“Aunty, can I ask why you’re here?”
The woman pulled out a pot and began filling it with water. “Because I would rather be with you than sitting in a boardroom during Ajay’s meeting. My boy can handle it on his own. His father is with him, anyway.”
“I know.” Raj stepped forward until she could grip the edge of the kitchen island countertop. “That doesn’t answer my question.”
Aunty paused in the act of dropping a tablespoon of masala into the water. “It does if you were listening.”
Well, that put her in her place, didn’t it? Raj mused. She slid onto the barstool and decided that it was best to wait and hear what the woman had to say on her own.
“You know, I read your article—”
And there it was.
“—and I didn’t think you should be alone right now.”
What twilight universe was she living in? Raj picked up Khunda, because obviously her dog was the only thing that made sense right now.
“Aunty, I appreciate your support.”
The woman laughed, the sound lyrical to Raj’s ears. “It’s clear that you aren’t comfortable with me. Maybe it was your mother? I don’t know how other Punjabi mothers are, but I raised three boys and our life was very different from the moment I stepped foot in the US. That is why I’ll tell you what I think.”
She pulled two mugs out of the cabinet and then a small canister of sugar. “I think that you need a parent to listen to you. My boys, and my husband, they know I’m no good with business. I’m no good with technology. But I’m good with them. I know them, and I know people. So they’ve always talked to me. You can talk to me, too, Rajneet.”
Raj pressed Khunda closer to her.
“In my limited experience, Punjabi mothers prefer their sons to marry chaste women without secrets in their closets.”
The older woman made a dismissive gesture with her hand as she retrieved milk from the fridge. “Bland women are bland in bed and produce bland, boring children.”
Raj’s mouth dropped. “You’re okay with . . . You’re okay with me?”
“Now, I didn’t say that.” She added milk to the pot. “I will judge you, not based on your past, but based on how you respond to your past. After the article today, my son is sitting in a meeting where people are also judging him. Hopefully, he gets what he wants. You are here, sitting in his penthouse. What are you doing to get what you want?”
“I’m going to fight.”
“Oh?”
Raj nodded. “In one hour, my assistant is going to pick me up. I’m going to do a press conference where I’ll address the contents of the article.”
“What will you say?” Aunty placed a steaming mug of chai in front of her, along with a spoon and the sugar dish. “Will you deny the article?”
Raj shook her head. “Not at all. Why should I? It’s the truth.”
“Will that hurt your business?”
“If it does, then it does. But do you know what, Aunty? I wouldn’t have thought that way two months ago. Now, if I fail, I have more than my friends, my dog, my employees. I have Ajay. If I can’t figure out another solution, he will.”
There was a small smile on Ajay’s mother’s lips as she rounded the counter so that she could reach out and cup Raj’s face. “My soni, soni girl,” she said softly. “You’re absolutely right. You have family now. I am here.”
Raj swallowed the lump in her throat. “Aunty, would you like to come to the press conference with me? I know Ajay will be busy, and I could use . . . I could use some support.”
“Of course I can come with you. Now. Will you be wearing something that casual?”
Raj looked down at her slacks. She liked this woman. “No, I’m going to change. I have a lucky black dress.”
“Good. Now, let’s have some chai. I want to know what your brother was doing here.”
Raj smiled. “Yes, Aunty.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Ajay
AJAY: I’m coming down there.
RAJ: No, I’m going to be fine. Your mother is with me.
AJAY: My MOTHER??
RAJ: Yes. She showed up at the penthouse with food. She’s been tremendous. You’re so lucky to have a family that keeps you grounded.
Ajay smiled at the text. His family had a lot of quirks, but Raj was right. They kept him grounded. He stood in front of the flat-screen in his office, watching as the press conference was about to begin. He hadn’t spotted Raj yet, but there was what looked like quite a gathering in front of RKH Collective’s office building.
He felt a hand grip his shoulder.
“How are you holding up?” Bhram asked.
“I just want this shit to be over,” he told his cousin. “I feel like I got half the battle left to go.”
Bhram nodded. “You did great in the board meeting. You put Frankie and those other assholes in their place.”
“I just hope it worked. We’ll see how next month goes.”
Bhram leaned in and lowered his voice. “I have a question for you. Did you know when you asked Sri to look into Raj that—”
“No,” he said. “Hell no. I would never do that to her intentionally. It was an unfortunate accident that I had to use to my favor.”
“What did she say about it?”
Ajay rubbed the back of his neck, hating that he hadn’t been able to talk it out with her before the board meeting. “I let her know the minute I confirmed it was Sri. She wasn’t upset, but . . . God, I can’t help but feel bad about it.”
“You can’t take responsibility for everything, brother,” Bhram said. “You have to know that.”
“I do.” Ajay couldn’t help feeling obligated, though. Raj was so new in his life, and his feelings for her were raw and fresh. He waited for the press conference to start as his cousin stood vigil at his side.
“Just a few more minutes,” Bhram said, motioning to the screen. “Looks like she’s arrived.”
Ajay surveyed his office, and discovered it was surprisingly empty.
“Where is everyone? They don’t want to watch?”
“Your father is talking to some of the employees. He hasn’t been here in a while so he wanted to check up on a few people. Hem and Mina are with him to make sure that he doesn’t overdo things.”
“And Zail?”
Bhram shrugged. “He’s been quiet. I think he went to go check with Damany in Finance about our budget restraints.”
“No, he’s here,” Zail said from the doorway. He had bags under his eyes, and he appeared more haggard than usual. He pushed up the flannel arms of his button-down shirt and strolled over to stand on Ajay’s right side. “Let’s see what she says,” he murmured.
Raj appeared on the screen. She wore a slim-fit black dress that hit right above the knee. A cream-colored tweed jacket with a siren-red stripe along the lapels and cuffs completed her outfit.
Always looking like a boss, he thought.
“Good afternoon,” she said in her clear, cultured voice. “My name is Rajneet Kaur Hothi, and I am the founder and CEO of RKH Collective.” Ajay held his breath as she began.