Was it Good for You Too?

by Naleighna Kai

  “It’s all right to be angry at God, Tai,” Delvin said in a breathy whisper. “God can take it. God’s a pretty big God. Can handle anything. You’ll see.”

  Her smile was fleeting, but it was there. And it was a sure sign that Delvin was reaching her on some level.

  * * *

  And on the third day, Tailan came to him displayed in every inch of her naked glory. Awaking him from a dream that had catapulted him back to the time when they first met and she trusted him to keep her safe, trusted him when nearly everyone in her life had shown her that a man cannot be trusted. He had failed her then, but with God’s grace and mercy, he would not fail her ever again.

  Delvin went to her then, accepted her, accepted everything she brought with her—memories that did not include him, pleasure, pain, love, joy, and a completion he had never felt with another living soul. She was his. He would make sure she was very much aware of this fact. And he would be damned if he’d lose her again.

  The love they made that night was a pure rekindling of what they had lost, not a mechanism to wash away the memories of past loves, but of what both wished to share, wished to become—lovers and partners on an equal plane.

  Yes, she had loved her husband. But the truth of the matter was that she loved Delvin all the way down to her soul.

  And no other kind of love could ever surpass that.

  Chapter 34

  ONE MONTH LATER

  “Tailan,” Amir said. “I need a huge favor please.”

  “Is everything all right?” She sounded nervous, when he was the one who actually needed to be.

  “I am going to be at the Indian Consulate a lot longer than I expected. They are finishing the paperwork to bring my nieces to America. I need you to pick up Neena from Skokie.”

  There was dead silence on the other end, and for a moment, he thought she wouldn’t answer.

  “I can do that,” she replied.

  Amir released the breath he didn’t realize he was holding. “Once you get her, then we will discuss a decision I’ve made regarding the children.”

  “I’ll be there,” she whispered.

  He ended the call and faced his lawyer, giving him a nod to continue.

  Amir was about to commit an act of extreme defiance. The life he wanted for himself might be over, but the life and happiness of his child would continue. What he intended to do would rattle the very foundation of his family to the core, but nothing was more important than his children and Tailan.

  * * *

  Tailan settled on a plush sofa in the parlor of the Kasturi family, unwilling to go any further into the mansion than necessary. The place was palatial with marbled floors and walls, elegant fountains, and colorful bursts of ornamental sculptures and artwork. She had arrived early to collect Neena in order to return in time to pick Jason up from basketball practice and shuttle him to his saxophone lessons. She was amazed that the teen was following so closely in Delvin’s footsteps.

  “I have never liked your kind.” Adesh’s harsh voice snapped her to the present. “Too wild, too uncivilized.”

  “Oh?” she replied, giving him an icy smile as she left the sofa and walked to the foyer. “I bet that woman who was raped by those seven men in India felt your kind were very civilized,” Tailan countered, pressing her back against the glass doors.

  “An isolated incident,” he defended with a dismissive wave of his hand.

  The bastard hid his inner monster well. Tailan had despised him the second they met. All of her instincts fired warning shots about him. The man was too much like her Uncle Lin—evil incarnate. Women and girls were not human to them; they were “things” to be used and toyed with. Evidently that extended to his son.

  Now that Uma had shared the depths of his depravity with her, Tailan would not put any despicable act beyond Adesh’s capabilities. She shivered at the thought of Neena being under his influence for any length of time.

  She crossed her arms and defiantly reminded him, “Women and girls all around the world are beaten and abused every day. India is no exception. Women have a hard time feeling safe in any culture. Only now, the world is watching.” She swept a gaze over the women crowded in an area off to the side, who were watching her intently. Some nodded slightly despite the fact that her view was not held by the men in the family. But Uma, who almost never made eye contact with Tailan, did so this time. “Women in India have had enough, and they’re speaking out about injustices. The fact that they should have a choice to aim for peace, to control some parts of their lives. One day, that will hit closer to home.”

