First Comes Like

by Alisha Rai

  “I do.” Dev controlled the quiver of his lips. Under the panic and the worry was pure excitement at the prospect of actually being married to Jia at some vague point in the future.

  “You’re a romantic like your parents, I see. The rest of your father’s family couldn’t stifle that out of you.”

  His cheeks grew warm. “I don’t know about romantic.”

  “I do.” Adil dropped his spatula in the pot and stirred with vigor. “Well, now. This is a different story. I have been praying for you to find a good woman, and here she is. It calls for a celebration. We will invite her and her family over, and I will cook.”

  “Actually . . .” He hesitated. “Aji has told me she is coming here to meet Jia.”

  Adil’s head came up. “I see.”

  Dev flinched at his uncle’s carefully neutral tone. Adil had never met his sister’s husband’s parents, and had only spoken with them on the phone when Dev and Rohan’s parents had died.

  While his grandfather had sneered at any mention of his mother, Adil Uncle had been careful to never malign Dev’s father or his paternal family in his presence. Dev would never permit his uncle to feel left out of important family decisions. “Of course, you will be there as well. Jia has already met you, you will be a friendly face. You live with us, it is even more important you get along.”

  Adil cleared his throat and dashed his arm over his eyes. “Yes, yes. I would like that very much. By the way, you should speak to Luna.”

  Dev stilled. Oh no. That did not sound promising. “Did you tell her?”

  “I didn’t have to. Her friends have been texting her all morning. She was deeply unhappy when I picked her up from her sleepover.”

  He hadn’t gotten to Luna soon enough. “Unhappy how?”

  “She wouldn’t talk to me or look me in the eye, only asked if it was true. I couldn’t tell her if it was or wasn’t.”

  “I’ll talk to her.”

  “Do that. And then we can discuss what you know of Jia’s favorite sweets. I must make her something when we come together.”

  Dev didn’t think his uncle meant pancakes, so he made a mental note to ask Jia if there were any Desi sweets she liked or was interested in. “Yes, of course.” Dev patted Adil on the shoulder as he walked past him.

  Dev knocked on Luna’s door. There was no answer, so he knocked again.

  “What?”

  He raised an eyebrow at the sullen tone. “Luna, it’s me. May I come in?”

  There was such a long pause, Dev shifted, wondering if she’d deny him. “Fine.”

  He opened the door slowly. “Hey, beti.”

  Luna didn’t look up from her phone. “What do you want?”

  “I heard you learned some gossip about me.”

  She stiffened. “Is it gossip or is it true?”

  Dev came to sit on the edge of her bed. “Can you please put your phone down?”

  “No.”

  He raked his hand through his hair, taken aback by her blatant defiance. This must have been what Adil Uncle had experienced with the great Bagel Bites War. “Please?”

  He was relieved that she tossed the phone to the side, because he wasn’t sure what to do with open and obvious mutiny. He was also relieved she was speaking in Hindi and not a language he didn’t understand.

  The hurt in her eyes made him cringe. He sat on the side of the bed. “The rumors are true.”

  “You said you were just friends with her. My friends sent me messages this morning asking if you’d really been talking to her for months.”

  “We started as just friends.” He hoped she didn’t notice that he was sidestepping the thing about him talking to her for months. He felt like he had. Did that count? “You’re upset, and you’re right to be,” he said gently. “I should have told you earlier.”

  “Why would you? My dad barely told me what was going on in his life, either. You’re like him. I’m nothing to you.”

  Oh no. Dev slowly gathered her hands up, giving her time to pull away if she wanted to. “I know I wasn’t around much before your father passed, but it sounds like he tried to protect you as best he could.”

  Luna blinked rapidly, and he waited for her to cry, but she kept the tears at bay. He’d rather she cry. A good sob never hurt a teenager, as far as he was concerned.

  “He wanted to hide me,” she said.

  His rejection of that claim was immediate. “No.”

  “Yes. You weren’t there.” Her chest rose and fell. “The other stars’ kids, they got paraded around town. He didn’t even want anyone to take photos of me.”

  “I wouldn’t want anyone to take photos of you, either.”

