Her phone rings. Meghna again.
Nandini peeks into the waiting room and sees Ranjit’s brother Rajan. He’s sitting with a man Nandini doesn’t recognize.
“Hi,” he says when she walks toward him. “This is Arjun, my classmate from India. He’s visiting us for the week and wanted to talk to a doctor.”
Of course, she thinks. Of course you feel you can show up to my place of work and have my time the second you want it.
Just say no, a voice inside of her urges.
But she knows she won’t. As much as she thinks of herself as a woman who speaks up, she knows that at the end of the day, she gives into guilt, into what’s expected of her. And there’s no way she can do anything that would look bad when her daughter is getting married next year.
She makes a mental promise to finish the appointment as quickly as possible, call Meghna back, and go home.
Nandini clenches her fists and makes sure she’s still smiling. “Of course. Let me take you back to one of the rooms.”
As she predicted, Arjun wants to discuss his parents’ medical history and asks if Nandini has medications she can give him to take back to India.
After Rajan and Arjun leave, Nandini goes into her office. She brightens her phone screen. Her finger lingers over the name. Meghna Patel. A well-behaved name for a well-behaved woman. If they were both attending a Bollywood soap opera casting, Meghna’s heavier build and conservative salwar kameez would make her a shoo-in for the part of “nurturing housewife who makes twenty rotlis a day,” while Nandini’s white coat and under-eye circles would land her the role of “bitchy mother who chose to work full-time.”
Meghna picks up before the phone even rings.
“Meghna Ben, how ar—”
“Nandini Ben, I just saw your daughter.”
Meghna’s voice has a combative undertone. What happened to the quiet, docile woman Nandini saw just weeks ago?
“Oh, I see. Were you in the ci—”
“She was with someone. And I mean, WITH SOMEONE.”
Nandini tries to keep her voice down. “Could you clarify what you me—”
“YOUR DAUGHTER WAS HUGGING AND KISSING ANOTHER BOY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET!”
Nandini presses her chapped hands against one of the broken chairs. This has to be a mistake. “Meghna Ben, you need to calm down. Now.”
Silence.
“Are you sure you saw Simran?”
“OF COURSE I’M SURE!”
A surge of anger, humiliation, and sadness starts to build in Nandini. But she squashes it. “Okay, Meghna, I’m sure there’s some sort of explanation. I strongly suggest that you take a couple of seconds to collect yourself.”
She hears Meghna take a deep breath, then another.
“Now,” Nandini says. “What exactly did you see?”
Meghna describes Simran, wearing the dress that’s Mami’s favorite, and the other boy.
As Meghna speaks, layers of panic mesh together until they form a weight Nandini can no longer ignore. She collapses onto the broken chair. It’s the boy from the party. She doesn’t even need any more description. It’s him. She’s sure of it. What is Simran doing? Why would she be so self-destructive? And at a time like this?!
The tingling in her fingertips returns as Meghna says, “If these are the values your daughter was raised with, then I don’t know if Kunal will be able to handle it.”
That’s it. This woman needs to be put in her place. “Excuse me, are you suggesting that Ranjit and I raised Simran to do this? That is completely inappropriate.”
Ranjit would tell her to calm down. The bride’s side is never supposed to create conflict with the groom’s. Even though the bride’s family is paying for everything, the groom’s side still holds the power and needs to be deferred to.
“All I’m saying is that children learn how to behave from their parents.”
“I think it’s best that I hang up the phone now, Meghna.”
“Hopefully, you’ll call your daughter.”
Nandini raises her voice. “I know how to be with my daughter, thank you.”
She hangs up the phone.
Years ago, in a part of India she’ll never visit again, a man made her feel small. Insignificant. After that, she learned all the ways a man could try to take her power. There was the senior resident who grabbed her butt every morning (when she tried to report him, she was told “that’s just the way things have always been”). There was the boss of the first medical practice she applied to who told her that to be accepted, she had to socialize with them at strip clubs. There were the countless men at national conferences who freely commented on her appearance as if she existed solely for that.
But this was different. Different from all those men and even the women who had gossiped about her over the years. This was a fellow mother doubting her. Doubting her daughter. And she wouldn’t let that continue.
She just had to figure out what the heck was going on with Simran.
Three
Simran
What were you thinking?!” Nandini barks to Simran just one hour later.
One hour. Meghna Auntie probably called her house before even boarding the damn PATH train.
“I wasn’t thinking anything, Mom. I was hanging out with my friend.”
Friend. That’s what she can almost call him. He’s no longer someone she just read about in the paper.
Despite her tone, Simran’s heart is still racing as she occupies a corner of a park bench. What exactly had Meghna Auntie seen? More importantly, had there been anything to see?
Her phone beeps with a text message.
Neil: It was really nice seeing you today. Keep me updated about your work!
A text from Neil? How is this happening? She ignores the excitement sprouting in her chest. She and Neil are now texting.
She drowns out Mom’s yelling and debates what to text back. She can’t hesitate in the text box because then he’ll see those bubbles pop up and know she’s self-editing. Hmm, what does one type to their role model?
After a few seconds of agonizing, she types, It was really nice seeing you, too. And I’ll definitely stay in touch. Thank you for everything.
“Why are you hanging out with him that closely?!” Mom asks after Simran tells her it was Neil. “I know you might not think this is a big deal, Simran, but you know how important a girl’s reputation is. Once it’s ruined, it’s very difficult to change it back, especially with your future in-laws. Is this really how you want to start your life with them?”