But Dr. Kohli would never know why.

He was a medical inventor, and each of his inventions might have changed millions of lives, but he had never felt the need to change the regressive ideology that had been grown inside his head in the sprawling, entitlement-filled kothi in the village in India he’d grown up in.

“I’m all fine,” her mother said, eyes still darting around and taking note of who was watching her talking to her daughter while also making sure Dr. Kohli didn’t show up and catch her in the act of consorting with the enemy. “I was not expecting to find you here.”

If her mother had taught Naina anything, she’d taught her how to show up in uncomfortable situations. Every day.

“Whyever not?” The easy tone emerged from Naina’s lips with barely any effort. “Yash is still my friend.” He’d been her only friend, and if her being here months after her very public dumping made things easier for him by making him look a little less like a cheating jerk, then here she’d be.

“I don’t understand you children,” her mother said about her thirty-eight-year-old daughter who had never had a chance to be a child, and had spent her entire adult life trying to change the lives of women in the remotest, most neglected parts of the world.

“I know.” Those words landed on her mother like a blow and Naina kicked herself. Casual indifference was the only way to not end up saying something hurtful to her mother. Hurting her mother was like kicking a puppy. For all her reputation for hardness, Naina would never kick a puppy.

Ask me about my foundation, Naina wanted to say. Her foundation had just received a multimillion-dollar endowment from Jignesh Mehta, the sixth-richest entrepreneur in the world. They were going to be able to bring sustainable economic independence to millions of women.

“That jacket looks so much pretty on you,” her mother said instead, then, as though she couldn’t help herself, she cupped Naina’s cheek. The look she threw over her shoulder helped Naina keep the rush of warmth from sweeping her away. “You were always such beautiful girl,” she added with exactly the same expression she wore while trying to resolve an irreconcilable loss on her household expenses spreadsheet.

Suddenly she took Naina’s arm, and with another furtive glance combing the crowd, she dragged Naina to one of the powder rooms in the Raje mansion. Once they were inside, she locked them in. Despite all this caution, when she spoke her voice was a whisper, just in case someone had their ear pressed to the bathroom door in the middle of a party.