become addicted to the escape of centering his mind and body as one. That’s how this felt, this letting go, this being fully immersed in something out of his control.
It felt good.
Like someone had sliced the ropes tying him up with the sharpest blade. One flick, the cut clean and quick. He was unbound.
The hypnotic hold of the moment released him when Arzu finished, folded her mat, and stood. Her prayer-heavy gaze shifted to her husband. If Abdul could see her expression, the sheer fierceness of it might wake him.
Yash was smiling when Arzu caught his eye. She smiled back, and he made a rolling action with his hand to indicate that she should carry on, he was about to leave anyway. With a nod she sat down next to India, who opened her eyes slowly, rubbed her hands together, and took Arzu’s hands in hers.
They seemed familiar with each other. When had that happened? How? Before India could catch him soaking her up with his eyes, he tried to make his escape. He almost made it too, but she caught his gaze. The feeling of peace was immediate and immersive. The hot spark that traveled through his chest brutal. For a moment he thought she’d rise and come to him. For a moment he thought he’d go to her. For a moment the world brimmed with potential, brightened with hope. Then she turned to Arzu and he left.
The off-kilter beating of his heart stayed with him when he stopped by Trisha’s and Abdul’s doctor’s offices for an update. It didn’t ease when he made his way to the lobby none the richer for any new information on Abdul, or on Tara. Trisha had gone to see her, but she wouldn’t give him any details.
Minutes after he left Trisha’s office his phone buzzed with a message from Nisha. “We need to meet.”
Evidently she’d just been waiting for him to be done with the debate and to get back in town before hunting him down.
“Packed schedule today,” he responded.
“You realize I know your schedule, right?” Nisha shot back. “You have another few hours before you leave for the airport again. Your photo op at the bookstore just got canceled.”
“I told you I need space. Please.”
He waited for her to tell him that he’d had a week since the engagement debacle, which was a week more than anyone else in the family would’ve gotten after pulling something like that.
“I’m worried about you,” she texted instead, using I, not we, which was telling.
“Stop worrying. I’ll call after L.A.”
“Fine, but I also need to talk to you about the surprise baby shower you’re all planning.”
Yash smiled. “No idea what you’re talking about,” he typed, and then tucked his phone into his pocket.
Ashna, Trisha, and Ma were planning the shindig next month. It had been hard to find a date. They’d planned it for last month, then the shooting had happened. Ashna wanted to do it in the renovated Curried Dreams, but like all renovation projects that one had overshot its completion date. So the shower would happen at the Anchorage next month, just before Nisha finished her seventh month of pregnancy.
Trisha had just told him that Nisha had been trying to get one of them to slip up and tell her about it, because she didn’t want to be caught in something dowdy just because they wanted to surprise her. Not that anyone had any idea what Nisha being dowdy would look like.
“Where to, boss?” Brandy was waiting for him in the lobby. She wasn’t anywhere near as hands-off as he’d thought her to be when he’d first met her.
“The bookstore canceled so we’re done for today. Rico’s driving to the airport with me later.” Brandy didn’t travel with him. The security agency used local bodyguards for events. “Go on home. Ellie’s probably waiting for dinner.” They headed for the exit, stopping a few times so he could shake hands with people and take selfies, before making their way to the parking lot under a gloomy evening sky.
Brandy kept pace with him easily as they strode across the concrete. It was an unseasonably warm day, and his sports coat felt oppressive around him. Usually, he couldn’t get enough layers of clothing on his body.
“Ellie’s working late today, but she’ll be done soon, since India just left here. If you’re sure you’re headed home, I’ll get Ellie from the studio before I do the same.”
Being thirty-eight and having one word resonate like a gong out