Page 3 of Love Locked
“About what?” Adil arched his brow.
“That we were scheduled to meet here at my home today morning.” He purposefully gave them both a puzzled look.
“We’re here to meet you, son. You haven’t been to work for a few weeks now.” Prithvi Oberoi responded in a kind tone. “In fact, we’re not doing anything right now. We’ll just sit here and talk while enjoying breakfast from my daughter-in-law’s cafe.”
A year ago, if someone had told him that his dad would be spending time with him like this, he would have laughed it off. But, following his dad’s heart ailment last year, he was a different man now. He was trying to cherish every moment with his family. He claimed he didn’t want to be the older version of himself.
“Am I allowed to ask why we are doing it?” Kabir regarded his brothers with his hands in the air. He gave them a stern look. Considering how frequently they clashed, those two seemed surprisingly cordial. That, in itself, had to be a warning sign.
“What’s going on, guys?” Kabir turned to Adil, who shared a look with Vaayu, who nodded back at him.
“Did I wake up on the wrong side of the bed today? You two are behaving like a fucking team or something. I mean, that’s terrific. I’ll have fewer headaches.” Kabir tried to crack a joke.
“It’s been three months since your breakup, Bira.” Adil glared.
“So?” Kabir sounded bored.
“Breakups are tough, especially if the relationship was a lengthy one.” Prithvi Oberoi revealed the cause of their puzzling behaviour.
Both his brothers shared another strange look, and it was fucking odd, considering this time he was on the receiving end of that look.
He was the middle child and had spent maximum time with Adil before Vaayu’s arrival. So, he had a special bond with Adil. And after Vaayu was born, he took on the role of the older brother and Vaayu’s protector.
Despite the love and age difference between his siblings, Adil and Vaayu had a Tom and Jerry-like relationship. And he was the centre of everything that went on between them. Nothing had ever changed up to this point.
“We’re here to meet you. Bira, you never take a vacation. It’s almost three months since you’ve been on leave. You avoid our calls and messages. You barely visit home. What makes you think we aren’t worried about you? How are you?” Vaayu asked.
“Do we really need to talk about this?” Shaking his head, Kabir moved toward the kitchen.
“We need to make sure you’re fine and not gonna pull a Devdas on us,” Adil commented.
“That’s very generous of y’all. But now, stop acting like I’m about to lose it because of heartbreak. I can assure you everything is fine with me.” Kabir rolled his eyes.
If his family was going to be lounging here, he figured he might as well make use of his time by brewing some coffee.
At 32, Kabir was the CFO of Oberoi Infra. Schedules and rules were very important to him, and he thought disregarding either of them would render him incompetent. Adil, his older brother, was the CEO, while Vaayu, his younger brother, was the COO. Together, they worked smoothly and diligently to take their business to the next level.
They all lived in their building, Utopia. It was the most magnificent structure in the city. They lived their own lives but, at the same time, kept their bond of brotherhood as intact as they could. Kabir and his brothers regularly spent quality time at the building’s gym. That worked for him as meditation. He appreciated the deep connection he shared with his brothers.
He finished brewing the coffee as these thoughts sped through his mind. Woofer jumped and ran to him, barking for a treat. Vaayu stepped forward and caught Woofer by his collar.
“Woof. Down boy.” Vaayu inhaled the aroma of the coffee. “At least being in Adil’s company has done you some good, dude. The coffee smells fucking amazing…even better than what Adil makes.”
Kabir smirked at him. “Yeah? You’re losing your touch, old man,” he joked, throwing Adil a look.
Adil scoffed as he made his way toward the kitchen counter. “Old man? Thirty-four is hardly considered old. Besides, you’re only two years younger than me.”
Kabir walked to the shelf behind him, grabbed the coffee mugs and handed them the coffee. “And yet, I’m so much more attractive than you.”
“Like hell you are.” Adil slugged his shoulder before sitting on the couch in the living room.
Kabir sat on the chair beside the couch and looked outside the floor-to-ceiling windows. It was a perfect morning to go for a run with Woofer. A brilliant blue sky enriched the scenery. The humidity in Mumbai wasn’t too bad, as there was just enough wind blowing to flutter the tree leaves. Instead, he stood there making coffee while trying to stop the beginning of some sort of intervention.
Prithvi peered at him. “Bira, you know, sometimes, shit happens. And some relationships don’t last forever. Just like yours and Raina’s. I’m sorry, I’m not interested in knowing the details of exactly what transpired between you both, but I do feel bad for what she did to you. Clearly, she wasn’t the one for you. So, I suppose whatever happened was for the best. I think you’ll meet someone nice when you least expect it.”
“Wow. Now I know where Adil got his sensitive nature from, Dad.” Vaayu jokes, earning a laugh from everyone.
“I was honest with him.” Prithvi sighed.
