My So-Called Bollywood Life

by Nisha Sharma

  “That’s so awesome—Whoa. Winnie.”

  Winnie had stepped in front of the camera again. “What? Do I look bad? If it sucks, I’ll wear something else. I’ve got a backup.”

  Bridget shook her head, eyeing her up and down. “You look…like a Bollywood diva.”

  “I what?”

  Bridget nodded. “Check yourself out!”

  Winnie walked over to the mirror hanging over her closet door. Her reflection was like a jolt to her system. The lengha was made for her body. Her cheeks warmed, and she couldn’t help but smile at the almost surreal image of herself staring back from the mirror. Thankfully it was the exact reaction she’d been hoping for. With her feet sparkling in jeweled juttis, the lengha made her appear more…feminine.

  She flipped her hair over one shoulder. “I do look good. Okay, I have the jewelry, the shoes, the hair, and the outfit. What do you think about adding a final touch? Bindi or no bindi?”

  “Definitely bindi,” Bridget said.

  Winnie walked over to the drawer that held her jewelry and bindis. When she opened it, she saw the twisted silver bracelet sitting on top. She reached in and ran a finger over the ornate design. She’d worn that bracelet everywhere for almost a year. It wasn’t nearly as perfect as the bracelet she’d seen in the Indian shop, but it had meant something. She kept forgetting to take it to school so she could give it to Raj. She couldn’t make excuses any longer. Right after the fund-raiser dance, she’d hand it off with a check for what she owed him and they’d be square.

  “Yo! What are you doing?”

  “Oh, I’m finding a bindi,” she said, pushing the bracelet aside and out of her mind. She took a small white square envelope from her dresser drawer. Lifting the envelope flap, she exposed five artfully displayed bindis stuck with a simple adhesive to a thin sheet of plastic. Winnie peeled off a deep red bindi in a paisley design with a jewel in the center. She stood in front of the mirror and, holding her breath, stuck it on what she hoped was the center of her forehead. After a second she let go. The little sticker managed to pull her entire outfit together.

  “What do you think?” she asked, returning to Bridget.

  “I think you’re going to make everyone look horrible compared to your fabulousness.”

  “Thanks, bestie,” she said with a grin. She waved at the computer. “See you in a bit?”

  Bridget nodded. “Sooner than you think. Have fun with Dev!”

  After taking one more look at herself in the full-length mirror, Winnie grabbed her clutch and headed downstairs. Dev was supposed to be there in half an hour, but first she had to endure the endless pictures her parents would take of her.

  “Mom, Dad, I’m ready,” Winnie called out as she held up her lengha and carefully walked downstairs.

  Her mother and grandmother entered from the kitchen together.

  “Come, let me see,” her mother said.

  Winnie stopped and posed on the last step. “Well?” she said. “How do I look?”

  She didn’t have to ask, because she saw her mother’s and grandmother’s smiles spread, creasing the happy lines in their cheeks.

  “Kitni soni lagti hai,” Nani said.

  “Of course she looks beautiful,” her mother replied. “She’s my beti, no? Come. Let’s take some pictures. Let me get your father. The man can’t leave his newspaper for two minutes.”

  “I’m here,” he said, walking into the foyer. “I heard you cursing me rooms away.”

  He stopped when he saw Winnie standing at the bottom of the stairs. “You remind me of how your mother looked on our wedding day.”

  “Aw, thanks, Daddy.”

  “One word of advice. Make sure the same thing doesn’t happen to you that happened to your mother.”

  “What was that?”

  “After she looked so angelic at our wedding, she morphed into a shrew.”

  Nani roared in laughter and almost dropped her drink, while Winnie’s mother glared at both her mother and her husband.

  “Muma, he’s talking about your daughter!”

  “I know,” Nani said, laughing. “That is why I think it is so funny. It is so true!”

  She held out her hand and Winnie’s father slapped it. The whole scene was so absurd that Winnie couldn’t help but grin.

  “Let us take our pictures and let the girl have fun,” Winnie’s father said.

