Colors

eleven

"Wah! Rani is here everyone!" Mummy announced dramatically to Pappa, who laughed at how extra she was. "I know I am just a servant anyways. I hope you had a nice stay at the hotel?"

My face burned. I'd normally laugh, roll my eyes, and shrug it off, but Jai was beside me.

And he couldn't stop cackling.

Needless to say, I was mortified.

"Sorry, Mummy," I said simply, widening my eyes and tilting my head to Jai, who was still laughing. Mummy definitely did not care.

"Kya? Jai, bachha, ahi aavo," Mummy told Jai in her baby voice. She held her arms out and pouted as if she was talking to Om. "Come, come sit with us. Laila must have troubled you so much."

Jai, still grinning madly, turned to stick his tongue out at me. I made a face back. He sat down beside my mom, who, in all her glory, decided to ruffle his hair.

Someone please help me.

"Your hair is so long, beta," Mummy spoke in quick Gujarati. "I can cut it if you'd like."

"No thank you, aunty. I like it." Jai shook his head like a wet dog, making us laugh. There was something so hot about a guy who could speak more than just English.

"It looks good," Pappa said curtly, giving him a brief nod and smile.

"Thank you, uncle." Jai gave me a mischievous smile, his mole making him look like an adorable kid, and I already knew what was coming. "You know who else likes my hair-"

"And that's enough for today! So where's breakfast... I'm hungry?" Immediately as I said it, I cringed. Trouble couldn't get enough of me.

"Of course! This is like a hotel anyways... come eat food and give no contribution. I'm sure Jai contributes so much at home, don't you, Jai?"

Jai smirked at me. "Of course, aunty. All I do is contribute."

I almost rolled my eyes. "I'm sure you're an angel."

Mummy narrowed her eyes. "No sarcasm. Now, what were you saying, Jai? Who else likes your hair?"

"Laila is actually a big fan of it," Jai announced, making me want to jump off a cliff. "She told me yesterday that she loves it."

"Stop saying love like you're in elementary school," was my weak retort. I gave Jai my best fuck you glare, and he smiled sweetly, his little dimple popping prominently. He was so goddamn cute. Ugh. Find a flaw. My goodness.

Sheesh, I compliment a guy once, and he finds ways to bring it up constantly. I know he's just trying to irritate me (and it's working), but still.

Pappa gave me the sneaky eye. Can I ever catch a break around here?

"I'm sure she does," Mummy replied, completely ignoring me, "She loves your kind of hair."

What? How- what? I'm actually dreaming.

"Oh trust me, aunty, I know."

I huffed. "Don't be so glum, Laila, Go sit," Pappa told me.

I sat down beside Jai, making sure he understood that the gap between us very much existed on purpose. Jai chuckled, scooting closer to me, his body warmth radiating through the air. All I wanted to do was smash something.

Or someone, but that was quite irrelevant.

Why is he so warm in August?

"So how come you moved Jai? Most families with children your age don't move?" Pappa asked. Finally, a normal conversation. I haven't had one of those in a while. Pappa's question made me curious though. Families with upperclassmen usually didn't do big moves.