I’m okay, I really am.
It had been two weeks since Rani’s ill-fated dinner with Arjun. They had managed to avoid each other as she threw herself into working feverishly to get his hotel finished. Contractors were already finalizing the guest suites, a feat that had been accomplished by Arjun offering a hefty bonus for early completion. But there was no avoiding him at this afternoon’s meeting at the hotel to review the progress that had been made. She had most of her team attending to serve as a buffer between them.
“Rani, I need to talk to you.” Delia shut the door as she entered her office.
Rani took a deep breath.
“I talked with Mr. Rabat and he’s in agreement that I will run the meeting this afternoon with Mr. Singh.”
“Excuse me? This is my project.”
“Given your personal involvement with Mr. Singh, we don’t think you should continue as the project lead.”
“There is nothing going on between me and Mr. Singh.” It was technically true. She had purposely used the present tense.
“But something did happen.”
Rani closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Maybe she should let Delia take over the entire project. Then Rani wouldn’t have to see Arjun again.
No. Damn it. She had an ace up her sleeve. She could throw Delia’s hypocrisy in her face by reminding her that she was Rani’s boss because of her own personal relationship. But she wasn’t going to stoop to her level.
“We don’t want to be late. You want to run the meeting, fine. I hope you’ve walked the space, cataloged the progress and talked to all the contractors so you’re prepared.” She walked out the door, leaving Delia no choice but to follow.
When Rani got to the hotel, she saw that Arjun had armed himself with an entourage. The smells of paint, dust and cut wood filled the air. Delia led the tour, but Rani constantly interjected, pointing out the areas where they were ahead of schedule and the ways in which they had incorporated unique architectural details. Just a few months ago, Rani wouldn’t have dared to act so brazenly, but she was tired of everybody making decisions for her. Maybe Arjun had rubbed off on her. It was her project and Delia had no right to take it over.
Arjun stayed toward the back of the group. When the tour was done, they gathered in the newly finished lobby. “Any questions?” Delia asked crisply.
“Yes.” The sea of staff parted so Rani had a complete view of Arjun. Her chest tightened, making it hard for her to take the breath she desperately needed. He was wearing jeans and a polo shirt. He’d come casual today as they’d been asked to do; they were all required to wear hard hats and there was no avoiding getting dusty. She loved how he looked in jeans and there was no stopping her mind from picturing the muscular legs underneath the fabric.
“Yes, Mr. Singh?”
Arjun had a number of technical questions, none of which Delia could answer, so Rani answered them for her.
“I have a final question,” Arjun persisted. “Why are you running this meeting when Ms. Gupta has all the answers?”
Rani wanted to kiss him.
“I’ll be leading the project from this point forward,” Delia stated matter-of-factly.
Rani’s head snapped towards Delia. What? How dare she!
“That is unacceptable,” Arjun said simply. “Ms. Gupta has done a tremendous job and I prefer to work with her.”
Rani froze and so did every member of the RKS team. Mr. Rabat was also there, eager to make sure everything went well because Arjun had managed to negotiate an unusual clause in the contract that allowed him to fire the firm with little notice.
With courage she didn’t know she had, Rani calmly said, “We felt you might want a more senior member of the team at this critical juncture, but you are the client and RKS wants you to be happy.” She looked smugly at Mr. Rabat, who reluctantly nodded.
After everyone had left, Rani felt drained but there was one more thing she wanted to do. She walked into the owners condo, which hadn’t been toured or discussed today because they’d already been signed off on. As she did, her phone buzzed with two missed calls from her brother, Sohel. She dialed his number but he didn’t answer.
Her feet carried her into the master bedroom. The place where she’d made love to Arjun for the first time. She touched the bedspread, her body warming at the memory of the textured fabric on her naked back. And the warmth of Arjun’s body on top of hers.
“What are you doing here?”
Rani whirled, her phone falling from her hands as she did.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.” Arjun stood there looking at her with a pained expression on his face.
“I...I just wanted to... I... Sorry. I’ll leave.” She felt like a trespasser. She picked up her phone and moved past him but he caught her hand. She stopped, hating the way she liked the warm feeling of his touch.
“Mr. Singh, I don’t think this is professional.”
He let her go. “Fine, then. I’ll tell you why I came. I couldn’t stop thinking about our night here. About how good it felt to be with you, how right we were together. I came back to convince myself that you meant nothing to me.”
A strangled sound escaped her throat but before she could say more, her phone vibrated. She glanced at the screen. It was her brother, Sohel, again.
“I’m sorry, I need to take this.”
“I don’t like how we ended things, Rani. We need to talk.”
That was the last thing Rani wanted to do. He would tempt her back into his bed and she couldn’t do that. It wasn’t just that he was promised to someone. It was the fact that he hadn’t told her. He’d made the decision about what she needed to know. He’d been controlling their relationship right from the start, and she’d let him. Just like she’d let everyone around her walk all over her for her whole life.