  They stood in front of the staircase like they did for every important family picture, and waited while Nani adjusted her glasses and set up her iPhone. Mom took a little bit longer to prep since she usually wanted to share pictures on Facebook, on Instagram, and with the family chat groups.

  “I’m proud of you, beta,” her father said after the first picture. “You’ve set yourself a goal and tried to pursue it with honesty. No matter what happens, remember if you’ve done everything right, then you’ll get what you deserve in the end.”

  “Thanks, Daddy. That means a lot.”

  By the time they were done with at least three sets of pictures of everyone, the doorbell rang.

  “It’s Dev. Go away,” she said, waving at her parents and grandmother. No one budged from their spot. With a sigh, she walked to the front door, rubbing her damp palms together. She was going to her film club’s fund-raiser dance with a guy she was crazy about. This was not a BFD…right?

  She opened the door on the second ring. Dev stood on the stoop, bathed in the yellow glow of the outdoor lights. He wore black dress pants, dress shoes, and a long kurta sewn in black with gold threadwork at the throat and wrists.

  “Hey,” he said as his eyes bulged. “You look…wow. Seriously. Wow.”

  Winnie crossed an arm over her stomach and gripped her elbow. “Um, thanks. You look great, too. I really didn’t think you’d wear the Indian clothes.”

  “Well, my mom saw your lengha thing and suggested that I wear this. I have to admit, I’m really happy she was there with you that day. Now everyone will know you’re with me.”

  “And everyone will know you’re with me. Let me grab my bag.” She turned and almost ran into her parents. Her grandmother stood behind them.

  “Winnie? Aren’t you going to let Dev in the house?” her mother said. “We need a picture of the two of you together.”

  “No.”

  “Vaneeta,” she said, her eyes narrowed. “Move.”

  She opened the door a bit wider. “Fine. Dev, my parents and grandmother want to say something embarrassing.”

  She heard him cough, but thankfully he stepped into the foyer without protest. “Hi, Aunties, Uncle. How are you?”

  They nodded and said hello. Dev shook hands with Winnie’s father.

  “How is your mother, beta?”

  “Fine,” Dev replied. “Thanks for asking, Auntie. She had fun at your pooja and when you shopped together.”

  Winnie’s mom clasped her hands together with a laugh. “It was fun, no? I’m so glad we ran into her. You must bring her for dinner sometime.”

  The conversation continued as Winnie and Dev were smoothly ushered into position in front of the staircase for another round of pictures. After two sets, Winnie had had enough.

  “Okay, this chitchat is great, but we have to go. Bye.”

  Before Winnie could follow Dev, her grandmother tugged her arm.

  “Winnie,” she said softly. “I know that you are struggling with your prophecy—”

  “Oh, Nani, please, not tonight. I just want to have a good time.”

  “Hush. I know you don’t understand your prophecy, but I want you to know that I think with Dev, it’ll come true in the end. I see it now.” She patted Winnie on the shoulder and motioned her through the door.

  Winnie wasn’t sure how to process Nani’s comment, so she nodded and followed Dev outside.

  When the door closed behind them, Winnie said, “Dear gods, what happened to Indian humility and not meeting a boyfriend until it’s like marriage or whatever? My parents are weird. Sorry.”

  “Don�
��t worry about it. Ready to go?” Dev said. He motioned to the end of the driveway, and for the first time, Winnie noticed the limo. The massive white stretch took up nearly the entire length of the front of her house.

  She almost fell out of her juttis. “What the…?”

  Dev pressed a hand against the strip of exposed skin at her back. “That, Vaneeta Mehta, is your chariot.”

  Winnie looked up at him and then at the limo. “Dev. I—I don’t know what to say.”

  He led her down the front steps and to the end of the driveway. When they got to the back door, Dev stepped in front of it and slipped his hands around her waist. “Tonight’s important for all of us in film club, but especially for you. So I wanted every part of tonight to be important. There is one thing you should know, though.”

  “Oh?”

  “We won’t be alone.”

  She heard a sound come from the limo and tried to peer around him to see what was inside.

