But now, as her lips found Daksh’s, her tongue slipped in and explored his mouth, MY GOD, everything tingled! Diwali came early and forget the violins, a string quartet played in her head.
This was everything the books and movies had taunted her with. This was everything her imagination had conjured up but reality had never delivered. This was everything she’d been missing in life…This was finally hers.
“What the fuck??”
The irate voice had Daksh dumping her into someone else’s arms. Vedika blinked up into Kabir’s angry face.
“Kabs?” she asked. “What are you doing here? Are you real?” She patted his face, her fingers tweaking his nose. “You are!” she said in astonishment. “How?”
“Magic,” he said dryly.
“I know!” she agreed solemnly. “Real magic.” She leaned in closer to tell him in a loud whisper that carried over the music, “I felt things.”
Behind her, she heard Kimi giggle.
“Don’t laugh,” she said, craning her neck to see her cousin but getting an eyeful of a bemused Daksh instead. She leaned close to Kabir again, one eye still tracking Daksh’s beautiful face. “Fireworks, violins, and tingles,” she told Kabir solemnly.
“Is that so?” In an aside, he muttered, “I am going to kill you,” to Kimi. Kabir started to walk towards the door, away from Daksh. Vedika gave a little mewl of protest then settled down when she realised Daksh was following them.
“Give me back to him,” she muttered to Kabir, watching Daksh over Kabir’s shoulder. Daksh had a protective arm around Kimi and was trying to keep her from being jostled in the crowd.
“No.”
“I want my tingles back,” she said petulantly. “I’ve never had tingles, Kabs,” she cupped his face with her hands and moved it so he was looking at her. “Never until today. Nothing works normally for me in my body. I don’tfeelthe way other girls do. Not untilhim.”
Kabir stepped out on to the pavement, raising his eyes to the heavens. “Why God? What did I ever do to you?”
“I’ll bring the car around,” Daksh’s amused voice cut through Kabir’s plaintive tirade.
“I’ll come with you,” Kimi muttered, casting anxious looks at Kabir’s furious face. “Kabs, I-“
“Later,” he said tersely, struggling to keep Vedika from slipping out of his arms and running to Daksh.
“I’m an octopus,” Vedika beamed as she squirmed in his arms, trying to escape him. She wanted her tingles dammit.
“Sure honey.” Kabir’s face softened but his grip around her stayed firm. One of his security people stepped closer to help but he shook his head at him.
Vedika beamed at the man. “Hi.”
The big, burly, tattooed guard smiled back. “Hi.”
She glanced anxiously around, not spotting Daksh. “Is he gone? I can’t hear the music anymore.”
“That’s because we’re standing outside.”
“No.” She snorted. “Not that music. The kind that makes you feel squishy here.” She pressed a hand to her chest. “And sparkly here.” Her hand started to move but Kabir caught it firmly.
“Vedu sweetheart, I’m begging you,” he said, his voice strained, “let’s wait for Daksh and Kimi in silence okay?”
“Daksh is coming back?” she brightened. “Yay.”
Kabir muttered. “Fuck my life.”
A second later, a car pulled up beside them and Daksh and Kimi got out. Vedika squealed and launched herself out of Kabir’s arms and into a startled Daksh’s.
“Ooof,” he gasped, a little humiliatingly she thought, she wasn’t that heavy! She snuggled closer into his embrace, trying to climb up his body like a squirrel on a tree.
“Let’s go,” Kabir said curtly. “The two of you can sit at the back. I’ll drive. Kim, get in the front.”
