SANA POV

"Girl I'm so excited!!" Zoya shrieks as we wait for Josh to retrieve her order.

I chuckle at her, every round she comes to the bar to get her orders she would gush about the singer in the lounge.

"This girl is getting lucky tonight!" She winks at me as she takes her order and leaves.

I stare at her back with a smile.

"I'm gonna look around, " I call out to Josh but he's occupied, so I proceed with my tour of the club, seeing whether someone needs my help.

Being a new employee when they don't need you is a bit boring. Everyone has something to do except me. I just wait for an opportunity to come up.

Prithvi being Paakhi's friend agreed with her to work for him even when he didn't need any more help. And Paakhi being my friend gave me this job.

"Excuse me," someone holds me by my hand and yanks me.

For a second I feel my heart stop, but I regain my composure when I see a girl.

"Where's the washroom?" She asks me, hopping at her spot with her legs crossed. I can see she's in a hurry so I point her in the right direction.

"Is everything okay?" I hear a gruff voice.

Knowing that voice so well, I look up into his brown orbs and nod gently.

"I just saw that and came to check, " he explains. I smile at his caring virtue. I have often seen Jerry being this huge man, who has a very caring and understanding character.

I don't know what changed in the next second, I did only hear Prithvi say, "oh thank God I found you," and tug me with him.

My mind went bleak to react and when I did react it was when he closed his office door behind us.

I look at him with fear and anxiousness.

When he met my gaze his face held panic.

"Hey, I'm so sorry! I...I..." He nervously rakes his fingers through his hair, messing them up.

"Here!" I see him rushing behind his desk and fetching me a glass of water.

"I have an order to put up right now and the document I needed was here somewhere on my desk because you cleaned it, I thought you would know..." He explains.

I nod and walk behind his desk. I check the drawers I put some papers in and pull out a folder.

"This contains all the papers that were laying on your desk," I hold it out to him.

He hurriedly scans the pages and pulls out one and rushes to his fax machine.

He grabs his phone and talks to someone.

"Thank you so much, if this would have been delayed by a second, I would have to close this club tomorrow." He appreciates.

" I'm sorry, I should have told you where I put those papers, " I admit guilt.

"Oh no, no, you did me a favor, this is a fine oak desk, and covered with all these papers, I forgot how mesmerizing it is." He runs his fingers down the glossy surface.

"Now I should leave," I take a step back and look at him.

He nods his head and I walk out of his office to sight the commotion. I mean it's always chaotic here but right now everyone is looking upstairs and squealing.

I gaze up to see some people looking down at the crowd and exclaiming.

I don't know what one of them says because the crowd goes crazy.

I stay put in the corridor and observe from here.

Immediately after a few seconds, I feel odd as my body warms up.

"What's going on here?" His voice was just behind me, making me aware of our proximity.

"They..." I peek a glance at him to see him on his phone.

I feel blood rush to my cheeks. He wasn't talking to me.

"Control the crowd!" He yells on his phone and takes a step forward and stands beside me.

"These celebrities initially say they don't want any attention, just want to spend some private time, and then go around yelling about their new album." He grits through his teeth.

"I know these situations turn into mayhem and someone or the other gets hurt." He mumbles grimly.

I don't say anything, what am I supposed to say?

We just stand there side by side looking at the crowd. Thankfully Jerry and his team escorted the celebrities safely and the crowd subsequently subsided.

"Today was crazy!" Zoya puts her head on my shoulder and sigh.

"You did have to work a lot," I didn't intend for it to come out in a bitter tone, but it did.

Instantly I hope that she's too exhausted to even listen to my words but who am I kidding, this is Zoya.

"What is that supposed to mean?" She sits straight and looks at me.

Due to darkness outside the car and only passing streetlights gleaming on her face, I can't decipher the expressions on her face.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that, " I instantly apologized.

"Girl! Don't apologize for your feelings, never." She lectures me.

"Now tell me, what's it? What is disturbing you?" She asks me.

I look around the car to see others either asleep or busy on their phones.

So I take a deep breath and confess, "I just think that club doesn't need me, I don't do too much there. Prithvi is just keeping me for sake of Paakhi. I can't just take a salary for standing around."

I waited for Zoya to tell me I'm an idiot and I should just think about something else. But she didn't and when I looked over at her she is observing me.

"Zoya..." I call out her name.

She jerks as if coming out of thoughts and say, "I'm sorry, I don't know what to say,"

I nod and look away.

"By the way, where are you working in the daytime?" I know she's trying to surpass the awkwardness.

"At the cafe, three blocks down my apartment. It's named Zaika. It's a very popular deli in this neighborhood." I proudly say. I don't know what is about that place. But that place has a charm to it. It calms you and inspires you.

"I should drop by sometime." She announces just as the car stops at my apartment.

I smile and exit the car. Waiting for the elevator, I browse my phone and see a call from mom.

I ignore it and decide to call her tomorrow.