  “Dev?”

  He held her hands in his and brought her knuckles to his lips. “You really do look amazing tonight, Vaneeta Mehta. But I don’t think I can handle acting out your fairy-tale romance all night, which is why I brought reinforcements.”

  He reached behind him and pulled on the door handle. She heard screaming from inside the car and saw two familiar faces.

  “Surprise!” Bridget and Henry yelled.

  “You guys!” she said, laughing. She looked up at Dev. “I don’t care what you say—you’ve got this Bollywood romance thing down.”

  He leaned down for a quick kiss. “You deserve it.”

  She slipped inside the vehicle with Dev right behind her. This was what she’d hoped her senior year would be like, she thought. Spending Saturday nights with friends and with a guy she chose for herself. Destiny couldn’t stop her tonight no matter what was written in the stars.

  17

  MAIN HOON NA / I’M HERE FOR YOU

  ★★★★★

  I admit it. I automatically give extra points to a Bollywood movie that has at least one phenomenal group dance number. Item songs featuring a scantily clad woman dancing in front of leering men do not count.

  Winnie thought the decorating committee should get jobs on a Sanjay Leela Bhansali film, because they were that good. Although she’d helped throughout the process, watching their vision come to life was amazing. A red carpet connected one end of the foyer to the ballroom. A large backdrop with the festival logo was set up in one corner, and she could hear the DJ spinning remixes through the open double doors.

  “Hey, you,” Laura said from the front table. “You look awesome!”

  “Thanks! You too. How are we doing on money?”

  Laura tilted her head toward the tin box, which held a wad of cash. “The presales were great, but the sales at the door are incredible! You did such a terrific job with this. Everyone knows it was you. Really. Congratulations.”

  Winnie leaned down and gave her a hug. “Thanks. Do you have someone to switch off with you so you can dance, too?”

  She nodded. “Jenny Dickens is supposed to take over.”

  Winnie plastered a wide smile on her face. How Jenny had managed to take on a volunteer position for the festival was beyond her. Raj must have approved it without Winnie knowing. “Perfect! Have fun, okay?”

  Laura nodded and started collecting tickets from the next person in line. “Most def. Oh! Mr. Reece was looking for you. He’s inside. See you later!”

  Dev grabbed her hand and tugged her in through the open double doors. “Come on, let’s check out the food.”

  “The food is fantastic. I picked the caterers myself. But did you hear Laura? Reece is looking for me. What do you think he wants to talk about?”

  “There is only one way to find out.” He looked up at the dangling stars and streamers from the ceiling. “This is like a perfect set for a Bollywood dance number…or a Woody Allen movie.”

  She tugged his hand. “Wait, I think I’m hearing things. Did Dev Khanna suggest a Bollywood dance number, or was that my imagination?”

  He grinned down at her. In the dim light of the ballroom and over the blaring music from the DJ, she could hear him clearly. “Don’t you wish someone would start dancing right now?”

  She laughed and shoved him in the arm. “Depends on the dancer. I feel bad for the normal crowd here, though. The South Asian, African, jazz, ballet, contemporary, and hip-hop teams from school all bought tickets. Anyway, where did Bridget and Henry go? Didn’t they say they were grabbing seats?”

  Before the words left her mouth, Winnie spotted Bridget waving from a table at the side of the room. Winnie linked fingers with Dev and pulled him along to join their friends.

  “I’ve been to every fund-raiser event for film club, and this has to be the best one yet,” Bridget said.

  “Thanks, Bridge.”

  Henry lifted a chicken wing and waved it at her. “Get some food,” he said. “This stuff is awesome.” His suit coat was already off and draped over his chair, and the white sleeves of his button-down shirt were rolled up to his elbows. A green T-shirt peeked out at the nape of his neck.

  “The Hulk?” Winnie asked.

  “Green Lantern,” he replied.

  “I think I know who that is.”

  “We can discuss his choice of superhero T-shirts when we get back,” Dev said. “Shall we?”

  “We shall,” Winnie replied as he led her to the buffet table.

