When Hari Met His Saali (8 page)

Oh God! — I haven’t replied to Simi’s text!

But before she did reply to Simi, Tia set a reminder to contact Mr. Minto and book the venue as soon as he was back from France next week.

Then she texted Simi.

Sure. Let’s Skype today at 1 p.m. my time. Hope you’re not in trouble. Tia.

Late evening — Nagpur, India

Simi had been waiting for a reply from Tia for six hours. It was almost time for her nightly TV session. She had spent all day wondering if Tia had guessed that she was calling to ask for money and had not replied because she was angry with her. She was walking around feeling like a loser when Tia’s message came through. Simi was suddenly overcome with emotion. It was as if all the organs in her body had realigned and she could finally breathe again. A smile appeared on Simi’s face and she had an uncontrollable urge to hug Tia. In spite of all of their dysfunctional dynamics, she still loved her sister. She immediately texted back:

Not in trouble. Will ping you sharp at 1 p.m. Luv, Simi.

After she had hit send, she read her message again.

Look at the way you text, it reads like a telegram!

Simi realized that one a.m. was still four hours away. She took out her laptop and the headphones from the bedroom. Luckily her mother didn’t
wake up. She set the alarm on her mobile and before she knew it she had fallen asleep.

Mid-morning — Los Angeles

Tia had walked into her office with a schedule in her mind. She’d finish her lunch meeting with a client, get back to the office in time to Skype with Simi at one o’clock, and hoped to be out of the office by five p.m. sharp to be on time for dinner at Hari’s house at seven p.m.

When she entered Stephan’s office, he was on phone with his wife, Clara. He motioned her to sit. As she sat down, she looked at her boss. He must have been a catch for Clara, she thought.

Look at him; sharply dressed in that tailored, well-cut suit, crisp shirt and perfectly matched tie, clean-shaven and with those pearly whites. Who wouldn’t want him?

He was cracking a joke with Clara and smiling but not laughing, because that would be rude. A lady was present in the room.
So thoughtful!
Stephan was sophisticated and a natural gentleman. He didn’t even have to try. Tia tried hard not to stare at him but she couldn’t help but notice the nicely framed studio shot portrait of him and Clara on his desk.

Will Hari keep a picture like that on his desk once we are married?

‘Tia, Tia.’ Stephan was done with his call.

Tia immediately became attentive.

‘I want to tell you that I am very happy the way you have taken the New York job on. I may have scolded you a bit too much the other day.’

‘No, you were right. There was no excuse for me to have missed such an important call.’

‘I hear that you have been in touch with Mrs. Edelstein and she has shown an inclination towards your presentation?’

‘Yes, she has. But these are very preliminary concepts presented to give them options to choose from.’

Mrs. Edelstein was not only one of the members of the client committee in New York, but was the main decision maker.

‘I am glad it worked out, Tia. I was afraid that after that last con-call, we were going to lose some steam with them. They are a very conservative group. A no-show from you could have turned them off completely.’

‘I am aware of that, and that’s why I explained to her that I needed to take care of some family business the last time. She went on to tell stories about her grand kids for half an hour. We bonded majorly,’ Tia announced proudly.

‘So far so good. But let’s not take Edelstein too lightly. She’s a tough one to sell to. You and me need to be on the same page here.’

‘Yes, Stephan, I sent you those drawings yesterday. Did you get a chance to look at them?’ Tia loved that she could call her boss by his first name.

‘I like them, Tia, I think minimal is back again, but the client has some concerns. We’ll have to make a trip to New York,’ Stephan mentioned casually.

‘New York? Sure. When do they want us there?’ Tia tried to mask her excitement. She had never been to New York but she had heard a lot about the place.

‘When is your engagement?’ he suddenly asked.

‘Er … in two weeks. But it’s not important, we can go any time!’ Tia regretted the way that sounded.

‘Not important? I remember when we got engaged Clara almost had a nervous breakdown. No seriously, she did, and I had to arrange everything. I mean literally everything,’ he reminisced.

