Had it? He supposed it had. They hadn’t been in America long, but he’d only seen his grandma sporadically while he’d been busy settling Rohan’s estate and wrapping things up in Mumbai. He’d assumed she’d been busy doing the same with his grandfather’s estate. It hadn’t occurred to him that Shweta might want to see him. Or at least Luna, or that Luna might have been missing her.
It had taken his niece a year to hug him like she hugged the older woman. He didn’t want to feel bad about that, but it did smart a little. Dev inclined his head. “Aji. Nice to see you, too.”
“What are you cooking, Aji?” Luna leaned back, but she kept her arms around their grandmother’s waist.
Shweta touched her nose. “I know how much you like prawns. I learned how to make a curry for you.”
“You’ve been taking cooking lessons?” Dev probed.
“Yes. I always wanted to, but your grandfather didn’t allow me to go into the kitchen. It was high time I learned.”
How odd. He’d never heard Shweta so much as subtly criticize her late husband. “I see.”
Luna twisted around her to sniff at the stove. “Can I have some?”
“In an hour or so, let’s let it simmer a little. Why are you speaking in English?”
“Oh, Kaka says I can speak whatever I want.”
Shweta frowned at Dev. “She speaks fine English, she must not lose her Hindi. Or she will become like these NRIs who come home and butcher our language.”
Dev tucked his hands in his pockets. He knew exactly what his grandmother wasn’t saying. She probably envisioned Luna as the next reigning Bollywood starlet, and nonresident Indians did have a tougher time of it there.
If that was what his niece wanted, fine, but Dev wasn’t about to push her to think acting was her only option. “Luna speaks five languages,” he said mildly. “This is a good age to pick them up and stay fluent. There’s no danger of her losing any of them.” He changed the subject. His uncle had hung back. He placed his hand on the older man’s shoulder and tugged him forward. “This is Adil Uncle.”
His uncle cleared his throat and straightened. “Madam. It is an honor.”
Shweta looked down her elegant nose, and Dev tensed, in case she said something cutting and rude.
What had it been like, before he was born, when his father had brought his mother home that one and only time before they’d run away? Had his grandmother screamed at the couple, or stayed silent?
She did neither now, and she didn’t avoid the specter of Dev’s mother, either, which surprised him. “You look like your sister.”
“I know.”
“You may call me Aai,” she announced. “Or Auntie.”
Adil blinked. “Ah. Yes.”
“You are a chef?”
“Oh no.” His uncle shook his head so hard, his whisps of hair trembled. “I was a taxi driver.”
“Adil Uncle is the best chef,” Luna broke in.
Dev wondered if his niece was still trying to make up for the Bagel Bites War, but she wasn’t wrong. “Agreed. He is being modest. He is the reason we have not starved on our own.”
His grandmother nodded decisively. “Excellent. You can teach me. I do not want to backslide in my class.”
Adil Uncle’s eyes widened so much, the whites showed all around his pupils. “I—I would be honored to teach you, Auntie, but—”
“Good, it is settled.”
“I can’t believe you’re here,” Luna said happily.
“I couldn’t possibly not come when I heard your uncle met someone.”
Luna’s face turned inscrutable. She gave her grandmother a squeeze and stepped back, simultaneously sidestepping the mention of Jia. “Can we see the rest of the house? Can we go on the beach? Can we get a horse and ride on the beach?”
Shweta raised a groomed eyebrow. “You want a horse? I will buy one right—”
“We’ve already made arrangements for horse riding,” Dev exaggerated. He had to have a talk with his niece about asking for things from her great-grandmother. It took Shweta seconds to snap her fingers and buy something extravagant.
Thankfully, Shweta conceded. “A walk is good enough for now. Pinky, will you watch the stove? And have Arjun show Dev and Adil to their rooms.”
Dev froze mid-step. “Arjun is here?” he demanded.
There was probably a little too much aggression in his tone, judging by Luna’s sideways glance, but Shweta only shrugged. “Yes, I insisted he come with me. Why?”
“No reason. Do you know where my cousin is, Pinky?”
“Upstairs, fourth door on the left.”
“Perfect.” Dev was probably showing too many teeth for a plain old smile. “I’ll go say hello to him.”
“I should come with you,” his uncle said, his forehead creased in worry.
Oh no. He didn’t want any witnesses. “Nonsense, I know you’ll want a nice cup of chai first, won’t you?”
His grandmother straightened. “Of course, I cannot believe I did not offer you one. Pinky?”
Adil gave Dev a subtle glare at the neat trap. His uncle wouldn’t dream of insulting his host by declining the drink now.
Dev took the stairs two at a time. Don’t hit Arjun until you find out whether he’s guilty. Or he’ll be too bloody to talk.
He shoved the bedroom door open. His cousin whirled around from the mirror he was primping in front of. He was a handsome man, a more refined and elegant version of Rohan, but dressed far more garishly than his brother would have ever dared, in a blindingly hideous orange and green plaid shirt and green pants. Arjun held up his hand, which was, Dev was happy to note, shaking. “Hello, Bhai.”
“I’m not your brother,” Dev said flatly, and Arjun’s face fell.
Still, he rallied. “It’s so good to see you.”
“Is it?” Dev shut the door.
“I know you’re mad.”
“You have no idea what mad is.” He stalked Rohan, until his younger cousin was cornered. “I am beyond mad. I left mad behind a long time ago. Explain yourself.”
Arjun frowned. “I—”
Dev grabbed him and put him in a headlock before he could get another word out. Arjun flailed as Dev dragged him over to the open window and shoved him out of it. “What are you doing?” Arjun yelled.
“Did you catfish that poor girl with my account and then release those texts?” Dev demanded. “I want a clear yes or no.” This wasn’t what he’d intended by making sure his cousin was guilty, but it was effective. At least this room didn’t face the beach, so Luna wasn’t likely to see one of her uncles about to throw the other one out the window.
“I don’t know what you’re— Ah! Okay. Yes. Yes. Yes to the catfishing, but no to the texts! My phone really was hacked, along with a bazillion other celebrities! Didn’t you see the nudes of me?”
Dev evaluated the words, paying attention to the nuances of his cousin’s voice. It sounded like he was uttering the truth. “If I saw nudes of you, I’d be blind.” He yanked Arjun back inside.
Arjun straightened his shirt while glaring at Dev. “You rude son of— Oof.” He flinched when Dev punched him in the stomach. “Why,” he gasped. “I already told you.”