When was the last time she’d felt this satisfied? It had to be before she filed for divorce, before Robert quit working for her, and before he’d asked her to change the nature of their relationship.
Sure, part of her joy was because of her connection to Ajay. And now that she’d made the decision to spend more time with him, no one, especially not her ex-husband, was going to stop her. She deserved to be happy.
She zipped up her vest over a cowl-neck sweater and put on her walking heels while Khunda chased her tail. Raj then carefully strapped Khunda into her pet stroller. The partial awning was tied back so Khunda could enjoy the view, and her overnight bag, along with Raj’s, was already tucked in the storage basket underneath.
Kaka helped carry the stroller down the front steps.
“Where are you going?” he asked. “I just got home from my trip and you are running around already.”
“I’ve been busy! Why don’t you go home?” she said to him in Punjabi.
He blinked owlishly at her through his wide-rimmed spectacles. “Then what would you do for dinner? I’m making subzi with roti. Eggplant.”
“As delicious as that sounds,” she said as she adjusted the strap of the purse that she’d grabbed, “I am going out. I’ll eat it for breakfast. Or you take it with you. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Kaka gave her a narrow look and then said, “Call me if you need me to pick you up.”
He patted Khunda’s head and went back into the house.
Checking the harness one more time, she took a deep breath of fall air and walked to the corner of her block. She planned on strolling all the way from her brownstone down to Ajay’s penthouse. It was almost three miles, but the weather was beautiful and Khunda could use some social engagement.
She’d made it five blocks before a familiar figure stepped into line beside her. She schooled her face to hide any surprise.
“You’re still here,” she said to her brother.
Guru nodded. “I knocked on your door. I almost gave Kaka a heart attack. The old man practically cried with happiness when he saw me. He almost bolted after you but I told him I’d catch up and surprise you myself. I can’t believe he’s still with you.”
“Of course. He always loved me the most,” she said with a smirk. She knew that it irritated Guru to hear her say so. “What can I do for you?”
He shoved his hands into his jeans pockets as he matched his stride to hers. “I told you that I’d wait until you make up your mind. I didn’t expect to be sitting around while you went out and purchased a rodent. Do you know how ridiculous you look pushing it in a child’s stroller?”
“Khunda can’t walk that far. She gets tired. And your attitude is not the best way to convince me to do something.”
“Right,” he said.
“Is there a reason why you’re following me?”
“I’m taking a break from work and decided to spend time with my sister. I have to admit, you’ve developed a fascinating life for yourself.”
“Thank you.”
“And now you’re selling that life and starting over. Again.”
The news of the buyout had gone viral, so it wasn’t a surprise that Guru had picked up on it, too. “That’s not your business.”
“I’d like to know, though. I’ve always been curious. Why RKH Collective?”
“Small talk, Guru? Really?” She maneuvered around a group of tourists, irritated when Guru kept up. He’d dressed casually to blend in today. However, Raj could tell that his jeans were brand-new, along with his button-down and leather jacket.
“We’re here, and no matter what happened in the past, I still wondered about you,” Guru said. “You look like you’re headed toward a particular destination. Until we get there, why don’t you tell me about your company.”
She let out a sigh. “Why? So you can try to guilt me into helping you?”
“Seems like that would be a waste of time since you’re selling it,” he said in Punjabi. “Come on, gudiya. Tell me why you wanted to start this business instead of coming home and helping the family business.”
“Besides the fact that I would’ve been forced to be a good stay-at-home, barefoot-and-pregnant type, and you’d never have taken me seriously?”
He hunched his shoulders. “There is nothing wrong with that.”
“As long as the woman has a choice. That wasn’t my choice. RKH is a success without you. I started in workforce solutions and worked my way up to high-end cybersecurity services with zero help from the family.”
“That doesn’t surprise me,” he said with a snort. “You were always good at snooping. By thirteen, everyone knew that you were the person to go to for the latest information on everyone in Punjab.”
Raj held back a smile. “I’ve channeled my strengths toward profitable opportunities.”
“How did you get the capital to start?”
“Robert came into the first leg of his trust and provided the capital. I paid back his loan within eighteen months of opening my doors.”
Guru stroked a hand down the length of his beard. “Talk about a roaring success. I assumed you kept him on payroll as a formality since he was funding your little business.”
“Absolutely not,” she said. Stupid man with your sexist binary gender role assumptions.
“Robert went to law school, worked for a top-ten firm for a few years, and then came to lead my legal team.”
“And he’s the only one who knows about your past. About where you come from.”
Raj moved to the side of the sidewalk and looked up at Guru’s handsome face, his gray pagadi that matched his shoes.
“Why are you doing this?”
“Can’t a brother get to know his sister after she’s all grown-up?”
She wasn’t falling for it. Raj had been alone too long to easily trust the words that came out of people’s mouths. “I have a lot of important projects I’m currently involved with, Guru. When I have time for you, for the family that made it so very clear that I was no longer family, then I’ll let you know.”
Guru nodded, then reached down and scratched a finger over Khunda’s head. “We’re all proud of you, you know.”
She raised a brow.
“Papa is the least vocal about it because he’s always been as stubborn as you. About a year after my last visit to the States to see you, Mumma started asking me to keep tabs on you. To make sure you were safe. I thought that we knew everything we needed to about your life, but it looks like we were wrong. I was wrong. You’re so accomplished, Raj, but you haven’t changed.”
She tilted her chin up and squared her shoulders. “You don’t know me at all, Guru.”
He leaned in close so they were eye to eye. “You’ll never truly be free until all your secrets are out of your closet, Raj. You’re going to continue to close yourself off from friends, from the Singhs, as long as your past remains in your past.”
“If I see you stalking me one more time, Guru, I’ll have you arrested. Are we clear?”
He stepped back, his mouth set in hard lines. “Crystal, gudiya. Crystal clear. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you. Enjoy your walk.”