Page 130 of The Rules of Playing with Fire

“Is that where you two met?”

Sona sat upright and glanced at me. “We’re friends,” she said emphatically.

Aai smiled. “Yes. Where did you meet?”

“In Dallas. She’s a friend of my friend’s wife.”

“Aah, very filmy.”

“It’s slang for movie-like,” Sona explained when I produced a confused frown. “She knows we were together.”

“How long are you here?” Aai asked. “I would like to see you again.”

My body perked up. “I haven’t booked my tickets yet.”

“I’m glad you both made the effort to find me. This is…good.”

“It was all Sona,” I said and smiled at the woman of my dreams, who remained just out of reach at the moment.

“I was scared,” Aai said. “I wasn’t sure what you wanted from me, how you would react to me giving you up.”

“I was scared too,” I replied.

Sona squeezed my hand.

We talked for about an hour until the clouds descended low on the city, covering it in a dark gray blanket.

“It’s going to rain. I should leave before the roads get blocked. You should too,” Aai suggested.

“Can we drop you back?” I asked.

“No.” She smiled and leaned in to place a loving hand on my cheek.

The warmth from her hand reached my soul, and I pulled my hand over hers, brought it to my lips, and kissed it.

“Thank you,” I said in English and touched her hand to my forehead. It was something I’d seen Mom do to her mother and Dad’s mother in deference.

Aai placed a quick hand on my head.

“Thank you,” she said in English then continued in Hindi. “I will call you for another meeting soon. Sona, can you send me his number?”

When Sona nodded, she took her hand and patted it with obvious fondness. “You’re a nice girl. I will see you both soon.”

“I want to hug you and never let go,” I said to Sona in the car on our way back.

“I’m truly happy for you. I don’t think I can express how I feel right now.”

“Oh, the quick-witted, eloquent, brilliantly verbose Dr. Thomas is scrambling for words?”

She stuck her elbow in my arm. “Hey, it happens to the best of us.”

“Have dinner with me.”

“Not today. I need to send him home,” she said, meaning Sanjay. “I don’t want him getting stranded on his way back.”

“Send him home. We’ll get a car, and I’ll drop you back.”

I think I prayed silently while she considered my proposition. “Let me call Aai.”

---