So he did everything. Of course, one would expect Stephan to be that kind of person, but Hari …

‘No, I meant that all the preparations are done,’ Tia lied. ‘As a lead architect on the project, I want to be there.’

‘We will send them two more variations and then plan the trip,’ Stephan said decisively, indicating the end of the meeting.

‘Yes, Stephan.’ Tia got up to leave.

‘Tia, if you need time off for the engagement, feel free to ask for it. We want a true life-work balance in this firm and more importantly, you don’t want anything going wrong at the ceremony, right?’

So sweet of him to be so concerned.

‘Nope, everything is under control, what can go wrong?’ Tia self-consicously flipped her hair as she left the room and immediately regretted doing it.

Why can’t I be natural with my gestures? That hair flick was so fake!

Nobody else was even consciously aware that she was Indian and not American. But she was, and it showed. And she wanted to truly assimilate in America. Tia had dreamt of modeling her career on Stephan.

Maybe I’ll start a design firm along with Hari. He can do, oh whatever he is dabbling in amateurly right now, but once I am on board, I will provide the vision and the drive to him and the firm. Hari’s father will provide the initial seed fund.

But Tia realized she was getting ahead of herself. She had to be careful not to mention this to Hari yet.

The first half of Tia’s day was spent in busy meetings and when she reached the office again she rushed straight to the loo. She had had more wine than she should have during a client pitch. She walked to her office, closed the door and sat down at her computer. She checked herself in the mirror thinking that if her mother came online, she wanted to look good for her. It was almost one o’clock when she opened Skype.

One a.m. — Nagpur

When Tia came online and Simi could see her, her eyes welled up. Tia also felt the same but she resisted the tears.

‘Kaisi hai tu, moti?’
Tia asked her.

‘
Moti?
I have lost weight,
Didi!
’ Simi said as she tilted her laptop so that Tia could see her fully. ‘See?’

‘You look like Ganpati sitting like that,’ Tia teased her further, referring to the way Simi was sitting with her legs crossed, Indian style.

‘Really? You really think I look fat?’ Simi said it out loud.

‘I am just joking, how are you?’

‘I am OK,
Didi
, how are you?’

‘I have told you before
na, Didi mat bola kar
and I am fine.’ Tia straightened herself. Tia didn’t like Simi calling her
Didi.

After they had exchanged general news about their two countries, Tia looked at her watch and finally asked: ‘What happened? You said it was urgent.’

Simi was hesitant but decided to just blurt it out.

‘Didi, I need ten thousand rupees. It’s an emergency. I broke a friend’s car window and need to pay him back!’

She paused, trying to not read too much into Tia’s silence.

‘Him? Are you seeing boys now, Simi?’ Tia asked sternly.

‘No, he’s just a friend. It was an accident. It was an accident that the window broke,’ Simi stammered as she finished the sentence.

‘Just friends, huh? Good, because,
tere liye dulha toh meine hi chunana hai.
’ Tia smiled at her.

She told Simi that finding her a bridegroom was her job, because that was something a sister was supposed to say. But she said it with zero conviction.

‘OK, I’ll transfer the money into your SBI account today. Anything else?’ Tia was making a note while speaking.

‘Everything else is fine.
Didi
, you won’t get upset if I ask you about that guy you’re marrying,
na
?’ Simi suddenly asked. Tia was taken aback.

‘I am not marrying him,
yaar.
I mean, not yet. We are getting engaged in two weeks’ time and then we’ll marry a month later.’ Tia didn’t like having to answer this unexpected question. She tried to sound casual about it.

‘You are getting engaged?’ Simi asked happily.

‘Er … as soon as the invitations are done, I am going to courier you those, OK?’ Tia lied and then immediately wanted this conversation to end.

‘It is OK,
Didi
, your verbal invitation is enough for us.’

‘No, no, I want both of you to come.’ Tia said it with no conviction at all, again.

