0°Celsius: Chapter 2
Romano mansion.
A castle with gold doors, hundreds of bedrooms, numerous fountains ,Italian floors, red carpets and variety of glass chandeliers hanging on gold ceilings.
Hundreds of workers maintained this huge estate , numerous number of high net worth guests visited it but only one man lived here.
Mr. Alessandro Romano.
I was standing outside the 15 feet high grilled door which had the letters AR engraved in it in gold.
‘Ma’am why are you here?’
The guard asked me but I was not able to think of an excuse to enter.
‘I….I…..’
I was interrupted by a girl who had green eyes and a very cute voice.
‘I am here for the maid’s interview, can you please open up the gates I am already late.’
The guard looked at her and nodded.
‘Can I see your Id.’
She handed him the Id and he passed a entry of her name on a register and asked her to sign on it.
This was a great opportunity.
I could enter using this.
‘Excuse me sir! I am also here for the interview!’
I showed him my id and once I signed he opened up the gates.
‘Where is the meeting hall now!! I am already late!! How will I find one room in hundreds!!’
The girl next to me said talking to herself.
‘Go straight take first left and then 2nd right.’
I said.
She looked at me and nodded with a smile.
‘Errr.. Thanks I guess.’
With this the girl hurriedly ran passed me.
A person can get lost in this big mansion.
It was like a maze as all floors and rooms looked almost the same.
But staying here for 2 long years can make you remember every inch and corner here.
I entered to see that nothing has changed.
His large family poster still decorated the entrance wall at the front.
Lily flowers fragrance still evaded my senses and they made me feel like home.
Lily was his favourite flower and you can see hundreds of lilies in his gardens and even in the flower vases inside his house.
In the centre stood the grand staircase with glass steps.
I liked them the most.
They made you feel like you are walking in the air.
I climbed them up and automatically my feet started moving towards his room.
I was two rooms away when a guard stopped me.
‘This floor is restricted ma’am the interview is going on downstairs.’
‘Oo h okay I am sorry.’
I said trying to look guilty.
I turned around to leave.
‘Come ma’am I’ll show you the way’
He asked me to follow him.
I was not here for the interview what do I tell him!!
‘No it’s alright I’ll find out myself.’
‘I insist ma’am you are bound to get lost here.’
I nodded.
I was forced to follow him down to the meeting hall.
Around 20 women were standing there in a line and in front of them stood a lady with her hands behind her back.
She looked like she never smiled and creases on her forehead displayed her anger.
She was scolding the green eyed girl I met at the gates.
‘It’s 10:15 now ,the reporting time was 10!
If you can’t even reach on time I doubt you could do any work on time!!
And see how inappropriate clothes you are wearing!
You don’t come in jeans for a royal interview!!’
What’s wrong in wearing jeans.
I looked around to see all other girls were wearing pencil skirts or mini skirts.
There faces were dolled up with so much make up as if they were going for a fashion interview.
‘On top of that see your hair, they are like a birds nest, did you even comb your hair today?’
The others girls snickered while the girl looked down ashamed of herself.
The guard interrupted the lady.
‘Miss Maria this girl is also here for the interview.’
Her angry eyes landed on me and the anger in them intensified.
‘One more now!!! I can’t waste my time on scolding you both all day just get in the line and let’s get started.’
I guess I was lucky because no one wanted to be embarrassed and scolded for how you look or what you wear.
We both joined the line in the end.
Maria aka the devil started questioning the girls one by one.
After questioning some left while some formed a new line and stood there meaning that they were selected.
They looked so excited like they just one a ticked to Hollywood.
I guess the pay must be the reason but who knows the way they were dressed Alessandro could also be the main reason.
After all he was the most eligible bachelor of New York with girls throwing themselves at him to gain his attention.
‘Maria!!! Maria!!’
His commanding angry voice was heard echoing in the large halls.
Next his heavy footsteps could be heard.
My heart missed a heartbeat.
Beads of sweat started forming on my forehead and my stomach churned from inside.
‘Yes S…ir!! Coming Sir!!!’
Her voice held fear and it looked funny to see rude devil Maria stutter under his command.
‘Where the hell is my black watch!!! How many times have I told you not to touch it!!!’
The black rolex watch with gold dial.
How can I forget it.
