by Mona Shroff
Their eyes widened as if in wonder at what more she could say.
Her belly was overrun with butterflies, and she was starting to sweat profusely, but there was no way she was letting the idea of marrying Sajan go further. She took a deep breath and thought of the comfort she felt in Daniel’s arms. “I’ve been seeing someone.”
They stared at her in complete silence, with almost no reaction.
“Like, dating someone,” she clarified, in case they didn’t understand. Before she could say any more, there was a knock at the door. Her parents still sat in complete silence. Another knock. She didn’t move.
“Aren’t you going to answer that?” Her mother seemed to find her voice.
Annika stood and went to the door. Maybe it was Ravi, here for Naya.
She opened the door and was met with the fragrance of roses, followed by lips on hers that momentarily made her melt. Daniel wrapped his arms around her in the doorway and thoroughly kissed her good morning, weakening her body so she momentarily forgot where she was.
He walked her into the apartment, still kissing her, when the aroma of mint masala chai brought her back to her senses. She pushed away from him. He looked slightly hurt and confused until she tilted her head toward her parents, who had just watched him kiss her like he’d just returned from war. His lips were slightly swollen and wet, but to his credit, he simply pressed them together rather than draw attention by wiping his mouth.
His eyes filled with alarm, and Annika broke away from his gaze and turned to face her quite ashen parents. “Mummy, Papa. As I was saying—” she glanced at Daniel with a small smile “—I’m seeing someone. And that someone is Daniel. Nilay’s mentor.” She made a small movement with her hand to indicate the man standing next to her, as if there were anyone else in the room. Like he hadn’t just kissed her. In front of them.
Her father had his jaw clenched, and a vein was popping at his temple, whereas her mother’s mouth went from gaping to tight-lipped. Neither one of them could tear their gaze away from Daniel.
Daniel, to his credit, did not try to brush off the fact that he had just been making out with their daughter. Instead, he stepped away from her as he brought his hands together and bowed his head slightly in the namaste greeting.
Her parents returned the greeting like robots, out of habit. It was clear they had no idea that they were even doing that. Annika swore she could see steam coming out her dad’s ears.
“This is why you won’t consider Sajan? This?” Her father spoke not only as if Daniel weren’t there but as if he were nothing better than something stuck to his shoe. “He’s a nurse, Annika. And he’s divorced!” He said these things as if they were contagious incurable diseases.
Annika hazarded a glance at Daniel and found that he was looking at her. But if he was at all insulted by her father, he didn’t show it. Concern for her settled onto his face, and it was in that moment, in the middle of all that chaos, with her father yelling at them, insulting him, her mother’s disapproval mounting, that she knew she loved him. She had been falling for him all this time. For this man who, in the midst of this storm around them, was calm and supporting and oblivious of everything but her. There was no other man for her. Emboldened, she turned to her parents and said the first thing she thought of.
“Papa, his grandmother is Indian. And he’s a nurse practitioner.”
Anil seemed to swell up with anger. “Is that what you think? That I care if he is Indian? There are plenty of Indian idiots out there.” His hands were flailing about as he tried to emphasize his point. “No! What I care about is that he did not have the ambition to become a doctor and instead chose to be a nurse. As a result, he has to moonlight on the helicopter to make ends meet. What kind of life is that? And being divorced shows lack of commitment.”
Annika felt Daniel tense, and she risked another glance at him. His lips were pressed tight, jaw clenched, but he met her gaze with warning. He gave the slightest shake of his head. I’m not worth it.
He was wrong. Annika stepped in front of Daniel and faced her father. “You don’t even know him.”
“I know enough. Sajan is in a position to support you while you go to medical school.” He said it like it was a done deal.
“I’m not going to medical school!”
“Why not?”
“Because I’m good at teaching. No, I’m great at teaching—and I love those children.”
“But Sajan...” her mother started.
“I already told you.”
Daniel leaned toward her ever so slightly, his chest pressed against her back. “I love those kids. I love what I do, and I love—Daniel. I love Daniel.” She stared straight ahead, meeting her father’s eyes, even as she felt Daniel tense behind her.
Her father gaped at her for a moment before he brushed past them. “Think about what you are doing, Annika. What do you know about love? We only want what is best for you.”
Her mother hesitated before joining her father at the door. “Beta, think about what we said. Every once in a while, we have a good idea.” She glanced at Daniel with what Annika could have sworn was a trace of sadness. And with that, her parents opened the door and left.
Annika sagged right into Daniel as if she had just run a marathon. His arms were around her in an instant, providing the strength and comfort she needed right now. He led her to the sofa, and she curled up in his lap.
“So, um...good morning to you, too,” Daniel chuckled.
“It’s not funny.”
“No, I suppose making out in front of your parents is not really comedy, or the best way to tell them about us.” He pulled back to look at her. “You were telling them about us?”
“Well, yeah, before you came in and kissed me like I was the last woman on earth.”
“You are the last woman on earth, for me.”
“They’re really trying to get me to marry Sajan. Besides, they should know about you.”
