Page 39 of Power

He stared at my mouth as I took another bite from my fork. Clearing his throat, he replied awkwardly, “Um. Yeah. How’d you know?” He directed his eyes away from me and back onto his plate.

I knew it!He was a California boy. “Just a hunch. What made you move all the way out here?”

“College,” he said.

“Me too. Where did you graduate from?”

“NYU.”

“Oh, really? I did too!” It always excited me when I met someone from my university. I knew the odds were high, since it wasn’t far, but it was still exciting.

“I wonder if we ever crossed paths there. Were you in any sororities?” he asked, excited by the coincidence too.

I nearly choked on my water. “Me? Sorority? No way.”

“Not a fan of Greek life?” He smirked.

“No, nothing like that. I was just kind of a loner. I guess I still kind of am.” I redirected my gaze to my plate. I felt awkward discussing my lack of social depth.

“That’s why you’re a prodigy.”

I looked up to see an expression of genuine kindness on his face. Confused by his answer, I asked, “What?”

“Come on. You don’t think people talk? You’re young and beautiful, so naturally, people are interested in you.”

I was shy at the idea of people talking about me behind my back. I knew I stood out from the typical Sethi Tech employee, but I guess I hadn’t realized how noticeable I was.

“Don’t worry,” he continued. “People only ever have good things to say about you. You don’t seem to be the typical snobby upper-management type that they normally hire. You come off as a genuine hard worker.”

I felt relieved hearing that. Iwasa hard worker, and I didn’t want anything to tarnish that reputation. “That’s good to hear. I still feel a little out of place here. I usually find it difficult to meet new friends.”

“I’m not so sure of that. You seem perfectly comfortable making new friends.” He offered me an encouraging smile that lit up his whole face, then scrunched his napkin up before placing it on his tray.

It felt good to have a new friend.

Chapter XXII

Shyam

Jai must have been able to tell by my tone that it was important and that I needed him as soon as possible, because he came within five minutes of my text— a rarity.

“What’s wrong?” he said as he rushed into the lab. He found me staring at one of the computer screens. He pulled up a chair to see what held my attention.

Salena.She was dressed in the finest dark-pink and gold fabrics, like she was getting married. I had seen her dressed like this once before, at my side. Herlengha, or skirt, shone with jewels and beads in intricate designs. Hercholi,or blouse, matched her skirt, but it fit so loosely on her frame. Salena had always had a curvy frame, with full breasts and ample hips. But in this photo, she was as thin as a rail. Her eyes were sunken in like she was under stress and hadn’t slept well. Her fair skin, which she had inherited from her mother, was bruised with black marks that looked fresh, like she had just been through a fight. Adupatta,or veil, covered her head in the traditional way that brides wore it, but it couldn’t hide her expression—or lack thereof. Her eyes were vacant. She looked like a corpse propped up to pose for a photo.

I looked down to her hands and saw that they were adorned with traditional henna and glittering gold bangles. The vibrancy of her adornments made her skin look even paler.

I noticed something odd as I looked closer. She wore gold handcuffs in addition to her bangles, a chain connecting the cuffs. They were the most elaborate and expensive handcuffs I had ever seen.

“What the fuck happened to Salena? What is this?” Jai asked, enraged. He had been close to her when we were engaged, so I knew seeing her like this upset him just as much as it upset me.

“This was sent to my email address. Read the file name.”

He read the title. “’Salena and Tarun—Engagement.’”

My jaw clenched tighter hearing him read it aloud.

He looked up at me in confusion, as if he had read a foreign language that he didn’t understand. “How did this happen?” he asked.

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