Anjali – October 1994
I grew frustrated as Karthik told me to wait as he answered the door. Why couldn't he ignore whoever was at the door? I held the phone to my ear as I walked to my closet. I might as well figure out what I would wear tonight while I waited. I was meeting Tarun cha-cha tonight, and I wanted to look nice but respectful and wear something Indian but not a full Indian outfit since the plan was to go out afterwards.
I threw several things on my bed and paired together the possibilities.
"Hey, sorry Anjali that took so long. It was a high school student selling magazines to raise money for college. I know I may have gotten suckered, but he seemed genuine."
"What magazines did you buy?"
"Sports Illustrated," Karthik said with a smile that I could feel over the phone.
"You don't follow sports."
"I know," Karthik grinned through the phone.
"But I'm sure you're dying to know next year's women's swimsuit fashions," I said sarcastically.
"For you, so I can help you with next season's swimsuit selection," Karthik teased.
"Of course, you did it for me. Anyway, can we get back to what we were speaking about before you left me for the magazine salesman."
"Yeah sure," Karthik mumbled.
"Diwali is in a couple of weeks and I'd like to introduce you to my parents."
"I told you I'd love to come and meet your family."
"Karthik, I'm not putting my family through meeting you if your parents don't even know about me."
"Coming to your family's home for Diwali is conditional on me telling my parents about you?" Karthik asked shocked.
"Yes," I said resolutely. I would not back down. I'd seen this all too often, Indian guys date the girls here in the US and then end up marrying a girl their parents had picked out, sometimes from India. I hated doing this to Karthik, but I needed to know he could tell his parents about me. It had been long enough.
"I don't understand why you're doing this. Your parents are more understanding and they'll be cool about us. My parents aren't your parents. Why are you tying these two events together?"
"Karthik you're a grown man who should be able to make his own decisions about who he wants to be with. Why is this a big deal? Why can't you tell your parents about me?"
"Anjali it will take time. No one in my family has ever had a love marriage. I would be the first. They're expecting me to marry someone they pick."
I noticed Karthik said I would and not I will. Maybe it was a minor difference. Maybe it meant nothing.
"They know they raised you in the US, don't they?"
"Don't be cheeky with me."
"What am I to you? Am I just another name in your black book?"
"No, don't be ridiculous. I need more time."
"We've been seeing each other for over a year, and you need more time to just tell your parents you have a girlfriend? I'm not asking you to marry me."
There was silence on the other end.
"Why did you ask me out?" I asked, frustrated.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean am I a way to pass the time?"
"Are you serious?" Karthik got mad. "I'm in med school, the last thing I was looking for was a relationship. But I couldn't take my eyes off of you from the moment I met you. Anjali you are not a way to pass the time. I just need more time. This is difficult. Okay."
This time I stayed silent.
"Look, I love you! You need to know that. It's just difficult. My parents will not change a lifetime of thinking in a heartbeat."
"I'm not budging. If you want me to introduce you to my family, tell your parents about us. When you do, then I'll bring you home. Diwali is on November 3rd, otherwise if that's too soon there's always Thanksgiving. I'm not even asking you to introduce me to your family, just tell them about me."
"Anjali, come on..."
"No, Karthik, I've decided."
"Fine. Let's change the topic. What are you doing tonight?"
"I'm meeting Tarun cha-cha tonight?"
"Who's Tarun cha-cha?"
"The guy who my parents have asked to find a suitable boy for me," I said, feeling vindictive.
"Wait, what? Your parents are introducing you to other guys? And you said yes?" Karthik asked furiously.
"I am of marriageable age, and you know how things go in our culture. My parents think I'm single."
"Come on, Anjali, you know I love you. How could you agree to meet other guys when we're together?"
"I'm not meeting any guy tonight; I'm meeting the middle man so I can tell him the type of guy I'm interested in."
"But, you're not single!"
A few angry tears escaped my eyes, "Now you see how I feel!"
"Anjali, come on baby, you know I love you. Are you really meeting with Tarun cha-cha tonight?" Karthik pleaded.
"Yes, I'm meeting with Tarun cha-cha," I said and took a deep breath, "but he's not a middleman."
