“You asked me how I felt about disappointing my parents.”
“Because I want to know.”
“Because you disapprove,” she shot back.
“Because your parents are important to you!”
Reeti tossed her head. “Andyourparents want you to marry a nice traditional girl who works for her father, not a teacher who wants to empower women to think for themselves.”
“I don’t care what my parents want.” He took a step forward. “I care what you want. I am sorry I expressed myself so badly.”
Reeti sniffed, but her hand on my arm trembled.
“Also, my mother thinks it is a wonderful idea to have a teacher as a daughter-in-law.” Vir smiled, taking another step toward her. He really was cute. “She thinks it will be good for our children.”
“I’m not having children with you. I’m not even speaking to you. Wait.” Reeti stiffened. “You told your mother?”
Vir stopped, looking suddenly less certain. “Why not? I tell her...”
Reeti threw up her hands. “Everything.”
“Not everything.”
“I haven’t even toldmyparents yet.”
“But... I don’t understand,” he said. “You are Dilreet.”
Reeti’s lips parted.
“Did he just insult her?” I whispered to Tim.
Reeti shook her head. “No. It’s my name. My full name, Dilreet.”
“It means ‘lion.’ ‘Lioness,’ ” Vir corrected himself. “The woman who is brave enough to change the world.” He was close enoughnow to take both Reeti’s hands in his. “I do not want anyone else,” he said softly to her alone. “I do not want you to be anything less than yourself. All I ask is that you let me be with you.”
A lump rose in my throat. The way he looked at her, with obvious adoration in his dark eyes... The way hesawher... It was everything.
Tim was watching them, too. I studied his face in profile, the fair skin, the square jaw, the fine scrollwork of his ear, the dark hair that never would lie flat in front. All familiar to me now and yet somehow unknown. He looked like what he was, a decent Englishman of a certain class, firm in his ideals, secure in his privilege. But... Maybe it was my imagination, but I thought I saw more to him—a subtle entreaty in his eyes, a slight diffidence in his smile.
My heart ached. Yearned. How did he see me?
He turned his head and I flushed as if he’d caught me staring. Probably because I was.
“Downstairs?” he asked.
I nodded. I could hardly wait. “Reeti, I’ll see you in the morning. Or you can call me. Text. Whatever.”
“Nice to meet you,” Tim said politely to Vir.
But they were too wrapped up in each other to notice. Vir bent his head to murmur to Reeti, and she blushed and smiled.
“I don’t think they heard us,” I said as we went downstairs.
Tim closed the door to his apartment behind us. “Or they didn’t care.”
I set my laptop on his coffee table and turned, my body thrumming in anticipation.
He took one deep breath, like a swimmer surfacing for air, and asked, “Can I get you something while you’re working? Tea? Wine?”