‘Really? That would be so much fun! You want me to book the tickets?’ Simi reacted as any other sister would.

‘No, no. I mean yes, you book the tickets from your agency. I’ll pay for them.’ Tia was on camera so she couldn’t even hide her surprise as the words involuntarily came out of her mouth.

This was not how this conversation was supposed to go.

‘But, my only concern is the passport and visa for you guys,’ Tia said in such a way that it was difficult to guess whether she was being genuine or not.

‘Our passports are ready,
Didi.
These days you can apply for an American tourist visa from Nagpur itself. All my friends have American visas, it shouldn’t be a problem,’ Simi said excitedly.

It was true. Simi had got her and her mother’s passports last year when Sharmila and her mother had come to her agency for theirs for the rumored abortion trip.

Tia laughed. It was an ill-placed, throaty but fake laugh. She didn’t know how else to react. She composed herself and was about to reply when Simi interrupted.

‘You just need to send us a sponsor letter along with the invitation. It’s so exciting!’

Tia nodded and looked at her watch again.

‘I am sorry,
Didi
, it must be your working time there, right?’ said Simi, volunteering a window of opportunity for Tia to sign off.

‘Yeah, middle of a hectic day, Simi,’ Tia said, forcing a smile.

‘OK,
Didi.
I am looking forward to the letter and the invitation. We’ll come for the engagement and stay with you till your wedding,’ Simi said excitedly.

‘But do you think Mom will come?’ Tia asked, this time genuinely.

‘Of course, she will. After all,
tumhari shaadi me, hum dono hi toh tumhare taraf ke hongey, na
! Don’t worry, I will
patao
her!’ Simi said, gleefully happy.

‘OK, great, I will send you the money. And keep in touch?’ The words tumbled out of Tia’s mouth without any affection, but it was a nice way for her to end the conversation.

‘You too, but you never call us,
Didi
! It’s me who calls you every time,’ Simi said smiling.

‘I know. I will, Simi. Take care.’ Tia was now feeling bad.

She purposely did not mention her mother before signing off. If her mother was stubborn, she was Stubborn Ver 2.0! But the feeling of guilt was not easy to bury.

Control your emotions, Tia. Are you feeling sad or relieved to be ending this chat?

‘Oh
Didi
, you’re looking smashing hot!’ Simi said as she blew a kiss to her elder sister. ‘Muaaah’

Tia smiled; compliments were always welcome and well received. ‘Thanks, Simi. Will talk soon. Bye!’

Tia signed off and leaned back.

How in the world did Simi invite herself to my wedding? What’s going on today? Nothing’s going my way!

Tia opened the horoscope section of the morning newspaper and looked for the day’s forecast for Scorpio:

Ah, I’ll love what I accomplish with simply a plan and the patience to follow each step.

The last prediction stayed with Tia. She dialed Jenny on her mobile.

‘Jen, need a letter for a visa inviting my sis and Mom for my engagement. Can you do the needful? OK, thanks.’

Tia leaned back again, not sure if she should be happy that she was going to see her sister and her mother after six years, or if it was too upsetting for her.

How in the hell did you think you could get away with a secret wedding? Our differences aside, my own mother and sister should be here for my wedding!

Tia was conflicted, but she was now more certain that she had made the right decision to invite them. The rest she would just have to manage.

Tia
seesawed
a lot.

Midday — Hari’s office

When Hari got to his office at HA Games he was already late for their team meeting. Chitthi, Hari’s best friend and his lead designer, was holding the fort.

‘Sorry guys, been running late all morning. Now let me hear some good ideas for some games!’ he asked as he sat down next to Chitthi.

Karen, a young programmer, started.

‘What if we made an app that would allow women to keep track of their periods?’

The men in the room immediately snickered.

‘Is that really an issue with women?’ Chitthi ventured. ‘I mean, does one need an app to keep track?’

Karen was ready with her research.

‘Almost thirty percent of women do not anticipate the onslaught of their period so a reminder or an alarm which warns the user would be really useful.’

