Harlequin Desire January 2021--Box Set 1 of 2 by Maisey Yates (inspirational books .TXT) 📗

Divya’s eyes widened. Her mother was always so proper; she’d never imagined her doing something so rebellious.

“Someone reminded me what it’s like to be forced to give up something you love to do.” Her mother’s voice cracked, and she pointed to her feet. Divya looked down and her mother lifted her saree. She was wearing the ghunghuru, the little bells Divya had bought her right before she’d moved to New York.

Tears prickled Divya’s eyes. “I never told you this, Ma, but my love of music started when I listened to the sounds of your ghunghuru. I used to watch you from the crack in the bedroom door and sing to the sounds of the bells on your feet.”

Her mother wiped a tear from her cheek. “I guess I’m to blame for this whole singing thing, then.”

Divya smiled. “And also the running-away thing.”

“If you guys are all done being sentimental, we should head out to the party and let Divya get ready for her big performance,” Sameer said.

They all wished her well. When her mother was out of earshot her father turned to her. “You know, Divya, there was someone I loved before I married your mother.”

She looked at her father. It wasn’t a secret, but he never talked about it. “Arjun’s mother,” she whispered.

He nodded. “I know what it’s like to fall in love with someone your parents don’t approve of, and I know how it can rip your heart into pieces. When Arjun wanted to marry Rani, we stood in his way because I thought she would tear this family apart. Instead, she’s helped us see that it isn’t the worst thing in the world to have an American son-in-law. The worst thing is losing you. You don’t have to give up your music, and you don’t have to give up Ethan.”

She smiled for her father’s benefit. She hadn’t given up Ethan. He’d given up on her.

* * *

Ethan stood outside the ballroom, listening to the sounds of the party inside, knowing that Divya was just beyond the doors. Allie texted him every few minutes, giving him a play-by-play of what was going on inside. They’d met Divya’s parents, whom Allie described as totally cool.

He hadn’t intended to come. Wasn’t even dressed for the occasion. But he hadn’t been able to resist. All he wanted was one look at her. A last look.

“Ethan!”

He looked up to see Rani emerge from the ballroom. “What’re you doing out here?”

He smiled, but his throat was so tight he couldn’t speak. She looked at him kindly, then motioned to the armchairs in the hallway. He took a seat and she sat next to him.

“You know, when Arjun and I first got together, his mother convinced me that our relationship was doomed to fail. I almost didn’t marry Arjun because of his parents.”

Ethan looked up in surprise. Rani seemed to fit in so well with the family.

“They’re not bad people, it just takes a while to open their minds. They’re like ice cream when you first take it out of the freezer, cold and hard and unyielding. But give it enough time, and they melt into sweetness.”

“Thank you, Rani. But it’s not about your in-laws. I don’t want to hold her back. She ran away from her wedding because she didn’t want to get saddled with marital obligations. She’s finally found her freedom and voice. It’s time for her to live her dream. I don’t fit into her plans.”

“But you fit with Divya, and that’s all that matters.” She put her hand on his. “I’m not saying it all works out, but when you love someone, it’s worth the sacrifices.”

“I don’t want to hold her back.”

She looked toward the ballroom doors where the CEO of the record company had just started speaking. “When Divya wants to do something, I’ve never known her to let anything stop her. Don’t you think you’re holding her back by making decisions for her?”

He sighed. What was the right answer here?

Rani put her hand on his and he looked up at her. “Do you love her?”

He didn’t hesitate. “More than anything.”

“Then, tell her.”

He smiled. “Would you help me with something?”

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Divya stood on the stage in her beautiful gown as East Side Records’s CEO introduced her. She ran her hands over the wood of her guitar. She didn’t need the guitar—there was a quartet of musicians onstage to provide the instrumentation for her song. She needed to feel the wood beneath her fingers, to remember Ethan’s faith in her.

The ballroom had been decorated with sarees and lanterns to celebrate her Hinglish songs. Sameer waved from the front of the crowd, and her heart soared as her mother blew her a kiss.

She searched frantically for Ethan. He has to be here, he has to be here. She mouthed Ethan’s name when she caught Sameer’s eye, but he shook his head and her heart sank into her toes. He really isn’t coming.

When it was time to sing, she stepped up to the microphone. Her stomach churned and her legs felt like wooden posts. A sea of people stared at her. Cameras flashed and bright lights shone down on her. She knew her performance was being broadcast live. It wasn’t just the people in the room who’d be watching her.

The musicians started the instrumental introduction to her song. There was no voice in her throat. I can’t do this.

Then the ballroom door opened and Ethan entered, his eyes focused on her.

Her breath released from her chest. He raised his thumb, and she began to sing the song she’d written for him. She sung her heart out, needing him to feel her voice, to understand that she loved him with every fiber of her being.

People burst into applause and she performed two more songs. She lost track of Ethan in the crowd, but she knew he was there. She could feel his presence and that was all that mattered.

When she was finished, the roar of the crowd was deafening. The