  Over the course of half an hour, she ate and laughed with her friends. She waved to other people she went to school with and shook the hands of teachers who were told by other members of the film club that she’d been responsible for putting the fund-raiser dance together. The music got louder and the room darker with more people moving to the center of the room.

  Just as she finished her second soda and Dev finished the last bit of pasta on her plate, she felt a tap on her shoulder. She looked up at a smiling Mr. Reece.

  “Ms. Mehta, you look dashing this evening.”

  She stood up and eyed Mr. Reece’s tailcoat and bow tie. He couldn’t have looked more movie-star double than he did at that moment. “Mr. Reece, Laura mentioned you were looking for me. Sorry, I got caught up. Love the bow tie.”

  He preened. “Thank you. May I speak with you for a second?”

  She nodded and moved with him to a corner of the room.

  “Congratulations,” he said once they could hear each other. “With your work on the master class and the fund-raiser, you’ve definitely shown that you’re a capable leader who goes above and beyond when necessary.”

  “Mr. Reece?”

  “I know you weren’t happy when I enforced the school rules, but that’s my job as an educator. It was also a way to push you to be the leader I knew you could be. Yesterday I spoke with the dean and asked him for an exception. You’ve earned the role as festival chair and film-club president. Congratulations. You can have your title, and I’d be happy to write you a letter of recommendation for NYU.”

  “For real?” she said, her pulse racing. “This isn’t a joke to get back at me for all the Star Wars pranks, is it?”

  “It’s real, but I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t do that anymore.”

  Winnie squealed and launched herself at Mr. Reece, giving him a bone-crushing hug. “Thank you, Mr. Reece! I promise I’ll make you proud.”

  He managed to detangle from her and said, “Raj and I agree. You deserve the honor to speak on behalf of the film club and the festival tonight. I’ll introduce you and thank the teachers for being here tonight; then you can take it away.”

  “Of course. I’m ready. I mean, I can do this. Sure thing.”

  “Okay, meet me on the left side of the stage in five minutes.”

  Winnie hadn’t prepared a speech, but she nodded, and after sweating it out with Dev, Bridget, and Henry, she approached the stage, where Mr. Reece was already waiting for her. The DJ saw them and started to fade the music.

  Mr. Reec
e jogged up the side steps and waited for Winnie to join him. When they stood side by side, he reached for the microphone and called for everyone’s attention. He had to repeat himself twice before the room quieted.

  “Thank you all for coming. For those who don’t know me, I’m Mr. Reece, the faculty advisor for the film club this year. On behalf of the entire film club, we want to extend our appreciation to you for purchasing fund-raiser tickets.” After he acknowledged faculty, he turned to Winnie. “Now I want to introduce you to one of your classmates, who is responsible for coordinating this entire event—Ms. Winnie Mehta!”

  The clapping sounded like a thunderous roar. Winnie heard music in her head as she took the microphone from Mr. Reece. It was heavier than she expected. She looked at her friends, the teachers, and the other students. In the middle of the smiling faces, she spotted Raj standing toward the rear of the room, his hands shoved in his pockets. She faltered for a bit, switching the microphone from one sweaty hand to another. When his gaze clashed with hers, he crossed his arms and looked away.

  She shook her head as she tried to piece together the words she wanted to say. When she heard Mr. Reece clear his throat next to her, she started.

  “Thanks, everyone. The film festival is going to be a success, so I really hope you come out again to see movies made by students here and across the country. The club couldn’t have thrown such a party without the help of some amazing people. The decorating committee set up this gorgeous ballroom.” She briefly went through the names of each committee and waited while everyone cheered and clapped.

  Winnie waved a hand toward the DJ. “And before I get off this stage and let you enjoy the rest of your night, I want to thank our alumnus DJ Ricky Jackson for spinning for us all night!” This time the cheers accompanied music. She faced the audience, expecting the music to stop so she could end her mini speech. Instead the music grew louder and mixed with something that sounded strangely familiar. She looked over at the DJ box and goggled when she saw Henry behind the turntables instead.