VICTOR’S
GIRL
SPARSHA KADRI
Copyright © 2020 Sparsha Kadri
All rights reserved.
DEDICATION
This book is dedicated to all my readers who encouraged me by picking my books from the shelf. Without your love and support this book would not have been possible.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
First and foremost I would like to thank God for giving me hope and strength to stay focused. I know there had been a number of times when I had almost given up but my trust in him made me keep going. I’m deeply indebted to my Mom who has been my rock from the wee beginning. Thank you for encouraging me and supporting me to follow my dreams. I would also like to thank Papa for being his usual caring and supporting self, it’s you I always look up to when I start losing hope. I would be in trouble if I didn't mention Saanidhya as my baby sister, though I still have trouble understanding her role here. I would like to thank my husband Sanketh for his unconditional love and support. Thank you for being so generously understanding and motivating. And finally I would like to thank all my readers because it’s you who help me grow with your love and support.
CHAPTER 1
Ira knew she was in trouble the minute she stepped into the brightly lit supermarket where she worked for a living. The small congested shopping area was crawling with way too many customers and barely enough staff to attend them. It was a Wednesday and on every Wednesday the store hosted a half-price sale on fresh fruits and vegetables which often brought in more customers.
Usually, her shift on Wednesdays would start as early as 7:30 in the morning, as the store opens about an hour earlier than its usual timing and today was no different. Except for the fact that Ira was unusually late for work and her manager who usually preferred sulking in his office, warming his plush leather chair was outside arguing with an elderly customer.
Honestly, this was the first time something like this to happen to her. Last night she had come home late and had completely forgotten to put her phone on charge and by morning the wretched thing had drained out of battery and her 5 o'clock alarm did not ring letting her oversleep till 8 in the morning.
She glanced at her cheap wristwatch and let out a heavy sigh. There was no point in standing here and wasting time reflecting on stuff that could not be reversed. She was already late and wasting more time would simply put her in more trouble. She adjusted the straps of her backpack and sucked in a deep calming breath, yes she can do this.
With her heart still hammering in her chest, she walked towards the middle-aged manager who looked like an inferno all set to explode. She would have preferred to go straight to the staff room and change but he probably already knows she was late and not showing her face to him first can put her in more trouble.
He was still arguing with the elderly customer when she made her way towards him. She gently cleared her throat, dragging their attention to her and regretted it almost immediately. Excusing himself, he turned his undivided attention to her; an unreadable expression masked his face that made her stomach crawl in anticipation.
A sinister smile crept to his mouth and a shiver ran down her spine, “Look who finally decided to join us.” he announced, his voice loud enough for the entire store to hear. Ira cringed at his harsh tone and took a wise step back. All eyes turned to them and his lips curled into a broad smile as he got the reaction he wanted.
Ira slumped her shoulders in a feeble attempt to shrink herself from all the curious eyes that were now fixed on her. She closed her eyes and made a silent prayer to whoever was listening, begging them to swallow her into the ground so that she could escape from the hell that was just about to break loose on her. She had always hated being the center of attention and like most people she hated being called out in front of everybody.
This was one of the worst things that usually happened around here; in case any such situation arises the manager would humiliate his staff in front of everybody. ‘It would teach them a lesson to never repeat their mistake,’ he would argue if anybody tried to reason with him.
Ira opened her mouth to answer but no words would come out. She was so nervous that she could barely find her words. “S-Sorry Sir, something came up and I had to…” she somehow managed to reply. Her face was pale as paper and she looked like she would faint any minute.
She could not think of any decent lies that could get her out of this mess. Lies, she wanted to laugh at that; Ira was a hopeless liar and everybody knows it. Every time she tried to lie it would simply show on her face plus Ira does not like lying.
Any of this wouldn’t have been happening if she had gone home early last night. Her shift at the club had ended late and she had to stay back for two more hours; all thanks to Janet who had to bail on them at the very last minute and she had to cover her shift.
Ever since she moved to the city her life has been so messed up that she had barely lived a day for herself. The thought of going back home had come to her so many times but going home was not an option for her. She would never have been able to provide for her family if she had stayed there. That’s one of the reasons why she had to move here.
Her uncle had brought her here about a year back with the promise of a good job opportunity. But he turned out to be a fraud and had tried to sell her to a brothel. Luckily she had managed to get away from him in time and get help from the police. The officer who had handled her case had understood her situation and helped her get a job at a decent supermarket and ever since she hadn’t looked back.
But the cost of living in a big city like this was way more than from where she had come from and what she earned here was barely enough for her own expenses and sending money home was completely impossible. So she had ended up finding herself a second job as an exotic dancer in an exclusive club called the LIQUID SILK: a shady club owned by the most powerful and ruthless man of the city.
Victor: the name alone brought chills down her spine; devilishly handsome and a heart made of stone. Some would even say he did not have a heart at all, but Ira did not believe in that theory, everybody has a heart even those who claim they don’t. He was a monster who would not think twice before putting a bullet in your head if he doesn't like you. She had heard a number of stories about him, neither of them good.
