Page 91 of The Art of Taking Second Chances

I spotted distrust in her eyes.

“Your mom wants you to come with me to the U.S. if…”

“You mean when she’s dead.” She was a firecracker who reminded me of Tara. The two would get along well. She didn’t mince words—no euphemisms for death. Dead. As if using it would allow her to come to terms with reality. Treating her like an adult, not the child that she was, seemed like the smartest way to gain her trust.

“I’m sorry I didn’t talk to you before I started the paperwork, but I want to ask if you’re okay with it. I don’t want to do anything without your permission or against your wishes.”

She considered me for a long minute.

“Yes.” She exhaled. “Mumma trusts you. So I do too.”

When we left, I thought I saw a faint smile at the corners of her mouth. I took it as the beginning of a new relationship.

Chapter 28

Tara

Iwas in the restoration room Monday morning when Sameer called. Two of the Arlington paintings had shown traces of fading, and it was more of an obsession than a necessity that I spent my days trying to ensure that the integrity of the paintings was maintained through the restoration process. When I got back to my office around noon, I turned off my Do Not Disturb and texted to see if he was up. He called back promptly.

“Hi,” I said with a smile.

“Hey, love.” He sounded weary.

“Long day?”

“It was emotionally exhausting. Facing one’s past is no small feat.”

“How did it go? Did you see Riya?”

“Yes, better than I had expected. I miss you so much, Tara. Makes me wonder how I lived without you for over a decade.”

“I miss you too. I can’t wait for you to get back. How’s Amar? Is he happy to be back in India?”

“He’s a contented soul. He’s happy wherever he is.”

“Hey, you forgot your ring at my place.”

“Oh!” he exclaimed. “I didn’t even notice it was missing.”

“What did you tell Aarti about the sudden departure?”

“Business trip.”

“She didn’t ask why? Especially when you had nothing planned until the night of?”

“No, but I said a new opportunity had come up and I needed to attend to it immediately.” He sighed. “She trusts me.”

“We need to tell her, Sameer. This isn’t right.”

“I know,” he said, and sighed again.

There was a brief silence.

“I’m planning a weekend trip to New York,” I said. “You and I can begin on a clean slate when you come back. When will you be back?”

“Not sure yet. Too much is hanging in the air.” He paused. “Alright, I’ll let you get on with your day. I’ll try and call whenever I can.”

After the call, I booked my return tickets to New York and called Sujit, Aai, and Sona to tell them I was coming. I kept the conversations brief. I still wasn’t sure how I was going to break it to Sujit. What would he think of me, but more importantly, how much would this hurt him?

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