Chapter Three Rajneet

Raj dropped her bag on the foyer console table with a loud thud, and slipped into her heels. She was going to be late for her lunch with Mina.

It had been a week since the fundraiser, and she was still dealing with a loss of revenue and employees thanks to her conversation with Ajay Singh. He’d gotten under her skin, and now that she was missing four of her top employees, she was reminded of him every time her human resources team sent her a new hire for approval. She had a bunch of projects on her plate, and backfilling roles was not supposed to be one of them.

She had to explain herself to Mina, too. She hated explaining herself, even to people she considered her best friends.

“Kaka, was my dry cleaning delivered?” she called out. The cavernous four-thousand-square-foot brownstone echoed in silence. She waited another moment before she repeated her question in Punjabi.

Her frail caretaker popped up at the end of the hall. He had a spatula in his hand and a dishcloth draped over his shoulder. His pagadi, tied in a very regal fashion, matched the color of his beige sweater vest.

“Always shouting, just like when you were a wild little girl,” he said as he hobbled forward. “Yes, yes, your clothes are in that apartment you call a closet. I asked the dry cleaners why they shrank all of them, but apparently that was your size. If your grandmother could see you now.”

“If my grandmother could see me, she’d laugh at my fortune.” Raj approached Kaka and leaned in to give him a smacking kiss on his bearded cheek. “You should be packing. Your flight for India leaves in a few hours.”

“What do I need? My family is there to take care of me.”

Raj felt a pang of guilt. She’d called Kaka right after she’d gotten married and asked the man who’d taken care of her family’s home since she was a little girl to come and take care of her in New York. She made sure he had ample time to visit his grandchildren and brothers and sisters in Punjab, but she was too selfish to let him go so he could return to India permanently. The thought of living without the one constant source of love in her life frightened her.

He guessed her train of thought because one minute he was scolding her, the next he was cupping her cheeks and kissing her forehead. “You’ll be fine, gudiya,” he said gruffly.

“I know. I’ll still miss you.”

A timer buzzed softly in the distance and Kaka’s eyes went wide. “I forgot the bloody kheer I made.” He dashed toward the kitchen.

He’d made her kheer. Her favorite sweet rice pudding. Knowing Kaka, he’d probably stocked her freezer with a bunch of other things, too.

“I’ll taste the kheer when I get back from lunch, and then we’ll head to the airport!” she called out.

She had twenty minutes to get to the restaurant where she was meeting Mina. Luckily the restaurant was near the animal shelter where she volunteered on weekends, so if the meeting went poorly, she could pop in and cuddle with the dogs.

She was never allowed to have a pet back in India because her parents always said that animals in the house were bad luck. After she moved to the U.S., school, marriage, getting her business off the ground had taken up so much of her time that all she could do was play with the puppies at the shelter periodically. There had also been Robert’s allergies. Now that he was going to be out of her life, and she was starting over, she’d finally get that dog she always wanted.

With images of warm snuggling dogs in her head, Raj grabbed her bag and opened the front door. She almost ran straight into her ex-husband. Robert stood on her stoop with a fist raised, ready to knock.

“Is there a reason why you’re knocking on my door during the workday?”

His mouth pursed. “Is there a reason why you’re home during a workday?”

“I don’t believe that’s your business anymore.”

He leaned forward, peering into the house. “And you’re alone? You’re usually swarmed with assistants and staff.”

“Not your business, Mr. Douglass. Your turn.”

“I’m on my way to a client meeting nearby,” he said as he ran a hand down his silk tie before adjusting his Windsor knot. “I decided to stop here to get the last of my boxes. Raj, you are keeping the company, the house, and most of the money. Surely you can afford to also retain the housekeeper to open your door.”

“Don’t be salty, darling,” she said, flipping a lock of hair behind her shoulder. “You knew the terms when you signed the prenup. My business, my money, my property. Besides, you will be receiving a nice little settlement.”

He rolled his eyes. “A tenth of our joint savings is nothing and you know it.”

