KAVA FF

Chapter 17 (Vansh's POV)

Vansh's pov

I couldn't help but rethink what happened last night while getting dressed.

I was at bow just getting some air at night. I was so mesmerized by the view in front of me, that I didn't even notice that I wasn't alone until the person said "Beautiful, isn't it?". I was more surprised to see Kabir than the fact I didn't hear him approaching the bow. I frowned and mumbled a little "Yeah". Afterwards we fell in silence. In a peaceful silence. There was just the sound of the waves crashing against each other. I liked it. I liked the view, I liked his company. And that was a strange feeling, because I liked being alone. It was a beautiful moment.

After some time, out of the blue, he thanked me. He thanked me for bringing him here. I smiled. I was really glad that he was happy. "What?" he asked, I just shook my head because I was never going to admit to him that I was happy because he was happy. And we went back to stare in front of us. At that moment, I wanted to freeze time. Forever. With Kabir standing beside me.

I sighed. Too bad, that it finished. And I was here getting ready for some pool games. After I got dressed, I left my room, and saw my bodyguards ready to follow me. I was going alone, because my family and I didn't have a plan for tonight. Dadi and Sia wanted to rest a little bit, Ciacia (uncle) and Ciaci (aunt) were going out on a date, and Aryaan, my cousin, and Ishani wanted to go to the disco. Given the fact that I didn't want to go to the disco, and dancing drunk, I chose to do something alone. So, I decided to play pool games, in the casino that was on the cruise.

I was going to enter the casino room, when I received a message. I pulled out my phone, and was about to read the massage, when someone bumped into me. And, not to my surprise, the person who crashed into me was Kabir.

"I take that as a way of greeting me." I said. And, of course, he rolled his eyes. "Where are you going?"

"None of your business." he answered. I continued to stare at him. He sighed. "Back to my room." he then continued.

"And of course you'll be going to bed." he nodded his head and retorted back with "And what else can I do?"

"Oh, I have an idea. Come and play pool games with me."

"Look, Vansh. I-"

I interrupted him and said "Okay, I get it. You don't know how to play. It's-"

"No, it's-"

"It's fine, Kabir. It's not like you can't learn from criminals. Come. I'll teach you how to play."

He sighed in resignment "Okay."

I opened the door and entered the room with Kabir following me. I then headed to a table, which I had already booked. When we reached the table, there was a waitress waiting to take our orders. We sat down, and I ordered wine.

"And you, sir?" the waitress asked Kabir.

"Mmmm, no thanks. I'm good." he said. The waitress went to take my order.

"While we're waiting, come and choose your stick." I got up, and led him to the stick rack.

"So, Kabir. Pick one stick, that feels right."

"Can I choose any?" he asked and I nodded my head.

He took a look, and picked a random stick shrugging. I checked them out, and chose the more pleasing one.

I racked the balls in the triangular rack, switching solid for stripe all around until I got the sequence right and then slid them across the table and into position. Carefully, I removed the rack and shoved it in a slot underneath the table.

"Have you ever played it or... you're clueless?"

"Mmm, long ago with some friends. I don't remember much."

"Okay... I'm going to tell you the basics of the game. Obviously, you only hit the white ball."

He nodded listening very carefully.

"If you're stripes, from number 9 to 15, the only balls you want to sink in any pockets are the striped balls—hit one of the solids, from number 1 to 7, and you're only helping me beat you. And if you sink the black ball, number 8, before all of your stripes, you lose. And if you sink the white ball, you lose your turn. Understood?"

"Yeah." he moved his head up and down.

I rested the stick strategically within the curl of his index finger then slid the stick back and forth a couple of times to steady my aim before pausing and then slamming the head of it into the cue ball, scattering the others all over the table. I got one stripe and one solid. "What'll it be?" I questioned Kabir.

"What'll what be?" He gave me a doubtful frown.

"Solids or stripes?"

"Oh, I'll go with..solids." He took his place and rested his stick on the table. Then he looked up at me and got straight, taking his stick in his right hand. "Are we gonna bet something or just keeping it simple?"

"You are not a pro so we'll keep it simple."

"Come on, Vansh, there will be no fun without a bet."

I really liked his confidence, even though he wasn't good in this game, he was ready to bet. There's no fun in playing a game without putting in something. "Alright, what do you want to bet?"

He gave me a malefic smile. "I have always seen you in these elegant attires, so if I win, you'll spend a day with me but in a normal t-shirt and pants."

"That's not gonna happen." I laughed.

"We'll see."

He surely was not gonna win so there was no chance that I'll wear that clothes. "Deal. And if I'll win you'll do a day-out with me, with my rules." I smirked.

"Done." he said with so much sureness, and went back to his game. He got two solids on his first hit and on the second the white ball sinked. I knew he was not going to last long.

I took my place and began my game with a victory smile. On the first hit I sank two and on the second sunk only one. I bent to hit the white ball for the third time and looked up at Kabir. He was concentrating on my stick. He looked a little sad so I decided to give him a chance. I was going to win and there was no harm to let him get some points. I can go easy on him for once.

I aimed the white ball and made it sink. He scanned me with a confused face. I just smiled back at him.

He leaned over the table, positioned his stick, slid it back and forth through his fingers a few times and smacked the cue ball dead-center. 1 smacks into 6 and 6 smacks into 4, sinking both of them into a corner pocket.

He did it really well that it didn't seem he was a beginner. Interesting. Very interesting.

He gave me a wrecked smile. What was that for? Was he playing with me?

"Is this beginner luck or am I being hustled?"

He walked around to the other side of the table to gauge his next shot. He didn't answer. He just smiled faintly and kept his eyes on the table. Purposely taking the shot closest to me, he bent over the table in front of me and measured his shot before hitting the 2 hard into the side pocket.

"I am being hustled." I chucked.

He laughed out hard for double-crossing. And I was the fool, who fell for it, serving him the victory on a silver plate.

Author's note: Hey there! Here I'm again, with my new chapter. I know it's a late update, but from now on they're going to slow down a bit. I hope you'll enjoy it. Please VOTE, SHARE and COMMENT your opinions and/or questions. Lots of love, Maya.

P.S. Follow my instagram account @kava_fanfiction (I'll be putting sneak peaks to the chapters before uploading them😉).