Episode#1:- (London)

(Dear readers, the text written in the brackets were in Italic and Bold text. I've put the content in brackets to differentiate between the scenes or the situation. The bracket content may be from past, flashback or other scenes, so to avoid your confusion I've kept the text in the brackets. If you are able to read the bold and Italic text then you are reading the story on the right medium.

I hope you'll like the story and sorry for the mistakes as English is not my 1st language, then also I'll try my best to avoid silly mistakes.)

Episode#1:- (London)

Winters in London are freezing and rainy at the same time. Many people love rain a lot, but when you have to walk almost every day in the rain, then you can easily start getting irritated.

She is among those people who find rain, cool weather, and long walks fascinating. But, when it becomes the daily routine, then she also starts getting irritated. She doesn’t have any expensive branded car, in which she can travel all around the city without getting drenched in the rain.

She has to walk around 4-5 kilometres daily because living in an expensive city of UK, like London, is not easy. Everyone can’t afford a stable life if you don’t have any strong background or when you don’t have a job in an MNC.

Today was one such day, when it was continuously raining, since the wee hours of the morning. She came inside the small café, running fast. She was trying to remove water from her dress, as her dress was completely soaked, as today the umbrella was also of no use. She was drenched from head to toe.

She was wiping her face when the owner of the café, who was a short lady came towards her with narrow eyes.

“You are late again, swaaara.” the owner Jenny said with a harsh tone. On hearing Jenny’s voice, Swara bites her tongue and with a puppy face turned around as she was standing facing her back towards Jenny.

Jenny is an English lady who could not pronounce her name correctly. That is why she calls her name while dragging the word “swa” a little more than usual.

“Jenny, today it is raining so heavily,” she tried to reason, but Jenny cut her harshly and said, “Today I won’t hear any of your excuses. Today you have to work till late, otherwise, I will deduct your 1-week salary.”

By saying that, Jenny left from there. While Swara just wanted to bang her head as she decided that if today rain would not stop, then she will take a cab. But now as she had to work till late, then it means she had to walk again and if till it would be raining heavily, then doesn’t know what she will do.

And she can’t afford a subtraction in her salary because she was already getting a limited amount and if they will deduct her salary, then she doesn’t know how she will be able to survive the whole month. She took a deep breath and changed her clothes.

She wore her uniform and kept her wet clothes to dry. She came out after picking up her writing pad and pen and started waiting for the customers to come and take their orders.

She came here ten months ago, with difficulty. Her parents died when she was nine years old. Her only family left was her grandmother, who also died three years back.

She was from a middle-class family, so she was not having any property or something on her name. It was just a small old house which her granny left for her.

Someone advised her that she should try her luck in abroad. She always wanted to come to London from childhood only, so, by selling her small old house she could have easily gone to some other small country or where it was easy to live, but as she wanted to come to London only, that’s why she came here. The UK visa was expensive as compared to some other small countries, but then also she was adamant to come here only. She had a limited amount, but then also she took the chance and came to the UK.

She always had a dream to come abroad, as shown in films and stories she always thought by coming abroad, her life will change. She also came with that dream, but after coming here, she came to know that reality differs from all films and fiction.

She had done only simple graduation, and in today’s world even a person with a Masters' Degree cannot get a proper job, then how would a person with simple graduation would be able to get a job?

After spending only two weeks in London, she came to know that if you want to achieve something, then you have to work hard. First, she thought she would get a job in some company, but when everyone rejected her from everywhere; she thought it’s useless to sit idle.

So, she thought to apply for a job in one small café as big cafes and hotels always demand experience, which she didn’t have.

When she came to apply for the job in the café, the café owner was reluctant to give her a job, but that time only one worker came and informed the owner that one waiter couldn't continue his job, as he met with an accident and fractured both his legs.

“You are lucky, Miss Swaaaara,” Jenny the owner said and continued, “because of the shortage of one waiter, I’m giving you the job of a waitress.”

Swara whose tongue was itching to correct her name which she spelt wrong becomes happy.

“Thank you so much, ma’am,” Swara said happily, on which Jenny gave her a curt nod, and asked the other employee to show her everything.

She started working on hourly wages, and that was only 7 pounds per hour. The more hours you work the more wages you earn.

In the beginning, she could not work even for 4 hours, but she realized that if this will continue, then she cannot survive even a single week here.

She took 1.5 months to get used to this routine and then started working 10 hours daily as a routine. That way, she could make 70 pounds a day, and by working, six days a week, she could make over 1600 pounds in a month.

But London was an expensive city. She was not in a state to change the city, as for that also she needed money which she didn’t have.