“Well, good thing you have your trust fund, then.” She patted his cheek and stepped aside so that he could enter.

“Are you still mad at me?”

“Yes,” she said. “But you know that. I’ll be nice, though. How do you like your new life, your new apartment?”

He looked around the foyer as if he hadn’t seen it a million times when he’d lived in the house with her. “It’s actually more to my taste than I imagined. I’ve only been there for a few days now, but I have to say, the view from Battery Park is definitely a beautiful sight to see in the morning.”

“I envy you. This brownstone feels more and more like the investment we originally purchased it for. You said you left some boxes here?”

“Yes, and since you were so hasty in changing the keypad codes for the doors, I had to knock. I’m missing a few things that I’d packed away from college. Do you think Kaka can get them for me and bring them out to my car?”

Raj shook her head. “Kaka is busy. He’s leaving for India in a few hours.”

“Again?” He blanched. “Christ. I know that you grew up with him helping you in your family’s house, but he’s taking advantage of you.”

“My house, my rules.” She hated when he criticized the way that she treated Kaka. Robert would never understand how Kaka had protected her and continued to do so even though he was in his seventies now.

Her ex-husband held his hands up in surrender. “I’ll get the boxes and get out of your hair.”

She stepped to the side and waited while he and his driver crossed the foyer and descended the spiral staircase to the lower level. They returned two minutes later. Robert held one small filing box, while his driver had three stacked on top of each other.

Raj held open the door for them to exit, hoping there would be no more small talk, but she wasn’t that lucky. He paused and leaned against the doorjamb.

“Oh, before I go, my assistant got a call from your brother a couple days ago.”

Raj froze. “My brother?”

“Yes. I don’t know how he got my number. Probably those mob connections of his.”

Raj rolled her eyes. “Not everything my family does is mob related.”

“Yeah, try to sell that to the next idiot. Either way, I didn’t speak to your brother directly. I just know that he’s been trying to get in touch with you, and he can’t get through.”

That was because after the last time he’d visited, she had blocked him on pretty much every phone line she had. Guru must’ve been desperate if he reached out to Robert.

“Just ignore any other calls you get from him. I’ll handle it.”

“Sounds good. I never liked him or the rest of your family.”

“I doubt they care since they didn’t like you, either.”

Robert grinned. “A relief, if you ask me. Now if only you’d stay away from another Indian family.”

Of course he’d bring it up. “If you’re fishing for information...”

“I saw the way you looked together last weekend,” he said. His tone was as grumpy as that of a child who’d been denied a favorite toy. “People saw you leave the hall together.” Color flooded his cheeks as he scowled at her.

“We were having a conversation that was none of your business.”

“Well, it’s become my business if you want to lead the Gen One Foundation. My name is going to come up, Raj. I work for WTA now, and if you’re involved with Bharat, our relationship, past and present, will be dissected.”

She knew he was right, but in that moment, she couldn’t care less what people said about her or her sham marriage. “See you in three months, Robert.”

He let out a sigh. “Fine. Be that way. See you soon, Raj.”

She watched as he handed the last box over for his driver to put in the trunk before he ducked into the backseat of the black sedan.

“Three months,” she said again. Three months and then her divorce would be official. It wasn’t fast enough, in Raj’s mind, but it would have to do.

Raj was still thinking about her conversation with Robert when she arrived at the Thai place downtown. What could her brother possibly want from her now?

She’d gone to extremes to separate herself from her father’s drug-trafficking empire. It was a lucrative business in Punjab where there was a drug crisis, but that wasn’t the life Raj had wanted to live.

Now that she was on the verge of a divorce and looking into pursuing a philanthropy career, Guru could come back into her life and do so much more harm to her reputation. She’d have to figure out his motive, his angle, and effectively cut him off. He’d bested her the last time he visited by giving her ultimatums, and when she wouldn’t agree, destroyed all ties between Raj and the rest of the family, including her mother.

The driver had pulled to a stop in front of a charming building with arched windows.

“Here we are,” he said.

“So soon?” she mused.

