I look around to see Baba sitting across the aisle and Enzo next to me, keeping one hand on my right armrest, slightly touching my fingers that are wrapped around it.
“Hey. When did you get here?” I ask him.
“Everyone got up when Ian’s voice came over the PA, you didn’t. You were thinking deep, and I took the chance and sat here.”
I almost sputter at that. “You took the chance? What does that even mean?” I say around a laugh.
“Well, coming to sit next to you with your father glaring at me from across, is taking a big fucking chance, don’t you think so?” he asks, amusement dancing in his eyes.
I look at Dad. And sure enough. He is sitting there, scowling at Enzo. Oh No. Scowling is an understatement. If the plane wasn’t gliding on what feels like roller coaster sized speedbumps, Dad would be here ripping Enzo off, piece by piece.
I roll my eyes and call out to Dad. “Relax Dad. He has to sit somewhere, doesn’t he?”
Dad breaks his scowl-off with Enzo’s hand and looks at me. His gaze softens instantly, and he says, “He could have had any seat here. Why next to you? This is getting ridiculous. I need to have a long chat with them.”
“Oh jeez, calm down Dad. I am eighteen,” I raise my hand and motion for him to not say whatever he was going to say. “I am not saying I am dating them or one of them. I am saying that if I felt uncomfortable or if I didn’t like someone sitting next to me, I would handle it myself. You taught me that. Remember? Ma taught me that. I was only seven years old when I broke the first fingers.”
Enzo grabs my hand and asks in a concerned voice, “you broke fingers? Which ones? How? What are you talking about? Is it all healed now?”
I laugh and to my surprise, Dad chuckles too, eyeing Enzo with warm eyes. “She broke fingers. Not her own. Some guy’s who was trying to eat her lunch at school,” Dad tells him.
Enzo lets go of my fingers, but keeps his hand on my arm. It sends all those tingly things shooting up my arms straight to my heart again.
I shake my head and refuse to delve into this right now.
“Ya. So when I can do that at the ripe age of seven years, then don’t you think that now I am more badass than ever?”
“I don’t know,” Enzo says rubbing his hand over his jaw. “I don’t know how badass you are. You still have to learn about your magic. You might be okay I think. But not really a badass…”
“Oh really?” I say, arching my eyebrows. “Did someone forget he was rendered immobile for fifteen minutes straight? And that his life was mine to take at that moment of his weakness but I didn’t?” I ask him, referring to our first encounter.
“You took me by surprise, that’s all.”
“Pfft, yeah sure. Surprise, my foot. I can hold my own in one on one combat against anyone. Maybe we should spar and then you will know what I can do?” I challenge him. And he takes it. Fool.
“Maybe. Yeah, let’s do that.”
Yeah. Fool.
Dad lets out a chuckle like he finds it amusing.
“What? Now you are not going to go King Kong and say don't touch my daughter?” I say imitating KingKong and saying that in a gruff voice.
Dad and Enzo. Dad says, “No. Not now. I know my daughter will never give time of her day to someone who thinks she is beneath him or that she isn’t as good a warrior as he is. So yeah. I guess you being around Enzo is safe,” he winks at me and gets back to the book that he is reading.
I turn to look at Enzo. His face is scrunched up tight. He is looking on the floor and his cheeks look flushed.
“Hey,” I nudge his shoulder. “What happened? Dad isn’t going to say anything to me spending time with you. You got him,” I wink at him and give him my smile.
He doesn’t look convinced and gives me a tight smile, just as the plane finally comes out of whatever turbulence it was going through.
“I should go and check up on Ry and Ian,” Enzo says, moving his hands to the seatbelt.
“I got it,” Dad says, jumping up. “You two sit and talk.” Dad winks, again, and goes away in the direction of the cockpit.
“Well look at that,” I smile and look at Enzo once again. But he has blanked his face. I can tell he is dusturbed by whatever happened.
“Hey, Enzo, what is wrong?” I ask him again, this time, taking his hands in mine. I swear to God a straight jolt of electric current slams into my body from that contact point.
