Page 27 of Love Locked
“You’ll both have to wait it out here…” Shyamlal said, peering out of the kitchen, “...till the blizzard goes away.”
“How long would it take to fade away?” Kabir asked as he aimlessly scrolled through his messages.
“Hours. Days. A week. Baba, there is no predetermined time frame for such natural disasters. Such storms rarely occur, but once they come, they stay for a while to remind man that despite our technological advancements, nature still possesses the greatest power of all over mankind.” Kabir and Kyra were frozen in place, looking shocked, as Shyamlal chuckled to himself.
“I’m sure he is joking,” Kyra whispered to Kabir so Shyamlal couldn’t hear her. “Kabir, you try calling Vaayu and Adil while I’ll try calling my sisters.” Kyra dialled Mira’s number.
Kyra’s lightning-fast transition into work mode impressed Kabir. Women were overly sensitive and responded emotionally to any unexpected situation. Kabir admired and liked women who were rational in their thoughts and the way they responded or handled an unfavourable situation. He knew right away that Kyra was the ideal woman for him without further persuasion.
“There is no network, Kyra. The Wi-Fi signal is not visible either.” He leaned forward towards her.
“How the heck did we not know about this blizzard?” She stared into his eyes for a moment, and before she could get lost in them, she got up and started to pace. The shawl she had over her shoulders fell, exposing her broad neckline, slim figure and mile-long legs encased in skinny jeans.
Kabir swallowed hard as he took in her sensuous curves and tried to halt the train of thought that his mind had been clamouring to board from the outset.
“Normally, there isn’t so much snow here during this month. Not like this.” Shyamlal finally came out of the kitchen.
“We certainly didn’t expect a blizzard here.” Kabir stood up and went near the closed window overlooking the backyard.
“Weather people are calling it a snow wave.” Shyamlal placed a tray laden with aromatic tea and hot, crispy kachoris.
“Great.” Kyra snapped, frustrated with life in general and her luck in particular. Her tone lacked enthusiasm. Her stomach grumbled loudly, and her face turned red. “I haven’t eaten since we left the last fuel station.”
Shyamlal smiled cordially. “Sit down. Have tea and snacks, dear. Don’t hesitate. Consider this your house for now because you have to stay here till the storm passes away.”
“Thanks for the offer, Shyamlal ji. But we are staying at a resort nearby.”
“Beta, it’s impossible for you to go to the resort in this weather.”
“So, you’re saying we can’t go to the resort?” Kabir rubbed his hand over his chin.
“No. You can’t. But don’t worry—” A loud devotional song interrupted Shyamlal’s sentence.
Kyra was startled by the sound of it. Kabir sighed in relief, thinking the network was restored, but grimaced when he realised it was only Shyamlal’s mobile which somehow picked up the choppy network. His phone still had no network. Shyamlal had a small, rectangular, beat-up mobile phone with buttons. He excused himself and went outside to talk, leaving Kabir and Kyra alone.
“I wasn’t expecting this.” Kyra motioned with her palm toward the entire room.
“What do you mean?” Kabir poured her a cup of tea as they locked eyes, and attraction started to crackle between them. Kabir briefly cleared his throat before breaking eye contact.
“I thought this outhouse would be a luxurious cottage, not a cosy cabin.” She inhaled the tea and found herself relaxing.
“Not everything has to be extravagant. It is possible to find happiness in little things as well. Like a hot cup of tea in this freezing cold is pure bliss.” Kabir mused pensively.
“Wow. Who would have thought such simple things could make you happy? I’m sure every girl in town wants to unravel the mystery named ‘the elusive Kabir Oberoi’.” She used air quotes to emphasise her point and sipped her tea. It was a tasty blend of milk, ginger and cardamom. That was all she needed to ease her frazzled nerves.
“I don’t give a damn about any girl in town. It is not a secret. I’ve always been a one-woman man, and I prefer simplicity. I don’t need extravagance to survive. I will still be able to live happily even if all of this is taken away from me,” Kabir spoke in all seriousness. Her expressions constantly changed when he spoke, and he was curious to know what was going through her head.
No one spoke for a few minutes. The silence was soothing. The cosy setting and comforting glow of the fire created the ambience of a typical date. They were both lost in their own thoughts until Shyamlal rushed inside with tearful eyes. Kabir shot out of the chair.
“Shyamlal kaka, what’s the matter? Why are you crying?”
“I just got a call from the local cops that my son met with an accident. I have to leave. My family needs me.” His sobs were muffled.
“Oh God. That is terrible. You must leave. Is he okay?”
“I don’t know. He was on his way home from work when the storm suddenly turned violent. His bike slid down the valley. That’s all they could tell. Authorities are searching for him.”
“Shyamlal ji, please don’t worry. I’ll pray to God for your son. Nothing bad will happen to him.” Kyra approached him with a glass of water. She felt bad for the elderly man because he had been so joyful before he got the call.
