Her pace increased after confirming the time—way past 1:00 PM. Entering the lane towards her destination, a unique colour caught her attention. The same unpleasant guy from the coffee shop earlier, trying to charm a young woman whose physical age resembled hers and had a white frost messy bob. Light blue shirt with a grey vine design on the back, paired with black trousers and ankle boots.
He caught Manya's gaze and responded with a friendly wave and a warm smile. However, the woman did not welcome his advances; instead, she let out an audible sigh, took a step back, and slapped him. "Disadvantage of having a light skin. At least he won't bother anyone else for the rest of the day," Manya said.
She entered the MS pizza shop, but the sound of her own footsteps made her question the authenticity of the information. It can't be. Everything's going to be fine. She took a deep breath—absorbing the fragrances of fresh dough, oregano, an irresistible perfume of melting cheese.
Walking to the counter, she said, "Hari, pizza!"
"Usual?"
She nodded. "You still haven't told me what your logo stands for. How long will I have to keep saying I am going to Ms pizza?"
"It's M, S," he said.
"Only for you," she leaned over the counter. "So, found someone interesting?"
Hari drifted his gaze to the kitchen.
"Hey. You know she wanted you to find a partner," Manya said. "You can't live alone forever."
He faced her—leaned on the counter and moved closer. "You want me to screw this once in a lifetime opportunity to flirt my heart out?" He tilted his head slightly. "You got born in the wrong generation, kid."
"No one to blame." She smiled.
He rolled his eyes. "Why don't you and your grief settle down?"
She chuckled and occupied her favourite corner table, adorned with a white leaf. A few months back, she and Ira had carved their names on the leaf.
The silence of the road made her nervous. Every time a car passed—her heart skipped a beat, only to sink again when they didn't stop. All the passersby wore formal and semi-formal attires, but none of them scream an employee from a mysterious and futuristic firm.
"Manya!"
A sharp scream escaped her. It was Hari. Swallowing her anger, she placed her hand on head. "Can't even get angry at you."
Hari stood beside her, placed the pizza box and a complimentary drink on the table—just like he had been doing since she dined wearing a saree six months ago. She reminded him of his wife. First initials of his late wife "Rad" tattooed on his chest peeked out of his shirt.
"Aww," he said. "An orphan showing sympathy for this poor widower."
Her soft giggle turned into a laughter, joined by Hari's whole-hearted laugh. "We are so going to hell," she said, gulping down the drink. "Thank you for the drink, and you didn't put tomatoes this time, right?"
Upon opening the pizza box, he cast a quick glance at the recruit. "I'll make another one for you."
"Don't. Just remove those red monsters from it. Leave, I'll do it," she grabbed the box. "And don't scold him. He's new. At least till I am here."
With a smile of agreement, he made his way back to the counter. Manya started removing the red monster slices from her pizza. While engrossed in her task, she sensed someone's presence near the table.
"I said it's okay," she said. A shining pair of black formal shoes caught her attention. It wasn't Hari's, nor those skinny legs.
A man, impeccably dressed and well-groomed, exuding an aura of confidence and danger, akin to that of a fighter, stood beside her with an intimidating green gaze, and his smile—insincere, and had a mystery around it.
"Can I sit here?" he said.
Manya's gut warned her to be cautious. "Glad you found an empty seat during the rush hour."
A chuckle escaped his lips. "It's just that I saw a familiar face, and then I couldn't stop myself. You are Manya, right?"
Manya's mind raced, her legs trembled. Had her plans been discovered? And now she was being confronted by someone tasked with addressing the issue—her. A single wrong word or move could put her mamu in danger.
"Who's asking?"
"I am."
"You, who?"
"Do I seem like a distant dream, or are you just playing coy?"
This accent. Her eyes darted towards Hari—busy in preparing pizza. Look at me! This guy's with them. Angel. Her chest tightened; vision blurred. The recruit approached Hari and pointed at Manya.
"Manya?" Hari rushed to her. His hand on her shoulder provided a sudden relief—giving back strength to her lungs.
"I-I am—fine." She drank the water Hari had brought—sweet water?
Hari grabbed the man's collar. "What have you done?"
"Sir, it's just a misunderstanding," the man said.
Manya gasped for air. "Hari." She shook her head and pointed at pieces of tomatoes.
Hari removed his hands—corrected man's collar. "Sorry Sir." He faced Manya. "I said, I'll get you another." He replaced her pizza with the one meant to be sent for delivery. "Enjoy."
Don't overthink, it might be a coincidence, and he also looks rich. She examined his face, hoping to recognise any familiarity, but found none.
"Are you okay?" he said. Manya nodded. "Still don't remember me?"
Smile crept her lips, while she shook her head. "No idea."
His face transitioned from curious to disappointed in a matter of seconds. A heavy sigh escaped him. "All those years of our splendid friendship during school, and you still forgot me? Well. I expected that from a girl as popular as you."
Why now of all time I am meeting a person from my lost memories? "Were you the guy whom I dumped over disliking pizza?"
His lips curled up into a cheerful smile. "No."
She didn't want to tell him she had lost the memories of her first twenty years and now her memory age is 2. With no other options available; she pressed on and continued.
"Are you the one who used to give me all sorts of chocolates?" she said.
"No."
"Shopping coupons?"
"No."
"Assignments?"
"Nope."
"Weed?"
He couldn't contain his emotions and let out a giggle. "No."
"Don't tell me. Are you the one who used to roam with tons of girls because you couldn't accept that you were gay?"
His eyes widened at the unexpected question. "It wasn't me; it was Arky."
Oh! He's good.
"Then give me one reason I should have remembered you?"
"I helped you pass the exam. I am Darsh."