He loves it more than anything else as it was his grandfathers last gift to him.
I remember once he lost it at a community hall and we both stayed there whole night searching for it.
At last I found it at the men’s washroom and he was so happy that he hugged and thanked me at least 10 times that day.
His footsteps stopped and I knew he was here.
I looked up to see him in black business trousers and sky blue shirt.
His sleeved were folded up and the veins of his toned up arms were visible.
He searched around for Maria.
He looked at the line of girls and didn’t paid much attention.
He turned to look at the other side but then he stopped.
He turned back around and his angry eyes directly met mine.
The anger in them got replaced by shock but he covered it up in a second.
He turned around and was met with worried looking Maria.
‘I….am…sorry Sir!! I’ll get it.’
She literally ran at full speed to find the watch.
He turned around and went out not looking at me even once again.
I need to talk to him.
I should follow him.
As Maria left no one was watching over us.
I slipped past the girls who were busy chatting.
His broad shoulders came in my view and I ran behind him screaming his name
‘Andro….wait….!!..
…….Andro!!’
He was ignoring him like he ignored me that day.
I ran past him and blocked his way
‘Please Andro at least listen to me once!!! Please!!’
He looked into my pleading eyes.
His stare was no longer comforting or loving like before instead it was the one which could make a child piss his pants.
Next I know he harshly grabbed my wrist and pushed me inside a room , closing the door behind with a thud.
I was pushed into the room and I would have landed straight on the ground if the sofa hadn’t broken my fall.
My wrist felt like burning from his tight grip.
I could see red handprint on my wrist.
I held my right wrist with my left hand trying to soothe the burning pain.
His eyes held no remorse, no guilt.
Nothing except anger.
‘Speak.’
Was the only word he spoke but on hearing the hate in them I forgot all the words of forgiveness I formed in my head, I forgot all apologies I had in line for him
‘I……I….just………..I Just wa…nt Forgiveness…..I know what I did …back then was wrong…..I was wrong….I was selfish….I lied…..I broke your trust…I broke your heart…
You were never wrong Andro..you were always loyal …but I was not..
I am really sorry for what all I did…
….’
He laughed.
Yes he laughed at me mocking my pure intention and apology.
‘What happened to the money I gave you Sapphire?? You spent it all didn’t you? And now when you need more you are again back here…begging for forgiveness so that I believe your white lies and trust you again.
You thought why not ask for forgiveness, mend his broken heart and marry him….
By this I will never fell short of money.
Andro is so madly in love with me that I will play him on my fingers and he will not even know…’
He took dangerous steps towards me.
I continued to shake my head in a no telling him that he is getting me wrong.
‘I will toy with his feelings just like I did before.’
He was too close to me..his eyes had so much hate that I wanted to hide from his eyes forever.
‘No Andro…you are getting me wrong!’
‘No Sapphire this is the first time I am getting you right…..
You are what you were 2 years back .
A bloody gold digger!!’
He turned around to leave but I was fast to stop him.
I gripped his left arm with both my arms making him stop.
‘I will do anything for your forgiveness….just Please give me a chance……I…I Can’t live without you Andro……just Please….’
Teardrops escaped my eyes and landed on his arm.
‘Fool me once shame on you Sapphire but fool me twice shame on me, Your tears can’t fool me any longer.’
He looked at my hand on his arm and he made a face of disgust like he despises my touch.
‘Leave my arm Sapphire!’
I refused.
‘I have changed Andro…when I left you I realized how much you meant to me….just Please give me a chance to show how sorry I am.’
‘Just fu**** leave my arm Sapphire.’
He said in such a cold voice that my grip on him loosened letting him go
‘Your touch disgusts me!! If you dare to touch me again I will make sure to throw you back into the slums you came from!’
‘You don’t matter to me now, your face reminds me of my mistakes and I have done my homework to correct my mistakes.’
‘Miss Sapphire Brown you are no one for me now, I have found your replacement and that also a much better one.’
‘She is everything you were not and I am happy God made me correct my mistake in time before I lost the exam called life.
It will be better if you leave now just like you did 2 years back.
We should not stay in places where we are not wanted.’
‘I am not going anywhere now, I will correct my mistakes and stay here even if I have to work as a maid here.’
‘I don’t care what you do because the Saph I loved died the day she betrayed me’.