"B-b-b-both of them?" Maa asked, her voice stuttering, her eyes widening to the size of saucers. She gripped the armrest of the sofa as if the room had started spinning.
I rose from the chair, moved toward Nymeria and Ume, and said, grabbing the hand of both of them, "Yes, Maa."
Both of them kept their eyes lowered in respect and shyness, their cheeks flushed with colour, as the entire family looked at them with open mouths and wide eyes. Even Inayat paused her play, staring curiously at the two beautiful strangers.
Maa pressed her temples between her thumb and index fingers, rubbing slow circles as she tried to process what I had just said. A deep sigh escaped her lips.
"Maa, I am sorry for not telling you sooner," I said, feeling nervous from her obvious reaction. My heart pounded in my chest.
"Raj, come here," Maa ordered, her head still down, her voice eerily calm.
