1 Chapter 1: A new beginning with a streak of the past

The 21th century had created another horrific memory as a reverie of an ambitious gorgeous little woman, who had incredible dreams of getting married to the man she loved, building and having a happy home with him, become an employee in one of her desired Cosmetics company in city, establish and run her own mini cafe at weekend and lastly have kids.

This had always been a simple life she had ever craved to live and had made non stop efforts towards achieving these dreams, not until the worst came down to earth and consumed her light, happiness and ambitions.

Years later. At the premises of Arcade Beauty Cosmetics company. A power bike stopped at a distance away from the tall, enormous building. There was a young lady in black and white outfit climbing down from the power bike quickly, in a haste.

"Thanks for the ride, I do appreciate your kindness," The young lady felt grateful as she went in search of her card in her hand bag and hand it over to him,

"Call me later and I'll repay your kindness. "

He took the card and was perusing the black print words; on it were written the same words on the company's platform at the top of the massive building. Before he could look up again, she had fleetingly left towards the entrance.

The ridder grins as he watches her disappear into the building.

The young lady half ran down to the elevator and took a lift up to floor fifty. Her expression was sullen and full of readiness toward her work.

Not less than five minutes later she arrived at the team's office B and got seated at her desk, rebooted her computer, searched for a paper sheet and began typing rapidly on her system. Just then, a co-worker ran into the office in a hurry, towards the direction of the young lady. From a close distance she yells, "Jane!" She got close enough and was breathing heavily, as she tried to catch her breath and sweating, before she continued,

"Thank goodness you've arrived. I almost lost three years of my life. Gosh...You could see the looks on team leader's face like thunder, the moment she guessed you haven't arrived at work,"

She made a pause in annoyance of her presence not being regarded by Jane. She bent over and glanced into Jane's system. Her eyes slightly widened, "You're still working on this?" Jane's colleague pointed at the screen.

" Fuck off Alex, too busy now,"

Jane says, still clicking without shifting her gaze from her computer.

" Seriously, Jane? You are still presumptuous; your insouciant attitude towards work wouldn't get you in trouble someday. But don't be so surprised it might end as good as being fired. Aren't you afraid at all of being fired?"

Her question was unanswered and she went on, " Come on Jane, don't let me also lose my job too, I always cover up for you and now you don't know you're screwed. No. I'm the one screwed. The presentation you're working on, is the same presentation, Team leader demanded for right now! Jane, what the heck is with you?"

Alex stopped talking, frightened.

Few minutes later, Jane withdrew her hand from the keyboard, flexing her fingers slightly. She looked up at Alex, who stood dumbfounded by Jane's competency for typing.

"Alex. What were you saying previously?"

Alex put out her two thumbs

" You're a genius. I can't believe my eyes. Did you just get rid of this scary presentation in one shot?"

Jane shrugged as she stood up and placed her arm around Alex's shoulder, "It's a piece of cake. Nothing big, you know. '

" Excuse me. The precise Article of Splendour Being, took me weeks to sum up and here you called a screed presentation, a piece of cake? Girl, you gotta teach me this time."

" Whatever, " Jane sighed "Come! Let's go to the printer, the presentation is not yet ready, "

Jane walked past Alex.

"What? Jane, you chump," Alex followed her, still nagging at Jane who laughed loudly at the funny gesture Alex made when being annoyed.

Afternoon. The Preparation of the company's launching program was done and the employees were released for lunch break. Jane and Alex left entirely away from the company site, down the road to the opposite side of cafes, stalls and restaurants, to indulges themselves in having a new change of menu and scenery for the special day of their company launching program, since they had agreed not to let the day stress inhibit them from having fun at lunch break.

Alex took the lead heading straight towards the new, best selling, talked about local restaurant in the urban area lately. Jane had no knowledge the place existed, whereas she lacked interest in chit - chat at her place of work.

