Page 29 of Driven By Desire
“ C an I take Monopoly?”
“Sure.” Deleting another line on the proposal he was scanning, Krish didn’t look up from the laptop screen.
“You’re not listening to me!”
Sighing, he looked up this time. “You wanted to pack your make-your-own jewelry set, your new Nancy Drew novel, Ludo and now Monopoly. Did I miss anything?”
The grudging head shake had him looking back at his screen before adding, “You do know we’re going for just the weekend right? You’re not moving for life.”
A disdainful sniff was all the answer he got before she left the room.
Shaking his head, he rubbed his tired, gritty eyes before refocusing on the work he was trying to wrap up before they left the next morning.
Chirag and Adi were both out making the most of the Friday night social scene which left him on babysitting duty.
Frowning as he found another mistake in the proposal, he made a note to speak to the concerned manager on Monday.
If the man kept up the shoddy work, he was going to have to fire him.
Coming on the heels of the defective blood pressure machines fiasco, he wasn’t in the mood to be tolerant of mistakes.
Getting to the last page, he saved his work and shut down the laptop.
Glancing down at the to-do list on the notepad next to him, he scanned through it quickly before heading to the kitchen to get himself a beer.
Popping it open, he took a sip before climbing the stairs to deal with his little termagant.
Reaching her bedroom door, he leaned against the frame and watched as she debated between two dresses.
One foot kept time with the finger tapping against her chin as she eyed the outfits like the fate of the world depended on them.
“Have you packed a jacket?”
“Of course. It’s winter.” Cue the eye roll. “It’s the first thing I packed.”
Little Ms. Know it all. His very own drama queen. God, he loved her.
“Pooj?” Settling down on his haunches so he was on eye level with her, he hugged her. “I love you.”
“I know that!” Mortified, she pushed out of his embrace and turned back to her dresses. Ears burning a fire engine red, she kept her face averted from her lame, older brother.
Grinning, he straightened and managed to ruffle her hair even as she ducked to avoid his outstretched hand. “I like the green one.”
“I’ve worn it a hundred times.”
“You’ve worn it, at the most, about ten times,” he corrected. “I can see a career that involves mathematics isn’t an option for you.”
“It took you so long to realize that?” Chirag’s easy drawl came from the doorway. Sauntering in, he poked his little sister in the side. “The brat has been failing the subject forever.”
“I have not.” Indignation replacing her earlier embarrassment, Pooja faced her tormentor. “I got fifty five in my last term exam.”
“Barely passing doesn’t count.” The superior tone had her seeing red.
“It does too!” Outraged at the lack of support from her eldest brother who was laughing now, she shot back, “At least I don’t have butterfingers.”
“This.” Pointing at the pint size stick of dynamite they called sister, Chirag told Krish, “This is why we shouldn’t share embarrassing stories of our childhood.”
“If you have a ringside view of hers, it’s but fair that she gets to know yours.” Grinning, Krish took another swig of his beer.
“The ball slipped from my fingers because my palms were sweating from my earlier brilliant plays in the game.”
“Worst. Basketball. Player. Ever.” Chortling at Krish’s support, Pooja high fived him. Narrowing his eyes at the duo laughing at him, Chirag promised, “I’m going to kick your butts at cricket tomorrow.”
“Hah.” Secure in the knowledge that Krish would keep her on his team, Pooja taunted, “I bet you’ll get out before you even manage to score five runs.”
“I bet it won’t take me more than five minutes to catch you now and spank the cheek out of you.”
Lunging for her, Chirag missed narrowly as she swerved and ducked behind Krish’s legs.
Sticking her tongue out at him from the safety of her position, she misjudged his next swipe and almost got caught.
Giggling hysterically, she clambered over the bed to the other side.
Running around the bed with Chirag in pursuit, she almost made it before he reached across and managed to get a fistful of her t-shirt.
Taking another nonchalant sip of beer before setting it down safely to avoid what he foresaw as unavoidable, Krish stuck his foot out and tripped Chirag. Stumbling and losing his grip on Pooja, Chirag hopped on one foot to regain his balance.
Cackling away like a lunatic, Pooja clambered up into Krish’s arms for safety.
Swearing mock vengeance, Chirag unbalanced both of them until screaming with laughter, the two idiots collapsed on to the bed taking Krish with them.
Tickling Pooja into submission, Chirag had her begging for mercy before he let her collapse into a giggling heap between the two of them.
