He felt a ton of responsibility for her wellbeing. Aria had no place to go. And Omkar could not live with the idea of handing that responsibility back to her. While she talked, his mind raced for possible solutions. He settled on a temporary one. He would sneak back into the house and set up some blankets on the floor of the storeroom in the shop before sneaking Aria in for the night. He could set his alarm and leave with her before his father even got dressed in the morning. It would at least buy him a day to come up with another plan.

Both of them were almost bewildered when the plan worked. Their entry had solicited no stirring from upstairs. The blankets Omkar had found smelled like him. Aria breathed them in when she lay down in them.

Omkar sat down against the wall behind her, pulling her back against his chest. Aria apologized again for inconveniencing him. If she had known that he would end up having to pick her up anyway, she would have called him from Taylor’s phone. But Omkar did not feel inconvenienced. He felt good to finally carry the weight of her welfare. Though he did not yet know exactly what to do with it, it felt like there was suddenly more space for him in her life. The smell of smoke in her hair caused him to imagine what it would be like to take her camping and to roast marshmallows. Omkar stayed as long as he could without raising suspicion.

Aria would not normally have been able to sleep after the sequence of events that had taken place that day. She would have writhed, reliving the torture. But Omkar’s presence was laden with consolation. Being near him caused Aria to feel the strange juxtaposition of being completely overwhelmed and at the same time, calmed by the cottony refuge of Omkar’s being. Eventually, it was that refuge that coerced her into sleep.

When Omkar finally climbed back up the stairs, his anger toward the prejudice of his own culture climbed the stairs with him. Leaving her in the unfurnished starkness of the storeroom made Omkar feel like a fugitive in his own house. He wanted to keep her with him. He didn’t want to have to hide her or the way they felt about each other.

PART FOUR CODA

PART FOUR

CODA

CHAPTER 28

CHAPTER 28

The way you date as an Indian in America can be summarized in two sentences. In the eyes of your parents, either you are too old and you should be married already. Or you are too young and you shouldn’t so much as look at another boy or girl until you are ready to get married.