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“Thank you, Haroon . . . I mean, Evans,” Dina replied with a smile. “One more night and then we’ll be out of here.”

He returned her smile. “It has been a nice change, having the house filled with people.” He leaned closer. “Between you and me, I can share I was disappointed Mr. Yahya forbade your sister from filming inside the house. I’m a fan and had hoped to be in a live stream.”

Dina laughed, and he drifted off. She still wore a smile when Aliyah joined her in the foyer, but it faded as she noted the other woman’s stunning outfit. With her long hair flowing down her back, an intricately patterned tunic laced tight to show off her tiny waist, her gharara pants tight to her knees and then flared elegantly to her ankles, Aliyah looked effortlessly chic. In contrast, Dina felt dowdy in her simple purple sari.

Aliyah settled beside Dina on the bench with a wide smile. “Are you chronically punctual too?” she asked.

Dina nodded, a small movement. Even her perfume is better, she thought. No wonder Lucky wanted to start a life with this beautiful vision. “I’ve tried to be late to family parties and events. The best I can manage is being on time.”

The other woman sighed theatrically. “It’s a curse in our community, truly, when everyone else seems to run on Indian Standard Time. At least now we get to catch up. I feel like we barely talked since that weird brunch.” Her eyes went wide, and she tilted her head, speaking out of the side of her mouth. “How is that whole Arshad thing going, by the way?”

Dina really wanted to hate Aliyah. Unfortunately, her best-laid plans were crumbling in the face of the other woman’s relentless friendliness and good nature. “Not great,” she admitted.

“Unfaithful pretty boys are the worst,” Aliyah said. She linked her arm through Dina’s before checking the time on her phone. “We have at least twenty minutes. Tell me the whole story about you and Arshad.”

To Dina’s astonishment, she did. Aliyah was a good listener, not interrupting or giving her opinion until Dina finished.

When she came to the end of her recital, Aliyah shook her head. “I don’t know how you managed to keep all that inside without exploding, Dina. No wonder Lucky likes you.”

She blinked at Aliyah. “I think you mean, he likes you.”

Aliyah laughed, a musical sound. “Everyone likes me, but that’s not what I mean. Let’s focus on you, Dina. I’m pretty sure Arshad is the worst person in the country, or at least, the worst person in this house. Your parents might not agree. They might take his side and blame you. But so what. You’ve got options. You’re educated, and you have marketable skills. If you don’t mind the observation, it also sounds like you need to get out from under your dad’s thumb, because he doesn’t appreciate you. Added bonus: I bet if you leave Haq Law, the place will be in shambles within a week, especially if you take your friend Lisa with you.”

“But the only reason I became a lawyer was to make my dad happy and carry on his legacy,” Dina said.

Aliyah shrugged. “The only reason I became an accountant was because my dad is one and he made it sound fun.”

Dina side-eyed her. “Really?”

The other woman laughed. “You are way too gullible. No, of course not. It’s a job. It doesn’t define who I am. It’s a means to an end. What does your life look like once Arshad is banished from it?”

Dina thought about this, then shook her head. “I guess I haven’t looked that far ahead,” she admitted. “Lisa and I did talk about starting our own women-led law firm, one that had a greater focus on cases that actually helped our community, in addition to the ones we take to keep the lights on.”

Aliyah clapped. “Amazing. I love it already. I bet Crescent Construction wouldn’t mind being your sugar daddy,” she said, winking.

They heard footsteps and doors opening, and then there was a parade of people clomping down the stairs, Kulsoom arranging the wedding party, Hania a vision as she made her way downstairs on Samir’s arm, resplendent in a bright-pink outfit that shimmered and danced in the light. And then there was no time to talk further, which was just as well; Aliyah had given Dina enough to think about.

The wedding party made their slow way to the white tent, where music played loudly. The party was relaxed, the mood festive as they walked down the illuminated path. Even Arshad was less odious than usual, complimenting Dina on her outfit and refraining from any insinuations or blackmail for the duration of the five-minute walk. A minor miracle, really.

On Kulsoom’s cue, the DJ played their entrance music, and the MC, a friend of Samir’s from college, announced their entrance: Samir’s parents, followed by her parents, then her and Arshad, and finally Aliyah with her parents.

The white-and-gold carriage came into view, pulled by a matching pair of white horses, who were so well trained, they didn’t spook when the crowd cheered loudly. As Dina watched, Samir helped his bride from the carriage, and Mr. and Mrs. Kazi entered their walima to the sounds of upbeat Bollywood music and joyful applause.

Samir led Hania to her seat on the ornate couch set up on the makeshift stage at the front of the tent, and they were mobbed by guests, eager to greet the bride and groom, as well as the camera crew and videographer from Vogue Arabia. Dina remembered what her sister had told her: Her wedding was an audition for something bigger, something that might change her life. She wondered if her sister’s dreams would come true; she hoped they would, even if they were different from her own. After speaking with Aliyah, she was starting to imagine what that future might look like, someday.

She looked around for Lucky but noticed only Jiya and Nisa seated at a reserved table. Aliyah joined her in surveying the crowd. Dina turned to her impulsively. “Thanks for listening to me,” she said. “You know, I was jealous of you when we first met.”

Aliyah seemed taken aback. “Jealous of me? With those eyelashes? I bet you don’t even need mascara,” she joked, and Dina smiled at her.

“No, it was because of . . . Lucky. And something he said to me,” Dina said. “Just promise me you’ll be good to him and never take him for granted. He deserves someone who really appreciates and loves him.” She started to walk away when Aliyah’s laughter stopped her. She turned back, annoyed. “I’m serious. Lucky is sweet, kind, loyal, and have you seen him in a shalwar? He’s got shoulders for days. Plus, he’s handy around the house, and adorable with Nisa, and . . .” She trailed off in the face of Aliyah’s smile.

“Dina. I’m not interested in Lucky,” Aliyah said.

“Are you sure?” Dina asked. How could anyone not be interested in Lucky?

Aliyah shook her head. “Not even a bit. More importantly, he’s not interested in me.” She looked expectantly at Dina. “Feel free to do what you like with that information.” She walked off to greet guests, leaving Dina to stare after her.

“He’s not?” Dina called, just as the MC announced that it was time for speeches and called her name to come to the front.