But she knew that his father will not agree to let her go alone. She lost hope.

Fortunately at that exact moment Aryan informed that their friend group were planning to go on a trip but could not decide the place. So he suggested that they should go to Darjeeling and should also include some girl too. Including girls in the trip was the only way to include Nisha in the group. So, it was easy for both Aryan and Nisha to get permission from both of their parents.

"Then, let's start. Our mission." Nisha said with determination filled in her eyes.

Aryan smiled softly at her. He knew that unlike him she is a person who would does everything with pure determination. He only do things with determination when it's something he is interested in.

It was already evening by the time they checked in to the hotel they were going to stay. Organizing their things they all decided to meet at the lounge. There were total seven members in the group including both Nisha and Aryan, they were Sasha, Aditi, Simran, Mridul and Rudra. Everyone was at the peak of their happiness because of the trip and also because it was their first trip with their friends. But Nisha and Aryan were happy for a different reason.

While everyone were chit-chatting Aryan messaged Nisha.

—'Let's go out.'

As soon as she saw the message she got up.

"Guys, if you excuse me I will go out for some fresh air. I'm feeling a little tired after all that travel."

Her friends agreed. One of her friend named Sasha said, "Take a rest instead and if you need anything call us."

"Yes sure...but I don't want to sleep now. I'll just take a walk outside. But I want someone to come with me, I may get lost. Who wants to come with me?" Nisha asked.

"ME...ME..." Aryan did not waste a second to answer.

"That's great. Come with me."

They were too immersed in their own world that they did not notice their friends' bewildered expressions. It was a shock to them because they never saw Aryan this hyper. The Aryan they knew was never this eager to meddle into a girl's business. By the time they noticed everyone had a sheepish smile on their face. Nisha knew that now everyone will start teasing them, so she quickly nudge Aryan and went out. Aryan too followed right after but he could hear his friends teasing. Blush crept on his face.

Nisha stood by the railings in front of the hotel looking at the city lights. Aryan who hurried towards her suddenly stopped his tracks. He looked at Nisha in awe. The cool breeze blew her hair away from her face which made her look ethereal. He felt like he was falling for her more. He could not help imagining to hold her and brush her hair with his hands. But he did not let his imagination took the best of him.

He then approached Nisha and said, "Nisha, have you messaged brother Rohan?"

Nisha turned to look at him and answered, "Yes, I messaged him. He and the other police uncle are staying at a hotel nearby. He said he would meet with us tomorrow."

"That's good. I want to see the end of this horrifying case." Aryan said shaking his head.

"Me too." Nisha said while patting his shoulder as a reassurance.

—

"Rita...save me...please save me from this hell...I beg you...Rita...Rita..."

"Who are you?" Rita asked the voice.

"Save me Rita..." The voice continued.

"Who are you?" She asked again.

Suddenly everything went silent for a while before Rita encountered a frightening face of a skinless person.

"Ahhhh..." Rita woke up in a pool of sweat. The ceiling fan was on but she felt cold. She looked around and it was already morning. She had to go to the work. Her leave ended two days ago. The week ended and it was Monday. The day everyone hates the most.

She was all alone. She was feeling chills all over her body. She tried to ignore the fact and went to wash up. She thought maybe she was stressed recently that's why she's having this kind of dreams and feeling chills.

Her work place is ten minutes away from her apartment. She worked at the towns library which had now renovated to a café. So, it's basically both café and library. It is situated in a single room. The interior of the room is like a hall. The library is upstairs and there is a glass railing from which the café and persons below can be seen. The cafe's name is unique, "Furusato". It is a Japanese word meaning "what our hearts long for". Maybe it was named like that because the owner was half-Japanese.

Before when she was working in a daycare, it was too hectic for her and she also realized that noisy environments is not suitable for her. It triggers her anxiety.

She enters the café, being late for ten minutes.

"Hi, good morning sister Yumi." She greeted the owner huffing. It was obvious that she came running.

"Good morning. And how many times do I have to tell you to just call me by my name Rita." The owner scolded her.

"Hehe, sorry. I forgot because I came running."

"It's okay. Take your time. But that doesn't mean I am giving permission to come whenever you want, okay?"

"Yes, I got it mam."

"Oi, shut up." Yumi huffed in annoyance. Rita just laughed it off. She likes to tease her.

"By the way Rita, have you found your secret lover?" She asked enthusiastically.

"No, Yumi. I really want to know who is that person. I'm not interested but I would love to know who would take this must interest in me."

"Eyy, don't lie. I know you want someone in your life."

"No, Yumi. You know I have a grown up son and also I love my husband very much."

"Yeah, yeah. I know. I know" Yumi teased. "But I really want to see your secret lover so bad that I can't wait anymore. Seriously, someday I would ask every customer in my shop who wrote such notes for my employee."