"Who is he then?" Karthik asked worried.
"He's Arjun and Alex's cha-cha. He's visiting from India and we're meeting for dinner."
"Arjun is in New York?"
"Yes, he's here."
"He didn't tell me he was going to NY this weekend."
"Why does he have to tell you he's coming here to see his brother and his cha-cha?" I asked, still in a fighting mood.
"If he's spending time with family, why are you going?"
"Because, the Shergill's are family to me. I'm meeting them for dinner, I'm not spending the whole weekend with them."
"Whose idea was it for you to meet their cha-cha from India?" Karthik asked in a grilling mood.
"Uncle's idea. He really wants me to meet his brother." They weren't blood brothers, but Tarun cha-cha was uncle's best friend from his childhood and they were closer than brothers. He was closer than family.
"I don't get your relationship with them?"
"What's there to get? Arjun is my best friend from college and I'm close to his family the same way I'm close to Katherine's family."
"If Katherine's family from Italy came here, you'd meet them?" Karthik asked.
"Absolutely, and I have met some of her family members from Italy. And, if we were an open couple, I'd have invited you. But, since we're still in the closet, I didn't see it appropriate to ask you to come."
I heard Karthik sigh on the line, "Anjali, why are we fighting?"
"Because I need to know you'd fight for me," I cried, not hiding my tears this time.
"Anjali, I will tell my parents. You need to trust me I'm working on it. In my own way. It's a rocky path, and it's difficult, but that doesn't mean I'm not doing it."
"I need you to show me," I said.
"I will Anjali. I love you. Have fun tonight," Karthik breathed.
"Bye," was all I could get out of my mouth because the tears were running down fast.
I pushed the clothes aside and cried; I didn't hold back this time. In between the tears I thought about how five years ago Arjun had rescued me from my homesickness my freshman year around Diwali time. I couldn't help but compare how he had no problem telling his parents about me. And the first time I went to auntie and uncle's house, they welcomed me and immediately made me a part of their family. Why couldn't things between Arjun and I have worked out? Why hadn't we felt more romantically towards each other?
We had the perfect relationship minus the sex. Why was God so cruel?
Alex
"Come on Arjun, hurry; we will be late! Anjali will be all alone waiting for us at the restaurant."
"Amar she's a big girl she'll be fine on her own if we're a few minutes late."
"Arjun beta, you don't leave a woman waiting; your brother's right, hurry up. We need to get there before she does," Tarun cha-cha calmly said.
Thank god for Tarun cha-cha because Arjun finally came out of the bathroom fully dressed.
"Cha-cha, I know you haven't met Anjali yet, but we're talking about Anjali, she's a friend so there's no formality where she's concerned. Since this is your first time meeting her, let's go early."
Tarun cha-cha put a hand on Arjun's shoulder, "There is always a level of formality when a woman is involved."
Arjun knew better than to argue with Tarun cha-cha, so he nodded his head and picked up his jacket.
We left my apartment and walked downstairs to hail a cab.
Once inside the cab, Tarun cha-cha asked, "How's Anjali getting to the restaurant?"
I smiled, "Don't worry, I picked a restaurant near her place. She's probably walking there."
Tarun cha-cha gave me a look and commented, "Well, at least she didn't have to go far."
The cab driver was Indian, so Cha-cha asked him his name, where he was from in India and started chatting with him in Hindi. Arjun and I sat quietly. If we spoke to every desi taxi driver whose cab we sat in, we'd have no peace and quiet.
We arrived at the restaurant ten minutes before our reservation time and checked in with the hostess and told her we were waiting for one more person. The hostess smiled, "She's already here."
We turned around and saw Anjali walking out of the lady's room. I almost didn't recognize her. Her hair was curled, and she wore make-up. She wore a beautiful long navy blue kurti with very form fitting maroon pants and long brown boots, and a matching dupata around her neck. I'd never seen her with Indian clothes on. She wasn't wearing a complete Indian outfit, but part of one. I'd never seen a woman mix up American and Indian clothes. She looked beautiful. My breath caught in my throat.
I couldn't speak.
