Following an exhausting stretch of hours, Sweet Fantasy was finally enveloped in serenity.

Sweet Fantasy was more than a bakery; it was a physical manifestation of every late night and early morning the owner had spent keeping its heart beating. Every day, the bakery runs on three gears. The first focused gear of early morning in a frantic silence that prepares it for the upcoming day. The powerful combination of dedication and deadline is established in the odd hours when the entire world is sleeping peacefully. The first gear is then shifted to the second one when the afternoon chaos seeps in. The clatter and chatter of the afternoon rush make the bakery lively. The customers gracing the bakery with their presence make sure to leave an impression of their lives within the walls of this sacred territory. This bakery has witnessed numerous moments of children craving for extra sugary treats while mothers scolding them for being stubborn, the nervous-looking boyfriends/husbands who somehow forgot an important event, and were trying to make up with their partners over a beautiful cake, the elders who were on strict sugar control yet asked for some sugar-free delights for curing their cravings, the sad hearts who just wanted to devour the mountains of sweetness for calming their agony, the cute smiles of people who were choosing some delicacies for pampering themselves. Every day is filled with new stories, from Valentine's to the New Year, from the usual to customized patterns; the bakery has seen it all. The final and the third gear shifts when the horizon is painted in orange blossoms, and dusk finally brings the long-awaited tranquility after a tiring day. The peaceful evenings act like an elixir for tired bodies that have been functioning almost mechanically for an entire day.

Evening arrived with the same familiar weight. The 'Closed' sign flipped with a soft click, marking the end of Sweet Fantasy's day. As the soapy reset of the nightly routine began, the sudden silence was deafening, a quiet reminder that while the customers were gone, the owner's work was never truly finished. 

Avni stood perched behind the counter, her world narrowed to the glow of the register. Her mind raced through the day's transactions while her fingers danced with rhythmic precision across the calculator, balancing the day's tally with practiced ease. Neil, on the other side, was committed to making the floor stain-free. He frowned when he analyzed a stubborn sugar residue clinging to the surface, making it difficult to clean. He scrubbed harder, refusing to let the stain win, until finally the floor was spotless. He did a small victory dance and looked at his boss, who had been silent ever since Neela left them alone. He actually wanted to break the ice and start a normal conversation with Avni, but the awkwardness lingering in his surroundings was stopping him from pursuing any normalcy in this ice kingdom ruled by the ice queen. Neil sighed and dropped the thought before looking around as if trying to find some other task for his own sanity. 

As if sensing his unease, Avni diverted her focus from the register to her new employee, or the so-called 'apprentice', according to Neela. Avni sighed in defeat and accepted her fate when she looked at the confused soul trying to adjust himself in unknown surroundings. She knows very well that she can't give Neil the silent treatment, since they both need to work in sync to keep the bakery running smoothly.

'Neil'

Her voice was smooth and calm, though it had a slight chill. It wasn't mean, just distant. Neil, however, was stunned to hear his name. After the weird afternoon confrontation, he concluded that Avni would ignore him forever, so the fact that she was the one to start the conversation caught him completely off guard. 

'I heard that you used to work in a decent company, so why are you hell-bent on working in an unknown dimension? There are many stores here that could have employed you with a much more hefty salary, why did you choose my place?' 

'I am tired of that life, so I left my job. Moreover, this place is very special to me since I grew up here, so whenever I feel that the world is bothering me, I find my solace here. This time I thought of shifting here permanently and decided to learn some new skill as the corporate sector is frustrating.' He answered sincerely, not wanting to sound unambitious or lazy but honest.

'I see, so that old woman is not forcing you, right?' Neil suppressed his laughter, imagining Neela rolling her eyes over the tag, old woman.

'Nobody forced me, working here was my own will.' 

Avni nodded and shifted her attention back to the register. Neil, on the other side, thought about indulging in some other work before his shift was over. He looked around and spotted a sack of flour lying in the corner. 

'Why is that sack lying there? Let me take it to the storage room.' 

Saying this, he moved forward, gaining Avni's attention. 

'Don't touch that, it...' Avni started, but Neil interrupted her.

'It's okay, I can manage. It won't be that heavy anyway.' He said nonchalantly while proceeding ahead. 

'It's not about that, actually...' Avni was again cut off by enthusiastic Neil, who wanted to leave a good impression on the first day of his work.

'I have good arm strength, boss. You see my bulging arm muscles. My protein intake is sufficient, so these kinds of small tasks are nothing to me.' He said proudly, thinking that Avni was doubting his strength.

Avni shook her head, but she wasn't fast enough. Before she could shout a warning, he grabbed the heavy flour sack. He didn't know that the stitches at the bottom were already hanging by a thread, which was exactly why Avni had tucked it into the danger corner to fix later. As he yanked it up with a heroic grunt, the bag decided to give up on life. The side split wide open, and suddenly, it wasn't a bakery anymore—it was the North Pole. Flour exploded everywhere, turning the floor into a snowy wasteland and leaving him standing there looking like a very confused powdered donut.

Avni sighed and buried her face in her palms in annoyance. She looked at the white floor, wondering whether she had teleported to some winter wonderland. She looked around, thinking that some reindeer might appear out of nowhere. The "architect of this chaos" stood frozen, looking like someone who had just taken a deep dive into a giant bucket of flour. 

'The sack was torn along a side; it needed to be handled with care, not brute force.' Avni grits her teeth, making Neil come out of his confusion. 

He sneezed hard, puffing out some of the flour that had gotten into his nose and throat. He looked at Avni with puppy-dog eyes, his mind racing to figure out how to fix this mess. He definitely didn't want to get fired on his very first day.

'Why didn't you tell me earlier then?' He pouted, accusing Avni of the mishap. 

