Uncharted (Jersey Girls Book 3) Page 2

  “What shall I do?” There was no response.

  The United States was her home now. She belonged here.

  She turned frantically to Sally. She would have the answer—she always had the answer—but Sally just shrugged.

  3

  Claire – The Stalker

  The wall bit into her, so Claire pushed out of her leaning position and brushed the brick dust off her shoulders. They'd been standing outside Sally’s for a few minutes now, waiting for Nandita to join them for the walk home, but she'd disappeared with Sally just as they were about to leave. From Claire’s experience, that meant she might be a while.

  Her fiancé and best friend, Satish, mirrored her position on the opposite side of the front door. He tapped his foot and occasionally released a sigh. If a stranger had walked by, he might imagine he was irritated and impatient, but Claire knew better: he was worried about his little sister.

  “We shouldn’t have let Sally get a hold of her just as we were about to leave. You know they’ll be gabbing for ages,” she said, smiling over at him, but he didn’t notice while he stared into the distance.

  The warm, river-scented air held the promise of summer and made Claire smile. She had been looking forward to a summer alone with Satish without the strains of raising a daughter who was not their own. He had been amazing with Nandita, and Claire had tremendous admiration for his dedication to her well-being, but her constant presence had been hard on their young relationship. They'd even put off their wedding until they could be sure they had done their best by her. Claire loved Nandita like a sister, but it was true that she had a selfish streak—appropriate for her age, but annoying nonetheless. She didn’t appreciate her brother the way she should have, but Claire would never say anything. She would give the girl some leeway because Nandita missed her mother and she knew what that was like.

  “She’ll be fine.” Claire crossed to him and lay her body against his, her head on his shoulder. He sighed and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her tightly against him; her body lit up and she was acutely aware of every place their bodies connected. It had always been this way between them, and she couldn’t imagine it would ever change.

  “Maybe I should have applied for the sibling green card.” He leaned into her hair and pressed a kiss against her unruly curls.

  “Don’t start questioning yourself, Satish. You thought long and hard about that option and we both decided Nandita needed to mend her relationship with your parents. I know how hard your father’s rejection has been for you, and she’s too young to understand how important they will be to her in the future. She’s not admitting—even to herself—how your mother’s absence has affected her. You did the right thing by insisting she go back.”

  “I thought we had more time—I thought she would get into Princeton. How could she not have been accepted?”

  “Who knows, love? It could have been a million reasons.”

  Satish pulled her closer and sighed again. “This will be hard on her. She has given up so much. You know what she’s like: she throws herself into things and ignores everything else. She has nothing to fall back on.”

  Claire pushed back and looked up at her soul mate. Every day she was struck by how handsome he was. Right now, his chiseled features were fixed in a tight, unreadable expression as his brown eyes overflowed with concern. “You reap what you sow,” she said. “Maybe it’s time Nandita learned there are other things in life, apart from her ambitions. I am sure your mother has struggled without Nandita as much as Nandita has struggled without your mother—it’ll be best for them to have time together before that gap grows too wide. She’ll have plenty of other grad school opportunities once she widens her vision.”

  “You’re right, as usual.” He smiled down at her and leaned in for a kiss. As his lips met hers, she pressed up on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around his neck. He slid his hands to the small of her back, tucking them under her shirt. The sensation was electric. If only Nandita were staying with Sally tonight, because Claire knew a way to make all of Satish’s troubles float away.

  She felt him smile into the kiss. “I’m still giving her the gift,” he mumbled. “I want you all to myself this summer.”

  “Get a room!” Nandita called as she headed toward them.

  Claire pulled away and laughed at the distinctly American expression coming from the young woman’s lips. The steel street door of the loft always made a giant thud when it closed; the fact that they hadn’t heard it just proved how distracting they were to each other.

  Nandita pulled her silk scarf, a Claire’s special edition, over her shoulders. “Home or Maxwell’s?”

  Satish raised one eyebrow. “Home, I believe. I don’t think a drink will cure your problems. Do you?” Claire elbowed him in the side. “Sorry,” he said. “Claire and I are going home. If you’d like to go to Maxwell’s, you should go, but I’d like to give this to you now. I think it might cheer you up.”

  Satish pulled a long envelope from inside his blazer pocket and handed it to her. “Happy graduation.”

  She took the envelope and frowned. “You know I don’t need money, Satish. I have been saving a lot and have plenty to get me through the summer while I figure things out.”

  Claire rested her hand on Nandita’s arm. “It’s not money, Nan. Open it.”

  She pulled a stack of paper from the envelope and stared at the top page as her eyes filled with tears. “I can’t believe you made me cry again!” she laughed, wiping her eyes with her sleeve. “It’s perfect, guys. Thank you.”

  “There are photos of the entire apartment underneath,” Claire said excitedly. “It’s nicer than any apartment I ever lived in at your age!”

  “It’s only a two-month lease,” Satish said. “It was supposed to fill the gap between graduation and grad school, but, well, maybe you’d still like to use it.”

