They glared at him. Bowing to my uncle, Tushar’s father said, “Sahib, we are very sorry for our son’s behavior. Tushar is acting against our wishes. We did not mean to disrespect your family.”
“What is the meaning of all this?” Virag Mama said to him. “We have been nothing but kind to your family for so many years, and this is how you repay us?”
Tushar’s father and mother bowed again. “Sahib, we are here to stop this. With your blessing, we will make sure no one will ever know of this unfortunate incident.”
Virag Mama continued, “You know how this will look. She is unmarried. The only girl on this side of the family. What will this do to her reputation? To ours? How can we handle this type of scandal?”
His parents’ eyes were cast downward.
My mother intervened. “Leave them, Virag. This is between the children, not us.”
My heart leaped at her defending me and encouraging us to make our own decision. It was what I had always wanted from her, but in this moment, I just wanted to diffuse the tension for Tushar.
“Of course this is about our family! This is not your precious America,” Virag Mama said to her. “You may have forgotten, but we do things differently here.”
I could see my mother start to boil at her younger brother getting in the way of her parenting of her child. I had seen that resolute look on her face many times over my lifetime, including when I had misbehaved, when I had gotten a lower-than-expected grade in school, and when she had found out about Alex. When my mother got that look on her face, she would not back down.
“No, it’s not. Because in America they would have dated and could have found out they were making a mistake before the marriage,” she said.
Virag Mama’s eyes grew wide. “You permitted her to date in America?” It was an accusation rather than a question.
“Perhaps we all should have done that! Then it would not have been too late to know if we married the wrong person.” She looked pointedly at him and Indira Mami.
Tushar’s parents scrutinized every inch of me, as if determining if I was a papaya that was ripe.
Tushar’s mother stared at her son. “Tushar, this was bad enough when we learned your plan. You did not tell us she was one of those damaged girls from America! Let’s go right now.”
In an instant, I had gone from being too good for their son to being unacceptable because they now knew I wasn’t pure.
My mother stepped toward his. “It is not appropriate to come into our house and insult my daughter.”
I couldn’t believe she had said that. We had gotten to the point where my mother was willing to defend me, without worrying what people outside our family would think, even when she didn’t agree. I had waited my entire life for that.
Tushar’s mother lowered her voice. “Madam, we know your past. I do not know why your family does not abide by our customs, but our family’s reputation is still pure. I do not want to cause you trouble, but I do not want my son to marry someone with these values.”
“It’s not as if we are trying to arrange their marriage,” my mother said to his.
Virag Mama wagged his finger. “Not arranged. We do not approve of this.” He swept his arm wide around the room. “Any of this.”
Tushar whispered to me, “Do not confuse your past with your future. Think about what I said. I’m willing to take the risk if you are.” Then, louder, he called out, “We are leaving.”
He ushered his parents out the door and, before closing it behind him, cast me a small smile. One that had the hope and possibility of a life I had never before wanted and had never even considered. A life that was not part of my plan, my mother’s plan, or anyone else’s.
41
The next morning, I texted Tushar and asked him to meet me at Happy Snaps before it opened so we could talk. I had spent the night talking to Carrie about his proposal, and then when she had fallen asleep, I had stared at the ceiling thinking some more about it. He was asking me to do what my parents had done, Virag Mama and Indira Mami, their parents before them, Biren. What would have seemed completely crazy a couple months ago seemed less so now. I understood better that a Hollywood romance wasn’t the only path to marriage or even happiness. There were many paths, and it was a matter of choice.
When I opened the door to Happy Snaps and heard the familiar chimes, I realized how much this place, and Tushar, had given me. Tushar was behind the counter, bags under his eyes, and I knew he had not slept either.
“Hi,” I said, shy for the first time around him.