Codename lotus, p.30
Codename Lotus, page 30
I turned the ring in my fingers and lifted it to the light. I squinted at the tiny engraving.
Then I saw them.
A series of numbers, etched neatly into the inside of the band.
I looked up. Our gazes locked.
“Naomi…” she whispered. “This has to be the cryptocurrency private key. Those numbers were not there before.”
My body went still. My pulse quickened. Months of fear and guessing, sitting right there in her palm.
I curled her fingers around the ring. “Saanya, not a word to anyone. Understood?”
She nodded, pale. “Shouldn’t we take this to the police?”
“Remember, the police were bought. We don’t know who to trust. Besides, this entire mess—how everything unfolded—is far too complex, and the outcome is still in play. We don’t even know if our plan will work.” I held her gaze like never before. “This is our leverage. We keep it.”
“But Naomi—”
“I need you to trust me on this.”
She swallowed, then nodded. “All right. Of course I trust you.”
And for the first time, I wasn’t entirely sure I deserved it.
27
EGGS KEJRIWAL AND A PERFECT DATE
SAANYA
We sat at Ravi’s table with steaming cups of chai while he cooked us breakfast. The scent of buttered toast, eggs, and chilies grounded me in something domestic, even as my thoughts raced.
This morning still hummed in me. But as Naomi laid out everything that had happened, the road ahead looked brutal.
She sat next to me, legs crossed, fingers wrapped around her mug. Composed, as always—except her grip didn’t ease, even when Ravi set a jug on the table.
Sid sat across from us, stirring his tea and staring at the table. “I know Baba. He won’t be easy to sway.”
A drop of chai slid down Naomi’s mug and caught on the soft curve of her knuckle. I wanted to reach across and wipe it away.
She exhaled through her nose. “Sid. He already knows neither of you wants to run GlobalLink.”
He scoffed, setting down his spoon. “That doesn’t mean it won’t kill him.”
From the kitchen, Ravi called, “You’re super wealthy! Just buy another company. It’s like trading Pokémon cards, right?!”
Sid and I groaned.
Naomi didn’t even blink.
I felt her entire body tense before she spoke. “Are you sure it’s safe to have this conversation in front of him? He might as well be a radioactive hazard.”
Sid waved her off, nodding. “The lad is great at keeping secrets.”
“He’s harmless,” I said with a smile, then shouted back, “Thank you for your invaluable insight, Ravi!”
“Right?!” came back over the clatter of spoon and pan. “Show me your shiny Charizard, baby!”
Naomi’s nostrils flared. Under the table, I squeezed her thigh. Don’t choose violence.
She flicked me a look, fingers flexing against the porcelain of her mug. But she didn’t snap. Instead, she shifted in her chair just enough that her knee brushed against mine.
“It’s not that simple,” Sid muttered, rubbing his temple.
“I agree. We need to be tactful,” I said. “Why don’t we take a few days to think this through properly?”
Ravi ghosted in and set steaming plates in front of Sid, Naomi, and me.
Naomi’s voice came out slow and measured. “I don’t mean to sound insensitive, but why don’t we tell him the truth? That neither of you wants to invest more of yourselves in GlobalLink—especially you, Sid. He already knows Saanya does it begrudgingly.”
She paused, unease flickering in her eyes. “And as much as Edward Harrow seemed a brute, he had a well-established network on the dark web. I’m sure he has people trying to check the validity of my claim as we speak. And let’s not forget that it’s my head he’ll come for next if our bluff is exposed. We need to act quickly. There’s no time to ‘think things through.’”
She looked at me, certainly not unkindly. On the contrary. “I’m sorry, Saanya.”
My stomach dropped at the thought of Naomi being in danger. I still had so many questions about that meeting.
“Of course.”
I gave her thigh another discreet squeeze. Her lips lifted, and reassurance flickered.
“What should we do, then?” I asked.