After five months of her job, Jenny hired her on salary bases after seeing her hard work and dedication towards her work. She was now earning 1800 pounds a month, but Jenny was a strict lady who doesn’t show any mercy even on a single mistake.

All employees, including Swara, always got a deduction of a minimum of 100 pounds from their salaries every month.

(Other than her salary, Swara would make up to 200 to 210 pounds extra in a month because of tips, sometimes bonuses or other compensations. The café was a small one that was the only reason she could not make more money even when she was living in London.)

Swara was taking orders from the customers when while passing, she heard two waitresses were giggling on seeing something. She tried to look at the source, but only a side of the magazine came in her view.

“Ooo my God, he is so hot!” one girl said to the other who was also praising someone whose picture was in the magazine. Swara rolled her eyes and went towards the kitchen.

She was a girl who always remained in her shell. She may like handsome boys, but she never drooled on anyone. She was happy in herself by doing small things for herself. She expected nothing from anyone.

She was a happy-go-lucky girl who believes that why to become sad about anything when you know that you will surely get some other thing. Even on her birthdays, she gifts herself and becomes happy.

She doesn’t take tension about anything easily because she believes that by taking tension, you will become old before time. She doesn’t have any specific friends, but it doesn’t mean that she doesn’t talk with anyone.

She was having a friendly relation with all.

“What is his name?” One girl asked on which the other girl said something which Swara didn’t understand, one thing Swara came to know that the guy may be Asian because the way both English girls spell his name, it will only happen when they spell some Asian names.

Swara came out with the order of the customers. While walking, she saw the magazine which both the girls were reading before. While going randomly, she saw towards the front page and could only get a glimpse of the person.

She tried to see his name but could only read Mittal. She shrugged her shoulders and went towards one of the tables to serve the customers.

She got a half an hour break, on which she decided to go outside as she was feeling bored. She was roaming around the market as the rain had stopped.

She was walking while looking at one shop when she banged into a wall; she stumbled back while holding her forehead.

“Ouch,” she hissed in pain while rubbing her forehead. She looked upwards, and found a handsome boy with a well-built body looking towards her with a puppy face.

“Can’t you see while walking,” Swara said while gritting her teeth on which boy grinned widely and said,

“I was drowning in your beauty,” the boy said with a wink on which Swara’s mouth hung open after seeing him flirting with her so openly.

“You…. how dare you to flirt with me?” Swara said while putting her hands on her waist.

“Ooo… easy girl, look I was just joking, and I’m sorry for bumping into you as I was busy looking in my cell phone,” this time the boy said in a calm and soft voice.

Swara looked towards him from top to bottom, and while narrowing her eyes asked, “Are you Asian?”

“Yup… and you too, I think?” The boy asked on which Swara nodded her head and said,

“Yes, I’m Asian and from India. And you?” Swara asked him on which boy said,

“I’m also from India and my name…” but before he could tell his name his mobile rang and when he saw the caller id he left hurriedly while saying, “Oops…sorry, but I have to go. We’ll surely meet again.” Swara saw his retreating figure and shrugged her shoulders. She turned around and left towards her café.

Boy who was going in the opposite direction turned around and while seeing Swara’s retreating figure smirked a little and said, “I think I found the one” to the person on the other side of the call and cut the call, when he came near his car.

Swara came inside the café and resumed her work. She completed her work late at night when suddenly it started raining again. She cursed her fate but couldn’t do anything. She changed her uniform and came out of the café while grabbing her umbrella.

She was walking while hiding herself under the shades as the rain was heavy. She was already drenched, because of which she was feeling cold. After covering a distance of about 2 kilometres, she felt as if someone was following her.

She turned around, but because of the heavy downpour, she could not see anything. She started walking fast but wasn’t able to, due to slippery roads. She was crossing the road when she found a car parked at a little distance.

She ignored that car and kept walking. She was walking from one alley when she felt as if she heard the voice of the car’s engine. It was late at night, so there was no one around.

She held her umbrella tightly and fastened her speed. Because of water on roads, she could hear the footsteps of someone following her. She again turned her head back to see if there was someone but didn’t find anyone.

Her heart was beating very fast. In these many months, not even a single time she had the feeling which she was having then. Many times, she walked late at night like this, but nobody ever followed her.

She was crossing one alley, when suddenly someone held her from behind, and before she could scream or fight, she felt something wet on her nose.

She tried holding her breath, but “Take a breath, baby.” A rough voice came which did nothing, just sent shivers through her spine and unknowingly, she took the breath which she was holding. The moment she did that, her eyes shut down, and her body went limp in that person’s arms.

"To be continued…"