  “An apartment in Princeton—in Palmer Square, no less—and fully paid up? Of course I’d like to use it, if only to get away from you two lovey doveys. The truth is, you make me a little sick to my stomach.”

  She threw herself at Satish, and he caught her, stumbling backward under her enthusiasm. “I’m glad you like it, and I’m very sorry it wasn’t the celebratory gift it should have been. I shouldn’t have brought the Princeton letter—I should have kept it until tomorrow.”

  Nandita stepped back, hugging the envelope to her chest, and Claire could see her struggling to keep a happy front. The rejection had hit her hard. “No, it’s fine. I had to find out sooner or later.” She paged through the papers, examining the photos. “You know, forget Maxwell’s. I think I’ll go home with you guys.” She tucked her arm through Claire’s.

  Satish patted his pockets and frowned. “Shoot. I must have left the house keys upstairs. Hold on.” He turned and hit the buzzer to reach Tod.

  Claire looked forward to getting home. A few years ago, shortly after the fiasco caused by Misty, they had decided to move out of Satish’s apartment in Bridgewater. It was a beautiful place, but too small. One teenage girl had been hard enough, but having the whirlwind that was Misty living with them had illustrated how small the apartment truly was. They’d moved to Hoboken, Satish’s commute be damned, to be near their friends and Claire’s boutique. The adorable row house they had picked on Sinatra Drive was everything she had wanted in a home, and she had spent months making it a true home for Satish. Now it was their sanctuary; inside those pokey little rooms with soaring ceilings, nothing could touch them. Claire understood Nandita’s desire to be there right now.

  She patted her hand before realizing Nan’s attention was elsewhere. She was staring down the street at the shadow of a man standing on the corner. Her grip tightened on Claire’s arm.

  “Do you know that guy?” Her voice was hushed, and she didn’t take her eyes off the person struggling with the paper machine at the corner. He pulled on the metal handle repeatedly, but it wasn’t budging. Who bought a paper at this time of night? Nandita looked
closer and saw through the darkness that, although it looked as if he were attacking the newspaper box, his eyes were actually on them. She felt a chill creep up her arms, giving her goosebumps.

  “I can’t see a thing from here, Nandita. How would I know? Why?”

  “I’ve seen him before a few times,” she said, shaking her head. “It’s weird, but I think he’s following me or something.”

  “He’s following you?” Claire smiled. One of the sweetest things about her little sister was that, despite her apparent strength, she still believed in the boogeyman and monsters under the bed. They’d even had to buy her a nightlight when she’d first arrived. “I very much doubt he’s following you, Nan. It’s just a coincidence.”

  “I don’t think so,” Nandita said. She pulled at Claire’s arm and they took a few steps in the stranger’s direction.

  He released the handle of the machine quickly and headed away from them. As he reached the corner he turned to them and his face caught the light of the streetlamp overhead. Claire got a glimpse of a stunning, dark face and jet-black hair, but then he disappeared.

  “Huh,” she said as Nandita stared after him through the darkness. “I guess he didn’t want a paper, after all.”

  4

  Claire – The Secret

  For Claire, this townhouse had been love at first sight. Built in 1910, it retained much of its original features and charm. The top two floors had four bedrooms, each with ten-foot ceilings, expansive windows, and worn, hardwood floors that she’d insisted they leave exactly as they were. The best part? Every bedroom had a fireplace in working condition. Sally had scoffed at the pokey bedrooms—coming from the openness of her glamorous loft, they must have felt like walk-in closets—but Claire loved every tiny square inch of coziness. Even on the first floor, the living room, kitchen, and dining room occupied their own small space, complete with creaking, old doors with original locks and fancy keys. Claire wouldn’t have had it any other way.

  Satish had disappeared to shower and Nandita had gone to her room on the second floor the minute they had walked through the door. Claire knew she was happy with their generous gift, but her excitement was completely overshadowed by the incredible disappointment of her Princeton rejection. Claire wondered what it would do to Nan’s confidence to live across the street from her dream school, knowing she couldn’t attend. As she headed to her office, she decided to share the news with someone who might not think it was so bad, after all.

  They had converted the two bedrooms on the top floor into two offices: one for her and one for Satish. She didn’t use her office too often, as she preferred the convenience of working from the boutique, so it was also the de-facto guest room for frequent visits from her dad. His stuff had seemed to migrate over as the frequency of his visits increased. The fold-out couch was made with his sheets and the bedside table stacked with books and a pair of reading glasses. Claire didn’t mind—she liked having his stuff around, as it reminded her of how close they were. Her strong connection to her dad made her worry about Satish and Nandita’s lack of connection to their parents, and it was this worry that had her secretly communicating with Satish’s mother. She knew it was wrong, but she just couldn’t resist. If she could help bring the family back together and—even better—persuade them to come to the wedding, she knew Satish couldn’t be mad.

  She sat at her desk and wiggled the mouse to wake up her screen. Her inbox showed a message; she knew who it was from, as Mrs. Bhatt would be checking in on how the party went.

  Dearest Claire,

  I am eager to hear of Nandita’s graduation party. Did she have many of her friends there? Did she speak of her plans for the summer? Is there any chance you have made progress on persuading her to visit?