  “Because you love me. He didn’t.” Dev didn’t have a second to be happy that Luna was so conscious and secure of his love, because she continued. “I was too ugly. Ajoba said it was a shame I took after my mother, because I’d never be a great actress, and Baba agreed with him. I didn’t look like a Dixit.”

  No. Surely his grandfather and Rohan wouldn’t be so insensitive to say such a thing to a tween girl.

  Wait, who was he thinking of? Of course they would. Still, he tried one more attempt. “Chandu Uncle said he kept you isolated for your protection.”

  She stared at him like he had grown two heads. “He only kept me because Aji made him. She bribed him.”

  The air grew very tight in his lungs. “No.”

  “Yes. Aji made him take me when he found out I was his and then paid his gambling debts whenever he wanted so he wouldn’t send me off to the boarding schools. All the servants knew. They told me from the time I was little.”

  He needed to have a long talk with his grandmother when she arrived, clearly. He couldn’t quite picture his stoic, distant grandmother doing such a thing purely out of emotion, but it had also been out of character for Rohan to take on the responsibility of a young daughter when he didn’t have to. Did Dev truly know anyone in his family?

  Her lips wobbled. “I know I’m not supposed to hate him, but I do.”

  Dev thought back to yesterday and that swing set. Things change, life changes, you change. “It is quite acceptable to have conflicting feelings about someone.”

  Luna looked away. “I’m starting to be happy. And now you’re getting married to someone who might hate me.”

  “No,” he said forcefully. “Jia would never hate you, or treat you poorly.”

  “You don’t know that. She’s barely met me. She’s so cool and cute, and look at me.” Luna gestured to herself, and the ratty shorts and T-shirt she must have slept in. “When she doesn’t like me, you’ll send me away. Baba talked about sending me away to school in England. I don’t want to go to England! It’s cold.”

  “No one is sending you to England,” he said, as soothing as he could.

  She sniffled. “There’s a boarding school in the south of France that’s not bad. Madrid, too. It’s why I learned both languages, so I could convince him to send me to one of those instead.”

  Oh for crying out . . .

  Dev might have unresolved grief for his brother, but right now, if Rohan had been in front of him, he would have punched him in his smug, pretty face. “The only time you will need to use your French or Spanish is when we go to one of those places on holiday,” he said firmly. “May I hug you?” He let his arms rest open, unwilling to pressure his niece.

  She surprised him with a nod, and then shocked him by crawling right into his lap. She was almost too big for this, but he had plenty of room for her. He enclosed his arms around her and rocked her. She smelled like lavender and his heart hitched to finally embrace her. Those absent icy places in his chest were getting overfilled. “You have followed Jia online?”

  Her curls tickled his nose when she nodded.

  “Tell me, does she strike you as the type of person who would be cruel to someone? Or belittle their appearance?”

  “No.”

  “No. The opposite, I would say.” Jia’s platform was radically pos
itive when it came to acceptance and kindness.

  “People can be different offline than they are online.”

  Wise girl. “That is true, but Jia is authentic. I wouldn’t think of marrying someone who wouldn’t be a good aunt to you, and I will listen to you if you have concerns after you meet her.”

  “You will?”

  “Of course.” He brushed his lips over her forehead. “And as you mentioned, she is younger and cooler than me. You might enjoy having someone around who isn’t ancient.”

  That got a tiny smile from her. “When’s the wedding?”

  “I don’t know. When Aji comes, we will probably discuss that.”

  Luna sat up straight. Dev had wondered about the connection between Luna and her great-grandmother. If Aji really had given Rohan money to keep his daughter . . . well, their attachment made more sense. “She’s coming here?” Luna looked around and grimaced. “She’s not going to like this place, Kaka. It’s small, for her.”

  “I’m aware. She’s rented a place in Malibu. We’ll go stay with her there for a few days.”

  “Malibu!” Luna brightened. “But I didn’t order any bikinis. I won’t have time to get any before that. All the girls here wear two piece suits.”

