NOBODY'S ANGEL

EPISODE 2

Shahana had now changed from her glittery, shimmery figure-hugging dress into something more comfortable. She was busy removing the make up from her face.

"Shahana, one of the customers wants to meet you privately." one of the waiters informed her.

"Why didn't you tell him that I don't give personal favors?" she asked.

Some of the girls offered one night stands to the customers but Shahana was not one of them. To be honest, she hated peverts and had a strong urge of beat him to pulp when she encountered one. It had been one of the conditions from her side while signing for the job. 

"He is very influential and boss said that he will pay you extra money for this." the waiter informed.

Shahana was enraged. She asked the waiter to go and walked towards her boss' room.

"Sir, I think I made myself clear. I'm not going to whore around with drunken idiots." she snapped.

"Come on, after working in a bar for so many years, you can't expect yourself to remain as pure as a lily. The guy is handsome by the way." he replied nonchalantly.

"I'm not going to break my resolution no matter what you say." she was adamant.

"What's wrong in meeting him once? He may make you change your mind." he shrugged.

"You know what? I'm going to meet him and knock some sense into him." she spat.

"Don't dare to do anything as such. I'll fire you if I loose customers because of your so called righteousness." he knew that she was financially weak.

"Fine!" she muttered.

"Very good. Behave like a good girl and meet him." he ordered.

*****

Shahana pushed the door of the room where the guy was waiting for him. She found him standing with his back facing her. She thought of making herself clear before he could suggest anything.

"Listen, Mr. Whoever you are, I'm not the kind of girl you are thinking. I'm sorry but I........." she stopped when the person in front of her uttered a single word.

"Shahana.........." it was all he said.

"Aryan........." she gasped. She could never mistake the voice she had longed to hear for so long. She had longed to meet him, chat with him, confide her worries to him but not at this place.

"So, I was right. You are the same Shahana, aren't you?" he turned towards her.

She nodded  her head as she could never lie to him.

"I had never expected you of all people to be working here. At first, I could not believe what I saw? Didn't you hate boys? What happened now that you have taken up the job of seducing men?" his voice had a tinge of disgust.

Shahana felt more ashamed of herself than she had felt ever before. Here was her best friend whom she was meeting after almost a decade and he was blaming her. He was not to be blamed either. She was in an occupation which she hadn't even herself dreamt of.

"Things don't go in life the way we plan." she sighed, looking down not being able to meet his eyes.

"Wrong. We write our own destiny. If you try hard hard enough, you will be successful. I remember you wanted to be a singer, so why don't you work hard and strive towards your goal instead of wasting your time here?" he lectured.

"I can't.......Don't you think I tried?" she said controlling her tears.

"You shouldn't have given up, you........"

"Everyone is not privileged like you..........I'm nobody's angel.......I have to fend for myself. You have no right to lecture me without hearing my side of the story." she shouted unable to bear the accusations. Hot tears began trickling down her face.

"Huh?" Aryan was surprised with this new piece of information. "Uncle and aunty........."

"They are no more." she said.

"I'm sorry.......I didn't know........Would you mind telling me what happened exactly?" he asked gently.

She began narrating her tale with tears flowing freely from her eyes. Aryan placed his hand on hers and gave it a light squeeze when he saw that she was finding it to recall the incidents. At the end of her tale, Aryan felt guilty for hurting her when she was already in pain.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said all those things to you." he apologized.

"It's not your fault. Anyone in your place would have done the same. I know that I'm a disgusting person, without any self respect or identity. I....I....." Aryan didn't let her to speak further by placing a finger on her lips.

"Ssh......not a word more. I won't tolerate anyone insulting my best friend. She is the most wonderful person I have ever made. She is capable of fighting the hardest of storms all by herself."

Shahana looked up at him. Her large doe eyes still had tears in them. Aryan wiped them off with his thumb. As if in a reflex action, Shahana hugged him. Burying her face in his chest, she cried her heart out while he stroked her hair softly. It seemed that a warm and assuring hug was all that Shahana had been longing for years. She felt safe in his assuring arms. The world seemed to have vanished for them. At that moment, only both of them existed. 

After crying for nearly an hour, Shahana's sobs subsided.

"Thank You." she said shyly, moving away from him.

"Save it for your thanksgiving speech when you receive the best singer of the year award." he smiled.

"Stop giving me false hopes........" she said with a sad smile.

"Mark my words, it will be the reality soon."

"It's easier to say than to do. Nothing is possible without money in this world and unfortunately that's what I don't have." she shook her head.

"I'm there to help you in this regard." he offered.

Shahana denied taking help from him but he pointed that it was his duty as a friend to help her. At last, they negotiated and Shahana agreed to take Aryan's help on the condition that she would repay him everything once she was successful.

That night, after several years, Shahana found a silver lining in her dark life.