"You're the only person who could do that. But don't do it please. He will reveal himself one day. Wait patiently. Anyways I'm going upstairs. Too much talking." Rita said and went to the library upstairs.

"Yeah, time to work. I'll catch up with you later."

"Yup."

Rita was receiving notes every day from some person who seems to have a crush on her. She started receiving them since two weeks. The person would secretly left the notes on the table full of bundle of new books at the end of the library. That place is a blind spot. The CCTV camera is there but, if somebody goes there nobody would notice.

The message on the first note was,

To, the beautiful librarian

"And I fell for you, like raindrops."

From, yours.

At first she did not paid any attention to it, because she thought maybe someone pranked her. But she got notes again. Daily.

The second note was,

To, the beautiful librarian

"Everybody hate accidents, but meeting you was a nice accident."

From, yours.

The third note,

To, the beautiful librarian

"Attracted to you, ways, I can't explain."

From, yours.

The fourth note,

To, the beautiful librarian

"Just seeing you makes me smile like an idiot."

From, yours.

The fifth note,

To, the beautiful librarian

"There's always that one person that you've had feelings for since the moment you first met them."

From, yours.

By this point the notes and the person somehow made Rita curious. She was mostly surprised because the person was already mentioning him as 'Yours'. Though she laughed at the person she collected all the notes carefully. Which sums upto total eleven notes from the past two weeks. Those three days she didn't got any cause she was on leave.

The sixth note,

To, the beautiful librarian

"Even if I use all the endearment words to describe you, I feel like it still doesn't describe how I feel about you.

If I would say that you're the finest and most beautiful lady I've ever known, even that is an understatement."

From, yours.

The seventh note,

To, the beautiful librarian

"Meeting you was like listening to a song for the first time and knowing it would be my favorite."

From, yours.

The eighth note,

To, the beautiful librarian

"I love your voice and I love your smile and I think about you way too much."

From, yours.

The ninth note,

To, the beautiful librarian

"I fell in love with you because of a million tiny things you never know you were doing."

From, yours.

The tenth note,

To, the beautiful librarian

"Just because it's not in a museum does notbmean it is not an art.

You're the art."

From, yours.

The eleventh or the last note,

To, the beautiful librarian

"I caught myself smiling and then I realized I was thinking about you."

From, yours.

Rita wondered what message would she get again. It is the twelfth day.

By 10 o'clock in the morning the café was filled with student from the nearby college. Some came to study novels. Some came to prepare for the upcoming exams and some came to get their moring booster coffee. There were some elderly people who came to the café too.

Rita stared at the entrance door from her seat upstairs. Maybe she wanted to find the secret person, but she had absolutely no idea. So, she just stared blankly at the door.

"Sis?"

"Sis, you there?"

Rita's trance broke. She turned around and it was Ananya, an employee at the café.

"Oh, you're early today Ananya? What happened?" She asked.

"Oh, my classes in the morning got canceled and I was bored, so I came to work." Ananya replied. "By the way, what were you thinking? You seemed to be deep in thoughts?"

"Nothing. I was just spacing out."

"Oh, I forgot about your secret lover. Thinking about him, huh?" She teased.

"Oh please, not you too." Rita sighed in annoyance.

"I wonder what message would he write today? I'm so curious."

"Hey, hey, stay out of adults matter okay."

"Why? I'm a grown up. Why can't I..."

"Oi, rookie Ananya come downstairs. I'm alone here and take orders will you?" Ananya got interrupted as Yumi called her downstairs.

"Okay, talk to you later. Show me the message okay?" She said and hurried down.

Rita just laughed at her. Ananya was just a kid of twenty years old. She came from North Bengal to study Photography. It's not like her parents cannot afford her tuition fees, but she wanted to work because she was bored. She said that it was better to do something worthy to waste time than hanging out with friends on useless things like partying.

Rita and Yumi was truly amazed by her. While other four students who worked at the café was working because they need money for their extra expenses, she was the one who truly enjoyed wasting her time because she was bored.

It was already 9 pm in the evening. The closing time. After every single customer left the café every six of them ran upstairs to Rita. Of course to read the message.

"Rita, did you get it?" Yumi asked excited.

"Yes. Don't need to be so excited."

"Oh, leave it. Read the message."

"It said,

To, the beautiful librarian

"And the fact that you don't even need a driving license to drive me crazy."

From, yours. "

"Ooohhh." Everyone squealed.

"This guy is so good with his words I'm telling you. His words are enough to drive someone crazy in love." Yumi chimed.

"But how did this guy know I don't have a driving license?" Rita asked confused.

"Oho, sis, he used it as a metaphor. Don't think too much." Ananya reasoned.

"Oh maybe, that would be it." She did not gave much thought about it.

But she had this unsettling feeling about all the notes. Even on her way home she felt like someone was watching her or following her.