  “Bikinis?” He cleared his throat to hide his instant horror. He hoped Jia had more insight than his various self-help books on parenting young women. “I mean, oh no. I suppose what you have will do.” His phone buzzed, reminding him that he had a message. He pulled it out of his pocket while Luna scrambled off the bed and dragged out her suitcase.

  His dismay as he read Jia’s text must have been apparent, because Luna paused in rummaging around in her drawers. “Are you okay?”

  “Yes,” he wheezed. No, he was not okay.

  He had to meet Jia’s parents? His grandmother was going to meet Jia’s parents?

  “Kaka, are you sure?”

  He forced a smile. “Everything’s going to be great,” he told Luna. It would be. He was good with older adults, even skeptical ones. Dev may not have his brother’s or cousin’s breezy charm, but he had his own skills.

  He texted her back. No problem.

  How did Luna take it?

  Luna appeared less heartbroken now, at the prospect of seeing her grandmother, but her trauma ran deeper than he’d imagined. She’s a little upset. She fears you won’t want her around.

  Aw. ☺ I could never! Perhaps I could spend some time with her over the weekend to get to know her a little better.

  That would be nice. Are you okay?

  Yes.

  “Luna?”

  She gave him a questioning glance as she folded her swimsuit.

  He thought about his grandfather and Rohan. About his father, fighting his parents and throwing the comfortable life he’d known away for love. “We decide what a Dixit looks like. You and I. No one else. Understand?”

  She froze, and gave a single nod. “Yes, Kaka.”

  He felt comfortable giving her a hug as he passed her, and exulted when she hugged him back. Between her and his uncle and Jia, soon he’d have no empty spaces left in his heart. No boxes to stuff his feelings into.

  He couldn’t wait.

  Chapter Nineteen

  DEV DROVE down the winding road of the Pacific Coast Highway, the sun shining bright on the ocean on his left. It glittered like a gem, a scene out of a movie, and he couldn’t enjoy it because he was too stressed out about the next couple days.

  Thankfully, he was off work until next week, so that was one less thing to worry about. He and Jia hadn’t had much time to talk, though they’d texted quite a bit. Her family was arriving tomorrow; his grandmother was already settled into her new Malibu home. He’d tried to reassure Jia a few more times that she wasn’t in too deep, she could call this off if she wished, but she’d told him that she was committed to the plan. He liked her calling it a plan; that gave the whole scheme a sense of structure it was badly lacking.

  The GPS alerted him to a turn, and he pulled off the main highway. “Wow,” Luna whispered, when they finally came to a stop in front of a home.

  Dev peered up at the beach house. Wow was right. The beach house wasn’t as big as his grandmother’s estate in Mumbai, but it was built on a prime piece of land towering over the ocean. No peekaboo views here.

  “Can we come live here?” Luna asked from the back seat.

  “I would also like to live here.” Adil Uncle craned his neck.

  “No. We have a perfectly fine home.”

  “But this is so much nicer. I bet a lot of Hollywood actors live out here.”

  Dev cast his niece a quelling look, but he didn’t really mean it. She’d alternated between perfectly normal and silent and moody for the last few days, and he was happy to see her so chatty. Not happy enough to buy her a Malibu beach house, though. “Please do not create a PowerPoint on this topic. The commute to the set would be far too long. Besides, I’m not a proper Hollywood star yet.”

  “You could be, if you wined and dined producers here! And I could get a horse. I’d like to ride a horse on the beach.”

  Dev twisted in his seat. “If we move here, you’ll have to switch schools. What about all those friends you’ve made? The orchestra you’re auditioning for?”

  He felt bad when Luna visibly deflated, and he hurried to make it up. “We can look into horse riding lessons, though, if you like.”

  She perked up. “I saw a flier at school.”

  “Something tells me she was only after horse lessons all along,” Adil murmured, as she scrambled out of the car.

  Dev had the vague suspicion his uncle was right. Luna was a businesswoman in the making, for sure. “Come. We will get our luggage later.”

  Or someone would get it for them. A butler opened the front door before they could reach it. Dev inclined his head at the man and bid him a pleasant good morning, but the servant only held out his hand, silent. Most of Shweta’s servants were quiet.