  Some of the men situated close to him frowned at what they perceived as insolence from Amir’s wanton wife. But the women—they were listening, she was certain of it.

  “You have been a horrible influence on my granddaughter,” Adesh growled, tearing his gaze from Uma. He stood from the bed of silk cushions on the floor.

  Tailan took a battle stance as he snaked closer. “How so?”

  “Neena is willful—too inquisitive.” He towered over her, assuming his powerful presence intimidated her. Adesh flashed a serpentine smile and added, “But not to worry. When she is fully under our care, we will remove all of your influence, all signs of you from her life.”

  “Oh, I’d like to see you try,” Tailan shot right back, her hands curled into tight fists.

  Uma stepped forward to speak, but Adesh turned to her sharply, giving her a look that silenced her, but not for long.

  “Adesh, stop this madness,” she said through her teeth. “You have cost us enough!”

  “There are ways to tame a child of such a wild nature,” Adesh announced, ignoring his wife by focusing on Tailan once again. “She is young. We have many years. By the time she reaches maturity, she will be elated to marry the man we choose for her.”

  This time Tailan got in his face, but she flickered a gaze to Uma as she said, “What about what she wants? Her happiness? Haven’t the women in this family paid enough cost for their children to have a better life.”

  Adesh turned from her as though she wasn’t even worth his breath. “A woman’s happiness is not a man’s concern,” he said.

  “No,” Tailan agreed. “It is a woman’s concern. She has the right to be happy. She might not have been given a choice in some aspects in her life, but she can control some parts of it. Happiness, peace, fairness should top the list.”

  Adesh maneuvered so that he blocked Tailan’s view of Uma. “We are all unhappy in one way or another.” He turned to his wife, then scowled at the woman’s thoughtful expression. All of the women were focused on Tailan. He glanced at Tailan over his shoulder. “Now that you are out of the picture and back with a mate of your station—your own kind—the family will have full rein to train Neena properly.”

  Tailan moved so they were inches apart. “She deserves to have choices in her life just like anyone else. Just like you.”

  “No,” Adesh gritted. “She will do as she is told. Choices are not an option for women. Look how your choices ruined the lives of so many. My son, my granddaughter. You chose to leave my son rather than stay with your family.”

  He flashed a deadly smile. If Tailan didn’t know any better, she would’ve sworn he was actually getting off on what he was saying.

  “That’s a bald-faced lie,” Tailan seethed, as she stalked him. “I would never leave my husband for another man, whether I loved another man or not. You—” she fanned her hand out for emphasis. “You and this family left us the only choice that will keep us alive. I won’t have his blood on my hands because he loves me.”

  Shared glances between the women and then amongst some of the men, spoke to the confusion her words had created.

  “You say I’m uncivilized.? Tailan jabbed him in the chest. “At least I don’t secretly hate my own child so much that I wish him dead.”

  The shocked gasps that echoed in the room were a sure sign that she’d hit home.

  Uma’s hand flew up to her bosom. Adesh blan
ched, and Tailan grinned. Murmurs of discontent echoed from several family members.

  “We both know that you wanted Amir to refuse this arranged marriage so that you could be rid of him,” Tailan accused, her gaze unwavering. “You want to take his child and make her the success that you feel he and Dhara failed to become.”

  The twisted fiend didn’t even try to deny it. Instead, he glared at her with a hatred he never tried to conceal.

  “You. Make. Me. Sick!” she snarled.

  “Your actions put my granddaughter right where I want her—back where she belongs,” he proclaimed with relish. “You defiled your marriage and dishonored my son, who made the grave mistake of marrying a woman who was not only beneath him, but a whore as well.”

  Tailan backed away from him, disgusted. She opened her mouth to respond, but out of the corner of her eye, she saw Neena timidly descending the stairs with a dour faced woman following. Neena’s normally jubilant manner was subdued. Eerily so. The bruises on her olive skin shone like a spotlight on the horrors she had endured.

