The very beautiful new cover of the book by diyatrivedi !! ✨
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~brother~
"Listen up everyone! I'll not be there for a few days. Take care of the café and just for god's sake don't blow it up. I'll bring interesting stuff for you all."
A young green-eyed man smirked mischievously, wiggling his eyebrows. He stood between few of the apron clad people looking at him suspiciously.
Obviously he was putting up an act. This man, bringing intresting stuff only means more culinary stuff.
"Chef, we do our work just fine, you know" One of them interjected.
"Haha, yeah sure." Chef Ali, clapped his hands and made his was way out of their little gathering.
The said café of an open concept enthralled with sombre walls painted in pastel blue and greens. A small pool was built on a side having a mesh roof adorned with small round bulbs of different colours hanging in waves along with little flowers embedded delicately all over.
"And no personal parties, please!" He shouted turning back from them, reaching the back of the kitchen at the other end of the cafe. He weaved through the islands of stoves and shelves neatly arranged in lines to a pot still up on simmered flames. In a swift motion he opened the lid, holding it in his hand and stirred the contents.
"So, when am I finally meeting her?" A voice reverberated around due to the lack of people in the quiet hall. The lid Ali held in his hand trembled in surprise as he violently turned back towards the origin of the voice.
"Not you again." He squirmed and mumbled muddled up words at the figure.
"That too hogging again on my cookies. Those are for customers, Neil." Ali closed the lid of the pot turning off the heat. He walked past the figure to the sink where he washed and pat his hands dry.
"I'm ganna take so much of your money for them."
The figure chuckled, continuing munching. Ali stood apart from him, in the other aisle.
"Sure, brother! I'll see how that goes." Neil chuckled standing straighter.
"I heard, Radhika's getting married?"
"Funny that you even know who Radhika is." Ali rolled his eyes. Walking back to an island keeping the ingredients back in the shelves. There was almost no rush at this hour of the day.
"Oh come on, I know all what you did back in Delhi." Neil lifted his eyebrows with a smirk plastered on his face.
"Yes Neil, I did get a girlfriend and that's that." Ali scoffed. Neil was the biggest supporter of their relationship.
"If you weren't breaking hearts left right and centre all your life, you'd have one too."
"Noo No No No Noo No No! We aren't doing this this way. " Neil backed off. He passed the containers to Ali to keep up the shelf who just rolled his eyes.
"So I assume you're coming along?" Ali continued.
"More like you're coming along, I already had plans in Delhi. Might as well socialise a little." Neil stated crossing the aisle, making his way out of the kitchen.
"Mom's words by the way, not mine." He added.
"Offcourse, why else would you grace me with your presence." Ali shouted from behind.
"Don't be like that Ali, I gotta be always around to steal these cookies from here."
Ali sighed dramatically, strolling out behind Neil.
"Yeah sure use the elder brother for every damn thing.. This whole family is nuts at this point. Who do I have? Tell me, Neil. Tell me brother!" He whined.
"Mitali, you have Mitali." Neil pointed out. Point blank. Why was this family nuts was a whole different conversation but if the eldest was trying so hard to keep it all together, the younger one had to neutralise.
"You wouldn't let it go, right?" Ali squinted his eyes, smiling faintly.
he did have Mitali, though. no questions there
Neil gave a nice tight smile, shrugging his shoulders. "It'll have to happen someday."
He proceeded to ignore Ali's long stare which clearly meant something he already knew.
"You don't give a dime about Radhika or the wedding"
"Umm, heard her name the first time today" Neil put out apprehensively.
"And you just want to barge in the middle of the wedding full of strangers?" Ali continued.
"It's time. I gotta meet my sister in law. She's cooler than you atleast!" Neil reasoned.
"Neil-" Ali put out a few words in line to say before stopping himself. His younger brother just turned to him and gave a warm look. Pushing through the chairs and tables, he wrapped his arms around Ali.
"Come on man, let me be the mentally deranged person of this family. You're cool, we're cool. We're doing this. It will turn out just fine!" Neil assured by patting Ali's shoulders firmly before letting go.
"Okayy, nilu" Ali shouted at Neil's retreating figure. "You know, you're cute when you show emotions. You should do it often."
"Yeah sure, next time I will definitely give the killer a nice pep talk before they blow up a damn building." Neil got back to his cookies, getting his hands full before putting the lid back on.
"Yeah about how to handle stressful situations and dealing with societal pressures." Ali suggested as Neil backed out, handing the half empty jar of cookies to him.
"Yeah yeah whatever, same thing." Ali shook with a hearty laugh, which reverberated through Neil as well.
"I think i might also need that" said Neil.
"You sure would. Me and Mitali's friends combined is sure a dramatic lot to deal with."
"God somebody save me." Neil exclaimed.
"Oh and you're kinda hotshot already. You know with all that cop thing mixed with shy and music and everything." Ali moved around arranging the tables and chairs Neil had budged all this while.
Neil scoffed, getting his hand in the pocket of his washed jeans to fish out his car keys. "Clearly one of us is very extroverted"
Ali laughed but it drowned out just as it had started."Maa will come around right?"
Neil looked at Ali thoughtfully for a minute. "Obviously. She's maa! Chill! Lighten up"
He twirled his keys in one hand before moving back a little.
"Anyway, I did your bookings with mine. Don't forget the responsibilities of being a big brother and pay me back." He shouted a little, shuffling down the exit.
"Okay see you at 7, don't wander away!" Ali shouted from where he stood. Neil gave him a discrete finger salute before moving out of the café to his car.
"Always in a hurry." Ali mumbled getting in the kitchen to wrap up before leaving as Neil reversed his jeep out in no time, racing away.
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YOU ARE READING
| Entwined Rhythms |
Romance"You know, Neil khanna is the kind of guy you'll end up falling in love with." "You mean his singing and his voice, can't say about that about all of him." Avni winked at her sister before heading away. ~Destiny would trick them to come around.~ "A...
