at the fountain. It was on a stonelike pedestal, with stacked squares ending in a basin, and smaller stacks of squares in the middle, from which water bubbled and flowed.
“There are no wires. How does it work?”
“It’s solar powered. I charged the panel at work, which is why it’s working now. As long as we keep it right there in direct sunlight, the fountain will bubble away.”
She faced him. She saw that how she felt about this was the most important thing in the world to him. When had her happiness become so central? When had an arranged marriage, performed only for convenience, assumed such significance in his life? Because gazing into Rishi’s dark eyes, she saw she could destroy him with words now. She could take this beautiful gesture and poison it, simply by not telling him what was in her heart.
But honesty came with risks. She could feel her husband pulling her closer. And was she ready to make that journey?
“This is the most beautiful thing anyone has ever done for me.” She stretched out her hand, and he took it. “You know what matters most to me, Rishi. You knew how this would please me.”
“I hoped so.”
“And spending all this money when we are saving for another car, and someday for a house?”
“So? We will take all this to the house with us. We will put some of it in the new car, if that makes you feel better.”
She laughed a little. When he drew her to him, she went. She let him enfold her in his arms, and when he bent to kiss her, her lips were already turned to his.
“There are no flowers to cut,” she said, when she finally drew away. “I want them all to remain here, where they belong.”
“Then we will eat here, on our new table, surrounded by flowers.”
“I married a romantic man.”
He pulled her close again. “No, you married a man who only wants to make you happy.”
She buried her face in his shoulder and hoped that someday, he would.
chapter twenty-five
Janya expected to adapt easily to a Florida summer. After all, she had lived in Mumbai, waded through monsoons, survived without air-conditioning during her childhood and later during the city’s frequent power outages. But the mid-July heat and humidity, even so close to the gulf, was too reminiscent of the worst of home. Now the patio that Rishi had so lovingly decorated weeks ago was never comfortable except just after sunrise and sometimes in the evening after rain had brought a respite. On nights when it was too hot to have a meal there, they sat outside for at least a few minutes before bed, drinking tea and sharing stories of their days.
In the relative peace of the patio, she and Rishi had begun to relax together. To a croaking, chirping soundtrack, she learned more about the man she had married. He was wiser than Janya had thought, and more considerate. Now she was beginning to believe her husband stayed away so much because he wanted her to have time to get used to their marriage. Not only was he working to establish himself, but he also didn’t want Janya to feel pressure. She knew Rishi wanted children. He talked about them with longing. But he appeared to want Janya to come to this decision on her own and not feel required to comply.
Janya understood his yearning. For most of his life Rishi had been foisted on others. No one, except his own parents, had ever loved him just for himself. In contrast, a child would look at Rishi as if he held the secrets of the universe in his palm. And didn’t he deserve that? Janya hoped someday she could willingly give him this.
This morning she was finishing preparations for something else entirely. She was giving a party for her neighbors. She had risen early to prepare, making some of her favorite Indian food, which the others had asked for. These weren’t dishes she prepared for Rishi, but her friends had expressed curiosity. Tracy, of course, had eaten in Indian restaurants in California, although Janya didn’t trust that the food had been authentic. But Wanda and Alice admitted they had never tried anything so unusual. So Janya was proudly putting the final touches on a lunch of her favorite dishes, and for once she thought her kitchen smelled exactly the way it should.
Tracy was the first to arrive, banging on the door with her usual lack of patience. Janya