Maybe their night on the boat meant more to her than it did to him.
Her phone rang. She startled. But it wasn’t Reza. It was Lulu. She wanted Hena to come up to her room.
She was seated at her makeup table when Hena arrived. She wore a bloodred ghagra, the fabric fanning around her. Her hair was swept up in a flawless French twist, but her face was bare.
“You look stunning,” Hena told her.
“Thanks. The makeup artists are stuck in traffic,” she said. “We’re running behind.”
“The shaadi can’t start without you, right?”
“True.” A pensive look crossed her face. “I need a favor. It’s a big ask.”
“I’m afraid I don’t do wedding-level makeup.”
She laughed. “Noted. No, what I wanted to ask you is—and you can say no, I won’t be upset—”
“You’re making me nervous.”
She took a deep breath. “Will you walk me down the aisle?”
Hena’s heart lifted at the unexpected question.
“Ammi can’t,” Lulu continued. “She’s in a lot of pain and—”
“Of course I’ll walk you down the aisle, Lulu.” Hena reached for her sister’s hand. “I’d be honored.”
Lulu exhaled, relieved. “Thanks, Hena. And listen, don’t worry about safety. As far as I’m concerned, this place is Fort Knox. If someone is trying to fuck with you—I’d like to see them try. The cameras will be fixed by tomorrow too.”
“Good,” Hena said, relieved. She glanced at Lulu. They had never talked about her reaction upon discovering Reza in Hena’s bedroom. Was now an awful time to bring it up?
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about Reza,” she said carefully. “I should have mentioned he was there.”
Something shifted in Lulu’s expression. Hena couldn’t read it.
“That was a surprise,” she finally said.
Hena studied her sister. It was more than that, wasn’t it?
“Do you not like him?” she asked Lulu.
“It’s not that.”
“But it’s something,” Hena pressed. “I know it’s a bit impulsive of me, but…”
“I was surprised,” Lulu said. “I guess I thought I knew what was up at this wedding. You got me. He is cute, though. I see the appeal.”
Did she mean it? Or was this a polite deflection?
She had more questions, but Lulu’s phone rang. The wedding planner. A seating snafu on the groom’s side. The moment was gone. She’d prod later.
The sun had fully set by the time she got back to her suite. Her white-and-gold sari hung on the armoire. On the vanity sat a red box her aunt had dropped off earlier. She opened it and her breath caught. It was her mother’s favorite diamond set. The one she’d worn to Haris’s wedding.
A note rested beneath it in Ammi’s handwriting.
This is yours now.
Tears stung as she lifted out the necklace. The flawless diamonds glittered beneath the lights. She loved it. But right now, holding it in her hands, this piece of jewelry felt like her mother saying goodbye.
