Epilogue
One Year Later
“This is your card.”
Aarthi shook her head, her face already smug. “It is not.”
“Oh, dear.” Sejal frowned at the card, then snapped her fingers. “I must be confused. Do me a finger and check under your
chai.”
Krish’s mother frowned at her. “There’s no way.”
“Just check!” urged a giddy Rhea Auntie. She was the perfect audience member, captivated and ready to believe. Aarthi, on
the other hand . . .
The woman picked up her saucer and muttered a curse. “What the hell.”
Sejal slid the card out and flipped it. “This is your card.”
Rhea clapped. “Well done, Sejal. Truly, you are magic.”
“Magicians are reverse pickpockets,” Aarthi grumbled. She hissed when Rhea bumped her shoulder into her.
“Don’t be such a poor sport. Compliment your kids, remember?”
Aarthi pasted a smile on her face. “That was excellent thievery, Sejal.”
Sejal didn’t mind the lackluster backhanded compliment.
She was glad Rhea and Aarthi were getting along, even if it was in a goofy, odd-couple way.
They’d met for the first time a few months ago, while visiting at Sejal and Krish’s home in DC.
Well, Aarthi had been visiting. Rhea, as she occasionally did, had simply shown up on their doorstep.
Rhea had taken one look at Aarthi and asked, “What branch were you in?”
“Branch of what?”
“She was a florist,” Sejal supplied helpfully.
“Uh-huh.” Rhea narrowed her eyes at the other woman. “Not CIA or FBI. Indian intelligence?”
“Floristry,” Aarthi said flatly.
“How did they let you stay in the States? Foreign agents aren’t usually welcome.”
Aarthi fumed. “I didn’t betray my country, if that’s what you’re asking.”
Rhea held up her hands. “Hey, hey, cool it. I have no loyalty to anybody, I’m not mad either way.”
Aarthi still hadn’t admitted her affiliation, but Rhea had grown to like her enough that she didn’t care.
“Thanks,” Sejal said now, gathering up her cards. The snow was falling outside while they were ensconced inside, the fireplace
roaring. She’d visited Krish’s hometown a couple of times, but they’d all gotten used to gathering at the Wyoming safe house.
Though Naveen and Mira had balked at the doorbell system in the woods.
“Sejal has a new show opening soon,” Ken bragged, helping himself to more chai.
Sejal had moved him back to the States and found him a wonderful assisted living facility near her and Krish.
They could see him often, and he was in much better spirits, with delicious food he didn’t have to worry about smuggling in.
“It’s not a show, Ken. It’s opening for another act at a magic dinner club.” With the goal of thinking more long-term, Sejal
had decided to throw herself into magic with abandon. She wasn’t quite Vegas act material yet, but she’d done a couple of
corporate gigs. Since she had no real reason to stay hidden anymore, she’d also started posting videos on social media, and
her content had taken off.
Turned out, breaking free from the chains of constantly being in survival mode could be a lot of damn fun.
“Everyone has to start somewhere,” Patrick said genially.
“Opening today,” Ken declared, and waved his hand. “Headlining at the Wyatt tomorrow.”
Sejal hunched her shoulders, cringing a bit. Though she was unaccustomed to it, she couldn’t deny that she loved the praise,
and these four older adults gathered around the table. The whole vibe was so . . . parental.
A childish laugh tore through the room, and they all smiled as Ananya jumped up from where she was sitting with Naveen, Mira,
and Isha in front of the TV and stumbled over to them, her gait wobbly. When Ananya bounced off her knees, Aarthi gave the
toddler a genuine smile.
Sejal picked her niece up so they were face-to-face. “What’s going on here?” she demanded in mock seriousness.
“Isha Auntie,” the toddler said, around giggles. “Tick!”
Isha rose, her eyes sparkling. “Now I’m really going to tickle you!”
Ananya didn’t seem to care that that promise came from a woman who was running a formerly criminal, and still shadowy, organization. The child laughed and wriggled down to the floor, then ran right for Isha, despite the threat.
“We’re going to have to work on her evasion tactics,” Mira observed wryly.
Though Mira was joking, Aarthi nodded. “Don’t worry, Mira. I had the boys running evasive drills by the time they were three.
I would be honored to train her when she’s a little more steady on her feet.”
Mira nodded. She’d been constantly nonplussed by Aarthi in the beginning, but she was learning to take her in stride now.
“Thank you, Aarthi. I’m sure that’ll come in handy at some point.”
“My niece won’t need to learn any evasive tactics.” Isha swung Ananya up, to a great many giggles. “I’ll kill anyone who comes
near her.”
Sejal agreed, privately.