As the brainstorming went on, Hari jumped in.

‘Nope, we are not developing women-oriented apps now. Women don’t download as many apps as men do! Any more ideas?’

After hearing ideas for apps on mobile dating, calorie counting, uploading pictures and other equally unoriginal concepts, Hari had had enough.

‘It’s all been done guys. There are hundreds of apps on the market for free downloads already. C’mon people, we’re dying here!’ The discussions finally stopped when his mobile buzzed.

Hari’s Trivia # 63: FACT: More people are killed by donkeys annually than are killed in plane crashes.

This was useless. There was no game or app in that trivia. The room was suddenly silent and everyone was looking at Hari. He was frustrated.

Chitthi intervened just in time.

‘OK guys, let’s get back to work. Keep looking for newer ideas. We need at least one “wow factor” idea from each of you.’

As everyone left, Chitthi turned to Hari.

‘I think you should look into that start-up in Hyderabad I was telling you about. They have four games on Google Play and one of them crossed two hundred and fifty thousand downloads in a month. We should tie-up with them.’

Hari was shaking his head.

‘Our original goal was to develop everything in-house by our own team. How would it look if we tied up with another start-up?’

‘Hari, I have spoken to the owner already. He is open to any kind of tie-up. He is self-funded and wants a presence in North America. We need a hit app or a game even if it is in collaboration with someone else. Plus, he’ll sign up with pennies on a dollar. India has cheap labor you know!’ Chitthi was persuasive with his pitch.

‘Chitthi, I am not going to just tie up with anybody. HA Games is my baby, you know?’

Hari was having trouble letting go.

‘Then we are going to drown trying to save your baby. Sometimes, the baby needs outside nourishment and not just mommy’s milk.’ Chitthi was strangely proud and surprised to have come up with that.

Hari knew that something drastic had to be done.

‘If we tie up, I want to see these guys in person. I would want to go to Hyderabad and check them out.’ Hari was finally considering the possibility and that made Chitthi happy.

‘I’ll set-up a videocon right away,’ Chitthi said getting up.

‘I hope this is the right collaboration, Chitthi.’

‘You didn’t give this much thought to your bloody marriage man, plus we don’t have a choice. We have just enough money for another four months of payroll and expenses. We need to move now!’

‘OK, I’m with you.’ Hari had finally, and officially, agreed.

‘That means you are going to India on a short trip!’ Chitthi closed the deal.

‘Fuck, I hate going to India!’

‘Well, you’ll just have to suck it up and go. It’s only for three to four days. Don’t be a sissy now. Cheap labor is calling you …’ Chitthi tried a lame joke then left the room.

Hari’s Trivia # 88: Madagascar, not the joyful animated film, but the real country, has the cheapest labor in the world with wages at $0.18 per hour.

Around eight-thirty p.m.

When Hari pulled into the Malhotra house driveway, he knew he was in for a scolding for being late. Not from his parents, but from Tia. He knew she would have arrived on the dot of seven p.m. as was arranged.

She must be inside already, being the center of attention for my mother and grannys, Badi Mama and Nana.

He soon learned that she was, and sure enough as he entered the house, Tia made a sarcastic remark.

‘Mr. Hari Malhotra, you’re always on time! Thank you.’

Hari was tired and didn’t want to hear it, but noticed the light mood in the house. Tia was laughing and pouring wine for
Badi Mama
and
Nana.
The movie
Vicky Donor
was playing on their humongous television. It was Tia who had introduced the film to the Malhotra household and to Hari’s grandmothers,
Badi Mama
and
Nana
, both in their eighties, had taken fancy to a particular scene in which a woman and her mother-in-law drink whiskey at night.
Badi Mama
was giggling like a teenager.

‘Rewind
kar, phir se laga!
’

Sometimes they would watch that scene over and over again.

Hari’s mom, Mary — which was a very liberal abbreviation for Marjinder — noticed he was not in his usual jovial mood.