Walking into the apartment, I lock the doors behind me and saunter to my room, and fall face-first into the pillows.

I love being exhausted, I never have to wait for sleep to come, preventing me from thinking about my past.

The next morning I wake up to my ringing alarm and make my bed.

I make myself a cup of tea and a toast and walk to the balcony.

The serenity of this house often irks me. So I come out here and have my breakfast amidst the bustling of morning traffic.

I finish it up and wash the utensils before taking a bath.

I change into a pink top and pair it with white pants.

I throw over my white sneakers and let my wet hair air dry.

Walking to the cafe, I motivate myself to smile at every customer.

Opening the door to the cafe, I scoot to the counter and plop my bag.

I see nobody is around other than the waitress I met yesterday.

"Hey, you are early," she speaks when our gazes meet.

"Ya, may I help you?" I rush to her side and help her arrange the chairs.

"I'm Sofia," she smiles over at me.

"Sana," I smile back.

We work in harmony and arrange everything.

"You are Paakhi's sister-in-law right?" She asks me as I arrange the tissue stand.

"Yes, Aditi's and Maanya's too," I further added. She nods her head and walks to the counter.

"People will be coming soon, I should go back and start preparing," she motions to the kitchen door and vanishes behind it.

I look around for anything else to be done. And when everything seems finished, I walk back to the counter.

I dust the counter when the cafe door jingles and our first patron walks over.

"One coffee and two scones to go," the middle-aged man orders.

I nod and rush to the coffee machine and look at all the buttons.

"What coffee?" I turn around and ask him. He scrunches his nose and says, "my usual,"

I stare at him confused, how am I supposed to know his usual?

"It's my first-day sir, " I inform him.

He rolls his eyes and says, "Flat white!"

I nod and prepare his coffee.

"Scone?" I stare at him from behind the counter.

"Classic!" He grits. I pack his food and hold it out to him.

He put the money on the counter and walk off murmuring, "useless..."

I feel my heart stop, that word brings too many memories.

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I was working in the kitchen preparing Saurav's breakfast when my mother-in-law enters the kitchen.

"Make me tea!" She orders.

"Mother I just have to finish Saurav's breakfast and then I will prepare you tea," I tell her.

"Now! I need my tea now!" She yells.

My hands stop working. I halt my work and put the pan with water on the stove.

"Add some ginger and fennel seeds," she grunts. I nod and hurriedly grate some ginger and add it to the boiling water.

"Madam, your parents don't send us money, this is my son's hard work use it precisely, " she taunts again.

I nod merely and add some milk.

"Where's my breakfast?" Saurav marches into the kitchen.

I stare anxiously at the unfinished breakfast.

"She's useless, she didn't prepare you any," the mother tells him.

"She is making tea for herself, look!" She says.

I look at her horrified.

"You bitch! I bring money into this house! Food on the table! And you can't prepare me a meal?" He holds my hand and yanks me around.

I look anywhere but into his eyes.

"Look at me!" He yells at me and tightens his hold.

I bite my tongue to hold back tears.

"Look at me bitch!" He yells again. Instinctively my gaze travels up.

"You dare to show me your eyes?" He shouts and slaps me.

I feel a stinging on my left cheek.

"Useless! I dread the day I brought you into my life!" He shouts and walks away.

I look at him and his mother exiting the kitchen.

She turns to smile at me and mouth Useless.

"Useless..." Those words ring in my ear.

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"Sana? Dear?" I jerk out of my thoughts when I hear Nona's voice.

"Nona!" I smile and hug her.

"Is everything okay?" The care in her voice struck me. I control my tears and inch back.

"Ya, just nervous on my first day, " I chuckle.

I can see she knows I'm lying, but she doesn't say anything just nods.

"You are going well!" She smiles an encouraging smile.

I smile back and get back to work.

For the next hour, I show patrons to their tables, take bills and serve around.

"Thank you," the lady says, I smile in return and walk back to the counter.

On my way, I see a delivery guy with a beautiful arrangement of flowers.

"Those are beautiful," I smile as I see them.

"They seem to be like roses but they are not..." I hear a voice beside me.

I turn to see Mrs.Savita observing the flowers.

"Delivery for Ms.Sana," he walks over to us and announces.

I look stunned at the beautiful arrangement.

"For me?" I ask appalled.

"Thank you," Ms.Savita sign the form and turn to look at me.

"See for the card..." She giddily hops around.

I look for the card and pick it up from between the two beautiful blossoms.

"All the best for your first day!" I read it aloud.

"Who is it from?" She inches a little closer and over the counter.

"Only a few people know I love these flowers." I smile playing with the velvety petal.

"And who are they?" She asks.

I remember Viren bhai's face and how he used to surprise me with these flowers whenever I was upset. But they are certainly not from him, He might be cordial with me because of his wife but not to this extent.

"Paakhi..." I smile as that girl's face pops into my mind.

"She can undoubtedly do something like that," She murmurs and I smile.

"Undoubtedly," I repeat with a smile.

