Chapter Twenty-One Simi #2
Saj is watching her with the most intense look. “Are you saying that if we could do this without hurting the other employees, you’d be okay with it?”
Rupi leans into his space. Just like that, she’s done with the shrinking. “You can’t. That’s not how these things work. I was there. I know. It’s not a simple situation for anyone who’s stuck there.” A world of anguish passes in her eyes even as she fights it.
He swallows, but he doesn’t look away. He’s about to open his mouth when she raises her hand and stops him.
“Don’t you dare say that you know. You don’t.
You don’t know what it’s like to have to make that choice.
Even calling it a choice is sick. It took some of those people risking their lives to get there and be stuck in that wretched situation.
You don’t know what’s waiting for them outside.
It’s very likely that it’s far worse.” Her hand is pressed in a fist into her chest. “You don’t know what that fear feels like.
” Her voice cracks, and she looks enraged at the indignity, but she refuses to look away.
For a moment they stare at each other, breathing hard.
“You’re right,” he says finally, keeping his voice flat, as though he knows that if he lets any sympathy slip, it will destroy her. “I don’t know how it feels to be in that situation. But you do. You got out of it. You know how that feels too.”
“But I’m not all the way out of it. I’m hanging by a thread. I’m dependent on the generosity of my sister and Prem. And you.”
This time he leans away, giving her space. “If this doesn’t work, would you go back there?”
“Of course not.”
“Then let’s give the others a way out too.” His voice is so soft. He looks at her hand like he’s going to pick it up, but her glare stops him. “I promise I will not let any of the victims get hurt.”
She groans and looks up at the ceiling and does what she always does when she doesn’t know what else to do: She laughs.
“You can’t. And it’s not just that.” Her gaze slides to Prem.
She takes a breath. This is not easy for her.
I want to go to her, but no one can touch her right now.
“Your family . . .” Her jaw works. “They’ve been gullible enough to buy all of this, but that doesn’t mean they won’t change their minds if .
. . well, they can still change their minds, and I can’t afford for them to. ”
My heart squeezes. She doesn’t want Prem’s family to know what happened to her in LA. She doesn’t want them to see her as a victim. She doesn’t want them to know what she did to not be one.
“You’re not to blame for what Tina and Ron did.” Prem’s the one who says what we’re all thinking, and Rupi looks at him funny. “My family won’t change their mind about you over that.”
Another, even sadder laugh escapes her. “You might be right. But I don’t feel like taking a chance on my freedom based on that.
I mean you—” Her gaze moves from Prem to me and lands like a slap.
“Even my sister. You both promised to help, and you keep trying to get out of it. Forgive me if I don’t trust your family to stand by me after knowing me for just weeks. ”
“We’re not backing out, Rupi,” I say. “We’re trying to help you.”
“But you want to back out!”
Of course I do. Who would want this? When I agreed to it, I didn’t know it would be two years.
And now it could be three? Would I have let this happen if I’d known?
Truth is, yes, I still would have. I wish I didn’t have to make that choice.
But Rupi is not the only one for whom letting her sister get hurt isn’t a choice.
That’s the real reason we are here. I just haven’t had the guts to commit all the way.
I’ve been waiting for Rupi to do that for me—to do all the work that comes with a hard choice.
I meet her fierce gaze with my own. “I’m not going to, though. That’s the part that matters.”
Whatever she sees in my face makes her response stick in her throat.
I’m not above using her very rare state of speechlessness. “That doesn’t mean we don’t take every opportunity to not stretch this out. Especially when a solution is available.”
“But it’s not available,” she says again.
“Then let’s figure out a way to make it. You’re afraid that if we call Tina, she’ll track you to Hochkinsville. What if I go there and do it?”
Rupi grabs my hand. “You are not going anywhere near that place!” Every bit of her emotionless mask drops off her face. “Those people cannot find you.”
“What the hell, Rupi! You’re afraid for me, what about you? Can you let me decide what risks I want to take? I’m not a child anymore.”
Her gaze moves from Saj to Prem and then back to me. “You are acting like one, though. Your own green card is in jeopardy because of that witch.”
Saj looks at me. “You’re having trouble with your green card?”
“Karina’s not signing my papers.”
“Let me take a look at what’s happening, and I’ll take care of it,” Saj says, jaw set. “Karina Auntie was friends with my mom.”
Rupi practically snarls at him. “Just like you’ll take care of not letting Tina have me arrested and thrown out of the country?”
“Yes, exactly like that.” How is Saj not even a little bit intimidated by her? “Because we have laws.”
“And you also have people who can manipulate them.”
Saj shrugs. “Sure. But now you have someone who can manipulate them on your behalf.”
For a second, she stares at him as though she believes it.
He meets her gaze unflinchingly.
“If I get Simi’s processing moving, will you let me contact Tina?”
“Are you negotiating with me about my sister’s life?”
“That’s a little dramatic, don’t you think?”
“That’s a little manipulative, don’t you think? Why is this so important to you?”
“Every case is important to me.” He takes a breath and slides a quick glance my way. “And I’ll help Simi anyway. Whether or not you agree to go after Tina.”
Rupi smiles the most evil smile. “Maybe you can take Anagha out. Karina should do anything you want in return.”
He narrows his eyes at her, but his lips quirk the slightest bit. “Sure. I’ll let Karina and Tanuja Auntie fight over me for Anagha and Simi. Can I go see Tina, please?”
“We have to at least try, Rupi,” I say.
“Do you know Saj has never lost a case?” Prem says.
“There’s always a first time,” Rupi says.
“This won’t be it,” Saj says with a remarkable amount of confidence, and patience.
Rupi rubs her arms. Her thumbs trace the lines of her tattoos. “I can’t believe you’re ganging up on me with them,” she throws at me.
“One has to do whatever it takes to survive. You’re the one who taught me that.”
“I did not teach you to be stupid.”
“It would be stupid not to follow the easiest path,” Saj says.
“Without a passport or a birth certificate or a Social Security card, we have to gather evidence for where you were these past two years. I tried to get past it, but they won’t allow it.
Not without extensive background checks, and they’re going to find out about your time in LA anyway.
The only way to not have this defeat us before we’ve even started is to get the passport from her.
I will not let her hurt you, Rupi. I’m your lawyer. You have to trust me.”
She studies him for so long, I almost lose hope. He refuses to look away. Finally she sighs. Her shoulders droop and then come back up in attack mode. “But Simi cannot go anywhere near LA.”
“Shouldn’t Simi be the one to make that decision?” Prem says, and damn the audience, I lean over and squeeze his hand.
To no one’s surprise, Rupi rolls her eyes, but she doesn’t bite his head off, and that feels like out-and-out approval.
“She won’t have to,” Saj says.
Rupi turns to him. “Good. And I’m only agreeing to let you threaten Tina to get my passport, not to letting you go after whatever operation they’re running.”
“That’s the plan,” Saj says. “For now.”