Tripping & Falling

“Yes, here is my name,” Nina uttered, finally seeing her name in the students’ semester entrance list on her college board. 

“I told you that it would be here. You were panicking for no reason, Ni,” Rachael said, spinning her eyes. She had already found her name on the entrance list. Both the girls had come to their college to check if their names had been shortlisted for the new semester or not as their first semester had ended and now the next one was about to begin.

“Shut up, Rach. How would you have reacted if you had not found your name even in the last list?” Nina scowled. Rachael again spun her eyes.

“Stop being so dramatic, Ni. We found our names, so let's be happy about it,” Rachael uttered. Nina nodded at her, smiling.

“By the way, you remember that we have to first make the settlements for entering into this semester as it has additional subjects and other things or else they wouldn't allow us to sit in the classes?” Rachael asked her. Her question made Nina sigh.

“I know. I have some savings for this and hopefully, I will receive my salary from N.R Alfanso next week as it's mentioned in their job contract clause, so I will use it for making semester settlement here,” Nina informed but her tension was evident in her gaze which didn't go unnoticed by Rachael.

“Don't worry. Everything will get alright and I also have some additional savings, if you would need it just let me know,” Rachael placed her palm over Nina's shoulder and squeezed it in an assuring manner. Nina smiled at her. She was so glad to have her as her best friend. Rachael didn't come from a financially strong background but still she never backed off from helping Nina.

Nina nodded at her and then both the girls left from there and went to Nina's home.

“So you are joining your work from this evening?” Rachael asked, laying down on Nina's bed. Nina wagged her head, slowly while sitting beside her on the bed.

“Are you still nervous about it?” Rachael further questioned. Nina breathed out, firmly.

“No, I am not nervous about joining my work but meeting Cain's family,” she revealed.

“What? Cain's family?” Rachael sounded startled. Nina nodded.

“Yes, his entire family is going to be there to celebrate his cousin, Eara's birthday and he said that he would introduce me to his family there,” Nina told her.

“Wow, that sounds amazing. You are finally going to meet his family,” 

Nina frowned, seeing Racheal’s excitement. 

“Hey! Don't make such faces. You are going to meet Cain's family and I hope you know that his family is one of the most famous and richest families in our whole country, especially The Alfanso's,” Racheal's words made Nina cringe. Surely she knew about it that Cian’s family was a very big and relevant name in their entire country but still, she didn't need to shove it down her throat like this.

“I have seen their interviews on the tv and trust me, The Alfanso family looks like some fantasy characters, especially Riccardo Alfanso,” Rachel blushed like a school going girl who was talking about her very first crush. 

“What the…do you even know you are drooling over a married man who is probably in his late 60’s or 70’s?” Nina spat at her best friend. She knew Rachel preferred older men but a married one? That was irrational to even think.

“So what? Have you seen him? Riccardo Alfanso still looks like a walking sex beast?” Rachel’s words made Nina's eyes widened.

“You know what? I am so done with you and your fantasies,” Nina made a grossed face which made Racheal laugh.

“I am just kidding, Ni. I know he is married. Besides, his wife, Aniya Alfanso looks like an angel and I have even heard that she is an angel hearted person too and their love story is like an angel trapping a devil in her arms,” Rachel spoke, giggling.

“And even their daughter, Flora and their son-in-law, Easton, they both look like a royal couple,” 

“Yeah….you and your obsession with the Alfanso family, Rach…” Nina rolled her eyes which made Racheal laugh.

“No, but on a serious note, if you are going to meet them, try to find out about Rican Alfanso,” Rachel's words made Nina arch her brows in suspicion.

“And why would I do that?” 

“Because he is the most wanted man in our country whom girls and women are dying to date or to get married?” Hearing Rachel, Nina's scowl hardened.

“So what?”

“Argh….try to settle your only best friend with him, Ni. Then I will become your mother-in-law when you get married to Cain,” Rachel chuckled, making Nina frown in disbelief.

“We have come very long, so for now let me focus on meeting Cain's family, instead of settling you with his uncle….okay?” Nina sent her best friend a fake lip tight smile, making Rachel chortle at her reaction.

Nina rolled her eyes, seeing Rachel laughing. She stretched her arm and grabbed the tray of the fruit bucket from the table beside the bed. She found only an apple and a knife in the bucket.

“Shut up, Rach. Stop showing your ugly teeth,” Nina scowled, grabbing the knife and the apple but Rachael continued to chuckle.

Extremely annoyed, Nina tried to cut that apple with that knife while holding it in her palm but the apple slipped and she ended up digging the knife in her palm. Nina's soul froze, seeing that blood trailing down from her palm. Her breathing deepened.

Rachel hurriedly got up and grabbed Nina's hand.

“Nina….calm down. It's nothing,” Rachael uttered while looking for something to cover her wound but here, Nina's body started sweating profusely. Her whole body was shaking whereas her breathing had started turning abnormal.

Unable to find anything, Rachael grabbed the bedsheet and pressed it against Nina's wound to stop the bleeding at any cost because she knew the petrifying consequences of letting Nina see blood.

“Ssh…it's alright. Breath…Ni. It's okay,” she made Nina look away from her wound and then hugged her. Nina was still shaking and panting.

“Calm down…Nina. It's alright,” Rachael caressed Nina's back while trying to calm her anxiety down. Exhaling a heavy breath, Nina squeezed her eyes shut which made her tears start silently falling from them. She had hemophobia because of her past trauma. Nina was terrified of seeing even a single drop of blood because in her childhood, she had seen a very loved and closed one of hers bleeding till his death.

