My So-Called Bollywood Life(58)

“Like you don’t know.”

“I don’t.”

She winced. “Sorry. That was rude.”

He chuckled, and she could see his belly fat jiggle. “Sometimes frustration is good for the blood. Anger is just another emotion if maintained in healthy amounts. What are you so angry about, beta?”

“Dev. And Raj. I was mad about Raj because even though he fit the prophecy, I knew he wasn’t the one. Now I’m mad about Dev, because after thinking I chose him on my own, I apparently had no choice at all. So, as you can see, my life sucks.”

    Pandit Ohmi laughed again. “Beta, why don’t you start from the beginning?”

She told him about when Dev interrupted her during the first film-club meeting and about everything up through her disastrous call with Bridget. By the end of it, she was exhausted, but felt a little bit better.

Pandit Ohmi put down the holy beads he had wrapped around one fist. “Winnie, do you know why so many people consult astrologers?”

“False hope?”

“Hope is never false, beta. Astrology gives hope like gods give hope. Although your and your parents’ star alignments speak clearly, that doesn’t mean you don’t have free will. You can do whatever you like, and your prediction may change based on your decisions. But if you approach it the other way around, if you make decisions to avoid your star chart, or to chase after it, then you’re not following your heart, and free will has been taken away by your misuse of reason.”

“I did follow my heart. But Bridget and Henry and Dev all lied to me, so now I don’t know if I made the decision for me or if destiny intervened.”

“So what if you chose the same path the stars have suggested for you? Trust your instincts, beta.”

    “My instincts,” she mused. “Dev said that to me once before.”

“He’s a smart boy,” Pandit Ohmi replied. “Have there been any other indications that Dev is the right soul mate for you? That you felt he was your soul mate without knowing he fit your prophecy?”

Winnie immediately thought about the bracelet Dev’s mother had touched in the dress shop on Oak Tree Road. She also remembered Dev’s unwavering support and love for movies.

“I wish things were more…clear.”

“Ahh,” he said, letting out another belly laugh. “So you can think of other moments with Dev that show you your fate. My girl, you remind me so much of your mother.”

“What? My mother? Everyone tells me I’m exactly like Dad.”

“No,” he said. “Definitely your mother. Strong-willed. When we first spoke, it was because she wanted to ask me if I had manipulated your father into thinking that she was going to have a child. She told me that I wasn’t a doctor and I needed to stop meddling.”

“No. Seriously?”

He nodded and leaned closer to the screen. “She also was using reason to circumvent hope, but like you, she had to learn that if you follow your heart, things will happen the way they were always meant to. Look at you now!” He motioned to her. “The miracle baby.”

    “Miracle baby,” she whispered. “That’s what Mom calls me.” She rubbed the heel of her hand against her aching heart. “I screwed it up, didn’t I? I should’ve told Mr. Reece that I couldn’t be festival chair because it’s wrong to still benefit from the situation. I need to support Dev one hundred percent, and I have to figure out a way to help clear his name without being in charge of the festival.”

Pandit Ohmi leaned back in his chair, and the hinges screeched in protest. He linked his fingers and rested them against his gut. “You can still make things right. There is always a way to change the future.”

“Yeah—quit. There goes my NYU application.”

“How does that feel?”

Winnie paused. “You know? Not as terrible as I thought it would. I’ve been stressing about it for the whole school year up until now, but choosing Dev over the festival feels…right. Thank God I haven’t submitted my application yet.”

“Does your future rely so heavily on running this one festival?”

“It’s a guarantee that I’ll get in.”

“Beta, nothing is a guarantee. Trust me. I’m an astrologer.”

Winnie sighed. “Well, the good news is if I leave the festival, I don’t have to worry about dealing with Raj anymore. Or Mr. Reece. He is such a rule follower.”

“And you aren’t?”

“I think it’s important to appreciate rules, but to not follow them blindly. I’ve been going to film festivals with my dad since I was a kid, and he always says the same thing when it comes to movies. Bollywood should appreciate certain rules established by the industry like love triangles and musical numbers, but not every producer has to follow those rules all the time. Mr. Reece is the kind of guy who will always be a follower. He’ll go by the book on this one.”

    “Would you do things differently if you didn’t have to follow Mr. Reece’s book? For the festival.”

“Oh, totally. But I need the school to approve everything.”

“Why do you need the school?”

“Because it’s a lot of money to come up with on my own. I doubt anyone would come to a festival that I hosted by myself, either. The school has a built-in audience. It has credibility.”