“You weren’t even at your father-in-law’s funeral,” the reporter said.
“I look forward to the tribute for Dev’s father,” Tina said as she tightened her hold on Dev’s hand. “He had an amazing career and influenced the film industry for decades.”
“Were you close to your father-in-law?”
“Of course,” Tina lied. Vikram Arjun hadn’t wanted to have anything to do with her. Their relationship had been cold and distant. He’d offered no condolences or even acknowledgment when she had miscarried.
She would never reveal the truth. No one wanted to hear it and she didn’t want to share how unwelcome she was in the Arjun family. The Bollywood fans watched the movies because they wanted to be swept away in the fantasy. They wanted the heroes, stories about star-crossed lovers, and the exotic and luxurious settings. Anything that didn’t remind them of their reality.
She felt Dev tugging her hand and she excused herself from the ambush interview. Dev held on to her hand as they slowly made their way down the red carpet. Every reporter wanted to talk to her husband, who was up for several awards. Working the red carpet was nothing new for Dev while she just tried not to look out of place.
When they finally made it into the auditorium, Tina took a moment to look around. The enormous stage was big enough for an entire cast to perform dance numbers. The audience was filled with the most beautiful actors and actresses. As Dev guided her to the front row, there was a ripple of awareness. She heard the whispers and felt the stares but she ignored them. As they reached their seats, Tina saw her mother-in-law was already there.
Tina took a deep breath. It was going to take all of her acting abilities to remain cool and in control. She didn’t falter when Dev approached the legendary actress.
Gauri Arjun didn’t look like her son. Her delicate and feminine features were framed by waves of dark brown hair. The woman was petite and slender while her son was tall and muscular. Dev favored jeans yet his mother only wore traditional clothes. Expensive ones, Tina noted, to go with her designer shoes.
“Maaji,” she greeted in the manner Dev’s mother had insisted on. She bent down to touch Gauri’s feet. She felt clumsy as everyone in the auditorium watched her. “It’s been too long.”
“Yes, it has.”
Tina knew she was probably being sensitive, but the woman could make any word or phrase sound like a reprimand. “I want to say how sorry I am for the loss of your husband. He—”
Gauri swept away her condolences with the wave of her hand. “Thank you. I see that you are wearing the Arjun jewels.”
“She is an Arjun,” Dev reminded his mother as he gestured for Tina to sit down next to his mother.
“Before you sit down, Dev, you need to find Rajinder,” Gauri said, referring to a legend who only needed to go by one name. “He has to speak to you before the show starts.”
Dev sighed and glanced at Tina. “I’ll be fine,” she said and gave a small bobble of her head. She knew that Gauri would either ignore her or unsheathe her claws the moment Dev left. It was nothing she hadn’t dealt with before.
As she watched Dev walk away, Gauri immediately turned to Tina. “I feel the need to be honest,” the older woman declared.
Tina’s muscles locked as she braced herself. It was never good when someone warned they were going to be honest. She wanted to hunch her shoulders and bend her head. Instead she straightened her spine and thrust her chin out.
“You should not wear those jewels,” Gauri said as she flicked her gaze over Tina’s throat. “You don’t have the pedigree or the right to wear them!”
Tina bit her tongue as she held her hands tightly in her lap. She wanted to answer back. Stand up for herself, but she didn’t say anything. The Hindi film industry thought she wasn’t worthy of her husband. Sometimes she sensed that her husband had felt that way, too.
“Everyone knows that Dev only married you because you were carrying the heir to the Arjun dynasty,” Gauri said.
“You mean your grandchild,” she murmured. She would have shielded her baby from the pressure of the Arjun legacy and the expectations of becoming the next Bollywood megastar. She knew Dev would have felt the same way.
“We could have started grooming this baby for greatness,” Gauri said and then gave a shrug, “as long as it inherited your looks and not your acting abilities.”
Tina let the backhanded compliment slide. She knew she got most of her roles because of her appearance and dancing skills. Her achievements were small compared to the rest of the audience at this ceremony, but she’d worked hard and made a career.