A Change of Heart (34 page)

43

 

—Dr. Jen Joshi

 

 

“V
ic and Ria are making a huge donation to the new surgery wing at Holy Spirit Hospital and they're naming it the Jennifer Joshi wing. They're all flying down next month for the dedication ceremony,” Nikhil announced, turning off the phone.

“That's wonderful,” Nikki said, although Ria had already told her yesterday. But Vikram and Ria had wanted to tell Nikhil themselves.

“Ria had already told you, hadn't she?” Nikhil asked, shaking his head at her across the dining table where takeout containers of
biryani
sat wiped clean.

“I heard them talk about it on the phone yesterday,” Joy said, hopping off Nikhil's lap. In a matter of three weeks the boy had turned into a complete traitor.

“Jenna's coming too,” her little traitor said excitedly. Ria and Vikram had named their baby girl Jenna in honor of Jen. Nikhil had told Joy that she was his little cousin and Joy could talk of little else.

He took Rahul's hand and tried to pull him off the chair. Rahul had taken to coming around to the flat ever since she'd come home from the hospital a week ago. At first it was because he was trying to find answers, but then it was like Nikhil and he had suddenly become long-lost friends. “That's Ria Parkar's daughter. You know Ria Parkar?” Joy, her little name-dropper, said to Rahul. “She's a big film star. She's Dr. Nic's sister. She told me I can come see Jenna anytime. You want to see Jenna's pictures?”

“Go pull them up on your computer, Joy. I'm going to help Dr. Nic clean up,” Rahul said to Joy, and Joy skipped off.

Sweetie rolled his eyes and stood. “Dr. Nic and cleanup! Evidently, DCP Savant hasn't spent too much time with Dr. Joshi.” Sweetie had returned from London two days ago, and over the past two days Nikhil's inability to pick up after himself had him in a state of shock. “Almost makes me want to go back into hiding,” he had said to Nikki that morning.

But she was glad that he was home safe.

It still felt a bit strange to believe that they were safe.

Asif Khan was in a coma in police custody. Even five bullets hadn't killed him. Rahul was waiting for him to wake up from his many bullet wounds so he could make sure he went straight to the electric chair from there. Jen's evidence documented the horrific list of all the organs that had been stolen and transplanted into recipients across the Gulf. Nikhil's friend Omar was working with Rahul on tracking down the other side of the ring.

Naag had sent Nikki one last text telling her he would not be contacting her again unless she tried to find him. True to form, his last text had been a threat. If she tried to find him or talk to the police about him, he would be back, otherwise she was free. Naturally, his phone number had been entirely untraceable. Rahul was still trying. She had told Rahul every detail she could remember. She was determined to do all she could to bring him to justice. Never again would she let any bastard get away with turning her into a victim. But she wasn't going to let it consume her life.

That was Rahul's job, and he was doing it.

“I need Asif Khan to get out of that coma,” Rahul said. “Until that happens, we can't track down the man who sent you after Nikhil. The home minister's office won't authorize that search until Asif wakes up and makes a statement. At least we've worked with the UAE authorities to cut off the ring. I'm sorry that's still all I have.”

“Don't be,” Nikki said. “We'll get him. How's your friend who got attacked by Asif Khan?”

Rahul's face turned dark and stormy and so tormented she was reminded of Nikhil when she had first met him. Evidently, there was history with this friend.

“She must be fine. She won't see me. Won't speak to anyone.” Nikhil patted his shoulder, and Rahul stiffened some more. The man took the strong-and-silent type to a whole different level. “Oh, and Nikhil, everything is sorted out with the clinic. You can start on Monday.”

Joy hollered from the bedroom, and Rahul went off to find him.

Nikhil picked up a few glasses from the dining table. “Please tell Sweetie I can clean up.” He took them into the kitchen where she could hear Sweetie rinsing things out.

“You want me to lie to Sweetie?” she called after him and then yelped when he came back out and scooped her up from her chair.

“Funny. But you know what I
can
do?”

She giggled. “I'm about to find out, am I not?”

He pressed a kiss into her ear before putting her on the couch and then tucking a blanket around her. “I can take care of people.” And then softer: “And I can really take care of you.”

She stroked his face where the dimples sank deep beneath her palm. “That I do know. Thank you.”

He dropped a quick kiss on her lips.

“What was Rahul saying about the clinic?”

He sank down on his knees on the floor next to her. “I have a job. At Jen's clinic in Dharavi.”

She wasn't sure how to react to that. “If that's what you want to do, it's wonderful.”

“It is what I want to do.” He dug her hand out from under her blanket. “I want to make sure the clinic starts up again and make sure the organ transplant registry is fixed.”

“I know. I thought you were considering the job Holy Spirit offered you after you operated on me there.”

He played with her fingers as though they were endlessly fascinating things. “Do you want me to take that instead?”

She shook her head. “No. That's not you. The clinic in Dharavi is perfect for you.”

“Yes it is, for now,” he said. “You sure you're okay with that?”

“Of course.”

“Because if you don't feel safe staying in Mumbai—”

She pulled their joined hands to her lips. “I've never felt this safe in my life.” He was here, and she couldn't explain it, but it was like having armor. Maybe not so much armor as a shield at her back. Like if she looked away from Joy, from her life, like if she lay down and fell asleep for a bit, there was someone who could step in for her as the world spun, someone to take over until she was ready again.

“You are safe. I will do all I can to keep you safe.” It took an effort for him to say it, but he believed it. He believed that he could make that promise again, and that made everything in her heart expand and fill her up.

“Forever.” He dropped one of those feather-quick kisses on her lips, and she held his face and kissed him back. Forever.

“Ice cream?” Sweetie walked in with a tub of ice cream, cups, and spoons.

“Yay, ice cream!” Joy ran up and climbed onto Nikhil's lap as he sat cross-legged on the floor. Rahul sank into a chair.

Sweetie handed everyone bowls. Chocolate on chocolate on chocolate, of course.

Nikhil fed her a spoonful. Joy fed Nikhil a spoonful.

“Holy wow! You were right, Joyboy. This is the best ice cream in the world,” Nikhil said as Joy pushed another spoonful into his mouth without waiting for him to complete his sentence.

She stared at the two of them. Hope no longer felt like a splinter in her heart but like chocolate on her tongue. Suddenly, it struck her, Nikhil and she could both taste food just fine now.

And it was the most amazing thing.

A CHANGE OF HEART

Sonali Dev

 

 

 

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The following questions are included to enhance your group's reading of Sonali Dev's
A Change of Heart.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Meera Lester
is the author of of the first Henny Penny mystery,
A Beeline to Murder,
and nearly two dozen nonfiction books. She is the proprietress of the real Henny Penny Farmette, located in the San Francisco Bay Area. While raising chickens and honeybees, she draws on her life with her animals and gardens as the basis of her Henny Penny Farmette mysteries. She blogs about life there at hennypennyfarmette.com. You can also visit her at meera lester.com/mlls, facebook.com/meera.lester, and twitter. com/MeeraLester.