Honestly, she never had a chance to see him in person nor did she know what he looked like. Okay, she had seen him around the club a few times but never dared to look at his face or make any kind of eye contact. The last thing she wanted in her life is to fall on the wrong side of the most dangerous man in the city.
“Ira, I’m talking to you.” the manager’s booming voice brought her back to reality. Oh, God! She did it again, didn’t she? She had once again zoned out in the middle of a really messed up situation like she always does whenever she was in trouble. A bad habit that she had picked up as a child and never got rid of.
Humiliation washed over her and she lowered her gaze in embarrassment, God, she should have just called in sick instead of putting herself through this, “I’m sorry Sir, this won’t happen again.” she pleaded to him, her voice was so soft that if the place wasn’t dead silent he wouldn’t even have heard her.
He rolled his eyes at her; he has heard this excuse a hundred times though never from her but it did not stop him from calling her out in front of everybody. Rules are the same for everyone, even the ones who work diligently.
“Don’t feed me with this bullshit. People like you are the reason why this place is doing so miserably. Bloody incompetent people, I should fire you right away but as this is your first mistake I’m giving you one last chance. Now get out of my face before I change my mind.”
She apolo
gized one last time and walked to the back of the store and headed to the staff only section of the store which consisted of a back-office and a pantry where they kept their stocks. A tiny changing room was arranged for the ladies next to the back office which had a tiny attached bathroom. She walked into the back office and signed the attendance sheets with a satisfaction that at least he let her get back to work without deducting her pay.
“Oh my God, what happened to you?” Kajal demanded the minute she stepped into the changing room. Ira’s lips thinned as her eyes met her best friends who stared at her like she was some kind of a freak. ‘I’m I that obvious?’ Ira wondered, as she studied her face for a moment but then let the thought drop with an eye roll.
Of course, she was; her face was probably white as chalk and she had tears rolling down her cheeks for God’s sake, she frowned at her, “Aren’t you supposed to be outside?” She asked her, not bothering to hide her annoyance. She didn’t have the strength to explain her fucked up situation to her so changing the subject was her only option to distract her.
Kajal was her only friend in this big city and she has always looked out for her. She has been with her from the day she had started working here and had helped her find a cheap apartment in a surprisingly decent neighborhood which is something she had never thought possible with the money she earned.
Kajal rolled her eyes, “its fucking madness there, I needed to get away from there for some time.” she muttered with a disgusted look on her face. Like most of her colleagues (including Ira) she despised Wednesdays and all the unnecessary stress it brought.
Ira couldn’t help but laugh at how right she was. “It was not that crowded when I came in,” she replied as she shrugged off her old backpack and started digging for her locker keys.
“That’s because the sale is about to end and you, my love, are late.” she sang, her tone light and pleasant. Ira huffed in response, of course, she knew that isn’t that the reason why she was scolded in the first place?
“You didn’t tell me what happened out there,” she asked as she watched her stuff her ugly Backpack into the locker. “God that thing looks disgusting, why don’t you buy a new one.”
Ira snorted in response, “It looks fine, plus it’s the month-end and I’m short on cash.”
Kajal frowned at her, “I can lend you some money if you like, you can return it whenever you want,” She offered though she knew that she would never accept it.
Ira frowned at her; one of the things she hated was being taken pity on. She knew that she was broke and lived in a crappy life but that doesn’t mean she was a charity case. She worked hard for a living and accepting favours like that made her feel uncomfortable. She gave her a half-smile, she’s done so much for her that she couldn’t even think of being mean to her.
“Come on Ira, we are friends and friends help each other.” She tried to reason with her but she shook her head in response. She had already taken enough favours from her and she did not want to add more to the pile.
“It’s alright; it’s not very old anyway.” Kajal opened her mouth to argue about it but paused realizing that it was just a waste of time. “Why were you late anyway? You never come late.” She asked, changing the subject.
Ira dumped her bag into the locker and took out the ugly fluorescent green T-shirt with the logo of the supermarket printed on it, a uniform every employee working here despised. She craned her neck and checked if she had accidentally left the door open.
“I came home late last night and I forgot to put my phone on charge.” She explained to her. She peeled off her pale green t-Shirt and put on her uniform which was at least two sizes large for her. When she had joined here they did not have her size and now they don’t have the budget to provide her new ones.
“Do you know how sexy you are? You should try for Bollywood.” Kajal told her dreamily as she watched her with keen eyes.
Ira could not help but snort at her, “First of all, Ewe! Stop ogling at me like that and two: I’m not interested in modeling and you of all people should know it.” she told her firmly.
They have had this conversation a hundred times and yet she never seems to get it that she did not like talking about her body. It reminds her of the time she’s on stage dancing for all those wealthy men who ogle at her body every night like she was a piece of meat.