‘Had a tough day at work?’ she enquired.

Hari nodded.

‘Mom, I have to go to India for a few days …’

Like an owl, the words immediately fell on Tia’s ears.

She muted the television and came straight over to sit beside Mary.

‘India? Why? When do you have to go?’

Tia always interrupted when Hari was having a conversation with his mother. This time even Mary found it obnoxious but knew not to get involved.

‘
Oye
, you are going to India not to Afghanistan. Cheer up!’ Mary decided to walk away and leave the two of them.

‘When do you have to go Hari? We’re getting engaged!’ Tia was interrogating him.

‘I’ll be back before that. The sooner I go the better,’ he stated simply.

‘What about the preparations?’ Tia said to no one in particular.

Mary came to Hari’s rescue.

‘I am here to help you, Tia. Don’t worry. If he is willing to go to India, trust me it must be important.’

Tia knew that Hari didn’t like travelling to India. The last time he had visited there was with his parents when he was just three years old. If he were not an Indian American, he would have never even considered going back.

When Hari’s father Dr. Barry Malhotra — again a very liberal, self-propagated, short name for Barjinder Malhotra — returned from the hospital he was tired as hell. But as was the practice, they all sat down to have dinner. Tia loved eating at the Malhotra house.
Badi Mama
would make a killer
saag
and had promised Tia that she would teach her the secret family recipe. Tia particularly liked the way
Badi Mama
would make tons of it and then keep it in the freezer. It would last for weeks.

The conversation turned to Dr. Barry, who was sharing stories from the hospital. He was one of the most renowned heart surgeons in California and a very well-respected member of the community too. He was so successful and yet so humble, Tia latched on to his every word.

‘Today I was called into the maternity section. A mother was delivering her baby when she had a stroke. Both mother and the baby were in danger. Only one of them would survive and it was up to her husband to decide which one. Should he choose his wife or his child?’

As he took a pause, everyone at the table fell silent.

Tia had quickly decided that the husband should save his wife. He doesn’t know how the baby would turn out but he had loved and cared for his wife for years.

Definitely the wife!

‘So I went in and by God’s grace, was able to save both!’ Dr. Barry said without further suspense. His story had a better ending than Tia’s and everyone at the table was relieved.

‘Hari is going to India, Barry,’ Mary said matter-of-factly mentioning the other important news of the day.

Tia was still trying to hide her disappointment about Hari’s trip. She was hiding it well.

Dr. Barry was very happy to hear it.

‘Wonderful! When are you planning the trip?’

‘It’s just a quick trip, Papa. I have to go on Monday,’ Hari said not too enthusiastically.

‘Good, you can deliver your wedding invitations to some people yourself in India,’ Dr. Barry suggested.

‘What? No!’ Hari objected. ‘I mean, I have to be in Hyderabad to sign a contract and then I am coming straight back.’

Tia was listening, resisting jumping into the conversation.

‘
Toh theek hai
! At least you can make a stopover in Nagpur and personally invite Mrs. Galhotra to the wedding!’ Hari’s father insisted.

‘No, no, no. Nagpur? It’s like … it’s far from Hyderabad. I can’t go to Nagpur!’ Hari protested.

‘Really, Barry, I have already invited Mom and Simi for the wedding, so even if Hari doesn’t go …’ Tia began, voicing her support for Hari.

‘Nothing doing. You’re going to marry their daughter, Hari. The occasion demands a personal invitation,’ Dr. Barry said after finishing his dinner.

Tia watched them, the conversation not in her hands.

‘But, Papa, I don’t know them. I don’t know her sister or her mother. Even she doesn’t speak to them. Even she doesn’t have a good relationship with them,’ Hari said making his point emphatically.

But Tia didn’t appreciate the candor of his tone.

It’s one thing if I talk about my mother and sister that way but it’s just another whole level of rudeness if someone else does. That’s judgmental, Hari!

‘All the more reason for you to go and meet them, get to know them, invite them,’ Mary butted in. ‘After all who is going to be on her side at the wedding if not her mother and her sister?’