Anjali came up to me, "Hey, how are you?"
"Great," I said, breaking out of my trance.
Arjun cut in front of me and gave Anjali a big hug and lifted her off the ground and he whispered to her loud enough for me to hear, "I missed you."
"I missed you too," she whispered back and for a moment it looked like she would cry.
Once Arjun put her down, Tarun cha-cha grabbed her hands. "You are even more beautiful than these Shergill men described you. Their descriptions did not do you justice." He leaned in and kissed her on the cheek, "It's such a pleasure to finally meet you after hearing about you for so long."
Arjun hugging Anjali and Tarun cha-cha, knowing so much about Anjali before ever meeting her, gave me a pang in the gut. It was a reminder that everyone expected her one day to be Arjun's bride. Why did having Anjali as a sister-in-law feel awful?
Tarun cha-cha may have been in his mid-50s, but he was a flirt. He held out his arm and Anjali took it with some hesitation. He gave her his signature infectious smile and whispered something in her ear; probably something flirtatious knowing him. With his thick head of salt and pepper hair and eyes that twinkled he was handsome for a 50-year-old, you could tell he had turned many heads in his younger years. Whatever he said must have put her at ease as she laughed.
They lead the way to our table.
Tarun cha-cha always had a way of taking command of a situation. Immediately he ordered a bottle of white wine. In fact, it was a wine my mom liked. Tarun cha-cha was good about remembering the small details in people's lives.
Arjun and I sat quietly as he asked Anjali the basics about herself. What she studied? How many siblings she had? Where had she grown up? About her job? Which was funny, because I was confident he knew the answer to every question. My dad I'm sure had already shared everything with him, but he feigned ignorance and asked, anyway.
The appetizers arrived, and the waiter placed the palak chaat and the Malabari shrimp on the table and four appetizer plates.
I took one shrimp from the plate and popped it in my mouth. Anjali looked at me and smiled. I finished chewing the shrimp. "Yours taste much better than these," I said.
"Thanks," Anjali said, "but they are a different recipe."
"Still, I'd take your shrimp appetizers any day over these."
Tarun cha-cha looked over at both of us, "In that case, I hope the palak chaat is better than the shrimp."
Arjun with his mouth half full, "I don't know what you are talking about, but both appetizers taste great."
I took the palak chaat and put some on a plate and handed it to Anjali.
Tarun cha-cha gave a nasty look to Arjun. I laughed to myself. Arjun would get a lecture when we got home about how he shouldn't have eaten before serving Anjali. Arjun either didn't notice, or he ignored the look and kept eating.
Anjali took the plate from me, "Thank you."
I took another plate and put appetizers on them and handed them to Tarun cha-cha. Who tried them both and ate silently before saying, "There are much better desi shrimp appetizers than this."
I smiled.
"Next time you're in town I'll make my shrimp appetizers for you," Anjali mumbled.
Something was off about Anjali. She seemed quieter, and I'd even go so far as saying she looked sad. Arjun seemed oblivious to Anjali's mood as he kept eating.
"I will hold you to that," Tarun cha-cha said.
"Hey Anjali, you've never made shrimp appetizers for me," Arjun said.
"That's because I didn't have a kitchen in college, I do now. If you come to NY more often than I'll make them for you too."
"You don't come to see Anjali?" Tarun cha-cha asked Arjun.
"Cha-cha do you have any idea how hard med school is? Anjali comes to Boston once in a while, but Karthik's also busy so the visits are infrequent."
"Who's Karthik?" Tarun cha-cha asked.
I looked at Tarun cha-cha, and he genuinely looked like he had not heard of Karthik. I knew for a fact he had already been briefed on the other intel regarding Anjali, and his questions to her were a formality. But this seemed to be a surprise.
Anjali looked at me with a deer in a headlight look.
"Uumm, he's my..."
"Her boyfriend," I finished for her.
"You have a boyfriend?"
"Yes," was all she said.
"How do you know this Karthik guy?" cha-cha asked, looking over at Arjun.
Arjun finally stopped eating and looked at cha-cha like he was being asked a trick question, "Because I introduced them?"
Cha-cha looked lost, "He's in med school with you?"