“Not really the best way for them to find out.”
She giggled despite the hollowness in her stomach. She felt his chuckle vibrate through her and decided it was the most amazing thing she’d ever felt. Well, almost.
“They don’t like me.” He was matter-of-fact.
She squeezed his hand. “They don’t know you.”
“They don’t want to know me.”
Annika sat up so she could look at him. “That’s their loss. Listen, it’s not easy. If you can’t handle it, bail now.” Better to find out now that he wouldn’t be sticking around.
He pressed a finger to her lips. “That’s not it at all. I’m not trying to bail on you. But I don’t want to cause trouble for you, either.”
“You’re not causing trouble.”
“Hmm. That is true.” He grinned at her, amusement playing in those green eyes she loved so much. “You’re the troublemaker here.” He kissed her neck. “But was this really the most romantic way you could think of to tell me you loved me?”
* * *
“YOU THINK YOU’RE IN love with him?” Naya stood, incredulous, in the doorway of her bedroom. She had clearly been listening, waiting for the right moment to come out—preferably after Annika’s parents had left.
“No, I am in love with him.” She glanced at Daniel, and a ridiculous lightness came over her. She’d never felt this way before.
Naya smirked and rolled her eyes. “Okay, whatever.”
Annika glanced at Daniel, then stood and walked over to Naya. “What exactly is your problem?”
Naya shrugged and looked over Annika’s shoulder at Daniel. “We can talk later.”
“We can talk now.” They’d grown up together like sisters; confronting each other was nothing new. It was what they each valued most about their relationship. Annika crossed her arms over her chest.
Daniel stood and faced them. “Actually, I did jus
t get off the overnight and could use a shower. Why don’t you two talk, and I’ll go.”
No sooner had Daniel left the room than Annika turned to Naya. “What?”
“I’m just saying, you have a pattern.”
Annika narrowed her eyes at her cousin. “Daniel is nothing like Steven.”
“Maybe not, but still—don’t you see it?”
“I honestly have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Naya took a deep breath. “Well, if you recall, the first time you met Steven, you thought he was attractive, but you weren’t really sure about him.”
“Yeah, okay.”
“But when your parents got upset with you for going to school for teaching, you decided that Steven was the one for you.”
“I didn’t even know Steven when I decided against med school.”
“No, but you dated him while you were in grad school, while your mom and dad were trying to get you to quit and go to med school.”
“So?” Annika was defensive, but her indignation lost its punch as she realized what Naya was saying had a grain of truth. She had dated Steven in grad school. And her parents had been constantly nagging her to leave the program and go to med school. They couldn’t understand how she had turned down Hopkins. It was nearly constant stress, and her only relief had been Steven. He had supported her graduate endeavors. Or had he? Now that she thought about it, he had listened while she complained about her parental pressure, but he hadn’t really offered to help her do anything about it. In fact, he had insinuated more than once that her parents’ beliefs were backward. She had been so convinced of his love for her that she’d told herself he just didn’t understand Indian culture. Besides, she wanted to be modern and progressive, and being with Steven and not going to medical school were both of those.
“Wait. Are you saying that I’m doing the same thing with Daniel?”
“Aren’t you?” Naya pursed her lips.
“No.” She paused. “I mean, I don’t think so.” She no longer cared about being modern or progressive. She had deep passion for her work and no desire to become a doctor. Being a teacher was completely about following her passions. Her feelings for Daniel were such that she had never experienced before. In the short time they’d known each other, he’d become comfortable, reliable, steady. Sure, he had his issues, but who didn’t?
“All I’m saying,” Naya softened, taking Annika’s hands in hers, “is consider the possibility that when you rebel, you don’t necessarily make choices that are the best for you. Maybe you’re turning away from Sajan because your parents actually like him. You wouldn’t be the first girl who did that.”
That couldn’t possibly be the truth, could it? She glanced at her bedroom door as if she could see Daniel. He loved her, no doubt. Did she really love him, or was she acting out like a teenager?
A banging at the door interrupted her thoughts. Her attention snapped back to Naya, whose eyes had gone wide.
“It’s like Grand Central this morning,” Annika murmured as she went to the door.
She opened it to find a clearly unkempt Ravi midknock. “Thank God you’re home. Is Naya here? She won’t answer her phone or anything.”
Annika stepped aside and let Ravi see Naya standing there. They made eye contact and Naya froze.
“Naya.” Ravi sagged in relief. He said her name with such desperation, such relief and love, Annika almost teared up.
Naya pressed her lips together. “Ravi.”
Annika could tell her cousin was trying to be cold, but she saw Naya’s lip quiver.
“I’m going. I worked too hard—did what my parents wanted. I’m going.”
Ravi narrowed his eyes and stepped closer. “Duh. Of course you are.”
Naya couldn’t hide the flick of surprise that fled across her face. Annika said nothing, as Ravi and Naya were clearly continuing a conversation that had started earlier. She stepped back into her room, leaving the door open a crack. She peeked out. Naya tightened her expression. “So that’s it?”
“That’s what?”