He gave her a startled look over his shoulder. “Ma’am, it took us twenty minutes to get to Midtown.”

“Ah. Okay, well, I’ll text you when I’m done. It shouldn’t be more than an hour or so.” She slid out of the car, and a few steps later, stepped into a dimly lit restaurant. The seating area was filled with deep violet loveseats clustered in groups of two and four. Long white marble tables matched the crystal and white chandeliers. Most of the lunch crowd had left, but a few suits were lingering over empty dishes.

Mina sat against the left wall, her nose practically pressed to the screen of her phone.

This was family, Raj thought. She realized that she’d been strong enough to survive the loss of her brother, her mother, and the rest of her blood relatives, but Mina was the one person who could devastate her by ending the relationship.

“Don’t be an asshole, Raj,” she murmured to herself as she walked to the table.

Mina looked up as Raj approached. Her icy expression behind the black square frames of her glasses could lower the temperature in the room.

Hell.So much for understanding, Raj thought.

“Fashionably late, as always, right?”

Silence.

“Mina, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about Robert’s new position,” she said, as she slid onto the couch facing Mina.

Her best friend set her phone aside and crossed her arms over her fitted maroon dress. One perfectly threaded eyebrow winged up.

Great. Raj wasn’t the best at apologies, but because her relationship with Mina meant more to her than her pride, she had no other choice than to be honest and open... even if it felt like jabbing needles in her eyeballs.

“It happened quickly,” Raj started. The words felt uncomfortable coming out of her mouth. “Robert and I worked together, we lived in the same house, but we had completely different schedules, different lives. You know that. He comes and goes when he needs to and so do I. A little over a month ago, he came to me and said that we were now in our thirties and it was time to think about having kids.”

Mina’s mouth fell open. “But you don’t want kids.”

“Yeah, not with him anyway. We had a contract, not a marriage. A friendship, even, but that’s as far as it went. I reminded Robert of the terms of our agreement and... well, he quit.” Raj shrugged, even though the betrayal still stung.

“So you knew he went to WTA?” Mina asked.

“No, not at first. I thought he was just sulking and that he planned on joining his father’s business. Then a week after I started helping you find out who leaked information from your boyfriend’s company, I got a security notice. I had left my computer unlocked, and Robert accessed files from my home office.”

“Shit, Raj.”

“That’s when I found out that Robert had gone to WTA, basically bartered my information for a job, and used me. I asked for a divorce, then I put my own money into helping you find out what was going on with your boyfriend’s company.”

The waitress approached the table with a cheerful greeting and began filling their water glasses. “Do you ladies need another few minutes before ordering? I can always put in a couple drinks for you.”

“Wine please,” Raj said. “White, dry, and crisp.” She rattled off three brands she preferred.

“I may not be staying here long enough to finish a drink, so skip me,” Mina said. Her expression was even more glacial than before. The waitress must have picked up on it, because she hurried away without another word.

“You should have fucking told me,” Mina hissed as she leaned across the table. “We’re best friends, Raj! Do you know how bad this situation is?”

This was not going well. Raj should’ve been better prepared. She knew that Mina’s sense of honesty and honor was as saintly as Guru Nanak’s. If she hadn’t been so distracted by Robert’s early morning visit, she would’ve focused more time on crafting her apology.

“Mina, I know I made a mistake, but I also know that I was trying to help you. I should’ve said something, though. I’m not used to being in that position.”

“That doesn’t change the fact—”

“I know,” Raj interrupted. She felt raw and exposed.

“I know it doesn’t change the fact that I didn’t tell you. I haven’t told you a lot of things, and I realize how wrong that is. You’re important to me and it’s like a series of bad mistakes that I’m paying for now. I’m trying to do what’s right, Mina. Please. Tell me you at least see that.”

After a long minute, Mina let out a sigh and reached across the table, palm up. Raj felt a flicker of hope and held on to the outstretched hand.

“How are you doing?”

Raj let out a breath and felt Mina squeeze her fingers. “I’m.... relieved.”