The phone buzzed incessantly in her hand. Arjun sighed in frustration as she answered it and walked into the hallway.
Her brother didn’t waste time with pleasantries. As soon as she heard what he said, her stomach bottomed out.
“Oh my God. No! I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
“Is everything okay?” Arjun asked as soon as she stabbed the End button.
She shook her head, unable to stop the tears burning her eyes. He came to her and pulled her into his arms. She collapsed against him, hating herself for needing his strength. “That was my brother. My father had a stroke. He’s critical.” She choked on a sob. “He might not make it through the night. Sohel asked me to come immediately to say goodbye.”
She pushed against Arjun and tapped her phone. “I need to find a flight to Los Angeles.”
Rani called the travel agency that RKS used. Even after explaining the situation, the best the travel agent could do was put her on a standby flight; she would have to wait hours to get a seat. Rani cursed in frustration, bile rising in her throat. What if her father died before she could see him? She shook her head; she couldn’t think that way. She had to find a way to get to Los Angeles.
Arjun gently took the phone away from her and ended the call.
“Arjun no. I have to...”
“Rani, I have a flight for you.”
She looked at him wide-eyed.
“I have a membership with an aviation company. They’ll have a private plane ready for us at Henderson Executive Airport in thirty minutes. Henderson is a lot less busy at this time than McCarran so we can get underway faster.”
She sagged in relief and then it hit her. “We?” Her voice was a squeak.
“Yes. I’m not letting you deal with this alone. I’ll fly you there.”
“You don’t have to do that. I appreciate your help in getting me a flight. I’ll pay you back.”
He shook his head. “Whatever else we are or are not, I insist that we are friends and I will see you safely to LA. It’s only a little more than an hour’s flight.” He firmly led her out. “Let’s get going.”
As much as she wanted to resist, the words of protest didn’t come out. There were so many emotions wreaking havoc with her, she didn’t have the energy to think about why Arjun was coming with her.
“I’ll have one of my assistants retrieve your car and drive it to your house.”
She nodded, glad that he was calm enough to think through the logistical details.
A Cessna Citation XLS was waiting for them when they arrived at the small airport. Rani had never been here. Then again, she’d never flown in a private plane.
They wasted no time climbing into the cabin. There were seats along both sides of the plane, facing each other, eight in total, clad in luxurious cream leather. Arjun took the seat opposite Rani and buckled in. Rani noticed a refrigerator that contained refreshments.
The pilot greeted them and went over safety instructions, and then they were on their way.
“Sorry this plane is a little basic. I have a Gulfstream back in India but it was impractical to station it here for the few trips I take in the US.”
She looked at him incredulously. “Are you kidding me? I was going to spend most of the night at the airport getting bumped from one standby flight to another and then cram myself into a middle seat that’s only comfortable for a small child. This is not basic. This is luxury that common people like me only read about in books or hear about from wealthy clients like you.”
He winced and Rani regretted her tone. “Do you have any updates on your father?” he asked, changing the subject.
She shook her head. “I just texted Sohel to let him know that I’m on my way. He’s in the ICU. He hasn’t told my mom that I’m coming. He thinks it’s best that I just show up.”
“Do you think your parents will refuse to see you, even now?”
The tears she’d been holding back spilled onto her cheeks. She turned her face away from him. “I don’t know. The very fact that Sohel isn’t telling my mother that I’m on the way to the hospital means he doesn’t think she’ll see me.” Rani remembered the last time she’d shown up at her childhood home. Her parents had refused to open the door. They’d left her knocking, and then sitting on the porch for hours.
Arjun reached out and touched her hand, which was resting on her lap. “When I was little, there was a time that I broke this crystal statue that Ma kept on her dresser. It was her favorite—she told me many times that it was a special present from my grandfather who had died a few years before. I was forbidden from touching it, but of course I was curious, and one day I broke it while playing with it. She was so angry. She told me to leave her room and wouldn’t talk to me for the rest of the day. I was so upset and inconsolable. I was sure she didn’t love me anymore. But then she came to tuck me into bed, like she did every night, and told me that no matter what I do, or how I hurt her, she would always love me. You have to believe that your parents are the same way, Rani. They may be unable to see past their anger right now but they love you, and always will.”
She nodded through her tears but then the sobs took over her body, and the grief she had bottled away came pouring out. He unbuckled his seat belt, went to her side and pulled her into his arms, holding on to her as she clung to him.
When they reached Los Angeles, they took the private car Arjun had already arranged for them to Cedars-Sinai hospital. They found Sohel and Rani’s sister Anaya in the ICU waiting room. The siblings hugged for several minutes, crying into each other’s shoulders.
Rani’s brother was nearly six feet tall. He was dressed in a black T-shirt and jeans and his thick hair was unruly. Anaya was a petite version of Rani, barely five feet tall. She had glossy black hair pulled back into a ponytail and big dark eyes. She was similarly dressed in jeans and a T-shirt.
