Chapter 3: Bittersweet Coffee

Kala felt as if she were lost and floating within her own thoughts as she walked down her bustling local streets. It had not taken long at all for the city to boom into it's usually busy clamber. Kala could hear the little street children winding through the traffic on their warm and worn out bare feet often searched for tourists, to sell homemade sweets or pretty flowers or trinkets.

They'd choose him…

Kala found herself thinking and it frightened her that nearly every thought of hers somehow managed to wrap around him and link to him like a flower garland. Kala's heart thudded nervously as the thought of flowers unlocked the memories of her wedding. She remembered the fear inside her as she watched her parents tie her to Rajan…till death…

It scared her even to this day, the thought that was, that if she hadn't seen Wolfgang in that moment, if she hadn't fainted. She would be with Rajan now. She would be his wife. Kala wondered what that would be like.

Rajan's Wife

She wondered what it would entail but struggled to form such a picture and so gave up and let her mind rest a little on the subject.

Her feet naturally followed the paths towards her home despite the fact that her head was bowed in thought. She smiled gently to herself as she realised she knew nearly every crack in the pavement. She had walked this route so many times before that it's image was burned within her brain. Rajan had insisted he walk her back so that they got some time to catch up. It was sweet of him but Kala couldn't help her eager inner want to be alone.

Alone with Wolfgang.

Kala shook her head as she eyes widened at her own thought. It felt wrong to think of such things. Her little mind demon, tempting her. Kala bit her lip starting to feel concerned about her thoughts. She turned towards Rajan and smiled softly.

Currently, he was enthusiastically telling her about something to do with the company, which was now his. Kala thought of his father's death and her palm became a little clammy as a shiver passed over her. She did not like violence. The image of Wolfgang's blood splattered Uncle them automatically flashed into her mind and Kala's abruptly stopped within her tracks.

Rajan felt the tug of her hand as she did so and turned to her concerned.

That's it. I need to stop thinking about him, she told herself firmly.

Kala smiled at her potential husband to be.

"Kala?" he asked smiling back but with confusion and a little concern and responded with a rather animated fashion. She took a deep breath and a few seconds to channel her thoughts and blurted with an exhale and swing of their hands…

"Let's have coffee."

For some reason the smell of it had suddenly filled her nostrils and her throat felt cold and dry. She shivered a little and then warmed at the thought of the steamy drink.

Rajan furrowed his brow and looked up towards the sun and then Kala.

"Coffee?" he inquired a little bewildered.

Kala suddenly realised it was burning hot and the heat draped over her like a thick blanked. Sweat beaded on her forehead and she gasped softly trying to think of an explanation.

"Umm...cold coffee?" she replied meekly with a cute grin.

Rajan chuckled heartedly. She really could be rather odd at times but he still loved her for it.

"Okay. Cold Coffee it is." He smiled in agreement mostly just pleased that she wished to spend more time with him. He had noticed that she had been rather withdrawn lately and her sudden request pleased him. Maybe she was finally warming towards him again. He hoped so dearly.


Elsewhere, in the coldness of Berlin, Wolfgang slumped into his chair with a sour faced expression and his hazel eyes swirled into a darker shade as he pushed the handle of his spoon around the rim of this porcelain coffee cup with just his forefinger. He heard it's continuous scraping sound and breathed in time with it through his nose. Some of the warm steam rose up and tickled it and he brushed the tip of his nose with the back of his hand and pushed himself straighter into his chair.

Wolfgang growled like an irritated wolf cub.

He then impulsively brought down his curled iron fist upon the wooden table and the spoon slumped within his cup jumped and dived back into it's pool of coffee creating a small but noticeable plop. He was thinking of Kala and Rajan, the way he had led her away from him, grasping her hand as if dangling their union in front of him. Of course this wasn't true, Rajan had no idea of his existence but for some reason even this bothered Wolfgang. His blood bubbled. He wanted him to know…he wanted him to see. Maybe this was selfish, maybe it was primal but knowing that he remained hidden to all her world had begun to irk him so. He wanted to be part of her, not some just a secret fantasy but her reality.

Wolfgang picked up the coffee cup and gulped but then put it down in confusion and stared into its blackness. It was sweet and even more strangely, it was cold.

Odd

He then slowly lifted the cup and smelled it before raising it to his eye in suspicion. Wolfgang narrowed his eyes and squinted at it in concentration.

Hmm. He mused and placed it back down on the table. When Wolfgang looked up he found he again was no longer in his room but instead in some sort of café. Although this happened often, it was always miraculous. He placed both hands flat upon on the grainy patterned white table as if to measure it's realness.

Not too far from him Kala prodded her scoop of vanilla ice cream with her red striped plastic straw. It bobbed in her cup of coffee. She then took and sip, blinked rapidly and splurted causing the drink to splattered across the table. It was burning hot and bitter and she bit her tongue anxiously jumping in her seat and gasping.

Rajan jolted at her grasp and immediately came to her rescue, grabbing a couple of napkins and saving the coffee from dripping off table onto her dress but instead managing to dip the cuff of his white shirt into a pool of it.

Kala watched him embarrassed with her clumsiness.

"Brainfreeze." She quickly replied apologetically. "I'm so sorry." She then exclaimed noticing his shirt.

He must think I'm mad. She noted, feeling nervous and irritated.

Wolfgang's ears pricked up attentively as he heard her voice. Immediately he looked her way.

"Kala…" he breathed as he located her and then couldn't help but smirk as his eyes trailed to discover Rajan's stained shirt. Clearly their 'date' wasn't going to plan.

Kala in the midst of it all noticed Wolfgang sitting across from her table. She glowered as she saw him smirk and Wolfgang stopped smiling as he noticed her expression.

Uh oh… He thought.

I should have known, of course this had something to do with him! She thought angrily to herself.

Just you wait, you wolf-demon she thought and suddenly Wolfgang broke out into laughter. Even though it has just been a thought, he had heard her loud and clear.

Wolf-demon? He thought back to her amused. Really?

Kala stared at him and pursed her lips.