“You promise you won’t hold secrets like that again?” Mina said in Punjabi.

“Fine, fine. Changa, yaar.”

“Good,” Mina said. “Now all you have to do is ask my man for forgiveness.”

“Excuse me?”

Mina grinned, and it was the first smile Raj had seen from her in a long time. “I don’t want you to be at odds with Hem. As soon as I can arrange it, we’ll get together so you can apologize to him directly.” She held up a hand to call the waitress and asked for two menus.

“You’re just being mean now,” Raj said.

“Yup,” Mina replied without hesitation. “Just because I forgive you doesn’t mean I don’t expect you to grovel.”

“Okay, I’ll grovel and even buy you dinner. Just let me know when.”

“Deal.”

“Deal,” Raj said, and just like that, her world felt right again.

The waitress came over, handed them menus, and placed Raj’s glass of wine on the table.

“Thank you, darling,” Raj said. She smiled up at the waitress. The poor woman was going to get a huge tip

“Uh, sure. I’ll give you a moment,” she said.

“No need.” Raj honed in on the curry section. “I’ll have the green curry with chicken. And whatever your scale is for heat? I want twice as spicy, please.”

“Same,” Mina added and handed over her menu.

“Let’s talk about you now,” Raj said when they were alone again. “I feel like I’ve done my part in oversharing. Tell me how things are. Do you like the new job? I know leaving your mother’s old firm was hard on you.”

“Not as hard as I thought it would be,” Mina said. “It was no longer my mother’s firm, and now that I’m working at a functioning practice, it’s... amazing. It’s a whole different environment.”

Raj had met Mina years ago at a women’s leadership symposium, and it had been clear from the start that her friend had something to prove. Her uncles had taken over the law firm that Mina’s mother started before her untimely death, and Mina was determined to take it back. Thankfully, with Hem in her life, now she was focused on herself instead of revenge.

Raj swirled the wine in her glass. “I know your father took the job as SVP of Legal over at Bharat. Does he like it?”

“I mean, he started this week, but so far he’s thriving. I haven’t seen him this jazzed in forever. It’s nice. I feel like we’ve gotten closer since we no longer work for my uncles.”

“Being assigned the Bharat case was the best thing that could’ve ever happened to you.”

“Without a doubt.”

Raj looked down at her nails and started to pick at her cuticle. “Do you work with the other Singhs, too? With Ajay?”

“Ajay? I see him sometimes, and there is Sunday morning breakfast at his mother’s house... Wait. Why do you ask?”

“I met him at the fundraiser. That’s where he fired my company. I deserved it, granted, but he was... unexpected.”

“Unexpected? How? Wouldn’t anyone in his position do the same... Oh my god.” Mina beamed from across the table. Her whole face was vibrant with surprise and joy. “You like him!”

“What?” Raj blanched at the idea. “Good god, no. He’s an unsharpened business drone and a Punjabi, at that—I’ve spent half my life avoiding Punjabi men.”

“That’s because you’re still thinking about the type of men in your family that you grew up with in Punjab. The kind that thought binary male-dominant gender roles were law. The Singhs are not like that. True, they’re... well, protective, but they’re not disrespectful and sexist. Which is surprising considering the kind of money they have, and the industry they work in. And out of all three brothers, Ajay is the most reasonable and level-headed.”

“Mina, he took my employees! Besides, he seems like a pushover. An attractive pushover, but way too soft.”

“That is the biggest load of bullshit you’ve ever tried to serve me. The guys you sleep with at the club, the Ice Palace, are pushovers. They’re controllable. You choose those random hookups because you’ll never have to expend energy in getting to know them and sharing a part of who you are. Ajay Singh would never let you control him like that.”

“You’ve lost every bit of sense in your thick head if you think Ajay Singh is for me.”

“The truth is biting you in your ass, Raj.”