"Yes," I answered because both Anjali and Arjun looked like they needed saving.
"Interesting," was all Tarun cha-cha said, but he said it looking at me.
"Cha-cha, what brings you to New York?" Anjali asked, changing the subject.
It made me smile that she referred to him as cha-cha. She could easily have called him Tarun uncle, but she called him cha-cha like he was family.
Tarun cha-cha looked at me again and moved his attention to Anjali, "I'm exploring opening a branch of Tarun Jewelers here in New York."
For the first time this evening I saw a spark in Anjali's eyes, "You're Tarun cha-cha as in the Tarun in Tarun Jewelers?" she asked with excitement.
Tarun cha-cha laughed, "Yes, I am the one and only Tarun of Tarun Jewelers. You didn't know?"
"No, Alex didn't tell me," she said.
Tarun looked over at me again, "And Arjun didn't tell you either?"
Arjun looked over at us like we were all in a different universe. "Did I forget to mention that to you?"
"Apparently," I said sarcastically to him.
"That's so exciting you want to open a branch here. I will definitely be one of your customers, I love Tarun Jewelers!" Anjali said continuing back to the conversation.
"Yes, but I don't want it to be the same store that I have in India. I have a vision to expand into the American market. With the changing demographics of the U.S. and more Americans feeling comfortable with other cultures, I think it's time to enter the U.S market and offer something new. I'm realistic and I know the strong ethnic designs of Indian jewelry will be too much for the American consumer, but the focus on just solitaire diamonds and gold bands are too bland for the American consumer. I think there is room to design new items that are a hybrid or a fusion of the two kinds of jewelry."
Anjali looked mesmerized by Tarun cha-cha, "I totally agree with you. I find the 14k gold jewelry you get in most American stores too simple, but I find the Indian stuff too gaudy. I think you're on to something. What are your plans?"
"I'm glad you agree with me, Anjali. I think the US is ready to have higher end jewelry stores that offer more of a variety of options beyond diamonds. For most Americans the most expensive jewelry purchased is a diamond engagement ring and then the wedding bands, but it seems trends are changing."
Once again, I seemed to be the object of Tarun cha-cha's attention, "Regarding my plans, first, I'm hoping I can convince Amar beta to join me and be my partner. I still need to run my business in India, so I need someone here that can oversee my American operations. If I can get his help and determine if there is a market beyond just you Anjali, I'll open a store here."
I looked at cha-cha like he was crazy, "Cha-cha you know I have a full-time job not to mention that I know nothing and I mean absolutely nothing about jewelry except what a pain it is to return an engagement ring that was never worn by anyone and yet the jeweler doesn't believe you and wants to give you a fraction of the price."
Anjali smiled at me mischievously when I said the ring had never been worn.
"And this will help you get over your hurt," Tarun cha-cha added quietly acknowledging my broken heart.
Tarun cha-cha gave his charming smile at Anjali and placed his hand on hers, "Come on Anjali, help me convince Amar to join me."
"Cha-cha, I have to agree with Alex, how can he help you with your business? Alex's expertise is in finance and coding. Unless you're planning on doing holograms of the jewelry, I don't see the connection."
Tarun cha-cha laughed, "Holograms of jewelry, I like the idea. I hadn't thought about that, but what I had in mind is for him to help me determine if there is an American market and if there is, he can secure the financing for the venture. He has plenty of contacts in the industry to help find American investors."
"Oh, oh, oh, I get it! Alex, you just told me that your company got bought out by a Private Equity company. Are they the investors that would be interested in Tarun Jewelers?" Anjali asked.
"Maybe, but I'm not sure..." I started but was cut off.
Tarun cha-cha turned to Anjali and lifted her pendant in his hands. "This is exactly the stuff I'd like to do. Where did you get this from?"
"I designed it with jewelry my nani left for me," Anjali said while Arjun watched us quietly like a Ping pong match.
I interrupted, "I think she is the woman you are looking for."
Tarun cha-cha looked over at Anjali, "You and I can design the jewelry."
Anjali looked at me panicked, "No wait, I can't do that. I don't know anything about jewelry either."
