see, Erin, fromour point of view, this fusion wedding will just be a watered-down version of yours and Jaimal’s backgrounds, won’t it? Neither one thing nor the other? Erin, darling, I love you. I’m delighted that you’re going to be my daughter-in-law – I couldn’t be more happy with Jay’s choice of a future bride, but –’
‘But?’ Erin frowned. ‘But? Go on, please. Don’t stop there. I can’t wait to hear the rest.’
Nalisha sighed heavily, looked at Jay, and shook her head. Despite her brave words, Erin saw the look between Nalisha and Jay and felt a pang of fear.
Nalisha and Jay: the perfect, beautiful Indian couple.
In the two years she and Jay had been together, their differences had never been mentioned by anyone, least of all themselves. There
were
no differences for heaven’s sake. Never had been; never would be.
Or would there? Was Jay, now reunited with Nalisha who knew everything and everyone that mattered in the Keskar culture, secretly feeling the same way as Deena?
Jay sighed and looked at his mother. ‘Whatever Erin says, Mum, we really don’t want to hear any more objections. This is the twenty-first century. We’re not having an arranged marriage. Erin isn’t coming to me with a dowry. We don’t care that we have different backgrounds. We haven’t even considered it. For God’s sake – we’re marrying each other because we’re in love and want to spend the rest of our lives together. This is getting ridiculous.’
Erin, giving Nalisha a triumphant glance, swallowed in relief. He
was
completely on her side. Yay!
Tavish shook his head. ‘Jay, you shouldn’t speak to your mother like that.’
‘No, Tavish, it’s allright. I’m sorry,’ Deena said quickly. ‘Erin, darling, please don’t ever think that we would prefer anyone else for our daughter-in-law.’
Not even the exotically and expensively fragranced Nalisha? Really?
Erin knew that she had to be grown up here, and that one wrong word could ruin things for ever.
‘Thank you. And I’m sorry, too. I shouldn’t have said anything. It’s just, well, I’m feeling a bit bombarded by all this Indian ritual stuff when our wedding is already arranged. That’s all.’
‘That makes two of us,’ Jay said. ‘And I really can’t see the point of carrying on with the conversation. Can we change the subject, please?’
‘What a good idea,’ Nalisha said softly.
Deena played for time by moving a slightly less than perfect piece of cucumber to one side of her plate. ‘All right, yes, of course. But because I don’t want to upset either of you, can I just reiterate that even if Jay’s the first person in our family not to be marrying within our culture, we absolutely adore you, Erin. Don’t we, Tavish?’
Erin felt it was all being a bit overdone now.
‘We do,’ Tavish said, smiling kindly at Erin and saving a glower for his wife. ‘We couldn’t be happier.’
Oh, good, Erin thought, hoping that the conversation would now change to something far less inflammatory. Politics would be good.
‘Exactly.’ Deena nodded. ‘And we’re not completely archaic, you know. It’s simply very important to us that our wedding traditions and rituals are observed.’
Some hope, Erin thought, irritably. Deenawasn’t going to let it go, was she? Bugger.
‘Why?’ Jay shook his head. ‘Come on, Mum. When did you and Dad last go to the temple, if it wasn’t for someone else’s wedding? You’re no more committed than we are.’
‘That’s not the point.’
‘It’s exactly the point,’ Jay insisted. ‘Neither Erin nor I pay more than lip service to the religions we were born into. That’s why we’re having a civil ceremony.’
‘Goodness me!’ Tavish dropped a snaking loop of linguini from his fork. ‘A
gay
wedding?’
Nalisha chuckled.
‘Nooo.’ Erin, much cheered now by Jay’s support, blessed Tavish for his great comic timing. ‘That’s a civil partnership.’
‘Tavish knows that.’
‘But?’ Erin frowned. ‘But? Go on, please. Don’t stop there. I can’t wait to hear the rest.’
Nalisha sighed heavily, looked at Jay, and shook her head. Despite her brave words, Erin saw the look between Nalisha and Jay and felt a pang of fear.
Nalisha and Jay: the perfect, beautiful Indian couple.
In the two years she and Jay had been together, their differences had never been mentioned by anyone, least of all themselves. There
were
no differences for heaven’s sake. Never had been; never would be.
Or would there? Was Jay, now reunited with Nalisha who knew everything and everyone that mattered in the Keskar culture, secretly feeling the same way as Deena?
Jay sighed and looked at his mother. ‘Whatever Erin says, Mum, we really don’t want to hear any more objections. This is the twenty-first century. We’re not having an arranged marriage. Erin isn’t coming to me with a dowry. We don’t care that we have different backgrounds. We haven’t even considered it. For God’s sake – we’re marrying each other because we’re in love and want to spend the rest of our lives together. This is getting ridiculous.’
Erin, giving Nalisha a triumphant glance, swallowed in relief. He
was
completely on her side. Yay!
Tavish shook his head. ‘Jay, you shouldn’t speak to your mother like that.’
‘No, Tavish, it’s allright. I’m sorry,’ Deena said quickly. ‘Erin, darling, please don’t ever think that we would prefer anyone else for our daughter-in-law.’
Not even the exotically and expensively fragranced Nalisha? Really?
Erin knew that she had to be grown up here, and that one wrong word could ruin things for ever.
‘Thank you. And I’m sorry, too. I shouldn’t have said anything. It’s just, well, I’m feeling a bit bombarded by all this Indian ritual stuff when our wedding is already arranged. That’s all.’
‘That makes two of us,’ Jay said. ‘And I really can’t see the point of carrying on with the conversation. Can we change the subject, please?’
‘What a good idea,’ Nalisha said softly.
Deena played for time by moving a slightly less than perfect piece of cucumber to one side of her plate. ‘All right, yes, of course. But because I don’t want to upset either of you, can I just reiterate that even if Jay’s the first person in our family not to be marrying within our culture, we absolutely adore you, Erin. Don’t we, Tavish?’
Erin felt it was all being a bit overdone now.
‘We do,’ Tavish said, smiling kindly at Erin and saving a glower for his wife. ‘We couldn’t be happier.’
Oh, good, Erin thought, hoping that the conversation would now change to something far less inflammatory. Politics would be good.
‘Exactly.’ Deena nodded. ‘And we’re not completely archaic, you know. It’s simply very important to us that our wedding traditions and rituals are observed.’
Some hope, Erin thought, irritably. Deenawasn’t going to let it go, was she? Bugger.
‘Why?’ Jay shook his head. ‘Come on, Mum. When did you and Dad last go to the temple, if it wasn’t for someone else’s wedding? You’re no more committed than we are.’
‘That’s not the point.’
‘It’s exactly the point,’ Jay insisted. ‘Neither Erin nor I pay more than lip service to the religions we were born into. That’s why we’re having a civil ceremony.’
‘Goodness me!’ Tavish dropped a snaking loop of linguini from his fork. ‘A
gay
wedding?’
Nalisha chuckled.
‘Nooo.’ Erin, much cheered now by Jay’s support, blessed Tavish for his great comic timing. ‘That’s a civil partnership.’
‘Tavish knows that.’
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