The Wedding Tamasha | PUBLISHED

Chapter 1

Shweta froze at the sight of the police officer, her first customer on that cold September morning. She had been busy with her morning chores in the kitchen when the bell on the front door had jingled. The Villa Mexican Café in Edison, New Jersey, had just opened for business, but eight o'clock in the morning was still early for a visitor.

Unless, someone had tipped the police off about her working here without a legal permit...

Through the half-open kitchen door, she noticed the tall, brawny officer making his way towards the counter, his heavy boots thumping on the linoleum floor, punctuated by the squeak of leather.

Her heart thudded.

'Hello, anybody here?' The officer tapped his fingers on the counter, his thunderous voice clashing against the quiet of the café, interrupted only by the rhythmic stirring of the salsa pot.

Julie Fox, the sixty-something owner of the café, was stirring the pot of her signature black salsa, something she would never take her eyes off even for a minute. That left Shweta to go to the counter.

Easily more than six feet tall, the young Hispanic cop cut a formidable figure, his eyes narrowed, his hair short and spiked, and his chest so broad, it hid the door behind him. With thick corded forearms crossed over his chest, he looked her over as she approached.

'You work here?'

A chill shot up her spine. Regaining her composure quickly, she put on her best smile. 'Yes, officer, how may I help you?'

'Haven't seen you before,' he said, his voice gruff.

Shweta swallowed. She could feel her legs wobble.

He leaned forward resting his elbows on the counter when, all of a sudden, his walkie-talkie radio sputtered to life and an operator's voice crackled through. Startled, Shweta looked sharply at the equipment he unclipped from his side.

He turned back to her, losing the confident look fast. 'Is Abuela here?' he said, his tone urgent.

Grandmother? She guessed from the little Spanish she knew.

Julie came out of the kitchen just then. 'Hey Pete, how's it going? First day?'

In an instant, the tough cop transformed into a docile schoolboy. 'Yes, Abuela. Came for your blessings.'

Julie beamed at him. 'Sure, my boy! God bless you! You'll make a fine officer.'

Smiling at his grandmother, he said, 'I better be off now, Abuela. I think I got an urgent situation.'

'Will you have Abuela's special sweet bun for the road?'

'No, thanks. I'll see you around. I have to go now.' He tipped his hat, gave Shweta an unexpected, big grin, and turned to go.

Shweta blinked and exhaled sharply after Pete was out of the café, the door jingling behind him. 'I was terrified,' she said to Julie.

'He's my step-daughter's son,' Julie said, beaming. 'It's his first day! Doesn't he look like a tough cop?'

He had certainly looked tough and had almost given Shweta a heart attack.

Julie returned to her pot in the tiny kitchen behind the counter. The aroma of the rich, dark, smoky salsa with charred peppers filled the entire kitchen.

The salsa was what people flocked to the café for. The special chicken burrito with black salsa and the fish tacos were a hit with the crowds.

The salsa was loved not just by the patrons who visited the café; its popularity, in fact, extended beyond that. By nine a.m. every morning, jars had to be lined up for bottling the salsa that would be sold at the Convention Centre.