Chapter Eight
Eight
The Solankis went all out to get their house ready for Ethan’s visit that evening.
Mumma shifted into makeover mode, cleaning and decluttering, while Puppa polished the floors and wiped down every surface to a gleaming shine.
Priya bounced between rooms—chopping vegetables, folding napkins into neat triangles, and scrubbing the bathroom until it sparkled.
Not a single dust bunny survived. By the time they sat down for dinner, the energy felt different than it had during Ethan’s first visit.
Her parents were more prepared, though Puppa’s excitement was bubbling over.
“That car chase in your second movie? Unbelievable,” he gushed. “The way you raced through those alleyways, intercepted the kidnapper, and nailed that drift? Smooth as ghee sliding off a hot dosa. Eni ma ne!”
Priya cringed, not just because he’d just switched languages but because he had used a phrase that loosely translated to “Motherfucker!”
“Rakesh,” Mumma whispered, nudging him to reel it in.
“We love your films, Ethan. You remind me of a Bollywood hero from my childhood—Amitabh Bachchan. He was always going dishoom-dishoom, fighting off villains, just like you.” She threw some playful punches in the air. “Good thing you’re not accident porn.”
Ethan’s eyebrows shot up, and Priya quickly jumped in. “She means accident prone.”
Ethan’s laughter filled the room. “Well, I’ve played many roles, but I can’t say I’ve ever accidentally dropped my pants.”
Mumma’s and Puppa’s faces turned vermilion. They cleared the table and disappeared into the kitchen in record time.
Ethan turned to Priya. “Did I just step on a cultural land mine?”
“They get awkward around anything remotely sexual. Puppa dives for the remote whenever there’s a kissing scene, and Mumma rushes off to the bathroom.
When we were kids, the second there was any intimacy on-screen, it was automatic bedtime for me and my sisters.
So, when you mentioned dropping your pants—”
“Mr. Ethan,” Mumma called from the kitchen. “Would you like some dessert or tea?”
“Thank you, Mrs. Solanki, but I’m completely stuffed,” Ethan replied. “The food was absolutely incredible.”
“You must at least try some shrikhand.” Mumma’s voice bubbled with delight.
“Here.” Puppa placed a bowl before Ethan. “It’s like Greek yogurt but with saffron, sugar, and a hint of cardamom.”
Priya went into the kitchen where her mother was filling teacups with chai. She took one and went back to the table where Puppa and Ethan were digging into their shrikhand.
“Here’s your chai, Puppa.” Setting the cup in front of him, she returned to her seat.
Mumma joined them at the table, carrying her own bowl of shrikhand and a cup of tea for Priya.
As she sat down, the lights flickered overhead.
Puppa gave Mumma a quick look. When she gave a small nod—as if granting permission—Priya frowned.
What’s going on? Her father straightened and cleared his throat.
“Since we’re all here, there’s something I’d like to ask you, Mr. Ethan,” he said.
“Please, call me Ethan,” Ethan said, putting down his spoon and smiling at Priya’s parents.
“Mr. Ethan,” Puppa continued, unwilling to equalize his standing with Ethan, “given that this is the first time we’re closing Moksha, Seema and I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to go on a holiday.
We want to visit our youngest daughter, Deepa, who is studying in Windsor.
And after that, we’d like to spend some time with my brother, Vinod, and his family.
Our other daughter, Meghna, is in India right now, so we won’t get to see her.
But Priya will stay back to make sure everything runs smoothly while you’re here.
” He glanced at Priya who sat frozen, stunned into silence.
They’re taking off and leaving me here to look after Ethan?
“We just want to make sure you’re okay with us going away before we finalize anything,” her father continued. “We’ll be back in two weeks before the renovations begin.”
A wave of anger welled up inside Priya before she could stop it. It wasn’t that she minded her parents taking a holiday. They absolutely deserved it. The issue was that they just assumed she’d step in, like she had nothing better to do than play bed-and-breakfast manager to Ethan.