“Us. That’s it. Because I’m going to the Peace Corps. No matter what. I’m not changing my dreams for a man—it’s hard enough I have to mold them around my parents.”
Annika felt Daniel come up behind her, his body just grazing hers. She turned to face him. His hair was dry, his clothes unchanged.
“You didn’t shower?”
He pressed his lips together. “I did. Before I came here.”
Her heart banged in her chest. “So you heard?”
He nodded. He flicked his gaze to the door.
Ravi’s voice was firm, amusement lacing his words. “Have I asked you not to go?”
“Well, not in so many words, but your parents—” Naya’s voice quivered.
“Have their own opinions. But they don’t run my life. Or yours, for that matter.”
“But you agreed to this setup. You’re a lawyer when you want to be a chef.”
Ravi nodded, though a frown creased his face. “All true. I agreed to the setup because I wanted to meet girls.”
Annika and Daniel smiled at each other.
“I’m a lawyer, so I make good money and I can pursue my dream to be a chef on my own.” He stood directly in front of Naya and tilted her chin up to him. “Or I can join the Peace Corps with the woman I love.”
Daniel smiled at this, and Annika melted.
“You—what?”
“You heard me. I’m going with you.”
“But—”
“But what?”
“That’s crazy.”
“Is it crazy for me to want to be with you while you fulfill your dreams? You told me about the Peace Corps on our first date. I’m not an idiot. Nothing is going to stand in your way. Not me. Certainly not my parents. And it’s not a reason to break up. We’re in this together.”
Relief washed over Annika. Ravi was a good guy.
“I don’t want to come between you and your parents.” Naya’s voice was small. Her resolve was weakening as her feelings for Ravi took over.
“You won’t.”
Daniel was watching Annika, his eyes wary. He had heard everything Naya had told her.
Annika reached out and laid her hands on either side of his face, standing on her toes to reach. “I’m not rebelling. Maybe I dated Steven as an act of rebellion. But I’m with you because I love you.” She pulled his face down to her, gently sliding her lips over his. “I’m with you because you are incredible. Because now that I have you, I don’t want to be without you. I can’t even remember what my life was like without you. I love you.” She breathed the words into his mouth, kissing him harder, closing the space between their bodies, willing him to find in her kiss whatever he needed to believe her.
It was completely true. She did love him, and he was the one for her. Her judgment was not off. This felt right, the way teaching felt right—like it was a part of her. Daniel was a part of her.
Daniel pulled back. “But your family—”
“Is being unreasonable. They don’t even know you.” She smiled. “Nilay thinks you’re the coolest.”
“What about her?” He motioned at the door.
“You mean the girl who is considering leaving the man who adores her because she can’t stand not being accepted immediately? She likes you. She doesn’t like the idea of you.”
Ravi’s agitated voice and Naya’s sob broke through. Daniel’s gaze flicked toward the door, then back to Annika.
“For the past five years, I have cut myself off from getting close to anyone. I went to work and I slept. That was it. I even cut myself off from my own heart because it was too painful to feel anything.” He caressed the side of her face, his rough calluses stroking her skin. “You heal me. To say that I love you doesn’t even begin to describe it.” He sighed an
d glanced at the door, Naya and Ravi still arguing on the other side of it. “But I can’t take you away from your family.”
“You won’t. We’ll work on them. You’ll see. My parents are reasonable people.”
Daniel widened his eyes at her.
“Deep down.” She grinned into his hand. “Way deep down. But you’ll see. I’m not rebelling—I’ve got no reason to. I love you, too. Or didn’t you hear me tell my parents? That has to be enough for now.”
“It’s more than enough.” Daniel grinned as he finally leaned down to kiss her.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
DANIEL
HE HAD PROMISED. There was no reason he couldn’t do this. He pulled into the parking lot of Chase Creek Elementary. He was just unnerved by Annika finding that paper heart last week. He parked the bike and removed his helmet, involuntarily holding his breath against the odor of lavender that he remembered. He climbed off the bike, still not breathing, and leaned against it. He had purchased the motorcycle when he and Sheila divorced. Everyone thought he was going through some kind of self-destructive, risk-taking phase. The truth was much less exciting. Men with families needed cars. Men without families did not.
He finally drew breath, the cloying scent of lavender filling his nostrils and sending him back in time. His head spun and nausea claimed him as he spiraled into the past and watched as a man and his young daughter entered the building.
The little girl able to hold only three of his fingers in her little hand.
No. He shut his eyes against the memory. Annika. He loved her and she loved him, and that would give him the strength to go into the building and keep his promise to her. But his legs wouldn’t move, and he couldn’t open his eyes.
He wasn’t exactly sure how long he’d stood there, but the next thing he became aware of was a familiar hand on his. Annika. Already, he could recognize her touch.
“Daniel?”
He slowly opened his eyes, and his gaze landed on those warm brown eyes he’d fallen in love with, and he exhaled, relaxing in an instant. His calm was fleeting, as he realized what had happened. And who was with her. His heart ratcheted up as he recognized Annika’s father and Sajan.