Avni looked at him in disbelief, 'Did you give me a chance? I tried to warn you twice, but you never listened to me.' 

Neil sighed, regretting not listening to her earlier. 'I'm sorry, boss. Don't worry, I will clean the mess. I will also pay for this sack so you don't suffer any loss due to my negligence.' 

Avni pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to calm herself. 'You need to clean yourself first.'

'No, I'm fine. I will clean the bakery, then I will look after myself.' He spoke stubbornly.

Neil took a step ahead, immediately regretting his hasty decision. His foot slipped on the flour, making him lose his balance. He lunged towards Avni, trying to find desperate support. Avni's eyes widened in shock, and before she could face the impact, she steadied herself and held Neil with all her strength. The scene was weird - a reverse movie scene where Avni's arms were holding the bulky man from his shoulders and waist, while he tightly held onto Avni's arms as if anchoring himself against a storm. His one leg was raised in the air while the other one remained stationed at the floor. Their shocked eyes looked at each other, trying to decipher their funny posture against the flour-covered floor and soft music playing in the background.

What kind of funny Bollywood sh*t is this? A random thought popped up in her brain, making her cringe hard at her current situation. 

'Do you plan to stay like this for the entire night?' Avni asked him coldly, making him regain his composure. He tried to get up, but his foot slipped again, which eventually led to tightening of Avni's hold onto him.

Avni closed her eyes in frustration. 'Move slowly.' 

With great effort, she assisted Neil towards a small lounge area in the backside of the bakery used for resting. She gave him towels, advising him to make himself presentable before continuing the work. 

'You don't need proteins, you actually need Vitamin P.' Avni said dryly, making Neil confused. 

'Vitamin P? What's that?' Neil frowned at the new terminology. 

'Vitamin of Patience.' Saying this, she went out, leaving Neil alone. 

Neil chuckles at her remark. 

'Vitamin of Patience, I actually need it. If I want to keep this job, then I need to keep my ears open, or else the ice queen will throw me out.'

He cleaned himself and went out, seeing Avni cleaning the floor.

'You are so fast.' He spoke in amazement after looking at the clean floor that was earlier covered in white dust. 

'How can you manage to work with this efficiency?' 

'Years of damage control make you efficient.' She spoke monotoneously. 

'I wanted to clean the floor since I am the one who made this mess. Now, I won't be able to repent.' He pouted while Avni gazed at him blankly. 

'You are too dramatic.' She rolled her eyes.

'I am not; it was my fault, so I should take accountability.' He spoke fiercely.

'You are a walking disaster, you know that. Right?' 

'I'm a bit clumsy, but I will get better, boss. I promise, I won't disappoint you.' He nervously fidgeted with his hair. 

'Don't call me that.' Avni spoke sternly.

'What?' 

'Boss.' 

'Shall I call you, Ms. Avni?' 

'Avni.'

'You are my employer, I should respectfully greet you.' 

'Avni is enough.' She huffs, making Neil raise his hands in surrender.

'I will follow your instructions. Bo... I mean Avni.' He chuckles nervously.

Avni shook her head and looked at the clock. 

'You can go now, your shift will end in a few minutes, anyway.'

'No, I will go at the exact time. I am a very devoted employee.' Neil spoke proudly.

'What do you want to do?' 

'Assign me some other task, this time I won't disappoint you.' 

'Fine. Some ingredients need to be transferred to their assigned containers. Each container is labeled, so please read the names and labels carefully before shifting the contents. Don't make any more mess for me.' 

As much as Avni didn't want to assign him any more work, she was helpless. Several tasks in the kitchen need her attention, and she can't waste any more time organizing things. Neil was happy after getting another chance to help, so he wasted no time and started working. A peace surrounds them as both of them were indulged in their duties. 

'Avni, I have completed the work, the labels are worn out, shall I make new ones?' 

'There is a pen and paper in the drawer, be careful with your work.'  Avni responds while preparing the dough. 

After his work was finally finished, Neil gave a cheeky smile. He felt proud that his first day had turned out to be so great in such a cozy place.

'My work is completed. Shall I take a leave?' 

'You can go. Tomorrow, be here at sharp 6:00 am.' 

'So early? Can I come at 7 am?' He tried to negotiate even though he knew very well that this was a lost battle

'5:30 am.' Avni spoke coldly while setting up a desert.

'That's unfair. How about 6:30 am?'

'5 am' 

'Fine, I give up. I will be here by 6 am. Good night, boss.' 

Saying this, he left. 

Avni looked around as soon as Neil left. She inhaled the silence that she craves, but her mind has already accepted the fact that the silence she enjoys won't accompany her more often from now on.

Chaos has entered her sanctuary. 

'Thanks, Neela aunty. May you lose all your games tonight.' 

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On the other hand, Neela sighed in frustration. She threw the cards after losing for the 4th time. 

'Damn! My cursed luck. I am losing every single game.' She grits her teeth in annoyance.

'What happened to your luck, Neela?' Ms. Marie, Neela's friend, asked her amusingly.

'Seems like my lovely niece is cursing me.' 

She huffs while her friends laugh at her expense. 

'Why?' Ms. Reena asked her while suppressing her laughter.

'I pushed her buttons.' 

Neela sighed and explained everything, making everyone laugh at Neela's clumsy efforts to play matchmaker for the contrasting pair of furnace and cold storage.

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Here it ends.

I hope to get some feedback from you all. 

Now, when I talk about feedback, it doesn't mean heaps of praise. I want to know whether you are enjoying this story or not. I would accept both negative and positive reviews. So, just tell me whether you are enjoying the progress of the story or if there is something I should change? 

Much love,

Thanks.