The Bodyguard Affair

But Nisha hadn’t been perfect, either. While Sam eventually retired from the military and went into personal protection, Nisha had gone to nursing school instead of medical school. Then she had the gall to date a boy who spoke Hindi instead of Telugu. By the time she quit nursing school, she was dating a white American boy named Damien.

Now, they were getting married. Nisha had told Sam more than once that she’d decided to come clean about her boyfriend Damien when her parents started talking to their oldest daughter again. To them, Nisha’s life choices had suddenly seemed much more acceptable when compared to Sam’s.

The only reason their parents extended the olive branch to Sam in the first place was because of her sudden success. When Sam started her own company, word quickly reached Mr. and Mrs. Reddy, who were pleased that their Americanized daughter had at least achieved something they positively associated with the North American continent. Money. That’s it.

That was why Sam still kept her distance from her parents, physically and emotionally. Her sister was a different story. Sam had missed out on so much of Nisha’s life, so she wanted to make up for lost time, be the big sister she’d wished she could be. It was how she’d ended up offering to pay for Nisha’s wedding. It would be a multi-day affair, and an expensive one at that. It had already cost Sam way more money than what the Reddys could afford on their own.

“There’s something I wanted to tell you,” Nisha said a few seconds later. “Actually, it’s a question, since I can’t do it without you being on board.”

“Hm?”

Nisha cut into one of the pakoras. Steam wafted into the air. So did the irresistible scent of potatoes and a hint of spice and vegetables. Sam picked one up with her fingers, biting into it. It was delicious. Nisha had definitely picked up her skills from their mom.The cooking was one of the few things Sam missed about her family. No restaurant could make jackfruit curry like her mother could.

“Damien and I have been talking a lot. His family is totally on board with us having a traditional Indian wedding, but they’re pressuring us to have a ceremony in the family’s Lutheran church, too. I’m not opposed. We could do it first and get legally married at the same time. It would take some of the pressure off the Indian ceremony. But, ah… it won’t be cheap. I’d have to get the white dress and everything. Actually, I have one already picked out.” She grabbed her phone from her pocket. “Let me show you!”

Sam looked at the photo of the gown, pretending it didn’t look identical to all the other white wedding dresses out there. “If you want it, it’s yours. Anything to make you happy.” Besides, it was only two grand, which would make it the cheapest outfit Nisha would wear for the whole week of pomp and circumstance.

That smile that appeared on Nisha’s face was everything Sam ever wanted from the people in her life. Sister. Client. Girlfriend. I don’t care. I just want to make them smile. As Nisha took her hand across the table, gushing about how the dress was perfect for her shape and complexion, Sam thought of all the years of Nisha’s life she had missed. High school. Nursing school. The boyfriends. Sam should have been there for them. She should have been there for Nisha.

“Thank you, Samhitha.” Nisha looked away before she could see the expression on her sister’s face. “I mean it. You’re so sweet.”

Hearing her full name always made Sam bristle, especially when it came to her family. It was like hearing it summoned her, Samhitha, the girl she’d left behind at age 18. And Sam—the strong, resilient woman she’d forged herself into since—was shoved down into the dark, hidden depths of her being that Samhitha usually occupied.

Nevertheless, Sam indulged her sister’s excitement for almost a whole hour. Although their parents weren’t due back for some time, she left soon after. She’d rather be back in the Black Diamond Building, where Samhitha Reddy didn’t exist.

Instead, she would be Sam. A woman dancing around her desire for someone even younger than her sister.

A desire she’d have to face up to sooner rather than later.