With approval from Sid and me, Naomi had her IT team and GlobalLink’s own IT department launch a smokescreen: dummy servers mirroring the real network, manipulated financials, and planted correspondence painting GlobalLink as a struggling company. A fragile cover, but one that might buy us time.
“Not to put a damper on things, but I wish you’d thought of something less final, Naomi,” Sid said. “This might be the worst idea you’ve ever had. Makes me almost wish you had left it alone.”
Naomi and I looked up.
“Sidharth!” I said. Surely he was exaggerating—he had to be kidding.
“Don’t get me wrong. I could never repay what you did for us—you saved my sister. But this might really be the thing that kills Baba. I’d hate to be the one to upset him.”
“Well, forgive her for not finding a lie that didn’t ruin your spotless streak with Baba,” I snapped. “And don’t forget that I wasn’t next on their list. You were.”
Naomi’s hand slid onto my thigh. “Saanya—”
“No.” I turned to my brother. “I’m with Naomi. I don’t see how else she could have convinced Harrow to back off without us losing our lives—and an obscene amount of money, mind you. Would you have had the balls to face him? How can you reproach her? Could you have done better? You’re being an absolute knob.”
Sidharth stared, shocked. Regret flickered across his face. “You’re right. You’re right.” He sighed. “I’m sorry, Nadee. Please forgive me for saying that. I’m just—this is a lot.”
Naomi gave him a small nod, glanced down at her tea, then faced him again. “I still believe this was the best course of action.”
And that’s when I caught on—what she was doing.
How long can one stay frozen and unhappy? Some of us stay until something greater bulldozes everything, just so we can begin again.
“It’s just…how am I supposed to convince him to sell?” Sid said. “The global economy is terribly unstable. Sure, he’s got billions, but that can turn into dust in a few years if that money sits idle. He’s worked so hard for this.”
“Then tell him the truth,” Naomi said. “That your heart isn’t in GlobalLink. You are wasting time, shelving your own goals for someone who’s already seen his dream realized. It’s the only rational choice, Sid. Unless you want to wait for him to die and do whatever you want then.”
His eyes widened like she’d said a dirty word.
“I’m sorry, but you need to choose,” Naomi said. “Though keep in mind that all our necks are on the line now.”
I hid a smile behind my fingers, letting her be who she was. Pride swelled in my chest. Count on Naomi Smith-Chopra to turn your duty-bound life upside down—over a spread of Eggs Kejriwal, of all things.
“I think she’s right, Sid. We’re living Baba’s dream,” I said.
Naomi tapped a fingertip against her mug, looking from him to me. “What if we suggest he shift from operating GlobalLink to investing in a portfolio of safe, high-yield instruments? Less day-to-day stress, more security. I have a fantastic contact who can guide him.”
She was looking at me for approval first. My heart bloomed.
Naomi continued, “He can use his expertise to manage his investments, not operations. We can paint a picture where he isn’t tied down. Imagine travel, hobbies, a peaceful, earned retirement. Because even with you running things, we know who’s at the helm.”
“I fully support Naomi’s proposal,” I said. “I’m willing to sell my part.”
Sid exhaled. “Actually, your plan sounds brilliant. I’ll gather the courage to face him. You’re right. What’s done is done.”
I let out a slow breath. “Then it’s settled.”
A quiet moment passed. Naomi glanced at me, her green eyes unreadable. Beneath the table, her fingers found my thigh again. A slow, deliberate squeeze. I see you. I’m with you.
I curled my hand over hers. For the first time in days, I felt steady.
The day flew by. Sidharth and Naomi took calls while I made travel arrangements.
Sid would fly to Kolkata, while Naomi and I would be driven there in a private car service. I couldn’t fly this far along in my pregnancy, and Naomi had barely blinked at the change.
Telling our father we planned to step down and sell his successful company wouldn’t be easy, but then again, what path to freedom ever was?
I spent the day on cloud nine, within the limits of shock and a murderous backache, at least.
Past midnight, Naomi and I were still awake.