I looked over at Arjun to help me or even Anjali, but he kept filling his plate with food and eating.
"What do you mean you don't know anything? That piece is exquisite," Cha-cha said.
"That's just one piece," Anjali pleaded as she fingered her pendant.
"You're an architect," Cha-cha said, asserting his authority. Like he willed her to be a designer and therefore she was.
"Yes, I build buildings."
"You build, period. Think of jewelry as mini buildings."
"Alex help!"
"You want my help? What about when I wanted your help just a few minutes ago? You sold me out. Told cha-cha what a wonderful idea this is. What happened?" I said.
"What kind of friend are you?"
"I could ask you the same thing," I retorted which got me another look from Tarun cha-cha before he looked at Arjun and back at me like he was scrutinizing me.
Arjun spoke, "Both of you shut up and just say yes! You two can do this. I know you both have full-time jobs, but you can do this. Amar see what you can do for securing financing and Anjali sit down with cha-cha for design sessions to see if you can apply your design theories to jewelry. Now can we all finish dinner?"
I ignored Arjun, "How many languages do I need to say no to you in?" I asked Tarun cha-cha.
"Amar beta..."
"Don't call me beta when I have to say to no to you," I pleaded. I hated saying no to Tarun cha-cha, but I couldn't do this.
"Wow, he's good," Anjali said, ignoring Arjun.
"Yeah, he's good which I tried to warn you about, but you wouldn't listen."
"I have to go to the bathroom and if I don't come back don't worry," Anjali said as she tried to get up.
"You're not going anywhere!" I said, "You will help me convince Tarun cha-cha to find other partners."
Tarun cha-cha ignored us and drew on a pad of paper; when he finished, he showed us several beautiful designs on one page. On the second page was the math of how profitable jewelry done right could be.
"There's that much of a markup on jewelry," Tarun cha-cha said as if that proved his point and it settled all of our concerns. "Stick around and I'll teach you everything you need to know about the business."
I sank in my seat and looked over at the waiter and beckoned him.
"Check please."
"Oh no, we're not done, three Scotches and.." then cha-cha looked over at Anjali, "Cognac? Port?"
"Tea," Anjali said with a resigned manner.
"Cognac," was what he ordered for Anjali.
Anjali looked open-mouthed at me, and all I could do was look up at the ceiling.
I pulled the sympathy card out, "As if it isn't painful enough to be rejected, I now will constantly be reminded of engagement and wedding rings. I thought you were here to help me get over Christina?"
"I am. I will keep you so busy you will not have time to think about her," Cha-cha said without missing a bit.
And we spent the next hour and a half with Tarun cha-cha telling us his vision and giving us a to do list.
Arjun got bored, so he convinced the owner to let him take over the music selection. Arjun started dancing and a few of the other patrons joined him to cheesy eighties Hindi music.
Anjali looked over at Arjun, "Excuse me, I'll be right back."
I watched Anjali walk towards Arjun; she looked beautiful in Indian clothes. Arjun pulled her towards him, and she started talking to him. And from where I sat, it looked like there were tears. It looked like Arjun was comforting her about something. I knew Tarun cha-cha was pushy but did the entire jewelry store bring her to tears.
I turned away and looked at Tarun cha-cha to get his attention, but he'd already seen what I'd seen.
Tarun cha-cha said, "I can't see them together?"
"Arjun and Anjali? Really, why?"
"They're too similar. I don't know, maybe they seem more like brother and sister."
I spit out my drink.
"What's so funny?" Cha-cha asked me.
I stared at cha-cha, confused at his comments because I knew my dad had shared with him his desire for Anjali and Arjun to be a couple.
"Maybe that explains the lack of chemistry. I can see them as best friends, but lovers no."
I groaned. "Did you just use the word lovers?"
"Stop being a prude. I may be old, but I know what men and women do when they're romantically involved."
"Please do not do the birds and the bees talk," I said as I sank in my seat.
"Seems like you need it," Tarun cha-cha said as he looked at me funny. "I see Anjali with you before I see her with Arjun."
Once again, I spit out my drink.
Cha-cha, "No disrespect, but you need to get your head examined."