Tina curtseyed to the bridal party and immediately left the stage, ignoring the cries for an encore. She waved to the well-dressed crowd and gave a deep sigh as her lungs threatened to shrivel. She knew this wedding dance was her last performance. She was retiring after tonight.
“I don’t think anyone noticed that one mistake.” Her mother was at her side wearing her best shalwar kameez. The dupatta shot with gold thread was barely hanging on to her shoulders. She gave Tina a bottle of water and a hand towel to wipe off the sweat. “And what happened at the end when you stumbled? Are you feeling dizzy again?”
“It’ll go away,” Tina said. She had overdone it and it was going to take a moment or two to recover.
Reema glanced over Tina’s shoulder as if gauging the audience’s mood. “After tonight, I’m sure you will get other offers to dance at weddings.”
“I’m not interested.” Her fingers fumbled as she tried to open the water bottle.
Reema sighed. “You should keep your options open. I understand why you refused the tell-all. It wasn’t my best idea.”
“That’s why you’re no longer my manager,” Tina reminded her. “You should have told me what you were planning to do before you shopped it around.”
“It’s easier to ask for forgiveness than permission,” Reema said. “And it’s a shame the American TV deal didn’t go through.”
“There was never a deal, Amma.”
“No one needs to know that,” Reema said. “But that doesn’t mean you have to turn your back on entertaining altogether.”
“There’s no point in starting up again only to have to stop in the next few months.” Her hands brushed against her stomach. “I want to concentrate on getting through this pregnancy.”
“Or are you trying to hide your pregnancy from your husband?” Reema asked.
“You know why I have to hide this information,” Tina said tightly. When she had moved in with her mother and sisters, Tina told them how she had sought help for her depression. She had hoped to find support but their responses had been awkward and uncomfortable. At times she wished she had kept it a secret.
“I think he should know,” Reema said as she hurriedly fixed her dupatta. “He should be the one taking care of you.”
“I am taking care of myself and I am under the care of the best doctors. Also—” Tina’s voice faded as she watched her mother’s gaze dart over her shoulder again. “What’s going on?”
“Going on?” Her mother’s voice was high and screechy. “Nothing.”
She sensed a stir of interest in the workers behind her. Dread twisted her stomach as she watched the guilt bloom in her mother’s face. “What did you do?”
Reema thrust her chin out defiantly. “I invited him to Meera’s wedding. He’s still paying for it after everything that happened. And I might have let it slip—”
Tina gasped in horror. Dev had found out about the baby. “No!” She whirled around, her head spinning. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust. She blinked and stared into Dev’s dark brown eyes.
Her heart leaped and crashed when she saw his fury. He towered over her, his hands clenched at his sides. He was an intimidating sight in his dark suit and tie. Her balance weaved as she inhaled a faint whiff of his cologne. She wanted to throw herself in his arms and she wanted to run far, far away.
“It is true?” His voice slashed through the tense atmosphere.
“I...” She frowned as dark spots gathered in the corner of her eyes.
“Just tell me the truth.” He reached out and grabbed her upper arms. “Are you carrying my baby?”
The dark spots grew bigger and she suddenly felt very cold. “Dev?” she called out before her head lolled back and she fainted.
* * *
Tina didn’t want to wake up. For the first time in a month she felt warm and safe. She snuggled deeper into her pillow and sighed. There was something strangely familiar about the bed. It was more luxurious than the one at her mother’s house. And the buzz of the ceiling fan reminded her of a different room. A different bed.
She forced her eyes open and looked at the fan whirring above her. Her chest tightened and she decided she wasn’t brave enough to look to her side. She remembered fainting at the wedding and waking up in Dev’s strong arms. She had struggled to keep her eyes open but lost the battle. When she had opened them again she had been in a car, still surrounded by Dev’s arms.
Now she was back in Dev’s bed. What was going on?