  Claire had been surprised the first time she’d received an email from Satish's mother. According to him, she didn’t even know how to use a computer, and Claire had been led to believe that her almost-father-in-law was controlling of his wife’s access to outside communication. She knew that, when Satish spoke with his mother, which was almost daily since Nandita had run away, Mrs. Bhatt took the calls in secret while his father was at work. After his disastrous visit to India years ago to break off his arranged marriage, Satish had stopped communicating with his father for the first time in his life. Instead, he had reached out to his mother, who had been kept in the shadows for so long. Over the last few years, he had gotten to know her for the first time since leaving at seven years old to go to school in Scotland. Now Claire was getting to know her, too, albeit secretly.

  She, until now, had never kept a secret from Satish in their four years together—and this was a big one. His mother had begged her not to share their communication with Satish. Mrs. Bhatt had said she wanted to get to know Claire on her own terms and work with her to persuade Satish’s father to come to the wedding in July.

  Claire wanted nothing more than to have his family at her wedding. Even though Satish was happy with the sacrifices he had made to be with her, she still felt guilty about how it had affected his family relationships. She was hoping she could work quietly with her mother-in-law and surprise everyone on the wedding day with a family reunion. Was that enough of a reason to keep something from Satish? She wasn’t sure, and she had doubts every time she sat down to write. She swore every email she sent would be the last, but then she would send another.

  It was rare for Nandita to mention her mother. When she did, however, it was with a wistfulness that was all too familiar to Claire. Her own mom had passed at a very young age, so Claire recognized the constant yearning. True, it had been Nandita’s decision to cut her mother out of her life, but it had been a misguided one; Nan needed her mother, and her mother needed her. Every time Claire pressed “send” on an email, she felt she was helping to keep their connection alive, and that was why she was hiding it from Satish: she didn’t want him to ask her to stop.

  Dearest Mrs. Bhatt,

  I’m sorry to tell you the party didn’t go well. Princeton rejected Nandita's application, which means she will be coming home to you soon, after all. She will want to stay here and enjoy the last sixty days on her visa. Satish rented her an apartment in Princeton for her graduation gift and she will be moving there next week. The good news is that this gives you another reason to press their father to come to the wedding: you could take Nandita home with you.

  Claire sent the email and sat quietly in the darkness of the office. She imagined the message winging across the ocean and—although she had only ever seen photos of her soon-to-be mother-in-law—pictured her smile and excitement when she read the news that Nandita would have to come home. Maybe the young woman would learn from this event. Maybe this would be a blessing in disguise.

  5

  Nandita – The Solution

  Nandita’s fingers raced across the keys of her laptop. Six hours ago, her world had stopped spinning. Although the cozy townhouse she lived in with Satish and Claire had gone quiet, she would not sleep until she found a solution. She could not go back to India. The sweet, concerned face of her mother popped into her head, but she squeezed her eyes closed and willed the image away. She would not be distracted.

  She had spent the last three hours frantically going through every government immigration website and law firm blog, trying to understand her options. She needed to stay in the United States and, if she wanted to do it legally, she needed to have a visa. Satish had ruled out a sibling visa, unless she made an extended trip to India, so that option was out. After hours of searching, she was down to only two options: get a job that would sponsor her for a work visa or marry an American citizen.

  Obviously, marriage was out, so a job it was! Her Chrome browser had sixteen open tabs, all job-hunting sites. She wouldn’t be sleeping tonight.

  Nandita took a break, flexing her aching wrists, and looked around her disaster of a room. It was taking longer than expected to get everything packed up and ready for transfer to her new home on Princeton’s Palmer
Square. It was bittersweet leaving the townhouse; she couldn’t wait to be in a space of her own, but she loved this house, Hoboken, and Satish and Claire. She had expected to leave in the midst of a celebration, but now she was leaving in the midst of her regrets and disappointments.

  She had been so determined to go to Princeton that she had never considered for a minute another option. Her entire college career and life had been centered around doing whatever it took to prepare her for the Princeton application. Even now, a few hours after the terrible news, she was having trouble processing the fact that she had been rejected after she had given up everything to make this dream come true. She decided that now was not the time to become complacent and fold. She would figure out a way to re-apply—maybe go to the school and talk to someone. She'd find out what she needed to do to get into Princeton and she would do it. First, however, she had a more pressing problem: she had to figure out how to stay in the United States.

  She wanted her mother and ached for her soft arms around her. She missed her so much that, after a few teary phone calls when she had first arrived in New Jersey, Nandita had cut her off. She needed all of her strength to pursue her goals, and she knew the abundant love and concern she had for her mother might distract her from them. She didn’t consider this selfish; her mother had chosen her life, and now it was Nandita’s time to choose her own. If she went back to India, all bets would be off. In India, she would not only be under the spell of her connection to her mother, but she would also be under the iron fist of her controlling father. If she went back to India, she might never return. Her future was in the US—she knew that from the first time she’d laid eyes on her brother, Satish.