“Hang on a second,” she cut in. “You never talked to me about this.”
“We didn’t think it would be an issue,” Puppa replied, surprised. “It’s only two weeks. Mumma is going to freeze all the meals, so you don’t even have to worry about cooking.”
“We’ve stocked up on all the essentials, Priya,” Mumma chimed in. “I’ll prepare plenty of snacks and make sure you have a fresh supply of linens and towels for Mr. Ethan.”
“And I’ve already notified everyone that the funeral home is closed. You won’t have to handle a single thing,” Puppa added.
It was a well-oiled plan that left Priya with no excuses.
She glanced at Ethan, who was quietly watching the exchange.
She was certain that Puppa and Mumma hadn’t just sprung this on her randomly.
They had planned it, counting on Ethan’s presence to defuse any tension.
How could she object with him sitting there?
Her temper threatened to boil over, but then a realization hit her. She could turn this to her advantage. With her parents out of the way, she could get rid of Ethan without their interference. By the time they found out, it would already be done. Two could play that game.
“Great,” Priya said with a bright smile. “I’m all in. As long as it’s okay with you?” She looked at Ethan.
Ethan glanced between her and her parents. “Of course it’s okay with me,” he replied. “I’ll certainly miss the pleasure of your company”—he nodded toward Puppa and Mumma—“but I’m sure Priya will cater to my every whim.”
Priya felt heat rise in her chest, but before she could reply, her father clapped his hands together.
“Then it’s settled,” he said. “We’ll leave the day after tomorrow.”
Priya felt Ethan’s eyes on her, and the moment their gazes locked, it was as if the entire room vanished, leaving only the two of them.
She quickly lowered her eyes to her teacup, her heart hammering in her chest. Two weeks alone with Ethan.
Priya wasn’t sure exactly what her parents had just set into motion, but even with her determination to get rid of Ethan, she knew she’d be walking a tightrope.
The lights flickered, as if echoing the tension in the air.
“I can’t wait for this to get sorted out,” Mumma said, looking up at the ceiling. “Every time the lights go out, I have to reset everything.”
“The lights in the coach house have been acting up too,” Ethan noted.
Priya’s foot tapped a soundless confession of guilt under the table. Her plan to convince Ethan that something spooky was going on was starting to work.
“That’s strange,” Puppa said, his brow furrowing. “The coach house is on its own grid, separate from the main building. You shouldn’t be having any issues.”
“It doesn’t seem random. Not the way it’s happening here,” Ethan replied. “There’s a definite pattern to the way the lights turn on and off. I can’t help but think it may have something to do with Bhooa masi.”
“You have a masi too?” Mumma’s face lit up. “I have six masis, of which only Manjula masi and Kokila masi remain. When they get on the phone, there is no end to the gossip. But tell me about your masi. Where does she—”
“Oh, look!” Priya interrupted, pointing to the sideboard. “The lottery ticket you bought last week is still sitting there, Puppa.”
“Ah. I completely forgot.” Puppa’s eyes gleamed as he reached for it. “You know, Mr. Ethan, this is the best five dollars I spend every Friday. It buys me an entire week of dreams.”
Ethan chose that moment to excuse himself and rose from his seat. “I’ll leave you to it, Mr. Solanki,” he said. “Thank you for a wonderful evening, Mrs. Solanki.”
“Leaving so soon?” Mumma asked.
Priya rolled her eyes. Had Ethan stayed until sunrise, she would’ve asked the same question.
In true Gujarati style, no guest could leave without a token protest, even if the host was secretly rooting for them to leave.
It was an intricate dance of goodbyes where lingering was expected and every departure was met with ceremonial resistance.
“I’ll be back to celebrate if your numbers win,” Ethan said with a playful grin.
Puppa chuckled, rising to walk him to the door. “You are our lucky charm, Mr. Ethan. You’ve already saved us from having to close down.”