  “What have you done to her?” Tailan gasped and ran over to her baby.

  “What we have a right to do,” he roared. “Discipline her so she knows her place.”

  Tailan charged over to Adesh and shoved him hard against the wall. She pressed her elbow into his throat, nearly cutting off his supply of oxygen. “You ever lay a hand on my child again … and so help me God, I will slit your throat!”

  Those nearby blanched at the coarse language. She stormed over to Neena and the female escort. When the woman wouldn’t release Neena, Tailan snatched the woman out of the way and collected her child in her arms.

  Tailan shot a murderous look over to Adesh, whose eyes were wide with fright, but quickly morphed into anger.

  She stepped toward the door, but with Adesh’s signal to the men standing nearby, they blocked her exit.

  “Move,” she commanded. “Or this will not be a pleasant evening for any of us.”

  At that moment she was grateful, so very grateful, that Anna Germaine had made good on her promise to send her for Martial Arts classes. Tailan never had the opportunity to achieve higher than a brown belt, but at the moment, belts didn’t matter—skill and the ability to throw a punch and take a punch did.

  “You put your hands on me!!!” Adesh growled, shaking a fist in her direction.

  She placed Neena behind her, ready to take up a fighting stance. “You put your hands on my daughter. So we’re even. And you will never have any opportunity to hurt her again.”

  To this Adesh choked out a bitter laugh that cause of slither of unease to slither up her spine. “But my dear, thanks to your mistake you will have no say in the matter.”

  Chapter 35

  “Calm down, Tailan,” Amir pleaded as he paced after her.

  “He beat her!” she cried and flung her hands towards the upstairs bedroom. “You saw the marks on her body!”

  “Sweetheart, please calm down,” Amir pleaded. His heart was breaking. The horrors for his little girl had already begun.

  Tailan whirled on him with eyes streaming with tears.

  “You know that’s not right. We have never laid a hand to her,” she reminded him. “And she knows how to behave. And you know that!”

  Amir carefully eased closer to Tailan and let her get it out.

  “She’s a good girl,” she whispered into the wall of his chest. “She’s a good baby.”

  After a moment, he escorted her to the kitchen and sat her down. He prepared a cup of tea to settle her nerves. Amir helped her with the first sip because her hands were still shaking. “Adesh was angry and tried to hold us captive when I tried to leave with Neena,” she said.

  Amir stiffened with anger.

  “For the first time, the women finally spoke up. They defied their husbands and moved them out of the way so we could go. Every single woman said something. I have never seen anything like it.”

  Amir’s eyebrow shot up, he gripped her arms. “The women?! My mother?!!”

  Tailan nodded, giving him a wan smile. “She had the strongest voice. She told Adesh to end this foolishness, end his bitterness, or she would leave with me and take every single one of the women with her.”

  His jaw dropped and when Tailan saw it, she tried to smile and finally succeeded.

  “Ease your fears, my love,” he whispered, placing a hand on her cheek. “This will be over soon.”

  Tailan set her cup down and stared up at him.

  He pulled out a folder and placed it on the table.

  “What’s this?” she asked.

  Amir fought for a calm that was hard to feel. His next words were agonizing to form.

  He closed his hand over hers. “My family has sealed my fate,” he started. “But I cannot allow what happened to Dhara and to my mother to ever happen to Neena or Dhara’s children.” Amir pushed the folder forward. “I have added a codicil to our pending divorce decree.”

  Tailan snatched up the folder and flipped it open.

  “Amir … no,” she said, raking a gaze over the words again and again. “You can’t do this! You can’t—I won’t let you.”

  “All it requires is your signature.”

  “There has to be another way,” Tailan continued.

