ETHEREAL

.21.

"hey!" Peter was delighted to see sanyukta taking a seat at the little bar.  

"Hi." Sanyukta voice was low but it was enough to make Peter concern.

"Is everything alright?" Peter left all the work he was doing and giving his full attention to sanyukta only.

"I went for a job hunt today." Sanyukta admit and drop her head on the cool counter.

"A job? Do Zayn and Zara know?" Peter lean a little closer to her.

Sanyukta shake her head in negetive.

"I spend half of my savings in the dress I wore few days ago in Zara's party. " Sanyukta informed Peter with her lips turn downward.

"But you can ask them for money anytime you need." Peter mention the obvious. "Or from me." He added. "Or from Randhir. "

I dont want to ask for money from anyone.

It will make her feel like she is using them for money.

"Now I understand why you don't want to ask anybody for money." Peter rubbed his jaw. "You want to be independent."

That actually sounds better.

"Yes. " Sanyukta face him and bobbed her head up down.

"And by that sad face I can guess how the job hunt went." Peter sighed.

Sanyukta clicked her tongue. "I'm good for nothing."

"I am not interested in work from home but I have to stay close to house so I can check up on Zayn and Zara from time to time." Sanyukta covered her face with palms. "So why would anybody.....in this area...the area of riches only and all the high profile people .....would employ me...?" Sanyukta voice was muffled.

"You can work for me." Peter made her look through the gaps of her fingers.

"What?" Sanyukta couldn't process the offer.

"Let's see. Are you good with cash?" Peter asked.

"I'm not quick in maths." Sanyukta admits.

"What about cooking?" Peter asked.

"what if I burned the food?" Sanyukta doubted.

"What about kicking the one who misbehave in here?" Peter asked thoughtfully at which sanyukta patted her invisible biceps and said "only if they didn't throw me out first."

Peter sighed.

"But I can serve. Or can I?" Sanyukta asked the latter question to herself.

"Perfect then." Peter clapped his hands around sanyukta wrist and bring them down. "I can get some help and you get to work near the house."

"Congratulations you are employed now." Peter smiled widely at her. Sanyukta smiled widely too and hugged him across the counter.

"Thank you so much." Sanyukta said into his shoulder while he patted her hair.

"Now come on. It's your first day here." Peter hold her from her shoulders. "And see, there comes your first costomer."

Peter pointed at the door.

A man entered in white crisp shirt and black coat in his arm.

Not him.

Out of all the people in this whole world.

Her first instinct was telling her to turn around and ask Peter to fire her right now but her newly Awaken goddess inside was telling her to fight for herself.

It's time to take a stand for yourself.

She took a deep breath and turn to Peter.

"What do I do?" She asked politely hiding her shaky voice very well.

He handed her a notepad and a pen.

"Ask him what he would like to have. Note it down here, write his table number. Go to kitchen back there, paste this note up the wall. Pick his order when it's done. Serve him." Peter explained herself very slowly and detailed way as if she was going to put a bomb in someone's bag.

"That's easy." Sanyukta mumbled. "Right?" She need assurance.

"You will learn it." Peter blinked his eyes at her. "Now go. Best of luck." Peter wished and continued the work he left before.

She can't imagine she was a crying worthless unemployed five minutes ago. She has got a chance now.

She won't fuck it up.

Fine. She can do it. It's all easy. Yes it's easy.

Walking closer to the new customer.

"What would you like to have, sir?" Sanyukta remember how he used to make her call him sir back in those days.

He looks almost the same other than that ear piercing and tattoo peeking from his sleeve.

The man look up at her voice. His eyes halted there, analysing, recognising, remembering.

"Do I know you?" His voice sounds more dangerous than ever before.

Sanyukta lost her voice so she shook her head in response.

You don't know me. You never knew me.

The man stayed silent but still gazing at her.

"Your order?" Sanyukta asked looking down at her notepad, pressing the pen hard on the paper.

"A cold coffee please.. and.." the man stop.

"Sanyukta?" The man suddenly recognise her.

Her pen stop moving.

"You still write from your left hand." He smirked.

Yes and you even used this fact to bully me in the school.

"And..?" Sanyukta asked pointing at her notepad asking for his order.

"You have changed." He looked over her. " A lot." He mumbled to himself.

"Will that be all, sir?" Sanyukta asked, almost taunting him, reminding him how foolishly they used to make her call him sir as if it's a huge achievement.

"Please call me, Dexter." He requested.

"I guess, that's all." Sanyukta smiled closing her pen before turning around smiling.

She took a deep breath which she was holding in..

That was brave sanyukta.

Nice

You have to keep it up.

She tried to motivate her mentally.

She took some more orders from the customers who just arrived and then went to the kitchen.

"How was it?" Peter was in the kitchen, cooking.

"Fantastic." Sanyukta exclaimed.

"It's only been ten minutes that you have been here and you already have admirers." Peter teases.

What?

"That man can't look away from you.." Peter pointed out through the two way mirror wall. He also sounded pissed a little.

"And you are my friend yet you are happy that some man has been staring at me all this time." Sanyukta huffed.

"He is a nice man. A regular customers and I think he is Randhir's friend too. I have seen him in many occasions before." Peter remembered. "But if he tried something with you, I swear I will be the one to kick him out of here." Peter promised.

If only he knew that the other bully which she used to talk about, is the same man waiting for his cold coffee outside.