  It was enough to rake across every democratic nerve he had. Dev reached into his pocket, pulled out his wallet, wrapped a twenty around his car keys, and handed it to the man. The older man’s eyes widened, and he quickly pocketed the cash. There was almost a smile around his lips when he nodded at Dev and skipped down the stairs.

  Another woman arrived. Pinky, one of his grandmother’s longtime housekeepers. She did smile at them, and Luna whooped. “Pinky!” His niece ran to the woman to give her a hug. The round maternal maid gave her a fierce hug back. “Hello, beti. Hello, Dev.”

  Pinky had been around when Dev and Rohan had come to live at the compound, and if they’d had any soft maternal presence in their lives after their mother had died, it was her. Dev stooped to give Pinky a hug. “You look lovely, Pinky.”

  Pinky tittered. “What a nice compliment, coming from such a handsome man.” She smiled at his uncle politely.

  “Pinky, this is my uncle, Adil.”

  “Hello, sir.”

  His uncle shifted. “No need for sirs,” he said gruffly. “Hello. Dev and Luna have spoken of you fondly.”

  Pinky’s smile turned genuine. “Your grandmother is in the kitchen, children. Come, I’ll show you.”

  “The kitchen?” As far as Dev knew, his grandmother didn’t even know where the kitchen in her home was.

  “Oh yes. She’s started taking cooking lessons.”

  Dev raised an eyebrow. That was . . . out of character. Shweta had been retired for a while, but she filled her days with leisurely activities, not labor.

  Things had changed. They found Shweta at the stove, and Dev did a double take. His grandmother’s long hair was disheveled and loose down her back, instead of in its neat bun or braid. She wore loose linen capris and a T-shirt advertising a mobile company.

  He didn’t think he’d seen her in anything but a sari. Ever. How bizarre.

  “Aji,” Luna cheered and broke away from them.

  Their grandmother turned, and pure delight filled her eyes at Luna’s approach. Sh
e pulled her great-granddaughter in for a hug, resting her hand over the girl’s head. “Look how big you’ve gotten,” she crooned, in a tone he’d never heard before. Her gaze was a little more guarded when she turned her attention to him. “Dev. How good to see you. It’s been months.”

  Had it? He supposed it had. They hadn’t been in America long, but he’d only seen his grandma sporadically while he’d been busy settling Rohan’s estate and wrapping things up in Mumbai. He’d assumed she’d been busy doing the same with his grandfather’s estate. It hadn’t occurred to him that Shweta might want to see him. Or at least Luna, or that Luna might have been missing her.

  It had taken his niece a year to hug him like she hugged the older woman. He didn’t want to feel bad about that, but it did smart a little. Dev inclined his head. “Aji. Nice to see you, too.”

  “What are you cooking, Aji?” Luna leaned back, but she kept her arms around their grandmother’s waist.

  Shweta touched her nose. “I know how much you like prawns. I learned how to make a curry for you.”

  “You’ve been taking cooking lessons?” Dev probed.

  “Yes. I always wanted to, but your grandfather didn’t allow me to go into the kitchen. It was high time I learned.”

  How odd. He’d never heard Shweta so much as subtly criticize her late husband. “I see.”

  Luna twisted around her to sniff at the stove. “Can I have some?”

  “In an hour or so, let’s let it simmer a little. Why are you speaking in English?”

  “Oh, Kaka says I can speak whatever I want.”

  Shweta frowned at Dev. “She speaks fine English, she must not lose her Hindi. Or she will become like these NRIs who come home and butcher our language.”

  Dev tucked his hands in his pockets. He knew exactly what his grandmother wasn’t saying. She probably envisioned Luna as the next reigning Bollywood starlet, and nonresident Indians did have a tougher time of it there.

  If that was what his niece wanted, fine, but Dev wasn’t about to push her to think acting was her only option. “Luna speaks five languages,” he said mildly. “This is a good age to pick them up and stay fluent. There’s no danger of her losing any of them.” He changed the subject. His uncle had hung back. He placed his hand on the older man’s shoulder and tugged him forward. “This is Adil Uncle.”