Love Fired

02| Please help me?

Third Person POV

Anaisha gasped. There, in front of her house, stood a man dressed in a giant pizza costume.

The sight would have been highly comical if only the pizza guy's body language wasn't so weird, he was definitely uncomfortable in the costume.

"Wrong bell sir. We didn't order pizza," Anaisha said after she recovered from the shock and pushed at the door in an attempt to close it.

"I need your help," the man wearing the pizza costume breathed. His voice sounded tense.

Anyone who saw him at that instant would easily be able to sense the desperation oozing off him but as it was, the entire street seemed to be empty except for Anaisha and the mysterious pizza boy. Of course, you can't count his bike and the green-eyed grey cat crossing the road.

A thin line appeared in the middle of Anaisha's forehead as she furrowed her eyebrows and asked, "Excuse me, do I know you?"

"No, I umm- ... Actually," he took a pause and clapped his sweaty hands before continuing, "I was just getting into my costume for delivery when someone stole all my pizzas. My phone's battery is dead. Can I please make a call from here?"

"Of course not!" Anaisha cried out without a second thought. She couldn't let a stranger into the house especially when the two girls were by themselves.

"Please. It's really important, I might lose my job if the customers start calling before I can explain things to my boss. You don't even have to let me enter. If you can just lend me a phone, please," he begged.

Anaisha sighed. Even if he was genuinely in trouble, she couldn't afford the risk. Not in the absence of their parents. He could be a serial killer or a kidnapper for all she knew.

Seeing his crestfallen face, she added with a softer look, "There's a shop down this street where they let you make STD calls. Even if you don't have cash, uncle there is very sweet, he will definitely help you."

"That's what a rickshaw puller said. I did try but that shop's closed," he muttered.

Anaisha squinted her eyes at his suspicious reply. She knew that shop was never closed before midnight. Uncle lived alone so he always kept the doors to his shop open. "So you decided to ring every bell in the neighborhood? In this ridiculous pizza costume?"

"I didn't-, he paused, "I'm sorry. My intention was not to disturb you or creep you out but-" he looked down again, clearly regretting ringing the bell.

"Why didn't you just ask that rickshaw puller for his phone? I am sure he has a phone. These days, who doesn't own one?!" Anaisha questioned.

"He didn't have any balance left and he is gone now," he replied. "Please, let me make a call. I will lose my job otherwise. I won't be able to pay for my," he stopped again. He didn't want to break into tears by talking about his life to a stranger.

Misunderstanding his silence, Anaisha fumed. "Look here sir. First of all, I don't believe anyone would steal pizzas in our locality. Nor do I believe you when you say that shop is closed. So don't try your emotional job drama on me. Please leave my property and don't ring again."

She didn't wait for him to register her words and quickly pushed the door close, locking it.

Peeking from the key-hole, she saw him walk back to his bike and huffed. What a weird fellow, she thought.

"You know di, we should have helped him," Anushka said sympathetically when Anaisha walked back to the room, "What? Don't gimme that look, I could hear you. The poor guy will lose his job."

Anaisha rolled her eyes, "That's not our problem, he was definitely lying!"

"But di, you never know and it's just a phon- "

Anaisha interjected, "Just a phone call? Don't we hear such cases everyday in the news. How thieves, and rapists scam people with their emotional stories? Can we take such risks in the absence of ma and papa?"

"But di, what if he was genuinely in trouble?"

"Then it's too bad for him but we can't do anything. It's his headache and he'll have to find some solution. I will not take the risk like an idiot." Seeing Anushka ready to argue again, she continied,"Now, no more discussion on this. Quickly choose a movie to watch and eat."

Anudhka nodded, still unsure.

Hi guys, this was a fairly short chapter. I'm sorry about that. I promise I'll try to update soon. Don't forget to like and comment. I'm eagerly waiting to know your views on my first piece of writing <3