“You know as well as anyone Yash and Naina weren’t in love,” his father said, something in his voice that Vansh couldn’t wrap his head around. “At least hear our son out.”

Vansh waited, not processing what he’d just heard.

“What do you mean it might be too late, son?”

Vansh blinked. “I messed up. I promised not to fall in love with her and then did. And she did too.” Vansh knew exactly how arrogant he was. He also knew his faith in the fact that Naina loved him had nothing to do with arrogance. “She loves me enough that she won’t go anywhere near me as long as there’s any chance it will distance me from you, from all of you. That, along with the number Dr. Kohli has done on her, and . . .” He dropped into the couch. “She threw me out.”

HRH came to him then and patted him on the back. That look in his eyes intensified, but Vansh didn’t have the strength to label it as what it looked like: support.

Vansh had always befuddled his father. Disappointed him. It was something Vansh had always believed he could do nothing about, other than avoid it.

“And you’re just going to give up?” HRH said, in his HRH voice.

“Shree! What is wrong with you?”

HRH sat down next to his wife and placed a hand on her back. “You’re the one who’s always telling me we have to listen to our children, Minu. He’s found the one.”

“But he’s my baby, Shree.”

“No, he’s not. He’s a grown man.” His father slid Vansh a glance, an eye-to-eye look he didn’t remember ever getting from his father. Or maybe he had and he just hadn’t been able to see it. A lump started to form in Vansh’s throat. “This reminds me of something,” his father said.

Ma shrugged his hand off her back and turned angry eyes on him. “What? What does it remind you of?”

HRH looked at his own mother and took a breath. “Of another mother who thought her little boy was too precious for a girl who was the best thing that ever happened to him.”

The lump in Vansh’s throat grew hard to swallow around.

“It’s not the same thing,” Ma said.

“How is it not the same thing?” Aji spoke for the first time. “If my memory serves, it’s exactly the same thing.”

“She’s the same person you were more than happy to have our other son be with,” HRH said.

“She’s twelve years older than him,” Ma said again, but her voice wobbled. “God, I sound like a terrible person. Why is this so hard for me?”