Brute

45. Kalki

The evening sky was lit up with fireworks, the race was long over but the celebrations had only just begun. Kalki freshened up, texted her friends and family that she won't be available for a while, she was going around town.

Dubai was far more glamorous than any place they'd been to so far, all she could think about was if her clothes would be fine. She didn't want to be mistaken for waitstaff, the dress she looked forward to wearing all weekend suddenly seemed too plain. But it's not like she had a backup outfit, with a sigh she slipped on the black dress and heels, fastening a dainty necklace around her neck and a watch around her wrist.

She walked into the lobby, and she had her answer. She didn't look too plain, people did notice her. She felt like herself again, standing taller now that she knew she drew eyes.

"Ready for some fun?" Max asked.

She turned around to face him, he was in his usual casual clothes. A white button up and jeans, Kalki wondered why she felt so conscious when this man dressed in the most basic clothes and was still sure of himself.

"Let's go." She smiled. His eyes lingered on her a little longer than they usually would.

"You look nice. Pretty." He hesitated.

"You don't look too bad yourself." She returned the compliment.

They walked to the portico, the valet was already here with the car. Max thanked him and held the door open to help Kalki in. Max started the drive, telling her it would be an hour's drive to the place they were all gathering in, maybe quicker if she didn't mind him speeding.

"As long as you don't get a speeding ticket I really don't care." Kalki said looking at her phone.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

"Introducing you to my music." She said.

"Can't be better than Martin's, he's DJing tonight." Max announced.

"Are you bragging to me?" Kalki laughed.

"What! No!" His face was turning a beet red.

Kalki's playlist was now booming through the speakers of the car, she was humming along, already having fun, she hoped partying would make her even happier. In the corner of her eye she could see Max giggling.

"What are you laughing at?"

"Nothing." He said barely holding in a laugh.

"You're a terrible liar."

"It's just I wouldn't have expected you to listen to this music."

"What is this music? And what about me not being able to enjoy the music I do?"

" I don't know! You seem so cold and cruel on the outside and you're listening to Bollywood, kpop and Taylor Swift. It's just music I can't associate with your personality."

"Hey! Good music transcends language barriers. Being cold and cruel is not my personality, it's the only side of me you've ever seen. There's more to me."

"I know there is." He smiled at her for a second.

They reached the club, to Max's surprise everyone was on time, some maybe earlier. Lando, who claimed to dislike alcohol was already tipsy. Daniel too had just got here. Max went around greeting his friends, Kalki stood all by herself in a corner. She could talk to Lando but she had ghosted him with no explanation, it would probably make things awkward.

Lando didn't seem to think so, he took the initiative to talk to her first. "Why are you standing there all sober?"

"I just got here." She smiled awkwardly.

"You need a drink. Come with me!" He waved, asking her to follow him to the bar. "Also you look nice."

"Thank you. You look nice too." Kalki said.

"Also just to make things clear, I am not hitting on you. I have someone now." He grinned.

"That's sweet! I hope you keep they make you happy."

Kalki asked the bartender for a cosmopolitan, Lando teased her for ordering such a "grown up" drink. Seeing the bartender skilfully mix the cocktail mesmerised her so much, she sat there, hoping to savour the drink. But instead she found herself with an empty glass in a few minutes. She asked for another one, Kalki was feeling all warm and fuzzy on the inside. She was buzzed.

"Should we dance?" Lando asked, "I can already see Daniel in the crowd." He hooted.

"One more drink? Join me! And then we'll dance!" She beamed.

Lando took a seat beside her, both of them sipping on their cosmos and catching up on what were things like lately. Once his drink was over, Lando dragged Kalki to the dance floor, dead centre where Daniel was grooving with a couple of other people.

Kalki finally didn't feel as stiff and conscious anymore, she danced, laughed and hummed along to the beats. For a second she remembered that she didn't know where Max was, but that was a problem for later. Right now her work and worries were melting away with the music that was playing.

Now she was starting to feel a little drunk, it felt like the room was floating around like a boat, it was getting increasingly difficult to stabilise her feet. Warmth. On her arm, both of them. Someone was holding her. She looked up to see who it was.

It was him. He was looking at her too, with a look on his face she had never quite seen. The intensity in his  eyes, it didn't look like hatred. She had to blink quite a lot for things to not go hazy.

"Where were you?" She leaned on his arms, closing the gap between their faces.

"I can't. I'm a human being too." He sighed.

"You're not making any sense." She giggled.

In the blink of an eye, his lips crashed onto hers. Kalki was surprised. But not shocked, it felt pleasant. These weren't gentle kisses, it was passionate. She wrapped her arms around him, he pulled her in closer.