“Vansh!” Nisha said. “Stop acting like this isn’t a preposterous violation. Esha, how could you lie to us?”

“I’m sorry,” Esha said. “Honestly, I was so confused, am so confused by it, that I didn’t know what or how to tell any of you.”

“So the visions are gone?” Naturally Trisha was the one who asked the question that seemed to be on everyone’s mind.

“Yes. It was slow at first. Just him. I could touch him, be near him, and nothing. Then the rest of you, everyone, it all just faded into whispers and was gone.”

She came to Vansh and touched him. Put a hand on his chest. “Nothing,” she said. “You’re all on your own now.”

“That’s amazing,” Vansh said. Seeing Esha like this, unafraid of the change in herself after a lifetime of being bound by it, shook something free inside him.

“But still, you lied to us,” Ma said, and thew a wary glance at Sid. “Maybe you should leave and let us discuss this as a family.”

“Of course she had to lie to us,” Vansh said. “Look at how you treat someone you think threatens one of us.”

“This is not about you, Vansh,” Nisha snapped, and the rest of them turned to him.

“Oh, I know. This is about Esha, I get that. But Esha is fine. What’s preposterous is the way you’re all treating Sid.”

“Vansh is right. Stop it. It’s not Sid’s fault. In fact, if not for Sid, I’d still be . . . God, you guys have no idea what it was like. There’s so much I’d never have known.” Esha laughed and looked at Sid with heat in her eyes, unconcerned with the judgment in the room.

“Esha obviously wants Sid here. It should be her choice,” Vansh said. “Why do you think you get to decide who any one of us should be with?”

“Seriously?” Nisha said. “You’re going to make this about your entirely inappropriate relationship with your girlfriend?”

“Nothing about what I have with Naina is inappropriate.”

Ma made a pained sound.

“What is he talking about? Did he say Naina?” Aji said. “Yash’s Naina?” Trisha and Ashna, who were sitting next to her, put their arms around her.

“Vansh? Beta?” HRH said, his voice uncharacteristically equanimous. “Your mother told me you and Naina have been spending a lot of time together. Do you think that’s wise?” He sounded so calm that it was like being in a backward world with his parents swapping their usual roles.

“No. There is nothing wise about how I feel about Naina, Dad.” He met his father’s eyes. “I’m in love with her. Quite out of my mind in love with her, actually.” And damn if his chest didn’t hurt like someone had roundhouse-kicked the wind out of him.