“They weren’t men, and I wasn’t cavorting!” she said indignantly, apparently having forgotten her apology of only seconds ago. “You make a mistake one time and—” She stopped, taking a breath. “You know I really liked Talin—and his crew. What’s wrong with kissing someone you like? How does showing my feelings make me a bad person? And this T-shirt? What’s so bad about it?” She looked down at it. It was a tight-fitting white baby-doll T-shirt with bold black font on the front. NO GODS, NO MASTERS. Jaya had googled it. The slogan was about anarchy. And extreme feminism. Both things a royal Indian woman should definitely not appear to support. Seeing Jaya’s thunderous expression, Isha hurried to continue. “They were boys my own age, and I was helping them with their business. Not everyone in India can afford school, Jaya. You know that. Some people have to earn a wage from childhood. I’m an excellent mechanic. I was helping them earn enough money so they didn’t have to close the shop! Talin knew I was a good mechanic; it’s why they agreed to let me help out in the first place. Can’t you see I was doing a good thing?”

Jaya put a hand to the bridge of her nose and pressed, trying to take control of her anger. The only problem was, “pressing” had turned into “shoving,” until she was afraid she might accidentally deviate her septum. “I know all that. You told us. But it doesn’t matter. You saw how it was, with the news turning it into a scandal and people questioning your character and our family’s honor! Amma was completely alienated from the boards she chairs. And have you forgotten how horrible you felt, how much people whispered and pointed and laughed until you couldn’t even leave the palace grounds? You’re a Rao. You just can’t behave like that, and you can’t have those kinds of interests when you’re born into a royal family. It’s a privilege—”

“You sound just like Appa,” Isha said angrily. “I just want to be me.”

Jaya wanted to shake her. Did she think Jaya enjoyed being whisked off to a strange place for her last year of high school? Did she think Jaya liked having to always be the responsible one, the one who thought of what was best for the family, while Isha impulsively did whatever made her happy without a care for others?

Jaya took a deep breath and collected herself. “Let’s let this go for now,” she said, forcing herself to speak calmly.