Chapter 3: Madam Jee?
"Hello, Humpty!"
"Come mera bacha." Humpty was choosing air fresheners for the day when I came. He liked having different or at least specific scents on different weekdays. The lightest one was used on Monday and the strongest was used on Saturdays. He thought light ones balanced the heaviness of the Mondays which 'we' usually felt. Because he loved his work and was thrilled the most in the first few working days and his energy went down as the weekend approached. His clock worked anti to ours, I guess.
"Tell me, which one you like the most. I bought them last night." he was enthusiastic about handing them over to me.
I took them all and sprayed them one by one a little. They were in seven different flavours, and they inspired me more to keep my body spray with me all the time. So, I randomly picked one, it was named weirdly. Anyways, I took the third one and said I liked it the most.
He immediately sprayed it again and smiled at me warmly.
***
"What are you doing!"
"Sorry?", I jumped to my feet and asked impulsively.
Kunal was staring right into my eyes with a sharp red look to them that was not strange to me.
I had seen them before. All the time though
"Um, washing dishes?" I was genuinely confused
"And you think you are paid for washing dishes?" he placed his notepad loudly on the shelf that it created the thud sound and jerked me for the second time.
I composed myself.
"So will I get a bonus for it," I said while lifting the dirty plate from the sink, and effort to lighten the situation. But he was in no mood for it.
"Get out from here, and don't come near me or you'll be responsible for your consequences." he took me by the arm and almost dragged me out of the kitchen while he shouted at me.
Lucky for Humpty he made the two separate portions of the kitchen and the door were quite thick too to absorb all his tantrums, otherwise the guests would have left the place because of his noises.
I have become quite stubborn and immune to his mean reactions, but here I have a reputation to maintain, it is my workplace. So I thought of it better to leave with whatever dignity I had left.
Although there was no one, as Sara was on sick leave today, in the inner kitchen, everyone outside still could hear us. So I decided to go out and take orders from the customers.
"And don't roam around, go out and see what you can do! Useless" maybe he detected that I had some of my self-respect intact so he gave the last blow.
I did not respond and immediately paced out.
Jay was standing near the door; she was given the corner stove purposefully.
"What's with the boss today? Did you do something?" she held me by arms, immediately ducked in near me, and whispered over my shoulders.
"I am not boss," I freed myself from her grip and jerked her arm away. "Why don't you go and ask him yourself?"
Before she could say anything, I decided to go out and do work. My actual job. Take orders, place orders, service orders, and clean tables afterward.
It was unusually loud for Tuesday afternoon, and most of the tables were empty. So from where such heavy noises were coming?
I was still behind the wall and had to wait there because Shikray has just swept the floor and it was all wet.
Shiny lamps twinkled on the colorful patterns over white-based tiles, and sunlight was coming in through the door and it was all looking so fresh. Untouched by the world yet.
And I just had to think of it I guess because the same second I heard the hoarse sound of some heavy man's laughter. Another man was calling for a waiter, and the peaceful serene environment was suddenly interrupted by their materialistic presence.
I signaled Sarghun to check on them but he waved me to go on my own. Honestly, I had tried my best to keep the floor flawless, but I guess there is no such concept as flawlessness. Life never lets anything stay untouched. But also, because experiences leave their mark. The used things are scared, just like experienced people. But the only difference is people can share their stories while things are abandoned.
"Yes Sir?" I asked the leanest one. I could muster the courage to him only.
They all were huge, horse-like, had a beer in their hands already and we don't serve beer. They were in glass jars, and only Aarav Uncle's shop down the street had glass jars. But he did not allow anyone to take them home, or at least he did not allow me.
"Madam Jee?" the grumpy one snapped me out.
There were four of them. I have been working here for almost a year and I knew almost every customer from this area. It was a pretty loved restaurant in this area and everyone came here after every other week. But I was seeing them for the first time here. And I did not sense good things from them.
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