Chapter 6: Streams and Rivalries

Just when I thought my compliments had made things a little friendlier with Kabir, that night he came downstairs looking impatient.

When he saw me, the hostility in his eyes seemed to fade a little.

His posture relaxed a bit, and he tucked his hands into his pockets as if remembering his manners only after seeing me.

"I’m going out for a bit. I’ll bring back dinner for you."

He shook his car keys and explained.

The keys jangled, and he tossed them from one hand to another, glancing at me with an expression that was half challenge, half reassurance.

His hands were long and well-shaped. My gaze lingered for a second, and I nodded obediently.

For a second, I was mesmerised by his strong wrists, the faint line of a scar he once got while playing gully cricket with Bhaiya.

Kabir glanced at me, looking quite satisfied with my obedience—his steps even seemed lighter.

There was a spring in his step as he left, as if he’d just scored the winning point in a match.

He came back that night and brought me a rice bowl meal.

He hurried upstairs to stream, still looking a bit upset.

I was curious, but didn’t dare ask, so I opened his stream.

I heard him turn on the camera with a dark face, silent for a moment before telling the chat, "Brand requirement, duo queue today."

He’s very skilled, always solo carrying his streams.

Occasionally he’d duo with former teammates or other streamer friends.

Before I or the fans could react, a cute avatar suddenly invited him to team up.

He accepted without hesitation, but still looked unhappy.

The female streamer turned on her mic, her voice sweet and sticky.

Fans in the chat explained she was also a game streamer.

Besides him, I don’t really watch other streamers, so it’s normal I don’t know her.

But he was duo queuing with another girl.

Even though I know it’s his job, I still felt a bit unhappy.

I bit my lower lip, feeling a silly pang of jealousy that I tried to ignore. I poked at my rice, trying not to focus on their voices echoing from my phone.

They started the match, and I ate while listening to them talk.

Actually, it was mostly the female streamer talking—he barely responded.

The female streamer’s fans were many, and seeing his attitude, started flaming him in the chat:

"Bhai, Ananya ko blue buff de de na!"

"Stinky face, learn some manners!"

"Arrey, Ananya is total cutie yaar, why you so rude?"

The chat was a mess.

The female streamer didn’t seem affected, still acting cute and asking him to give her the blue buff, even moving her character next to his in-game.

But he calmly took the blue buff himself and went off to gank the side lane without looking back.

The chat scrolled even faster.

He glanced at the screen, spoke sparingly: "You can’t make use of the blue buff."

His own fans laughed and spammed ‘straight guy,’ while the female streamer’s fans went wild.

Kabir’s old fans all know he’s sharp-tongued and does whatever he wants, so they weren’t surprised he didn’t give up the blue buff.

That’s just how he is.

The chat was so vicious I couldn’t watch, so I sent a bunch of special effect gifts.

My finger hovered over the gift icon for a moment, then I sent him three back-to-back hearts. For a second, I felt a silly thrill—what if he recognised my username?

The chat started spamming, ‘Number one fan didi, long time no see.’

He glanced at it, then said coldly, "Thanks for the gifts."

I ate the food he brought back, and hearing his "thanks" made my eyes crinkle with a smile.

The game ended quickly, and maybe the female streamer noticed his cold attitude, so she found an excuse to stop playing.

His expression gradually eased after she left—anyone could see how much he disliked her.

The chat was laughing, asking if he didn’t like soft girls.

Normally Kabir wouldn’t respond, but today he paused while looking at the chat.

"I like them."

The chat froze, then exploded.

"Like what?"

"So you like soft girls?"

"Then why are you so mean to Ananya?"

He sneered, "That counts as a soft girl?"

He thought of the girl downstairs, eating slowly, like those bunny or squirrel eating reels on Insta.

So obedient.

None of them eat as well as she does.

Just sometimes not obedient—afraid of him, won’t call him Bhaiya.

So he does like soft girls.

My mind was a mess, imagining countless reasons why he would curl his lips.

But if he liked me, how could he be so indifferent?

A few days ago, my brother messaged me, worried we weren’t getting along, telling me not to hang around him too much.

I sighed, packed up the empty food box, and threw it away.

As I binned the container, I wondered if maybe, just maybe, he saw me differently. The late-night sound of the pressure cooker from the neighbour’s flat brought me back to reality.