“Don’t try to make jokes and make side distraction. What is this, Naina? A father and daughter not talking. It breaks my heart. I know you think I did all things wrong way. But all things I did I wanted only one thing. For you to have father. A girl has to have father. You don’t know what it is for a girl to not have father.”

More than anything, Naina wished she didn’t know what it was like for a girl to not have a father.

“And, a woman has to have husband.”

“No, Mummy, she doesn’t. At least not this woman. This woman doesn’t want a husband.”

Her mother slammed a fist on the table, her anger getting the better of her. “Why? Because you want to do all immoral things with little boys?”

“Excuse me?”

“No, you excuse me! I’m looking other way for many many things. I’m making your father very angry with how I raise you. I don’t know all things. But I know, I know that this is wrong way. Your father will not be okay with this. We will not.” Anger, the kind of determined anger Naina had never seen there before, sparkled in her eyes.

She couldn’t possibly mean what Naina was pretty certain she meant. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Was her father spying on her? Was this about Vansh’s being in her apartment last night? Asking was opening up a can of worms and Naina wasn’t about to do that. In the Kohli family you kept all worms firmly in their cans.

“Dr. Kohli has nothing to worry about. You have nothing to worry about. Whatever information he thinks he has, he’s mistaken. You’re safe, Mummy.”

He will not be throwing you out.

Her mother studied her, too afraid of the horror and public humiliation that would domino from the scandal if Naina was seen anywhere in the vicinity of Yash’s younger brother. Thanks to Naina’s public dumping, the Kohlis were already maxed out on shame in the social circle her parents valued so single-mindedly.

“I promise. It’s a simple misunderstanding.” Naina picked up the spoon and offered it to her mother. A Chandni Kohli who did not finish her dessert was a Chandni Kohli whose sadness had gone past the point where her daughter could bear it.

For a long time her mother searched Naina’s face for signs of a lie. When she found none, she took the spoon and finished her favorite dessert.

Chapter Fifteen

After spending half of yesterday forcing Hari into stores to buy clothes and shoes and then getting him a haircut, Vansh was back at the Embassy Suites bright and early and ready to face the day. Well, and also to face the one person who could slay him with a single cutting look. If she even acknowledged him.