Anaya
I was locking my door the next morning when I heard my neighbors whispering in the corridor.
“…club mein staff chahiye. Twenty-five thousand per week bol rahe the.”
Twenty-five thousand.
Per week.
My eyes practically chimed.
That’s one lakh a month.
Not even close to fifty lakhs… but it was something. And right now, something was better than nothing.
I stepped closer, trying not to look desperate.
“Hi… I heard you guys talking about a job in a club?” I said carefully. “Can you send me the details… please?”
The girl looked me up and down, then shrugged. “Yeah, sure.”
We exchanged numbers quickly. She forwarded me the address and interview timing.
Afternoon.
I didn’t even think twice.
The club was nothing like I imagined.
From outside it looked sleek. Expensive. Dark glass walls and a gold logo that read:
CLAY
Inside?
Dim lights. Loud bass. Polished floors. The kind of place where rich people wasted money for fun.
The interview was surprisingly easy.
Basic questions. Availability. Confidence check.
The manager — a sharp-looking woman named Nandini — studied me for a long second before nodding.
“You’ll do.”
That was it.
I got the job.
Twenty-five thousand per week.
I followed Nandini to the staff room where she handed me the uniform.
I unfolded it.
My eyebrows shot up.
“This is the uniform?”
It was short. Very short.
If I bent even slightly, I’d probably be giving the entire club a free show.
Nandini smirked knowingly. “Yes.”
I swallowed. “Isn’t this too revealing?”
She walked closer, took a tube of red lipstick from the counter, and applied it smoothly on my lips without asking.
“That’s the thing,” she said calmly. “The more skin you show, the better tips you’ll get.”
I stiffened.
“Just impress the people. Smile even if they’re being assholes. And don’t accept drinks from them.”
She held my chin lightly, making sure I was listening.
“They might drug it. And—” her tone turned serious, “never ever go into a private room unless you’re told.”
My stomach dropped.
“I thought we were just serving?”
Nandini laughed softly. “They tell that to everyone.”
The music outside vibrated through the walls.
“This place isn’t what you imagined, right?”
I stayed silent.
She adjusted my hair over my shoulders.
“Clay has VIP tables in the back. If you want real money, go there. But be careful. There are powerful men there. Mafias. Politicians. Celebrities. People with insane power.”
My throat went dry.
“You don’t want to mess with power people,” she added.
I nodded slowly.
This was just a job.
Just serving.
Just smiling.
Nothing more.
I stepped out onto the main floor in heels I wasn’t used to.
The lights were blinding. The music louder than my thoughts.
I tried walking confidently but stumbled slightly.
“Careful!” Nandini snapped from behind me. “Those glasses are expensive. You don’t want to break them.”
“Sorry… I’m not used to walking in heels,” I muttered.
She sighed. “Don’t spill anything on customers. Especially the ones in the back.”
The back.
VIP section.
Dark leather couches. Low lighting. Security guards standing near the entrance.
I adjusted my dress slightly, feeling exposed.
Twenty-five thousand per week.
Ten days.
Fifty lakhs.
I picked up a tray of drinks, inhaled slowly, and stepped further into the club.
Somewhere in the back, a group of men sat at the VIP table.
And I had no idea that one of them already knew my name.
I balanced the tray carefully and walked toward one of the VIP tables.
Five men.
Expensive watches. Louder laughs. Strong perfume mixed with alcohol.
I placed the glasses down one by one.
“Heyyyy, you!” one of them called lazily.
I straightened. “Yes, sir?”
“What’s your name?”
“Anaya, sir.”
He leaned back in his seat, eyes dragging over me in a way that made my skin crawl.
“Oohhhh… pretty name for a pretty girl. You’re a new face.” He smirked. “First night?”
“Yes, sir.” I forced a polite smile. “Should I get you another drink?”
He turned to the other men at the table.
“See, boys? She’s new… looking fresh.” His grin widened. “Should we break her? Test her, huh?”
They laughed.
My fingers tightened around the tray.
Smile.
Just smile.
