As John was peddling happily, he heard a bike speeding towards him . He tilted his bicycle handle to pave way for the bike but suddenly felt excruciating pain on the back side of his head and the next thing he knew was the entire world turning into black.

“Where am I? ahh! What is this pain in my head? Did I just crash ? “ He rubbed his aching back head and got up . He looked around and saw his bicycle was twisted and fell into a ditch. He checked his entire body to see if has all the body parts intact and sighed in relief.

“Hmm? Why is my pocket zip open? Must be from crash……wait ! Where is bank check? Did it fly away after I crashed?……..” If he still couldn’t understand what was going on he can be considered retarded.

He didn’t move to pick up his twisted bicycle instead stood there like a statue. His face was drained all colors. His head kept buzzing. As the day started warming up people increased on the street but they didn’t have time to worry about a stranger.

John was 100% sure that Jake had arranged all these as except him and Jake no one new about their transaction .He thought to go back and demand justice but he knew it was futile .Jake would simply act innocent and he couldn’t do anything about it. His heart twisted when he thought that he had to pay 1 lakh stolen money.

‘I was too naïve to think I would get away with 1 lakh in my hand just like that . I should have brought uncle Peter …but it’s too late now.’ He thought of going to police station but he didn’t have any evidence of taking loan or getting robbed.

‘I can simply deny everything since I didn’t sign any agreement but they are criminals and logic doesn’t apply to them . They could harass me everyday and even threaten me with my Mom.’ John felt like he has aged few years all of s suddenly . His formal cheerfulness was replaced by dull ,dead pan expression.

Part of him didn’t want to accept this as reality and telling him to wake up from dream but he new this was cruel reality. He had no support or no connection to turn the situation around . For the first time in his life he truly felt all alone in this world.

He dusted his cloths and pulled his bicycle from the ditch like a robot. He just peddled silently to the restaurant without any expression. He clearly understood crying ,complaining won’t solve the problem .All that he could do was to move on.

On the way to the restaurant he didn’t encounter that crashed car once again. He couldn’t help but sigh ‘Maybe this is bad karma for not helping her’. He finally reached his restaurant but was an hour late to work . His mind started thinking of a good lie but before he could say anything…

“John do you think this restaurant is your father’s property so that you can come and go as you please. As a punishment you won’t be getting any salary this month . I am being lenient this time around but next time you will have to leave the job.” Manager didn’t give any chance to john to convince him or expressing apology .He simply said what he had to say and stormed to his cabin.

John stood their like a statue devoid of any soul . His brain stopped functioning ,his mind kept on repeating ‘No salary …..no salary…then what should I eat ?… how should I repay my loan?’ .

Many of his coworkers sympathized with him but they avoided him like a plague as they didn’t want to involve in his mess. Even Peter only watched in the side line.

John wanted to scream ‘You …..Motherfucker I have already worked 20 days in this month ,now you are telling me that I won’t get any salary ? Are you even a human ?I don’t want to stay any longer in this goddamn place .Fuck you and fuck this restaurant.’ but he couldn’t muster the courage . If he opposed the Manager , he knew, he had to say good bye to his job.

If looks could kill someone, the Manager would have already died several times as John stared at him like a wild beast clutching his fists tightly . He swallowed his rage and decided to work as he felt there was no other choice.

‘I can’t believe my shitty luck today. Can it be any more shitty? ’ As he prepared to take orders from customers he was again dumbfounded.

“Hey John , what are you doing here? Are you working here?” Customer was none other than his ex-classmate who he encountered previous day.

“Yes…… I am working part time here” John said before hesitating a bit.

His ex classmate made a disgusting face “So you cheat and disappear .Don’t you have any shame?”

John’s entire body shuddered .Those were the taboo words for him .He didn’t want to listen any more . Many customers started looking at the drama with interest. John didn’t know how to face the situation ,his face was flustered.

John was about to explain with another lie but he suddenly found a hand on his shoulder. As he turned ,he found Peter with a solemn expression.

“John I can’t help you with the Manager but I can’t sit idle and let you get bullied. Let me handle this” John’s expression turned from red to green like he has just eaten horse shit .He wanted to stop uncle Peter but it was too late.

“Aren’t you the one who bullied John in school? Don’t you have anything to do? Tell me your address I want to have a little chat with your parents” said Peter after pushing John to the sideline.

John’s ex classmate didn’t understand what was going on. He looked at John and the strong middle aged man alternatively. He looked behind but no one answered .He pointed his finger at himself “Are you talking to me?”

“Yes ,I am talking to you . So, you have already forgotten how you treated John?” Peter felt very bad for john and thought it was his responsibility as a colleague to support him when needed . He flexed his muscles and stood like a mountain glaring at John’s ex-classmate.

John’s ex classmate was shocked and confused .He was frightened by the stranger’s body language . He asked John with anger “Hey ,what is going on here ? When did I bully you? I don’t care if you cheat or get kicked out from collage . You can’t slander me with bullshit lies.”

It was now Peter turn to get shocked . Although he was slow when it comes to figuring out truth and lies, he was not an idiot. He turned toward John who was already drenched in sweat . “What is going on here? What did he mean by cheating and getting kicked out?”

As things escalated many customers and even staff workers left their work and surrounded the counter where the drama was going on. The Manager who usually frowned on everything didn’t care this time. He also became curious and stood at a corner silently.

John never experienced this sort of situation and started praying for a miracle to save him. He was so ashamed that he hoped the ground would swallow him. He didn’t dare to make eye contact with Peter and said in a low voice “ Sorry Uncle Peter I lied yesterday . He didn’t bully me ,I was just scared to face him because I cheated in my collage exam and got expelled.”

To his surprise ,he didn’t hear any scolding or rebuke but a long sigh “ John I don’t care if you had cheated or murdered …all I cared in a relationship is honesty.”

As John raised his head he saw Uncle Peter’s disappointed back departing silently. He no longer cared about customers and coworkers disgusting gazes. He stood like a rock and etched that back in his memory.

He realized that he no longer had any face to work in the restaurant .His reputation was ruined and his dream of new life crumbled into pieces. He simply removed his apron and placed it on the counter before slowly walking to the exit.

“I can’t believe at such a young age ,he is a cheater as well as liar ” openly shouted one of the customer.

Another customer nodded “Me too. He will definitely turn into a criminal when he grows up.”

A coworker who was close to John said “I can’t believe I treated this scumbag nicely . I should not trust a stranger anymore.”

The Manager was disappointed not at John’s character but the lose of free labor . He couldn’t claim John’s salary anymore without proper record of his work.

John didn’t care about the back talks and backstabbing any longer. He walked like a zombie who has no soul. He left his bicycle and started walking aimlessly .He was almost ran over by a truck in the middle of the road but didn’t care about accident or anything anymore .

He felt all alone in the world . He couldn’t take it anymore, life had lost meaning for him. His legs without any direction directly took him to a nearby beach. Weather turned forecast all of a sudden. Thunder roared in the sky and rainfall started pouring abruptly . People who looking at him couldn’t tell whether it was rain or tears dripping down his face.