“It’s not a curse, per se,” her father said, lifting the mug back to his lips. “It’s more of a coincidence that every single woman in your mother’s bloodline has married their first romantic partner. We don’t have any divorces, either, so you could call us one-hit wonders.”
Josie’s mouth opened, and thankfully, there wasn’t more food there. “No way.”
Madhuri groaned, burying her face into her arms before turning back to Josie. “We’re not joking. And it’s very much a curse, for your information. I want to be able to date whomever I want without worrying that I’ll fall in love with them forever. It’s way too much pressure.”
Her mother scrunched up her nose, making it clear where Madhuri got it from. “I can’t believe you want to experience all the heartbreak and tears associated with traditional dating.”
“Yeah, I would kill to never have to worry about dating!” Josie said. “If this is a genetic inheritance thing, then I’m screwed. My mom and dad had to suffer through quite a few shitty first dates before they found each other and lived happily ever after.” Her face turned red when she registered the swear she’d used, but when Madhuri’s parents laughed good-naturedly, she settled back down.
Madhuri opened her mouth to argue, but the incensed words she’d prepared suddenly disintegrated on her tongue. An uneasy emotion washed over her, the one that always accompanied the thought of her family curse and the happily-ever-after it promised. She felt as if she were being held hostage by the Universe, doomed to compromise her future and herself for the sake of love. Her latest prophecy only worsened that feeling.
Thankfully, the conversation at the dinner table drifted from curses and prophecies to Josie’s passion project, which was finally coming to fruition in their senior year—a student-run talent show highlighting all the art and culture Southern California had to offer. Madhuri, who’d already spent most of her summer vacation fundraising for the show with her best friend, utilized the temporary shift in topic as an opportunity to plan her next steps.
Madhuri’s family history haunted her, stories of true love passing from mother to daughter for centuries. She couldn’t help but think about her mother’s clinic in India, a dream that was once alive deep within her heart. A dream that was now nothing more than a distant memory, slowly replaced by the kind smile of her father.
Madhuri was overwhelmed with a burning desire to prove her family, particularly her mother, wrong about everything. Madhuri would never let herself be bound to a prophecy with no scientific backing, nor would she become the target of a curse like all the women who came before her. She had to find a way to kill both of those pesky birds with one stone, but it didn’t seem like her family would be willing to listen to her with an open mind. She’d have to show them exactly how mistaken they were, exactly how much power she held in her own life.
All she needed to do was target a specific area of her prophecy for refutation—her academics, her personal growth, or her relationships. Compared to the former two, manipulating a successful relationship in the face of her prophecy’s negative predictions shouldn’t be that difficult. She’d pick some willing sucker to date her until June, when she’d inevitably break up with him before college. She’d take part in an experimental relationship that would only end when she wanted it to, and with one perfect shot, her family curse and her prophecy would cease to exist.
The only thing she needed was a boy who would help her destroy her own destiny. A boy she was guaranteed to never fall in love with.
She knew just the one.
CHAPTER THREE
Arjun
A distinct shiver raced through Arjun’s fingertips when he wielded his lacrosse stick. The feeling careened through his veins like an oxygenated blood vessel. He cradled the ball in its net, breaking into a sprint toward the goal on the opposite end of the field. The shiver transformed into a burst of wind, encouraging the adrenaline pumping in his eardrums to push for more. More endurance, more agility, more power.
From the corner of his eye, he saw Madhuri’s family and Josie standing in the front row of the packed school bleachers. Josie screamed at the top of her lungs, jumping up and down like a cheerleader, and Auntie and Uncle Iyer held each other close, their gaze narrowed on the aggressive players he was blazing through. They were worried, as always, for his health. One concussion had already sent them into a spiral of anxiety. They couldn’t handle another scare.
Madhuri, on the other hand, was nowhere to be found.
Arjun tried to shake off the disappointment that had suddenly replaced his energy. He couldn’t expect her to attend his games like some sort of Trophy Girlfriend, even if it was the very first match of their senior year. She’d never be that girl, and he’d never ask that of her.
When Arjun tore his eyes away from the bleachers, ready to deliver a perfectly aimed shot, the opposing team’s captain checked him. Hard. The lights hanging over the lacrosse field transformed into white spots, exploding in Arjun’s vision with increasing intensity. He felt his heartbeat thudding in a shy corner of his brain until the pain ricocheted off his skull and into the rest of his body.
He crashed into the grass headfirst. His fingers raced to his forehead, checking for signs of another concussion. A thin stream of blood leaked from his hairline, and he groaned out loud, looking up toward the bleachers again. Auntie Iyer was clinging to the rails, screaming his name. He was sure that from their vantage point, it looked like he was knocked out. He’d have to tease her about her dramatics the next time he saw her.
The referee blew his whistle for a time-out as Coach Hegde grabbed him by the arms, hoisting him onto the brightly decorated bench beside them. One of the posters taped to the bench had his name painted in blue and gold ink, their school colors. He smiled when he caught sight of the familiar signature at the bottom left corner. A curvy, barely recognizable MI.
Even when she wasn’t there for him, she was.
His coach shone a bright light in his eyes, and when nothing out of the ordinary seemed to show, he let out an incredibly long sigh of relief. With a pat on the back, his coach ran back to the field, leaving the school nurse to inform Arjun that he was out for the rest of the game and that he could either sit and watch or go home.
The smile was wiped clean off Arjun’s face. He’d never been kicked out of a game before. Did his coach see his moment of distraction, the weakness that gave their opponents an advantage? If so, he was screwed. He’d be running laps around the field until their next game.
“I’ll watch,” Arjun muttered, clenching his fists as the nurse cleaned his wound with alcohol. When he turned to the bleachers to send Auntie Iyer a comforting thumbs-up, the nurse pulled his head back with a click of her tongue. His grin turned into a grimace that he was sure Auntie Iyer’s hawk eyes caught. Great. He was truly in for it when they got home.