“Your drinks, sirs?” I tried again.
Suddenly, his hand shot out and grabbed my wrist.
Hard.
“I don’t need drinks,” he said, pulling me slightly closer. “I need you.”
My heart slammed against my ribs.
“S-sir?! Leave me, please!” My voice trembled despite my effort to control it. “I’ll call our hostess if—”
He cut me off, tightening his grip.
“I said I need you, darling.”
“Sir, please leave me!” I raised my voice this time.
One of the men scoffed. “You’re supposed to obey the customers’ demands!”
My breathing became uneven.
The tray in my hand slipped.
Glasses crashed.
Cold liquid spilled all over his expensive suit.
For a split second, everything went silent.
Then—
“YOU BITCH!” he roared, jumping up. “Do you even know how expensive this suit is?!”
I stepped back instinctively.
And then a calm voice cut through the chaos.
“Leave her, Raghav.”
The man froze.
I turned.
A tall man stood a few steps away, hands casually in his pockets.
Sharp suit. Relaxed posture.
Dangerously calm.
“I have your wife’s number,” he continued smoothly. “I don’t mind calling her and telling her about your… tactics.”
The color drained from Raghav’s face.
“Rehman bhai, I was just joking—”
“Were you?” the man raised a brow.
Raghav quickly stepped back. “Sorry. Sorry.”
Within seconds, he grabbed his jacket and disappeared, the others following him quietly.
Just like that.
Gone.
I stood there, shaking.
The man looked at me now.
Dimples appeared when he smiled.
Charming as hell.
“Are you okay?” he asked gently. “I was standing in the corner when I saw this, so I thought of interfering. He’s an ass. Comes here every week.”
I nodded, still trying to breathe properly.
“Th-thank you so much.”
“No need to mention it.” He extended his hand slightly. “By the way, I’m Rehman.”
“Anaya,” I replied softly.
He smiled again. “Nice to meet you, Anaya.”
A horrible thought struck me.
“I’m going to be fired, right?”
He blinked. “What?”
“I disobeyed the customer. And spilled drinks on him.”
Rehman let out a small laugh. “He deserved it anyway.”
Before I could respond, Nandini rushed toward us.
“Anaya! Thank God. Are you okay? I heard what happened!”
“I’m fine,” I said quickly.
She turned to Rehman with visible respect.
“Thank you so much, Mr. Rehman.”
He gave a polite nod.
Then Nandini added, “Oh — Mr. Reyansh wants to see you.”
For a fraction of a second, something changed in Rehman’s expression.
He nodded once.
“Duty calls.”
He looked back at me. “You’ll be fine. Don’t worry.”
And with that, he walked toward the private corridor leading deeper into the VIP section.
Mr. Reyansh.
The name lingered in my mind.
I didn’t know why… but suddenly, the club felt heavier.
Like something bigger than me had just shifted.
Nandini grabbed my arm lightly.
“Quick, girl! We gotta go to the private section!”
“Again?” I whispered. “After what just happened?”
She sighed. “Orders from above. Mr. Reyansh Oberoi is here.”
“Uh… who?”
She looked at me like I had just admitted I lived under a rock. Then subtly, she tilted her head toward the upper level of the VIP area.
“There. Reyansh Oberoi. He’s Rehman’s older brother.”
My eyes followed her direction.
And for a second—
I forgot how to breathe.
He was sitting slightly apart from the others.
Black suit. Perfectly tailored. No unnecessary movements. No loud laughter.
While everyone else in that section looked rich…
He looked powerful.
Sharp jaw. Calm expression. Eyes that didn’t wander unnecessarily.
He looked at people like they were pieces on a chessboard.
And somehow… he looked ten times more dangerous than Rehman.
I shook my head slightly.
Focus.
This was just work.
Nandini shoved a fresh tray into my hands.
“Don’t look them in the eye too much. Smile. And don’t spill.”
I nodded.
Walk steady.
Don’t trip.
Don’t shake.
I approached the table carefully and began placing the drinks down.
“You’re new.”
