Jia smiled up at him. “Deal.”
He wanted to drop a kiss on her upturned nose, but married or not, he couldn’t imagine kissing her in front of both their families. He returned her grin, instead.
It was the last second they had to look into each other’s eyes before their families toasted them and they posed for photos. His grandmother oozed satisfaction, and Dev was so happy, he couldn’t even be annoyed that her manipulations had worked. Adil Uncle was still a little muted around his grandmother, but he beamed with pride. Dev had hired a caterer to do the heavy lifting for their celebratory dinner, so his uncle could relax and enjoy his time. He and Mohammad had a love of tennis in common, so they’d quickly become friends.
Arjun, Dev was happy to note, was on his best behavior, charming the elder Ahmeds with stories of Bollywood scandals. When he started in on charming Ayesha, though, Dev intervened, pulling him aside. “Watch it,” he murmured to his cousin.
Arjun opened his eyes wide. “I’m just talking to her!”
“Best that be all you do.”
Arjun grumbled. “I wouldn’t dare. Besides, she’s not my type. Do you know if Jia’s friends . . . ?”
“Both in relationships.”
Arjun pouted. “You could have invited someone for me, Bhai.”
“You’re lucky to be here at all.”
A rare flash of sobriety cleared Arjun’s face. “I agree. Thank you, both of you, for giving me a second chance. I don’t deserve it. But I do wish you many wonderful years together.”
Dev dropped his hand on his cousin’s shoulder for a second and squeezed. “Thank you.”
Their grandmother joined them. “Arjun, you will be next, of course.”
The younger man took a step back, and then kept walking. “I’m sorry, you’re breaking up. I am going through a tunnel.”
Shweta shook her head indulgently, then turned to him. “Marriage looks good on you, Dev.”
“It feels good, so far.”
She adjusted her sari, though its sharp pleats needed no adjustment. “I was thinking I could stay for an extra week. Luna and Adil could remain here. It would give you and your new wife some alone time.”
Dev took a sip of his sparkling water. Luna had warmed to the excitement of the event, or at least, warmed to being dressed up and the only child in attendance, and thus, fawned over by everyone. Jia’s sister had particularly bonded with his niece, and the girl was following Ayesha around like a duckling, asking for gruesome medical stories. “I think Luna would like that very much.” So would his grandmother. Her eyes held a hint of yearning, more vulnerability than he’d seen from her outside of a movie screen. One week out of school wouldn’t hurt his smart niece.
She raised her hand and beckoned Adil over. “I told Dev our plan,” she explained to his uncle.
“Yes, it’s a good idea.” Adil Uncle smiled at him. “Newlyweds should have some time to themselves.”
Dev tried not to think of what he and Jia could do with all that privacy. “I’ll drive home tonight and get Luna’s belongings.”
“There’s no need to do such a thing on your wedding night,” his grandmother protested.
Adil agreed. “I will go.”
The wedding night he wouldn’t be able to actually spend with Jia? She was rooming with her sister, and his room had a full bed that barely fit him. Plus, if he couldn’t kiss her in front of her parents, he didn’t think he could sleep in the same bed with her while they were under the same roof, even if they didn’t do anything. This was too new. “Jia will understand. Uncle, you have trouble driving at night.”
“I’ll buy Luna whatever she needs for the week.”
Oh boy. This, he had to curb now. “No. Aji, try to refrain from any lavish gifts, please. I can tell you this: I would have killed for affection in lieu of presents when we first came to live with you.”
Something flickered in his grandmother’s eyes. “Very well. I will spoil Luna with affection over the next week. And perhaps some small trinkets here and there.”
“That’s fine.”
His grandmother patted him on the arm. “You’ve become a good man. I’ll go tell Luna the news.”
Adil rocked back on his heels. “She’s right. You’ve become a very good man.”
Dev turned his gaze to the floor, vaguely embarrassed by the praise. “You’ve helped with that, over the past year. I can’t thank you enough.”
“No thanks are necessary. We are family. You are the son I never had.”
They both found it necessary to look away from each other after that. “Do you have any marriage advice for me?” Everyone had some advice for him, he’d found.
“Go slow. These are strange circumstances. You know, it would not even hurt for you to live apart for a time, while you learn about each other. Your aunt and I, we did not live together for a year after our nikah.” His smile was nostalgic. “And then we had thirty perfect years together. There is value in patience.”
Dev nodded, all that making sense to him. He wanted thirty, forty, fifty years with Jia. If that meant he had to go slow and steady in the beginning, that would be fine.
“I believe your bride is calling you.”
His bride. A month ago, he wouldn’t have thought such a word was even applicable to him. Dev made his way over to the table she stood next to, Luna at her side. His family.
“Time to cut the cake.” She reached up, and he stilled, but she was only brushing something off his shoulder. Nonetheless, the wifely gesture pleased him.
He looked down at his niece. “Luna, I’m not sure I told you how pretty you look tonight.”
Luna preened. She was beautiful, in a pale yellow dress Aji had brought for her. “Thank you. Jia taught me how to bring out my curls and minimize frizz.”
It was thanks to his hundreds of hours of watching Jia’s channel that Dev even knew what that meant. “Ah. Interesting.”
His niece edged closer to him. “Did Aji speak to you?”
“Yes.” He turned to his wife—wife! “Luna and Adil Uncle will be staying here for the week.”
“Oh. Nice.”
“I was thinking I’d go get their clothes from the house tonight and come back. You don’t mind, do you? I’ll be back late, so we can see each other in the morning.”
Jia’s brow furrowed for a second. “Um, sure. That’s great.”
“Good.” He lowered his voice as Luna wandered away. “Are you happy?”
Her frown cleared. “Very.”
“HE SEEMS CUTE.”
“Cute? He’s hot.”
“Can you get me Arjun’s autograph? It’s not for me, it’s for a friend.”
Jia smiled at the screen of her tablet. She’d come into the bedroom to plug it in and say goodbye to her sisters. Though it had been her idea, she was sad that they hadn’t been able to be here. “Thank you guys for staying up so late.” They’d dressed up, too, though they were all the way across the country in their own homes.
“We wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Noor said warmly, and then yawned. “But I do have to get to bed.”