I know we’re just getting our feet wet, but I need you to divide and take my case load temporarily. I’ll sign all the necessary paperwork to transition it to you, but I’ll be out of the office for the next few weeks. You can still reach me by email and my cell if it’s an emergency.

He gave detailed follow-up instructions to his paralegal and his assistant and then began to pack all of his items in his small carry-on bag.

Dread filled his gut at the thought of letting go of the reins on a business that had been his salvation after Bharat. Hopefully his father could see, after the time that had passed, that he’d made the right choice.

But now wasn’t the time to think about old arguments and family politics. His father needed him, his brothers needed him, and there was nothing Hem wouldn’t do to protect them.

“The eldest Singh has returned like a Bollywood fucking hero,” Hem mused to himself as he zipped up his bag.

Chapter Two

Mina Kohli lay sleepless in bed like she did every year on this day. The muted sounds of an early New York City morning filtered through the open window as a backdrop to the drifting memories of her mother. Mina couldn’t help but wonder what kind of relationship they’d have if she was still alive. It’d been fifteen years since the accident, but that didn’t matter. Every birthday reminded her of the hole in her heart and in her life.

A familiar ping echoed through the bedroom and Mina reached out to pick up her phone.

DAD: You’ll get through today.

Simple, short, and to the point. Her father wasn’t an affectionate man, nor were he and Mina close, but sometimes he managed to say just the right thing at the right moment. She sent back a response.

MINA: Just like I always do. Hopefully I’ll see you at the office.

DAD: No. Working from home. I’ll ask my assistant to schedule a lunch later this week.

MINA: Okay, Dad.

DAD: Okay. Happy thirtieth birthday, Mina.

“That’s as close to a touching father-daughter moment as we’ve ever had,” Mina muttered. With a sigh, she opened up her photos and clicked through the albums until she found the one labeled ‘Mom’.

Pictures filled the screen. Her mother looked like her. Long dark hair, eyes too big for her face, and sharp cheekbones. Mina scrolled through the pregnancy photos, the baby photos, and the pictures of the few times they went to Central Park when she was a child.