Flashback Continued
After graduation, Lavanya had joined the same hotel full-time where she used to work part-time during college. The salary wasn't high, but it was enough to pay for her grandmother's dialysis twice a week. Life was far from easy, but she was managing. Each day brought a new set of challenges, but she held on...for her grandmother, for herself.
That evening, while preparing to sign off after a long shift at the hotel, Lavanya received an unexpected call from her supervisor.
"Lavanya, head to the bar section immediately. We have some very important guests there... Mehra family kids and their friends. Their family is a major shareholder of this hotel and you know that, so be careful. Don't make any mistakes."
Before she could respond, the call disconnected.
Lavanya froze. Mehra family? That meant Shruti Mehra, and probably the rest of her old college tormentors. She sighed, the pit in her stomach growing.
'Why me? I'm a receptionist, not a server. There are plenty of other staff for this job. Oh god nooo.... they are gonna bully me again. But wait, by any chance.... is Agastya also there? I haven't seen him since ages, but the truth is... that I don't want to see him. I'm too embarrassed to face him, after that incident. But if I refuse, it could cost me my job... and I can't risk that, not with Dadi's medical bills.'
After a moment of mental battle, she straightened her uniform, took a deep breath, and walked toward the bar.
The bar was alive with laughter and music. The elite group from college was there. Shruti, Soniya, Rishabh, and..... Agastya too, along with a few others. Lavanya's eyes immediately found Agastya. Sitting there in black tshirt, a wine glass in hand, smile on his face, talking to his friend. He hadn't noticed her yet. She quickly looked away.
Soniya, however, spotted her instantly and let out a fake gasp.
"Isn't that Lavanya, the charity case from college? What are you doing here, babe? Working as a cleaner now, haan?"
Lavanya clenched her fists but said nothing. People turned to stare, some with pity, others with ridicule. She dared not make a scene. Her job was at stake.
Shruti stood up, a glass of wine in hand, walking toward her with a predatory smile. She wore an expensive dress, heels that screamed luxury, and her face full of smugness.
Lavanya kept her gaze on ground, avoiding Shruti. Suddenly, without warning, Shruti deliberately spilled her wine on her own heels. Lavanya stood still, unsure of what just happened, but she could sense this was not random.
"What are you looking at, b*tch? Clean it," Shruti snapped.
Lavanya blinked, trying to process. She wasn't a cleaner. This wasn't her job. But before she could respond, Shruti barked again.
"Didn't you hear me?! I said clean my shoes!"
The smirks and chuckles around her grew louder. Lavanya stood frozen, humiliated. Then Agastya walked over, curious about the commotion.
"What's going on, Shruti?"
Shruti turned to him sweetly. "Oh, nothing bro. Just reminding someone of their place. I asked her to clean my shoes, isn't that her job?"
Agastya glanced at Lavanya, recognition dawning on his face. He tried to remember her face, he had seen her few times but never noticed her. He also recalled that Shruti and her gang used to bully her for fun.
"Stop it, Shruti," he said calmly. "Clean your shoes yourself. There's no need to insult someone. Especially not someone who used to be your collegemate."
Soniya chimed in with her usual lack of vocabulary, "Agastya, you don't need to bother about her. She's not some sacchayi ki surat or whatever."
Agastya rolled his eyes. "It's MOORAT not SOORAT, Soniya. And I'm not defending her. I'm just saying, try to be human."
Soniya rolled her eyes in frustration.
Agastya was going to say something again but his phone rang. He excused himself, walking away, clearly annoyed.
Shruti's expression soured. "Give me my phone," she hissed to Soniya. "I'm calling the manager. Let's see how long this girl lasts here."
Lavanya panicked. Her job was on the line. If Shruti complained, she could be fired, and then what about her grandmother's treatment?
"Please," she whispered. "Don't call the manager. I'll clean it." Shruti and Soniya looked at each other smirking, "Louder" Lavanya suppressed her pride and said, "I'll clean it. Don't call my manager."
Suppressing her pride, Lavanya rushed to the storage and returned with a cloth. As she knelt to clean Shruti's shoes, shame weighing heavily on her, someone suddenly grabbed her hand firmly... stopping her.
Everyone stopped. Lavanya looked up, startled.