are, we’re not having any of them. And Jay and I have saved like mad for this wedding. We haven’t asked you, or my parents, for any financial input at all, because it’s our day. It’s going to be the wedding we want, the way we’ve planned it. I can assure you there’ll be absolutely nothing cheapskate about it.’
‘Sorry, darling.’ Deena smiled. ‘Of course there isn’t. Not for a British wedding – it all sounds rather lovely. But Jaimal is Indian and –’
Nalisha laughed.
‘Mum!’ Jay clattered down his knife and fork. ‘You haven’t called me Jaimal since I was eleven years old! And …’
‘But Jay’s British,’ Erinsaid, with an awful sinking feeling that things were once again spiralling way out of control. ‘He was born here. In Britain. In Birmingham.’
‘Solihull, darling,’ Deena corrected quickly. ‘Not Birmingham.’
Nalisha laughed again.
‘And you’re British, too.’ Jay looked at his parents. ‘Both my Naanis and Daadas were already living in Britain when you were born. You’ve told me the stories often enough. How they scrimped and saved and made enough money to leave Gujarat.’
Erin took a gulp of her ice-cold mineral water. Despite the Swan’s tables being well spaced, she was aware that their conversation was causing a certain amount of interest amongst the other diners. She really couldn’t blame them for eavesdropping. If she weren’t so painfully involved, she’d be riveted herself.
‘Exactly,’ Deena said in a placating voice. ‘That’s exactly why you have to acknowledge your roots. My parents, and your father’s, sacrificed everything for us, as we did for you. The marriage ceremony, especially the marriage of our only child, is a time for repaying those sacrifices.’
‘Look,’ Erin put in, ‘and I know how grateful Jay is for everything you’ve done for him. But really, without being rude, for us, the wedding is a confirmation and celebration of our love and our commitment to one another, and the opportunity to be able to show that love and commitment publicly in front of our friends and family.’
‘Dangerous ground,’ Nalisha whispered. ‘I’d back off now if I were you.’
Erin shook her head.
Jay nodded. ‘Erin’s absolutelyright, Mum. Oh, I’ll never forget what you’ve sacrificed for me, which is why we want everyone we know and love to be here to share our day. But when Erin and I get married, it’s just that. Our wedding day. Our day. No one else’s.’
Nalisha sighed.
Erin wanted to cheer and stamp her feet and hurl her arms round Jay and kiss him. With Nalisha in the way it’d be tricky but she was sure she’d manage it somehow.
Deena pursed her lips but mercifully remained silent as the waiter removed the empty starter plates, which were immediately seamlessly replaced by their main courses.
‘Oh, this looks and smells delicious.’ Tavish wafted the steam from his vegetable linguini towards him.
‘It is,’ Erin said quickly. ‘The food here is out of this world. As you’ll discover at the wedding breakfast. We’ve chosen a menu to suit everyone, again a fusion of East and West, and plenty of veggie dishes, and –’
Nalisha, who had hardly touched her first course, leaned towards Erin. ‘I’d give up if I were you. You’re flogging a dead horse, as they say. Deena has her own agenda. Honestly, just agree with everything and then go your own sweet way.’
‘But …’
‘Seriously,’ Nalisha said softly, ‘leave Deena to me. We have a lovely long car journey home to Solihull. I’ll talk to her then.’
Erin smiled. She suddenly decided she liked Nalisha. A lot.
‘Thanks.’
‘No problem.’
Jay beamed at them both, clearly delighted that they were getting on so well.
‘Anyway,’ Deena said with a smile, ‘let’s get back to the matter in hand while we still have time, darlings.’
Jay and Erin exchanged raised eyebrow looks of
Oh, Lordy, do we really have to?
Deena smiled. ‘You
‘Sorry, darling.’ Deena smiled. ‘Of course there isn’t. Not for a British wedding – it all sounds rather lovely. But Jaimal is Indian and –’
Nalisha laughed.
‘Mum!’ Jay clattered down his knife and fork. ‘You haven’t called me Jaimal since I was eleven years old! And …’
‘But Jay’s British,’ Erinsaid, with an awful sinking feeling that things were once again spiralling way out of control. ‘He was born here. In Britain. In Birmingham.’
‘Solihull, darling,’ Deena corrected quickly. ‘Not Birmingham.’
Nalisha laughed again.
‘And you’re British, too.’ Jay looked at his parents. ‘Both my Naanis and Daadas were already living in Britain when you were born. You’ve told me the stories often enough. How they scrimped and saved and made enough money to leave Gujarat.’
Erin took a gulp of her ice-cold mineral water. Despite the Swan’s tables being well spaced, she was aware that their conversation was causing a certain amount of interest amongst the other diners. She really couldn’t blame them for eavesdropping. If she weren’t so painfully involved, she’d be riveted herself.
‘Exactly,’ Deena said in a placating voice. ‘That’s exactly why you have to acknowledge your roots. My parents, and your father’s, sacrificed everything for us, as we did for you. The marriage ceremony, especially the marriage of our only child, is a time for repaying those sacrifices.’
‘Look,’ Erin put in, ‘and I know how grateful Jay is for everything you’ve done for him. But really, without being rude, for us, the wedding is a confirmation and celebration of our love and our commitment to one another, and the opportunity to be able to show that love and commitment publicly in front of our friends and family.’
‘Dangerous ground,’ Nalisha whispered. ‘I’d back off now if I were you.’
Erin shook her head.
Jay nodded. ‘Erin’s absolutelyright, Mum. Oh, I’ll never forget what you’ve sacrificed for me, which is why we want everyone we know and love to be here to share our day. But when Erin and I get married, it’s just that. Our wedding day. Our day. No one else’s.’
Nalisha sighed.
Erin wanted to cheer and stamp her feet and hurl her arms round Jay and kiss him. With Nalisha in the way it’d be tricky but she was sure she’d manage it somehow.
Deena pursed her lips but mercifully remained silent as the waiter removed the empty starter plates, which were immediately seamlessly replaced by their main courses.
‘Oh, this looks and smells delicious.’ Tavish wafted the steam from his vegetable linguini towards him.
‘It is,’ Erin said quickly. ‘The food here is out of this world. As you’ll discover at the wedding breakfast. We’ve chosen a menu to suit everyone, again a fusion of East and West, and plenty of veggie dishes, and –’
Nalisha, who had hardly touched her first course, leaned towards Erin. ‘I’d give up if I were you. You’re flogging a dead horse, as they say. Deena has her own agenda. Honestly, just agree with everything and then go your own sweet way.’
‘But …’
‘Seriously,’ Nalisha said softly, ‘leave Deena to me. We have a lovely long car journey home to Solihull. I’ll talk to her then.’
Erin smiled. She suddenly decided she liked Nalisha. A lot.
‘Thanks.’
‘No problem.’
Jay beamed at them both, clearly delighted that they were getting on so well.
‘Anyway,’ Deena said with a smile, ‘let’s get back to the matter in hand while we still have time, darlings.’
Jay and Erin exchanged raised eyebrow looks of
Oh, Lordy, do we really have to?
Deena smiled. ‘You
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