Unemployed Hearts

Chapter 1

Flashback
February 17, 2012
How I got the job at CRATS Pvt. Ltd.?

'Anna! Liana!' a voice calling my name without any visible source led me through a narrow lobby, at the end of which was a door, I slowly turned the knob and opened it.

The room was very familiar. I continued to have a very weird feeling about all this. Suddenly I was standing in middle of a conference hall and all my ex-bosses for whom I had ever worked were walking towards me like zombies. I could see everyone, each and every one of them- from Elena Parker to Jason Woods. Everyone!

They all were coming towards me just like a horror movie and I was stepping backwards. They never seemed this terrifying before. They all were just repeating something in their monotonous and synchronized voices- "You are fired. You are fired. You are fired..."

My back hit the wall behind me and then John Fisher, the worst boss in my entire job history, the real torture, the real definition of old age crisis, took out a knife out of nowhere and stabbed me.

The horror struck me and I shouted in fear.

"Nooooo!"

From past few months I was having the weirdest of all nightmares. They were all about my previous jobs and really haunted my soul.

A nightmare was the last thing I wanted to experience the night before the first day of my new job. Not that I was really excited about this job or anything. But I just wanted to prove to my family that I really could hold on a job for more than two months. I looked over at the alarm clock. "Get up or Grandpa Johnny will eat you alive in your sleep." I told myself.

I managed to reach the office at time. "Anna, please don't do anything stupid here. And never forget this is 'my' job. Don't you dare try to steal it, Do you get my point?" Vanessa was my cousin. We were outside my new office, waiting for a taxi. She was nine months pregnant and I had this tiny little weird thing for pregnant women's bellies. I just couldn't resist staring at those cute, round bellies. Half of the things Vanessa said went over my head. All I heard was- "Please, blah, blah, blah, do anything. Blah, blah, blah, forget my job, blah, blah..." I reached to touch her belly; it was just so round and cute.

"Liana!" Vanessa yelled at me.

"What!" I was startled.

"Just stop doing that! Are you even listening to me?"

"Vanessa! Stop yelling like that. Okay? Stop freaking out, I can handle everything. I know my work well."

"That's what I'm afraid of." She said in a low tone. Vanessa had applied for her maternal leave but her company was asking her to arrange a replacement. No doubt she had tried to arrange a good replacement but she didn't get any. I was her last choice and only option. She had nothing to fear. I was no threat to her since no company would like to keep me for more than a month or two.

"Don't worry Vanessa. It's not like you have the responsibility to handle the entire company. Like I said, I'll handle this job very well." I promised with an ear to ear smile.

"Thank you, Anna. I really appreciate your help. And you too don't worry. I'll make you my second baby's godmother. First one is already reserved for Mike's sister." She laughed. But again my eyes went in direction of her huge belly. How was she able to move around with two kids in her stomach?

"So..." I paused. She waited for me to complete my sentence. "Do I get to touch your belly now?"

"God, Liana! Sometimes you really creep the shit out of me." She gave me her irritated look and entered the taxi. Come on! That was a serious question.