“Here’s your chai, Puppa.” Setting the cup in front of him, she returned to her seat. Mumma joined them at the table, carrying her own bowl of shrikhand and a cup of tea for Priya. As she sat down, the lights flickered overhead. Puppa gave Mumma a quicklook. When she gave a small nod—as if granting permission—Priya frowned.What’s going on?Her father straightened and cleared his throat.
“Since we’re all here, there’s something I’d like to ask you, Mr. Ethan,” he said.
“Please, call me Ethan,” Ethan said, putting down his spoon and smiling at Priya’s parents.
“Mr. Ethan,” Puppa continued, unwilling to equalize his standing with Ethan, “given that this is the first time we’re closing Moksha, Seema and I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to go on a holiday. We want to visit our youngest daughter, Deepa, who is studying in Windsor. And after that, we’d like to spend some time with my brother, Vinod, and his family. Our other daughter, Meghna, is in India right now, so we won’t get to see her. But Priya will stay back to make sure everything runs smoothly while you’re here.” He glanced at Priya who sat frozen, stunned into silence.They’re taking off and leavingmehere to look after Ethan?
“We just want to make sure you’re okay with us going away before we finalize anything,” her father continued. “We’ll be back in two weeks before the renovations begin.”
A wave of anger welled up inside Priya before she could stop it. It wasn’t that she minded her parents taking a holiday. They absolutely deserved it. The issue was that they just assumed she’d step in, like she had nothing better to do than play bed-and-breakfast manager to Ethan.
“Hang on a second,” she cut in. “You never talked to me about this.”
“We didn’t think it would be an issue,” Puppa replied, surprised. “It’s only two weeks. Mumma is going to freeze all the meals, so you don’t even have to worry about cooking.”
“We’ve stocked up on all the essentials, Priya,” Mumma chimed in. “I’ll prepare plenty of snacks and make sure you have a fresh supply of linens and towels for Mr. Ethan.”
“And I’ve already notified everyone that the funeral home is closed. You won’t have to handle a single thing,” Puppa added.
It was a well-oiled plan that left Priya with no excuses. She glanced at Ethan, who was quietly watching the exchange. She was certain that Puppa and Mumma hadn’t just sprung this on her randomly. They had planned it, counting on Ethan’s presence to defuse any tension. How could she object with him sitting there?
Her temper threatened to boil over, but then a realization hit her. She could turn this to her advantage. With her parents out of the way, she could get rid of Ethan without their interference. By the time they found out, it would already be done.Two could play that game.
“Great,” Priya said with a bright smile. “I’m all in. As long as it’s okay with you?” She looked at Ethan.
Ethan glanced between her and her parents. “Of course it’s okay with me,” he replied. “I’ll certainly miss the pleasure of your company”—he nodded toward Puppa and Mumma—“but I’m sure Priya will cater to my every whim.”
Priya felt heat rise in her chest, but before she could reply, her father clapped his hands together.
“Then it’s settled,” he said. “We’ll leave the day after tomorrow.”
Priya felt Ethan’s eyes on her, and the moment their gazes locked, it was as if the entire room vanished, leaving only the two of them. She quickly lowered her eyes to her teacup, her heart hammering in her chest.Two weeks alone with Ethan.Priya wasn’t sure exactly what her parents had just set into motion, but even with her determination to get rid of Ethan, she knew she’d be walking a tightrope.
The lights flickered, as if echoing the tension in the air.
“I can’t wait for this to get sorted out,” Mumma said, looking up at the ceiling. “Every time the lights go out, I have to reset everything.”
“The lights in the coach house have been acting up too,” Ethan noted.
Priya’s foot tapped a soundless confession of guilt under the table. Her plan to convince Ethan that something spooky was going on was starting to work.
“That’s strange,” Puppa said, his brow furrowing. “The coach house is on its own grid, separate from the main building. You shouldn’t be having any issues.”
“It doesn’t seem random. Not the way it’s happening here,” Ethan replied. “There’s a definite pattern to the way the lights turn on and off. I can’t help but think it may have something to do with Bhooa masi.”
“You have a masi too?” Mumma’s face lit up. “I have six masis, of which only Manjula masi and Kokila masi remain. When they get on the phone, there is no end to the gossip. But tell me about your masi. Where does she—”
“Oh, look!” Priya interrupted, pointing to the sideboard. “The lottery ticket you bought last week is still sitting there, Puppa.”
“Ah. I completely forgot.” Puppa’s eyes gleamed as he reached for it. “You know, Mr. Ethan, this is the best five dollars I spend every Friday. It buys me an entire week of dreams.”
Ethan chose that moment to excuse himself and rose from his seat. “I’ll leave you to it, Mr. Solanki,” he said. “Thank you for a wonderful evening, Mrs. Solanki.”
“Leaving so soon?” Mumma asked.
Priya rolled her eyes. Had Ethan stayed until sunrise, she would’ve asked the same question. In true Gujarati style, no guestcould leave without a token protest, even if the host was secretly rooting for them to leave. It was an intricate dance of goodbyes where lingering was expected and every departure was met with ceremonial resistance.
“I’ll be back to celebrate if your numbers win,” Ethan said with a playful grin.
