“It’s not spicy,” Dheeti Ghafa assures without prompting when she sets down a healthy portion of dal bhat in front of Kaz. Across from him, Inej does her best attempt at conveying to him that he better keep his mouth shut if he knows what’s good for him because if he makes a single complaint, either in regards to her mama’s kindness or the amount of food on his plate, she will not apologize for the heinous sin she will commit against him.
He is lucky that he has been accommodated at all this time. Not because her mama would not do so for a guest, but because Inej had insisted in her letters prior to this visit that she need not. His luck also extends so far to include Mama’s fond curiosity with the Barrel boss sitting in his mercher black and gloves in their wagon for supper.
“Chili oil?” Baba asks pleasantly, offering the little greasy tin to Kaz with a knowing twinkle in his eye. He winks at Inej conspiratorially over his own meal and she can’t help but grin back at him for his wickedness.
“Ramesh!” Mama scolds with a light slap to his wrist so that he puts the tin back down. “Do not listen to him, Mr. Brekker. Save your Kerch tastebuds.”
At this, Inej finally laughs. “Mama, you are just as mean,” she says in Suli.
“I am only testing your sweetheart, chorī,” Dheeti argues with a sniff. If Kaz is annoyed that the language barrier keeps him out of these secrets, Inej does not look at him to check. Her pinking cheeks are too embarrassing to have the upperhand on him this once. He’d find a way to win whatever game he’d make of this match of shame and she is determined to see him lose. Dheeti scoops an extra spoonful of rice onto Kaz’s plate and asks in heavily accented Kerch, “Good?”
@barrelborne <3
