SPECIAL CHAPTER : JANICE'S POV
I can't believe this. Is this some kind of lame joke?.
I turned to glance at the pompous fellow standing a few feet beside me.
"How the hell did I get assigned to this pompous fellow?", I asked rhetorically.
"watch your mouth peasant, I am equal to a royal here", he answered even though I hadn't even asked him especially since an answer wasn't even required.
I pierced him a glare and instantly wished he would disappear into thin air. I sighed in agony at the situation, if only wishes were horses.
We were at the annual Afterlife Gala, an event for the elite. People with high merit especially afterlife pop stars like PTX, Peyonce, Tihanna, Micki Nimaj and movie legends like Xan Lii, producers and models like Amoc Yai were invited each year. Only such people the made the list.
If you're asking how I got here, its a very long story. As a Shanti, sometimes we get assigned to night duties including and not limited to providing security for the famous and elite.
Our lives were not of much value to the people of the afterlife. We were considered worthy enough to only sacrifice our meagre lives for the affluent.
Others may consider this a privilege especially because they got to at least hang out with such 'important' people whom they would perhaps never meet otherwise. For me, it was a hassle and something I considered less than a duty. it was a means to an end.
The only reason I was here as Jake Salter's bodyguard was because I wanted to gather merit, enough merit to at least live a somewhat normal life. I hated that fact that I was only being alive at night.
Besides I intended to make Maitri mine, but in my current state who would agree to date me?.
I needed more merit so I can at least get Mat's attention. As for that ignorant fool who I suffered 8years with pretendidng to be friends with, she wouldn't know what hit her in the face when I was done with her.
A huge smirk blossomed on my lips and then disappered when I met Jake's eyes.
The hate and tension between us was so palpable and undeniable. He sent be a death glare and then made the cut-throat sign with his hand. Seriously?
I rolled my eyes, shaking my head at his unbelievably childish antics, so childish, I thought to myself.
Jake Salter, probably thought he was on his way to undeniable success and he really felt insulted at the thought of being guarded by a woman, that too the skinny one busy making a fuss about her duty. What kind of guard was she when she wasn't willing to do her work.
Jake was so used to having his way all the time that he felt slightly challenged by her nonchalance and her immensely annoying behaviour.
I moved to a table to grab a drink and then I saw them. Maitri and Nirvana- together. He had his hand wrapped securely around her waist and my nose flared in jealousy at the scene. Why the hell did they get invited?, I wondered. It wasn't like she was an elite or something. And obviously Maitri is just a Grim Reaper.
Sudden annoyance flared inside me at the thought of her living the 'good life' while I rotted here. I found myself headed towards them with a smile plastered on to my face.
Even I knew it was a fake smile.
Maitri's face immediately turned dark when he saw my face and I was glad for that reaction. It meant that he at least remembered our last encounter and that made me happy indeed even if he looked annoyed to see me.
Completely forgetting about 'bodyguard duties', I decided to tag along with Nirvana and Mat just to make their evening as 'memorable' as possible.
Jake was all by himself, he was glad that the unbearable bodyguard was gone, now was the time he could flirt to his heart's content.
He appraoched the first lady and smiled. He introduced himself and was just about to ask her out when she walked away.
More ladies to ask out, there must be at least a dozen who would be happy to go on a date with me, Jake thought.
He moved to the second lady and again got turned down without even finisging his introductions. Are all the girls here taken?, he wondered.
Just he saw his so-called bodyguard buzzing around a really handsome young man. And then his eyes landed on the lady beside the young man, Nirvana. He had been there on that day.
The day she had been honoured with an afterlife award.
A smile lined Jake's lips at the thought of how to get Nirvana's attention. He quickly made his way over, almost dying of excitement.
Mat was already annoyed at the clingy girl in a suit holding onto his arm, Nirvana didn't seem to mind when a funny-looking guy with an accent joined them. It didn't help that he was also flirting with his girl.
Was Nirvana aware that he was flirting with her or was she pretending not to know?. It annoyed the hell out of him.
I watched the playboy make a pass at Nirvana. This was actually good, if he managed to get those two apart, I could actually get my chance with Mat.
And it did, Jake managed to get Nirvana intetested in some geeky science talk and they became so engrossed that they veered away from us unconsciously.
I smiled, turning to the dark Grim Reaper with a sour face standing there and watching his girlfriend go nerd mode.
"Now Mat-boy, can you focus on me...for a second?. You might actually like what you see if you look longer", I whispered to him in the most seductive voice I could summon.
His head whipped to the side and he turned to face me. My heart skipped and for the first time I saw his eyes change right before me. His once brown orbs had turned crimson like the colour of fresh blood. Even his aura had suddenly turned dark.
For a second, I wondered if Nirvana knew that her boyfriend could change from a sweet person to a person who looked like he could slay a thousand men in the blink of an eye. As I stress into his eyes, I couldn't help but feel a sudden chill run down my spine.
How could he completely transform so quickly and with those eyes that only showed the intent to kill.
He looked very scary and dangerous. For the first time, I felt fear radiate from every pore of my body. Did I awaken the real Maitri?.
Before I could linger on that thought, we heard the sounds of breaking glass.
The room went dead quiet and then we saw Jake Salter, shirt tugged to the side and a drunken smile evident on his lips.
I groaned in annoyance as I made my way over to him, then I grabbed him by the hand and made my way outside of the room.
"Oh now you know how to do your job", he slurred.
"We'll if you can't hold your alcohol, how about you stay away from it?" I countered.
"It was just one glass", he defended
"And that was all it took to make you an embarrassment!", I shouted in annoyance. Angry that he was not acknowledging his mistake.
There was dead silence and then he yanked himself away and stumbled into a waiting car.
"Osiris, take me home".