They arrived at the restaurant a little bit late, due to the problem of trailing and trekking down their way to the restaurant. It had almost taken half of lunch hour to get there and in a haste they moved in to have their lunch seeing the time was against them. They need to arrive back to work before lunch break is over or else, they have no idea of how horrible it would turn out if they get back to work late. Jane and Alex stood inside the restaurant dumbfounded by the way people were crowded in this one local restaurant in the top urban area of the city, that it was difficult to get the attention of a waitress, to serve them a menu. The most annoying part was that there were no seats reserved for them in this restaurant.

Alex and Jane had to take some extra seats from an abandoned corner, at the back and occupied the space there. They weren't even certain they would get the attention of a waitress over there. Jane was suggesting if they might make their way to the counter and place their order, instead of waiting for a waitress to come attend to them, but Alex refused, she insisted they wait for a waitress who was serving a couple close by.

Moments later, they still haven't gotten the attention of a waitress. The waitress who seems to be serving the couple close by had disappeared and never returned.

Jane was getting jaded of this whole drama and stress.She felt furious and peevish of the place. " What kind of an irrational restaurant is this?"

Alex, who sat relaxed and patiently, was waiting for a waitress, glared at Jane. "What's wrong with this place? Is it as bad as Splendour Being's canteen?"

" No. But it's lacking a lot. "

" I know it seems awkward, seeing that this is the only local restaurant in an urban area like this. It's so rare and unusual that I can't believe how the owner of this place had managed to retain the restaurant, when I guess many contractors are after smaller organisations found in the urban areas, to demolish and establish a massive project at hand. And guess why? To expand their businesses," Alex said as anger stirred, over an inappropriate conversation that wasn't worth it.

She went on, "Some upperclassmen might see this place and get irritated for the fact it's one of the filthiest restaurants they have ever seen before. But it's beneficial for us, mere employees who only get to eat inadequate lunch provided at the canteen, since we can't get to eat out in one of those luxurious restaurants, they get to eat out everyday, that might even cost the salary we earn. Fuck! how dare they now have the guts to knock down any local restaurant they see," Alex stated without indicating who she was talking about.

Another waitress had been serving some other persons behind and walked past Alex and Jane angle.

Jane hails the passing waitress, "Over here please," She said loudly.

Immediately the waitress came to their direction and offered them a menu. After several thoughts of perusing the content, they made a selection of the best meal served and handed over the menu back to the waitress before she departed.

"Then I guess this restaurant is one lucky place," Jane suddenly says absent mindedly.

"Lucky?" Alex exclaimed in disagreement. "It likely not luck. Every wealthy man protect its wealth by their powers. Really, if the owner of this place is not wealthy enough, don't you think by now, this place would have been closed down? Infernal companies doesn't spare a shant."

"Then what are you suggesting," Jane doubted, seeing Alex unreasonable.

"Occasionally, people who show much interest and love for such business, are most of the time traditional men or women. Haven't you heard that the owner of this place is a Chinaman, who is looking for citizenship. Perhaps, wanted to be honoured by the government for establishing his traditional restaurant in this country. Doesn't it make sense to you?"

Just then, the waitress appears briefly with their requested meal on a tray and also serves them cheap wine and glasses and departs again. Alex lowers her head to the bowl of hot shrimp pasta and begins to devour her meal, without slowing down. Jane wasn't eating. She keeps perusing the content of the food in the bowl before her. An unusual meal.

"Is this the reason why Chinese meals are being added to the menu?" Jane pours herself wine from the bottle into her glass.

"You mean this meal? It's so delicious. My goodness I can't help it but would order another bowl," Alex says with food in her mouth.

Jane signs sullenly, "There's no need for that. You can have mine," She forwarded her bowl of pasta towards Alex.

Alex looked up elated, "Really? You aren't hungry?"

"I'm better with just wine," Jane lied. Her rambling stomach needed some tasty meal now. Not the Chinese pasta that made her lose her appetite. Jane was craving to eat something at least good. She's rueful drinking just wine on an empty stomach and also had gone out to eat, instead of eating at the canteen, where the meal being served was still acknowledgeable. Jane thought stirred in anger.