“Nothing. Just…. Nothing,” he says on a long exhale.
“Enzo, look at me,” I implore.
He doesn’t.
“Please?”
He looks at me. And all I can see is the shutter. He has made up his mind to not open his mouth, or heart, to me.
Well, time to bring in the big guns.
I widen my eyes, jut out my lower lip, and give an Oscar worthy lower lip and chin tremble, with my lips drawing downwards for extra effort. My eyes glisten too, for the added effect.
“God!” He snaps off his seatbelt and brings my head to his chest. “Please don’t do that. What happened? I am sorry. I never meant to imply that I find you beneath me. I never. It was all a joke. I know you are a badass. I am sorry, please don’t be upset. Please.” With each word his hold on my neck tightens, and I feel that hold on every fucking part of my body.
Fuck. Bad fucking idea.
‘Good fucking idea. Me likey,’ Kali chirps.
“We are friends, right,” I mumble against his chest, trying to bring out my teary voice.
“Yeah baby, we are friends. Please don’t cry.” He draws circles on my back.
Baby? Oh sweet snow with hot chocolate and bonfires! Surprisingly, Kali echoes the same words. Verbatim.
“I never thought you meant those words.”
My voice is still a teary mumble, and that makes him draw me almost on his lap. His other arm holds me tight across my back, and one hand keeps my head in place on his chest.
“I am sorry, but when Pa said that, I thought that maybe you also took them like that. I am sorry Ada. So sorry baby.”
“Dad is shrewd. He did that on purpose. To poke at you. He was pulling your leg. You know that right?”
And with great difficulty, I lift my head from his chest. Oh God I don’t want to. I need to. Else I would start climbing him. Yeah, no, nahuh, not happening.
He keeps a hold on my head and doesn’t let me get away. I am still not able to look at his face, in his eyes.
“I am sorry baby. So sorry,” his forehead touches my head and my heart goes out to him. “I will get Pa for this. I thought I had insulted you unknowingly.”
I start shaking my head in silent laughter at his promise of getting Dad for this. He is so cute, that he thinks he can. Or maybe...if there is anyone who can do something to Dad and get away with playing a prank on him, it is these guys.
“Why are you holding her like this?” Dad’s voice reaches us, and if anything, Enzo’s fingers tighten around me.
I can also hear shuffling feet, most probably others surrounding us too.
“She was crying,” he said, taking my head to his chest once again.
“What?!” Dad exclaims.
“Yeah. After you left she had these big fat tears in her eyes, accusing me of insulting her. She said that she thought we were friends but how disappointed she was.”
Have to give it to Enzo. He even manages to crack his voice towards the end.
‘Gaahhhhhhh,’ Kali sputters, like she too cannot form words.
“What the hell does that mean? Did you insult her?” Baba asks from somewhere above me.
“No of course not!” Dad exclaims again. “He would never insult her.”
“But you said what you said before going and she … Oh God, Pa,” he gathers me in his arms more, while stroking my back, like he is consoling a crying person. “Pa, she said that she never expected this of me. That you would never tell her wrong.” I hear Dad cussing. “And that I am the worst person in the world that if I can insult her
in front of you then there is no limit to my evil.” Then in a move that risks him getting burnt at the hands of Dad, he pushes his lips close to my hair and says, “I am sorry Ada. I didn’t mean it that way. It was all a joke.”
I manage to nod my head, but my body is shaking with silent laughter. And I think Dad takes this as me sobbing.
“What the hell, Cael!?” Baba fumes.
“Baby girl, I was kidding. I was just getting under his skin. I know you will always know who is good to you and who is bad. I swear baby girl. Please. Enzo would never insult you. He would lay down his life for you. Anyone of us here will. And I know that you will do the same for us too. You won’t do that just for anybody. Please stop crying.”
“I can’t do that, Dad,” I speak, voice muffled.
“Why not?” he starts stroking my hair, around Enzo’s hand.
“Because,” I try to raise my head, but Enzo doesn't let up. I pinch his ab, holyfuckinghellarethemabsmadeofrocks! But not the point. Enzo jerks and I lift my head, laughing. “Because I am not crying!”
