Page 34 of Love Locked
“Oh, you’re back.” She gave him a smile that stole his heart.
And Kabir knew he’d do anything to keep that smile intact. That’s how they ended up sitting across each other beside the fireplace with a bottle of wine, instant noodles and marshmallows.
“Do you remember the time you had wine with me at Di’s engagement party?” Kyra asked, looking at him.
“Yeah. I do.” Kabir pricked a marshmallow with an arm-long kebab stick and held it over the fire till the marshmallow was a nice golden brown. “I would never have guessed that you were a troublemaker.” He teased her with a ghost of a smile.
“I wasn’t a troublemaker.” Her pout was adorable.
“Really? A nineteen-year-old snucking out a wine bottle in a house full of guests? Well, if that’s not a definition of a troublemaker, then I don’t know what is.”
“Well…I have a confession to make. I was eighteen then, and not nineteen,” she said sheepishly.
“Why did you lie?” He asked thoughtfully.
“Now that I think about it, I really don’t know why I said I was nineteen. I wanted to taste wine desperately, and you helped me. You were such a gentleman,” she said, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear.
“I was a gentleman then and am a gentleman now.” He handed her the perfectly roasted marshmallow. “Ladies first. Wait for a sec as it is very hot. You will burn your mouth.”
“Thank you, kind sir.”
Kyra was on cloud nine. It was the first time he had spoken to her without formality. He seemed carefree in the light of the golden fire. She gently blew on the marshmallow, waiting for Kabir to roast his marshmallow.
“Try it like this.” He blew over the hot stick and gobbled the entire thing into his mouth while Kyra mimicked him.
“This is so good.”
After roasting some more marshmallows in silence, they opened their cup noodles and dug in.
“I love instant noodles. Especially the one you get on the roadside stalls. What about you? What is Kabir Oberoi’s favourite thing to eat?” Kyra sipped her wine, finishing off the last bite of the noodles.
“I like everything. But I’m not a fan of junk food.”
“Why do you hate everything that brings you happiness?” Kyra groaned.
“I don’t hate it, princess. I just eat it when there is absolutely no choice. Like right now.” He chuckled.
“God. you’re no fun.”
“I am enough fun.”
“What do you do for fun?” Kyra propped her chin in her palms.
“I go for hiking. I like camping. I enjoy shooting hoops occasionally. In my free time, I usually stream some music or some podcasts.”
“This is no fun...” Kyra teased. She leaned her head back on the cushion and looked up at the sloped ceiling. “I have an idea.”
Kabir waited for her to continue.
“Since it’s so cold here, and you brought enough booze to warm us up, we should drink. In fact, we should play a game.” She turned her head, and her eyes met his.
“That’s what we are doing. We are drinking.” A smile touched his lips. While Kabir wanted to be responsible, there was nothing else to do, and he might as well let loose a little.
“Do we have tequila?”
“Yes, we do. It’s in the pantry. I’ll get it.” He offered, and Kyra proudly punched her hand in the air.
Kabir chuckled as he returned with a bottle of tequila. “What do you have in mind?”
