Namaste New York: A Novel
Page 23
Chapter 8
"That's it?" Kaveri asked. "Did you ever meet her again?"
"No," Lucky replied. "I saw her many times on campus, but we never talked again."
Lucky, Vijay, and Kaveri drove in silence for several more miles. When they got to the George Washington Bridge, they ran into some traffic, but it gave Kaveri the opportunity to enjoy the view of the city as it twinkled and glowed in the car's rear window. Kaveri loved the way cities always looked so beautiful and peaceful at night, when all the dirt and the grime and the struggle and disappointment faded into the darkness for a few hours, hidden from view.
A few minutes later, Vijay broke the silence. "Well, here we are!" He pulled the car into a circular, paved driveway and Kaveri looked out the window at the large, two-story house.
"Your house is so big for just the two of you," Kaveri remarked, a little overwhelmed by the scale of the home.
"Well, Maa is also going to stay with us, so we needed something fairly large," Vijay replied, tapping the automatic door opener and pulling into the spacious two-car garage. Vijay helped Lucky and Kaveri with their bags and they entered the house, which was decorated with fresh flowers and filled with the delicious smell of simmering Indian food. Vijay's mother had heard them arrive, and rushed to greet them. Vijay had always talked a lot about his mother and the sacrifices she had made for him, but this was the first time Lucky was meeting her. Both Lucky and Kaveri touched Shobha's feet and took her blessings.
Vijay ushered them into the living room, where they all sat and talked while dinner was cooking. Vijay inquired about Carrie, and Shobha told him that she'd gone to Raj's house, and would meet them in the morning for the ceremony. Kaveri excused herself and went to help Shobha prepare for dinner. She had cooked mutter paneer for Lucky, just as Vijay had requested, and everyone enjoyed the meal, sharing stories and laughter.
Afterwards, Kaveri cleaned up and washed the dishes, insisting that Vijay's mother rest. Meanwhile, Vijay and Lucky discussed the wedding ceremony, making sure that everything was ready for the next morning.
When Kaveri finished, the three of them moved back to the living room, where they sunk into deep couches and began eating pints of Haagen-Dazs. The Dulce de leche flavor was another of Lucky's favorites.
"You must be very tired from travelling. Do you guys want to sleep?" Vijay asked.
"No, not really. We slept almost the whole trip, so I am not sleepy," Lucky replied.
"Yeah. It's daytime in India, so I am not sleepy either," Kaveri said, taking another spoonful of ice cream in her mouth. "I think you should tell me what happened next."
"Oh, come on, Kaveri. It will take whole night. Vijay needs to sleep and take some rest. He has the most important event of his life tomorrow," Lucky said.
"Which is why I won't be able to sleep, either," Vijay said with a nervous laugh.
"Good!" Kaveri replied, smirking at Lucky. "Maaji talked about Carrie when I was helping her in the kitchen. Where did you guys meet her?"
"Hmm?Carrie?Carrie Jacobs. She's a fashion journalist. Raj met her first," Vijay explained as he opened up another pint of Haagen Dazs and passed it to Lucky. It was going to be a long night, so Lucky shrugged, took the ice cream, and settled in.