He leaned in close so they were eye to eye. “You’ll never truly be free until all your secrets are out of your closet, Raj. You’re going to continue to close yourself off from friends, from the Singhs, as long as your past remains in your past.”

“If I see you stalking me one more time, Guru, I’ll have you arrested. Are we clear?”

He stepped back, his mouth set in hard lines. “Crystal, gudiya. Crystal clear. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you. Enjoy your walk.”

He turned in the direction they’d come from. Raj watched until he disappeared into the light flow of Sunday evening pedestrian traffic. When Khunda whined, she started moving again.

“Yes, my love,” she said. “I’m looking forward to the rest of our evening, too.”

She walked out of her way, doubling back once to make sure that she wasn’t being followed. The whole excursion took forty-five minutes and gave her time to think about what her brother had told her and the way he’d left.

Two blocks before she reached Ajay’s building, she took Khunda out of her stroller so she could practice walking on a leash and do her business. Standing in the dimming light, she wondered if avoiding her past was the best idea. Would she regret not going to see her mother? Would her mother be lucid enough to even recognize her?

Khunda squeezed her little body between Raj’s feet and sat, indicating that she’d done her business and was officially tired again. Raj strapped her back in and walked to the end of the block where Ajay’s brightly lit building stood, creating a pillar that shot straight into the sky.

A man in uniform held open the door for her. “Welcome. Are you visiting today?”

She nodded. “Rajneet Kaur Hothi for Ajay Singh.”

He led her over to the large mahogany concierge desk where an armed security guard scanned a computer. “Yes, Ms. Hothi, you’re to have your fingerprints scanned so you can have open access to Mr. Singh’s floors.”

“Thank you, but I don’t—”

“Please place your thumb over the scanner,” he said.

To save time, she stopped arguing and followed the instructions. She smiled when the doorman petted Khunda and asked if her puppy could have a treat.

“I don’t know what kind of treats she likes yet,” she said. “I’ve tried a couple brands, but nothing really gets her excited.”

The doorman pulled out a tiny triangle from his pocket, and to Raj’s surprise, Khunda sat back and put her paws up to beg. She took the offered treat and finished it in a few greedy bites before settling down again.

“That’s amazing,” Raj said. “What were those?”

The doorman smiled. “Peanut butter dog treats. Don’t go for the fancy or the fruity kind. Basic peanut butter will always work.”