Anil Mehta grunted and left to change his clothes.
Annika continued to make rotli without making eye contact with her mother.
Nilay came down from showering and started to set the table, taking theshakto the table. He returned to the kitchen, his mouth full of spicy green bean and potato. Annika shook her head as their mother scolded him.
“Can’t you wait five minutes until we sit down? Take the raita and the rice, but do not pick at them, too.”
Nilay swallowed and treated his mother to a smile as he picked up the yogurt-and-cucumber salad as well as the rice. “Is it my fault you’re a great cook?”
Annika rolled her eyes and made the gagging motion at him.
Her mother tried not to smile as she raised her rolling pin at him while she called him a wiseass in Gujarati. Nilay laughed and scooted out of her reach, taking the food to the table. They would leave the dal to simmer on the stove until it was time for that course. Annika spread ghee on the last rotli and brought the warm stack to the table.
By the time the table was set, her father had returned to the kitchen after changing. Annika was about to sit down across from her mother when the doorbell rang.
Her father looked blankly at Annika. “Can you see to that, beta?”
“Um, sure.” Puzzled, Annika went to the door. She opened it to find a very handsome man standing there. Did Amazon deliver handsome men now?
Tall, with a lean muscular build and brown skin, the man seemed as surprised to see her as she was him. He hesitated a moment before speaking. “Um, hi. I was looking for Usha-auntie or Anil-uncle.”
“Oh, yeah, sure. They’re my parents.” She stepped aside to let him in.
He seemed to study her as he stepped into the house. Then his face lit up. “Annika? Wow! It’s been forever.”
Crap. She probably knew him, but she couldn’t place him. She definitely did not grow up with anyone this attractive. Her puzzlement must have shown loud and clear, because he chuckled.
“It’s Sajan. Sajan Shah. We were in that dance together, senior year of high school.”
Nope. She would’ve remembered someone who looked like him.
“Well, my senior year. You might have been a freshman?”
“Oh!” She covered her mouth with her hand. He had been awkward and skinny, and not nearly this tall, not nearly this muscular, but now that he mentioned it, she did remember those hazel eyes. “Hey, Sajan! It has been a lifetime. Whatever happened to you? I feel like we never saw you after that performance.”
“We moved to Virginia, but I work in Baltimore now, so my parents recently moved back to the area. I was on my way to see them, and they asked me to stop here and pick something up for them.”
“Ah, Sajan!” Annika’s father’s voice boomed from behind her. “So good to see you again. Come. Come in. We were just sitting down to dinner. Come join us.”
“Oh, no, Uncle. I couldn’t. My parents asked me to pick up some diya. They seem to have misplaced theirs in the move.”
“Of course, we have the diyaset aside for you. But come and eat a little. I insist. And I assure you, your parents won’t mind a bit, huh?” Her father could barely meet her eyes, and Annika knew in that moment she was being set up. The question was, was Sajan in on it? She stole a glance at him, but it was obvious that he, too, had figured out what was going on, and he was just as surprised as she was.
“I’m sure Sajan has better things to do.” She glared at her father.
“Yeah, I’ll just get those diya and be on my way.”
“No, I insist.” Her father’s tone was such that there was no arguing with him.
“But Uncle, I’m on call, and I really—”
“Well, then, you should eat when you have a moment.” Annika’s mother had shown up to chime in. “And it seems you have a moment.”
Annika closed her eyes. Her dad you could argue with, but not her mom. When Mom insisted you eat, you sat your butt down and ate. She knew Sajan had no choice now but to have dinner with her and her family.
She glanced at him. He was well aware of his predicament. He bent down to take off his shoes. “Well, Auntie, who could say no to your cooking?”
“Fantastic!” Her father boomed and rubbed his hands together in victory. “Come.” He led the way to the dining table.