‘Then she should go and bring them, Mom. I am not comfortable meeting them alone.’ Hari stood up.

‘We wouldn’t ask you otherwise, but since you are going to India, you must,
beta
!’ Dr. Barry lovingly explained standing right in front of Hari.

‘Tia, don’t you have something to say on this?’ Hari asked expectantly as if she was his last hope.

‘If I didn’t have this New York project going on, I would come with you, Hari, but since you’re going anyway it’d be nice if you just visited them for a cup of tea. Just to … personally invite them. They’ll feel nice …’ Tia said looking at
Badi Mama, Nana
and Mary who were all nodding their heads in agreement.

‘
Oye
, you are making
shaadi
with her, na? You are family now on both sides,’
Nana
said adding her weight to the proposition.

‘Thanks,
Nana
, but, but …’ Hari was defenseless and alone with everyone else agreeing to the plan.

‘
Dekh
, no one is asking you to go and ask her for hand in marriage,
na
? If she has some problem going on with her mother, you’re elder, behave like an
elder and go and give them
shagun.
You
bachchas
fight and fight over such small things,’
Badi Mama
chimed in.

‘OK, first of all I don’t even know what
shagun
means, secondly, I would not even know what the proper etiquette is with my soon-to-be mother-in-law, OK? So everyone please back off!’ Hari felt like the trap was tightening around him.

Monday night

Tia was driving Hari to LAX. Hari was
maha
-pissed and was trying to give her the cold shoulder. She smiled at him.

‘I know you are angry at me but I really appreciate you going to meet Mom and Simi.’

‘Listen, Tia, I have been saying this for the last three days; I can’t promise to go to Nagpur, OK? I’ll see how the Hyderabad trip pans out before I decide.’

Hari’s Trivia # 602: Odds that you’ll be killed by an airplane falling from the sky are one in twenty-five million. Odds that it will happen today are one in seven trillion.

In spite of feeling guilty about pushing Hari to meet her family, Tia tried to cheer him up.

‘Oh cheer up! You like travelling, Hari. You sound like you’re going to the dentist, which I know you hate. But travelling you like.’

Hari’s Trivia # 108: The electric chair used for the execution of criminals was invented by a dentist.

He couldn’t help but smile at that last piece of trivia. The whole trip was going to feel like a visit to a dentist. Americans love white teeth, but Americans hate going to the dentist. Hari was no different.

‘Tia you should be accompanying me to invite your mom. How is she going to feel suddenly meeting me, what with all the tension between you two?’ Hari tried reasoning with her one last time.

‘Hari, you know what is going on with my Green Card. You know that my provisional card is already delayed so I can’t travel yet,’ Tia said with tears — genuine tears — in her eyes.

Hari felt bad; he hugged her.

‘Oh, yeah, I forgot about that!’ He decided right there and then that he would visit Nagpur; Tia deserved that much from him. But he was not happy about it and he didn’t let her know his decision.

Tia’s emotions got the better of her when it came to seeing Hari off at the terminal.

‘I have packed the invitations in your bag. Also, that new shirt I bought for you, wear that when you visit my home. You look totally American in that. And come back soon, love you …’

Tia saw another woman dropping off her boyfriend. She saw how passionately he kissed her before entering the terminal. She also wanted Hari to kiss her goodbye. But he didn’t. He hugged her and went straight in. Tia waited for Hari to turn back one last time. When he didn’t and was out of her sight, she returned to her car. As she sat in the driver’s seat she felt this urge to rush through the terminal gates and hug Hari and not let him go.

Just, just bury my head in your chest and cry a little.

She drove quietly to her apartment feeling lonely. Very lonely indeed! She suddenly realized that this strange man, the man whom she loved to hate, and hated that she loved so much, was the only one she had in her life. Who else was there? She had stupidly fought with her mother. And Simi? Simi was a
bachchi
; she didn’t even figure into the equation.