Page 114 of Tiger's Dream
She considered her answer for a moment and then said, “I love my brother. He was a true and loyal companion and he will dedicate himself to your Nilima just as he did to me. Her safety will never be in question.”
I nodded, deciding not to elaborate on the dangers of Kelsey’s time. “I got the impression it took a long time for him to wear her down.” When her brows furrowed in puzzlement, I explained, “To convince her to marry him.”
“He is tenacious,” she said.
Chuckling, I said, “I remember. In this case, his tenacity paid off.”
“Yes, but it still took him more than two years since the time he left my side to completely gain her favor.”
I blew out a breath. That was a long time to wait. I’d seen them kiss at Ren’s wedding, which, by my calculations, was only a few months after they returned. Nilima had been stubborn. Apparently, Ana’s thoughts were along the same lines because the next question she asked was, “If their hearts beat for one another in such a way, why did they hesitate to form a bond?”
“There could be a number of reasons.”
“Such as?”
“Timing, first of all. Sometimes life gets in the way.”
“I do not understand this reason.”
“It applies to this era more than ours. Sometimes one person wants to finish school while another works in a different country.”
“A physical separation?”
“Yes.”
“This would not hinder me.”
“I…I wouldn’t imagine it could,” I said slowly, not liking where this was heading.
“What else?” she asked. “What other things hinder romance?”
“On occasion, one person feels more strongly than the other.”
She nodded sagely as if I’d given her the answer that explained the origins of the universe.
“And third?”
The lights dimmed and the music started and I’d never felt so relieved to be interrupted. A large man wearing garish makeup sparkled under the spotlight as he announced the acts. Ana quickly learned the art of clapping and began the process too early and ended it too late to be natural, but her eyes were riveted on the performance.
She didn’t get the clowns at all, but she loved the acrobats and especially enjoyed the dogs, making me promise to find her one. I tried to tell her that dogs and tigers didn’t really get along in most cases, but she waved a hand and shushed me. I caught a scent, a familiar human scent, which was shocking considering the vast amounts of popcorn, cotton candy, and hot dogs in the area.
Scanning the crowd, I finally spotted her just a few benches down. She wore a sparkly costume and she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Her telltale ribbon was tied to the end of her braid. My breath caught and the pulse in my neck pounded.
“What is it?” Ana asked, then followed my eyes to the person below us, sitting all by herself. “Is it her?” she queried softly.
I nodded. My palms turned sweaty, so I wiped them on my thighs and then balled up my fists on my knees, not realizing until Ana touched the back of my hand that they’d turned white.
“She won’t know us,” she whispered in my ear.
Turning my hand over, I grasped her fingers, and she slid a little closer to me on the bench. I didn’t glance away from Kelsey until I caught another scent. This one unmistakable. My nostrils flared. I heard the soft snarl, the click of claws, and the irritated huff before he was rolled into the arena.
Wild music played as the man came out to announce the final act. The words rung in my ears like a song on repeat.
“…taken from the harsh, wildgiungla, the jungles, of India and brought here to America.”
The spotlights darting around made me dizzy. Sweat broke out on my temple. It was like I could feel the eyes of the crowd staring at me expectantly. The applause became harsh to my ears. The noise came at me from every side. My pulse beat frantically. I felt like I was being hunted. They were going to kill me.
A large cage was wheeled out and my nerves jumped frantically. I had to escape. Behind the curtain, inside the wagon, the tiger, who was also my brother, paced nervously.