“What the hell?” Dad falls back on the floor.
Baba sputters, and everyone else stares at me.
“I wasn’t crying. Enzo was upset so I just pouted. And you came when he was feeling sorry for making me pout. And then he promised that he would get you for that. Guess he did, eh?”
Lexie starts laughing. Soon others, including Kali, join in too.
“Hang on,” Baba says, and then looks at Enzo, “she pouted?”
Enzo nods, his eyes wild. “I swear to God. That was the most heart wrenching thing I have ever seen.”
“You mean the lower lip out and chin trembling? Eyes wide? Lips drawn down?” Baba asks Enzo, who frowns but nods.
“What are you talking about?” Ash asks.
I whip my head around at Ash and repeat the world famous, fine, world famous in my mind, Oscar worthy pout.
“JESUS CHRIST!”
Before anybody could do anything, he has rounded next to me, lifted me off my feet, and crushed me to his body in the tightest of embraces.
Oh Lord…. Have mercy.
‘No please. Continue this. I am having the time of my life.’ Kali, the traitor, chirps.
Once Ash is done with crushing me, because yeah boys are suckers, he lets me down.
“Please don’t ever do that again. I will give you whatever you want. Please don’t ever make that face again.” He looks at Dad and still rubbing his chest, asks, “has she ever done that to you?”
Baba and I snort, while Dad rubs his neck.
“Done that to him?” Baba speaks. “She perfected that art on him. He used to fall for it even when she hadn’t perfected it. I am talking hundred levels and degrees less in intensity you just faced. And she knew that if she could get Cael to listen to her with that face, then everybody else is a sucker. Only Shakti was immune to it.”
“She taught me. What can I say? I learned from the best,” I tell everyone.
Lexie, Vee and I laugh. While Enzo and Ash look at Dad in horror. Or is that empathy? I guess, having experienced this first hand, they have a kinship to Dad on this.
Dad snorts this time. “On me? What about you? She could get you to do just about anything, without the face might I add, including buying her an elephant, just because. At least I have the face for a weakness and an excuse.”
Now Baba blushes.
‘Holy fuck, is he blushing?’
‘Yeah.’ I laugh. In my mind, and outwardly too.
“Buy an elephant?” Vee asks in between his laughter.
“Yeah. She wanted to buy this elephant from the village circus. She not only convinced our dear old Sensei to buy that elephant, she convinced him to bring all the animals from that circus to our home. All of them. Only I know what fight Shakti and I had on our hands.”
“It wasn’t that bad. Besides, Baba agreed,” I tell them defensively.
Dad chuckles and takes me in his arms.
“Sweet girl. Your Baba would agree to anything you want. Any. Damn. Thing.”
“What did she do to get you to agree to this?” Lexie asks Baba.
“Oh hell. She made that face, didn’t she?” Enzo asks.
Dad laughs at this and I bury my head on his shoulder.
“No, this was not the pout incident. When the pout came into play, having perfected it, she made him …..”
“What?”
“What did she do?”
“How old was she?”
Everyone asks.
I look up to find Dad’s smiling eyes looking at Baba.
“This is on you. You tell them if you want to,” Dad tells him.
“Well, one day, she came to me and told me that she is going to the river,” Babe starts telling them. “That I was welcome to come with her. I agreed. Only to realise that she was going to be jumping off the cliff into the water, and she wanted me to do it with her. In the middle of December. From a cliff that was one hundred feet too high. I refused vehemently, and told her that she is not allowed to do that. It was then that she made the face.”
“And?” Lexie asks again, she is gripping the backrest of the seat she has got up on her knees on.
“And I jumped with her, holding her in my arms,” Baba shrugs, as if it is a given conclusion.
Another roar of laughter.
“Nooo! How old was she?” Ash asks, wiping the tears from his eyes.
“I don't remember,” Baba grumbles.
That makes Dad and me break into a fit of laughter.
Soon, Baba is chuckling too.
