Priya sighed. “Not fighting doesn’t mean a marriage is happy.”
“But it’s a start.” Mumma placed another rotli on her daughter’s plate. “A peaceful home is a good home.”
Priya nodded, tracing the edge of the rotli with her fingers. If her parents knew the truth of their “good home,” the gossip would spread like wildfire, and she didn’t want Manoj to shoulder all the blame. His affair had ended the marriage, yes, but it wasn’t the cause of their problems. It was a symptom of what had been missing all along.
“Well, everything happens for a good reason,” Puppa declared, clapping his hands together as though closing the matter.
Once again, the lights flickered overhead.
“It’s getting worse,” Mumma said, turning to Puppa. “You still haven’t heard from the bank?”
“They called yesterday.”
“And?” Mumma pressed.
“We can talk about it later,” he said, patting her hand. “Let’s not ruin Priya’s homecoming.”
“What’s going on?” Priya glanced between her parents.
“We live in an old building,” Puppa explained. “It’s always one thing or another. Nothing to worry yourself about.”
“Then why is the bank involved?”
Puppa looked away, and Mumma fidgeted in her seat.
“Well?” Priya prompted.
“The wiring is outdated,” her father finally said with a sigh. “The fuse boxes keep shorting. We have to replace everything to bring Moksha up to code—new wiring, outlets, circuit breakers…The entire electrical system. It’s a big job, so I applied for a loan.”
Priya’s stomach dropped. The look on Puppa’s face said it all. The loan hadn’t been approved. He took a deep breath beforespeaking. “If we don’t make these upgrades, we won’t be able to keep the business running.”
“You’ll lose the funeral home?” Priya felt as though the wind had been knocked out of her. As much as she’d always wanted to escape Moksha, she knew the significance it held for her parents. It wasn’t just their home—it was the heart of who they were and what they stood for.
“We have three months to make the repairs,” Puppa said. “We’ll find a way.”
“Why didn’t you tell me before?” she asked.
“We were hoping the loan would come through,” Mumma said quietly. “We didn’t want to worry you or your sisters for no reason.”
A pang of regret twisted in Priya’s stomach. She’d been so caught up in her own problems that she hadn’t known what her parents were going through.
“I have some savings,” she said. “It’s not much, but Manoj is buying me out of the company, so I’ll have more once that’s finalized. I’ve also picked up some freelance work. I can help you bridge the financing—”
“Out of the question,” Puppa interrupted, placing his hand over Priya’s. “Thank you, but we don’t need your money, beta. You have come home for a bigger purpose. Don’t you see? The timing is no coincidence. Moksha has a way of calling those it needs. This is your time to step in, to start taking over some of the responsibilities, so you can take over one day.”
Priya stared at her parents, her hand frozen beneath Puppa’s. “Are you serious? You think I’ve come home just to drop everything and step into this…roleyou’ve carved out for me?”
“We’re not asking you to drop anything, Priya,” Mumma said gently. “But you have nothing tying you down right now. Thisis your chance to start over, to find purpose and do something meaningful.”
“Meaningful to who?” Priya pulled her hand out from under her father’s. “Just because I’m divorced, between jobs, and don’t have any kids doesn’t mean my life is without meaning.” Her words tumbled out, faster and sharper. “I haven’t even unpacked, and you’re already dragging me into the business. I didn’t come home to be a cog in a wheel that’s been turning in our family for generations—the same damn wheel that’s been grinding me down my whole life. I’m not going to let it crush me too!”
“Ey!” Puppa wagged his finger in warning.
It didn’t matter what came afterEy. Puppa’sEywas enough to bring Priya to a screeching halt.
“We are Dalit, Priya. The funeral home is not just our generational occupation. It is our karmic undertaking and duty.”
“Those areyourbeliefs, Puppa. You and Mumma have built your entire lives around them, and I respect that, but you can’t force them on me.” Priya tried to control the volume of her voice. “To me, Moksha is abusiness, not a divine mission. It needs money, resources, time, attention. Even if I agree to take over, what happens when we can’t pay for the repairs it so obviously needs?”
