Silently Falling in Love: Race (THE EDITED VERSION)

Chapter 28 - Cognac or Port?

Anjali – October 1994

I grew frustrated as Karthik told me to wait as he answered the door. Why couldn't he ignore whoever was at the door? I held the phone to my ear as I walked to my closet. I might as well figure out what I would wear tonight while I waited. I was meeting Tarun cha-cha tonight, and I wanted to look nice but respectful and wear something Indian but not a full Indian outfit since the plan was to go out afterwards.

I threw several things on my bed and paired together the possibilities.

"Hey, sorry Anjali that took so long. It was a high school student selling magazines to raise money for college. I know I may have gotten suckered, but he seemed genuine."

"What magazines did you buy?"

"Sports Illustrated," Karthik said with a smile that I could feel over the phone.

"You don't follow sports."

"I know," Karthik grinned through the phone.

"But I'm sure you're dying to know next year's women's swimsuit fashions," I said sarcastically.

"For you, so I can help you with next season's swimsuit selection," Karthik teased.

"Of course, you did it for me. Anyway, can we get back to what we were speaking about before you left me for the magazine salesman."

"Yeah sure," Karthik mumbled.

"Diwali is in a couple of weeks and I'd like to introduce you to my parents."

"I told you I'd love to come and meet your family."

"Karthik, I'm not putting my family through meeting you if your parents don't even know about me."

"Coming to your family's home for Diwali is conditional on me telling my parents about you?" Karthik asked shocked.

"Yes," I said resolutely. I would not back down. I'd seen this all too often, Indian guys date the girls here in the US and then end up marrying a girl their parents had picked out, sometimes from India. I hated doing this to Karthik, but I needed to know he could tell his parents about me. It had been long enough.

"I don't understand why you're doing this. Your parents are more understanding and they'll be cool about us. My parents aren't your parents. Why are you tying these two events together?"

"Karthik you're a grown man who should be able to make his own decisions about who he wants to be with. Why is this a big deal? Why can't you tell your parents about me?"

"Anjali it will take time. No one in my family has ever had a love marriage. I would be the first. They're expecting me to marry someone they pick."

I noticed Karthik said I would and not I will. Maybe it was a minor difference. Maybe it meant nothing.

"They know they raised you in the US, don't they?"

"Don't be cheeky with me."

"What am I to you? Am I just another name in your black book?"

"No, don't be ridiculous. I need more time."

"We've been seeing each other for over a year, and you need more time to just tell your parents you have a girlfriend? I'm not asking you to marry me."

There was silence on the other end.

"Why did you ask me out?" I asked, frustrated.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean am I a way to pass the time?"

"Are you serious?" Karthik got mad. "I'm in med school, the last thing I was looking for was a relationship. But I couldn't take my eyes off of you from the moment I met you. Anjali you are not a way to pass the time. I just need more time. This is difficult. Okay."