Page 132 of The Rules of Playing with Fire

How could I have hurt these kind people? I might have had evil inside me, but I also had their decency and warmth. I decided I would never let my doubts and insecurity overshadow it.

“Now, let’s talk about your wedding,” Mom said, which brought a smile to my face.

“About that… Sona’s mother has a proposal for me.”

After I narrated what had transpired between her parents and me that afternoon, they chuckled.

“They seem like nice people,” Mom said.

“They are very nice. Sona is a mini-version of them, naughty and sassy like her mother and kind and generous like her father. And brilliant like both,” I furnished.

“Well, let me know how that meeting goes. We will be happy to fly there and talk in person if needed.”

“Yes, Mom,” I said and watched her shrink in her seat.

Suddenly, she put her face in her hands and broke into inconsolable tears.

I balked in fear. “What happened, Mom? Did I hurt you again?”

She shook her head and took her time to sniff back the tears. “I thought I’d never hear that word from you again,” she confessed, and my heart lurched in shame.

“I’m sorry, Mom, but you know you won’t get rid of me that easily,” I teased.

She touched my face on her screen with her fingers and brought them to her lips. “I love you, beta.”

“Love you too, Mom. And rest assured, nothing’s ever going to change that.”

“It better not,” she threatened with a teary smile.

“I love you too, Dad,” I said and kissed him the same way Mom had kissed me.

Dad couldn’t respond from trying to check his own tears.

As I tucked into bed that night, I felt complete. The only thing left now was getting my parents the daughter-in-law they desired.

RULE #10

There is no life without fire.

Respect it, revere it. Acknowledge its beauty and power.

SONA

In hindsight, inviting Mihir over that evening wasn’t the most brilliant idea.

When I woke up the next morning, grumpy before my morning tea, Mihir sat at the table, looking smart and fresh, with bright eyes and a big smile. I made sure to give him a stink eye before going to the kitchen to get my tea.

“We’re already done with our breakfast, princess,” Appa teased.

“I’m here on a break. Let me enjoy my life. I don’t get to sleep in during the semester.” I sat down at the other end of the table from Mihir. A few minutes later, our neighbor Aaji walked in, as chirpy and joyful as Mihir.

“Aaji! How are you?” Mihir asked in Marathi, and the teacup almost slipped from my hand.

“When did you learn that?” I cried in Marathi.

“I taught him,” Aaji beamed. “Isn’t he a quick learner?”

I offered her a solemn smile as Mihir stood and pulled a chair out for her so they could continue chatting. It appeared as if everyone in the household had lost their mind, completely beguiled by his charm.

---