She had drawn me a bubble bath. Thank God for Ravi’s state-of-the-art tub. The jet streams were heaven. Somehow, she’d even found an aromatic candle. Naomi never sat still during business calls. She’d paced our bedroom earlier, raiding Ravi’s drawers while she was on the phone.
Sinking into the warm, soapy water, I let the candle lull me. “God, this is amazing. Thank you. Where did you find the salts?”
The en suite door was ajar. Naomi was in the bedroom, repacking. “Oh no, darling. Not salts. That was a bath bomb.”
I could hear the sarcastic inflection in her voice. I smiled, loving everything about this moment.
Our lovemaking had been exhilarating—messy and raw and alive. Naomi had made me feel things I’d never felt before, heights I’d never reached, awakening every idle nerve in my body, all in that one time.
A body and a heart that had been covered in cobwebs for years.
We’d only done it once, then lay starry-eyed, tracing each other in silence.
We hadn’t talked about it since. Naomi was still, well…Naomi. But she’d held me all night and into early dawn, thighs entwined, arms protective and tender.
I felt her presence and turned to find her at the doorway with a glass of Pinot Grigio, relaxed and contemplative.
I immediately blushed. She’d already sort of seen me naked. Still, I scooped a few bubbles over my breasts.
She stepped in, and I swallowed so hard I was sure she heard it. She set the glass down and sat on the tub’s back edge. Her fingers swept over my damp shoulders, pressing into the knots. “How’s the pain?”
I closed my eyes and gave myself to her touch. I could imagine her beautiful hands on me. Her touch was so specific—the right amount of pressure and softness. Even with my eyes closed, I could pick her out from anyone. “Mmm. Much better.”
The silence was absolute, thick with candlelight and steam. A single drop of water echoed.
“Good,” she said, smoothing my sore muscles.
I felt the press of a kiss on my shoulder.
“I—” I still felt so self-conscious, though. Naomi must have felt my apprehension.
“I’ll tell you what.” She rose slowly.
The candlelight flickered over glossy white tiles and gold fixtures. I caught her in the reflection—a golden shimmer in warm light. Her gaze held mine there. I dared to turn my head and met her eyes.
“Let’s make this fair,” she said, peeling off her blouse.
I turned back to face the wall like a coward, and swallowed.
When I heard the whisper of her trousers zip sliding down…my world tilted.
Even in the soft, distorted reflection of the tiles, her body was gorgeous.
My throat went dry.
She stepped in behind me, molding to me in the water. She let out a quiet, involuntary “Hmm” as she sank.
Arms slid around me, breath at my ear. “Is this better? More even?”
I followed the trail of her fingers grazing up and down my arms and shivered. Time moved differently when we were like this.
“So much better.” I took Naomi’s wet hand and kissed it.
Her slow caresses drifted to my belly. God, I wanted this to last forever—safe, warm, ours.
But beyond this pocket of bliss, reality loomed.
Imminent separation.
What came next? A fragile, uncertain relationship with a woman still figuring this part of herself out. But this wasn’t just curiosity…was it?
Earlier, she’d spoken to an estate agent about flats in Manhattan. Hearing that had withered something in me.
Once this drama ended, she’d return to America and her billion-dollar company, and I’d go back to Kolkata—the school, my son. My parents. God…telling my parents. I was not looking forward to that nuclear bomb of a discussion.
Either way, she’d be gone soon.
I exhaled, leaned into her, and felt her lips on my temple.
I closed my eyes and memorized it. The moment. Her. The way she made my heart bloom. The one thing I had always wanted.
“I wish we could stay here,” I said.
“In Mumbai?” Naomi asked, drawing lazy shapes on my arm.
I smiled. “Here. Like this. Just us. Frozen in time where nothing else exists.”
The world, in my experience, ruins beautiful things.
Feeling her breath and nipples against my back, she chuckled. “That’s a long time without food or water.”
“We’d be frozen, remember?” I wrapped her arms around me like a coat. “I always felt a special connection with Mumbai. As if I owed this city something. Perhaps I owe it the greatest love story—”
The words slipped out. My cheeks heated instantly, and I looked down into the water. Thankfully Naomi couldn’t see my face in this position.