The bell over the door Jingles implying a customer so I look over my shoulders to take a look at their numbers so that I can assign them the table.

But what I see them when I turn surprised me.

I put the flowers down and rush forward.

"Hey, beautiful," Paakhi mumbles into my hair as I hug her tightly.

"We are here too!" I hear Aditi's giddy voice and hug her next and then Maanu.

"I miss you girls," I pout like a child.

"We do too! Especially my freedom!" Aditi scrunches her face.

I eye her when Paakhi says, "Shaurya means well Adi, "

"Whatever! Aunty Savs, get me something to drink please..."

I look at Paakhi with confusion clear on my face, she shakes her head with a smile and says, "She woke up with a crazy idea of going on a girl's trip. Shaurya instantly refused after seeing her condition."

I smile at her thinking only Aditi can wake up one morning and claim something like this.

"So how is everything going?" She pulls me to the seats and settles down.

"Fine," I smile forcefully. How can I tell her that I don't like it at the club after she gets me a job there?

"Is Prithvi behaving with you?" I can see her playful smirk and hit her.

"You are mad," I roll my eyes at her. But something weird happens inside me. To distract my thoughts, I ask her about her business.

"I don't know, I can't just give up my business because I love it too much but I recently have canceled three events due to my lack of availability." She confesses.

"Maybe you will be available in some time..." I assure.

She nods her head just as Maanya and Aditi return with some food.

"I miss this taste!" Aditi cries out as she takes a huge bite of her scone. I look anxiously at Paakhi and Maanya to calm her. But they both sit there enjoying their coffee.

Now she's full-blown sobbing looking at the scone in her hand.

I jab Paakhi with an elbow causing her to spill her coffee, She glares at me and I glare back.

I point at Aditi and she rolls her eyes before saying, "this is an everyday occurrence now."

"Sweetie, relax, you can have them whenever you want. Shaurya will get them for you," Maanya assures her after I glare at her.

"Promise?" Aditi asks like a small child.

I smile when she smiles like a Cheshire cat when Paakhi affirms.

"Being pregnant is too much work!" I mumble unintentionally.

"It is but you eventually you like it..." Paakhi smiles gently looking at her stomach.

I look at mine and feel like crying out. I will never get to experience the joy of motherhood.

"So I wanted to ask you something before going to meet Nana," Paakhi turns mid-conversation with Maanu and stares at me.

"We are planning dinner this weekend. Will you come?" She asks me.

"I told him too. And he's pleasant about your presence." She squeezes my hand with a smile.

I'm still to mend my relationship with Viren bhai.

"I'll be!" I smile and she smiles back.

"We'll see you soon..." They get up to visit Nana and exit the cafe. Nana and Nona live just behind the cafe whereas Aunty Savita and Abhay live in a loft above the cafe.

I bid them adieu and get back to cleaning the table.

Time flies by and I return to my apartment to change for the club.

Noticing the time, I make myself a cup of tea and turn on the television to fill the silence.

Noticing the empty house, I compare the emptiness outside to the emptiness inside me. I'm alone and defeated.

Before my thoughts can take any other turn, I hear my ringing phone. I jerk up and leap to the dining table and receive it before it hangs up.

"Hello?" I answer.

I hear nothing on the other end, except some static. Thinking it might be a network problem, I hang up.

Noticing the time on my phone, I scramble to get ready.

Changing into my uniform, I check all the switches in the house and then walk down the stairs.

I wait at the curb for the cab while looking at the bustling streets.

Everyone is running around, some to make money, some to make the future.

Some just leave the race and sit back to await the result.

The honking of the car yanks me out of my thoughts. I stare ahead and see the cab waiting. I take a seat beside Zoya and settle down.

"How was your day?" She asks as the car start moving.

"Good, what about yours?" I ask back.

"I had a date but it was boring. He kept talking about his shoes and watch." She snarls and I chuckle.

"Girl I'm telling you, guys nowadays are more self-obsessed than girls." She whines.
Our ride to the club is filled with her talking about her dating life and me enjoying her adventure.

"Another boring day..." I mumble to myself as we step into the club.

Zoya parted ways with me and I go directly to the bar to meet Josh.

"Sana?" I stop mid-step as I hear my name.

"We need to talk, meet me in my office." He orders and walks off. I stare at his back thinking why didn't I flinch at his demanding tone?

"Someone's in trouble..." I hear Josh smirk.

I turn to him and pout.

"You have been a bad, bad girl," he winks at me mischievously.

It took me a moment to register his implication and when it did, I whack him and he burst out laughing.

"My adorable girl." He playfully pulls my hair and runs off behind his bar.

I roll my eyes at him and turn to leave towards Prithvi's office.

With each step I took, my brain was bombarded with ideas about my summon.

I take a deep breath and knock on his door. I step in and see him behind his desk browsing through the piles of paper.

He looks up with frustration and sadness...

I feel my heart pang.

What? Why?

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Is anyone reading this story? Do you want me to update it?