“Oh, wait!” Mumma exclaimed, her voice bright with excitement. She hurried to her room and returned a few moments later with something gripped in her hand.
“I have a little gift for you. A token of good luck and protection. And a small thank-you for the ride today.” She held out a key chain with a miniature figure of an elephant-headed Hindu deity.
“This is Lord Ganesh. We pray to him to bless new beginnings and remove obstacles. He’ll keep you safe on your new motorcycle. ”
Ethan took the key chain with a slight bow of his head. “Thank you, Mrs. Solanki. That’s very thoughtful.”
Mumma’s eyes sparkled as she clasped her hands together.
“Good night, Mr. Ethan,” Puppa said. “Priya will see you out. She might as well begin her hosting duties before we leave.” Priya shot him a withering look, but he just shrugged innocently.
“Good night,” Ethan replied, before following Priya down the stairs. She felt his gaze like a weight on her back. “Looks like I’ve become your official responsibility, Pri,” he said under his breath so only she could hear. “Just so you know, I fully intend to take advantage of the situation.”
A shiver rippled down Priya’s spine and her skin tingled, including parts of her that had no business joining the party.
As they reached the door, she spun to face him. “We’ll see who ends up taking advantage of who,” she said with a sly grin.
“Are you flirting with me, Priya Solanki?” Ethan asked, his voice dipping into a playful drawl.
Priya’s fingers clenched the doorknob a little tighter, her eyes flashing with the mischief she had planned for him. “Keep dreaming, Heathen Knight,” she said. But there was no mistaking the smug glint in Ethan’s expression—he definitely thought she was flirting.
And maybe she was. Just a teensy-weensy bit.
He stepped closer, his breath stirring the loose tendrils of hair around her face. “Oh, I will,” he murmured, his lips grazing her ear. “Good night, Pri.”
Heat rose in her cheeks, her heart thudding so loudly, she wondered if he could hear it. This wasn’t just playful teasing anymore. This was unmistakable. Ethan Knight was showing interest in her. How was this even happening? Priya pressed her hand against the doorframe.
Inhale. Exhale.
As Ethan stepped outside, she couldn’t resist stealing a quick glance at him. If that booty were a movie, it would totally kick ass at the box office. Catching herself, Priya gave her head a small shake. Nope. Not going there. Stick to the plan. Project Bye-Bye Knight isn’t going to execute itself.
“There’s a full moon tonight,” Priya called out after him. “All the ghosts and goblins are out to play. You might want to watch your back.”
Ethan paused, half turning to look at her. “I don’t have to.” He grinned. “Not when you’re already doing it for me.” He turned and walked away, his shadow stretching across the path to the coach house.
Priya locked the door and sagged against it, taking a moment to collect herself before facing her parents again. But the ridiculous smile on her face refused to fade. Reluctantly, she pushed herself off the door and headed back upstairs.
As she helped Mumma and Puppa tidy up, Priya’s attention shifted to the envelope containing the offer to purchase Moksha. With her parents leaving, she could clear the path and stall the renovations. Starting with Ethan. He was dreamy and captivating but a complication she didn’t need.
Or did she?
The warmth of his breath on her skin came rushing back, the low timbre of his voice, the cheeky grin that stirred something entirely inconvenient in her.
Priya glanced at her parents. They had no idea how they had turned her world upside down, first by accepting Ethan Knight’s offer and now by leaving her alone with him.
She should have been annoyed—and she was—but beneath that, a new thought bloomed.
Why shouldn’t she make the most of it? Why couldn’t she stick to her plan and have a little fun while she was at it?
This wasn’t just any man. This was Ethan Knight—a walking, talking adrenaline shot.
The kind of thrill you’d never find in the everyday slog of life.
She was at rock bottom, freshly divorced, trying to piece her life together.
And now life had dropped Ethan, of all people, straight into her lap.
He was her first crush, her teenage obsession—and by some miracle, he seemed into her too.
It was too perfect to pass up. What better way to bounce back from her divorce than by turning her fantasy into reality?