“Can we please have it now?” she asks impatiently, rubbing her hands.
“Alright, alright.” I snigger. “Let’s not keep you waiting any longer, my Firecracker,” I tease.
I open the containers, and before she can pick up apuri, I pull the box away. “I have an idea.” I smirk. “How about we compete?”
She raises an eyebrow. “You are saying you want to compete with me in agol gappeeating challenge?” She smiles smugly. “You sure you want to do that, captain? Because this will be impossible for you to win.”
I chuckle. “Someone said the same thing last time.” She narrows her eyes at me. It’s so easy to get under her skin.
“This is my area of expertise,” she says confidently. “But the question here is…” She pokes my chest with her finger. “What will the winner get?” she asks.
“The loser will have to do one thing that the winner wants. It can be anything. I am warning you.” I cock my eyebrow.
“Bring it on,” she says as she narrows her eyes and I smirk.
We sit facing each other, a box ofgol gappasin between us. I follow her hand movements and fill the puri with the potato stuffing like she does and add the green water in it. We make a few pieces and place it in the plate before we begin the competition.
“Let’s start.” She says excitedly. I pop apuriinto my mouth, the crisp exterior cracking and the tangy and spicy filling and water exploding in my mouth with every bite I take. Anya giggles as she moves on to her second puri and my heart dances with happiness inside my chest.
My breath hitches as I see a drop of water trickling down her lips, slowly moving down the contour of her chin and then disappearing below. I want to lick that water off her lips, to feel the softness of her mouth. I watch her as her tongue comes out to her lips to wipe it off. The memory of what her tongue is capable of makes me feel hot, but I can not think about that right now.
I shake my head slightly, trying to focus onanythingelse. Except the heat isn’t just in my thoughts—it’s real and it’s overwhelming. I swipe at my forehead. Am I sweating? A single tear might’ve escaped my eye as well, courtesy of the fiery spice.My spice tolerance? Nonexistent.Why did I think I could keep up with her?
Still, looking at Anya, I wonder if she’s faltering, too. Her eyebrows scrunch slightly, and she hiccups softly before taking the next bite, her lips parting just enough to blow on it, trying to cool down the heat. She’s trying to mask it, but I know her well enough to see through the act. At least I’m not suffering alone.
“Looks like I am winning, captain.” She chuckles and I smirk, watching as she hastily pops apuriinto her mouth.
“Don’t be so sure of yourself just yet, Firecracker,”I retort with a mouthful of food. “I never give up.”
We maintain eye contact for a beat and I smile smugly as her speed slows down immensely. “Don’t overdo it, Firecracker,” I suggest even as my mouth burns from the spice. “I will go easy on you. Don’t worry.” I really hope she stops being stubborn and gives up because if she doesn’t in two more minutes, I will. Moreover, I do not want to get her sick.
When she picks up another puri, I give up. “Fine,” I say, lying down. “You win.” I groan. Her face lights up and she lies down next to me, panting. I close my eyes, soaking up l the moment. I grab her hand and place it on my chest. This feels good.
“What do I have to do?” I ask as I turn towards her. She smiles and stands up. “Will you dance with me?” She asks, extending her hand towards me.
I tilt my face in confusion, “What? I–I–” I begin to protest.
“C’mon,” She pleads. “It will be fun.” With a sigh, I take her hand and get up. I stand behind her as she looks ahead, her back against my chest. The sun has almost disappeared, and the moon is now visible in the sky. It’s a full moon, casting a soft glow all around us.
I start swaying from side to side. “Just…relax.” She mutters
“Did you know?” she asks. Her smile is audible in her voice, and I rest my head against hers.
“What?” I whisper as I close my eyes, exhaling deeply.
“We just recreated a scene fromRab Ne Bana Di Jodi. It is—” I do not let her complete her sentence and interrupt her in between.
“One of your favorite Shahrukh Khan movies, I know.” I finish her sentence.
She gasps and turns around in my hold, now facing me. “So you have watched that one, too?” she asks. I chuckle and nod.
She narrows her eyes and then slowly smiles. “You’re unbelievable,” she murmurs. “Stop staring.” She swats mychest.
I scoff. “You’re staring too, you know,” I say as I narrow my eyes at her playfully.
She looks away, her ears turning red. “No, I am not,” she mumbles.
“Are you blushing?” I tease, a wide smile playing across my lips. “You look adorable,” I say, chuckling softly.