You Are My Sunshine

Chapter 10 Working as a waitress

Sarada didn't sense anything odd in the house, as everything looked normal. Anu returned to Dev's room. They didn't speak anything. When she started preparing to sleep on the patio, Dev's voice gave her a smile.

"Why can't you stay in the room itself, and sleep on that couch. Your movement here and there is annoying me."

She didn't answer him but slept on the couch as he said.

"He is changing." - she thought to herself.

The following days were more normal than before. As there was only less interaction between them, fewer problems. But her relation with Sarada went to the next level. Sarada was easing the nostalgia of not having a daughter with Anu's presence.

When Anu expressed her wish to continue her studies, Sarada took her to the college by herself. Everything became normal for Anu, and she doesn't even feel like a married woman. Anu was enrolled in the final year of her under graduation in accounts, and her future aim is to join MBA. She started preparing for the GMAT exam. Except for Dev's silly acts then and there, life was smooth for Anu. As Anu didn't attend college for the past few months, her attendance was not enough to appear for the exams, and she has to wait for the next semester. She felt young at heart, the past few months were an emotional rollercoaster for her, and she enjoyed her present life surrounded by friends in the college. But none of them knew about her marriage. Her studies gave her an excuse to stay awake at late night and she started using a guest room for her studies. Anu stayed in that nearby room, but she will enter Dev's Room in the mornings before Sarada could notice. That became a routine. She concentrated on her studies. Dev first felt odd but later felt relieved by her absence. He came to know about her studies but, he didn't inquire anything further like the college name or branch.

Anu's project mates Raj and Reshma became good friends for her. Raj hails from a poor family. After hours he worked part-time in a restaurant as a waiter. Reshma is a princess to her family. Though she is not as rich as Dev's family, they are affluent ones.

Sarada has given a credit card with no limits for Anu. Also, she deposited a lump sum amount in her account. But Anu felt like not using that money. She always wanted to stand on her legs. This luxury scared her, and this fear made her think of possibilities to earn her own money.

With Raj's help, she joined as a waitress in the same restaurant where he works. Though it was a small amount, she felt satisfied with her earnings. Sarada was also very supportive of Anu in her every activity. But Anu didn't disclose about her part-time job with Sarada, as the latter may feel bad. Though Dev was annoying sometimes, Anu basked in the warmth of having a family with Sarada.

Every day after her classes she will work in the restaurant. There is a uniform for the employees with the name of the restaurant written. On one such day, she changed her clothes into the restaurant uniform and was busy taking orders. As it was the evening time, many employees and students came from the nearby locations.

She was assigned three tables. As she saw someone occupying her assigned table she rushed towards the table with her order taking the tablet in her hand.

"Good evening, Sir, Can I take your order." - She asked politely.

Two men were seated, and she focused her attention on the one who is busy analyzing the menu card. But, it was soon interrupted by a deep voice.

"What the hell is this?"

Without looking, she knows the owner of this voice. She looked in that direction to meet the darting look of Dev. A shiver ran down her body.

He looked elegant in a black suit that accentuated his silver tie. He was dressed in his formal suit looking magnificent whereas she is wearing a waitress uniform.

"With no ladder, I can reach his status" - she thought to herself.

Their staring contest was disturbed by the other man's voice

"Hi, Beautiful, I want a Chicken sandwich and a cappuccino; what about you, Dev?" - he questioned.

"A black coffee" - he ordered and gritted his teeth.

The other man studied her name from her uniform and flirted

"Anu, beautiful name for a beautiful girl."

The other person in front of him is one of his clients. He kept on talking with Anu, openly flirting with her. He was the one who compelled Dev to visit this restaurant, as they sell tasty sandwiches. Otherwise, Dev won't step inside such a small eatery. They had kept their marriage a secret from others. No one knew about their marriage; So he tried to act like a stranger. But his ears became red with anger.

After taking the order, Anu rushed inside and asked Raj to take care of her tables for a while. The entire conversation was watched by a burning pair of eyes through the glass wall. The restaurant's kitchen can be seen through the glass wall, and Dev watched her tensed figure doing some cleaning activities.

She saw him controlling his anger, and after some time, he walked out of the eatery with his friend. Anu sighed in relief.

On entering the home, she saw Dev sitting on the sofa and talking with his mother. He used to return very late, but today he is home just like to catch her red-handed.

"Mom, did you ever asked, why she is late every day when her classes finish by three?" - Dev asked with a mockery smile.

Anu felt trapped in the situation, but she composed herself to face the situation.

"Dev, she is a student now, she has to mingle with her friends, she can't remain home all day" - Sarada voiced in favour of Anu.

"Mom, you are so good to her, but she is doing things behind your back" - Dev complained.

Before the situation takes a different dimension, Anu decided to face the problem. She slowly opened her mouth.

"Auntie, I have something to tell you."

"What, sweetie?" - Sarada asked affectionately.

"I am working as a part-time waitress in a restaurant near our college." - she said quickly.

"What?" - Sarada gave a shocked expression.

"Yes, your favourite daughter-in-law is working in a small eatery and disgracing our family name." - Dev butted in.

"Sorry Auntie, for me, no work is less. But I didn't do anything bad to harm our family's name. I swear. I didn't even tell anyone about our marriage. All consider me as an unmarried woman, and nobody knows anything" - she confirmed.

"The job is not an issue dear, but why you are not using the card I gave to you. No transactions entered in that. Which means you are not considering us your family" - Sarada pouted.

"What others would think if somebody knows that Sarada's daughter-in-law is working for some money. Though you both didn't declare it in public, few people knew already, and you are here in this house, which may give others some wild guesses. It will create havoc if people gossip that we don't treat you well" - she further added.

Then it strikes her mind. The realization hits her hard. Understanding the deepness of the situation, she doesn't want to create any more problems.

"I am sorry; I had no idea about this. I didn't think like this, just I thought of having my earnings, let me resign my job over there" - she said with her heads down.

"No problem, honey; I'm sad that you didn't spend the money I gave you. Anu, you are a part of this family. You are having equal rights to what Dev is having; keep that in mind. Now freshen up and come, we will have dinner together." - Sarada explained.

Sarada didn't want to deepen the talk, as it may hurt her feelings. No one talked at the dinner table. Each person was lost in their thoughts.

"Why can't she use the money that Mom provided. Is she not behind my money? Why she needed her own money. You called her gold digger stupid, then why would she use your money." - Dev questioned himself in his mind.

In the past few days, he had realized that she is not what he thought of her. She never asked anything from his Mom or took advantage of their relationship.