Alex's home had two rooms. One was his bedroom, and the other was for guests. Kalina and Chitra decided to stay in the guestroom. They didn't even bother asking for his permission.
Sun sunk into the mountains as time went by. Alex went around the village and visited Mupan, Mani and the chieftain. He talked with them for a while to show that he was safe. He was reciprocating their kindness. Meanwhile, he also gave them some gifts he had prepared.
Unda was pleased when he saw Alex. He jumped around in his chubby body, expecting to get some delicious treats from Alex.
ραΠdαsΝοvel.cοm Alex didn't let down Unda. He gave some of the Pushpam honey he bought to Unda. And it was the natural honey, not the kind that scammers sold.
At first, Unda didn't understand what it was. But after tasting the dense honey inside the jar, his eyes shone like brilliant stars. He was mesmerised by the taste.
"Big brother Meru, do you have some more," Unda asked without hiding his greed. His chubby hands were directed to the bag Alex was carrying.
"No, Remember to share it with your friends," Alex stated and disappeared from the place, leaving behind the greedy little munchkin.
It was better to say Alex escaped with his life. If he had not, the kids would have covered him like flies.
He returned home after a while.
Before entering, he heard loud noises from behind his house. Some people occupied the house's backyard, and they were doing something there.
Alex paused but quickly approached the backyard to know what these people were up to.
"BOOOM!"
"Thuck." Something heavy landed on the floor.
When Alex neared the backyard, he realised that the heavy thing that landed was Poka. The burly guy was hurled to the sky by someone and fell head-first into the floor. When he fell to the ground with his hammer, he made a giant indent in the shape of his body on the floor.
"What the heck is going–" Unknowing, Alex said.
But before he could complete his words, he saw Charam and Kanal being thrown away like a used rag. Their bodies, however, flipped in the air as they fell to the ground gracefully. At least they kept their balance when they were thrown away.
Nobody was injured in the bout. But the backyard had better days.
"Huh! Hidden master." The person that threw away his peer hopped towards Alex.
'Only one person calls me hidden master.' Alex thought as he rubbed his temples. He knew that annoying brat had found him.
"Meena, you are here?"
"Yes, great master." She nodded her head happily.
Alex turned to look at Chithra and Kalina, who were in the audience. His eyes hinted at them at his question. 'What the fuck was going on?'
Kalina took the hint and stepped forward.
"They sparred with my sisters. And they lost."
'That I can see with my very own eyes.'
"Could you perhaps elaborate?"
"This happened because of you. Your peers claimed that they were as strong as you. Meena, however, disagreed with their claim. She called you a hidden master and said your strength was unfathomable.
"This ignited an argument that resulted in a sparring match."
"And thus, she wiped the floor with them," Alex said while gazing at his peer with pity.
Poka was severely beaten and bruised. Charam was exhausted, and Kanal looked like she had lost her soul.
Defeat at the hand of a twelve-year-old has given them a shock.
'They might be feeling the same thing I felt when I played FPS games in my past life. The kid kicking their butt may have wounded their ego. But I think it is a great learning experience. Knowing that there are stronger people outside might motivate them.'
"Guys, you fought well. Defeat is not the end." Alex gave out words of encouragement and called them towards his home.
"After moping, you can fix the backyard."
"Okay." Poka, Charam and Kanal replied.
"Then, let's have a party," Alex said.
"A party! Yeah!" Meena was the first to jump with excitement. "Can I have some fried chicken?" She asked with great expectation.
"Yes, you can."
"Hi, hi…" She giggled, showing her pearly white tooth.
Kalina was perplexed seeing the relationship Meru had with her sister. Meena was usually a cautious kid. She disliked most of the people they met during events in her tribe. And this was due to extraordinary sense. She had this ability to sense hostility and malice since she was young.
So, she could quickly identify those who approached her for their own benefit. This also prevented her from having friends. After all, real friends were hard to find in this world.
This also fueled her naughty personality. She treated others just the way they treated her. As time passed, it became a habit of hers, distrusting everyone.
That was why Kalina was fascinated with the relationship Alex built with Meena. Even though they only met a few times, they had some baseline of trust.
"I like cooking for everyone, but I also hate freeloaders. So, this time, everyone here will help me cook." Alex stated while looking at the scattered people around him.
Meena was the first to nod once she heard what Alex said.
"Yes. Meena can come here and help me wash these vegetables. Clean them well and place them here." Alex said while pointing at a table.
The bodyguards were shocked to see their little princess made to do work. They wanted to step in, but Kalina stopped them.
The excited Meena hummed a song as she began cleaning the vegetables. It included bell peppers, onions, cucumbers and a wide variety of vegetables that can be used to make salad dressing.
"Charam, go wash the utensils." Alex pointed at his pans, bowls, plates and other cookware collection.
"Kanal, light the fire under the grill."
"Poka can chop up those firewood."
He gave orders one by one. They gladly performed their duties without missing a beat.
"And Kalina. Come here?"
"Me!"
"Yes, you. Did you expect some special treatment?"
"No, but."
"Come fast."
"Yeah." Kalina took some time to process what was happening. But she still went along with it.
"You can chop up the vegetables that your sister washes. Dice them up nicely and evenly and place them on the table. I will use it when I need it."
"Hm.." She hummed a yes while nodding. Kalina never thought that even she would be asked to work.
Kalina took the knife immediately and began to chop up the vegetables. Within a second, she rhythmically moved the blade up and down. Without even knowing, she began to enjoy the feeling of cutting vegetables.
"That's it. Nice." Alex commented from the side. But Kalina was immersed in her own world. She couldn't even hear Alex's words.
"Now, Chitra. Come here." Finally, Alex called out to the tier 5 warrior without any fear.
"Why?"
"You are the eldest among us. It is your responsibility to take care of us. So, why are you standing there without doing anything? Come and help us."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. You can be my assistant for today. You will help me with whatever I have to do. Occasionally, you can go and help the others."
Chitra nodded in affirmation.
Like that, the giant family began to prepare the food. It was a calming moment for everyone.
Poka, Kanal and Charam took their mind off the defeat they encountered and once again became lively.
Kalina immersed herself in the rhythm of cutting vegetables.
Meena occasionally stole some vegetables and ate them sneakily.
And Chitra, who was desperately looking for answers, found a little solace.
Like that, they prepared their meal.
It took more than an hour to finish preparing the meal. And the food they made smelled delicious. Knowing they had a part to play in the meal prepared before them assured them they could consume it.
The sun had already set. And it was time for dinner.
The food items were moved towards a large dining table that Alex placed in the yard. Everything was neatly arranged on the table, from fried, grilled and roasted chicken to soups, salads and bread.
It was a hefty meal. But Alex knew that nothing would be left over. Because Unda, his dear neighbour, had come to his house after smelling the delicacies.
"I wish every day could be like this." Alex raised a glass of lime juice and said.
His words resounded in Kalina's and Chitra's minds. They knew what his words meant. Like Alex, they, too, wished for peace. But can they get it? It was not a question they could answer.
Their emotions churned until Alex spoke, reeling them back to reality.
"Let's dig in. Don't shy away from eating as much as you want." He said happily while grabbing some of his favourite dishes and moving them to his plate.
Like that, the day ended.
They looked like a giant family together.
Today was a happy day.
Everyone was satisfied with today.
This chapt𝓮r is updat𝒆d by (f)reew𝒆b(n)ovel.com