………………..

The water was washing away the blood from his whole naked body as he was standing under that cold shower. His burly arms were stretched forward and his hands were pressed against the glass wall of the shower room.

His head was lowered while his dusky brown eyes were fixed at the floor where he was seeing the water turning crimson as soon as it was touching his skin which was completely covered in blood. The blood of those dozens of people whom he had turned lifeless today to calm down the ruinous restlessness inside him but it still didn't calm him down.

Vigorously clenching his fists, he closed his eyes and as soon as he did it, he saw those beautiful azure eyes of his best friend, his love, his wife…his ‘mi alma’ …Noelle Rican Alfanso. The vicious destroyer inside him finally started calming down but in the very next second, his closed eyes reflected the images of her dead body which he had seen bleeding in his arms.

Opening his bloodshed eyes, he punched the glass wall with every might in his body. The glass shattered and pierced deep inside his palm, letting it bleed uncontrollably but still he was restless. Still he was far away from finding his serenity because he had seen his soul dying in his embrace.

Rubbing his palm down over his face, he stepped out of the shower room and grabbed the bathrobe.

Tying his bathrobe, he was about to grab his glass of wine when he heard his phone ringing. His gaze saw his sister's name flashing on the screen. Sighing, he answered the video call and saw his 3 years old niece's smiling face.

“Good evening, uncle,” he heard her wishing him in her baby stuttering voice. A small smile formed on his face.

“Good evening, Eara…..” he uttered, making the little girl giggle. He was beaming for her when he saw his elder sister, Flora, appearing on the screen. He saw his sister smiling at him which he returned with a soft nod.

“Eara, did you invite your uncle to your birthday party tonight?” He heard his sister asking her daughter, Eara. The little girl vigorously nodded at her mother.

“Yesh….momma and uncle promise me that he will come,” Eara said, tittering. He sighed and then nodded at his niece. He didn't want to go there but he couldn't say no to his niece as she had asked him for his appearance at her birthday party as her birthday gift and he could not deny that little girl.

“Okay, I will see you tonight then, Rican,” Flora said and he wagged his head at her.

“Bye bye…uncle,” Eara waved at him. He smiled at her and again nodded.

He exhaled a heavy breath as soon as the call got disconnected and then grabbed his glass of wine. 

Walking towards his huge glass window, he stood in front of it and started sipping from his glass while fixing his empty gaze at the evening sky which had now started turning dark.

………….

“Is it necessary to wear these heels?” Nina asked, peering down at those black heels she had to wear. 

“Yes, it is because it's the dress code here,” the other waitress informed her. Nina sighed. She finally came to N.R Alfanso to start her work but as soon as they handed her the uniform, her excitement faded because the uniform had high heels and she could manage everything but high heels. She hated wearing heels because it always made her trip and fall.

“And don't forget to wear this badge,” that girl handed Nina a badge. Nina looked at that badge and saw N.R Alfanso written on it. Nodding, she attached it to her shirt's pocket but it hurt her wounded hand which she had bandaged properly before coming here for work.

“Everyone, ready?” The head manager of that place entered the staff room and asked everyone. All the staff members nodded, including Nina because now she had no other option than that.

“The Alfanso family has arrived, so be extremely careful and attentive. I don't want any kind of leniency, especially in front of Mr Rican Alfanso. Did you all get it?” The manager asked and everyone nodded. Nina just stood at her place, looking at everyone's faces.

“Because a single wrong step in front of Mr Alfanso and it can cost you your entire future,” 

Those words of manager made Nina frown. Was he threatening everyone with the owner's name? But she gulped her frown and stood still.

“Okay now get back to your duties fast,” the manager said and everyone started doing their respective works.

Nina was scowling down at her heels when she heard the manager saying to her.

“You will take the cake out,” Nina looked at the manager and nodded.

“Quick, get it and take it out at the table,”

“Okay sir,” she answered and then trailed her eyes at the cake but her eyes widened, seeing the size and height of the cake. It was a five layer cake which looked more than half of her height and weight. Nina swallowed. 

“Are you going to stand here like this, Ms. Halzen?” The manager's words snapped Nina out of her thoughts.

“Take that out to the main table,” 

Nina hurriedly dipped her head, hearing the manager and then walked towards the cake. She was grateful that it was placed on a trolley or else, she didn't even know what she could have done without it, especially in those uncomfortable high heels and wounded hand.

Holding the handle of the trolley, Nina started pushing it out of the kitchen’s door, trying her best to not trip on her heels.

She entered the main hall, enduring very much trouble because neither she could see anything which was coming in front of her because of the height of the cake nor her heels were helping her in walking, especially because of that slippery carpet on the floor. Besides, her bandaged palm was not helping her either.

Nina was just hoping to take that cake to its designated place without causing any trouble as it was just her first task here.

Praying in her heart to reach the main table, she was pushing that trolley forward but suddenly she felt her heels slipping over something wet. Her hands released the trolley’s handle on their own and in pure instinct, she tried to grab something but ended up pushing the cake forward.

Nina and that cake, they both fell on the ground together. She hissed in pain but her eyes widened, seeing the cake falling over someone's shoes.

She took her head upward to look at the owner of that pair of shoes and her heartbeat dropped when her cerulean eyes met with those glowering dark brown eyes of its owner and by witnessing that rage blazing in his gaze, she understood now she was so going to get fired.

But little did Nina know that very soon, the owner of those sinister brown eyes was going to be the forbidden possessor of her soul.