Incense and Sensibility (The Rajes #3) - Sonali Dev Page 0,92

going dreamy with memory. “I’ve been waiting to give it to you so you can finally give it to Naina.”

Yash popped the box open. Nestled in aged white satin sat a deep green emerald surrounded by diamonds so brilliant he blinked.

“Thank God whatever newfangled thing you two were doing is over. What’s the point of a relationship if she can’t be here for you?” Dad said.

Mom clapped. “We can do a celebration at Curried Dreams when it reopens next month. It will be great publicity for Ashi too!”

Nisha said something about ordering clothes.

All Yash could manage was to open and shut his mouth a few times, but no one was paying him any attention, so taken up were they with his imaginary engagement. The ringing swallowed up their excited chatter.

“I’m in the middle of a campaign,” he said finally.

No one heard him.

“I’m in the middle of a damn campaign,” he shouted far too loudly, and they all went silent and gaped at him as though he were the one who’d lost his mind. Which was all sorts of backward.

“Then why did you decide to announce on network television that you were getting engaged in the middle of a campaign?” Ma said.

“I did nothing of the sort.”

Nisha started punching at her phone.

“Nisha, do not pull that interview up, or help me God . . .” He shoved a hand through his hair. “I know what was said. It was twisted completely out of context. What is wrong with you?”

Nisha glared at him, but she stopped trying to pull up the blasted interview on her phone.

“I don’t understand,” Ma said. “Why on earth wouldn’t you just get married if you love each other and if you’ve been together for ten years? It makes no sense.”

Tell me something I don’t know.

After the interview, Naina, true to form, had taken off for L.A. to meet Mehta’s partners and Yash had been in the Apple Valley campaigning. Probably why the family had waited until now for this ambush.

“Someone needs to tell him,” Ashna said, after being mostly quiet through this circus.

That sounded terribly ominous. “Tell me what?”

Ma glared at Ashna. Something Ma almost never did to her nieces. She saved her glarings for her biological children. Possibly the only way in which she ever discriminated among them.

“What now?” he asked.

HRH stood. “What is that supposed to mean? We’re all here bending over backwards trying to honor your wishes. Instead of thanking us, you’re acting like we’re the ones being unreasonable. When did you turn into such an ungrateful person?”

“He’s not ungrateful,” Ashna, Nisha, and Esha all said.

“Thanks,” he said to them. Then, “I need a minute.” With that, he headed for the stairs.

“Yash, wait. Don’t leave like this. At least hear us out,” Nisha said.

There was nothing more he could stand to hear and he really needed a moment to clear his head, so he ran down the stairs as though he hadn’t heard her.

Just as he got to the bottom, the doorbell rang and J-Auntie rushed to answer.

Nisha was right behind him. Grabbing him by the arm, she pulled him across the hall and into the den. “You need to collect yourself before you see Naina’s parents.” Just as she said the words, Dr. Kohli’s booming voice rang through the entrance foyer. Yash squeezed his eyes shut and prayed for patience.

“What’s going on, Yash?” his sister said, and pushed the door shut behind them.

“You first. What the hell is going on, Nisha? Couldn’t you have warned me? You fucking work for me.”

“I’m going to let that go because you look entirely too miserable. Did you and Naina have a fight?”

He turned to her. He wished he could tell her. He wished he knew what he wanted to tell her.

Who was he kidding? He wanted to tell her—tell everyone—that he did want to spend the rest of his life with someone, but it wasn’t Naina.

Shit.

Shit.

Shit.

He dropped into a chair.

“Yash.” Nisha squatted in front of him and took his hands. “You are doing spectacularly well. You’re working so hard. I know you’re hurting about Abdul. I know you’re worried about him. But you have the right to be happy. You have the right to be with someone you love, have a family.”

Yash dropped his head back, his shoulders shaking with laughter, the kind of laughter that you couldn’t separate from frustration, no matter how hard you tried.

“Are you crying?” Nisha sounded horrified.

Yash stood and helped her up. “You shouldn’t be squatting.” He pushed her into the