“It’s not easy to step away when you’ve built something that big,” Puppa added.
Brooke and Ethan exchanged a look but said nothing.
“And how is Lady Whiskerbottom?” Mumma asked.
Brooke beamed. “Getting older and fussier by the day. Still as feisty as ever.”
As she pulled out her phone to show Mumma a photo of her cat, the lights flickered once again. The hum of the refrigerator cut out, and then, just as quickly, everything blinked back to life.
“Did we just have a power outage?” Ethan asked.
“Not for the whole block,” Puppa replied. “Just here. Our electrical system is falling apart. Moksha is an old building.”
“It’s a money pit,” Priya said bluntly. “If it’s not the wiring, it’s the roof. Or the plumbing. Or the windows. The list never ends.”
“Priya is right,” Puppa agreed, with a resigned nod. “We’ve done our best to keep Moksha going, but if we don’t come up with the funds to renovate, we may have to shut down.”
Wait…did he just say that?Priya blinked, unsure if she’d heard him right. Her father, the man who had stubbornly clung to Moksha through debt, exhaustion, and countless setbacks seemed to be facing reality at last. Was he finally accepting the inevitable? That no matter how hard he tried, Moksha was heading toward closure, and this time, there was no stopping it.
A spark of hope flared within Priya, not just at the thought of being free of Moksha but the possibility that it might come even sooner than she’d expected. The offer to buy Moksha was still on the table—and the best part? She didn’t have to lift a finger, just let things unfold on their own.
“I would hate to see that happen,” Ethan said. “You’ve been a part of this neighborhood for as long as I can remember.”
“It’s the last thing we want,” Puppa replied, his sadness evident.
“Well, then today’s your lucky day!” Brooke announced, flashing a bright smile. “Ethan has a proposal you might want to hear.”
Priya shot her a sharp look.Excuse me?
“Brooke is right,” Ethan said, his eyes shifting between Priya and her parents. “I’m here because I need your help.”
“Ourhelp?” Puppa repeated, exchanging a baffled look with Mumma.
Ethan nodded before continuing. “Actors get typecast all the time, and I don’t want to fall into that trap,” he explained. “My next role is a complete departure from action movies. It’s about a man who comes alive in a funeral home and has to outsmart death before sundown.”
Priya blinked. “You’re joking, right?”
“I’m not,” Ethan said with a small grin. “And that’s why I was hoping I could spend some time at Moksha. Get a feel for the setting. If you’re open to it.”
“Mr. Ethan,” Puppa said, practically beaming, “we would be honored to help in any way we can. You are free to come and go as you please.”
“That’s just the thing, Mr. Solanki. I tend to attract attention wherever I go. So, I was thinking—what if I rent out the funeral home and move in temporarily? I could immerse myself in the role, and you’d make some extra cash for your renovations. It’s a win-win for everyone.”
Priya’s head jerked back.What in the actual world is happening right now? No, no, no. This can’t be real.Ethan Knight, of all people, was not sitting at their table, offering her parents a lifeline to keep Moksha going.
Puppa’s voice echoed in her mind:Moksha has a way of calling those it needs.
“Is that…normal?” Priya asked. “I mean, actors don’t usually gothatfar to prepare, right?” She forced a laugh, hoping it would sound casual. Meanwhile, her thoughts spun in one direction:There is no way I’m letting this happen.
“It’s called method acting,” Ethan explained. “A lot of actors use it to make their performances as realistic as possible. Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Daniel Day-Lewis, Hilary Swank…”
Priya watched in horror as her parents nodded along, completely hypnotized by him. At this rate, they’d be offering him the deed to the entire grounds.Nope. Absolutely not.
“Sorry, Ethan. You can’t rent out the funeral home for that,” she said firmly, crossing her arms. “It’s not like we have a bedroom or live-in space downstairs, and we certainly can’t host you here.” She gestured around the apartment. Even her parents would agree it was a terrible idea—Ethan Knight brushing his teeth at the kitchen sink because the bathroom was perpetually occupied wasnothappening.
Ethan leaned back, unfazed. “That’s fine. My character has to find his way out before sundown, so I can work with daytime access.”
Puppa frowned. “Regardless of the hours, we would still have to shut down if you’re here.”