  Amir rose from the table and said, “The madness of my family’s obsession with tradition and purity will end with me.” He turned to her and explained, “I will not continue the line. My new wife will never have children sired by me. If I must sacrifice my happiness, then I will extract my pound of flesh for the arrogance of my family.” He returned to the table and gathered her face in his hands. “I love you, Tailan. If you cannot be the mother of my children, then no one will be the mother of my children.”

  “Amir, please.”

  “I will see her. I will be there,” he forged on. “But she will be where she is safe and nurtured and loved—she will be with you.” He kissed her forehead and added, “Dhara’s children will be delivered to me soon. But I ask that you allow them to be our children.”

  “Of course,” she whispered. “Whatever you need.”

  “They will be my focus,” he said, stroking a hand across her face. “We will help heal them like you healed me. And I will keep them safe from my family’s influence. At least, I have that written promise from them in order to agree to marry Roshni. But this,” he gestured to the document she held, “protects Neena from both my family and Esha’s and puts her firmly in the care of the person I trust.”

  Tailan read the document again, practically hyperventilating as she did. Suddenly she pressed her forehead to his as their falling tears blended together.

  “I love you so much, Amir,” Tailan sobbed.

  “I love you forever, Tailan,” Amir added as he eased her around to face the codicil. He handed her a pen, and she trembled with hesitation. She clenched her fist and hurriedly added her signature.

  Tailan shoved the pieces of paper across the table and embraced him with a fierceness that spoke of how much she meant those words.

  Soothingly, he added, “It is done. Our divorce will be submitted as final when the adoption is finalized. You will have sole custody of Devi, Neena, and the twins.”

  Her tears broke his heart, but they also gave him hope.

  “My mother actually threatened my father?”

  “She most certainly did!”

  Amir laughed as they walked upstairs to Neena’s bedroom to comfort her and help her get ready for bed.

  Epilogue

  The next few months spun by. Once the divorce was finalized, Delvin was insistent Tailan marry him immediately. She couldn’t do it. Not because she didn’t want to, but because she was solely focused on smoothing the way for Amir’s nieces to adjust to America. The children were leery of every adult except her when they arrived. With her, Lali and Bela relaxed and sometimes even smiled. Soon things changed so that when Neena and Devi were present, the twins morphed into rambunctious, playful little girls
again.

  Tailan had seen so much horror inflicted upon small children in the course of her life. Thoughts of how she was not able to protect her cousins drove her to be a fierce protector of the children she cared about. Amir’s family learned that ugly lesson the hard way.

  When word spread that Tailan had sole custody of both of her children and Amir’s nieces, his family went berserk. However, there was nothing they could do. When Adesh tried to use the legal system to steal her child away, Amir’s mother found the courage to drop a few words in his ear, “I will tell them everything.”

  Soon after, Amir received a sizable inheritance that Adesh had kept from him for all these years. All because it originated from Kamal. Amir immediately enrolled in medical school and set out to fulfill his dreams.

  They never discussed the details of the conversation, but Tailan conceded just a bit. Lali, Bela, Neena, and Devi would visit Amir’s family compound once a week and during special ceremonies related to their culture. But no one there was ever allowed to exclude any of the children from any event, speak harshly to them, mistreat or belittle them. No one could touch them in anger or as a form of discipline. It there was any infraction of this rule, the nanny and bodyguards who would be accompanying them every time would crack skulls first and ask questions later.

  * * *

  When the families settled into a routine that worked for both households, Tailan finally felt like she could breathe and give Delvin a date when they would get married. The girls were flourishing. Jason and Ariel were adapting well to their extended family. Anna, Delvin’s mother, received joyful news that her body was responding much better to her cancer treatments. Delvin and his father had been right. Anna fought tooth and nail to have more time with all her grandchildren.

  “You all really took that be fruitful and multiply thing seriously, eh?” Anna teased. But everyone knew they were her reason to live and get better.

  Amir and his new bride were slowly adjusting to each other. Delvin was at least entertaining the thought of doing more films now that his mother was better and he was free of his diabolical wife.