Arjun stepped away from them, not wanting to intrude on the family moment, and he didn’t want to put Rani in an awkward position by having to explain his presence.
“What are you doing here?”
They all turned when they heard the harsh question. Arjun guessed that the woman in the salwar kameez—the traditional Indian pants with a long tunic top, and a scarf called a dupatta covering her head—was Rani’s mother. He could see the family resemblance.
“Mum!” Rani stepped towards her mother, who held up her hand.
“You should not be here, Rani. Your father is in no condition to deal with you. Please, go away.”
Rani shrank back. The look of sheer pain on her face propelled Arjun forward to make sure she didn’t collapse. Her mother eyed him.
“Namaste, Auntie.” He joined his hands together in front of him and bowed his head in a sign of respect. He could have called her Mrs. Gupta rather than using the more intimate, common term for older women in India. But this would identify him as a friend rather than as an outsider.
Mrs. Gupta appraised him. “And who are you?”
“Arjun Singh. I’m Rani’s...colleague.”
Her eyes widened and she looked between Arjun and Rani. “I see,” she said wearily and sat down in a chair.
Rani sat beside her and clasped her mother’s hand. “Mum, what good will come of sending me away again? Please, I’m begging you, I don’t want to leave Dad like this.”
Her mother closed her eyes and put her head in her hands. Before she could say anything, a man dressed in scrubs appeared.
“Mrs. Gupta?”
The entire family stood, dread written on their faces.
The man turned to Mrs. Gupta. “I’m Dr. McNeil, the neurologist who’s been taking care of your husband since he arrived. I have an update.”
Mrs. Gupta placed a hand on her chest.
“You were very wise in bringing Mr. Gupta right after his symptoms began. We were able to give him medication that only works if you administer it within three hours, and ideally within the hour after a stroke. Early tests show that he’s responding well. He’s awake now, which is a really good sign. You can go see him, but please keep it short.”
They all breathed a collective sigh of relief.
Rani rose, but one look from her mother had her collapsing back in the chair. Mrs. Gupta, Sohel and Anaya followed the doctor through the ICU doors.
Rani sobbed into her hands. Arjun sat next to her and put an arm around her. She rested her head on his shoulder. “What will it take for them to forgive me? I did everything I could to work it out with Navin. I really did.”
“Just be here, Rani. Be here for your parents. Even if they don’t want you around, show them that you haven’t forsaken them. That you are here for them. Eventually they will remember their love.”
“I don’t think they’ll ever forgive me. Today is the test. If my father still refuses to see me then I really am dead to them.”
“When I told my mother that I loved Lakshmi and was going to marry her despite what they said, she threatened to disown me. And she meant it too. She didn’t speak to me, had the servants pack my bags and wouldn’t let me in the house. I had to go stay in the guest cottage. Even after things ended with Lakshmi, she wouldn’t talk to me, not even to say I told you so. I understand how you’re feeling. Like a piece of your heart has been cut out from your chest and you’re left to bleed on the street. But I showed up to ask my mother’s forgiveness every day for a month. And I didn’t stop until she finally let me in the door. She did not talk to me for another two months but eventually she did. There will come a point when your parents will also realize they are not as angry as they want to be.”
“That’s good advice,” said a voice from behind them. They both turned to see Sohel, who was smiling. “Dad wants to see you, Rani. When he opened his eyes and saw all of us standing there his first question was to ask where you were.”
Rani stood so fast that she nearly tripped. Arjun steadied her, then she followed Sohel into the ICU.
Arjun smiled, relief flooding through him. Rani’s anguish had torn him apart. He knew what it felt like to make a choice that hurt the people he cared about. He had felt so selfish for wanting Lakshmi at the expense of his family. At the time he was young, and nothing felt more important, but could he make the same choice now?
Rani was not just an affair, that much he had come to understand in the last few weeks. No matter how many times he went over the reasons they couldn’t be together, all he could think about was how much he missed her. He’d been so happy to see her at the hotel walk-through that he’d spent the entire meeting thinking of frivolous excuses to extend the work on the hotel so he’d have more time in Vegas. More time with her.
He rubbed his forehead with the tips of his fingers. There had to be a way for the two of them to be together. He was a good problem solver so why couldn’t he solve this one?
Because there is no reasoning with Ma. He loved his mother but emotion and tradition were a big part of how she made decisions. Did that emotion also apply to forgiving her son? She had eventually forgiven him for falling in love with Lakshmi, hadn’t she?
The answer was no. Their relationship had never been the same after that. Where before there had been implicit trust, after the affair with Lakshmi his mother needed constant validations that he would follow through on basic promises. You’re sure you’ll come to the party? When exactly will you talk to your sister about that problem?
And of course the big one: You promise you’ll marry Hema the second you return from Vegas?