Raj had only had one conversation with Ajay, but he’d done something that very few people could do: surprise her. He was about to be given his father’s business on a silver platter, but he was as passionate about it as if he wanted to earn his job, too. Once her anger had cooled and she could look at their interaction from an objective view, his passion, his intelligence, and of course his barely contained sex appeal in that custom tuxedo was... appealing. Regardless, Raj had no time for that nonsense. She didn’t need a man to keep her company when she already had plans to get a dog.

After taking a sip of her wine, she schooled her expression. “Mina, you’re reading into this only because you’re happy now. You want everyone to be happy.”

“No, I’m selective with my good wishes. You deserve happiness, Raj. The more that I think this through, Ajay can give that to you. He’s sweet, and he’s proved everyone wrong about his capabilities as a leader. Since his father’s illness, he’s... well, you know. Very much in charge. Women in the office don’t know whether to stare at his pretty face or run and hide.”

If Raj had been given the option to have a Brazilian wax or have this conversation, she would’ve chosen the wax job. This moment was even more uncomfortable than asking for forgiveness.

“Ajay is quite attractive, but he’s younger than the men I prefer—”

“He’s your age.”

“That’s really not the point. I put his company at risk. That’s not smart business, and you know it.”

Mina took Raj’s wineglass from her hand and took a sip. “You’re about to become a single woman. You have plenty of options. You can be a little reckless and have a fling.”

“Actually, I can’t. Not if I want to lead the Gen One Foundation.”

“What? Are you serious?”

Raj told Mina about the job offer and the warning she’d received about her lifestyle, as well as about Robert’s impromptu visit to the brownstone.

“That’s a lot,” Mina said quietly. “How much time do you have before Kia announces you as her choice for successor?”

“I don’t know. Maybe a month or two?”

Mina grabbed Raj’s wineglass and, when she saw that it was empty, put it back on the table.

“I bet a ton of people, many of whom you know, would be interested in buying your company.”

“Buy my... You mean sell RKH?”

Mina nodded, her ponytail bouncing. “You could sell the business, your brownstone, the main office, which is where? Long Island City? That way, you can take the Gen One job if you want it—”

“Or I can start something new.”

“Exactly.”

The idea was appealing. Raj had gotten offers over the years, but she hadn’t been ready to give up the reins. Now that she was starting a new phase in her personal life, it almost felt right to start fresh in business, too. She just didn’t know if she wanted to lead Gen One. more importantly, she didn’t know if she wanted to leave the business she’d started from nothing, and the people that supported her to get there.

“Mina, I don’t want my reputation ruined or my employees screwed over. They have always been the most important part of my company.”

“You’ll find the right buyer. I’m sure of it.”

Two giant white bowls were placed on the table in front of them. Raj leaned forward and smelled the fragrant curry dish. She picked up her spoon, coated the tip with creamy, pale green sauce, and licked. Mina mimicked her actions across the white table.

“It’s...” Mina started.

“Not spicy at all,” Raj said, looking down at the tiny purse at her side. “The Thai place near your condo is so much better.”

“Yeah, you’re telling me.”

Mina spooned white rice into her bowl. “You know who may have really great advice for what you can do? Ajay.”

“You are not giving up about this Ajay thing, are you?”

“Nope!” Mina spooned up more of her curry. “Selling your business is a perfect conversation starter. Tech companies need security services, right? I’m sure Ajay has come across information about other tech companies looking to diversify their portfolios.”

Raj froze. Mina’s words had sparked an idea, a pretty excellent idea, that began to rapidly form in her mind.

Bharat wasn’t growing, but if they acquired a profitable business tangentially related to their services... well, that would get the market excited. Their stock price would rise.

And WTA wouldn’t have a chance in hell of taking over.

Shit, she was going to have to apologize again, but this time to Ajay. That was the only way she’d get close enough to him to convince him to go into business with her.

“So? What do you think?” Mina asked.

“I’m going to take some time to reflect on my options.” Along with a few other things. Raj pointed to Mina’s bowl. “Does yours even have a pepper or something in it?”

“Nope,” Mina said. “I bet Ajay is spicy, though.”

“Shut up, Mina.”