Who?
"So, you are saying you are the reason I got into that lousy college? And they kicked. I mean, I dropped out because it never had much to teach me."
"I… think so?"
"You can't cure the damage you've caused." Why does this guy look familiar? School friend. He looks my age.
"I just wanted to ask, can I?" he said. She nodded while slurping the extra cheese. "What are you doing now to afford your lifestyle?"
"I just quit my job," she said. A wide smile spread across his face. "I'm glad I forgot you."
"No, it's just. I am sorry."
"Enough about me. You told me nothing about yourself. Like, what do you do for a living?"
Darsh's demeanour underwent a noticeable change, almost as if he had been expecting this exact moment. As he looked at her, a victorious expression crossed his face—successful in trapping a prey.
"I dropped out of college," he said. Hari brought him a complimentary drink, tried to force a genuine smile. "Thank you." As Hari left, Darsh faced Manya. "Even when I was in college, all I could think about was opening my firm or anything with me as owner, and guess what, opportunity popped up on my phone. I joined my friend's firm. He's helping me learn the ways of running a business and now I work at a firm that manufactures many necessities for daily life."
Manya licked the long cheese trail off her forearm. "What kind of business?"
"It's confidential."
"I am not asking your company's credentials, just the work they are into." Spicier. She garnished the pizza extra spicy.
"Sorry, but I can't disclose such information."
"Do you work in like a government top-secret type agency or those with…" she whispered. "You know, pleasure products?"
He smiled, "The first one."
"What's the name of your firm?"
"It's MS."
Thoughts whirled through her mind, racing at lightning speed. "Not so uncommon name for a firm, like-like this place also has MS as its name."
"Yes, because it's one of our many businesses."
The cheese got stuck in her throat, causing her to choke—until Darsh offered her water. "Are you saying your company owns this shop?" she said. With his warm smile, he nodded.
Is he the guy I was supposed to meet? The guy who'll help me get inside MS? Despite that, she couldn't overlook the warning signs. He resembled a con man she had read about in the newspaper, with slicked-back hair and shifty eyes. Who used to say. "I like the lies that are closer to the truth. Hard to penetrate."
"And I want to hire you." His desperation confirmed her doubts about red flags. However, she had no choice. Her gaze fell upon the fancy sports car parked outside. Later on, it became a recognised territory for a bunch of pigeons, a sight that almost made her break into a smile.
"You want me to bake pizza?"
A grin spread across his face. "No, you won't." He glanced at his watch. "I heard about the offer you received in Japan."
Big organisations have it easy with info. "Yes. It pays well. At an exotic location, closer to the ocean."
"Trust me, being a part of MS is like finding the goal of your life."
"Ok. You went too far now."
"Did I?"
"Will you trust a firm whose information is confidential? You could be selling organs."
"You don't have to worry about it. We only indulge in legal practices." Once again, he stole a quick glance at his watch before extending a brown glass card to her, adorned with an MS logo in shimmering gold. "Just keep it with you till you see me again."
"I am not agreeing to it unless you tell me what business you are into."
With a displeased expression, he pulled the card back. "As I have told. I can't. If not for running late for work. I would love to chat more. It was nice meeting you." He prepared to depart.
"Ok, wait. Does your company have an office in Japan?"
"Japan?" he turned. "Maybe. What's with you and Japan?"
"I like the country."
"Yes, it's a beautiful country," Darsh acknowledged. "And yes, we have an office there."
The butterflies in her gut warned to proceed with caution, but how could she risk a possibility of finding her mamu's whereabouts? She grabbed the card, still doubting her decision.
"I'll send the car tomorrow morning?"
"Tomorrow?"
"Yes. Tomorrow's the first day of joining; If not tomorrow, you'll have to wait till next year."
"Joining? What about the interview or training?"
"No need for either. It will only delay the process."
"But how? I mean—I need—At least give me time to think about it."
"You have till tomorrow morning."
With a handshake, he bid her goodbye. The sight of pigeon's poop vanishing as soon as he stepped inside the car left her speechless and confirmed him to be an employee at MS.
"Rich have it easy." She carefully examined the card, running her fingers over the embossed design. "That's it? The day I was preparing for several months, just."
Send a car? "He knows my address?" Krishna, there's nothing but doubts. Please take care of me.
She made a gesture to get Hari's attention.
"That was some quick discussion," Hari said.
"Tell me something. How should one feel when something crucial comes easy?"
"A great possibility of a scam."
She snickered. "What else?"
"Well, if it's not a scam, then the person is extremely lucky, is what I could think right now."
"Lucky?" Her chuckle filled the room. I'm so lucky to be heading straight towards death.
She requested two more servings of the pizza she cherished.
"Two?" his brows furrowed.
With an eager nod, she said. "Yesh!"
She brushed her thumb over the card—ticket to the vibrant world, but believed that violence would be as prevalent there as breakfast. "And I already know what your firm manufactures, Mr. Darsh."
Gulping down the pizzas in record breaking time, she went behind the counter. Hari was teaching the recruit how to move without colliding with other staff and food. He caught Manya's gaze. "Want another?" he said.
With a warm smile, she shook her head. "You forgot, right?"
His eyes darted around for a quick reply.
"I'll leave for Japan tomorrow."
His shoulder slumped. "Why?" he took her to a corner. "You." His gaze fell on the entrance. A woman wearing a medical mask and sunglasses entered. "Ok. Let's not make it hard." He pulled Manya into a hug. As he pulled back, he said. "Now, get out."
"Miss me?" she said.
He nodded and went back to his chores.
Approaching the exit, she collided with a police officer at the exit. "Sorry," she said. Quickly avoiding any unnecessary attention.