One Cuppa Chai

•9•

Someone understood my feelings!
"Yeah, that would be nice," I nodded.

"Shut up Shyla. Ma will be back anytime."

"I just spoke to her five minutes ago. She's stuck in traffic in Ameerpet. " I said. "Let's eat now." I right royally walked into the Jha's kitchen.

"So, what do you guys have in stock?" I examined the new ceramic tiles on the kitchen walls.

"Shyla come back here!" My sister commanded.

"We have to make dinner for ourselves anyway, it's fine." I heard Kabir trying to get her to relax and my lips twitched.

"Hey, you have some weird Chinese noodles," I commented aloud, picking a packet from the shelf. "Can I use this?"

"Sure." Kabir said, "Be careful with the burner. It's not okay for a few days. Or wait, I'm coming."

He plucked the lighter and vessel from my hand.

"What do you want?" Kabir asked my sister who was now leaning against the doorframe.

"What does that mean? I shouldn't be around you two anymore?"

"I meant what do you want for dinner?"

She grinned. "No particular choice. And... Should I wake Saloni?"

"Try your luck."

 She unfolded her hands and disappeared behind the door.

"Can you get me that packet of bread from there?"

"Sure," I bent down and picked it from the lower shelf. "What's that for, sandwiches?"

"No, we're making noodles so I thought we could have something sweet to go with it. Like Bombay toast."

"Hmm.Not bad bro. You have the seed of some culinary talent somewhere."

"Bro?" Kabir asked, momentarily freezing the spatula in his hand.
"Did you just call me bro?"

"That's a slang word!"

He rolled his eyes, "Still, I'm not your bro Shyla."

"Okay sorry!" I said surrendering, "Sooo, you want me to cut you some veggies?"
I was standing near the counter with almost nothing to do while Kabir was moving around the kitchen.

"No."

I drummed my fingers on the counter. "Uh, maybe beat those eggs?"

"No."

I huffed.

"You want something to do?"

"Yeah."

"Stir the noodles." He said, giving the spatula to me as if it was the world's most imperative task.

I looked down at the bubbling noodles in the pot while moving the blonde curls with my spatula idly.

"I know how to cut carrots, you know." I protested but then he was chopping it finely in lightning speed so I could maybe reconsider that statement.

He unloaded the cup of vegetables into the noodles and I stirred with vengeance.

"What is that?" I asked when he dropped something gooey.

"Cheese. It all goes well together."

"I see." I watched him retrieve some milk bread from the cover.

"I want to make the toast at least, come on," I said.

"You can't make guests work in our house you know. It's not etiquette."

"I'm just a guest in your house?" I  asked, pretending to be aghast."That's it?"