Kajal raised her hands in mock surrender, “Fine, I’ll not talk about it but you know I’m right.” she told her, a knowing smile dancing on her face. Ira’s lips curled into a half-smile; at least she did not drag this like a rubber band. She neatly tucked her T-shirt into her jeans and pulled her long thick hair into a tight ponytail and wore her ID around her neck.
“Aren’t you supposed to go back there?” She asked her, narrowing her eyes at her. Kajal was here much before she came in and it does not look like she would be going back to work any time soon. Kajal let out an unlady-like snort, “there are hardly five customers there and they can help themselves. Plus it’s boring out there without you.”
Ira let out a little laugh, “I’m here now, aren’t I? Anyway, come on let's get the hell out of here before that bastard comes looking for us.” Kajal raised an eyebrow surprised by her friend's new choice of vocabulary, “My, my, from when did my darling start swearing?” she teased, her eyes dancing with mirth.
“Since I made you my BFF.” she replied smoothly and both the girls giggled like teenagers. “Come on, let’s go, we have a long boring day ahead,” Ira grumbled, stifling her laughter. She grabbed her hand and they walked out chattering with each other like school girls.
The rest of the day went in a blur and Ira spent her day restocking the shelves and occasionally managing the cash counter but mostly restocking. This was her routine, the supermarket had hardly six employees including the manager and she often had to handle two workstations at times and by the end of the day, she would be so tired that all she would want is to go home and rest.
But that’s not what she had signed up for when she had decided to stay here. Ira knew that the only way she could help her family to have a better life is by working her ass off. Ever since her father died her entire life had crashed down, leaving her responsible for caring for her sick mother and two younger siblings.
“Hey Ira, a new shipment is about to come in and Latha has to go home early. Can you wait up for some time and lend me a hand, it won’t take long.” Suhas the self-declared assistant manager asked her, making her stop on her tracks. Great, now once again she had to be late for work.
This is the third time this month that Suhas has asked her to stay back without overtime and nope she was not happy about it. “Look Suhas, unless you are paying me overtime, there’s no way in hell I'm going to be staying back,” she told him. He can’t just go around taking advantage of her kindness.
His lips curled into a sheepish grin and he awkwardly scratched the back of his neck. “You know right I cannot do that?” he replied with an uneasy look on his face. He had been taking care of this place for so long that at times he completely forgets that he’s not a part of the management.
Ira closed her eyes and let out a sigh, “Look Suhas It’s late and I can’t stay up. Why don’t you ask Kajal to help you?”
His lips pressed into a thin line. “I did and she asked me to piss off.” he replied with a scowl. Ira did not understand why he was telling it to her if it bothers him so much. “Look Ira, it’s just going to take half an hour. I spoke to the driver and he’s almost here.” Ira closed her eyes and let out a frustrated sigh.
God, why does she have to be so nice?
After waiting for what felt like forever the delivery truck finally pulled up in front of the supermarket. “Sorry there was an accident on the main road and it took them quite some time to clear the traffic.” The middle aged driver announced as he stepped out of the van.
Ira opened her mouth to snap at him but paused realizing that it wasn’t really his fault plus she was not the kind of a girl who would rai
se her voice at anybody. Suhas gave her a knowing look and they busied themselves with the unloading.
It took them two whole hours to wind up and she had to practically run to the metro station. Tonight she didn't have the time to go home and change nor did she bring along the scarf she used to cover her face every time she went there for safety purposes. Though there was strict security in the club the outside world was as dangerous as it comes and the job that she did does not exactly help in ensuring her safety.
Ira texted Simon, her manager from the club explaining her situation to him and he immediately replied with an angry emoji. Ira let out a relieved breath; she knew that he was mad at her but not as mad as that douche bag this morning. Honestly, Simon was 1000 times better than him. At least he makes an effort to understand her situation.
The train ride to the club takes exactly half an hour and luckily the club was not far from the metro station and it barely took a five-minute walk. It was past 9 by the time she reached the club, almost two hours more than her usual 7:00 Pm, which means that the club was open and she could not use the front door and she had to take the back door. Honestly, she did not like taking the back door. Simon always told her that a lot of shady stuff happened there.
As the club was owned by one of the biggest drug lords in the city it was quite understandable. But lucky for her she never really had to stumble upon any such activities, not that she wanted to, she had a family to look after and had no desire to be killed any time soon.
She moved her feet as fast as she could as she hurried into the alleyway, but paused on her tracks when she noticed that the usually empty area was filled with men dressed in black. ‘Crap, they are here.’ she muttered under her breath as she slowly backed up against the wall hiding herself behind the shadows.
“Simon is going to be so pissed.” she thought out loud as she waited for the guys to go away but she knew it wasn't going to happen any time soon. She could just walk up there and reach the back door without being noticed. She did have her I-card in her hand; in case she got caught she could just show it to them. But she reminded herself what Simon had told her when she had first started working there.
Victor's Girl: A Mafia Romance Page 1