There's Something About Sweetie(11)

They all stared back at her, completely blank.

“So?” Elijah said finally.

“Um, it’s where beavers live? Not to mention all the other wildlife they’re totally gonna murder just to build another playground or whatever. It’s unconscionable.” She went back to stabbing the poster with her paintbrush.

“Right, right, unconscionable,” Ashish said, itching the back of his neck. To think he’d actually wanted to go out with Pinky at one point in his life. Thankfully, they’d both realized, before it could happen, that they were too much like brother and sister for that to ever work, but jeez. He’d dodged a bullet. She’d probably make him sign a petition every time they hooked up or something. Her zeal was actually kind of hilarious because her parents were both the most buttoned-up, conservative people he’d ever seen. Seriously. They made Rishi, the rule-following traditionalist, look like a commune-living hippie.

Elijah and Oliver looked at each other, shrugged, and went back to helping her paint her THIS IS NATURE’S PLAYGROUND, NOT YOURS!!!! sign. Oliver had drawn an angry beaver family in the corner. (Ashish hadn’t known beavers could be made to look angry. Oliver had gotten really creative.) They were all used to Pinky’s ways. In kindergarten she’d organized a sit-in as a way to get more story time. It had worked until snack time rolled around and most of the kids lost interest.

“So what are you disaffected youth up to today?” Pinky said. Taking a moment to pause in her painting to glare at each of them, she added, “Since you’re all too busy to come to the protest with me.”

“E. and I are celebrating our two-year, two-month anniversary,” Oliver said, and he and Elijah leaned over the poster to kiss.

“Don’t smudge the beaver!” Pinky yelled, pushing them apart.

“That sounds so dirty,” Ashish said.

Oliver raised an eyebrow at him. “Or you just haven’t been with a girl in forever.”

“Love is for losers,” Ashish said. “Uh, no offense.”

“On that note,” a female voice said behind them, “Ashish beta, may I speak with you?”

Ashish spun around to see Ma dressed in a light silk top and pants, her sunglasses pushed up on her head. He smiled, his heart softening. Something about his mother radiated gentleness and kindness, and in spite of himself, he responded to it. Not in the devout-son way Rishi did, but still. “Of course, Ma.”

“Hi, Mrs. P.!” Pinky called, not looking up. “You don’t want to go protest at Bennington, do you?”

“Not today, beta,” Ma said. “But if you stop by the kitchen before you go, Chef can send you off with a picnic basket.” She’d always had a soft spot for Pinky.

“Wow, thanks, Mrs. P.,” Pinky said, smiling up at her.

“And for you boys on your date, too,” she said, beaming all maternally at Oliver and Elijah. “I couldn’t help but hearing—congratulations!” Ma thought they made the cutest couple.

“Thank you!” Oliver and Elijah chorused.

She walked off a few paces and Ashish followed her, realizing that if she’d heard Oliver and Elijah, she’d also heard his beaver comment. His cheeks flushed. Ashish was a rebel, but he wasn’t shameless. He didn’t want his parents to know his mind was in the gutter 98.9 percent of the time. It was a fun gutter, but still. This was Ma.

Ma turned around and—thankfully—didn’t mention any beavers. “Now, I wanted to tell you, when I set you up with this girl, I don’t want any mischief. This is Pappa’s and my reputation, not just yours, Ashish. Not to mention Sweetie Nair’s reputation in the desi community. Vidya and Soman Nair don’t want to deal with that.”

He stared at her for a moment, not understanding. “Wait, wait.” He took in her high heels, her red lipstick, her going-out bag that cost over $10,000 (he’d seen the receipt on the counter when she bought it early that year). “Are you on your way to talk to her parents right now?”

Ma laughed. “Of course not!”

Ashish relaxed. “Oh, okay, because I—”

“I’m just going to talk to her mother. And if it goes well, then Pappa and I will go talk to both parents.”

Ashish’s smile did a slow fade. He knew because he felt it melting off his face. “Um, what now?”

“Her mother sells baked sweets at the farmers’ markets every week! In fact, we’ve bought some sweets of hers before at the Indian market on Pearson. You really liked the gulab jamun, as I recall.” She paused. “Or was that Rishi?”

“Ma, please, focus.”

She looked at him again but didn’t seem particularly concerned by the panic he was sure was in his eyes.

“You’re doing it today? I thought I had some time before you and Pappa went off on some kind of matchmaking rampage.”

Ma took his chin in her hands. She had to practically climb a ladder to do it, but she managed. The heels helped. “Beta, pareshaan kyon ho rahe ho?”

Ashish sighed. “I’m worried because you’re running off to do this thing and I sort of just said what I said on a whim. I mean, it wasn’t even really my idea. Samir was the one who thought I should ask you and Pappa for advice, and then I did it out of pique, and now …” He took a breath. “It’s all happening way too fast.”