“Please tell us how old she was. If she can get you to do those things, then we all have a chance. I have never seen you so warm. You are, in her words, so cuddly. In front of her. And p-” Lexie stops when she realises that the guys are staring at her with terrified eyes. “I am s-s-s-so-”
Baba laughs and gives her a quick soothing hug.
“I am so warm in front of her because she brought me back to life, Lexie. I care for each and every one of you equally. Just like Cael does. Just that I will always be her cuddly bear, because she is mine.” He releases her and then looks at others. “She might not be my blood. But Cael is my son. And Ada is my granddaughter. In every sense of the word.”
My eyes fill with tears, as does Dad’s, and he wraps his arms around him. Fuck. God bless them always.
‘Amen, girl. Amen.’ Kali sniffles.
Enzo clears his throat, then says, “So, how old was she?”
Baba chuckles. “Six. She was six.”
I laugh at everyone’s expressions and only Lexie finds it funny.
Lexie and I turn to the windows, laughing, and sit down. While everyone comes back from whatever thoughts they were fighting from. With everyone settled, I lean my head against the backrest, thinking back on everything that has happened since the day I randomly kicked Vee’s football back.
Everything is so uncertain at the moment. We still have to find Vyhdir. I have to figure out my magic. All those connections. How can I make all those animals and souls happy? So much to do. Especially bonding with Kali.
‘Don’t forget trying to understand the weird electric shock you have been getting when the guys touch you.’
I roll my eyes at Kali’s voice.
‘Yeah yeah. We will figure it out. Let’s sleep for some time.’
‘Best fucking idea ever! Don’t think too loud.’
I snort and close my eyes.
Chapter 46
Ada
“Wake up sunshine. We have food,” a sweet voice calls to me.
Opening my eyes, I find the beautiful face of Vee in front of me.
“Hi,” he says.
“Hmmm..,” I mumble, I guess.
He gives that killer smile, again. Am I that amusing?
‘Of course you are. Now wake up.’
Kali’s grumble and Vee’s beautiful face bring me out of my sleep.
“What is for food?”
Vee smiles and hand
s me a plate full of ravioli and a mug of steaming hot coffee.
My hero.
Kali snorts. Vee smiles, again.
“Thanks,” I say taking the plate in my hands and sitting up. “How long until we are there?”
“Pa says we have a couple more hours to go.”
I nod and start stuffing my face with food.
OhmyGodSodelish.
My mind is a whirlwind of thoughts and questions. Each bite that I take, a new question pops up. The food is over long before I realise I have eaten it, and now I am angry that I didn’t get to enjoy the deliciousness. It is so damn difficult being me.
Kali snorts again. But I am glad she finds me amusing.
“What are you thinking about?” Dad asks from where he is sitting across from me, next to Baba. They are still eating their food.
In fact, every other person is still eating their food.
“Did you give me less food than the rest?” grumbling, I ask Vee.
He starts laughing and shakes his head.
What is with everyone finding me funny?
‘Maybe stop asking ridiculous questions?’
This time, I do roll my eyes.
“Ada?” Dad asks again.
I shake my head and offer him a shrug, “Kali finds me funny.”
Dad and Baba nod their heads as if that is the most normal thing in the world. I refrain from rolling my eyes again.
“Okay so yeah, I have questions.”
“We know, it is written all over your face,” Baba smirks.
“I am not that predictable Baba,” I tell him in a defiant tone.
“No you are not. You have the best poker face and the best, what you youngsters call, resting bitch face. But I know Cael’s and my training. We are heading into the unknown. A world where you just entered a few days back. So yeah, I know that you have questions. So ask away gudiya.” His gentle smile loosens the knots in my stomach.
“Okay so, as I was asking before we had that turbulence. Do the Gods really affect our lives? Do they really listen to our pleas? I mean, I understand the concept of the Gods being all powerful. I grew up believing that. But now, God of Time is held captive and his powers being drained is affecting the days. Gods have their own petty politics and hierarchy. They aren’t that different from us if they are also fighting amongst themselves for selfish reasons. So, how do they affect us?”
Circle of Time: An urban fantasy (The Kazi Chronicles Book 1) Page 31