Naveen wrinkled his nose. “Let’s try to nix the “k” word around the baby, Isha.”
The door opened, and Krish walked in, his brother behind him. An ankle monitor blinked on Avi’s leg. The two of them had been
in the study for the past hour, going over Avi’s court appearance next week.
When Aarthi had tracked Avi down and told them that she’d convinced him to return and face the music, Sejal had prepared herself
to have mixed feelings toward the man. Yeah, sure, he was the reason she’d met Krish, but he’d also sold her out. Twice!
Not to mention, he’d sent his brother on a dangerous quest with that damned letter.
But Avi had been so genuinely apologetic and remorseful since he’d come home.
He never actually thought his letter telling Krish that he wasn’t at fault would send Krish searching for his abductor or killer.
Avi had done it partially for the same reason that Krish had put trackers on himself in case he disappeared on his mission.
He’d only wanted to give his brother some closure and an untarnished memory.
After meeting him, Sejal could see why Krish had bailed Avi out so much over the years. Krish’s younger brother was damn charming.
She hoped that would serve him well when he testified against his former partner and colleagues.
Avi would have to present himself to serve out his own sentence soon, too, but it was way more reduced than it would have
been if he hadn’t pled guilty and cooperated.
Krish found Sejal in the room immediately, as he usually did, and a smile split his face. He came to her and held out his
hand. She took it and stood.
“Maybe they’ll do it now,” Rhea whispered loudly to Aarthi, and got an elbow in return.
“Do what?” Sejal asked.
“You know very well that they have bets running on when you’ll get engaged,” Isha said. She hadn’t let go of their niece,
and Ananya’s arms were tight around her aunt’s neck, too. The two of them were best friends.
“Oh.” Krish surveyed the parents in the room. “You’re all going to lose. Sejal doesn’t want to get married, and I don’t really
care.”
There was an immediate outcry, as there always was.
“You’ll change your mind.”
“It’s a beautiful commitment.”
“Don’t you want to belong to one another?”
“You’re meant to be with each other. Remember the necklace?”
“More tick!”
The last shout came from Ananya, but it completed the chorus. Krish held his hand up, to get everyone to subside. “How about we just announce in front of everyone that we love each other, and that’s enough?”
Sejal smiled at him. He’d told her he loved her after buying her a salad one day, a few months ago, and she didn’t think she’d
ever get tired of hearing it. He said it so easily, like it wasn’t a big deal, and she’d come to realize that when love was
real, it was easy.
“Sejal, I can’t believe you’re being so stubborn.” Aarthi crossed her arms over her chest. “Cheating me out of a wedding.”
“I have very good reasons for not wanting the legal trappings of marriage.” No matter how much she loved and trusted Krish,
to Sejal, marriage, the piece of paper, still felt suffocating, like she was drowning under a huge wave. It wasn’t like she’d
had the best examples of wedded bliss growing up.
Maybe one day her mind would change, or maybe it wouldn’t, but she was content with how things stood right now. “But if you
want a big party, we could host one, if you like.”
Aarthi opened her mouth, then closed it. “A party would be nice.”
“Let’s do it in some tropical spot,” Mira said, and placed her head on Naveen’s shoulder.
Sejal smiled. “A beach would be amazing.”
Avi cleared his throat from where he stood next to the hearth. “I will, sadly, have to RSVP my regrets. I will probably be
in a jail cell.”
They collectively winced, but Avi lifted his hand. “Sorry, sorry, gallows humor! It’s fine, I’m fine with it. We love an accountable
king, don’t we?”
Sejal cleared her throat. “Aarthi, Rhea, why don’t you organize our non-wedding party?”
Rhea had already pulled her glasses out. “Get your computer, Aarthi. Don’t worry, I won’t look at your search history.”
Krish’s mother frowned at Rhea. “Like I’d leave it for you to look at.”
Krish grabbed Sejal’s hand and dragged her away. They went upstairs to their room. She considered talking, but they did enough
of that. It was rude to leave, perhaps, but Aarthi and Patrick were the hosts, not them.
He stripped her clothes off in that methodical, deliberate way he had, then grasped her by the hips and pulled her closer.
She lifted her head and kissed him.
It was the kind of kiss two people might give each other after being shipwrecked for years and craving human contact. She
consumed him and gave him life simultaneously. He ran his hands up her sides, skimming the sides of her breasts.
Krish walked her backward, until she sat down on the bed. He pushed her back, and kissed his way down her neck. He tongued
and licked his way from one nipple to the other.
Foreplay was nice and all, but sometimes things needed to get a move on. Her hands clawed their way down his back and pulled