Page 82 of No Boss
She started pacing. Fast, restless, unable to stay still.
“The eastern wing.” She spun back, finger raised. “An Ayurvedic spa. Because that is what this Haveli needed. A spa.”
Her voice thickened, slipping into Marwari. “Rajasthani wellness practices. The same rituals my Dadi performed every morning of her life?”
She closed the distance between them.
“And the temple.” Her voice went colder. “Kul Devi Maa.”
Her finger struck his chest.
“Public aarti. During designated hours.”
Again.
“With trained priests.”
Again.
“Who follow rules, not devotion. As if the goddess needs a schedule.”
Her hand dropped, then came up again, anger bursting out. “Generous severance packages.”
A hollow sound escaped her.
“For those who choose to leave. Choose.”
She looked straight at him.
“As if my father has a choice. As if this Haveli is a place he can walk away from.” Her voice cracked, but she pushed through, louder. “We are tied to this place in ways you cannot understand sitting there and speaking about numbers.”
She stepped closer without noticing.
“What about my family?” Each word struck harder. “Generations of my family have lived and worked and breathed inside these walls, and you sat here and listened to him speak of severance packages.”
Her finger hit his chest again.
“And you thanked him. Thank you very much. I’ll think about it.”
She was too close now. Close enough that he could see the way her lashes went wet. Tears slid down her cheeks unchecked. But her voice did not slow. Her anger did not loosen its grip.
Her fist struck his chest. Not with force meant to hurt, but it landed.
He did not stop her.
“Do you even know what that temple means?”
Her fist came down again.
“To a woman who comes every Thursday because she has nowhere else to take her grief?”
Again.
“To the children who learned to fold their hands there before they learned to write?”
Again.
“To my father who has not missed a single morning aarti in years?”