The voice was deep.
Not loud.
But it carried authority.
I slowly looked up.
And there he was.
Reyansh Oberoi.
For a ridiculous second, one thought crossed my mind.
The devil himself.
“Miss?” he said calmly. “I’m talking to you.”
My throat went dry.
“Y-yes. It’s my first day.”
His gaze didn’t leave my face.
“I can tell you’re nervous.”
I forced an awkward smile while adjusting the glasses on the table. “A little?”
He leaned back slightly in his chair.
“Hm.”
The sound was low. Thoughtful.
“You spilled a drink on a customer earlier.”
My fingers stiffened.
Great.
I bit my lip, cursing internally.
“It was an accident—”
“I know what happened,” he interrupted smoothly. “Don’t worry.”
The way he said it didn’t feel comforting.
It felt like he knew more than he should.
“What’s your name?” he asked.
“Anaya.”
Before the silence could stretch further—
“Bhaiiiii, you’re scaring her!”
Rehman’s voice cut in casually.
I nearly exhaled in relief.
Reyansh’s eyes shifted briefly toward his brother, then back to me.
“Am I?” he asked lazily. “Am I scaring you, Miss Anaya?”
Heat rushed to my face.
I could feel everyone at the table watching.
Waiting.
Judging.
“No, sir.”
The corner of his mouth twitched.
A barely audible word left his lips.
“Liar.”
My stomach dropped.
Rehman laughed lightly. “Reyansh, let her go, bhai.”
A pause.
Then Reyansh straightened slightly.
“Right. My apologies for keeping you.”
I nodded quickly. “Thank you, sir.”
I turned, walking away carefully, heels clicking against the polished floor.
Almost free.
“Anaya.”
I stopped.
Slowly turned back.
“Yes, sir?”
His eyes held mine for a second too long.
“Try not to spill more drinks on others.”
It wasn’t loud.
It wasn’t angry.
But it felt like a warning.
I swallowed.
“Yes, sir.”
And this time, when I walked away—
I didn’t look back.
But I could feel his gaze following me.
Nandini rushed toward me the second I stepped away from the table.
“Dude, what the hell was that?” she whispered harshly.
“I don’t know,” I muttered, still trying to slow my heartbeat. “He’s… weird.”
“Weird?” She looked over her shoulder toward the VIP section. “That man isn’t weird. He’s—”
“Dangerous?” I finished quietly.
She didn’t deny it.
Before she could say anything else, someone called her name from another section.
“I have to go. Just don’t mess up again,” she said quickly and walked off.
I exhaled and picked up another tray of glasses, reminding myself to focus.
Walk straight.
Don’t trip.
Don’t think about his eyes.
I turned around—
And walked straight into something solid.
Or someone.
A rock-hard chest.
I stumbled backward, the tray tilting dangerously.
Not again. Not again. Not—
A firm hand shot out and steadied the tray before the glasses could fall.
The clinking stopped.
My breathing didn’t.
“Careful,” a deep voice said close to me. “That’s the second time I’ve witnessed an almost spill.”
I slowly looked up.
Reyansh Oberoi.
Of course.
“Sorry, sir,” I said immediately.
His hand withdrew from the tray but his gaze remained on me.
“You’re not very good at this job, are you?”
The bluntness stung.
“I’m still learning.”
“Hm.” His eyes narrowed slightly. “Why did you choose this job?”
I hesitated.
Because I owe fifty lakhs.
Because I have ten days.
Because I don’t have a choice.
“Personal reasons,” I replied quietly.
Something flickered in his expression.
“I see.”
The music thumped around us, but the space between us felt strangely silent.
“Well then,” he said smoothly, stepping aside, “I should get going.”
And just like that, he walked past me.
Confident. Unhurried.
Like he owned the place.
Like he owned everything.
I stood there for a second longer than necessary.
My hands were steady now.
But something told me—
That wasn’t the last time Reyansh Oberoi would ask me questions.
And I had a feeling…
Next time, the answers would cost me.
Write a comment ...