Laughter slowly ebbing, they lay sprawled across the bed in companionable silence.
“All set for tomorrow?”
Still catching his breath from the scramble around the room, Chirag managed a nod in response.
“I still have to pack my shoes.” The preoccupied statement cut through anything Krish might have asked next.
Glancing down at the prima donna who was peering worriedly past their shoulders to her half packed bag, the brothers burst out laughing again. Kissing the top of her head, Krish levered himself up. Giving Chirag his hand, he hauled him up too.
“We’ll leave you to it then. Dinner in half an hour. Be down in time.”
They were at the door when her voice piped up. “I love you too, Bhai.” Embarrassment coloured the proclamation but didn’t in any way take away from the sweetness of it. His prickly little cactus was starting to shed her thorns.
“I know baby.” The huskiness in his voice had Chirag clapping him on his shoulder in support. Clearing his throat, he strove to bring back the previously lighthearted mood in the room and lighten the blush in her cheeks. “Although I suspect, you just want to be on my team tomorrow.”
Embarrassment faded as she laughed at his retort even as Chirag asked, “You don’t love me?”
“Oh please!” She snorted. “Nobody wants to be on your team, butterfingers.”
They were still squealing and throwing clothes at each other when Krish left them to it and went down to start dinner. Life was good and with Max joining them tomorrow, it was edging towards perfect.
---***---
Haversack slung over her shoulder, denim capris, white tank top, red sneakers and a cap jammed on her head through which she’d pulled the tail of her ponytail, Max was ready to picnic.
Unfortunately, the Mehra household didn’t seem quite as ready.
Chaos reigned supreme as they ran around like drunken rabbits on speed.
“I told the lot of you to be ready by six!” Krish roared.
Standing at the top of the stairs in denim cut offs and an old grey t-shirt that hugged his body like a dream, he made Max itch to jump him.
Keeping a respectable distance from his ridiculously tempting body and his intimidating frown, Max went into the kitchen to get herself something to drink.
A quarter of an hour later she was joined by a disgruntled, hungover hobo.
“Big night?”
An incoherent mumble was the only reply she got as Adi slumped next to her at the kitchen table
A minute later, the rest of the family trooped in looking like the Brady Bunch. Fighting a smile, Max replied to their greetings only to jump with fright when Chirag clanged two plates together near Adi’s head. Moaning, he clutched the aforementioned head and mumbled some more.
“Water.” The succinct comment was all the sympathy he seemed to be getting from Krish.
Minutes later, laden down with luggage, food and paraphernalia that would have served an army marching to war, they piled into two cars and set off.
They reached the farmhouse an uneventful hour and forty five minutes later.
Well maintained, mango orchards lined the driveway to the sprawling house that came into view.
A combination of brick and stone were used to give it a rustic charm that had it blending into the surroundings.
Ducks and geese waddled around them like winged sentries even as staff came pouring out from the line of rooms behind the house.
Leaving Krish to supervise the unpacking of the cars, Max stepped away to explore.
Walking a little distance away, she found herself in the middle of a gorgeous herb and vegetable garden.
Crouching, she trailed her fingers over a juicy red tomato that sat next to a plant sprouting the longest green chilies she’d ever seen.
“My God.” Scanning the horizon, she realized she couldn’t see the fencing. Acres and acres of land spread off into the distance with no sign of a boundary wall.
A low chuckle had her glancing over her shoulder to see Krish standing behind her. “My God what?”
“You’re rich.” Dazed and suddenly uncomfortable, Max straightened from her crouch. “Seriously rich.”
“I’m rich because I have a tiny vegetable patch?” Smile fading when she took a step back from him, he said, “Careful. Another step and you’ll squash the tomatoes.”
Sighing when those wary doe eyes continued to look at him like he was an alien, Krish asked, “Is this a problem?”
“I’m not sure. I knew you were this big deal business tycoon but I don’t think I completely comprehended it until this.”
Since she was waving a hand at the tomatoes again, Krish pulled her forward before she decapitated them.
“Max, I’m still the same person.” When she frowned at him, he grinned, “Most women would be thrilled that their boyfriend was rich.”
“I’m not most women and you’re not my boyfriend.”
“I’m not.” Eyebrows raised, he watched her wave her arms around distractedly as she said, “You’re hardly a boy and the term makes me think of teenagers holding hands at a coffee shop.”