“Priya, did you see me?” Mumma nudged her daughter with her elbow, a sign that she’d moved past their argument.
“I did, Mumma. You looked like you were having a blast.” Priya looked over at Ethan and gave him a grin, part gratitude and part surprise.
Mumma turned to Ethan, her eyes shining. “I will have Priya bring you a special lunch tray,” she said, eager to spoil him the only way she knew—with food.
Ethan smiled but shook his head. “Thanks, Mrs. Solanki, but I think I’ll just stick with dinner. You’ve filled up my fridge so well, I’m good to handle breakfast and lunch on my own.” Then, noticing Mumma’s disappointed expression, Ethan quickly said, “But I’d love to join you for dinner.”
Mumma and Puppa shared a brief, uncertain look—they both had assumed Ethan’s meals would be delivered to the coach house.
“We’d be honored to host you,” Puppa said hesitantly, “but our home is far more modest than the kind of places you’re probably used to. If you don’t mind, we’ll dine in Moksha’s hospitality room.”
“Your home is more genuine and inviting than many places I’ve been to,” Ethan said. “Dinner at your table would be a real treat.”
Priya was caught off guard by the softness in Ethan’s tone. He didn’t sound like he was just being polite. He sounded…grateful. As if he really meant it. Her chest felt strangely tight, and when her eyes met his, her heart stumbled all over again.
Puppa and Mumma glowed with quiet pride. “Then it’s settled,” Puppa said. “We’ll see you upstairs this evening.”
“Excellent,” Ethan replied. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to test my new wheels. Want to hop on, Priya?”
Before Priya could respond, Puppa intervened. “I think my family has already taken up enough of your time.”
Ethan looked at Priya with a hint of surprise. He hadn’t expected her father to speak for her. Still, he waited until Priya gave him a tiny shake of her head. Hosting Ethan came with a to-do list a mile long, and she knew her parents needed her help to pull off dinner tonight.
Looking slightly disappointed, Ethan fastened his helmet and pulled the visor over his face. Its glossy surface hid his face and mirrored the scene around him—the gray building, the tulips bordering the driveway, the three figures looking on. Gravel crunched under his tires as he guided the bike toward the driveway. Then, revving the engine, he let the motor growl before taking off in a blur of motion. The hum of his motorcycle faded as he sped away. Mumma, Puppa, and Priya remained rooted, as if enchanted by a lingering cloud of stardust.
Standing beside her parents, Priya couldn’t help but notice the smiles on their faces. Ethan had brought new energy into their lives and to Moksha, a spark of excitement they hadn’t felt in a long time. She wondered what her parents would say if they knew how she felt about him, how she’d always felt. To them, the idea of something romantic between her and Ethan wasn’t just far-fetched, it was absurd. He wasn’t simply an outsider. He existed in an entirely different world.
Yet in his presence, Priya’s world transformed into a kaleidoscope of sensations. When their eyes met, goose bumps swept over her. His voice electrified her. Her pulse raced whenever hewas around. The years had only intensified her attraction to him. But even as she felt it all so deeply, Priya knew their time together right now was nothing more than a brief intersection. Once Ethan left Moksha, their worlds would drift apart again. All Priya had to do was hold herself together until then. She had already lost her marriage and her career. Her heart was all she had left, and if she wasn’t careful, it would be the next casualty.
Eight
The Solankis went all outto get their house ready for Ethan’s visit that evening. Mumma shifted into makeover mode, cleaning and decluttering, while Puppa polished the floors and wiped down every surface to a gleaming shine. Priya bounced between rooms—chopping vegetables, folding napkins into neat triangles, and scrubbing the bathroom until it sparkled. Not a single dust bunny survived. By the time they sat down for dinner, the energy felt different than it had during Ethan’s first visit. Her parents were more prepared, though Puppa’s excitement was bubbling over.
“That car chase in your second movie? Unbelievable,” he gushed. “The way you raced through those alleyways, intercepted the kidnapper, and nailed that drift? Smooth as ghee sliding off a hot dosa.Eni ma ne!”
Priya cringed, not just because he’d just switched languages but because he had used a phrase that loosely translated to “Motherfucker!”
“Rakesh,” Mumma whispered, nudging him to reel it in. “We love your films, Ethan. You remind me of a Bollywood hero from my childhood—Amitabh Bachchan. He was always goingdishoom-dishoom, fighting off villains, just like you.” She threw some playful punches in the air. “Good thing you’re not accident porn.”
Ethan’s eyebrows shot up, and Priya quickly jumped in. “She means accidentprone.”
Ethan’s laughter filled the room. “Well, I’ve played many roles, but I can’t say I’ve ever accidentally dropped my pants.”
Mumma’s and Puppa’s faces turned vermilion. They cleared the table and disappeared into the kitchen in record time.
Ethan turned to Priya. “Did I just step on a cultural land mine?”
“They get awkward around anything remotely sexual. Puppa dives for the remote whenever there’s a kissing scene, and Mumma rushes off to the bathroom. When we were kids, the second there was any intimacy on-screen, it was automatic bedtime for me and my sisters. So, when you mentioned dropping your pants—”
“Mr. Ethan,” Mumma called from the kitchen. “Would you like some dessert or tea?”
“Thank you, Mrs. Solanki, but I’m completely stuffed,” Ethan replied. “The food was absolutely incredible.”
“You must at least try some shrikhand.” Mumma’s voice bubbled with delight.
“Here.” Puppa placed a bowl before Ethan. “It’s like Greek yogurt but with saffron, sugar, and a hint of cardamom.”
Priya went into the kitchen where her mother was filling teacups with chai. She took one and went back to the table where Puppa and Ethan were digging into their shrikhand.
