I was five feet from the front door when it swung open, revealing Arish. He had that perpetual frown he wore whenever I was around. I ignored it and greeted him as if he had smiled.
“Good evening, brother. Mind taking the box? I don’t want to drop it,” I stated.
He took it. As I passed him, I let my cheek brush his. He returned the gesture. As he closed the door behind us, I paused to remove my shoes and put on a pair of flip-flops. There were a number of them kept inside the door, so one could put on something after removing outdoor shoes. It was a sign of respect and cleanliness. It was disrespectful to enter someone’s home and wear your dirty shoes.
I followed Arish to the living room, which opened into the large kitchen. The ladies were bustling about in the kitchen. The men were in the living room. I heard the children's giggles coming from their playroom. My gaze landed on the unknown man sitting on the couch. All eyes landed on me. I kept my smile plastered on my face, wanting to snatch up my box of desserts and storm out of there.Goddamn it, why couldn't we have one meal without this?I thought.
I called out a casual hello to everyone, then went to Dad first. I kissed his cheek and said hello. Then, I went to the kitchen to do the same to Mom. I swore that when she met my gaze, she gave me an apologetic look. Then I was led back to the living room, where I stopped before the unknown man. He rose to his feet. He was a handsome, tall Indian man in his mid-thirties, I guessed.
He smiled, said “Namaste,” then, with hands together, he gave me a slight bow. I returned the greeting and bow.
“Anastasia, this is Shameer Joshi. We work together. Shameer, this is my youngest sister, Anastasia, that I mentioned,” Arish stated.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Anastasia. Please, call me Sam. Your brother was kind enough to take pity on me and invite me for a home-cooked meal,” Shameer said.
“It’s nice to meet you. I hope you enjoy everything. I might be biased, but my mom and sisters are great cooks. I hope you’ll excuse me. I need to see what I can help with in the kitchen.”
Sam nodded. I made it two steps before Dad’s voice stopped me. “Stay here and talk. They have more than enough hands in the kitchen. There isn’t much left to do.”
I wanted to disagree, but I did as he demanded. I knew if I didn’t, it would be more unbearable. I could survive one evening making up a pleasant, fake conversation. God knows, I’d done it before. Plastering on my best, barely smiling expression, I turned and went back to them. However, I didn’t sit on the loveseat next to Sam. Instead, I sat in what was usually Mom’s chair. I noticed how the men in my family tightened their mouths. I pretended not to notice.
“So Sam, I assume you’re a lawyer like Arish,” I stated.
“Yes, I am. My father always wanted me to become one. I was lucky to get into the same firm as Arish. I understand you’re a chiropractor,” he said pleasantly.
“I am. I’ve always wanted to be one since I was a child.”
“May I ask what makes a child think of being a chiropractor? Don’t most kids dream of being a doctor, an astronaut, a mermaid, or a professional athlete?” he asked, grinning.
I let my mirth escape. “Yeah, most do, but I was an odd child. When I was young, I required the services of a chiropractor. When I discovered how much that kind of carehelped, I knew I wanted to be able to help people in the same way.”
“I don’t think that’s odd at all. It’s admirable. And to stick to it is even more laudable. I didn’t decide to become a lawyer until my second year of college. How old were you when you decided?”
“Ten years old,” I replied.
“Wow, okay, I really was a slow decider,” Sam joked.
The evening passed, and I hated to admit it, but Sam turned out to be way nicer and easier to talk to than anyone my family had ever introduced me to. I ignored their smug expressions. When Sam called it a night, he asked if I’d walk him out to his car. Only half reluctantly did I agree. I felt my family’s eyes boring into our backs. When we reached his car, Sam stopped and faced me.
“Anastasia, I really enjoyed tonight. And I’d like to be honest. Your brother invited me here to meet you. I guessed what he was up to the moment he mentioned he had a single sister. I thought about backing out. I know what it’s like when your family tries to hook you up with someone they think is appropriate. Mine have been doing it for the past ten years.
“I like Arish, but he’s rather rigid when it comes to being a traditional Indian male. My family is kinda the same. That said, I want to tell you that I’m thrilled I came and met you. I like you. I’d like to call you sometime to see if we can grab coffee or maybe a meal. However, I won’t pressure you if you don’t want to. The last thing I ever want is to pressure you or anyone into spending time with me to meet someone else’s wishes. I can leave it at thank you so much for a lovely evening, if you prefer.”
His faint smile and the relaxed way he said it told me that he meant what he said. And I couldn’t discount the way we’d gotten along.
“Sam, I had a great time, too. You surprised me. My family has done this to me so many times I’ve lost count. You guessed it. They’re traditional, and I’m twenty-eight without a husband or kids. I love my career and didn’t go to college just to make myself more catch-worthy like my sisters or sister-in-law did. Even if I do marry and have children, I have no intention of giving up my profession. My family wants to believe that’ll change. It won’t.
“But I did enjoy myself, which is unusual. I wouldn’t mind exchanging phone numbers and meeting up for coffee sometime. As long as it’s understood that I’m not committing to anything,” I rushed to clarify.
His smile broadened as he nodded. “I can agree to that. Do you have your phone on you?”
It took us a minute to get each other’s numbers. He squeezed my hand before getting into his car and driving away. I waited until he was out of sight before returning inside. I was met by everyone staring at me. Before anyone could say anything, I warned them.
“Don’t say it. Yes, he’s nice. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to go out with him, much less marry him.”
“He’s handsome, successful, and comes from the same background as us. You and he got along well. I’ve seen marriages start with far less and become successful,” Dad stated.
“Maybe, but I want more than someone I become tolerant of. I want to love my husband. And whoever I end up with will have to be okay with the fact I won’t stop working to be a stay-at-home mom and wife.”