She laughed, low and lovely. “Well, it ticks all the boxes, doesn’t it? A girl and her sweet, fiery heart silently pining for the brooding, unaffectionate girl. Separated by tragedy, then later reunited in dire circumstances.” She scoffed. “God, that sounded like a dreadful Shakespeare blurb.”
I turned slightly and looked at her. “Please don’t call yourself unaffectionate.” I could see right through her. My superpower.
“Most people would beg to differ.”
I shifted completely around in the embrace and sneaked my arm over Naomi’s neck, spread my wet palm on her cheek, and drew her into a kiss. We stayed like that for a moment. Tasting each other.
When I pulled back, I swiped my thumb over her lips. “And to comment on my teenage self’s afflictions, I would say that instead of pining for you, she…longed.”
Naomi’s eyes gleamed. For the first time since those failed attempts, she cupped my face and initiated a kiss. And God, she kissed me properly. Bold, delicious lips. If we’d been standing, my knees would’ve buckled.
Our mouths moved in perfect sync, languid and slow. Unlike our early-dawn messy and passionate desperation, this time Naomi was precise, her tongue playful as she suddenly teased me and smiled into the kiss.
I smiled and rested my forehead to her cheek, whispering against her skin, “I still can’t believe you’re my…”
She gave a tiny laugh, pink blotching her chest and neck from the heat of the candle and the water. “Your…” she said, her voice teasing, but her eyes gleamed.
I squinted at her. “You are so cheeky.”
She winked. “Your what?”
I tried again. “Long-distance girlfriend?”
That did it. Naomi threw her head back and laughed—light and real. The sound curled around my heart.
“Hmm. My girlfriend,” she said, amused eyes flicking to mine.
I blushed deeper. “Technically, I owe you a proper date. We did everything backwards. So…perhaps not yet.”
“Well, aren’t you right. I had never in my life experienced such domesticity. You had me tamed—fetching your midnight cravings and tagging along to your doctor’s appointments.”
“That’s because you wouldn’t let me leave the house alone.”
“Then let’s not forget Lamaze class.” She smirked.
God. That class. That moment.
I remembered how out of place I had felt that day, surrounded by beaming couples, watching them whisper excitedly to each other about names and nursery themes. How alone I’d felt—until Naomi. Until she had quietly stepped forward and offered to be my partner, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Now that I looked back, Naomi hadn’t let me go through anything alone.
Fingers tucked under my chin, bringing my face back. She traced my cheek. “Mmm…Poddo moni.”
The words slid over my skin.
I melted.
The Bengali term of endearment translated to “jewel of the lotus”—or more simply, “the most precious part of the sacred lotus.” The way she said it, so effortlessly, so softly, made my blood feel like warm honey.
“Oh.” My heart stumbled.
Naomi just watched me, her green eyes drinking me in, like I was the only thing, the only one.
“You…speak Bangla?” I straightened fully now, no longer caring that my breasts were above water.
A slow, self-satisfied smirk spread across her lips. “Please don’t probe further. There’s nothing more. You already know my Hindi is dreadful, let alone my Bengali.”
I laughed, my heart still thrumming. “Nothing about you could ever be dreadful.”
Her smile dimmed, something shifting behind her eyes. She swallowed. “Saanya, I…know that…” Her gaze dropped, fingers idly tracing circles on my arm beneath the water. “I know I am not an easy person,” she said softly. “And after my parents’ death, I think I somehow became worse. I fractured myself, both emotionally and mentally. Dissociated. It was easier.”
She let out a slow breath, as if each word was being forced from somewhere deep within her.
Something in me tore open.
“Naomi—”
“Please let me finish.” Her voice was soft but firm, a vulnerability I’d never heard before. “My worst fear is losing control, because if I relinquish it, then I have nothing. I know how to control things, but I don’t know how to properly love someone. I am not…adept.”
